Father
Mark Ressler's Homilies
March 23, 2008 Easter
Later this
summer my graduating class of 1968 from Aquin High School in Cascade will
be celebrating our 40th anniversary. Class reunions are an opportunity
to see how classmates have changed not only physically in terms of weight
gain, hair loss and more wrinkles but also in terms of whom they are as
persons; are they, for example, still as good and wholesome as they were
40 years ago?
Change has been the hallmark of Barack Obama's campaign from its beginning.
Hillary and John McCain also say that they are forces of change. In other
words all of three of the major candidates for the Presidency of the United
States seem are running on a platform for change. As we know, it is one
thing to be for change but another thing to bring it about.
Today's feast day of Pentecost, that marks the end of the Easter Season,
is also about change. The gospel reading, for example, describes the apostles
as filled with fear after Jesus' crucifixion, so much fear in fact that
the doors of the room where they are staying are locked. Despite the locked
doors Jesus comes and stands in their midst. However, the first reading
from the Acts of the Apostles describes the apostles in a much different
way. They are not in a locked room out of fear but are fearlessly proclaiming
the Good News of Jesus Christ to the pilgrims who are gathered in Jerusalem
from all over the world. What brought about this change in the apostles'
behavior? The scriptures suggest that the change is due to the Holy Spirit.
That is, the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles on that first
Pentecost Sunday brought about change in their lives forever.
Several weeks ago on April 25th forty-one members of our parish received
the Sacrament of Confirmation from Archbishop Hanus. Many of those who
were confirmed wrote letters to me describing the changes that occurred
in their lives during the months that they were involved in the confirmation
program. The changes they experienced not only affected how they perceived
themselves and others but also how they perceived their faith. They often
used the word mature to describe the changes that occurred. How do we
explain these changes? I would suggest that they came about in the same
way that the changes came about for the apostles and that is through the
power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit brought about the changes in
the lives of these young people.
I attribute the major change that I occurred in my own life to the Holy
Spirit. During my high school years it gradually became clear to me that
God was calling me to the priesthood. I am here today speaking to you
because of a change brought about in me by the Holy Spirit many years
ago.
One way of looking at Pentecost Sunday is that it is a day to reflect
on the changes that have occurred in our lives and to ask ourselves what
is the origin of those changes? While not all the changes that occur in
our lives come from God, some of them do; for example, what about your
career choice or your choice of a spouse? What about your children or
you the organizations that you are committed to? Do you find the hand
of God involved in these choices that have brought about changes in your
lives?
In other words, the challenge posed by Pentecost Sunday is to ask ourselves
the question - where is God in my life? Is God such a part of my life
that I can attribute some of the changes in my life to him? If so, then
we have experienced the Holy Spirit.
Ascension of the Lord A (2008)
In 1961 when
I was eleven years old my brother Wayne left our hometown of Cascade for
four years of seminary training in Rome, Italy. He was told that he couldn't
return home for four years even for the funeral of our parents if they
should die while he was away. He and I shared the same bedroom, even the
same bed for eleven years, so his leaving for so long a period of time
was upsetting for me. I felt very much alone in the bed and room that
we had shared together for so many years. My life seemed empty without
him. I imagine that many of you here have had a similar experience over
the years?
The apostles must have felt like I did as they watched Jesus ascend into
heaven. They had accompanied Jesus for three years during his public ministry.
They rejoiced when he rose from the dead and appeared to them over a period
of forty days. But now he was ascending into the clouds of heaven, there
to be enthroned at the right hand of God. While they understood that he
would return again some day, they didn't quite know what they would do
in the mean time. They eventually discovered, however, that even though
he left them physically, he was still with them but in a new way, in a
new body which we call today the Church.
Jesus carries on his work today in us - his new body. As a community of
believers we have not been left alone by Jesus; we have each other. We,
as St. Paul teaches, are the body of Christ.
A story that you might have heard from the Second World War makes this
point. In a German village next to the parish church a shrine that had
contained a crucifix was damaged by allied bombing. The arms and legs
of the crucified Lord had been blown away leaving only torso of Jesus.
Eventually someone placed a sign next to the torso which read "You
are my arms, you are my legs." As members of the Body of Christ,
we are the arms and legs of Jesus. That is, if Jesus' work is to continue
today it is through our efforts supported by the grace of God.
An example of someone who carries on Christ's work today is a friend of
mine by the name of Brendan Flannery who is with us today and who will
speak for a few minutes at the end of mass. Brendan is director of Crossroads
Pro-Life, a national pro-life organization that sponsors pro-life walks
across America every summer made up of volunteer college students. Their
mission is to witness to the dignity and sanctity of all human life on
the highways and byways of our country.
Now one doesn't have to belong to an organization like Crossroads to be
the arms and legs of Christ. We can do that as we leave mass this morning.
This is especially true of those of us who receive communion - even those
who are receiving their first communion today. A friend of mine once said
to me that after he participates in mass and receives holy communion that
he tries to be Christ to others who have not had the opportunity to come
to mass and receive communion.
The question for us as leave mass today is how can I be Christ for others?
How can I be Christ's arms and legs? How can I continue to witness to
Jesus as I wait for him to return again?
6th Sunday of Ordinary Time A (2008)
Today I am
going to talk about hope. St. Peter, the author of today's second reading,
is writing to a group of Christians who are undergoing persecution because
of their faith. Despite the various types of suffering that accompany
their persecution these Christians are filled with hope. Peter wonders
out loud what motivates them to live such hopeful lives?
The pope proclaimed a message of hope during his recent visit to our country.
He even wrote an encyclical letter several months ago on this topic. In
his letter he seeks to answer the question raised by Peter in regard to
the relationship between suffering and hope.
The pope maintains that suffering is part of the human condition, having
its origins both in human finitude and in the accumulation of sin over
the centuries. While we can try to limit suffering, he says, we cannot
eliminate it.
While science and technology have been used over the past 200 years together
with political revolutions in places such as France and Russia to limit
suffering, the structures they offer, the pope argues, while helpful at
times are not enough. The reason for this, he says, is that humankind
can never be redeemed simply from the outside by structures but only through
the inside by love.
The experience of great love in our lives, he says, is a moment of redemption
which gives new meaning to our lives. God offers to humankind, the pope
believes, a type of love that does not end with death but an unconditional
love that lasts forever. St. Paul puts it this way in his letter to the
Romans, nothing can come between us and the love of God found in Jesus
Christ - even death itself.
The Pope maintains that God's absolute love for us is certain and exists
no matter what happens to us in our individual lives. In other words,
God is our great hope which holds firm in spite of all of our disappointments.
God who has loved us here on earth continues to love us for all eternity.
The pope reasons that while we need the greater and lesser hopes that
keep us going day by day (for example the hope that comes with friendships,
family, and work), these ultimately are not enough without the great hope
who is God who can give us what we ourselves can never obtain.
The Pope tells a story of hope based on the life of St. Josephine Bukhita
who lived in the 19th century. She was born in Darfur, Sudan and at the
age of nine was kidnapped and sold into slavery. She was repeatedly resold
by one master to another, all of whom beat her, until she was finally
purchased by an Italian man who brought her to Italy. There, for the first
time, she learned about a new master, the God of Jesus Christ who created
her and loved her despite that fact that she was a slave. She was eventually
freed from slavery, baptized, confirmed and entered religious life. What
she found in God was a love that was stronger than slavery - and with
that love hope in the midst of her suffering. In other words, she understood
that even a life of slavery can be lived and accepted if it leads towards
the goal of eternal life with God.
Have we experienced love in our lives? Have we experienced the unconditional
love of God in our lives? If so, the pope believes, we have the foundation
for a life of hope - a hope that will see us through the good and bad
times of our lives.
5th Sunday of Ordinary Time A (2008)
The Holy Father,
Benedict XVI ends his trip to our country today (tomorrow) having celebrated
his 81st birthday in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday. While a central reason
for the Pope's visit was to give a speech at the United Nations many have
been speculating for months over what he would say about the American
Catholic Church. While the US church is the wealthiest in Catholicism
we are also a church that has its tensions. For example, there is the
tension over the sexual abuse scandal as well as the ongoing tension between
liberal and conservative Catholics.
Sometimes we might think that the early church was free from such tensions,
but today's first reading from the Acts of the Apostles is proof that
there has always
been tension within the Christian community. The reading not only describes
this tension within the community but also tells us how they resolved
it.
The tension is due to the make-up of the community. It is composed of
both Hellenists and Hebrews. The Hellenists are Christians who speak Greek
and the Hebrews are Christians who speak Aramaic. The Hellenists complain
that the Hebrews are neglecting their widows when they serve the community
meal.
The proposed solution is to appoint seven Hellenist men to serve the meal.
In other words, the solution is to choose members from the complaining
part of the community in order to make sure there will be no reason to
complain in the future.
The solution employs two principles that are known today as subsidiarity
and collegiality. While it is the twelve apostles who as the leaders of
the community decide that seven Hellenist men should be appointed to heal
the tension in the community they leave it to the community itself to
select these men. By allowing the community to do the selecting the Twelve
make use of the principle of subsidiarity which states that nothing should
be done by a larger more complex organization that can be done as well
by a smaller and simpler organization. The community's process of selecting
the men is an example of collegiality which states that decision-making
should be a shared responsibility.
