12th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B – Homily

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12th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
Job 38:1, 8-11
Psalm 107:23-24, 25-26, 28-29, 30-31 (1b)
2 Corinthians 5:14-17
Mark 4:35-41
June 20, 2021

“Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”

This is the question the disciples ask Jesus.  They are in a boat when “A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat so that it was already filling up.”

They were in danger of sinking.  Their lives were at risk.  Meanwhile, Jesus is there sleeping in the boat.  Does He care?

Have you ever wondered if God cared about you?  Have you ever felt like God does not listen to your prayers?

God does care about you just as Jesus cared about the disciples in the boat.  He was not concerned about the storm.  He knew everything would be alright.  He knew what He would do so there was no reason to be terrified.

He could have stopped the storm from ever happening.  He didn’t.  Why?  To help his disciples grow in faith and knowledge of who He truly is and what He could do as the Son of God.

Jesus may have been asleep in the boat but He is always aware of the storms we face in our lives.

When his disciples asked him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?,” He did care.  He “rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Quiet!  Be still!”  At Jesus’ words the wind and the sea obeyed and were calm.  In the beginning God created by his word (for example, “let there be light”).  Jesus calms the storm by his word.

Why were the disciples terrified?  Because this was still fairly early in Jesus’ ministry.  They were beginning to understand who He truly is but weren’t there yet.  Thinking in human terms, they were terrified by the storm.  In faith, they became “filled with great awe.”

In essence, they came to know God more fully through the storm. 

This is not the first time God came to his people in a storm.  Our first reading from Job begins, “The Lord addressed Job out of the storm.”  The storm that Job faced was not a weather storm. 

Job had been a rich man with a great family.  The devil took that all away.  So begins a great storm for Job.  He suffered greatly in his loss but the storm was more than that.  In those days such suffering was seen as punishment for sin.  Job’s friends told him that he needed to repent of whatever sin he had committed so that God would forgive him.

However, Job knew he had not sinned.  His first response was “The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD!” (Job 1:21b).  Job trusted in the Lord.

As time went on, Job struggled to understand.  In the end Job renews his trust in God.”

Why does God allow suffering?  Here I think of Jesus’ words to his disciples in the story of the man born blind, “Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him” (John 9:3).

We can trust God. 

The story of Jesus calming a storm in today’s gospel is not the first time God calmed a storm.  We see it in today’s psalm.  The people faced a storm.  “They cried to the LORD in their distress; from their straits he rescued them.  He hushed the storm to a gentle breeze, and the billows of the sea were stilled.”

God never abandons us.  God is always with us.  God may not take the storms we face away.  Instead He comes to us in our storms.  He knows we cannot bear the storms on our own. 

Jesus came to die for all, “so that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.”

“The love of Christ” that Jesus reveals to us should impel us to follow him.  In accepting our storms, we can witness to the love and trust we have in God.

What storm do you face that terrifies you?

Are you, or someone you know, facing a major health issue?  God is with you.  Do you recognize his presence?  Thinking globally some people wonder how the pharmaceutical companies developed vaccines for COVID so quickly.  I think it was God who guided them.  God is with us.

Maybe you, or someone you know, needs to find a new job.  Do you ask God to get you the job you want or do you ask God what job He wants you to do?

In nine days I move to my new assignment.  Now, I am not terrified by this (it helps that the parish I am going to is my home parish) but I do have concerns.  What has changed since I was last a member of the parish?  How I have changed?  I have my concerns but I know God has a plan.

With me leaving you also face change.  I know some of you are sad that I am going.  Others may not care.  Either way you might all be wondering what the new priest will be like.  I don’t know him so I can’t tell you what he is like.

What I do know is God has a plan for St. Luke’s just as He has a plan for each one of us individually.  Trust in God.  Let him reveal his plan and pray that we all follow his plan as we pray “thy will be done.”

Charles de Foucauld’s Prayer of Abandonment

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In the Lord’s Prayer we pray “thy will be done.” We say it but do we mean it? Are we willing to completely set aside our own will to completely abandon ourselves to God’s Will? I would like to use Charles de Foucauld’s “Prayer of Abandonment” to reflect on our willingness to abandon ourselves to God. First I offer the prayer in its entirety followed by a line by line reflection.

Father,
I abandon myself into your hands;
do with me what you will.
Whatever you may do, I thank you:
I am ready for all, I accept all.
Let only your will be done in me, and in all your creatures
— I wish no more than this, O Lord.
Into your hands I commend my soul;
I offer it to you with all the love of my heart,
for I love you, Lord, and so need to give myself,
to surrender myself into your hands without reserve,
and with boundless confidence, for you are my Father.     
Charles de Foucauld
(as found on https://sistersihmofwichita.org/discernment/discernment-resources/discernment-prayers)

Father
Foucauld begins this prayer by calling God “Father”. It’s one simple word. Everyone has a biological father. Every child should have a good father and have a good relationship with their father. When we call God our Father, we are not praying to God as a distant being who wants us to do things to make him happy. We are not praying to a God who does not care about us. We are praying to God who wants to have a deep relationship with him. God creates us so He can love us and that we may love him in return.

