Boys to Men

Seeing the great value of Catholic high schools

01/22/2023

Mt 4:12-17 When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled: Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen. From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

This Sunday we enjoy a very happy coincidence, or as people of faith say, a God-incidence, because we see God’s hand clearly at work. Last year I started promoting a Catholic high school in Tontitown (in Northwest Arkansas) called Ozark Catholic Academy, or OCA. But here in the River Valley, we also have a strong and long tradition of supporting Subiaco Academy (another Catholic high school). So I decided that one Sunday every year we would have “Catholic High School Sunday.” Why?

Well, because in 1973 St. Anne High School closed here at IC, and five years earlier in 1968, St. Scholastica High School had closed. And I feel those closings were a tragedy for our community, and a terrible loss for our children. So, I want to help us see that we still have strong Catholic high school options available to us here in Fort Smith.

Now, why is this a coincidence or better a God-incidence? Well, because Pope Francis has declared this Sunday every year to be the Sunday of the Word of God, where we give God thanks for his Word both in the Scriptures but in how the Bible leads us to his Word in the sacraments. You see, God’s Word is not a book; it is really Jesus.

So how are these two - high schools and Holy Scriptures - related? Well, the one thing you find in Catholic high schools that you don’t find in other high schools is the Word of God in Scripture and sacraments. And the Word of God (Jesus) is the most crucial component of a young man and young women’s education.

When I was at Catholic High School for Boys in Little Rock, my classmates and I often complained to our principal about the name of our school. We whined to Fr. Tribou: “Why is our school called ‘Catholic High School for Boys’? It should be called ‘Catholic High School for Men’!” Fr. Tribou calmly answered us: “While you are here you are boys. And when you graduate from here you some of you might become men.” And that is exactly what Catholic high schools, like Subiaco and OCA do: they take young boys and young girls and transform them into men and women.

But notice that the job of a Catholic high school is not merely to make you any kind of man or any kind of woman, but to make you the Christian-kind of man and the Christian-kind of woman. What’s the difference? The Word of God (Jesus) is the difference! When you graduate from a Catholic high school you should know, love, and be ready to live the Word of God (Jesus), that is, to be another Christ in the world.

In other words, graduating from a Catholic high school would be equivalent to a Jewish bar mitzva. Do you know the literal meaning of bar mitzva? It literally means “son of the law” or “son of the commandment”, or better “son of the Word of God”. A bar mitzva - or a bat mitzva for girls - is a rite of passage from being boys to becoming men. And the critical piece of becoming a man, especilly a Christian man, is the Word of God (Jesus), whom we find in the Scriptures and sacraments, in short we becomes a son of the law, a daughter of the law.

Let me share a few personal stories of how a Catholic high school taught me to become a son of the law. Our principal, as I said, was named Fr. George Tribou, who loved us as fiercely as he disciplined us. He taught us the best definition of a man, saying: “A man is he who controls the animal within which he lives.” I have never heard a better definition of a man. And by the way, that is exactly why our school was called “Catholic High School for Boys”. Teenage boys more often act like animals than men.

Another thing Fr. Tribou taught us was in sex education class. He said that French-kissing a girl was like using someone else’s toothbrush. No wonder I became a priest! Another lesson Fr. Tribou taught us was how to be comfortable. In the 1980’s Catholic High, like many Catholic high schools, did not have air-conditioning. But Fr. Tribou did install air-conditioning in two rooms: the chapel and the library. And that is how you inspire teenage boys to pray and read books. In his own way, Fr. Tribou was teaching us how to become sons of the law, sons of the Word of God. To go from boys to men.

My friends, you don’t have to look very far to see that we live in a society desperately in need of teaching young boys and young girls how to become men and women, especially Christian men and Christian women. Sadly, our culture does not have a clearly defined rite of passage from boyhood to manhood.

And that is why we see thirty years old and forty year olds and even fifty year olds still acting like adolescents. They have not learned how to become sons of the law, or daughters of the law. Perhaps if they had attended a strong Catholic high school they would have gone from being boys to men.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

The Favorite Arrow

Learning how marriage is key to unlock the Scriptures

01/16/2023

Mk 2:18-22 The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were accustomed to fast. People came to Jesus and objected, "Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?" Jesus answered them, "Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day. No one sews a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak. If he does, its fullness pulls away, the new from the old, and the tear gets worse. Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the skins are ruined. Rather, new wine is poured into fresh wineskins.”

