Homily for Lent 5 - April 3, 2022

 

Homily for Fifth Sunday of Lent

April 3, 2022

Go and Sin No More

 

            Back in 2013, Pope Francis said five words that could potentially be the most quoted papal statement ever: “Who am I to judge?” I have had people quote that sentence to me over and over again, usually along the lines of, “Don’t tell me that my lifestyle is sinful! Who are you to judge?”

            But that’s not the context of Pope Francis’ statement. He was actually responding to a question from a reporter who asked him what he would do about a particular priest who had left the priesthood to pursue a life of sin, but who then repented and wanted to be admitted back to the priesthood. The Pope’s full quotation was: “If someone searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?”

            God is perfect justice and perfect mercy. Which one we will receive is dependent upon one thing and one thing only: repentance. For those who fall, make mistakes, but are sorry and seek Him, He runs to them, picks them up, and forgives and heals. But for those who deny their sin or refuse to change (like the Pharisees), they have closed themselves off from mercy and will face justice instead.

            Let’s look closer at this Gospel. The woman was caught “in the very act” of committing adultery. So how did the Pharisees catch her? Was it, perhaps, a trap? Was it one of the Pharisees who committed adultery with this woman? Regardless, she was certainly sorry!

            Now, in our Catholic understanding, there are two types of sorrow for sin (also called “contrition”). There is imperfect contrition, and perfect contrition. Imperfect contrition is when we’re sorry for sins because of the sin’s consequences – so we regret drinking too much because we’re suffering the effects of a hangover, or we’re sorry for driving recklessly because we got a speeding ticket. This woman may have only been sorry because she was facing a most severe consequence – death by stoning.

            But perfect contrition is sorrow for sin out of love for God. We’re sorry that we hurt the One we love; we’re sorry that we have broken the most important relationship in our lives: our friendship with the Lord. We should always aim to have perfect contrition – to be sorry because of how much we love Him. Yet imperfect contrition is enough to make a valid Confession, so if that’s all we can muster up, it’s still better than not being sorry at all!

            So the woman is thrown down before Jesus, and Jesus does a surprising thing. He bends down to write on the ground. What is He writing? St. Jerome says that He might be writing the sins of the Pharisees in the dirt. St. Augustine sees it as a fulfillment of a powerful prophesy in Jeremiah chapter 17:  O Lord, the hope of Israel, all who forsake thee shall be put to shame; those who turn away from thee shall be written in the earth, for they have forsaken the Lord. But consider this: if you write something in dust or sand, it can be wiped away easily. When we want something to be permanent, we say, “Inscribe that in stone!” So, Jesus writing the names or the sins of the Pharisees in the sand is a sign that He has the power to wipe away sins that easily…if only they would turn to Him in repentance. Just a quick brush of the hand, and the sins written in sand are cast away. Just a word from our Merciful Savior, and all of our sins are completely forgiven.

            The Pharisees, then, holding rocks that are a symbol of the hardness of their hearts, begin to walk away, leaving their rocks…but keeping their hard hearts. They are unwilling to acknowledge their need for a Savior, because they think they’re “good people”. Only one person in this scene recognizes that they need forgiveness – and for that reason, she is the only one who receives it.

            But this mercy that she receives does not mean she can go back to life-as-usual. The key to Jesus’ mercy is: “Go and sin no more.” Mercy does not mean that sin doesn’t matter. To see how much sin matters, look at the Cross. Jesus died because of sin. People suffer because of sin. Souls end up in Hell because of unrepentant sin. Sin matters – and it can be wiped away by Christ’s Precious Blood. Through His mercy, we become new creations – now we must live like new creations.

             A saint who learned and lived this deeply was St. Mary of Egypt. Born on a small farm along the Nile in the mid-300s, as a young girl she heard rumors of the bright lights and exciting life in the big city of Alexandria. Becoming bored with farm life, she ran away from home at the age of 12 to Alexandria. But after a couple of days in this bustling metropolis, she realized that it was very hard to make a living as a 12-year-old girl in a huge city, so she turned to the only thing she could do to keep from starving: she became a prostitute. For seventeen years she lived this sinful lifestyle, but she didn’t desire anything different. Rather, she enjoyed her work and indulged in every sinful desire that she could conceive of.