I abandon myself into your hands
We are praying to God who we can trust completely. God’s love for us is absolute. Jesus says, “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). Jesus doesn’t just say this. He gives us the perfect example of this when He lays down his life for us on the Cross. Jesus doesn’t want to have to die. In the garden, He prays to God, calling him “Abba” a deep and intimate term, as He says, “Abba, Father, all things are possible to you. Take this cup away from me, but not what I will but what you will” (Mark 14:36). Jesus ” humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross” (see Philippians 2:8 in 2:5-11). Jesus abandoning himself to our Father’s will brings us salvation. We need to follow the example of Jesus to receive the salvation He offers us.

Do with me what you will.
This is easier said than done. We pray “thy will be done” in the Lord’s Prayer but our own will gets in the way. We want what gives us pleasure now. We may make excuses about special circumstances. Sometimes we make a free and deliberate choice to do what we will rather than what God wills. It is not always easy but in faith we need to trust God who knows what is best.

Whatever you may do, I thank you:
Because we believe that God knows what is best, we should always thank him for what He does for us even if it is not what we want. It is important for us to know the stories in the Bible that reveal to us all the times that God has heard the cry of his people in distress and rescued them.

I am ready for all, I accept all.
All…this is where it gets tough for me. I desire to totally trust God and I want to do his will in all things. However, I struggle to think everything that happens is God’s will. I see things like poverty, racism, abuse, and mass shootings and know these are not his will. Here I think of the line in the Serenity Prayer, “taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it” (see my article reflecting on the Serenity Prayer). It is sad but the reality is not everyone does God’s Will.

Let only your will be done in me, and in all your creatures— I wish no more than this, O Lord.
So, I not only pray that I do God’s Will. I pray that everyone surrenders themselves to do God’s Will. Yet I know I cannot force them. All I can do is offer them God’s Truth, what God says is right and wrong. Then, I must leave it to their choice (see the Parable of the Sentinental (aka watchman) in Ezekiel 3:17-21).

Into your hands I commend my soul
These are not random words. They come from Jesus’ own words as “he breathed his last” on the Cross (Luke 23:46, see also Psalm 31:6). Stephen, the first martyr after Jesus (as well as one of the first deacons) used these words of Jesus as he was stoned to death (Acts 7:59). May we have the heart of Jesus and the same faith as Stephen when we pray (not just say), “into your hands I commend my soul.”

I offer it to you with all the love of my heart
We need to love God with ALL our heart as well as all our mind and soul (see Deuteronomy 6:5). Jesus held nothing back when He gave his life for us on the Cross. We need to give God our all.

For I love you, Lord, and so need to give myself
Yes, the prayer says “need to give myself.” We need to give ourselves totally to God for God knows what is best. Look at all the bad things that happen in the world when people do their own will. Jesus is “the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6).

To surrender myself into your hands without reserve
So, we need to surrender ourselves “without reserve” to God’s Will. This honors the words we pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “thy kingdom come.” We do not build up the Kingdom of God by doing our own will. We help build the Kingdom of God by surrendering ourselves to God’s Will.

And with boundless confidence, for you are my Father.  
We do so with confidence because of the love that God shows for us. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:16-17).

Our God is an awesome God. We place our trust in him.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

It’s Not Always Easy

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Jesus tells us to love our neighbor. It seems like this should be easy but it is not without its difficulties. In loving and caring for others, we make ourselves vulnerable to feeling pain.

It might be from sharing their pain. There is good in sharing their pain. Here I think of the Fifth Station of the Cross where Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry his Cross. We are to help others in their sufferings. There may be times when there seems like there is nothing we can to do to help them. Here I think of the Sixth Station of the Cross where Veronica wipes the face of Jesus. She could not take his cross away from him but she could be there for and with him. Sometimes God just wants us to be there for one another. Sometimes it is exactly what we are supposed to do.

In our efforts to love and care for one another, we might also feel pain when others do not let us help them or listen to what we have to say. It is their choice. Maybe they have help from other people. Maybe they see the situation differently (we need to be sure and listen ourselves to know what is really going on and how they feel). Maybe they aren’t willing to accept help yet. We need to be patient and let the Lord guide us.

We might want to fix everything but it is not for us to do this. Maybe we don’t have the right gifts. God has given the “right gifts” to someone else. When we don’t have the right gifts, we should pray that God connect the person in need with the people who do have the right gifts. Remember, it is God who knows what is best.

There might be times when we feel like we are the one who needs help but we find ourselves consoling others. Here I think of the Eighth Station of the Cross, Jesus Consoles the Women of Jerusalem. Jesus is suffering greatly in his Passion. He could be looking for consolation for himself yet He needs to console the women. Why? Because He trusts in his Father’s plan. He knows that God is using his suffering for good. The women do not understand that. Thus, He consoles them.

When we find ourselves consoling others when we feel we need to be consoled ourselves I think of the line from the Prayer of St. Francis, “O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console” (cf. “Reflecting on the Prayer of St. Francis”).

It can be difficult to face our own pain and suffering. It can be difficult to share in the pain of others. We need to surrender ourselves to Jesus. Here I think of the first four lines of the Serenity Prayer, “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference” (see the full prayer at “The Serenity Prayer”).

