Are You Ready For Lent

Lent will begin on February 26 this year with the observance of Ash Wednesday.  As we draw closer, each person who desires the benefits that are offered by seeking renewal during the Season of Lent should ask the important question, “Am I ready for Lent?”  For many faithful people the preparation for Lent simply consists of making the decision about what they will give up or what extra they will do for Lent.  However, that is really a bad place to start and end in the preparation for Lent.  The real starting point in preparing for Lenten renewal is discerning what you need.  What should change in your life?  What needs to be eliminated or at least be brought under control?  What is governing your life that should not have as much control over you?  What should be added to your life?  What is missing from your life that, if added, stands the chance of opening you to the real potential of experiencing and being changed by God’s unfailing love?

    Perhaps we need to step back for a moment to think about what Lent is really all about.  Lent is a time of renewal, growth in faith and coming to a deeper understanding of who we are as God’s people.  It is out of love that God calls each one of us to be renewed in our commitment to the way of life that God gives us to follow.  God has given us a way of life to follow, not because God has a desire to control us like puppets or robots, but because God wants us to grow.  God wants us to be victorious in overcoming our weaknesses.  God wants us to find real, lasting and nourishing happiness.  While we are called to grow in faith, holiness and our relationship with God each and every day of our lives, Lent gives us an opportunity to really focus our attention on that endeavor.  Let’s face it, lives are busy.  The things that make demands on our time continues to grow no matter what stage of life we are in at the moment.  If we expect to accomplish something, many people need a specific time to get it done.  Otherwise, we fall into that unfortunate trap of believing that we will “get to it one day.”  If we are honest, that statement translates into “it is just not that important.”  The “I’ll get to it someday” items on our to-do lists rarely get accomplished.  So Lent comes to us as a focused time where we are called to experience growth, renewal and a better understanding of our relationship with God.

For far too long, the dominate view of Lent has simply been one where it is a time to pay for our wrong-doings.  The view was, and still is for too many well-intention people, that we gave up candy, alcohol or something else in order to suffer for all the ways we did not succeed in our call to holiness.  If you did not suffer during Lent, you were doing it wrong.

When I was about 10 years old, I gave up comic books for Lent.  My teacher in Catholic school had told us about the need to give up something that was very special and important to you so that you were suffering for your sins.  Jesus suffered and Lent was our turn to suffer.  Comic books were very important to me.  I loved the life of superheroes.  I was thrilled to think about having superpowers at my disposal so that I could help people.  I was always ready for the next edition of Superman, Spider-man, Thor, Green Lantern and others to be available.  I was always willing to sacrifice to get the money to buy the next comic book.  I would collect returnable bottles and return them to the store in order to collect enough money.  I would get up early on Saturday mornings to collect newspapers from the trash and haul them in my wagon to the scrap yard hoping that there would be enough for a few new comic books in my collection.  If I was lucky, I would get enough for the latest comic books and new baseball cards to add to my growing collection.  So when I was told that I needed to give up something important to pay for my sins, I went with the top of my list, comic books which were the nourishment for what many called a vivid imagination in a 10-year-old boy.  Even at that age, the results did not impress me.  Easter came and I was still committing the sins of a 10-year-old. All during Lent I was obsessed with the thoughts of the satisfaction that would come when I went to the corner store after Easter to purchase all the comic books I missed during Lent.  Indeed, I spent all my post-Lent free time catching up.  Nothing changed in my life, except for suffering for the entirety of Lent without knowing what my beloved superheroes had been up to.  I guess that I had a bit of satisfaction when my teacher said she was proud of my willingness to go without comic books for Lent, but the suffering brought about nothing else.  The whole focus was on suffering for the sake of suffering.

The fact of the matter is; we cannot pay for our sins.  Jesus already did that.  What is that makes us believe that Jesus did not cover the whole debt in its totality?  My mental image for this is that of two people grabbing hold of a restaurant bill arguing about who is going to pay.  Our faith tells us, that Jesus suffered and died to pay for our sins.  We should be grateful.  We should be ecstatic.  We should be filled with joy.   It is gratitude and joy that should direct our Lenten efforts.  When we acknowledge the magnitude of the gift that Jesus has given us, we then stand the chance of better appreciating and understanding what God wants for us.  Rather than believing that we are somehow paying for our sins we understand that true gratitude from demonstrating that we do not want Jesus’ gift to be in vain.  In appreciation and love we should want the kind of life that God wants us to have – the kind of life that Jesus paid dearly for us to enjoy.  Even if it takes a lifetime, we should have the desire to creep closer and closer to God. That is what Lent is all about.  Growing closer to God because we realize and appreciate what God has done for us.  This is why it is important to think about our Lenten journey.  We can get to Easter with a true sense of renewal and growth or we can come to Easter thinking only how good it is that our Lenten sacrifice is over and done with for another year – ready to gorge ourselves on whatever it was that we abstained from during Lent.

