Lent 3 - Right Worship

 

Homily for Lent 3

March 3, 2024

Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi – Giving Right Worship to God

 

            Have you ever received a gift that’s just a miss? Growing up I had an aunt who totally just checked it in and bought all of her nephews socks for Christmas. And not good socks either – just a cheap package of tube socks from K-mart. I supposed I should have been grateful, but truthfully I felt like she didn’t care enough to even bother.

            When we get someone a gift, we have to consider what type of gift they would really enjoy. And so it is with God – when we offer Him worship, we have to offer Him the worship that He truly desires.

            In the first reading, God is clear about how NOT to worship Him – “do not worship Me by making any kind of graven image”. Unlike the other gods of the surrounding nations, the Lord did not want Israel to make a statue of their God. Of course, we know how that ended up – just a few chapters later, Israel constructs the Golden Calf. People often misinterpret the Golden Calf scene. The Golden Calf was not idolatry – they weren’t trying to worship a different god. They were trying to worship the True God, but in a way that He expressly forbade. Rather than this being pleasing to God, it was offensive to Him.

            So, God had to give them very strict instructions on how to worship. In the Old Testament, He spends chapter after chapter detailing how they were to offer sacrifice, what type of vestments the priests would wear, how the altar was to look, and how the feasts were to be celebrated. God had to teach the people how to worship Him!

            And then comes Jesus to give a new way to worship – as evidenced by today’s scene in the Gospel. This, too, is often misinterpreted. Jesus does not have a problem with money-changers per se. They were necessary in the Temple because Roman money, which the Jews were forced to use, bore the image of Caesar, who declared himself a god. Obviously they couldn’t use a coin with pagan imagery in the Temple, so it was necessary to exchange it for temple money, which didn’t bear such imagery.

            Rather, Jesus cleanses the Temple for two other reasons. First, because of where the money-changers were located. They were set up in a part of the Temple called the “Court of the Gentiles” – a place for non-Jews who were seeking the Lord to come and pray. In essence, Jesus is trying to show the Jews that fitting worship could be offered by non-Jews (Gentiles), and that they needed a quiet and respectful place to do it.

            But the other reason why Jesus cleanses the Temple is because He was trying to pave the way for a new way to worship. Remember, this event occurs three days before the Last Supper. So He is showing the Jews that there will be a new, purer temple: the Temple of His Body, which He will offer on the Cross and then give us to eat in the Eucharist.

            Worshiping God rightly is important! First, it demonstrates a profound obedience to God. There’s a great story from 1 Samuel, where King Saul is instructed by God to conquer a certain town that had oppressed Israel. God was very clear that Saul had to destroy everything in the town, lest the townspeople come back and claim their property. But Saul decides, rather, to keep the sheep and oxen alive so that they could be offered as a sacrifice to God. But God is displeased with King Saul for doing so, and sends the prophet Samuel to reprimand him, saying “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.”

            So has the Lord told us how to worship Him? Yes, when He said, “Do this in remembrance of Me.” The Mass is how God is properly and fittingly worshipped.

            Secondly, worshiping God rightly helps us to order our life properly. There is a principle in the Church: lex orandi, lex credendi. This means, “The way we worship becomes the way we believe” – and the way we believe becomes the way we act. When we have a right relationship with God, ordered properly, then the rest of our life becomes ordered properly as well. I know some of us here feel like our lives are chaos, and we’re stressed and over-busy and anxious. If that’s the case, the first place to look for a solution is with the foundations – is our relationship with God rightly-ordered?

            Once, former Wall Street journalist Rod Dreher was feeling that modern chaos. He was under so much pressure with deadlines, pressures at home and work, and stress. He went to his parish priest for help, who told him, “If you wish to get better and find peace, you must pray for an hour a day.” He said that was impossible – he had too much to do – there was no time to pray that much! The priest responded, “Do you have time for a nervous breakdown?” The point made, Rod began to cultivate a serious prayer life – and he found that peace which had been so elusive to him.

            So what does all this mean for us? Two things. First, if we want a rightly-ordered life with less stress and greater peace, it begins with a right relationship with God – one which is grounded in weekly Mass, regular Confession, and daily prayer. Everything in our life flows from this foundation of right worship.

