Let go of childhood wineskins

 

Jesus was criticized because His disciples didn’t fast (Mark 2:18-22).  It was a practice piously close to the hearts of John’s disciples and the Pharisees.  It’s true that fasting is a helpful spiritual practice.  It gets us to cut down on the amount or even the quality of our food.  The emphasis doesn’t stop there.  Rather it heightens our awareness that "less food" can help us to become aware that we’ve been gorging ourselves, pampering ourselves in many ways and failing to deal with reality.

Reality begins with self.  Joy, happiness, and laughter are good for all of us; weddings, birthdays, graduation, recuperation from sickness, coming to grips with addictions, and so on.  Jesus makes the point, “Can wedding guests fast while the bride and bridegroom are with them?"  Rather, let the bigger picture of the wedding celebration teach us that the love that’s seen in the couple is going to be the source of growth and strength.  This growth will come through "…for better, for worse; for richer, for poorer; in health and in sickness."   Reality gives us the whole picture:  better & worse, richer & poorer, health & sickness. 

Each of us has experiences that put us in touch with challenging people, situations and things that reveal the worse, the poverty and sickness in our lives.  It doesn’t help to use the old ways and means to deal with them.  Jesus’ image of putting a new piece of cloth that hasn’t shrunk onto an old cloth is going to bring trouble; in the first wash the new cloth is going to shrink.  That could tear or cause an unsightly crease.  And then I love His example of pouring new wine into old wineskins.  It isn’t going to work because the new wine will continue to ferment and burst the old wineskin.  No, He says, you need to put new wine into new wineskins.  The new wineskins will stretch.   Wouldn’t it be a sight to see someone still wearing clothes that no longer fit?  To refuse to accept this simple physical fact becomes a serious problem when we cling to childhood values that don’t fit our life today.

We must live for today.  There have to be those joy-filled, happy, moments and times that help us to realize how fortunate and blessed we are.  And there are also those pain-filled, challenging, in-your-face moments that tell us that just cloaking them with externals isn’t going to work.  It’s our attitude, our reactions, our willingness to accept the new insights, along with insights that we’ve refused to accept that are now calling for a new wineskin.  The old wineskin isn’t going to work.  The disciples of John and the Pharisees were holding on very tightly to the practice of fasting.  Their wineskin was old.  Their view of life, of holiness was stunted.  They needed to get a new wineskin that could stretch with the input that Jesus was offering them.

This COVID-19 pause is preparing us for something new – are we open to the discovery; are we open to living into new skins?  Are we willing to look within first, let God show us where we need to grow, what ‘outdated’ thoughts, biases, judgments, fears or hurts are causing us to typically say “Why do you not…” what can we do to change the way we walk with the other so that we can be open to the new, to live within both/and rather than right/wrong?  Do we recognize the bridegroom in our midst and dare to celebrate rather than flagellate – what is God asking of us today and this time when we prepare to emerge from the virus – will we be better or worse?  Who is our Jesus? And what is He asking of us – individually and collectively?

My faith and hope and love at this stage of my life are calling for me to let go of my childhood wineskins.  They can’t stretch to receive the wonderful and challenging ways that my faith and hope and love are hoping to grow in this year of 2021.

I'd better take this call!

 

If you ever find yourself saying, “Sorry I missed your call,” or looking at the Caller ID before deciding to answer the phone, you’re not alone.  In the well-known story of the call of Samuel (1 Samuel 3:3-19), we see that God can call at any moment, even in our sleep, so we have to be alert and vigilant lest we miss the call.

It’s easy to miss God’s call because we can be taken up with so many tasks, so many responsibilities, that we lose the ability to hear.  It’s easy to miss God’s call if we’re distracted, out of sorts, or turned in on ourselves. That too can make us hard of hearing.  Or sometimes we deliberately become hard of hearing because we don’t want to be bothered.  We’re comfortable with our lives as they are, we’re settled, we have our routines and don’t want to be budged by a calling.  Or maybe we’re hard of hearing because we’re afraid of what the call might ask of us, where it might take us and how it might change our lives. We choose to sleep through the call no matter when it comes rather than nurture a “listening heart” that makes us keenly attuned to all the many ways God calls us, especially the callings that come every day and are so easy to miss.  Those everyday callings can be a summons to be patient with a person who is difficult to love.  It can be the call to comfort someone who is struggling or the call to reach out to someone who is lonely.  Or it could be the call to forgive someone who hurt or disappointed us.

God calls us all the time.  If we’re to hear and respond to those calls, we must make Samuel’s words our own: “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”  Maybe those should be the first words out of our mouths at the beginning of the day, words we repeat throughout the day, and words we include in our prayers at the end of the day.  “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.”   We should take those words to heart because it’s one thing to say, “Sorry, I missed your call” to a family member or friend; but what if we say that to God not just occasionally, but throughout our lives?  If we continually miss God’s call, what have we done with our life? 

Penetrating love

 

"The word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart. No creature is concealed from him, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account." (Hebrews 4:12-16)

The “word” spoken of here can refer to the Sacred Scriptures, the written word of God, or it can refer to the Word, the second person of the Trinity, made flesh in Jesus Christ.

The penetrating power of the word/Word is capable of doing a lot more than giving us a good facelift.  We’re talking about the grace of God getting in between the soul and spirit, joints and marrow.  That’s about as invasive a procedure as one can imagine.  It’s more than something created, because it can even get into the human soul.

