Will Your Whole Life Pass Before Your Eyes?

I hope not.  But for the longest time, I’ve heard people say that's what  will happen when we die.  Unfortunately, the emphasis in that review of life always seems skewed to seeing the bad stuff more than the good stuff.  And that raises my anxiety.     

But listen to this. At the close of the Holy Year of Mercy last weekend, Pope Francis declared that “God has no memory of sin!” In other words, when our sins are forgiven they are also forgotten by God.  That’s the best news I’ve heard in a long time!

“God has no memory of sin”.  Pause here and just think about that…

At funerals I share an image of what happens when we die.  I imagine that we fall into God’s arms and He pulls us close to Him and He whispers in our ears.  And He tells us how much He loves us and he describes all the good things He noticed in our lives. And we will feel sooo good that God noticed those things.

If you grew up when I did, you probably think that God only noticed the bad stuff!

What are the good things that God will whisper in your ear when you see Him face to face?                                          Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

                                                  Buddy  Benches and Safety Pins

Brian got his Eagle Scout award two years ago.  His project was to build buddy benches for a local Catholic grade school.  The benches offer kids a place to sit when they feel bullied, put down or not included. Other students or faculty join them on those benches to offer support, suggestions and encouragement. 

Last week local children faced a new round of hostility. In Racine some Latino kids were harassed at a bus-stop when others shouted: ‘Your parents are going to be deported’ or ‘Go back to Mexico’.  In Greendale a worried teen asked a teacher if her Muslim parents “would be forced to wear identification badges.”

Children and teens should not have to deal with these things.

My sister says her friends in Kokomo are wearing safety pins on their clothing now.  The pins designate people who are ‘safe’ to talk to, when kids, teens or others need reassurance or support from someone they can trust. Will this help?  I don’t know.  But it’s at least a sign of  love in a world that needs it. 

What can you do to diffuse meanness and create a better atmosphere for children, teens and others who are put down or afraid? Name one thing you will do. 

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                                                                   Love and Death

Each November our Gospels treat the issue of death as faithful Christians face it.  So ends our Liturgical Year with Advent on the horizon.

Here is a story about a death that touched me deeply. Barb had irreversible heart problems. She was on life support. The doctors could do nothing. She didn’t want to prolong ‘extraordinary means’ to live, so she opted to stop the treatments.*   

Barb wanted her husband, children, their spouses and me to be with her at the end. She told each of us what she loved about us and gave each of us a little advice. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room.

When it was my turn, she thanked me for my friendship and for being a good priest. Then she made me promise to have dinner with her husband later that month…a date we’d set much earlier, when we thought she’d be OK.  And then she insisted that I not change my plans for a vacation with my sister during the week of her funeral.     

How could she think about those things when she was only minutes away from dying? 

I/We were dumbstruck. Her focus was not on her death but on loving us. Jesus did that too. I hope I can die like that. What about you?  

*Barb was aware of the Church teaching on the discontinuation of ‘extraordinary means’ as described in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph #2278.

                                                            Whose Child Are You?

On this All Saints Day, I remember Servant of God Augustus Tolton, whose burial site I visited last July.*  His parents were slaves in Missouri.  After the death of her husband, his mom escaped slavery with her children.  They ended up in Quincy Illinois.  Augustus became the first black priest in the USA.  It wasn't easy.  He suffered prejudice until the day he died. 

Today’s second reading is: 1 John 3:1-3.  Verse 1 is: “See what love the Father has…that we may be called children of God.”  What does it mean to be God’s child? 

Augustus took after his parents because he had the faith and spunk they had.  With those qualities he became a priest in the face of great odds.  But he was God’s child too. He inherited God’s quality of righteousness in the face of ongoing rejection. 

How do you take after your parents?  I look like my dad and I enjoy traveling as much as my dad did. And I have my mom’s tender heart and I’m also ‘careful with a dollar’.  (My friends sometimes call me ‘cheap’. Thanks mom!!J)

As God’s child, how do you take after God? I have a gift of creativity and sometimes I can read hearts too. I think those things come from God.

Take time to think about being both God’s child and your parents’ child.    

*see Previous Blog - Tuesday August 2, 2016

                                                                Beautiful Feet

Last weekend I helped out at St. John Paul II Parish in Milwaukee. Since October 22 is his feast day, there were special readings for the weekend.   

The first reading was from Isaiah 52:7-10. The first sentence says: “How beautiful the feet…of those who bring good news.” It was an appropriate text for St. John Paul II, who brought good news to 129 countries and to many groups of people over the years of his Papacy. In that sense he had very beautiful feet. 

Do you have beautiful feet?

My friend, Carlos, is a great travel companion.  But sometimes I accuse him of having stinky feet. (That’s not really true…but I like to tease him.)  The truth is, he is a wonderful person who has a way of picking people up when their spirits are down.  When he visits people like that, he brings them good news.  So even his ‘stinky feet’ are beautiful!

Look at your feet. Where do they take you?  To the store or to work so you can buy food for your family? To the neighbor who lives alone? To church with canned goods for the poor? To your parents or children who need a hug?  How beautiful are your feet?

                                   Persistence, Monologue and the Rear View Mirror

Jesus tells us to pray always…and not grow weary. (Lk 18:1)  The idea is to be persistent in prayer.  Does that mean we should pester God for what we want?  I used to think so.  But now I think persistence is faithfully praying over the long haul of life.   

