As a people, we sometimes lose sight of the gifts that God has given us until we find ourselves in circumstances where we are either in need, or afraid, or perhaps both. The Israelites found themselves without water, and promptly forgot all that the Lord had done for them bringing them out of slavery, and even went so far as to say they might have been better off back in Egypt. I have no doubts that as this coronavirus threat continues, we will hear the inevitable questions about “How could God allow this to happen?”. We’ve heard that same kind of question many times before when we are faced with adversity, this is just the latest issue because we are an equally forgetful people with no real sense of gratitude for the gifts we are given each day.

Let’s be blunt, as much as we like to think our existence is very solid and ordered, that is an illusion. We would be fortunate to leave Church and make it home in one peace without God’s help – that is more the reality of our own fragile and unpredictable existence. We don’t like to look at it that way, because it is uncomfortable for us to do so, that would be admitting how little control we really have, and in point of fact, how truly vulnerable we really are. So, we consequently push thoughts of acknowledging God’s graces aside, and the subsequent reliance that is our reality along with them, and console ourselves daily with thoughts that are more comfortable for us to digest. You see, when we self-medicate that way, we will inevitably lose the right mindset of gratitude for things He has already done for us, confidence in what He continues to do for us each day, and trust in what He will continue to do to guard and protect us in the future. Now, does this mean we should forget all our concerns and be oblivious to things that come along as part of our temporal lives? Of course not, God expects us to respect the gift of life that he has given us enough to do our part, but what it does mean is that we should not become so mired in worry and self-concern, that forget to trust in God’s help, and we forget to take care of one another due to excessive focus on our situation. There is a balance to be struck, that involves prudence, as part of God’s gift of intellect to each of us, and faith in His ultimate control and plan.

When Jesus spoke about the wellspring of living water that the Samaritan woman sought, part of that lifegiving water is Holy Spirit within each one of us allowing us to receive God’s grace of providence and protection in our lives. It allows us to receive these gifts in faith, which is how they must be embraced in order for them to truly work within each of us. The beauty of this wellspring of living water, is that like most flowing water, the longer it moves, the more it wears away at the hindrances that sometimes impede its flow. It is a self-improving situation from God’s grace if we allow it to be. Like the woman at the well, if we but ask for this wellspring, God will provide it. We must then nurture it by putting it into practice and cherishing it by showing our love and gratitude to God in the only way we really can – by a reliance on Him as His children that truly demonstrates our love and our trust. We sweep our house clean by seeking repentance and forgiveness that creates a fitting place for His spirit to reside. We take the time to meditate on the gifts he has given us, we acknowledge our need for Him in every moment of our lives, and we turn ourselves over to His care with trust and peace.

Our Lord told us we would have trouble in this life, this was one of those moments when you could tell He was speaking very plainly and directly rather than as part of a parable. His purpose in that statement, to let us know that this life is a testing ground for each of us, and unlike most tests, the answers come not just from within ourselves, but from our ultimate source of knowledge and grace. The question is, will we place our faith where it belongs, and allow Him to help us, or will we ignore the one constant to be counted on in a fragile reality? Allow Him to guide you and protect you, take care of His other children – your brothers and sisters, and face adversity as one, as the Body of Christ.

The people in darkness have seen a great light. What a joyful message to all people who choose to accept this light. And yet, there is still so much darkness to be dispelled. We celebrate this Mass several days after the annual DC March for Life. An event necessitated by the continuation of the mass killing of the most vulnerable among us.

The last time I checked the statistics, there had been over 61 million children denied the chance to simply be born and take their first breath on their own. That is ten times the number of Jewish souls lost in the holocaust, and almost three times the number of souls lost during the communist revolution and purges that took place after the second world war. There has never been a singular genocide in history that has exceeded this value, and yet it continues to this day. As a people, we are incensed when we hear of genocides occurring in other societies, yet we ignore the most profound darkness that we ourselves allow to continue in our own country.

So, when we hear the words “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”, I would have to question just how much of that we have actually taken to heart as we allow this to continue. Yet, the message of repentance, and of the light that has come into the world, should still give us both hope and joy. This is especially true for those wounded by the sin of abortion. More often than not, that choice to end a pregnancy is one of desperation and ignorance of the ramifications of the act itself. Yet the fallout and implications of the act affects several lives– those of the mother, father, and the brief life of the child. I have seen and experienced myself the guilt and inability to forgive oneself after having committed this act. It can last our entire lives and drag us into profound despair if we do not seek forgiveness and help. Yet God in his mercy has given us the light of His son, Jesus Christ, who took upon himself all our sins, past, present, and future, and purchased our forgiveness at a tremendous price, because of the love that he has for each one of us. There is no sin, that He will not forgive. No matter what it is, no matter how many times it has occurred, if we are truly repentant, he will forgive us – even when we have trouble forgiving ourselves. Yet, we must also keep in mind, that the act of sometimes not accepting His forgiveness because of our own feelings of guilt, is a sin in and of itself. We are then doubting God’s ability to forgive because unlike our own abilities, it is limitless. This does not mean we forget our sins, some of them burn deep, and are a reminder to us of what can happen when we are not vigilant in following God’s path. They can motivate us to seek change, both in ourselves, and in others whom we either see as proliferating the same sin or perhaps being vulnerable to committing it.