            One day she heard about a group organizing a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. She decided to go, not because of any religious fervor, but out of curiosity and the hopes that she could drum up some good business in a new city. She arrived in Jerusalem and began to visit the churches and holy sites, but when she tried to enter the Church of the Holy Sepulcher (the church which houses Jesus’ tomb and the site of the Crucifixion), she found that some invisible force prevented her from passing through the door. Again and again she tried, but it was as if an invisible hand stopped her from entering the holy site. She realized that this was because of her sinful life, and was immediately struck to the heart. Seeing a statue of Our Lady outside the church, she knelt down and begged the Lord for mercy, promising to change her life. With that, she tried one last time to enter the church…and this time she could pass through the doors. She stayed all day and night in the church, went to Confession, and departed a new woman entirely. She knew that she would be tempted to return to her former life if she went back to Alexandria, so she felt inspired by the Holy Spirit to flee to the desert and become a hermit, where she lived the rest of her days in prayer, penance, and poverty.

            This woman desperately needed mercy, and when she found it, she “went and sinned no more.” Christ’s mercy is available to all who call upon Him in Confession – He can wipe away our sins as easily as brushing away writing in the sand – and once our sins are forgiven, He instructs us to “go and sin no more.”

Homily for Lent 3 - March 20, 2022

 

Homily for Lent 3

March 20, 2022

Friendship with the Almighty

 

            What kind of a name is “I Am”? That’s an interesting way for God to introduce Himself – “Hello Moses, I am I Am.” What does it mean? Three things. First, it means that God is the only God. Moses was coming from Egypt, where dozens of gods competed for worship, and he’s wondering if this is just another one of the many gods. But the Lord says, “No, Moses…I Am” – the other gods are not. So God speaks of His uniqueness to Moses.

            Second, the name I Am means that He is the source of all existence in the universe. Everything that is, is because He is. You see, God is not just the greatest of all beings as if He were a mega-version of humans. Actually, Aquinas says that God is Being Itself – Pure Existence. Hence, the name “I Am”.

            It also means that He is outside of time. He’s not “I Was” or “I Will Be” – He is “I Am” – all time is present to Him. He was there at the creation of the universe; He is the same God when the universe dissolves into nothingness. So God is saying a whole lot by introducing Himself as “I Am” – He is the source of all existence, and all time exists in Him. These truths can make us tremble with fear before the greatness of God!

            But…He is also doing something else profound here. By introducing Himself to Moses, He is establishing an intimate relationship with Him. Think of it – what is the first thing we do when we want to get to know someone? We share our names. Moses wants to know who this “God” is, and God wants to be known, trusted, and loved. So He shares His Name.

            Both of these realities are true – God is way above us…and He wants to be our closest friend. He is the all-powerful, all-holy…and He wants to share our mundane lives and our worries. What a gift!

            Let’s apply this to our lives, here and now.

            Because God is holy, He desires us to be holy. That’s the whole point of the Gospel parable. Jesus speaks of this fig tree that doesn’t bear fruit. The fig tree is us – you and I – and the fruit that Christ looks for is holiness in our lives. He has planted the tree (gave us faith), watered it (given us graces), fertilized it (taught us)…but will He find holiness?

            A great definition of holiness comes from that recent Christian song…“Holiness is Christ in me.” Once during the 1800s, an unbeliever from Paris had heard about the reputation of St. John Vianney, who was serving as a parish priest in a small town in southern France. The unbeliever was curious if this man was as holy as everyone said he was, so he traveled down to meet with him and hear him preach. When he returned, his friends asked him, “What did you think? How was Fr. Vianney?” The man responded, “I have seen God in a man.” That’s holiness!

            And this holiness is the calling of every Christian, not just priests and nuns and grandmothers, who are always the holiest people we know. All of us are called to that holiness, living with Christ in us. But holiness is not something that we achieve on our own efforts…it’s the fruit of an intimate personal relationship with God. Let’s go back to that fig tree image – a tree grows because it is exposed to the sunlight (as God the Father is the source of all Light). It needs water to flourish – and Jesus calls Himself the Living Water. It needs air to breathe, and in Hebrew the same word is used for both “breath” and “Holy Spirit”. Only when the tree is surrounded by light, sun, and wind – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, can it bear fruit. And what beautiful fruit it is: virtues, good works, and inner peace that comes from our friendship with Jesus.

            How do we develop this friendship with Jesus? Prayer. I’m not talking about “saying prayers” or pre-written prayers, although those are fine. But real, authentic prayer is a relationship where we invite Jesus into life. A woman was once in a laundromat with a friend. After putting her laundry in, she sat down next to the friend who was reading out of a notebook. “Whatcha reading?” she asked. The other woman said, “I’m not reading. I’m praying.” “Here? In a laundromat?” “Why not? God is here too.” The notebook was where she kept important Bible passages, lines from her favorite Christian songs, and prayer requests.