Jesus gives a very curious answer to the people who ask about his practice of not fasting. And he gives the answer from the perspective of a wedding, and shows himself to be the Bridegroom. Now, that is a very curious answer because Jesus has a quiver of many arrows that he could have used to answer that question. Notice how he gives all kinds of different answers on different occasions.

He talks about how a king going into battle should count if he has enough soldiers to defeat a king coming against him with more soldiers. He uses another arrow about constructing a tower and whether you have enough resources to complete it. On another occasion he speaks about a sower who goes out to sow. In other words, Jesus has all kinds of arrows in his quiver, but Jesus again and again returns to his favorite arrow, which is that of a wedding, and declares himself to be the Bridegroom.

It’s highly suggestive, this particular favorite arrow of Jesus, that he uses to explain who he is, what he is doing, and even who we are. Who is the Church, and what is the Kingdom? In many ways, it is a lot of things, but ultimately, we are the Bride, and the Church is the Bride of Christ. And Jesus declares himself the Bridegroom who wants to marry us. Now, this beautiful arrow explains why Jesus dies on the cross, and how he has come to save us, because ultimately he wants to marry us. A good husband dies for his wife.

A couple of weeks ago I got a phone call from Fr. Daniel Wendel. Some of you may remember him. He was Deacon Daniel Wendel while he was serving here at Immaculate Conception a couple of summers ago. Well, now he is the associate pastor of St. Raphael in Springdale. He called me and asked if I would come and give a retreat at St. Raphael on marriage to married couples. He asked that I especially talk about John Paul II’s theology of the body. And I was very happy to hear that because I’ve read the theology of the body.

Now, do you know what the theology of the body is all about? It is about Jesus’ favorite arrow in his quiver. That again, and again, and again, Jesus explains himself, he explains the mystery of salvation, and he explains the entire Bible in terms of marriage. That is, God’s purpose from the beginning to the end of time, the history of salvation from the book of Genesis to Revelation, can be understood best of all in terms of a marriage. Why?

Well, Genesis 2 recounts the marriage of Adam and Eve, and Revelation 22 concludes with the marriage of the Lamb and his bride, which is the Church. And so in Rv 22 it says: “The Spirit and the Bride say, ‘Come’ [Lord Jesus]’.” The marriage is about to begin. The end of time is a great wedding banquet. And that is why Fr. Daniel Wendel and a group of people organizing this retreat on March 11 want me to speak about Jesus’ favorite arrow in his quiver, the arrow of the Bridegroom and his wedding feast.

We might also think of it like bread crumbs throughout the whole Scripture. If you are picking up the bread crumbs from Genesis to Revelation, this is where that trail of bread crumbs leads: to marriage with Christ. All of the Old Testament and all of the New Testament has been trying to direct us to Jesus, not just so he can forgive us for our sins, and not just so he can save us. But ultimately, so he can marry us! And we need to accept that marriage invitation, otherwise, we would indeed be a foolish virgin as in Matthew 25. Jesus is like the man down on one knee, holding out a ring to us and asking: “Will you marry me?” And he’s waiting for a response from us. Will we marry him?

That is why it is so critical that we get marriage right. That is why the Catholic Church is such a stickler about marriage and getting marriage right. Why she has so many teachings about why different things that attack marriage are wrong. Because if you cannot get marriage right, you won’t understand who Jesus is, you won’t get Jesus right.

