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Reflection for the 3rd Sunday of Advent 2017

Time for
doing.

Brothers and sisters: Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophetic utterances. Test everything; retain what is good. Refrain from every kind of evil.

Today’s message from scripture is one of doing (while rejoicing).

As we listen to Paul’s instructions to the Thessalonians, it sounds much like the instruction of every parent when they drop their children off somewhere. “Always be respectful. Listen closely. Pick up after yourself. Say ‘please’ and ‘thank you.’ Call me if you need anything. In fact, just call me period.” The list goes on. Most of the time those words are not even heard, because our children know them by heart. They have heard them repeatedly. But, like Paul, we have to wonder if they connect. Hearing is different from grasping and doing.

Reading Paul’s list of final exhortations, we are called to tune in attentively. Not only to listen, but to put these easy to remember admonitions into practice: REJOICE, PRAY, GIVE THANKS, DO NOT QUENCH, DO NOT DESPISE, TEST EVERYTHING, REFRAIN FROM EVIL.

Like to Letter of St. James, the First Letter to the Thessalonians is thought to be one of the earliest writings in the Christian community. Paul is laying out directions for how Christians are to live. What are we to do every day? These things: REJOICE, PRAY, GIVE THANKS, DO NOT QUENCH, DO NOT DESPISE, TEST EVERYTHING, REFRAIN FROM EVIL.

We do not really hear it in English, but in Paul’s Greek, he laid these out in poetic form, a sort of mnemonic device, with a special rhythm so they would be easily remembered. He wanted the faithful to have this in their ears, on their tongues every day, like a song you cannot get out of your head.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all things! These imperatives are to be our individual response toward God. We are to recognize God as the source of our daily joy and we are to offer Him thanksgiving. We are to do so regardless of what is going on around us or even very close to us. We are to find joy and reason to give thanks ALWAYS.

Especially telling, the Thessalonians were facing tragedies and deaths at the time of this letter. Things that were not joyful were shaking their faith, darkening their hearts. Paul reminds them as he reminds us – If these human and earthly things, which have no power over the person faith, over people with the promise of eternal life, and who look to the immanent return of Christ can shake us, what value is our faith, our devotion, our worship? People of real faith cannot be shaken because we stand on Christ Jesus. We own His salvation.

The next set of admonitions apply to us as a faith community, as the Church. We together are to recognize God working right here, among us. Do not quench the Spirt, do not despise prophetic words, test everything and retain what is good! God is at work here, and we see it daily, weekly. We are to take full part in that and re to do it together. We are to be open to God’s voice through the work of the Holy Spirt while at the same time testing to ensure we are consistent with scripture and Holy Tradition.

We are not to be passive or complacent in this time of waiting. We are to sing Paul’s song of God-centered action – rejoicing, praying, giving thanks, discerning, and testing. We are to live this song, this poem. It is to be the rhythm of our lives – our imperative as Jesus’ people. Let’s be His!

Christian Witness, Homilies, , ,

Reflection for the 6th Sunday of Easter 2017

A reason for
hope.

Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who defame your good conduct in Christ may themselves be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that be the will of God, than for doing evil.

Today, we hear St. Peter advising the members of the early Church to bear up under persecution. But that isn’t the starting point. He isn’t recommending that we sit around, awaiting persecution, before we show the strength of our faith. He recommends that our starting point is always to offer hope to every and anyone who asks us for a reason for our hope.

Always being ready to offer hope is our calling as Christians. The world is so full of hopelessness, loss, and the seemingly unfillable gap between where we are and where we want to be.

Our call is to show that the gap isn’t the end, you get there and fall into nothingness. Rather, we must tell the world that one never has to face that chasm anymore – for Jesus Christ, risen and alive – has filled it. He has bridged the gap. He is our hope and our gift – to offer in gentleness and reverence, with clear conscience.

