Fr. Rick Spicer

In last week’s gospel, Jesus posed the question to his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” Judging by his reaction to Peter, a fitting question to ask now is, “Who do you think you are?” His words appear to be spoken in anger and perhaps they were.

I imagine Peter was stunned when Jesus scolded him for his well intended advice by saying, “Get behind me, Satan!” What was so wrong about what Peter had said? Nothing really except that he was perhaps unwittingly trying to prevent Jesus from following God’s will.

While he meant well in his prayer that God would spare Jesus from the pains of crucifixion, Peter was refusing to accept God’s will. As Jesus pointed out, “You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” Peter still expected the Messiah to be an earthly king who would rid his homeland of the Romans. Judging the situation at hand by human standards instead of God’s standards, he was an adversary bent on stopping Jesus from following God’s will.

So, who do you think you are? When we offer advice, do we ever ask ourselves if we are thinking as God does or are we thinking as human beings do? How often do we follow Peter’s example and set our sights on human concerns rather than the divine? More often than I suspect we care to admit or realize. In spite of their good intentions, many people give advice that cause others to trip and fall because they are ignoring God’s standards.

For example, pregnant women who for whatever reason cannot or will not accept the unborn child in their wombs are often advised to get an abortion. The advice may be a quick solution to the problem at hand but one thing Project Rachel revealed to me years ago is that few women are left emotionally or physically unchanged by a surgical procedure that takes less time to perform than a commute from here to Seattle. Down the road, some eventually discover the link between their abortion and their present health issues and when they do, they find themselves regretting that they had ignored God’s wisdom.

From the start of our faith journey at baptism until that point when God will judge us, there will be countless moments when people in our lives will advise us on what to do. Some counsel will be worth heeding while other advice will be well worth ditching. Be it advice we give or receive, we should ask ourselves, “Would Jesus give that same bit of advice?”

In his rebuke, Jesus raises a haunting question we cannot afford to ignore. “What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?” He is warning us that we will be repaid according to our conduct in this lifetime and if we focus on worldly things rather than him, we risk losing everything in the end. The damage caused by making choices that would not be deemed acceptable by God may seem insignificant but danger lurks anytime we ignore God’s wisdom.

Many of our neighbors consider themselves Catholic yet we rarely see them here at Mass. Convinced by others that missing Sunday Mass is not wrong, despite what the Church tells us, they are absent from the Eucharistic gathering for any number of reasons. That bit of worldly advice has lured them into a weekend routine that allows them to become even more distant from understanding God’s way of thinking.

Few Christians set out in life intent on ignoring God and identifying instead only with the world and its secular ways. Keep in mind that the path to conformity and worldliness, which Jesus cautions us to avoid, often begins with seemingly harmless steps yet eventually those who continue to venture down that path find themselves thinking less and less as God does, thus less able to see the value of his wisdom over worldly wisdom.

Paul advises us, “Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind so that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good, and pleasing and perfect.” This can only be done through prayer. For Paul, a life lived according to God’s will is the most basic form of worship there is.

Jesus cautions that we cannot follow him unless we take up our cross. “Be ready to offer your life for my cause,” he is telling us. To be a committed Christian, one must be willing to suffer. Martyrdom isn’t the fate of most Christians but those who are committed to him accept the sufferings that come into their lives because of the choices they make for the sake of the Kingdom. They find themselves taking up crosses of inconvenience, of bearing witness, or for some, of martyrdom. That may not seem so attractive against the backdrop of worldly lures but Jesus also tells us that those who lose their lives for his sake will find it.

We are urged to think as God does regardless of the cost. God doesn’t want us to suffer but sometimes suffering and sacrifice might be required of us as we respond to our call as disciples.

Jeremiah, Paul, Peter, and Jesus all found themselves standing at crossroads where they had to decide which way to go: the way of their times or the timeless way of God. They all knew that ultimately the way of God would be the most satisfying yet also the more costly choice to make. They would agree with the poet, Robert Frost, who wrote, “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.”

The message of these readings is simple yet challenging. We should keep the advice we heard in mind when giving advice or before accepting advice, for the choice we make could make all the difference when the day comes that we find ourselves standing before the Son of Man.

In last week’s gospel, Jesus posed the question to his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” Judging by his reaction to Peter, a fitting question to ask now is, “Who do you think you are?” His words appear to be spoken in anger and perhaps they were.

