Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, Year C – Homily

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Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, Year C
Luke 19:28-40
Isaiah 50:4-7
Psalm 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24
Philippians 2:6-11
Luke 22:14-23:56
March 20, 2016

We begin Holy Week on a high note, the same high note that Jesus entered into Jerusalem for the final time with the royal welcome.

As Jesus approached Jerusalem people were coming to him, treating it like the arrival of a king.  In fact, they explicitly refer to him as a king when their words of greeting, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord.”  We sing similar words in the Sanctus as we start the Eucharistic Prayer with “blessed is him who comes in the name of the Lord.”

While they didn’t yet really know what it meant to call Jesus their king, they clearly wanted him as their king.

While the week starts with great joy, it turns into a very difficult week in the story of Jesus’ Passion beginning with the Last Supper.

It was the time for the Passover meal that Jesus had “eagerly desired” to eat with his disciples even though He knew that it would lead to his suffering.

Knowing what was about to happen, Jesus gave us the gift of the Eucharist, his Body and Blood.  Jesus intimately ties the Eucharist to his sacrifice on the Cross when He says “This is my body, which will be given for you….This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you.”

The Eucharist is the sacrifice on the Cross so each time we celebrate and receive the Eucharist, we must remember the Crucifixion.

This can be a challenge.  In human terms, the Crucifixion doesn’t make sense.  How can this happen to the Messiah?  Confused Peter will deny that he knows Jesus three times.

Even Jesus who knows his Passion is coming “as it has been determined” is troubled by it.  After the meal is over, Jesus goes off to pray to prepare for what is to come.  In the garden, he prays, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me.”  Jesus did not want to suffer.  “He was in such agony” that “his sweat became like drops of blood” as his prayer continued, “still, not my will but yours be done.”

Jesus is then arrested, betrayed by the kiss of Judas who He had called to be one of his Apostles.

From there Jesus is questioned and put on trial.  He is completely innocent!  They have to grasp at straws for testimony against him to put him on trial for making himself a king.

Remember when Jesus received the royal welcome to Jerusalem?  Some of the Pharisees told Jesus to rebuke his disciples for making him a king but now they are the ones calling him a king to use it against him.

Even Pilate declares Jesus to be innocent three times!  Yet it is also Pilate who consents to Jesus’ Crucifixion just to appease the crowds.  The mob mentality takes over.  The crowds have lost their senses.

Jesus knows this when he says, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.”

They say to him, “save yourself” but Jesus did not come to save himself.

Even one of the criminals crucified alongside Jesus mocks him, “Save yourself and us.”  Yet, it is the second criminal crucified with Jesus who rebukes the first criminal as he recognizes that Jesus is innocent.

It is also the second criminal who realizes that Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world and that Jesus has the power to save when he says to Jesus, “Jesus, remember me when you come into our kingdom.”

This criminal admits his own guilt while also knowing that Jesus has the power to save him.  Jesus responds to him, “Today you will be with me in Paradise.”  Salvation is possible for sinners because of Jesus’ action on the Cross.

How can death save us?

It is not death itself that saves us but rather Jesus’ supreme act of love as He gives, as he sacrifices, his life for us.

Jesus gives it all over to his Father.

Look at the Crucifix.  Does it make sense?  It doesn’t have to.  The Cross is not about what makes sense.  Look at Jesus on the Cross and see love.

It is in love that Jesus saves us as long as we follow the second criminal, repent and believe in what Jesus does for us.

Remember the words of the repentant criminal “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

As We Begin Holy Week

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Here are some thoughts I wrote for our bulletin cover as we begin Holy Week.

Today we celebrate “Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord,” more commonly known as “Palm Sunday.”  It’s an easy name to remember given that at Mass we bless palms and take them home with us.  The first gospel reading we hear today reminds us of the symbolism of the palms, signifying the royal welcome Jesus received as He entered Jerusalem for the final week of his life.