You will miss all the bread crumbs in Scripture, if you are confused about marriage. You won’t pick up what the Holy Spirit is putting down throughout all the pages of the Bible. You will miss Jesus’ favorite arrow that he shoots from his quiver when he speaks about himself being the Bridegroom, and we are the bride. You will miss everything. Anyway, you might want to come to that retreat on March 11, and see why this is Jesus’ favorite arrow.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Handle the Truth

Understanding the divine condescension

01/14/2023

Mk 2:13-17 Jesus went out along the sea. All the crowd came to him and he taught them. As he passed by, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus, sitting at the customs post. Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed Jesus. While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners sat with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many who followed him. Some scribes who were Pharisees saw that Jesus was eating with sinners and tax collectors and said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus heard this and said to them, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

Today I want to teach you a fancy theological term, and it is the divine condescension. That means that God’s ways are high above our ways as the sky is above the earth. And so we do not immediately understand what God wants to tell us. And so he has to lower himself and come down to our level. He has to humble himself and speak our language in a way that we can understand. Then he can slowly teach us and raise our thoughts above the earth to be more like his thoughts. But first he must come down and meet us where we are at.

And this is something parents do all the time with their children. Children cannot understand immediately how parents think and what they are trying to accomplish, and so the parents have to come down to the children’s level, and speak in such a way that their children can understand. I see this every time we celebrate a funeral Mass. A child cannot comprehend what it means for a person to die. For that matter, can an adult understand what it means for a person to die?

And so we try to help them understand at their level, at the child’s level, what has happened to this person in the casket. We have had quite a few funerals this past week, and I’ve watched parents speak to their little children and say so-and-so is just asleep. They are explaining things at the level of the child. And the child thinks happily: “Oh, okay, he’s just asleep. Maybe he’ll wake up soon.” And it’s okay because the child understands death as well as he can.

Well, we see Jesus in the gospel today practicing this divine condescension, coming down to the level of the scribes and Pharisees. Now you would think these folks would be at a much higher level. They are not the humble poor people, who don’t have any education or knowledge or understanding of the Scriptures. These are the scribes and the Pharisees after all! And yet Jesus has to come down to their level.

When they ask him, “Why do you eat with sinners and tax-collectors”, he answers in a way that they will understand, even though they do not yet understand. He says “I have come not to call the righteous but the sinners.” You see, that’s a way the Pharisees could understand. Why? Well, the Pharisees think like this: "We are righteous, we keep the law. But those people, the tax-collectors and the prostitutes, they are the sinners."

But let me ask you, did Jesus really think the Pharisees and the scribes were righteous and without any sins? Of course not, they too are sinners. We are all sinners. Oh, maybe not in some overt and obvious way, like prostitutes or dictators. But we have our own sins that we harbor in our hearts: jealousies, lack of forgiveness, grudges, greed, pride, lust and so forth. But Jesus is trying to help them by coming down to their level.

It is like Jesus is saying: "Let me explain this in a way that you (Pharisees) might understand: I have come to call the sinners, so it’s okay that I eat with prostitutes and tax-collectors." And the Pharisees can understand and agree to that. But Jesus is slowly trying to help them understand, gradually and gently, that he has come to call all sinners. And that not only tax-collectors and prostitutes, but even the self-righteous Pharisees, are sinners. We are all sinners.

My point is this. A lot of times, Jesus, and God, and the Scriptures, and the Church, have to come down to our level of understanding because we are not quite yet ready for the way things are in heaven. It is like that scene from the movie “A Few Good Men” where Jack Nicholson is on the stand and he is being tried, and he says very defiantly: “You cannot handle the truth.”

That’s very true for all of us, and that is what Jesus is saying to all of us, especially the Pharisees in the gospel: “You cannot handle the truth, that you, too, are sinners. You too need a savior.” That also makes me wonder about you and me, and how we speak to one another. We sometimes soften what we want to say, thinking: “He cannot handle what I have to say; she cannot handle what I have to say.”

We, too, exercise this divine condescension and we say things in a way that we hope the other person can get it. I wonder how often people do that with me. Poor Fr. John can’t quite get this, so let me explain it in a softer, gentler way, so he might catch on. I wonder how many times God does that with me. God might think: “John can’t quite get this, so I will come down to his level, so that maybe, little by little, one day, he will understand.”

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Three Great Feasts

Recognizing the identity of Jesus

01/08/2023

Mt 2:1-12 When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.” Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star’s appearance. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage.” After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Today’s great feast of the Epiphany is really the convergence of three great feasts, that is, besides Epiphany, it also commemorates the Baptism of the Lord, as well as Jesus' first miracle at the wedding at Cana in Galilee. What do all these feasts share in common? Each one reveals Jesus’ identity as the Son of God in a unique and unmistakable way. Let me mention the significance of each of these feasts, and then draw out some very exciting applications for us today.