I imagine Peter was stunned when Jesus scolded him for his well intended advice by saying, “Get behind me, Satan!” What was so wrong about what Peter had said? Nothing really except that he was perhaps unwittingly trying to prevent Jesus from following God’s will.

While he meant well in his prayer that God would spare Jesus from the pains of crucifixion, Peter was refusing to accept God’s will. As Jesus pointed out, “You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” Peter still expected the Messiah to be an earthly king who would rid his homeland of the Romans. Judging the situation at hand by human standards instead of God’s standards, he was an adversary bent on stopping Jesus from following God’s will.

So, who do you think you are? When we offer advice, do we ever ask ourselves if we are thinking as God does or are we thinking as human beings do? How often do we follow Peter’s example and set our sights on human concerns rather than the divine? More often than I suspect we care to admit or realize. In spite of their good intentions, many people give advice that cause others to trip and fall because they are ignoring God’s standards.

For example, pregnant women who for whatever reason cannot or will not accept the unborn child in their wombs are often advised to get an abortion. The advice may be a quick solution to the problem at hand but one thing Project Rachel revealed to me years ago is that few women are left emotionally or physically unchanged by a surgical procedure that takes less time to perform than a commute from here to Seattle. Down the road, some eventually discover the link between their abortion and their present health issues and when they do, they find themselves regretting that they had ignored God’s wisdom.

From the start of our faith journey at baptism until that point when God will judge us, there will be countless moments when people in our lives will advise us on what to do. Some counsel will be worth heeding while other advice will be well worth ditching. Be it advice we give or receive, we should ask ourselves, “Would Jesus give that same bit of advice?”

In his rebuke, Jesus raises a haunting question we cannot afford to ignore. “What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?” He is warning us that we will be repaid according to our conduct in this lifetime and if we focus on worldly things rather than him, we risk losing everything in the end. The damage caused by making choices that would not be deemed acceptable by God may seem insignificant but danger lurks anytime we ignore God’s wisdom.

Many of our neighbors consider themselves Catholic yet we rarely see them here at Mass. Convinced by others that missing Sunday Mass is not wrong, despite what the Church tells us, they are absent from the Eucharistic gathering for any number of reasons. That bit of worldly advice has lured them into a weekend routine that allows them to become even more distant from understanding God’s way of thinking.

Few Christians set out in life intent on ignoring God and identifying instead only with the world and its secular ways. Keep in mind that the path to conformity and worldliness, which Jesus cautions us to avoid, often begins with seemingly harmless steps yet eventually those who continue to venture down that path find themselves thinking less and less as God does, thus less able to see the value of his wisdom over worldly wisdom.

Paul advises us, “Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind so that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good, and pleasing and perfect.” This can only be done through prayer. For Paul, a life lived according to God’s will is the most basic form of worship there is.

Jesus cautions that we cannot follow him unless we take up our cross. “Be ready to offer your life for my cause,” he is telling us. To be a committed Christian, one must be willing to suffer. Martyrdom isn’t the fate of most Christians but those who are committed to him accept the sufferings that come into their lives because of the choices they make for the sake of the Kingdom. They find themselves taking up crosses of inconvenience, of bearing witness, or for some, of martyrdom. That may not seem so attractive against the backdrop of worldly lures but Jesus also tells us that those who lose their lives for his sake will find it.

We are urged to think as God does regardless of the cost. God doesn’t want us to suffer but sometimes suffering and sacrifice might be required of us as we respond to our call as disciples.

Jeremiah, Paul, Peter, and Jesus all found themselves standing at crossroads where they had to decide which way to go: the way of their times or the timeless way of God. They all knew that ultimately the way of God would be the most satisfying yet also the more costly choice to make. They would agree with the poet, Robert Frost, who wrote, “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.”

The message of these readings is simple yet challenging. We should keep the advice we heard in mind when giving advice or before accepting advice, for the choice we make could make all the difference when the day comes that we find ourselves standing before the Son of Man.

Two friends were eating lunch in a café; one was Chinese and the other was a Jew. Without warning, the Jew struck the Chinese fellow in the jaw, sending him sprawling. The Chinese man picked himself up, rubbed his sore jaw and asked, “What did you do that for?”

