Are You a Holy Person?

Imagine a church full of people on Sunday morning.  If I asked the congregation to raise their hands if they see themselves as holy people, what do you think would happen?   What percentage of people would raise their hands? 

I’m probably going to test this out. If I do, I’ll let you know what happens.

My guess is that maybe 25% of the congregation would raise their hands.  I think most people wouldn’t, because I think we have a distorted sense of what it means to be holy.  Holiness is not perfection. It is a basic path or orientation to Jesus Christ in life.  And a holy person who falls, knows how to get up and continue on the Way.

St. Paul addressed many of his letters with words like these : “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the holy ones who are in Ephesus, faithful to Christ Jesus…” (Eph.1:1). Who are the ‘holy ones’? People who were part of the Christian Community, engaged in the daily struggle to live faithfully. 

In this light, are you a holy person?

                                            Serving the Poor – Dilemmas

Last weekend we heard the parable of the final judgment.  It is based on our care for the hungry, the stranger, the imprisoned, etc.  Jesus concludes: “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least ones, you did for me.” (Mt. 25:40)

Dilemma 1. Did you notice the following wording? “When the Son of Man comes in His glory…all the nations will be assembled before Him.  And He will separate them, one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats…” Does that mean we will be judged as a nation?  That makes me a little nervous.  How about you? 

Dilemma 2. I get the part about caring for the poor and the marginalized.  But Jesus doesn’t distinguish…like I tend to do…between the ‘deserving poor’ and the ‘undeserving poor’. The poor are simply the poor.  What do you think about that?    

Think of St. Teresa of Calcutta. Her helpers brought dying people to her centers every day.  They were bathed, given clean clothing, food and shelter until they died. No questions. She simply understood that all of them deserved to be cared for.       

                                                                 Integrity

A couple weeks ago the Gospel highlighted the roots of the conflict between Jesus and some of the Scribes and Pharisees. (Mt. 23:1-12)  Jesus looked into their hearts and saw that they were not people of integrity.  They neglected to do the very things that they told other people to do. For Jesus, hypocricy is the ‘worst sin’.

Jesus encourages His disciples and us to avoid falling into that same trap.

But it’s easy to be pretentious and to wear ‘holy’ masks.  I can profess to be committed to loving others in one breath, and then criticize people behind their backs with the next breath. (I do this all the time with politicians!) Or I can tell children not to lie, but then fabricate a story to explain away something I actually forgot to do.      

When was the last time you told someone to do something that you don’t always do?   

Being a person of integrity means owning up to our duplicity and committing ourselves to make our actions match our words. I have some work to on this. What about you?

                                                        Unexpected People

Several weekends ago, the first reading from Isaiah (45:1, 4-6) told us about Cyrus, whom God  called to free the Jews from their 70 year Babylonian Captivity. 

The Babylonian Captivity occurred in 607 BC. When King Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem and destroyed the Temple. Then he forced the Jews to leave their homeland and live as captives in Babylon (60 miles from modern day Baghdad, Iraq).

The amazing thing is that Cyrus was not a Jew!

So God put someone completely unexpected into the lives of His people. He even called Cyrus ‘his anointed’ which means a ‘messiah’!  And in addition to freeing the captives, Cyrus also rebuilt their temple.

Think about unexpected people that God has put into your life.  Remember their stories and some specific ways that they affected you.   Make a Top Ten list of them.  If they are still alive, send them a message to say ‘Thanks’ and tell them how they impacted your life. 

                                               Tending the Holy

I attended a special prayer service at Sacred Heart Parish on a recent Friday night.  A wonderful atmosphere arose from good readings and the repetitive, moving music of Taize. This refrain still haunts me: ”Sacred is the call, awesome indeed the entrustment: tending the holy, tending the holy.”

What does it mean to tend the holy? 

Maybe we tend the holy when we stoke the fire of the Holy One within. Or maybe we tend the holy by simply sitting silently, muting all our inner chatter.    

Or maybe we tend the holy when we help the man with the flat tire or hug the woman who mourns her husband or lend money to the one whose pension is spent.

On a plane ride home from Israel I think I tended the holy when I held the fussy baby whose mom went to the restroom. What a surprise that was for me.   

How have you recently ‘tended the holy’?

                                                 Majorities and Minorities

The biggest problem in the early church was integrating Gentiles into the Christian community. It was a real mess until Sts. Peter and Paul had a meeting of the minds in the Council of Jerusalem. (Acts 15)  They agreed that Gentiles didn’t have to follow most Jewish customs. So the Gentile church group grew and it ultimately became the majority. 

That situation comes to mind as we face similar issues in our country and in our Catholic Churches too. Demographic studies tell us that within 30 years Anglos will be a minority in the USA.    

I assume that’s why White Supremacist groups are on the rise. 

It’s not easy being a minority. Just ask Latinos or Blacks who’ve had to deal with that reality for a very long time.

In the light of this, what can Pastors or Congregations do to oppose hate groups and to help our communities face the new reality? What have we learned as the ethnic make-up of our Churches and Pastors has changed over recent years?  What helps us and what hinders us?   Send email responses and comments to rjgramza@gmail.com

                                                   Where Are You From?

Timothy W. Obrien wrote an article for the August 7^th edition of America entitled: The Discomforts of Home.  He says: “For migrants and Christians alike, the question ‘Where are you from?’ is haunting and elusive.