So, on this Sunday following the March for Life, I would invite anyone who has experienced the sin of abortion, to seek counsel and healing, beginning with the Sacrament of Reconciliation, but also continuing with additional counseling that is much needed, whether you realize it or not. There are many resources available, including Project Rachel, and others that you can participate in. Some of these are individual encounters, others are in a group format, so you may very well be helping others by participating. If you have questions or are afraid to talk about it, it sometimes helps to talk to someone else who is responsible for the same sin, and has perhaps shared your feelings – you are welcome to start with me. There are also resources available through our pro-life and social outreach ministries who can work with you.

To those among us who are younger and are the most vulnerable to the rhetoric and arguments presented by organizations like Planned Parenthood, and others, I would ask you with the most extreme urgency to always find another solution. The seemingly easy out that these proponents of death provide, will scar you for life. Their arguments are incredibly persuasive to those who are vulnerable and desperate, but I promise you, they are hollow, and you will regret such a choice. Please listen to those of us who have already found this out and learn from our mistakes.

There are many options available today, that allows you to choose life, even if you are not ready to become a permanent parent yourself. To all of us who are parents of a younger person, who is vulnerable to this situation, and that means pretty much all parents at some point in time, we must talk to our children about this. It is not a comfortable conversation, but it is critical, nonetheless. We must make them understand that we will not reject them for their decisions, we will not abandon them when they need us most, and we will work with them to seek a better option than death.

All life is sacred, this goes far beyond the issue of abortion, we must respect life in all phases. The yet to be born, the infirm, and the aged, all must be protected. We must also acknowledge and ensure the dignity and sanctity of life of those imprisoned, those who are on the fringes of society, and those who seek refuge in our land. God has a plan for all his children, and when we do not respect and protect any of those, we are then guilty of violating the two foundational commandments. Love God, and love one another, because we are all created in his image. All of our beliefs in the Sacraments, and in the building of His Church – the body of Christ, are predicated on the person being there to receive them or to participate. There is no middle ground with this issue. Yet this simple foundational precept too often seems to divide us both socially and politically. Those doctrines, either social or political, are secondary to what we believe in as Catholics. We place God first in all things, and we do not allow other points of view to eclipse His commands.

When this country was founded, it was founded to allow all people a chance to live and to thrive, and to be accepted into it, and within it. It was founded as a refuge for those seeking freedom, safety, and dignity of life. If our founding fathers could see what we have turned this vision into, I suspect they would question both our morality and our sanity. We are deeply divided in this country, by an artificial chasm between what we call the “left” and the “right”. This is nonsense and a deception to draw us away from unity when what we really should be looking at is simply right from wrong, and this begins with the most fundamental of moral obligations – respecting God’s creations. In the realm of this country’s current politics, we hear arguments made that try to persuade us that the values and ideals provided by a particular candidate, or organization overshadow their stance on the sanctity and dignity of all life. I do not agree, those other values they are proponents of mean nothing to those who are not here to benefit from them, and if we as a people are willing to accept them at the cost of the lives of others, then we are guilty of the greatest selfishness. Mother Teresa of Calcutta likely summed it up best, when she was speaking about the global inequality of resources being used, though I think it applies here as well. She said, “it is a poverty that others must die, so that you may live as you wish”.

Isaiah 49:3, 5–6

It is too little, the LORD says, for you to be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and restore the survivors of Israel; I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.

 

John 1:29–34

I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel.

 

 

The message is clear, in our very roots as God’s people, we are each of us prophets, and evangelists – we are to make known to all people God’s word so that their lives will have His light.

As His followers, we operate at a debt, each of us has much to be thankful to God for, things that we cannot even begin to truly repay. So how can we at least try to show effort at balancing this – God asks us to love Him, to love those created in His image, and to spread the light of His message to all, because even those who do not believe are children of God as well, even if they do not realize or acknowledge that fact. God loves them nonetheless, and He expects those of us who do possess knowledge and love of Him, to share that prolifically, constantly, and if need be, persistently – so that all may come to a relationship with Him. If we do not, we are not answering our call, nor easing our debt.

“To the one to whom much has been given, much will be expected” – it is a surety that like any parent, God has expectations about how we use what he has given us. What we have learned from reading and hearing God’s word, will have the requisite expectation that it will be shared, and woe to the one who has done nothing with that knowledge.

