Jesus isn't coming...(Sunday homily)

 In the first reading we hear a prophecy of Isaiah: 

all nations shall stream toward “the mountain of the Lord’s house.” 

And perhaps you’re wondering to what that refers.

Well, let’s figure it out.

It refers to the “Lord’s House” – that means the temple,

In Jerusalem, built on Mount Zion.

And that of course is where Jesus gathered with his Apostles 

on the night before he died; 

and the next day, he completed his “Mass” 

with his suffering and death on the Cross.

So if you’re wondering how that prophecy is to be fulfilled: 

the answer is in the Holy Mass – what we are doing right now!

Isaiah said that the Word of the Lord would go forth from Zion – 

and it did, especially after the Day of Pentecost;

And that all the nations would stream to the Lord’s House –

and that, too, has happened; 

the Holy Mass is offered throughout the world, 

in every language and nation and tongue.

So it is wonderful to consider that this passage has been, 

and is being, fulfilled, even as we gather here now.

The emphasis in the Gospel – and in Advent generally –

is on watchfulness for the coming of Jesus.

In a word, Advent is about eternity.

You might say, hold on: I thought it is about Christmas?

But you see, Christmas, too, is about eternity, about heaven,

Because with Christmas, heaven bursts forth on earth,

And we begin to see heaven among us.

So when you and I talk about Jesus’ coming,

it’s not as if he’s absent from the world. 

People will say, “he’s coming back” – as if, he’s not here.

Or they’ll say, “…if Jesus were here. But he is!

Many people do not realize Jesus is here, right now:

He never left!

They don’t know what the sacraments are:

that the Holy Spirit enters us in baptism and confirmation;

that Jesus stands with us, in suffering and pain, 

in the anointing of the sick; 

that marriage makes real, in a flesh-and-blood way, 

the love of Jesus for his people.

People don’t realize that Christ truly acts through the priesthood;

And they simply don’t know the truth of what the Holy Mass is, 

of what the Eucharist is: Jesus is here!

It’s easy for us as Catholics to take all this for granted;

But we must not! These are astounding gifts! Jesus is with us!

Let me take a moment to point out 

that the bishops are launching a “Eucharistic Revival” – 

to foster a rebirth of faith in the Eucharist. 

To rekindle what Pope St. John Paul called “Eucharistic Amazement.”

You haven’t heard much about this from the other priests and me – 

as you know, things have been a little crazy for us lately.

Archbishop Schnurr is launching a project to help get us all started. 

You can read about it in today’s bulletin, but the gist of it is 

that he’s making available a video series by Bishop Barron, 

which will be provided in installments via email.

It’s free to sign up; see the bulletin.

And when you and I talk about Jesus’ coming,

maybe we can change our emphasis to that future “coming” 

and instead explain that what lies ahead is Jesus reigning. 

He is king now, yet he is among us with the greatest patience.

He has the right to command, and yet he continues to invite.

There will come a time when the preparing is over, 

and the Kingdom we prepare for, comes in full.

To the extent you and I bear witness by our own seriousness,

we will help others to wake up and get serious, too.

Jesus is King everywhere (Sunday homily)

 Today is the Solemnity of Christ the King of the Universe.

The title may seem grandiose, but it makes the point:

Jesus is king of everything, everyone, everywhere: no limits!

This feast was established in 1925 by Pope Pius XI.

It was a time of “isms” – that is, causes demanding total allegiance, 

and seeking a total reordering of society:

Fascism, communism, socialism and Nazism among them.

Alas, we have new “isms” being added to the old ones.

Caring for the environment is a good and necessary thing, 

but for some it becomes a kind of religion, worshipping Nature

while human beings are treated as expendable.

We just had an election, 

and what stands out to me during election seasons 

is that some of us can go overboard in fixing our hope 

on a political figure or philosophy. 

And if you think I’m only talking about “those people” and their party,

I’m talking about yours, too.

Perhaps the greatest false god of our time 

is the worship of self – of our own will.

All the confusion today about sex and man and woman 

and marriage and identity? 

That’s us saying to God: MY will be done, not yours!

In the end, it’s all variations on the same theme:

People who will not have God as God; 

they want to fashion their own god.

This feast is when you and I as Christians must bear witness:

Without God, humanity loses himself. 

There is a second point to make on this feast, and it is this:

Bearing this witness means helping to reflect Christ and his Truth 

in our society and yes in our laws.

It is true that we live in a pluralistic society.

But that doesn’t mean you and I lose our voice, 

or that our consciences must be locked away!

It does mean, however, that you and I must seek to persuade.

Let me make a third point about what each of us can do, 

no matter what happens in the world around us, now or in the future. 

When the weather is calm, a fence can be thrown up hastily;

it doesn’t need much to stay standing. 

But when the winds start raging, 

that fence will be knocked flat, fast,

if it isn’t dug deep and well anchored.

That’s what you and I are facing today as Christians:

Headwinds that are becoming more ferocious daily.

So we’d better dig our foundations deep.

If you really pay attention to the messages on TV –

In advertising, news and so-called entertainment –

It’s a barrage of propaganda for all these false gods.

Jesus Christ isn’t going to be at the center 

unless you and I make a constant effort to keep him there. 

This is why Sunday Mass matters. 

It’s our weekly reminder of who we really are: citizens of heaven.

Each time we come into this church, we enter King Jesus’ presence!

Each Mass, we witness the renewal of our salvation!

When you and I take advantage of confession,

That is the most powerful tool for re-ordering our lives 

so that Christ is at the center, 

not work, not sports, not ego, not pleasure, 

not political or ideological false gods.

The tug-of-war is always there for everyone one of us.

One day you and I will see Jesus Christ on his throne.

It is a sad to realize that some will mourn on that day, 

or even revile him, as happened in the Gospel. 

For myself: I want to see him with joy. You want the same!

Till that day, let us help each other grow in that hope.

For today, let us proclaim what the Mexican martyrs did:

Viva Christo Rey! Long live Christ our King!

The 'All in.' (Sunday homily)

 I want to call your attention to the first reading. 

Did you notice the two ways it talks about fire? 

For the "proud" and "evil doers," it is fire that punishes; 

it "consumes" them. 

What does that sound like? It sounds like hell to me.

But for those who fear God's Name? 

It is a sun of righteousness with "healing rays." 

Healing? What does that sound like? Sounds like purgatory to me.

And I’m going to come back in a moment to say more about purgatory.

Yet it is all the same fire; the fire of God's truth and love.

Think about that. God is the same. God’s truth is God’s truth.

I’m not saying there’s no complexity in life.

But I am saying that just as there is not more than one God,

God’s truth, God’s justice, is ultimately one.

Moreover, God is good to all. 

God is not smiley to this one, but frowny to that one. 

God IS Love, as the Apostle John teaches; 

he does not run hot and cold the way we human beings do.

So yes, his mercy is readily available, right up to the last moment:

as with St. Dismas, the repentant thief on the cross next to Jesus. 

Yet, on the other side was another thief, who refused mercy. 

What was different? Same Jesus; same mercy; 

same frightful peril for the two thieves.