The principles of subsidiarity and collegiality are expressed here on
the parish level in advisory groups such as the Finance Council and the
Pastoral Council. For example, each parish according church law must have
a Finance Council and the pastor must consult it on financial issues that
face the parish. In other words the pastor is not to make financial decisions
on his own but is to consult others who experts in this area. In doing
so the pastor exercises both the principles of subsidarity by not making
decisions on his own and the principle of collegiality by allowing the
Finance Council to discuss financial issues pertinent to the parish.
While the Catholic Church is not a democracy in the way that our country
is, it is an institution that has agreed to govern through the principles
of subsidiarity and collegiality. How these principles are implemented
on the level of parish, diocese and the world-wide church is subject to
much discussion and debate. Tensions are a part of community life. The
use of the principles of subsidiarity and collegiality are two ways of
dealing with them. They were successfully used by the early church and
they can be successfully used by us also.
Experts on
child rearing say that if parents want to know what is going on in their
children's lives that a good place to find out is by having conversations
with them in the car as they are traveling from one event to another.
There seems to be something about traveling that gets people to open up
and to reveal something about them selves.
This dynamic is played out in today's gospel story known as the "Road
to Emmaus." The scene is Easter Sunday, the day that Jesus rose from
dead. Two of his disciples who are unaware of his resurrection are walking
along the road that goes from Jerusalem to the town of Emmaus, a journey
about seven miles. They invite a third person, a stranger, to join them
on their journey. The stranger is really Jesus, but for some reason or
another they don't recognize him. However, Jesus reveals himself to these
unseeing disciples in two distinct but intimately related ways.
First, as they walk along, Jesus explains to them "Moses and all
the prophets", that is, he explains the Scriptures to them, showing
that it was necessary for the Christ to die in order to enter into his
glory. Luke, throughout his gospel, repeatedly shows how Jesus is the
fulfillment of Scripture. Luke's point seems to be that knowledge of Jesus
comes from the revelation of Scripture and not from mere deduction. And
so the disciples recognize Jesus as he explains the Scriptures to them.
As they reflect on this experience, they say, "Were not our hearts
burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures
to us?"
The second way in which Jesus is revealed to his disciples is through
the shared meal. While this meal is not the Eucharist as such, it is certainly
and unmistakably "eucharistic", that is, the words that Jesus
used at this meal are very similar to those that he used at the Last Supper.
The gospel describes it in this way: "... while he was with them
at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them.
With that their eyes were opened, and they recognized him…."
The way that Luke arranges this gospel story reveals his belief that reflection
on the Word of God leads to table fellowship with the Lord. That is, that
Scripture and meal, that Word and sacrament together reveal the mystery
and actualize the presence of Jesus in the midst of the gathered community.
The mass that we are celebrating this morning follows the same pattern.
It is divided into two parts - the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy
of the Eucharist, that is, into Scripture and meal, Word and sacrament.
What is amazing to me is that what we are doing here today goes back to
the earliest days of the church to the day of the resurrection itself
when the two disciples on the "Road to Emmaus" recognize Jesus'
presence while he explains the Scriptures to them and shares a meal with
them. If we are looking for a way of encountering of Jesus it can be found
here at mass.
Some young Catholics and those not so young consider the mass to be boring
and repetitious. It IS boring and repetitious if we fail to believe that
we can encounter Christ each time we come here through the Scriptures
that are read and the sacrament of the Eucharist that we receive. Christ
is here - it is up to us to open our eyes and discover his presence.
There seems
to be a growing number of Christians in the US today who say they are
Christian but who do not belong to a Christian community of any type,
or if they do belong to a community they don't participate on a regular
basis in worship and other activities. I would argue that one cannot be
a Christian unless one is an active member of a Christian community, for
example, a parish community.
Jesus formed a community around himself while he was alive. That community
continued to meet and to grow following his death and resurrection. Take
for example the first reading today from the Acts of the Apostles. It
gives us a glimpse into a very early Christian community. The reading
presents us with four features of this community: apostolic teaching,
community, prayer, and Eucharist.
Apostolic teaching refers the practice of the community to pass on the
authoritative teaching of the apostles which included the teaching of
Jesus as well as accounts of his miracles. These teachings and accounts
would eventually become the basis for the New Testament.
The community life of the early Church centered around communal sharing.
This sharing had both a social and religious dimension to it. Socially,
the community held its possessions in common sharing them on a voluntary
basis with members who were in need. Their religious sharing took place
at their celebration of the Eucharist.
It is clear from this scripture passage that the earliest Christians did
not consider themselves as separated from the larger Jewish community
since they regularly participated in temple prayer with them.
In the New Testament the "breaking of bread" is a technical
terms for the celebration of the Eucharist. Most likely this service took
place in the homes of Christians.
These four features of this early Christian community are found today
in our parish community. First, apostolic teaching. Our parish community
is not based upon the charism of the pastor or the authority of the congregation
but rather our community is part of a larger, universal church founded
on the teachings of the apostles. The Pope and bishops, who are the successors
of the apostles, help us to remain faithful to the teachings of Jesus
and provide the objectivity that we sometimes need as we reflect on our
faith.
Second, community. The minimum needed for community participation in the
Catholic Church is spelled out in what are known as the five precepts
of the Church. They are: 1.) participation in mass on Sundays and holy
days of obligation, 2.) confession of mortal sins at least once a year,
3.) reception of the Eucharist at least during the Easter Season, 4.)
observance of the days of fasting and abstinence, and 5.) providing for
the material needs of the Church according to one's ability.
Third, prayer. Christians no longer pray with Jews in their synagogues
on a regular basis but we do gather for prayer outside of the Sunday celebration.
For example, we will gather as a parish community on the evening of May
first to celebrate the feast of St. Joseph the Worker through prayer and
a picnic.
Fourth, the Eucharist. The Second Vatican Council called the Eucharist
the summit and source of Catholic life. We are invited to bring what is
right and wrong in our lives to the Eucharist to receive the support of
God and the community.
Community life - it was necessary for Jesus, it was necessary for the
early Church. It is necessary for us today.
Last fall
I planted two dozen tulip bulbs around the rectory. I am anxious to see
if they survived the ice and snow of this past winter. All of us here
I imagine are anxious to get winter behind us and begin to experience
the smells and sights of spring. The life that was hidden in the darkness
of winter will soon appear in all its glory. Nature itself goes through
a cycle of death and resurrection.
During the Easter Season we celebrate a threefold TRANSFORMATION: 1.)
the transformation of nature from winter to spring, 2.) the transformation
of Christ from death to life, and 3.) the transformation of this Catholic
community into a new creation.
The New Testament accounts of Jesus are insistent that resurrection is
not resuscitation. The resurrected body of Jesus is different from the
body he had before he resurrected, yet there is continuity between the
two. The resurrected body is a bodily existence, but a bodily existence
that has been TRANSFORMED. It is like a tulip bulb that is planted and
grows into a beautiful flower. The bulb has been TRANSFORMED into a new
existence, a new creation.
The disciples of Jesus understood that his resurrection was not just about
the body of one person. His resurrection was also about world history.
In first-century Palestine the two main Jewish religious groups had different
ways of thinking about life after death. The Sadducees didn't believe
in any kind of life after death while the Pharisees did. The Pharisees
taught, based on their interpretation of the book of Daniel, that a general
resurrection of the faithful in Israel would be part of the "age
to come" - the time when the kingdom of God would be manifest in
a threefold way: the restoration of the tribes of Israel, the outpouring
of the Holy Spirit, and the establishment of peace and justice. Hence
the Jewish world would undergo a major TRANSFORMATION. For people who
thought this way - and Jesus and his followers apparently did - resurrection
from the dead was part of the larger package of this Age to Come.
Once the disciples experienced Jesus as their risen Lord there was one
obvious conclusion. If Jesus had been raised from the dead, then the Age
to Come - the kingdom of God - must have arrived! That is why the New
Testament writers use the bold language of new creation to describe this
Age to Come. The resurrection of Jesus has TRANSFORMED the old creation
into a new creation.
The resurrection then is not simply a proof that Jesus is truly the son
of God; it is also the sign that cosmic history has taken anew and fresh
turn. We can sense this in St. Paul's writings on baptism where he tells
Christians that they have already died and been raised up with Christ.
Here Paul is reminding them that their baptism has begun a new kind of
existence. They are part of a new creation.
In other words, the negative stuff we all deal with on a daily basis,
such as suffering, pain and sin must be addressed with the healing power
of the new life we have in Christ. The resurrection of Jesus demands that
we let God reign in our ordinary lives in ways that demonstrate that we
are part of a new creation, a creation that while not complete (just think
of war and terror) is nevertheless made evident wherever communities allow
the spirit of the risen Lord to have its way. Are we one of these communities?
Are we TRANSFORMED?
Community
- it is a way that we describe ourselves as a parish. It is also a theme
that runs across all three scripture readings this evening. All three
readings describe a communal gathering around a supper table.
Take for example the first reading from the book of Exodus. It is a detailed
description of the first Passover Seder meal that marks the end of Israel's
slavery in Egypt. Notice that it is a family meal. The family dimension
of the meal is so important that smaller families that cannot afford or
consume a whole lamb are instructed to join their neighbors for the meal.
The lesson about community here seems to be that community involves sharing,
especially the sharing of those that have with those that have not.
St. Paul in the second reading from his first letter to the Corinthians
hands on to his readers the tradition of what Jesus did at the Last Supper.
This meal celebrated with his disciples is a Seder meal that he transforms
into the first Eucharistic meal. Paul's emphasis here is not on what Jesus
did but rather on what the community does when it gathers in his memory.
