Longest River in Egypt

Overcoming our doubts and denials with faith

12/15/2021

Lk 7:18b-23 At that time, John summoned two of his disciples and sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” When the men came to the Lord, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?’” At that time Jesus cured many of their diseases, sufferings, and evil spirits; he also granted sight to many who were blind. And Jesus said to them in reply, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the good news proclaimed to them. And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.”

Do you have doubts or do you suffer from denial? And by “denial” I am not talking about the longest river in Egypt (the Nile), but rather a flat and firm rejection of something or someone. For instance, a young girl may doubt her boyfriend loves her. So, she picks up a flower and pulls off its petals one by one, saying, “He loves me; he loves me not; he loves me; he loves me not.” And she hopes to overcome her doubt by pulling the last petal on the words, “He loves me!” Here’s another example of doubt. I doubt that I will ever beat Fr. Daniel in a game of tennis. Yesterday, we played a tie-breaker to ten points, and he beat me soundly 10 to 1. Heaven for me will be beating Fr. Daniel in tennis, when I will finally overcome that doubt.

On the other hand, much of modern science is based on a flat denial of the existence of God. Indeed, it seems almost a hallmark of educated people that the halls of higher education be filled with those who deny God exists. God is reduced to a fairy tale for innocent and ignorant little children. When do most young Catholic’s doubts about God become full-blown denials? When they go away to college, where, in a sense, they become too smart for their own good. We can overcome our doubts, but our denials often overcome us.

In the gospel today, we see John the Baptist struggling with doubts about Jesus being the Messiah. We read: “At that time, John summoned two of his disciples and sent them to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?’” And by the way, the reason John sent two disciples is because he wanted the certainty of a legally binding testimony. Two eyewitnesses are the equivalent to a signed document. John had serious doubts.

And Jesus helps John overcome his doubts by pointing to his miracles which fulfilled the ancient prophecies. Jesus said: “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.” In other words, overcome your doubts by your faith in the miracles you see, and do not let your doubts turn into denial, which will overcome you. Hence, John is able to be beheaded in prison, and die in peace knowing the Lord loves him.

My friends, tragically, we live in a society in which many truths are being held hostage by denial. And social media and talk shows have contributed to changing our doubts into denials, and sometimes with deadly consequences. For example, some people flatly deny the seriousness and sickness of the COVID virus and refuse to be vaccinated or take other precautions. We search for the information we want to hear and then create an “echo chamber” where we reinforce that view until we believe it as gospel truth. Doubt becomes denial.

A similar scenario is unfolding with climate change. Some people’s doubts have become full-blown denials about the reality of how the earth is eroding under our feet. The same is true for abortion. The simple and plain fact of the matter is we are killing upwards of a million babies a year. How can you debate that? And yet there is no shortage of naysayers who doubt that fact and even deny that the baby in the womb is a real human being. Doubts can be remedied, but denials are always deadly.

It is natural and normal to feel doubts. We can doubt whether someone loves us; we doubt we will ever beat Fr. Daniel in tennis. But we need to be very careful rowing our boat down the longest river in Egypt, “Denial.” Doubts can be overcome, but denials often overcome us. We pray that “faith” will be the last petal we pluck off the flower of life and say when we die, like St. John the Baptist: “God loves me!”

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Two Electricians

Understanding the purpose and power of prayer

12/14/2021

Mt 21:28-32 Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people: “What is your opinion? A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’ The son said in reply, ‘I will not,’ but afterwards he changed his mind and went. The man came to the other son and gave the same order. He said in reply, ‘Yes, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did his father’s will?” They answered, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the Kingdom of God before you. When John came to you in the way of righteousness, you did not believe him; but tax collectors and prostitutes did. Yet even when you saw that, you did not later change your minds and believe him.”

Today, December 14, is the feast of St. John of the Cross, the great Carmelite doctor of the church and mystic of prayer. Did I ever describe to you why I wanted to become a Carmelite several years ago? The bishop graciously allowed me a three-month sabbatical to explore this "vocation within a vocation," to discern if God was calling me to be a Carmelite. I would like to share a little of that “phone call from God” with you.

Most people, including Catholics, do not know what Carmelites are or what they do, so here is how I explain it, with an analogy to electricians. You know what an electrician is, right? Imagine you come home one day and flip the light switch but nothing happens. Your lights at home do not turn on. What would you do? You may check the light bulbs to see if one had burned out, or perhaps even the breaker box to see if it was a simple fix.