For years I spent my prayer time asking God for favors and forgiveness and saying an occasional ‘Thanks God’.  But three years ago my prayer took a sharp turn. I read an article reminding me that prayer is a conversation with God.  That stopped me in my tracks.  My prayer had always been a monologue.  I did all the talking.

I wondered what God would tell me if I tried to listen.  So I looked in the rear view mirror of my life and then I heard God’s voice. He said: “Ron, I’m your companion on the journey…I’m your good shepherd…and I’m your best friend.”  I’m so glad I finally listened.

Have you been persistent in prayer over the long haul of your life?  How has your prayer changed over the years?  Has your prayer been more of a monologue than a dialogue?  What has God been saying to you? 

                                                                    Shared Misery

Verna Holyhead writes about the 10 lepers who were cured.  She says: “Shared misery enables people to cross boundaries.” She notes that one of the 10 was a Samaritan…very bitter enemies of Jews. So the shared misery of leprosy freed him to cross religious boundaries.                        

Our tour group in China was small.  So we knew each other well.  Two people were strong evangelicals. They repeatedly warned us: “You can only be saved if you accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior”. We Catholics see it differently.    

It was uncomfortable talking to them.  So we didn’t spend much time together. 

The last day we visited the Great Wall.  It was a long uphill climb.  I rested at the top.  And guess what?  Mike, one of the evangelicals, appeared.  He was winded. So I asked him to sit with me. For half an hour we talked about aging and what lies ahead for us.  Good conversation. No preaching. Our shared misery was…two pooped old men!

Remember: To cross the boundary from heaven to earth, Jesus shared our misery of sin and sorrow.

Can you think of a time when a shared misery enabled you to cross a boundary?

                                                                  The Debates

During our trip to China we visited a Buddhist Monastery in Lhasa Tibet. It has  600 monks!  We attended their weekly debate.  It took place in their courtyard.  Most of the monks were seated on mats under the shade of beautiful trees.  One of them presented a topic to 2 elders who sat in honored places and were clearly well regarded. 

The presenting monk quoted a variety of Buddhist masters on the subject.  Then, using interesting hand gestures, he asked the elders for their opinion. In response, the elders quoted other masters, which weren’t mentioned by the presenter.  This method of debating helps younger monks grow in knowledge and deepens the insights of the elders.      

How unlike our political debates! The monks have no desire to put each other down nor to win or lose. They simply want to better understand an issue and grow in wisdom.     

Makes me think about some conversations which become debates and then turn into arguments.  Arguments which I want to win!!  Does that happen to you?  Why does that happen?  Why is winning and losing so important to us?   

                                           Philemon...Slave-owner or Brother in Christ?

St. Paul wrote a letter to Philemon.  It is less than a page long.  It comes after St. Paul’s letters to Titus and before the Letter to the Hebrews. Try to find it in your Bible. We recently heard a portion of this letter at weekend mass.

Philemon led the local church, organized by St. Paul in Colosae. Philemon had a household slave named  Onesimus, who ran away. Where did he run? To St. Paul who was under ‘house arrest’ elsewhere. Onesimus knew Paul from his vists to Philemon.

After escaping and spending time with Paul, Onesimus became a Christian. Then St. Paul sent Onesimus, along with the letter, back to Philemon. In the letter Paul asks Philemon to see Onesimus in a new way…no longer as a slave but as a brother in Christ.

‘See people in a new way’. I thought about my family. It never occurred to me to see my parents and extended family as brothers and sisters in Christ. That lens changes how I see and love them. 

Name people you’ve never thought of as your kin in Christ. In the end, which bond counts the most? Is it the bond of family or friendship or being kin in Christ?

                                                               Befriending the Poor

Imagine that you come to the gates of heaven and St. Peter asks you to name three poor or marginalized people who could be your character witnesses.  Can you name names? 

In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus tells us to invite the poor, the lame and the blind to our banquets or special dinners…He says: “Don’t invite people who can repay you.” (Lk 14:13) I take this to mean that Jesus wants us to become friends with the poor not just give them something…or He wants us to include people in our circles who just don’t seem to fit. 

I admit that I haven’t done that very well.  I’m good at writing a check to Habitat for Humanity or to St. Vincent de Paul. I’m glad to bring food to the Sharing Sunday collection.  I take used clothing and other items to Goodwill.  But do I actually have friends who live on the margins of life? Do I invite them to lunch or just sit down and talk to them for a while?

Make a little list of people you know who seem to live on the edges, people who aren't always included in groups. Make an effort to connect with them. Be open to discovering God in them.  My gut tells me it will be easier to do this, if we think about our own poverty and the ways we don’t always fit in.

                                                                 The Narrow Door

The question to Jesus was:”Are there only a few who will be saved?” (Lk 13:23)   Realizing that the questioner assumed that he would be one of the saved, Jesus answered: “Strive to enter thru the narrow door.” (Lk 13:24) What did Jesus mean by that?

Maybe the curious man was too self-righteous to fit thru the narrow door.  It could be that Jesus hopes the guy will put his self-righteousness on a diet.  Then he’ll fit thru that door.

What could stop me from fitting thru the narrow door to eternal life?

