Our selection from 1st Kings this weekend about the prophet Elijah is a favorite of mine. The Jewish king had married a pagan, Jezebel. Elijah was fighting her efforts to get the Jews to worship her god, Baal, so Jezebel was searching for him to have him killed. Elijah escaped and was hiding in a cave on the mountain where Moses had received the 10 commandments. He was told to go outside the cave to meet the Lord, who would be passing by. Elijah thought he would find the Lord in a strong wind that was crushing rocks, but the Lord was not there. Neither was the Lord in an earthquake nor a raging fire. Where did he find the Lord? “In a tiny whispering sound.”
My friends, it is our human nature to be drawn to big, unusual, exciting things, and so, like Elijah, we can presume that that is where we will find God. And maybe sometimes we will, like in a powerful storm or an extraordinarily kind deed that someone does. But normally, God comes to us in the tiny whispering sounds of daily life: in the quiet time we spend sharing coffee with God in the morning; in the few moments we stop to talk with a beggar on the street, reaffirming their dignity; in our patience with a cranky family member or a difficult coworker; in the 2 minutes of silence we observe at Pius after communion to reflect on the question, “What is God calling me to today?” These are the kinds of times when God comes to us most often. But, that means we need to be paying attention, listening, looking for God’s presence in the “quiet, whispering sound,” since there will not be a loud, clashing symbol to get our attention! There are two specifics that will help us: the first is spending quiet time each day, speaking with the Lord and then being quiet and listening. This is crucial. The second is to be attuned to what is happening around us, how it is moving or affecting us, asking ourselves what God might be saying to us. Jesus promised that he would always be with us, that he would not leave us orphans. God will speak to us, if we are attuned and listening, but it will be with a quiet, whispering sound, not a clashing symbol. Church sign of the week: Change your perception of what a miracle is and you’ll see them all around you.
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This weekend we are remembering the Transfiguration of our Lord: He took Peter, James, and John up to the mountaintop and was changed in front of them, his divinity shining through his humanity. Most importantly, his Father identified Jesus as His Son with the same words that were spoken at his baptism in the Jordan: This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. But this time, the
Father adds something: LISTEN TO HIM. LISTEN TO HIM: that is crucial advice for all of us. But we need to remember there are two distinct steps or parts to “listening,” both of which are very important. LISTEN to him: the first step in listening is to hear what someone is saying. If I always have music or noise around me or if I am always busy doing something, I will not be able to hear Jesus or his Spirit talking to me. I have to take quiet time each day, shut my mouth, and LISTEN. Then Jesus has the chance to speak to me. LISTEN to him. But just HEARING is not enough: I also have to obey. When my mother asked me, “Did you listen to me?”, she wanted to know if I actually did what I heard her saying to me. That is the second, and most important, step in listening to Jesus. It is easy to come to Mass and “listen” to the scriptures and the homilies, but let them (to use a trite expression) “go in one ear and out the other.” That is not “listening” to Jesus in the sense the Father was calling us to. We need to obey, making his words come alive in our hearts and how we live. I invite us this week to reflect on the two steps of “listening,” asking ourselves if we are taking the quiet time to listen to what the Lord says, but, more importantly, if we are then obeying by the way we live our lives. The Father says to each one of us: This is my beloved Son…LISTEN TO HIM. Let’s make sure we are taking both steps of listening. God bless. Church sign of the week: When God calls you, do you pick up? An obvious theme of the parables of the treasure buried in a field and the pearl of great price, which we hear in our Gospel this weekend, is that we will go after something that we value. The Kingdom of God is something that, as Christians, we would obviously say is valuable and we would “sell everything we have” to get it.
But while these two parables have the same basic message, there is a big difference between them. In the one parable, the person “searches” for the pearl. He knows what he wants and he is going after it. In terms of my relationship with God and His Kingdom, this would be when I am praying, reading the bible, attending Mass, receiving the sacraments, using a significant portion of my resources for charitable causes, etc. I know what I am after and I am doing my best to obtain it. I am “searching” for what I value and want. In the other parable, the person “finds” the treasure hidden in the field. There is no indication that he was “searching” for it: he came upon it by chance. In terms of my relationship with God and His Kingdom, this would be similar to serendipitous experiences that bring me closer to God or help me to feel God’s presence in my life, like a beautiful sunset or an unexpected call from an old friend or a thank you note that shares a life-changing effect I had on someone’s life. I am “finding” or “coming across” God in my life. The bottom line is that we can be confident because God is in charge. Whether or not we are actively looking for Him in a particular moment or not, God is always looking for us. For God, we are a pearl of great price. Let’s do our best to make Him a pearl of great price as well. God bless. Church sign of the week: In high tide or low tide, God is always by your side. The consistent message in our readings this weekend is that we need to be patient and kind to ourselves and others, as God is with us.