But if that didn’t work, who would you call? Most likely you would call an electrician. He or she would come to your home, evaluate the situation and suggest a solution. Maybe a wire had short-circuited or some other more serious issue was the culprit. He would fix the problem, you would pay him, and your lights would work perfectly again. Everyone is happy. End of story.

But did you ever wonder where the electricity comes from that feeds the power lines in your house? Often that source is a hydroelectric plant hidden far away in a river that most people never give a second thought to. But day after day, there are electricians and engineers who faithfully go to work at that hydroelectric plant and do their job to provide electricity.

And here is the big difference between the two types of electricians. The fellow at the hydroelectric plant provides electricity not for one home, but for thousands of home, indeed for hundreds of thousands of homes. Do you see the difference? The first electrician helps one family at a time; he helped you when your light switch didn’t work. The second electrician helps thousands of families at a time.

That is the fundamental difference between a diocesan priest and a Carmelite friar. Your parish priest baptizes your baby, he blesses your new home, he solemnizes your children’s marriages, he hears your confession, he anoints you in the hospital, and he presides over your parents’ funerals. You have a spiritual need, you call him, and he provides s sacramental service, by giving you God’s grace. Everyone is happy. End of story. Right? Wrong.

Did you ever wonder where that grace, like the electricity, comes from? That is, is there a sort of “spiritual hydroelectric plant” that provides God’s grace to everyone and not just one family at a time? Yes there is, and they are called Carmelites, who spend hours in prayer each day called contemplation. Contemplative prayer is as close as you can get to the source of all life, light and grace.

Notice, too, that just like the anonymous worker at the hydroelectric plant, most people never give a second thought to these men and women hidden and working in obscurity and silence. In other words, it’s not as sexy as being an electrician who comes to your home, whom you can see and thank. The reason I felt a call to be a Carmelite was based on how many people you can help: do you want to help people one at a time, or millions at a time?

Perhaps another analogy may hit closer to home for you. The difference between being a diocesan priest and a Carmelite friar is like the difference between being a parent and a grandparent. When you are a parent, you focus all your love and energy, time and talent on your own children. When you become a grandparent, you experience a new level of love that can be focused on as many grandchildren as you can get.

When my father had grandbaby number 9, his only comment was: “Keep them coming!” One new grandmother happily observed: “I never thought I could love anyone more than my own children…and then I had grandchildren.” In other words, she felt a new level of love, a greater love, a love that was getting closer to God’s own love. Grandparents, like Carmelites, are stepping closer to the source of all life, light, love and grace. But it's hard to explain that to parents.

Robert Frost wrote a famous poem called “The Road Not Taken.” Here are a few lines: “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I would not travel both. And be one traveler long I stood, And looked down one as far as I could. To where it bent in the undergrowth.” Then Frost finishes: “I should be telling this with a sigh, Somewhere ages and ages hence. Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less traveled by; And it has made all the difference.” Well, I did not take the road less traveled by and become a Carmelite. But maybe now you can understand why someone would.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Go to the Movies

Seeing how everyone has superpowers

12/13/2021

Mt 21:23-27 When Jesus had come into the temple area, the chief priests and the elders of the people approached him as he was teaching and said, “By what authority are you doing these things? And who gave you this authority?” Jesus said to them in reply, “I shall ask you one question, and if you answer it for me, then I shall tell you by what authority I do these things. Where was John’s baptism from? Was it of heavenly or of human origin?” They discussed this among themselves and said, “If we say ‘Of heavenly origin,’ he will say to us, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we fear the crowd, for they all regard John as a prophet.” So they said to Jesus in reply, “We do not know.” He himself said to them, “Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

One of my favorite ways to relax and kick back is by watching movies, and my favorite movies are action, superhero movies, like Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. See, I do more than just sit around and read the Bible all day! Recently, I saw, probably for the fifth time, the movie “Justice League,” which featured not one superhero, but six: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Aquaman, and even Cyborg.

Each superhero has a unique “superpower.” My favorite character is Flash, who can run really, really fast. When I was a little kid I even named my bike “Flash” because it was really, really fast. In the movie, Justice League, the various heroes are getting to know each other and Flash asks Batman, “So, what’s your superpower?” And Batman answers coldly: “I am rich.” But Batman used his wealth to help the poor and persecuted in Gotham City.

