4th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C – Homily

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4th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
Jeremiah 1:4-5, 17-19
Psalm 71:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 15, 17 (see 15ab)
1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13
Luke 4:21-30
January 30, 2022

“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”

This is the first verse of today’s gospel.  It is also the last verse of last week’s gospel.  The verses that follow today give the people’s response to what we heard Jesus say last week.

Last week we heard how, when Jesus began his public ministry, He went into the synagogue and read a passage from Isaiah.  After He finished the reading, He said, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”

In essence, He is telling them that He is the one they have been waiting for.

What is their response? 

We are first told that “all spoke highly of him.”  This certainly seems like a favorable response. 

They “were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.”  They should be amazed!  This is Jesus, the Son of God!  However, from their next words, we might wonder if they were amazed for good or bad reasons.  “They also asked, “Isn’t this the son of Joseph?”’  Yes, Jesus is the son of Joseph but what difference does that make?

Are they amazed at the profound nature of Jesus as fulfillment of the passage from Isaiah or are they amazed because the man they knew as the son of Joseph is saying such things?  Is their amazement based on belief or disbelief?  Perhaps a little bit of both?

If you were in their shoes, how would you have reacted?  I emphasize “in their shoes” because we know the whole story.  We know of the miracles that Jesus will do after this.  We know of his teaching.  We know Jesus gives his life for us. 

They didn’t.  They had reason for some surprise.  Yet they should have believed him.

Because they knew him only in his humanity as their neighbor, many of them were not open to his divinity.  Jesus is not surprised as He says, “No prophet is accepted in his own native place.”  They thought they knew who He was and were not open to something different.

They are not alone.  When there was a great drought, Elijah was sent not to Israelites but to a “widow in Zarephath” who openly received him as a man of God.

Likewise, “there were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha but the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”  Even Naaman was slow to believe but he did.

These were the people who were open to God’s will.

The people in the synagogue became “filled with fury” and “drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill…to hurl him down headlong.”  Not good!  If they were only open to who Jesus truly is, they would not have tried to do such a thing.

Fortunately, Jesus, because it was not yet his hour, made it away safely.

Many prophets before Jesus had been rejected.  Jeremiah had been called to be a prophet even before the Lord formed him in the womb.  Jeremiah did not seek to be a prophet.  He was appointed a prophet by the Lord.

Jeremiah tried to resist the call, saying he was too young.  The Lord knew what Jeremiah could do for the Lord was the one who gave him spiritual gifts needed for a prophet.

God also knew it would not be easy for Jeremiah as a prophet.  Before God tells Jeremiah to “tell them all that I command you”, He first tells Jeremiah to gird his loins because the Lord knows many people would not embrace the message.  Instead, as He tells Jeremiah, “They will fight against you but not prevail over you, for I am with you to deliver you.”

God does not call everyone to a career as a prophet like Jeremiah, but He does share us to share the truth that He has given us through Scripture and the teaching of the Church.

Many people don’t want to hear it.  They would rather live their lives of sin than change.  We might feel rejected but it is not us they are rejecting as long as we speak God’s truth.  As the Lord said to Samuel the prophet, “You are not the one they are rejecting. They are rejecting me as their king” (1 Samuel 8:7b).

If they don’t want to hear God’s message, why should we care about telling them?  Ezekiel 3:17-21 tells us of our responsibility here.  It is their choice whether to accept God or not.  However, it is our responsibility (each according to our state in life), to share the message.  If we do our part, the sin is theirs.  If we fail to do our part, we suffer accordingly. 

The other thing I will add here is that if we stop sharing the message, we might stop believing it ourselves.

It is not easy to be Christian.  As we struggle, the Lord is our hope as the one who creates us and delivers us from our sins. 

What does the Lord ask of you?  Are you willing to do it?

Trust and the Lord will provide.

More from “The Catholic Gentleman”

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A few days ago I began a new series of articles based on Sam Guzman’s book, The Catholic Gentleman: Living Authentic Manhood Today (San Francisco: Ignatius Press. 2019) with an article titled “Are You for Real?”

Today I offer my second article in this series. In “Are You for Real?“, I left off discussing where the meaning of our life comes from. Moving ahead, Guzman says, “What does man mean? The great crisis of the modern world is not one of theology, or a lack thereof, but, rather, one of anthropology – of what it means to be human. The key to understanding something is to learn its purpose. What was it made for?” (30).

Humans were not created to serve their own self-interest. We were not created to become materially wealth (God offers something of infinite value). We were not created to become famous. We were not created to have the most toys or the most personal pleasure. Guzman writes, “First and foremost, human beings were created for communion, for relationship. Our lives make no sense apart from others” (31). We are created for love.