Is my ego too big?  Am I too full of myself?  Is my life too focused on stuff? Am I overly focused on my security?  Do I need more than the ‘daily bread’ that I ask for in the Lord’s prayer? Am I too judgmental?  

Take 5 minutes to pray. Ask Jesus what kind of diet He recommends for you and me?

Extra credit: Read Flannery O’Connor’s short story entitled ‘Revelation’.  Ruby Turpin needed a hit on the head so she could enter the narrow door.

                                                             An Imperfect Blessing

On Sunday I saw a good movie about Florence Foster Jenkins, an influential socialite of the 1940's.  She lived with the delusion that she was an excellent singer.  In fact her singing was about a 2 on a scale from 1 to 10….1 being awful.

But she was lovable. I was touched by the movie and her story.  In spite of her many sour notes, there were people whom she loved and who cared deeply about her too. 

Two weeks ago I heard about a book called: The Spirituality of Imperfection, by Ernest Kurtz and Katherine Ketcham.  I never thought of ‘imperfection’ as a good thing.  But now I like that idea.  The truth is that I will always be anal-retentive and stubborn and worried about something …it’s just me.  Those are some of my sour notes…part of the total package of ‘Ron’.    

I’m so grateful that God and some good friends love that total package.   

Describe the total package that you are.  What are your ‘best’ imperfections?  Who loves your gifts and your sour notes too?

                                                                Wearing an Apron

A brief parable in Luke’s Gospel tells us to be prepared for the master’s arrival. (Lk 12:35-40)  It says that, when he comes in the middle of the night and finds the servants awake and ready, the master will be very pleased. In fact, he will be so pleased that he will put on an apron, have his servants sit down, and he will wait on them!

“Put on an apron” is Luke Timothy Johnson’s rendition of the words that others translate as “he will gird himself”. “Put on an apron” captures more of the surprise at the reversal of roles.  The master becomes the servant.

Did you know that a common title for the Holy Father is ‘The Servant of the Servants of God’? The point is that we are all servants of our Master. And yet our Master “has come as a servant among us”. (Lk 22:27) And He also washed the feet of His disciples.

What does it mean to be a servant? Whom do you serve? How is the Lord your Master?  How did you serve Him yesterday?  Name a way that our Master recently 'put on an apron' to serve you.

                                                   He Was Free, but He Wasn’t Free   

Servant of God, Augustus Tolton, was the first recognizable black priest in the United States. (‘Recognizable’ means there were 2 earlier priests who passed for being ‘white’.)

Augustus was born in Missouri in 1854.  His family was owned by Catholics, who had their slaves baptized. “Slave” is noted on his baptismal record. His father died early in the Civil War. His courageous mom fled with her three children, crossing the Mississippi to the free state of Illinois, settling in Quincy.

To the chagrin of some church members, the Irish Pastor of St. Peter’s welcomed the Toltons.  In time, he saw that Augustus had a vocation.  But no seminary in the US would accept him.  Unfazed by that, the Pastor arranged Augustus’ acceptance in a seminary in Rome where he was ordained in 1886.  Afterwards Fr. Tolton returned to Quincy.

Fr. Tolton was a good priest, but other priests wouldn’t accept him.  So he was sent to Chicago. He ministered there until July 9^th, 1897, when he died of a heat stroke.  He is buried at St. Peter’s in Quincy.  I recently visited his grave. And I’m so touched by his story.

Although Augustus’ slavery was much different than ours, what enslaves you?  What/who helps you be free?  Who loves you when others won’t? How are you free but not free?

                                                                     Threatened

Colonial Park is a route for my morning exercise. It is heavily wooded with a river and some paths running through it.  Last Saturday a deer ambled out of the shrubbery near the water and stood on the path about 20 feet from me.  It cocked its head, looked at me, and then it walked away. 

Psalm 42 popped into my head.  Verse 1 says: “Like the deer that yearns for running streams, so my soul is yearning for you, my God.” It reminded me of Ronald Rohlheiser’s book: The Holy Longing.  He says that we all yearn for God. I know the truth of that.   

But was that what God wanted me to think about?  Or did God hope I would notice the non-threatened response of that deer?  I think that was it. I wish I were more like that deer. When I am threatened, I can easily respond with words/actions that push people away or put them down. I can be very passive aggressive….a thing I don’t like in me.        

Who or what can threaten you?  How do you usually respond?  Can you think of a better way to deal with threats?  What did Jesus do?

                                                           Notice the Details

I was aiming for Hannibal Missouri. But four hours of traveling down the center of Illinois was totally boring.  Miles of flat, repetitious scenery!  I needed something to keep me awake. So I started looking for details that would interest me. 

Almost immediately I saw feathers flying out of a huge semi. I sped up and realized that most of the feathers were still connected to chickens! Probably more than 1,000 on board.  I thought of the crucial detail of transporting delicious chicken dinners.

Then I saw a billboard advertising an “Adult Store”. So I prayed for people who are addicted to self-destructive things. I saw a car full of people on a family trip. I prayed for them too. I saw details...until I got lost…which forced me to pay attention to other details!!     

Some people say: “The mass is boring”.  If that happens, try focusing on some details.  For example, I like praying for a release ‘from all anxiety’ after the Lord’s Prayer. And I love the words: “The Lord be with you.” And I like making the cross on my forehead, lips and heart when the gospel is read.  Those little details touch me.

Name some details of mass which help you stay engaged even if it’s a bit boring.