Why is such a powerful spiritual anointing necessary?  Because that’s how deeply we can get wounded by our sins and the power of evil that swirls around us.  We can mess up our lives in a royal fashion.  The inner disorder and disorientation from God can be so overpowering that we need a power greater than ourselves to intervene.

All of us are prone to addictions of one sort or another.  Some are mild and not too destructive, but others can get into the very fabric of our life and take control.

The word/Word of God can get to the heart of this woundedness, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow and heal addictions and make us whole.  Often, with great fear and trepidation, we must invite Jesus into these dark and powerful areas of our lives.   Jesus was able to take Levi, a tax collector, and turn him into one of his Apostles, (also known as Matthew) (Mark 2:13-17).  To penetrate between his soul and spirit, Jesus went to Levi and his tax-collecting friends and shared a very intimate and vulnerable moment with them.  He ate a meal with them.  Jesus will join us in meeting our addictions head-on and help us to conquer them.

Break down the barriers to Jesus!

 

When my children were babies, I had a job that was pretty straightforward as far as a schedule goes.  I could count on being home every night and waking up in my own bed every morning.  I could count on being able to comply with the occasional request from the school or church for help.  I could attend most of the kids' recitals, activities, and ceremonies.  I never had the occasion to miss their presence for any extended length of time.

Even for the first few years with U-Haul, I could pretty much count on the same things. Then I took the promotion that kept me in hotel rooms, on the road, and away from my family for days or weeks at a time.

After a while, it was really rough for me, because I sorely missed Marilyn.  I missed Alicia and Lily, as well, because they were also living with us.  I couldn’t wait to see their smiles and their eyes sparkle at me the way they do, and I couldn't see them from 300 miles away! 

Often, when I walked through the door after a hard week’s work, Marilyn would say, "Look, Lily! Oompah's home!"  The baby couldn't crawl over to me fast enough, and she always had the biggest grins!  She would start jabbering away like she was telling me everything she did the week I was gone and didn't want to leave any details out.  And giggled and giggled and giggled.  My heart would just melt.  I would be so elated it was hard to concentrate on anything or anyone else!  It was a time to forget about work, if just for a day.  It was just the ‘recharge’ I needed to continue on to the next week’s challenges.

I wonder if Jesus ever got to walk back into His house and just disappear and "regroup" for a while.  Luke’s Gospel tells us it wasn’t the case at Capernaum (Mark 2:1-12).  We know of Jesus’ excruciating journey to the Cross, but what must it have been like to carry the burden of souls, their wishes and shattered dreams, every day of His life, every moment?  How in the world did He bear the weight of all those people seeking relief so desperately–the poor, the lonely, the lame, the sick, and the outcast?

"Child, your sins are forgiven." (Mark 2:5).  There’s such heart-rending compassion, gentleness of spirit, and presence in those five simple words.  Jesus didn’t take a nap when He got home, "take five," or promise to be in touch later.  Jesus was there, as He always is for each of us, ready to forgive and heal.  Moved by the faith of the crowd and despite the criticisms of the naysayers, Jesus proved that the lame can indeed get up and be freed from what cripples them.  And, by breaking through our own walls that keep us from Christ, so can we.

I truly hope that Jesus laid down His sweet head to rest more than just when He was a baby in the manger.  But I suspect that His short life on earth was lived far less restfully, although certainly He lived it with open eyes, open hands, and a truly open heart.

Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd, they opened up the roof above him.  After they had broken through, they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying. (Mark 2:4)

My deeper reflection on this parable begs several questions: What creative means are we called to use to bring healing given today’s hurting world, the polarization, the raw hate, the hurtful ‘reaction’ that surrounds us.  Given the digging in of heels and unwillingness to hear the other.  Given the tensions that consistently envelop us. 

How are we called to bring people to Jesus, how creative do we need to be to bring people to the feet of Jesus?  How can we invite ourselves and others to believe in and dare to risk the possibility of peace – inner peace, outer peace, the peace the world can’t give?  The peace we find in God, in Jesus.  What is it that we – individually and collectively – are called to do to set another world view in motion?  How can we re-introduce the worldview that Jesus shared, the Kingdom of God that begins now?  How can we “open the roof” to let in the healing balm of Jesus’ presence among us?

Waiting for the other – for someone else to breakthrough and empower dialogue and creative solutions has proven futile.  This parable reminds us that the time is now, we need to step in, we need our voices and our hearts to be heard.  We need to introduce a new path, a new vision, a new accountability.  How creative are we willing to be?  How do we empower each other to re-discover the voice, and presence of God and join together to build something new – bring about a new creation, a new paradigm?  Jesus is present, He has returned to Capernaum – where are we?

Lord, make us clean!

 

As I read Mark’s Gospel today, I think of and am struck by the faith of the leper (Mark 1:40-45).  In his despair, in his loneliness, his aloneness, in his impossibly difficult situation, he seeks out the Lord, kneels before Him, and asks in faith to be made clean.  And the Lord in His mercy and love, heals him.  The leper’s request was no small ask.  His healing would transform his life, his relationships, his very existence.  Shouldn’t we approach the Lord with the same faith and desire as the leper?