This is what I think he means.  Refugees and migrants are caught between homelands.  If someone asks where they are from, what should they say?  Christians are caught between homelands too.  We have our eathly homeland, but we also have a heavenly one.  Sometimes it’s hard to pledge allegiance to both of them. 

Here is a case in point.  It is the issue of the ‘DACA’ children who were brought here by their parents when they were much younger.  For most of them, the USA is the only country they know.  So, where are they from?   

Pope Francis says that the treatment of the ‘DACA’ children is a ‘pro-life issue’.  That’s such a good way to see a common meeting place for our two homelands. 

Are there other ways that our heavenly and earthly homelands are in sync?  Can you name times when our two homelands are in conflict?

                                                          Passion

Today, August 29^th, is the feast of ‘The Passion of St. John the Baptist’.  I never noticed that title before.  I always thought it was called the ‘Beheading’ of St. John the Baptist.  But the word ‘Passion’ adds a new dimension.  First of all, the connection to the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ becomes crystal clear.

What’s more, the word ‘Passion’ has a double meaning.  It not only describes the details of John’s suffering and death.  It also describes the strength of John’s commitment, his passion for being honest and faithful no matter what it would cost. He didn’t back down.  John gave his whole life to his calling.

Questions:  What’s the current passion in your life?  What was it when you were 20 or 40?  For what would you be willing to die?

Here's some follow-up to Jesus’ question from last week: “Who do you say that I am?” Annette says: “He is my anchor.” Terri mentions that He’s the one I can “lean on”. Don says: He’s the center of my heart.” Konni calls the Lord: “My Graceland.” And Sheila adds: “He’s my bridge over troubled water.” Thanks for those wonderful responses!

                              “Who Do You Say that I am?” (Mt. 16:15)

                                                        

Jesus poses this question to His disciples when He takes them to a remote place for a retreat-like conversation.  Prepare yourself for next weekend’s Gospel by answering Jesus’question: “Who do you say that I am?”

Here are some suggestions to prime the pump. 

Jesus is my safety pin that holds things together when I think they’re going to fall apart.  He is a magnet that draws me close to Him.  He is the core of my being and I am the apple of His eye.  He is the oasis I seek when I feel like I’m in a desert.

Jesus is the potter and I am the clay.  He is the vine and I am a branch.  He is my anchor that keeps me from drifting and drowning.  He is the hub around which my life revolves. He is my compass by day and my north star by night. 

Jesus is my companion on the journey.  He stays with me even when I take detours. He is my Good Shepherd who finds me when I am lost, and He puts me on His shoulders to carry me home.  He is the still point at the end of my journey.

I’d like to hear your descriptions of who Jesus is for you.  Please send them to me at: rjgramza@gmail.com    Thanks!

                                           Don’t Die Before your Dead

Jesus says: “I came that you might have life and have it to the full.” (Jn 10:10)

Mary was in Home Hospice Care for 7 months before brain cancer took her life.  But she wasn’t worried about it.  She showed no fear.  She never said: “Why me?”  She didn’t complain.  The Hospice Nurses and her family gave her great care.  And her mom and I brought her Communion…food for the journey…nearly every week. 

She died recently. Her breathing was very shallow and her husband knew it wouldn’t be long.  So what did he do?  He got an ice cream bar from the freezer and shared it with Mary.  She ate some of it and so did he. 20 minutes later, she took her last breath. 

Mary didn’t die before she was dead.  She lived her life fully until the end. 

Anxieties, worries, regrets and fears can deaden us.  They disguise the fact that we can’t control everything. They keep us from living the present moment.  And that’s sad.

Doesn’t sharing ice cream with a loved one just before dying sound pretty good?   

What does it mean to live life fully?  What deadens your spirit? What and/or who could help you die with grace? 

                                                   Hidden Treasures

“The kingdom of God is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all he has and buys that field.” (Mt 13:44)

In his commentary on this parable, Bishop Sklba says that parables are normally about God. And he suggests that this parable may point out that God hides treasures for us to discover.* Where does God bury them?  My guess is that they’re buried in our hearts. 

That helps me explain the recent discovery of some self-love, which was hidden in my heart for as long as I can remember.  Growing up with a negative self-image, led me to a variety of insecurities and ways to put myself down.  With the help of a good spiritual director and some trusted friends, I’ve finally uncovered the treasure of self-love. 

It makes a huge difference.  It clearly affects the way that I love my neighbors.

Are there some treasures hidden in your heart?  What could those treasures be and who could help you find them?  Take some time to think about this…and then…start digging! 

*Bishop Sklba’s commentary is found on page 294 of “Fire Starters”.

                                                Wheat and Weeds

A man sows wheat in his field.  But an enemy sows weeds in that same field.  When the wheat sprouts, umpteen weeds also pop up. The servants want to pull out the weeds  But the landowner says: “Don’t do that. You’ll also pull out the wheat.  Wait until harvest. Then we’ll separate the wheat from the weeds.” (Mt.13:24-30)

At harvest, the wheat was stored in barns and the weeds tied in bundles for burning. 

It’s a parable about the mix of people in God’s Kingdom.  The wheat is the group of committed disciples.  The weeds are the rascals who persistently sin.     

Are you the wheat or the weeds?

I’m both.  I want to be kind, but sometimes I’m selfish.  I want to be honest, but sometimes I fib. I want to pray well but then I fall asleep.  What will happen to me?

