Speaking Truth requires courage and integrity

We live in a time when telling the truth seems to be under assault in so many corners of our society.  Speaking the truth, especially “speaking truth to power,” as the saying goes, can be dangerous.

People wanted to kill Jeremiah for speaking the truth to powerful leaders of Israel; “This man deserves death; he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears.”  The threat didn’t silence Jeremiah.  He was fortified by the realization that what he said to his people was a message from God, even if the cost of delivering it was the loss of his own life.  (Jeremiah 26:11-24)

John the Baptist spoke out against the excesses of Herod Antipas’ court, particularly his incestuous marriage with Herodias.  In one of the most infamous stories in the gospels, Herod is infatuated by the dance of Salome, the daughter of Herodias.  The drunken king, overly lavish and vain in his promise to give her whatever she desires, falls into the malicious trap of Herodias who prompts her daughter to ask for the head of John the Baptist on a platter.  (Matthew 14:1-12)

This sad incident illustrates the power of anger in its most extreme form.  When anger brews and grows it causes deep passion, so much so that it clouds a person’s thinking and reason.  Hate and revenge can consume a person and lead to complete foolishness.

Herod was a witness of extreme irrationality.  He was pressured to do what he didn’t want to do because he was afraid of doing the right thing.  He was overwhelmed by the hate in the heart of Herodias and, as a result, gave in to the execution of John whom he actually appeared to like and enjoyed listening to.

Normally we seek to be inspired by the good example of others.  But we can be also be “inspired” in a different way.   We can use the witness of John’s execution as an opportunity to look at any struggles we have with anger, resentment, and especially hate.  Hate can sneak in and cause much destruction in our lives and the lives of others. 

Jesus, too, had to endure His Passion and death for declaring the truth.  Numerous passages in the New Testament show us that powerful ruling elites conspired to take the life of the Son of God, and succeeded—until His Resurrection, that is!

Most of us won’t have a dramatic, public role as a prophet, such as Jeremiah, John the Baptist, and Jesus Himself.  But there are times when we, too, must risk speaking the truth—and living the truth—when it may be costly.  Sometimes we have to use “tough love” when someone we care for is making a serious mistake in their lives.  Sometimes we have to speak up when innocent people are being maligned.  Sometimes we have to shut down, rather than pass on, false and hurtful gossip.  These, too, are prophetic moments that require the courage and integrity of a prophet.

Save me from a lack of faith

Jesus’ one-liner response to the people of His hometown of Nazareth who were getting angry and jeering at Him out of ignorance, jealousy, envy, or maybe even a lack of credibility due to their familiarity with the ‘carpenter’s son and his brothers and sisters’: “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and his own house.”  (Matthew 13:54-58)

In other words, Jesus was saying, “Look, I know I’m a prophet.  And I know many people from all over are extremely impressed by what I know and do.  But this is what always happens in someone’s hometown and family: lack of credibility, jealousy, ultimately lack of faith.” The expression ‘familiarity breeds contempt’ came to my mind immediately, but His “lack of faith” statement is what I found myself reflecting on today.  

“And he did not work many mighty deeds there because of their lack of faith.”  As I see it, we can understand this line in two ways.  First, Jesus was punishing them by choosing not to perform mighty deeds because they lacked faith.  I think this is the way most people usually understand this passage. But I have a real problem envisioning Jesus to be spiteful.  Instead, a second way might actually have merit; that Jesus could only perform mighty deeds if others showed great faith!  I don’t know for sure which is the case, and I don’t intend to limit Jesus so much as suggest that we have a significant role to play in doing God’s work.  The “mighty deeds” of Jesus almost always involve great faith and participation from others: for example, raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11: 1-44), healing the woman who was bleeding and touched Jesus’ garment (Matthew 9:20–22, Mark 5:25–34, Luke 8:43–48), healing the paralytic lowered through the roof by his friends(Matthew 9:2-8, Mark 2:1-12, Luke 5:17-26), and Peter’s walking on water (Matthew 14:32–33).

What “mighty deeds” can we help Jesus to accomplish today?  Will we be able to accept and have faith in the ways Jesus works through a ‘prophet’ in our own family or hometown in order to accomplish these mighty deeds?  “Let the heaven and the earth praise him, the seas and whatever moves in them!” (Psalm 69:35)

Be the clay in the hands of the potter

Taking my walk this morning and reflecting on Scripture, my thoughts turned to how God likes to use mundane, everyday things to get His message across to us.  Jeremiah is sent to the potter’s house.  The Lord tells Jeremiah, “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand.” (Jeremiah 18:1-6) Psalm 146:5 proclaims, “Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob.”  And in Matthew, Jesus tells a parable using fishermen.  “As fishermen separate the good fish from the bad in their catch, at the end of the age, the angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous.” (Matthew 13:47-53)

God is all powerful.  God is the Creator.  God is huge.  God can rain down fire to consume sacrifices and altars.  We want God to dazzle us.  And yet, more often God chooses to be on an intimate level with us.  When Christ started His ministry, it wasn’t with something spectacular.  He changed water into wine at a wedding party. (John 2:1-11)

Wanting to do something huge is normal enough.  We all want to make an impact.  But it can wind up paralyzing us.  It can become an excuse, a way to avoid doing anything.