                                               Good Samaritans – We Need Them

The Good Samaritan showed extravagant love to the beaten guy left in a ditch. “He bandaged his wounds…he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn and cared for him.  The next day he gave two days wages to the innkeeper, and said ‘Take care of him and when I return I will repay you whatever more you spend.’” (Lk 10:34-35)  

The Good Samaritan’s overwhelming love is instructive.  It reminds us to be neighbors to others in exactly the same way. 

Good Samaritans come out of the woodwork after big disasters.  Thank God that happens. Flocks of people lined up around the blocks of blood banks the day after the Orlando shootings.  And police officers experienced outpourings of support from the public in light of the officers who were killed in Dallas.  Many good Samaritans.

We need them and we need to be them. 

When have you ‘been in a ditch’ in your life?  Who was a good Samaritan to you? What did he/she do?  Think of someone you really dislike.  Suppose he/she were beaten up and in a ditch.  Could you be a good Samaritan to him/her? Show that person extravagant love?    

                                                          What Is Your Mission in Life? 

Jesus sent 72 disciples on a mission. Here is the mission He gave them: “Cure the sick and say ‘the kingdom of God is at hand for you’”(Luke 10:9)  In other words their mission was: Heal people and tell them that God is with them.

Their mission is directly connected to Jesus’ command to love. But He wants them to specifically show love by dealing with people’s concrete issues and reminding them that God is always in their corner and on their side in life.   

Our overall mission is also to love.  But each of us has unique ways of doing that.   

I recently asked some people to describe their mission. One person said: “It’s to help people and share what I can.” A lady said: “It’s to be a good spouse and raise loving children.” A man told me: “It’s to leave this world better than I found it.” A young woman said: “It is to be joyful!” And here’s my mission: To try to see God in everyone and everything each day.

So here’s the question: In 10 words or less, what is your mission in life? When you have an answer, tell someone else what it is.  Saying it aloud makes it so much more real.

We Are Chosen

Unlike other rabbi’s of His day, Jesus didn’t wait for disciples to come to Him.  Instead, He invited specific people to follow Him.  Consequently, Jesus’ disciples were a very diverse group.  It’s really clear that He picked unlikely people to be His followers.  It’s also clear that He avoided holier-than-thou types.   

So Jesus’ disciples include tax collectors, fishermen and public sinners.  He welcomes people of ill repute and a few whom He’d healed of demonic possession. He even has a follower who was a Samaritan woman with 5 husbands. (John 4:17-18) (Incidentally, Jesus was also the only rabbi of that era who had women disciples.)  

Why did He choose these people? My guess is that Jesus simply loved down-to-earth folk whose lives were messy, but who also had good hearts.

Remember: In Baptism you were also chosen by Christ.    

Why do you think Jesus chooses you?  What does He see in your heart?  What makes you an unlikely follower of His?  

                                                                        Blessings

My father wasn’t the kind of dad who said “I love you.” And I followed suit.  So our conversations were normal everyday kinds of things.  But we didn’t say the things that I thought fathers and sons should say to each other.  And I regretted that.

He had heart trouble.  At one point he was in the hospital and he was scared. And he asked me to shave him…a thing I’d never imagined doing. There was something intimate in doing that for my dad.  So I seized the moment and blurted out the words that were stuck in my throat for many years. “I haven’t said this for a long time, but I love you dad.” 

Dad didn’t/couldn’t say anthing in return.  I was hoping he would.  

A week later I visited him at home. He put his arm around my shoulder and squeezed it...a hug really. And that felt so good.  I knew it was his way of saying “I love you too.” A couple of weeks later he died.  I’m so glad we blessed each other before it was too late.

Blessings can be words or gestures.  Who blesses you and how?  Whom do you bless and in what ways?  Think of someone you’d like to bless this week.

                                              What’s the Picture God Wants You to See?

Two weeks ago I had a horrible dream. I was a passenger in a car that was rounding a curve on a mountain pass.  The tires, on my side of the car, hit loose gravel and we started sliding off the cliff.  My heart was racing when I opened my eyes and realized that I’d been dreaming.  It took me a while to calm down.

Why did I dream that? I think it has to do with my fears/worries as I face the ‘cliff’ of retirement. A part of me is happy to retire, but another part of me fears the unknown. 

It comforted me to write about that dream and to remember that Jesus had fears too.  But the best insight came when I wrote a prayer about this. The concluding line was: “Lord, help me see the picture that you want me to see.”

When I look back at the dream, I realize what I hadn’t noticed.  I hadn’t seen who the driver was. In hindsight, I think it was the Lord. And that’s really the best part of the picture. So, even if I’m going off a cliff…the Lord is with me and everything will be OK.

What is difficult in your life right now?  Ask God to help you see the picture He wants you to see in that difficulty.  What do you think you will see?  

                                                                 A Spiritual Exercise

Control is an issue for me.  Recently it caused me/others grief. So I followed a spiritual exercise that helps me.  Here’s my method:

1. I write down everything I can think of regarding the issue.  It includes a description of my current situation, the problems that my control causes, and the origins of my need to control so much.  I write until I have nothing more to say.   

2. Then I try to recall an incident in Jesus life when He dealt with the same issue. And I write down what comes to me.  So I remember the wedding at Cana.  Jesus doesn’t want to solve the ‘wine’ problem because “His hour had not come.”  But Mary pushes Him into it.  Jesus lets go of control and does what Mary wants. And the most wonderful thing happens.