We might feel pain in being misunderstand. Jesus faced misunderstanding from even the Jews who did not understand that He was the Messiah and what the Messiah would be like.

When we feel pain, we need to remember the pain that Jesus felt. When we think about Jesus’ pain, we most often think of the physical pain He enduring as He was beaten, mocked, scourged, and crucified. It was not the only pain He faced. Sometimes our greatest pain is when we feel alone. Jesus knows what this is like. In his book, The Passion and the Cross, Fr. Ronald Rolheiser, OMI (Cincinnati: Franciscan Media. 2015), discusses how Jesus was left “alone, misunderstood, lonely, isolated, without support” (4, cf. my full blog article on this book “What Was the Worst Pray of Jesus’ Suffering?).

May we have grace we need through the Holy Spirit to surrender our pains and the pains of others to God our Father through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

11th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B – Homily

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11th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
Ezekiel 17:22-24
Psalm 92:2-3, 13-14, 15-16 (2a)
2 Corinthians 5:6-10
Mark 4:26-34
June 13, 2021

We returned to Ordinary Time right after Pentecost.  However, for the last two Sundays we celebrated two Solemnities, The Most Holy Trinity and the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.

So, today is our first Sunday with Green vestments.  As we celebrate this Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time and we resume reading Mark’s Gospel in order.

We call it “Ordinary Time” but we still celebrate the extraordinary things God does for us.  What God offers us is the Kingdom of God.  Today, Jesus speaks to us in parables about the Kingdom.

In the first parable, Jesus tells us that the Kingdom is like a man who scatters seed on the land and then waits for it to grow without knowing how it grows.  He just knows it does.

God has set a natural order to this world.  Seed is planted.  Then comes the blade, followed by the ear, and finally the grain.  In Jesus’ days, humans did not know the science of how growth occurs.  Today we do.  However, that does not remove God from the picture.  Science just helps us understand the order God has created.

So, it is with the Kingdom of God.  We know of the Kingdom through what God has revealed to us.  However, we may not fully understand it.  Faith involves mystery.  We don’t fully understand the Trinity but we believe in it.  We don’t know how the bread and wine are transubstantiated into the Body and Blood of Jesus but we believe because Jesus says so.

Does this mean we just sit idly by and wait for God to do his thing?

If a farmer wants the best harvest, do they sit idly by?  Do they not fertilize the ground?  In dry areas do they not irrigate the fields with water?

Of course, it is God’s grace that makes the Kingdom of God grow.  We need to open ourselves to his grace.  This means availing ourselves of the Sacraments on a regular basis.  Coming to God is not something we should do just when times are tough.  We need to come each Sunday to open ourselves to God’s grace.  When we sin, we need to avail ourselves of the grace offered in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  God provides the grace for growth but we need to be open to it.

We also need to do our part to share the good news of what God offers us with others.  I believe there are many people out there looking for God.  However, they do not know it is God they seek.  They know something is missing.  They know they do not feel fulfilled.  We need to speak of what God offers to help build up the Kingdom.

Parents (and grandparents) are to share the faith with their children.  We can do the same to friends and others we met.  Here, I point to the imagery in the first reading.  The Lord says He will “tear off a tender shoot and plant it on a high and lofty mountain.”  God wants to spread the faith.  As He strengths the faith within us, He wants us to bear fruit in the good works we do and in sharing the faith with others.

The faith is meant for all (for “birds of every kind”).  We need to allow the Holy Spirit to guide us in sharing it, now more than ever.

Why now?  Because the Coronavirus has depleted our numbers at Mass.  When I say “numbers”, we are talking about people, souls that belong to Christ.  Many people have not returned to Mass.  Will they ever?

What are we to do?

The ministry of reaching out to others has not changed.  Well before there was a Coronavirus, fewer and fewer people were coming to church.  We should have been doing more to reach to them then.  Now, following the effects of the pandemic on who comes to church it just makes it all the more needed.

What are we to do?

It is what recent popes call the “new evangelization.” 

When you hear the word “evangelization” what do you think of?  Do you think of someone standing on a street corner with a sign with Bible verses on it or somebody knocking on your door?

That can be evangelization.  However, properly understand evangelization is sharing faith.  We are all called to share our faith according to our life opportunities.  Parents with children.  Friends with each other. 

Sometimes it begins with something as simple as wearing a piece of jewelry that is an image of our faith.  When I take my walk wearing my collar, sometimes that is enough to get a stranger to start a conversation with me.

God plants a seed of faith within each of us.  May it grow to its fullness.

What is a Missionary Disciple?

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Recently, I have been using Fr. James Mallon’s new book, Divine Renovation Beyond the Parish (Frederick, MD: The Word Among Us Press. 2020) for reflection both on change and leadership. Today, I offer my final article using this book.

In this book, Fr. Mallon focuses on what the church needs to be doing both on a diocesan level as well as the parish level to better fulfill its mission. What about individual parishioners? What are parishioners to do? As a parish what it is we are trying to lead parishioners to (and how can the diocese help)?

The answer is missionary discipleship. We are all called to be disciples of Christ. We are all called to be missionaries in the sense that we are all called to share our Christian faith. Fr. Mallon presents twelve points on what it means to be a missionary disciple (256-258).