Here’s my hope.  The grain is in the barn.  And the weeds tied up in bundles for burning.  Both of them had a purpose.  The grain was a source of food.  And the weeds provided fuel for the ovens and kindling for camp fires on chilly nights.

The bottom line is: Our merciful God loves the whole package that we are.  That’s the best news I’ve heard in a long time.

                                                      Sowers of Seeds

“A sower went out to sow some seeds…” (Mt 13:3b) So starts a section of parables in Matthew’s Gospel. Jesus was a genius at telling these stories which made various points and which often had twists or surprises that captivated His audience.

The ‘Sower’ parable is among the most famous.  The usual interpretation is that God sows seeds on the hard, rocky, thorny or good soil in our hearts. In spite of everything, there is a 30, 60, or 100 fold return.  (Such a return was a twist because farmers of Jesus’ day were used to a ‘good’ return of only 4 or 5 fold.)  So the crowd was entertained, but they were also left thinking and talking about what Jesus meant.   

But this parable can also be about us as sowers. Don’t parents and grandparents try to sow good seeds in their children and grandchildren?  Name a few seeds you’ve tried to sow.  Can you see how some of them are bearing fruit?

Think about people who sowed particular seeds in you when you were young. Who sowed which seeds in you that are producing a good harvest now? 

What kind of seeds will you sow this week?

                                                                 The Bathroom Mirror

If you tend to see what’s negative about yourself before you see what’s positive, you might like to make a copy of the following reminder.  It will help you see yourself the way that God sees you.  I have a copy of this in my bathroom, where I see it every morning. 

                                                             Creator God,

                                          Thank you for making me in your image.

                                                              Merciful God,

                                   Thank you for loving the whole package that I am.

How do you take after God?  When others see you and know you, how do they know that you are God’s child?

                                                                     Martyrs

Chapter 10 of Matthew’s Gospel contains Jesus’ Missionary Discourse, in which He prepares His disciples for their work. He is particularly concerned that His disciples be ready to face persecution.  To that end He says: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul.” (Mt. 10:28) 

Those words were especially appropriate for Matthew’s audience in 80 A.D., when his Gospel text was written down. It was a terrible period of persecution and martyrdom for anyone who dared to identify themselves as friends of Jesus and followers of ‘The Way’.   

In 1994, Pope John Paul II said: “At the end of the second millennium, the church has once again become a church of martyrs.”  Pope Francis echos the same message for the 21^st Century. Search online for 21^st Century Martyrs.  You will see names like Clement Shahbaz Bhatti and Annalena Tonelli. 

Mr. Bhatti was shot by a fringe group in Pakistan because he defended the rights of the Christian minority.  Ms. Tonelli was shot because she operated a hospital that cared for tuberculosis patients and victims of HIV/AIDS in Somalia. As lay witnesses to their faith, they are on the road to canonization.   

Could you be a martyr?  I’d like to think I could. But honestly, I’m not sure.  For which teachings of our faith might you be willing to die?

                                                The Movie Version of Your Life

                                        (A Lighthearted Summertime Reflection)

A while ago a ‘Ted Talk’ presenter said something like: “We are the lead actors in the story of our lives”.  That language got me to think about seeing the thread of our lives as a movie.    

So, imagine that you’re writing the script for the movie version of your life.  What would the core message be?  Name 2 or 3 real-life incidents that would capture your basic story line.   Include a time of crisis in your life.  

The Ted Talk presenter also said something like: “Everyone else in our lives are ‘supporting actors and actresses’.”   Name your real-life best supporting actors and actresses…people who made/make a big difference in the unfolding of your life.   

How would you show your relationship with God in the movie?  Is/was there a particular incident in your life when you just knew that God was with you?  How would you depict that moment?       

If God/Jesus were to name the film of your life, what would it be called?

                                         Visiting Jesus in the Middle of the Night

In last Sunday’s Gospel we heard Jesus’ famous sentence: “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life.”  (John 3:16)  Jesus is speaking to Nicodemus, a member of the Sanhedrin, who comes to talk to Jesus at night.   

Why does Nicodemus seek Jesus out at night?  My hunch is that he doesn’t want to be seen with Jesus in public.  As a member of the Sanhedrin, he’s probably afraid of what his friends might think. He’s not exactly a wholehearted disciple!     

But when Jesus dies, Nicodemus comes into the light to help bury Him.     

Do you ever worry about people who grow up in our faith, but rarely go to church?  Maybe they are like Nicodemus. Maybe they also talk to Jesus ‘in the middle of the night’... when they’re in trouble and don’t know where to turn.  In fact, I bet they do.     

Nicodemos became a Saint.  His feast day is August 31^st.

This week let’s pray for people like Nicodemus who may be hidden friends of Jesus.  And let’s pray for ourselves, that we’ll be less judgmental and as accepting of others as Jesus was.

                                                         How’s Your Conscience?

As I get older I have some regrets.  I think about people I hurt when I was younger.  Some of those early errors had long-lasting effects.  They shaped relationships.  Regrets like these drive me buggy.  I wondered if other people experience the same thing.       

So I brought this issue to my spiritual director who assured me that I am not alone. He said that psychological studies show that many people develop ‘more sensitive consciences’ as they get older.  Later in life we often see what we couldn’t see sooner.    

That comforted me. But now the problem is what can I do about it?  I know I can pray for people I hurt.  But that doesn’t seem enough.  Mulling it over, I remembered that 12 step programs address this issue.  Steps 8 and 9 include compiling a list of people that we harmed and making direct amends to them when possible.