God doesn’t need us to sit in judgment of His call.  “This task is too small or mundane” or “this really won’t do much good.”  We just need to be obedient to His call.

My reflections in this time of Covid-19 have made me question and evaluate my obedience and openness to listen to His call.  Have I fallen into the trap of replacing God with things?  Have I fallen for the myth that things bring joy?  How can I improve my walk with Christ?  How can I be more open to His call?

My prayer today is for all of us to be open to God’s call, and to open ourselves up to be clay in the hands of the potter.

Love and balance

The first letter of John is a beautiful reflection on love.  God loved us enough to send His Son to forgive our sins and all He asks of us in return is to love Him and to love one another.  How difficult that is at this time in our world.  This is one of those times when loving our neighbor as our self can be a challenge.  Spending more time in prayer and reflection has helped me not be caught up in the politics of the COVID-19 virus, schools reopening, masks versus no masks, riots, and all the unrest that remind me of the 1960s and early 1970s.  This has been a time when I’m learning about the blessings and graces that come from love.

Saints Martha and Mary are examples of the two types of Christian love and balance.  Love shown in the service to others and the love shown to God.  Martha is all upset because she’s become so focused on her part that she’s forgotten about the other part of serving others.  Taking time to be with them and in this case taking time to be with God (Luke 10:38-42).  Taking time for God to gain perspective on life is an important activity to put into our lives at this time.  To find that balance of being Martha and Mary can bring balance back into our lives.  With what seems like everything being topsy-turvy, it’s balance that we desire.

I had a couple of flashback memories today during my reflection time.   The first is that whenever my mom and I went somewhere and it was just the two of us in the car, she would inevitably ask, “Should we pray the rosary?  Or the Divine Mercy Chaplet?  We have 15 minutes to spare!”  I would most often reply, “Sure!”, sometimes with less than a vigorous demeanor because of other matters on my mind, but there were many times that I would find an excuse to decline.  The latter were the times I was Martha to my mom’s Mary.  When I accepted Mom’s invitations to pray with her though, I remember always feeling more refreshed and serene spiritually and physically when we were finished; a feeling I still get today when I focus totally on my prayers instead of my worries about worldly issues. 

My second memory is of a daily mass I attended years ago.  At two different points during the mass, cell phones started ringing!  They were turned off rather quickly, but not before taking everyone’s attention from the liturgy to try and locate the source of the interruptions.  Before the final blessing and dismissal the priest said, “It’s necessary that I speak about respect for Our Lord for a few minutes.”  He spoke about the reverential attitude we should exhibit when we enter the house of God to listen to His Word and receive the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of His Son.  Then he strongly suggested that we should leave our cell phones in our cars before coming to see our Lord saying, “If we take the time to come to His house but we can’t knock on the door because our hands are holding cell phones, why should He open the door?  Christ is always present to us.... just waiting for us to knock and let Him be a more prominent part of our life.  Do we want to knock?”

May you and your families stay safe and healthy during these days. Let’s continue to pray for our families, friends, country, and world.

The seed is the Word of God

These are troubled times, and many are overwhelmed by the problems we face with COVID19 and racial injustices.  But it’s nothing new; our history is replete with catastrophes and chaos, especially in the Old Testament (Jeremiah 14:17-22, for example).  And it’s nothing new when trouble surrounds us, that we’re often tempted to think that God is punishing us for our sins in ways that condemn us.  When we don’t get the peace and time of healing we ask for, we often question God.  “Why have you struck us a blow that cannot be healed?” (Jeremiah 14:19) But my reflection on these Scripture readings today speak to me of faithfulness and of patience, not despair, in times such as this.  Our faith calls us to continually look to the Lord for the peace and healing we need.  It will come.

“The seed is the Word of God, Christ is the Sower; All who come to him will live forever.”  (Matthew 13:36-42)

“Whoever has ears ought to hear!”  (Matthew 13:43)

The Word of God planted by Christ in our hearts can give us everlasting peace and hope.  It can also challenge us to listen with our ears and respond accordingly.  During these pandemic times we’re surrounded by so many voices, some that give us hope while others cause us to despair.  Even as we try to listen and follow the directives set forth from those who have our best interest and wellbeing at heart, it’s sometimes difficult to remain positive and hopeful.

Faith tells us that no matter how bad things seem to be, God is in charge and we’ll get through this.  We can find our hope in the words of Jesus.  There are good seeds as well as weeds. There is the loving sower, Jesus, but also the evil one, the Devil!  If we’re people of faith (the good seed) connected to the sower, Jesus, and make the effort to avoid the weeds sown by the Devil, we’ll produce a bountiful harvest of love, compassion, and mercy!

There are multiple seeds of love, compassion, and mercy being sown on a daily basis in the midst of this pandemic and societal challenges.  The challenge for us is to keep our ears open, our eyes focused and our hearts willing so that we can share in the harvest of good news that Jesus continues to preach and respond accordingly. 

Righteous men

Fifty years ago (July 27, 1970), my father (Afton) was called home to Christ. 

My reflections in this forum are usually homiletic on specific Scripture passages, but today, as on every July 27^th, I’m being led by the Holy Spirit to reflect on fatherhood; specifically, the Patron Saint of fatherhood, St. Joseph and my dad. 

Everything we know about the husband of Mary and the foster father of Jesus comes from Scripture.  Even though there are few words about him in the Bible, we still get to know quite a lot about him. 