In all of the Gospels Jesus speaks much to us about faith.  “Go, your faith has saved you”, He says after performing so many of His healing miracles (for example, Matthew 9:22).  He also tells us we can move mountains if we have faith the size of a mustard seed (Matthew 17:20).  How strongly the Lord calls on us to have faith!  We try, and when things are going along smoothly our faith can seem strong.  Then when difficulty comes, when we’re really struggling, our faith can falter.

"If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts." (Psalm 95, Hebrews 3:7-14)

All of us have prayed and read this verse many times.  We might remember a time in our lives when we realized that our heart had become hardened, perhaps towards a friend who distressingly had hurt our feelings, towards community or church.  Then, a remark from a loved one touched us.  Or seeing great beauty in nature moved us.  Then, like the leper in the gospel, we turned to Jesus and said: "If you wish, you can make me clean.  If You wish, you can restore my heart, our hearts, to be like yours: full of compassion for all.”  In a world filled with too much unnecessary pain and suffering–too much hardness of heart, we turn to the One on the cross.

We should ask ourselves: Do we actually believe in all the Lord can accomplish in our life?  That we can be healed or grow in virtue in an area of our life we never thought possible?  That a loved one can return to the faith or that we can be reconciled with a family member or friend we haven’t talked to in forever? Do we believe Our Lord is present in the deep divisions in our country or in the isolation we’re currently experiencing in the pandemic?  Our Lord asks us to be like the leper.  To trust in faith all He can do in our lives.  He alone can transform us.  He alone can save our world.

How Good News happens

 

In his letter to the Hebrews, Saint Paul tells us that Jesus is just like us, one who shares in blood and in flesh.  And because He is one like us in all things but sin, Jesus has the power even to overcome "the one who has the power of death, that is, the Devil."  And still more heartening and endearing is Paul’s reminder that Jesus didn’t come to help angels, but rather, to bring His healing message to us, the descendants of Abraham.  Paul concludes by saying, "Because he himself was tested through what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested."  (Hebrews 2:14-18).  Jesus, the one sent by God, the one who’s just like us, the one who knows the meaning of suffering and struggle, He is the one, our merciful high priest who stands before God on our behalf.

The Gospel of Mark begins abruptly:  "The beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God."  (Mark 1:1).  Then Mark started laying out his reasons for such a bold statement, in what seems upon first glance to be a subtle gesture by Jesus.  As I reflected on just this one event, I wondered why it was important for Mark to tell the story.  I am surprised how much it tells us about Jesus—and our own mission, as well—as I was led by the Holy Spirit to understand.

Simon’s mother-in-law was ill with a fever.  Jesus promptly took her hand and helped her up.  She was immediately cured of her fever and she began waiting on Jesus, Simon, James, and John (Mark 1:29-39). This story reveals two important points:

First, Jesus broke a cultural barrier by touching Simon’s mother-in-law.  In that culture and time, men didn’t touch women, except family members.  Yet, the Gospel tells us Jesus "grasped her hand and helped her up."   I read that the word in Greek used for “helped her up” is the same word that is used for “raised”, as in Jesus’ Resurrection.  And she “waited on them” – in Greek "diekonei" – more accurately, she “ministered” to them.  We get the word "deacon" from this root.

Second, Jesus then broke a Mosaic barrier.  He healed the woman on the Sabbath.

Jesus immediately dramatized for us the beginning of His good news.  There are no barriers, no obstacles that will prevent Jesus from entering our house, our soul, where we suffer spiritual illness.  By His healing touch, He’ll raise us to new life and restore us to our community.  And in that new life, we’re called to minister to one another.  That’s how the good news happens.

Authority

 

Because of all the hate and lack of clear authority in our nation and in the world these days, I’ve been thinking a lot about and reflecting on the subject.  Early on in Mark’s Gospel, Jesus very quickly set Himself apart from others.  No sooner was Jesus baptized than He began His public ministry with two actions: He started to teach the crowd and He cleansed a man with an unclean spirit.  (Mark 1:21-28)

Mark tells us nothing about what Jesus said.  What’s important is the effect of His words.  They have power. They astonished the congregation in the synagogue because He spoke with authority.  Unlike the scribes and Pharisees whose authority and teaching probably came from their particular rabbinic school, Jesus taught on His own authority.   And Jesus’ teaching had the power of exposing and expelling evil – even when it dwelt in a holy place like a synagogue.

This raises several questions for us.  How do we react to the Word of God?  Do we interpret it on our own authority, that is, with self-serving rationalization?  Do we hear the Word of God but respond with indifference – as in we know the stories, we’ve heard them before, and they have nothing new to teach us.  No surprise.  No astonishment.  No authority. 

As with the man with the unclean spirit, not even a holy location will have the power to cleanse.  But, if we embrace the Word of God, it can have power in us.  If we study the Word of God, if we meditate on Scripture, it can comfort us when we’re discouraged.  It can give us encouragement when we’re ready to give up.  And in our self-satisfaction, it can expose with painful exposure who we really are – imperfect men and women with unclean spirit, the sin that stubbornly clings to us.  Ultimately, it brings us to a greater love of God.  When that happens, get ready to be transformed.  Get ready to be astonished by the Word of God.

