The Most Holy Trinity, Year B – Homily

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The Most Holy Trinity, Year B
Deuteronomy 4:32-34, 39-40
Psalm 33:4-5, 6, 9, 18-19, 20, 22 (12b)
Romans 8:14-17
Matthew 28:16-20
May 30, 2021

Today we celebrate the Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  They are three persons yet one God.  This can be difficult for us to understand.  That’s why we call it a mystery.  It is not so much a mystery to be solved as something we accept in faith. 

The relationship between the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and what they do is an important part of our Creed.

The word “trinity” is not found in the Bible.  However, the need for all three persons of the Trinity is found in Jesus’ own words when He tells his disciples to “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.” 

Jesus does not say to simply baptize in his name.  Nor does He say to do it only in the Father’s name or the Holy Spirit.  We need all three.

We may not fully understand but we do believe.

In doing so, we are like the early disciples, who when they saw the risen Jesus, “worshipped but they doubted.”

They had doubt because they did not understand all that had happened.  They saw Jesus risen but still struggled to understand.  While they had doubt, they believed, and so they gave worship. 

To worship is to give praise and honor to God.

We come to give worship this morning.  We praise and thank God for the good things He has done for us.  It doesn’t mean our lives are perfect.  It doesn’t mean we understand everything that is going on in our lives. 

Sometimes “worship” can seem like something we do to satisfy the rules.  We do the same thing over and over.  Worship is more than just a logistical act of doing something to please God.  Our worship to God is part of our relationship with him.

With that in mind, how would you describe God?

Do you think of God in terms of what He has done?  God is the creator of the world and all that is on it, including us.

God is the one who took his people the Israelites “from the midst of another nation” (Egypt).

God is the one who sent his Son Jesus to die for us. 

God did these things because He seeks a relationship with us.  He does this because He loves us.

Likewise, as Moses reminded the people, “You must keep his statutes and commandments.”  We do so not just because they are God’s rules.  We do so knowing God loves us and, loving him back, we trust him.

We are not slaves of God.  We are not just royal subjects of God.

No, as Paul writes, we, “led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” 

How is it that we are children of God? 

Because God chooses to bestow “a Spirit of adoption” upon us.  God chooses us to be his children.  God does not make this choice because of what we have done.  God chooses to make us his children because He loves us.

Today we celebrate the Most Holy Trinity.  It is a relationship of three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, united in a perfect unity. 

Through the Spirit of adoption that we receive, God invites us into divine relationship.

We live in an imperfect world.  In the world we see broken trust and injustice.  In God we find justice and give our lives to the one who is completely trustworthy.

In this world, we face suffering.  We do not suffer alone.  We suffer with Christ who embraced the suffering of his Passion for us.  In sharing in his suffering, “we may also be glorified with him.”

I asked earlier how you would describe God. 

I answered before speaking of God as our creator.  I spoke of God as the one who rescued his people from slavery in Egypt.  I spoke of Jesus as the one who died for us.

These events are matters of the mind, meaning they are part of our history.  However, they are more than just matters of the mind.

They are matters of the heart.  They speak of God’s love for us.  God cares for us.  God is our Father.  So, Jesus is our brother who dies for us.  Together, they send the Holy Spirit to bring us into relationship with them.

We may face suffering.  We may have doubts.  Still, we worship because we trust in Jesus’ words, “I am with you always.”

What Does It Mean to Serve the People?

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In my last article, “Hopes and Dreams”, I spoke of helping people and leading people to Jesus. In my past article, “What Sort of Church Should We Be?”, I spoke of serving the people. Today I would like to write about what it means to “serve” the people.

In serving the people, what we need to ask ourselves what help do their need? Service it is not about catering to what people want. For instance, many people have their favorite time to go to Mass. In the past, when there was both more people attending Mass and more priests, there were more Masses, not simply for the convenience of people but because that more Masses were needed to have room for everyone. Today, with fewer people attending, we don’t need so many Masses. Yet, people get upset if “their” Mass is the one eliminated. It is not an easy decision to reduce the number of Masses. We must consider factors that start with priest availability but go beyond that. For instance, some people like the Saturday night Mass to begin as early as possible so they can get to the restaurant for dinner afterwards before everyone else. That is a want. However, I know of people who work both Saturday and Sunday during the day. They only opportunity to attend Mass is Saturday night. If Mass is at 4 pm, they can’t get there in time. So, a later Mass time is a need for them.