Today I would like to reflect on this twelve points. As we reflect on the twelve points, I suspect we may find ourselves not living up to all of them. That is okay. As Fr. Mallon writes at the end of the twelve points, “These qualities do not constitute membership requirements.” Rather, “They are what we aim for” (258). They give us something to set as our goal.

With this is mind, I would like to offer each point in italics followed by a short reflection from me.

“Someone who has a personal relationship with Jesus“
Many Catholics are not comfortable or familiar with the language of having a “personal relationship with Jesus.” Some say that is something Protestants talk about but not Catholics. The reality is that we should all have a personal relationship with Jesus. This is what our faith leads us to. Our interaction with God is not just a matter of showing up for Mass and saying the right words with the right gestures (see my video series Uncovering the Treasures of the Mass). Nor is it simple recitation of prayers and listing our needs. Our faith calls us to dialogue with God, whether it be in our prayers or at Mass. We are called to conversation with God. This leads us to a personal relationship with Jesus.

“Someone who can share their faith and share what God has done in their life with others“
We are called to share our faith. What keeps us from doing it? Perhaps we lack the courage. Why might we lack the courage? It is often as simple as we simply don’t know how to talk about our faith. It’s time to learn. The best way to learn is to begin doing it (with some guidance). Here, small prayer groups (aka Small Christian Communities) can be a place to start. A small group of people gather together, often using some resource material for reflection that includes questions to help us talk about our faith in our everyday lives. In learning how to talk about our faith with this small group, we learn how to express what we believe in our hearts.

“Someone who is open to the gifts of the Holy Spirit“
This might seem like a no-brainer. Of course, we are open to the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Who won’t want the gifts of knowledge, wisdom, understanding, and courage? Someone who does not want to change. If we like things the way they are and don’t want to change, we close ourselves off to these gifts. Otherwise, we might realize we need to change.

“Someone who has a knowledge of the Scriptures
Someone who knows basic theology“
Do you know much about the Bible or basic theology? Many don’t. When we don’t know much, it can keep us from sharing our faith. We can’t share knowledge that we don’t have. However, as Fr. Mallon writes, “When people fall in love with Jesus, the demonstrate a hunger to get to know him and the richness of our Catholic faith” (257). We hunger for more. That hunger leads us to seek more knowledge of the Scriptures and our Catholic theology. God will provide for Jesus says in the fourth Beatitude, “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied” (Matthew 5:6).

“Someone who is working toward a daily prayer life“
We need to pray. Paul tells us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17, cf. Luke 18:1-14). It might seem impossible to have the type of prayer life that God calls us to. God doesn’t expect to develop a perfect prayer life overnight. However, God does expect us to be “working toward” it. Start with a short prayer each day. Then, add a little more from time to time.

“Someone who experiences real Christian Community“
Why do we need “real Christian Community”? Didn’t I say before that we need a “personal relationship with Jesus.” Why do we need community? Because we need to be there for one another. Jesus did not call one disciple. He called a community of disciples so that we can work together, uniting our gifts as the Body of Christ. We don’t have to do proclaim the gospel on our own. We aren’t supposed to. We are supposed to work together.

“Someone who demonstrates a commitment to weekly Sunday Eucharist:
I emphasis weekly because coming to Mass is not something just for when we are having a hard time dealing with suffering. We are to come every week to be strengthened in receiving the Body and Blood of Jesus. With this strength, we are better able to keep Jesus’ commandments, to love our neighbors, and to proclaim the gospel.

“Someone who celebrates the Sacrament of Reconciliation with some regularity”
If we are to receive the Eucharist, we need to be worthy. When we commit mortal sin we are not worthy but Jesus gives us the means for him to make us worthy. Jesus gives us the Sacrament of Reconciliation so we can confess our sins and receive his forgiveness. With the Eucharist, we go weekly. With reconciliation, Fr. Mallon says, “with some regularity.” When was the last time you went to Confession? If you have to think before you answer, maybe it has been too long. How often do we need to go? As often as one commits mortal sin.

“Someone who can pray spontaneously out loud when asked without having a heart attack“
Are you scared by the thought of someone asking you to offer a spontaneous prayer? Practice makes perfect. Perhaps this too is a good thing to learn in a small Christian community.

“Someone who sees their life as a mission field“
If we are going to be missionary disciples, then we have to have a plan to live out the mission. Who can you share the faith with? Family? friends? Co-workers? One might say, “Oh, I am not allowed to talk about my faith at work” or “my family doesn’t want to hear it.” That may be true. While you may not be able to talk about our faith in explicit words, you can always act according to our faith. Treat others well. Be patient. Don’t get angry. In doing so, you show love, love that comes from God.

“Someone who serves in some capacity within or outside the parish according to their gifts”
God has given you gifts. What are you good at? How can you use them to help other people? Do you have the gift of music? Then offer to help with the music at Mass. Do you like to cook? How about helping at a soup kitchen? How about helping with serving food at the soup kitchen? How about helping to clean the church? Are you homebound? Then, how about a ministry of praying for your parish?

Which of these twelve points is your strongest? Which is your weakest? Which one is God calling you to work on now?