We know he was a carpenter, a working man, because the skeptical Nazarenes ask about Jesus, "Is this not the carpenter's son?" (Matthew 13:55).

He wasn't rich because when he took Jesus to the Temple to be circumcised and Mary to be purified he offered the sacrifice of two turtledoves (or a pair of pigeons), allowed only for those who couldn’t afford a lamb (Luke 2:24).

 Despite his humble work and means, Joseph came from a royal lineage.  Luke and Matthew disagree a little about the details of Joseph's genealogy but they both mark his descent from David, the greatest king of Israel (Matthew 1:1-16 and Luke 3:23-38).  Indeed, the angel who first tells Joseph (in a dream) about Jesus greets him as "son of David," a royal title used also for Jesus.

We know Joseph was a compassionate, caring man.  When he discovered Mary was pregnant after they had been betrothed, he knew the child wasn’t his and was as yet unaware that she was carrying the Son of God.  He planned to divorce Mary according to the law, but he was concerned for her suffering and safety.  He knew that women accused of adultery could be stoned to death, so he decided to divorce her quietly and not expose her to shame or cruelty (Matthew 1:19-25).

We know Joseph was man of faith, obedient to whatever God asked of him without knowing the outcome.  When the angel came to Joseph in a dream and told him the truth about the child Mary was carrying, Joseph immediately and without question or concern for gossip, took Mary as his wife.  When the angel came again to tell him that his family was in danger, he immediately left everything he owned, all his family and friends, and fled to a strange country with his young wife and the baby.  He waited in Egypt without question until the angel told him it was safe to go back (Matthew 2:13-23).

We know Joseph loved Jesus. His one concern was for the safety of this Child entrusted to him.  Not only did he leave his home to protect Jesus, but upon his return settled in the obscure town of Nazareth out of fear for His life.  When Jesus stayed in the temple after a family pilgrimage to Jerusalem when He was twelve years old, we’re told Joseph (along with Mary) searched for Him with great anxiety for three days (Luke 2:48).

We also know that Joseph treated Jesus as his own son because over and over the people of Nazareth say of Jesus, "Is this not the son of Joseph?" (Luke 4:22)

We know Joseph respected God.  He followed God's commands in handling the situation with Mary and going to Jerusalem to have Jesus circumcised and Mary purified after Jesus' birth.  We’re told that he took his family to Jerusalem every year for Passover, something that couldn’t have been easy for a working man.

There is much we wish we could know about Joseph; where and when he was born, how he spent his days, when and how he died.  But God, through Sacred Scripture, has left us with the most important and only thing we need to know, which is who he was; "a righteous man" (Matthew 1:18).

The more I reflect on this great and holy man, my thoughts keep turning to another man who had many of the same traits— a loving, hard-working husband and father; poor, humble, and righteous, who was called to his reward fifty years ago today.

O God, You have commanded us to honor our father and mother.  Have compassion in Your mercy, on the soul of my father; forgive him his sins, and grant that I may see him in the joy of eternal brightness.  I ask you this through Your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God forever and ever.  Amen.

A calming mantra

A pattern of nostalgia for pre-pandemic days has become very present for me and for several people I encounter.  Phrases like “when things get back to normal” or “hopefully we can all get together in the spring” are common and leave me feeling a bit heartbroken. 

King Solomon humbly asked God for “an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong.” (1 Kings 3:5, 7-12) He didn’t pray for a specific outcome but put his trust in God to give him the wisdom he would need to be a servant leader.  This reminds me of the old adage to be careful what I wish for.  How might the future look if I ask God to help me see ways that I might build an authentic connection with others rather than wishing for a specific social event to take place?

A calming mantra for these unsettling times is in Paul’s letter to the Romans (Romans 8:28-30).  “We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”  Rather than be nostalgic for the days before the pandemic or consumed by worry about the health and livelihood of my friends, Paul invites me to explore those thoughts and responses that stand in the way of my choosing the best way to serve God.  I trust if I can “loosen my grip” God will invite me to explore ways I can live my faith that I had never before imagined.

As we look to a future in the uncertainty created by the pandemic, we’re called to face the reality of a history of systemic racism.  We can’t face these challenges without God’s steadfast love.  And as God helps us accept the reality of pandemic life, I pray we can all find energy to strive for social justice in our communities.

Limitations

I was thinking today of my mother, and how much she suffered from the effects of arthritis, vertigo, and other symptoms of old age.  Throughout it all, she made it her mission to pray for everyone and everything under the sun, including me and my family!  In light of all the praying she did, there were times it was hard for me to make sense of Mom’s suffering. 

St. Paul speaks so well of the mystery of human suffering (2 Corinthians 4:7-15).  “We hold this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us.”  In other words, by God's grace, we carry in our own bodies the sufferings of Christ.  It’s a difficult concept, especially in the face of the apparent senselessness of catastrophic illness or injury.

This image speaks about our limitations, something we don’t like to think about very often today.  Paul reminds us that it’s actually through our human frailties that God’s presence and potential can be recognized.   When I’m at the ‘top of my game’, feeling great and full of energy, I can easily become convinced of my own power and gifts, and perhaps forget to step back to recognize that it’s the gifts of God’s spirit within me, through me and, at times, in spite of myself that allows others to truly know God’s presence in our world.

