The Power of 'No' (Sunday homily)

 Let me repeat something that is so simple we may miss it:

Lent is all about conversion. 

That’s the point of self-denial, of taking more time for prayer, 

and of giving away money or things to others.

You and I don’t fast and pray and give things away

In order to gain more of God’s love;

He already loves us as much as he possibly can.

We also don’t do these things for a show.

The only point is the extent to which this helps our own conversion.

And note that: Lent is about our own conversion; 

it’s not your job to convert her, or him.

Even in the family: true conversion has to be me choosing it for me.

Focus on your own conversion, and let that be your witness.

So we start with humility.

In the first reading, the faithful Israelite must confess:

My father was a nobody. My ancestors were slaves.

We didn’t set ourselves free – God did it.

In fact, everything we have comes from God.

And in the Gospel, even Jesus the Lord humbles himself.

But perhaps the main thing we might notice

in the Gospel is the power of a single word: NO.

How much you and I need to learn the power of saying “NO”:

No to temptation; No to all the tasty and enjoyable things 

that are too important to us;

“No” to all the distractions and short-term things 

that so fill our thoughts, that we fail to focus on the distant horizon.

This is really hard. But it’s an essential part of our Lent.

We know this, because Jesus himself did it. 

He went into the desert and fasted.

He said “No” to pretty much everything – 

food, drink, entertainment, other people’s company –

before he launched on his great mission of our salvation.

He did it, without needing it, to be in solidarity with us.

And thus he makes clear how much you and I DO need it.

Notice we began Mass with the sprinkling of holy water.

Remember that Lent is also about preparing for baptism, and – 

for those of us who have been baptized – 

about renewing and reclaiming it.

[And I might mention, at this Mass, we have some folks 

who are preparing to be baptized in six weeks. 

Today we acknowledge them as the “Elect” – 

meaning, they are chosen by God to enter into the new life of baptism. 

And we have others who were baptized in other communities, 

but now wish to be part of the fullness of the Catholic Church.

It is the grace of their baptism that urges them to this! 

And we want to pray for them along the next steps.]

Recall that when you and I were baptized, 

The deacon or priest asked three questions;

And we, or our parents, gave three renunciations. 

We said “No” to Satan; 

“And all his works?”

“And all his empty show?”

And notice, Jesus is tempted by the devil after 40 days.

That means his struggle with evil corresponds to Holy Week.

Good Friday represents the devil seeking to kill him,

Perhaps because he would not bow down to him.

When you and I learn the power of “No” when it’s needed,   

We gain the power of a true “YES” when that is needed!

YES to being truly generous with ourselves and our time and our stuff.

YES to trusting God with peace and calm.

YES to going deeper and farther, 

the way Peter stepped out of the boat, 

and walked – albeit briefly – on the water.

So if you want to take something away from this homily,

Take a simple word. That word is “No.”

Use this Lent to learn how to say that word and mean it:

A “No” to the stomach, a “No” to the eyes, and a “No” to the ego:

So you and I can receive the fullness of God’s life.

That’s a good way to make Lent fruitful, don’t you think?

The hardest fast (Sunday homily)

 Everyone knows that Ash Wednesday is this week, right?

And we all know that those 18-59 are obliged to fast 

on Ash Wednesday – and on Good Friday. 

That means one full meal and two snacks if you need them.

And, we all know that the focus of Lent 

is on repentance and self-denial: 

that’s why we pray more seriously, and look to be more generous, 

and we choose to give things up.

Allow me to point out: the hardest fast is not from food.

It is from words.

The words you and I speak.

And the words we listen to. 

Fewer words mean more silence.

What happens if you die right now? (Sunday homily)

 Lent begins in two and a half weeks. 

For the next three Sundays, 

you and I will hear from Saint Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, 

from chapter 15, where he talks about resurrection.

This is a great transition to Lent.

Let’s recall what we believe as Catholics.

At the moment our life in this world comes to an end, 

you and I will immediately face Christ as our judge.

We call this the “particular judgment.”

And in that moment, Christ will weigh our faith: 

did we respond to his grace? Did we obey his commands? 

Did we repent of our sins and turn to him for mercy?

And then, one of two things will happen.

If you or I die without God’s friendship, having rejected his grace; 

refused to change, or, perhaps gave mere lip service, then what? 

Remember what he said: “Not everyone who cries, ‘Lord, Lord!’ 

will enter the Kingdom.” 