If we expect Lent to have real results, if we truly desire renewal, we must be willing to discern what it is that we need most in order to get closer to living the kind of life we know God wants us to live. What that is and how it is approached will be different for different people.   There is no “one-size-fits-all” journey to renewal.  When Jesus was in this world, he offered renewal to many people.  When people came to him Jesus looked at each person and ascertained what that individual needed most to experience renewal.  For a rich young man, renewal would come only if he gave away his possessions because they were obviously in his way.  For a woman who was ill for a long time renewal would come only when she acknowledged the strength of her faith.  For another, renewal would come when he returned to his family after experiencing healing even though he wanted to remain with Jesus and the Apostles.  In discerning what we need most in order to draw closer to God we will find that sometimes we need to put something down and sometimes we need to pick something up.  There are things, habits, mindsets and behaviors that definitely are impediments to a stronger relationship with God and we would do well to put them down and walk away from them.  These should be things that we know we should change not just during Lent, but permanently.  If you give up video games or television during Lent let it be because you recognize then need to spend some of that time doing other things.  Sure, you may go back to watching some television or playing video games after Easter, but the desire and goal should be to do so in moderation and not have every free moment be absorbed by these things. If something is getting in our way of living God’s life, then by all means we should try to put it down, but for good and not simply as a Lenten exercise.  Even if we are trying to reduce our use of something or participation in something, the reduction is the goal.  Otherwise, we may find that after the period of abstinence during Lent is over we are in even a worse situation than before.  In some cases, Lent will just be the start of something that we will have to work on for a long time after Lent is over.  Authentic renewal means working on a permanent change to whatever is controlling us in a negative way or getting in the way of our relationship with God.  Yes, this may bring about suffering.  However, suffering is not the goal.  Change is the goal.  Allowing Lent to be a time of suffering for the sake of suffering does nothing to help us live the life that is fitting for Children of God or experience the renewal that Gods calls us to go through.

Once we have discerned our personal need for Lent, we must also discern what kind of renewal we hope to experience from the practice.  If you decide to give up television or video games for Lent, what do you hope will be changed?   If television or video games get in the way of your relationships, then the expected outcome must be reducing the amount of time spent with television so that you can spend more time with those who really matter.  Or perhaps the amount of time in front of the screen prevents you from reading the Bible, praying or doing some of the activities that make you feel productive and satisfied.  The purpose of refraining from television would be to free up time for something more that will help you be renewed.  Sure, you may go back to television or video games or whatever after Lent is over, but hopefully not to the detriment of the other more worthwhile activities.   Renewal would come from being nourished by more than that which has consumed your time.   If you simply go back to the old ways after Lent, where is the renewal?  How are you changed?  Any suffering that occurred will have been wasted.   Lent is for change, renewal and growth.

To participate in Lent does not necessarily require us to give something up.   Discernment may in fact help us to realize that something is missing from our Christian life and we need to add more.  Jesus has called us to be among those who bring God’s presence into the world.  Perhaps you are not using your talents, time and energy to help others, make a difference and allow God to be seen in you.   Lent presents the opportunity to recognize and respond to Jesus’ call to discipleship.   Discipleship requires a willingness to continue to grow.  Perhaps reading some spiritual works can help with growth during Lent.  Maybe coming to a better understanding of God’s laws and God’s way will allow you to better comprehend how God tried to guide us on our journey.  Whether you choose to work in some way to assist those in need or open yourself to new wisdom and knowledge, the goal would still be to allow it to be something that will continue to be part of your life after the season of Lent.  Lasting change brings real growth. In a spiritual sense, growth helps to better see with eyes of faith what God wants to do for us.

There are times when our needs are staring us right in the face and we fail to recognize how ignoring the obvious can limit our growth and hinder us from taking the next step in reaching our potential.  Clutter in our lives can easily create obstacles to being free to take on new endeavors and may even cause a person to feel controlled by the clutter.  Something as simple as an overcrowded closet can prevent us from feeling true peace.  If a closet is so packed that you no longer know what you have, perhaps Lent is a good time to begin the process of restoring harmony.  Take a bag or container and each day during Lent place one item in it.   At the end of Lent, donate the items to a worthy cause.  The clutter may not be all gone with the conclusion of Lent, but the process will have begun and success will come by continuing.