The first feast of course is Epiphany itself, which means God’s self-revelation to all the nations. And all the nations are symbolically present in the three kings or magi, who offer the Christ Child gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These gifts were more than merely polite trinkets of honor. They were highly charged with symbolism. The gold represented divinity, the frankincense meant worship and priesthood, and the myrrh prophesied a saving death.

In other words, these gifts meant these kings recognized that Jesus had a divine nature, he possessed priestly power, and they foresaw, however inchoately and obscurely, his future saving death on the Cross, by which he would save us. In St. Luke’s gospel more than in any other gospel, we see how the pagan nations often recognize who Jesus is better than the Chosen People of Israel, like King Herod.

When I was ordained a priest, Bishop Andrew McDonald mentioned how my parents were like the three wise men coming from the East (India). They brought with them three gifts, which were their three children, and one of them became a priest! Think of all the foreign priests who have come from afar to bring us their three gifts of faith, hope, and love, and have faithfully served us as priests.

Priests from India like Fr. Bala, priests from Nigeria like Fr. Pius, and priests from Mexico like Fr. Daniel. I know sometimes it can be hard to understand their foreign accent. But don’t let that distract you from the gifts they bring to us. Like in St. Luke’s gospel, sometimes it is the foreigners who are able to recognize Jesus better than the natives can. Don't be like Herod and miss the gifts that foreigners bring.

The second feast that reveals Jesus’ identity is his Baptism in the Jordan. Of course, we all recall how the heavens opened above the Jordan River that day and a dove descended upon on Jesus. Meanwhile a booming voice declared that Jesus was God’s beloved Son. That Baptism was a perfect picture of the Holy Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, symbolized by the dove. By the way, there is even a church in Rome that claims to have a feather that fell from the dove at the Baptism of Jesus. No joke.

The practical upshot of Jesus’ Baptism and our baptism is too easily overlooked. What do I mean? Put simply, we receive the gift of faith at our baptism. Even though we are but babies and cannot understand what is happening to us, we receive an indelible mark, and our soul is forever marked as a child of God. It’s like that Jonas Brothers’ song called “Sucker,” where they sing: “You are the tattoo inside my brain.” Baptism, in other words, makes a Christian a sucker for Christ because the gift of faith is imparted to us at our Baptism, which helps us recognize Jesus as our Savior.

And the third great event commemorated today is the wedding at Cana in Galilee. Now, Jesus’ identity is not revealed simply by changing water into more wine. Rather, Jesus makes the water into the very best wine. So, let me ask you: what is the very best wine in the world? Is it the most expensive cabernet sauvignon money can buy? No. It is the wine that Jesus transubstantiates at the Eucharist that is the very best wine. Indeed, it is so precious, all the money in the world would not be enough to buy it, so Jesus has to give it to us freely. You cannot afford the Eucharist no matter how rich you are.

And Jesus gave us this precious Wine at a wedding and thereby revealed a new dimension of his identity, namely, he is not only Savior but also our Spouse. Incidentally, this identity of Jesus as Spouse (and the Church as his Bride) is the root reason for all the tough teachings of the Catholic Church about marriage and sex. That is, when you measure your marriage by the standard of Jesus’ marriage to the Church, you see why we do not approve of contraception, or divorce, or same-sex marriage, or premarital sex, or polygamy, or all the rest.

All these aberrations of marital love would be an offense against the spousal love of Jesus poured out as the best Wine at a wedding. That same wine is what we taste at the Eucharist so that we might love like Jesus loves us. And that is also why it is so hard for our sex-soaked society to recognize Jesus’ as the Messiah. Why? Because the more we give in to our sexual appetites, the less we can recognize God. Jesus taught in Mt 5:8, the Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” When we are not pure in heart (or in body), we shall not see God.