When considering the needs of the people, we must ask ourselves do people always realize what they are asking for. In Luke 11:9-13, Jesus speaks of giving a snake when one asks for a fish. In Jesus’ days on Earth, there was a deadly snake that looked like a fish. A person might ask for it thinking it was something good when it was not. We might ask for something today, thinking it was something good, only to find out it was bad for us.

We should listen to what the people have to say. If they ask for something bad, then we need to help them understand why it is bad. At the heart of this is Truth. Many people do not like to be told what to do. However, if we truly love the people and want the best for them, we must be truthful about what God teaches us. We must not judge but we need to help them understand God’s teaching. For us to do this for them, we must pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit who has guided the Church for 2,000 years to know what to say.

We must also remember that to serve others, we must be willing to make sacrifices. Jesus was willing to sacrifice his life for us. A parent makes sacrifices for their child. Spouses make sacrifices for each other. In faith, we can be called to make sacrifices for people we don’t even know. For example, during the Coronavirus, we make a sacrifice in wearing a facemask and practicing social distancing for the health of not just ourselves but for others. In fact, when we wear our own facemask, it is more effective in protecting the other person than ourselves.

In seeking to help others, we also need to realize that helping others does not necessarily mean doing everything for them. If we are helping an elderly neighbor mow their lawn, we might need to mow the whole lawn for them. However, if our neighbor is young and health but cannot afford a lawnmower, we might best help them by helping them get their own lawnmower rather than mowing their lawn for them.

In my previous article, “Hopes and Dreams”, I said money and buildings are not the most important thing. The people must come first. This doesn’t mean money and buildings aren’t important. In fact, part of serving the people is to use what resources, whether it be money or buildings wisely to enable us to do the greatest good. If we do not use our resources wisely, we will not be able to help as many people. To serve the people and serve God we need to be good stewards with the time, talent, and treasure that people give to the church. Here, I would like to mention a comment by Rick Warren included by Fr. James Mallon, “Don’t use people to raise up your church; rather, use your church to raise up people” (Divine Renovation Beyond the Parish. Frederick, MD: The Word Among Us Press. 2020, page 241).

In closing, I would like to refer to what Fr. James Mallon says about “accommodation” (42-43). He tells of a conversation he had with a man who had stopped coming to church. The man spoke to him of how the church needed to change. Fr. Mallon responded by asking the man if the church did change its stance on the issues they discussed, would he come back to church. The man thought about it and said no. We need to adapt where appropriate to the needs of the people but we do not serve them best by simply accommodating, giving them what they ask for. We serve best when we do God’s will.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Hopes and Dreams

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As preparations continue for me to transition to St. Mary’s of the Lake and St. Benedict’s at the end of June, a couple of people from there have asked me about my “hopes and dreams” for the parish. It is both an understandable and a good question. However, at this time I do not have an answer specific to St. Mary’s/St. Ben’s. While I know the parish as the church I attended before entering seminary, I do not know what the strengths and weaknesses are of the churches today. Thus, I want to go with an open mind and no specific set plan.

Does that mean I do not have any “hopes and dreams”? Of course not. I hope to help people come closer to Jesus. I hope to help the parishioners engage in the life of the parish (see my article from last week “A Question to Ponder” about what it means to belong to a parish). I also think of how we used to live in a society where Christian values were fundamental to the values of general society. Today we find ourselves in a society that is losing its Christian foundation. This changes how we interact with the world (see my March 2021 article “We Need to See as God Sees”). While we may find conflict between our Catholic values and those of the world, we must continue to love all people as God’s children. As Fr. James Mallon writes, “We will not be effective channels of God’s love to the world if we are angry at the world” (Divine Renovation Beyond the Parish. Frederick, MD: The Word Among Us Press. 2020, page 59).