So, how do we fulfill our destiny as prophets and evangelists? Do we go about preaching to everyone we meet? Yes and No, there are many ways of preaching, some more effective than others. I always loved the quote “proclaim the Gospel always, and if necessary use words”. There is a lot of truth to that, in that the doorway to our being able to have a discussion with someone to share our faith, is often the example we set by how we live our lives. No one is going to listen to a person who they do not perceive as being genuine. We have to walk the walk BEFORE we talk the talk. I find this to be particularly true for those of us who are parents. Our children have a finely attuned mechanism for detecting dis-ingenuine conduct or talk. When we try to stress to them about how important a relationship with God is, but then skip Mass on Sunday because it conflicts with a social or sporting event, what message are we really sending? I can guarantee you, that despite their likely enthusiasm at the moment, to go do something entertaining, our kids will eventually connect the dots. For that matter so will anyone else who is paying attention. We have to live what we hope to preach.

Whether we realize it or not, people who have not yet come to terms with their faith, are very often curious about those who have. It’s not unusual that they pay close attention to the conduct of others whom they see as believers while they are trying to make up their own minds. I can’t over-emphasize the importance of this. We need to always be sensitive to this, which I know is not always easy. I can recall an instance years ago, one of my daughters’ friends was over visiting, it was summer, and I was outside working on a carpentry project with my usual finesse and brought the hammer down on my thumb. A moment later a creative string of verbiage passed my lips, and from behind me, I heard a teenage voice sing out slightly sarcastically, now, now, deacon tsk tsk tsk. I was not amused, but I also realized later that she was right. I had to keep my mind focused always on how I conducted myself because you never know who is watching and taking note. A crass joke at a barbeque, a grumble about someone’s performance in the office, an unkind word about a fellow commuter in traffic. None of this goes un-noticed at times, and while it may seem trivial, it can cast doubt upon our overall conduct, and hence how much we really believe and adhere to God’s teachings.

Our responsibility as God’s followers means sometimes stepping back from what has become the social norms of some situations. We’re called to be a bit more thoughtful and reserved in our conduct. We’re called to exhibit greater patience and love toward others, even in times when that is not so easy. On our own, this is at best difficult, which is why we are called to always be humble enough to acknowledge our limitations and ask for God’s help. To daily spend time in prayer, not out of obligation, but out of personal necessity, so that we can have some hope of fulfilling our responsibilities. What is impossible for man, is absolutely possible for God.

If we live our lives in this way, with God’s help, we achieve a noticeable peace and serenity that others often find extraordinary. They may even ask us about it, and therein lies the opportunity. We can give testimony to our own challenges and experiences, and how we were helped to overcome and deal with them. We can talk to them about the peace that most of us seek, and so few of us find until we learn to rest in God’s care. We can talk about the solidity of our faith after investing the time to learn, and truly discover the depth and consistency of the Gospel message. All these things give testimony and provide others who do not yet believe with reasons to start their own search for knowledge of God. When we have influenced even one other soul, our efforts have certainly not been wasted.

 

You’ve heard me say before, that when I am writing a homily, I try to look for a common theme that will tie the readings together. It took me a little while with these, but I think I found it. RELIANCE.

1^st reading – Sirach

“The one who serves God willingly is heard; his petition reaches the heavens. “

When you serve God, you have a close relationship and are often reliant upon his wisdom and guidance.

 

 

2^nd Reading – Timothy

“But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength”

Saint Paul tells us how the Lord stood by him and strengthened him, and not for the first time, he has told us before, that it is only when he is weak, that he is strong through God – that grace is one of the fruits of reliance.

 

As a people, we’re sometimes not unlike the Israelites we read about in the bible, we have a strong tendency toward independence. Sometimes that can be a good thing, but all too often we channel that to the wrong areas, or perhaps to the exclusion of help. You recall in scripture, that Jesus has told us that unless we are like children we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. What he means by that, is that unless we are willing to lose some of that independence, and instead rely on him, we risk being lost to Him. When we rely upon Him, we are instead prone to a closeness and intimacy that will not allow that loss to happen. We will reflexively look to God for our answers in virtually everything we do, instead of only exercising our own independent thoughts and methodologies. When we think we have all the answers and are better equipped to take care of ourselves on our own, we are no better than the Pharisee we hear about boastfully contrasting himself with that tax collector in today’s gospel. The Pharisee thinks he has it all together, unfortunately, he misses the whole point of prayer, because it is through humility in our prayers, that we are justified. It’s at times like these that the Pharisee’s words illustrate when we’ve gotten caught up in our own pride, that we tend to put God to the side. He’s relegated to being a nice idea for Sundays and perhaps Christmas and Easter, rather than really being our every day Father whom we should be listening to and depending upon for His wisdom. He certainly is not where He deserves to be, which is at the center of our lives. We often seem to talk about wanting a greater faith and to be closer to God. We complain sometimes about how He seems distant, or that we don’t feel His presence. Can we really be surprised at this? Everyone else in our lives that we don’t bother to spend much time with, probably seems a bit distant too, perhaps by design. If we would rather live our lives our way, as opposed to following God’s law, I suspect He is kept at a distance by design as well. Here’s the thing, He’s already proven to us that He loves us and wants to be included in our lives – he was willing to suffer and die for us. How much more do we want Him to prove it? More than anything else, He wants us to love him. He’s told us this. To love means to trust, and to include, and to value the other individual. It also means to spend time and to desire the others company. This Father that we have in heaven, let’s be real clear, He doesn’t actually need us, but he does desire us. He desperately wants that closeness, like any other parent with their child. However, he’s not going to accept it only on our terms. We need to obey Him, to show that we respect and value Him, as a Father. If we’re going to hold out conditions on our love and participation in our relationship, we’re behaving like self-centered brats, and the fact is, not only will this displease our Father, the irony is, we will be comparatively miserable as well from those limitations.