One should note that I said “the first gospel reading.”  Today, we actually hear two gospel passages.  The first marks the beginning of this most sacred time we call “Holy Week.”  The second gospel we hear is the story of Jesus’ Passion.  It begins with the Last Supper, followed by the story of the agony in the garden, Jesus’ betrayal and arrest, his trial, and Crucifixion.  This is the story of Jesus’ suffering.  It is also the story of our salvation.  It is so important that it is not enough to celebrate it as a single day.  One hour on Sunday does not do it justice.

Certainly, we hear the story of Jesus’ Passion today and next Sunday we will hear of Jesus’ Resurrection but I know I came to more deeply appreciate the meaning of these events when I started attending all three services associated with what we call the Easter Triduum (triduum meaning three days).

First, on Holy Thursday, (at 7:00 p.m.) we commemorate the Last Supper when Jesus gave us his Body and Blood in the Eucharist.  We hear the story of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples as a call to service.  This is also celebrated as the institution of the priesthood at Jesus’ instruction of service and the call to celebrate the Eucharist.

Then, on Good Friday, (at 3:00 p.m.), we celebrate the Crucifixion. On Palm Sunday, we hear the Passion as told in Luke’s Gospel.  On Good Friday, we hear the Passion as told in John’s Gospel.  While we have already heard about the Passion today, for me there is something very moving about hearing it on Good Friday followed by the veneration of the Cross where we all come forth to venerate the Cross as the instrument of our salvation.

Then on Saturday night, (at 7:30 p.m.), we celebrate the Easter Vigil.  Now, I admit this is a long Mass but to me it doesn’t seem long because of the sacredness of the night.  We begin with the blessing of fire, celebrating the gift of light.  We continue with scripture readings telling us the story of salvation.  Then we will baptize and receive three people into full initiation as members of our Catholic faith.  Then, we celebrate the Eucharist.  This truly is the most holy night of the year.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff

5th Sunday in Lent, Year C – Homily

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5th Sunday of Lent, Year C
Isaiah 43:16-21
Psalm 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6
Philippians 3:8-14
John 8:1-11
March 13, 2016

Many people come to hear Jesus speak.  Some may simply be curious.  Others come with a deep faith while others come to test him.

We see this in the scribes and the Pharisees who bring the woman caught in adultery to him.  They would say that their interest is in upholding the law.  There can be no disputing that she has broken the commandment against adultery.  The punishment called for by Moses is clear, stoning.

I have to wonder if these scribes and Pharisees are beginning to understand that Jesus would not be in favor of stoning but it doesn’t really matter to them.  If Jesus says to go ahead with the stoning, they will say the Romans do not allow them to do it and criticize Jesus for upsetting the Romans.  If Jesus says not to stone him, they can say he doesn’t follow the Mosaic Law.

Of course, Jesus knows what they are thinking but he is not deterred.  He takes their question about stoning and turns it into a moment of reflection and instruction.

His first response could have anger or correction.  Instead, Jesus first response is to say nothing.  He writes something on the ground but we are never told what He writes nor does it seem to have any effect on the Pharisees and the scribes because they continued to ask Him about stoning her.

So Jesus replies, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”  Of course, the scribes and the Pharisees would like to respond that they are without sin because they claim to follow and uphold the Law.  Yet, they do not respond.  They know that if they cast the first stone, Jesus will point out their sins.

Nobody says anything but they go away one by one till it is just Jesus and the woman left.  He tells her he does not condemn her and for her to go and sin no more.

Jesus does not change the law.  He never says that adultery is now ok.  The commandment remains to not commit adultery.  Likewise, He does not argue what Moses said about stoning such people.  He never tells the woman that her sin was ok.  He says go and sin no more.  That means she sinned or He won’t have said no more.

Jesus does not condemn her or us.  If Jesus simply wanted to condemn sinners, He did not need to come into the word.  The Law was already in place.

Jesus came to do something “new”.  Jesus came to show us the way of forgiveness.  Yes, she sinned and so has everyone else.  So stop judging!

