2018

Everything Jesus tells us not to do in today’s gospel, we as Catholics tend to do. We put our alms into an envelope so both the parish and the IRS can keep track of our donations. We know that praying alone in our rooms is not enough so we also worship as a faith community. Today, we will leave church with a black smudge of ashes on our foreheads, not as a sign of virtue but a public declaration of our sinfulness, so that everyone else can see that we have begun our annual observance of Lent.

Are we ignoring the command of Christ to be discreet? Not really. Jesus is using rhetoric to get his point across. There must be more to our penitential observances, he tells us, than the externals. At the heart of every good action, there needs to be a certain detachment from the approval of others. The reward of a good Lent comes from the Father in Heaven, not from our admiring neighbor.

Lent is not about giving up desert or favorite foods and drink. It is not about doing something hard for the next six weeks. Lent is a time set apart for us to reflect in a special way on our lives, a time to arrive at a better understanding of our relationship with God. Whatever we do during this holy season ought to help us deepen our relationship with the God who made us and loves us unconditionally.

Ash Wednesday is the beginning of a process, the reliving of our baptism, our dying with Jesus Christ to sin, and rising with him to new life. Our extra works of charity, worship, and self-denial will be valid only insofar as they foster and demonstrate that process.

St. Paul tells us that now is the acceptable time to be reconciled with God. We cannot be at peace with God if we are not at peace with our neighbor. Whatever is keeping us from a complete relationship with God, whatever is spoiling our relationship with our family friends or coworkers is what we should address this Lent. Just as we now seek God’s forgiveness for our wrongdoing, God invites us to forgive others for when they have wronged us.

Since they assist us in saying no to self and yes to God, fasting, prayer, and almsgiving should foster reconciliation, not distract us from it.

The recognition that we are sinful is universal. All religions teach that when we have sinned, we are to reconcile with God and one another as part of the daily living out of our faith. We don’t wait for a special time to forgive and be forgiven, but each religion also sets apart a special time to focus on this very human need to be reconciled with God and with others.

For any number of reasons, many of you shy away from the sacrament of reconciliation, and if you are one who does, I urge you to reconsider what God is offering you in this sacramental encounter that allows you to hear his words of absolution.

In addition to Saturday afternoons before Mass, confessions will be heard at the Lenten Reconciliation service on Monday, March 5 from 3-4:30 and from 6-7 in the evening. On that day, Fr. Paul and Fr. Jerry will also be on hand to hear confessions. If none of these times work for you, remember that I will gladly celebrate the sacrament with you any time by appointment.

In the words of today’s psalm, we prayed, “a clean heart create for me, O God/ and a steadfast spirit renew within me.” This God desires to do but first we must seek to be cleansed. May this Lent restore to its former beauty the robe of grace first given us at our baptism. May these 40 days of Lent be a true springtime, a real rebirth for all of us.

Today’s gospel story and most of the New Testament writings we see the heart of a servant in Jesus. We hear today how he spends most of the day healing the sick and they keep coming and coming until after sunset. We heard that the whole town was gathered at the door!

Jesus had to of been worn out but he kept on serving. When He awoke from sleep the next morning, but before anyone else was up, needed to get away to pray and he found a deserted place. Simon and the other disciples look for Him and on finding him essentially said; “Jesus, you’ve made it big. Everyone is looking for you.”

It is true, particularly of youngsters, maybe 10 years old through most of the teen years that want to look good to others – what they wear, what they say, and the family car they ride in. I remember when I was in sixth grade we didn’t have such a great looking car. It was an International Travelall. It was old and had a few dents in it. When my mom came to pick me and my siblings up from Catholic grade school, I always hoped she was late so the other kids would already be gone so that they did not see that battle wagon.

It really was not that bad but to a youngster in sixth grade, it was anything but cool.

At whatever age, we all want to put our best foot forward for other people, to show our good side. It plays out in different ways at different ages. But it is true of all of us, and it lasts our whole life.
It is natural enough and there is really nothing wrong with it. We want others to think of us as good company, enjoyable to be with. We want clothes that look good on us. We want others to see our strengths, the gleam of good health and the glow of talent.

We want others to know that we are good at golf, or bowling, or just good at something. We want others to think of us as bright, intelligent and clever. It is natural enough and unless it is an extreme preoccupation, there is nothing wrong with it.

Throughout Mark’s gospel Jesus appears to want no one to know who he is. The demons shout out who he is and Jesus tells them to be quiet. Of course, Jesus doesn’t need a recommendation from demons but it appears to be more than that.

Jesus heals people and then tells them not to tell anyone about it. Most of them go out to tell everyone they can. In today’s gospel story, Jesus can stay and make a name for himself but he says that it is time to move on. Why? Jesus is a servant of God. He does not come to impress people as to what he can do or to become well known. He simply wants to proclaim the Good News and heal people.

Now, we all know that there is another side to all of us, isn’t there! There is a dark side. Sounds like the star wars movies. Anyway, there is a dark side that we do not want anyone to see. We’ve all got weaknesses, we’ve all got some deep down fears. Sometimes we are not so courageous as we look. And we have made mistakes along the way.

Jesus is teaching all of us, then and now, what God is like. By reaching out to the sick Jesus is teaching us that God reaches out kindly and graciously to the parts of you and me that are weak; Those places within us that are frail, that we are not so proud of, that we don’t want anyone to know about. Those are the places Jesus wants to care for.

Those are the places where Jesus wants to be with us to give us strength. Those are the places where Jesus is especially loving to us. Jesus didn’t go from town to town saying, “Bring me your best and your brightest.” Jesus went from town to town reaching out to the sick and the sinners.

Jesus went from town to town preaching the Good News of a God whose knows we are not perfect, that there is another side to our lives, that we are weak, that we have some bad memories, that we are sinners, and that God wants to be with us in those parts of our lives.

In our first reading we find Job. Poor Job! Here is one who has had a lifetime that was stolen from him. Everything happened to him. He lost everything he possessed. But God was there for him. Job, in all his misery, reached out to God, even during his extreme suffering, while he pours out his agony before God. And what did Job do? He never lost his sight of God.

Jesus was criticized for the kind of people he associated with. In Job’s case, his friends, especially Eliphaz, thought Job brought all his suffering upon himself and it was God’s way of punishing and disciplining the guilty Job. How would others think of Jesus if he befriended Job?

Do you remember Jesus’ response as to why he associated with the ones he did? He said, “The healthy don’t need a doctor. The sick do. I came for sinners.”

We all know from the sacred writings that Jesus went around curing the sick. But we can forget why he did it. We look at the cure and not the reason for the cure, the story that surrounds it. Jesus did these cures, these miracles to teach us that he came to be with us in those parts of our lives where we don’t feel so good about ourselves. He came to say, not imply, “I love you”, but to say, “I love you there…in the part of our lives no one else sees. Jesus is saying “I love you, weaknesses and all.”

When our faith guides our lives, we do not worry about how we look to others. We do not try and set ourselves apart from others by bringing to the forefront what good we do. We do it out of love for Jesus. Why? Take a good look.

Like St Paul said to the Corinthians, “If I preach the gospel, this is no reason for me to boast, for an obligation has been imposed on me, and woe to me if I do not preach it!” And he also said, “All this I do for the sake of the gospel, so that I too may have a share in it.”

If you get a chance today, or sometime during this week, spend some time with the Lord talking about that part of you where weakness resides. Experience His healing, loving and strengthening touch. This touch is definitely in the Eucharist that most of you will receive today and if you do, spend time with Him in thanksgiving of what he has given you, Himself!

Experience firsthand, why we call the story of Jesus the “GOOD NEWS”.

On my recent trip to San Diego, I was grateful for one certain app on my cell phone: Mapquest. That app showed me what route to take and also told me how to get to my destination by means of public transit. I didn’t get lost once. Having the right directions certainly made for an easier journey.

Life itself is a journey and Jesus has come to give us directions to make our journey through life easier. “Repent and believe in the gospel,” he proclaims at the start of his ministry; they are the first words he spoke in Mark’s gospel. Clearly this urgent message was important to him.

Two thousand years later, those six words continue to turn the world upside down. Repentance is something we should do whenever the need arises but what is it? It is not merely saying, “I’m sorry.” To be truly repentant, one must be willing to change one’s life. Now you may be thinking that I am out of season since repentance is the message we usually hear throughout Lent, which is weeks away, but repentance isn’t just a Lenten activity.

Think back to the first reading, which comes from one of the shortest books in the Bible. The book of Jonah can be read in minutes. You would think that this little book would be as obscure as the other less known books of the Bible yet Jonah’s story captures our imagination.