3. Remembering the Cana story helps me realize that Jesus understands my problem.  He lets go of control and that leads to something unbelievable.  Then I write a prayer.  I thank Jesus for understanding me and ask for His help with my problem. This exercise helps me.      

Are you struggling with an issue in your life right now? Try this exercise.  Maybe it will help.  

                                                                  

                                                                        Weeping

Not long ago I told some friends that I get a little weepy when I think about retirement.  And then last weekend a High School Senior mentioned the same thing to me about graduating.  It reminded me that a lot of people have moments like this.       

As a child, my dad simply stated that “boys don’t cry after the age of 7.”  So I grew up feeling embarrassed when something made me tear up. Eventually I understood that my dad was wrong about weeping. Shedding tears is simply human.

We know that Jesus wept too.  He wept over the city of Jerusalem when He foresaw its destruction. (Luke 19:41-44)  His emotions ran especially deep because He knew He was also going to die in Jerusalem.  Jesus was as human as we are. 

Jesus also wept at the death of His friend Lazarus. (John 11:35)  And we learn that Martha and Mary comforted Jesus when He was overcome by that emotion.  Jesus not only wept but He also needed comfort.      

Remember a time when you were a little weepy.  What brought on the tears?  Who comforted you?  Then remember this: Jesus understands tears.

                                                                      Magnets

As a child I was fascinated with magnets.  It’s still hard for me to explain how they work.  But I know that magnets can attract or repel each other.  And I know that a magnet is at work in every compass…which always points north. 

I think about magnets when Jesus says: “I will draw everyone to myself.” (John 12:32)  It’s as if God were a magnet. 

What is it that draws us to Jesus?  Is it His words or values or actions which attract us? Or is it something deeper…a desire to be whole, a longing for closeness, a yearning for a more satisfying love?

Sometimes I’m aware that there is a hole in my heart…a kind of empty space.  It’s as if something is missing. Some things fill the hole for a while…a beautiful sunrise or a good talk with a friend or holding a child in my arms after a baptism.  Each of these moments connect me with God…who draws me close to Him and who will ultimately satisfy my hungry heart.

Is there a hole in your heart? How does God fill that hole?  Is God drawing you closer to Him…like a magnet?  

                                                     Jesus Knocking at the Door

Did you ever see that picture of Jesus knocking at a door?  (If you haven’t seen it, just google it and you will see many renditions)

The most interesting detail in that painting is that the door does not have a doorknob. Most people who notice that, think the missing doorknob indicates that we have to open the door from the inside in order to let Jesus come into our hearts.

With Pentecost still in our rear-view mirror, our question may be: Have we wholeheartedly opened the door to let Jesus’ Spirit into our hearts?    

But Pope Francis has a different take on that image of Jesus knocking at the door.  He says: “I have the impression that Jesus was locked in the church and that He’s knocking because He wants to get out.” That turns things upside-down.

From that perspective Pentecost isn’t about our personal life in the Spirit.  It’s about taking the Spirit of Christ out of the church and into the world…making it a little more God-like!     

So here’s a new question: As a spirit-filled person, how are you reshaping the world?

                                                           Do You Preach?

This past week we had our annual Priest Assembly.  The best part was a panel discussion on preaching.  Four guys, from various backgrounds, offered their insights on preaching issues including: preparation, techniques, topics and audiences.  It was great.

Reflecting on that, I remember a saying often attributed to St. Francis of Assisi. Although the origin of the saying is unclear, it is a sermon in itself.  The saying is: “Preach always…if necessary use words.” Just think about that for a moment.

Everyone who is reading this blog preaches sometimes.  Consider this: If you are a parent, don’t you preach to your kids?  Or if you have grandchildren, don’t you occasionally give them little sermons? If you’re a true friend, don’t you offer mini-homilies to a friend who needs encouragement or advice?

Name people who preach to you sometimes.  What did they say or do that helped you?  Name the last person to whom you preached. Did you use words and actions?

Lastly, if you had a chance to give a homily at church someday, what would you talk about? If you want to, please share your idea with me.  I’d love to hear it.

                                                 Not as the World Gives Peace

                                                                John 14:27

When Jesus says: “Not as the world gives peace, do I give peace” what does He mean?

Think about how countries approach Peace Treaties.  Isn’t there always some self-interest at heart when nations sit at a peace table?  Usually we only agree to certain provisions, if we think we can get around them or if we think we are getting a better deal than the other side.

So we bargain for peace.  It is not freely given.  And when that’s the case, no one is ever completely happy.  In fact many peace treaties become the basis for future wars. 

Keeping peace in our families can be equally difficult.  Rivalries, jealousies and egos clash.  We say we are sorry, but we often don’t let go of past hurts. We put on peaceful faces, but our innards are doing cartwheels. (By the way, my innards are good at that!)

Jesus’ peace is different.  It is freely given.  It has no self-interest.  There are no bargaining chips.  The past is not only forgiven…it is forgotten. His peace is wholehearted and unconditional.

Question: On a scale from 1-10, one being the way the world gives peace, and ten being the way Jesus gives peace, where am I? 