Paul was writing to a community known not only for the great rivalry among
its different factions but also for the exclusion of the poor from the
Eucharistic meal. Paul reminds the church at Corinth that the purpose
of this holy meal is to proclaim the Lord's death until the end of time,
a duty that must never exclude others. The lesson about Christian community
here is that the Lord Jesus is to be the center or focus of the community,
a center or focus that does not allow for divisions.
Today's gospel from St. John presents author's particular "take"
on the Last Supper. John does not record the Eucharistic words of Jesus
"Take and eat; take and drink," rather he records the dramatic
and moving scene of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples. In doing
so, John gives us profound insight into the meaning and consequence of
the Eucharist. That is, our celebration of the Eucharist requires that
we wash one another's feet, that we serve one another and revere Christ
present in one another. The lesson on community here is that service is
part and parcel of community life.
So in summary, the three scripture readings present three different insights
into community. Christian community involves sharing, focusing on Christ
and serving others.
Our challenge on this Holy Thursday evening is to reflect on how these
three characteristics are lived out in our parish community. To what extent
do we share our resources with the less fortunate? To what extent are
we focused on Christ? To what extent do we reach out in service to others?
Some in our parish have been reflecting on these questions since last
August when we began the process of pastoral planning under the direction
of Dr. Jackie Witter. You are invited to join Dr. Witter for her last
meeting with the parish on the 28th and 29th of this month. See the Easter
bulletin for more details. Community - we cannot be a parish without it.
This Sunday
in Lent goes by two names. The most popular is Palm Sunday - the day when
we receive palms to commemorate Jesus' triumphant entrance into Jerusalem
a few days before he died. The other name is Passion Sunday. It receives
it name from the gospel we just heard which recounts the passion or suffering
and death of Jesus.
Seven windows in our church depict items from the passion: the whip used
to scourge Jesus; the ladder and dice used by the Roman soldiers to nail
him to the cross and gamble on his clothing; the sponge on a reed and
the spear that sought to satisfy Jesus' thirst and pierce his side; the
three nails and pliers that held him to the cross and allowed him to be
released from it; the inscription INRI - written in three languages that
gave the reason for his death: Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews; the
crown of thorns placed on his head; and the three crosses that stood on
Calvary that day: one for Jesus, one for the good thief and one for the
bad thief.
We are to use this week before us, Holy Week, not just as a time to reflect
on the suffering of Jesus but also to reflect on our own suffering - and
we all do suffer, don't we? Many of us experience physical suffering:
the pain that comes from old age, an accident, a disease of some type,
etc. Many of us also experience interior suffering like loneliness, emotional
and mental illness, love ones in pain, etc.
Christian spiritual writers tell us that we are to join our sufferings
to the sufferings of Jesus and like Jesus place our trust in God. God
will see us through.
A friend of
mine recently had a stroke that affected her eyesight. She was a real
avid reader all her life and now she is unable to read. I think that we
would all agree that to lose all or part of our eyesight would be a great
tragedy. The scripture readings today use physical eyesight as a way of
introducing us to the deeper theme of religious insight.
Take for example the first reading about the anointing of David as King
of Israel. David was the youngest of eight sons and according to the customs
of the time he would have been the last person to be chosen as a leader.
(Those of you who are the youngest in your family can perhaps identify
with David's situation.) God however, as he does so often in the scriptures,
chooses the least likely one to do his will. The reading makes it clear
that God doesn't judge by status or physical appearance but by what is
in the human heart. God saw in this insignificant shepherd the potential
to be a great king.
Another example of this is found in the gospel reading where Jesus selects
a blind man who is considered to be a sinner by his fellow Jews to be
cured of his blindness. It is through this perceived sinner that others
will see the mighty power of God.
God's choice of David and the blind man raises the question about the
type of criteria that we use to judge others - and we do judge others,
don't we? Do we judge others by their age, beauty, physical strength or
social position or do we look into the heart of others as God does? Studies
show, for example, that those who are judged by society as beautiful or
handsome are also judged to be more intelligent than average as well.
(No wonder that I did so well in college! - [just kidding])
The story of the man born blind is a paradoxical story. The man who was
blind is the one who actually sees the hand of God working in his life
while those who can see are blind to the power of God. The religious community
that the man belonged to did not believe that he was cured by Jesus and
so did not see the deep meaning of his cure. The community judged by appearance,
that is, they believed what their religion taught them that the man was
blind because he or someone else in his family sinned thereby causing
his blindness. They refused to believe that God would work through a sinner
to reveal his power.
Those of us who belong to this community of St. Joseph the Worker can
be blind as well when we judge by appearance and not by the human heart.
It is very easy for us to stereotype people, especially if we have known
them most of our lives. This was my experience of growing up in a small
town. People were judged as winners or losers in grade school and were
treated that way the rest of their lives unless they were fortunate enough
to leave town!
In regard to the parish, I have had people tell me that they don't sit
up front in church because they don't want to be hypocrites like those
who do sit up front! I have also heard people express jealousy toward
those who are actively involved in parish life saying that these people
run the parish and don't include others. It is a challenge for any community
to look beyond stereotypes and jealousy.
The blind man gradually understood who Jesus was. He described his as
"the man called Jesus, then as a "prophet" from God and
finally the Son of God. As a result he was rejected by Jewish religious
leaders, even his parents didn't want anything to do with him. The story
of the blind man is meant to challenge us to seriously ask where are we
on our journey of faith? What are we doing to mature in our faith? And
as we mature, what kind of difference has that made?
As we read
about water shortages both in the southwestern and southeastern parts
of our country there still seems to be enough bottled water around to
satisfy the thirst of all Americans, no matter where we may live. While
Americans may take our drinking water for granted millions of people in
the world have insufficient clean water to drink or have great difficulty
getting it.
Today's gospel reading takes place around a well where a Samaritan woman
has gone to draw water. The well was the source of water for the whole
community. Jesus meets her at the well and gets into a dialogue with her
about water. The water in the well is not very tasty since it is stagnant
water and so Jesus offers her living water. At first she takes his words
literally and believes that he is offering her water from a spring that
is fresh and tasty. Eventually she discovers that Jesus is speaking about
himself, that he is living water and that if she places her faith in him
she will never be thirsty again. The type of water Jesus offers her leads
to eternal life.
Jesus had an intuition that the real thirst that the woman had in her
life was not for water but for meaning and purpose. After all, she had
been married five times. What about us, what do we thirst for in life?
Where do we seek meaning and purpose?
I grew up in town that was 99% Catholic. My worldview, that is, how I
viewed the world was as a result from a Roman Catholic perspective. It
is that worldview that gives meaning and purpose to my life even today.
During my four years of seminary training in Rome I had the opportunity
of traveling throughout Europe visiting world famous museums and impressive
churches of all shapes and sizes. I came away with the impression that
during the Middle Ages all of Europe shared the same worldview that I
did while growing up in Cascade.
That worldview began to change with the beginning of the Renaissance when
the intelligentsia replaced faith with reason. This emphasis on reason,
especially as expressed through science and technology has held sway into
the 21st century.
As a result we live in a culture where we use science and technology to
give meaning and purpose to life. For us, something is not true unless
the scientific method says that it is true. After all didn't we grow saying
to those in authority "prove it?"
However, some have suggested that science and technology have failed us,
that their promises of a better world are empty in the face of global
warming, disease and war. Others argue that there is a movement back to
a faith-based worldview. Take for example the prominence of the religious
right in the US over the past couple of decades.
In the Roman Catholic Tradition it is not a question of either/or but
both/and, that is, the Catholic tradition embraces both faith and reason
to form our worldview. We don't emphasize one over the other since they
balance and correct each other. For example, Catholic teaching on respect
for life takes into consideration not only what the bible and the Catholic
Tradition say about life but also the knowledge and insight provided by
the biological and social sciences.
And so the questions for us today are: What do we thirst for in life?
Where do we search for meaning and purpose? Do we find the Catholic faith
helpful in our search?
In today's
gospel that is known as the Transfiguration Jesus gives three of his apostles
a preview of his resurrected body. We are told that his "face shone
like the sun and his clothes became white as light." Like Jesus,
we too some day will have a resurrected body. For example, each time we
profess the Nicene Creed here at mass we say we believe in "the resurrection
of the body". That is, we believe that when Jesus returns at the
end of time that our bodies and souls will be joined together once again
- this time for all eternity.
Because of our belief in the resurrection of the body after death we have
special respect for the human body. St. Paul even tells us that our bodies
are temples of the Holy Spirit. I would like to reflect today on how we
treat our bodies here in America.
We all know that we got into this world when a sperm and an egg of our
biological parents joined together. Today conception occurs more and more
frequently in vitro rather than in vivo. That is, conception occurs more
and more frequently in a petri dish in a doctor's office rather than in
the mother's body. What does this say about our understanding of the human
body?
When a woman is trying to conceive a child she calls her success a baby.
When a woman doesn't want to conceive she sometimes speaks about a mistake
or a blob of cells. What does this say about our understanding of the
human body?
We put a lot of chemicals into our bodies: hormones for contraceptive
purposes, steroids for athletes - even athletes as young as high school,
and other drugs both legal and illegal that change our body's chemistry
for both the good and the bad. What does this say about our understanding
of the human body?
Young girls suffer from bulimia and anorexia while young boys suffer from
a macho culture that puts images before them of muscle bound bodies that
are meant to crash into other muscle bound bodies on the athletic fields
of our nation. Serious athletic injuries are a growing concern. What does
this say about our understanding of the human body?
