Something to think about...
1st Sunday of Lent, A – February 9, 2008
TEMPTATION
T e m p t a t i o n. Perhaps this theme is most appropriate for this first Sunday of Lent as we begin our Lenten observances.
We may repeat st. Paul’s confession: I do not understand my own actions. For the very thing that I do not want to do, I do, and the very thing I DO want to do, I do not do.
How many times have we caught ourselves trying to fill a deep need for comfort and intimacy with things that will never satisfy? Food, Drink, Sex, Exercise, Clothes, Cars, Houses, Drugs, etc.
Jesus gives us a way out -- a way to defend ourselves and they all have to do with dependence upon God. We are not to forget God in the balance of our earthly and spiritual needs. We are not to test God by putting ourselves in dangerous situations for our own gain or pleasure. We are not to worship any other gods except the one True God.
In the Gospel we have an example of how to face temptations.
What motivated Jesus to spend 40 days and nights of solitude, prayer and fasting in the Judean wilderness?
This desert landscape was largely uninhabitable and was full of dangers for anyone who dared to venture in it for long.
For the chosen people of Israel the desert was a place of testing, encounter, and renewal. When the Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt, they wandered 40 years in the wilderness. This was seen as a time of purification and preparation for entry into the promised land. Jesus must have journeyed to the wilderness to prepare himself for the mission the Father sent him to accomplish.
Why was Jesus compelled to seek solitude for such a lengthy period? Was it simply a test to prepare him for his ministry? Or did Satan want to lure him into a trap?
The word t e m p t in English usually means to entice to sin. The scriptural word here also means t e s t in the sense of proving and purifying someone to see if there are ready for the task at hand. We test pilots to see that they are fit to fly. Likewise God tests his servants to see if they are fit to be used by him. God tested Abraham to prove his faith. The Israelites were sorely tested in Egypt before God delivered them from their enemies. Jesus was no exception to this testing. Satan, in turn, did his best to entice Jesus to chose his own will over the will of his Father. Despite his weakened condition, due to fatigue and lack of food for 40 days,
Jesus stead fastly rejected Satan's subtle and not so subtle temptations. Where did Jesus find his strength to survive the desert's harsh conditions and the tempter's seduction? He fed on his Father's word and found strength in doing his will.
Satan will surely tempt us and will try his best to get us to choose our will over God's will. If he can’t make us renounce our faith or sin mortally, he will then try to get us to make choices that will lead us, little by little, away from what God wants for us.
Jesus was tempted like us and he overcame sin not by his own human strength but by the grace and strength which his Father gave to him. He had to renounce his will for the will of his Father. He succeeded because he wanted to please his Father and he trusted that his Father would give him the strength to overcome the obstacles that stood in the way. When tempted by the devil Jesus did not try fight his adversary on his own human strength. He relied on the power which the Spirit gave him. His obedience to his Father’s will and his willingness to embrace the cross reversed the curse of Adam’s disobedience. His victory over sin and death won for us not only pardon for our sins but adoption as sons and daughters of God.
How can we overcome sin and weakness in our personal lives?
The Lord gives us his Holy Spirit to be our strength, guide and consoler in temptation and testing. The Lord Jesus is ever ready to pour out his Spirit upon us that we may have the strength and courage to resist sin and to reject the lies and deceits of our enemy Satan.
Do you rely on the Lord for your strength and help?
The lessons of the Scriptures are conveyed, for the most part, through stories. Today's readings bring us two outstanding stories of this kind: the story of the temptation of Adam and Eve, and the story of the temptations of Jesus.
This carefully crafted story refers to more than a single episode in the life of the Saviour. It gives us an insight into the ongoing human experience of Jesus who, in the wonder of the Incarnation, shared our human condition and its struggles – even its temptations, though he was 'without sin' (Heb 4:15).
The temptations of Jesus are set forth as an encouragement for us. As we give direction and meaning to our lives, we are tempted to seek security in false gods: pleasure and possessions; the exercise of power; the achievement of recognition and status. The Saviour's temptations have often been linked with these false securities. As, in his hunger, he rejects the consolation of miraculous food, Jesus encourages us to recognise the empty promise of pleasure and possessions, and to find our security in the truths of our Christian faith. As he turns his back on the earthly triumph many of his contemporaries associated with the coming of Israel's messiah, he invites us to see that a selfish exercise of power over others leads only to bitterness. As he refuses to turn aside from his mission to express the ways of his Father, by becoming involved in the politics of 'the kingdoms of the world', he points out to us the way that leads to the true peace yearned for by the peoples of the world.
The gospel speaks of the temptations of Jesus to prepare us for the temptations that we will certainly face as we live our lives as disciples of the Lord.
Fr. Greg inspired by John Thornhill’s meditation
Baptism of the Lord January 12, 2008
Named "Christian" - called to serve
Introduction
Several years ago two priests met at a conference in Rome. One priest from America, the other a missionary priest in Africa. They struck up a friendship. Over the years, the two frequently exchanged e-mails.
At long last, the American priest went to visit his friend in Africa. The missionary priest asked if he could help with baptisms. Early in the morning they set out. Not to a small mission church, but to the river.
A huge crowd had gathered. People came from miles around. Seven thousand to be baptized. Adults and children, whole families, to be baptized in the waters of the river. Baptizing continued from morning until late afternoon.
Picture in your mind the scene at the river in Africa. Then picture the crowds flocking to the River Jordan to hear John the Baptist preach, and to have John baptize them.
To John's surprise, Jesus wades into the river and asks John to baptize him. We can almost hear John protest: "Why is Jesus coming to me to be baptized. Jesus should baptize me."
To Be With Sinners
Well, why did Jesus come for John to baptize him?
- One reason , to take his stand with sinners! John preached repentance. Standing in his camel hair loin cloth, that wild man from the desert shouted, "You brood of vipers," repent (Matthew 3:7). By the hundreds, sinners came to hear John. And, among the sinners, there stood Jesus.
To this day, there's no lack of sinners for Jesus to stand with. We are the sinners! We read in John’s letter: If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves (1 John 1:8).
How easily we list our sins. Getting angry with a family member, a few choice four letter words, petty theft from work. Sometimes even greater sins. Violating the Sixth Commandment, or just not coming to Mass for months. At the River Jordan, Jesus stood with sinners.
We call to mind times we were blinded by prejudice, or blinded by greed or selfishness, or blinded by drug or sexual abuse. For our sins, we will pray "Lord have mercy." For being lured by self-centered priorities, lured by power and lust, we will pray, "Lord have mercy."
When Jesus waded into the River Jordan to be baptized by John, John was surprised. By coming for baptism, Jesus proclaimed he had to be with sinners to save sinners. We know we are the sinners, the ones Jesus came to save.
A New Identity
- Jesus had a second reason to be baptized by John, time had come for Christ to reveal his divinity. The time now for Jesus to begin his public ministry. The whole world needed to be told, God has come to walk among us.
