2010

The readings today could be summed up in one sentence,

“Avoid greed if you really want to live.” Jesus knows that we all need a certain amount of money and goods to sustain life, so he isn’t rebuking the rich man for what he owns, but he faults him for being greedy. This warning is not just for anyone who is considered wealthy, for no matter what we have, anyone of us could be guilty of greed.

Listed as one of the seven capital sins, greed is dangerous because it blinds us to God’s love. Greed has been considered the most-committed, least confessed sin in our country.

Few literary characters epitomize greed better than Ebeneezer Scrooge, the tight-fisted merchant in Charles Dickens’ beloved story, The Christmas Carol. All he cared about was making a profit. If anyone wished him, “Merry Christmas,” he would reply, “Bah, humbug!” To increase his profits, he even worked late on Christmas Eve and expected his nephew, Bob Cratchit, to do the same. That night, he encountered the ghost of Christmas past who reminded him of what he had once been but that wasn’t enough to change him. However, when the ghost of Christmas future shows him his grave, Scrooge then realizes that there is more to living than living for oneself.

In this parable, Jesus focuses on the rich man’s attitude, which is a cartoon of selfishness. I doubt that there is another parable in the gospels with so many personal pronouns: I, my and myself. When asked what part of speech those words were, one student quipped, “aggressive pronouns.” Like Scrooge, this rich man was aggressively self-centered. He couldn’t see beyond his own wants.

Greed is a dangerous attitude that can infect anyone of us, rich and poor alike, for greed is born out of the fear of never having enough. As Jesus points out, no amount of possessions can make our lives secure in the long run. He tells his listeners to beware of wanting more, just for the sake of having more. But isn’t that what the American dream is all about?

We swim in a culture of excess where the pursuit of having more is admired. We applaud ambition, yet as many families discover painfully along the way, this trait can threaten our well being. When parents give up the precious quality time they can spend with their children for the sake of their careers and income, they discover too late that relationships can never be taken for granted.

The readings open with the line, “Vanity of vanities!” Qoheleth wasn’t speaking of conceit but of illusion. Las, many of us have been fooled into believing that fulfilling the American dream is more important than following the wisdom of the gospel.

Few of us own granaries or barns. Still, we are duped into believing that more is better, newer is better, bigger is better, more than what we already have is better but for how long? When we die, what difference will it make when we stand in the presence of God what our worldly goods amount to? After all, as King Tut discovered, we really can’t take it with us.

What matters in the end as Jesus points out is being rich in the sight of God, but how is that to be achieved? Although easier said than done for many people, the answer lies is choosing to live out of love instead of fear. That is what Scrooge came to realize through his encounters with the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future. He could see that he had been spiritually asleep. Through prayer, which followed the visit of Christmas future, he rediscovered the beauty of living out of love, sharing what he had with others, rather than hoarding. If Scrooge can change, so can we.

To become rich in what matters to God, we must live out of love for God and for others, not the fear of abandonment.  We may expect such giving to hurt, but in reality, we will discover that being generous will leave us feeling safe.  As Scrooge did, we discover that there is much more joy in giving than in receiving. Those of us who were once tight fisted like Scrooge have learned that there is no joy to be found in living out of fear but there is much joy to be found in living out of love and sharing what God has blessed us with, our treasures and our talents.

If we are to become rich in what matters to God, that means changing our attitude toward stewardship. Out of every dollar you earn, how much do you give to the parish and other charities?  Surveys on tithing show that the average Catholic family gives less than two cents of every dollar earned. Is your gift to the parish the first fruits of your earnings or a giving of your loose change?

Being rich in what matters to God begins with an attitude of the heart in which we see ourselves not as owners in the ultimate sense of our possessions but as stewards of what God has entrusted to us. After all, where did we get the intelligence, talents, energy, ability, health, stamina, and love that enable us to be who we are and where we are in life? In return, we are expected to share what God has blessed us with.

Jack Benny, a beloved comedian for many decades on radio and television was often depicted as being tight fisted. In one skit, an armed robber approached him and demanded, “Your money or your life!” There was a long pause, while Benny did nothing and said nothing. Finally, the robber impatiently asked, “Well?”  Benny replied, “Don’t rush me. I’m thinking about it!”

Is that you are doing or has this parable awakened you to what really matters in life before it is too late?

Last week’s gospel, featuring the parable of the Good Samaritan, ends with the mandate from Jesus, “Then go and do the same.” Today’s gospel reading sends us a very different message. We find Martha busy with her household tasks. She is “going and doing,” busily preparing a meal. Meanwhile, her sister, Mary, sits down to listen to Jesus. After complaining that she ought to be helping her in the kitchen, Martha is chided for “going and doing” too much. “Martha, Martha,” Jesus replies, “you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”

Martha and Mary provide a contrast in priorities. Martha’s preoccupation with putting a meal together can be compared to those who busy themselves following the letter of the law, serving others. Many feel good about themselves and their relationship with God because they are busily doing what is expected of them.

That attitude was certainly common among the Pharisees in ancient Israel and is still common among many Christians today. They see themselves as devoutly religious because they carefully observe the many commandments of the Church.

Jesus doesn’t condemn Martha for what she is doing. He is lamenting that, unlike her sister, she isn’t being too attentive to her guest.  On the other hand, Mary puts aside whatever she was doing so that she can seat herself by Jesus and listen to what he has to say.

I read that to sit at the feet of a rabbi implied that you also wanted to be one. A student of the Torah visited his teacher one day and pronounced that in his opinion, he was ready to be ordained a rabbi.

“What are your qualifications?” the rabbi asked. The proud student replied, “I’ve disciplined my body so that I can sleep on the ground, eat the grass of the field and allow myself to be whipped three times a day.”

The teacher then asked, “Do you see that ass over there? It sleeps on the ground, eats the grass of the fields and is whipped no less than three times a day. From what you’ve said, you may qualify to be an ass, but certainly not a rabbi!”

Before we deem ourselves “qualified” to be considered true disciples of Jesus, we had better consider if our lifestyle has allowed God the chance to teach us through prayer what being a disciple is all about.

Mary seizes the opportunity to satisfy her hunger to better know God.  When Jesus points out to Martha that her sister has chosen the better part, he is observing that striving to keep the letter of the law should never take precedence over taking time to be in touch with God through prayer.  This isn’t an either/or proposition that Jesus is placing before us.  We are still expected to serve others, just as the Good Samaritan and Martha did, but we also need to put aside time for God, following the example of Mary.

One doesn’t achieve holiness merely through obedience of the many laws that direct how we as Christians are to live. Holiness is cultivated through the art of praying, which should be the objective of every Christian’s life.

Most of us approach life much like Martha. We are always busy, filling our days with activities, keeping our families fed, clothed, and entertained. Hopefully we also manage to find some time in the midst of all that activity for quiet prayer, which is as vital for our spiritual well being as sleep is for our physical well being.

We gather here for Mass, but that is not the same thing. The Mass is our community prayer. Jesus is the host who invites us to this Eucharistic feast to be fed by him so that when we leave this space, we are empowered to serve him by serving others.

When we leave here, do we make much time to invite Jesus into our lives as our guest?  Do we create quiet time just for God the other days of the week? Do we take time out from our busy schedule to share with God what is going on in our lives, giving God a chance to speak to us?

I imagine for many of us, prayer is not an activity we spend much time doing attentively. The Catechism presumes that when it notes, “Many Christians unconsciously regard prayer as an occupation that is incompatible with all the other things they have to do: they ‘don’t have the time.’”  But the Catechism also cautions, “Prayer is a vital necessity.  If we do not allow the Spirit to lead us, we fall back into the slavery of sin.”

The bottom line is this: life often finds us anxious and worried about many things just as Martha was, so for our well being, we must seek out the better part, that is, make time for personal prayer with Jesus in the midst of our busy lives. Do as Mary did. Entertain the Real Presence with our presence.

That time could be spent examining one’s conscience, reading scripture, meditating, reflecting on the mysteries of the rosary, journaling, doing the liturgy of the hours or striving to better understand our Catholic faith are just a few ways one can pray outside of the Mass. Service to others is expected of us but no act of love speaks more of the desire to welcome Jesus into our lives and hearts than time spent in prayer listening to him, just as Mary did. Only then will the mystery of Christ come fully alive for us. The spiritual life is not easy but it is simpler than you might think.

In what is probably the best known parable in the gospels, we encounter a man who is looking to serve God.  He knows that we need to love God with our whole hearts, minds and souls and to love our neighbor as ourselves, but he wants to cover all his bases, so he asks, “And who is my neighbor?”

That seems like a fairly simple question, doesn’t it? For many of us, our immediate perception of neighbor is the one who lives next door. For the scholar of the law, however, a neighbor was a member of the same religious community. Anyone who was not a Jew the legal scholar would never consider his neighbor.

Since their return from Babylon, the Jews never regarded the Samaritans as neighbors. In fact, they despised them with an animosity akin to the racial prejudices we witnessed in our country’s past. Might a fitting issue here be prejudice? After all, how can you love God and at the same time, despise someone for being racially or ethnically different from you?

When asked who was neighbor to the victim, the scholar of the law replied, “The one who treated him with mercy.” For him and anyone seeking everlasting life, Jesus then said, “Go and do likewise.”

A neighbor then isn’t just someone who lives nearby. A neighbor is a person who shows compassion and mercy to others, someone who has the capacity to feel with us, step into our shoes and relate to where we are at. We do this most naturally with those closest to us, our family, our friends, our kin, namely those who are “like us.”

The more daunting question than who is my neighbor would be “To whom am I a good neighbor?” Like the Samaritan, do I have mercy toward others? That is a question we need to consider because as Moses said to the Israelites, there is a law written in our hearts which calls for compassion in us. Any time we refuse to help, he cautions, we are breaking the law.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “Everybody can be great… because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”  That to me is the point Moses is making. Made in the image of God, we have within us the capacity to love and care. That is part of our human nature, but as Moses says, “You have only to carry it out.”

The Samaritan did. Putting aside his concerns and prejudices, he responded with mercy, enabling the victim to experience God. The priest and the Levite may have known the letter of the Law but they did not have the law of God written in their hearts.

Many of us likewise can be preoccupied with our own concerns so we pass up opportunities to be compassionate. When the circumstance arises, we move on, excusing ourselves for any number of reasons when we come upon someone in need. How often, for example, thinking some other driver can take a chance on picking him up, have you passed a hitchhiker?

Pope John Paul II once wrote, “Love is giving oneself to another, for the good of the other, and receiving the other as a gift.” This lesson proved true for a teenager who gave a helping hand to a classmate.

One day as he was walking home from school, Mark noticed the boy ahead of him had tripped and dropped all the books he was carrying, along with two sweaters, a baseball bat, a glove, and a CD player. He knelt down and helped the boy pick up the scattered articles. Since they were going the same way, Mark helped to carry part of the load. As they walked, he discovered the boy’s name was Bill, that he loved video games, baseball and history, that he was having trouble with some other subjects in school and that he had just broken up with his girl friend.

They arrived at Bill’s home first, so he invited Mark in for a coke and to watch TV. The afternoon passed pleasantly with a few laughs and some shared small talk, then Mark went home. They continued to see each other around school, had lunch together once or twice a week, then both graduated from junior high. They ended up going to the same high where they had brief contacts over the years. Three weeks before graduation, Bill reminded Mark of the day years ago when they first met.

“Do you ever wonder why I was carrying so many things home that day?” asked Bill. “You see, I cleaned out my locker because I didn’t want to leave a mess for anyone else. I had stored away some of my mother’s sleeping pills and I was going home to commit suicide. But after we spent some time together, talking and laughing, I realized that if I had killed myself, I would have missed that time and so many others that might follow. So you see, Mark, when you picked up my books that day, you did a lot more. You saved my life.”  Just think of how many lives we might save with a simple act of compassion.

This parable humbles us like no other, providing us with a ready-made Examination of Conscience. And it does so because it describes such a real situation, laying bare our deep ingrained selfishness and indifference. As we listened, we discovered how we too could be extremely inventive in coming up with excuses for inaction. More importantly, this parable also reminds us that the law of God is written in our hearts as well. Like the Good Samaritan, we reach out to others because through them we are reaching out to God.

Receiving and Giving

As Christians, we are called to live under a very simple principle; for all that we have been given, we must give not expecting repayment. And then ironically, the repayment we receive is far more abundant that what we might expect under the world’s rules.

All three readings today bear out the truth of this basic principle. In our first reading from the Book of Genesis, Abraham and Sarah give of themselves by offering hospitality to strangers. They do not expect repayment but they receive from God something more important than the food they have offered to strangers; they receive the gift of life as one of the strangers foretells the birth of their son in the future.

All three readings today bear out the truth of this basic principle. In our first reading from the Book of Genesis, Abraham and Sarah give of themselves by offering hospitality to strangers. They do not expect repayment but they receive from God something more important than the food they have offered to strangers; they receive the gift of life as one of the strangers foretells the birth of their son in the future.

In our second reading from St. Paul to the Colossians, Paul regards service to others as a part of a loving God’s stewardship to all human beings. Paul understands that the mystery of God’s love is service. We receive in turn the abundant life of God, a life in which we receive in fuller measure we have provided. We come to understand that the joys of this life are not our possessions but we have done for others.

And finally in our Gospel, Jesus chides Martha for focusing on the parts of service that can be drudgery. He tells her the better part is dwelling on all that God has done for us. For everything we have comes from God; the air that we breathe, the material possessions we think we own. What we really do possess, and the only thing we ultimately possess is the love of a God who loves so much God shared humanity with us and offers to share divinity with God.

Unlike the economy of our country or any country, the economy of salvation is not run by the economic principles invented by human beings. In Christian terms, the greatness of any country is not measured by how much material wealth is generated or how callous a country can be to its poor, marginalized or unemployed or how many countries that country can invade. Greatness comes from the joy of giving; it comes from the joy of faith that whatever we give we will be repaid far more handsomely in the currency of grace that brings us peace in this life, and salvation in the next. Our country, whose birthday we celebrated a few weeks ago, was born and has been sustained by the individual sacrifice for the many.

Now these words all sound good. But how do give in order to receive? The answer can come to us at times from some very surprising sources. One day a young boy told his mother that he was going out to play for the day. His mother told him to be back before dark.

The little boy had not told his mother the whole truth about his intentions that day. For it was a Monday in summer and on Sunday the family had gone to church. The homily at Mass was about how God lived among us. The little boy had taken the homily just a bit too literally. So he decided he was going to travel to meet God.

The little boy had also heard that God lived in heaven, so he figured it would be a long journey. He packed his small suitcase with Twinkies and a six-pack of root beer. He slipped out the back door without his mother noticing what he was carrying.

When he had gone about three blocks, he met an elderly man. The man was sitting in the park just feeding some pidgeons. The boy sat down next to him and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the man looked hungry, so he offered him a Twinkie.

The man gratefully accepted it and smiled at the boy. His smile was so pleasant that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered him a root beer. Again the man smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word.

As it grew dark, the boy realized how tired he was and he got up to leave. But before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the man, and gave him a hug. The man gave him the biggest smile ever.

When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She was curious about the suitcase and asked him, “What did you do today that made you so happy?

He replied, “I had lunch with God.” But before his mother could respond, he added, “You know what? God’s got the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen!

Meanwhile the elderly man, also radiant with joy, returned to his son’s home where he now lived. The elderly man had many of the ailments of old age that had taken their toll on the old man’s outlook on life. So his son was stunned by the look of peace on his face and he asked, “Dad, what did you do today that made you so happy?”

He replied, “I ate Twinkies in the park with God.” However, before his son responded, he added, “You know, he’s much younger than I expected.”

Brothers and sisters, we can sometimes forget that God walks and speaks to our world through each one of us. When we realize the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, we realize that God really does live among us. He lives in us and others.

So give in order to receive. And if it gets tough, think of the little boy and the old man.  Ask the Lord for help.  After all, He gave more than anyone.  And look what we can receive if we follow Him.

Some friends went deer hunting separated into pairs for the day. And that night one hunter returned alone, staggering under the weight of an 8 point buck. “Where’s Harry?” asked another hunter. “Oh, he fainted a couple of miles up the trail” Harry’s friend answered. “And you left him lying there all alone and carried the deer  back?” A tough call, said the hunter. “But I figure no one is going to steel  Harry!”

This short story illustrates the problem we have in making a commitment to another person and off making excuses. W can find it hard to commit ourselves to following Jesus, and we come up with many excuses for not doing so.

Today’s readings challenge us to analyze and take a real hard look at our priorities and to examine the excuses we make not to answer God’s call to be his disciple.

In today’s gospel you almost can see an advertisement that doesn’t want to sell what is offered. The advertisement is “Come join our faith and suffer”. You see, Jesus was in a determined mind set to go to Jerusalem. We all know what that meant. It wasn’t like taking a day trip into Seattle to see the sights. Jesus was heading to his passion and death. And after seeing the movie “The Passion of the Christ”, it was nothing to be so determined about.

Jesus decided to go on the most direct route through Samaria.

And Samaritans and Jews were not the best of friends. Samaritans constantly hindered and even injured bands of Jewish pilgrims who attempted to pass through their territory. Jesus was most likely hoping to reach out a hand in friendship but the Samaritans blatantly refused. So rejection and hostility is often the price of discipleship.

Just imagine what all our good priests went through and in some cases are still going through, just because a handful of priests lost their way. All of us, in some way or another, have been touched in a negative way by this scandal in our Church, the hurt, the looks, the comments, the hostility, the rejection, however, we became stronger as a church.

Three would-be followers find out just how demanding discipleship is in today’s gospel. It can be a lonely journey. “The Son of Man has no where to rest his head”. We cannot let sentiment get in the way of the work that has to be done. We have to prioritize. We cannot be making excuses even if it means “let the dead bury their dead.”

One of the would be followers of Jesus requests that he be allowed to take care of one of the most sacred duties under the law, the burial of a parent. The urgency of the gospel supercedes this claim. Jesus’ saying means that those who do not respond to the gospel call will be spiritually dead; They will have time to bury the physically dead.

Elijah, in our first reading gave permission to his disciple Elisha to say good-bye to his family, but the call of the reign of God is more urgent than that. Even family ties have to be sacrificed for the sake of the kingdom.

A plowman never plowed straight furrows (rows) by looking backwards. Discipleship calls for a complete commitment, no looking back.

Now, all this sounds O.K. but what can cause us today in looking back, losing our focus on what is right? One point in Father Rick’s homily last week really stuck in this hard head of mine. As he put it “the things we own, the things that own us”. The things that can own us if we let them are greed, materialism, hatred, dishonesty, bigotry, unfaithfulness, not holding deep in our hearts the dignity of every human being from the womb to the tomb, and many more.

When we take action with these ideologies they become our owner we become the owned. This gets in our way and blocks us from discipleship, from hearing God’s call for us to love. And that is at the heart of discipleship, isn’t it? If we truly love then God gives us strength and by the power of his Spirit, we gain the wisdom, and by Jesus’  example of sacrifice through his love, we have what we need to be disciples.

You see, discipleship is hard, following Jesus is tough. The way to Jerusalem is tough. It is the road to crucifixion. Anyone wanting to follow Jesus must be ready for that. The journey is no joke. However, the rewards are greater than anything of this earth and it is in not expecting reward that you are given great things from God.

The point of today’s scripture is this: If you want to be a follower of Jesus, you have to be able to make a total commitment. No excuses! In fact, there is much common sense in what Jesus is saying.

When going after something we want, we usually put everything into getting it whether it is a new house, a new car, a new career. We seem to stop at nothing in achieving our goals. The same is for discipleship. For an example, there is no point in praying for change in the world without putting ourselves out to do something, as great or small as it is, to help make the change. As Jesus once said,  what is it if you say feed the hungry and you give them no food! Or say clothe the naked and you give no clothing.

In order to be a disciple, we will be inconvenienced, We must not be afraid to stand up for what we believe in and be counted. Through all this, Jesus will be at our sides guiding our way. We find strength through the body and blood of Christ to walk the talk. Join with me today in making a total commitment to follow the will of God. AS the old saying goes; “the pay is small but the rewards are great.”

This phrase I have always held in the back of my mind and every so often it pops up to the front. I leave you with this: Depending on the choice one makes determines what will be in the stage that’s soon to follow, for all ETERNITY”.