Homily for the week of February 27, 2011

Eight Sunday in Ordinary Time, 2011

Is 49:14-15 • 1 Cor 4:1-5 • Mt 6:24-34

For many years I was assigned by the Bishop to teach at Catholic high schools and colleges. In one of the high schools with which I was associated students organized a few days of prayer each year during the second week of Lent. Students were chosen by students to give some of the talks. One year the choosing of one leader was very controversial. He was a good student and a fabulous football player, but he had been in trouble for drinking on weekends for which he had gotten into serious and public trouble.

The school worked with the boy’s parents to get him into a treatment program for teenage alcoholics. At the completion of the program after nearly a year in the program, the student was readmitted for his senior year. Some parents were not pleased. The young man had created so much upheaval that, even though he was a good player, some members of the football team were also upset. So, to choose him to be a retreat leader was upsetting to many.

The teachers and students listened very closely to this student as he gave his retreat talk. He was amazing. Hiding nothing, he recounted his problems. He spoke of his need to change his life and to seek forgiveness. Then he spoke of the courage he had needed to step back into the school. He related how he had been consumed with worry about how those he had hurt would react to him. He was even worried about his own reaction to other students who no longer wanted him back in school. It was then, he said, that he discovered a truth. It was none of his business what people thought of him. The only way he could defeat his worries and walk back into the school was to trust that this was what God wanted him to do.

The adults and students alike were impressed by his honesty and by the deep truths he had discovered. Worry defeats us. Trust moves us forward. Trust in God makes all good things possible.

In today’s Gospel Jesus moved to the heart of the issue of worry. He preached at a time when almost none of the population had the luxury of thinking about the future. For most people day-to-day survival was all-consuming. Given the terrible poverty, people worried constantly about how they would find enough food, how they would keep their children clothed and how they would manage to stay in their homes. They were preyed upon by corrupt leaders, and their taxes. These all-consuming worries took up time that should have been devoted to praise and thanksgiving. Putting God first had been co-opted by worry. Thus Jesus warned them that misplaced priorities lead to the worst of our worries. What we must find is the willingness and faith to trust God.

About 20 years ago there was a hit song “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” which won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year and Record of the Year. The saying “Don’t worry, be happy” is attributed to Meher Baba, an Indian mystic and spiritual master, but it could just as well be derived from Jesus’ words in today’s Gospel. Three times Jesus insists that disciples not worry, whether about life, food or drink, the body or clothing; and he urges reliance on divine providence.

How this instruction is heard and taken to heart depends on one’s financial position. To those who have all they need to eat, drink, wear and sustain their bodily health, Jesus gives a warning not to center their efforts on accumulating more. The Gospel advises those who have enough of life’s necessities not to give in to greedy desires.

But what about those who are struggling just to survive, who truly worry about how they will feed their families? What good is it to voice assurances that God will provide? Trust and God and don’t worry are not much consolation to starving persons. But the key can be found in the words of Jesus “Seek God first, and all these things will be given you besides.”

When our focus is on how and God are relating to one another, those of us who have or more life’s necessities are not concerned about getting more. Rather, we cooperate with God in providing for those in need. Those who are poor can let go of their worries about survival, and those better off can be released from anxiety that derives from enslavement to possessions. These are the kinds of worries that Jesus invites us to let go. It is good when we, who have enough, worry about others who are struggling. Jesus does not say that we should be passive in the face of genuine need, simply tossing off a happy-go-lucky assurance that God will provide.

The help God provides is like that of a mother who could never forget her infant, as Isaiah mentions in our first reading. Likewise, the Jesus speaks of God making motherly provision by feeding and clothing not only her human children but wild flowers and birds and grasses of the field. Since God is both fatherly provider, who sows and reaps, and motherly caregiver, who feeds and clothes, all that has come forth from God is tenderly cared for before their needs are even voiced. As children of the Creator, we too, must let go of worry and trust God who wills true happiness for all. At this Mass, and this week, talk to God about your worries. Listen carefully. What response do you hear God giving you?