As John baptizes Jesus, we hear a voice from heaven say, "This is my beloved son." Here at the River Jordan, by words and by sign, God the Father anoints his son a new king of a new kingdom. God proclaims Jesus the Messiah.
With our baptism, we "put on Christ," we take on a new identity. When parents bring their child to be baptized, the parents are asked, "What name do you give your child?" Parents answer, "We call our son James; we call our daughter Sarah." The child also gets another name, the name "C h r i s t i a n."
From the waters of baptism, we rise to new life, temples of God's glory, the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. By the oil of chrism, we join a holy people, the Body of Christ. As an outward sign of our Christian dignity, we cloth the newly baptized with a white garment. Once baptized, "Christian" is our name, our identity.
The baptism of the Lord is also about our baptism. Immersed in the waters of the River Jordan, God identified Jesus as his "beloved son." At our baptism, we take a new identity, we become Christians. Converts joining our church take on the identity of a Catholic.
The Suffering Servant
Jesus had yet a third reason to let John baptism him, to reveal his mission as the suffering servant. Our baptism gives us the same call, to be the servant, the helper of the needy.
The voice from heaven says, "I am well pleased" with "my beloved son." We heard those same words from the prophet Isaiah, our first reading today. The words from Isaiah are poetic. "A bruised reed he shall not break, a smoldering wick he shall not quench." Attentive to the needy, the servant gently cares for the weak, treats the fragile with great care. Hearing God's words as John baptized him, Jesus understood, he is to be the suffering servant, the servant who heals.
As we live our faith, we imitate Christ. We become servants in the kingdom of God. God entrusts us to work for peace, for healing, for forgiveness, for justice.
Jesus told us to welcome the stranger, cloth the naked, feed the hungry, visit the sick and those in prison (Matthew 25:42-45). We are called to be the gentle soul, to care for the needy, to bring the light of Christ to the world, to break down the barriers that separate people.
As John baptized him, Jesus answered the call to become the suffering servant. Our baptism gives us the same call. As followers of Christ, we are to care for the needy, to help the poor.
Conclusion
Today we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord. Jesus asked John to baptism him "to fulfill all righteousness." The words "to fulfill all righteousness" meant to live by God's will, to do all God commands.
The baptism of Christ reminds us about our own baptism. At his baptism, God identified Jesus as his "beloved son." At our baptism, we become sons and daughters of God, identified as "Christian." We have no more noble title.
Jesus became the suffering servant. We are called to serve. We have no more noble task than to do God's will, to serve others, to do all God commands.
Father Clyde A. Bonar, Ph.D.
8 December 07
Poznań, 8th December 2007
His Excellency
Dr Stanisław Gądecki
Archbishop of Poznań
The Metropolitan
Your Excellency,
Our small community of ex-patriots, their families and friends would like to thank you very much for your care and prayers offered for us and also your personal involvement in the Eucharists and other gatherings.
We appreciate your having granted us a blessing to initiate the Mass in English that has been open to all whose home is or once was far away from here.
We are particulary grateful for choosing for us such worthy, devoted, caring and understanding chaplains, Father Grzegorz Grzegorski and Father Waldemar Babicz, who after taking us under their wings faithfully persevered through five years of Service with a capital S.
We thank you for finding, despite your numerous duties, time and strength to be with us today praising God for five years of His blessing and support for us all.
With our Best Regards and Good Wishes in all that you are called to do.
The English speaking community of Poznań Archdiocese
Poznań , 8th December 2007
Dear Father Grzegorz and Waldemar,
Like a Good Shepherd, who knows His flock and cares for it, you have been leading us and sharing every experience that the celebration of this Eucharist has brought to us.
We want you to know that we fully appreciate your hard work and your whole-hearted commitment to our community.
Please, receive our best wishes of health and may the Holy Spirit guide you on the various paths of your life.
May this time of preparing for the coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ be a time for Reconciliation and Growth in Faith for us all.
Yours in Christ,
The English speaking community of Poznań Archdiocese
10 November 07
Love After Death
“ Some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection,
came forward…” - they put their questions to Jesus.
Resurrection is hard to talk about, but easier than talking about death. We need discuss both, so let's start with that difficult thing, the end of life.
Many images and experiences flood the mind when we think about death. Are they all pleasant? - Not so.
We have seen a fair number of people die, and each time the event seems miraculous. Think of it.
Someone you have known and spoken with, someone whose every movement came from somewhere inside them—from a mysterious source of life that burnt bright as a candle flame in darkness— that someone has vanished. The body is the same one you knew; the mouth is the same one that laughed and talked. And yet the candle went out.
“Where did she go?” “Where did he go?” - we ask.
Do they really go somewhere?
We all move by means of walking, using our arms and legs, and thus changing locations. But in death the “going somewhere” is accomplished by cessation of all motion whatsoever. If they “go,” it has to be at a much deeper level.
What does our faith say?
The First Reading tells about seven brothers about to die. The last one says, “It is my choice to die at the hands of men with the hope God gives of being raised up by him.” - Hope, not surety.
And we have only to glance at the crucifixion to see how Jesus chose to die. He knew his Abba, Father, so well that he still trusted even when everything in the world screamed against it. God is God of life, the Gospel says; “to him all are alive,” even the dead.
So, God keeps the life of the dying person safe somehow. No that is not it. Better to say that God keeps love safe.
What?
- Yes. Real love is like the rich earth that nurtures great trees. Roots dig deep down in the soil for the nourishment and moisture of life. Their green selves grow out of the earth, not the earth out of them. In the same way,
our being is rooted in the rich loam of love, and life grows out of that love, not visa versa.
It is difficult to say the last sentence correctly.
Let me try again.
Love is a force stronger than life. When life ceases, love becomes the home, the embracing arms to which we return. Love is the substance, life is just an outgrowth.
So when someone dies, the “place” they go, leaving their bodies behind, is into the heart of love, into the everlasting arms of God who is love.
To paraphrase the poet Hopkins,
Here, never asked if meaning it,
wanting it,
warned of it—
men [and women] go.
Some do mean it and want it. The seven brothers of the First Reading – Jesus - Saints.
All of us mean and want it when we begin to release our tight grip on things, things that are pulled out of the rich and nurturing earth that is God-love.
If you or I have a hard time “meaning it and wanting it” during our life, even so we are still folded into the luxuriant soil of God’s love. Sometimes we dig ourselves out of it, of course, and then our roots dry out in the sun.
Love forgives and invites us and helps us back.
Death and resurrection are just instances of this beloved rootedness.
Sepember 8th 07
Love Claims the Beloved
God wants me. And he wants you. And he doesn’t just want a bit of us. He wants all of us. God has made his claim upon us. Love claims the Beloved.
But today we all heard the difficult Gospel reading:
Jesus seems to propose the devastating and inhuman requirements for becoming his disciple:
hate one's family (v. 25); carry the cross (v. 26).
So now let us consider the first reqirement.
“Unless you turn your back on father or mother, wife or children, brother or sister, and your very selves you cannot be my followers.”