In the gospel Jesus identifies John the Baptist’s superpowers, namely, baptizing and prophesying. Jesus ask the chief priests and elders of the people: “Where was John’s baptism from?” In other words, do they recognize John had superpowers that came from heaven, a gift of God? But sadly, they answered: “We do not know.” The chief priests should have watched more superhero movies and they could have identified a superpower when they saw one!

In a sense, Jesus had put together his own “Justice League,” comprised of heroic characters like John the Baptist, Peter, James, Mother Mary, Bartholomew, and Jude Thaddeus. Indeed, all the saints are part of Jesus’ “Justice League,” because each with his or her own unique gifts and abilities, is trying to bring God’s justice and mercy to the world.

December 13th is the feast of St. Lucy, who also had a very unique superpower. She is patron saint of people who have eye problems. But before she was famous for curing vision issues, she was from a very wealthy Roman family. And at a very young age, she wanted to give her money away to help the poor. She could say like Batman that her superpower was “I am rich.” But according to tradition, a Roman nobleman wanted to marry Lucy, but she wanted to be completely committed to Christ.

He tried to flatter her by telling her how beautiful her eyes were, so she actually gauged out her eyes and gave them to him since that is what he loved so much about her! The family was astounded, though, when they prepared her body for burial, and found both her eyes were perfectly and beautifully restored. Hence, she is patron saint of people with eye disorders. That is her real superpower, besides being “really rich.” St. Lucy was part of Jesus’ “Justice League” and brought God’s justice and mercy to the world.

Folks, I would suggest to you that it is not only superheroes who have superpowers, but so does each and every person God has made. Every human being, created in God’s image and likeness (Gn 1:27), is endowed with some gift and ability. Maybe you are gifted in music and can play an instrument easily. Perhaps reading and writing are your forte. Maybe languages come easily to you and you can “habla espanol” and “parle francias.”

You may find technology your trick, or you are a magician with math. Your superpower could be cooking and I would love for you to test your superpower on me! Others can draw and design, paint and do pottery and write poetry – that is, they are creative. Or, maybe your superpower is like Batman’s and St. Lucy’s and your answer is “I am rich.” Instead of looking for people’s super-weaknesses (which we all find easy to do), look for their superpowers instead.

In other words, watching superhero movies helps me to see other people not as “ordinary” but as “extraordinary” and I love to ask, like Flash asked Batman, “So, what’s your superpower?” Let me leave you with possibly my all-time favorite quotation from C. S. Lewis. He wrote: “There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations – these are mortal and their life is to ours like the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit – immortal horrors or everlasting splendors.” Oh, by the way, there is a new superhero movie out now called “The Immortals.” Anyone want to go the movies with me?

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Leave a Little

Leaving behind this world for the next

12/11/2021

Mt 17:9a, 10-13 As they were coming down from the mountain, the disciples asked Jesus, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” He said in reply, “Elijah will indeed come and restore all things; but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him but did to him whatever they pleased. So also will the Son of Man suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.

I have a curious custom whenever I sit down to eat a meal, and some people have started to notice it. I never completely finish my dessert. And by the way, I love dessert, so leaving a little is not easy for me to do! Sometimes people ask me why I do that, and I explain, “I am leaving a little for Elijah.” That answer, of course, only prompts more questions, like, “Why leave a little for Elijah?” Then I say: “I was hoping you would ask!” Leaving a little dessert is really “bait on the hook” to catch people’s attention and start a spiritual conversation.

My custom of leaving a little dessert for Elijah harkens back to the Jewish tradition of pouring a “fifth cup of wine” at the Seder meal of the Passover for Elijah. Pious Jews believed that Elijah, the great Old Testament prophet, would miraculously return at the Passover supper to announce the coming of the future Messiah. The Jews wanted Elijah to know they were ready and waiting for his return so they had the fifth cup full and left it untouched.

The Seder supper also sparked the question of curious children, like, “Why does this night differ from all others nights?”  Just like leaving a little “morsel of marshmallow pie” prompted a question to deepen faith, so leaving the fifth cup for Elijah caused questions to arise that deepened faith. In other words, whenever we “leave a little” of this world behind, our faith helps us to focus on the next world.

In the gospel today, the disciples also ask Jesus a question about Elijah. They inquire: “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” The disciples were referring, of course, to the Seder Meal’s tradition of leaving the fifth cup of wine for Elijah, the precursor to the coming of Christ. Jesus answers that Elijah has already come, and he came in the person of St. John the Baptist. In other words, Elijah’s job was completed by John, who had announced the coming of Jesus, the future Messiah.