In terms of our human body if two people of opposite gender had not come together, we would not exist. “Each of us originated from the union of our mother and our father” (31). As God designs it, we are to be born into a community that we call family (see my blog articles on family here). While we are created to be one community, we are not all created exactly the same in physical form. As we read in Genesis 1:27, “God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” We are all created in the image of God but some are created male while others are created female. As Guzman writes to men, “Furthermore, our bodily maleness reveals the fact that we are designed as incomplete in and or ourselves. Male biology needs female biology to make sense” (31). “We are one half of an equation, one piece of a bigger puzzle” (32). God is our Creator. When a male and female come together in marital sex, they can share in God’s creative nature in having children.

There are those who think they can change this. They want to redefine marriage as well as what it means to be male and female. Here Guzman writes, “You can try to define your own concept of existence, but it won’t change reality” (32). We discover what we are really created for when we choose to live as God created us. Just as males and females have differences in their physical bodies, God has made male and female differently in other ways. Males tend to be more logical while females are more nurturing. (This does not males can’t be nurturing or that females can’t be logical). God created male and female to work together as husband and wife, the two becomes something better, balancing what each other does. (see Guzman 33-34).

From here Guzman moves into how we present ourselves. He refers to past times when “Being well groomed and caring for one’s appearance was deemed a matter of respect for others. Slovenliness was considered unthinkable to anyone who had an ounce of dignity and self-respect” (39). How do you dress? Of course, we dress differently for different settings. When I worked as an engineer on construction projects, I wore jeans and work boots. I did not wear a tie (that could have been dangerous) but I did wear a decent looking shirt and kept it tucked in. That was the way I dressed for work. It is not the way I dressed for church on Sunday. When I went to church as a parishioner, I put on comfortable dress shoes, dress slacks, and a button up shirt. I did not dress this way to look good in front of others (that would be pride). I dressed this way as a form of reverence as I came to God’s house.

We can also talk about modesty in dress. As Guzman writes, “Modesty is often associated with coverage of skin, but this is not really what it means. At bottom, it means humility; it means not drawing excessive attention to yourself” (41). For those who do not cover their skin, I wonder what they think of themselves. Do they think the only way to get people to like them is to show off their bodies? Sadly, I think can lead to the person being seen as an object of physical pleasure, both by the person that is looking at them and how they look at themselves. What is most important is who we are on the inside, not the outside. God wants us to make our outsides presentable but it is who we are on the inside that matters most (the outside can say something about the inside). When Samuel judges Eliab by his external appearance, God said, “Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. God does not see as a mortal, who sees the appearance. The Lord looks into the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). God loves a beautiful soul, so much so that when we make our souls ugly in sin, God makes our soul beautiful again when we come to him with a contrite heart in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

As I end for today (I will be writing more articles inspired by Guzman’s The Catholic Gentleman), I would like to remind you that I what I write here is only a portion of what Guzman writes. I am not trying to summarize the whole book. I am offering a few points. If something intrigues you such that you want to know more, I encourage you to read the book for yourself.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Are You for Real?

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“Authentic. Genuine. Handcrafted. Vintage. Real.” These are the first words in chapter 1 (page 17) of Sam Guzman’s book, The Catholic Gentleman: Living Authentic Manhood Today (San Francisco: Ignatius Press. 2019).

Are we who we claim to be? Do we really live like who we claim to be? For those of us who are Catholic, do we actually live what God teaches us in our Catholic Faith? Or do we show up in church once in a while and, when people ask, say we are Catholic but don’t practice what our faith teaches? Maybe we come to church every week. Still, do we live our lives in a way that keeps God’s commandments? It is not enough to say we believe. Jesus himself says, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven?” (Matthew 7:21. For the full context see Matthew 7:21-23, see also Luke 6:46-49).

After beginning with “Authentic. Genuine. Handcrafted. Vintage. Real,” Guzman continues, “Something about those words stirs something in a man’s soul. We don’t like fake. We like things that are solid, strong, and can stand the test of time” (17). We want to be able to count on what others say. We want others to do what they say they will, to be who they claim to be. If we expect this of them, we should do the same ourselves. It is as Jesus says, “Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ Anything more is from the evil one” (Matthew 5:37).

Is anything real today? Or is everyone just putting on an act to make themselves look good? Guzman writes, “The whole world is just a grand illusion, it seems, with nearly everything made to look, feel, and taste like something that it isn’t” (19).

We must change the world. To do so we must begin by changing ourselves. We need to be authentic. As Jesus says, “Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own? (Luke 6:41, for full context see Luke 6:37-42).

So begins Guzman’s book on being a Catholic gentleman. Throughout this book he discusses several attributes that are essential to being a Catholic man. This is not easy in a society that wants to set aside traditional gender models. They claim there is no difference between male and female in terms of how we are called to live. I am going to move into the rest of his book in the remainder of this article and will continue with some additional articles in the days to come. Before continuing I invite to reflect on two questions. First, are you the same person outside the home and church as you are at home? Yes, we focus on different characteristics in different settings but, as a core level, are you the same person or are you putting on an act? The second question is do you want to act nice or do you want to be nice?