Getting back to Mark’s Gospel.  People noticed that Jesus was different.  He was teaching something new and with authority.  There must have been at least two things going on.  There was something visible or energetic about Jesus to capture people’s attention, a charisma.  But for the people to notice, they must’ve had something going on in themselves, a hunger or longing, that allowed their hearts to be open and searching for something to fill it.  They had to be receptive to the message and messenger.

For someone/something to have authority in our lives, we have to give it to them.  Many times when we give others authority, when we trust them or elect them or look to them, they abuse the authority or trust.  They take advantage over others, and often lead them astray.  I’m thinking of today’s political climate. 

As I think and pray with all this, it occurs to me that Jesus did just the opposite.  The people were praising Jesus, recognizing His authority; and He responded by helping, encouraging them to hold their own authority.  When He healed the man with the unclean spirit, He was essentially returning the man to himself.  I can also think of the dignity that He returned to the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11) and the living water He gave to the Samaritan woman (John 4:1-42) as other examples of this.  All throughout the gospels people were trying to raise Him up as king, and in return He was healing and inviting them to reclaim their own authority, dignity, and power.

We too are invited into relationship with the Divine through Jesus.  He’s showing us that the relationship isn’t one of giving all our authority to Him, but the encouragement to maintain our own authority and power and work with Him.  For example, when I’ve prayed, “just tell me what you want!”, the response I sometimes get is, “What do you want?  I’ll work with you.”  I think that through this Gospel story—and many others throughout the Bible—Jesus encourages us to claim and live from our own interior authority.

A broken world in need of Good News

 

We live in a broken world.  Today, it’s a world of a pandemic and polarized society, of illness and unemployment, of loneliness and homelessness.  The gospels never deny the reality in which we live. But the gospels also tell us that the world is filled with more, is charged with God’s grace and presence.  Jesus reminds us of this truth with His good news.

Jesus invited His first disciples to follow Him in proclaiming that good news – a time of peace and salvation in the midst of illness and darkness.  Peter, Andrew, James, and John left everything to follow Jesus.  They left behind emotional, social, and economic security.  Jesus challenged them to let go of everything they were familiar with in order to join Him in a journey of spiritual growth and self-awareness (Mark 1:14-20).

Christ calls us too; right now.  This is our decisive moment.  This time divides our past from our future.  Christ invites us to new life.  It’s time to repent, time to leave behind our old lives, time to drop those nets that tangle us in false security and detachments.  Only then can Jesus transform us into fishers of people by proclaiming the good news.

The kingdom is near, the kingdom is among us.  In Jesus Christ, the kingdom has entered our time and place and circumstances.  It’s time for us to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ – as the Apostle Paul tells us “in season and out of season.” (2 Timothy 4:2).  Today, we find ourselves in the “out of season.”  Nevertheless, this present reality is the place where Christ meets us.  Here is where He beckons us: “follow me.”

God is very much with us in these times.  This is the ‘good news’ that are the Gospels.  And yet, for us, the good news is also this: that not even a global pandemic can arrest Jesus Christ, or us, in proclaiming the good news.

Responding to the call is up to us

 

“Vocation” is defined in Webster’s New World Dictionary as: “The career to which one feels he is called.  If there is a calling, the calling comes from someone believed to be the Almighty God.”

Often times the idea of a vocation is limited to the priesthood or religious life.  It can also apply to the married and single life.  But the reality is that it embraces each and every way of life that God calls a person to live and to serve the human family. 

To recognize the call from God we must be aware and analyze the attractions and desires of our hearts, the talents that are given us and the circumstances in which we find ourselves.  There are a lot of ways in which we’re called.  Through prayer and fasting, or silent reflections; the model presented by parents, friends or siblings can also trigger the call.  Certain special events in our lives, whether calamitous, triumphant, or personally unique, can make God’s call audible for many people.

The Letter to the Hebrews tells us that God has called people over the ages, in fragmentary and varied ways.  But now He speaks to us through his Son (Hebrews 1:1-6).  Obviously, this applies to God’s revelation for our salvation, but Jesus speaks to all of us individually in the events of our lives as well, though not always as He spoke to the apostles in Mark’s Gospel.  “Come follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”   (Mark 1:14-20)

Although this analogy is a clever turn of phrase, Jesus wants us to know that His call will demand the use of talents that He has given us.  The apostles were fishermen.  Fishermen are tremendously patient, know when and where to ply their trade, the bait to use and how to set their lines and nets in order to bring in the greatest catch.  So armed with these same skills and talents the apostles will find themselves bringing people to the Lord.

Happiness in our vocation will come from responding to God’s call.  Every effort to try and force our vocation into a channel for which we have no talents, or circumstances will not allow, or for wrong or selfish reasons will only bring on frustration and bitterness.

We should constantly challenge ourselves questioning Christ’s call in our life.  Do we occasionally renew the desires that initiated our career?  Are we using our talents to make that career profitable in God’s service?  And finally, have circumstances changed so that our career no longer has meaning in God’s eyes?  Hard questions, but they can pay large dividends for us and for the Kingdom.