            I knew a woman who would pray a decade of the Rosary on the ski lift. I pray in the dentist’s chair…yeah, that’s some intense prayer time! St. John Bosco, when he would run out of time for his daily hour of prayer, would offer the Lord what he called “scraps of time” – a minute here, a minute there. A quick and beautiful way to pray is called “Aspirations” where we shoot a one-sentence prayer to Heaven like an arrow: My Jesus, Mercy. Lord, I love You. Mother Mary, be my guide. If we don’t know what to say in prayer, don’t say anything at all – just sit in silence. Read the Bible, which is how God speaks to us.

            This week, don’t just say prayers…and don’t just save it for two minutes before bedtime. Live a life of prayer. Speak to the Lord throughout the day, and carve out a significant amount of time to listen to Him through Scripture reading and silence. We have the privilege of having a living relationship with the Almighty Creator, the Great I Am – Who desires a friendship with you so that you become holy, like Him. Do you desire it as well? If so, will you take the time to pursue Him in prayer?

Homily for Lent 2 - March 13, 2022

 

Homily for Lent 2

March 13, 2022

Of Things Unseen

 

            Our first reading is such a great scene from the life of Abraham, but we often picture it wrongly. God promises him that he will be the father of countless nations and peoples, and takes him outside to demonstrate this promise. He tells him to look up to the sky and count the stars – and we picture Abraham coming out on a clear night, gazing at the Milky Way.

            But if we read further, we find that the Scripture says “as the sun was setting and it was growing dark.” So…God took Abraham out in the middle of the day! How many stars can you see in the middle of the day? Only one: the sun. But how many stars are out there, hidden and unseen? Billions and billions. In the same way, how many descendants did Abraham live to see? Only one: his son Isaac. But there are approximately five billion people on the earth today who consider Abraham to be their spiritual father: he is the spiritual father of Christians, Jews, and Muslims. He didn’t live to see it – but he trusted in God’s unseen promise.

            It can be hard to trust in things unseen. But isn’t that the core of our faith? God has promised us everlasting life after death for those who love Him – but the world offers us pleasures in the here-and-now. St. Paul talks about this tension in the second reading – he contrasts those whose “god is their stomach, their glory is their shame, and they live for earthly things” while, for believers in Christ, “our citizenship is in Heaven”. But isn’t it easier to pursue the pleasures right in front of us, versus holding out to wait for an unseen reward in Heaven?

In 1972, researchers at Stanford University performed a creative study on children to see how long they would wait for something unseen. They presented them with one marshmallow, and said that if they could wait for fifteen minutes without eating it, they would receive two marshmallows for their patience. They then followed those children through adolescence and young adulthood and found that those who had delayed eating the marshmallow actually did better on the SATs, had less behavior problems and addictions, and were more successful in life.

That’s a pretty good analogy of the spiritual life too. We can choose to have the quick pleasure: the five minutes of scrolling through Instagram instead of praying, the chocolate cake when we should be fasting, the unnecessary purchase on Amazon despite our resolution to give to the poor. But wouldn’t it be better to wait for the unseen reward? Heaven is far better than chocolate cake, Instagram, or stuff we can buy online!

Hence, this is the entire purpose of Lent. We deny ourselves earthly goods so that we can start to desire and hunger for heavenly goods. St. Augustine put it best when he said, “The entire life of a Christian is an exercise of holy desire.” When we feel the pinch of hunger from giving up candy, we realize that we have a real hunger for the delights of everlasting life. When our wallets are empty because we’ve given to the Church or the poor, we realize that true riches are meant to be found in God alone. When we spend our time in prayer, we realize that we hope to spend all eternity in the presence of God. Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving – the disciplines of Lent - detach us from this world so that we can thirst for a better world, the world to come.

I think of the beautiful example of a recent Italian saint, St. Gemma Galgani, who lived in the late 1800s. She was a devout but ordinary girl until one day one of the nuns in her school gave a talk about how beautiful it is to become a saint. The hearts of the children were stirred up and they all said that they wanted to become holy saints, too. The nun smiled at their innocence and decided to have them draw straws to see who would become a saint first. Gemma was surprised when she drew the longest straw – and remarked, “Yes! I will strive to be a saint!”

From that time on, she kept her eyes focused on Jesus. As a young girl she once said, “How dreary it is upon earth; how pleasant it is in Heaven!” She found great delight in prayer – as a young teen, she would pray the whole Rosary on her knees every night, and every day she practiced some self-denial by giving up candy, patiently enduring some suffering, or holding her tongue from an unkind word. As she continued to advance in holiness, she asked Jesus, “Help me to understand what You did for us on the Cross!”