And just like the untouched fifth cup of Elijah meant leaving something behind when the Messiah comes, so the disciples would have to leave behind the Jewish world to embrace the Christian faith. The Old Testament ends with Elijah, embodied in the person of St. John the Baptist, and the old must be left behind to enter the New Testament of Jesus Christ. We leave behind a little in this world in order to gain a lot in the next world.

But someone might also ask me: “Fr. John, why do you leave a little morsel of marshmallow pie for Elijah if he has already come in John and announced the coming of Christ 2000 years ago? Fr. John, did you miss the boat of Christianity and are still stuck on the shore of the Old Testament waiting for the Messiah? I don’t think so, and here are two reasons why. First, leaving a little for Elijah is a great way to prepare for Christmas, and the birthday of our Savior.

Every Advent we reenact those dramatic days leading up to the coming of Christ born in Bethlehem, and no one can help us better prepare than Elijah and John the Baptist: two men on the same mission. Every Advent and Christmas, therefore, we should leave behind a little of this world, by helping the poor, sacrificing our own selfish desires, spending more time in prayer, at Mass, at Adoration, fingering the Rosary.

The second reason to leave a little behind is because Jesus will also come again at the end of time “to judge the living and the dead” as we profess in the Creed. And guess who will show up right before Jesus returns not as a Baby in Bethlehem, but as a King on the clouds? That’s right: my buddy Elijah. It says in Rv 11:6 about a witness who has “the power to close up the sky so that no rain can fall during the time of their prophesying.”

That is what Elijah did in 1 Kgs 17. So, too, Elijah, along with Moses the other "witness," will return to announce the end of the world and the judgment of the nations. And a great way to prepare for that terrible day would be to leave a little behind for Elijah. That is, to show we are not too attached to this world and are ready to be more attached to the next world.

That is why I leave a little behind for Elijah, to prepare for Christmas and to prepare for the coming of Christ at the close of the age. Now, let me leave you with a little quote from C. S. Lewis’s book “The Great Divorce,” where he wrote something strikingly similar. He said: “You cannot take all luggage with you on all journeys, on one journey, even your right hand and your right eye may be among the things you have to leave behind.” Quite frankly, I would rather leave a little dessert.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Have Some Honey

Honoring the life and legacy of St. Ambrose

12/07/2021

Eph 3:8-12 Brothers and sisters: To me, the very least of all the holy ones, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the inscrutable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for all what is the plan of the mystery hidden from ages past in God who created all things, so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the Church to the principalities and authorities in the heavens. This was according to the eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness of speech and confidence of access through faith in him.

The month of December is especially productive in the liturgical calendar for its plethora of saints and scholars, its mystics and martyrs. Just like a garden displays its greenest growth closer to the source of water, so the garden of Christian holiness displays some of the most delicate flowers of Christ’s saints the closer we get to the Birthday of he who is “living water” as he told the Samaritan woman in Jn 4. For example, on Dec. 3 we celebrated the great Jesuit missionary, St. Francis Xavier, who traveled “all the way to India” to evangelize.

Today, on Dec. 7 we admire St. Ambrose, a brilliant doctor of the Church. On Dec. 14 we contemplate the spiritual giant St. John of the Cross. On Dec. 26 we stand in awe of the first martyr, St. Stephen, the deacon. And on Dec. 27, we praise the Lord for the Holy Innocents who died in Christ’s place to appease the hatred of Herod. And I didn’t even mention two favorite feasts of Mother Mary, her Immaculate Conception on Dec. 8 and Our Lady of Guadalupe on Dec. 12. As the King enters his court of creation, his saintly subjects rise to greet him, clothed in grace and glory, twinkling like colorful Christmas lights awaiting the coming of the Light of the world.

Today, let’s take a closer look at one of the finest flowers on display in December, namely, St. Ambrose of Milan. He lived a relatively short life, only 57 years, from 340 to 397, but he did more with the little time he had than many of us do with our abundance of time. Let me point out just three petals on this flower of faith. First, St. Ambrose is the patron saint of beekeepers, a practice which is swarming in popularity these days.

According to tradition, a swarm of bees settled on his face while a baby lying in his crib, leaving behind a drop of honey. Ambrose’ father believed that was s sign of the saint’s future wisdom and eloquence, he would be “honey-tongued.” Indeed, Ambrose is listed next to the legends like Augustine, Jerome and Gregory the Great as one of the four doctors of the Western Church. So, you should eat a little local honey today in honor of St. Ambrose.