We are called by name

 

A few years ago when I was still working, I had to stay away from home for one to two weeks at a time, sometimes longer.  So I spent a lot of time in hotel rooms (or the company apartments) and eating out regularly.  I became a familiar face to several of the restaurants I enjoyed, to the point where some of them even got to know me by name.  One, in particular, didn’t know my actual name for a long time—they simply called me “Stella”, based on my beer of choice with dinner.  Even after they found out my “Christian” name, I was still known as “Stella”.  I enjoyed my dinners more at that particular place because they almost always knew when I was coming!  I would never have to wait to be seated at “my” table (I sat at the same table every visit).  When I walked in, my beer, with an ice-cold glass to pour it in, would already be waiting for me.  If it was a weeknight, they knew I wanted the “Vinny’s Special” with the sausage and hot peppers.  If I went on a Friday night, they knew I would be ordering the linguine with clams, half-red and half-white sauce (even though they didn’t ‘normally’ split them for ‘usual’ patrons).  Most of the time, if business was slow, some of the servers would come and sit with me and we’d talk about our families, and sometimes we’d even discuss spiritual matters.  It was a familiarity that made me forget, if only for a moment, that I was far away from my wife, my kids, and my grandchildren; it felt a little like “home”.  Now that I’m retired, I sometimes miss that interaction with my “family away from home.”  I was reminded of them again today while reflecting on Luke’s account of the Baptism of Jesus.

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name: you are mine.  When you pass through waters, I will be with you; through rivers, you shall not be swept away.  When you walk through fire, you shall not be burned, nor will flames consume you. For I, the LORD, am your God, the Holy One of Israel, your savior. (Isaiah 64:1-3)

No sooner did Jesus emerge from the muddy River Jordan, than the skies were torn in two, the Holy Spirit descended on Him, and God the Father thundered from heaven "This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased."   This is the moment when the divine identity of Jesus was revealed (Mark 1:7-11).

And yet, that booming baptismal declaration also concealed something – who Jesus is.  What does it mean to be "My son, the beloved"?

The answer unfolded slowly in the next few years in Jesus’ life, when, filled with the Holy Spirit, He embarked on His mission, proclaiming the Good News, healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, unshackling prisoners, taking up His cross.

What happened to Jesus happens to us at our baptism, as well.  The first words in the Sacrament of Baptism come in the form of a question: What name do you give this child?  The priest or deacon isn’t seeking information for a certificate.  It’s the Church asking the existential question: what is the identity of this child?  Who is this child?"  And when the parents announce for all to hear – his name is Stephen; her name is Marilyn – at that moment, the Church declares "I claim you for Christ."  Our identity is forever marked with the sign of the cross on our forehead.

At that moment, the Holy Spirit entered into us and, like a proud parent, God the Father again thundered His declaration: "This is my son, this is my daughter whom I love."  The Divine Parent has spoken.

But this baptismal declaration conceals as much as it reveals.  How we live our lives as beloved sons and daughters of God slowly discloses the answer.  It is revealed to the extent that we proclaim the Good News, as we serve our brothers and sisters.  Ultimately, it’s revealed as we take up our cross.

"A man's got to know his limitations"...Dirty Harry

 

Self-knowledge is a great gift.  Self-acceptance is an even greater blessing.  To really know one’s gifts, abilities, talents, and natural traits, as well as the limitations in other areas can reduce stress and tension and even inner turmoil.  A man who is 5’3" is unlikely to be a starting center in the NBA.  A woman who has little patience with the high energy of small children will probably not find herself drawn to a career as a preschool teacher. 

I used to be painfully shy in large groups, even among family members and co-workers.  I thought I was being humble, when in fact I was struggling to grow into self-acceptance and to value my own gifts and abilities.  One of the pitfalls of this struggle was my propensity to say yes to almost anything and everything my bosses and co-workers asked of me, to the point of physical and mental exhaustion.  Then along came a guy who would not only be my new boss, but eventually become one of my best friends, as well.  He is someone who has everything I envied; a great personality, lots of friends, success, and the admiration of just about everyone he met.   I soon learned that his greatest asset is his ability to see each individual for who they truly are and the talents they possess, and to help them realize their full potential through understanding and guidance.  For example, he taught me how to say no to others—even to him—when I felt it might make me less productive in those things I previously said yes to.  I can’t describe enough how much that one simple lesson changed the course of my life.  It opened a whole new world where I could do those things I wanted to do, both professionally and personally.  It gave me the freedom to learn more, teach more, and become more successful.  It allowed me the time to pray more, worship more, and evangelize more through my writing.  Todd also taught me, through his example, that if someone else could do a certain task better than I could, it would be better to step aside and let them do it for the greater good of the company and its goals.  It became the key to our successful collaboration for 20 years, until I retired.

John the Baptist seems to have really known who he was, his role in life, and the gifts that were given to him by God.  John had been looked upon as a prophet to whom people came from great distances.  Crowds would listen to him preach and many would accept his call to conversion and be baptized.  But when Jesus appeared on the scene and people flocked to Him, John didn’t express any jealousy or need to compete to "get his numbers back up".  He accepted that he had done what he had been called to do, used his gifts to the fullest and now it was time to step aside for another (John 3:22-30).  In today’s world the same scenario could have turned out much differently.

Today, competition, conscious or unconscious, seems to be in the air we breathe.  Money, possessions, friends, accomplishments of our own or our children, and lifestyle can easily determine our sense of self and our acceptance or rejection of who we are.  It takes great wisdom and inner strength and maturity to accept that we’re each given gifts and abilities by God to use as fully as possible.  But true joy comes when we realize, like John the Baptist, that our talents are not given for personal status or enhancement but for the growth and spread of the reign of God.  And it often takes a lifetime to realize that all has been given to us from above (James 1:17).

