5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A – Homily

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5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A
Isaiah 58:7-10
Psalm 112:4-5, 607, 8-9 (4a)
1 Corinthians 2:1-5
Matthew 5:13-16
February 8, 2020

Jesus says, “You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world.”

Who is He speaking to?  Who is the “you”?

Sometimes we hear Jesus speaking to one specific person.  For example, there are times when Jesus is speaking specifically to Peter.  Other times He speaks to a category of people, like the Apostles.

Who is He speaking to today?  We find the answer at the beginning of today’s passage, “Jesus said to his disciples.”

That means us.  In speaking to “his disciples”, Jesus is speaking to everyone past, present, and future who follow him.

So, we hear him say to us, “You are the salt of the earth.”  What does this mean for us?

We use salt to add flavor to food.  Salt can make food taste better.  We are the “salt of the earth” in that we are called to help make the world a better place.  Think of the words “thy kingdom come” from the Lord’s prayer.

What about Jesus’ words, “You are the light of the world”?  Jesus is the light of the world.  We receive that light in our baptism.  We are called to share the light, the light of truth with the world. 

We can share the light by sharing Jesus’ words.  We can share the light by doing good deeds, doing “works of mercy”.

We hear of some of works of mercy in our reading from Isaiah today, “share your bread with the hungry, shelter the oppressed and the homeless, clothe the naked..”  We find a more complete list of the Corporal Works of Mercy in Matthew 25:31-46, feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty.

One of the Corporal Works of Mercy is to “visit the sick”.  We also have Spiritual Works of Mercy scattered throughout the Bible.  One of the spiritual works is to comfort the afflicted.  What do you do to help the sick and the afflicted?

I want to return to the idea of sharing the light of the truth of our faith.  In hearing the call to share the gospel, our diocese has the practice of each year having a public policy weekend to advocate for an issue being debated in our government.  Often it is an issue before our state government but it can also be on a national level.  It is an opportunity to hear what our faith says about important issues.  We are invited to sign petitions about the issue.

This year’s issue relates to the works of mercy to visit the sick and comfort the afflicted.  This year’s issue is Physician Assisted Suicide.  This is certainly a difficult issue that becomes personal and emotional when someone we care about is dying.

What is Physician Assisted Suicide? 

Well, first we should know that it used to be called “active euthanasia” but there was confusion trying to distinguish “active euthanasia”, the deliberate ending of human life, from “passive euthanasia”, which is to stop extraordinary means of treatment when death nears and allowing nature to take its course.”

“Physician Assisted Suicide” is when a patient is terminally ill with no hope of a cure prescribed a medicine by a doctor for the individual to take on their own that will kill them.”

Some people in favor of assisted suicide have begun calling it “aid in dying” as if dying was the goal we strive for. 

They speak of a person having dignity in dying, meaning they get to choose the time of their death and can do it while they still have their dignity, often meaning they can still take care of themselves, not really on others.

Our faith (and I personally) do not see this as “dignity”.  In fact, I think it robs the dying person of their dignity because it says that the person is no longer any good to us when they are sick so they might as well end their life.

People in favor of assisted suicide also talk about in terms of alleviating suffering, something we all seek.  However, death is not the only way to alleviate suffering.  Our faith very much believes in pain management (palliative care).  We are to do what we can to make the sick comfortable and ease their pain.  This is idea of hospice care and comfort care houses like Teresa House. 

We help those dying in the pain to find comfort, to be present to them but we leave the time of their death in God’s hands just as Jesus did when He suffered on the Cross for us.

There is a bill before our state government to legalize assisted suicide for those who are terminally ill.  There are questions about its protections to make sure one is not forced to consent to assisted suicide.  There is no safeguard to screen for depression or other mental illnesses that could affect the person’s decision.

This flies against the fact that our mental health laws allow for police and social services to intervene when an otherwise healthy person seeks to kill themselves because of mental health issues but the same is not true here.

There is also the problem of the “slippery slope”, meaning that over time the definition of those who can choose assisted suicide becomes broader.  This is proven to happen in countries that have had legal assisted suicide for years. 

Last year I heard of a case where a twelve-year old had a terminal illness but wanted to live.  Since he was not of legal age, it was for his parents to make the decision.  The courts allowed them to choose to end his life against his own wishes.

There has also been at least two cases where a person with a terminal illness sought to get their insurance to pay for new medicine but the insurance turned them down because the medicine is experimental and costly.  However, the insurance company offered to pay for the person to receive medicine for assisted suicide.

These are very difficult issues.  I remember my mother’s final days were spent on a ventilator as they tried to treat her lung cancer after she endured several years of emphysema.  Assisted suicide was never an option (I still feel the same way today) but important decisions needed to be made in emotional times.

What was my prayer then?  I simply asked God to take care of her.  If that meant she died, so be it.  If it meant a cure, so be it.  I put it in God’s hands.

So, I encourage you to stand up for life and sign the petitions against assisted suicide (aka “aid in dying”).  If you are not able to do this in your own parish, you can do so online at www.dor.org/petition .   

My Latest Presentation on the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation

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I just uploaded the video and handouts for the second presentation in my series on the Sacraments. This one is on Baptism and Confirmation. It can be found online at www.renewaloffaith.org/sacramentsinitiation1.

Please note that with a lot of good questions, it is one of my longest presentations at 1 hour 42 minutes. I hope you will watch it and enjoy but I do want to let you know how long it is so you can plan accordingly.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Why Do We Celebrate Funerals?

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While I have written in the past about funerals, as customs seem to be changing regarding funerals, I would like to offer some understanding of what funerals are about and how we do them in our Catholic faith.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us, “There is an appointed time for everything…a time to be born and a time to die.”  When one’s time to die comes, it leads to a “time to be mourn”.  As part of the mourning (grieving) process, every culture normally has customs designed to help us deal with our grief.  Often, one’s faith is involved in the grieving customs.

As Catholics, we have formal rituals designed for our grieving.  Many might think this only involves the Mass in church and the prayers at the cemetery.  The official Catholic ritual also recognizes the calling hours as a formal part of the customs.  This is because coming together to remember our loved ones to share memories and to offer the family comfort is an important part of our faith.  Burying the dead is part of the Corporal Works of Mercy as we read in Sirach 38:16, “My son, shed tears for one who is dead with wailing and bitter lament; as is only proper, prepare the body, and do not absent yourself from the burial” (cf. Tobit 1:16-18) as well as the Spiritual Work of Mercy to pray for the living and the dead.  We pray for God’s consolation for the family and for our deceased loved one.

The Church also sees importance in gathering after the funeral Mass and burial for a reception to come together.  Now, often receptions are in restaurants but some churches host receptions for the family.

Now, I want to speak about the funeral Mass itself.  Many denominations will offer a prayer service at the funeral home or a simple graveside service.  While those are options in the Catholic Church, it is not the tradition or the preference.  We are called to gather in church for, not just a service, but a funeral Mass.  In the Mass we celebrate the Sacrifice of Jesus giving his life for us on the Cross so that our sins can be forgiven so we can share in the Resurrection.  We offer the funeral Mass for our loved one to be welcomed into Heaven.  We are praying for their time in Purgatory to be swift.  This follows our Catholic custom of offering Mass intentions.  The Mass intention at a funeral is for our loved one whose funeral we celebrate. 

A funeral Mass includes specific prayers written for funerals.  It also includes readings from the Bible.  I emphasis “from the Bible” because we use Bible passages that help us find hope in Jesus’ promise of Resurrection for all who believe in him “as the way and the life and the truth.”  Sometimes families want to use a poem instead of Bible readings.  Poems can help console us.  They can be shared on prayer cards, at the funeral home, and/or reception but in Church we use Bible readings to focus on the hope our faith offers us during our “time to mourn.”

The homily should focus on our faith but to do so in a way that also reminds us of our deceased loved one as our loved one and a child of God.

Following the same reason as for Bible readings at a funeral Mass, we sing Catholic hymns at a funeral Mass.  There are some very good secular songs out there that might help console us in our grief.  Yet, they are not written for a funeral Mass.  Often, they do not speak of faith.  They do not speak of the hope that we have in Jesus.  That doesn’t mean they are bad songs.  They just aren’t written for the setting we have at a funeral Mass where we focus on Jesus’ Crucifixion and Resurrection.

Finally, a few words about “Words of Remembrance”, often referred to as a “eulogy.”  I have some people who try to tell the whole life story of their deceased loved one.  That is not the intent in church for “Words of Remembrance.” 

“Words of Remembrance” highlight key aspects of a person’s life.  They may share a short story from the person’s life that can be understand by all.  Think about who is normally at a funeral Mass.  There are two categories of people there.  The first is family or friends who already know the person, so they don’t need to hear the whole story because they already know it.   The second category is people who don’t know the deceased but come to offer comfort and support for the family.  They may enjoy hearing a short story about the person that they can relate to but aren’t looking for the whole story.

If you would like people to share more of the story or to allow people to offer spontaneous thoughts about the deceased, the reception can be a wonderful place to do this depending on the setting.  I have seen it done at a couple of funeral receptions where it was wonderful.

So, in one sentence, the funeral Mass is offered for the soul of the deceased and to remind us of the hope we have in eternal life through Jesus’ Crucifixion and Resurrection.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

How We Can Witness to Our Faith

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Here’s something I wrote for our parish bulletin 2/9/20

Evangelization:

How Can You Share What Our Faith Means to You?

I hesitated to use the word “evangelization” in the title of this article.  I think when people here the word “evangelization” there is a tendency to think of evangelicals calling out Bible verses or people who go door to door talking about their faith.

Yes, that is evangelization, but we are not all called to do that.  However, that is not all that there is to evangelization.  At its most basic level, evangelization means sharing our faith.  Some of you might feel troubled by the idea of having to share our faith.  You might feel like you don’t know enough about our faith. 

I have two responses to that.  First, I encourage you to learn more about our faith.  I believe this is important for our future as a church.  This is why I do the presentations I do and it is why I have my own website and blog (www.renewaloffaith.org).

Secondly, I wish to clarify by what I mean by “sharing our faith”.  We are not all called to give “theological discourses” using “big fancy church words.”  If you have the knowledge and feel the called to do that, go for it.

Here, I want to talk about “sharing our faith” in some basic actions.  First and foremost is coming to Mass every Sunday.  Maybe it means missing a practice.  Maybe it means making the effort to get out of bed on Sunday morning when you rather sleep in.  The fact that you are willing to make your schedule around getting to Mass is a very important witness, a way for you to show how important your faith is to you.  When others see coming to Mass is important to you, maybe it will plant a seed in them to get them to come.

Sunday Mass is something we are all called to as part of the Third Commandment, Keep the Sabbath holy.  For those who are able, I also encourage attendance at daily Mass.  I know that many people can’t attend daily Mass because of work or school.  Most of the people who attend daily Mass are retirees but we also have a young home-school family that comes.  It is a great way to start the day.  Returning to the theme of evangelization and sharing our faith, I think attending daily Mass can be another important witness of how important your faith is.

Lastly, I mention Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.  At St. Patrick’s we offer a holy hour on the third Thursday of each month at 2:00 p.m. with Exposition, a Rosary, and Divine Mercy Chaplet, both prayed together as a community with some silence for you to pray on your own.

At St. Mary’s we offer private Adoration each Thursday from 5:00 to 7:00 pm.  By private, I simply mean that people are free to come and go as you want and simply prayer in silence. 

There is witness value in coming to adoration.  First, it shows you believe in the Real Presence.  It is not just bread.  It has become the Body of Christ.  It also witnesses to others that praying is important to you.  Lastly, you can use some of the time you spend there to pray for those who don’t come to church.

Remember, sharing the faith starts with showing how important our faith is to you.

Peace,


Fr. Jeff

Presentation of the Lord – Homily

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Presentation of the Lord
Malachi 3:1-4
Psalm 24:7, 8, 9, 10 (8)
Hebrews 2:14-18
Luke 2:22-40
February 2, 2020

Our psalm today speaks of the “king of glory.”  Of course, the “king of glory” is the Lord.  The historical setting for this psalm is the bringing of the Ark of the Covenant to the Temple in Jerusalem.  Hence the words, “that the king of glory may come in.”

Whenever the Ark of the Covenant was moved, there was much ceremony for the Ark was the presence of God among the people.  All the more was there fanfare when the Ark was brought to the Temple.  One might say it involved a “presentation”.

Today we celebrate another presentation, The Presentation of the Lord.  This is when baby Jesus was brought by Mary and Joseph “according to the Law of Moses.” They came for Mary’s purification and to present Jesus to the Lord.

Why today?  The Law of Moses called for these rituals forty days after the birth of a child.  Today is forty days from Christmas when Jesus was born.

Thus, this feast is always on February 2nd.  Most of the time it falls during the week and is celebrated without much fanfare.  Since it falls on Sunday this year, we began Mass with the blessing of candles followed by the procession.

This presentation of Jesus fulfills the prophecy of Malachi, “And suddenly there will come to the temple the LORD whom you seek.”  Many were seeking the Lord.  Many were waiting for the Messiah.

Yet, how is anyone to know that baby Jesus is “the one”? 

Jesus would not have been the only child to be presented in the Lord.  Every Jewish family would have come for the same rites.  How is a person to know that Jesus is “the one”?

Through the words of Simeon and Anna.

Simeon was “righteous and devout.”  He awaited “the consolation of Israel and the Holy Spirit was upon him.”  When Jesus is brought to be presented, Simeon is led by the Spirit to greet them.

He, through the Holy Spirit, immediately recognizes Jesus as the one who is “a light for revelation to the Gentiles and glory for your people Israel.”  He told those present that Jesus is the one.  He was “righteous and devout” so the people listened to him.

Likewise, Anna was known to be a holy person, never leaving the temple, “but worshipped night and day with fasting and prayer.”  She had the respect of the people who came to the temple.  Seeing Jesus, “she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.”

Thus, through the words of Simeon and Anna people knew Jesus was the one.  He is the light that leads us to salvation.

The theme of “light” is part of how we celebrate this feast of the Presentation of the Lord.  We began with the blessing of candles.

For us today candles may be seen only as decoration but they are more.  In ancient times, candles were how people lit their homes and churches.  Candles were the source of light. 

While we use electricity and light bulbs to light our churches today, we continue to use candles in church.  The Sanctuary Lamp near the Tabernacle burns to tell us that Jesus who is the light of the world is present in the Tabernacle.

We use candles on the altar to remind us that Jesus comes and presents himself on the altar at the consecration.

Jesus is the light that guides us.  Jesus is the light that we receive in Baptism.  When a child is baptized, their baptismal candle is lit from the Paschal Candle and the presider says words that include, “Receive the light of Christ…May he (she) keep the flame of faith alive in his (her) heart.”

That flame is the Lord within us.  The flame is “fire.”  Fire can be destructive.  It was also be cleansing.  For example, a controlled burn in a forest removes the “scruff” so that the good trees can thrive.

God’s fire is a good fire.  It refines us and purifies us.  For example, the heat of a fire is necessary in transforming mineral ores into the metals in the forms we use.  Do we let God’s fire symbolized in the candles refine us?  Do we allow ourselves, do we allow our lives to be transformed by Jesus?

Today we celebrate The Presentation of the Lord.  Our opening prayer contains the words “we may be presented to you with minds made pure.”  Each time we come for Mass, each time we come forth for Communion, we present ourselves to the Lord.

May the “king of glory” come into our hearts!

Biology Makes Me Pro-Life

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The gospel reading for today (January 31, 2020, Friday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time) points to why I think biology points us to the fact that life begins at conception and is to be cherished.

In this gospel speaking of the Kingdom of God, we read, “It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.”  ” (Mark 4:31-32).

That mustard seed has everything it needs in genetic makeup to become the mustard plant. It is full of “potential”. All it needs is nutrients to grow. Every living thing, no matter what stage of life, needs nutrients to live.

So, it is when the egg from a female and a sperm cell from a male come together to form a new living creature. That newly formed cell has a unique genetic makeup that will never be seen again. Human beings may be alike but each is unique. From the moment the egg from a human female and the sperm from a human male come together at conception, it has all the potential it needs to grow into an adult human being with dignity given by God. This new human life is “endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” (“U.S. Declaration of Independence.) Nothing can change that.

Yes, it needs nutrients to grow but so does every living thing. It is a life to be cherished from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A – Homily

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3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A
Isaiah 8:23 – 9:3
Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14 (1a)
1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 17
Matthew 4:12-23
January 26, 2020

As John is arrested, Jesus begins his public ministry.  Hearing of John’s arrest, Jesus “withdrew to Galilee” but we should not take his withdrawing as an act of fear. 

His withdrawing to “the region of Zebulun and Naphtali” actually fulfills prophecies from Isaiah, thus showing that Jesus is the messiah, the one the people have been waiting for.  He is the “great light” that had been foretold.  They should listen to him.

Listen to him doing what?  Matthew continues, “From that time on, Jesus began to preach.” 

Yes, the first thing Jesus did was “preach”.  Our gospel passage today ends, “He went around all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness among the people.” 

Jesus did many great things.  If you ask people what Jesus did, the Crucifixion likely would be the first answer.  The second answer might likely be miracles but it is preaching, preaching the Word of God, that he did first.

Why did He preach the Word of God?

To fulfill the first reading.  Isaiah speaks of those living in darkness to whom “a light has shone.”  God is the one who created light at the beginning of time as we know it.  God brought light to the world.  Now, Jesus brings us “light” in preaching the “Word of God.”

The “darkness” that is “the yoke that burdens” us can come in many forms.  It might be illness.  It might be losing our home.  Think of the Israelites taken away in the Babylonian Exile.  Think of immigrants today who move from one country of another just trying to provide for their families.  In offering us the Word of God, Jesus offers us the “light” that smashes “the yoke that burdens” us.

How is the Word of God “light” for us?  How does the “Word of God” give us what we need to “wait for the LORD with courage” as our “refuge”?

Picture yourself in a room that you have never been in before.  It is dark.  Maybe you see some shapes but you can’t tell what they are.  Is it safe to move?  You don’t know what direction to move in.  You don’t know what dangers there are.

Suddenly, a light comes on and you can see everything.  You see a hole in the floor and you know to go around it.  You can see your way to the door.

The light changed the way you see things.  So, it is when we read and/or hear the Word of God.  It changes the way we see things.  We can’t find our way on our own.  Jesus leads us with his light.

Without God’s Word, we each go our own way.  Instead of unity, there are divisions and rivalries.  This is not what we are created for.

Paul calls us to be “united in the same mind and in the same purpose.” 

Whose “mind” and whose “purpose”?

Am I the one who is right?  Or is it you?  What about Bob or Jane?

What is to bring us together to the same mind and purpose?

It is the Word of God that can bring us to the same mind and purpose, but it is not my mind or purpose or yours.  It is God’s.  What do we pray in the Lord’s Prayer? “Thy will be done.”

God’s Word helps bring the unity to which we are called.

Thus, it is essential for us to know God’s Word. 

With this in mind, Pope Francis recently declared that the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time be celebrated every year as the “Sunday of the Word of God” for us to reflect on the importance of the Bible and God’s Word.

Catholics have a reputation for not knowing the Bible.  Most Catholics can’t quote the Bible like some evangelicals.  That doesn’t mean that God’s Word isn’t important.

It is.  Half our Mass is centered on the Word of God with readings from both the Old and Testaments, a total of three readings plus a psalm.  The homily is meant to help us know what God’s Word means for us in our lives today.

Many of the prayers for Mass at Mass are rooted in the Bible.  Our current translations better reflect this.  For instance, at the beginning of Mass, I say, “The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”  This verse is not “made up” by the church.  You can find it in Paul’s letters. 

In last week’s gospel, we heard John the Baptist say, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”  We hear these words at every Mass at Communion time.

The Bible very much influences our prayers at Mass.

Likewise, our church teaching is formed by the Word of God.  If you look at the footnotes in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, you will find many scriptural references.

As Catholics, do we read the Bible on our own?  For many, the answer is no.  Catholics used to be told not to read the Bible on their own for fear they might misinterpret it.  That changed in 1943 when Pope Pius XII wrote an encyclical called Divino Afflante Spiritu, encouraging study of the Bible.

What do you do outside of Mass to let the light of the Word of God shine in your life?

Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children

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As today’s gospel begins, Jesus enters the synagogue on the Sabbath. “There was a man there who had a withered hand. They watched Jesus closely
to see if he would cure him on the sabbath.”

They did not like Jesus so they were looking for a way to trap him. They knew He had already done miracles. He had already engaged in ministry on the Sabbath. So, they watched to see if He would break the third Commandment, “Keep the Sabbath holy,” by doing the “work” of healing the man on the Sabbath. They failed to understand who Jesus is as Son of God. They failed to understand Jesus healed people through the power of God. Thus, God could have easily prevented Jesus from the healing on the Sabbath if He wanted to. All God would need to do to stop Jesus was take away the power.

God wanted the man healed. As to doing it on Sabbath, I would not only is it “not wrong” to heal on the Sabbath, but, rather it might be the perfect day to use the Lord’s power to help his people.

Today is a a “Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children” in the United States. We should pray every day for the protection of life in the womb. What makes today special?

Today is January 22nd, the anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision, Roe v. Wade, that legalized abortion. On Friday there will be the March for Life in Washington, DC. There will be other marches like the Walk for Life West Coast.

It might seem like an insurmountable task to change laws about abortion. The same may seem true in trying to change people’s attitude to understand that life begins at conception and is to be cherished.

It might seem like we are battling a giant that cannot be defeated. Here, I turn to our first reading today, the story of David and Goliath. Goliath was a Philistine who was seen as a giant. The Israelites were afraid to go into battle against the giant.

One man was willing. It was David, chosen (but not yet serving) by God to be the king. He was still just a young lad. He wasn’t even strong enough to wear the armor King Saul offered him. When Goliath “had sized David up,
and seen that he was youthful, and ruddy, and handsome in appearance,
the Philistine held David in contempt.”

David did not have automatic weapons or weapons of mass destruction like we do today. He had no gun, not even a sword, but he was not deterred. He went into battle against the giant Goliath with just a stone and a sling and he was victorious.

How? Because God was with him. We might think the battle to stand up for life in the womb is liking fighting Goliath. What do we need to win?

The question is not so much “what do we need” but “who do we need.”

The answer is clear. We need God.

The pro-life marches are important was a witness to the numbers of people who stand for life. People who pray near Planned Parenthood facilities are important witnesses to life. If you feel called to do this, God will be with you.

Most people won’t. That doesn’t mean we can’t witness for life. It can be just as important in regular conversation to be willing to speak up for life. I’m not advocating any violence. Violence would not be pro-life. I’m not talking about forcing our pro-life beliefs on anyone. I’m simply talking about “saying what we believe.”

And, of course, there is prayer. Always pray for the dignity of all life, life that begins in the womb and continues until natural death. (You can participate in a nine day novena for life at http//www.usccb.org/about/pro-life-activities/january-roe-events/nine-days-of-prayer-penance-and-pilgrimage.cfm .)