The second petal we can examine is Ambrose’s famous dictum: “When in Rome do as the Romans do.” Have you ever heard that phrase or used it yourself? It was the sage advice Ambrose gave to his student, St. Augustine, about how to be flexible in liturgical matters like the Mass. In the fourth century, different areas of the Roman empire had slightly different ways of saying Mass, but the basics were always the same.

Some bishops demanded strict uniformity but Ambrose advocated flexibility, as long as the liturgy promoted the love of Christ. Ambrose’s advice is good for us to keep in mind when the Mass does not go exactly as we like. We like some priests who celebrate the Mass they “should,” while we disagree with and dislike others. Warm flexibility signals faith better than frozen rigidity to rules.

And a third petal in Ambrose’s flower is his prized pupil, St. Augustine. Led by the eloquence and example of St. Ambrose, Augustine was brought back from paganism to the practice of the faith, and the holy bishop of Milan is mentioned affectionately in Augustine’s autobiography, “The Confessions.” The best measure of a teacher is the caliber of his or her students.

If we judge the tree of a teacher by the fruits, then St. Ambrose rightly towers above other teachers for his influence on St. Augustine. Our greatest legacy will not be our personal accolades and awards and achievements, but rather the lives of those we touch and leave behind. And Ambrose left a great legacy in Augustine, who was known as the “Doctor of Grace.”

My friends, as we wind our way through the liturgical garden of December, be sure to stop and smell the roses of the saints. They give off the sweet fragrance of Christ, as St. Paul wrote in 2 Co 2:15, “For we are the aroma of Christ for God, among those who are being saved.” May St. Ambrose bless all beekeepers, may he help us to be more flexible in our faith life, and finally may we leave behind a legacy of lives that we brought a little closer to Christ.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Boss Baby

Seeing why abortion is wrong and letting babies be boss

12/05/2021

Lk 3:1-6 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert. John went throughout the whole region of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah: A voice of one crying out in the desert: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The winding roads shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

Have you ever noticed how babies barge into our lives and pretty much take over our lives? It is said that "the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world." But the crying baby really rules the hand that rocks the cradle, so who really rules the world? The baby is the boss. When babies barge into our lives most parents feel they are overwhelmed and underpaid.

I will never forget how my brother Paul reacted when his first baby boy was born. He gently held the little brown bundle with big dark eyes in his hands. Paul could barely see the baby because of the tears in my brother’s own eyes. My brother felt overcome with joy, but an instant later he felt overwhelmed by terror. Why? Well, he had no idea how to care for a baby. Who really does? When we hold our baby in our hands, we quickly realize our life is out of our hands. In other words, babies barge into our lives and turn them upside down, and they really take control.

In the gospel of Luke, John the Baptist announces the coming of Christ. Thirty years earlier angels announced the coming of Christ as a Baby in Bethlehem. And this heavenly Baby would barge into the lives of everyone in first century Palestine, leaving them feeling overwhelmed and underpaid. Just like the birth of his firstborn son overwhelmed my brother, so the birth and coming of Christ overwhelmed everyone, especially the rulers of the world. That is why Luke mentions them by name: Caesar, Pilate, Herod, Philip, Lysanias, Annas and Caiaphas. Their hands may have ruled the world, but one day this Baby would rule them. Indeed, they were so bothered by the Baby of Bethlehem, they wanted to kill him. Every baby, especially the Baby of Bethlehem, turns our lives upside down, and really takes control.

It is in this context I would like to say a few words about the Supreme Court and the Mississippi abortion case. Did you hear about that? Last week the nine justices of the high court heard oral arguments for and against the state of Mississippi that wants to ban abortions after 15 weeks. The landmark 1973 decision, Roe v. Wade, basically banned abortions after 24-26 weeks. This new decision, therefore, has the potential to essentially overturn the old decision.

I do not know what will happen if the high court changes the current abortion law and potentially protects the lives of millions of American babies. There could be significant civil unrest, with riots, protests and violence. It is possible new abortion laws may be enacted by individual states, to protect or abort babies. Or, maybe the U.S. Congress will legislate federal laws for the whole land and take matters out of the hands of the Supreme Court. But speculating on such scenarios is above my paygrade so I’ll leave it to smarter people.