The Jew coldly replied, “For Pearl Harbor!” His response astounded the Chinese man. “Pearl Harbor? I didn’t have anything to do with Pearl Harbor. It was the Japanese who bombed Pearl Harbor.” The Jew replied, “Chinese, Taiwanese, Japanese, they’re all the same to me.”

The two men resumed eating their meals in silence but before long, the Chinese man leaned over and sent his Jewish friend flying with a hard slap. The Jew yelled out, “What was that for?”

The Chinese man icily responded, “The Titanic!” The Jew sputtered, “The Titanic? Why, I didn’t have anything to do with the Titanic!” Thereupon, the Chinese man snorted, “Goldberg, Steinberg, Iceberg…they’re all the same to me!”

Prejudice provides us with the basis for much humor but prejudice also hurts many people. My dictionary defines prejudice as either an irrational hostile attitude or preconceived negative opinions and judgments of others.

This gospel story does not present Jesus in the best light. Certainly, this encounter between Jesus and the Canaanite woman doesn’t appear to be one of the finer moments of his ministry. This foreign woman begs a favor she has no right to, bursting onto the scene, pleading for help. His reaction may surprise us but what we witness is a classic example of Jewish prejudice toward Gentiles in biblical times. Jesus implies that the Canaanite woman isn’t even human when he harshly responds to her heartfelt plea to save her daughter from demons, “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” Does his insult bother anyone here or have we grown numb to the pervasiveness of prejudice in our own society?

We tolerate many prejudices which in turn prompt us to exclude certain people from our lives. Growing up, the prevalent prejudice in our country was toward people of African heritage. Today, it seems to be aimed toward those who have recently immigrated to America from third world countries, legally or illegally. We hesitate to welcome the immigrant in our midst, complaining that they have taken away our jobs. For any number of reasons, we don’t think of their plight as our plight, or appreciate what they have to offer.

I can think of few emotional experiences more painful than being shunned. To be excluded can leave a person feeling humiliated, unwelcomed, or unloved. Being excluded can destroy a fragile self esteem, something many people struggled with in childhood.

Exclusion is a human tragedy God does not care to duplicate. At first, God promised the gift of salvation to a chosen few, the Israelites, but as we just heard in the final line from Isaiah, “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” God now desires to include all peoples in his kingdom.

Overcoming the cultural bias of his time, Jesus extends mercy to this foreign woman and her ill daughter. Paul reminds us that God will have mercy on everybody. When we reach out to embrace the stranger in our midst, we are acting like our merciful God. Living the gospel means reaching out to others with mercy and compassion, no matter who they are.

Before Vatican II, many Catholics believed that salvation would only be experienced by good and faithful Catholics. In the third century, Saint Cyprian gave us the slogan, “Outside the Church, there is no salvation.” The Church never officially held such a position, teaching instead that those who seek God with a sincere heart will gain salvation.

Well, if the name of my faith doesn’t matter in my quest for salvation, what does? The simple answer is love. St. John tells us that God is love. In Genesis, we hear God saying, “Let us make man in our own image.” If God intended to make us in the image of love, we are being called to be people of love and if we are people of love, nothing can justify whatever prejudices we stubbornly cling to. Prejudice prompts us to build walls instead of bridges. How can love be generated if we continue to imprison ourselves?

After listening to the Canaanite woman, Jesus changed his mind about Gentiles and now could see that God’s kingdom was meant for all peoples. His conversion sets a good example for us to follow, that is, to reconsider our own prejudices. Instead of clinging to his prejudice of looking down on Gentiles, which was common in his culture, Jesus listened openly and was moved to now include this woman in his world and to embrace her.

At Vatican II, the hope was expressed that we as Church would seek to deal with our own prejudices. The bishops wrote, “With respect to the fundamental rights of the person, every type of discrimination, whether social or cultural, whether based on sex, race, color, social conditions, language or religion, is to be overcome and eradicated as contrary to God’s intent.”

We call ourselves Catholic for good reason, convinced that our message of salvation is meant for all peoples. If that dream is to come true, we must confront those prejudices we cling to, which prompt us to ignore anyone, even the person in the pew next to us. Unless we abandon our own prejudices, can we honestly consider ourselves to be people of love?

As we just heard, more than 5000 people had gathered to listen to Jesus and now they were hungry. The disciples noticed the need but took no action. “Dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves,” they urged Jesus. Doesn’t that sound so familiar? Let someone else solve the problem! But Jesus throws the ball back at them. “Give them some food yourselves.” What he said to them, he is saying to us, you can make a difference.

The only food around were five loaves and two fish, food that according to John’s gospel likely belonged to one boy. That boy gave what he had to Jesus, who then fed the hungry crowd. The boy’s generosity provided Jesus with an opportunity to show that an individual’s actions can make a difference.

The late newspaper columnist, Art Buchwald, illustrated this point with a story about his friend, Oscar. One day as they were getting out of a cab, Oscar said to the driver, “You did a super job of driving.” The cabbie looked at him and replied, “Who are you? A wise guy?” Oscar said, “Not at all. I really mean it. I admire the way you moved about in the traffic.” “Yeah, sure,” the cabbie mumbled as he drove off.

“What was that all about?” asked Art. “I’m trying to bring love back to New York,” replied Oscar. “How can you do that?” Art asked. “Take that cabbie,” Oscar explained, “I think I made his day. Let’s suppose he has 20 fares today. He’s going to be nice to those 20 people. They, in turn, will be kinder to other people. Eventually, the kindness could spread to a thousand people.” Art said, “You are developing into a nut.”

Just then they passed a construction site. The workers were on their lunch break. Oscar walked up to a group of them and said, “That’s a magnificent job you men are doing.” The workers eyed Oscar suspiciously. “When will it be finished?” Oscar asked. One of the hard hats grunted, “Next June.” “That’s great,” Oscar said, “It will be a splendid addition to the city.”

As they continued their walk, Art said to Oscar, “Boy, I haven’t seen anyone like you since the Man of La Mancha.” “That’s OK,” Oscar replied, “You can joke, but when these men digest my words, they will be better for it.”

“But,” Art argued, “even if they are better for it, you’re still only one man and one person can’t change New York City.” Oscar responded, “Yes he can. The big thing is not to get discouraged. Bringing love back to New York is not easy, but if I can get others to join me in my campaign, a difference will be noticed.”

Oscar’s message resonates with today’s gospel. One person can make a difference. One person can be an instrument for a miracle. If one concerned person can be the instrument for helping others, imagine the difference many concerned people can make.

Years ago, a middle-aged woman left behind a teaching career at a boarding school and walked into the slum of India’s largest city. She had two dollars in her purse, no income or place to call home. All she had was a deep conviction that God was calling her to make a difference in the lives of the poor and the dying. She felt that her needs would be taken care of.

That woman was Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta. By the time she died in 1997 she had built 80 schools, 30 homes for the dying, and 70 clinics for lepers, all staffed by more than 40,000 workers. She had nothing to start with but the equivalent of a few loaves and fishes, but she made what she had available to God, who in turn, has made them available to thousands of people in need. She showed that one loving person could start a tidal wave of love.

The issue here isn’t just physical hunger. Months ago, our parish pledged to support Good Cheer, our local food bank, with our “3 peas in a pod” drive, urging you to bring paper products, protein products or personal hygiene products on the first weekend of each month. These items, which Good Cheer finds too costly to buy enough of, are items that even the poor need. Whatever you bring will make a difference in someone’s life next month and if every family brought one “pea” each month, imagine how many bags we could fill. In May, we donated over 300 lbs. but last month our donations dropped by half. The need is still there for Good Cheer feeds an average of 800 families monthly.

Mother Teresa used to say that the trouble with the world is that we’ve all forgotten that we belong to one another. It is easy to talk big about being God’s children and to say that Jesus is our brother, but do we really mean it? Do we live like God’s children or the sisters and brothers of Jesus? Sometimes yes and sometimes no. Some times it takes a special experience to remind us what our kinship is all about: namely, being with one another.

Paul asked, “What will separate us from the love of Christ?” He then suggests that nothing can, but I am not so sure. Our selfishness, our reluctance to reach out to others in need could separate us from the love of Christ. God depends on us to do our share. Our poor, limited small talents, taken and blessed by him, are returned to our hands to share with others. If we fail to do so, both our gifts and his blessings go wanting.

If we should ever feel unloved by God, we have only ourselves to blame. As Pogo, a famous cartoon character of the mid 20th century whom many of us remember fondly, often said, “We have met the enemy and he is us.”

A motivational speaker once began his talk by asking, “Who was Jim Thorpe’s coach? Who was Albert Einstein’s arithmetic teacher? Who was Billy Graham’s religion teacher in junior high?” His point was that many people become who they are because someone planted seeds of future greatness in them. So who was Albert Einstein’s second grade math teacher? I don’t know, but that person certainly impacted our world. This to me is where today’s readings hits home. What seeds are we planting in the lives of others as we venture through life? We may think that our actions won’t make much difference but they just might. Certain deeds, like certain seeds, have led to great outcomes. When President Abraham Lincoln met Harriet Beecher Stowe, the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, he said, “So this is the lady who started the big war.”

What “big war” are we seeding? What seeds are we planting in others? Sometimes we fail to grasp why our world is in the shape it is in. We spent hours at work and then wonder why our children have become strangers to us. We carry our prejudices like badges of honor, and then wonder why violence and anger strangle society. We justify our indifference to the less fortunate, yet grumble why so many are on welfare. What we often forget is that our words, actions, and priorities can make a difference by planting the “right seeds” in others, but first, we have to produce them.

The basic lesson in this renowned parable of the sower is this: if what Jesus is telling us doesn’t result in making us better people, then there is something very wrong, not with his teachings, but with us. Just as seeds won’t grow or thrive in certain soils, there is something amiss with the “soil of our hearts” if we are not endeavoring to grow in holiness and goodness.

Like rain sent to nourish budding plants, God offers us help every day, all day, free of charge, even when we don’t deserve it. God enlightens our minds, encourages us to do good, and gives us the grace to avoid sin, or at least tries to.  Such is the message Isaiah leaves us with. God seeks the best for this world but ultimately the outcome is up to us, much like the outcome of any garden we plant. If the garden is well tended, its beauty and harvest will provide a rich feast. On the other hand, a neglected garden provides little more than a bed of weeds. A landscaper once quipped, “If there’s no gardener, then there is no garden!”

So, what is our attitude as we listen to the lessons of Jesus, handed on to us in both scripture and the teachings of our Church? The different soils mentioned by him describe our varied responses from outright rejection to open hearted and enthusiastic acceptance.

I once assembled a thousand piece jigsaw puzzle. The challenge was not in the number of pieces but the absence of any picture to guide me. As I fitted the many pieces together, the picture slowly emerged. I imagine some not so patient people would have quit along the way, while others with too much else to do wouldn’t begin the assembly in the first place. Only those who persist to the end will be greatly satisfied at seeing the whole picture.

The same holds true for our faith. None of us began our faith journey at baptism with a complete awareness of Jesus and his good news. Through prayer and reflection, we come to know and appreciate the whole message of our faith. For those who persist, the harvest, as Jesus says, is bountiful. Others who are not so patient or committed will journey through life with an incomplete picture of Jesus and his message of salvation.

With the parable of the sower, Jesus challenges us to allow the word of God to take root in our hearts so that we in turn may sow the seeds of justice, peace, and reconciliation that our world so ardently yearns for.

Years ago, a reporter asked Boris Yeltsin, the first president of Russia, what gave him the courage to stand firm during the fall of communism in the former Soviet Union. Surprisingly, he credited Lech Walesa, who started the downfall of communism in Poland when he founded the Solidarity movement. When Lech Walesa was asked what inspired him to stand firm, he said it was the civil rights movement in our country, led by Martin Luther King, Jr. When Martin Luther King, Jr. was asked what inspired him, he said it was the courage of one woman, Rosa Parks, who refused to move to the back of the bus one December afternoon in 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama. Could we say that a brave little woman in the south brought about the downfall of communism? Seeds are like that. They have great potential. Likewise, we never know whom we may influence by what we say and do.

Who seeded you? Who put value, meaning, and grace into your life? God bless them for they touched you in a way that moved you to be present in worship with us this day.

Who are you seeding quietly? Perhaps you have no idea but as we leave church today, we can leave with the intention of making a difference. After all, we are told, “The mass is ended, go in peace to love and serve the Lord.” We can leave this space, intent on better living the message of Jesus Christ. When we let his word take root in us, we in turn can plant the seeds of God’s love in others that tomorrow’s world will harvest.  In this way, we can truly love and serve the Lord and one another.