Try to keep these three feasts sort of together in your head and heart: Epiphany, the Baptism of Jesus, and the wedding at Cana. They are designed to help us recognize Jesus’ identity so we don’t miss him when he comes to us in the faith of foreigners, in our Baptism, and in our spouse.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Spirit of Seton

Appreciating the patron saint of Catholic schools

01/04/2023

Jn 1:35-42 John was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God.” The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come, and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about four in the afternoon. Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus. He first found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah,” which is translated Christ. Then he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John; you will be called Cephas,” which is translated Peter.

January 4 is the feast of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, a saint I love very much and one all Catholic school students should love a lot, too. Why should you care about her? Well, she founded the first Catholic school in America in 1810 in an obscure little town in Maryland, called Emmitsburg. So, she is the patron saint of Catholic schools in America, and the reason your Catholic school exists.

But I love her personally because I went to seminary in that same obscure little town in Maryland. And I often walked the four miles between the seminary where I studied and the Shrine where St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is buried. I said a lot of prayers there. I believe the deep love I have for Catholic schools was born at Mother Seton's shrine. That is why in the last 15 years I have run 4 marathons and written 3 books to raise money for Catholic schools. The spirit of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton lives in me, and and I hope she will live in you.

Elizabeth was not born a Catholic; she was raised Episcopalian. But her husband contracted tuberculosis and they traveled to Italy where they had friends, the Filicchi family, and they hoped the warmer weather in Italy would help William. But sadly, Elizabeth’s husband died in Italy and was buried there. The Feliccihi’s cared for Elizabeth and her children and introduced them to Catholicism.

When Elizabeth returned home to America, she and her children became Catholic. She decided not to remarry, stayed a widow, and dedicated her life to educating children and started the Catholic school system in the United States. Think about this: you would not be going to Trinity Catholic School today if it were not for St. Elizabeth Anne Seton. Her spirit lives on in this school, and I hope she will live on in you.

Do you know who else the spirit of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton lives in? It is in your wonderful Trinity teachers. How so? Well, St. Elizabeth really wanted a school for poor, immigrant children coming to the United States from Europe. That is why her first school was free and did not charge tuition. That is Trinity’s mission as well: to educate everyone (to be sure), but especially the poor and immigrants (like me!).

And that is why Catholic school teachers are paid less than their counterparts in other public or private schools. But don't worry, their retirement plan is out of this world! Just like St. Elizabeth Ann Seton made many sacrifices to educate children, so too do our Catholic school teachers. Her spirit lives on in our dedicated and hard-working teachers, and I hope her spirit will live on in you, too.

Do you know someone else Seton’s spirit lives on in? It is in your parents, who chose to send you to a Catholic school. My parents did not have enough money to send us to Catholic schools when we came from India. But they worked hard, long hours, saved and sacrificed personal comforts, so they could send us later to Catholic schools.

Your parents are doing the same. Your parents could have sent you to another school and not pay $5,000 a year in tuition. They could do a lot of other things with that money! But the spirit of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton lives on in them, and I hope her spirit will live on in you, too.

By the way, have you noticed the guys around the Trinity grounds who mow the grass, trim the trees, and keep it all beautiful? No one is paying them to do that. It is the spirit of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton that motivates them. Some of our coaches are volunteers who come and inspire you to play sports. The priests and deacons who say Mass, preach, and hear your confessions are not paid to do that. It is the spirit of Seton in them.

The wonderful Sisters of St. Scholastica up the hill pray for us because the spirit of Seton inspires them. There are volunteer trustees on a board overseeing a substantial endowment for Trinity’s future. The spirit of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton lives on in all of these people, and I hope her spirit will live on in you, too.

Boys and girls, if you ever travel to the northeastern part of the United States, you may pass through Maryland. I hope you will stop by the Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton located in this obscure little town called Emmitsburg. Light a candle at her grave and say a little prayer of thanksgiving to St. Elizabeth Anne Seton. Her spirit is what made Catholic schools possible for me and for you. And maybe then her spirit will live on in you, too.

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Eulogy for Pope Benedict

Appreciating the legacy of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

01/02/2023

Mt 23:8-12 Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples: "Do not be called 'Rabbi.' You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers. Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven. Do not be called 'Master'; you have but one master, the Christ. The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted."