All the difference is in the human response.

Beware the sin of presumption! 

People think, "Oh, I can straighten things out with God later.”

That assumes two things: that there will be “later”; 

and that you won’t keep delaying, right until your last breath. 

The fire consumes the evil doers because they were proud; 

they refused to ask.

And is it not a kind of pride that says, “I’m good enough?”

Whether it’s preparing something for guests,

Or getting dressed up for a special event,

Or it’s something organized in our church,

People will say, “oh, that’s a bit much! 

This” – whatever it is – “is ‘good enough.’”

Let me tell you a story. 

Some years back, I took a mission trip to Oaxaca, Mexico, 

which is on the Pacific coast, way south in the country.

Our group was welcomed by the people of a small village;

They were very poor.

For lunch we had chicken soup. We had visited several places;

This was the simplest of the meals.

Our Mexican host confirmed – that was a sacrifice for those folks;

 they had to kill several valuable chickens.

It was simple; it was delicious – but above all, it was a true sacrifice.

Now: the sacrifice God asks of us isn’t money or stuff, 

although how we use these things either pleases him or offends him.

But he, himself, has zero use for any of that.

In fact, God needs nothing – at all.

What he asks, however, is that each of us 

Offer the sacrifice of our own lives. 

And with that offering, there is none of this saying,

“oh, margarine is good enough”; “paper napkins are good enough”;

“just this much of my life, my heart -- that’s enough”!

That is pride, that holding back.

In one sense, of course, nothing you and I can offer is “good enough.”

In another sense, it is only when we are give ALL,  

that it is capable of being “enough.”

Either we’re all in; or not at all. 

Now, back to purgatory. 

No one gets to purgatory whose heart is hardened.

Purgatory is what happens when the sacrifice is offered, 

the surrender of our own will and lives, holding nothing back.

But instead of the sacrifice of ourselves being destroyed, 

we are, rather, made perfect and beautiful.

You and I become saints. 

In the Gospel, there’s all this buzz and fret, 

“What’s going to happen? What’s going on the world? Why is everything all a mess?”

And folks are frantic about the details and the meaning.

And Jesus says, forget all that! You don’t need to worry about that.

It’s pride that says, I want to know the whole plan;

I want to know the day and the hour: Fill me in, Jesus!

No! You don’t even need to worry about what you’ll say.

Jesus says: offer yourself – then God takes over.

And for those who do that: healing rays from the Son of Justice!

At Mass the Son of Justice offers himself.

In Holy Communion, he shares that offering;

To receive Holy Communion is an act that means,

No pride here, no holding back here, I’m all in – I’m ALL in.

And if I’m not ready for that: if I haven’t figured out what I believe,

if I’ve sinned in a grave way, then there’s a need to reflect,

and be ready for that “all in” with confession and conversion.

The most important thing that happens at Mass is Jesus’ all-in.

The second most important thing is our own.

Facing death without fear (Sunday homily)

 These readings confront us with two realities. 

First, that death is inevitable. 

Second, that we all, sooner or later, pay a price for what we believe in.

Such things seem so remote, most of the time; 

until a truck flips over on the highway just ahead, 

or a bolt of lightning strikes the top of your house, 

or someone you love gets desperately ill. Then it’s suddenly real. 

So, why not be ready? Have that peace!

Then there’s the other question: 

what would you or I be willing to die for? 

Parents will die for their children; 

most adults instinctively put ourselves between harm and a child. 

Those men and women who volunteer to wear our nation’s uniform 

certainly want to come back safe and sound; 

but they also realize that our country is worth fighting for. 

I don’t just mean the USA; 

it would be the same for a Canadian or a Cambodian. 

I suspect a growing number of people scoff at the idea 

of dying for religion, as the seven sons do in the first reading. 

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that was really about pork. 

The king picked that fight deliberately; 

because when someone sets out to break your will, 

choosing something trivial is a great place to start. 

But that’s not where it ends. 

There is no one way such confrontations play out. 

I will just say, in passing, that you and I are not obliged 

to seek out such battles, 

and it is not wrong to pursue honorable ways to avoid conflict. 

Yet, sooner or later, our backs are against the wall, 

figuratively or literally, and we must take a stand. 

If not at the cost of our lives, 

we may endure ridicule or lose a friendship. 

For some, especially in the medical profession today, 

it means losing ones job.

How do you and I fortify ourselves for such moments? 

We cannot do it without a close relationship with Jesus – 

all the martyrs bear witness that in their hour, Jesus was right there. 

And there is no substitute for making small, 

even insignificant choices day by day 

that gradually build up the bulwark of virtue. 

Back to the first question: how we prepare for death?

This may sound strange, but there is no reason 

for a Christian to be afraid of death. 

That is, no good reason. 

I mean: a bad reason would be, “I haven’t been to confession.” 

Bad, because that is so easily remedied. 

Another bad reason would be, “it’s too late” – 

because as long as you have breath, it is not too late. 

Let me say a word about what we call “Last Rites.” 

Many associate this with the sacrament of anointing, 

which is merely one part of Last Rites. 

Full Last Rites include confession and Holy Communion if possible, 

something called the “Apostolic Pardon,” 

which is a release from Purgatory, 

and other prayers fitting for our final hours. 

Last Rites are among the most beautiful and consoling of prayers, 

it’s too bad some folks wait and wait, till it’s too late. 

The anointing is not – repeat, NOT – meant for the last moment. 

Anyone facing a perilous health situation can be anointed. 

We have four priests, no waiting.

And Last Rites need not be delayed till the last minute either. 

I gave my father Last Rites three times.

It gave him peace; it was the best gift I could give him.

When the martyrs of Mexico faced firing squads, 

their last words were, “Viva, Christo Rey!” Long live Christ our King!

When each of us faces our final hours, in our way, 

you and I give the same powerful witness when we say:

Call the priest; pray the Rosary; nothing else matters so much 

as my first friend who calls me now: Jesus.

The grain in God's hand

Virgo Supercluster

In the first reading, the author of the book of Wisdom, 

who is unknown to us, says the “whole universe” is like a grain – 

like a kernel of corn or wheat – to God.

Keep that image in mind. A kernel of corn.

Our earth is immensely huge to us. 

Yet in our solar system, earth is but a tiny grain.

In the Milky Way Galaxy, our sun is one of maybe 100 billion stars.

A galaxy sounds pretty huge, right?

But our immense galaxy is just one grain – 

in a larger grouping of galaxies, called the “Virgo Supercluster.”

That sounds pretty big, too. 

Except that there are ten million such “superclusters” 

that make up the whole universe.

At least, that’s our latest estimate. It’s all awfully immense.

And all that is a kernel of corn in God’s hand.

Our mind staggers to contemplate such immensity;

Making us realize our own incredible smallness.

So tiny, that unless God cares about us, we disappear.

Remember that God doesn’t just consider us a curiosity – 

like an ant farm – or even an object of special affection, like a pet. 

God so loved the world – God so loved you and me – 

that he became one of us. 

And then came to us. And then died for us. For you. For me.