The number of sexually transmitted diseases continues to grow as couples
become sexually active at a younger age and have more sexual partners.
What does this say about our understanding of the human body?
We are told every day how obese we are becoming as a nation. Our obesity
is leading to health problems such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure,
heart problems, etc. even in children. Burial coffins now come in extra
large sizes. What does this say about our understanding of the human body?
We spend a disproportionate amount of our health care dollars on keeping
dying people alive for a few more days, this despite the church's teaching
against vitalism. That is, we continue medical treatment when the burdens
of the treatment clearly outweigh the benefits of the treatment. What
does this say about our understanding of the the human body?
St. Francis of Assisi use to call his body "brother ass" because
he frequently treated it as he would a beast of burden - trying to discipline
it by starving it and beating it. On his death bed he realized that he
was too hard on brother ass and asked forgiveness from God.
How do we speak about our bodies - as brother ass to be manipulated as
we wish or as a temple of the Holy Spirit to be treated with respect and
care? Remember, our bodies are ultimately going to be with us for all
eternity.
4th Sunday of Ordinary Time A (2008)
Did you ever
notice that just when we think that we have everything under control everything
seems to get out of control? Take for example the subprime mortgage financial
crisis that we are in today. Our house that we thought would provide us
not only with shelter but financial stability in the years ahead is no
longer increasing in value. In fact, we may have to default on our loan.
This crisis seems to be leading to another crisis - recession - a major
slow down in the economy that may even threaten our job! Depending on
who you talk to, the future doesn't look too great!
The prophet Zephaniah understands this type of volatility. He is writing
to a community that had its share of good times and bad times. However,
he sees the hand of God in all of this. He suggests that the bad times
can be really good times because they help make us humble, they help us
realize our dependence on God and not solely on ourselves. After all,
when there is nothing else, there is always God.
The community that Zephaniah is writing to has been made humble by the
bad times and as a result have taken refuge in God. They finally realize
that every good that comes to them ultimately comes from God.
The same message of humility and reliance upon God is found in the second
reading from St. Paul's letter to the Corinthians. Many people from this
Christian community are from the other side of the tracks so-to-speak;
they lack education, wealth, and political clout. They have little if
anything about which they can boast. They are attracted to Christianity
because Jesus promised them that God will bring eventually make the first
last and the last first.
Paul tells these early Christians that since they can't boast in themselves
they must
boast in God and that when God does wondrous things through them, it is
very clear to all that it is the power of God at work and not merely their
human abilities. Again the lesson for us is clear - every good thing that
we have comes as a gift from God. And so we shouldn't boast about ourselves
but rather boast in the Lord.
The first beatitude found in the gospel reading continues the message
of humility and reliance upon God. It reads "Blessed are the poor
in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Note that it reads
"poor in spirit." The blessing is not for those who are economically
poor but rather for those who put God first in their lives, that is those
who become poor in the sense of relying upon God and not solely upon themselves.
They recognize that all good things ultimately come from God.
The readings today are a reminder to us who live in an affluent society
who have a roof over our heads, food in out stomachs and money in the
bank - a reminder not to take it all for granted, that somehow or other
we deserve it all - after all we worked hard for it! Christians who are
humble recognize that no matter how healthy, wealthy or wise they may
be that all that they have and all that they are ultimately comes from
God. For this we give thanks.
3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time A (2008)
I would like
today to talk about the kingdom of heaven. It is phrase that we use every
time we pray the Our Father when we say to God "thy kingdom come."
When I hear the word kingdom I more often than not think of kings, castles
and knights - and not usually of heaven. Yet the gospel reading today
that gives us the story of the beginning of Jesus' public ministry uses
the term kingdom twice. The gospel makes it clear that Jesus came to preach
the kingdom.
To make our understanding of the kingdom more difficult, the gospels speak
not only of the kingdom of heaven but also of the kingdom of God and sometimes
even of the reign of God. So what is the kingdom preached by Jesus? Let's
take a look at seven characteristics.
First, the scriptures make it clear that the kingdom is open to everyone.
For example, the first reading and the gospel today refer to the land
of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali. Both lands were inhabited by pagans,
that is, non-Jewish people yet Christ first preached the good news to
them. We become a part of the kingdom at our baptism.
Second, the kingdom belongs to the poor and lowly. For example, the first
beatitude says, "Blest are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom
of heaven." The poor and lowly are those who put God first in their
lives. According to Jesus, economic wealth doesn't keep one out of the
kingdom but it does make it more difficult to stay within it.
Third, sinners and not the perfect belong to the kingdom. As Jesus says,
"I came not to call the righteous, but sinners. All of us here are
sinners as we make clear when we pray the penitential rite at the beginning
of mass.
Fourth, Jesus used parables to describe the kingdom. He said, for example,
that the kingdom is like a mustard seed, a pearl of great value, a lost
coin, etc. His parables, however, both hid and reveal the true meaning
of the kingdom.
Fifth, the kingdom of heaven begins with the public ministry of Jesus
and is revealed through his miracles. The gospel today, for example, tells
us that Jesus cured every disease and illness among the people. We know
too that he even brought several people back from the dead. In other words,
the kingdom of heaven is concretely experienced every time that evil is
defeated by good - even today.
Sixth, the keys to the kingdom of heaven were given by Jesus to his apostles.
That is, he shared his authority with the apostles and their successors
- the Catholic bishops of the world. Peter and his successor, the Popes,
respectively, hold first place among the twelve and the bishops. The bishops
help us to understand the presence of the kingdom among us today.
Seventh, Jesus gave Peter, James and John a foretaste of the kingdom when
he appeared to them in his glory at his Transfiguration where his face
and clothing became dazzling white. The glory that was revealed was Jesus'
resurrected body - a body that was raised from the dead. If we remain
faithful to the kingdom, our bodies too will rise from the dead when Jesus
appears again at the end of time.
The kingdom then has nothing to do with kings, castles or knights but
has everything to do with teaching, proclaiming and curing in the name
of Jesus. But, how do we teach, how do we proclaim, how do we cure? We
do these activities through the concrete circumstances our lives: as single
and married, as mothers and fathers, as students and teachers, as white
collar and blue collar workers. Whenever we talk, whenever we act we have
the potential of bringing about the kingdom. And so we pray… may
thy kingdom come.
2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time "A" (2008)
When I was
an associate pastor here 30 years ago there was a member of the parish
who was known by the name of Elmer "Christ". His last name was
spelled C-H-R-I-S-T, that is, Christ though he pronounced it "Christ."
He didn't like it when people would phone his home and ask for Jesus.
As you may know, Christ was not Jesus' last name. Jesus didn't have a
last name. To identify him people would have called him Jesus, the son
of Joseph or Jesus from Nazareth. According to Catholic belief, Jesus
is "the" Christ, that is, the anointed one of God, the one promised
from the time of King David who would save his from their enemies. John
the Baptist in today's gospel identifies him as the Son of God and the
Lamb of God.
I want today to reflect for a few minutes on the image "Lamb of God."
It is an image that the priest uses at every mass right before communion
when he holds up the consecrated bread and wine repeating the words of
John the Baptist "This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins
of the world."
It is interesting that Webster's dictionary defines a lamb not only as
a young sheep, one that is less than one year old, but also as a gentle
or weak person. Both images apply to Jesus. Just as lambs at the time
of Jesus were sacrificed in the temple to take away the sins of the people,
so did Jesus sacrifice his life on the cross to take away sin - not just
for one time but for all times. Just as the servant described by Isaiah
in the first reading was a weak person in the sense that he was nonviolent
and willing to suffer for sake of his people, so too was Jesus a suffering
servant as he did God's will even though it led him to his death on the
cross.
The term lamb can suggest then an animal or person who is vulnerable,
that is, someone who is helpless and as a result is often taken advantage
of by others. But it is precisely through being vulnerable that he or
she brings about life.
The point that I want to make is that just as Jesus, the lamb of God,
made himself vulnerable, so must we. When we focus on Jesus as a vulnerable
person we call into question whether or not Christians can be macho people.
Perhaps this is the reason that many Catholic men do not practice their
faith since they are unwilling to make themselves vulnerable, that is,
they are not willing to admit their helplessness and the need they have
for God and the support of others?
We know from experience that vulnerability is necessary for a healthy
friendship or marriage. It is only when we reveal our truest selves with
all that good and bad points to our best friend or spouse that true growth
in a relationship can occur.
We know from experience that vulnerability is necessary for those who
join AA. It is only when the alcoholic and addict admit that they are
helpless in front of others that they can begin to get better because
they finally realize that they need the help of God and others - that
they can no longer do it alone.
It is precisely because Jesus as the lamb of God made himself vulnerable
that eternal life is a possible. The same is true for us. It is only when
we claim the title "lamb of God" for ourselves, it is only when
we make ourselves vulnerable - admitting that we need God and others -
that eternal life is possible for us. There doesn't seem to be much room
in heaven for macho men and women.
As we celebrate
the Baptism of the Lord today we should be aware that there has been an
ongoing controversy in Christianity over the question of the baptism of
infants. For example, the Catholic Church permits the baptism of infants
while some Protestant churches do not. These churches feel that baptism
is a choice and hence should be limited to those who have the maturity
to make such a choice. The writer Mark Twain was once asked the question
"Do you believe in infant baptism?" He replied, "Believe
in it, I have actually seen it!"
These Protestant churches that I mentioned see baptism as a vocation,
as a calling from God that one freely responds to at some point in his
or her life. I would like today to talk about vocations since the Church
has set aside the coming week as "Vocation Awareness Week."