Homily for the week of February 20, 2011

Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, 2011

Lv 19:1-2,17-18 • 1 Cor 3:16-23 • Mt 5:38-48

Probably most of you do not realize that the readings from the Bible are not chosen by me but are the same readings that you will have in any Catholic church throughout the world on this weekend. When the Bible passages were put together to form our readings, there was an effort to match the first readings with the Gospel passages chosen for Sundays. This was not the case with the second reading known as the Epistle. The second readings follow their own cycle, which often means that the second reading does not touch on the issues of the first reading and the Gospel. Today is an exception. All three readings have us considering holiness.

And it is appropriate that we should consider holiness today since we have two weeks before we begin Lent. Lent is a time of spiritual renewal during which we try to do more holy things like praying more, cutting back on things like talking on the phone, surfing the internet, eating too much junk food, and using our time, our talents and our money to help others. We do not have a preparation time for Lent. However, we should turn our eyes toward Lent and ask ourselves how we are going to use it.

We are called to holiness. But what is holiness? Usually we think we are holy when are being good, doing good things and avoiding sin. You may be surprised that this is not exactly holiness, for any good person is good, does good and avoids evil. Ultimately, being holy means conforming our lives to God who is holy. Being holy is about a relationship, not about goodness. When we think about holiness we often think of individuals such as the saints like Saint Brother André of Montreal. God and Jesus tell us that holiness is not only for us individually but for the whole community. By community we can include our family, our school, our work place, or most any group we belong to. To be holy we must have a foot in each camp: we must concern ourselves not only with our individual relationship with God, but also with our relationship with the community of believers and that community’s relationship with God.

In our modern society most people think of what is there in this particular action for me? We are self centered. But neither the Bible nor Jesus speak in terms of individuals by themselves. Individuals in the Bible were always bound up in relationships with the family, with the community, and with the nation. There was no “self-identity” outside of these relationships. This is why exile was one of the worst punishments that could be given. To cut off people from their families was to deprive them of their identity.

Our first reading today was from the Old Testament book of Leviticus. The part of Leviticus we read from today is referred to as theHoliness Code. These three sentences outline for us the way to approach holiness. You shall not bear hatred for your brother or sister. Cherish no grudge against anyone, God tells us. These requests of God have to do with our relationships within the community in which we live. We are not to bear hatred toward anyone in our community because God does not. However, we can point out to others when necessary who are doing something wrong, because, if they are doing wrong, everyone suffers. God has a history of correcting those who lead others astray. We take no revenge and we hold no grudge because God does neither of these things. If we do them, we hurt the community. We are to act in love toward those in our community because God does. This love is not about how we feel about someone; it is about our willingness to care for someone.

Over time there developed a system of justice that fell astray from this Holiness Code. A system of retribution and revenge developed.

Jesus gives us an updated Holiness Code, one that goes far beyond the demands of Leviticus. In Jesus’ day, the worst insult was to strike a person on the cheek with a backhand. This insult always resulted in a bloody fight. Honor had to be satisfied. But Jesus said, “No.” Honor is not regained this way. Honor is regained by not retaliating. To make His point He exaggerates by saying we should even offer the other cheek! This would not have been well received at all. The point is that for Jesus, reconciliation and preserving the unity of the community of faith outweigh all other considerations. Jesus is not advising us to let evildoers freely abuse us; rather, we are not to retaliate by the same means. We are to respond with an action that confronts the evildoer non-violently, thus breaking the cycle of violence and opening up a new possibility by which gestures of reconciliation can be reciprocated.

In the last section Jesus deals with the command to love our neighbor. Nowhere in the Bible is there a command or permission to hate the enemy. We are to set no bounds on our love just as God sets no bounds on his divine love for us.

Holiness is found in following the purpose of Jesus’ life: preaching, death and resurrection. All was done to reunite us with the Father, to bring us into community with the Father. For our Lenten discipline and sacrifice, we might ponder how we can achieve this holiness. By the end of Lent, as we celebrate the Resurrection, how can we be better conformed to the person of Christ and bring people together around God’s table of peace?

Homily for the week of February 13, 2011

HOMILY: Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, 2011

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sir 15:15-20 • 1 Cor 2:6-10 • Mt 5:17-37

Parents and teachers know that before you can communicate efffectively with children you have to get their attention. Jesus had his own way of getting His followers to pay close attention. He would say, “Amen, I say to you.” He often says: Amen, amen. But Jesus never used it at the end of a prayer as we do. The word “amen” has no English equivalent. It is an Aramaic word that was uttered when someone recognized the deep truth of something or when a teacher was about to reveal something of great importance. It is appropriate, then, that in some churches people feel free to shout “Amen!” when they agree with the speaker or minister.