            Second, it means that any authentic spirituality must be centered around the Eucharist, since the Lord has told us that this is the proper way to worship Him. Sometimes people will seek peace through all sorts of esoteric ways – Eastern meditation, yoga, positive-thinking, or being “spiritual but not religious”, or even more extreme types of spiritualism like psychics, wicca, or other spiritual practices. Aside from being sinful, these practices do not lead us into a right relationship with God. Not every spiritual path leads to God – many lead to nowhere, or worse, to a connection with evil spirits and demons. God has told us how to worship Him – and it is here, in His Body and Blood in the Eucharist and through the spiritual exercises that have been practiced for centuries in the Church.

            My friends, what a great gift we have in knowing how to worship God! This not only gives us peace, it also reveals the depths of His love for us. As Mother Teresa once said, “When you look at the crucifix, you understand how much Jesus loved you then; when you look at the Sacred Host, you understand how much Jesus loves you now.”

Lent 1 - Overcoming Temptations

 

Homily for First Sunday of Lent

February 18, 2024

Temptations

 

            There was a tribe in Africa that had a unique system of governance. Every seven years, they would elect the next king from among the men of the tribe. This king would receive riches, praises, all the comforts and pleasures they could enjoy. And then, at the end of seven years, the king would be killed to make way for the next king.

            Would you accept such an offer? I’d have to think twice about it – seven years of riches and power and pleasure, and then be killed. But isn’t that precisely the allure of temptation? It offers a temporary, counterfeit happiness – and in the long run, sin makes us miserable, both here and in the hereafter. But even though we understand this intellectually, all of us are still tempted, due to the weakness of our nature from original sin. So how are we to understand temptations, and how can we overcome them?

            First, we must understand that temptations are not sins. One time St. Catherine of Siena was assailed by severe and vile temptations – intrusive thoughts that made her feel dirty inside. Discouraged, she begged the Lord, “Where are You during these awful temptations?” Jesus spoke to her and said, “I was in your heart.” But Catherine objected, “How could You be in my heart when it was filled with ugly, filthy thoughts?” Jesus asked her, “Did those thoughts make you pleased or displeased?” Catherine responded that she was disgusted with the thoughts, so Our Lord responded, “It was I who made you disgusted with them, for if I was not dwelling in your heart, you would have found them delightful.” So, even a strong feeling or temptation is not a sin so long as we do not desire to have it.

            A second important point: God allows temptations to make us holy. I knew a young man who went to Catholic schools all his life, but when his Catholic high school closed, he began attending public school – and at the same time became very, very fervent in his faith. In speaking with Michael, he shared that he never really had to choose to follow Christ, since the Catholic Faith surrounded him at all times – but once he went to public school, he was faced with a serious choice. Thankfully, he chose Christ!

            If we didn’t have temptations, there would be no opportunity to choose to follow Christ. The stronger the temptation, the greater the victory of our soul when we conquer it. Besides, temptations also keep us humble – when we feel overwhelmed with thoughts of anger or lust, envy or pride, gossip or cheating, we recognize our desperate need for a Savior!

            Third, it’s important to remember that every temptation can be overcome. St. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians that “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” (10:13). Sin is not inevitable, no matter how strong the temptation – the grace of God is always stronger!

            Now, since temptations are common to all human beings, how do we overcome them? Four suggestions.

            First, the obvious: we pray. We pray while we are in the midst of temptations – and pray tenaciously! Many times a quick Hail Mary isn’t enough to overcome a strong temptation. It may mean getting down on our knees and offering a Rosary. The only thing stronger than sin is love, and when we love God more than we love our sin, we will be able to overcome any temptation.

            Second, we make resolutions. St. Dominic Savio, at his first Communion, made several resolutions for himself, including this one which may surprise us: “Death rather than sin.” It can be helpful, in times of temptation, to make those resolutions in our heart, or even out loud: “Lord Jesus, grant that I may die a thousand deaths rather than offend You.” “Lord Jesus, I reaffirm that You are King of my life.” “Lord Jesus, I will suffer and endure all things for love of You.”

            Third, fasting and self-denial are powerful means of overcoming temptation. Our will is much like a muscle – if we exercise it, it will grow strong, but if we let it sit, it will become flabby and weak. Likewise, if we freely choose to do difficult things like giving up chocolate, or rising earlier for prayer, or taking a cold shower, then we are strengthening our will so that when a temptation comes, we are stronger to resist.