I’m reminded of a trip to a local restaurant a while ago. I watched a young couple with their child, who was perhaps two or three. It was very obvious from the start, who was really in charge. The parents were actually asking this two or three-year-old to make a choice about what they would like to eat and tried to explain what was on the menu. Obviously, this was more than the child could really handle, and he reacted the way a lot of kids do at that age when they are frustrated. He was frustrated because he had too many choices and not enough direct guidance. On the other hand, I’ve seen more seasoned parents tell their child what their choices are from a very short list, and the children are perfectly content because there is a framework of guidance in place. They don’t want to be overwhelmed, and frankly when it really comes down to it, neither do we. We are actually at our most miserable when all of life’s choices confront us, and we have no clear sense of direction. It scares us, and overwhelms us, even though we claim to have wanted the freedom of all those choices. Talk to the contrary, is usually bravado. So, why do we do this to ourselves? Why do we not want to accept a constant guiding presence in our lives? We need to spend some time in contemplation on that one. Are we really that arrogant to not want God’s input? Or are we living our lives in such a way, that perhaps we might not like the answers from that input? We live but once here on earth, and the future beyond that is to either be in God’s house or not. If that’s the case, why would we not spend our time here in such a way that we can eventually go to where a room has been prepared for us, and we can rejoice in the Father that we already know intimately?

“Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.” Saint Paul provides us with actually one of the few explicit definitions of faith in the bible. However, this very definition illustrates a long-standing internal conflict that we are subject to. We are in part physical beings, that have a frequent struggle with accepting the things we cannot detect or define with our physical senses. Yet that is only half of our makeup. We are children of God and have within us that connected lineage and its fruits, which include senses that we do not always understand how to use or interpret. This struggle is part of the condition we endure because of “the fall” from our original human parents. They initially enjoyed, what we hope to one day regain – perfect intimacy with and understanding of God our Father. Yet from the beginning, there was free will, as God did not create us to be automatons, but rather creatures that were truly capable of love, which by definition involves choice. Sadly, that initial choice resulted in the struggles that we deal with even today.

God, in His providence and planning, did not leave us without both resources and a path toward regaining what was initially intended. We maintain the spark of the divine, of our original nature, within ourselves even today. This spark is what makes us the somewhat paradoxical creatures I was alluding to earlier. We are humans with physical senses and predispositions toward defining everything through them. However, because we also carry that divine spark, we have equally prevalent inclinations (if we listen to them) toward things that are not defined through the physical, and that we frankly cannot explain through those senses, though we often, unfortunately, try to confine our understanding of them within that context. You see, each of us comes hard-wired with a desire to understand, and to seek what cannot be completely explained through our physical senses – God. Even if we cannot completely articulate it, the desire is there. Moreover, each of us has a unique set of additional senses and a presence that defy a purely physical or what we like to term “scientific” explanation.  We have an innate sense of right and wrong that is universal across humanity. The same characteristics of what is seen as desirable in a person are virtually uniform in almost every society despite their possibly never having been an interaction between them. We possess senses that defy current scientific explanation. From the simple example of being able to sense someone staring at you from across the room without even looking, to the well-documented cases during times of conflict of family or friends knowing that something has befallen a loved one in battle, right down to the very second that it happened. Even the animals can sense our difference, did you ever ask yourself why animals react so differently to us, then they do to other animals. A large dog or cat can walk through a yard, and while the birds might keep an eye on them, they don’t scatter. However, if even a small child walks through the same yard, they usually take flight. Did you ever ask yourself why that is? They sense the spark that is within us, that makes us different.