But I do know this much: it is always hard to have a baby! Why? Well, no matter how much we plan and prepare, attend Lamaze classes and pick the right color for the baby’s room, eat right and avoid alcohol, babies burst into our lives and upset the apple-cart of normalcy, and nothing is the same anymore. Like my brother felt, so, too, everyone who brings a baby into the world feels a jolt of joy but also a touch of terror. Why? Well, parents want their hands to rule at least their own little worlds, but babies barge in and really rule them.

And that is the root reason why we have abortions. People may argue that abortion is about “reproductive rights,” but that is just a fancy way of saying we want to be our own boss rather than having a “boss baby” ruling us like in the animated movie, “The Boss Baby.” In other words, what Roe v. Wade decided almost 50 years ago is exactly what the rulers of Palestine decided 2000 years ago: we would rather kill babies than let them turn our lives upside down.

My friends, every Advent we prepare for the birth of a Baby who barged into the lives of Mary and Joseph, and the Holy Couple humbly let him be their Boss, and let him rule their lives. That is the same invitation the Baby of Bethlehem makes to each of us, and indeed to the whole world, and in a unique way even to the Supreme Court. If the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, they will be a lot like Mary and Joseph and let all babies barge into our lives. Who will be the boss of our lives: the hand that rocks the cradle, or the crying baby that rules that hand?

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Time of Testing

Building our nation of the rock of Christ

12/01/2021

Mt 7:21, 24-27 Jesus said to his disciples: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. “Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”

Today’s sermon is about a very serious subject, namely, abortion. So, buckle up. Yesterday, the United States Supreme Court signaled its willingness to uphold a ban on abortions in Mississippi. Did you hear about that? This would be a significant reversal of the Supreme Court decision “Roe v. Wade” in 1973 that allowed all abortions up to the point of viability. Because of the presence of more conservative judges on the highest court, there is an openness to overturning the 1973 landmark decision. But I am convinced it will not be easy. Why not?

Well, because many people – some polls put the number at almost 50% - of Americans believe abortion is really about “reproductive rights.” That is, just like a government has no place to tell people whether or not to use contraception – indeed, some insist the government should pay for contraceptives – so, the government cannot tell someone not to get an abortion. In other words, access to abortion is based on the same argument as access to artificial contraceptives. It is a “right,” a reproductive right.

According to abortion advocates, therefore, what the Supreme Court is considering is repealing reproductive rights, and that is not going to go over well, because we Americans revere our rights. In 1861 our nation fought the Civil War over whether people had the “right” to own and sell slaves. I would not be surprised if another war is on the horizon if we as a nation decide to restrict reproductive rights in 2021 like we restricted slavery rights in 1861.

But I believe the battle line is drawn a lot deeper than in the Supreme Court chamber; it is drawn at the very foundations of our country. Both the CDC and the Guttmacher Institute annually report abortion statistics, but the reports vary considerably. If you average their reports from 1973 to 2021, we have aborted approximately 33,600,000 babies over 48 years. In other words, the foundations of the freedoms we enjoy, such as "reproductive rights," has cost the lives of over 33 million Americans. That is far worse than slavery, and why a war may be brewing if the Supreme Court upholds the Mississippi abortion ban.

In the gospel today, Jesus concludes his Sermon on the Mount in Matthew with the parable of the two foundations. One man builds his house on rock and another builds his house on sand. You do not need to be an engineer to explain what happens when, as Jesus said, “The rain fells, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house.” In other words, foundations will be tested to see if they are strong and secure.

And the most firm foundation will be Jesus’ Word and the dignity of the human person, even the virtually invisible little person in a mother’s womb. What will happen if we build our house – and a nation can be a “house” as well – on a foundation of sand? Jesus answers: “The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew, and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”

Folks, would you like to learn how other nations have fared when their foundations were tested? You should read St. Augustine’s “City of God” about the fall of Rome, and Charles Dickens’ “A Tale of Two Cities” about the fall of the French monarchy. In both cases, the winds and rains and floods of war and revolution tested what kind of foundation those great civilizations were built on. And in both cases they collapsed and crumbled. Why? Just like Jesus said: they did not build on rock, the firm foundation of his Word, but on the sands of human sentiment.

Let me conclude with a few lines from Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, when our nation’s foundation was tested by Civil War. Lincoln echoed Jesus’ warning about building on a firm foundation, when he said: “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” The sixteenth president continued: “Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing” – testing! – “whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure.” In other words, a new time of testing may soon be upon us and we will learn what kind of foundation we stand upon.

Praised be Jesus Christ!