            Finally, and perhaps most importantly, we must flee from temptations before they start. As Mark Twain humorously observed, “There are many good protections against temptations, but the surest is cowardice.” St. Padre Pio uses this example: “The devil is like a rabid dog tied to a chain:  beyond the length of the chain he cannot seize anyone. And YOU:  keep at a distance. If you approach too near, you let yourself be caught.” In our Catholic theology, we speak of avoiding the “near occasion of sin” – a person, place, or thing that we know will tempt us. So if spending time with a certain friend is always an occasion for gossip, find ways to spend less time with them. If our smartphone or computer is a temptation, put an Internet filter on it, or get a dumb-phone. If we are tempted to envy whenever we walk into “Forever 21”…then go shopping at Target instead. Socrates used to say, “Know Thyself” – and this is good advice for the spiritual life too – know your weaknesses, where we are vulnerable to temptation, and flee from a person or place where we know we will be tempted.

            My friends, Christ was able to conquer temptations by standing firm in prayer, the Word of God, and fasting. But did you notice the reward of His faithfulness? The Gospel tells us that “angels ministered to Him.” After the battle, we too will enjoy the company of angels and saints. And that’s worth fighting for.

Ash Wednesday - You Are Going To Die

 

Homily for Ash Wednesday

February 14, 2024

You Are Going To Die

 

            You are going to die.

            I know, not a very pleasant thought. But that doesn’t make it untrue. In one hundred years, your body will resemble these ashes that in a few short moments we will place on our foreheads.

            And then…eternity.

            It is hard to fathom eternity. Picture a bird flying past Mount Everest, once every thousand years, and removing a single speck of dust from the top of the mountain. When the mountain is worn down to sea level, eternity begins.

            And while our bodies turn to dust, our souls will still be very much alive for eternity – either as an eternal triumph in Heaven, or an eternal tragedy in Hell. There will be no other options.

            So, our Lord gives us this blessed season of Lent as a course correction. If we have been living for the empty trinkets this world proposes as happiness: pursuing money, worldly success, pleasures at every moment, making sure our kids excel in every sport…then Lent is a call to abandon the pursuit of this passing world and focus on the joys that await us in eternity. If we have been pursuing Heaven slowly, lukewarmly, living as a mediocre Christian, then Lent spurs us on to begin anew, with fervor and zeal, to pursue the only thing that really matters: holiness in abundant life in Christ.

            Certain Catholic monks greet one another with the phrase, Memento Mori. This is usually translated “Remember your death.” But a better translation is “Remember to die” – remember to daily put to death all in your nature that is rooted in this world, that we may live for Heaven alone. Because in a hundred years, this passing world will be of no interest to you or me, as our bodies will lie in the dust, and our souls will reap the fruits of the choices we have made: eternity with God, or eternity without Him.

            Remember, O Man, that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.

Ordinary Time 6 - Beauty of A Well-Ordered Soul

 

Homily for Ordinary Time 6

February 11, 2024

Beauty of A Well-Ordered Soul

 

            There was once a hard-charging executive from New York City who knew that her stress-filled corporate life was destroying her, so she decided to go on a week-long silent retreat at a convent of nuns. On the first day, she was struck by the beauty of one particular nun who just had a radiant face, cleaner and clearer and more luminous and attractive than anyone she had ever met. But, of course, being a silent retreat, the executive had to only wonder and admire the beauty from afar. Finally, though, when the retreat was over, the businesswoman sought out this nun and had to ask her the secret. “Oh Sister, I couldn’t help but noticing how beautiful you were!” she exclaimed. “Do you use special creams, or take care of your face in a certain way?”

            The nun laughed with surprise and said, “Oh? I’m beautiful?”

            The woman was taken aback. “Of course you are! Why are you surprised?”

            The nun replied. “I haven’t looked at myself in a mirror for over twenty years. Any time I enter a room with a mirror, I make a sacrifice and look away so that I do not become vain about my appearance.”

            It wasn’t special creams or lotions that made this nun beautiful – it was the beauty of her soul that radiated upon her countenance. A soul that is well-ordered and overflowing with virtue will shine with exceptional beauty. I think of the beautiful face of Mother Teresa, wrinkled and plain, yet her smile and her eyes told of Christ’s presence in her soul. By contrast, a soul that is filled with vice reflects upon their face as well – I think of some of the pop stars and cultural icons of today, who while having access to the best beauty products, have a hollowness in their eyes and almost a creepy look, as if they were wearing a mask to hide their empty soul.

            I am reminded of this with today’s tragic readings, all about leprosy. Leprosy, now called Hansen’s Disease, is a profoundly disfiguring disease of the skin, which is now very easily treatable with medicines. But more disfiguring is a soul that is overflowing with the seven diseases of the Seven Deadly Sins. These sins afflict the human race in larger or smaller degree, disfiguring the Image of Christ within. But the good news is that there is an antidote to each of these disfiguring diseases!