Returning to the question of “hopes and dreams”, it is important for us to have “hopes and dreams” for a better world. We need something to inspire us, something to strive for. For example, how many people have been inspired by Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

Thus, it is important to have a vision of what we seek to do (ultimately, God’s will). The implementation of a vision is dependent on the current life of a parish. What are its strengths and weaknesses? What opportunities are there for growth and what threats (challenges) stand in the way of growth? This is not for me to decide alone. It requires input from staff, councils, and parishioners.

I wrote above about how our Christian morals are no longer foundational for secular society today. We have moved from a time when our faith shaped the world to a time when the secular world is shaping what people think our church should believe. Some people think that our Catholic Church teaching is outdated and in need of updating. What we need to do help people understand not just what our Church teaches but why (see my 2020 article “Answering Those Who Think Faith is Irrelevant”).

In creating a vision of our hopes and dreams, it is important, even necessary, for us to ask ourselves what of Church should we be. I wrote an article on this very question almost four years ago. I think what I wrote still applies for my general vision of what the Church should be. As Pope Paul VI wrote in Evangelii Nuntiandi describing the Church, “She exists in order to evangelize” (14).

Does what I wrote in this article this mean money isn’t important? No, the money funds our ministry of evangelization to share the gospel. I will give the time needed to care for the finances and administration of the parish (included in this is good communication). However, money is not the point. Leading people to Jesus is. That being said, if we lead those already attending church to a deeper relationship with God and they will strengthen their support in giving of their time, talent, and treasure. We must also seek to evangelize those not coming to church to a relationship with Jesus. If we are successful in doing this, they too will give of their time, talent, and treasure to support our mission.

Likewise, we can spend a lot of time caring for our buildings. Our church buildings are important. A beautiful church can help people see the beauty of God. I will give proper time to the buildings. However, the buildings are not more important than the people.

I ended my article, “What Sort of Church Should We Be?, with a list of five areas churches should focus on. Before commenting the five areas, a brief word about priorities. These five areas are not of equal importance. This is where I need to learn the current strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of each church. These shape the priorities.

The first of the five areas in the article is faith formation. Our faith formation programs for our children and youth are very important. I am already in dialogue with the staff at St. Mary’s/St. Ben’s to ensure these programs continue. Faith formation for adults is also a vital part of evangelization. I understand that St. Mary’s/St. Ben’s already has some opportunities for this. I will be adding my own part here, hoping to offer presentations/discussions on various aspects of our faith (see http://www.renewaloffaith.org/what-s-new.html on my website to see links to recordings of recent presentations I have done).

The second area in my list of five is Eucharistic Adoration. I am happy to know that St. Mary’s/St. Ben’s already has Adoration on the First Fridays of the month. I will encourage people to use this as an opportunity for prayer.

The third area in my list is Small Christian Communities. Here, I have to admit I have not started this in any parish, partly because of time, and partly I have been uncertain exactly what format these groups should take. I think St. Mary’s/St. Ben’s has some history with this. I will pray that the Holy Spirit help us build upon this.

The fourth area is welcoming presence. I remember when I attended St. Mary’s/St. Ben’s being greeted each Sunday at the door with a warm smile. This is important. How do we welcome people into the life of the parish beyond one hour of worship at Mass on Sunday?

The last of the five areas in my article is use of social media and the web to share the faith. St. Mary’s/St. Ben’s already has a parish website and a Facebook page. May the Holy Spirit guide us to use these well in our mission to proclaim the gospel.

I hope this article has begun to share a vision of my hopes and dreams. I end by inviting everyone to pray for all parishes who are preparing for a change in priests and parish leadership.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Pentecost – Homily

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Pentecost, Year B
Acts 2:1-11
Psalm 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34 (32)
1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13
John 20:19-23
May 23, 2021

Fifty days ago we celebrated Easter.  Easter is the most important day of the year (Christmas is #2). 

Today, we celebrate the third most important day of the year, Pentecost.  On this day we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the first disciples.