So I’m trying to do this. It’s a little awkward, but it feels like the right thing to do. 

How sensitive is your conscience?  Do you have similar regrets?  Will you join me in making amends to people we’ve hurt in the past…or maybe more recently?    

                                                               Fending for the Jailer

During Easter we hear many readings from the Acts of the Apostles.  Last Tuesday’s reading was an unusual story about Paul and Silas who were in prison in Philippi. (Acts 16:22-34) The jailer was told to guard them securely and he did so.  But in the middle of the night there was an earthquake that shook “the foundations of the jail”.  All the doors flew open and the chains of the prisoners were pulled loose.

If you were unjustly jailed and the doors flew open and your chains loosened, what would you do?

I would get my fanny out of that jail as fast as I could! 

But not Paul and Silas.  As Paul suspected, when the jailer realized happened he was ready to kill himself. And Paul shouted: “Don’t harm yourself; we are here.”  They didn’t want to cause problems for the jailer. And the jailer was so touched that they fended for him, that he became a follower of Christ! 

Fending for those who don’t seem to count for much in this world, is what followers of Christ do. Name some people who have fended for you when the chips were down in your life. Consider contacting one of them to just say “Thanks”.  For whom have you fended recently?

                                                             Last Words

When do your loved ones tell you the most important things they want you to hear?

My experience is that I’m more likely to hear those things in an intimate moment or when some kind of crisis is pending or when death is on someone’s mind.     

So it is with Jesus.  In John’s Gospel He raises the most important things He wants His disciples to hear at the Last Supper.  Once the washing of the feet is over and Judas has been dispatched to do what he is going to do, Jesus spends a lot of time telling the others what he really wants them to remember when He’s gone. 

In that context we hear things like:  “Love one another,”  “Remain in my love,” “I will always be with you,” “Don’t let your hearts be troubled,” “I will send you another comforter,” “You will see me again.”

When He says those things His disciples don’t exactly understand what he is talking about.  Only in hindsight does all of that make sense.

What are the most important things you have heard from your loved ones?  What are the things you ultimately want to say to the people you love?  

                                                         The Answer is: The Way

                                       Read  Acts 9:2, Acts 19:23, and Acts 24:14. 

So ‘The Way’ was the earliest name for the growing group of Jesus’ followers after His dying and rising.  They were people on The Way. The source of that description, in Jesus’ own words, is found in John’s Gospel 14:4-6a. It was in last weekend’s Gospel text.

Jesus says: “Where I’m going, you know the way.” And Thomas says: “We don’t know where you're going.  How can we know the way?” And Jesus responds: “I am the way.”

The Way not only indicates Jesus’ path but also Jesus’ way of life.  Jesus' path includes His journey from equality with God, to becoming a ‘slave’ who washes feet, is rejected and crucified. His way of life is unconditional love for people like you and me.

At what point in your life did you become serious about following ‘The Way’ of Jesus? How does that affect the way you live? What’s the hardest part about doing that?  Can you name a particular time when you felt Jesus’ unconditional love for you?    

                                                Jesus the Shepherd and the Gate

The figure of the ‘Good Shepherd’ is the oldest image of Christ depicted in the catacombs of Rome.  It was drawn and etched on the underground burial sites, where the earliest Christian martyrs are buried.  It was a sign of hope and comfort in the risen Lord.

Jesus amplifies that image by adding that He is also the Sheepgate. (Jn. 10:7) This refers to the entrance to the pen where the sheep were kept at night to protect them from wild animals and thieves.  Frequently the ‘gate’ was a shepherd who would lay down across the opening.  As ‘the gate’, Jesus shows that He is willing to lay down His life for us too. 

These images tell us something about who Jesus is for us.  But they also tell us what Jesus wants us to be for each other. 

How is Jesus your Good Shepherd? (Pause and reflect).  Besides Jesus, can you name others who are good shepherds to you?  Think of people for whom you have been a good shepherd? Lastly, who lays down his/her life for you and how do you lay down your life for others?

                                         Listening with Love to Someone’s Story

On the road to Emmaus two disciples are walking away from Jerusalem, leaving behind their community and their hopes in Jesus.  As they travel that road, Jesus appears as a stranger and walks with them.  After asking them what they are talking about, they give Him a blow by blow account of Jesus’ arrest, crucifixion, death on a cross and the empty tomb.  

Jesus, the stranger, listens with love to their whole story.  Only then does He explain the scriptures which describe the messiah and the new life he will bring.  He stirs hope in the disciples and they welcome the stranger to dinner. Finally, in the breaking of the bread, they realize that the stranger is Jesus, who is alive!   

Telling our stories and being listened to is key to true human and divine love. 

Here’s a truth about me.  I’m good at listening to someone’s story…for a while.  But  then I start thinking of my own story...not paying such close attention to my friend any more. And I often start telling my story before my friend is done telling his.  I wish I didn’t do that.

How good are you at listening to people’s stories?

                                                        The Easter Surprise

The resurrected Christ appears to His disciples in unexpected places and often in disguise. And He always brings peace, hope and joy.

To the astonishment of His disciples, Jesus appeared to them on Easter Day when they were hiding in a room with locked doors. 

On that same day He appeared as a ‘stranger’ walking with the 2 disciples on the road to Emmaus. Only at supper did they recognize Him in the breaking of the bread.