And they will say, “but look what we did in your name!” 

And Jesus will say, ‘Depart from me! I never knew you!’”

So, if that’s where any of us are in that moment before Christ, 

then we will go to hell, precisely because we refused the grace 

and the conversion of our lives that would prepare us for heaven. 

On the other hand, if we “die in God’s grace and friendship,”

As the catechism states it (Paragraph 1030), 

then we enter into heaven. 

But at that point, you and I may need some further brushing-up, 

so that we are truly ready for heaven. 

This is what purgatory is.

If you and I make this life a time of conversion, 

of breaking bad habits, of self-denial, 

we will not need much from purgatory.

Here’s a prayer that you may want to pray each day:

“Lord, send me here my purgatory.” 

The point Saint Paul wants to make is simple:

Do not make the mistake of thinking this life is all there is.

You and I are meant to live forever.

Moreover, our bodies are not just something 

we throw away or leave behind. 

We will have our bodies back in the resurrection.

So Lent is coming, and we have a few weeks to gear up.

Since I mentioned purgatory, that’s a good way to understand Lent: 

You and I are seeking our purgatory here and now.

Our sacrifices, penances and extra prayers are tools, 

in service of what Lent truly is about:

Conversion. Change of heart. Change of life. Getting ready for heaven.

The origin of Lent is that it was a time of intense preparation 

for those who were going to be baptized at Easter – 

and that is why they fasted, and prayed intensely, 

and examined their lives so closely.

And for those of us who have been baptized,

Lent is our time to re-embrace our baptism.

So, notice: at Easter you will be asked to renew those vows.

It's not a mere ritual; it’s a very solemn moment.

So, Lent is near. It’s time to get ready.

You should have seen by now 

we will have a Eucharist-focused Mission in two weeks, 

leading into Lent. 

It will also be a lead-in to an opportunity for all of us 

to focus particularly on the Holy Eucharist during Lent. 

There will be many opportunities for prayer and reflection.

I want to issue everyone in the parish a challenge:

Let’s make this the best Lent you’ve ever had.

I’m asking that we all unite in that desire – 

and help each other make it happen.

Here’s some simple but serious homework:

First: now is the time to think about your plan for Lent.

And, second, I ask everyone to begin praying that this Lent 

will indeed be a powerful time of conversion for our parish family. 

Pray for yourself, your family, and for each other. 

Let’s pray for our St. John Paul Family to experience conversion.

Five easy ways *everyone* can answer God's call (Sunday homily)

 I bet this has happened to you.

You put new lights – brighter lights – into your kitchen, 

and then, you look and grimace: hmm, that floor doesn’t look so good! 

Or, it’s the bathroom, and you look in the mirror! Hmm, not so good!

That’s when you turn down the lights!

Something like that – yet far more transcendent – 

happened to Isaiah in the first reading, to Paul in the second reading, and to Peter in the Gospel. 

The intense reality of who God is 

illuminated for them the disturbing reality of their own lives.

Isaiah said: "Woe is me, I am doomed!

Paul said, “I am not fit to be called an apostle,

because I persecuted the church of God.”

Peter said, "Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man."

Now, perhaps you can think of a moment 

when you experienced something like this. 

I recall being on an airplane 

and it suddenly went very bouncy-bouncy, 

and I intensely wished I’d gone to confession.

My prayer was something like Isaiah’s.

But please notice, however disturbing this experience is, 

it is a mercy – it is a grace!

Would it have been better had Isaiah not woken up?

Would Paul have been better off not converting?

Notice also, in each case, this searing of their consciences 

preceded Isaiah, Paul or Peter being sent with a mission.

Please remember this whenever someone asks you 

to pitch in or take on a project.

You might want to answer, no, ask someone else.

But what God really wanted to hear was Isaiah’s, “send me!”

There are a lot of individual tasks that make up our faith-family.

We all rely on people to organize different things.

By the way: sometimes people notice a change, and ask, 

why did that change? Why did that go away? 

Often the answer is, we need help to organize it.

And there really is something for everyone to do.

The overall mission is clear. You and I are witnesses of Jesus.

We are his messengers.

Being sinful and weak doesn’t disqualify Isaiah, Paul or Peter.

But they all needed conversion.

And for everyone who wonders, when will someone revive things?

Don’t wait for someone else. Answer like Isaiah: “send me!”

How do you do that? How is that accessible to absolutely everyone?

I’m going to give you five things everyone can do.

First: everyone listening to me can pray.

If you and I reach the Kingdom, 

we’re going to be stunned by how much tired, persevering prayer 

held this world together like spiritual duct tape.

Prayer doesn’t have to take hours of our day.

Start each day with the morning offering.

If you drive to work, turn off the radio 

and pray the Rosary or Divine Mercy chaplet.

You’ll be a more patient driver, I prophesy!

Pause periodically – just for 10 seconds! – and remember God.

Second, everyone can say, “I believe in Jesus!”

Our little children can say that. 

Our oldest, tired-est parishioners can say that.

You don’t have to be a theologian. 

But it is our lives that make our words credible.

That leads to third: like Peter, Paul and Isaiah: seek conversion.

Ask, and God will light up what needs to change.

Fourth and fifth:

The early Christians won their world by their love.

They were generous and forgiving.

Everyone can give something. 

And everyone, sooner or later, faces the choice to forgive.

That’s what it is: not a feeling but a choice:

To let go of that wrong and give that to God.

Imagine how Paul felt to be embraced 

by the Christians he tried to kill!

What if they had refused?

So, there you have it: five ways everyone can answer the call.

Pray. And say. Convert. Give. And forgive.

The Light of the World (Presentation Homily)

 Today’s feast is celebrated every year, 

but it only falls on Sunday every once in a while. 

The formal name is the “Presentation of the Lord”;

Another name is “Candlemas,” because of the candles of course.

But why candles?

On one level it’s kind of obvious: 

Jesus comes to the temple, and he is the Light of the World.

But let’s you and I drill down on that, shall we?

When Jesus was born, he looked like any other baby.

When the Apostles met him, they encountered a man like them.

Jesus ate and drank, he worked and got tired and had to rest.

Then, on one occasion, 

Jesus took Peter, James and John up a mountain, 

and he was, quote, “transfigured” before their eyes.

The Gospels say that he was brilliantly bright.

The apostles fell to the ground; 

maybe the sight scorched their eyes?

In other words, in that moment,

they saw, as much as human eyes could see, 

what it really means to say Jesus is “the Light of the World.”

 

You and I don’t dare stare at the sun – it sears our eyes.

And yet Jesus, our Lord, is vastly more luminous,

more full of power and fire!

All the suns and stars and galaxies are but a little candle next to him!

When we say, “a Light for revelation” came into the temple…

Realize how intense and awesome that Light truly was!

If the sun in our sky could somehow enter this church,

maybe that gives a sense of it.

But consider what happened in the temple that day.

God chose not to give that kind of sign.

Instead, it was the eyes of faith – Mary and Joseph, Simeon and Anna – 

That saw the Infinite Light of Jesus.

And that’s how it works for you and me.

This is as good a time as any to remind you that it’s time 

to make our own commitments to the Catholic Ministries Appeal.

By now you should have gotten a mailing about it.

 

You know the projects it pays for:

Caring for our retired priests;

Caring for the poor and needy;

Supporting a Catholic presence in prisons, hospitals and colleges;

Supporting our seminary and our vocations programs, and more.

There are cards and envelopes in the pews, if you need one.

Your pledge, like one candle, may not seem like much,

But united to Christ and all our candles, it is a bright light!

There’s something else here, and it has to do with Jesus’ priesthood.

The first reading describes the Lord coming to purify the temple, 

and to offer a pure, all-powerful sacrifice worthy of God.

This is a foreshadowing of what would happen on Good Friday;

And what is made present in every single Mass.

It is not too strong to say that right here, right now, we are there.

Every single Mass, you and I are there, 

with Jesus, offering himself as the Lamb of God.

So: are you and I like most people in that temple that day,

Ho-hum, nothing special?

Or, are do we see as Simeon and Anna, recognizing the Lord is here?

I know, you might be frustrated because you try, 

yet with kids and diaper bags and the cares of daily life,  

it seems impossible to do more than to “get through” Mass.

If that’s you; if you’re harried and hassled, my word for you is this:

Just be here and trust Him.

His light is here, and he will shine on you, in you, and it’ll happen.

Not in a day; not on our timetable; but in his time.

Present yourself to the Lord and let him accept that offering.

But you’ll be a glorious saint one day. He’ll do it, not you.

Or, maybe you’re here, and you think, boring!