                                             "Love One Another as I Have Loved You”                   

       (John 13:34)

Because we hear these words of Jesus so frequently, they don’t startle us.  But in hindsight, when the Apostles reflected on His words, their hearts were broken. They remembered that Judas had just left the table when Jesus spoke those words.   

Jesus loved Judas.  He called Judas to be an Apostle.  Jesus had just broken bread with him, when Judas betrayed Him. Amazingly, Jesus didn’t stop loving Judas even after He was betrayed.  Unfortunately Judas didn’t realize that. 

Why did Jesus love Judas so much? Why does He love any of us so much?

John Lukaszewicz, a deceased priest friend of mine, used to say, “Once you know a person’s story, you will almost always love that person.” I repeatedly realize the truth of that sentence. When we know the history of a person and some of the struggles they have faced, it is almost impossible not to love him/her. 

Jesus knew Judas well.  So, of course Jesus loved him…no matter what happened.

Jesus knows our stories better than we know our own.  He knows our checkered histories and our disorders too.  He also knows our gifts.  And He loves the whole package!

Who do you love the most?  Do you love the whole package?  Who loves you the most? Do you think they love the whole package?

Good Shepherd Sunday

Did you know that the Latin word “Pastor” is literally translated “Shepherd”?

That was clearly in the mind of Pope Francis when he said that pastors ‘should have the smell of the sheep on them’.  His point is that pastors need to be down-to-earth leaders who feel what people feel and have ‘pastoral hearts’.    

That same thinking underlies many of his homilies and writings.  Recently he reminded Pastors that we should not be overly legalistic when we deal with people’s situations and decisions.  He did not advocate changing church laws, but he made room for pastoral responses.

Pastoral responses help people look at their situations and to make good conscience decisions in the light of them. 

The Holy Father also reminds us that we must follow our consciences.  And  he points out that it’s a pastor’s role to help people form their consciences …but not replace them. 

Jesus followed His conscience too.  Some Scribes and Pharisees didn’t like that.  For example, He healed people on the Sabbath Day. Why? Because Jesus looked at their situations and decided that was the best thing He could do for them.   He was a Good Shepherd.

Consider this: Pastors aren’t the only shepherds in the world.  In many ways, all of us are shepherds.  How are you a good shepherd?  Who has been a good shepherd to you?

Easter Breakfast 

I love the Easter story about Jesus appearance on the shore of Galilee.  He sees Peter and the gang offshore and asks if they caught anything.  They yell ‘”no.” So He tells them to cast their nets on the other side of the boat.  They do that and they catch boatloads of fish! 

Only then does someone recognize that Jesus is the onshore man.  At that, Peter jumps into the water and the others bring the loaded boats to shore.  When they reach Jesus, He already has grilled fish and bread prepared.  He says: “Come. Have breakfast.” 

We refer to Jesus as the Good Shepherd or the Prince of Peace or the Bread of Life.  But maybe we could also call Him the Comforting Cook.    

During the days after His Resurrection the disciples were like fish out of water, trying to take in all that had happened and to figure out what to do next.  Imagine the comfort that came from seeing how much Jesus loved them.  Cooking is such a loving thing to do, isn’t it? 

Remember people who cook for you…or treat you for breakfast or lunch sometimes. 

Remember good conversations you’ve had with people around the table. 

Ponder this: If you had breakfast with Jesus, what would you talk about?

Peace in Place of Chaos

I use a great preaching resource, written by Verna Holyhead.  She says “The first gift of the resurrection that Jesus offers them (the disciples) is peace.  The biblical opposite of ‘peace’ is not ‘war’ but ‘chaos’…”*

Chaos is exactly what the disciples experienced after the death of Jesus. 

Jesus tried to prepare them beforehand.  But when Jesus mentioned the issue of his suffering and death, His disciples didn’t want to hear it.  So they, like us sometimes, ignored the bad news…hoping it would just go away. But, of course, that didn’t happen.

Their chaos only subsides when they hear Jesus say “Peace be with you.” And He repeats it several times, hoping those words will sink into their chaotic hearts. 

 

Right now my life is in a bit of ‘chaos’ too.  As I approach retirement, I wonder what is in store for me.  Will I have enough to do?  Will I be alone too much?  Will my housemates tire of my hanging around the house all day?   Will I drive myself nuts???

It helps me to remember Jesus’ Easter words.  He tells me: “Peace be with you.”  And He doesn’t tire of repeating it.  So sometimes I just close my eyes and breathe in and out as I hear His calming voice repeat those words. And it helps me.  He comforts me.  

When your life is in chaos, how does Jesus comfort you?

*Verna Holyhead is the author of a homily resource entitled Welcoming the Word in Year A, B, and C.  It is published by Liturgical Press in Collegeville Minnesota

Easter Women

Mary Magdalene and a small group of women were the earliest witnesses to the Resurrection of Christ.  Although the Apostles treated their message as ‘nonsense’, Peter is curious enough to ‘run’ to the tomb to see what’s going on. 

Did you know that the word ‘apostle’ literally means ‘one who is sent’?  So, in that sense, Mary Magdalene and those women were apostles. Why were they sent to the other apostles?

I assume they were sent to the men because the men were scared and hidden in a locked room.  It’s interesting that the women weren’t so afraid to go to the tomb. Women were didn’t count for much in that era, so they could move about more freely.  Nonetheless the women were still very courageous to do what they did. 