Also on that day, Mary Magdalene thought Jesus was the gardener and asked him where he put the body. When Jesus called her name, she finally realized that the ‘gardener’ was Jesus.

I know that the Resurrected Christ is still among us.  It’s just that He appears in people and places where we least expect Him...bringing us peace, hope and joy.

Since Easter Sunday, how has the Risen Lord appeared to you? Have you seen Him in your spouse or your family or a friend?  How do others see the peace, hope and joy of the risen Lord in you?  Take 10 minutes to just think about these things.

                                                                Empty Tombs

One of my favorite spiritual writers is Ronald Rohlheiser.  In 2015 he puplished a wonderful little book entitled: The Passion and the Cross.  In the final chapter, he described an Easter card he received.  On the cover it simply said: Happy Easter.  But inside the card was this thought-provoking sentence: “May you leave behind you a string of empty tombs.”

I’m still wrestling with that sentence.  I think it means that just as our resurrected Lord left behind a tomb that was empty of death, so should we leave behind whatever deadens us, since we have also died and risen with Christ in our baptisms.

Think about this.  Inside of our hearts there can be little crevices filled with harsh judgments, or feelings of anger over a past hurt, or a hidden jealousy.  Maybe we still harbor a resentment or some prejudice against another person or a group of people, or a feeling of shame about something of which we have never spoken.   

If the forgiveness of the Risen Christ is truly in us, if the joy, peace and hope of the Risen Christ fills us up, then those crevices, harbours and tombs will be empty.   

Name something entombed in your heart, from which you’d like to be freed. 

                                                           Dying Practice

If we want to be good at cooking or playing sports or speaking a foreign language, we have to practice.  I think the same is true when it comes to dying. 

What does it mean to practice dying?  First of all, let me tell you what it doesn’t mean.  It doesn’t mean laying down on the couch and pretending you're in your casket!  Practicing dying is a much more positive experience.

It’s what parents often do. When my mom was pregnant with me in 1947, my dad took a second job to replace our ice-box with a refrigerator.  He did that to help us. He died to himself 3 days a week and every other weekend for many years. 

I die to myself when I bite my lip before I say something hurtful. I die to myself when I don’t insist on my own way or when I respond to someone’s call for help.  I die to myself when I do good things that are hard to do or when I swallow my pride to respond with love.

Jesus gave his life away many times before He died.  He asks us to do the same.

Last week, how did you die to yourself?  How can you give your life away during Holy Week?  It’s a great time to get some ‘dying practice’.

                                                        Blind Men and  Women 

Last weekend’s gospel about the healing of the blind man caused me to think about my own kinds of blindness.  Here’s my story.

Do you remember how some medieval heretics were burned at the stake over questions about what revolved around what?  Was it the sun around the earth or the earth around the sun?  In a similar way I’m guilty of my own occasional planetary heresy.  It’s called ‘Thinking the World Revolves Around Me’.     

Here are my symptoms.  When I feel overwhelmed by too much stuff or I think I got the short end of the stick or I’m in a funky mood, I can fairly easily slide into a kind of ‘pity-party’ for myself.  When I do that, I’m like the blind man. I don’t see the blessings and graces that are all over the place!  I hate that when it happens.     

So I pray that the Lord will heal me from my self-centered blindness and from other blindness too…like taking things for granted or judging people before I know their stories.  

From what kinds of blindness do you suffer? Ask the Lord for healing from your blindness before you leave this blog. 

                                                        She Had Five Husbands 

What a remarkable story about the woman at the well in last Sunday’s Gospel. (Jn 4:5-42) Jesus broke multiple taboos when He visited Samaria, spoke to this woman publicly, used the same utensil she used, and welcomed her as a woman disciple.  No other Rabbi of His time would have done any of those things.     

And He does them knowing that she had 5 husbands and then lived with another man.

Why would Jesus do this?  Although Jesus was thirsty and asked her for a drink, Jesus knew that she was thirsty too.   He knew about the marriages.  And He understood her situation of being belittled and maliciously judged.  She was thirsty for kindness and acceptance.

When we hear about the five husbands, our eyebrows raise and we jump to conclusions that are probably wrong.  There were laws in Samaria that allowed men to buy women and sell them whenever they wanted.  Imagine being bought and sold 5 times and finally gaining her freedom…only to be shunned by her own people.

Why are we so quick to judge people before we know their stories? When have you been on the giving or receiving end of that kind of judgment?

                                                “You Are My Beloved Son”

                                                             (Mt. 17:1-9)

                              Or God could say: “You are my beloved daughter.”

While Jesus is uniquely the Son of God and we heard God’s voice proclaim that truth in last weekend’s Transfiguration story, God can also say the same things about us.  Aren’t we also God’s sons and daughters by virtue of our baptisms?  And doesn’t God fully love us too?

Sometimes that’s hard for me to believe. I suppose that’s because I know what a jerk I can be once in a while. But God’s love is unconditional and He loves me even when I am a jerk! It doesn’t seem possible, but it’s true!

I repeat what I said in an earlier blog: God loves the whole package that we are.

Make a list of 3 or 4 things that God sees in you and loves very much. Close your eyes and imagine hearing God's voice, saying those things to you.

Are there some people that you don’t see as beloved brothers and sisters? Name a couple of people. What does God sees in them that you don’t see?

                                                                  Confession

Is my guilty conscience catching up to me, or am I a bigger sinner than I used to be? I notice that I’m going to confession more frequently these days. (I have friends who would say that I’ve always been a big sinner…it’s just that I’ve lived in denial for too long!!!) 

Periodically someone tells me that they don’t go to to confession because they don’t know what to confess. They say “I don’t kill anyone and I don’t steal anything, and I’m too old to break the 6^th commandment.  So what would I say?”

As a result, confessionals can be pretty lonely places on Saturday afternoons.

  

Here are some other sins: jealousy, pride, stubbornness, impatience, hypocrisy, talking about the faults of others, gossip, self-centeredness, passive aggressiveness, trying to control others, grumpiness, lying, putting guilt trips on others, judging people harshly, prejudice, feeling sorry for ourselves, putting people down, not doing the good we could have done.

Thanks to a couple Lenten groups for their help in compiling this examination of conscience for us older folks.   

Are there other sins you might add?

                                                                Hypocrisy

In Ash Wednesday’s Gospel, Jesus refers to the three traditional Lenten practices which are prayer, fasting and almsgiving.(Mt 6:1-6, 16-18) In that context He tells us not to act like the hypocrites who perform these practices for people to see.

Hypocrisy was a major issue for Jesus.  He saw it in some of the Scribes and Pharisees.  They pretended to be holy, but they weren’t.  They told people what to do, but they didn’t do it themselves. 

I hate to admit it, but sometimes I’m a hypocrite too.

Recently I gave a homily about loving our enemies. But the truth is that I tend to demonize people I don’t agree with…people I see as the enemy...including some church and government officials. So I tell people to love their enemy, but I don’t do it myself. That makes me a hypocrite. I need to go to confession!

What about you?  Can you see how you are hypocritical sometimes?  Can you name a couple  examples? Have you ever confessed that sin?  Lent is a good time for us to face it.

                                                    An Unconventional Life

Jesus said, “When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one as well.” (Mt 5:39)  Commentators tell us that being struck on the right cheek meant that the perpetrator used the back of his hand to strike the victim.  That would have been a huge insult which invariably would have started a fist fight.    

To most people in Jesus’ day, turning the other cheek was laughable.  More committed people might not have laughed, but they certainly would have winced.

Jesus was an unconventional person.  He touched lepers.  He cast out demons.  He raised the dead. He cured the blind and the lame.  He told us to love our enemies.  He turned over the tables in the Temple.  He forgave the soldiers who nailed Him to the cross.  He did these unconventional things out of love.  And conventional people killed Him.

Jesus is our role model.  He wants us to do what He did.

Name some unconventional things you've done out of love.  Name a person you admire, who does unconventional things out of love.  Have you or they suffered because of it?

                                                       Rigidity or Gray Areas

I read a story about a child who was called ‘the attorney general’ by her extended family. After being told that she could only ride her bike in the driveway, she posed several questions. “If I go over the crack between the driveway and the road, does that count?   And if my shadow crosses the line, does that count?” *

The child’s idea was that she needed to rigidly comply with the rule. But her parents idea was to make sure she would be safe.    

For a long time I approached God’s commandments like that little ‘attorney general’. As a result I missed seeing God’s love for me/us as the underpinning of all God’s laws. 

When we see God’s love as the root of the law, then it gets easier to understand that rigidity is not always the goal.  As Pope Francis says: “There has to be room for some ‘gray areas'.” And, of course, that describes Jesus’ approach to the laws He observed…but sometimes didn’t…like healing or feeding people on the Sabbath Day.

Name laws that demand rigid compliance.  I can only think of two.  Can you guess which two I’m thinking of?  When did you understand the idea of gray areas in making choices?  Think of a recent choice you made that fell into a ‘gray area’.

*Sr. Mary McGlone for Celebration: Preaching Resources, 02/12/17  

                                                                    Salt

Jesus said: “You are the salt of the earth.  If salt looses its taste…it is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” (Matthew 5:13)

Listen to this.  In Jesus’ day, salt was added to camel and donkey dung to form fuel patties for their cooking ovens.  The salt gave off sparks which kept the fire burning. When the salt lost its ‘sparkiness’.  It was good for nothing but to be shoveled out onto muddy walkways.  Then the ovens were re-stocked with new fuel patties.  

In this light,  Jesus asks us to be sparks. Sparks that energize faith and keep the fire of love burning within and among us.     

Recently I offered a ‘Culver’s challenge at St. Patrick’s Parish.  The question: Who said, ‘God has cast down the mighty and lifted up the lowly?’  Only Elias, a 12 year old server, knew that it was Mary.  His response buoyed me. It left me thinking that our church is in good hands with young people like Elias.  So he was a spark for me.  

Think of a person who recently sparked your faith or who sparks your faith community. How do you spark the fire of God’s love in others?

                                                                    Secrets

There’s an interesting story in Mark’s Gospel (5:25-34). It is about a woman who has been hemorrhaging for 12 years.  That meant she was unclean and that every person or thing she touched was considered unclean too … for all that time.   And for all that time she lived a secret life.  In a crowd of people she touched Jesus and she was cured.

Jesus felt ‘power’ go out of Him and He turned around to look for the person who touched Him.  When Jesus saw her, she came to Jesus “in fear and trembling” and she told Him everything. 

That poor woman carried her secret with her for 12 years.  And she hoped she could be cured in secret too.  But her secrets were now known to Jesus and He healed her body and her troubled soul.  What a relief for her!  No more secrets.

Do you have some secrets that you have carried for a long time?  Do they trouble you?  Would you be embarrassed if they were made known?  Say them aloud to Jesus in a prayer. And be at peace.  He has always known them and He has always loved you anyway.    

                                      Stay Awake! The Lord Is Coming

                                                                11-29-16

The Lord is always coming into our lives. But I rarely notice it except in hindsight.  Only then do I wake up and see where God was. Take, for example, Thanksgiving Day.

Before mass at Siena Center, a Dominican Leader announced that Sr. Agnes had just died. There was an audible sigh at that news. Sharing the sign of peace, I shook the hand of a Sister who simply sobbed. Another Sister came to hold her hand until mass ended. Then the bereft Sister thank the one who consoled her.  And they hugged.  God was there.

At 1:00pm we ate at my brother’s house. Susan, my sister-in-law, also invites her sister and their family to the meal.  I asked one of their sons what he does now. He said: “I teach first grade in special education and, after school, I tutor a 17 year old autistic boy”. I was stunned, realizing that all 4 children and their mom are involved in the same things. God is in that family. 

Ready to go home, I said my ‘good-byes’ and Susan gave me a ‘care package’. Ham, turkey, 2 pieces of pumpkin pie and freshly made dinner rolls. She not only makes the meal and deals with the aftermath, she also sends food home with us.  She’s a gem.  God is in her too.

Where was God in your Thanksgiving?  In what people and/or situations have you seen God in the last day or two?

                                                               My Best Christmas

                                                                      12-06-16

My best Christmas comes down to a few words from my dad.  It was 1990 and the first time we were together for Christmas in 5 years.  (I’d been working the the Dominican Republic during those previous years.)

After opening the gifts we were talking about our family.  In that context, dad shared one of his regrets.  His regret was spending very little time with my older brother and me when we were kids.  He had a full time day job and he worked part time three nights a week and every other weekend.  Not much time or energy to play ball with us.   

I’d felt that void with my dad for a long time.  We weren’t very close.  But his regret moved me.  It meant that he understood what had happened. His regret was an act of love. It was an unexpected gift that really touched my heart.  So, out my 68 Christmases, that was the best one.        

Isn’t it amazing that a few unexpected words would make such a difference?  What unexpected thing could you say to someone this Christmas time?  Touching someone’s heart with honest loving words is more valuable than a new laptop or a piece of jewelry or a fancy dinner.  And if words fail you, just give the gift of your time.

                                                         

                                        

                                         Take Fewer Things for Granted…

                                                             12-13-16

I recently heard an interview with Brother David Steindl-Rast on NPR.  The program was On Being.  Brother David’s focus was ‘Joy”.  In that context he said, “If you take fewer things for granted, you will increase your joy.”  That caught my attention.  So I immediately grabbed a pad of paper and wrote it down. 

Joy is one of the good wishes that many Christmas cards offer.  But joyful words can fall on unreceptive ears. Many of us feel dispirited because of the stress and expectations that accompany our Christmas celebrations.  So joy eludes us.

Brother David’s insight helped me.  I started a list of taken-for-granted things.  Eyesight, hearing and every breath I take.  The smell of coffee or of bacon frying in the pan and the feel of warm blankets and warm water for a daily shower. My car, my phone and even my ‘blasted’ computer!  Great friends, family, hugs, laughter, ice cream! And my faith.

If you take fewer things for granted, you will increase your joy. 

When I reread my list, I smile.  They are such gifts.  Make your own list of things you take for granted and have a more joyful Christmas.

                                                         The Anxiety of Joseph

                                                                 12-20-16

In 1890, James Tissot painted a picture he called, ‘The Anxiety of Joseph’.  It shows St. Joseph leaning on his workbench, with a chisel in his hand, staring out the window, motionless. It captures the state of St. Joseph’s mind between his discovery that Mary was pregnant and some days later when he took her into his home.

Long days of worry, stress, anxiety and a haunting dream.  What happened to Mary?  How could she be pregnant?  Who did she have relations with?  What did the nosy neighbors think and his friends?  What to do?  What did God want? Divorce her quietly and go on with his life? Be the father of a child that wasn’t his? 

Anxiety quelled. with an open heart, he trusted God. Not a perfect Christmas. No room in the inn.  Herod’s murderous threats.  Birth in a barn. But Emmanuel - God was with them.     

Anxiety and Christmas…No surprise to us.  What are your Christmas worries and fears?  Family squabbles? Health issues? The gifts? The meal? Who goes to church, who doesn’t?

Not a perfect Christmas, but a pretty good one. Emmanuel - God is with us too. 

                                                     


                                               Emmanuel and the Shepherds

                                                                12-27-16

Yesterday I baptized five-week-old beautiful twin girls. What a great blessing! Afterwards I relooked at the baptismal text in Matthew 28:20. It contains Jesus final words to His disciples: “I am with you always….”

Similar prophetic words were relayed to St. Joseph by an angel in a dream: “You shall name Him Emmanuel…a name which means God-is-with-us.” Mt. 1:23   

It’s easy to see that God-is-with-us in newborn children and when we can count many blessings.  It’s not so easy to see God-is-with-us if we are ignored or put down or seen as marginal people who count for nothing.   

That’s why the shepherds were the first ones invited to the manger.

The shepherds weren’t warm, gentle folk as we’ve been led to believe.  In fact, I recently read that they were more like the ‘Hell’s Angels’of the 1st century! Rough characters, never accepted by polite society. They didn’t even go to synagogues because they were ‘unclean’.  But God especially chose them.  Why? What did God see in them? 

In light of this, if Jesus were born today in Racine (or wherever you live), who do you think God would pick to be the first people to visit Him?  Would God choose you?  Why or why not?    

                                                        Pondering Mary

                                                            01-03-17

Every Jan 1^st our church celebrates the Feast of Mary, the Mother of God.  The gospel for this feast is always the same.  It describes Mary’s pondering.  She reflects on what the shepherds said about Jesus as they left the stable to tell others about the Saviour in the manger.  Lk. 2:19 says: “Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.”

So the first days of January become a time to ponder things.  As 2016 ends and 2017 begins, I look in the rear view mirror at the past year.  I try to see and hear the things God wants me to notice as I enter a New Year.

Here are some questions to help you ponder.

1. What is the most significant thing that happened to you in the past year?  What was God saying to you in the light of that happening?
2. Name some people that God put into your life in particular ways in 2016? Why did God put them there? What blessings have come from them?  
3. Regardless of who you voted for, it is clear that the political winds are shifting in our country.  In the light of that, what do you think God wants of us and our church?  

                                                        Happy New Year!

                                                             

                                                              Immigration

                                                                 01-10-17

Do you remember when Joseph, Mary and Jesus were immigrants?  It happened when the Magi left. They were warned in a dream not to return to Herod but to find another way home.  King Herod was threatened by a ‘new-born king of the Jews’.  So he ordered the massacre of all male children born in/around Bethlehem during that time.

Joseph got an angelic message telling him to leave Israel and to take Jesus and Mary to Egypt to protect Jesus’ life…until further notice.  (Read the story in Mt. 2:13-23.)

That memory is at the heart of National Migration Week, an annual event that always starts on the feast of the Epiphany.  It is sponsored by the Catholic Bishops of the United States.  You can read about it and their positions online at NCCB – Migration Week. 

Our Bishops are pressing for immigration policies that do not divide families or force massive deportations.  Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles says: “Our system has been broken for so long…that the people we are now punishing are our neighbors.”

Name the immigrants in your family background.  Name immigrants you know from work, church or your neighborhood. In light of the Holy Family’s experience, what do you think we should do?   

                                           
                                                    Moving Air, Wind or Breath

                                                                  01-17-17

In John’s account of Jesus’ Baptism we hear that the ‘Spirit’ came down on Jesus in the form of a dove and remained with Him (Jn 1:29-34).  The original meaning of that word ‘Spirit’ is ‘moving air’, like a breeze or wind or a breath. 

‘Spirit’ is also the word used to describe the creation of Adam and Eve (Genesis 2:7).  God shapes humans from the dust of the earth and then breathes into them the breath of life.  God’s breath  is ‘Spirit’.

Just as ‘Spirit’, came down on Jesus in His baptism, so does ‘Spirit’ comes to us in our baptisms.  Consequently, we are also filled with the breath of God.

It is God’s breath/spirit in us, which leads us to live holy lives.  Love, hope, forgiveness, mercy, justice and peace, and all heartfelt things in the core of our beings, are generated by God’s spirit/breath in us.  

For a moment just breathe in and out a couple times and think about God’s breath in you.

Name some effects of God’s spirit/breath in your personal life over the past week?  Name a family member, a friend, a politician, an adversary, a co-worker and a new immigrant in whom God’s spirit/breath is clearly evident to you.  

                                                      Texas Hold ‘em

                                                            01-24-17

I don’t play cards.  But recently I read a description of  ‘Texas hold ‘em’.  Players get 2 cards face down. When the 3^rd and 4^th cards are dealt face up, the players place bets. After the 5^th card is dealt, anyone can declare “all in”. Then all players must choose. They can say ‘all in’ and push their chips to the center or they say ‘fold’ and loose the chips they’ve already bet. 

It makes me nervous just thinking about it.

When Jesus calls Peter and Andrew to follow Him, they immediately leave their boats and follow Him.  The same thing happens with James and John.  It’s amazing. It didn’t take much for them to say “all in” with Jesus. (John 4:18-22)

My problem is that sometimes I hedge my bets.  I will follow the Lord but…I don’t want to give Him everything.  Sometimes I want more security.  Or I want more control over my time, my money and my life. So I hold a little back from Him.   

What do you hold back from the Lord?  What would it take for you to be ‘all in’with Him?  The paradox is: In realizing we are not ‘all in’ with Jesus, we actually get closer to being ‘all in’.

                                                           My Best Christmas

My best Christmas comes down to a few words from my dad.  It was 1990 and the first time we were together for Christmas in 5 years.  (I’d been working the the Dominican Republic during those previous years.)

After opening the gifts we were talking about our family.  In that context, dad shared one of his regrets.  His regret was spending very little time with my older brother and me when we were kids.  He had a full time day job and he worked part time three nights a week and every other weekend.  Not much time or energy to play ball with us.   

I’d felt that void with my dad for a long time.  We weren’t very close.  But his regret moved me.  It meant that he understood what had happened. His regret was an act of love. It was an unexpected gift that really touched my heart.  So, out my 68 Christmases, that was the best one.        

Isn’t it amazing that a few unexpected words would make such a difference?  What unexpected thing could you say to someone this Christmas time?  Touching someone’s heart with honest loving words is more valuable than a new laptop or a piece of jewelry or a fancy dinner.  And if words fail you, just give the gift of your time.