Now look at Zacchaeus in the Gospel.

This is someone who cast his lot with the hated Romans.

A traitor, a collaborator. 

His neighbors saw his great wealth; they knew where it came from.

This oppressor’s tool  wasn’t just any kernel of wheat,

but a spoiled, rotten grain of wheat.

Why not just throw it away?

There is no human being so small, so weak, so rebellious, so twisted, 

that God does not love intensely, and seek to redeem.

That is why you and I as Christians, must never tire of saying,

That whether someone has committed a terrible crime,

Or is disabled, or weakened by illness or age,

Or has squandered his chances with addiction,

Or is a tiny, unwanted resident of her mother’s womb,

No human being is without infinite worth – greater than all galaxies – 

because God created us – every one of us – for eternity.

You and I must witness this, in word and deed. 

Remember human dignity when you vote in a few days.

God didn’t just look down at Zacchaeus and smile and wave.

Jesus sought him out: I want to come to your house today.

I realize it’s shocking and intimidating to consider but:

Who is a Zacchaeus in your life that you could seek out?

What chores does our Father in heaven have for us? (Sunday homily)

 When I was a boy, all I wanted to do on Saturday mornings 

was eat big bowls of cereal and watch cartoons. 

My parents had other ideas:

Mowing the lawn, raking leaves, taking out the garbage, 

cleaning my room, helping get the house in order,

or working with my dad in the garden or with his business. 

Whether I liked it or not, I had to do my part in the family.

And our Father in heaven operates according to the same principle.

Everything I have, everything I am, was a gift.

My parents did so much for me! 

I didn’t earn what I received and I can’t pay it back;

And, again, it’s the same in the spiritual life.

None of us deserves God giving us life, 

and giving us salvation in Jesus Christ. 

None of us is worthy of having our Lord come to earth 

and live among us and giving himself for us on the Cross.

And then to have God continue to forgive us, over and over, 

in the sacrament of confession? 

To have the Lord Jesus give us his own flesh and blood, 

his own life, in the Holy Eucharist? 

To receive the help of the Holy Spirit, of the angels and saints, 

throughout our lives, all the way to heaven?

How can any of us dare to think we either deserve this, 

or can ever repay this love?

Even so, it remains that each of us has a job to do.

We’re part of a family. 

It’s only right that we contribute our part.

What is God’s work? It is redemption and conversion of hearts.

You and I are messengers, 

ambassadors for Christ in a world losing its bearings. 

Saint Paul told Timothy to pray and know the Scriptures, 

so that he could better share his faith 

and point people in the right way.

If you agree that God has been good to you, unbelievably good to you,

maybe one of your chores is to know your Faith better?

So that when topics come up in conversation, 

you can give a helpful answer?

In the first reading, God’s People are in the thick of battle.

Moses is praying, his arms so weary that the priests are holding him up.

Jesus Christ is our Moses, who leads us, and intercedes for us.

Yet he also said: to be my disciple, “take up your cross.”

One of the most important ways 

you and I share in Christ’s work is with prayer.

When I was in Piqua, I had a priest visit who talked about

the power of spending time adoring the Holy Eucharist. 

And he said something surprising that I never forgot. 

He said: “we really don’t like to pray.” He’s right!

Sure, there are some of us have a gift for praying for hours.

But for most of us, if we are honest, it’s a chore.

There’s always something else we’d rather do.

You and I try to pray, and we can’t keep on it – our mind wanders.

Maybe our back hurts or we get impatient.

What really wears us out is that we have to keep asking, asking, asking.

The same sins and habits every time you and I go to confession.

Don’t be surprised, and don’t be discouraged. It IS work!

What is true for our personal prayer, is true above all about Holy Mass, 

which is the supreme prayer of Jesus and of us, his Church.

Where did people get the idea that Mass is supposed to be convenient, 

catering to our needs, and certainly not demanding too much?

Remember what Mass really is.

It is a lot like Moses being up on that mountain, begging God’s help;

and you and I are standing there, holding up his arms.

Because, in fact, it is not Moses, but Jesus: on the Cross, 

pleading for us and for the world, that grace will be poured out on us.

And none of us is a spectator. Jesus asks our help!

Look around on the battlefield, and tell me: how’s it going?

Does it look like God’s side is winning? 

Then there’s more work to do. For each one of us.

'Which leper are you?' (Sunday homily)

 Ten lepers were on their way to the Temple. 

The first leper said to the second leper, 

“That Jesus didn’t have much time for us, did he? 

That wasn’t very pastoral!”

“I know,” said the third leper. 

"I wanted to tell him everything he needs to change! 

What about lay involvement?”

The fourth leper said to the fifth leper, 

“Why did she have to bring her kids? 

How was I supposed to talk to Jesus 

with them making all that fuss?” 

The sixth leper said to the seventh leper, 

“I could go back and thank Jesus—

but he knows I’m busy: 

I’m sure Jesus sees the value of sports,

and understands why I need to put my business first.

The seventh leper said to the eighth leper, 

“Look, we’re all OK, but what about that Samaritan! 

Did you see how sloppy his clothes were? 

And what about those tattoos and earrings—

You know he’s one of those types, 

if you know what I mean!”

The eighth leper looked around. 

“It’s not like I’m prejudiced or anything, 

but why don’t they stay with their own kind?

Then the ninth leper spoke up:

“Say . . . where’d that Samaritan go, anyway?”

And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned,

glorifying God in a loud voice;

and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him.

Ten lepers walked down the street. Which one are you?

The Vision -- of marriage, chastity and human identity -- will have its time (Sunday homily)

 In the first reading, we heard the prophet cry out: “Violence! Ruin!”

With Habbakuk, we ask: Why?

Why can we never see the end of terror and conflict?

Why are people so cruel to one another?

“Write down the vision,” the Lord answers:

“The vision still has its time” to be fulfilled: “Wait for it.”

What’s the vision? Well, it’s God’s Vision—

as opposed to the alternative, which might be called,

“Doing it our way, without God.”

There are some messages you and I offer the world, 

as latter day Habbakuks,

that seems so very strange to our world:

Such as protecting every unborn child;

Practicing radical forgiveness;

And keeping intimate acts between couples open to the gift of life,

which means, no contraception.

But there’s Vision at work here—wait for it.

As you can guess, I’m going to deal with sensitive topics.

I want to be clear; but also delicate.

If your or I go out at night, and we gaze at the stars,

are we not filled with awe?

Surely God has some design and purpose in it all.

Who can doubt this?

That Divine purpose is not only written in the stars, 

but even moreso in ourselves.

One reason we Catholics cannot agree

with our culture’s values about marital intimacy

is because those values obscure that higher purpose.

You and I are made in the image and likeness of God:

and when a man and woman come together,

they are never more like God—because in that very moment,

they have the capacity to do what otherwise only God can do: 

create new life.

The problem with artificial means of family planning

is they redesign God’s design.

God’s plan is that the love-making act is also a life-capable act.

Natural Family Planning respects this.

But the mindset embracing artificial means 

is that procreation isn’t a gift but a problem to overcome.