When Mark Antony stood up to deliver his eulogy of Julius Caesar, he famously said: “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears. I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interred with their bones.” I probably will not be asked to deliver the eulogy at the funeral Mass of Pope Benedict XVI, so I will give a little eulogy for him this morning. My humble hope is that Mark Antony (my great ancestor) was mistaken and the good that Pope Benedict did will not be interred with his bones in Rome, like the bones of Julius Caesar.

Whenever I prepare for a funeral homily, I meet with the family of the deceased and we talk about him or her. I listen to their stories and memories and recollections. As they talk, a central theme or idea eventually emerges in the life of this person. It is like a golden thread that runs from their birth to their death, and gives meaning, purpose, and direction to their whole life. Well, I cannot meet with the late pope’s family. But I have read several of his books. And our books are like our babies, the children and legacy we priests leave behind, since we do not bear natural children.

And if there is one theme that recurs again and again in Benedict’s books it is a concern about the spread of atheism in modern society. And by contrast, the Holy Father insists we must believe in God. And that is exactly what Jesus came to do: to show us the face of God. Let me share a rather long quotation from one of the pope’s last books, Jesus of Nazareth, where it seems the pope’s life work comes to a sharp point, like the tip of a spear thrown across the arc of the last century, marked by two bloody world wars.

The late pope wrote something we all wonder about at one time or another. He asked: “The great question that will be with us throughout this entire book: What did Jesus actually bring, if not world peace, universal prosperity, and a better world? What has he brought?” By the way, have you ever wondered that? Why are people still dying of hunger? Why are ruthless rulers still waging wars? Why are children still being abused and abandoned? In other words, what difference did Jesus’ coming really make?

The pope continues: “The answer is very simple: God…Jesus has brought God, and now we know his face, now we can call upon him. Now we know the path that we human beings have to take in this world. Jesus has brought God and with God the truth about our origin and destiny: faith, hope and love.” Then the pope adds another most important point, showing how well he understands the modern mentality, that is, how you and I think.

The pope writes: “It is only because of our hardness of heart that we think this is too little. Yes indeed, God’s power works quietly in this world; but it is the true and lasting power. Again and again, God’s cause seems to be in its death throes. Yet over and over again, it proves to be the thing that truly endures and saves.” Fredrich Nietzsche, the German philosopher, had boldly declared: “God is dead.” But today, only poor Nietzsche is dead, and God is still very much alive, thanks to Jesus Christ.

I think that is the underlying and overarching point in all the pope’s writings: God is alive, we know him in Jesus, and that gives meaning to our lives. Everything the pope said, everything he did in 95 years, everything he believed can be summarized in the statement that God exists thanks to Jesus and that makes all the difference in the world, and it should make all the difference in each of our lives. Fyodor Dostoyevsky, the Russian novelist, put the same point negatively: “If God does not exist, then everything is possible.” He meant that everything bad is possible without God. That is the difference that Jesus’ coming makes: the good news overcomes the bad news.

In the days and weeks to come you will hear many commentaries and opinions about Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. Some people will only see him as a conservative or traditionalist who tried to turn back the clock to a pre-Vatican II Church. Others will say he disagreed with Pope Francis and create some rivalry. Still others will focus on the pope’s management of the Church during the sexual abuse crisis. And all those perspectives will contain some kernel of truth and validity. We are all complex characters.

But I think they will all miss the mark of the pope’s deepest purpose as a Christian and as a priest. He simply wants an increasingly atheistic world to know there is a God, and we can see his adorable Face in Jesus Christ. And if we can keep our eyes on him, then eventually everything else will be okay. May Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, Joseph Ratzinger, behold that adorable Face of God in heaven today!

Praised be Jesus Christ!

 

Self-care of Salvation

Old dogs learning new tricks from new dogs

01/01/2023

Lk 2:16-21 The shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them. When eight days were completed for his circumcision, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

There is an old saying that “you cannot teach an old dog new tricks.” Have you ever heard that adage? Well, with all due respect to that age-old wisdom, I totally disagree because my new dog, Apollo, is teaching this old dog, Fr. John, a lot of new tricks. For example, he is teaching me patience because he does not do what I say. He is teaching me how to pick up poop, and how to clean his pee on carpet. He is teaching me the joy of loyal companionship. He is teaching me unconditional love because of how happy he is to see me every day. And perhaps above all, he is teaching me self-care. What does that mean?