People around us must deal with the hopelessness that we used to face – part and parcel of the sinful human condition. As followers of Christ we have already recognized that hopelessness has been overcome. The depth of death is no more. Darkness has been crushed and light is ours. We have taken hold of the Savior and His tools that overcome hopelessness. We can point every and anyone we meet to Him and use His tools to share the promise of true hope.

According to a recent Pew Forum study, there is persecution of Christians in 131 of the 193 countries in the world. That’s almost 70%. The people Peter wrote to were similarly being slandered and threatened. Their witness to Christ’s hope made them the constant targets of those who served the empire and hailed nation as lord. They had a choice. Leave hope behind and again face the gap, the deep pit of despair, or stand firm in the Holy Spirit, the promises of Jesus Christ they held.

Peter reminds us that to this very day, regardless of the world’s resistance, irrespective of persecution, the promise of Jesus Christ is hope-filled. Jesus’ execution by the world was not the end. It was the beginning of hope.

From a merely human point of view, death is the end, the gap cannot be filled, and the chasm cannot be crossed. But thanks be to God, death is ended, the bridge is in place, and we can take the hand of every and anyone and offer them a reason for hope.

Christian Witness, Homilies, ,

Reflection for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2016

hope-is-not-a-philosophy

Endless, joy filled,
hope.

Jesus addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else. “Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector.”

This is one of those parables I refer to as the beautiful parables. They are a direct offer of hope. Today, and over the next two weeks Jesus offers His faithful special hope.

Hope is a verb; it is, as my high school teachers would say, an action word. It is something we engage in and do particularly as Christians. Hope is more than just desiring, longing, dreaming, or being optimistic. Hope is a confidence that what has been promised will in fact occur. It will happen. There is no might, or may, or maybe. As scripture tells us, it is yes and Amen. Jesus reminds us to let our confidence be known by our yes and no – really believing what we say is true because we are backed up by God Himself. In the Letter to the Hebrews we read: Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Assurance and conviction is that inward and outward steadfastness in what we know to be true.

Dr. David W. Orr, Professor of Environmental Studies and Politics writes that “Hope is a verb with its shirtsleeves rolled up.”

The plain opposite of hope is despair. More than despair alone, it is the false illusion and confidence in things that cannot be backed up.

Do we trust in government? There is surely no promise there. Maybe there are some ideals (originally founded upon scripture), but still no guarantee. Do we trust in our good works alone? So many are deceived in thinking that good works are enough – that they will somehow be remembered and acclaimed beyond the memory of the next couple of generations. They are deceived for they sill be forgotten. None of these things are backed up by an everlasting promise.

Christian history is filled with the witness and words of those who had to face apparent hopelessness. They were confronted by war, poverty, personal failure and dreams unfulfilled, sickness, and death. We sit here in God’s presence and wonder whether we can hope, whether we dare hope and have confidence. Jesus answer to us is: Yes!

Christians who get this know that when they are down they will be raised up. They know that when they sin they will be forgiven. They know that nothing here and now is more powerful than what God has promised us. They simply know it – not so that they become arrogant but so that the hope they have might be spread through their joy. The tax collector found that joy.

Endless, joy filled hope is what God has given us in Jesus. It is for those who see in these beautiful parables the truth of His promises.

Christian Witness, Homilies, ,

Reflection for the 3rd Sunday of Lent – 2014

christ-and-the-samaritan-woman.jpg!Large

I hope, and will not
be disappointed.

And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. For Christ, while we were still helpless, died at the appointed time for the ungodly. Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person, though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.

We have all been disappointed at one time or another. These disappointments may be big or small. Perhaps a spouse, child, or friend has let us down. Maybe a job didn’t come through. Maybe we didn’t win the lotto.

Depending on our experiences we may find ourselves trusting less and less in hopes and dreams. If we have been let down a lot we may find that any offer of hope leaves us cold. We may find that we cannot even grasp onto hope at all.

Faith changes that perspective. A change takes place in our psychology, in our state of life, in our ability to hope when we become true believers.

Hope seen through faith no longer leaves us cold; it warms us. Hope seen through faith allows us to reach out and grasp God’s offer of life.