So, our nature has two conflicting components, a primal physical self, and our spirit that still carries the fingerprint of God. Throughout secular and biblical history, we have struggled with these two natures. Abraham and Sara though initially skeptical made the leap of faith, and a nation was born. Abraham went even farther and placing all his faith in God was willing to sacrifice that which he loved intensely because he trusted that God could put anything right and that nothing was beyond Him. We are called to do the same, to use the side of our nature that connects us to God, and to accept Him on faith, and to act accordingly. This is our continual challenge, and why we are here in this life. We need to stay vigilant, and to accept more than what our physical senses can perceive, and to not be found wanting at the crucial hour when we meet our Lord. We need to listen to the inner sense that tells us when we are getting ready to stray from what God would want of us. We need to accept the more difficult paths and help our brothers and sisters even when it places a burden upon us. If we listen to that quiet voice that is within, and not drown it out with distraction or focus on self, we will succeed. On the other hand, if we are content to numb ourselves with distraction or other vices, and focus only on the pleasures of the here and now, then we have received our reward, and it should be no surprise to us that there is nothing to look forward to when we are judged.

Every person sitting here, and every person we meet, from the lowliest to the highest in society, is a child of God and was created in His image, right down to that divine essence that creates that spark. The man on the street corner sleeping on cardboard has no less importance in Gods eyes than the man sitting in the boardroom, and it should be so with us if we will use our other eyes, the ones that are truly the window to the soul, to look at them, and then to hopefully treat them as brothers. This is hard, because one half of our self is always telling us to move on, and that it’s not our problem or a headache we need right now. There are a million and one reasons we can come up with to focus only on ourselves and those close to us, and they will all fit through a very wide door, but that door is not the one we want to enter. Our door of choice needs to be the one that is so small and narrow, that it is almost without notice to our senses, but it is very plain to our soul. Now here is the real challenge, as Catholics, we have the benefit of an even greater level of understanding of God’s teachings, because we have an unbroken lineage that takes us back to the time that Christ spent on earth. We are privy to that which was taught and maintained in both the written word of God in the gospels, but also to the oral knowledge that was passed down and manifested as tradition within the early Church. We are the ONLY ones that have this unbroken line, and so we are privileged with this, and the expectations of us are commensurately higher. “To whom much has been given, much will be expected”. That’s ok, we are well armed for this challenge if we use the gifts given us and pay attention to what He has taught us.  Then all we have to do is be vigilant, and act.  God will never set us up to fail.

In our readings today we have several compatible themes that complement one another to really paint the picture of how misguided we sometimes become in our pursuit of “success”.

As in our first reading, “All things are vanity”  I think at times we really can display vanity in our pursuits of career and personal gain. Sometimes these things can be done in a very positive way. Such as working toward the wellbeing of our families, but we need to exercise caution that this does not sometimes metamorphized into an excuse to pursue our own successes on a more personal level, and perhaps even to the exclusion of our time and focus for our relationship with Christ, and his people (including our families). When this happens, it really is our personal vanity kicking in, and we can substitute the pursuit of personal gain, either in terms of money or perhaps position for our better initial intentions. If we’re honest with ourselves, I think we have all done this to one degree or another, but we need to be careful, we are cautioned against this. The fact is there is far more value that can be expressed in spending time with those we love, and this especially includes with our God, than in putting in overtime to make ourselves look good to the boss. Don’t get me wrong, hard work is important, we want to be able to take care of our families, and we are called to do so, but a balance needs to be maintained. The time that is put toward our more secular or professional pursuits, can never be regained to give back to our families, or to our God.

In our second reading from Saint Paul to the Colossians we are cautioned about how we conduct ourselves and are specifically cautioned against dishonesty and other evils that we are to have left behind now that we live in Christ. This applies equally to how we conduct ourselves in both our work and personal lives. We should in fact, periodically ask ourselves how we are doing with this, in other words, perform a sort of an examination of conscience. Are we ethical in our practices? Do treat others with an eye toward their personal well-being, and not just our own gain? Do we show compassion to those who are struggling in their jobs or in their personal lives? Like many of us here I work in a corporate environment, and I can tell you that doing so can be a consistent personal challenge because corporate culture is very often at odds with basic Christian ideals in many of its practices. I see this with the outsourcing that takes place to make the bottom line look a little better when stock prices dip, with little or no thought to the families impacted by those jobs lost. I see it in the expectations of time to be spent beyond the normal working hours that cost individuals their family and personal well-being time. I see it in the sometimes ruthless competitiveness for a position, or even just job survival. All of these things are realities that take place day to day as the corporate “norm”. Yet they are far from what we are called to do as followers of Christ, and I need to remind myself that while my company may be responsible to the stockholders, as individuals we were purchased long ago at a much higher price – the blood of Jesus Christ, and our ultimate allegiance and priority should always be there first. So, we need to be very cautious indeed in how we participate and conduct ourselves. Even if doing so can sometimes even be a bit costly to us in terms of professional gains, but it is nothing compared to what it can cost us in the true final accounting.

