2017

I suspect every expectant mother has been told, “The baby will come when the baby decides to come.” When the baby does come, there is no stopping that birth. The same thing can be said about the end of time or the moment we die, whichever comes first.

Should we be afraid to die or the end of time? St. Paul tells the Thessalonians and us that we should be ready for the end, but we shouldn’t be afraid if death catches us off guard for as long as we live in the light of the Lord, we won’t be left in the dark. This is the paramount lesson of these readings.

Since Jesus talks about talents, which in biblical times was an extraordinary amount of money, this parable seems to be a commentary on financial investments but it really isn’t. Like the two that we heard on previous weekends, this parable speaks about the final coming of the Son of Man. Jesus begins by saying that before leaving on a journey, a man entrusted his possessions to his servants.

That man was Jesus. He left us behind when he ascended into heaven. We fit into the parable as one of the servants. Jesus didn’t entrust any sum of money to us but he entrusts us with his wisdom, his teachings, and his blue print for building the kingdom of God in our lifetime. The Church has become what it is today because many believers invested their knowledge of the faith well by sharing its Good News with others. The wisdom and understanding we possess today of our faith and Jesus Christ was passed on to us by our parents, catechists, homilists and many other Christians who influenced us over time. As his followers we are also expected to pass on the good news of our faith to others.

Every day we have many chances to use the talents God has given us. God expects us to use them for the salvation of the world. In the parable Jesus relates that two servants did that well. To both of them, their master said, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” He didn’t compliment the servant who returned the talent he had buried. Instead, that servant was reprimanded for being lazy and fearful.

For Matthew, the profitable servants stand for Christians who heard the message of Jesus, believe in him, and followed his new way of life. The unprofitable servant refers to those Christians who do not follow the way of Christ. Instead, they carelessly disregard the Word of God by their self-seeking and lack of concern for heeding his call to live the faith.

This parable has much to say to us modern American Catholics. For example, it says something to the pragmatic businessman whose work consumes his time and energy so he never questions his own values in relation to those of Jesus Christ. For him, Jesus is neither the meaning of his life nor the goal of his human activity.

This parable is also meant for Catholics who see their faith only in terms of occasionally attending Mass and when convenient, keeping the commandments. They feel no compulsion to live their faith consistently or to deepen their understanding of the faith they profess as Catholics. They fail to see that Jesus will want to know how we use what we have in order to help others also know and serve God.

They are often accused of being “cafeteria Catholics,” that is, selecting only what they like about the faith and ignoring what they don’t like. Actually, we are all “cafeteria Catholics.” Think back to when you last went through a buffet line that offered more than you could consume. You had to be selective. Our Church is like that. But is what we are helping ourselves to as we go through the line and define our notion of being Catholic leaving us with a balanced understanding of our Catholic faith?

We each approach our Catholic faith from different angles, ranging from conservative or traditional to liberal and many stages in between. Some in one camp are quite critical of those in the other without really understanding each side’s point of view. Even Pope Francis has his critics. The odds are, since both sides share the same belief in Jesus Christ, that they share the same viewpoint on relevant issues such as respect life, but are expressing their views differently.

Jesus expects us to do something for the salvation of the world but first we must grow and mature in our faith. We do that by investing time and energy to better understand what being a Catholic is really about. How many of us have tried to better understand the teachings of our Catholic faith since taking religious ed classes while growing up? Those who haven’t may not be looking at our faith with an adult mindset.

My friends, this parable is a wake-up call! Jesus expects us to use our talents and minds to build up the kingdom of God. This we are motivated to do when we better understand the message he left behind that has been passed on to us by the traditions and teachings of our Church. Otherwise, we may be afraid to share the good news out of ignorance.

To the degree that we use our talents in ways that are humanly and spiritually profitable, Jesus will reward us. We come here each week to study his message and model our lives on his example, along with being nurtured by him in the Eucharist. As long as we strive to use our talents to love, teach, pray and serve, Jesus will judge us kindly at the end of time with compassion and generosity, “Well done, my good and faithful servant. Come share your master’s joy.”

How wise are we? That question comes to mind as I pondered these readings. “Resplendent and unfading is wisdom, and she is readily perceived by those who love her.” If we consider ourselves wise, then hopefully we are prepared for any unforeseen circumstance that could end our lives. Too often we are reminded that events beyond our control do happen: devastating earthquakes, raging forest fires, torrential downpours resulting in unanticipated floods, auto accidents, strokes, heart attacks, or a shooting spree can snuff the life out of us on a moment’s notice.

Like many in their day, Jesus and his disciples believed that the world would soon end. Biblical prophecies spoke of accelerating decay as a consequence of social chaos, political oppression, poverty, famine and rampant illness. The way the world would end was and still is a matter of debate. Some prophets, like Zechariah, envision a major catastrophe while others, like Isaiah, believed that the transition would be sudden yet peaceful.

Jesus described the end times both ways. Today’s gospel passage resembles Isaiah’s vision. Jesus’ return at the end of time will be like that of the bridegroom showing up late and unexpectedly for his wedding feast.

This parable of the ten virgins seems farfetched to us yet it describes a commonplace situation in biblical times. The groom would arrive at the house of the bride to claim her as his wife. If he arrived after sunset, the bridesmaids would greet him with lamps. Jesus used this familiar image to convey a lesson about his final coming. He warns his followers that his unexpected arrival would catch some of them off guard just as the bridegroom in this story caught five ill-prepared virgins by surprise.

We can interpret Jesus’ parable in this way: he is the bridegroom and the wedding feast stands for the eternal feast of heaven, which commences when Jesus returns in glory to claim the Church as his eternal bride. The wise virgins stand for those who are prepared to meet him while the foolish ones stand for those who are not prepared.

In the years following the ascension of Jesus, many of his followers anticipated his return in glory in their lifetime, but as time passed, they began to realize that Jesus’ return was not imminent. He was coming again, but as he warned, no one knew the day or the hour when he would return so Matthew and the other evangelists began to emphasize a spirit of readiness, challenging generations of Christians to live, like the wise virgins, ready for the final moment.

The odds are, that like countless other Christians, we will not witness the return of Christ in such a dramatic manner in our lifetime. The moment when we meet Jesus will likely be when we take our last breath and when we do, will we be ready? Or will he say to us, “Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.” If we don’t want to hear those words said to us, then we need to follow the example of the wise virgins.

You may feel that the wise virgins treated the foolish virgins in the parable unfairly. After all, Jesus often talked about sharing but keep in mind some things in life cannot be shared. I can borrow a cup of sugar from you but I can’t take credit for your good deeds or your relationship with Jesus. We cannot borrow our way into heaven. Repentance and our good deeds, which demonstrate how well we have obeyed God’s commandments, provide the “oil” we need to keep our lamps lit.

Two weeks ago I said, “There is only one means of loving God and proving that love: it is by loving our neighbor; there is only one medium by which we serve God: it is by serving our neighbor and conversely, love of neighbor is made possible by our loving relationship with God. The greatest commandment ultimately demands a new lifestyle, a way of living that draws us so close to God that we become His presence for others.” While we may feel sorry for the foolish virgins who are barred from the feast, we must take responsibility for our own readiness.

Many people try to avoid thoughts of death and so are not prepared for the moment when it comes. One litmus test that separates the wise from the foolish would be that the foolish have the attitude of “what me worry?” as though being baptized is all that matters. As wise Christians, our approach is quite different. We face the reality of death throughout our lives. The uncertainty that death could happen at any moment is the reason why we try to live our lives with meaning, purpose, and direction. When we don’t, we must then seek to be reconciled with God. Actively seeking Christ through worship and good deeds helps us to stay awake and be ready to greet him. We wisely realize that we are given this lifetime to prepare ourselves for where we will be for all eternity, which ideally will be at the eternal banquet.

We don’t know when we will take our last breath but when that moment comes, would we be ready to die well? The only real obstacle to dying well is our failure to live well. To live well, we need wisdom; that quality found in the beauty of truth, the radiance of peace, and the realm of love. Wisdom combines common sense, good judgment, and fidelity to God’s laws and ways. Wisdom awakens us to the reality that choosing to live well this day may be the wisest choice we can make for tomorrow we might not have that chance.

One day, two farmers were arguing about the validity of their respective religions. A third farmer listened for a while and then observed, “I’s been bringing my wheat here to this same mill for over forty years. Now, there be two roads that lead up to the mill. Never once, friends, has the miller asked me which road I takes. He just asks, “Is your wheat good?”

I doubt anyone here is a wheat farmer, but supposedly we are all on a journey leading us to be with God. When we get to the pearly gates, I don’t imagine St. Peter is going to ask us how we got there, but if this gospel is any indication, we will be asked, “Is your love good?”

In today’s readings we learn how essential it is for us to love.
Our short gospel passage makes that clear. Once again, the Pharisees set out to stump Jesus by asking him which is the greatest commandment. The Torah listed not ten but 613 commandments. Quoting scripture, Jesus replied, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment.”

Then he added, “The second is like it: you shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.” This afterthought points out that the other commandments serve as ways for us to demonstrate that our love is good.

When we hear that word, we usually think of romance, joy and warm feelings and sometimes it is; other times love is a matter of dedication, loyalty and commitment. We think of love as being defined by the interior disposition of our hearts but these readings stress that love also involves doing what God wants us to, even if we don’t feel like it and our heart isn’t in it. Love of God is more than warm fuzzy feelings and thoughts. Love of God has to be shown if our love is good.

As Paul points out, we are called to imitate the Lord and serve the living and true God rather than idols. Idols in this day and age could be whatever obsesses us, such as the Internet, professional sports, or computer games. Instead, we are urged to take seriously the command to keep holy the Lord’s Day by taking time for worship, such as we are doing today. But will you do that on All Saints’ Day?

The passage from Exodus begins with God’s commands to be careful in how we treat others. God speaks of aliens, widows, and orphans as well as the poor and needy. If they are mistreated and cry out, God will hear their cries because God is compassionate and expects us to be as well. How can we hear this passage without thinking of those less fortunate than we are? Illegal immigrants, for example, who face a bleak future if they are deported, or folks standing on street corners with their possessions because they can’t find an affordable place to call home. When you see them, are you uncaring and harbor ill thoughts? Or are you prompted by God’s dire warning to show compassion toward them? If so, your love is good.

To profess that we love God while remaining indifferent to the plight of others is a contradiction. Showing love in such circumstances may be dreadfully difficult yet, more often than not, we meet God in such encounters. Our holiness is an illusion if we pray daily and attend Mass on Sundays, but distance ourselves from others. God cares about how we treat others for everyone is made in his image.

These two commandments, love of God and love of neighbor, are actually one. There is only one means of loving God and proving that love: it is by loving our neighbor; there is only one medium by which we serve God: it is by serving our neighbor and conversely, love of neighbor is made possible by our loving relationship with God. God’s unconditional love is what enables us to overcome our lack of concern for others and our selfishness. The greatest commandment ultimately demands a new lifestyle, a way of living that draws us so close to God that we become His presence for others.

In the corporal works of mercy God gives us ways to show that our love is good. Anytime you forget what they are, just look at our windows: visit the imprisoned, visit the sick, feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger and bury the dead.

God wisely gives us other ways to demonstrate love, such as the Ten Commandments. The first three remind us that God should come first in our lives, since without God, we would not even be alive, let alone gathered here in worship. The other seven are means for us to prove our love of neighbor, thus showing that our love is good.

In your next quiet prayer time, I invite you to reflect deeply on your relationship to your family, friends, neighbors, co-workers and even strangers. Ask yourself if there are there situations in your life where you refuse to forgive another person for something said or done to you? How do you feel when someone has treated you unfairly or unjustly? Your answer is one way of judging for yourself if your love is good.

 

We just witnessed a dispute between Jesus and the Pharisees on the question of paying the census tax. Every adult in the Roman Empire under the age of 65, regardless of gender or status had to pay this tax, which for many people equaled a day’s wages. They gave back to Caesar something that already belonged to the emperor, a coin bearing his image. For the Jews, this tax was scandalous for unlike the Romans, they did not see Caesar as a deity. With their question, the Pharisees were trying to trap Jesus one-way or the other. But instead of saying yea or nay, Jesus replied with one of his unforgettable lines, “Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”

What belongs to Caesar is easy enough for us to know. Many government agencies, from the county auditor to the IRS, find ways to tell us what we owe in taxes. But what do we repay to God? That is a question a fair number of us pay little attention to.

At the moment I suspect you are thinking, “Ah, there goes Father, talking about money again,” but we owe God much more than the loose change in our pockets. We owe God our very being. All that we are is God’s gift to us. This gospel passage invites us to look deep within ourselves and ask, “What are we really giving back to God?” Many people think of stewardship simply as a means for the parish to raise money. I won’t deny that, but more importantly, stewardship should be seen as a personal and spiritual journey, not just a fund-raising technique. Stewardship reflects our attitude of gratitude toward God.

The contrast between Caesar and God is a timeless reminder of
the clash between earthly and spiritual powers that compete for our attention. As people of faith, we are continually challenged to take the road less traveled by. That means seeing our relationship with God as an ongoing daily journey, fully mindful of the many spiritual and worldly blessings that we have been given. Such a lifestyle is a dramatic departure from our society’s consumer mindset with its emphasis on wealth, materialism, and individualism.

As people of faith, we are called to share what we have, to
serve others, and be actively engaged in our faith community, striving to build the kingdom of God. In the typical family setting, for example, its members usually come to realize that each person has an important role to play if the family is to thrive. In the family setting, we can see stewardship at work. When everyone pitches in, life on the home front is richly blessed.

Fifty years ago at Vatican II, the Church expanded that vision, making the point that every person should be proud of the many opportunities to carry out their mission in ways that give glory to God. The more we glorify God in what we do at work, home and in the parish, the more we are able to show others around us how life in Christ really does raise up the dignity of every person.

Occasionally some parishioners complain that our parish is becoming too political, lamenting that politics do not belong in a church setting. Actually, Jesus was quite political. He came to build a better world and politics plays a vital role in creating the society in which we live. Both religion and economics are embedded in politics and kinship. In this gospel scene, Jesus is challenging us to discern how the actual use of political power should relate to the sovereign authority of God.

Recall the point we heard in our first reading when the Lord reminded Cyrus, the king of Persia, “I am the Lord and there is no other, there is no God besides me.” Moments ago, in our response to the psalm, we sang, “Give the Lord glory and honor.” And rightly so for our life span on this planet is a mere microcosm of the time God gives us. Once we take our last breath, ideally we will spend eternity in God’s presence.
What we do in this lifetime reflects what we desire most to do in the next. Thus, our overriding commitment has to be to God. Of course, we must accept lawful civil authority; as Christians we are called to be good, responsible citizens, working for the common good of the community.

However, we cannot look to the state as our moral guide. There are too many laws that are immoral in the sight of God that diminish the dignity of some people or the world we live in, hence they fail to respect the sanctity of life. Nothing is politically right which is morally wrong. Whenever there is a genuine clash between our duties to the state and to God, there should be no doubt in our minds where our duty lies. We must put God and his laws first even if doing so puts us in conflict with the state.

As Christians we are citizens of both this world and the next. We have obligations toward both that we must honor. Hopefully the obligations we have toward each will never clash but when they do, we cannot afford to surrender our conscience if the choice before us violates the moral principles of our faith. We are urged to follow the example of countless saints who placed God first in their lives for that is what is expected of every citizen of heaven.
One such saint was Thomas More. As he was being led to his execution for refusing to recognize King Henry as the head of the Church, he said, “I die the King’s good servant, but God’s first.”

Every Christian living in the modern world is faced with difficult decisions at times since the state no longer bases its law on God’s laws and that can pose serious dilemmas for Christians. There are so many little “Caesars” always vying for a piece of our conscience, trying to draw us away from God and divine authority. Thomas More shows that we must give God the first and highest claim on our loyalty. When giving whatever else we must to Caesar, let us make sure that we do not surrender our conscience, the most precious thing we have.

Isaiah beautifully describes the reign of God, using inviting images such as a feast of rich foods and choice wines. Paul takes a similar slant; his vision of God’s kingdom prompts him to give glory to God for being so generous.

We dream of spending eternity in such a heavenly setting but Jesus warns us not to take his invitation for granted. This parable was his way of telling his critics that many people had already rejected the prophets’ call to repentance. But God wasn’t about to cancel the banquet. To the contrary, now the invitation to this feast was being extended to everyone. “Go out, therefore, into the main roads, and invite to the feast whomever you find,” the servants were told. This they did, gathering up many guests, good and bad alike.

Among all the guests who filled the hall was one who was not dressed in a wedding garment. “My friend,” the king asked, “how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?” When the guest could provide no excuse, he was cast into the darkness outside.

If this outcome sounds strange to you, try dining at some fancy restaurant that requires a coat and tie and if you have neither, the maître d’ would gladly provide you with one. In biblical times, guests who came improperly attired were offered wedding garments. For some reason, this guest, even when given the chance, chose not to wear one.

The issue here is not an article of clothing, but the meaning behind the garment. As the saying goes, clothes make the man. Wearing purple and gold, for example, sends the loud message to anyone at Husky stadium that the person with such colors is an avid Husky fan. Many others are there to enjoy the game, but not necessarily to see the Huskies win, especially those who are wearing crimson and gray!

The point Jesus is making is that God is a generous host who has thrown open the doors of his kingdom to anyone who cares to come to the heavenly banquet: the good, the bad, and the indifferent. Many have declined his invitation for any number of reasons, so his servants then gathered anyone they could find. Here Jesus is telling the chief priests and elders that the Good News would now be shared with the Gentiles much to their consternation.

Being invited is easy enough, but staying is a different story. Perhaps you wonder how this host could be so heartless toward any guest. Recall that when he asked the ill clad guest why he came without a wedding garment, the guest “was reduced to silence.” He could offer no excuse. He had not one word to say in his own defense. His silence branded him as guilty beyond the shadow of a doubt.

Through the sacrament of baptism, we accepted God’s invitation to the heavenly banquet, but as the ousted guest learned, having the invitation in hand is no assurance that we will get to stay and enjoy the heavenly feast.

If you have witnessed an infant’s baptism, you may recall the words spoken by the celebrant after the baptism. “You have become a new creation, and have clothed yourself in Christ. See in this white garment the outward sign of your Christian dignity. With your family and friends to help you by word and example, bring that dignity unstained into the everlasting life of heaven.” In other words, we who are baptized are expected to arrive at the gates of heaven with our dignity unstained by sin as a sign that we are still wedded to Christ.

We cannot expect to be seated at the heavenly banquet unless we endeavor in our lifetime to live out our baptismal promises and reject Satan, all his works, and all his empty promises. When we sin, we are putting aside our wedding garment. We are no longer wedded to Christ.  This parable addresses the reality that sin weakens our relationship with God. It is chancy for us to presume that when the moment comes for us to stand before God, we will be ready. As the news media points out too often, death can come when we least expect it. Think of those who recently lost their lives unexpectedly due to fires, shootings, earthquakes and floods. When that moment comes, will we be reduced to silence, unable to justify our actions or lack of actions that Christ expected of us?

By virtue of our baptism we are invited to receive Christ in the Eucharist every weekend, to be forgiven by Christ in the sacrament of Reconciliation, to be nurtured by his Word and to deepen our relationship with God through prayer yet many decline the opportunities to do so thus they will show up at the banquet with their dignity stained by sin. We may have our excuses for not attending Mass each weekend or not going to confession when guilty of a mortal sin, but will they suffice or will silence be our only response?

On the day of judgment, Christ will come into his banquet hall and spot the still unrepentant sinner or the still lukewarm believer in the crowd and say with initial sadness, “Friend, where is your wedding garment? Why are you still sinful, still refusing my love, still unrepentant, still cold toward me?” If he asked you any of those questions, would you be reduced to silence? What excuse could you offer for the times you have failed to love God and your neighbor?

As Jesus said, many are invited to the banquet but few are chosen, namely those who are clothed with love like Christ, bringing their Christian dignity unstained by mortal sin into the everlasting life of heaven.