In chapter two Guzman talks about “The Gift of Catholic Manhood” as he titles the chapter. He briefly writes about rites of passage in traditional cultures that mark when a boy becomes a man” (22-24). Then, in chapter three he writes about the relationships between father and son and the lack thereof in homes without a father. There he writes, “Add to that the current confusion over whether maleness even exists as a sexuality reality, rather than a socially constructed gender one can choose as he will” (27).

Some may say Guzman wants to undo the gains in women’s rights and the modern understanding of gender. I do not think that is his goal. He wants to get at what it means to be a man. That’s where I will pick up in my next article. For now, I would like to conclude this article with the following quote that I used in the first presentation in my pro-life series, Treating Life with Dignity and Love (slide 17), “Deneen and Hanby are rightly repulsed by the radical individual autonomy that has infected American life, exemplified in Justice Anthony Kennedy’s notorious statement in Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992) that “at the heart of liberty is the right to define one’s own concept of existence, of meaning, of the universe, and of the mystery of human life” (Reilly, America on Trial, 6.  interior quote “Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pa. et al,. v. Casey, Governor of Pennsylvania, et a, 505 U.S. 833, 851  (1992)  https://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/91-744.ZS.html.“)”

Justice Kennedy thinks we determine our own existence, our own meaning, and that of the universe and life. How can one determine the meaning of the universe when we all live in the same universe? I believe that we don’t even determine the meaning of our own life. We determine how we live our life but our meaning comes from beyond ourselves. It comes from something, someone far greater than ourselves. It comes from our creator. It comes from God.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

The Importance of God’s Word

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God’s Word is important. God’s Word helps us know how we are called to live. Unfortunately, we don’t always listen. If we do hear it, we don’t always pay attention.

This was true for the Israelites. Through revelation, the Law, and the prophets, God had been telling them how to live well. Some listened. Many didn’t. In failing to listen and follow God’s Word, they fell into sin. God gives us free will. We don’t always make good choices. For their sin, God allowed the Israelites to be defeated by the Babylonians. Many were taken away in exile. The Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed.

It was not God’s will for the exile to last forever. God did not abandon his people even though they had turned away from him. God would bring the Exile to an end and return his people to Jerusalem. By the time of today’s first reading (Nehemiah 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10), the Exile was over and many of the Israelites had returned home.

The people then gather together for something special, the reading of the book of the law. It had been a long time since many, if not all of them, had shared God’s Word. This is a very special occasion. Ezra was “standing at one end” when “he read out of the book.” “The people listened attentively to the book of the law.” For the reading, Ezra “stood on a wooden platform that had been made for the occasion.” He stood “higher up than any of the people.” Then, after he read from the book of the law, Ezra interpreted it “so that all could understand what was read.“

Does any of this sound familiar?

It should.

What was the book of the law? It was the Word of God. Specifically, in this case, biblical scholars believe it was what the Jews call the Torah, the five books that begin the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). This includes the law given by God through Moses.

What they did that day for the first time in a long time, we do every time we gather from Mass. We read from the Bible. The Bible is God’s Word, his revelation to us.

We are told that Ezra read the book, “standing at one end of the open place.” When God’s Word is read at Mass, it is not read from a dark corner. It is read from the front, at the head of the people. Just as Ezra stood on a wooden platform to read, when the Bible is read at Mass today, it is read from the ambo at the front on a higher place than the people. It is not read from a higher place to give honor to the person reading it. It is read from a higher place to signify its importance as God’s Word and so that all may hear it well.

After Ezra finished reading, he interpreted what had been read “so that all could understand what was read.” After God’s Word is read out loud at Mass what happens next? A homily is offered by the priest or deacon to help us understand what has been read to us.

What was the reaction of the Israelites to what they heard? We are told that “all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law?” Why did they weep? Some may have wept in sadness for they realized they had not been living as they should. Perhaps some wept with tears of joy hearing what they had longed to hear for a long time.

Perhaps, as they listened to God’s Word, they realized that the Lord’s words “are spirit and life.” It refreshes the soul. God’s decree gives “wisdom to the simple.” It leads to “rejoicing in the hearts.” It enlightens us.

This reading by Ezra was the first time God’s Word had been read in a long time. It was not the last. It would become regular practice. This brings us to our gospel reading today. Jesus himself “went according to his custom into the synagogue on the sabbath day.” What happened there? He stood up and read from the prophet Isaiah. It was not merely Isaiah’s words that He read. It was God’s Word. Then, Jesus interpreted for the people what the passage meant when He said, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” Next Sunday we will hear how the people responded to what Jesus read and said.

I said the words from the passage were not merely Isaiah’s words. All 73 books in the Bible were written down by human authors. It is written from their perspective but it is not merely their own words. It is the Word of God! Human authors wrote it down but they were inspired by God to do so. They were led by the Holy Spirit as they wrote.

We need to take God’s Word very seriously. Luke is the author of both the Gospel that bears his name and the Acts of the Apostles. Today’s gospel reading, begins with the very first four lines of Luke’s Gospel where Luke explains why he writes. He writes “to compile a narrative of the events.” What events? The events covering Jesus’ life and ministry from the moment of his conception until the moment of his ascension.