In today’s gospel, we are cautioned by our Lord specifically about what can happen when we forget our priorities to serve God and His children and focus too much on the accumulation of goods, and personal gain. There may come a day, where we do not show up for work again, and on that day perhaps there will be some nice platitudes said about us by those we worked with, but the jobs will go on virtually without interruption, and we will quickly become a memory. Our accomplishments and our impact on our employer will be fleeting in the eyes of most. One thing is for certain, we will stand before God on that day and account for our decisions, our focus in life, and our accomplishments. I have my doubts that corporate funds saved, projects completed, or promotions earned will be very high on His list. On the other hand, how we focused on treating our brothers and sisters, how much time we spent with our families and tending to them (especially our children, so that they grow up to be followers of Jesus), and whether we spent much time pursuing our relationship with our creator, will likely be pretty high on that list. The question is, how are we going to be able to answer? Did we try to keep our focus where it should be, or did we simply float along and try to accumulate as much as we could so that we could enjoy those material gains, and not give much thought to our responsibilities as followers of Christ – again, we were purchased at a price, and we should NEVER forget that.

Lastly, I want to share an observation with you, that I have noticed when driving around our state on the backroads. There are many poor communities that I have passed through. The homes and the cars parked in them are not very impressive, and there is often a lack of care for other niceties that make up a well-kept neighborhood. But, you should see the Churches that are part of these communities. They are usually spotless, well maintained, and populated not just for an hour on Sunday, but throughout evenings and other days of the week. They are a center of life for these poor communities, they take pride in them, they focus their lives on being with their nuclear family, their church family, and with their God. It is completely centric in their lives, a constant connection and reminder of the importance of their relationship with God and His other children. Frankly, I doubt these people even consider themselves poor, and to be honest, I don’t believe them to be so in all the ways that actually matter. I’m humbled when I see these places, and sometimes there is a part of me longs for more of that kind of grace of the closeness and cohesion that comes from the simple joy of working together in Christ. I wish that for all of us.

I was fortunate enough to attend a Good Friday Liturgy today, as I often miss going due to my work schedule. As I sat there listening to the gospel and taking the time to really let the message of Christ’s suffering and death for all our sake sink in, I began to think about how readily I actually accept His gift. He died for my sake and took on my many sins so that I would have the hope of one day being with our Father in heaven. He suffered all the anguish and anxiety of knowing what was going to happen, and rather than shrink away from it, he pressed resolutely on. His concern was to give us all life, but even before he took on the suffering and death that was rightly ours, he took the time to share that final meal, and bring us the Eucharist, so that we would be ever strengthened by his body and blood. He knew what he was facing, and all he focused on was us.

I have to ask myself how I acknowledge that kind of love, and that precious gift? Do I live like someone who received something that special, and bought at such a heavy price? Do I take the time each day, and remember what was given to me, and perhaps pay forward that kind of undeserved love and hope to others around me? I certainly did not deserve to receive such a gift, so who am I to ever look at others and decide they are unworthy of my time or patience? I can’t keep living the way I have been. I can’t keep living my life like it is my own, and I somehow have a right to be that judgmental.

I look at my more personal conduct, and even that doesn’t reflect the gift that I have received. If I feel like something is out of my control, and it makes me anxious, I seek to simply assuage that by my own selfish methods. My first thought is rarely to invite God into my thoughts and to ask for his help. I don’t let him in to be truly part of my life like that. I would sooner go to google and try to find answers, and perhaps obsess over what I find, and do more searches until I can find something to assuage my own fears than allow God to take my hand and give me his consolation. I shut him out, when I need him most, and treat him like he is not part of my life. All the while reading the words in scripture and treating them as just words, rather than taking the time to really acknowledge the gift.

I’ve asked myself before how it is that I can do this, especially with the grace that I have been granted which allows me to serve as a deacon. I’ve asked myself how it is that I lose track and get so self-absorbed. It is not that I do not love God, I do, I just seem to lose sight of what is important at times and so fail to show it. It’s not so much different than when I take my wife or my daughters for granted at times. I love them, but I lose sight because at times I seem to love myself more and become blind to how that separates me from what is really important and worth loving. God is part of my family, he is who gave me the gift of family to begin with, and who saved all of us and gives us hope of being with Him one day. He binds us together, and comforts us, and helps us through when we hit a rough patch. He watches over us and rejoices when we spend time with Him. He asks only to be loved and be part of our family. He deserves my intimacy, my love, and my respect. He showed me, as he died on the cross, how much he loved me.

I haven’t given up that much for Lent this year, but perhaps it’s not too late to lay one more thing aside – myself. I was purchased at a price, and my resolution is to start to actually live that way. I pray that others have had similar thoughts. I am probably just catching up, and I hope to join the rest of you in this way of living.