As a priest, I am entrusted with an awesome power: 

I offer the Holy Mass.

Through this sinner that I am,

Christ makes his saving sacrifice present,

and nourishes us all with his true and real Body and Blood.

That awesome power and gift is not mine to control or redesign.

I have to be under God’s authority in this or I can do a lot of harm.

Well, as human beings, the life-creating part of us

is similarly an awesome power and gift.

And likewise, terrible consequences follow when we abuse this gift.

That’s why you and I are stewards of the gift of life, not masters.

This design is why marriage is only a man and a woman; 

because only that is a true “one flesh” union, 

a union that overflows into new life.

The issue of two men or two women is not “love.”

There are never any limits on love, rightly understood.

The issue is the right use of our bodies; respecting what they are for.

In the 21st century, we want what we want, here and now.

We want radical autonomy.

It is so seductive and appealing, but in the long run, it doesn’t work.

You and I were not made for radical autonomy.

Note how the conflict has moved past Catholic morality, 

to contest the most manifest facts of biology itself.

Yes, our Vision seems so out of step, and many – 

even some priests and bishops -- advocate abandoning it.

But, wait for it, it will have its time.

Has rejecting God’s plan for chastity and family – is it really working?

Are children better off when their parents never marry?

When they don’t even know their parents?

Is society better off?

This is Respect Life Sunday; and you and I must continue to speak up

against the destruction of the unborn

and we must embrace mother, father and child.

Not everyone marries; not everyone has children.

But everyone, in some way, belongs to a family.

And each of us, no matter who we are, can cultivate true family values –

Meaning, we build relationships 

not on the basis of what I get, but what I give.

The world’s vision that offered freedom ends up bringing despair.

We are nothing, and the world will better off without us.

God offers us a different Vision:

We are not only his image at our best,

but even when we’re broken and marred:

God so loves us so much that he gave his only Son.

Life is worth living because even at our worst, we are his beloved.

That’s our Vision. Wait for it. It will have its time.

Ease poverty -- both kinds (Sunday homily)

 In the readings we heard, there are two kinds of neglect: 

physical and spiritual.

The Gospel describes physical neglect. 

The rich man was aware of Lazarus at his gate;

he knew who Lazarus was, he’d seen him before.

His sin wasn’t failing to solve Lazarus’ problems.

His sin was choosing not to do anything.

Perhaps he thought others would take care of him.

Maybe he figured Lazarus brought his troubles on himself 

through bad choices – and for all we know, that was true.

You and I see lots of Lazaruses who wreck themselves 

with booze and drugs and bad company.

But let’s cut to the heart of it.

There is a very simple and sharp lesson from the Gospel:

If you and I forget those in need, we will go to hell.

I’ll say it again: if we forget the poor, we will go to hell.

Now, very often we view these as political issues, and they are.

Some of us would say, the government must do more.

Others would say, what the government is doing makes it worse.

Those are legitimate points for a discussion elsewhere.

But nowhere does Jesus say, 

you only have to help the needy when the government is well run.

Some might think this command only applies to the really rich, not us. 

To most of the Lazaruses in this world, you and I are “rich.”

Considering the advantages most of us have, they are correct.

Pity the rich man: he spent his life thinking he had it all;

Yet in abandoning his fellow man, he lost his own soul.

Which leads to the spiritual neglect I mentioned;

That’s what is going on the first reading.

The prophet Amos is describing those leaders 

who were in a position to help keep the nation on the right track.

But they didn’t care. 

The king, his advisors, the priests and the people of importance,

were either promoting false worship, or else unwilling to rock the boat.

I think I am guilty of not doing enough to help the poor.

And maybe many of us feel the same.

But here’s something to think about.

No one is going to oppose us if we do more to feed people, 

to provide clothing and vaccinations, and the like.

Everyone will approve of that.

But how do people react if we apply the same zeal 

to addressing spiritual poverty?

A priest stands in the pulpit and says, go feed the poor.

Everyone applauds.

But if I call attention to the debasement of our culture, 

and say that there are places on the Internet, 

and forms of music and entertainment that offend God…

If I insist that God has a plan for marriage and family 

and none of us has the right to re-invent it…

And if I, like Amos, summon others to fasting and confession…

There might not be so much applause. 

I might be lucky just to get silence.

And that doesn’t just happen to me—

it happens far more to you, 

if you speak up at work, or with family, or in other settings.

So here’s the question: do we only believe in one kind of poverty?

That the only poverty that God cares about is physical?

That doesn’t make sense, does it?

What to do with your stuff (Sunday homily)

 The parable Jesus told is confusing in some ways. 

But here's the key point: 

Jesus is telling us to have the right approach 

to money, and stuff, and material success.

Let's compare the worldly way with God's way:

The worldly way is to use people to gain success and money;

God's way is to use money and position to gain people – 

that is, for the Kingdom.

One of the principles our Church teaches 

in the category of social justice 

is "the universal destination of goods." 

What does that mean?

It means that while we may own this or that thing, ultimately, everything belongs to God; 

and God gave everything in Creation for all his children to enjoy.

Think of a family. Dad passes out slices of pizza to everyone. 

He intends everyone to get some. 

What happens when Dad looks up and sees one child has three slices, and two have none?

God doesn't intervene the way my father, or yours, would. 

But he sees, and he will hold us accountable.

Now, the point is not socialism, 

because that just lets someone in government play god, 

and they make a mess of it. 

Rather, the point is that you and I help 

every one of God's children get a fair chance. 

My pizza analogy can be misunderstood, 

because while on any given day, 

there is only going to be a specific amount of pizza on the table;

but it isn’t that simple with the resources God has given us.

Many people mistakenly argue that our world is resource-poor,

and that we have too many people. 

First, it is simply not true that we are lacking in resources.

This is a good and abundant world. 

It is a worldly thing to say, there are too many people.

God never says that.

Remember the large, hungry crowds following Jesus?

The disciples voiced the worldly mindset when they said, 

“send them away.”

Second, that “too many people” mentality fails to grasp 

that people, themselves, are the greatest resource of all. 

It took human ingenuity to turn mold – that grows on cheese – 

into a revolutionary life-saving medicine: penicillin.

God desires that you and I use the intellect he gave us

to continue making the best use of our good and abundant earth, 

for the sake of human well-being. 

Let's get back to how we approach our stuff and our plans.

It is good to be a go-getter; and to seek financial security.

But the key question we might ask is...

What is it all for?

What will I do with my success, and whatever stuff I acquire?

Jesus praised the dishonest steward for being prudent.

He used stuff to gain people.

And Jesus’ point is not to favor dishonesty, but to say, 

Shouldn’t you and I, as children of light,

Do the same thing: to use our stuff to gain people for the Kingdom?

If you have a house, you can welcome people.

If you have a car, you can give rides.

And whatever you have – money, stuff, talent, or time –

you can give it away.

Of course, the most important “thing” to give away is…yourself.

You and I can do a lot of good with stuff; but it is giving ourselves, 

creating relationships, that makes the most difference.

We talk a lot about “stewardship,” but that’s all it really is.

If we reach heaven, you and I won't see any of our possessions there. 

What we will see is people. And won't it be wonderful 

to see all the people we helped get there, with our stuff?

God's shocking mercy (Sunday homily)

 The readings are all about God’s mercy. Let me make three points.

First: God’s mercy is so generous as to be shocking.

Second: God’s mercy requires a response.

Third: That response is both hard – and easy.

Scripture scholar Brant Pitre points out something 

about the parables of Jesus that we may not realize: 

hey often contain a twist or a surprise.

In the first parable, Jesus says, 

“what man…would not leave the ninety-nine…

and go after the lost one until he finds it?” 

And the answer is, no one would do that! 

If you leave 99 sheep unguarded, you will lose a lot more.

In the second parable: who would throw a party 

to celebrate finding a $10 bill? Has anyone here ever done that?

Now we come to the third parable. The son’s sinfulness is extreme. 

He wants his father dead; and he coldly abandons his family.

But the twist is in the response of the Father. 

His response is even more extreme.

He searches the horizon for his son and he runs to him.

He restores him without any conditions.

When God gives, he always gives super-abundantly. 

Manna in the desert. Wine at Cana. Dying on the Cross. 

And so it is here.

So listen: if you ever doubt God’s mercy, 

Or fear you weren’t forgiven: STOP IT!

We all have these feelings; 

but be clear on this: if we ask for God’s mercy, he will give it. 

One drop of Jesus’ blood can wash away all sin, 

and when you receive absolution in confession, 

you are bathed in God’s mercy. 

It’s not because we deserve it, or work for it, 

or are in any way worthy of it. 

The psalm we prayed was written by King David, 

after he committed rape, adultery, murder,

betrayal of a loyal servant, and lies to cover it all up. 

And God forgave him.

God’s mercy is so generous that it’s shocking.

Now, second: God’s mercy requires a response. 

This is where God’s mercy is misrepresented.

The usual idea is that Jesus is a kind of flower-child,

criss-crossing the landscape, passing out hugs 

and he doesn’t ask anything in return.

The truth is, our Lord could be a kill-joy: 

Talking about hell and the need for radical conversion.

We heard it last week: take up your cross. Die to ego, die to money, 

die to family attachment, die to sex, die to ambition, die to self. 

The younger son had to die to his pride and dreams and come home. 

Or else, he’d have died in his sins.

So we must respond to God’s mercy.

And that means seeking mercy for others;

and, of course, for ourselves. 

Those go together: the more we know our own need for mercy, 

the easier it is to seek mercy and give mercy to others.

The older son presents himself as without sin;

No wonder he had no leniency for his brother.

Finally, the response that mercy demands is both hard and easy. 

The sins in our lives: what keeps us from leaving them behind?

If we’re visiting the dark places on the Internet, 

or inflicting anger on others around us, 

or making a god of money or food, why don’t we give these things up? 

Because it can be hard. Sometimes it seems impossible.

Or sometimes, we just don’t really want it enough.

The son didn’t come home until he became desperate. 

Nevertheless, he HAD to respond, in order to receive it.

And yet, the response is the easiest thing in the world. 

Go to the Father! Go to confession! 

Don’t worry if you forgot how; the priest knows, and we’re not nervous. 

I admit we may talk too long, 

but in the end, if the penitent turns from sin,

the priest has to give absolution, that is, mercy!

God is shockingly ready to forgive. He waits for your response.

With Jesus it's all or nothing (Sunday homily)

Jesus' idea of all or nothing is a little different from that of Ado Annie & Will Parker

During Lent, we talk about “giving things up” and making sacrifices.

But in today’s Gospel Jesus makes clear: that’s not just Lent.

It’s all the time. Lent is just when it’s dialed up.

I’m sure we’ve all noticed some other churches, or pastors – 

you might see a billboard or a TV ad – 

that will say something like, “no expectations; just come.”

And while I get the appeal of that, 

could it be more obvious that isn’t what we just heard Jesus say?

First, he said, “hate your family and possessions, even your own life.”

Now, he doesn’t mean “hate” in the sense of contempt or malice.

He means what he says later: completely letting go of the attachment.

Remember the story of St. Francis of Assisi.

His family was wealthy and his father wanted him to be part of that.

Francis wanted to live free of all attachments.

At a certain point, Francis had to stand up to his father;

and in front the whole town, he gave up everything—

he even took off his clothes and handed them back to his father.

Sometimes children have different dreams from their parents—

they choose a course that means less money or prestige.

If they choose the religious life or the priesthood,

then it means no grandchildren!

I’m sorry to say this, but I’ve had parents admit to me,

they discouraged their children from the priesthood or religious life,

precisely for these reasons:

Their children won’t make money, and there won’t be grandchildren.

It’s a funny thing; in so many stories of the saints – 

whether it’s Francis, or Aquinas, or Rose of Lima, and many more –

you have this happen: family members try to talk the saint out of it. 

Imagine being those family members in eternity.

Someone says to you, Oh, Saint Kateri Tekakwitha was your niece! 

How wonderful! 

And you hang your head as you say: “I tried to talk her out of it.”

I know we all feel a little nervous around zealots,

someone who is just a little TOO intense!

But here’s the truth: that’s the kind of folks Jesus hangs out with.

I’m not saying everyone has to be a John the Baptist or Rose of Lima.

But beware the voice of caution inside us that always says, 

hold back, be careful, don’t go overboard.

And I’m telling you – and you know this is true –

That more than we like the push of the Holy Spirit 

precisely IS to “go overboard.” Remember Peter? 

He stepped out onto the water; he literally went overboard! 

Saint Paul writes from prison. He wasn’t “careful”; he went “too far.”

Jesus says, go overboard, but he also says, “count the cost.”

So, what is the cost?

Well, it costs something to help the poor. Not just money, but time.

If we obey Christ and wait till marriage, that costs us something.

One of the treasured possessions many of us grip tightly 

is our own self-righteous fury: “How dare they?!”

That is hard to let go of. 

In a lot of places—Egypt, for example—

Christians pay a huge cost.

Their jobs, their businesses, their families, their homes,

their churches and their lives.

In Germany, a Christian family saw the government storm their home

and take their four children away. Why?

Because they were home-schooling their children.

In our country, medical professionals or those in the wedding business 

are being forced out because they won’t get on board with abortion, 

or euthanasia, or a redefinition of marriage, 

or some extremely questionable medical practices involving children 

in this whole thorny issue of “gender identity.”

There’s no avoiding it: count the cost of being Jesus’ disciple.

Is it a good deal? Well, we get to know and live with the Holy Trinity. 

We get our sins forgiven; our lives are changed. We become saints.

In the resurrection, we get our bodies back, new and improved. 

We will enjoy a new heavens and a new earth forever.

The price is: everything. All in. All of me, to have all of Him.

Peace with God means peace with yourself (Sunday homily)

When we are children, we all have those moments 

when we are trying to get mom or dad’s attention. 

Look, mom! Look! Look! LOOK!!

Of course, our parents want to look and see what we’re doing;

But they might be driving, or fixing dinner, 

or getting other work done, and they can’t always look. 

They might even get irritated.

But let me tell you something, 

and this is true no matter how young, or how old, you are: 

parents never stop wanting to look at their children. Never.

Whenever I have a baptism, afterward, I ask to hold the baby.

You know what happens: if the baby is peaceful and content 

in her mother or father’s embrace, she getting agitated and cries. 

Then, when I give the baby back, he’s calm again.

That infant recognizes his parents, but doesn’t recognize me.

That connection literally begins with conception, 

and cultivated in a thousand ways from that point on.

That complex reality of love and trust and interdependence

is absolutely necessary for each of us to be healthy and balanced.

Not just as children but throughout our lives.

On the other hand, some children do not experience this, early in life, and that can leave a wound that it can take a long time to heal.

What I’m describing happens both on this natural plain, 

and on the supernatural level.

All this came to mind because of what happens in the Gospel:

People jostling for the best seats; not because they are most comfortable, 

but because they gain the attention of the host.

They want to impress, or they need to push some agenda.

But consider: if you have a solid relationship with the host, 

why do you need to do any of that?

This is the key to true humility: knowing who you are; 

having that peaceful, confident relationship with God.

What passes for humility – downing myself, denying our gifts – 

is actually false humility.

Accepting mistreatment, being a doormat – 

is not only false humility, it is a destructive distortion. 

True humility comes from having that good relationship with God, 

and therefore, having security and confidence. 

That enables you and me to acknowledge our gifts 

and accept our weaknesses. We know who we are in God.

Then there’s no need to impress anyone.

So, the natural next question is, how do I get to that place?

Just as baptized child needs to be in his or her parents’ arms,

So you and I need to have a strong relationship with God.

Without that, we have a spiritual wound, an insecurity.

We don’t fully know who we are.

That friendship with God requires more than an hour a week.

It needs periodic apologies and patching things up;

In spiritual terms: a regular examination of ourselves,

And frequent use of the sacrament of confession.

Today is a good day to ask: do I have that friendship with God?

And to do the work to build that friendship.

Then any seat in the house is the best seat.

Q&A with the Lord your God (Sunday homily)

 Perhaps you have noticed there are times when 

someone asks Jesus something, 

but his response doesn’t really answer the question!

Rather, Jesus answers the question that should have been asked.

So, today, “Someone asked him, Lord, will only a few be saved?”

Pay attention to how Jesus responds.

He refers to a narrow gate—so that sounds like “few,” right?

But, later, he refers to people coming from east and west, 

north and south—that sounds like a lot.

So the question Jesus actually answered was, 

not “how many” are saved; but simply, how to be saved.

And that is by striving to enter the “narrow gate.”

In the Gospel of John, Jesus says, “I am the gate, 

and whoever enters through Me will be saved.”

So, why is the gate is “narrow”? That sounds bad.

But remember why cities had gates: 

because they also had walls, to keep out threats.

A narrow gate means you can see clearly who comes and goes.

That is perfectly apt for Judgment Day:

no one will slip anonymously into the Kingdom. 

One by one, you and I will meet the gaze of Jesus our King, 

and either he knows us, or not.

A narrow gate doesn’t mean only few enter; 

it means you have to be patient and wait your turn.

It also means that while you might squeeze in,

Nothing you bring with you, will.

Not bad habits and attachments to food or booze or the Internet.

Nor the baggage of unforgiveness and recrimination.

All that must be left outside, or else we are left outside.

Notice also what our Lord said:

“Many will attempt to enter, but won’t be strong enough.”

In fact, none of us is “strong enough”! No one!

You and I have got to drive out of our minds  

every last trace of the idea that anyone 

gets to heaven because we’re good enough!

No one can be “good enough”; no one can be strong enough.

You and I get there by grace, which makes us fit for heaven.

Remember the lost sheep – how did it get back home?

The Lord puts it on his shoulders.

Only Jesus is “strong enough”—and he will carry us through!

Till now, there’s a word I haven’t uttered: hell.

Is hell real? Jesus knows that it is. He talks about it a LOT.

In the Gospel, Jesus says that people will be cast out, 

because he never knew them.

That means there was never a true friendship.

What’s more, when you and I arrive at the narrow gate, 

will we actually be willing to leave behind whatever we brought along? 

People assume that there will always be a chance to repent, later.

But let’s be candid: as the years go by, 

we not only get hardening of arteries;

even more, you and I also get hardening of habits and attitudes.

“Later, later, later” pretty easily turns into “never.”

Assuming you can always repent later is called “presumption.”

And it leads to a hardness of heart.

So, what about hell?

The conclusion I reach is this:

No one is “sent to hell” so much as people turn away from heaven.

We “refuse” heaven by refusing the graces God gives us.

The most dangerous spiritual place to be 

is not being constantly in line for confession, 

having failed over and over, and feeling as weak as a kitten.

No, the dangerous frame of mind is to think, 

I don’t need conversion. I’m just fine.

But the good news, which Jesus puts right in front of us, is:

There is a way to heaven; it’s narrow, but wide enough for two; 

Jesus, carrying you.

A choice between what is easy and what is right (Sunday homily)

 If you are a Harry Potter fan, you will recognize 

these words of Dumbledore: 

“Dark times lie ahead of us and there will be a time 

when we must choose between what is easy and what is right.”

The words of Jesus in the Gospel hit us like bucket of icy water. 

He brings division. People will be set against each other. 

This is nothing like how so many people imagine Jesus, 

giving everyone a hug and a peace sign.

It is true that Jesus opens his arms to anyone. He forgives every sin.

That portrait is accurate. But it is not the entire truth.

Remember Jesus also made a whip out of cords

and drove people out of his Father’s temple.

The thing people miss about that episode is this: 

If that’s how Jesus reacts to impurity in a physical building, 

that he predicted would be destroyed…

Then, how do you suppose he reacts to impurity 

in the temple of our lives, the temple of God that you and I are?

The Cross of Jesus Christ represents ultimate mercy, 

but at the very same time, it represents the ultimate choice.

The Cross looms ahead of each of us, in the middle of the path.

You and I must go to one side or the other,

with the sheep or the goats. 

With the criminal who in an instant of faith became a saint, 

or the thief who reviles Jesus in despair.

One of my favorite books is by C.S. Lewis, called The Silver Chair; 

it is part of his “Chronicles of Narnia” series.

At the climactic moment, the evil queen 

is trying to cast a spell over our heroes.

As she plays soothing music, she tells them 

there’s nothing to fight about, there’s no problem, 

just relax, go to sleep, go to sleep.

And there are voices in our culture doing the exact same thing.

There isn’t any actual truth, they say, it’s all just our own preferences.

The only real mortal sin is to say things that are unpleasant, 

that might “trigger” someone.

Calm down, just do as you please, choose a person truth…

Go to sleep, go to sleep…

Now picture Jeremiah, or any of the saints.

Think of Maximilian Kolbe, who gave his life in witness today: 

how do you suppose they react?

They don’t go to sleep. They lift up Jesus Christ!

The purpose is not to offend, to pick a fight.

The crucifix is not a weapon; it is a revelation; and an invitation.

But sooner or later, either we speak what others crave to hear;

Or else, what they need to hear. What is easy; or what is right.

Be ready (Sunday homily)

 This Gospel is read as part of the vigil prayers, for a funeral, 

which usually takes place at the funeral home. 

It’s easy to see why, because it offers us such an assurance: 

if we are ready for Jesus when he comes to us, 

he will not only take us to heaven, 

but he, the Lord, will actually wait on us! 

As I often say after I read this, at the funeral home, 

if you hadn’t heard me just read that from the Gospel, 

you might not believe God had made such a promise. But there it is.

So, these readings invite us to think about being ready – 

ready for God to call us. 

And it calls to mind what we used to call “a happy death” – 

that is, a well-provided-for death. 

So let’s talk about what that is.

A well-provided-for death means 

we have the chance to go to confession, 

and to receive the sacrament of anointing, 

and above all, to receive the Holy Eucharist. 

A well-provided-for death means 

we can make our peace with others 

and face eternity with a clean conscience. 

An especially beautiful way this happens 

is when family are gathered with the person who is dying, 

and they are praying together. 

If the priest is called – not necessarily at the exact moment, 

but in the last few weeks or days – 

then he can help the family with all this.

When this happens, it is a beautiful thing, 

not only for the one who is facing eternity, but for everyone. 

Now, here’s the thing. We don’t always get a warning. What then?

Well, then it comes down to how we live our daily lives, doesn’t it? 

My grandmother had a saying: “being a Catholic can be a hard life – 

but an easy death.” By that, she meant a faithful, practicing Catholic.

What’s “hard” about it?

Forgiving is hard. Keeping custody of the eyes is hard. 

Being honest and guarding our tongues is hard. 

Putting God first can be hard.

But, in another sense, it’s not hard at all. 

How to be faithful isn’t a secret. And we have a lot of help. 

That’s what the Church, the Body of Christ, is for. 

If you’re trying to live a Christian life, don’t try to do it alone. 

That makes it harder. 

Instead, seek out other practicing Catholics, and support one another. 

If you’re running with folks who are out late drinking and partying, 

guess what you’re probably going to end up doing? 

This is why God gave us each other, and above all, 

it’s why he gave us the saints, especially Mary, the Mother of God. 

If you ever think, I don’t know how to be a good Catholic, 

then take a long, hard look at the saints. 

Pick one. Who is your own patron saint? Don’t know? You can find out. 

Ask your parents if they had a saint in mind when they named you. 

If not, then look up your own name, 

and find out what saints had that name. 

And if that doesn’t work, then you can just pick a saint, 

and make him or her your patron saint. 

Patron saints are not like girlfriends or boyfriends – 

you can have as many as you want, and they don’t get jealous!

The thing about heaven, we’re not going to end up there by surprise. 

And we won’t get there by being kidnapped. If we get to heaven, 

it will be because we aimed to get there; we wanted to be there; 

because that’s the treasure we wanted most of all.

So, you and I can take our chances 

and hope we’ll get a chance to go to confession in your final hour; 

or, we can get to confession every month. 

You can hope that you’ll have a priest bring you holy communion 

at the end; or, you can receive Jesus’ Body and Blood each Sunday, 

or even daily, if you want. 

We can hope we’ll make peace with others, someday, or…

Well, you get the idea.

Is today my last day? Is it yours? We can’t know. But we can be ready.

Only one thing to fear. And the one treasure you can take with you (Sunday homily)

 The readings could not be clearer.

So much of we think is important will fade away.

“Vanity of vanities…”

The stock market rises and falls.

Our physical bodies will eventually fail.

 “Vanity of vanities…”

Instead, as Paul encourages each of us: 

Set your hearts on what is above!

A priest I know was explaining about death to some schoolchildren, 

and he said something striking:

So many of us are afraid of death—

But not one of us can escape it. 

And he said, so what about death!

All death can do is take our bodies from us;

Otherwise, death can’t hurt you and me!

Meanwhile, sin can hurt us—

It poisons and kills the life of God in us, 

and that will separate us from God forever.

Yet, how many people aren’t afraid, at all, of sin.

Again, as Saint Paul said:

Set your hearts on what is above…

There’s a saying: “you can’t take it with you”—

but that’s not exactly true.

No, you and I can’t take money or any other stuff with us.

But there is one treasure you really can take with you, 

and it is the most valuable: other people!

If each of us makes it to heaven, the greatest joy—

beyond the supreme joy of being with Jesus Christ, 

in the Love of the Father and the Holy Spirit—

will be seeing all those who helped bring us there…

and all those you or I helped bring to heaven.

And we will see the faces of people we never knew—

but who we prayed for…

We’ll see the child, whose mother we helped 

when she was in trouble, and needed food or shelter…

You will see those you had the courage to tell the truth to: 

Helping them reject what was wrong,

Or who you invited to come back to confession and Mass.

When I was in my 20s, I was away from my Catholic faith,

And a coworker invited me to come on Ash Wednesday.

And I did. That wasn’t the only reason I came back – 

but it helped, and here I am!

Who will you and I see in heaven, 

who we didn’t know we were bringing with us? 

That is God’s Treasure, which you and I can store up,

and never lose, but have forever.

'Six minutes from Sodom to Heaven' (Sunday homily)

 The title of my homily is, “Six minutes from Sodom to Heaven”:

Some big topics, dealt with briefly: buckle your seatbelts!

Clearly, I could just avoid the elephant in the first reading.

You and I really need 45 minutes, but I’m only taking six.

So, I will be summary and I will not cover everything I should. 

That will likely leave questions, especially if you wonder how you, 

in your own situation, respond to God’s call.

Please do not hesitate to call or email me.

And, parents? I will be delicate.

So, some bullet-points:

 The Church’s teaching on what is right and wrong 

in matters of chastity, including what is appropriate 

between two men or two women, has not changed. 

 This teaching comes from Divine Revelation, 

both Old and New Testament. 

 We also learn from how God designed the human person, 

which helps us know what is right or wrong.

 Notice I am talking about chastity in general, 

which applies to everyone.  

 Despite the slogans we hear,  

“Love” means different things in different contexts:

Parents and children; friends; siblings; and mom and dad.

 The specific intimacy I’m referring to 

belongs only in marriage, male and female, 

and always open to the gift of life.

 Everyone, without exception, faces daily choices – 

and hard choices – about cooperating with God’s Plan.

 Everyone is called by Jesus to take up the Cross.

 If your kids ask, “what is chastity,”

we can obviously say it is God’s plan for a particular form of love, 

but more broadly, it is about becoming truly generous 

and self-giving; saying “no” to me, myself, now, 

so I can more freely say “yes” to others.

 And that generosity gives life – in at least one way, among others. 

And there’s the bridge to the rest of the readings.

To be a life-giver is a vocation for everyone, for every day of our lives. 