            The first and most deadly of the Seven Deadly Vices is pride. Pride says that we are the center of our own universe, that we get to determine right from wrong, and that we do not need God. There are lots of symptoms of this disease. Thinking we’re special – like when a perfectly healthy CEO of a Fortune 500 company would consistently park in handicapped spots because he thought that the rules didn’t apply to him (this really happened). Talking about ourselves all the time. Not praying, which means we think we don’t need God in our everyday life.

            The medicine for this pride is humility. The challenge with humility is that every time you think you’re becoming more humble, you just lost it! But as CS Lewis said, “Humility isn’t thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself…less.” Humility is recognizing that we are who we are before God, and nothing more. Once someone complemented me on a homily, and I responded, “Oh, thanks, but that was all God.” They replied, “If it was all God, it would’ve been way better!” Ouch, but true – all that is good in us is from God, and as Mother Teresa used to say, “We’re just a pencil in the Hand of God.”

            A second deadly sin is greed. Greed is an unhealthy desire for material wealth and possessions. There was once two childhood friends who grew up and took different paths: one man became fantastically wealthy, while the other man remained poor but had a deep faith in God. Towards the end of their lives, they met up again and reconnected, and after the meeting, the rich man seemed very troubled. His wife asked him what was wrong, and he replied, “My friend is far happier than I, for he is going to claim his treasure, while I will soon be forced to leave mine behind!”

            The answer, of course, is generosity. Money spent on clothes or vacations lasts for weeks or years, while money dedicated to the Lord reverberates into eternity.

            A third disfiguring disease is wrath. There are times where anger is very justified – I think of the American Revolution, or the anger we feel if someone is hurting a family member. Anger itself is not a sin – but wrath is a corrupted, perverse form of anger. Wrath is hatred and a desire for revenge.

            The antidote to wrath, according to St. Thomas Aquinas, is actually justice. One would think that it would be peace, but justice leads to peace. Justice means to give to everyone what we owe them: worship to God, obedience to authorities, compassion to subordinates, care for the poor, respect and charity to one another.

            A fourth disease is sloth. Unlike the cute animals that lie around in eucalyptus trees, this kind of sloth is quite deadly – because it means being lethargic and lazy in one’s spiritual life. It is marked by a lack of prayer, unenthusiasm for Mass, no desire for the heights of holiness.

            The medicine for sloth, then, is zeal – stirring up in our hearts a passion for the Lord. Consider His goodness, and the ultimate purpose of your life – to be with Him forever. We need to exercise our desire for God like a muscle – and soon it will grow and increase.

            The fifth disease is envy – being consumed with desire for what others have. There is a fable about how the leaning tower of Pisa came to be. Pisa had built a beautiful tower next to its church, and the nearby city of Lucca did the same. But Lucca was envious of the beautiful tower in Pisa, so men snuck into the city at night and dug beneath it to try to topple it. But it never fell, only leaned – and has thus become a hundred times more famous and notable for its tilt! That’s not the true story, of course, but it makes a powerful point.

            The antidote is the virtue of gratitude, whereby we are thankful for what we have. Who cares what the neighbors down the street have? We have so many blessings – let us be thankful for them.

            The sixth disease is lust, the misuse of God’s gift of sexuality. If someone were to receive as a gift a beautiful and antique clock, and they use it as a doorstop, it would be an insult to the giver who gave such a costly gift. Likewise, if a person were to misuse the incredible gift of sexuality – using it outside of marriage between a man and woman, open to life – then it is an insult to the giver.

            Lust is countered by chastity, the proper use of our sexuality. With all of God’s gifts, using them rightly respects our human dignity and keeps us from being like the animals, who have no control over their bodily drives.

            The seventh disease is gluttony, indulging in too much food, wine, or sleep. Again, we must use God’s gifts well through the virtue of temperance.

            My friends, sin grotesquely disfigures our soul. This is why, when we look at a Crucifix, it should disgust us to see a man who is beaten, whipped, bruised, swollen, blood oozing down His face. Christ wanted to give us a visual demonstration of the ugliness of sin. But by contrast, virtue is beautiful and radiant.

            True beauty, then, is not found in $1,700 worth of beauty products that the average American buys annually – it is found in having a soul adorned with virtue, where Christ lives within.