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

I Hope to be a Good Leader

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Those who have been reading my recent articles on change know that I recently read Fr. James Mallon’s new book, Divine Renovation Beyond the Parish (Frederick, MD: The Word Among Us Press. 2020). Today, I would like to use some thoughts from his book to reflect on leadership.

Being a good leader is not always easy but it is important. I believe God has placed people with the necessary gifts in every parish for parishes to fulfill what God asks of them. Fr. James Mallon writes, “Leadership is the gift and discipline that, if done well, unleashes all other gifts” (140). We need good leaders to draw out the gifts already present within our parishes.

Fr. Mallon speaks both of leaders who are “bottle-neckers” and “bottle openers.” Bottle-neckers are those who “work from a command-and-control model” (141). They “centralize everything around themselves, micromanage others, and control information flow and decision-making” (141). I hope I am not a bottle-necker but sometimes I wonder how I come across. I do not want to centralize everything around me. I don’t want the attention. I want God to be at the center. I do not want to micromanage. However, I do like to know what is going on and I worry about that leading to the perception that I micromanage. I want to know what it going on so that I can do everything I can to help. I value communicate, not to control, but to help each other. What is needed is balance.

I would like to be a bottle-opener. Fr. James Mallon’s writes, “Bottle-opening leaders, in contrast, raise up other leaders, affirm their gifts, and invest in others by giving of their time, experience, and support. The goal is that others might bear even more fruit” (141). I definitely try to invest in others as I try to help others do their jobs well. I hope that the way in which I do this doesn’t seem like I am trying to control everything. As Fr. James Mallon writes, “While there is certainly a time for leaders to step in and correct the decisions of team members, leaders who empower others recognize that simply because somebody approaches a problem or strategic goal differently than you, it does not mean their approach is wrong” (158). There are ways certain things must be done. For example, in our Catholic Church, we have prescribed rituals for the way we celebrate Sacraments. It is not for us to reinvent the Sacraments but perhaps there are ways to help people better understand and appreciate what we do.

Fr. Mallon presents two types of leadership (143). The first is positional (meaning authority that comes with an assigned position). The priest in charge of a parish has this type of leadership. There are times when a leader must make decisions using their positional leadership. However, we should seek to lead in a way that builds trust. Here, Fr. Mallon speaks of “character leadership”. “Authentic leadership forges relationship, fosters loyal, and inspires people to action” (143). “Character leadership is trust based rather than fear based” (145).

The scribes in Jesus’ days on earth had positional authority. However, Mark 1:22 would suggest they did not demonstrate character leadership. Jesus has positional leadership as the Son of God. Yet the people saw something more in him, “The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes” (Mark 1:22).

Leaders need to be leading us towards something. It is not enough to have an agenda for today if there is no vision for tomorrow (Fr. Mallon, 150, cf. my article “Hopes and Dreams”). Are we not more willing to follow a leader when we have some idea where they are going?

Management alone focuses on maintaining what we have now. “Authentic leadership mobilizes people” (Fr. Mallon, 171) for mission (cf. my article “Maintenance & Mission”). In developing a mission for the future, I believe leaders need to consult the people who know the parish. A good leader seeks input from those who work for them (see Fr. Mallon, 152).

Good leadership requires listening. How else can one have the necessary input? Here Fr. Mallon writes, “Patrick Lencioni talks about a “good” meeting consisting of one-third advocacy and two-thirds inquiry. Advocacy is about advancing your ideas and arguing for them in discussion with other team members” (181, italics my emphasis) while “Inquiry, on the other hand, is about shutting up and listening…Using inquiry, we ask questions of the person, to clarify her position, rather than attack her argument” (182). Honestly, the specific one-third advocacy/two-thirds inquiry is new to me so I have to think about the ratio some. What I do know is that when I come out of a meeting and feel like I have done all the talking, I wonder if I have accomplished anything. Was I just dictating what I wanted or was I genuinely seeking input?

Did I even give people a chance to offer their perspective? It’s not just one meeting I am concerned with. Perhaps there are some meetings where the leader needs to focus on making something clear. On the other hand, if people do not try to offer their perspective, the problem may not be in that one particular meeting. Perhaps the leader has built an environment where people do not feel their perspective is not welcome so they don’t even try. I hope I don’t do that (see Fr. Mallon, 232).

Am I the perfect leader? I could only wish. I pray that I am the leader that God wants me to be. Ultimately, it is God’s Will that I seek. Sometimes, God will tell us what his will is through others. We need to listen.

Please pray that I become a good leader. Pray for all who lead to follow the Father’s Will.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

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The Most Holy Body and Blood of C, Year B
Exodus 24:3-8
Psalm 116:12-13, 15-16, 17-18 (13)
Hebrews 9:11-15
Mark 14:12-16, 22-26
June 6, 2021

Today we celebrate the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.  In the Eucharist, it is truly Jesus we receive.  It begins as bread and wine but it is changed, it is transubstantiated into the Body and Blood of Jesus.

Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist.

How do we know this?

It is Jesus’ own words at the Last Supper that tell us this.  “While they were eating, he took bread…this is my body.”  “Then he took a cup…This is my blood of the covenant.”   