Our proclamation of faith, our regeneration, brings us to peace and confidence in the hope God offers us.

What is key is that this hope is not an invented hope.

The hope we have comes to us through the outpouring of God’s love. This love flows from the action of the Holy Spirit. This is God’s perfect, free love. It remains with us and in us engendering hope – even when we fall and fail. It call us to renewal, repentance, and forgiveness. God’s love is so strong that it looked past the failings, the disloyalty, the evils committed by men and women. It looked past faults and failing with a love so strong that God came to us and offered Himself for us.

As St. Paul says, Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person … but God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.

Our Lord Jesus Christ is the great Peace-bringer, the Mediator between God and man. We have the proof of witnesses and history to support our hope. Jesus picked us up from our brokenness to new life, a life filled with hope.

We said we would trust on the day we accepted Jesus. Now, in our Lenten journey, we are called to renew our trust. We are called to affirm the fact that God will not disappoint us. Whenever we face suffering, disappointment, or letdowns, let us reach out to God with confidence; the hope that says: we will not be disappointed.

Christian Witness, Homilies, ,

Reflection for the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

hope_bird

Is it ok,
to be different?

All these died in faith. They did not receive what had been promised but saw it and greeted it from afar and acknowledged themselves to be strangers and aliens on earth, for those who speak thus show that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of the land from which they had come, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better homeland, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

St. Paul speaks of Abraham and the Prophets. They lived lives of faith – holding onto the promise of what was to come, the fulfillment of God’s promises in the coming of the Christ, the Messiah. Paul refers to these men and women as aliens and strangers on earth.

Alien, stranger, and foreigner all carry the same connotation: being outside of or distinct from a group; one who does not belong to the group; a person with an emphasized difference in allegiance or citizenship.

All those who held unto faith in the coming of the Christ were that: aliens, strangers, and foreigners. They did not long for the place they had come from – looking back with regret and loss – but rather they looked forward to what was to come. They desired a better homeland, a heavenly one.

Of course God blessed them for their faith. It may not even have been a blessing they saw – for some certainly suffered. Rather He blessed them with the promise of what was to come and how their names would be held in earthly and heavenly esteem for their part in bringing it all about. God promised to prepare a place for them in the kingdom where they would sit around Him in everlasting glory and joy. We saw this last week in celebrating the Transfiguration – Moses and Elijah appear with Jesus resplendent in glory.
How does this apply to us? It applies in that it is more than ok to be different. We can and should live as aliens, strangers, and foreigners even among those who are closest to us. We are to set ourselves apart in the carrying out of God’s will, in living the life Jesus asks us to live.

We have God’s promise like the prophets and patriarchs did, plus something even greater – knowledge of the promise fulfilled in Jesus’ coming. We have the Christ with us. He lives in our bodies – from hearts that love and welcome to hands that serve, minds that ponder, voices that sing, pray, and praise. Fitting in with the world is for those who place their faith and citizenship here. Be different – only in being different do we show our faith and allegiance to God and gain His promise.

Christian Witness, Homilies,

Reflection for the 10th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Widow of Nain

Stop crying
…and see hope.

Hear, O LORD, and have pity on me; O LORD, be my helper. You changed my mourning into dancing; O LORD, my God, forever will I give you thanks.

Remember learning the Act of Hope? It is one of those basic prayers we all learned as children perhaps from our parents or in catechism class: O my God, relying on Thy infinite goodness and promises, I hope to obtain pardon for my sins, the help of Thy grace, and life everlasting through the merits of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer. Amen.

Today we see all of this in action. Elijah begs God for mercy upon the widow at Zarephath whose son has died.

Elijah had been a guest in her house for a long time. She and her son were dying of starvation when Elijah arrived, yet she gave him the last of what she had and from that point forward her barrel did not go empty – they were all able to eat for many days. After the famine is over her son got sick and died. After all she did she is pushed to the end of her rope and doubts.