“Hate” (v. 26) is harsh. It has been suggested that the original Aramaic meant simply “love less than.” The word “hate” is probably an oratorical way to say:
“you must not let your family or anything else come before God.” God is more loveable by far than all creation. Let go and let love of God into your life. Your fa mily will come along. The holy spirit from on high will help you.
Love demands a total claim upon the Beloved.
The married are aware of this. They know that they cannot expect their marriage to grow if they hold back part of themselves from each other. When they first considered how serious of a relationship they could establish with that girl or guy they felt so attracted to, they asked themselves, “Is this someone whom I can give myself to? Will he or she accept me as I am? Can I accept him or her totally as she or he is?”
Indeed the success of the marriage is directly proportional to the capability of the couple to enter into intimacy, to their ability to give and to share with each other.
Love claims the Beloved, totally.
As true as this is in every relationship of love, this truth reaches its perfection in the relationship with the One who is Love Incarnate, with our Lord Jesus. He has given himself totally to us. For the our relationship with Him to flourish, we have to accept his gift of himself and give ourselves totally to him.
The relationship to the Lord must supersede all other relationships, family, friends, and even ourselves. The relationship to the Lord demands living his life and even following him in sacrifice.
We are in a love relationship with Jesus. Sometimes we forget this. We treat religion as an obligation rather than as an action of love. We are in a love relationship with our God. But like all relationships, we have to work hard for the relationship to succeed. We have to make time for our Loved One. We have to seek his presence in the community where we receive his intimacy in the sacraments. We have to seek his presence in our homes where we unite his presence to the intimacy of our family.
As in all valued relationships, we have to protect our relationship with God from anything which would diminish its intensity. That’s why we have to avoid sin and the occasion of sin. Our Christian morality is not a way of life to keep God happy. He doesn’t need that. He’s perfectly happy.
Our Christian morality is a way of life to keep ourselves happy. We grow in the intensity of His love when we fight off anything that destroys or diminishes this love.
Finally, as so many of our retired couples proclaim with their lives, couples who have been married for forty, fifty or even sixty years, “Success in marriage results from looking for new ways to love.” We have to look for new ways to love God and to allow his love to grow in us.
We are in the hand of God. We have been claimed by the Lord. Happiness and love are found by letting him grasp us. Only that which is within his hand has any importance at all. All the rest is superfluous.
God has made his claim upon us.
Love claims the Beloved.
So now let us consider the second reqirement.
What about this command to carry our cross and follow Jesus? How do we do that if we do not fully understand the mystery of the cross and how it all works? What does this command really mean?
Dear friends,
You have denied yourself a thousand times over and have done God the will of God by raising a family and all of the personal sacrifice that goes with that. You have gone without so that your kids could have advantages that you did not have.
- That is cross carrying.
You have endured the hardships of supporting that family member or friend in his or her struggle with an addiction. You have put up with the cycle of victory and defeats, ups and downs because of the command of Jesus to love.
- That is cross carrying.
Or your dealing with that addiction yourself and digging in and trying to walk the straight line.
- That is cross carrying.
You are a teenager and you are determined to live a life of virtue and chastity, --- or You have devoted what seems to be your life to caring for that physically or mentally challenged child or infirm, elderly parent --- or You have lost a child or your spouse and not a day goes by that you do not think of that person you have lost, --- or You have carried around a hurt so deep and so stinging for years and even decades and you have never spoken about it to another soul and there have been times that you have wanted to act out in anger and revenge and rage, but you have resisted and turned the other cheek and responded with love.
Or --- or --- All that is cross carrying.
How will your stories end? Where will carrying your cross lead you?
Maybe through more suffering. Maybe to death. But I know how this story ends (pointing to the cross).
Suffering is conquered by joy.
Death is conquered by life.
Darkness is conquered by light.
Crucifixion is conquered by resurrection.
Our faith tells us that despite our suffering and sacrifices our stories will end the same way if we pick up our own crosses and follow Jesus.
God has made his claim upon us.
Love claims the Beloved.
June 9 07 Boże Ciało (Corpus Christi)
We Become What We Eat
Why do we need a feast of the Eucharist?
A feast like this affords us the opportunity to give God collective thanks for Christ’s abiding presence with us which is made visible in the Eucharist. It is also an opportunity for us to seek a better understanding of the sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ and to order our attitude to it accordingly, since the Eucharist is a sacrament of life which, if misused, could bring about the opposite effect.
In order to arrive at a better understanding of the Eucharist we need to ask why Jesus gave us this sacrament in the first place.
A closer reading of today's gospel or, better still, the whole of the Eucharistic discourse read in John gospel, provides useful answers. From the reading we find that there are two main reasons Jesus gave us this sacrament.
(1) Jesus promised to be with us until the end of time (Matthew 28:20). In the Eucharist he provides a visible sign and an effective means of him being present to us and us being present to him. As Jesus himself said, “Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them.”
(2) Jesus said that he came that we may have life and have it to the full (John 20:20 ). In the Eucharist he provides a visible means of communicating this life to us so that we can be fully alive both in this world and in the next. As Jesus said, “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day” (John 6:53 -54).
The Jews that Jesus was addressing in John, had gathered to ask him for more bread. Jesus promised to give them the sacramental bread and blood instead. But in their worldly frame of mind they could not understand or appreciate the sacrament. They disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” (v. 52). Jesus reaffirmed that “My flesh is true food and my blood is true drink” (v. 55). They ended up distancing themselves from the Eucharist because the sacramental language makes no sense to people in a materialistic frame of mind.
The same problem that these early would-be followers of Jesus had is still with us today.
If we approach the Eucharist with a materialistic mentality we fail to understand and so lose the benefits of such a wonderful gift of God’s love. The Eucharist is true food and drink but at the same time it is very different from every other food and drink. The great difference lies in these words of Christ which St Augustine heard in prayer,
“You will not change me into yourself as you would food of your flesh; but you will be changed into me.”
We transform ordinary food into our own bodies but the food of the Eucharist transforms us into the body of Christ. The philosopher Ludwig Feuerbach's statement that we become what we eat is never more true that in the Eucharistic experience.
Why then do many of us who receive the Eucharist not experience more of this radical transformation?
Maybe this story will throw more light on the question.
A team of Russians and Americans were on a common expedition. Among their cabin foodstuff was Russian black bread. It was tasty but hard on the teeth. It happened during a meal that an American bit into a piece and snapped a tooth. He threw the bread overboard and growled: “Lousy Communist bread.” The Russian countered: “Is not lousy communist bread. Is rotten capitalist tooth.”
If we do not experience the transforming power of the Eucharist it is probably not on account of a lousy Eucharist but on account of our rotten faith. - Let us today approach the Eucharist with a more lively faith in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist and we shall experience therein God's saving power and transforming love.
Eucharistic images, such as the miraculous multiplication account in the today’s Gospel, are all harbingers of the undying relationship between God and us. Our daily consecrations remember and re-enact the reality of God's covenantal love.