Jesus just gave us two examples:

answering another person’s need in the middle of the night;

and the capacity to forgive and move on.

One of the questions I wrestle with, maybe you do too, is: 

Why does God care? With any of the commandments?

A lot of folks seem to assume that God doesn’t care all that much.

He lets us live how we like, and it all sorts out in the end.

Apart from really awful people like Hitler and Stalin, 

everyone goes to heaven, so why sweat the details?

But if that’s true, God could have told Abraham that – but he didn’t.

Jesus could have told us that – but he didn’t.

The inescapable answer is that our choices matter a great deal.

They shape who we ultimately become.

By our choices – including whether we repent and convert –

either you and I grow into a God-like capacity to give ourselves away, 

or else we narrow ourselves, and even twist ourselves, 

around a counterfeit happiness that cannot truly satisfy.

I will be specifically personal here about myself.

My particular shape is not a result of a really bad bee-sting.

I like to eat, more than I should. 

That is a moral failing in me. Gluttony is a sin – not a grace.

Pray for me that I love carbs less, so I can love Christ more.

Each of us faces a path of conversion, personal to ourselves.

Each of us takes up the Cross, beginning in baptism.

Jesus offers everyone the best of gifts, the Holy Spirit,

who gives us clarity to see, and courage to choose: 

my “no” today opens up to thousand “yesses” in this life, 

and even more, eternal life.

God's stunning invitation (Sunday homily)

 Notice in the first reading: God came to a meal. Why?

This was about friendship: 

God offered friendship to Sarah and Abraham.

What a stunning thing: “Friendship with God”!

God comes to a meal in the Gospel, too.

Martha is all worked up about it, 

and she is right in one aspect: 

what an honor it is to have the Lord visit her house!

Would that more Catholics would recognize that.

This is why we genuflect, if we are able. 

Pray for me, because I hurt my knee a few weeks ago, 

and it’s getting better, 

but I miss being able to genuflect.

Let’s talk more about Martha and her complaint, 

because that leads to something else that is startling.

Not only did God come to a meal; he came to give a meal.

This is the “better part” Mary has chosen: to let Jesus feed her.

And not only Mary; Martha, too. You and me.

Martha is thinking about the practical stuff – good!

But the main point is friendship with Jesus. 

Here is an astounding thing to say but it is true:

God, being God, is incapable of pain and sadness and need. 

He cannot be injured, he cannot lack for anything.

However: by becoming human, in Jesus,

God in a manner of speaking, “gained” the capacity to feel longing.

For our friendship.

And I don’t mean “Facebook friend”; a true friend.

Friends give each other time, they spend time together.

Above all, friends are friends 

to the extent they share something together.

The author, C.S. Lewis said,

Lovers gaze at each other; friends gaze, together, 

at some object or goal they both love and value.

This is why Jesus said: you are my friends, if you do what I command.

It’s another way of saying, if you love what I love.

This is why, to be a friend of God 

is not merely to have warm thoughts about him,

but to love what he loves, 

and to flee from what he tells us is destructive.

That is why, when you and I come to Holy Mass, 

we aren’t just here to see, but to listen.

We aren’t here only to get, but to give of ourselves, 

to God above all, and to one another.

And, obviously, this isn’t just about one hour a week, but all 168 hours.

To state it plainly: the goal of being a Catholic 

isn’t just to get the necessary punches on our card to earn heaven – because no one earns heaven.

Rather: the path is to let God soften our hearts, 

to change, to become friends – which we call “saints.”

You and I don’t earn heaven; we allow God to make us heavenly.

So, for that reason, God not only comes to the meal; 

he not only gives the meal, God IS the meal!

I mean, of course, the Holy Mass and the Holy Eucharist, 

Jesus himself, his very self!

This isn’t a drive-through; 

coming here isn’t about making someone else happy.

God seeks you and me as his friends!

Maybe you are reluctant, or you aren’t sure what to do.

Perhaps you’re honestly not ready for all that “friendship with God” really means.

Credit to you for realizing, that has huge implications; 

As Jesus said: “Count the cost.”

Who knows, but today might be the first time 

you really thought about it!

Then, I guess I’ve done my job.

Today is the day to begin – or renew – that friendship.

God's not hidden; we blinded ourselves (Sunday homily)

 What does Moses say in the first reading?

God’s commands aren’t mysterious.

They may be unwelcome, and hard to live by; but not hard to find.

I wonder if anyone here is like me:

If I can’t get my phone to do what I want, I say, “Stupid phone!”

If I start the coffee and come back 5 minutes later

and it’s all over the counter, what do I say? “Stupid coffee pot!”

See a pattern? It’s never a failing in me!

So it is with God’s Law.

If we find it hard to live by,

instead of considering that the flaw is in ourselves,

what do we say? “Stupid commandments!”

Before electric light was common, when you looked up at night 

you saw the splendor of the Milky Way.

Now, because of the wonders of electric light—and it is a wonder—

all that is invisible to us.

The galaxy didn’t go anywhere, and it isn’t any less brilliant.

Rather, we have blinded ourselves with our own invention.

And we’ve done exactly the same with God’s Law.

Our culture and society are evolving along paths 

no human society has ever ventured upon.

Never has any nation been so collectively prosperous.

Did you know we actually have “gourmet pet food”?

They offer “pet breakfast”; “pet appetizers”; 

and “restaurant-inspired” cat food.

So, right there: I didn’t know cats had restaurants.

I thought they liked trash cans!

See, this is pure human vanity.

Our technology tempts us to think we can do anything:

Control life from before the beginning, and when it ends.

At this stage of our culture,

we have convinced ourselves 

that everything can be reinvented and reconstructed:

Marriage, family, human identity, even human life itself.

But here is the weirdest thing of all:

That everything I just described is considered “normal.”

It’s not normal. Not even “the new normal.”

It’s the greatest experiment in human history.

And it’s a little early to congratulate our success.

We tell ourselves we’re finally “in control”—but are we really?

It suddenly occurs to me that here we find the answer

to one of the most difficult questions ever:

why does God allow poverty and suffering?

And the answer might be this: that when you and I face—

not from a distance, but right before our eyes—

a fellow human being, hungry, poor, in pain, 

perhaps entangled in addiction or other destructive habits,

this experience explodes the illusion of control.

What did our Lord say? “The poor you will always have.”

He didn’t mean, so don’t bother.

What he might have meant, however,

was that whenever we think you and I can handle anything—

look closely at the concrete reality of poverty and suffering.

You think we can fix anything? Well, we haven’t fixed that.

So much for our pride. Pride says, “we’ll fix it!”

Humility says, “we’ll see if we can help.”

And so it also occurs to me that God’s decision to enter history

by becoming one of us, in Jesus Christ,

is more important and more necessary than ever.

Just as coming face-to-face with human suffering and frailty

blows up the illusions of our power,

so the encounter with Jesus, God become man

exposes as hollow our claims that God is invisible: 

that we can’t find him.

You and I don’t have to find God. He found us.

The Light of God, like the light of the stars, is there, 

if only you and I humbly dim the lights of our own vanity.

Then we’ll see Him again.