Taking one item a day out of an over packed closet may seem insignificant, it may help us to realize that we very often have to go slow but deliberate in our quest for ongoing conversion.   Our expectations must be realistic and manageable.   If not, all we do is set ourselves up to fail.   Unrealistic expectations have caused far too many well-intention people to give up.  When we allow our efforts to be realistic, we set ourselves up for success.  Enthusiasm is a wonderful quality, but it can also cause us to bite off way more than we can chew.   We have to be honest with our need to experience conversion but we must be just as honest in recognizing our limitations and weaknesses.  Remembering that we do not have to do it all during Lent is beneficial to ultimate victory. Our Lenten endeavors are the beginning of change that is meant to be permanent.  How fortunate we are that God is patient with us.  God knows our limitations and calls us to persevere, even in setbacks, because God wants us to be victorious.  Jesus demonstrated great patience with the Apostles and all the disciples.   Jesus knew that they could not comprehend everything and get it it all correct quickly.   Jesus gave his followers what they needed to begin the process of bringing the light of Christ to the world.  In many ways, it remains a slow process.   Over zealous efforts have seldom, if ever, been successful or maintained.   Human limitations are real and if they are ignored can lead to a feeling that success is not attainable.  In a moment of enthusiasm, Peter said that he would never deny Jesus and would follow Him anywhere.   It was a noble statement and in the moment Peter most likely was very sincere.   However, human limitations showed how dangerous it can be to place our trust in desire alone.  Thankfully, Peter did not quit with the failure.  Instead, he learned the value of taking one day at a time in our response to God.  All people of faith should be grateful for God’s patience.   God will show us what we need to do next.  Many of those who are held up as examples of faithfulness and holiness had to learn that lesson.   We are called to do what is required for the next step in ongoing-conversion process.  While we may not be absolutely certain of the path we will journey, if we persevere and are patient, the destination will always be God.

  Lent is an opportunity to be renewed in our commitment to continue our journey.  Lent can only help us to be renewed if we take an honest, realistic approach to what we really need in order to grow in our recognition and appreciation of all that God has done for us and continues to offer to us.

May this Lenten season help us to turn back to God with all our hearts and fill us with new hope, increased faith and renewed commitment to the life that God desires for us.

Fr. Mike’s Thoughts on the Abuse Crisis in The Church

This has been a very difficult couple of days. On Wednesday, February 13, the Catholic Dioceses of New Jersey released the names of all priests who have had credible allegations of sexual abuse of minors going back to the 1940’s. The number of names in New Jersey totaled 188.  Of the 188 from the five Dioceses of New Jersey, 30 were on the list from the Diocese of Trenton.  While I did not know when it would happen, I knew the list was coming. Ever since the Attorney General of Pennsylvania began an investigation into all of the Dioceses of Pennsylvania, a number of other Attorneys General have followed suit, including New Jersey. I have to say that I did not expect any startling surprises. After all, the terrible revelation sexual abuse and the inaction and cover-up by the Institutional Church has been going on for more than 15 years. I believed that by now, there could not be surprises. Indeed, many on the list were revealed previously. Some were highly publicized incidents. Quite a few of those listed were dead. The others were listed as being removed from active ministry. My belief was that certainly by this time, the Institutional Church and the hierarchy responsible for safeguarding the Faithful, especially children, would have revealed everything. How could there be any more bombshells? Well, how wrong I was. On the list from the Diocese of Trenton there were three bombshells for me. At least three priests who, even though they are listed as being “removed from ministry”, had in fact been in active ministry until very recently. At least two were retired, but free to help out in parishes and another served in an Office in Rome. I never would have suspected any of the three would have ever been on a list of abusers. One of those three I considered a friend. I have known him for more that 20 years. Never once did I suspect anything. I have to say that the lists released did not state the reason they were on the list, it was stated that there was at least one credible incident of abuse of a minor. When I was reading through the list of priests from the Diocese of Trenton, my first reaction was that it had to be a mistake, but as the fact slowly sank into my brain, I was simply left in shock. Shock turned to anger as the day wore on. As I tried to examine the anger, I realized that it was more at the Diocese and those in charge for allowing this whole thing to drag on. And now there is some buzz about there being more names that were not on the list for one reason or another. When will this end? Why prolong it? Why such a lack of sincerity and credibility?  Several leaders stated that the names were released to promote the advancement of healing in the Church.  How can we expect healing when the bandage is constantly being ripped off and the wound is gouged open with an instrument that has not been sterilized?  How can you expect any results except for a festering, contaminated wound that grows more and more infected every day?   That is were I feel that I am in this seemingly never-ending drama of the sexual abuse that has plagued the church for far too long.  I find myself confused, shocked, dismayed, angry, sad and helpless to do anything that will bring about the change that is needed.  I find that these emotions are directed at or brought on more by the failure of the Hierarchy than the perpetrators of the crimes.  Oh, I am angry and upset that children would be treated as objects and harmed in the way they have been harmed.  But the harm done by the failure to be transparent about the evils that exist, even in the Church, multiplied those actions, harmed even more people and have prevented healing from taking place.