They also remind us, however, what it is that God so much wants from us. It is that relationship, that free “yes,” that gaze back that says with all one's heart, “I do believe, I hope, I love.”
April 14, 2007
The Power to Conquer Doubts
The world has rejected the Lord like Thomas: “Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe.» "
This message was a reminder for all of us. During Easter time, we are encouraged to stand up for the faith, to withstand attacks to the faith, to incorporate their faith in every aspect of their lives.
We are encouraged to return to the fundamentals of being a Christian.
This Sunday's gospel reading tackles a problems that the men most probably must face. But this is also a problem that effects all of us: the problem of doubting our faith. The gospel reading reminds us that faith is trusting in God, not finding physical proofs. If you notice, those in the gospel who are gifted with the appearance of the Resurrected Savior are those who already, to some degree or other, have faith in Jesus. He doesn't appear to strangers. Perhaps the best symbol of the Resurrection is the empty tomb. Those who have faith in Jesus are called now to believe that he has been raised from the dead as he said. The very empty tomb is not a proof of faith but a call to faith. It is a sign that reality has been transformed.
This is the ideal for which we strive. However, we happen to be human. We are not just spiritual, we are physical. Most of our knowledge comes from the physical side of our nature. We see, hear, touch, etc then we evaluate. Faith does not provide this. Faith demands that we subordinate our physical, scientific capabilities to our spiritual side. Our belief in the Word of God that Jesus has transformed reality takes primacy over whether we can see, feel, heal or touch any sort of change in reality.
It is easy to understand why there is a lot of doubting Thomas in each of us. We are called to believe in the Resurrection of someone we have never seen. We are called to believe that he lives in the Church and in each of us. We are called to let our faith gift us with a new knowledge not available to our senses.
How can we do this? How can we just ignore our demands for physical proofs in favor of simple trusting in the Lord?
"And Jesus said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.'" The Power to conquer doubts. God himself is within us. He gives us the strength to trust him, to have faith. He gives us the strength to transform challenges to our faith, doubts, into ways of growing in faith.
As long as we are alive we will have doubts in faith. These doubts might be regarding the dogmas of the faith, morality, the Church, or even the very existence of God and his goodness.
Doubts in faith begins for most people in their pre-teen and teen years. At this stage of our lives we are learning adult thought processes. Adults can think abstractly. Children can only think concretely. Adults can think about a thought. Children can only think about something they can visualize. Children need stories to point to truths. Adults need explanations. When a person begins thinking like an adult, he or she needs to view faith from an adult perspective not a childish perspective. That’s why it is perfectly normal for pre-teens and teens to question the faith. One may tell them, “You really are not questioning God or questioning the faith, you are seeking God. And that is good.” Still, their doubts and all our doubts when we went through this stage of development wear on them and us.
Another time of doubts in faith comes when tragedy strikes, as it does strike all of us. It is human and natural for us to be tempted to challenge God. It is normal and natural of us to demand that He explain why such a terrible thing has happened. We don’t understand life and we want to understand life. In times of tragedy we have to shore up our faith by praying like the man did in the Gospel of Mark, "Lord, I do believe, help my unbelief." Or, like Thomas did in our Gospel for today, "You are my Lord and my God."
Like Saint Thomas , and undoubtedly more than him, we need mercy, in order that our faith, our hope, our love of God and neighbor might unceasingly grow in us!
Sometimes people ask priests, “Will God forgive me for doubting Him?” This is Divine Mercy Sunday. The compassion and love of our Savior is so great that He sees our hurt, not the results of our pain. He gave us the Holy Spirit. St. Paul wrote that without the Holy Spirit we could not even call on the name of the Lord. In times of doubts, we have to remember that it is the Holy Spirit within us who gives us the strength to believe.
We, today, in the year 2007 of the Christian era, we have not seen the risen Jesus, and yet we believe in him! In any event, Jesus is in Heaven: we have no choice but to believe without seeing. This is clear.
We all are tempted to doubt because it is part of the human condition to doubt, to all of us, the Church reminds us today, "Blessed are those who have not seen but believe."
Fr. Greg inspired by fr. Joseph Pellegrino’s and other texts
6th Sunday of the Year C – February 10, 2007
Where have I planted myself?
Today’s Word of God provoke us to ask some questions…
- Am I happy, blessed? Where have I planted myself? What kind of place have I put myself in? Where have my choices led me?
- So are you happy? If not, why are you not happy?
Who would ever have thought that the poor would be happy, that the hungry would be happy, that those who weep would be happy, that those who are hated and driven out would be happy?
Obviously Jesus has a different understanding of happiness to the common understanding of happiness today.
The world today says happiness includes lots of money, foreign holidays, a big house, and a whole host of other things many of which are sinful. We could almost say that our world today is addicted to greed, and almost addicted to sin. There is a big deception in the world. People are being tricked into thinking that possessing and having will bring happiness. People are being fed lies and believe it. And all lies come from the devil. The devil is luring people with great promises and expectations of happiness but they are empty promises and lies.
What is Jesus’ understanding of happiness? We could put it like this, there is no happiness outside of the will of God. St Augustine said:
“You have made us for yourself O Lord
and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”
God has made our human hearts and so we will be happy only when filled by God. That is why it would be impossible to meet a person possessed by greed who is also happy. It would be impossible to meet a person taken over by lust who is happy. Lust can never contribute to happiness because lust always wants to manipulate, control, cajole other people, to trick and con them.
Paul wrote in our second reading today: “If our hope…has been for this life only we are the most unfortunate of all people.” (1 Cor 15) And our first reading stated:
“A curse on the man who puts his trust in man,
who relies on the things of flesh.” (Jer 17)
The only thing that will bring happiness is to love and be loved, and by love I mean the pure form of love which sacrifices ourselves for the benefit of the other.
One of the signs of a Christian is being joyful. St Francis said it is for the devil and his ilk to be sad and for us to be joyful. There is only one sadness in life, not to be a saint. A saint is someone who loves God very much and is convinced that God loves him/her.
How do we achieve the happiness of the saints? How can we achieve the happiness Jesus is talking of in the Gospel where to all outward appearances if someone were to look at us we are a mess but are happy in our hearts?
There is one way to achieve that happiness. If you want that experience focus on the crucifix. Jesus would have come all the way down from heaven to die just for you. There is no one who loves you and has loved you like Jesus. Spend time with Jesus looking up at him on the cross contemplating his love for you. Find your happiness in Jesus, then you will be really happy. As our first reading stated:
“A blessing on the man who puts his trust in the Lord,
with the Lord for his hope.”
If you do not have the joy of a Christian ask yourself is it because you have given yourself to some of the false promises and illusions and deceptions of the world which are pulling you down. If you have, ask God for the grace to abandon them and give yourself to God so that you can be happy.
If you are not happy could it be a sign that God is calling you to a closer friendship with him and you are not answering that call?
If you do not perceive that this unhappiness is arising out of God calling you to a deeper relationship with him you may try to substitute things that will never make you happy for the deeper relationship with himself that God is calling you to.