In an ironic role-reversal of teacher and student, Apollo has become my mentor and taught me that I must take time to care for Fr. John. For instance, even though I am walking him, I am the one who is getting out of the office to take a break. While I play with him, I am the one who forgets the worries and woes of pastoral ministry. Most of my priest-friends who hear I got a dog exclaim: “John would never get a dog!” Why not? Well, because I don’t take time for myself, and instead tend to work 24/7. In other words, the new trick this old dog (Fr. John) is learning is how to take care of myself. It’s funny how a new dog is teaching an old dog a new trick.

In the gospel today we see a new Baby teaching some old men a new trick as well; indeed, it is the most important trick in the book, namely, the trick of salvation. Shepherds come in haste to Bethlehem to see the new born King. Why? Well, they believed the message of the angels who had told them the Child would save Israel and all the nations from their sins. In other words, the ultimate form of self-care is not getting a dog or a two-week vacation or a full-body massage. Rather, it is salvation from our sins. The ultimate form of self-care is being saved from sin.

And notice, too, how it was a Baby that would teach some old dogs (the shepherds) this new trick, namely, the self-care called salvation. How ironic that the shepherds and Magi, and Joseph and Mary, all believed they would care for the Christ Child, as they feed him, and protect him, and sing to him. When in reality is it the Christ Child who is taking care of them by teaching them the only truly new trick called salvation. My dog is teaching me the trick of self-care, and the new Baby of Bethlehem is teaching the world the trick of self-care called salvation.

Let me point out two practical ways we can apply this lesson of old dogs learning new tricks to our daily lives. The first is that no one is ever too old to learn the trick of salvation. My favorite story about Fort Smith is about the deathbed conversion of Judge Isaac Parker, the infamous Hanging Judge. By the way, his statue is right outside the south side of the church, across Garrison Avenue, he’s seated facing the church. He was not a Catholic all his life, nor did he care for the Church. But he had the good fortune of marrying a beautiful, red-headed Irish lass named Mary O’Toole.

Mary prayed fervently for her husband to become a Catholic. And finally on his deathbed he rasped: “Mary, get the priest!” The pastor of IC, Fr. Lawrence Smyth, ran down Garrison Avenue, gave Isaac Parker the sacraments of the Church, and the old dog died in God’s good graces. Isaac Parker did not meet the eternal Hanging Judge on Judgment Day, but rather the merciful Savior. So, don’t give up on your family and friends (or yourself) if people stop going to church. Old dogs can learn new tricks.

The second application of this lesson is for New Year’s Day, that is, today. Many people make New Year’s Day resolutions, like exercising more, or going on a diet, or spending more time with family and friends, or learning a musical instrument, or mastering a new language. Those are all good goals to shoot for in 2023, and all good efforts at self-care. But there is another New Year’s resolution that is even better, namely, learning the self-care called salvation. Why’s that? Well, because it seems we are constantly forgetting this trick and having to relearn it.

Every year, I watch many Catholics go through RCIA together with spouses or boyfriends or girlfriends who want to become Catholic. At some point in the RCIA classes, the Catholic will say something like, “I never knew we believed all that!” It is as if we are hearing our Catholic faith for the first time. But we’re not. We were taught our faith in Catholic schools and in religious education classes. But sometimes we forget it in the midst of all the glitter and glamor of the world.

We cradle Catholics are old dogs learning the new trick of salvation from people who are “new dogs” in the Catholic world. This New Year make a resolution to relearn your Catholic faith by participating in a Bible study, or reading a good Catholic book. I highly recommend anything by Bishop Robert Barron or Matthew Kelly. And may find yourself exclaiming: “I never knew we believed all that!” You will see that old dogs can learn new tricks.

I am grateful to my new dog, Apollo, for teaching this old dog, Fr. John, a lot of new tricks, especially the trick of self-care. When I care for him, I likewise care for myself. And I am eternally grateful to the Baby Jesus for teaching this old priest, like he taught those old shepherds, the self-care called salvation. Salvation is by far the best trick in the book.

Praised be Jesus Christ!