All the good that we do is only possible because of Christ. And as we sometimes find out, we have the ability to become quite sour when life doesn’t go our way. So, as we read about them being “afflicted in every way, but not constrained” or “perplexed but not driven to despair”, we should be strengthened in our walk.  It’s a reminder for me just how much I need Jesus to help me in and throughout each day. 

What can we say to those who are suffering?  “Those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing ….” (Psalm 126)

Holy Scripture tells us that in response to human suffering, Christ sighed, groaned, and wept.  So in imitation of Christ we can be present to others who are suffering, not by trying to construct for them the whole of salvation history in the Word becoming Flesh, but by what’s most effective, by having the living Christ animate our flesh that we might be Christ for others.

Bishop Fulton Sheen in one of his presentations encouraged the audience to remember that no one remained dead in Christ's presence, not the daughter of Jairus (Matthew 9:18-26), not the widow of Naim's son (Luke 7:11-17), not Lazarus (John 11:1-45).

So, too, will it be for others who, by God's grace and their cooperation with His grace, recognize their suffering as a means of salvation for themselves and others.

“…‘Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many..’…” (Mathew 20: 20-28)

Even though he’s my patron saint through Confirmation, St. James is one of the apostles about whom we know little.  James and his brother, John (the Evangelist) were both called to become Apostles while they were mending their fishing nets with their father.  They joined Jesus and Peter and his brother Andrew, who had been invited earlier.  James is also the first Apostle to be martyred, and it was by the sword.  He witnessed the Transfiguration of Jesus on the mountain.  He was special to Jesus; He referred to James as being one of the sons of thunder, possibly for his temper, so it might be a good idea to call on him today to help us strengthen our Faith, to fire it up! 

We get only a glimpse of the mother of James and John in Matthew’s gospel.  Interestingly enough, St. Matthew doesn’t even tell us her name.  Even in this one brief appearance this nameless woman caught my attention when I read this gospel passage.  I think there’s something very human and attractive about her.  She reminds me somewhat of my own mother; she only wanted the best for her sons. 

This mother made a very bold request, but she made it in a most proper manner.  She didn’t make the request behind the backs of her sons, but rather in their presence and presumably with their consent.  Before making her request she did homage to Jesus, showing that she respected Him as a great teacher and a good leader for her sons.   She had the deference to wait until Jesus asked what her wish was before stating it.  Then she simply departed the scene and the gospel story.  This one brief scene is all that we know of her.  The remaining dialogue in this scene is between Jesus and the brothers.  We never hear of their mother again.  Although her life presumably continued, she vanished from the gospel story as quickly and completely as she came into it.  Her brief appearance in the life of Jesus is similar to that of a number of others; people such as Simon of Cyrene (Matthew 27:32), Zaccheus (Luke 19:1-10), and the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:1-42).  We’re left with a beautiful picture of a woman whose name we don’t know and who only wanted what was best for her two sons.

I pray that I can also learn to be ‘ok’ with my human limitations, but also know that the talents, gifts and presence that are God’s presence in me will be life giving to all if I continue to remember to live for and with others.

The call of the Sower

"Ah, Lord GOD!" I said, "I know not how to speak; I am too young." (Jeremiah 1:6)

The call of Jeremiah to be a prophet for the Lord is one of my favorites, because it’s just so human.  Jeremiah's first response is familiar to a lot of us.  He said, in essence, "I can't do it."  We make excuses, too.  We say we’re too young, too inexperienced, or too busy.  But in fact, we’re really too afraid or we simply aren’t free enough to respond to what might involve sacrifice.

It’s wonderful to be reminded that the Lord can use us, even when we’re reluctant or even resistant.  He puts words in our mouths.  He touches us to free us and to give us whatever we need to be His instruments.  That includes being a prophet where a prophet is needed.  It includes being a leader where a leader is needed.  It includes being a loving spouse or parent in the challenging situations in which we find ourselves.  I can’t tell you how many times my Mom spoke out to her children in a loving way (even after we were grown men with wives and children of our own) to remind us of our duty to God first when we seemed to have forgotten, or lost our way.  I am so grateful to her for that!

"But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. Whoever has ears ought to hear." (Matthew 13: 1-9)

The parable of the sower is terrific for any of us who have tried these things and realize that the response is not always what we had hoped.  Some of our precious efforts fall on deaf ears or on unresponsive hearts.  Sometimes it seems that we’re in a culture determined to "choke" our efforts at greater love and care for the common good, especially for those on the margins of our society.  Sometimes, the wounds that have hurt the hearts of loved ones need deep healing first.

The good news of this parable is the assurance that there’s some good soil out there.  Our efforts to act with love in His name will bear great fruit.  It will.  The outcome of our efforts will be fruitful.  So, the message is, "Sow boldly.  Keep sowing. Trust the master of the harvest."  Or, as Mom said often, especially in the last few years of her life, “I’m putting my prayers out there to Christ.  I trust He knows what to do with them.”

Each of us should reflect upon the power of this message when we hear the call of the ‘Sower’.

Parables

Jesus told His disciples that not everyone would understand His parables (Matthew 13:10-17).  He was speaking from experience.  He was aware that some who heard His parables refused to understand them.  It wasn’t that they could not intellectually understand them, but rather, their hearts were closed to what Jesus was saying.  They had already made up their minds to not believe.  Because of our free will, God can only reveal the secrets of His kingdom to the humble and trusting person who acknowledges the need for God and for His Truth.  