Nothing to fear!

 

Real fear is at the least unnerving.  More often, stomach knotting, hand freezing fear is debilitating and can give rise to spontaneous, maybe irrational, actions which can be valiant or destructive in nature, often with life changing consequences.  The news abounds with reports of soldiers and police and firefighters who, despite great personal fear, perform feats of heroism; of politicians and business executives who fear losing power, position and wealth and choose to lie and cast blame on others rather than admit to their own corruption, greed, and criminal behavior.

The First Letter of John contrasts the relationship between love and fear.  "Love has no room for fear; rather, perfect love casts out all fear" (1 John 5:5-13).  But, knowing the human condition, can we really take this literally and believe that love and fear can’t co-exist?  Or does John mean that natural human fear is the result of imperfect love?  Or, then again, is it our inability to understand and accept the totality of God’s love for us that leads us to fear?

John refers to the fear that results from the certainty of punishment but for people sincerely trying to live abiding in the love of God, situations giving rise to natural human fear are much less threatening. When we know that we remain in God and God remains in us, then we, like St. Paul, realize that ultimately nothing can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:39).  Ultimately, we have nothing to fear.

However, even beyond the obvious fear of violence, there is much to fear in our country today due to the pandemic, loneliness, systemic racism, and overwhelming hostility to anyone who disagrees with us.  But for people rooted in the love of God and trying to live in the awareness of that love, any fear will be overshadowed by the confidence and trust in the love that we know and believe God has for us.

A year acceptable to the Lord

 

We’re only in the first week of the new year, a time when many people around the world welcome the time to start over, to dust off resolutions and try to do better.  But as the events in Washington DC today unfolded, I couldn’t help worrying about the country and our lack of love for, or even civility towards our fellow human beings.  I have no doubt that at least some of the hooligans profess to be Christians, and that’s more the pity!  They seem to have forgotten Jesus’ message to the Nazoreans at the beginning of His mission.  

As Jesus formally began His mission on earth, He started with His hometown of Nazareth.  There, in the synagogue on a Sabbath, He read to the people from the passage in Isaiah (Isaiah 61), which proclaims the coming messianic age.  “In a voice filled with the fire of the Spirit, He announced to them Isaiah's prophecy of a time of good news to the poor, liberty for captives, recovery of sight to the blind and freedom for the oppressed, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.”  Then, handing the scroll to an attendant, He proclaimed to all present, "Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing." (Luke 4:14-22).  These words are the core of Jesus' message to both the people of His day and of our times!  Talk about a reason to hope!

I resolve to proclaim my own year acceptable to the Lord.  I can start now and keep renewing that promise every day in prayer and actions.  In proclaiming my year acceptable to the Lord, I can live out these words in my own way.  I can offer my help to the poor, to those people who feel forgotten.  I can try to free myself from the captivity of consumerism and always wanting more.  I can free myself from the captivity of always being plugged in and multitasking.  I can open my eyes and really see the people I’m talking to, the people I’m spending time with.  I can offer prayers and love to those oppressed by fear and tribulations.

And in my own year acceptable to the Lord, I need to listen and live according to the admonition of John in his First Letter (1 John 4:19-5:4).  We must love God and our neighbor, our brother.  More than that, we need to see God in all of our brothers and neighbors.  In my year acceptable to the Lord, I will pray for the compassion and strength to do that every day.  The Gospel tells us that Jesus returned in the power of the Holy Spirit.  I pray that I open my heart and mind to the power of the Holy Spirit in the world not only this year, but for the rest of my life.

As the uplifting Christmas tune says, “Let it begin with me!”

Reassurance

Even though He had just fed thousands of people with just a little bread and some fish, Jesus knew His disciples still had a long way to go to understand His core message of absolute trust in Him.  He let them stay on the rough sea until it was near dawn, “the fourth watch of the night”.  Then he passed them by until they revealed their primitive fears in shouts and a delusion of Christ being a ghost.  But at the right moment, He calmed them, reassured them: “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” (Mark 6:45-52)

The demands of our faith are great.  We’re called to discipleship, to be ambassadors for Christ in a world crying out in fear, including our own fears.  The pandemic, the political and racial divisions, the ever-widening gap between the elite and the masses, the destruction of our climate, water, topsoil, and species of life, the chemical addictions, mental and physical illnesses, and the destruction of networks of charity and fellowship all are occasions to panic in our tiny boats and become delusional.

But the demand of our God is all encompassing and true: “Take courage. It is I; do not be afraid.”

To step back from the excessive stimulations about us, the noise that breeds confoundment, is essential for the grace of God’s presence to transform our hearts.  In God’s wisdom we’re cared for every moment of our lives.  We need not panic.  Christ offers the peace we seek at our deepest levels.

Perhaps a few moments of silence today will open a space for God to comfort and reassure us that He is upholding us right now, according to His promise.  We are alive.  And God won’t confound us in our expectations. 

The Love we need is the Love we give

 

The Scriptures I’m reflecting on this week prompt us to continue the good feeling we’ve had during this Christmas season, despite the pandemic.  Now that the Lord has come and is manifested to all who believe, they’ll hear His message to hear the cry of the poor.  In this way we join all others in the world in our worship and adoration of the Savior.  Now, in early January after the Epiphany we see that love is like the five loaves and two fishes – there never seems to be enough food to go around until we start giving it away.