When I say “new” I need to make a clarification.  To the people the forgiveness that Jesus shows could be seen as new as opposed to the punishment from God in the Old Testament.  However, forgiveness is not new.  For instance, remember how when the people made a molten calf as an idol to worship.  God could have punished them but He forgive them.  The Old Testament has numerous stories of God’s forgiveness.

It is easy for us to judge!  We have the Bible that helps us to identify sins.  We know, well we should know, what the Bible teaches.  We could look at people and say they are terrible for breaking the commandments.  They we can get self-righteous and start judging them for anything they do differently than the way we would.  We put ourselves on the pedestal of pride.

I’ve mentioned in recent weeks that one of the spiritual works of mercy is to “admonish the sinner” but this is not a call to judge.  It is a call to help others turn their lives to Christ.  It is meant to be an act of compassion, not judgment.

Who are we to judge?  What is to be gained by judging?

Which is more helpful to the woman who had been caught in adultery?  To stone her, which meant death, leaving her no chance to repent or to acknowledge her sin with compassion and mercy and to hope that leads her to repent?

God wants us to repent and receive his mercy.

Do we see the Sacrament of Reconciliation as judgment or mercy?  The penances given in years long past used to be very rigorous, lasting weeks sometimes.  We were motivated more by guilt to confess than seeking mercy.

When I sit in the confessional, I choose not to judge.  I think of my own sins and am motivated to mercy.  The goal of anything I say in the confessional is not judge.  The goal is to help people live as Jesus teaches us.  Jesus teaches us to forgive.

We need God’s forgiveness.  We want God’s forgiveness.  That’s why I was in the confessional for seven hours this past Wednesday.  The only reason I could do this was the grace of the sacrament.  In the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the one confessing receives the grace of forgiveness.  In being the one hearing the confessions, I receive the grace to be God’s instrument in the sacrament.  That’s how I went for seven hours without a break.  I didn’t take a break because I didn’t need a break. Honestly, it was probably the best day so far this year for me.

God’s forgiveness and mercy is a powerful thing for the one receiving it and for the one offering to others.  Who do you need to forgive?  Who can you bring God’s mercy to?  Doesn’t it feel good to forgive?

4th Sunday of Lent, Year C – Homily

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4th Sunday of Lent, Year C
Joshua 5:9a, 10-12
Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7
2 Corinthians 5:17-21
Luke 15:1-3, 11-32
March 6, 2016

Today’s story of the prodigal son is a familiar story to most and a favorite to many.  What makes it a favorite?

The younger son rejects his father (that’s not the favorable part) but when he returns after a life of dissipation, he is greeted by his father who has been eagerly watching for his return and immediately welcomes him back.  Of course, the father is like God is to us, eager to forgive us when we reject Him.

The younger son rejects his father when he asks for his inheritance before the father dies and then goes away.  In doing this he would be dead to his family.  When we sin, we are rejecting God by saying we know what God has taught and we are going to do what we want.

Fortunately for us, God is eager to forgive us.  He is so eager and so loving that He sends His Son Jesus to die for us.  We receive His forgiveness through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  It is the gift of God’s forgiveness and its value is priceless.

So we relate to the younger son but we should think about how we should be like the father in the story.  How eager are we to forgive others who have wronged us?  Is there someone we don’t want to forgive?  How does that match up with the words we say in the Lord’s Prayer, “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us?”

The motto of our Jubilee Year of Mercy is “merciful like the father.”  Are we merciful?  Or are we angry?  Do we hold onto the anger?  If so, then we need to hand our anger over to God.

There is a third character in the story who becomes angry.  It is the older son.  He is the one who can say to his father, “Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders.”  He goes onto talk about how the father has never given him “even a young goat” to sacrifice with his friends.

The older son is jealous that the father has welcomed the younger son back and forgiven him.  He cannot rejoice that his brother has returned.

Have you ever felt jealous towards someone who sins and then returns to God and is forgiven?

How about envious?  Perhaps you have been coming to church your whole life and always tried hard to follow God’s commandments.  You put forth all the effort and there is no celebration for you.  Then, here comes someone you have known for a long time.  They haven’t been to church in a very long time.  They have sinned in obvious ways and there is no denying their guilt but now you see them back in church.