Jesus does not tell us to use the bread and wine as an image.  He tells us that it is his Body and Blood.  Later this summer we will hear from Jesus’ Bread of Life discourse in John’s gospel.  There Jesus speaks of our need for the Eucharist.

The Eucharist is Jesus’ gift to us.  With both the bread and wine as his Body and Blood, the gospel says He “gave it to them.”

Why did Jesus use bread and wine?  They were both part of the Passover celebration.

Bread is a basic symbol of life.  Our physical bodies cannot live with physical food.  Likewise, our souls need spiritual food.  Jesus gives us food for our souls in receiving the Eucharist as his Body.  We become what we receive.

In ancient times, wine was made from the first fruits of the harvest.  Seen as a gift from God, wine played a key role in liturgical celebrations, including the Passover that Jesus celebrated at the Last Supper.

At the core of the Eucharist is receiving the Body and Blood of Jesus but there is more to what we celebrate in the Eucharist.

At the Passover, the Jews sacrificed a lamb.  Today, in our celebration of the Eucharist, we offer a sacrifice.  Jesus becomes the paschal lamb that is sacrificed for our sins.  It is Jesus’ Blood that is “shed for many.” 

Sacrifice is not a popular word today.  Some people are more concerned about themselves than others.  Thus, they do not see value in making a sacrifice.  The idea of liturgical sacrifice may seem antiquated.  One’s thoughts here might focus on ancient sacrifices offered to appease “the gods”.  Others may think of the Jewish sacrifices but say we don’t do that anymore. 

Indeed, we do not offer animal sacrifices anymore.  Jesus changed that but He did not do away with sacrifices.  He replaced the sacrifices of old with his own sacrifice on the Cross.

We are called to make sacrifices.  In what way can we offer sacrifices?  Maybe there has been a time in your life when you turned down a great job opportunity because it was not good for your family.  That is a sacrifice.

Maybe you give up something “extra” and give what you would have spent to support the needs of the poor.  That can be a sacrifice.

The Coronavirus has turned the world upside down.  We can say it, as well as the precautions, were forced upon us or we can accept the precautions as a sacrifice for a greater good.  For instance, we have been wearing facemasks for over a year to protect the health not just of ourselves but for others.  (Our wearing a mask can do more to protect others than ourselves).  We continue to wear masks for a greater good.

Jesus’ sacrifice brings forgiveness, it brings reconciliation.  It reunites us.  With this and in receiving Jesus’ Body and Blood, the Eucharist is a Sacrament of unity that brings us together.  We should never be divided in the celebrating the Eucharist.  We are to be one body in Christ.  We are called to make sacrifices for one another.

Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross as a historical event happened 2,000 years ago.  What we celebrate today is a memorial.  In our faith, a “memorial” is not just a historical reenactment of an event.  As we celebrate the Eucharist, God makes present in a way only God can, the sacrifice of Jesus.  An altar is a place of sacrifice.  Jesus sacrificed his life for us.

His sacrifice is “not with the blood of goats and calves but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.”

Here we do well to ask ourselves the question presented by today’s psalm, “How shall I make a return to the LORD for all the good he has done for me?”

Jesus shed his blood to form a new covenant with us.  To make a return to the Lord for this, we do well to look at what the people said in the Exodus as God formed a covenant with them from the blood of the animals.

Moses “related all the words and ordinances of the LORD.”  What was the response of the people?  They said not once but twice, “We will do everything that the LORD has told us.”

Jesus died for us.  Should we not listen to what He has taught us?  Should we not live as He taught us?

This may mean sacrifice.  It may mean giving up things we find pleasurable but aren’t really good for us.  We do this not simply in obligation, feeling we owe it to the Lord (we do).  We are to do it with love in our hearts that comes from God’s love for us.

There is much division in the world.  We need unity.  We need to come together to do God’s will.  Seeking the strength we need, we continue to celebrate the Eucharist.  We give thanks for the Body and Blood of Christ that is offered to us.

Resistance to Change

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Since it was announced that I will be moving to a new assignment, I have written several articles related to change. The first one, “The Next Change”, started with the saying “change is inevitable.” For me, change almost seems a regular part of life. Yet, we can be resistant to change.

Why are we resistant to change if it is inevitable? I addressed this question in my article, “Why is Change Difficulty?” Change can be positive. If we are unhappy with the way things are, we might look forward to change. However, we may still not embrace change. Fr. Mallon offers this thought on our openness to change, “I’m reminded of a cartoon in which a man asked a group of people, “Who wants change?” All of the hands went up. Then he asked, “Who wants to change?” And not a single hand was raised” (Divine Renovation Beyond the Parish. Frederick, MD: The Word Among Us Press. 2020, page 67).

Why do we resist change even when we might want it? I think a key reason is that change brings uncertainty. As long as we stick to what we have, we know what to expect. Seeking security, we, at least I, want to have things all planned out. However, it doesn’t work that way. God knows what the future will bring. In Jeremiah 29:11 we read, “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.” God has a plan. We need to trust in his plan.