“A curse on the man who puts his trust in man,
who relies on the things of flesh….
A blessing on the man who puts his trust in the Lord,
with the Lord for his hope.” (Jer 17)
“If our hope…has been for this life only we are the most unfortunate of all people.” (1 Cor 15)
Where have I planted myself? What kind of place have I put myself in? Where have my choices led me?
“You have made us for yourself O Lord
and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”
Fr. Gregory inspired by the Fr. Tommy Lane ’s reflections
2nd Advent Sunday C – December 9, 2006
The need to prepare our hearts
Think of the work that would be involved in leveling all the hills around us and filling up the valleys with them. Think of all the work that would be involved in straightening the winding roads around here and giving a smooth surface to them all. It would be frightening to think of it. Leveling the mountains and filling in the valleys, straightening the roads and giving them a smooth surface is what John the Baptist said we would have to do to prepare for the Lord.
Of course he was not talking about the hills or roads of Palestine . He was talking about the hills and roads in the heart of every person in every century that wants to meet the Lord.
To meet the Lord we need to prepare our hearts.
“The Lord has done great things for us” – we sang in the psalm.
- What are the mountains and hills in our hearts that need to be leveled? We could think of pride and greed. So many people are remarking that we have become a very selfish greedy people.
- What are the valleys in our hearts and lives that need to be filled in? We could think of trying to overcome an addiction or lack of confidence in oneself.
- What are the crooked roads in our hearts that need to be straightened? We could think of lying and deceitfulness and being dishonest with others.
- What are the uneven surfaces on the roads of our hearts that need to be resurfaced? We could think of bad language and being a bother to other people.
How do we level these mountains and hills, fill these valleys, straighten these crooked roads and resurface them? - Paul gave us a remedy when he wrote to the Philippians which we heard in our second reading:
“My prayer is that your love for each other may increase more and more and never stop improving your knowledge and deepening your perception so that you can always recognize what is best. This will help you to become pure and blameless, and prepare you for the Day of Christ, when you will reach the perfect goodness which Jesus Christ produces in us for the glory and praise of God.” (Phil 1)
“The Lord has done great things for us.” – we sang.
What he says is to increase our love more and more, to improve our knowledge and deepen our perception, in other words grow in love of God and neighbor and improve our knowledge of our faith and our knowledge of Christ.
You might say to me we are doing that. - Yes, we are. We are all open to God and we are all generous. But we all only go so far because sometimes we don’t think deeply enough about what it means to follow Jesus. Or when it gets a bit close to bone we can invent all sorts of excuses and make all sorts of defenses to maintain our half converted hearts. Sometimes we can put up a good fight to keep God’s grace away! So what happens then?
God in his all-wise plan for us allows a catastrophe to bring us to our senses. It is not that God wishes a disaster on us, no. God only wants what is good for us. It would be unfair to expect God to come and wave a magic wand and prevent all kinds of disasters. God is not a magician. God has given us freedom. But when something does happen it can be a lever to help us think again about our attitudes and how we live.
The spiritual writers say that when we are broken internally it can be an opportunity for great spiritual growth. When all our supports and defenses are knocked down there are possibilities for drawing closer to God through that experience of vulnerability.
When a disaster like that happens it can act like John the Baptist preaching to us, asking us to prepare a way for the Lord, stirring up people’s consciences, helping to lay low the mountains and hills, fill the valleys, straighten the roads and give them smooth surfaces.
But when it happens we have a choice.
- We can allow God’s grace to work and allow the mountains to be leveled and the valleys filled in, the crooked roads straightened and the uneven surfaces to be smoothened.
- Or we can prefer things as they used to be. We might say, ‘it was better before’ and try to go back to the old ways of living and thinking and doing things. We can surrender to God and grow to become what he has called us to be or we can remain stubborn[a] and refuse to grow from this grace-filled opportunity. .
If we surrender to God’s call to us during that time of brokenness we will be transformed into much more beautiful people. When we die with the Lord we rise to new life with him. When we do meet the Lord in a deep way we will be changed.
It is impossible to meet the Lord and remain the same. If you meet the Lord through some experience of brokenness you will know it. You will be different afterwards. Having met the Lord, it will come more naturally to you to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and to love your neighbor as yourself.
“My prayer is that your love for each other may increase more and more and never stop improving your knowledge and deepening your perception so that you can always recognize what is best…” – said saint Paul .
The question will always be about just how ready, prepared do we have to be to receive, accept, and be blest by God’s arrivings.
We have time. We have Holy Scripture. We have many voices calling to us. We are invited to prepare for the celebration of the birth of Jesus by listening intently. We prepare for the Eucharist in the same manner with which we prepare for Jesus’ first coming, with openness, simplicity and truth. We need a Savior and that Savior comes now-and-now-and-now again. The emptiness of our out-stretched hand when approaching our reception of the Eucharist is an Advent-Gesture of hope and fulfillment.
“The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy” (Ps. 126)
Fr. Gregory inspired by the reflections of fr. Tommy Lane and Larry Gillick, S.J.
32nd Sunday - November 11, 2006
Widow’s mite
Today’s reading from Mark’s gospel reminds us what a great teacher Jesus was. The object lesson he gives, as he watches people making their donations, is one of the best remembered stories of the world’s religious traditions – the “widow’s mite” has become proverbial – widow’s penny, in Polish wdowi grosz.
Using the widow’s example, he goes to the very heart of the matter – a giving that counts. Is there any more telling way of expressing the fundamental truth, that as responsible persons we are made in the image of God, than by unselfish giving to others? The most precious things in life - in our family, in the community in which we live – come through the selfless generosity with which we give to others. We know from experience that it is a giving that costs us something that brings real happiness to ourselves and to those around us.
The Gospel reading talks to us about generosity of the heart.
And it shows us that the Lord always observes our behavior. He sees if we are generous or stingy. What pleases Him is to see that there are people who, with great effort, fulfill their Christian duty, helping the needy and the Church. And they do it, in spite of their poverty, as generously as possible.
The widow in the Gospel Reading plays a dominant and positive role. With her offering, this woman showed that her life was a complete giving to God.
When at times we give to the needy from the little that we have and we say, “All of this God will repay many times over,” many look at us as if we were crazy. But it is true.
It is more than proven that when we give generously, we receive much more in return. There are Christians who go through their monthly budget and, when they separate out their payments, they save part of what they have for works of charity. These people are worthy of praise, the same praise that the Lord gave to the poor widow.
There are many people like the widow in the Gospel Reading who, because they have little income, do not have an obligation to give to the needy. But, in spite of the effort that it takes, they do so in a generous manner, without expecting anything in return. Nevertheless,
in return, they feel the hand of God in their lives. They see that at the end of the month they have enough to cover expenses and still have a little left over.
The Pharisees customarily gave large sums of money to the temple treasury. But they gave from their surplus wealth and, furthermore, they did it ostentatiously so that other people could see what they were doing. The generosity of the widow, who was poor, was greater than all that the Pharisees gave, not in quantity but in quality. This woman was sowing for a future life, trying, in her poverty, to please God. I said it before and I’ll say it again: God sees, and rewards, unselfish generosity.