Obviously those women were very close to Jesus.  Unlike most rabbis, Jesus traveled with women followers, in addition to the men.  We read about that in Luke’s Gospel.  So women heard His stories, witnessed miracles, and walked with Him to the cross and tomb.

Today I think of women who first shared faith with me.  My mom and my favorite teacher, Sr. Rosaire, were my early teachers of faith. Along with others, they are my ‘Easter’ women. 

Name women who first shared faith with you as a child.  Name women who continue to share faith with you now. Be grateful for them.

Dismantling the Table

                                                      (Holy Thursday)

Lots of changes are afoot in my life. Among other things I’m selling my condo.  So imagine the mess…cleaning out cupboards and the attic and the garage.  The good news is that I have given lots of things away.  For the most part it hasn’t been hard to let these things go.   

Except for my dining room table and chairs.  I gave it to my sister and her husband. The day after Christmas they measured the table. And they put the chairs in their hatchback and started to unscrew the table top from its base.  As they dismantled the table, my heart was in my mouth. I couldn’t talk.  If I had said anything, I would have sobbed. 

I have always thought of that table as a kind of ‘household altar’…a place to gather loved ones for a meal and a kind of communion. That table has dreams and people attached to it. 

The dismantling of the table is a symbol of the dismantling of my life right now.  (Retirement is also on the horizon.). These are dying moments.  In the midst of them, sometimes I cry.

Tears dried, I remembered why I gave my table to my sister and brother-in-law.  They’ll use it on Friday mornings when a group of their friends always come for coffee and donuts. They’ll sit around that table and enjoy each other’s company.  So my dream for that table lives on.  That is such a comfort.

Jesus had dreams too.  His best dream lives on in the Eucharist.  His table.

Have you ever thought of your table as a ‘household altar?  What dreams do you hope will live on when your life is dismantled?

                              Reading Hearts

When someone pushes me into something that I don’t want to do, I sometimes say: “Here’s where I draw a line in the sand.”  It means: Stop it! End of discussion!

My sense is that Jesus was at that point in his relationship with the Scribes and Pharisees. They dragged an adulterous woman to Jesus wanting to stone her and to trap Jesus.  He bends down, using his finger to write on the ground, drawing his own lines in the sand.

Those religious leaders didn’t care about the woman and they didn’t care about Jesus either.  As far as they were concerned, the world would be better off without either of them.  

But they didn’t realize that Jesus had a unique gift.  He reads hearts. He sees what’s inside us.

So He knew exactly what was in the hearts of those Scribes and Pharisees.  And He knew exactly what each of them was guilty of.  So He saved that woman and gave her another chance.  In fact, He gave those Scribes and Pharisees another chance as well. 

The good news and the bad news is that Jesus reads our hearts too. 

What does Jesus see in your heart today?  From what does Jesus want to save you?  When was the last time He gave you another chance?

*Read the story of the Adulterous John 8:1-11

                                                         Dinner Party

St. Luke says that Jesus told the Prodigal Son story because some Jewish authorities criticized Him for eating with sinners.*

In that light, the most striking thing about this story are the two meals.  The first meal is with the pigs, where the younger son feels the depth of his loneliness and isolation.  That pigsty meal is in sharp contrast to the warm welcome and joyful roast beef dinner prepared for that younger son’s homecoming. 

The older brother refuses to join the party.  The father overlooks his bitterness.  He begs him to enjoy the same lavish meal as the younger son. Will the older one join the feast with his sinful brother? Or will he be like those Jewish authorities who refuse to eat with sinners…thinking, of course, that they themselves aren’t sinners at all! 

 So, why does Jesus eat with sinners?  Because nothing they/we do stops Him from loving us.  His love for us is unconditional, freely given and unearned.  Jesus is like the father in the story, who goes overboard in loving his children. It seems too good to be true!  

Remember: Although we are sinners Jesus breaks bread with us every time we come to mass.  He invites us all of us sinners to eat with Him.

Take a moment to name other people who know you are a sinner and eat with you anyway.    

 *Luke 15:1-3 (Introduction to Prodigal Son Story.)  Luke 15:11-32 (The story.)

            When Bad Things Happen to Good People*

During January’s huge winter storm, there was a story about a mother and her young daughter who sought warmth in their car when their furnace shut down.  Snow blocked the car’s exhaust pipe and they both died of carbon monoxide poisoning. What a tragedy!

Why did that happen?  Why didn’t God intervene and save them?  Was God punishing them for something?  Most people don’t jump to that conclusion.  But sometimes we think that way.   

Periodically someone asks me why God is angry with them.  They pray every day and go to church and obey God’s commands. But in spite of that, they face a divorce or have a health crisis or difficult family dispute.  Their think their religious practices should inoculate them from set-backs in life.  

Over time I’ve come to see that God is with us no matter what happens. When my dad suddenly died of a heart attack, it was the worst thing that could have happened then. But in hindsight I see that God was with us in that crisis.  It was a merciful death for dad and my family got closer together than it had been for some time.   

God does not punish us with suffering.  God is with us in the middle of the mess.

Look back at your life.  Can you see that God is with you in the middle of the struggles and messes of your life?   