We must be willing to change ourselves if we expect things around us to change. Fr. Mallon writes, “I have heard it said that all organizations and systems are perfectly designed to get the results they are presently getting. If this is true, then we must ask ourselves the following question: “Are we happy with the results we are presently getting”” (97).

As I write this, I wonder if someone is thinking I might one of those people who want to change everything. I am not one of them. As I look forward to my new assignment at St. Mary’s of the Lake and St. Benedict’s, I am not looking for change. I am looking to see if we are doing God’s will and doing it to the best of our abilities. If we are, then change is not necessary.

I can be one of those people who wants to have things all planned out. However, we should not let our desire for a plan keep us from acting now to fulfill our mission. As Fr. Mallon writes, “Rescue people first, and then figure out the rest” (86). As I just typed this quote, I thought of people who seem to have no plan at all and shoot from the hip. I’m not one of those people either. As I said before, God has a plan. If we shoot from the hip, we may simply be following our own way. When we pray with God and dialogue with others, we open ourselves to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Once again, balance is needed. Here it is balance between immediate action when needed and long-term vision so we know where it is God is leading us.

Yet, change can still seem difficult. We like the familiar. Here Fr. Mallon writes “As the British economist John Maynard Keynes once said, “The difficultly lies, not in the new ideas, but in escaping from the old ones” (105). Are you ready to let go of the past to move towards the brighter future God has planned for you?

As I prepare to change assignments, I find myself in an in-between place, both looking forward and still wondering about what more I can do in my present assignment before I leave. This “in-between place” can be a place of uncertainty. Fr. Mallon offers this image, “When you take a transatlantic journey on a ship, there is a certain moment when you lose sight of where you came from, and you cannot see the shores of your destination yet. Centuries ago, this part of ship’s journey was the most dangerous part” (176-177). Even now, in our modern world, I think the most feared time in change can be this in-between time. We get things moving in the right direction but we find it difficult to make it to the next level.

Change takes efforts. No pain, no gain.

Much of what I have written about change so far focuses on our own perception of the change. We must also consider how other people perceive the change. Some will welcome change. Some will resist it. For those who resist it, they do so for different reasons. Some may think things are great the way they are and so there is no need for change. We must respect that. Others make like what is proposed but, for all the reasons against change that I have already spoken of, be fearful of change. There are still others who don’t want change just because it takes effort and they want to only do the bare minimum. We are not going to make everyone happy. What we can do is to try and meet people where they are at and offer a vision for the future. We pray that our vision be what God wants.

Remember what Jesus prayed in the garden before his arrest, “Abba, Father, all things are possible to you. Take this cup away from me, but not what I will but what you will” (Mark 14:36).

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Maintenance & Mission

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Four weeks from today I will be moving to my new assignment at St. Mary’s of the Lake and St. Benedict’s. As I prepare to lead them, I continue to reflect on what it is that God calls us to. As I think about what God calls us to, I think we find an answer in the gospel reading we just heard on Trinity Sunday. Jesus says, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” God wants us to share the gospel with the world.

In “Hopes and Dreams“, I wrote about some of my thinking on this. Ultimately, our goal is to lead people to God, to “make disciples of all nations.”   The question is “how do we do this?”. We can spend a lot of time looking for the silver bullet, the “program” that will bring everyone to church and do it quickly.

We, at least I, want to see the fruit of our labor quickly. I am know I am not alone is this as Fr. James Mallon writes, “Sometimes, however, we desire fruit so much that we rush and try to make things happen right away. That is what happened to me as a leader working toward parish renewal. I was not particularly interested in changing structures, systems, or cultures; I did not know anything about that. I just wanted fruit” (Divine Renovation Beyond the Parish. Frederick, MD: The Word Among Us Press. 2020, page 16). Yes, we seek fruit and the time to act is now. However, we need to act in a way that sees the big picture. We need to invest our efforts for the long haul while acting in the moment.

To do this we need to think about our goal, to lead people to God. It is not a matter of what we want from the people. It is what we want for them, to know God (see Mallon, 16). In the former, what we want from the people, we focus on maintaining the church as we know it. In the latter, what we want for the people. We need to move from maintenance to mission. Fr. James Mallon writes, “While maintenance focuses on feeding the sheep we do have, mission focuses on reaching those outside the flock, A mission-focused Church is concerned with the needs, hopes, sorrows, joys, and eternal destiny of all men and women-especially those furthest from Christ and his Church” (14).

We need to work on our mission. However, in doing so, we must never neglect maintaining what we have. In fact, by strengthening the faith of the people we already have in our parishes, we are strengthened in our ability to reach out to those who do not come. We need to balance maintenance and mission for “both are essential” (Fr. Mallon, 14). We also need to consider our priorities in choosing our next steps. For instance, when I arrive at St. Mary’s/St. Mary’s, I need to take the time working with the staff, councils, and parishioners to see what they are already doing well at and where their weaknesses are. Only then, can we discern what the next steps are.

In terms of maintenance, we must also think about what it is we are talking about maintaining. Is it the structures, the finances, and buildings of the parish? Or is it the faith of the people in our parish? The former, structures and finances, can become an “ecclesial vampire” (Fr. Mallon, 28), draining our energy. However, when we direct our efforts to “maintaining” the faith of the people (which includes caring for our physical resources), we can be spiritually fed ourselves when we see them grow in faith.