Luke speaks of the “eyewitnesses” to these events who handed them down to us. Luke takes his writing of the gospel very seriously. He says, “I too have decided, after investigating everything accurately anew, to write it down in an orderly sequence for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may realize the certainty of the teachings you have received.”

Luke addresses the introduction to Theophilus. “Theophilus” means “lover of God.” Do you love God? Do you attentively listen to God’s Word?

I mean truly listen. Do you listen with just your ears to God’s Word? When you read God’s Word, do you read it only with your eyes? Do you engage the Word with your mind? Do you allow yourself to listen with your heart and soul to God’s Word?

Beginning in 2020, Pope Francis declared that this Third Sunday in Ordinary Time be celebrated as the Sunday of the Word of God to remind us what the Word of God means.

What is your reaction to the Word of God?

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Unpredictability

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It is winter where I live. This means cold weather and snow but how predictable is the weather? Since about mid-last week, the weather forecasters in the northeast were calling for a significant snowstorm for Sunday into Monday. By last Friday they were saying the snow would begin Sunday evening about 8 pm and last through the night until Monday, bringing a total of 8 to 12 inches.

When did it start to snow? Sunday about 7:00 pm. So, the weather forecasters had it right for the start time.

When did it stop? Where I live, it stopped about 8:30 am on Monday. We had occasional snow showers throughout the day, but with little additional accumulation. However, there will some areas that did continue to see accumulation throughout the day. So, again, the weather forecasters were accurate as to when it would end.

How much snow did we get? Where I live there was 7 to 8 inches in the valleys and 9 to 10 inches on the hilltops. Some places did get more. So, the weather forecasters were close.

Are the weather forecasters always right? No. I mean them no disrespect. Forecasting the weather involves science. They use computer modelling but it isn’t always right. For example, last Friday there was little chance of snow. On Saturday, the chance of snow was almost non-existent. Friday started out with the temperatures in the 20’s and fell throughout the day. Saturday there was little chance of snow and the temperatures were in the single digits.

It was easy to believe the weather forecasters. With temperatures so low, it was unlikely that it would snow. Unlikely, but not impossible. It snowed. Friday night we probably got an inch of snow or a little more. Saturday morning we had snow showers with just enough snow for a fresh dusting to cover everything. The forecasters were wrong. Well, wrong depending on where you lived. The snow didn’t reach very far. It was “lake effect snow,” which is uncommon where I live. Watkins Glen is at the south end of Seneca Lake but seldom do we get much lake effect snow.

The weather has an element of unpredictability to it.

When it comes to the weather, what is the ideal weather? There is no one answer. Skiers want some snow. Other people don’t want to have to shovel any snow. What about the temperature? 60’s? 70’s? Some people like it ever hotter. We like sunshine. However, we need some rain but how much?

Just as the weather has an element of unpredictability, so does life.

Just as everyone has their own preference for the ideal weather, everyone has their own opinion of what life should be like.

There are the basic necessities of life like food, water, clothing, and a home. Everyone should have these basic necessities but not everyone does. For those who are used to always being able to get the groceries they want when they want it, the Coronavirus has opened our eyes a little bringing empty store shelves and supply chain problems.

For some people, the ideal life means never having to go to work. Others love their jobs and keep working into their 70’s and 80’s. For many of us, life is in-between. We like what we do in general but there are elements in our lives that we won’t miss if they were gone.

For me, I love saying Mass, hearing confessions, and teaching people about our faith. This is what I feel called by God to do. However, there are other aspects of my job I have to deal with. For instance, we have to take care of our buildings so that we have a place to worship and gather. We have bills to pay for the things we need to serve the people. Even the parts of our jobs that we enjoy can involve unpredictability. I can have an emergency anointing that needs immediate attention. Funerals happen on short notice. God provides, both in the predictable and the unpredictable.

People want to have control over their lives but how much control do we really have? As much as we might like to have our lives a certain way, the choices other people make in their lives influence our lives. Sometimes we don’t make the choices we should and we lead ourselves down a path that we did not intend.

How do we determine how we live our lives? Is it based on utilitarianism, meaning the greatest good for the greatest number? Is it based on the pleasure principle, what brings us the greatest pleasure is the greatest good (aka hedonism).

Utilitarianism has its good points. We ought to be concerned with the needs of others. However, what or who determines the “greatest good”? For many, the individual determines it themselves. For me, it is set by God. God reveals how we should live through the Bible, revealing his teachings, and the Holy Spirit who guides us to apply it in our daily lives. God guides the Church to help us know how to live his commandments in the world today.

We can choose to have our own plan but we don’t know everything that will influence our lives. Life is unpredictable such that we can’t plan for everything.

However, God can. God sees everything. God is all-knowing. God has a plan for us. “For I know well the plans I have in mind for you—oracle of the Lord—plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).