God answered that prayer in a surprising way – by giving her a share in the Cross. First, her parents died in her mid-teens; because of this, the family was thrown into poverty. She began to suffer physical ailments like a painful scoliosis of the spine, losing her hearing, and migraine headaches. She saw all of this as a way of emptying herself of the world and choosing to live in union with Christ’s Passion. During this long period of physical suffering, one day she heard a voice saying, “This can all be over…if you will only listen to me, I shall free you from all your pains, cure you and make you happy.” She recognized this as the voice of the devil and rebuked him, saying, “My soul is more important than my body!” Her spiritual director recommended that she pray certain prayers to be healed, but she replied, “I want union with God more than this earthly life.”

With her heart firmly fixed upon heavenly union with God, the Lord gave her one more painful gift – the stigmata, which is the Wounds of Jesus Christ in the hands, feet, and side. Like many other saints, she received the mystical gift of suffering from Jesus’ wounds in their own bodies. It is excruciatingly painful – but she wanted to be so conformed to Christ that she willingly (and even joyfully!) suffered with Him. She died at the young age of 25, but by that time she was living her life, not for this passing world, but for the joys of Heaven.

We live for a promise unseen: eternal life with God. We don’t see it yet – but neither did Abraham. He trusted in God’s promise. And so do we if we live for Heaven.

Homily for Lent 1 - March 6, 2022

 

Homily for Lent 1

March 6, 2022

Temptations and How to Overcome Them

 

            The story goes that a man who was running a fruit stand at a market had to step away for a moment, so he put a note on his large basket of apples that read, “Do not take – God is watching.” Some cheeky fellow hand-wrote a note and put it on his basket of oranges that said, “Take all you want – God is watching the apples.”

            Temptation – it’s everywhere. Among our friends, at parties, on the internet, even within our own thoughts. But our Gospel gives us wisdom on what temptations to watch out for, and how to fight the battle so that Christ can win the victory in you.

            First, in our Catholic tradition, there are three “sources of temptation”. We receive temptation through the world, the flesh, and the devil. All three of these are present in the Gospel today; let’s look at them separately.

Jesus is tempted to turn stones into bread, satisfying the cravings of the flesh. So…why is that bad? He’s hungry, and there’s nothing wrong with eating when you’re hungry, right? The problem is that He is eating at the wrong time – He is supposed to be fasting. The flesh tempts us by wanting pleasure at the wrong time or in the wrong way. Eating isn’t bad – but eating too much becomes gluttony. Drinking alcohol isn’t bad – only getting drunk and abusing it. Sex is a good and beautiful gift from God – but becomes sinful when it is used outside of a marriage between a man and a woman, open to life. Sleep and rest are beautiful, but if we do them too much then we become lazy and neglect our daily duties. So when we say that the flesh is a source of temptation, we aren’t saying that the body or its desires are bad. But we need to respect God’s plan for how we enjoy the pleasures of the flesh.

If we find that we are tempted to seek pleasure in the wrong way and our flesh becomes a source of temptation, then the antidote is fasting. Giving up desserts or TV for Lent helps to deny and train the flesh so that it becomes disciplined. We want our bodies to more easily choose that which is truly good – and this requires self-denial. If we can deny ourselves a chocolate bar, we have strengthened our will to have mastery over our flesh, which makes it easier for us to deny ourselves that fourth beer or that immoral sexual temptation.

After the temptation of the flesh, Jesus is then presented with the power, the riches, and the glories of every Kingdom – the things of the world are in His grasp. Once again, is the world and its possessions and riches bad? Not at all – but they become a snare when we make them an end in themselves. Money, possessions, physical beauty, power – none of these things should become an end-goal in themselves. Rather, all of these things are given to us so that we can serve God, love others, and bring the world to Heaven.

So if the empty and passing things of the world are our biggest temptation, then the antidote is almsgiving – generosity to the poor. Giving money or items to the poor puts “the world” in its proper perspective – it makes us realize that our lives cannot revolve around possessions or power.

Finally, the devil tempts Jesus to throw Himself off the temple, telling Him to command God to rescue Him. This is the most insidious of all sources of temptation: a Satanic pride that says that we get to tell God what to do. We may say, “Oh, who would tell God what to do?” I can give you plenty of examples, but here are just a few that are very common.

I once knew a man who would always say that religion is just a crutch, that he didn’t need anyone to help him live his life – he was a self-made man, and would keep it that way. Other people do not pray daily because they believe they can figure out life on their own, they don’t need God.

Some people disagree with Church teaching on this or that – I remember a man saying to me in Confession, “Oh Father, I don’t think such-and-such is a sin.” I asked him where he got his information that this particular sin, which had always and everywhere been taught as immoral by the Church, was somehow now okay. He said, “Well, I just don’t think God has a problem with me doing that.” So, the fact that this action is clearly wrong from Scripture and has been taught as wrong for two thousand years was irrelevant to him…and he gets to decide it’s okay for him? That is a philosophical error called “moral relativism” – which stems from the pride that says, “I get to be the determiner of right and wrong; I get to tell God what He should approve of.”