The First Reading at Mass today came from Genesis 3:1-8.  In the Reading we listened again to the ways in which Adam and Eve were tempted to do what they were told not to do.  They gave in to the temptation and one of the first things they did was to try to hide from God.  It was a foolish attempt.  One does not hide from God – it is impossible.  However, somewhere in their thought process they believed that they could.  What would have happened if instead of hiding, they simply stood before God and admitted their guilt?  How would things have been different?  By attempting to hide, they decreased their trust in God and made a very bad thing worse.  They gave in to fear and the consequences were far greater than perhaps they would have been if they had trusted in God’s love and mercy.  They deprived themselves and the results were severe.  Don’t get me wrong, there still would have been consequences for their actions – there are always consequences for choosing the wrong way – but were the consequences more severe simply because of their choice to try to hide?  This is how I have come to view the choice of the Hierarchy of the Church.  They hid because they failed to trust in God’s love and mercy and the love and mercy of the people that they have been called to serve.  Whenever sin was present in the Church, and in whatever way it manifested itself, what would have happened if they simply stood before God and the People of God and admitted the wrongdoings?  I happen to believe that God’s love and mercy would have been present.  I believe that the love and mercy of the People of God would have been present.  There certainly would have still been consequences, again, there are always consequences to sin, but we would not be suffering through what we are suffering through now, if instead of hiding, they chose to stand up and admit the sin that was present in the Church.

I pray every day for the victims of any abuse – I hope they experience the healing they need.  I also pray that those in authority will do what is necessary to allow true healing to take place within the Church.  Many of the People of God are wounded by anger, frustration, distrust and betrayal.  Many are plagued by a feeling of suspicion that they do not want to be present in their lives.  Many are grieving the loss of the sense of Church that they had growing up – a sense that Church was a place to be trusted, that it was safe, that it would never fail you.  There was this sense not because the priests, religious and bishops were perfect, but because they would always point to God.  Very little, if anything, in this whole sexual abuse issue has pointed to God.  Certainly not in the abuse that has taken place and unfortunately, not in the aftermath of the abuse.  When sin is present, whether in our own lives or in the collective life of an Institution like the Church, the only way to point to God is to stand up, admit the fault and trust that the love and mercy of God will show the way to healing, give the strength that is needed to endure the consequences and make the choice to fully believe that God’s way is better.

I know that my prayer will not force those in power to do what is necessary, repercussions and all, because God does not force anyone to do anything.  So perhaps I need to adjust my prayer and pray that fear will not prevent them from coming out in the open to stand before God looking for mercy and love.  I know that I need to pray for myself so that the anger and other emotions do not control me.

I wish I had something or could do something that would make this better or at least answer the questions that run  through the minds of so many, including myself.  I do not seem to have the answers or the ability to heal the wound that exists.  I am trying to stand before God and simply ask, “What next.”   So for now, it seems that I felt compelled to share my own reactions and feelings.   In my heart, I do know that God will prevail.  I do believe that out of this darkness there will come a new light.  I do believe that the People of God will survive.  I know all of this in my heart – now I have to deal with my impatience and feelings of helplessness.

So Lord, come and fill us with your love and mercy!  Amen

What we do Today…

In the 1st Reading we heard about Ahab, the king of the Israelites.  Ahab was called, as king, to be an example of the ways of God.  But Ahab’s position got the better of him.  He came to view his role as one of power.  He believed he should get whatever he wanted.  Naboth had property next to the king’s lands.  Ahab wanted Naboth’s property to turn it into a garden.  Naboth refused to sell his home or land, no matter what Ahab offered.  King Ahab was furious about the failed attempt to get what he wanted.  Ahab’s wife, Jezebel, decided to take matters into her own hands and concocted a plan to get rid of Naboth.  Jezebel succeeded and with Naboth out of the picture, Ahab took control of the property he wanted.

Of course God was not pleased with Ahab.  Ahab was already on rocky ground in his relationship with God for several reasons, including worshipping pagan gods.  This however, seemed to be the last straw and God stepped into the picture.  Through the prophet, God told Ahab that horrible things would be unleashed because of his greed, selfishness, and the murder of Naboth.  When Ahab heard about it from the prophet, he actually repented.  Ahab put on sackcloth and humbled himself before God.  God noticed Ahab’s contrition and spoke to the prophet again telling him that the horrors would not be unleashed in Ahab’s time, but in the life of Ahab’s son.  This was what got my attention and caused me to ponder its message for us today.