At the beginning of this book, God told Jonah, “Go at once to Nineveh, that great city and proclaim judgment upon it; for their wickedness comes before me.” But Jonah chose not to, fleeing instead in the opposite direction. He boards a ship, finds himself in a storm and blaming him for their plight, the crew throws him over board. The sea then calms down. Jonah spends three days in the belly of a big fish, a vision that foreshadowed Christ’s three days in the tomb.
He is then spewed upon the shore. From there he goes to Nineveh and proclaims God’s message of repentance to its residents. Much to his dismay, (after all, they are pagans) the citizens of Nineveh recognized their wrong-doing, repent, change their ways, and are spared by God.

Jonah delivered a timeless message. He has awakened countless listeners to the fact that morality is the one quality God seeks in us humans. God doesn’t care about our status in life, or where we live, or the color of our skin, or our past. What God desires is that we conduct ourselves in a moral manner in the present moment. Fortunately for us, God forgets the sin, but not the repentant sinner.

One could view Jonah’s ultimatum as a threat. “Do this or else, God will punish you!” That was a message we often heard while growing up from our parents and teachers. We are still told to do certain things or face the consequences if we don’t, such as observing the speed limit. Go too fast and you are apt to get a speeding ticket or cause an accident that could put a hefty dent in your wallet. When we act immorally, the pleasure is likely to be fleeting but the consequences could be long lasting. No wonder, Jonah’s message is well known: change directions or else!

Paul also cautions his listeners of their need to repent, telling them that life is fleeting. “I tell you, brothers and sisters, the time is running out.” They need to embrace the Gospel and repent before it is too late. Paul then tells them that their world is passing away. The kingdom of God will render pointless all of the world’s false values and goals.

Unlike Jonah, Jesus didn’t march on the scene as a prophet of gloom and doom. Instead, He is telling us, “Something great is happening! Change direction and follow me or lose out!” There is more to life than simply avoiding sin. His call to repentance is an invitation to see life as God does: our path to heaven. Jesus has come to offer us the blueprint for building the Kingdom of God in our lifetime.

As followers of Christ, we should be the happiest people on earth. We know where we are going and we know how to get there. Along the way, there will be trials and tribulations to disrupt our journey. There are weaknesses in our human nature that often lead us astray, but then God knows we cannot make this trip alone. That is why Jesus is on the scene to give us directions. It comes down to you and me, today, hearing his call and responding as though our lives depend on it.

We can be the happiest people on earth if we accept Jesus’ invitation to follow him like the apostles did. They put aside everything and gave Jesus their undivided attention to learn his message of hope and salvation. His message impressed them so much that, unlike reluctant Jonah, they went forth with great enthusiasm and shared Jesus’ directions with anyone who would listen.

Today’s Gospel summarizes Jesus’ teaching. His message is simple: repent and believe in the Gospel, the Good News. The Good News is that happiness and peace are offered to us if we are willing to fight against evil and turn to the Lord. The Good News is that nothing can take Christ away from us. No one, no situation in life, nothing can destroy the joy that we have in being united to the Lord.

My friends, these readings extend the invitation for us to repent and believe that what Jesus has to say will make a difference in your life journey and mine, providing us with the best directions for living life fully and reaching heaven.

In the first reading, we heard Samuel responding, “Here I am,” whenever he heard the voice of God. In the responsorial, we all responded, ”Here am I, Lord, I come to do your will.” The question every one of us should ponder is, “What is God calling me to do?”

Unlike phones in the past, telephones now come equipped with caller ID and voice mail. We are now able to screen our calls and decide if we want to respond or not. I confess that if I don’t recognize the number or name, I am not likely to answer. Instead I will wait and see if the caller leaves a message on voice mail.

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2nd Sunday of Ordinary TimeRead More »

“What happens in Bethlehem doesn’t stay in Bethlehem. It goes home with pilgrims. That was certainly true of the Holy Family. “Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart”.” This was a quote from the book by Scott Hahn, “Joy to the World”, the gift given to us from the Parish.

What do we do when we leave this church every Sunday? What do we take with us? Do we have the Epiphany that this simple bread and wine has now become Jesus’ body and blood? Like the wise men who had the Epiphany that revealed to them who Jesus is do we take Jesus with us as we leave through those doors to share with others?
The Magi receive the revelation that Jesus is the King of the Jews. So they come to pay homage. They have an Epiphany-they know that Jesus is now manifested, that Jesus is now revealed and is the son of God who has come to save the world.

Epiphany means a showing, a manifestation. In our case today, through the visit of the wise men, the manifestation of Jesus as the savior of the world was made known to all. The wise men know this. They had their Epiphany. And what was shown to us is that Jesus, the one who came to save us, was revealed to all, Jew and Gentile alike. After all, the wise men were Gentile scholars in astrology and seeing this star, they knew someone had come into world who was very special indeed and after finding Jesus had an Epiphany that this child was sent by God to save the world.

There are many epiphanies we experience every day. But do we have the Epiphany that shows us Jesus in our daily lives, Jesus who is present in our lives, this Jesus who loves us so much to give his life for us? Or are we so caught up in this world’s stuff that we are clouded by it, keeping us from seeing him, seeing his relevance in our lives and that of the whole world?

I know that this happens to me from time to time especially in those times that I get impatient waiting for some sign that he is there when all I have to do is clear my mind, heart and soul from all the stuff around me. Then I realize, I have an Epiphany that He is right next to me guiding me and walking with me through my life’s journey. Has that happened to you? I bet it has.

Keeping my mind, heart and soul clear allows me to realize the epiphanies that happen on a daily basis. It is not just once. Through these daily Epiphanies, Jesus shows me who he wants me to be and I can realize who He really is, my God and my King, my Savior, my merciful and loving friend!

In our gospel today, God chose an insignificant people, the Jews and Jerusalem and from among them God chose an insignificant Jewish virgin, Mary. Through them, God chose to reveal the mystery of his plan beyond the Jews to the world. We hear in the psalm: “The king of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts. The king of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute, all kings shall pay homage, all nations shall serve him.”
In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul exalts that the mystery of salvation, treasured by the Jewish people as their exclusive possession, is also intended by God for the salvation of the Gentiles, the world beyond the Jews. This in itself is an Epiphany. Jesus is revealed to be the savior of all people on earth.

Epiphanies are mental moments spurred by visible or verbal moments in our lives where we gain instant clarity, where we gain truth, where we gain wisdom by the power of the Spirit. These times can turn into motivation to change and charge forward. But not all epiphanies are created equally.

Some demand a deep inward search and you’ll be stuck asking the tough questions to see what you are made of! Other times they fly in and out of your life swiftly, silently, almost unseen but they do reach deep within us. It is great to have epiphanies in our lives but what we do with them, this new revelation, this new truth, this new clarity, is what really matters.

Most of our habits are so ingrained in our lives that changing behavior causes recourse in life. Most epiphanies force us to see situations and to see ourselves in a new light. But what do we do with this new light, this new revelation this change in our behavior?

As Catholic Christians we are charged to be evangelizers of our faith. The Epiphany does not stop at the crib. It continues throughout time and space to share this light, this revelation of who Jesus is. This faith of ours should be very important in our lives. This love shared by God through his Son Jesus, should be the most important in our lives. There is this game I play only once in a while. It goes like this; I tell some people that I love someone more than my own family, more than my own wife. Then I hesitate and remain silent for 10-15 seconds. I get the strangest looks and some tha could even kill.

I can only imagine what is going through their minds. Then I let them off the hook and say; “I love God more than anyone or anything.” It is like I lifted a great weight off their shoulders. The Epiphany of Jesus as savior of the world is hard to comprehend for some but it does not diminish that Jesus, in fact, came to save us all.

Jesus came to take on our burdens, to lighten our load, to take the weight of our sins off our shoulders. That in itself, is an Epiphany of who Jesus is, this Jesus lying in a manger in a stall, who became one of us taking humanity upon himself, putting himself in our shoes, revealing to us that he is here with us, and to be with us as we journey to holiness, as we journey in his truth.

Holiness is at the core of our faith and the Christian life. Jesus didn’t come into the world just to forgive sins. He came through this Epiphany, to make us into a new creation. He came so that He could give us the power to live in the holiness, peace and purity that he demonstrated. He brought us a way of life that would insure our entrance into the heavenly kingdom forever! What an Epiphany!

You know, having worshiped Christ, the Magi returned to their own country by a different route. This suggests not just a new geographical route, but a new mentality, a new truth. Having met Christ and hearing his gospel, we too will travel through life by a different route. We will have different attitudes, different values, different goals. It is impossible to encounter Christ without it affecting the way we live our lives.

Our coming here to mass is a journey to see Jesus, to get the fullest truth of who he is in our lives. We come here to give Him , in the presence of his body and blood, a place in our minds, hearts, and souls, to journey with us to the Father. This is the Epiphany.

This is the meaning and the joy of the Epiphany. May all of us experience the joy of showing Jesus to others. May we ask God to guide us with the light of Jesus Christ and to fully recognize the Epiphany of Jesus in the Eucharist and to welcome him with love!