So what is the antidote to this kind of pride? Prayer. Prayer recognizes that we aren’t in control. Authentic prayer isn’t, “God, You must bend to MY will and do what I want you to do,” but rather, “Lord, Your will be done. I humbly submit to Your loving, holy will.”

There we have it – the three sources of temptation: the world, the flesh, and the devilish pride. The antidotes are our Lenten disciplines: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. How did Jesus deal with these temptations? He didn’t entertain it but shut it down immediately; He used texts from Scripture to defeat Satan; He didn’t rely upon His own strength but the strength of His Father. We can use these techniques too, because all of us are tempted – even the saints.

St. Jerome had such a temper and was so tempted to raging fits of anger that he carried around a large rock and when he felt himself growing upset, he beat his chest with the rock to prevent him from raging! (A later Pope, passing by a painting of St. Jerome with the rock, commented that if it weren’t for the rock, he would never have become a saint!). St. Francis of Assisi was so tempted with lust that he threw himself into a thornbush to rid himself of the temptation. St. Theresa of Avila felt strong temptations to doubt her faith, so she pricked her finger and wrote out the Creed in her own blood. Even the great saints underwent temptations, and we will too until our final breath.

But with the strength of Christ, and with the weapons of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil will never overcome us. Christ has already won the victory – by our faith and humble trust in Him, He will win the victory in us, as well.

Homily for Ordinary Time 7 - February 20, 2022

 

Homily for Ordinary Time 7

February 20, 2022

Love Your Enemies

 

            Daryl Davis is a truly gifted Black jazz musician…whose life was forever altered by a chance meeting in a bar where he was playing. After his set, a man approached him and complimented him on his playing, and the two began chatting. A couple of beers later, the man admitted to Daryl that he was part of the KKK, and Daryl began to wonder what made people join an organization that is based in such hatred for blacks.

            So he began a personal quest to answer that question. From this man, he got the contact information of the Imperial Wizard of the KKK, Roger Kelly. He called Roger out-of-the-blue and asked for a meeting, under the pretext that Daryl was writing a book on the KKK. The two met – and Roger was quite surprised to find that Daryl was black. But over the course of several meetings, the two became unlikely friends, and eventually Roger left the KKK and turned his robes over to Daryl, apologizing for his racism and asking Daryl to be his daughter’s godfather.

            Daryl has made it his life’s mission to stop hatred through friendship. He has befriended dozens of KKK members and over 200 members have left the Klan through his influence. His actions are not without controversy, though. Another African-American activist called him once to tell him to stop wasting his time with people who hate him, saying that white supremacists can’t change. But Daryl’s success proves the opposite – when you love your enemies, there is a transformation: both in the enemy, and in you.

            “Love your enemies” – one of the most difficult teachings of Christ. Why should we love our enemies, and how should we love our enemies? (And when I speak about enemies, I include anyone that we don’t like, people we find difficult to be around).

            We should love our enemies for three reasons. First, because they are made in the image and likeness of God. St. John asks a poignant question in his letter in the Bible: “How can we love the God we cannot see if we do not love the brother that we do see?” That person standing in front of us, no matter how obnoxious or difficult or evil, carries within him the imprint of God. That annoying, bad person has the capability to be a saint!

Second, we love our enemies because Jesus Christ died for them too and wants their salvation. One of Jesus’ last words was, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” If Jesus is able to forgive the very people who were driving nails into his wrists and feet, how can we do any less?

Finally, we love our enemies because if we do not, then we become filled with hatred and evil ourselves. Hatred corrupts the person who hates – thus, if we want to be like Jesus, Who is all-loving, we must make sure that the poison of hatred and revenge do not infect our souls.

But it can be difficult! How do we love our enemies? First, we must remember that loving someone does not equal liking them. We do not need to be friends with everyone. Some people we shouldn’t have in our lives – people that are toxic, abusive, truly evil, people who lead us into sin. For the most part, we don’t have an obligation to be around such people. Rather, to love is to will the good of the other. So even though we don’t like a person because of their actions or their personality, we still must will their good – desire that they be converted, blessed, and that they go to Heaven.

We must remember that even saints didn’t always get along with each other! Two of the greatest saints in history, St. Augustine and St. Jerome, wrote bitter letters to each other criticizing each other’s theological writings! Yet they remained holy men, even though they were never friendly with one another. So we can love without liking – we may never feel emotionally close to enemies or people who have hurt us – but we can still choose to will their good.