Life does not always go the way we want. When life doesn’t go the way we would like, we can pray the Serenity Prayer,

“God, grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change,
the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.”

(See my blog article on the entire Serenity Prayer)

Life goes best when we do not seek our own will. Life is best when we seek what we pray in the Lord’s Prayer, thy will be done.

God, please give us the desire and courage to seek your will in all things.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C – Homily

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2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
Isaiah 62:1-5
Psalm 96:1-2, 2-3, 7-8, 9-10 (3)
1 Corinthians 12:4-11
John 2:1-11
January 16, 2022

Two Sundays ago, we celebrated the Epiphany of the Lord.  Last Sunday we ended our Christmas season with the Baptism of the Lord. 

Monday, we began the first week of Ordinary Time.  Today we celebrate the Second Sunday of Ordinary Time and we are in Year C.  For year C, we hear predominantly from Luke’s Gospel. 

So why do we hear from the Gospel of John today?

The word “epiphany” means “manifestation.”  On the Epiphany of the Lord, we celebrate the Lord made known in human form to the magi, and, thus, to all the world.

On the Baptism of the Lord, the Holy Spirit came down upon Jesus and the voice from Heaven said, “You are my beloved Son.”  This is seen as another “epiphany,” as it was made known who Jesus is.

The wedding at Cana when Jesus changed the water into wine was “the beginning of his signs…and so revealed his glory.”  The changing of the water into wine signified the power of God at work through Jesus.

From this the Epiphany of the Lord, the Baptism of the Lord, and the Wedding at Cana were celebrated as united revelations of who Jesus is.  To honor this in our tradition, in Year C, we hear the story of the wedding at Cana.

Let’s talk about the wedding at Cana.  First, I will note Jesus’ presence at a wedding indicates to us that weddings are important events.  The fact that He does his first miracle at a wedding adds to this.

Mary, his mother, was also there.  As the celebration goes on, a problem arises.  They ran out of wine.  Mary hears of the problem.  What does Mary do?  She takes the problem to Jesus.  This is what Mary does when we ask for her intercession for our needs.  She takes it to Jesus.

When Jesus hears they had run out of wine, He says to her, “how does your concern affect me?”  Jesus isn’t interested in the fact that they had run out of wine, but He is interested in the needs of the people and Mary’s intercession.

So, Jesus tells the servers to fill the jars with water.  He turns the water into wine.  This isn’t chemistry.  Water doesn’t have all the elements in it to become wine.  This is the power of God.  It is a miracle.  It is a sign that Jesus is the Son of God.  The sign reveals his glory.

Jesus does this because He cares about his people.  Mary knows this.  She trusts He can help.  Please note that Mary does not tell Jesus what to do.  In fact, she says to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.”  Mary doesn’t know what Jesus will do but she knows, she trusts, that He will make things better.

We can trust God to help us in our needs.  God loves us and cares for us. 

All this happened at a wedding.  A man and woman unite in a marital relationship.  In the vows they make, they make a covenant with each other.  Their covenant of love becomes a sign to the world of God’s covenant of love with us. 

Jesus is the bridegroom who marries his bride the church.  We are part of his church.  Jesus loves us.

God has always been in relationship with his people.  The covenant God had with Israel at the time of Jesus was formed when God gave Moses the Ten Commandments. 

Israel had broken that covenant.  In doing so, they had sinned.  For their sins, God allowed them to be defeated by the Babylonians.  Many were taken away in exile. 

In exile they were called “forsaken” and “desolate.”  At the time of today’s first reading, the Exile was over.  God brought his people back.  “Nations shall behold your vindication.”  They were given a new name, “espoused.” 

God had not given up on his people.  “As a young man marries a virgin, your Builder shall marry you; and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride so shall your God rejoice in you.”

God loves you.  None of us is perfect.  At times we sin.  God is willing to forgive us when we ask with a repentant and contrite heart.

God loves you.  Open your heart and offer your love to God.

Hope, Death, and Suffering

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I recently finished reading After Suicide: There’s Hope for Them and For You by Fr. Chris Alar, MIC and Br. Jason Lewis, MIC (Stockbridge, MA: Marian Press. 2019). As indicated by the title, the book is specifically written for those dealing with the suicide of someone they know. However, as the authors say, much of what they say is applicable to those dealing with any death or suffering.

They begin by discussing hope as they write, “Hope is also a mysterious word. Defined as the combination of the desire for something and the expectation of receiving it, it is often understood in our everyday language as a mere wish that we would like to see realized. But hope in its truest sense is much more than a mere wish. It’s a God-given gift” (i). Human hope may say, “I hope you have a safe trip.” We may really want the person to have a safe trip but Christian hope is more than just a nice gesture. Christian hope means we pray for them and trust that God will be with them as they travel. Ultimately, our Christian hope is rooted in our belief that if we follow Jesus, we will rise in the Resurrection. Here, Fr. Chris and Br. Jason go on to write, “Described as “a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul” in the Epistle to the Hebrews (6:19, Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition), hope is the virtue that will ultimately be fulfilled in Heaven.