“To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” (Matthew 13:12) The life of grace is such that, once we begin to accept all that is true and then allow it to transform our lives, we’ll be given exponentially more than we ever imagined.  And, on the flip side, when we refuse to listen and understand, even the little faith and understanding we have will slowly slip away into confusion.

There was a young man who used to work for me as my assistant.  He had a lot of potential to advance with the company, but instead he was passed over for promotion several times because he wouldn’t agree with some of the company’s procedures.  He was set in his ways of performing certain tasks and no amount of training or cajoling would get him to understand that the procedures would benefit everyone, including himself.  He had closed his mind to accepting an alternative procedure simply because he believed he was doing a good job already and didn’t see a need for change.  Because of his refusal to change I had to remove him from his assistant management position and he eventually quit in frustration, telling me that he didn’t understand why I would demote him “for no reason”.    

The parables of Jesus will enlighten us if we approach them with an open mind and heart, ready to let them challenge us.  If we approach them with the conviction that we already know the answer, then we, too, may “look but not see, listen but not hear or understand.”  God's word can only take root in a receptive heart that’s ready to believe and willing to submit.  If we want to hear and to understand God's word, we must listen with fear (a respect given out of love for Him and awe for Who He Is) and reverence. 

Deja vu all over again

“It feels like Déjà vu all over again!”  

The encounter between Mary Magdalene and the Risen Lord (John 20:1-18) shows a pattern that all the rest of the resurrection stories in the gospels exhibit:  Jesus approaches the disciple, but He’s not recognized, then a dialogue ensues; sometimes short, like the one with Mary Magdalene, but at other times lengthy, as with the men on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35).  Eventually, the disciple recognizes that it is Jesus; then Jesus leaves the disciple, whereupon the disciple returns to the others with the good news that Jesus lives.

That same pattern continues to be made real in our encounters with Jesus.  Since that first resurrection appearance to Mary Magdalene, we continue to encounter Christ; in our lives and in our sacraments.  Like Mary Magdalene we’re invited and commissioned by Jesus to be His disciples and to receive the same wonderful news that He makes a difference in our world and to let others know about it.

His will is Love

“And pointing to his disciples, he said, here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

One of the few good things about life under Covid 19 is that it is making some of us appreciate people we might have formerly treated as invisible.

My family is staying at a resort on the coast for a couple of days to escape both the valley heat and the stress of living with all of the necessary restrictions these trying times are necessitating.  One of the perks of resort living is that if you want to get to the beach, pool, or anywhere else on the property and you don’t feel like walking, you can call the office and they will dispatch a golf cart to pick you up, along with all the amenities you want to take with you.   The men and women who drive these carts always have great personalities and are very patient if you’re not quite ready to go when they arrive to pick you up. 

We used the service a few times today, and my 4-year-old granddaughter put into action what Jesus says in the Gospel I chose for my daily reflection (Matthew 12: 46-50).

This gospel challenges us to treat all humans as members of our family showing love, compassion, and respect.  

Little Josephine, after each of our golf cart “rides”, went out of her way to thank the drivers.  The gratitude wasn’t just the perfunctory “Thanks”, but an effusive, “Thank you very much for helping our family get to the beach and back!  We had lots of fun!  Thank you!!!”  

It was so adorable, but also a wake up call for me.  I can’t remember the last time I thanked the grocery store clerk, the barber, or the waiter with anywhere near the exuberance my granddaughter displayed today. 

Another example of showing love and respect for others in this time of pandemic is to practice social distancing and wear masks so that we don’t harm others by potentially spreading the virus to those who are most vulnerable.  

How to please God

Micah is one of the more obscure prophets in the Bible.  His story is a short one - just 7 chapters - which is tucked in the midst of other small books with the stories of other obscure prophets.  He might have been a "minor" prophet, but he had something major to say about how to please God. (Micah 6:1-4, 6-8)

Micah asks the question, "How do mere humans show respect to an almighty God?  How do you appease God for your sins?"  He goes on to list what only a mere human could offer as their ‘best’ at that point in time; an armload of offerings topped off with yearling calves, or thousands of rams with buckets and barrels of olive oil.  He even suggests the ultimate sacrifice, that of the firstborn child to cancel their sin.  What would that list of human imagination be for us in our culture?  Would God require us to offer up a year’s salary, our job, money given to charities, community service?

The response from Micah is that God has already told us in His word what we need to bring before Him. God has made it plain in describing what He is looking for in men and women; it's simply three basic approaches to living our lives.  

1. To do justly: This first approach to life is simply to treat others with dignity and respect that all children of God deserve.  Do I treat my neighbor with fairness and equity?  Do I challenge systems in our culture that exacerbate unjust treatment of people?  Do I treat others as children of God with equal love and dignity?  Am I willing to step out of my comfort zone to ensure that justice is experienced by those around me?

2. To love mercy: This second approach to life is simply to be compassionate and loyal in our relationships.  Mercy is a trait intrinsic to the character of God shown in love to those who don’t deserve it; it’s not a trait natural to the character of humans.  As we are in relationship to God, we reflect His character in our response to others.  Am I kind and compassionate toward others?  Does this kindness and compassion take tangible forms in what I do for others?  Do I suspend judgment toward others and treat them with the same mercy God has shown me?