How to love, then? Three suggestions. First, pray for them. Ask God to bless them, ask God especially to give them the grace to change their ways, if need be. It is impossible to hate someone we are praying for. And while we’re at it – pray for the grace for ourselves to be able to love as Christ loves.

Second, seek to find ways to do good to them. St. Paul writes that “doing good for our enemies is like heaping hot coals on their heads.” We find practical ways to help them – sending them a birthday card, or providing a meal for them if they need it. Practical acts of kindness can soften a hard heart.

Finally, we must make sure to never speak ill of them unnecessarily. It’s tempting to tell others of how much so-and-so drives us crazy, or what bad thing this person did to us, but to truly love someone is to keep our mouths shut. If our lips are used for praising God, how can they be used for tearing down the Image of God in another human being?

Loving our enemies is not easy – in fact, it is one of the most difficult of Jesus’ teachings. But it is also a way to change the world…or at least change a soul. A saint one time was made because of loving one’s enemies. Back in the early Church, one of the great debates was about what to do with those who had denied Christ under persecution. In the Roman Empire, many people would be captured and tortured to give up their Faith, and while hundreds of thousands did shed their blood for Jesus, some denied the Faith. Later on these people, called lapsi, repented of their cowardice and asked to be readmitted to the Church.

The Pope at the time, St. Pontian, allowed them to return to the Church after a time of penance. But there were factions in the Church who wanted these lapsed-Catholics to be permanently kicked out. A priest by the name of Hippolytus was so outraged by the Pope’s merciful attitude that he decided to declare himself an anti-Pope and try to split the Church.

Well, the pagan Emperor didn’t care about this inter-Church debate, so he exiled both Pontian and Hippolytus to an island where they were forced into slavery, working in the mines. Pontian treated his enemy with such kindness and love that Hippolytus soon recognized his errors. He asked forgiveness from Pontian for the way in which he divided the Church, and the two were reconciled – just before both of them were martyred for the Faith. They are now celebrated on the same feast day – former enemies, now united in eternal life.

I think if we are so blessed to enter into eternal life, we will be surprised to find some of those difficult people already there – and some people will be surprised to find us there! So let us love our enemies here on this earth, so that we are ready to love everyone likewise in Heaven.

Homily for Ordinary Time 6 - February 16, 2022

 

Homily for Ordinary Time 6

February 13, 2022

In Whom Do We Trust?

 

            October 29, 1929 was no ordinary day. That was the day that the stock market crashed, with investors losing over 50% of the value of their stocks overnight, launching our country into the Great Depression. It was not only an economic depression – it caused many people to take their own lives in despair. In fact, when one actor was seeking a 19^th floor hotel room in New York to stay the night, the clerk asked him, “Will this be for sleeping or for jumping out the window?” Another man, Wellington Lyle, down to his last four cents, wrote in his final note, “Give my body to science, my soul to the Secretary of the Treasury, and my sympathy to my creditors.”

            But not everyone fell into despair. It was said that during the Great Depression, atheists jumped out windows while Christians went back to work. In New York, a group of ex-carpenters, ex-plumbers, ex-laborers used rickety wooden carts to bring scrap metal to junk dealers to make a quick buck. Some enterprising neighborhoods would repurpose empty lots into gardens. We Americans are a hardy lot – and though there was a lot of suffering during the Great Depression, there were a lot of inspiring stories of charity and perseverance.

            The way people dealt with the Great Depression depended, in large part, to where a man put his trust. Was his trust in the New York Stock Exchange? Or in God?

            That same question looms equally large in our modern world, because there are many things we put our trust in.

            Some of us trust in money. I have always found it ironic that every dollar bill has the words, “In God We Trust” – when more people trust in the dollar bill than in God! We sometimes think that a comfortable nest egg, or a solid stock portfolio, or a good job is security. We won’t suffer if we have enough money.

            But let’s be honest – can money ever give us a truly secure life? How much money would be enough that we wouldn’t worry about the future? Andrew Carnegie, who was worth millions, once said, “The rich never smile” – because they were too worried about their bank account to truly enjoy life. Study after study has shown that lottery winners do not report greater happiness than ordinary folks. So often, we put our trust in money, and in the end it leaves us empty.

            Some of us trust is science and technology. We often think of science as settled, rock-solid, something we can trust - but it has changed drastically over time – just remember how doctors used to practice bloodletting and put leeches on people’s body in an attempt to heal them! As good as science is, it’s not foolproof.