Perhaps this reminds you of the story of the woman caught in adultery.  There was no denying her guilt as she was caught red-handed.  Those who caught her want to stone her.  Jesus says “let he who is without sin cast the first stone.”

No one casts that stone because we are all sinners.  Instead they leave till it is just Jesus and the woman left.  He tells her “Go and sin no more.”  He forgives her and directs her not to sin again.

He does the same with us.  Who is there that you need to forgive?  The father eagerly awaited the return of the younger son.  Do you await the return of those who have wronged you?

3rd Sunday of Lent, Year C – Homily

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3rd Sunday of Lent, Year C
Exodus 3:1-8a, 13-15
Psalm 103:1-2, 3-5, 6-7, 8, 11
1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12
Luke 13:1-9
February 28, 2016

“Some people told Jesus” about what Pilate was doing (mingling the blood of sacrifices).  This leads to Jesus talking about suffering.  Remember, in those days people believed that if you were suffering it was punishment for sin.  Jesus tells them that the suffering they describe does not happen because the people were greater sinners than others.

However, neither does Jesus say that these people were not sinners in some way.  He uses it as an opportunity to tell everyone to repent.  If we do not repent we will perish.  Sin has its consequences and if we do not repent the greatest consequence of our sins will be to spend eternity in Hell.

The good news is that when we repent, God forgives us and gives us another chance but what does it mean to repent?

I see at least three parts to “repentance.”  First, we need to realize we have done something that is wrong.  We need to be humble enough to realize we are not perfect and we sin.

Secondly, we need to be willing to admit our sins.  This means going to the Sacrament of Reconciliation to confess our sins.  You can do this on Saturday afternoon.  Next week, on March 9th, we will have our annual diocesan Day of Penance and Mercy from 12:30 – 7:30 p.m. or you can always make an appointment.  God wants to forgive you but you have to ask.

The third part of “repentance” is a genuine desire to change, to undergo conversion.  We need to become people of “mercy.” God has shown us “mercy” in forgiving our sins but this is not the only way God shows us mercy.

God also shows us mercy in hearing our cries and responding to our affliction just as God heard the cry of the Israelites in Egypt.  God lead them out to “a land flowing with milk and honey.”

Our God is one who is “slow to anger and abounding in kindness.”  He pardons our sins, heals us, and crowns us with his kindness.  Truly, “The Lord is kind and merciful.”  Are we?

Often when we think about our sins, we think about what we have done wrong.  This is good but it isn’t the whole picture.  We also need to think about “sins of omission,” meaning the things we have failed to do.

Here we turn back to Jesus with the fig tree.  The tree had borne no fruit for three years so the landowner wanted to cut it down.  The tree was planted to bear fruit.  So, if it isn’t fulfilling its purpose, get rid of it.  It seems simple enough.

Do we bear any fruit?  God did not create us to sit idly by.  We have created to do good works, to do acts of mercy.  In doing so, we bear good fruit.

We can do Corporal Works of Mercy to feed the hungry and give drink to the thirsty like God did for the Israelites in the desert.  We can welcome the stranger as God has welcomed us as his people.

We can also do Spiritual Works of Mercy.  If you aren’t so familiar with these, you are not alone.  Before the Year of Mercy, I didn’t know much about them but I had to learn (see my presentations).  Among the Spiritual Works of Mercy is the call to “comfort the sorrowful.”  Don’t we seek God’s comfort in our own sorrow?  Do we offer comfort to others?

The Spiritual Works of Mercy also include “admonishing the sinner.”  How do we do this?  Generally, it doesn’t normally take a lot of effort for us to notice the sins in other people but what do we do when we see their sins?  Do we rush to judgment and criticize and then walk away or do we act in a way to help them become a better person.

We need to help them learn what our faith teaches.  This is another Spiritual Work of Mercy, to instruct those who don’t know better.

Even when God punishes his people, it is not simply divine retribution.  It is to get the people to change.  It is not just to get them to change but as Paul tells the Corinthians, to serve as an example and warning to us, “so that we might not desire evil things, as they did.”

God is “slow to anger and abounding in kindness.”  How patient are we?  How forgiving are we?  How kind are we?

2nd Sunday in Lent, Year C – Homily

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2nd Sunday of Lent, Year C
Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18
Psalm 27:1, 7-8, 8-9, 13-14
Philippians 3:17-4:1
Luke 9:28b-36
February 21, 2016

Abram, who will become Abraham, has been lamenting that he does not have any children.  In Abraham’s day this would have been huge.  Children were your “future”, the mark you left on this world.  It also meant no heir.  The desire for children is natural and good.  However, the desire for an “heir” may focus one on material things.  Who will inherit all his possessions?

God hears Abraham’s cry and takes him outside to show him the stars.  God tells Abraham to count them.  Of course, there are too many to count.  God promises Abraham his children will be as numerous as the starts.

Abraham then “put his faith in the Lord” and trusted God.  Yet Abraham seeks something to “seal the deal.”  God directs him to offer a huge sacrifice as a sign of the covenant He is forming with Abraham.

Yes, Abraham seeks to seal the covenant but ultimately he believes.  He doesn’t know how it will all come to be but he trusts God over human expectation.

Peter, James, and John have become disciples of Jesus.  They see him as a messiah who comes to defeat the Romans and restore the earthly kingdom of Israel.  They have seen Jesus do miracles and preach but they do not yet understand who He truly is and what He will do as the Messiah.

While they don’t fully understand, they did put their faith in Jesus and follow him.

Jesus goes to the mountain to pray and He takes Peter, James, and John with him. Why?

He goes to pray alone and He certainly doesn’t need their help to pray.  He brings them not to pray but to see what happens to help them take the next step in their faith journey.

As Jesus is praying, Peter, James, and John fall asleep.  As they awaken, they see Jesus transfigured and conversing with Moses and Elijah?  Why was it important for them to see this?

As they see Jesus transfigured, “his faced changed in appearance” and his clothes become “dazzling white,” they are Jesus in his glory, the way we will see him in Heaven.  This is to help the disciples realize that Jesus comes from God.

Moses and Elijah are present to show us that Jesus is not someone with an entirely new message.  Moses’ presence symbolizes that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law.  Elijah’s presence symbolizes Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophecies.

Peter is so amazed but what he is seeing that he doesn’t know what to say.  He just wants to say something and he wanted the moment to last so he offers to build three tents for them.

Peter, James, and John thought they knew who Jesus was but, in reality, they were only beginning to know Jesus.  They still needed to convert their hearts to see Jesus not just as an earthly messiah but as our savior and redeemer.

What does this mean for us?

This story of the Transfiguration is written down in the gospels to help us, even today, understand who Jesus really is.

How much do we really know about Jesus?  We can all probably claim to know more than the disciples knew at the time of the Transfiguration.  If nothing else, we know about his death and resurrection.

Even so, the truth is that we are only beginning to understand who Jesus is.  We cannot fully comprehend God until we are with him in Heaven.

While we live in this world, we try to define God in earthly terms.  We say God is everywhere but we struggle to be aware of God’s presence.  We struggle in affliction.  It just doesn’t make sense.

We want to have all the answers but that isn’t going to happen.  Sometimes I hear people say they are going to have a lot of questions for God when they are with him in Heaven.  We might have lots of questions but I think that when we get to Heaven, the answers aren’t going to matter much.  We will so full of joy, the answers won’t matter.

We do not have to wait for Heaven to have a taste of God’s joy.  God wants to make his presence known to us now.  The problem is we need to stop focusing on earthly things to open ourselves to God.

Do we have reason to be concerned about having enough food, a place to live, or clothing to wear?  Sure but we must not let it consume us.  That just causes us anxiety and the anxiety can keep us from feeling God’s presence in our lives.

Sometimes we just need to be like Abraham and put our faith in God.

1st Sunday in Lent, Year C – Homily

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1st Sunday of Lent, Year C
Deuteronomy 26:4-10
Psalm 91:1-2, 10-11, 12-13, 14-15
Romans 10:8-13
Luke 4:1-13
February 14, 2016

Every time we come to Mass, we pray the Lord’s Prayer.  We pray it with the rosary.  It is used in the Liturgy of the Hours and other devotions.  Every time we pray it, we say “and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.”

When we go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation and say our Act of Contrition, it includes our promise to avoid what leads us to sin.

We need to be do whatever we can to avoid temptation, meaning that which leads us to sin, because when we allow ourselves to be tempted, we often sin.

So we need to avoid temptation.  With that in mind, we here of Jesus’ own temptation.  In his case, he didn’t just happen to come against temptation.  No, the gospel is explicit in saying Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the desert to be tempted.

Of course, Jesus is able to resist the temptation and powerful temptations they are.  Jesus had been fasting for forty days and so he was hungry.  It might seem entirely reasonable for him to listen to the devil and change the stones into bread but he doesn’t because he realizes there are more important things than bread.

Now, we need to eat but is eating more important to us than God?  When we do eat, do we limit it to what we need or do we eat like gluttons?  If we eat like gluttons, do we take away from others what they need?  If we eat like gluttons, what do we have left to give to God?  I know I need to work on better eating habits (I didn’t to be the shape I am by fasting!).

When the Israelites were in slavery they cried to God, God saw their affliction, and gave them a land flowing with milk and honey.  We need to remember to gift our firstfruits to God, placing our trust in him.

Next, the devil tried to tempt Jesus with power and glory.  Jesus does not give in to worship the devil.  How tempted are we by power and glory?  Think about work.  How far have you gone to get a promotion or to make yourself look good?  Sometimes, we say once we get the promotion and pay we need, we will do better.  Do we?  Sometimes it isn’t about pay or pride.  For me, sometimes I just want to get everything done.  I try too hard and I get grumpy.  We need to learn to be satisfied.

Then, the devil tries to tempt Jesus by telling him to jump off the wall and God will protect him.  Jesus doesn’t but do we?  This isn’t just about literally jumping off a wall.  How often do we go out and do whatever we what and when things go bad, expect God to rescue us?  When we do so, are we putting God to the test?

We are to count on the Lord, right?  After all, the verse we all sang with the psalm, said “Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.”  We are to turn to the Lord in our troubles to “dwell in the shelter of the Most High” and to see the Lord as our refuge and the one in “whom I trust.”

When we face temptation, we must turn to God.  Yet, it is not just when things are bad that we should turn to God.  We need to turn to God in all things, being thankful for the abundance of grace God gives us.

In the psalm we also here the Lord say “Because he clings to me, I will deliver him… He shall call upon me, and I will answer him.”  This might lead us to the idea that if we just believe in Jesus, nothing bad will happen.

After all, doesn’t the psalm also say “No evil shall befall you, nor affliction come near your tent”?  Then why does evil come our way?  Why do we face affliction?

I can think of a couple of ways to look at this.  First, when we face affliction, sometimes it is because of our own actions.  My mother would ask why she suffered with emphysema the last ten years of her life and died with cancer.  Why?  Because she smoked for 30 years.  Our actions have consequences.  They can cause afflictions.

Looking at things from another perspective, sometimes when I have a bad day, it’s because I’ve lost focus on God or others want something other than what God directs us to.

On the other hand, I have to admit that there are times when we seem to face affliction for no reason.  Sometimes it is because of the actions of others.  Sometimes we have no idea why the affliction comes our way.

This is when we need to remember that God has commanded the angels to guard us in all our ways.  No matter what affliction we face in live, God always walks with us and wants to strengthen us.

The challenge is to be aware of God’s presence.  That means avoiding sin and temptation that keep us from knowing God.  It means praying in quiet solitude to give God a chance to speak.  It means praying to Mass not just when we are in trouble.  We need to come to Mass every week to hear God’s Word to guide us and to receive the Eucharist to strengthen us.

The Mass truly is a source of God’s guidance and strength for us.  The challenge is to open ourselves to what is offered.  That’s why it is still is the teaching of our church that we need to come to Mass every week.  It is also why we offer Mass not just for Sunday but every day.  We need the Lord.

5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C – Homily

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5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
Isaiah 6:1-2a, 3-8
Psalm 138, 1-2,2-3, 4-5, 7-8
1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Luke 5:1-11
February 8, 2016

Jesus continues to heal and to preach.  He is drawing great crowds that press upon him.  So, he gets into Simon’s boat and asks him to take the boat out a short distance.  Simon does as Jesus asks.  There’s nothing too astonishing here.  Simon probably wants to hear Jesus just like everyone else and this gives him a front row seat.

After Jesus has finished speaking, he directs Simon to take the boat out into deeper waters and to lower the nets.  Now, Simon and the others had been fishing all night and caught nothing.  They were professional fishermen while Jesus was a carpenter.  Why should Simon listen to a carpenter?

But he does…

What happens?  They catch so many fish that they have to call for help to pull in the nets.

Sometimes, we might keep trying to do something but without success.  No matter how hard we try we just can’t get the job done.  We are ready to give up but something nudges us to do it one more time, figure whatever happens, happens, and we succeed.

Perhaps we have been trying too hard to do it by ourselves and to do it our way.  We try to use what God has given to accomplish good but when we fail, we feel like we aren’t good enough.

When Simon realizes Jesus comes from God, he fell at the knees of Jesus and asked him to depart, believing he was not worthy to be with Jesus.

Paul realizes that, because of his past persecution of the Jews, he is not fit to be called an apostle.  He realizes that it by God’s grace that he has become an apostle.

Isaiah feels unclean and unworthy.  Alone he would be unworthy but God sends forth a seraphim who touches the ember from the altar to Isaiah’s lip and his sin in purged.  Isaiah then cries out “Here I am Lord!”

What task have we felt called to?  What task have we fallen short of completing?  When we reach the point of giving up, we let go of our way and in doing so, open ourselves to God.

Sometimes God asks big things of us.  Sometimes God asks simple things of us.  Sometimes God just wants us to stand up for what is good.

In Misericordiae Vultus (paragraph 15), Pope Francis writes, “In this Holy Year, we look forward to the experience of opening our hearts to those living on the outermost fringes of society: fringes which modern society itself creates.”

Among those we are called to open our hearts to their needs are the little children.  We need to make sure they have proper care.  Studies have shown that when little children receive proper care, they do much better in school and their parents do better at work.

You may remember that in November we had a petition signing for an increase in child care subsidies in the state budget.  This petitions were sent to Governor Cuomo before he drafted the new budget.  This weekend is our regular Public Policy weekend and we are once again asking you to sign petitions for the state to increase child care subsidies by $190 million.  This time these petitions will go to our state legislature as they work on the budget.

How important are such subsidies for the poor?  One study should that for 80% of women living in poverty who had an abortion, not bearing able to afford a baby was a reason for having the abortion.  Employers show decreased employee absences when child care is available.  Data also shows they are more productive at work when the subsidies are available.

I read the story of a woman named Jennifer living in Bath, NY.  While receiving child care subsidies, she was able to attend job training that led to a minimum wage job.  Working at minimum wage, she still needed the subsidy but she was able to work hard and then get a job at a better wage where she could pay for some of the child care herself.

The early years are so important to a child’s own development to help them be flourishing adults in society one day.  Is it not worth the investment?  We are making it as easy as we can.  Our Service Team has tables set up for you to sign the petitions today.

Jesus loves the little children.  God calls us to do acts of mercy.  What are you willing to do to help others?

4th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C – Homily

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4th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
Jeremiah 1:4-5, 17-19
Psalm 71:1-6, 15, 17
1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13
Luke 4:21-30
January 31, 2016

In the last two weeks, I have spoken about using what God has given us in time, talent, and treasure to help our church be all it is meant to be. This is good stewardship.

I have talked about how we need to ask God to guide us in knowing how we are to use what we have been given.  Why ask God?  Because he is our creator.  What does he say to Jeremiah?  “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you.”

God has known us even before we were conceived in our mother’s womb.  God knows what talents we have.  God knows how much time we have to contribute.  God knows what treasure we have.  God knows us better than we know ourselves.

It is important to realize that, as Paul wrote in last week’s second reading, we are all many parts making up one body.  We each have a different role to play.  What we can do is important.  However, it is not the most important thing.  As Paul writes, if we do not have love we are nothing.

It is love that should be our motivator.  In Jesus’ days on Earth, people “were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.”  We should be amazed.  The words are to motivate us in God’s way, the way of love.

In part of hearing about stewardship the last two weeks, we have heard about our appeal to increase our Sunday collections from members of our Stewardship Committee and Finance Council.

Today is the day we ask you to make a commitment about the treasure aspect of your giving for the coming year.  Before we do that, I want to make what I feel is a very important distinction between giving and contributing.  You could simply think about what you put in the collection each week as helping us to pay our bills.  We all have bills to pay but if we only see it as paying the bills, I believe we miss something.

Yes, what you give in the collection helps pay the bills but it isn’t just to pay the bills.  Why do we get bills?  Because we are here to do the work of God.  In today’s world, that requires money.  When you share your treasure with our church, you are contributing to the ministry we do.  It is not about money.  It is about mission.

Now, we have talked about our appeal the last two Sundays and you should have received a mailing with a letter and brochure this week.  I hope you had a chance to read them.  If not, I will just repeat what was said that we aren’t asking for money for some new ministry or construction.  We need more money to simply pay our bills.  What we are asking today is for you to increase what you put in the first collection.  If we are able to increase our collections, then I won’t spend so much time worrying about our bills and can work on what is really important.  We aren’t asking for you to increase what you put in the second collection (you can).

So, having said all this, I’m going to ask you to fill out your commitment card now…

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C – Homily

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3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
Nehemiah 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10
Psalm 18:8-10, 15
1 Corinthians 12:12-30
Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21
January 24, 2016

After a brief introduction our gospel today begins the story of Jesus’ public ministry following his baptism.  He reads from the prophet Isaiah of his Mission, “to bring glad tidings to the poor… To proclaim liberty to captives… recovery of sight to the blind… and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.”

This is Jesus’ mission but it is not just his mission.  It is a mission we are all called to work towards, not just the priests, not just the deacon, not just the sisters, but all of us.  Our first reading speaks of Ezra and Nehemiah working together.  Ezra is a priest and Nehemiah is the governor but they work together.

Through the Spirit we are all baptized into one body.  That doesn’t make us all identical.  As Paul writes, the body has many parts.  Each part fulfills a different role.  The eye enables us to see.  The ear enables to hear, the foot to walk, the stomach to eat, etc.  Every part of the body is important and each of you is important to God and to us.

As we began our Increased Giving Campaign last week we prayed together the Stewardship prayer that is found in the pews.  This prayer reminds us that if we want our church to do great things, we must be willing to be part of the effort.

We already have a number of parishioners involved in our ministries.  We need more.  We are working on a new ministry brochure to describe our ministries and we also have a group working towards a Promise Tree that will list ways you can help in either a one-time activity or in the ongoing ministries of the parish.

We have some good ministries here.  We could be doing better.  What will it take?  You, well you in the sense that you contribute of your time, talent, and treasure.  What skills (talents) do you have that might be helpful?  Can you give a little time?  How about treasure?  When was the last time you thought about how much to contribute to the parish?

Not everyone can give the same.  For instance a family with young children may not have a lot of time to give because they are taking care of the children (this doesn’t mean you can’t give some time) while the newly retired person may have lots of time to give.

The same is true for treasure.  We don’t all have the same means.  What you can contribute is ultimately for you to decide but I ask that you pray about it.  Do you have time to offer?  Do you have a talent to offer?  Do you have treasure to offer?

If not, you can always pray.