3. To walk humbly with our God: This last approach to living our life is to simply be in relationship with Him.  Walking humbly with God implies being together on a journey and having fellowship with each other.  In this relationship, He asks us to not take ourselves too seriously, which might put a barrier between us and Him.  Instead, He asks us to take Him seriously and with humility, vulnerability, and openness, to be with Him.  Am I on a journey with God?  Do I approach Him with openness and vulnerability?

I love that God is telling us that His job is to take care of us, and our job is to let Him.  In this year of COVID, racism, global warming, famine, election year rhetoric, and many other terrible responses and choices, it’s time for a course correction for each one of us.  

Powerpoint Images of God

In the book of Wisdom, we hear that "Those who are just must be kind.” (Wis. 12:19).  This appears to be the opposite of the message of today's dominant world cultures.  And if we examine world history, it seems that kindness often takes a back seat to aggression, selfishness, and an endless hunger for more control. 

Jesus knew that the people who came to hear Him preach and teach, to be healed and consoled and be comforted and relieved of their burdens were the ones taught by the Scribes and Pharisees on how to pray and give alms and fulfill their obligations to the Temple.  Jesus needed to teach the people who flocked to Him a more loving God, a compassionate God, a forgiving God.  In other words, Jesus was revealing to them His Father (and ours) in these parables, the Father that the wise and the learned would never know.

So he taught them in parables.  All of the parables have something in common; they describe Jesus’ God and not the God of the Scribes and Pharisees.  The parables are like PowerPoint images of God.  There are images of the seed being sown generously, allowing it to fall where it may, in the path, in rocky soil and among the thorns, as well as good soil where it produces abundantly (Matthew 13:1-9).  Images of the wheat and the weeds growing up together (Matthew 13:23-30), of a woman in her kitchen making bread (Matthew 13:33).  We don’t need to use a lot of “brain power” to imagine these images.

Through His parables, Jesus talks to us about a God who allows the good and the bad to grow, knowing full well that ultimately only the good will endure (Matthew 13:36-43).  Jesus also lets us know that God’s mustard seed far surpasses our imagination for sustaining life (Matthew 13:31-32).  And God is like the woman who mixes a bit of yeast into three measures of wheat flour and the whole batch is leavened. (v 33)

In other words, God isn’t depending upon us to save the world, but to be the ones through which the world is saved.  We are, after all, God’s creation, made in the image and likeness of God. (Genesis 1:26)

While wheat and weeds continue to co-exist, there will continue to be truth and holiness all tangled up with sin, injustice, and error.

As Jesus says at the conclusion of a lot of His parables: “Whoever has ears ought to hear.”  

So, if today you hear God’s word, harden not your hearts (Psalm 95); rather, ask for assistance and grace through prayer and remember what St. Paul wrote, “Brothers and sisters: The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes with inexpressible groanings.  And the one who searches hearts knows what is the intention of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the holy ones according to God’s will.” (Romans 8:26-27)

He will heal!

Many are hurting in our world and our country today.  Many are bruised and smoldering; too many of them are “plotters of iniquity” (Micah 2:1-5), whose only goal seems to be to spew evil in the form of hatred, bigotry, racism, and calumny primarily through social media outlets in the guise of “freedom of speech”.  I find myself weeping for them.  My fervent hope is that they are not evil, but deaf to the Truth that is Christ.

What is God asking of us, of me, in these uncertain times; how is He inviting me (us) to open my (our) heart(s) to the truth – not the politics – but the truth and the potential for healing?  A healing that gives way to the possibility of hope and reconciliation – a healing that affords transformation, rebirth, and growth!

The words of the Gospel (Matthew 12:14-21) I reflected on today provide an opportunity for each of us to spend some time with the Lord and ask Him what is it that He wants us, me, to do – how do I respond in a way that affords peace – peace in my heart, in my mind, in my community, my world?

When we see problems in our society (and there are plenty to go around!), we need to look at them through the eyes of Jesus Christ.  How we treat the poor, fight for better programs for the needy, and pursue justice for those who are misjudged or misguided can change the world one soul at a time.  We must take a stand for what’s right, even if it’s looked upon as unpopular. We can’t stand idly by anymore while Satan takes control of our young and poisons their minds with thoughts that other human beings are expendable.  We’re all children of God.

As children of God, we have access to heavenly wisdom, which we can apply to every earthly situation. This means that we must use every opportunity afforded us by circumstance to “inject” the Truth of Our Lord Jesus Christ into others.  This can only lead to more awareness of His presence and force us, and our leaders, to act with more compassion, humility, and justice.

If we’re willing to ask with an open heart and mind, Jesus will answer.  He will cure, heal, and provide the path to hope, renewal, and peace.  Can we trust?  Will we act?  Will we open our hearts to the grace to reject all that is contrary to the name of Christ?  To do that we have to hear the voice of Christ in our heart and step out in faith.  He will heal!!

The Law of Love

Jesus respected the laws of His religion because they provided a way to live a life that was pleasing to God, but He also knew there were times when certain laws should be set aside or ignored in order to protect something important.