Even though she had witnessed a miracle, and had been fed by the hand of the Lord, there is that moment of weakness and doubt. Yet God does not abandon her, He listens to Elijah’s pleading bringing her son back to life. Then she remembers her faith and the mercy of the Lord.

The lesson is that even though we lack consistent faith God does not forsake us. We always have the promise of hope.

St. Paul is recounting the fact that he had been a cruel jerk toward Christians. He tells the Galatians that at the height of his power and cruelty Jesus touched him, redeemed him, and trusted him with His message.

The lesson is that even though we sin and fall, even if we fall to the depths of depravity, God does not forsake us. He continually calls us back to His way and sends His grace to motivate us to change. We have the hope of forgiveness and redemption.

Two thousand years ago a funeral procession made its way toward the gates of Nain. The crowd was devastated: they had lost a son. His mom, a widow grieved. There was hopelessness. At the gates Jesus notices this grieving. He “was moved with pity for her,” and responded with compassion. He looked her in the eye, and says, “Do not weep.” God has “visited his people,” and was ready to save her and her son.

The lesson is that there is no hopelessness. We have tremendous hope because Jesus has the power not only to heal, but to raise. God continues to surprise us with His hope. Jesus returns to us every day with reason for hope.

Christian Witness, Homilies, , ,

Reflection for Low Sunday

Web

How long is the party?
At least 50 days.

He touched me with his right hand and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the first and the last, the one who lives. Once I was dead, but now I am alive forever and ever.”

I have been seeing robins all around, heard a cardinal the other morning calling out for a mate. As I changed the parish sign yesterday to note that we are celebrating the 50 days of Easter I noticed the leaves of tulips peaking through the soil.

Last Sunday we celebrated the Solemnity of the Resurrection and the renewal of life is all around us. A true blessing!

The Solemnity of the Resurrection can occur anytime between March 22nd and April 25th. Regardless of where it falls, whether it is more spring like or wintery outside, it always brings us a greater awareness of the newness of life we have in Christ. It would be truly sad if it was just a one-day reminder, but it is not!

Easter is the hope that comes after the 40-day long journey through Lent and our walk with Jesus through His suffering, death, and burial.

Easter is the message of the hope that reigns forever for every Christian who believes in Jesus, who sees in Him the hope of eternal life and the resurrection.

Easter is the 50 “24-hour periods” of hope that lead up to the presence of God’s Spirit in our world realized on Pentecost. This is the promise Jesus gave us. The promise that we are not alone, abandoned, without His support and His life flowing through us constantly. He remains alive in us as His followers and in the world, calling all to know, love, and serve Him and each other.

Easter is the unfading reality that amid the threats of nuclear attack, war, violence, poverty, hunger, greed, sickness, death, and every sort of evil we cannot be touched. We may suffer temporarily, but we will never lose. Our life is in Him who lives forever, and in His kingdom that is eternal.

Easter is each and every Sunday. Even in the midst of Lent, Sunday is a day of joy, a break in fasting, a celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus. We worship God on the first day of the week – rather than the Sabbath – to remember Christ’s resurrection from the dead and celebrate God’s loving action to save the world.

Then celebrate, party every day. Hold on especially to the 50 days of Easter. Hold on to Easter hope that God is in our world, in our community, and in our life. Christ is alive. He is risen indeed – everyday!

Homilies, , , , ,

Reflection for the First Sunday of Advent

Are you full?
Just fulfilled, thanks.

“The days are coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and Judah.”

Oh, to be full! Sometimes overstuffed is a better word. We eat everything on our plate because we don’t want food to go to waste or, because when we were growing up our parents would tell us there were starving children in another country. In the end we may be full but are we fulfilled? 



A typical day for a busy parent: Wake at 5:30am get breakfast, make lunches, get everyone out the door, clean the house, grocery shop, maybe wash a couple loads of laundry, pick kids up from the bus stop, help with homework, make dinner, clean kitchen, bathe kids and put them to bed, and THEN sit down for a few minutes. It was a full day, and tomorrow will be an equally busy and productive day, but are they fulfilling? 