Easter begins our Easter Season, a season in which we especially focus on the Resurrection.  Pentecost brings the Easter Season to a close.  Like so many other days on our liturgical calendar, the date is not randomly picked.

We see this in the very first line of todays’ first reading, “When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled.”  This was the day chosen by God.

The first Easter occurred at the time when Jews were celebrating the Passover.  The first Christian Pentecost fell at the time of the Jewish Pentecost. 

The word “Pentecost” means fifty days.  The Jews celebrated their own Pentecost (Sukkot), fifty days after the Passover.  It was an important feast for them but not about the Holy Spirit.  For us as Christians, Pentecost is the reception of the Holy Spirit. 

How did the Holy Spirit arrive?  As a strong driving wind.  With the wind, think of how God breathed life into Adam (Genesis 2:7).  The Holy Spirit renews life within us.

The Holy Spirit was seen as coming down upon the disciples as “tongues of fire.” Remember how God appeared to Moses in the burning bush (Exodus 3:1-6).

Why “tongues”?  Tongues is a term we sometimes used to describe how we speak (what language).  Coming down as tongues of fire, the Holy Spirit opened communication between the nations.

Do you remember the story of the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9)?  Until then, the whole world spoke the same language.  The people tried to make themselves great by building a tower to the top of the sky.  For their pride, God confused their language so they could not understand one another.  What sin lead to, the Holy Spirit changed, renewing the people to be able to understand one another.

When you are trying to talk to another person about our Catholic faith, do you ever feel like you are speaking different languages because you don’t understand one another?

The Holy Spirit came with the gift of tongues not to lead us to speak in non-understandable sounds but to no longer be hindered by different languages to speak “of the mighty acts of God.”

As Paul writes to the Corinthians, “No one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.”  The Holy Spirit empowers us to speak of Jesus.

Why did Jesus breathe the Holy Spirit on his disciples?

The Lord sends out his Spirit to renew the face of the earth.

We receive the fruits of the Holy Spirit, fruits like “peace.”  It is the Holy Spirit that gives us the grace to see past the sufferings in this world to know the peace of God.

It is the Holy Spirit who gives us “different kinds of spiritual gifts…different forms of service…different works.”  No single person is given all the gifts.  We are not given these gifts simply to suit our own needs. 

We are given the Holy Spirit to unite us.  Next week we will celebrate the solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, a perfect unity.  The Holy Spirit comes to help us share in the unity that we see between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 

We are many people but we are one body in Christ.  We each have different gifts but when we work together as one body, the sum of our different gifts, our different forms of service are multiplied by the Holy Spirit.

Paul uses the analogy of our bodies.  Our bodies have many parts that serve different functions.  The hands do not serve the same function as the feet.  The eyes do not serve the same function as the ears.

Yet, they work together.  For instance, we use our feet for walking but when we come to a door, we need our hands to open the door.

We see where we are going with our eyes but sounds, like a siren, help alert us to what is going on around us.

No one individual is given all the gifts.  For instance, I do not have the gift of music.  I don’t need to.  That’s why we have musicians.  They do not have the gift of preaching.  That is for me to do.

So, we ask the Holy Spirit to guide us to bring our gifts together, that we may be the Church that God calls us to be.

Three Saints to Aid Us

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Last night I offered another webinar, Three Saints to Aid Us, covering St. Michael the Archangel, St. John Fisher, and St. Thomas More. The video recording of the webinar and slides are available on my website at www.renewaloffaith.org/threesaints.

I will leave the online evaluation open for a couple of days for those wishing to offer feedback – https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfvDD28YNiZe8ozW_yBgES8FHrgg_vKWMDvYKcd5DPU-EnUhQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

As always, I hope this webinar helps you grow in your faith.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

A Question to Ponder

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I would like to pose a question for reflection – “Do you belong to your parish or does your parish belong to you?”

For the latter, what do you expect from your parish? Do you only go to your parish when you are looking for something for yourself? For instance, do you see your parish simply as a place where you go for the important sacramental moments like Baptism. Or when you are dying and desire the anointing of the sick and prayers for the dying? Do you only show up for funerals and weddings?