 

*When Bad Things Happen to Good People is the title of a wonderful book written in 1978 by Rabbi Harold Kushner. (ISBN 1-4000-3472-8)

                                    Our Transfiguration - Our Exodus

When Jesus took Peter, James and John to the top of the mountain where He was transfigured, they saw Moses and Elijah talking to Him. No doubt the apostles were shocked to see those two Jewish heroes.  But I suspect, what stunned them most, was the topic of their conversation.  They were speaking “of His exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem.” (Luke 9:31)  In other words they were talking about Jesus’ death and departure from this world. 

Although Jesus tried many times to broach that subject of his suffering and dying with His Apostles, they did their best to avoid it.  Now they couldn’t escape it.     

What did Moses, Elijah and Jesus say about His exodus?  We don’t know.  But here are two possibilities.  Maybe they spoke about the method of Jesus death, His dying on a cross with all its horror.  Or maybe they talked about how Jesus would personally face His death…regardless of the method used to kill Him.  In other words, how Jesus would live the final journey.

The way we live the final journey is the heart of the matter more than the method of our dying.   

Jesus did not choose the manner of His death.  But He chose the way He personally lived the journey.  He forgave the soldiers.  He forgave the repentant thief.  He took care of His mother. He died as a Son of God in whom the Father was well pleased.

We won’t choose the manner of our exodus either.  But we can choose the way we want to live the final journey.  Will you die as a son or daughter of God in whom He is well pleased?  What would that mean?

This week tell someone about the way you want to live your final journey.

Temptations

     First Sunday of Lent

A few years ago I went to a continuing formation conference for priests.  Our teacher gave us an insight into original sin and the temptation that led to it.  He said that their temptation was not primarily to disobey God, but to become rivals with God.  They ate the fruit of the forbidden tree because the demon told them that “the moment you eat it you will become like gods”. (Genesis 3:5) So, our teacher said, ‘original sin is really a sin of rivalry’.

Sadly the rivalry, to which Adam and Eve succumbed, also destroyed the original harmony which God created.

Rivalry is also at the heart of the temptations Jesus faced in the desert. (Luke 4:1-13) The demon’s temptations are intended to drive a wedge between the Father and His Son…making them rivals too.  The good news is that Jesus does not bite from that apple. He is at peace with who He is in relationship to the Father.

Unfortunately we have inherited the effects of that kind of original sin.  For example, why do I judge someone?  Probably because I see myself as better than the person I’m criticizing.  Why am I jealous or envious?  Because I’m comparing myself to others. Why do I ‘stretch’ the truth or gossip or make myself out to be the hero? Rivalry is at work in all of those things.     

What role does rivalry play in your life? What can we do to help restore the harmony that gets disrupted by our rivalries?

 

                                          Changing the Way We See God

    (Week of Ash Wednesday)

 Lent is a time for ‘metanoia’.  That’s a Greek word, often translated as ‘repent’ or ‘turn away from sin’.  That’s what I understood until I read Fire Starters written by Bishop Richard Sklba. Bishop Sklba describes ‘metanoia’ as ‘changing the way we see God’.   

 My earliest image of God was ‘The Policeman in the Sky’.  Seeing God that way certainly shaped my early life. For lots of years I spent much time and energy trying to change my sinful self so that God would not be disappointed in me. In itself that’s not a bad thing, but it’s a pretty narrow way of seeing God.    

 15 or 20 years ago I started to see God as the Good Shepherd who loves and heals me. That image of God comforts me.  It helps me to see myself as someone whom God loves even though I’m a sinner.    

But now my way of seeing God is changing again in the light of Pope Francis who sees God as the friend of the poor and of those on life’s periphery. How does that way of seeing God touch me? How am I poor?  This way of seeing God is leading me to recognize my dependency on God. 

These changing ways of seeing God also affect how I look at others.  When I saw God as the ‘Policeman’, I was more judgmental.  When I see God as merciful, I see others more kindly.  When I see God as a friend of the poor, it opens my eyes to see the poverty that we all share.     

How has your way of seeing God changed over the years?  Is there a new way to see God that will help you to see yourself and others in a different light?

Whispering God

                        A blog that calls attention to the quiet voice of God in daily life.

 

Can you hear God’s voice when He whispers? The title of this blog comes from the story of Elijah in the Book of Kings (1Kings 19:11-13). Elijah wants to hear the voice of God, but God’s voice is not in the wind or in an earthquake or in a fire. God’s voice comes in the ‘sound of sheer silence’…some translators call it ‘a quiet whispering sound’. 

 

I frequently miss hearing God’s voice.   Sometimes there’s simply too much noise in my life and I can’t hear God’s voice.  And sometimes my relationship with God gets too focused on me and my needs. When that happens my ears are blocked and I can’t hear God’s quiet whispers. But in some grace-filled moments I do hear God’s quiet voice.  When I do, it is such a blessing. 

 

Here are some examples.  Recently a lady called to say thanks for something I did a while ago.  It was a call out-of-nowhere.  Last weekend I presented 3 children to our church after their baptisms. It touched my heart to hold each of them. This morning I fell asleep when I was praying. I woke up thinking of someone.  So I called him and my timing was just right.  These are small things, but (usually in hindsight) I realize I’ve heard God’s quiet voice.    

 

The object of this blog is help us be more alert to the soft voice of God in ordinary experiences and in tiny moments when we are vulnerable enough to let God’s word pierce our hearts and touch our souls.   

 

Think of the last time that a whisper of God entered your heart or touched your soul.