In our reading from the book of Wisdom, we hear that God is “lenient to all,” “judges with clemency,” and “permits repentance.” In our reading from the letter to the Romans, we hear, “the Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness” and the Spirit “intercedes” for us. Finally, in the Gospel parable of the enemy who sows weeds among the wheat, we are told to let things mature and all will be sorted out at the end. The bottom line is that each one of us is a mixture of weeds and wheat, good and bad. Our task in life is to work on ourselves, making sure that the good is growing and the bad decreasing. God gives us time to grow: we need to use it. Too often, though, we concentrate on the weeds in others, criticizing and condemning them, rather than paying attention to our own failings and weaknesses. The result is that we are bringing more and more negativity into the world, while not improving ourselves. We cannot change anyone but ourselves and changing ourselves for the better needs to be a primary goal of our spiritual life. It is easier to criticize others than to change ourselves, but growing in our ability to live Gospel values is what we have to do. God is patient, God is giving us the time we need, but we need to take advantage of it. I invite us to reflect this week on how judgmental we might be, resolving to let others in the hands of God, while we work to improve ourselves. God is there to help us, but our attention needs to be on ourselves, not others. Lord, help me not to judge, that I may not be judged. God bless. Church sign of the week: Just accept and love everyone; I’ll sort them out later. - God There are lots of thoughts that cross my mind when I reflect on the parable of the sower, which is our Gospel this weekend. The farmer is extravagant: he throws seeds everywhere, instead of sowing them only in the rich soil, where they will produce abundant fruit.
Suppose we think of the seeds as an analogy for the words that come forth from our mouths. We’ve heard the saying, “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me”. That may be true in the sense that words will never physically hurt someone, but our words can do a lot of harm. I would suspect that all of us have been hurt by something that someone else has said and we have all hurt someone else. There is no doubt our nation is in turmoil, very divided and contentious. Think of the part hateful speech plays in the situation we find ourselves in. If we examine the words that come out of the mouths of our leaders, what percentage are positive and build up and what percentage are negative? Until that changes, we will not be able to work toward a consensus that benefits everyone, especially the most vulnerable. The same is true in our daily lives, be it in our family or work or any other situation: any negative words feed a negative environment. That is NOT bringing about the Kingdom. Every word that comes out of my mouth is either positive or negative, either builds up or tears down, is a source for good or evil. Let us resolve to do our best to make sure our words are a positive source of building up God’s Kingdom of peace and harmony. To go back to our parable: let us make sure we are sowing our seeds in rich soil, where they will produce good results! God bless. Church sign of the week: God gave us mouths that close and ears that don’t. That might tell us something. In our Gospel reading last week, Jesus told us how to be hospitable and reach out to others, especially those in need. This week, Jesus is telling us how to navigate the stress and problems of life, which are inevitable. There are three parts to what He tells us.
First, come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. We have to turn to Jesus and allow Him and His values to be a part of our lives. He is there, He is waiting, but we have to “come to” Him or He won’t be able to help. Second, take my yoke upon you and learn from me. Once we turn to Jesus, we have to learn from Him, that is, follow His way of life. It is not just acknowledging Him, but emulating Him and His way of relating to others. That is His “yoke.” Finally, Jesus makes it crystal clear what that yoke is: for I am meek and humble of heart. When we are meek and humble, we don’t have to be first, we don’t need to be in competition, we can think of others and be compassionate and share, we don’t hold onto hurts, we forgive, etc. etc. We live the beatitudes. We flow in harmony with others. And then the result comes: we will find rest for our souls. We discover that the yoke IS easy and the burden light, because we are not struggling and competing and angry and revengeful any more: we are living in harmony with others. For me, the whole wisdom of the Gospels is summarized in this Come to me…” statement of Jesus. When we don’t try to go it alone, but rather let Jesus, as well as His way of being, into our lives, we find rest for ourselves, for my yoke is easy and my burden light. We will have interior peace, no matter what is happening around us. I invite us to reflect on this invitation of Jesus, thanking Him for being open to being yoked with us. God bless. Church sign of the week: Life is like a helicopter. I don't know how to operate one either. Jesus, help me. In both the Old and New Testaments, hospitality is a sacred duty. In our reading from 2 Kings, a “woman of influence” is blessed with a son because of hospitality shown to the prophet Elisha. Similarly, Abraham and Sarah were promised a son after Abraham showed hospitality to three strangers. In the Gospel, Jesus promises a proper reward to those who show hospitality, even doing something as simple as giving a drink of water to someone who is thirsty.
Jesus lived a life of being welcoming and showing hospitality, especially to those rejected by others. He ate with sinners like Zacchaeus, He welcomed children, He told us to invite the lowly to gatherings and welcome strangers, etc. One of the few things we know He did after His resurrection was to prepare breakfast on the shore of the Sea of Tiberias for His disciples, who had abandoned and/or denied Him. I think hospitality, especially to those in need who cannot repay, is what Jesus had in mind when He said, “whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” In other words, when we can think of more than ourselves, when we can reach out and help those in need (“lose our life”), we are imitating Jesus and bringing His love and generosity to the world. And that is the true meaning of living a Christian life. I invite us to spend time this week reflecting on the many instances in which Jesus was welcoming to those who could never repay Him, asking ourselves how we are doing at following His example. God bless. Church sign of the week: Welcome! There are no strangers here: only friends we haven’t yet met. In today’s Gospel Jesus says FEAR NOT or BE NOT AFRAID three times. He assures us that the “opponents” have limited power and will not win. Most importantly, He assures us that God’s compassionate love is greater than anything that threatens us. God’s compassionate love!!! If God loves and protects the sparrow, will he not protect us? The hairs of our head are counted!
In much of our national rhetoric these days, fear is being used to manipulate people and win them over, even to positions that are anti-Gospel: Fear of Muslims, fear of immigrants, fear of people different from us, fear of losing jobs, fear of America not being #1 (as if it is our destiny and right to be #1). Often our fears come down to loss (self-esteem, security, health and life). And none of us wants to lose what is important or essential for our good and the good of those we love. But we don’t have control. We can never have control. The richest person in the world cannot keep the deterioration of age away forever, nor can the richest person evade death. We do not and cannot have control. We hear often that these are “unprecedented times,” and many people are fearful. Things are not like we are used to: we don’t know what kind of future we face. For us as people of faith, we have the promise that God is with us always, that ultimately all will be OK, that God is in control. But for that reality to be helpful and effective in our lives, we need to have a relationship with God: we need to let God in and allow God to calm our fears. I invite us to reflect this week on how much we are constrained by fear, how much we put in God’s hands, and how can we grow. And remember, a strong, personal relationship with the Lord is crucial to allowing Him to calm our fears. God bless. Church sign of the week: Dear God, be good to me. The sea is so big and my boat is so small. The last line of our Gospel reading this weekend is very powerful. We are told that Jesus’ heart is “moved with pity” for the people, whom He saw as having no direction in life. His response is to say to His disciples, including us: Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give. Jesus wants to help people, but He wants to use us to do it.
What gifts have I been given? Sometimes we like to give ourselves a pass, saying we don’t have anything to offer or that we are too busy, etc. But we all have gifts that can be used to help others, if our hearts are “moved with pity,” as we go through everyday life. Some examples: Time: God has given me life, health, and 24 hours in a day. I can stop for a few moments to interact with a homeless person, respecting their human dignity. I can take a few minutes to brighten the day of someone who is homebound. I can listen sympathetically to someone who is suffering a loss. Talent: God has given each of us particular abilities, perhaps abilities honed by education. I was an English grammar professor: I can help people with their writing. A lawyer can offer some time and talent pro bono through various organizations. A good cook and organizer can volunteer with a homeless shelter. Whatever your specialty, there are ways to help others with it. Treasure: our culture tells us we need more and more. When we stop and reflect on what we really need, we find that we have resources that can easily be shared with others in need. It is said that a budget (or an accounting of how money is spent) is the most accurate reflection of one’s priorities. How much of my income is used for charitable work? To help others? Studies show that the happiest people are those who are generous and think of others, not just self. My experience confirms that. I invite us to reflect on this and ask ourselves if we could do better. And if so, how? God bless. Church sign of the week: If you are more fortunate than others, build a longer table, not a taller fence. This weekend we celebrate the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ. A key word in our reading from Deuteronomy is “remember.” The Israelites are about to enter the promised land and Moses is exhorting them to remember how God took care of them, leading them out of slavery and to the promised land. That “remembering” will help them be faithful to the covenant they made with the Lord.
When Jesus instituted the Eucharist at the Last Supper, He exhorted His disciples, including us, to “do this in remembrance of me.” What did He mean? One way of looking at it is this: Jesus is telling us that we are to eat His Body and drink His Blood, but, when we are doing it, we should remember how He lived and what His values were. He was kind and generous to people. He did not exclude those whom society excluded. He was quick to forgive and eat with sinners. He showed us a loving God who is not out to get us, but who wants the best for us. When we remember all that, then His Body and Blood become sustenance to help us live as He did, something that is always a challenge for us. If we don’t “remember,” we could end up simply worshipping His Body and Blood, which, as I read the Gospels, is NOT what He wanted. The Eucharist is food to strengthen us to live as loving, generous, forgiving people. Let us thank God for this gift, partaking of it regularly, while making sure it is sustenance to help us live as Christ did. Church sign of the week: Are you too busy acting like a Christian to be one? |
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