In today’s Gospel reading, we hear of Jesus’ raising Lazarus from the dead, and thus definitively demonstrating His power to not only heal the body but over death itself. There was no denying this very public demonstration of His power as the Son of God. As so often has happened in history, when someone exercises power and authority that is beyond the scope or control of the existing leadership, it makes those in authority very nervous, perhaps even deadly.

When the people learned of Lazarus’ resurrection from physical death, they became convinced of Jesus messianic kingship and applauded Him on his way into Jerusalem on what we now celebrate as Palm Sunday. Moreover, when they laid their cloaks and palm branches before him as he made his way. There is great significance in those actions, as they were publicly acknowledging their intention to have Him as king. This was the final straw, and what ultimately put into motion the events that led up to Jesus death on the cross.

All of those actions are well known, but what is perhaps less talked about, is Lazarus himself after Jesus raised him from the dead. We know that the Jews considered killing Lazarus in order to quash the situation, but even they realized that with the number of people who witnessed Jesus raising him from the dead, this was an impossibility. But what of this man Lazarus, who was raised from the dead? What became of him? How did he live his life – his newly given life? Would it be possible to be the same man after having tasted the sting of death, and been in its grip while spending all those days in the tomb? To not only once again breathe the air, and see the sun, but to also have seen beyond the veil of earthly existence, and then returned because of the grace and love of God.

On the surface, this seems like an extraordinary question, because of the events that surrounded it. Certainly, for those who experienced or witnessed it, it was an awe-inspiring and perhaps life-changing event, but should it be any less so for us? I’ll grant you, we are not physically of that time period or location to have seen these things first hand, but we are none the less tremendously well informed in terms of what happened, and possess the additional knowledge we have of Jesus Christ’s teachings, compared with those who were actually physically present. And yet, we lose sight of the fact that we are equally called from our collective tombs each day, and perhaps should be especially aware of it now during this Lenten season. We are called from our tombs of self-focus and indulgence, we are called from our tombs of avarice and of selfishness, we are called from our tombs of worldly allurements and flesh, and we are called from our tombs of indifference toward our Lord Jesus Christ and his children who are our brothers and sisters in his remaining body here on earth – His Church. Each of us in some way is a Lazarus, and have the same opportunity if we will only listen to the call. We often ask ourselves at the beginning of each Lenten season, what will we give up this Lent? Perhaps it is chocolate, or television, or some small item that we normally enjoy, as a show of what we are willing to “sacrifice” for God and to hopefully use as a way to remind us of what we are supposed to be focusing on during Lent – repentance. What about giving up death? What about giving up that tomb that we sometimes cling to? What about stepping out into the light of the day that Christ has called us to and walking out of the tomb, shed of the bindings of death that hold us, and walking freely the way we are supposed to? That would indeed be a Lent to remember.

There is a common theme in our readings today. We hear of men who are called to serve God, and who are all too aware of their own shortcomings, so that they are initially discouraged. However, each also realizes the hope that through God’s grace anything is possible. Even being able to use such flawed tools to accomplish His tasks. I don’t think any of us is really that different. If we’re honest with ourselves, we will like Isaiah, or Saint Paul, or Simon Peter feel the urge to ask the Lord at times to seek those who are worthier than we to do His work. We sometimes do this by default because we know that we have fallen short many times during our lives, and yet God is able to work with individuals such as us to affect incredible change.

 

As Catholics we have a unique heritage, we hold an unbroken lineage and theology that goes back to the time of Christ’s life here on earth, and farther. Our lineage in point of fact goes back to the Genesis account. We were, and are, the original followers of God the Father, and His son Jesus Christ. Our theology and teachings encompass not only what is in scripture, but also the traditions formed in the early Church by those who either knew Jesus directly or were followers of his twelve disciples. These times were pivotal in terms of digesting and understanding more fully what Christ taught us, and to then educate the people and develop what we know today as our Catechism. As is often said, and I think this applies here – to whom much has been given, much will be expected. With the rich tradition we share, it is then incumbent on each of us to both know and share our knowledge. Every single one of us is called to be both saint and prophet. If we fail to share our knowledge with our brothers and sisters who were not raised in this tradition, or who have perhaps fallen away, we have much to answer for. Moreover, if we fail to set an example by adhering to this same knowledge, we are likewise left with much to answer for.