Again, it is what we want for the people, not from them (see also Fr. Mallon, 39). Yes, we want our parishioners to be an active part in our ministries. However, we want them to do so not simply out of obligation but because they feel a sense of belonging and want to work together to lead people to God (see my article “A Question to Ponder”).

We live in a world that no longer sees Christian values as foundational to its existence (see my March article “We Need to See as God Sees”). Seeing the values of the world as different than our own, it may be tempting to withdraw ourselves in isolation to protect ourselves (see Fr. Mallon, 44). We need to ask God to give us the courage to visibly live out our faith in the world. This is a vital part of what it means to witness to our faith. We must visibly live our faith if we expect others to come to know Jesus.

Thus, instead of isolating ourselves, what we need to do is build bridges (see also Fr. Mallon, 45). I remember the last the construction project I worked on as an engineer was a bridge that was over a small gorge. The width of the gorge was less than 100 feet. However, it was 90 feet down to the bottom of the gorge. There was no way to cross the gorge without a bridge.

We can use this image to understand what we need to do. On one side, we have secular society that is surrendering itself to relativism where there is no truth. On the other side, we have our Christian faith. We need to bridge the two, not for us to cross to relativism but rather to lead others to Christ.

We need to reach out to them. This is not an easy task. They often don’t want to listen and it is not for us to force them to. What did Jesus do? He did not establish an office and wait for people to come to him. He went out to them (see Fr. Mallon, 56, 82). This can seem difficult. I do not want to be the one going from house to house, knocking on doors to talk to people about Jesus. I don’t expect everyone to literally do that. What we do need to do is to be visible in our communities as people who believe and live our faith. We need to show we care about the people around us. We need to be a faith community that is part of the general community around us. It includes serving the poor. It can be in helping our neighbors who are not able to do everything for themselves. It can be in promoting the dignity of all life from the beginning at conception to its natural end in this world at death (see my video series, Treating Life with Dignity and Love). Do not be afraid. No one person has to do everything. God just asks each of us to do our part, allowing God to bring it all together.

One final word for this article. Lately, I have been written a lot about this sense of mission because the thoughts I express flow naturally from what is going on in my life, namely preparing to move to a new parish. In a sense, in these articles, I am thinking out loud. I know several of you are reading this article are members of St. Luke’s parish that I am leaving. You have one perspective. Other readers are parishioners of St. Mary’s/St. Ben’s where I am going. You may read this wondering what I am going to change. Do not be afraid. It is not my goal to change stuff. Things may change but I wait for God to lead us. Still other readers are members of neither parish who have another perspective.

I have written more than intended. I hope it is what God wants. I hope these articles are of benefit to you to know where God is leading you. May we all do what the Lord asks of us to lead people to him.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

The Visitation of Mary

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Today (May 31st), we celebrate the Feast of the Visitation of Mary. One might wonder why this feast falls at this time of year. We are in Ordinary Time. However, yesterday, for our Sunday Mass we celebrated the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity as we do each year the first Sunday after Pentecost. Next Sunday we will celebrate the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ as we do each year on the second Sunday after Pentecost.

So, does the timing of today’s feast relate to Pentecost? No. In fact, it relates to Christmas. To understand this, we need to reflect on what it is that we celebrate in Mary’s Visitation. Mary had just learned (Luke 1:26-38) from the angel Gabriel that she had been chosen to be the mother of Jesus. Jesus is conceived in her womb. She is pregnant. Gabriel also told her that her relative Elizabeth had conceived “in her old age.” The child in Elizabeth’s womb is John the Baptist.

Hearing this news, Mary goes to Elizabeth, a journey of about 80 miles. She does not go to boast of herself as the mother of Jesus. She goes to share her joy with Elizabeth who is also pregnant by the grace of God.

What does this have to do with the timing of today’s feast of the Visitation (Luke 1:39-56)? From what scripture tells us, we know the visitation happened when both Mary and Elizabeth were pregnant. We celebrate Jesus’ birth on December 25th. Nine months before that, March 25th, we celebrate the Annunciation, when Jesus was conceived in Mary’s womb. We celebrate the Birth of John the Baptist on June 24th. That means the Visitation must have happened between March 25th and June 24th. Knowing the 80 mile journey would have taken some time in that day, we celebrate the Visitation on May 31st.

It is a feast rich with meaning. In addition to what I have already said, it is also a feast that speaks to us today of life in the womb. When Mary arrived at Elizabeth’s house, John the Baptist leaped in his mother’s womb at the presence of Jesus in Mary’s womb. If both John the Baptist and Jesus were not “alive” in their mothers’ wombs, how could John have reacted in this way? Life begins at conception.

This feast is also a lesson in humility. Mary did not seek honor for herself in being chosen as the mother of Jesus. She was joyful and she shared her joy with Elizabeth. When Elizabeth praised Mary, Mary gave glory to God, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior. For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed. The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.“

Mary knew she held a special place as the Mother of Jesus. She knew this is nothing something she did for herself. She knew it was God who did “great things” for her. She gave the glory to God. We do well to follow her example, giving glory to God for what He has done in us.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff