Tag Archives: Christian life

Thoughts on the Sunday readings: “All things are possible for God.” (28th Sunday in Ordinary Time – B)

10 Saturday Oct 2015

Posted by in homily

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,

jm_200_NT2.pd-P20.tiff

It is said that where a person’s heart is, there his or her will and actions will follow. We strive after that which we value. We set our lives by that which we love. The young man in today’s gospel (Mk. 10:17-30) is in many ways a good person. He is someone who is seeking to live his faith; he is striving to live his life by the commandments of God. He also recognizes or intuits that there is something unique about Jesus. This is why he runs up even kneels down and uses the title, “good teacher”. The young man’s heart is searching but, we come to realize, his heart is also divided.

Our Lord knows this. Our Lord knows the human condition weakened by sin. The gospel passage is not so much about material possessions as it is about the divided human heart and God’s consistent love.

Christ knows this young man. The gospel tells us that Jesus “looking at him, loved him…” Now, imagine being before Christ. Picture yourself being in the full and immediate gaze of Jesus. It is an amazing and humbling thing to stand before the presence of God. Christ knows us through and through. He knows us more than we know ourselves. Christ sees that this young man is seeking to live the commandments but he also recognizes that divisions remain within his heart. We follow our hearts! How can we follow that, which itself, is divided? The young man is divided by even seemingly good intentions. It makes sense to live the commandments. It is logical and philosophically consistent to seek to live the commandments and to do good towards others. We should treat others as we ourselves want to be treated. We can strive to do all things within ourselves and by our own abilities. Even in seeking to do these good things we can remained enclosed within ourselves.

But there is more! And Jesus wants to invite this young man into this “more” which is living not with a distracted and divided heart content within oneself but living fully and authentically in the mystery, living in relationship with Christ. Jesus wants the young man’s heart to be firmly rooted in friendship with God and an ongoing encounter with God. “You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”

Christ is inviting the young man (and us) to true richness – to live fully and authentically with an undivided heart not within an enclosed self but in friendship with God and others.

The young man goes away sad because, we are told, “…he had many possessions.” This is where we need to remember our Lord’s reaction to the young man; “Jesus, looking at him, loved him…” Our Lord’s love for the young man remains even as the young man is conflicted with a divided heart. Our Lord’s love for us remains even as we are conflicted with divided hearts!

On our own we cannot overcome the divisions and distractions in our hearts. Jesus himself tells us. “For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God.”

The gospel does not tell us where the young man’s life took him but I have hope that eventually he came around to the recognition that it is not about the ability to live the commandments by one’s own effort but rather about receiving the love and friendship of God into one’s heart. I have hope because the gospel says that Jesus loved the young man and that love remained even as the young man went away sad in the moment. I have hope that the young man learned that for God “all things are possible”.

The same hope remains for us. Yes, we all too often, have divided hearts but Christ looks on us with love, Christ continually invites us into friendship and for God “all things are possible”.

Thoughts on the Sunday readings: Politicians, Jesus and Zen Foxes

12 Saturday Sep 2015

Posted by in faith, homily, trust

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

Jesus - way, truth, lifeSo … we are into the presidential primary election season. Already the news is happily swamped with politicians posturing themselves. We, for our part, keep watching and asking ourselves, “Who is the one that seems to have that presidential timber and swagger?” In light of the political climate we find ourselves in as well as this Sunday’s gospel reading, a question to be entertained is, “If Jesus were running for my party’s nomination, would I vote for him?”

Truth be told, I do not think Jesus would receive many votes in either political party but I also do not think Jesus would really care! Throughout the gospel our Lord does the one thing that a politician would never do because the politician knows it to be political suicide: Jesus never confuses the illusion of control with true leadership and true personhood. Therefore, he never needs to pretend control. Our Lord is free of this temptation.

In today’s gospel (Mk. 8:27-35) we are told that Jesus is walking with his disciples and he asks them, “Who do people say that I am?” This question, itself, sets Jesus apart from the career politician. The politician says, “Let me tell you who I am. These are my skills… This is what I have achieved…” Jesus doesn’t do that, rather he asks, “Who do people say I am … who do you say I am?” Jesus knows full well who he is and what his purpose is but he does not impose himself. Rather, he waits. He allows the Father to work in the hearts of his followers and he allows his disciples to come to him. He allows them to come to the realization of who he is. Jesus does not force his disciples’ recognition. He needs neither to control nor manipulate the situation.

Then and only then, he begins to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer, be rejected, be killed and then rise. Imagine this as a political platform! We cannot and this is why Peter’s reaction is so perfect because it is our honest, human, knee-jerk reaction! “No, Lord, this cannot be! You do not need to suffer! You do not need to be rejected! You can control the situation! You are the Christ!”

But leadership and control are not necessarily synonymous. Our Lord wants to show us a different way of both authentic leadership and personhood. “Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do … whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it.”

Our Lord is showing us a way of living which can forego the illusion of control. Isn’t it interesting to note how so many times after our Lord performs a miracle he is quick to say to the person healed, “Your faith has made you well.”? He does not need to grasp that credit. In the fourth chapter of John’s gospel, our Lord says, “My food is to do the will of the one who sent me, and to complete his work.” (Jn. 4:34) Not my program, not my agenda, not my control but rather my Father’s will. Every moment of our Lord’s life was focused upon and directed in trust toward the Father’s will.

This letting go of the illusion of control is not a passive resignation akin to despair. It is far from that. Rather, it is the most active of stances in our world. It is learning to seek and make the choice for God’s will in all things and all situations. There is nothing passive about that. This is the one choice which can truly transform lives and the world itself!

One of my favorite social media sites is entitled ”Bored Panda Animals”. It is a site that hosts often stunning photography. Just this last week the site highlighted a photographer who captures images of foxes in the wild. These pictures are beautiful and they depict these animals completely relaxed, eyes closed, enjoying the breeze, Zen-like in their posture. The site also interviewed the photographer who shared how she is able to capture the photos of these wild animals so relaxed. “There’s a contradiction going on when it comes to capturing Zen foxes: the harder you try, the more you’ll move away from your goal. If you are too eager, an animal will sense that eagerness and will remain alert. I learned to do as foxes do, just being there and see what might happen.”

Let go of the illusion of control. It is not real. Learn to trust in the will of the Father.

Allow God to be God and trust.

“…whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it.”

Malawi and the Prosperity Gospel

04 Friday Sep 2015

Posted by in Christian living, life in Christ, martyrs, prosperity gospel, st. lawrence

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,

sad-African-childDuring my recent trip to visit our sister parish in Malawi I noticed that there are two groups very eager to make inroads into the country – the Chinese and Pentecostals. It is well known that the Chinese are searching the world for resources and this explains their presence in Malawi. The Pentecostals (sponsored by churches in the U.S.) are also very intent on Malawi and the gospel that they are proclaiming is the Prosperity Gospel. In a country that has a very young population burdened with chronic unemployment and underemployment, a proclamation of the gospel which stresses material blessings as reward for true faith is proving to be very tempting and appealing for many people.

In my reflection on this I was reminded of a post I wrote for the Feast of St. Lawrence in 2012. Below is the post and why the Christian martyrs are both a witness to the true gospel of Christ as well as standing in witness against the falsity of the prosperity gospel.

There is a malformation of the gospel occurring in our day and it is called the “Prosperity Gospel”.  The basic tenet of the Prosperity Gospel (from what I can tell) is that if you have faith then God will bless you abundantly (which means materially).  Faith leads to success in all of ones enterprises and endeavors and to comfort in ones life.  The Prosperity Gospel proclaims that you can indeed have your best life now!  This take on the Gospel is out there, it is prevalent and it has many adherents … the only problem is that it is not Christian.

My question to those who proclaim the Prosperity Gospel is this: if faith equals success, material blessings and comfort then why did Peter and Paul die penniless, in chains and – according to all counts – unsuccessful?  Was their faith not strong enough?  Did they not really believe in Christ as Lord and Savior?  And what about all the other martyrs of our faith (Lawrence included)?

The Prosperity Gospel leaves no room for the martyrs because they stand in witness against its basic tenet.

St. Lawrence was a deacon of the early Roman Church.  He lived his faith in a time when the Church was being persecuted.  Lawrence was known for his love of the poor and his service to them.  He also oversaw the temporal goods of the Roman Church.  This was widely known and at one point the prefect of Rome brought in Lawrence and demanded that he hand over the wealth of the church.  Lawrence asked for a few days to gather the wealth.  After a few days Lawrence once again came before the prefect and presented to him the poor, the beggars, the sick, the elderly, the foreigners and said, “Here, this is the treasure of the church!”  Lawrence was martyred (tradition has it by being grilled alive, this is why he is often pictured with a grill).

Lawrence knew that the true prosperity of the gospel is not found in material blessings but in the abundance of love which God has shown for us and which we, in turn, are to show to one another.  We have been loved abundantly so we, in turn, must also love abundantly!  The treasure of the church continues to be the poor, the outcast, the sick, the foreigner, the elderly, and the one who is hurting because they are the beloved of God and Christ is with them.  They might not count much to our world but they are precious in God’s eyes!

The abundance of love is the true prosperity of the gospel.

St. Lawrence and all holy martyrs, pray for us!

“Welcome!” A lesson learned in Malawi.

28 Friday Aug 2015

Posted by in Christian living, Malawi, sister parish

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

welcome“Welcome visitor! Welcome visitor! Welcome visitor!” The voices of the three year old children rang out as I stepped into their little class room at the St. John Paul II Children Nutrition Center outside of Blantyre, Malawi. The Center provides a nutritious lunch for children ages three to fourteen every day of the year. On average, the Center feeds at least six hundred children per day. The Center is run by the Community of Sant’Egidio and there is no charge for the families whose children receive a daily meal. This is just one of the many good works that I have witnessed this week in Malawi.

I and Deacon Frank Fischer are visiting St. Vincent de Paul Church in Blantyre. For both of us this is our first visit to Malawi and to Africa. We are being hosted by Fr. Ernest and Fr. Frank – the parish priests of St. Vincent’s.

St. Dominic Church in Kingsport, TN and St. Vincent Church in Blantyre, Malawi are beginning a new sister parish relationship and I am confident that the friendship will be a blessing to both communities! Malawi is a very poor country and certainly the generosity of St. Dominic Church financially can help St. Vincent Church tremendously but a sister parish is much more than just another monthly collection. It is an opportunity to enter into friendship and to be reminded that we are, in fact, connected one to another. In front of the messages of our world that often seek to divide and isolate; our Christian faith reminds us that we are all part of the family of God. When my brother and sister in Malawi hurts then I hurt. When my brother and sister grows stronger then I grow stronger. This is the same also on the Malawian side of the equation – our health is their health. Friendship in Christ is a grace that exceeds all worldly limits and allows for unforeseen blessings!

I know that a blessing I have already received in these days is a deeper awareness of welcome. “Welcome,” I have learned is a favorite word of Malawians. If there is one word I have heard over and over these past few days it is “welcome”. I have heard it not just from those three year olds but from all ages and all people and I have heard it in a variety of contexts.

I have learned that “welcome” should be more than just a quick and perfunctory greeting and to limit it to such a thing is to stunt its potential and possibility. In Malawi, I get the sense that when “welcome” is said it comes from a deep place of the heart. “Welcome” should be an opening of the heart. “I welcome you into my life and my day. I welcome you as a potential friend. I welcome you as a gift that God has provided for me in his providence. Because you are a gift, I take the time and I give the attention that warrants such a great gift.” “Welcome” can be, in fact, a way of living and a way of encountering other people, encountering the world in which we live and even encountering God, himself.

In the Letter of James we find these words: Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls. (James 1:21) Scripture reminds us that to live in welcome is indeed an attitude, a way of being, an approach to life and a spiritual discipline. When I live in welcome I choose to live in hope and in trust. I choose to believe that friendship can last a lifetime and that great and unforeseen blessings can come from friendship!

Our world is often rushed, exasperated, tired and cynical. We don’t have to live this way. We can learn the lessons of welcome and new life and new possibilities can be discovered!

As Deacon Frank and I have visited St. Vincent’s these few days we have been welcomed into the heart of this community. We have also, in the name of St. Dominic parish, offered welcome to our brothers and sisters in the parish of St. Vincent de Paul.

Welcome! We look forward to this friendship! We recognize one another as a gift given from the very providence of God!