It might seem like we are battling a giant. That’s okay. David battled against the giant Goliath and won because “For human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.”

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Some Thoughts on Atheism

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I just finished reading a book called Inside the Atheist Mind: Unmasking the Religion of Those Who Say There is No God by Anthony DeStefano (Nelson Books, Nashville. 2018).

Before I highlight a couple of ideas from the book, I want to first caution anyone who decides to read the book against thinking all atheists are exactly as the author describes. There are certainly people who are what he calls “evangelical atheist”, meaning they are proactive in recruiting people to their “faith” of “atheism.”

Yes, he speaks of atheism as a faith. This might sound confusing as we use “faith” to describe as “belief in God.”

If you look up “faith” in a dictionary, it is defined as believing in something that cannot be proven. Atheism believes that there is no God but they cannot prove God does not exist. So, the author says they have “faith” that there is no God.

DeStephano speaks of false “facts” presented by atheist such as blaming religions for most wars. He responds to this by citing the Encyclopedia of Wars by Phillips and Axelrod that shows that only 6.98% of wars “can be classified as religious in nature.” (If you read the whole book, DeStephano offers evidence to refute other similar claims of atheists that blame religion for most, if not all, of the world’s problems.

Yes, there are atheists who blame religion for many world problems. Some of them are aggressive in their attacks against religion. However, many atheists simply don’t know any better. They don’t speak up. They just keep to themselves.

I’m starting to drift from what I intended to write as I began this post so let me get back on track.

DeStephano includes a chapter (4) on “The Intolerance of Atheists.” He speaks of how atheists say we must “tolerate” the beliefs of others. Each person must be free to choose their own beliefs. This is true. We are not to force Jesus on anyone. Yet, there is a fallacy in their tolerance. If they say we must tolerate the beliefs of others, how come they don’t tolerate us expressing the beliefs of our Catholic faith? They think we shouldn’t talk about our faith because it might “harm” others. DeStephano speaks of atheists who go so far as to say, “We should no more allow parents to teach their children to believe, for example, in the literal truth of the Bible” (51).

I offer two thoughts on this:

  1. They talk about the freedom to make choices for oneself. I would argue that if we don’t teach people about our faith, then we are actually taking away their ability to choose. If they don’t know about God, they can’t choose him or reject him.
  2. If they are so sure they are right that there is no God and that our moral beliefs are not right, then how come they are afraid to let us speak. Why not let us speak? Perhaps they are afraid to let us speak because they know we are right.

The last point I want to bring up from DeStephano’s book, Inside the Atheist Mind, comes in his last chapter entitled “The End of the Atheists.” Have we let atheists win? There is no doubt that the number of people who claim to be atheists is growing.

Why?

Because, we believers choose not to talk about our faith. For some it is a conscious choice to “keep the peace.” For others, they may choose not to speak up because they feel in adequate to argue with someone about our faith. Now, we have lost the ability to talk about our faith. (We learn how to talk about our faith by doing it.)

Because we don’t talk about our faith, people don’t know about Jesus. We need to change that. We need to ask God to help us trust in what He says at the end of today’s first reading, “I will make you a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6b).

God, please give me, please give all of us who believe in you, the light of Jesus, and help us to be a “light to the nations.”

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

Second Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A – Homily

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2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A
Isaiah 49:3, 5-6
Psalm 40:2, 4, 7-8, 8-9, 10 (8a, 9a)
1 Corinthians 1:1-3
John 1:29-34
January 19, 2020

To prepare us for Christmas as the First Coming of the Lord, we first celebrated the season of Advent.

Who was the one who prepared the way of the Lord just before Jesus started his ministry?

John the Baptist. 

Thus, some of our Advent readings told us about John the Baptist and the ministry he did.

Last week we again heard of John the Baptist as we celebrated the Baptism of the Lord.  This is fitting since John was the one who baptized Jesus.