I don’t like this music; this homily is no good!

I don’t like the people sitting around me…

My answer is: you’re right: everything is awful!

Twelve years ago, I made a trip to the Holy Land.

And I was able to offer Holy Mass at Calvary! At the Empty Tomb!

As far as Mass goes, on this side of heaven, that’s as good as it gets.

Still, you know what? 

People were coming and going, it was crowded and often rushed.

Before you know it, we had to move on to the next stop.

I will never forget that trip to the Holy Land, and yet:

Right here, right now, it’s every bit as real and holy,

because the Light of the World, Jesus our High Priest,

Comes here at every single Mass and fills this temple with his glory.

And whether that light fills the temple of your life is up to you.

Jesus' Liberation (Sunday homily)

 Jesus chose this Gospel passage to announce: he is the Messiah.

That’s what he did in that synagogue that day.

People were waiting for something like this.

It must have been an electric moment.

Notice what Jesus identifies as the heart of the Gospel:

Liberation. Redemption. Freedom.

But what does that mean?

He is not speaking primarily about political freedom.

Jesus never organized a demonstration or circulated a petition.

Political freedom and activism are very worthwhile – 

but they were not Jesus’s starting point. 

Jesus focused on changing lives.

If you are poor, what counts as good news?

Maybe having that threat of no heat, no water, no home, go away?

A week’s groceries is good news.

Even better news is that you aren’t treated as “less than”; 

that you are treated with dignity; you matter.

Would it shock you to hear that there are people 

who don’t come to Saint Henry or Our Lady of Good Hope or Saint Mary, 

because they aren’t sure they’ll be welcome?

They don’t know if their clothes are nice enough.

They aren’t sure they know anyone who is here.

 

So if you want to bear “good tidings,” think about people 

who may not feel welcome in “our” circle – and change that.

Who are the “captives” to set free? Lots of people.

What about folks who need alcohol – too much?

Or people hooked on food? Or sports, or work? 

How about addiction to the Internet? 

Either to the latest news or gossip or outrage 

on Facebook and Twitter;

or to dark materials on websites

you don’t want anyone else to know you look at.

How do we get free from these addictions?

Only Jesus Christ can set us free.

Only he can give you and me the strong enough “want to,” 

to be willing to change what needs to be changed, 

to confess our sins without holding back,

and be willing to ask another human being to help.

Alcoholics Anonymous originated something called the Twelve Steps. 

And the first step goes like this:

“We admitted to ourselves that we were powerless over alcohol – 

that our lives had become unmanageable.”

People in AA recite that, and the rest of the Twelve Steps, 

to one another in regular meetings.

A lot of people are captive precisely because 

they aren’t ready to take that first step. 

How does this work?

The obvious starting place is the Sacrament of Confession.

After that is looking for people we trust who we can talk to.

Jesus wants to set people free. 

He asks you and me to be the face of that liberation;

To be the hands that help lift people out of the prisons of their shame.

I am convinced that lots of people – here, listening to me right now –

could experience that freedom, 

if only they are willing to open up to another human being and say,

“I need help. I’m addicted to…” fill in the blank.

“And I need a partner to hold me accountable and help me get free.”

How does this work?

Well, we have about four hours of confessions each week.

We priests are happy to meet you there.

But after that, the task is for each and every one of us.

Are you ready for a friend or family member to come to you?

Ready to say, I’ll listen; I won’t judge or reject you?

I’ll keep my ears wide open and mouth tight shut?

Twelve-step groups are all around for alcohol.

For people dealing with drug and pornography addiction, 

there are meetings around Dayton and Cincinnati,

along with online resources.

These Twelve Step resources are one tool to help,

Along with prayer, confession and Christian fellowship.

There are things we can do to be set free – if you are ready.

In the first reading, when Ezra was reading God’s Word to his People, they were crying! 

Why did they cry?

Because they realized how far they were, in their lives, 

from what God had for them.

But remember what Nehemiah said: “Do not be saddened: 

because rejoicing in the Lord must be your strength.”

Jesus coming to be with us, to bring us complete forgiveness, 

and to give us the Holy Spirit to strengthen us – that is our joy. 

Sadness? Because we’ve missed out? 

Because of what enslaves us and others? Absolutely.

But replace that sorrow for sin with rejoicing for mercy!

Christ forgives! Christ liberates! Christ is with us to set us free!