These are definitely important moments. The Sacraments are “efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1131). We need the Sacraments because we need grace. It is good to come for the Sacraments. Yet there is more to what it means to belong to the church than just receiving Sacraments.

What else do you seek from your parish? Do you come to Mass on Sunday seeking to “feel good” for one hour? Are you looking for music that makes you feel good in a superficial way or that truly brings you closer to God? The same can be said about the preaching, even for the whole Mass. Mass should help us to feel good but not simply in a superficial way but in how it connects us to God’s Word and what we celebrate in the Eucharist.

What else do people come to church seeking? Some come seeking help with physical needs. They come looking for food, clothing, or rent money. In Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus calls us to the Corporal Works of Mercy to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirst, and more. We need to help people when we can with their physical needs. This is part of what it means to love our neighbor.

However, church is more than just caring for people’s physical needs. We are also called to help people in their spiritual needs. This includes the Sacraments as I mentioned before. It can also include a compassionate visit (Corporal Work of Mercy – to visit the sick). It might be to follow the example of Veronica in the sixth Station of the Cross when she wipes the face of Jesus.

Returning to my original question, “Do you belong to your parish or does your parish belong to you?”, in the latter I am asking if you see your parish simply as a place you go to when you need something. Again, our parish should help us in whatever way it can but a parish is more than a charitable organization.

Please note that I said a parish should help its parishioners in whatever way it can. What about when it can’t?

This is where we can move from my question of “does your parish belong to you” to “do you belong to your parish.” If we only see our parish as a place we go in order to have our own needs met, then perhaps we see our parish as belonging to us.

When you look at ways in which your parish is not able to serve the needs of the people, you might ask yourself if there is something God is calling you to do to help. In looking at it this way, one begins to see themselves as belonging to the parish. To belong is not just what the parish does for you. It includes what you can do for your parish to help it fulfill its mission.

Are you called to be a good steward in giving of your time? It might be as simple as helping to clean the church to help it be germ free. Even pulling weeds in the garden can help make the parish beautiful on the outside to draw people inside.

As parishioners and good stewards we are called to use the talents God has given us to help our parish be Christ to the world. It can be in the way we live in accord with our faith. It can be in helping in ways that people never see like counting the collection to help the parish use its resources well.

During the Coronavirus pandemic, we show our care for others in simple ways like wearing a mask to protect each other.

We can be good stewards in sharing our treasure to build up the Kingdom of God.

There are various ways we can contribute to the mission of our parish when we choose to belong to it. It is more than just doing things for others. It is be there for others. It is to form a relationship with one another as well as good so that we are a community of believers.

When we belong to our parish, it is not just something we do for an hour on Sunday. It is part of who we are. Our faith shapes the way we live our lives. May we always follow Jesus as the way and truth and the life.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

7th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B – Homily

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7th Sunday of Easter, Year B
Acts 1:15-17, 20a, 20c-26
Psalm 103:1-2, 11-12, 19-20 (19a)
1 John 4:11-16
John 17:11b-19
May 16, 2021

We come today between our celebration of the Ascension of Jesus and Pentecost.  This is the time frame in our first reading today. 

The disciples had just witnessed the Ascension.  Jesus had told them to wait for the coming of the Advocate, the Holy Spirit.  So, they waited but not in silence.  There was work to be done concerning Judas. 

He had been numbered among them and shared in their ministry in accord with Scripture.  There was Twelve of them.  The fact that there are twelve apostles is not random.  Remember, twelve was also the number of tribes of Israel. 

In the Jewish understanding, “twelve” signified completeness.  Thus, with regards to Judas’ place among the Twelve, Peter cites Psalm 109:8, “May another take his office.”

So, Peter, as leader of the Apostles proposes naming a successor.  Who should be chosen?

Peter says, “it is necessary that one of the men who accompanied us the whole time the Lord Jesus came and went among us” be chosen.  To be an Apostle, one needed to have seen Jesus for themselves so that they might witness to what they have seen.

So, they identified two men who fit this criteria.  However, they did not want to make the final selection by their own will.  So, they prayed.