Technology, too, is fragile. It’s amazing how dependent we are on technology. A couple years ago I accidentally tripped and fell, and when I got up I found that my cell phone had shattered in my pocket. You’ve probably felt that panic of thinking, “Oh no! What’s going to happen? I don’t have my phone!” We act as if our phones are indispensable, but how fragile they are! About three weeks ago the World Economic Forum published a video saying that a cyber-attack that takes out the world’s internet is, quote, “inevitable”. We can’t trust something as fragile as science and technology.

            Some people put their trust in public opinion. If people think well of us, we think we are secure. If we get into the right college, have the right resume, say the right things on Twitter, we think we’re set. But the example of Jesus shows us just how fickle public opinion can be – the very same crowd that praised Him on Palm Sunday were yelling “Crucify Him!” on Good Friday. Look at how many good people have been “cancelled” in our cancel-culture by the social media mob – there is no security in what others think of us.

            Some of us trust in our beauty or our health. A friend of mine is a gym rat and often spends three or four hours a day at a gym (he’s single, so he can do stuff like that). One day he asked me if it was a sin to work out so much. I asked him, “Well, how much time do you spend every day on your soul?” He didn’t want to respond. In a hundred years, his body will be rotting in a grave and his soul will be around forever, as an eternal triumph or an eternal tragedy. So we cannot trust in our health or our beauty, because that too will end up passing away.

            So – who can we trust? Only one – God. Only He never changes; only He is always faithful; only He remains when the money dries up and the wifi goes down and the friends betray us. Today’s first reading reminds us: “Blessed are those who trust in the Lord alone!”

            What does it mean to put our trust in Him? It means that He is our rock, our foundation, our truest happiness. Even as we go about our necessary daily duties of making money and paying bills and going to the doctor, we remember that all things are passing except for God alone. This helps us not to worry about the future, and not to get upset when we lose our money or our hair or reputation.

I love the example of the holy man Job in the Scriptures – he ended up losing his house, his children, his flocks, his health, his standing in the community…all in one day. But he still said, “The Lord has given, and the Lord has taken away! Blessed be the Name of the Lord!” He wouldn’t let it upset him, because he knew that God was faithful, and would repay him when it pleased the Lord. And – God was faithful, giving him abundant blessings at the end of the Book of Job.

How do we grow in trust in Him? Invest more in generosity than in the stock market; spend more time with the Lord than putting on makeup; seek His approval, rather than the approval of the world. To trust Him more, remember how He has helped you in the past. Search the Scriptures, and you will find ample evidence that He comes through for His friends. Pray a very simple prayer to grow in trust: “Jesus, I trust in You” – which we see on the image of Our Lord behind us.

            There’s a great story from the life of St. Clare of Assisi, the friend of St. Francis. Inspired by St. Francis, Clare also embraced a life of poverty and penance, as a cloistered nuns. One time, her city of Assisi was in danger of being attacked by a vicious army bent on destroying the whole town. Clare’s fellow nuns were all terrified and wanted to flee the convent. But despite the fact that Clare was elderly and sick in bed, she rallied her strength and gathered her nuns around her, telling them, “If you only trust in the Lord, you will have nothing to fear.”

            Struggling to her feet, she went to the tabernacle and took out a golden vessel called a ciborium containing the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. She then went to the roof of the convent and stood there holding up the Eucharistic Lord just as the army began to invade the town. When the general and the soldiers caught sight of this fearless elderly nun holding up Jesus Christ, they realized that God was on their side – and fear struck their heart. They fled the town, and never attacked again. Clare turned to her sisters and said, “I assure you, daughters, that you will suffer no evils if only you have faith in Christ.”

            Do you want to build your life on something that cannot fail? Not money, or popular opinion, or science and technology, or our health. No – “Blessed are those who trust in the Lord” – in every suffering or trial, they will stand firm.

Homily for Ordinary Time 5 - February 6, 2022

 

Homily for February 6, 2022

Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time

Mission, Repentance, Encounter

 

            All three readings today have a similar progression of three themes. A person is called for a mission, they recognize their sinfulness, and they encounter the merciful God Who forgives them and confirms them in their mission. Isaiah, Paul, and Peter all experience those three parts to their call. But this idea of mission is not only for prophets and Apostles – every single person in this world is created for a purpose. But what is it? What is the meaning of life?

            Some people say that we don’t have a meaning – in fact, a recent study in the UK found that 89% of young people ages 16-29 “believe that their lives have no meaning.” If we don’t have a meaning to life, then all it’s about is just trying to get through the day. Without a purpose to life, we just try to strive for a little pleasure, for a few successes – but doesn’t that just seem meaningless? What are we living for: a Bermuda vacation, for a nice retirement, or just to get through another day? We all want more than that – we know there has to be a meaning.

            But what is it? I asked our Confirmation class two weeks ago what the meaning of life was, and one kids said, “To eat food.” (My kind of guy!). The modern world says that the meaning of life is “to be a good person” or something generic like that.