Back in the 60’s, the Beatles sang, "All you need is love."  But the “love” that John Lennon wrote about was more of a love borne of relativism, than one of Truth.  Some two thousand years earlier, John, the disciple that Jesus loved, was also saying that all we need is love.  But he had it right—God is love.  And this is the love we truly need (1John 4:7-10).  

Love is the bond that allows us to interact with each other, whether in the workplace, at home, or among friends.  It’s also this sacred connection that allows us to be intimate and to understand our Creator (as much as our finite minds can understand Him).  And in the same way, just as God wants to continuously remind us that we’re truly and uniquely loved by Him, we must also practice this same value with each other.

In Mark’s account of the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus first said to His apostles: "Give the people something to eat" before the miracle occurred (Mark 6:34-44).

It's strange that Jesus would say something like that just to make the point that they (the apostles) could hardly begin to feed such a multitude and to point up that, "Oh, by the way, watch Me and see what I can do."

Obviously, Jesus didn’t mean that. So what did He mean when He told the apostles to give the people something to eat? Of course we don't know for sure, but it seems He was exhorting the apostles to do "something" to help, something to alleviate the problem of the moment.

About the only thing they could do was to search out what little food was available and make it available to the Lord who can do all things. I think that’s the lesson for us, to put our gifts however seemingly small and insignificant at the disposal of the Lord who can multiply beyond our belief what little we thought we had.

Very often, in our own personal circumstances, we despair at the little resources we have, be it time, money, talent, or knowledge.  We think that if only we had "this", or we were like "that", we would achieve our goals.  Yet each day we're called to use what we're given -- even though it may be little -- and God will bless and multiply our efforts according to the purpose He desires.

In the face of daunting and mind-challenging obstacles like most of us are facing in this day and age, we mustn’t stop and despair, but continue to use all the resources that are available to us and just trust in the Lord that He’ll make up for our discrepancies and shortfalls according to His holy will.

How very blessed we are to have a God and Creator that loves us so much that if we remain in love, we remain in Him and He in us (1John 4:13)!  How truly blessed we are that He loves us unconditionally even when we don't deserve it!  How truly blessed we are that He loves us—man and woman, black and white, rich and poor, young and old.  How truly blessed we are that He loves us so much that He gave us His only Son as ransom for us and our sins.

We are not measured by how much we do for one another, but by God’s grace. Wouldn’t it be great if we practiced the same love we’re given by God with our brothers and sisters?  Whether it’s saying 'hi' to an old friend, getting to know your boss a little better, or striking up a conversation with a co-worker that you see sitting by him or herself at lunch, let people know that they’re loved.  And just as Jesus fed over five thousand people with only five loaves of bread and two fish, let’s practice giving to those in need, spiritually or emotionally.  We may be imperfect and flawed, but in every moment of every day we’ll always be deeply loved by the One who knows all things.

Every nation on earth will adore the Lord God when his people follow his teachings to bring peace and justice to all and defend the afflicted and the children of the poor (Psalm 72:1-8).  What a concept! Instead of complaining that someone is “undocumented” and labeling them “illegal” or “criminal” when all they’ve done is come to our country to make a better life for themselves, why not find a way to bring them into the fold of Christ’s mercy and justice?  Like the loaves and fishes, the love we show them can only multiply if the love is given in Jesus’ name.

True or False?

Every one of us is moved by a single desire or yearning that goes deeper than any of the little things that we use and do to satisfy ourselves.  If we can imagine all our wishes granted—a vaccine for COVID, food, shelter, safety, human love, health, strength, beauty, a return to ‘normalcy’—we find that there’s still an emptiness in our hearts, and that we need to seek a satisfaction there beyond the things of this world.

As I reflect on the beginning of Jesus’ ministry in Matthew’s Gospel (Matthew 4:12-25), I’m reminded of a quote by Saint Augustine, who in the opening words of his Confessions, says, "Lord, you made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you."

To reach that point we need to set aside the things of this world, at least insofar as they are our priorities.  Yes, we need food, health, strength enough to live, and all the rest, but more fundamentally we need to re-form our lives in such a manner that these things are secondary and that knowing, loving, and serving God is primary: that’s the only way that we can truly be at rest, be satisfied, be fulfilled.  It demands a separation from things, an ending to our attachment and even dependence on them that can seem like poverty in the eyes of the world.  We also need a poverty of self, putting our will and our values in the hand of the Father.  This isn’t a quietism but a foundation for the most trustworthy way of being active in our lives.

In the First Letter of John we hear how to know the spirit of Truth and differentiate it from the spirit of deceit.  So that we don't have to struggle, fret, or worry whether we've got it right, the answer is given, simply.  The way we know a spirit of truth is by what it says (1 John 3:22–4:6).  Does it acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God, born of the Virgin Mary?  Jesus, who was crucified, died, buried, and raised up on the third day?  Who ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father?  If a spirit confesses this, it’s The Spirit of Truth, The Holy Spirit.  It’s the same Spirit Who innervates the Church, gives Her life, preserves Her, protects Her, guides Her.

So how do we know that we’re living this life in the best way?  When we believe that we’re children of a loving Father, that we’re brothers and sisters of the living Lord and Older Brother who is our model for being human and our gentle Shepherd, and that the Blessed Spirit that Jesus has given us guides us with amazing warmth and care if we so desire. 