While the emphasis of this week is in on vocations to the priesthood I
would like to talk about vocations in general in light of the scripture
readings that provide us with three vocation stories.
In the first reading we hear the vocation story of someone God calls "my
servant." God singles out this person and gives him a special function
to perform. God doesn't leave this person alone but provides him with
his own spirit that enables him to bring forth justice to the nations.
Note that his call is not just to his own Jewish community but to the
whole non-Jewish world as well. The servant's vocation makes it clear
that God wills the salvation of all people not just the so-called "chosen
people."
In the second reading we hear a story from the vocation of St. Peter.
In some ways it is very similar to that of the servant in the first reading.
Peter, a Jew, is preaching the Good News of Jesus Christ at the home of
a Gentile, a non-Jew by the name of Cornelius. To make his preaching job
even more difficult from a Jewish perspective is the fact that Cornelius
is a centurion in the Roman army that is oppressing the Jewish people.
Peter has learned from his vocation as an apostle that he is called not
just to proclaim the Good News to his fellow Jews but to all people who
are open to hear it. All are acceptable to God, Jew and Gentile alike.
This was initially a difficult lesson for Peter to learn since he had
been taught from his youth to avoid the Gentiles, to consider them to
be cursed by God.
In the gospel we hear a vocation story from the life of Jesus. Up until
the time of his baptism he lived a quiet life in the small town of Nazareth.
After his baptism and decent of the Holy Spirit upon him he moved to a
larger town named Capernaum and he begin his public ministry that included
both Jews and Gentiles - a ministry that will eventually lead to his suffering
and death.
Each of these vocation stories demonstrate that God had a plan for his
servant, Peter and Jesus. God also has a plan for us. The plan is based
upon the gifts and talents that God has given us. It is through discerning
our gifts and talents as we use them that we come to conclusions about
what God's plan is for us. Usually such a plan or vocation is general
at first and then becomes more specific as it is lived-out.
This is how many vocations to the priesthood come about today. A person
perceives his gifts and talents, tries them out and is eventually lead
to discern the priesthood. Such discernment requires encouragement. Have
we ever encouraged someone to be priest?
Today the
Church asks us to reflect upon the family life of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
hopefully making applications to our own family life. I have in my work
as a priest found that most families look pretty good at a distance it
is only
when looked at close-up that their warts and pimples appear. The same,
I think, can be said of the Holy Family. Let us take a look at a few examples.
Mary's pregnancy was usual to say the least. Even though our faith teaches
us that she conceived her child through the power of the Holy Spirit her
contemporaries experienced her as an unmarried, pregnant teenage mother.
Joseph, by naming Mary's child, claimed the child as his own and gave
him legitimacy. Joseph also took Mary into his home as his wife. Having
a baby necessitates the support of others.
Mary gave birth to Jesus in a stable of some sort since there was no room
for them in the inn. He was kept warm by the body heat of the animals
that lived there. His cradle was a feeding trough. The high cost of health
care, housing and food are still challenges for parents today as they
seek to raise their children.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph were forced to flee to Egypt from their homeland
because of death threats against Jesus. I wonder if the Egyptians thought
of them as aliens and criticized them for not knowing the language or
customs of the country? I wound further if Joseph had a difficult time
finding a job to support his young family? Was he forced to take any job
available and then criticized for taking jobs away from Egyptians?
The Holy Family was able to return home again when the threat to Jesus'
life lessened. They settled in a village of about 800 people called Nazareth.
The single-room homes in Nazareth were arranged in circles with a common
outdoor kitchen for all the families to share. As a result, parents and
children interacted with each other, supporting each other in the good
times and bad times. There was no need for day care. The nuclear family
that is characteristic of American culture was foreign to the villagers
of Nazareth.
Some scripture scholars speculate that the brothers and sisters of Jesus
that are mentioned in the bible are step brothers and sisters, that Joseph
was a widower with children when he married Mary. If so, Jesus was from
a blended family, typical of many American families today.
At the age of twelve, in the early stage of adolescences, Jesus doesn't
inform his parents that he is staying behind in Jerusalem after a visit
to the temple there. The parents fear that he is lost only to find him
after a valiant search. What parent hasn't worried over his or her adolescent
child?
Tradition has it that Mary was a widow for many years after the death
of Joseph. Jesus himself would be executed as a common criminal - even
though he was innocent of any crime.
And so as we meditate on the Holy Family we discover a family that was
challenged in many ways that people are today: a teenage pregnancy, forced
migration, a blended family, adolescent rebellion, widowhood and capital
punishment. The message for us is that just as the Holy Family remained
faithful to God through all of these challenges so can we if we keep God
a central part of our family life. What role then does God play in the
life of our family?
One way of
thinking about the birth of Christ is in terms of gift-giving. Jesus is
God's gift to us. We are all familiar with gift-giving at this time of
year. For many of us it is very labor intensive, though shopping online
has made it a little more tolerable! The gifts that we give to others
are ways that we tell them we love them. But as we know, no gift can totally
do this. Perhaps that is why we wrap our gifts to hide our poor attempt
of saying "I love you."
Giving gifts can be both an embarrassing and humbling experience. It can
be embarrassing for the giver who is unsure if the receiver will like
the gift. After all, don't many of us say right after our gift is opened
by someone "Do you like it?" just to reassure ourselves that
we bought the right thing.
It can be humbling for the receiver who may feel unworthy to receive a
gift or may feel uncertain how he or she should express his or her thankfulness.
For example, we have all received gifts from people for whom we didn't
give a gift and that sometimes makes us feel uncomfortable and perhaps
a little unworthy.
God's gift of his son to us had these characteristics as well. His birth
was a humbling experience - after all he was born in a smelly stable and
laid to rest in a manager which was used to feed animals. The Gift itself
was wrapped in flesh and was subject to the same limitations of our own
fleshly existence except for sin.
The gift of Jesus was also an embarrassing event. An angel announced his
birth to shepherds. The angel was eventually joined by a multitude of
the heavenly hosts praising God for the gift of his son. Three kings would
eventually come to worship and honor him. Who are we to receive such a
gift - we who don't have any similar gift to give in return? We indeed
should be embarrassed.
Unlike the gifts that we will receive this Christmas that will eventually
break or wear out the gift of the Son of God keeps on giving. Jesus in
fact pledges to be with us always until the end of time. Jesus was with
us in the good times this past year as we shared with family and friends.
Jesus was with us in the not so good times this past year to give us comfort
at times of illness and death. Jesus is with us today as we gather around
the altar where he feeds us with his body and blood. God has gifted us
with his Son. What can we give to God in return?
I would like
today to talk about faith since it is faith that brings us together. The
scripture readings provide us with two examples of faith - Ahaz and Joseph.
Ahaz was the King of Judah about 3,000 years ago. God through Isaiah the
prophet tells the king to ask for a sign that will confirm the earlier
promises that God made to the king and his people. The king, however,
chooses not to place his faith in God's promises by his refusal to ask
for a sign saying, with a false piety, that he will not tempt the Lord.
As we heard in today's gospel, Joseph's faith in God is put to the test.
We learn that he and Mary are betrothed to each other. That is, according
to the religious customs of that time they are legally married but are
expected to live with their parents until a public ceremony is performed.
It is only after this ceremony that they are allowed to consummate their
union.
Joseph, however, discovers that Mary is pregnant. He knows that he is
not the father and so it appears that Mary has committed adultery. According
to Jewish Law she should be stoned to death. Rather than to expose Mary
to this penalty he decides to divorce her quietly. Before he can do this
an angel of the Lord appears to him in a dream and tells him that he should
take Mary as his wife because her pregnancy came about through the power
of the Holy Spirit and not through any human sexual activity. Joseph is
asked to make a leap of faith here. He is asked to believe that it is
indeed God that is the father of Mary's child. He is willing to make that
leap and world has never been the same since.
St. Paul in the second reading identifies himself as a Christian in a
threefold manner: he is a slave, an apostle and one set apart. It is strange
that anyone would freely become a salve because a slave is solely devoted
to his or her master. But this is Paul's point, that Jesus is the master
or Lord of his life. Jesus comes before any other relationship or activity.
As an apostle, Paul is one who is has been called by Christ and sent out
by Christ to deliver a message. The point here is that it is not through
his own initiative that he became an apostle but by God's election, and
as an apostle he delivers the message determined by God and not by himself.
Finally, Paul maintains he has been set apart for the service of the gospel.
Each of these three self-designations contains a humble acknowledgment
by Paul of God's initiative in his calling and of his subordination to
Christ Jesus.
With just two days to go until Christmas, the scripture readings today
raise questions about our faith: have we already or are we willing in
the future to take a leap of faith like Joseph did or do we prefer to
play it safe like Ahaz?
Are we at the point in our faith live that we can say like St. Paul that
we are slaves to Christ - that our lives are centered around him? Do we
see ourselves as apostles, as faith-filled people sent out to proclaim
God's love for the world as revealed through the birth of his son? Are
we willing to see ourselves "set apart" for service to others
- service perhaps being the most common way of living out our faith?
Christmas is a time to reexamine our faith and how committed we are to
it. The baby in the manger asks a lot of us. How much are we willing to
give?
There are
different themes that surface in the scripture readings during the Advent
Season. The two that I want to talk about today are new life and patience.