For example, Jesus and His disciples were walking through a field of grain on the sabbath (Matthew 12:1-8).  The disciples were hungry, so they helped themselves to some of the grain, eating it as they walked along with Jesus. Unfortunately, some Pharisees who observed this disrupted Jesus’ peaceful sabbath stroll by exclaiming, “See here! Your disciples are doing what is not permitted on the sabbath.”  The irony is that it was they who really didn’t see at all.  They were so focused on an absolutely unbending application of the law (and on finding fault with Jesus) that they failed to see what they needed to see: human beings in need.  Jesus didn’t tell them that sabbath laws don’t matter, much less that they should be carelessly or casually ignored; but He does insist that there are times when they ought to give way for the sake of human well-being.  The purpose of any law (both civil and religious) is to serve the common good by creating the conditions in which all members of a society can live well together and flourish.  But nobody can flourish when they’re hungry or when any other basic human needs can’t be met, and that’s why Jesus said His disciples did the right thing in breaking that sabbath law.

“It is mercy I desire and not sacrifice,” Jesus tells us. 

God calls us to interpret His law through the eyes of mercy.  Mercy always refreshes us, lifts us up and fills us with new energy.  It motivates us to worship and fills us with hope.  Mercy doesn’t impose a heavy legalistic burden upon us; rather, God’s mercy and law together rejuvenates us and refreshes us.

If we take those words to heart, letting them inform our attitudes and actions, we won’t be so quick to judge and find fault.  That’s because we’ll know that even though all laws matter, none matter more than the law of love. 

Take a load off

Jesus said: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” (Matthew 11: 28 – 30)

Today, the world is filled with so much unrest, personal unrest, emotional unrest, social unrest, political unrest, anxious about what is said or not said, how it’s said and what needs to be said.  We all have something that burdens us, that weighs us down and tempts us to fall into depression, sorrow or even despair.  

Sometimes we can go through life with heavy burdens that we are afraid to let go of.  We can be fearful of coming to Jesus and fearful of letting Him in.  Coming to Jesus means we must face whatever it is that burdens us honestly and frankly, and we must face these burdens in the presence of Jesus.  Whatever it is that troubles your heart, Jesus wants to lift it.

The key thing we need to know is that Jesus is gentle, merciful, and generous in forgiveness and grace.  He longs to lift our burdens far more than we long to have them lifted.  He sees the oppression that so many of us face and so deeply desires to have that oppression eliminated.

I feel that Jesus is speaking to me personally as He invites us to come to Him so that we find rest, the kind of rest that will relieve us of our burdens as we assume His yoke and His burdens.  By surrendering ourselves to Him, we discover someone who is meek and humble of heart, someone who will enable us to rest easy and peacefully.

If we take Jesus’ invitation seriously, then we will find rest and peace in Him, in His word, in His Gospel, in His Truth, in His Life and Death, and Resurrection.  These realities were true when Jesus spoke them, and they’re true now.  Love your neighbor and your enemy, treat the other with kindness and dignity, welcome the stranger, welcome the children, forgive the sinner, and do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

If we strive to do this, we’ll find peace and rest.  It may seem to be hard work, but soon we’ll find the yoke easy and the burden light!

The Will of God is revealed to the childlike

Jesus praised the Father for hiding His will for the world from the wise and learned and revealing it to the childlike (Matthew 11:25-27).

I always like it when Jesus refers to children and holds them up for us as examples.  Children are such a wonderful example of pure faith.  They trust, they believe, they’re guileless, they’re honest and loyal, they accept their powerlessness, they live in the now – at least until we teach them not to trust, to challenge, to scheme, to shade the truth, to divide their allegiances, to grasp and control, to fret about tomorrow. As we lose our innocence, we layer calluses of indifference and complications over our childlike nature.  We lose our understanding of the mysteries that Jesus says are revealed to the childlike as we believe in our own powers of self-determination and action.

In Luke (17:3) Jesus says, “anyone who does not welcome the reign of God like a child will never enter it.”  It’s clearly not a matter of being childish, but of being childlike. What’s so special about children that makes this revealed to them and not to the learned?

When my granddaughter Lily was about five years old, she and I went to the hardware store for something.  As we walked in, Lily immediately plugged her nose.  Of course the guy who was helping me find my part noticed her pinching her nose and asked her if something was wrong.  She replied, “It stinks in here!”  He gave a laugh and said, “Oh?  I don’t smell anything!”   I think it was probably all of the different materials, cleaners, and other sundries in such a small store that created a unique odor for her that was, to her, unpleasant. 

After we left the hardware store, she started talking to me while still holding her nose.  Lily started telling me that she learned in school that day that breathing in through her nose and out through her mouth was a way to calm down.  Then she got very silent for a few minutes; and out of the blue she said, “If we stop breathing, we go to Heaven.”  What simple statement of faith!  At her age she didn’t worry IF she’ll go to Heaven, she simply had enough confidence in the love of God the Father for her that she believed she will go to Heaven when she dies.

Children have an openness to trust and a keen way of grasping what we say and, more importantly, of grasping what we are.  Children know their parents, know their friends, more than they know about them.  They don’t study their parents or friends, they’re keenly perceptive about what the lives of their parents or friends convey to them.

In John (17: 13) Jesus tells us, “eternal life consists in this, to know you, Father, and to know the one you sent. To know you is different from knowing about you.”  The disciples’ first response to Jesus’ question, “who do people say that the Son of Man is?” (Matthew 16: 13) reveals what they knew about Jesus. Knowing about another is an intellectual process, while knowing another is more of an existential process.  It’s the way we know our parents and friends without studying them, but by living with them and interacting with them. 