This story is not given to us so that we might imitate it in its detail. Imagine what would happen if everyone gave away all that they had to live on. All of a sudden, we would have a major crisis on our hands. We'd have to scramble to somehow take care of all of those people who now had nothing to live on.
The point of the Gospel story is not that we do exactly what the widow did. This is often the case with the Bible. We don't have to be crucified on a cross in order to imitate Jesus. Each of us, in our own particular lives, needs to see how we can live in a way that reflects what Jesus teaches through his words, his stories, his life. And so with the widow. We don't have to give away all that we own, but we do need to develop the spirit that prompted the widow to do what she did.
Through the Gospel Reading of this Holy Mass, Jesus talks to us. And He says that we have to be generous, discreet when we place our offering, that we should be charitable when we help a needy person, giving with discretion.
Jesus words, of course, have a lesson for all of us. Mark is linking the generous giving of the widow with the great drama of God’s generosity soon to take place – as Jesus gives himself into the hands of his Father for the sake of the whole human family. Our liturgy takes up Mark’s lesson. – We will soon receive Jesus in his Eucharist.
Let us give ourselves fully to him!
The Saviour enters “the actual presence of God on our behalf”, making a gift of himself “once and for all”. He shows us how true it is that a giving that really counts bring true blessings – in his total gift of himself he has become the source of all the blessings that will fill our eternity.
Fr. Gregory
September 10, 2006
Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Mark 7:31-37
He calls us to hear
He took him away from the crowd. He touched his ears and his mouth and said, "Be open". And the man left singing the praises of God to the world.
Such a miracle story we have heard in today’s Gospel.
It is a story with baptismal overtones, for during baptism the priest touches the children ears and mouth and says, “Be open.”
Really, this is a story about our lives with the Lord.
There is a great deal of noise in our lives. Interesting word - noise… It even sounds bad. NOISE. Say the word out loud enough and you get a head ache.
There is much noise in our lives, but not just in the sense of sound. There is noise in the sense of disturbance -- like static on the phone line. The radio, the TV, the phone, the kids, the neighbors, those driving down the street with their radios on overkill, are all audio noises, but there is also noise - disturbance, created by the continual worrying about tomorrow, the hanging on to the battle stories of the past. Noise. Noise. Noise.
Noise in our lives: "Did you see what she was wearing? To Church of all places? Guess who just broke up? Noise Noise Noise. Mom, Dad, can I have.....? go......? would you buy me......?” Arguments over who played what role in a movie, or who did what on a sports team. The phone rings, "You have a tremendous opportunity to save money now… NOISE.
And Jesus took the man away from the crowd, away from the noise. He took him to have a personal encounter with the Messiah.
He calls us away from the crowd, away from the noise to his quiet.
Quiet before the Lord is so important.
--A few moments before and after Mass,
--out of respect for the presence of the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament,
--out of respect for the needs of others to get away from the noise,
--out of respect for our own need to listen to the Lord in the quiet.
--Quiet in our homes.
--Fifteen minutes of quiet, before the morning gets going,
--or after the kids are in bed,
--or together as a family,
-- just a little quiet time.
-- A little time to get away from the noise.
--A little time with the Lord so he can touch us.
He touched the man's ears and he said, "Be opened."
He calls us to hear.
--Hear the still small voice Elijah heard, whispering that God loves us and has a plan for each of us.
--Hear the whisper of Christ on the cross, telling us in the darkest moments of our lives that we will get through this together.
--Hear the beautiful voice of the Holy Spirit singing the Love Song of God in our hearts.
--Hear the voice of Mary, reassuring the concerned wine steward at the wedding feast of Cana , and reassuring us, saying, "Do whatever he tells you."
--Hear the voice of our conscience within, calling us to the new life of the Lord's love, calling us to holiness.
--Hear the Word of God.
--Alive in the Bible,
-proclaimed in the Church, --proclaimed by the Church.
--proclaimed by the loving husband and wife in their continual gifts of themselves to each other,
--proclaimed by parents and grandparents, aunts and uncles, all good people, giving themselves to the children, to others who need help.
--Hear the Word of God
-- proclaimed by children in their steps away from self centeredness.
-- proclaimed by the retiree concerned with the future of others, not just himself or herself.
--Hear the Word of God.
He touched the man's mouth and said, "Be opened". He touches our ears.
--He tells us not to be afraid to stand up for our beliefs and our lifestyle, even if we are told that we are not in concert with modern society.
--He says that he needs our voices. He needs us to proclaim that he is indeed alive.
--The Resurrection continues. We celebrate his resurrection on Sundays so we can have the spiritual strength to proclaim his life.
--He opens our mouths to proclaim his praise to the world.
He drew the man away from the crowd. He touched his ears and his mouth and he said, "Be opened." And the man left proclaiming the love of God.
He touched him.
He touches us.
Fr. Greg inspired by Fr. Joe Pellegrino’s Pastoral Letters
08 I 2006 - THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD
GOSPEL: Mk 1: 7-11
This is what John the Baptist proclaimed: “One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
It happened in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John. On coming up out of the water he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
HOMILY (deacon Matthew Gardzinski SChr)
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ!
There once was a man who lived all his life by himself in his small home on the outskirts of a small village. He had no family. His parents passed away a long time ago. He never married or had children. To put it short, he was sure that he could not count on anyone. He was sure that everyone else would either take advantage of him, or steal from him – he didn’t trust anyone but himself. That is why he lived alone. That is why he stayed away from others. That is why he had no family.
One day, as he was outside in his garden a small five year old boy came up to him, and pulled at his shirt. He turned around furious, ready to shun away the person who had thought to disturb his solitude and work. But before he could have done so, the small boy pulled a box from his coat pocket and gave it to the man. The old man stuttered, shocked at the courage of the small boy. He took the box and opened it. In it he found a small car – the boy’s favorite toy.
“What’s this? Why did you give this to me?” asked the dumbfounded old man.
“My mom always said that you were an mean person, and that no-one could talk to you,” replied the boy. “I just thought that was because no-one ever shared their favorite toys with you,” and he ran off to his home.
As he watched the boy run home, the old man felt a tear in his heart, and tears suddenly appeared in his eyes. The precious gift given by the child changed his view on life. The old man knew that from this moment on, he was not the same person.
* * *
My dear brothers and sisters. Today’s feast of the Baptism of the Lord marks the end of the Christmas season. In a significant way it calls to mind our own baptism, which we received at a certain point in our lives. Whether or not we were aware of it, it was an event that would change our whole life.
In today’s Gospel we hear of Jesus’ baptism. Our thoughts are brought to the banks of the River Jordan where John the Baptist was living in the desert. There he proclaimed, to all those who came to him, a baptism of repentance. Although the baptism itself was a symbolic act, it had to be accompanied by an inner change. This repentance did not mean simply being sorry for the wrong one had done, it meant an authentic transformation of one’s inner life – an authentic conversion.