The prophet Isaiah addresses the issue of new life from two perspectives
- the natural world and the human body. In doing so he paints a picture
of regeneration. The desert that once seemed to be dead is now bursting
with life; eyes that lacked sight, ears incapable of capturing and holding
sound, limbs without strength, and tongues devoid of speech are all given
new life. The prophet is looking toward the time of fulfillment when there
will be no death, no limitations, no mourning. The world will be again
as it was originally created by God. It will be young and vibrant, innocent
and brimming with promise. It is during Advent that we anticipate more
than we do the rest of the year this time of fulfillment as we pray maranatha
- "Come, Lord Jesus".
The regeneration of natural world as pictured by Isaiah is under threat
today. For example, we are all familiar with global warming and the effect
that it is presently having on the natural world. I know of no one who
denies that the world is growing warmer and that this change will have
dramatic effects not just on us but on the generations that follow us.
Some of my friends believe that the global warming is just part of the
cycle of nature and is not due in any part to human activity. My reading,
however, seems to suggest that human activity is at least partially responsible
for global warming and if we change our ways we can lessen the degree
of warming and hence its effects.
Pope Benedict XVI has told us that we have a moral obligation to take
care of creation. In other words, becoming "green" in our life
styles is not optional but is morally obligatory. What are we doing to
lessen our carbon imprint?
The regeneration of the human body envisioned by Isaiah is already taking
place. Eye glasses, hearing aids, hip operations and a variety of other
medical procedures and medications has extended life expectancy over the
past one hundred years here in America. The downside to this is that more
and more people are faced with more and more years of bodily debilitation.
This increase in debilitation has generated two extreme solutions: one
now being practiced in Oregon which allows people with a certain level
of debilitation to take their own lives. The other solution is to ignore
the debilitation and keep people alive as long as possible.
The Catholic position is in between these two extremes - we neither believe
in euthanasia nor in keeping the human body alive as long as medically
possible. Rather, we look at medical treatment from the perspective of
proportionality. For example, when we are faced with the need for medical
treatment we are to ask ourselves if the treatment is more burdensome
than beneficial or more beneficial than burdensome? If more burdensome,
we need not undertake that particular treatment. What kind of medical
treatment we desire should be talked over with family and friends in the
light of Catholic teaching. All of us here should have a "living
will" as well as "durable power of attorney for health care."
While new life is one theme found in the scripture readings today, the
other one is patience. We are to be patient as we wait for Christ to come
again. St James, the author of the second reading, says that the kind
of patience we need is that of farmers who have to wait to see the fruits
of their toil.
However, 21st century American culture seems to be short on patience.
Our society is geared around getting things done immediately. For example,
we have fast food so we don't have to wait for our food to be prepared;
we can shop online and thereby avoid waiting in line at the store; we
carry cell phones around with us so that we don't have to wait to share
some good news with family or friends.
Let us allow the Advent themes of new life and patience to challenge our
way of living. Perhaps in the midst of meeting these challenges we will
discover the presence of God?
Feast of the Immaculate Conception
I imagine we
all remember the story from the gospels about the woman caught in adultery.
The Jewish law required that she be stoned to death. Jesus' enemies in
an attempt to trip him up ask him what he has to say about the situation.
Jesus simply tells the crowd who has gathered around the woman "let
anyone who is without sin cast the first stone." No stones are cast
that day. Another version of the story has a stone actually being tossed
and hitting the woman's head. Jesus reacts by saying, "Mother quit
that!"
The celebration of the Immaculate Conception of Mary teaches us that Mary
was sinless throughout her whole life from the moment of her conception.
Hence outside of Jesus she was the only one that could throw a stone that
day. The Church teaches that she shared ahead of time in the merits of
Jesus' suffering and death on the cross thereby becoming immune from all
stain of original sin.
The Church's teaching on original sin is meant to speak to us about the
mystery of evil. All of us have to admit that there is evil since we are
surrounded by it: war and famine; murder and rape; lying and stealing;
earthquakes and floods, the list goes on and on.
The origin of original sin is told in the story of Adam and Eve who use
their freedom to disobey a commandment from God. While Adam and Eve commit
a personal sin, their sin affects human nature which goes from a state
of original holiness and justice to original sin. In other words their
sin has a universal dimension to it.
The scripture passage from Genesis today reveals some of the tragic consequences
of their sin. For example, instead of being in harmony with God and with
each other they now fear God and are aware of their nakedness. Their experience
of disharmony is now the experience of the rest of creation.
While baptism erases original sin and turns us back to God our human nature
is still weakened and inclined to evil. Hence we need the grace of God
that comes to us through the sacraments. Hopefully that is one reason
why we are here today.
Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.
Having just
recently celebrated Thanksgiving, I think we are all familiar with the
Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620 and who celebrated
the first Thanksgiving with Native Americans who helped them to survive
in the New World.
The Pilgrims received their name from the fact that they were travelers
seeking a goal. Their goal was to find a place where they could freely
practice their Christian faith. As a result, they traveled from their
native England to Holland and finally to America in search of that goal.
The Second Vatican Council uses the term "pilgrim" to describe
the church - we are a pilgrim people, that is, we are a people seeking
a goal. Our goal is eternal life with God. One way of understanding the
scripture reading on this first Sunday of Advent is in terms of pilgrimage
or journey to God.
The prophet Isaiah gives us the criteria for being a pilgrim: anyone can
be a pilgrim - people from all nations are invited to make union with
God their goal in life. In other words, there is no discrimination involved
in who can be a pilgrim: no restriction based on gender, sexual orientation,
race, culture, religion, nationality, age, etc. No one who wants to undertake
this pilgrimage to God will be prevented from doing so. All are invited.
All are welcome.
However, Isaiah and the other scripture writers today do make it clear
that a certain life style is expected of a pilgrim. For example, Isaiah
teaches that we pilgrims must put away our instruments of violence and
hatred, our swords and our spears and we must convert them into life-producing
implements, into plows and pruning hooks lest we be tempted to use them
against each other.
These images of Isaiah reveal the strong bent in Christianity towards
pacifism, which poses a real challenge for us as a nation as we continue
the war in Iraq and plan for a war in Iran. What a different world it
would be if we easily turn our instruments of death into instruments of
life. Is Isaiah just a dreamer here or is pacifism a better option for
the our world than war?
St. Paul also gives us some insights into how we are to live as a pilgrim
people. Paul exhorts us to put away our deeds of darkness and self-indulgence
and to clothe ourselves instead in the deeds of Jesus Christ. He gives
concrete examples of what constitutes self-indulgence: no carousing or
drunkenness in our social lives; no sexual excess or lust in our sexual
lives; no quarreling or jealousy at home, at work or at school. A pilgrim
definitely has challenges living in the materialist, sexually charge culture
of 21st American society.
Jesus in today's gospel says that a pilgrim must be alert and attentive.
Our alertness and attentiveness must be like that of home owners protecting
their homes from thieves. What we are to be alert about is the coming
of Christ into our lives whether today or at the end of time.
And so on this first Sunday of Advent, we are invited to recognize that
we are pilgrims on a journey, a journey that leads to God, a journey that
involves a certain way of living, a journey that demands that we be alert
and attentive.
One of the
former Archbishops of Paris in France was noted as a great evangelizer.
The famous medieval church of Notre Dame in Paris was his cathedral. He
liked to tell the story of a young man who would stand outside the cathedral
and shout derogatory slogans at the people entering to worship. He would
call them fools and all kinds of names. The people tried to ignore him
but it was difficult.
One day the rector of the cathedral went outside to confront the young
man, much to the distress of the parishioners. The young man ranted and
raved against everything the priest told him. Finally, he addressed the
young man by saying "Look, let's get this over with once and for
all. I'm going to dare you to do something and I bet you can't do it."
And of the course the young man shot back, "I can do anything you
propose, you loser."
"Fine," said the priest. "All I ask you to do is come into
the sanctuary of the cathedral with me. I want you to stare at the figure
of Christ on the cross, and I want you to scream at the very top of your
lungs, as loudly as you can, 'Christ died on the cross for me and I don't
care."
So the young man went into the sanctuary, and screamed as loud as he could,
looking at the crucifix, "Christ died on the cross for me and I don't."
The priest said, "Very good. Now do it again." And again the
young man screamed, with a little hesitancy this time, "Christ died
on the cross for me and I don't care.' "You're almost done now,"
said the priest, "One more time."
The young man raised his fist, kept looking at the statue, but the words
wouldn't come out. He just could not look at the face of the crucified
Christ and say that any more.
The real punch line came, when after he told the story, the Archbishop
said, "I was that young man. That young man, that defiant young man
was me. I thought I didn't need God, but found out that I did." The
young man discovered his relationship to God through the crucifix.
The gospel today focuses on the crucifix, on Luke's version of the crucifixion.
This gospel was chosen for this feast of Christ the King because it mentions
the inscription that was placed on the Jesus' cross, an inscription which
reads "This is the King of the Jews." The inscription reminds
us that Jesus is indeed a king, but his throne is a cross rather than
a grand chair, and his kingdom is that of God's and not of this world.
Luke's gospel reminds us that Jesus' kingship is not one of power and
domination but one of love and sacrifice.
The so-called "good thief" recognizes that Jesus is a king when
he asks "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
Jesus lovingly responds to his request, "Truly, I tell you today
you will be with me in paradise."
The crucified Christ transformed both the good thief and the Archbishop
of Paris as young man. They were changed because of their encounter with
him. When was the last time that we sat in front of a crucifix and reflected
on Christ's love and sacrifice.
Please join me as we sing together: "Were you there when they crucified…."
Thirty-third
Sunday Ordinary Time
A reoccurring cartoon figure in the newspapers is that of a man dressed
in a long robe with a long beard carrying a sign saying "The world
is going to end soon." The prediction of the end of the world is
as old as the bible itself, as the scripture readings today testify.
Take for example the first reading from the Old Testament prophet Malachi.
Malachi uses the image of fire to envision the end of the world. Fire,
as we know, can be both a curse and a blessing. It is a curse when it
burns our flesh or destroys our homes as it recently did to many homes
in California. It is a blessing when it brings us light and keeps us warm.
The prophet evokes both dimensions of fire. The curse of fire, the fire
of judgment, will come, he says, to destroy the proud and the evildoers
like stubble being burned in a field. The blessing of fire, the fire of
the sun, will shine on those who revere God. Malachi reflects the Catholic
belief that a final judgment will accompany the end of the world and that
this judgment contains both a curse and a blessing depending on how we
live out our lives.
The second reading from the second letter of Paul to the Thessalonians
gives us another insight into the end of the world. Paul's concern in
this section of his letter is with those who are not working but just
sitting around living off the work of others. These non-workers believe
that since the end of the world is coming real soon there is no need for
them to work. They feel they are already saved, so they are freed from
the necessity to work. Instead of contributing to the common good they
become disruptive and disorderly.
In the subsistence type economy in which they lived, the Thessalonians
needed every able-bodied person to work in order to survive. Paul's concern
here is not simply the refusal of some to work but the disorder that such
people are creating in the community. Paul presents himself as an example
of someone who works for a living. Paul seems to be saying to these non-workers
- yes, the world is going to end, but in the mean time we all have the
obligation to work on behalf of the common good.
The gospel reading today is an example of a particular type of writing
about the end of the world called apocalyptic writing. It is a reading
that tells us to be cautious if we think the end of the world is just
around the corner. The cautious advice is given in three ways. First,
Jesus predicts the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem. By the time
Luke wrote his gospel the temple had already been destroyed by the Romans.
Many thought this was a sign that the end of the world was beginning.
Luke cautions his readers that they must not be misled by this or by people
claiming that the end is at hand.
The second caution is found in the midst of some standard apocalyptic
signs like wars, insurrections, earthquakes, plagues, famines and cosmic
omens. Luke insists that even these signs do not mean that the end is
near.
The third caution is found in the prediction that Christians will be persecuted
for following Christ. The caution here is found in Luke's advice to his
readers to persevere in their suffering because ultimately they will be
rewarded.
So, is the world going to end? We Christians believe that it is. But we
must be cautious in believing that the end is just around the corner.
And so as we wait for the end we must work for the common good and accept
with perseverance any suffering that comes as a result of following Christ.
Homily at the Parish Mass of St. John Neumann
Eupora, Mississippi 11 November 2007
on the occasion of the baptism of Alexis Jesus Espinoza
You who live
in Mississippi are familiar with the destructive power of water - Hurricane
Katrina being the latest example. Yet at the same time major cities in
the southeast like Atlanta, Georgia are facing the prospect of running
out of water within a few months. These natural tragedies point out two
characteristics of water - water can destroy life and water can give life.
Both of these characteristics of water are found in baptism. As the waters
of baptism flows over Alexis Jesus they will destroy original sin which
has been passed on from one generation to another from the time of Adam
and Eve. The flowing water will also bring about new life for Alexis Jesus.
As a result of baptism he will enter into to a new relationship with God:
God becomes his Father and he becomes God's child.
The scripture readings we just heard are about life and our relationship
with God. In the first reading we heard stories of a family known as the
Maccabees. We learned that they chose death instead of denying their relationship
with God. They were confident that their relationship with God doesn't
end with their deaths but rather continues after they die in the resurrection
of the dead to new life.
In the gospel reading we hear Jesus profess his belief in the resurrection
of the dead to new life. Jesus is confident that there is life after death
since God is God of the living and not God of the dead. Hence, if God
is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob they are alive and not dead. If
this is true for them, it must be true for us who die as children of God.
The scripture readings today remind us that life, death and afterlife
are affected by our relationship with God. The relationship doesn't end
with death but continues after death in a different way. Alexis Jesus'
baptism affirms this belief. His relationship with God is just beginning.
This community of St. John Newmann will support his family as they raise
him in
the Catholic faith. And if he remains faithful to God, his relationship
with God will continue after death when he will join God his Father in
heaven.
Twenty-eight Sunday Ordinary Time C October 14, 2007
A little girl was going to a party and her
mother told her to be a good girl and to remember, when she was leaving,
to thank her hostess. When she arrived home the mother asked if she had
thanked her hostess and the little girl replied: "No the girl in
front of me did and the lady said, 'Don't mention it" - so I didn't."
Examples of gratitude and thanksgiving are found in two of our scripture
readings today. For example, in the first reading we encounter Naaman,
a Syrian general, who despite the fact that he is a foreigner, is cured
of his leprosy by the God of the Jews through the intercession of the
prophet Elisha. Naaman is so thankful that he wants to give the prophet
a gift. Elisha refuses the gift because the ultimate cure came from God.
In today's gospel we encounter other victims of leprosy. Like Naaman,
all ten lepers are cured. But only one of the ten, a foreigner, goes back
to give thanks to Jesus. Only one expresses gratitude for his healing.
What is your impression of the place of gratitude and thanksgiving in
our society today? My impression is that there is not as much of it going
around as there used to be. I believe that many people today think that
they have a right to what they are given by others and hence have no need
to give thanks. Or maybe because we live in such an affluent country we
just take everything for granted? My impressions on gratitude and thanksgiving
are based on my 18 years of teaching college students as well as my interaction
with family and friends. For example, some of my students believed that
their parents OWED them a college education as well as the finances to
live the good life in college. One of my friends who lives in a newer
four bedroom house with three full baths was complaining to me once that
her house wasn't as nice as her neighbors. I tried to remind her that
she was living better than 95% of the people in the world.
The lack of gratitude and thankfulness on the part of many of us seems
to apply to even God himself. God is ultimately the source of all the
good things in our lives. Do we take time to thank God? Is that why we
are here today? There is a story told about giving thanks to God.
The story concerns a legend about two angels who were once sent down from
heaven, each with a basket. They went from place to place, to poor homes
and rich homes, visiting the young and the old. After a period of time
they came back to heaven with their loads. The basket borne by one angel
was heavy, the one borne by the other angel was light. "What do you
have in your basket?" asked one angel of the other. "I was sent
to collect the prayers of all the people who said, "I want,"
and "Please give me," answered the angel who carried the heavy
load. "And what do you have in yours?" "Oh," replied
the other angel, sadly, "I have been sent to collect the "Thank
yous" of all the people to whom God had sent a blessing; but see
how light my basket is."
What about our lives, are they lives that demonstrate gratitude and thanksgiving?
When was the last time we showed our gratitude in one way or another to
one another and to God? Our gathering here at this Eucharistic celebration
is a reminder of our need to be thankful - for the word Eucharist in Greek
means thanksgiving.
Twenty-seventh Sunday Ordinary Time -C-
The scripture readings today speak to us
about faith. I would like to begin my homily with two stories about faith
- one humorous, the other serious.
The first story goes like this. A climber fell off a cliff. As he tumbled
down into the deep gorge he grabbed hold of a branch of a small tree.
"Help," he shouted. "Is there anyone up there?" A
deep majestic voice from heaven echoed through the gorge. "I will
help you, my son." But first you must have faith in me." "All
right, all right. I trust you," answered the man. The voice replied,
"Let go of the branch." There was a long pause and the man shouted
again, "Is their any one else up there?"
The second story goes like this. It was a Sunday morning in South America,
in a little chapel on the border of Venezuela and Colombia. As Mass was
beginning, a not uncommon occurrence took place: a band of guerillas armed
with machine guns came out of the jungle and crashed and banged their
way into the chapel. The priest and the congregation were totally horrified
and afraid. The men dragged the priest outside to be executed. Then the
leader of the guerillas came back into the chapel and demanded, "Anyone
else who believes in this god stuff, come forward!" Everyone was
petrified. They stood frozen. There was a long silence.
Finally, one man came forward and stood in front of the guerilla chief
and said simply, "I love Jesus." And he was roughly tossed to
the soldiers and also taken out to be executed. And several other Christians
came forward saying the same thing; they, too, were driven outside. Then
the sound of machine gun fire. When there were no more people left willing
to identify themselves as Christians, the guerilla chief returned inside
and told the remaining congregation to get out. "You have no right
to be here!" And with that he herded them out of the chapel, where
they were astonished to see their pastor and the others standing there.
The priest and those people were ordered to go back into the chapel to
continue the Mass while the others were angrily warned to stay out "Until,"
said the guerilla chief, "you have the courage to stand up for your
beliefs!" And with that the guerillas disappeared into the jungle.
The stories raise two questions for us. First, would we have let go of
that branch? Second, would we have witnessed to our faith before the armed
guerillas?
In the first reading today we hear a complaint of the chosen people and
God's response to their complaint. They complain that God has allowed
them to suffer too long. God responds by telling them that they need faith,
that is, they must hang on even when all seems hopeless.
In the second reading St. Paul urges his disciple Timothy not to be timid
but to remain steadfast in the faith that he has in Jesus Christ. In the
gospel reading from Luke, the apostles appeal to Jesus for more faith.
Jesus uses the image of a mustard seed to suggest to them that even minimal
faith can work wonders.
St. Augustine once said that "Faith is to believe what we do not
see, and the reward of faith is to see what we believe." What is
our experience and understanding of faith?
Twenty-sixth Sunday Ordinary Time -C
The author, Barbara Varenhorst, in her book
Real Friends tells the story of a woman named Erma. Erma was on her way
to the airport. It had been a difficult week, and she was looking forward
to being by herself.
She arrived at the airport in plenty of time before her flight. She went
to the assigned gate, sat down, opened a good book, and began to read.
It felt so good just to sit there with no one to bother her.
Then Erma heard a voice. An elderly woman sitting next to her said, "I'll
bet its cold in Chicago." Without looking up from her book, Erma
said in a cold voice, "It probably is!" The elderly woman continued
to talk. Erma continued to give short, unfeeling responses.
Then the elderly woman dropped a bombshell. She was taking the body of
her dead husband back to Chicago to be buried. He had died suddenly after
53 years of marriage.
Erma's heart skipped a beat. All of sudden she realized that the elderly
woman sitting next to her was a suffering human being. She was a suffering
human being, seeking to be heard. She was a suffering human being who,
at that moment, needed another human being so badly that she turned to
a complete stranger.
The elderly woman was not seeking advice. She was not asking for money.
She was simply seeking someone who would listen. Erma put down her book,
held the woman's hand, and listened. And as Erma listened, she suddenly
forgot about her own problems. In fact, she felt a sudden surge of strength.
Then the boarding call for Chicago came over the public-address system.
The two women walked arm in arm to the plane. They went to their assigned
seats, which were a few rows apart. As Erma folded her coat and put it
in the overhead rack, she heard the old woman say to the person in the
seat next to her, "I'll bet its cold in Chicago." Erma found
herself uttering a prayer. It went like this: "Dear God, please give
the person in the seat next to that poor woman the grace to listen patiently
and lovingly.
This story of Erma and the old woman is similar to the story in today's
gospel. The gospel story is also a story about two people. The one is
a poor man named Lazarus, who is in dire need. The other is a rich man,
in a position to help Lazarus in his need. The needs of the poor man are
small, and it would take very little for the rich man to help him. Unfortunately,
the rich man never got around to helping Lazarus, as Erma did the elderly
woman.
The sin for which the rich man suffers after he dies is not that he ordered
Lazarus off his property. It is not that he kicked Lazarus each time he
passed him. It is not that he yelled obscenities at him whenever he saw
him. The sin for which the rich man suffers is simply that he paid no
attention to Lazarus. He simply ignored Lazarus. It is not a sin of commission
- doing something he should not do. It is a sin of omission - not doing
something he should have done. Not lifting a finger to help someone he
could have helped with very little effort on his part.
The question for us today is - who is Lazarus in our lives? That is, who
are the people we encounter in our lives that are in need but whose needs
we ignore? It might be someone as close as a family member (spouse, son/daughter,
brother/sister), someone at work or at school, a neighbor next door, a
friend. Or it could be some child in India or Africa who needs a sponsor
so that he or she can simply live. The challenge today is to respond in
some way to some of the needy people who surround us.
25th Sunday of Ordinary Time - C
If you are
a sports trivia fan, you might remember the name Parry O'Brien. He was
an Olympic shot-put champion winning medals in four consecutive summer
Olympics - from 1952 through 1964. Parry's father tells this story about
his son. One day in high school, Parry took second place in a school meet.
He was convinced that he could throw the shot better, but he couldn't
figure out what he was doing wrong.
At three o'clock the next morning, Parry's father was awakened from sleep
by a series of strange thuds outside. He went to the window to see what
in the world was going on. There under the streetlight was Parry, throwing
the shot. His father called out to him, "What on earth are you doing
at this hour?" Parry replied, "I was lying awake trying to figure
out what it is that I was doing wrong. I got an idea, and I couldn't wait
until morning to try it out."
There is a similar story told about the American tennis player, Alice
Marble, who won the singles championship at Wimbledon in 1939. She woke
up the day of the championship match with a sharp pain in her stomach.
Within minutes, a Wimbledon doctor diagnosed it as a torn stomach muscle.
Alice insisted on playing in the finals anyway, despite the fact that
the doctor told her she was foolish. When Alice walked onto the center
court, the stadium was packed with 20,000 fans. Among them was the Queen
of England. Describing the first game of the match, Alice wrote later:
"As long as I live, I shall never forget that opening game. Each
swing of the racket made me want to scream. The score was tied four times
before I won that game.
These two stories make the same point that Jesus makes in today's gospel
when he says: "The children of this world are more prudent in dealing
with their own generation than are the children of light." Or in
other words, Jesus is saying that worldly people are more willing to sacrifice
for worldly goals than Christians are for Christian goals.
And nowhere is this better illustrated than in sports. The stories of
Parry O'Brien and Alice Marble are our stories as well. Many of us here
have sacrificed or personally know someone who has sacrificed in order
to excel in a sport. The question for us today is if we are willing to
sacrifice for sports or for our career or for our hobby - why not also
for our faith?
We can imagine that Parry O'Brien and Alice Marble slowly began to understand
that they had a talent in their particular sport. People probably told
them - hey you have a talent as shot putter, you have a talent as a tennis
player. And both of them went on to develop their particular talent.
We need to do this for one another, that is, we need to point out to one
another what our talents are so that we can use our talents to make the
world a better place in which to live. Perhaps as you gather with family
and friends today you can comment on each other's talents and encourage
their development.
As pastor, I would hope that you would volunteer to share your talents
with the parish. Right now I am looking for volunteers in two different
areas. First, I am looking for volunteers to do some service work this
November in our mission parish in Eupora, Mississippi. It will involve
some painting, some cleaning and some interaction with the members of
St. John Neumann parish. Please join me on this trip.
Second, I am looking for two adults to chair the Octoberfest for next
year. This year we have a married couple chairing the event. Last year
we had a husband from one family and wife from another family who acted
as chairs. Single adults are more than welcome to volunteer. Please see
me.
As Parry O'Brien and Alice Marble identified their athletic talents and
worked hard to become world champions so we too need to identify our talents,
develop them and use them for the good of humankind including our parish.
I had the
opportunity of doing my four years of theological studies after college
at the North American College in Rome, Italy. As you can image, the Italian
culture is somewhat different than that of my hometown of Cascade, Iowa.
After four years I left with a great appreciation for the Italian way
of life. The Italians seem to value three things in life: good wine, good
food and good sex. I won't talk about sex because of the children present
but I will talk about wine and food. Take for example the experience a
friend of mine recently had when he attended a wedding in Italy. He said
that the wedding banquet went from 6 in the evening until one in the morning.
Course after course of food was served, each with its own wine. What a
wedding!
It is interesting to note that Jesus seems to be a fan of fine dining.
The scriptures often present him dining at someone's house. Today's gospel
is a good example of this. We find him dining at the house of a leading
Pharisee on the Sabbath. The story, as presented by St. Luke, operates
on two levels. On one level it is a story of human relationships and on
the other level it is a story about the need for humility.
The first level deals with human relationships. On this level Jesus challenges
those who have plenty to share with those who are in need. For example,
he says that when we are entertaining we should not invite people who
can return the favor but rather invite those who cannot repay us. This
is contrary to the usual way we do things. Jesus here is challenging the
small world that we live in - forcing us to look beyond those who are
similar to us to those who are different from us. So often we seem to
get caught up in the world of our family and friends that we forget to
be generous to those who are not family or friends. Jesus assures us that
our generosity to people who are different from us will be rewarded by
God.
The second level of today's gospel is about humility. Jesus notices how
those who were invited to the house of the Pharisee choose places of honor
at the table. He does not criticize this practice but does find fault
with the arrogant attitude of those who think they are more important
than they really are. Take for example the true story of Christian Herter
who was running hard for re-election as governor of Massachusetts a few
years ago. He arrived late at a barbecue one day after missing breakfast
and lunch because of his campaign schedule. As a result he was starving.
As he moved down the serving line, he held out his plate and received
one piece of chicken. The Governor said to the serving lady, "Excuse
me. Do you mind if I get another piece of chicken? I'm very hungry."
The women replied, "Sorry, I'm supposed to give only one piece to
each person." He repeated, "But I'm starved," and again
she said, "Only one to a customer." Herter decided to use the
weight of his office and said, "Madam, do you know who I am? I am
the governor of this state." And she answered, "Do you know
who I am? I'm the lady in charge of chicken. Move along, mister."
The point of this story and what Jesus is getting at in the gospel is
that we should humble ourselves and refrain exalting ourselves so that
we can be exalted by God rather than others.
The gospel today reveals that fine dining is not just about food and wine
but it is also about leaning lessons concerning relationships and humility.
It is up to us to put these lessons into action.
21st Sunday of Ordinary Time C (2007)
In the gospel
reading today St. Luke tells us that Jesus is making his way to Jerusalem.
This is not a vacation trip for Jesus but rather a journey that will eventually
lead to his suffering and death.
As he travels along someone asks him a question about how many people
will be saved, that is, how many people will make it to heaven? The presupposition
here is that not all people will make it to heaven that at least some
will end up in hell. The Catholic Church still teaches that hell exists
- despite the protests from many of us.
In giving his response, Jesus doesn't answer the question of HOW MANY
will be saved, but instead he describes WHO will be saved. So what kind
of person will be saved? Well, people from all over the world, along with
those who are last, and those who enter the banquet hall while the door
is open.
Jesus does say that the gate to salvation is narrow and difficult but
that it is open to all who are known by him. He is not referring here
to those who merely associate with him but to those who are willing to
take up their cross and follow him. In other words, those who are save