In seeking to help people deal with the grief of the suicide of a loved one, they quote from a guide on suicide prevention, “Most suicidal people do not want death; they want the pain to stop” (13, quote from Melinda Smith, Jeanne Segal, and Lawrence Robinson, “Suicide Prevention,” Help Guide, Last updated: June 2019, accessed August 7, 2019, https://www.helpgide.org/articles/suicide-prevention/suicide-prevention.htm). A few pages later they write, “They may be marginalized or treated as outcasts for many different reasons. Their pain is real, and they may lose sight of the fact that their life is a gift from God” (16, my emphasis). A person who commits suicide is dealing with something that is real. It may or may not be as bad as it seems to them but it is real.

They need help. They need our support but may feel they can’t ask for help because others won’t understand. Stigma about suicide may keep them from being willing to talk about how they feel (13). What they need most is the hope that comes from God. Unfortunately, as Fr. Chris and Br. Jason write, “When secularism takes extreme forms, aiming to remove God from every facet of our lives, our society is doomed to unhappiness and discontentment” (17). To remove God from society at large is to remove that which we are created for.

As Fr. Chris and Br. Jason remind us, “the Baltimore Catechism states, we are created “to know God, to love him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in the next” (18). We are created to know and love God. Without him, we cannot know the true joy and love that we are created for. Fr. Chris and Br. Jason continue later, “As Thomas Aquinas states, we cannot live without joy, so if we don’t have spiritual joy, we will seek joy in carnal pleasures” (21). Yet, carnal pleasures can only make us happy for a moment. Only the joy that comes from God lasts for eternity.

In chapter two, Fr. Chris and Br. Jason begin a discussion of why suicide is considered as grave matter but may not be a sin. Suicide is grave matter because “it is a violation of the love we are to have for God” (After Suicide, 24). It “hurts our neighbor, which is a sin against the virtue of charity…suicide contradicts love of self (see Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2281)” (After Suicide, 25). This is why suicide always is “grave matter.” However, for something to be a sin, it needs to meet three criteria. The first is grave matter. It also requires full knowledge and full consent (see After Suicide, 27, Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2282).

In After Suicide, Fr. Chris frequently refers to the suicide of his grandmother. Following the above, he writes, “Thus, I doubt if her suicide was done with full freedom of the will and that she really wanted to complete such a desperate act” (28). Trusting in the mercy of God, it is not for us to judge. God knows what is the heart of one who commits suicide. God offers them mercy. We pray the person is open to the mercy that God offers them at their death.

The Church used to say that those who committed suicide had sinned and could not have a funeral in church. Fortunately, the Church doctrine on suicide has developed (see After Suicide, 33). Now, the Church understands more the psychological issues/mental health of one who commits suicide. We can and should have funerals in church for one who commits suicide to pray for God’s mercy for them.

Over several pages, Fr. Chris and Br. Jason offer a discussion on how our prayers after the death of one who commits suicide can help them. It does not change the act of suicide. What it does do is plead for God’s mercy upon them. Our prayers to God are to a God who exists outside of time. God can apply our prayers to the person at the moment of their death as He offers them his mercy. So, we pray for them after their death with faith and hope in God’s mercy but we don’t need to pray too hard. As God said to Sr. Faustina, “Those whom you love in a special way, I too love in a special way, and for your sake, I shower my graces upon them. I am pleased when you tell Me about them, but don’t be doing so with such excessive effort, (Diary, 739)” (61). We pray for our loved ones but we do so with hope, hope in God’s mercy.

Perhaps what Fr. Chris and Br. Jason say on praying those who commit suicide can be best summed up when they write, “The prayer of the Church cannot “change God’s mind” regarding the particular judgment of a soul. The key point to emphasize is this: The Church’s prayer for one who died by suicide can only be effective – or even make sense – if God is eternal and outside of time, and our prayers can make a difference applied at the moment of death” (65).

Fr. Chris and Br. Jason address our goal in dealing with the suicide of a loved one when they write, “you never “get over” the loss of a loved one to a suicide, but you “can and will get through it” (97). In the pages that follow they offer much needed discussion on types of grief (97-100). They discuss the five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance) on pages 101-104 (see my own discussion of the five stages in my article, “Allowing Ourselves to Grieve”, pages 4-5).

Fr. Chris and Br. Jason give three spiritual principles to help us in “healing from bereavement”. First, we need to admit “we are powerless over the loss of our loved one.” Second, we need to trust in Jesus, who in his mercy can “restore our lives to manageability.” Lastly, we need “to entrust our will, our lives, and our loved one to the loving care and protection of God” (109). I want to give particular note to the word “manageability” in the second principle. Our lives will never be the same following the loss of a loved one but God can teach us and help us to live with what we have experienced and the pain it has caused us. God does not remove the pain. However, God does show us how to manage our suffering.