Stars abound

“See, darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples; but upon you the LORD shines, and over you appears his glory.”  (Isaiah 60:2)

Sounds like the world today, doesn’t it?  There’s so much darkness in our world –the ongoing pandemic, wars, hunger, homelessness, sex-trafficking, divorce, suicide, child and elder abuse . . .  the list goes on and on.  The news doesn’t help.  Rather than show inspirational stories, they seem to dig up the worst to show us.  I rarely watch the news anymore because it’s so depressing.

Astronomers tell us that there are some 300 billion galaxies in the universe comprised of trillions of stars.  Our closest star, the Sun, provides heat, energy and lights our way.  When I was a kid in the Boy Scouts and ‘sleeping under the stars’, I loved to watch for shooting stars (actually meteors.)  When I saw one, it felt like I was especially blessed.

In addition to these celestial bodies, we also call some of our leading actors and some professional sports figures “stars”.  That’s exactly our role as disciples of Jesus, to be a star.  Like the Sun we’re to be a light in a dark place.  By our attitude and generosity, we can bring blessings to others.  Like the star in Matthew’s Gospel (Matthew 2:1-12), we have the opportunity to use our talents to point people to Jesus.

The Magi represent us all.  I heard a sermon on Epiphany once when the priest asked, "What made the wise men wise?”  He followed that up with his answer, “They looked up!"  In other words, they were looking, watching for their star.  Stars abound.  

God has a way of leading, guiding and speaking to us through the fine arts, poetry, novels, creation, people, and music.  I have always been spellbound by Franco Zeffirelli’s TV mini-series “Jesus of Nazareth”.  The same is true of a new production on the New Testament called “The Chosen”.  Both of those series have helped me grow closer to Jesus.  Stars abound.

We celebrate light on Epiphany.  Even though darkness covers the earth we can rise because our light has come.  Our world is full of stars.  Epiphany tells us that we can expect new stars, new manifestations of God’s grace that will lead us to Jesus.  We live in a world of stars and Epiphany invites us to "look up!"

I’m reminded of Luke’s story about the birth of Jesus.  A slice of Luke’s nativity version describes how God reached out to shepherds to announce the birth of the divine Son.  "And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them…"  (Luke 2:8-20).  In Matthew’s Gospel, God attracts the attention of astrologers by the movement of a star. "After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem."  Luke’s story reminds us that God’s kingdom included the Jewish poor, the neglected, and those who were not usually welcomed at the local synagogue or at the table where important decisions were decided.  Matthew, in using a different story, reminds us that God’s kingdom includes within its boundaries those even who are outside “my” religion or “my” society or “my” culture.  In God’s Kingdom, revealed by Jesus Christ, all people are included.  “All nations”, according to Isaiah, “will come proclaiming the praises of the Lord." (Isaiah 60:1-6)

God’s love is universal; there are no outsiders, no foreigners; no one is excluded from God’s Kingdom.  We can all pray "Our Father" and claim the same inheritance.  Since God is Father of every single human person, then all people on this planet we call Earth are our brothers and sisters.

Jesus gives us the hope and courage we need to help change the darkness about us.  We’re His hands and feet today.  We can share the good news.  We can let the light shine through us to make a difference.  As 2021 begins, let’s open our hearts once again to the Lord’s will for our lives.  Let’s say “Yes!” to spending time with Jesus each day so that He can direct our steps and we can all help usher in the Kingdom here and now. 

Greatness comes from humility

 

Deep down we all want to be great. This desire goes hand in hand with our innate desire for happiness. We want our lives to have meaning and purpose, and we want to make a difference. The question is “How?” How do we do this? How do we achieve true greatness?

From a worldly perspective, greatness can often become synonymous with success, riches, power, admiration from others, etc.  But from a divine perspective, greatness is achieved by humbly giving God the greatest glory we can with our lives.

Giving God all the glory has a double effect upon our lives.  First, doing so allows us to live in accord with the truth of life.  The truth is that God and God alone deserve all our praise and glory.  All good things come from God and God alone.  Second, humbly giving God all the glory and pointing to the fact that we are unworthy of Him has the reciprocal effect of God reaching down and elevating us to share in His life and His glory.

That is why the gospel passage I reflected on today has a relevant resonance for us when we reflect on the conversation between John the Baptist and the priests, Levites and Pharisees who come out to challenge him with their questions (John 1:19-28):

"Who are you?  Are you Elijah?  Are you the Prophet?  Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us?

This last question is the one that reveals the hearts of the questioners.  They’re asking not for themselves but for "those who sent us".  They have no commitment to the question; it didn’t arise from their personal desire for the Messiah.

Religious practice and religious practitioners can fall into this depersonalization of what can be a true faith experience.  When religious practice does not express our own personal hunger for Jesus, for a share in the saving grace that emanates from His victory on the Cross, and from the triumph of His Resurrection, then we’re only echoing the questions and concerns of "those who sent us".

When we hunger to know Jesus and His life-giving grace in our life, when we’re drawn to spend time in prayer with Jesus, and when we see the providential love of God working in the events of our life, then we know with certainty the Lord Jesus in our life, and the grace of God will see that we’re growing in age, wisdom, and grace throughout the new year of 2021.