Jesus uses Amen a few times in the shorten part of the Gospel which I just read. The readings for today set before us some basic principles for living out out daily lives as friends of Jesus. As much as God loves us and desires our good, God does not force us to accept the road leading to salvation. I repeat, God does not force us to accept the road leading to salvation. The choice is ours and is part of that wonderful gift of freedom which God has given us. Being able to use this gift of freedom requires a special kind of wisdom. This combination of freedom and wisdom enables us to carry out God's plan for us.

God gives us the opportunity to change our lives, to follow the road which leads to life. If you choose you can keep the commandments, they will save you. We have been given by God the power to chose between good and evil, between life and death.

God knows us so well that he knows and understands every one of our deeds and even our thoughts. Maybe fortunately, or unfortunately, God never commands us to act justly. However, God never gives us permission to do wrong. We need the wisdom described by Paul in our second reading. Paul reflects God's thinking. Paul prays that we will be given discernment so that we might have God's law in our heart.

Jesus proposes that obedience to the commandments is not something merely external, but rather something that comes from the heart. The scribes and Pharisees were, according to Jesus, missing the point of the Law. They were regarding it as external to them, something to be conformed to, observed in an exact and painstaking manner.

Jesus looks behind human behavior to its causes. For example, He does not focus on the Law's prohibition on killing; rather on theanger and abusive behavior that so often leads one person to kill another. Another example he uses is that of judging others or malicious gossip. It is so easy for any of us to say wrong things about the actions of others in our family or school or place where we work. We can so easily be wrong in our statements. If we truly try to understand why others act as they do then we will be more compassionate, patient, forgiving; we will be gentler, kinder, and more generous. Even then, Jesus tells us that forgiveness is a way out of the vicious circle of resentment and violence.

Jesus is the greatest example of that wisdom which God gives us. He was born and came among us to show us how we are to use those gifts of the heart. Jesus talks about using our freedom in making the right choices. He reminds us that are not to be politicians in that we make decisions for others to see, or what the polls might tell us. Rather we are to go beyond the letter of the law, and search our hearts, to look beyond and behind the outward expression of the laws. Jesus challenges us to look not at just what we do, but at the thoughts and motivations behind our behavior.

Jesus speaks of honesty as a way of life. Jesus says to us simply: say yes when we mean yes, and no when we man no should be enough proof for anyone. But we can only do this if we are completely honest and sincere. Jesus tells us that our care and concern for others goes way beyond laws forbidding murder or adultery. Treat others as children of God, and persons redeemed by the cross of Jesus.

In three weeks from this weekend we will begin Lent. Lent is a time for us to return to the Lord those parts of our life which we have taken over for ourselves, or to listen to the voice of God inscribed in our hearts.

The teaching of Jesus is truly challenging. Its focus is the heart, the place of human feelings, desires and hope. Jesus wishes to bring the human heart alive with the warmth of his love. When our efforts to become better people focus simply on behavior, they are misdirected and will be frustrated. Following the teaching of Jesus, we focus on the heart: on our feelings, desires and hopes. This is where Jesus is at work within us, and where the Spirit renews us. And what is changed on the inside will show itself on the outside.

Homily for the week of February 6, 2011

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, 2011

Isaiah 58:7-10

Psalm 112:4-5, 6-7, 8-9

1 Corinthians 2:1-5

Matthew 5:13-16

Each time you come to Mass, as you are right now, you hear me read a part of the Bible known as the Gospel. The Gospel is a small section of the what Jesus would tell us if he was standing here in my place. And as you listen to Jesus you realize that he uses examples that are down to earth.

Today he talks about salt. Life itself depends on salt. Salt is necessary for the survival of every living being. Our saliva, which comes from the word for salt, is about 9% salt. The proper functioning of our nervous system depends on salt — sodium. Those who do tough physical exercise like wrestlers and joggers must be careful that their bodies don't get low on salt. In our health conscious society salt gets a bad rap because of its association with heart disease and blood pressure. Fast food places like MacDonalds and Burgher King now tell you how much salt or sodium there is their food. All food labels tell you the sodium content. Food without salt is not very tasty. Life itself depends on salt.