They prayed that the Lord would show which one He had chosen.  Thus, when they drew lots, it was not leading to it chance.  They were trusting in God. 

Thus, it “the lot fell upon Matthias and he was counted with the eleven apostles.”

From this we have the process by which a pope is selected.  There is discussion about who would make a good candidate.  A human vote is taken but the process is designed with prayer.  The cardinals are praying and the whole church should be praying, praying that the person God has chosen to be the next pope is selected.

With the selection of bishops, there is also a process by which priests are nominated and their qualifications reviewed.  A recommendation is made to the Pope who makes the final decision but, again the whole process is designed with prayer and relying on the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  Please pray that the selection of bishops is always in accord with God’s Will.

As part of our prayer, for the election of popes, the selection of bishops, and church life in general, we do well to pray following the example of Jesus’ prayer. 

He prayed, “Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are one.”

We need to pray for unity, to be one.  However, this is not just unity between humans.  We need to pray that we be one with God.  God has a plan.  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’s plan is not a popular plan today.  That’s because God’s truth is not popular today.  People want to live their lives in their own way.  God does give us free will. 

However, we use our freedom best not when we do what we want but when we do what we ought, when we do what is good.  Jesus prayed to the Father, “Consecrate them in the truth.”  God’s truth is what is good.

Remember how Jesus prayed, “Holy Father, keep them in your name”?  To keep us in God’s name is to follow what He wills for us.

John writes, “Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him and he in God.”  To acknowledge that “Jesus is the Son of God” we must listen to what He says.  To “remain in him” is to follow Jesus as the way and the truth and the life.

The Ascension of the Lord

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Ascension Thursday
Acts 1:1-11
Psalm 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9 (6)
Ephesians 1:17-23
Mark 16:15-20
May 13, 2021

Today we celebrate the Ascension of the Lord.

The Ascension might seem like just a step along the way from the Resurrection to Pentecost.  In the chronology of the events, it is a step in the sequence of events but it is an important step.

The Ascension is important enough to be included in the words we profess in the Nicene Creed.  The Ascension is explicitly mentioned in some of the Eucharistic Prayers.  The Ascension is important enough that today we celebrate it as a solemnity and a holy day of obligation.

Clearly, the Ascension is not just a step along the way.

The Ascension is the last event mentioned in Mark’s Gospel before Apostles “went forth.”  It is Mark’s Gospel that tells us that Jesus “took his seat at the right hand of God.”  There, He mounts his throne and intercedes for us with the Father.

Luke presents the Ascension as an important transitional moment.  Luke, of course, wrote the Gospel of Luke.  He also wrote the Acts of the Apostles.  Today’s first reading comes from the very beginning of Acts.  Luke begins by speaking of “the first book.”  This “first book” is the Gospel of Luke.

In Acts, Luke reminds Theophilus that in the first book he wrote of everything that Jesus did “until the day he was taken up.”  Like Mark’s Gospel, Luke ends his gospel with a short mention of the Ascension.

Having presented the Ascension at the end of his gospel, Luke did not need to include it in the Acts of the Apostles but he did.  Why?

To show it as a pivotal moment. 

Now, in the story of Jesus there are lots of pivotal moments.  There is Jesus’ conception when Mary said yes to being the mother of Jesus.

There is Jesus’ birth that we celebrate at Christmas.

There is Jesus’ baptism as He begins his public ministry.

There is the Last Supper when He gives us the Eucharist.

There is his Crucifixion when He dies for us on the Cross so that our sins might be forgiven.

There is his Resurrection as He shows us that God has power even over death.  In his Resurrection He reveals eternal life to us.

So, what is the significance of the Ascension?  Why does Luke include it in both the end of his gospel and the beginning of the Acts of the Apostles?

It marks an end to the gospel as it is an end to Jesus’ time on earth.  His Crucifixion was the end of his earthly life and the Resurrection was the beginning of eternal life. 

The Ascension marks the end of the time when Jesus spoke directly on earth to his disciples.