Jesus is an adult, about 30 years of age. He came to John to receive baptism, although He, himself, was without sin. As we heard, John spoke of Jesus as the One who was coming – the One who was more important than himself. Jesus was far more powerful and would do far greater things. He is so great that John knew that he was not even worthy to untie Jesus’ sandals. Jesus would proclaim a new baptism. Not a baptism just with water (like John's) but one with water and the Spirit. This is the baptism which we Christians celebrate. It leads to the radical change in one's life to be totally committed to the Way of Jesus and to bring about reconciliation among people.
So why then did Jesus’ need to receive baptism from the hands of John? It is not only a special irony. It is a central image of the mystery of our Redemption. In a clear sign of solidarity with all of us, Jesus humbly takes his place with all the other sinners. "And the Word was made flesh and pitched his tent among us," as we heard in all of the Christmas season. Jesus enters into radical solidarity with all men and women, taking upon himself the condition of our sinfulness, himself having not sinned. The "one more powerful" takes on the position of weakness in order to redeem each and everyone of us. It is precisely in this that he is beloved by the Father. And it is from this baptism sign that he is sent into the world to proclaim the Good News of salvation.
* * *
Today’s readings echo joy and hope. In the first reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah, we heard the Lord’s invitation to all people who are thirsty to come to the water. To come, despite the fact that they have no way to pay. The Lord tells them to drink, to taste the wine and milk that He has prepared for them. This invitation, however, has a deeper meaning than the simple, literal interpretation. The water, wine, and milk symbolize the Lord’s grace and goodness that He is ready to give all of mankind. The only requirement is that those people must want to come. They must have a desire to come to the Lord.
The Lord’s invitation resounds in the words: “Come to me heedfully, listen, that you may have life.” To those who hear God’s call and want to listen to it, God offers new life – an everlasting covenant. Through baptism God gives us the most precious gift that he can – his divine grace, so that we can become sons and daughters of God. The sacrament of baptism is the start of a new life. That is why the Church for so many ages has celebrated the sacrament of baptism with such joy and solemnity. It comes from the knowledge that God gives the person who receives baptism new life, and the grace to call God our Father.
* * *
So we must now return to our story at the beginning. God is the One who comes with his gift and offers it to us. He wants to give each and everyone of us happiness and joy – true joy that comes from His grace. It’s up to us whether or not, like the old man, we will brush His gift aside or listen to it. Whether or not we will let Him change our lives with His grace…
This happened once, a long time ago in our baptism. But with that baptism it did not end. As Christians, we are called to make that choice everyday of our lives. Will we close our hearts to His voice, and count only on ourselves by living as we see fit, not receiving often the sacrament of Reconciliation and Holy Communion? Or will we listen to the call of God and accept His gift? In this way we can change our lives to be better people, to be able to love God and our neighbors with all our hearts, to be able to live by God’s commandments.
3rd Sunday of Advent – 10 XII 2005
Gospel : John 1: 6-8.19-28.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light.
This is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed, he did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” And he answered, “No.”
They said to him then, “Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” He said, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”
Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?” John answered them, “I baptize with water; but among you stands one whom you do not know, even he who comes after me, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” This took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan , where John was baptizing.
This is the Gospel of the Lord
Homily : ( deacon Matthew Gardzinski, SChr)
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ!
At the start of September, one of my friends was to teach catechesis in an elementary school. Once, when we were drinking coffee, he told me about of his lessons. He began it, as follows...
Standing at the front of the class, he took out a photo of a Polish pop star (Doda Elektroda). He asked whether or not they knew who was depicted in picture. The class, of course, said unanimously, “That’s Doda Elektroda!” My friend then asked whether or not they thought that she was great. Again, the class said aloud, “Yes!” Therefore, pointing to a small pea, he said, “Let’s say that Doda Elektroda’s greatness is about the size of this pea.”
My friend then took out a photo of John Paul II. Again, he asked whether they recognized the dude on the photo. The class unanimously replied, once again, “That’s our Pope!” So, he asked them whether or not they thought that he was great. “Of course!” shouted the class. Pointing to a globe, he said, “Let’s say that the Pope’s greatness is about the size of this globe.”
Finally, my friend took out a picture of Jesus. The class replied right away that they knew who it was –it was Jesus, the Lord. My friend then concluded saying, “You see. Jesus is really great. Do you know how great He is? He’s this great,” he said opening his arms as wide as he could, “but compared to Jesus, even the Pope’s greatness is only the size of a pea.”
* * *
The third Sunday of Advent marks the midpoint of this liturgical season. It’s a Sunday marked by the liturgical color of rose, the color of all the priest’s vestments. Rose symbolizes joy and happiness- the joy and happiness that comes from the fact that the LORD IS NEAR!
The Gospel today calls to mind one of the most important ‘characters’ of Advent: John the Baptist. A man considered to be great during his time. 2000 years ago, the Jewish people looked upon him as being someone special, someone who they wanted to listen to. Herod, despite being reprimanded by John publicly, listened with awe to him. The Pharisees and Levites of today’s Gospel also came to John to find out who he was. John was a man who had authority, who had influence, who had the ear of all those who came to listen to him. Yet, if that was the reason they considered him to be great, they were gravely mistaken.
Here, we must return to our story at the beginning. Pope John Paul II or Benedict XVI are also considered to be great men. However, it‘s not from the fact that they have influence, authority, or the ear of those who hear him. Their greatness comes from the fact that they point to the truly Great One, they point to God. John was seen as being great because HE POINTED TO THE ONE WHO WAS TO COME, the Messiah. John knew that he was nothing compared to Jesus, just like our Pope knows that. John was called to be a SIGN to the world:
“Among you stands one whom you do not know,
he who comes after me,
the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie!”
* * *
The person of John the Baptist is a valuable lesson for us today. John was a clear sign of the Lord. A sign that reminded the world: the Lord was at hand. People came to John and listened to him for they saw in him SOMETHING SPECIAL, something DIFFERENT, something that they couldn’t quite put their finger on. That’s why the saw him as being great.
When one looks at the life of the Baptist, you could consider that that “difference” came from the style of life he chose. John lived harshly. He wore camel skin – not the fur, but the hard and very rough leather. He ate what was in the desert – generally insects. He drank wild honey – which isn’t the same good stuff we buy at the supermarket. Yet, if we see this as being the only reason for his special aura, we are mistaken...
Could it be from the fact that he was blunt with the truth? He wasn’t afraid to tell another that they were mistaken and that they need to convert. Again, if we saw this as being the reason behind John’s “difference”, it wouldn’t be enough...
John constantly repeated: “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord’.”There’s the secret behind it all. John called all those who came to him to repent, to prepare themselves for the One who is coming, who is very near! That was the reason for his lifestyle and for his teaching. John knew that he also had to prepare himself for the coming of the Messiah, for the coming of Jesus. He knew that he wasn’t worthy, and that he had to make straight the paths of his life. And THAT’S THE SECRET BEHIND JOHN’S GREATNESS.