Fr. Chris and Br. Jason go on to encourage us to deal with our pain. We cannot just put it on a shelf and expect it to disappear. We need to face our pain. We need to ask God in his mercy to help us deal with the pain (129). May God give you the strength and support you need to deal with your pain.

Suffering is something we hope to never face but the reality of life in this world is that there is suffering. We need to allow God to use our suffering “to convert and transform us” (After Suicide, 147). We must remember “There are no quick answers. The mystery of God is too great, and our minds are too small, too limited to understand his ways” (After Suicide, 166, quote from Cardinal Basil Hume, The Mystery of the Cross (Brewster, MA: Paraclete Press, 2000, page 13).

We seek eternal life in the Resurrection. Fr. Chris and Br. Jason write, “We cannot have the joy and glory that comes with the resurrected state without first enduring the Cross that Christ bore” (172).

We face pain in the loss of a loved one. Pain means suffering but we do not need to suffer alone. God is with us when we suffer. Remember the suffering that Jesus endured for us in his Passion leading to his Crucifixion. His suffering was not the end of his story. He was resurrected. We will share in the Resurrection when we strive to follow Jesus. When we fall short, we rely on the mercy of God.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

The Baptism of the Lord

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With this Sunday’s celebration of the Baptism of the Lord our Christmas season ends. Christmas is a time of great hope. We hear the Christmas story of Jesus’ birth, we see Jesus laying in the manger, and our hearts are filled with hope.

The sight of any baby can fill our hearts with joy for a moment. What is special about the birth of Jesus that gives us great hope? Jesus is no ordinary child. Yes, He is the son of Mary. He is also the Son of God, the promised Messiah! When we see baby Jesus we already know the rest of the story. From the gospels we know of the miracles He did. We know his teaching. Most of all we know that He willingly gave his life for us on the Cross. In this we know how much He loves us.

Christmas is about the birth of Jesus. Yet, it is fitting that we end our Christmas season with a story from Jesus’ adult life. He was baptized around the age of thirty. Why do we include this in our Christmas season? Because his Baptism marks the beginning of the mission He came to fulfill.

Hearing the story of Jesus’ Baptism can lead us to think about our own Baptism and how God calls us to live.

John the Baptist offered a baptism that is the forgiveness of sins. The water symbolizes cleansing of sin. That is all that John’s baptism did. John knew that Jesus would offer a baptism that offers much more, “I am baptizing you with water…He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.“

At Jesus’ Baptism we are offered divine confirmation of who Jesus is by the voice from Heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” Jesus is the Son of God!

During his Baptism, “the Holy Spirit descended upon him.” We all receive the Holy Spirit at Baptism as we are anointed with the Sacred Chrism.

As Jesus was baptized, “heaven was opened.” It was opened not just for Jesus. Heaven is opened for us. Through our own Baptism, we receive the gift of eternal life in Heaven.

Who can receive Baptism? In one of the options for the second reading today (there are two options for both the second reading and the first reading), Acts 10:34-38, we hear Peter say, “God shows no partiality…Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him.” Heaven is open to everyone who is “acts uprightly,” following the Lord’s ways. (The readings can be found at https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/010922.cfm.)

The other option for the second reading, Titus 2:11-14; 3:4-7, says, “He saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.“ We are born into the earthly world as we emerge from our mother’s womb. We are born again in Baptism, the “bath of rebirth,” to eternal life. The Holy Spirit brings us new life, the life we are created for in knowing and loving God. When we truly embrace what God offers in Baptism, we see this world very differently.

What have we done to deserve the life that we are offered in Baptism? Nothing! It is not something we earn. As Paul writes to Titus, God offers us eternal life, “not because of any righteous deeds we had one but because of his mercy.” Our life in Christ did not begin from our own initiative. It begins with God who makes us his chosen one and puts his spirit upon us (See Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7 as one of the two options for the first reading). The Lord tells us through the prophet Isaiah, “I, the LORD, have called you for the victory of justice, I have grasped you by the hand.“

We are baptized in water. Through his blood shed on the Cross, Jesus “gave himself for us to deliver us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for himself a people as his own, eager to do what is good.” We are cleansed of our sins through Jesus death on the Cross. In Baptism we are made children of God. Are we “eager to do what is good”?

During our Baptism we are anointed with the Sacred Chrism. This is the prayer said at the time of this anointing:

“Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
has freed you from sin,
given you new birth by water and the Holy Spirit,
and joined you to his people.
He now anoints you with the Chrism of Salvation,
so that you may remain as a member of Christ,
Priest, Prophet, and King,
unto eternal life.

As “priest” we are all called to offer sacrifices in the way we live our lives. The sacrifice comes when we give something up that we want for ourselves to serve God or in loving our neighbor.

We are called to be prophets by sharing the light of Christ with others. We are called to “speak tenderly” about what God offers us. As prophets, we are called to share the same message as foretold by Isaiah and proclaimed by John the Baptist, to prepare the way of the Lord and make straight his paths. We are to be heralds of good news.