The Ascension is also the beginning of a new time.  Jesus returns to his place at the right hand of the Father.  From there He watches over and cares for us.  He never forgets us.  He is our Savior forever.

He wants us to know this.  Jesus did not simply disappear.  He ascended with his disciples watching so that we would know where He went.  Jesus does not want it to be a secret where He went.  It is good news!

One might wonder why Jesus left his disciples.  Why didn’t He remain with his disciples here on Earth?

It was necessary, it was good, for Jesus to return to his place in Heaven.  He did not do this for his own glory.  He ascended for us.  Jesus himself had already told his disciples, “it is better for you that I go.  For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you.  But if I go, I will send him to you” (John 16:7).

Jesus’ Ascension was part of God’s plan.  Jesus did not abandon us.  He left so that the Advocate may come to us.  Who is this Advocate? 

It is the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit that deals in each of us.  The Holy Spirit comes at Pentecost.  For now, we wait…

Building on the Past for a Better Future

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In the last article, “Why is Change Difficult?”, that I wrote on the subject of change, I found myself reminiscing about the past. The past is something valuable, something we can learn from. This includes the past as it pertains to God’s relationship with his people. The Bible contains many stories about how God has been there for his people. These stories speak of what God has to offer us.

One of the themes found in Archbishop Emeritus Charles J. Chaput, OFM Cap.’s new book, Things Worth Dying For: Thoughts on a Life Worth Living by Archbishop Emeritus Charles J. Chaput, OFM Cap. (New York: Henry Holt and Company. 2021) is the importance of the past, specifically God’s place in our past and, thus our present and future.

Many people have lost sight of what God offers us. Archbishop Chaput writes, “It’s hard to imagine a greater irony than dying of thirst on the surface of an ocean” (63). God provides us an ocean of infinite grace but many people have no idea what God offers. They look for something more in life but they do not realize that it is God they seek. Instead, they drink what the world offers, wealth, power, and prestige, but these things can never quench our real thirst. We thirst for the living waters of the Spirit.

We live busy lives. Even if one is looking for God, one might not know how to recognize God. As Archbishop Chaput shares what a corporate consultant wrote, “We can miss God without the Church to slow us down, to point God out, to remind us of his presence” (182). Coming to Mass in the midst of a busy life can help us slow down. Sharing God’s Word from the Bible helps point out how God has been present to his people in the past so that we might more readily recognize his presence today.

It is important to remember both the good times and the bad times. We naturally remember the good times, perhaps even boasting of our successes. On the other hand, we like to hide our failures. However, as Archbishop Chaput shares from a pastor, “In some ways, Church history is similar to how the Jewish people recount themselves in the Hebrew Scriptures. They often don’t record their greatest stories but rather their worst. They show their humiliating attempt to follow God by underlining their failures and his fidelity” (187). Why? To show that the successes come not from their own efforts but from God. We read in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, “he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me. Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong.“

It is in knowing the past that we recognize that true “success” and, more importantly, true life comes when we hand our weaknesses over to God and He responds with grace.

In showing the importance of the past, Archbishop Chaput turns to the “late British scholar and skeptic J.H. Plumb” (19) who “had a grudging respect for the legacy of Jews and Christians” (20) because of their view of the past. Today, many people want to remove any mention of the past. Speaking of Plumb, Archbishop Chaput writes, “he saw that destroying the coherence of the past could cause a paralysis in social matters. He knew that humans “need a compulsive sense of the value of man’s past,” not only for themselves as persons but also for the world at large” (20).

Our past is an important part of how we are. We may have moments that were terrible, embarrassing, and something we would rather forget. We have moments in our past that we never speak of. These moments are part of how we are. The fact that we have survived them can reveal to us how God has led us through difficult moments.

In acknowledging our weaknesses, we can see and admit how God has rescued us. The Israelites could not speak of how God set them free from the Babylonian Exile without admitting that they had ended up in exile because they had sinned. We cannot speak of how Jesus died for us on the Cross so that our sins can be forgiven without admitting we have sinned.