            But I’d like to make a claim. The claim is this: the meaning and purpose of this life is to know, love, and serve God in this world, so that we can be eternally happy with Him in the next. That means the purpose of this life…is not about this life, but about the next! Haven’t you ever had the thought, “There must be something more than all of this”? That intuition points to a deep reality – we have eternity in our heart because we are not just evolved animals – we are made in the image and likeness of God, and our souls long to be united to the One Who created us.

            Think of it – why do we spend nine months in the womb? It’s not so that we can stay there indefinitely. That would be weird! Rather, it is so that we become physically ready for the outside world – strong muscles, developed lungs, ready to breath air and eat food. Those nine months are really about preparation for the outside world. So then why do we spend 70, 80, 90 years here? So that we can become spiritually ready for the next world. So we develop our muscles of virtue, our lungs to breathe grace, ready to be nourished with Heavenly food. If earth was our final stop, we would feel satisfied here – but pretty much every human being experiences a restlessness here on earth. We were made for a different world! We’re pilgrims here, passing through a foreign land; in Heaven we will finally reach our true home.

            So that’s the meaning of life: to know, love, and serve God in this world so that we can be eternally happy with Him in the next. Obviously this purpose includes following the commandments, loving our neighbor, having a prayer life, growing in virtue. But the mission is the same for us all…but everyone lives it out differently. Isaiah lived it out as a prophet; Paul lived it out as a missionary; Peter lived it out by being our first Pope. How is God calling you to live out your life of loving God? Some people live it out in marriage, some in the single life. Some as a teacher, a shopkeeper, a computer programmer, a lawyer, a priest or nun. And all of us who have discovered the meaning of life, have a mission to bring that Good News to as many people as possible.

            Around the turn of the century, a French philosopher named Jacques Maritain and his wife Raissa felt that restlessness. Both were atheists, but were genuinely seeking the truth and authentic fulfillment – and couldn’t find it in the money, the pleasure, the things of this world. The two of them, after having searched for years, in 1901 made a pact with each other that if they did not find a meaning for life in the next year, they would mutually commit suicide at the end of the year. By God’s mercy, a friend invited them to a talk by a Catholic philosopher. They realized that Catholicism made sense – and found the meaning and purpose of their lives, and became dedicated, holy Catholics. All because a friend took the time to invite them to discover the meaning of life through the lens of our faith in Jesus Christ. I bet a lot of people we know are wrestling with that inner restlessness, that discontent in life. So – part of our mission is to bring as many people as possible to Heaven with us!

            So, we’ve got the purpose of our life – but when Isaiah, Peter, and Paul hear about their mission, they recognize that they are unworthy of the task. Indeed, this is the problem with you and me and every other human being – we are sinners. If our life’s purpose is to love God for eternity, then sin is acting against the purpose of our lives. And that is why we need a Savior.

            And what a Savior we have! He doesn’t deny that we’re sinful – He does something better – He forgives it! He looks at Peter and says, “Yes, I know your sinfulness – and I forgive you. Come follow Me.” He looks at Isaiah and says, “Yes, you do have unclean lips, living among a people of unclean lips – so let me purify them, and go forth.” What mercy! He doesn’t require us to travel to foreign lands or undertake arduous penances or pay money to be forgiven. All we have to do is humble ourselves, like Peter and Paul and Isaiah, and say, “Lord, I have sinned,” and in the Sacrament of Confession our sins are forgiven – and we are back on our way to being the saint God has created us to be.

            What a joy it is, then, to find God’s mercy and to live out our purpose! This Easter, we are going to give all parishioners a book by a Catholic writer named Chris Stefanick about joy in Christ. He became a serious believer through joy. When he was in eighth grade, he was a typical kid who didn’t care much for the whole “Jesus thing”. His parents convinced him to go to a youth conference for Catholic teens. Reluctantly he went, and he was struck…not by a talk, or a small-group discussion, but by a man. This man was in his late 60s, overweight, not particularly good-looking. But as everyone began singing hymns during Eucharistic Adoration, Chris noticed this man standing in the back of church, his hands raised, eyes closed, singing, and a look of pure joy on his face. It was the look of joy that struck that eighth-grade boy – and he thought, “That man is joyful – that man knows and loves Jesus - I want joy, so I must know and love Jesus!” And from that moment on, he gave his whole life to Jesus Christ.

            And you know what? If we fulfill the mission for which we were created – to know, love, and serve God in this life, so we can be eternally happy with Him in the next – then we, too, will know joy – the joy of sins forgiven, the joy of inner peace, the joy of knowing the love of the Lord.