Now, we have returned to Ordinary Time.  As we begin Ordinary Time, our gospel readings come from the beginningof Jesus’ public ministry.  As we do this, our gospel reading again refers to John the Baptist.

Why?

Because there is overlap between their ministries.  Jesus picks up where John leaves off.  Remember John is all about pointing people to Jesus. 

That is why when John “saw Jesus coming toward him” he said, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” 

John does not try to keep his disciples to himself.  He doesn’t look to have fame and notoriety.  He points to Jesus as the one “who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.”

One might suppose that since John was all about pointing people to Jesus, he knew a lot about Jesus and shared this with the people.

However, while the reason John came was to make Jesus “known to Israel”, John admits, “I did not know him.”

We don’t have to know everything about Jesus to tell others about him.  We don’t have to know everything about Jesus to come to do his will.

Coming to do the Lord’s Will is not simply a matter of having human knowledge about him.  We need human knowledge of Jesus to know what He has done for us.  We need some human knowledge to help us know how He calls us to live but ultimately the knowledge leads us to the Lord’s Law that is within our hearts.

Thus, in faith and love, we surrender ourselves to God’s Will, saying, “Here am I Lord; I come to do your will.”

In surrendering ourselves to God’s Will, we recognize that there is and will be suffering in this world.  Our reading from Isaiah today comes from what is known as the second of four passages about a “suffering servant.” 

This servant suffers that the God’s glory may be shown through him.  Who is this “suffering servant”?

Some say it is Isaiah himself.  Some say it is the nation of Israel.  Ultimately, for us as Christians, it is fulfilled in Jesus as He suffers on the Cross for us.

However, it is also fulfilled in each of us whom God himself has formed in the womb such that He knows us better than we know ourselves.  It is the Lord, who “by the will of God” called Paul to be an apostle, also calls us to be his servants.

How do you pick the career you choose for yourself?

To answer this people normally speak of how they pick a career that involves something they enjoy.  I think this is often true.  I know I decided to study engineering because my favorite subjects were math and science.  Engineering let me use both.

If that is all there is to, why do some people pick careers that they do not have experience with?  Could this not be the Lord leading us to what He has planned for us since He formed us in his mother’s womb?

John the Baptist knew what purpose God called him to, to lead people to Jesus.

God calls all of us to do the same. 

Often people respond to the idea that they are to lead people to Jesus with answers like “I don’t know enough about Jesus” or “I am not worthy.  Who am I to do this?”

To the first, not knowing enough, I point back to John’s words, “I did not know him.”  John did not know Jesus but that didn’t stop him from telling others what he did know.  It starts with telling people that Jesus loves them.  Then, we can tell them how life is better with Jesus in it.

As to feeling unworthy or having what we need, I turn to the words from Isaiah, “my God is now my strength” and the Lord’s own words, “I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”

It’s time to stop making excuses.  In the early days of the Church, it was a growing church.  We can read in the Acts of the Apostles of thousands being baptized.

Unfortunately, the Church today is a shrinking church.  We need to change that.  People don’t know about Jesus. 

Why?  Because we don’t talk about him.  We need to talk about Jesus.  Please notice that I said “we” not I.  It is for all of us to share our love for Jesus.

I am not talking about big theological discourses.  I’m talking about telling people that we have proof that Jesus loves us when we see him on the Cross.  Tell them why you come to church. 

Some of you might think you only come because it is what you have been taught you are supposed to do.  But people today don’t always do something just because they are supposed to.  Even if you don’t know what it is, the fact that you are here says there is something in your heart that brings you here.

Don’t worry about big theological words to use.  Trust in the Lord to give you the words for we hear in the psalm “And he put a new song into my mouth.”

When I preach, I do not want the words I preach to be my own.  I pray I preach what the Lord wants said. 

The Lord will give you the words, the Lord will give you the strength to be a light to the nations so that his kingdom is made known to all the world.