Full is an adjective meaning completely filled; containing all that can be held; filled to the utmost capacity
 or volume. Fulfill is a verb meaning to carry out, or bring to realization, to make complete.

The days of preparation are upon us. These are the days in which we need to move from being filled up with things to finding real fulfillment in Christ. We need to move toward the place and moment where our cup overflows with the joy of being complete in God.

St. Paul exhorts us: May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, so as to strengthen your hearts, to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father.

Jesus wants us to be fulfilled, to be complete. It can be great to be full, but we have to be careful not to mistake fullness for fulfillment. We cannot make a full day or full stomach a substitute for a heart fulfilled in Jesus.

This Advent we need to prepare ourselves for fulfillment. We make a start by emptying ourselves of our failures, our sins, and our shortcomings. By doing so we make room for the Holy Spirit who will fill us with new attitudes and motives. Then, with a heart full of love and good, blameless in holiness, we are ready to be fulfilled, completed in Jesus.

Fulfilled in Jesus we become receivers of His promise. In Him we are made free, free to stand erect and raise our heads because our redemption is at hand.

Our hope is set on God’s promise and His fulfillment. He is coming to fulfill our lives. In receiving Him and His promise we become more than full, we are completely fulfilled.

Christian Witness, Homilies, , ,

Reflection for the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Isn’t life a pain?
Not if you rise up and live!

“Little girl, I say to you, arise!”

Janell King writes about her experience in Malaysia:

At home, I have a painting of a little girl with her arms spread open, her head thrown back, and a smile on her face. On it are the words from the scripture above. I received this painting at a crucial point in my life. It seemed like the weight of the world was pressing me down, determined to crush me. Relatives had passed away, community was tough, school was overwhelming, and I couldn’t seem to connect with God. I felt somewhat dead. When I first saw this painting, I didn’t just read the words…it felt like God was speaking them straight into my spirit like the roar of a lion. I felt something in me awaken.

The last day in Malaysia, I was doing laundry when our contact Janet came out to talk to me. I had received some prophetic words the night before during prayer, and God had given her some more clarity for the things spoken. As she spoke, I was glued to what she was saying. I don’t know if you have ever had those moments where you feel like a complete stranger is peering in to you… reading your story… but it was one of those times. I couldn’t soak in what she was saying fast enough. In the middle of Janet’s conversation, she looked me straight in the eyes, pointed to me, and said “Rise Up!”

Those words continue to echo deep inside of me. I’ve been overwhelmed with all God is doing on the race. So much growth for such a short time. So much challenge in such a short time. Yet, despite the struggles, it’s time to arise and mature and act on my faith. I’ve been praying and praying that God would teach me the path of righteousness. It finally clicked that I know the way! He gave me the Word! He has given me the instructions. He has given me Holy Spirit! It’s time for my own heart to come alive. It’s time to lead others into the kingdom! To the little girl inside of me, longing for more, Rise up!

Jesus didn’t just heal from maladies. He raises us up so that we may live. Our call today is to trust in the Lord who created us for life and for good – to be light. Let us place our trust in Him and rise up, not in drudgery, but filled with life. Let us rise from our slumber because Jesus’ light shines on us. We are filled with the Holy Spirit. We have life and light that will last forever! The author of life will raise us up one day, but we shouldn’t wait. Rise up today and live. Smile. When people ask why, tell them the reason for your joy – Jesus.

Christian Witness, Current Events, Perspective,

Awaiting the immanent collapse

The word from the NY Times: Talks Implode During Day of Chaos; Fate of Bailout Plan Remains Unresolved

The meeting opened with Mr. Paulson, the chief architect of the bailout plan, —giving a status report on the condition of the market,— Tony Fratto, Mr. Bush’s deputy press secretary, said. Mr. Fratto said Mr. Paulson warned in particular of the tightening of credit markets overnight, adding, —that is something very much on his mind.—

Matched against today’s word from the Word:

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. — Psalm 1:1-3 (RSV)

So let us meditate on and delight in the Lord – then shall we prosper.

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