I remember another day when I was watching Lily and some other children playing in a park.  They were playing as children do, with a little bit of running, a little bit of climbing on benches, and a lot of screaming with laughter mixed in.  I heard no arguing or disagreements on what to play or how to play that is sometimes the norm with older children and adults.  And when one of the smaller children about 2 or 3 years old fell and hurt herself, ALL of the other children stopped playing to attend to her needs and help her get over it!  In no time at all, she was laughing and playing with the rest of them as if nothing had happened.  What a testament to fulfilling the will of God to love our neighbor!

As our scientific knowledge, our success and our seemingly great accomplishments continue to expand, it seems God gets smaller and smaller.  The haughty, the proud, the wise, the learned simply aren’t enough like children to be able to receive God’s message of His will for us.  He wants to give it to us, but we’re too full of ourselves.  But as our own presumptuousness grows, God really never gets smaller.  In fact our true need for Him grows larger and larger to the point that there’s no room within our hearts for the gracious will of God.  We mustn’t ever be fooled by letting arrogance creep into our lives. Instead, we should strive to become childlike in our acceptance of our Lord.

Something to aim for

The concept of faith is interesting.  We sometimes speak of faith and having faith as though it’s a commodity.  For some, the faith is there when things are going the way they want.  However, our faith is truly tested when we’re not always getting “our way.”

King Ahaz faced very real threats to himself and his rule.  Yet, Isaiah told him to remain tranquil, that this, too, shall pass. “Unless your faith is firm, you shall not be firm!” (Isaiah 7:1-9).  The message was not “don’t worry, tomorrow everything will be fine.”  It was a message of testing faith, when many years have passed, the situation will not be as it is now.  True faith requires believing without immediately seeing the results we want.  Psalm 48 reminds us over and again that “God upholds his city forever.” Again, it’s imperative to believe regardless of what is happening.

Jesus calls us to task for not changing behavior in light of seeing great deeds (Matthew 11:20-24).  The old adage that “seeing is believing” apparently didn’t hold true for Chorazin and Bethsaida.  They weren’t even asked to have “blind faith”; they experienced the living word and the wondrous possibilities and yet, didn’t believe or change their ways.  We have opportunities everyday to repent and change our lives.  Every day is a new chance to embrace the world through God’s eyes and accept the love of Jesus and share it as all we do.  But, too often, we acknowledge the wonders but don’t change ourselves!  For all the love and care that Jesus shows us, we won’t experience true peace and serenity eternally without change in us.  We’re challenged to repent and to demonstrate faith in all we do.

In some ways, this idea of faith is like the love we share here in this world.  It’s easy to love our children and spouse when all is well.  When we speak and the children listen and obey, how easy it is for us to love them.  The challenge comes when all is not well!  Do we maintain that unconditional love regardless of the behaviors?  Do we separate our concern for the rudeness or other bad behavior from the love that we continue to have for that person?  That is faith.  Faith is the belief in what you don’t see and continuing to believe even when things are falling apart around you.  It’s trusting when adverse events occur shaking our very beings (Hebrews 11:1-40).  Trust and faith are inextricably connected.  As parents and grandparents we trust our children and grandchildren to do the right things even when we’re not there.  However, if our trust of them only lasts while they are in our sight, we fall short of a real trusting attitude.  Under our watchful eye, of course, we can expect appropriate behavior.  We trust, we believe, we have faith, when we don’t know the outcome but accept and embrace that it will be the right outcome.

I am reminded of a time when Lily was about 3 years old.   Lily had been playing with an electronic alarm clock that we had on an end table next to the sofa in our family room, and somehow set it off.  Marilyn told her quite sternly that she wasn’t to touch the alarm clock again.  A little while later, Marilyn went shopping and I was left alone with Lily, so evidently, she thought it would be her chance to play with the clock again.  Since I had just come home from work, I didn’t know about Marilyn’s admonition to Lily at this point, and I thought it was “cute” that she was reading the numbers and telling me about the clock.  Just then, Marilyn came in the door, and Lily immediately dropped the clock on the floor, then smiled at Marilyn as if to say, “Who, me?”

A little later, I saw her inching close to the clock again, and just as she was about to touch it, I gently reminded her that “Mar-Mar” and (now) “Oompah” didn’t like it when she played with the clock.  She backed right off.  My thought was that she was not really concerned about possible punishment; rather, she was more concerned about losing her grandparents' approval than with playing with the clock!  She didn’t know it, but Lily taught me something that day.  She didn’t want to do anything that would keep her Mar-Mar and Oompah from loving her (as if THAT could ever happen), even for a minute!  And neither do I want to do anything that would separate me from my Loving Father, even for a second!  Just as I knew Lily would probably try to play with the clock when she thought no one was looking and we would forgive her, so it is with me and God.  I try not to offend Him, but I’m weak.  I am ever so grateful that His love is greater than my weakness.

The serenity that I see in some people can only come from this true faith and trust in the Lord.  The peace that they exude is there regardless of the circumstances.  It’s evident in both good times and bad times.  It’s evident in both their prayers of petition and prayers of thanksgiving regardless of immediate outcomes, that they are one with the Lord.  That kind of success outweighs all the rest.  It’s something to aim for and cherish.