It is in admitting our failures that we can tell of God’s marvelous deeds. This is true in telling others of God’s marvelous deeds. It is also true even for us on our own. We cannot realize all that God has done for us until we admit our failures to see how God has rescued us.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

6th Sunday of Easter, Year B – Homily

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6th Sunday of Easter, Year B
Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48
Psalm 98:1, 2-3, 3-4 (2b)
1 John 4:7-10
John 15:9-17
May 9, 2021

Peter is led by God to the house of Cornelius.  There Cornelius falls “at his feet” to pay homage to Peter.  Peter does not accept the homage for he knows he is “also a human being.”  Peter knows that “homage” belongs to God alone.

That being said, there is nothing wrong with “honoring” people for the good things they do.  For instance, to venerate the saints is to honor the example they are for us.

Today our nation gives honor to a category of people, our mothers.  We honor our mothers for the good they do for us.  We thank God for our mothers.  We thank our mothers for putting up with us when we didn’t always do what we should.

God “puts up” with us when we don’t do as we should.  “God shows no partiality.”  God offers his love to everyone. 

The Jews thought they were a chosen race.  They were in the sense that God had called them to a particular role.  However, they were not supposed to be an exclusive race.  Peter has come to know this in the way he saw the Holy Spirit “poured out on the Gentiles.”  Thus, led by the Holy Spirit, Peter baptizes Cornelius and his household. 

“The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.”

Salvation comes in a new way through Jesus but God had always been rescuing his people.  He rescued the Israelites from slavery in Egypt.  He sent the Israelites free from exile in Babylon.  He offers us salvation, setting us free from our sins.

Why?

“Because love is of God.”

It is God’s nature to love.  He reveals his love to us in “his saving power.”  We see his love revealed in a new way when He “sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him.”

It is God’s nature to love and He created us to love.  We love because we are first loved by God.

Love can be contagious.  “Jesus said to his disciples: “As the Father loves me, so I also love you’.”

We are to take the love we receive and share it.  Ideally, mothers (as well as fathers) do this.

Jesus wants us to know his love.  It is what makes us complete.

What does it mean to love?

Love is more than a warm fuzzy feeling.  Love may lead us to “unpleasant” tasks like a mother changing a diaper for her baby.  I doubt anyone enjoys changing a diaper as a physical act but one willing does it in love.

Jesus tells us, “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”  Jesus doesn’t just tell us this.  He demonstrates it to us as He gives his life for us on the Cross.  He does this because He loves us.

What is our response to Jesus’ love?

Is it obedience that is not just a legal obedience?  Or are we obedient because we are afraid of Hell?

Or are we obedient because we trust in God’s love?

Do we want to remain in his love?

Jesus tells us, “If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love.”

This is not a condition of God’s love.  God will always love us no matter what.  However, we separate ourselves from that love when we choose to go our own way.

Think of the little child who is totally dependent on mom and dad.  The child trusts mom and dad because mom and dad have always been there for the child.  Why are mom and dad there?  Because they love their child. 

As little children, when we experience fear, we count on our parents.  We are “obedient” because of our trust in them.

Then we grow up.

We become independent.  We think we know better and we go and do our own thing.  We might even become disobedient.  We may become “disobedient” because we think we no longer need our parents.

The same can be true for us as children of God.  If we are taught about God’s love, we trust that God loves us.  In that trust, we listen to what God teaches us.

As we grow up, we become independent.  We still want to know that God is with us just as we don’t “abandon” our parents. 

We begin to make choices for ourselves.  We think we know what is good for us.  Hopefully we have learned what is good.  Who determines what is good?

God’s commandments tell us what is good.  Yet, sometimes we think we know better.  We become disobedient.  We sin.

In choosing to commit venial sin, we hurt our relationship with God.  In choosing to commit mortal sin, we break our relationship with God.  It is not God who breaks the relationship.  It is us.

The good news is God does not stop loving us.  That’s why God makes repentance possible.  It is why Jesus laid down his life for us on the Cross, to heal our brokenness.

Jesus says to us, “It was not you who chose me, but I who choose you.”

Jesus chooses to love us.  Do we choose to love him in response?