I believe that is what we must always be mindful of  the impact of what we do today on the generations to come.  God has called us to a way of life that is not merely beneficial for our own lifetime, but can be a blessing for those in future times.  Yet, it would seem that we must acknowledge that when we do not live according to God’s ways, we can be a curse for the generations to come.  Pollution is certainly one thing that supports this.  Failing to have a deep respect for God’s creation has unleashed many problems that will last for generations.  Unjust wars throughout history had lasting consequences, even when all those who participated were no longer in this world.  Even when the last perpetrator of sexual abuse of children and those who ignored what was taking place are dead, the sexual abuse crisis that took place in the church will plague people for a very long time.   Greed, selfishness, deceit, manipulation, murder, lies, quest for power, war and all the other evils that are caused by human sinfulness unleash consequences just not for today, but for many tomorrows that will follow.   This is what God seeks to protect us from.  This is why God has given us a way of life that, when followed, will be a blessing not just for us today, but for those who will come after us.  What will our actions today create for tomorrow?  What will the choices we make today hold for the future?  Blessing or curse?  Ugliness or beauty?  Happiness or grief?  It does all matter.  The ages are connected in one way or another.  What we do TODAY matters.

I find myself pondering this in relationship to what is so present in the news at the present time.  I wonder what will be unleashed on future generations when children are taken away from their parents at the border today.  Yes, it is a hot button topic.  The whole issue is complex and difficult.  (the whole issue of immigration is not the topic here.)  Yet, taking children away from parents seems wrong.  It seems that children are being made into pawns for a political fight.  No matter what side of the issue one is on, it seems wrong to use children, involve children or retaliate against children.  What will be unleashed in the future because of these actions?  What kind of hatred will grow in the hearts of some of the children who are going to be traumatized by the experience?  Are we growing the terrorists of the future because of failing to take care of them in the present?   What will the memories of those who have lived through it become in the tomorrows that lie ahead?  Are we going to unleash radical consequences on innocent people in some unknown tomorrow?  There is no way that this is in accord with the way of life that God has given to us to follow.  There is no Scripture passage that can truthfully and honestly be used to support a decision to put children through this.  The decision to act in a way that is defiant to God’s law will have an impact on some tomorrow.  This will not be at God’s choosing, but because of the choice to ignore the way God has provided.

Of course, this does not just apply to this one issue.  It is something that we should learn to think about in every decision we make and every action we take.  Whether it is a choice to speed while driving, steal, lie, cheat, be selfish, harm another person’s reputation, be unfaithful, make something else more important than God or anything else that is contradictory to the way of life that God calls us to live, some tomorrow will reveal the consequences.

When we choose God’s way, open ourselves to trust that God knows more, learn what God calls us to do and pray for the guidance we need from God, the tomorrows will reveal blessings for  us and for those to come.

Mahatma Gandhi must have understood this when he said, “The future depends on what you do today.”

What do you want tomorrow to hold?

 

 

(comments are welcome as long as they are civil and about the topic.  All other comments will be deleted)

 

 

 

The Seeds of The Kingdom of God

In the Gospel this Sunday, Jesus talks about the Kingdom of God. He likens it to seed that has been planted. This reminds us that the seeds of the Kingdom of God have been planted within each one of us. Each one of us has the opportunity to reveal God’s Kingdom to others.
No matter what the situation happens to be, we can reveal God’s Kingdom by showing comfort, relief, help, compassion, mercy, generosity, understanding and love. All of those qualities are of God’s Kingdom. Too often God’s Kingdom is being blocked out by discord, violence, selfishness, greed, a “me first” attitude, and even the belief that we are powerless. Yet, Jesus assures us that we can do something – we can trust that what God has planted inside of us, even though invisible to the eye, can help to make God’s plan visible to others.
May we never forget that God has planted something wonderful in us. Let’s be ready to show others how wonderful God’s Kingdom really is – and how it can roll back all that would seek to cover it up.

Prayers for the victims of the Community College shootings in Oregon

 

Too many lives

too many  times

too many places.

Too much grief

too many shattered lives

too many lives taken away.

 

WE REMEMBER! – DO WE CHANGE?

I think everyone remembers where they were 14 years ago when the horrific events took place.  I was in another parish and had just finished the celebration of Mass.  A staff member greeted me right away and said that there was an attack in New York.  I felt the need to get to a television to find out what was happening but the Parish was not wired for cable television but we did have televisions that were used to play DVDs.  So I quickly grabbed a wire hangar and fashioned an antenna to be able to use on one of the televisions to get news.  After playing with the makeshift antenna for a few moments a picture came in.  The images were a little fuzzy but I could hardly believe  what was being shown.  I remember telling myself that it can’t be real in spite of the images that were being played.  Then, the second plane struck.  News about the pentagon came in.  News about another plane going down was broadcast.  The disregard for human life was more than I could digest.  Back at home later in the day, I sat in front of a clear picture on the television, but my mind was no less fuzzy about all that had taken place.  The images of people coming out of the building covered in soot.  The anguish on the faces of those who were right there.  The horror of the building collapsing.  The shock at the number of people trapped, killed, slain for no good reason at all.  The thoughts of “how will we ever recover from this?”  Those images will never go away, how could we not remember.

The days that followed were filled with chaos.  Flights cancelled everywhere – people stranded away from loved ones at such a devastating time.  The lists of the missing.  The wreckage.  The replaying of the images over and over again.  Speculation from news stations, commentators, analysts, politicians and anyone else who could get near a microphone.  But amidst all the chaos, something remarkable happened in those days following 9/11/2001.  Something happened that the terrorists did not count on.  Something happened that brought hope.  Something happened that painted a picture that showed that we would recover.  Something happened that brought about a clarity that all was not hopeless.

In those days that followed, people came together.  They came together not just to shake their heads in disbelief.  They came together to help.  They volunteered to help in New York.  They came together to support the families of those who had died.  They came together to hold each other, support one another, comfort one another.  They came together without answers.  They came together to pray.  Churches were full.  There were still tears of sadness, grief, disbelief and shock, but united as a people, there was hope.  What happened in those days was remarkable.  Differences were put aside.  The ideologies that can separate no longer seemed to be so important.  People came together with no thought of political, religious, racial, economic or geographical differences.  The only thing that seemed to matter was that we were together.  Past grievances were put aside.  Past hurts were forgotten.  People came together in communities.  They came together as families.  They came together in Churches.  It seemed that as long as they could come together, there was hope.  In the weeks that followed there was still unity.  Thoughts had turned to those who were known or presumed dead.  Words of comfort went out to families, coworkers, friends.  The words came from those who were known to the grieving families and they came from complete strangers.  Somehow there seemed to be a belief that we were no longer strangers, we were simply in this together – and together we would survive.

There were also many promises made during that devastating time.  Promises to remember what was important.  Promises to pay attention to the needs of those around us.  Promises to not take relationships for granted.  Promises to be kinder, gentler and more loving.  There were promises to do the things that had somehow been put on hold – volunteering at a soup kitchen, working with children, taking that trip, visiting extended family.  There were promises to not take God for granted – promises to pray more, read the Bible, acknowledge the blessings in life, go to Church to be with community, be nourished by the Sacraments, change some of the bad habits that had crept in somewhere along the journey.  There were promises to be less self-absorbed, less greedy, more generous, less judgmental, more accepting, more tolerant, more understanding.  There was a promise made to never forget.

I think we have done what we can to remember the lives that were lost in those attacks, maybe not perfectly, but to assure that the lives of the airline crews, passengers, office workers, police, fire fighters, emergency personnel, military personnel and those just passing by would be remembered.  We have remembered to do something that would ensure that lives that ended tragically would not be forgotten.  There are memorials, services and written accounts to make sure that future generations will know what transpired on that tragic day.  There are the accounts of those brave people rushing in to burning buildings with no concern for their own safety.  It is well documented so that we will never forget them – and we should not.  No matter how much time goes by, they will be remembered and they will matter.

But there is more that we need to remember – there is more that we should not forget.  We should not forget what it was like when everyone came together.  We cannot forget how much strength was experienced when for a brief time nothing mattered except to be there for each other.  We must not forget the promises made.  We dare not forget how unity and love smothered the fire of fear that terrorism sought to ignite.  We must not forget the real values in life that were made so clear on that horrible day – values that remind us that family is important, community is necessary, God is present, taking people or life for granted is dangerous, we need concern for more than ourselves, generosity makes us rich, love is the most powerful force anywhere.  It has been 14 years  since those attacks took place and during that time those values have seemed to gotten blurry in too many instances.  There is more greed, less caring, more taking for granted, more intolerance, more judgmental attitudes, more ideologies getting in the way of embracing the real sacredness of life and there is more fear.  Take a glance at social media, listen to talk shows, read the papers, listen to the politicians, witness the way we are living as a society and it does not take much to notice that many of those values are absent.

Today, we are called to remember.  We are reminded that we must never forget.  We must never forget the lives of those who were cut short because of hatred.  We must not forget to make their lives mean something – to offer tribute to their lives.  The best tribute we can offer is to remember those lessons that were learned in the days and weeks and months after the attack.  The best tribute we can give them is to take up those promises that were made individually or collectively as a nation in the aftermath of their deaths.  Yes, the memorials, the books, the services, the stories are all good and fitting but they pale in comparison to giving honor with our own lives.

We are called to remember.  We must never forget.   We must never forget that individually we are weak but together, we can overcome anything.

 

Do We Accept That God Wants Our Needs To Be Met?

On Friday, July 17, the Gospel Reading for Mass was the familiar story from the Gospel of Matthew about the Disciples walking through a field of grain on the Sabbath.  They were hungry and decided to pluck some of the heads off the grain and eat it.  Even that was considered to be in violation of the Sabbath laws as some of the Pharisees quickly pointed out to Jesus that his disciples were doing what was not permitted on the Sabbath.  (read Matthew 12:1-8)  Of course those who confronted Jesus simply wanted to discredit him and his disciples.  In their view, Jesus and his disciples could not possibly be people of God and violate the Sabbath laws at the same time.  Yet the response Jesus gives should cause us to think.  It would seem that Jesus not only dismissed the complaints but also offered examples that would counteract their harsh views.  Jesus reminded them that David entered the House of God when he was hungry and ate the bread of offering – something that was not permitted.  Jesus also used the example of priests who served in the Temple, if they were to perform their ministry, they were breaking the Sabbath Law.  This amounts  to Jesus saying that the needs of the children of God takes precedence over everything else – even the Commandments.  To understand this, we have to understand that we are talking about needs, not wants or desires or conveniences or anything else – Jesus talks about real needs.  Being hungry presents a real need – to be fed.  Jesus makes it pretty clear that God cares, first and foremost, about our real needs being taken care of.

When we ponder this Gospel passage, hopefully, we come to a greater appreciation of what God desires for us – not from us, but for us.  No matter what, God wants to meet our needs.  But perhaps this Gospel passage should also help us to have a better appreciation of the Commandments of God.  The Commandments were not given to us to control us, make life difficult or set up rigid limitations on our lives.  God gave them to us to guide us, help us and protect us from bad choices that can limit us or even harm us.  At least some of the Pharisees of Jesus’ day could only see the Commandments as rigid rules that had better not be violated – at any cost.  The disciples of Jesus were hungry – it was a real need – they needed food.  Jesus knew that God would not want God’s children to be hungry – what loving parent would ever want that?  Jesus reminded those who were condemning the actions of his disciples that they needed to better comprehend the fact that God desires mercy, not sacrifice.

Even today there are far too many people who consider themselves Christian who want to treat the Commandments as though they are rigid rules that cannot be violated – no matter what the situation is.  But we have to ask ourselves if that is really what God wanted to do – control us at any cost.  The words of Jesus certainly seem to contradict such a notion.  This Gospel passage, along with many others in the Gospels, give hard and fast proof that the only absolute about everything in our faith is that God desires mercy.  If God wants this for us, shouldn’t we want that for both ourselves and for others?  Should we not, as Church; as followers of Jesus; as children of God, imitate God’s desire to have our needs met?  Shouldn’t we start to appreciate that in God’s mercy God gave  us the Commandments to protect us rather than control us?  This would mean that when we encounter someone who seems to be in violation of one of the Commandments that we must be willing to forego condemnation and instead show mercy – after all, who knows what their needs are.

Yes, I realize that there are some who would abuse such an approach by using it as a copout to excuse whatever they are doing, but in the end, this comes down to something between that individual and God.  I was talking to someone recently who said she did not go to Mass sometimes because she is out partying with friends and needs her sleep, and that God would not want her to be tired.  Yes, it is a feeble attempt to justify an action and there are many such attempts.  But I don’t think that this can justify use of the Commandments as a rigid rule that God has given us so that God can trap us in a wrongdoing.  Instead, we must be willing to see the Commandments as God’s way of protecting us from such behaviors that can eventually hurt us and can prevent us from ever coming to an appreciation of what God offers us.

I am praying that the Year of Mercy that Pope Francis has proclaimed for this Fall will allow us to be more focused on the mercy that God has for us and that it will help to imitate God’s mercy.

Fear Enslaves.

The tragic and senseless killing in the Church in South Carolina this week demonstrates how fear, left unresolved, turns to absolute hatred and disregard for everything, even human life. Hatred, prejudice, bigotry, intolerance and all those acts that seek to belittle, diminish, negate or eliminate the value of others are so often born of fear. It is an irrational, unfounded, unsubstantiated fear, but it is fear. Far too many people succumb to such fear and point the finger… of blame at others who often have nothing to do with the other’s fear. Nine people of God died needlessly because someone pointed an accusatory finger at them and decided that his imagined problems were their fault. Killing those nine innocent people did nothing to eliminate or satisfy the thirst caused by fear. All this senseless act did was to cause heartache for those who loved those people who gathered to open themselves up to God’s Word in Scripture. Those nine people had fears too, we all do. But they decided that fear was not going to enslave them. Fear was not going to fill them with hatred. Fear was not going to win. They wanted something better to fill them. Those nine people who died must now stand as a reminder that we all have to make a choice – give in to fear and be filled with all the emotions that eat away at our ability to recognize and respect humanity or believe that there is a better way. I pray that signs that encourage fear will one day be found only in museums as a sign of what happens when we choose to feed our fears. Let us pray for the families of those who died – may they be comforted by the same words that their loved ones were studying. Let us pray for an end to hatred, bigotry and prejudice. Let us pray for a change of heart for those who belittle, diminish, negate or devalue the worth of others.
It is rather ironic that a fearful person sat with those who were studying God’s Word, had he but opened his heart to God’s message, he might have found the way to gain back his freedom but he chose to close himself off from everything that could have saved him. If he had just allowed a little crack in the door to his heart, God could have flooded it with understanding. Now he has discovered that the appetite of hatred is fierce – eventually it even consumes the one who feeds it. When fear presents itself, may each one of us have strength and courage to refuse to feed it and instead open our hearts to God. 

Pentecost

It is the celebration of Pentecost this week.  We are celebrating the gift of the Holy Spirit given to the followers of Jesus.  I always think about the range of emotions that the early followers of Jesus must have been experiencing.  They had to have at least some fear because if Jesus was crucified then certainly what was possibly waiting for them could be no less.  There had to have been confusion on some of their minds.  Jesus died, but then he rose.  Jesus appeared to at least some of the followers.  I may have been thinking, “what is going on?”  Perhaps some of the followers were having feelings off inadequacy.  They were fishermen, laborers, people without status, honor or clout.  Sure, some were lawyers, tax collectors (or former tax collectors) and may have had the opportunity to have received education.  But for the most part, they were people who simply did what they had to do in order to survive with little formal education, public speaking ability or a resume that included past experiences that would prepare them for what was to come.  Certainly some of the disciples were going through the pangs of shame and guilt.  When Jesus was arrested, they all ran away – no one stayed.  Some had to be thinking about what they should have done, what they wanted to do, what they wished they had done.  So it is quite easy to see that at least some of those early followers were emotional wrecks.

Jesus had told them that they were going to receive the Advocate, the Spirit, but what did that mean to them?   They sure found out what it would mean.  The Spirit cam and all of a sudden the fearful, confused, inadequate, guilt-ridden followers of Jesus turned into a mighty force.  They didn’t hide behind locked doors any longer.  They went out and boldly proclaimed the Good News.  It did not matter what was waiting for them, they just went.  Those who had tried to obliterate the message of love, forgiveness and mercy of Jesus must have been caught off guard.  The disciples were  filled with energy, enthusiasm, certainty and a sense of purpose – and nothing, not even the threat of death, would be able to stop them.   We have proof of that since the followers of Jesus still proclaim the message of Jesus.

We should celebrate the feast of Pentecost in grand style.  God still offers us that same spirit.  We still have the opportunity to be filled with enthusiasm and energetically proclaim the message of love, forgiveness and mercy.  Maybe we just need to stop taking our faith for granted.  There is nothing that can kill enthusiasm faster than taking the cause of enthusiasm for granted.  But I think more importantly we need to become a church that is going to be much more steadfast in our commitment to proclaim the mercy that Jesus offers.  There has to be more dedication, in Church Universal,  to convincing others that God loves them – no matter what.  It is truly unconditional love – no if, ands or buts – God loves us.

I am very glad that Pope Francis has announced a Year of Mercy for the Church.  I hope that during that Year of Mercy we, as Church, might come to have a renewed appreciation for what the Holy Spirit can offer us so that in spite of any fear, doubt, guilt or anything else we can catch on fire like the early church.

Happy Pentecost!

The Last Day of Class

The last day of Religious Education classes usually carries a mixed bag of emotions.  There is a bit of sadness that the children are growing up so fast.  I have watched some of them every year since they came to class in 1st grade.  There is some anxiety when evaluating what we do in Religious Education.  Did we reach them?  Did we give them something to file away for later so that faith will help them get through difficult times?  Did we help them understand the enormity of God’s love?  Did we help them understand that God’s way is not about control, but about protecting us from the things that can hurt us, diminish us or keep us from reaching our full potential?  Of course, there is also joy.  I watch the faces of the younger children who have recently received the Sacrament of Eucharist for the first time.  I see in those faces hope for the future.  I see in those faces great possibilities.  I see in those faces the kind of trust that God desires from all of us.

Today is the last day of Religious Education classes until September and during that time I will be praying that all of the young people will come to understand a little bit more of what God is trying to help them understand so that those expressions of trust will not be replaced by doubt that God has many wonderful blessings waiting for them.