* * *
Here’s the very important lesson for each and everyone of us. Advent is a gift given to us by God, given to prepare ourselves for the coming of Christ. Today (especially in the West) Advent is a time of shopping, baking, making decoration, dressing Christmas trees and making invitations. All though those things may be important, they are only superficial.
Many find the time of Advent a chance to help the poor, aid in food banks, give other alms to the needy. Some have special Advent resolutions – children don’t eat candy until Christmas, others decide to do a good deed every day. But again that isn’t enough. For all of this is superficial if it doesn’t go hand-in-hand with the conversion of our hearts: with the ‘making straight the way of the Lord’ in our lives.
In this conversion, a strong accent falls on the sacrament of Reconciliation. Given the Church by Christ himself, the sacrament is a free gift in which we receive God’s forgiveness. Those who are in a state of mortal sin cannot accept Holy Communion. In the sacrament of Reconciliation one receives the grace of God – his forgiveness and mercy. That is true conversion of the heart. That is what it means to make straight the paths of our lives for the Lord. That is the way to prepare oneself for the coming of Christ, for Christmas. Take advantage of this wonderful present in the remaining 2 weeks of Advent, so that you may be able to celebrate wholeheartedly the birth of our Lord.
* * *
One final thought. Advent has a two-fold meaning. It is a time to prepare directly for the Christmas, when we call to mind once again the Incarnation of God and the events of Bethlehem . It is also a time in which we are reminded to PREPARE OURSELVES FOR THE COMING OF CHRIST which will happen at the end of our life, or the end of the world, whichever comes first. Advent reminds us to be vigilant and to await with pure and joyous hearts the coming of the Lord.
May we wholeheartedly join the voice of the whole Church and constantly cry out to the Lord, who is close, who is at hand: “MARANA THA!” which means: “COME, LORD JESUS CHRIST!”
33rd Sunday In Ordinary Time – 13 XI 2005
Gospel : Matthew 25: 14-30.
Jesus spoke this parable to his disciples, “The kingdom of heaven will be as when a man going on a journey called his servants and entrusted to them his property; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them; and he made five talents more. So also, he who had the two talents made two talents more.
But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master. And he also who had two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.’ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not winnow; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sowed, and gather where I have not winnowed?
Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to every one who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth’.”
Homily : (deacon Matthew Gardzinski, SChr)
My dear brothers and sister in Christ!
Let us begin with a short story. There once were three older ladies who lived in a small village. One day, because it was very hot, they went to the village well to fetch a jug of water. When they got to the well, they noticed an old man sitting not too far off. As the women filled their jugs, each of them began to boast about how talented their sons were.
“My son,” said the first woman, “sings beautifully, like a nightingale.”
“My son,” said the second, “can juggle anything he takes into his hands.”
“My son,” humbly said the third, “helps me out around the house when he can.”
When the women filled their jugs, they set out back towards their home. The old man decided to follow them. As they were traveling, a young man suddenly came up and began to sing a beautiful aria. The three women stopped and stared in awe. It was the first woman’s son.
When he finished singing, a second young man came up and began juggling six burning batons. Again, the women stopped and stared in awe. It was the second woman’s son.
When he finished juggling, a third young man came up, hugged the third lady, took her heavy jug filled with water, put the jug onto his back and started towards the town. It was the third woman’s son.
At that moment the women noticed the old man, and once again began to boast. The man motioned for silence, and after a long pause said, “You know, I saw three very wonderful young men, who were given great gifts. However, of the three men, I only saw one son.”
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In today’s Gospel, we heard Christ telling his disciples the parable of the Master, who divided his fortune and placed it into the care of three of his servants. He gave each of them a different sum of money, according to their abilities. Through this parable, Christ in today’s Gospel teaches, or rather REMINDS us of three important truths.
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The Master called each servant, and gave them a certain sum of money – “to each according to his ability.” We notice that the Master looked at each of his servants from an individual perspective. He did not clump them all into one category, but looked at them with love, with knowledge – one could say, he looked into their hearts. He gave each of them responsibility for the gift he gave them, to each according to what HE KNEW THEY COULD HANDLE.
Every person is created in the image and likeness of God. We are created out of love. God knows each and everyone of us better than we know ourselves. Creating us, he gave us certain gifts: talents, faith, vocation, abilities, even life itself… just like the Master, who disbursed his gifts out of goodness. There are many GOOD THINGS in each and everyone of us. Each of us is different. Each of us has different gifts. Some have more, some have less, but all of us are under the individual care of the Master. Each of us received those gifts that are needed for our salvation, for our own good.
Can we see this truth? Do we see the Divine origin of all our talents? Are we able to see that they resemble, reflect, the Lord’s love towards each and everyone of us? Our gifts: our life, our faith (faith is also a gift), our talents – singing, music, sport, speaking – our vocation, our children, our families, our knowledge, our life situation (richer or poorer) are all gifts that we received from God. Are we able to see these God-given gifts?
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The Master disbursed his money to the servants and rode away. Let us notice that he gave no commentary, no instructions as to what each of the servants must do with the gift. He didn’t even suggest, but merely ENTRUSTED IT TOTALLY to his servants. Two of the servants put that money into trade and doubled their sum.
God gave us different gifts (among them, those mentioned earlier). Gifts which WE ARE MADE RESPONSIBLE for. The Gospel teaches, that we must develop those gifts. They never come ready-to-go and fully developed, for even geniuses must put practice and effort in order to achieve their goals. Each of us is responsible to put in the hard work, effort, and care to make those gifts develop and grow. We are responsible for them.
* * *
When the Master returned, he asked the servants to settle their accounts. Like I mentioned, two of the servants used the trust and doubled their sum. They developed them, used them properly, in order to make the good even better…
Our gifts are from God, given freely out of love to each and everyone of us. Entrusted to us. Given to us to be responsible for them.
What is their purpose, then? TO USE THEM FOR GOOD.
Here we come back to the story at the beginning. If the talents and gifts that were given to us are used just to be happy with ourselves, they are not worth much. This was the situation in the case of the singer and juggler. Yes, they received wonderful talents from God. But what worth did they have, when they could not see that their mothers were in need of help. The sons only wanted to “show off”. Their gifts were used only for themselves. They did not see with love.
Talents and gifts are WORTHLESS if we don’t use them out of love, if we don’t use them to do good unto others. They are worthless if they are not developed out of love and goodness. What is the purpose of our talents if they serve only to make us happy and proud of ourselves? What purpose do they have if what we received remains only with us and is used only for our own personal profit? God gave us many things, so that we could share and increase our love and goodness.
For what worth has a world-class pianist who only plays the piano in a locked room?
What worth has a priest if he only wants to serve himself?
What good is a family member, who only looks to satisfy his own needs?
What use is life, if it is only used to benefit oneself and leaves others to fend for themselves, or even uses others to benefit one’s self?
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The Master left and gave us gifts. May we be those responsible servants to whom one day God, the Good Master, will say: “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.”