 

We are often accused as Catholics of being outdated in our teachings, and out of touch in the way we handle some social issues. I find that such accusations are often a mask for a social agenda that is uncomfortable with those who will not compromise their beliefs to blend with current social whims. This noncompliance with the social norm will inevitably create friction, perhaps resentment, or even in some cases hatred. Good. We were told by Jesus Christ himself that those of us who follow Him would be hated because of His name. If we are then hated, labeled, and ridiculed, because of our focus on God’s teachings rather than man’s expectations, frankly we are probably doing something right. If you want an example of this, you need look no further than the reactions of those who would have us compromise our beliefs to fit more closely with the social and political agendas concerning life itself. In the homily that Father Mike presented last weekend the issue of life for those pre-birth was discussed in light of the recent legislation passed in the state of New York, that deeply erodes the sanctity of human life, and frankly the rights of women. There are those who would have us believe that the option to kill one’s own child is somehow empowering to women because they can keep more definitive control over their bodies. What I rarely hear anyone talk about is the damage that is left in the wake of such a choice, both to the child and the mother. The notion that such a “choice” leaves no mark is ludicrous. The scientific statistics are plain, and constant, in what they show as the clinical, mental, and overall personal impact of such an act. Moreover, we have overwhelming scientific evidence that shows just how alive these pre-birth children really are. The Catholic standpoint of life being sacred from conception to natural death is not outdated, or anachronistic – it aligns perfectly with modern science. We do not express hate when we hold to this, quite the opposite, we want what is best for both mother and child. And yet, we are at times looked upon with suspicion and resentment because of this.

 

In the United States, we had roughly 1% of the population that was Catholic from the time this country was founded, until roughly 1840 when there were large immigrations from Ireland, Germany, Italy, Poland, and elsewhere in Europe. In the earliest days of US history, Catholics were not allowed to hold public office, to own land, or to practice their faith openly by celebrating the Mass in public. The only exception to this were those residing in what is now the state of Maryland which had some provisions made to allow Catholics to live more openly. Still, even there we were not initially trusted with holding political or public office, or to serve in positions of authority because we were suspected of being completely subservient to the Pope, rather than allegiant to those in authority here in America. In took another 184 years from the time this country was founded, before the first Catholic US president was elected, this was of course John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Today, we comprise roughly 24 – 26 % of the US population depending on whose statistics you believe, and we have correspondingly similar numbers of people that represent us in congress. Yet, we continue to see ideas promoted, and laws passed with surprisingly little resistance that are directly contradictory to our fundamental beliefs. We see legislators who will tout their Catholic faith when it is convenient to do so, and then vote in a way completely contradictory to what should be their conscience when the time comes. Let me be clear on something, if we call ourselves Catholic, and then continually violate the most basic of our core beliefs by our actions – WE ARE LYING TO OURSELVES AND OTHERS. We cannot pick and choose which of our core beliefs we would like to adhere to – this is not an ala’ carte faith. What message are we sending if we conduct ourselves in this way? This is especially true for those who hold positions of civil authority and claim to believe. When we vote these people into office, or worse re-elect them when they have already demonstrated support for beliefs wholly contradictory to our own, we are accountable. When we do not act decisively within the Catholic Church to condemn their actions, and again hold these individuals responsible, we are accountable. Our leadership in the Church are certainly accountable in their response to these situations, and we need to reinforce to them that we support them, and that we expect them to take action. Think about this for a second, when we waiver or do not hold others within our faith accountable for their actions, we are not demonstrating our commitment to our faith for others who believe, or perhaps for those who might want to believe, and we are not showing concern for those in error who need to change their way of thinking. We are not helping them to realize the damage they are doing in execution of their duties, and subsequently, the damage they are doing to their own souls. At the end of time, when each of us stands before God, He is not going to ask us whether we held to political party ideology. He is going to hold us accountable for how we listened to and lived his message.

 

A number of years ago, I had the most extraordinary conversation about faith with someone I worked with. Both he and his wife were graduates of Oral Roberts University, and both hold degrees in both divinity and theology. As practicing Baptists, they are both very engaged in their church, and very strong in their beliefs. So, when one day, my friend told me that if he were ever going to consider another religion, it would be Catholicism, I was completely floored. Yet as we continued our discussion what he said really made sense and was a perfect example of what can happen when we live our values. He told me that we were the only ones that seemed to uncompromisingly hold to Christ’s teachings (and this included his own denomination), and that no matter what, we never wavered despite public pressure and sometimes backlash. Our consistency of belief spoke to him in a way that meant something. No other preaching was needed, it was the true essence of – “preach the gospel always, and if necessary, use words”. If we think for a moment that others don’t take notice of our actions, or sometimes the lack thereof, I am here to tell you they do. We can give witness both with how we live our lives, but also with how we declare our beliefs. The disposable mentality that is so prevalent in this day, is not used to this kind of commitment or fortitude. We should do this with love, and with resolute commitment to the one whose teachings can always be trusted. If we waiver, we then remember and correct ourselves. If we doubt, or we feel our courage falter, we look to the cross, and we remember the words of Saint John Paul II  – BE NOT AFRAID.