Table salt was not used at the time of Jesus. Because salt was a necessity years ago workers were paid with a number of portions of salt from which we get the term salary. Salt was rubbed on a newborn. Today tons of salt are used on roads to melt the snow and ice.

Despite this, we take salt for granted. It is readily available to us, and at least in the Western world it is inexpensive. Throughout history though, and still in many parts of the world, salt was difficult to obtain and was very expensive. Some ancient economies used salt as their currency. This is how we get the saying, “to be worth his salt”. Today if we say someone is “the salt of the earth,” we understand that person to be solid and dependable, someone who can be counted on through thick and thin. But when Jesus said to his disciples that they were the salt of the earth, they might have understood the expression in light of the Bible.

Jesus’ reference to salt today, however, is not exclusively about salt as part of our diet or about enhancing the flavor of food. His clear meaning — that His followers are to spread His teachings throughout the world and not grow weary in their efforts — most likely also refers to the salt used in outdoor, earthen ovens that were common in that day. For fuel, people burned dung from their animals, and for dung to burn, it must be salted. When the salt plates used to facilitate burning were no longer effective, they were thrown out into the street, which served as both sewer and a place for trash, so therefore they were “trampled underfoot.”

Salt was also important for religious functions in the synagogue. Blending salt with incense kept the fragrant powder pure. Years ago salt was put on and infant's tongue as part of the baptismal ritual as a symbol of everlasting life. Another way in which salt was used was to sprinkle salt on the first page of contract or agreement to symbolized the lasting nature of the agreement.

Finally, different kinds of salts are necessary for the soil to be fruitful, but soil that is “nothing but sulphur and salt” is a desert wasteland. As a symbol of permanent destruction, conquerors would spread salt on a city they had burned. As Jesus called his disciples “salt,” they may have understood any of these meanings: they season and purify the world with God’s love, giving witness to divine fidelity that preserves life for all eternity.

When salt is used in food or for chemical processes, it loses its separate identity. We know what salt tastes like, but as seasoning its specific taste can be very hard to detect. If salt can be tasted in food too much salt was used. The real value of the salt is how it affects other things. It enhances the flavor of food, as a preservative it prevents certain chemical decay, and it can serve as a catalyst in chemical reactions helping one substance react with another.

Today Jesus uses both the image of salt and the image of light to tell us how we are to live and act as His followers. Just as you don't turn on a light just to turn it off again, so Jesus is telling us that we his followers must not stop being a light to others who might be in darkness. Although there are many times in our life when temptations and struggles to be good may threaten to dilute our “saltiness” or dim our light, nothing is ever able to take away our capacity to illumine God’s love for others.

Like salt we are not called to smother others with our Christianity. But, like salt, we are asked by Jesus to permeate society with his message and to add zest to the lives of others whose salt may have gone flat, or who have not yet found the salt of spirituality. But we are also called to leave no trace of ourselves. We are called to produce the little deed, the unnoticed presence, the unassuming influence. We are invited by Jesus to restored the flavor.

The same kind of example with wide impact is wrapped up in the example of light. Scientifically, light is more complicated than salt. To understand light involves such concepts as wave and radiation. We are left to ponder how light can travel at the speed of 186,282 miles per second. For example, as tiny as a candle might be, when placed in a room it fills the room with its presence. Also, we don't try to hide a light which we have turned on. But we place it so that it allows us to see.

You and I were first invited to be a light to others at Baptism. We were given a candle lighted from the Easter candle -- the symbol of spiritual life and resurrection -- and our parents and/or godparents were asked to hold it for us. The Resurrection candle is placed in front of the casket at a funeral in order to remind us that this person who has died was blessed with the light of Jesus, and has now resurrected with Jesus to everlasting life. We light candles at the altar as a symbol of the light of Jesus. However, one isolated candle does not light a community, but it might encourage others to place their light on the table.

Jesus was a carpenter, not a chemist or scientist. Yet by using such simple examples as salt and light, he was telling us how important it is for us to live, work and pray together. One little grain of salt can do nothing by itself. It can only be effective when it joins with grains of salt.