We are called to be kings not in holding our power over others. We are called to be kings following the example of Jesus our king. His kingly example is one of service. As we hear in Isaiah 40, we are called to “give comfort” to God’s people.

Knowing the love of God through all that Jesus does for us, we ask the Holy Spirit to help us in our efforts to be faithful disciples and to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to the world.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Upcoming Webinar – Starting Lent Right

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Lent begins on Ash Wednesday (March 2nd) and ends as we begin the Easter Triduum (Easter Sunday is April 17th).  We know the rules about abstaining from meat on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays of Lent.  Have you ever thought about why we abstain from meat?  We are called to give something up for Lent.  What will you give up this year?  Will it be the same thing as every other year?  Do you know why we even have a season of Lent?

If you are interested in trying to bring a little more meaning to Lent this year, we have an opportunity for you.  On February 17th, Fr. Jeff will be offering a webinar addressing this and other Lenten customs at 6:30 pm. You can register to attend the webinar at https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_LoetFqQmSa23JhtQ5L1U6A (for parishioners there is an in-person presentation at 1:30 pm).

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

What Do We Want to be Different in 2022?

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Last week I wrote an article about new year’s resolutions (“A New Beginning”). Today I will share some thoughts about what we might be looking forward to in 2022.

I think the thing most obvious thing that we would all like is for the Coronavirus pandemic to be over. We have long since grown wearing of it. We ask God to bring an end to the pandemic soon. Until then, we pray that everyone, vaccinated or unvaccinated, be diligent in maintaining safe practices like wearing facemasks when recommended. We also pray for the political side of the pandemic to end. Each group has its perspective. We pray that people listen to one another. This should not be a political battle. It is a public health issue. Freedom is important but we make the best use of our freedom when we act in a way that shows we love our neighbor, like wearing a mask. Remember wearing a mask does as much, if not more, to protect the people around us than ourselves.

Another thing that we hear about in the news that we should all want to go away is the shootings. We need to pay attention to why the shootings happen. Is a mental health issue on the part of the shooter? Then we pray and work for good mental health services to help those in need. Are the shootings because of hate? Then, how do we help everyone to turn to love. Jesus calls us to love our neighbor. This doesn’t mean that we are going to agree with everyone. It does call us to respect the dignity of all life.

I also think of violent protests. We pray for an end to the protests. What is it going to take? First, we need to listen to why the people are protesting. I think generally there can be a real issue behind the protests that we need to address. We pray that God’s will be done in addressing the issues behind the protest. There is another side of the protests we need to consider. Why do they become violent? How does anyone think the violence helps? Instead of leading to a peaceful solution, it can lead to more misunderstanding and hatred. Sometimes the violence occurs because emotions run high. We pray that God helps everyone keep their emotions under control. Unfortunately, I think violence and looting sometimes arise because of people who don’t care about the issue behind the protest. They are just using it as an opportunity to cause discord and/or looting. We pray that such people are not able to take over legitimate protests.

Another way that I hope and pray for to improve in 2022 is division. On each issue there are people with different viewpoints. Unfortunately, people are divided and many choose to not listen to what others are saying. They think they are right and the other person is wrong. We see the differing opinions in dealing with the pandemic, like whether or not one can be required to wear a mask. We can see it in the shootings. One side wants more gun control laws while the other side says everyone has a right to own a gun to protect themselves (and others) from the shooters.

The answers lie not in what I want. The answers do not lie in what you want. The answer lies in what God’s will is. I am not all-knowing. Neither are you. No human being is all-knowing. Only God is all-knowing. So, we pray “thy will be done.” We can ask St. Lucy, patron saint of those with eye problems, to help us have the spiritual eyesight to see the world as God sees it.

In all of these issues, part of what is needed is that people stop looking at what must be done in terms of “what’s in it for me?”. We need to ask, “What can I do to help others?”

In all of these issues what is needed is genuine dialogue that puts other people before our own wants. We need genuine dialogue that seeks God’s Truth rather than winning the argument in favor of our own ideas. (For more on genuine dialogue I invite you to read my article, “Seeking Real Dialogue” on Pope Francis’ encyclical Fratelii Tutti.)

People talk about tolerance. We need to be tolerant but we need to understand what tolerance is. (For more on tolerance, see my article, “Tolerance, Hate Speech, and Dialogue”.) It is not simply saying people can do whatever they want. Here I refer to a quote I read in The Little Blue Book Advent and Christmas Seasons 2021-2022: Six-minute reflections on the Advent/Christmas Season Weekday Gospels (published by the Diocese of Saginaw, 2021), found in the entry for December 10, 2021. The quote comes from Fr. Georges Pire. “Let us not speak of tolerance. This negative word implies grudging concessions by smug consciences. Rather, let us speak of mutual understanding and mutual respect.”

We have much to pray for in 2022. Perhaps we best start with praying for “mutual understand and mutual respect” between all people. Most of all, we pray that God’s will be done.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff