Homilies

One adjective that comes to mind as I ponder today’s gospel is “skeptical.” Thomas was skeptical when he heard the news that Jesus has risen from the dead. Who could blame him? After all, aside from the miracle of Lazarus, that had never happened before. If someone were to run in here and excitedly tell us that Pope John Paul has risen from the dead, wouldn’t we all be skeptical?

Thomas needed some proof. “Unless I see the mark of nails in his hands, I will not believe.” For this remark, he has gone down in history, remembered as “doubting Thomas.”  We view such a label negatively but in fact, doubt is a requisite for faith. As Thomas demonstrated a week later, his doubt led him to worship. Upon seeing Jesus, he became the first apostle to say, “My Lord and my God!”

Speaking of skepticism, when the building project was first announced five years ago, I imagine a fair number of parishioners were skeptical that it would ever be done. They probably became even more skeptical when the first architect was dismissed for being too costly and the second for being incompetent. When we had to shelve the original plans and start over with yet another architect during my first year here, even some on the building committee were beginning to think, “Unless I see the mark of nails in the wood, I will not believe!”  Well, see for yourself, the nail marks are there!

The reality of a new parish center took much effort on the part of a dedicated building committee that persevered in its mission, the architect, the contractor and his many sub-contractors, and the generosity of parishioners who were never skeptical but had faith that the new parish center would one day be reality.

The effort of everyone who has helped to make this dream become a reality to me is a testimony of faith. The artist who is creating stained glass windows, the carpenters and other skilled workers giving shape to what the architect designed and the landscaping that will take place to provide beauty to our campus remind me of countless others who helped to build majestic cathedrals in the past. Each did a small part but in the end left behind a lasting monument to their faith.

The same was true for the apostles. We wouldn’t be here today if it had not been for the faith that emerged on Easter Sunday so long ago. That night, the risen Christ appeared to them for the first time and greeted them with the gift of peace. “Peace be with you.” His peace means much more than simply feeling good or the absence of conflict or hostility. Like a majestic cathedral, his gift of peace continues to be created today brick by brick, pane by pane in that every act of kindness, justice, and mercy performed by his followers contributes toward making real Christ’s gift of peace in the world today.  His “peace” is a state of being that encompasses all: peace that honors humility and cherishes reconciliation; peace that welcomes back the lost, heals the brokenhearted, and respects the dignity of every person as a child of God; peace that is born of wisdom, justice and gratitude.

A brick by itself isn’t much, nor is a pane of glass or a siding of wood, but taken together, they can add up to create a majestic church. Likewise, there is more to a church than the building itself. What makes the church real is the community of believers within.  No wonder then, we often hear the command at the end of our worship, “The Mass is ended, go in peace to love and serve the Lord.” Jesus is expecting us to go forth from here and actively live our faith the rest of the week at home, at school, at work, and wherever else we will find ourselves.  We are all expected to do our part in making the kingdom of God come alive.

Have you ever watched geese fly in formation? While a thing of beauty to watch, the v-shaped formation is essential to the geese for survival. If you listen, you can hear the beat of their wings whistling through the air in unison. And that is the secret of their strength. The lead goose cuts a swath through the air resistance, which creates a helping uplift for the birds behind it. In turn, their flapping makes it easier for the birds behind them. Each bird takes its turn at being the leader. As the tired ones fan out to the edge of the V, the rested ones surge toward the point of the V to drive the flock onward. Together, cooperating as a flock, geese can fly much further, with up to 60 percent less effort.

Peace is hard work; creating and maintaining peace requires focused action on our parts. But working together, we can do make Christ’s peace more real in our midst. One way would be to become more active in our faith community. I have asked the different ministries and organizations in the parish to give you an opportunity to find out what is going on and to see how you can be involved. Granted, the hall is cozy but I urge you to wander through and take a look and find for yourself a way to be more involved in the parish. Some of you may be skeptical that you have anything to offer but like geese flying in formation, we all can make a difference in making St. Hubert a more vibrant parish tomorrow than it has been in the past.

Thomas is remembered for being skeptical, but then he believed in Jesus and in himself. How might you want to be remembered? Today we are being called to be involved in building up the kingdom of God. Believe in yourself and know that you too can make a difference around here.

This past week the History Channel has been running a series called “Ten days that shaped America.”  None of the events that I thought of such as the invasion of Pearl Harbor or the assassination of John Kennedy made the list. What was on the list made sense once I heard the explanation of the featured event.

 

I imagine if historians were to list ten days that shaped the world, what happened on that first Easter morning 2000 years ago would be included. Few would dispute that without the resurrection Jesus of Nazareth would be nothing more than a footnote in history. In some volumes of ancient history he would probably be listed along with numerous other religious leaders who simply came and went.

 

But as you and I know Jesus was different from any religious leader of his time. Undoubtedly, others also suffered martyrdom, maybe even crucifixion, but Jesus stood apart from anyone else. He rose from the dead.

 

One could argue that no singular event had a greater impact on world history than what happened that morning when Mary Magdalene discovered an empty tomb.  She was told that Jesus was not there and that he had been raised. As instructed, she went and told the disciples what happened.

 

What literally took place cannot be humanly explained. Those who cannot believe what happened will come up with any number of explanations; the body was stolen from the tomb, or Jesus wasn’t really dead when he was taken down from the cross, that somehow he was drugged when he was placed in the tomb. But the story Mary Magdalene tells us has stood the test of time. The Lord has been raised! Those who later saw the risen Christ never altered their testimony even when threatened with death.

 

Why should such a story even matter to us today? For one thing, what happened to Jesus gives us reason to believe that life is more than that span of time from the womb to the tomb. Until Jesus came on the scene, the Jews envisioned the Messiah as a worldly leader who would liberate them from the oppression of the Romans, but Jesus kept telling them that his kingdom was not of this world. But where else could it be if not here? The notion that we could someday be living in a different dimension had hardly been considered even by the apostles until the resurrection took place.

 

By his resurrection, Jesus left evidence that our time here would be a stepping stone to a new life beyond the threshold of death. What he said in those few years as he wondered the shores of Galilee and the hills of Judea were not empty promises or false hopes but the good news that he would free us from the oppression of sin and suffering.  His resurrection validates his claim.

 

We are celebrating more than just an historical event that happened 2000 years ago. We are celebrating the impact that event continues to have on our lives today. The awareness that life for us can be renewed, rejuvenated, and made whole. Like Jesus, we can emerge from our tombs, not just the ones that will be someday be our final resting places, but also the tombs we bury ourselves in during this lifetime. We can leave behind the desert experience of our past sins to experience our own resurrection by making the choice to deepen our relationship with God.

 

The resurrection of Jesus is the heart of our Christian faith. Unable to explain how this happened, all Mark can do is tell us the reaction of those who saw the empty tomb along with the promise that they would see the risen Lord.

 

Having witnessed the risen Christ, the apostles went forth to proclaim the good news. Nothing could keep them entombed for they had seen firsthand that Jesus had triumphed over death. They were moved to share the news with others at any cost. They passed on the good news that nothing can defeat us any more, not pain, not sorrow, not rejection, not even death.

 

Most likely you have never heard of Nikolai Ivanovich Bukarin. He was a very powerful man in the early days of the Soviet Union. The story is told that in 1930 he addressed a huge assembly in Kiev on the subject of atheism, with the intent of trying to disprove the premises of Christianity.

 

When done, he asked if there were any questions. Silence filled the auditorium. Then a man went on the stage and looked over the audience. He then shouted the ancient greeting known well in the Russian Orthodox Church, “Christ is risen!” En masse the crowd arose as one man and responded like a clap of thunder, “He is risen indeed!”

 

Yes, the ultimate greatness of Easter is “Jesus Christ is risen!” but its greatness is more than a past event. Easter, as shown by that assembly in Kiev, is an unfolding mystery that has touched and will continue to touch countless lives. The real proclamation of the gospel isn’t “Look what happened to Jesus!” No, the real message is “Look at what can happen to us!” for the message of Easter is that the resurrection has the power to transform the lives we are living now.

 

My friends, a blessed Easter to you! Not just this day, but throughout this season, which lasts until Pentecost on June 4. May you always be filled with the peace of the risen Lord!

A man once came to Jesus to ask him the question. “What must I do to enter the kingdom of heaven?”  Jesus told him, “You must be born again.” “But how,” the man asked. “can I become so small that I can crawl back into my mother’s womb?”

 

“Amen, amen, I say to you,” replied Jesus, “Unless you are born again by water and the Holy Spirit, you cannot have eternal life.” 

 

Tonight, catechumen around the world will receive that new birth. After they renounced sin and professed their faith, they will be baptized. Blessed water will be poured over them with the words, “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” 

 

Several years ago, a friend invited me to witness the birth of her son. That was, needless to say, a moving experience. As any mother will tell you, the birth of a child involves more than just the pains of labor. For some, the pregnancy itself can be arduous. From what I was told, my mother endured quite a bit when she gave birth to me since I was breached.  Afterwards, I was probably no picnic either!

 

A teacher once asked her second grade class what each wanted to be when they grew up. Her students replied, “A football player.” “A doctor.” “A policeman.” “A nurse.” “A teacher.” Everyone responded except Timmy, who sat rather quietly at his place.

 

So his teacher asked him, “Timmy, what do you want to be when you grow up?” “Possible, “Timmy replied. “”Possible?” asked the confused teacher. “What do you mean?”

 

“Well,” Timmy explained, “My mom is always telling me that I’m impossible. So when I get big, I want to be possible.”

 

By rising from the dead, Jesus Christ enables us to make possible in our lives all that he taught and lived throughout his brief earthly life: that love, compassion, generosity, humility and self-sacrifice will triumph over hatred, bigotry, prejudice, despair, greed and death. The empty tomb that we recall on Easter morning is the sign of perfect hope–that in Christ, all things are possible, that we can make of our lives what we want them to be, that we can become the people God created us to become.

 

Birth marks a new beginning for a child who has been growing in a mother’s womb, but as any parent knows, “We have only just begun.”  The same is true for those who are baptized. However prepared they are for this moment, I cautioned parents and godparents that baptism is the beginning, not the end of a child’s faith journey with Jesus Christ. To Dina and to anyone else who is to be baptized, I’d say, “You have only just begun!”

 

Baptism can only happen once, just as we can only be born once. What all of us can do, as we witness another person’s baptism, is be fully open to the gift we received on the day of our own baptism, by opening wide our hearts to Christ and his message of new life. We will all have a chance to do that when we renew our baptismal vows.

 

Our baptism joins us to a very large family, the Catholic Church that shares the same sacraments, the same catechism, and the same Holy Father. Our ultimate goal in this life is to be part of that great communion of saints. The quest for new life may seem impossible at times but if we stick with Jesus and his Church, some day we will emerge from the womb of this world into that final rebirth, our own resurrection.

Brother Tim taught theology. He would take in any student that had been thrown out of another class as long as they would abide by his rules. Steve was kicked out of his sixth period class and no other teacher would take him in, so he went to Brother Tim’s class. He was told that he couldn’t be late, so he would arrive just before the bell rang, sit in the back row and leave as soon as he could.

 

One day, Brother Tim asked Steve to stay after class. He said, “You think you’re pretty tough, don’t you?” Steve replied, “Yeah, I do.” Then Brother Tim asked him, “How many push-ups can you do?”

 

Steve said, “I do about 200 every night.” “200? That’s pretty good. Do you think you could do 300?” Brother Tim asked. “I don’t know…I’ve never done that many before.” “Well, do you think you can?” “I can try,” said Steve. “Can you do 300 in sets of 10?” Brother Tim asked. “Yeah, I think I can do it.” “Good!” Brother Tim said, “I need you to do this on Friday.”

 

Friday came and Steve got to class early and sat in the front row. When class began, Brother Tim pulled out a big box of donuts. Now these were the fancy kind with creamy centers and ample frosting. Of course, everyone was excited.

 

Brother Tim went to the first girl in the front row and asked, “Janet, do you want a donut?” She replied, “Yes.” Brother Tim then turned to Steve and asked, “Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Janet can have a donut?” “Sure.” He jumped down from his desk and did a quick ten. When he was done, Brother Tim put a donut on Janet’s desk.

 

Brother Tim then went to Joe, the next person, and asked, “Joe, do you want a donut?” He said, “Sure.” Brother Tim asked, “Steve, would you do ten push ups so Joe can have a donut?” Steve did ten push ups, Joe got his donut, and so it went down the front row. Steve did ten push ups for every person before they got their donut.

 

Then Brother Tim came to Scott, who was captain of the football team and center of the basketball team. He was very popular and never lacking for girl friends. When Brother Tim asked Scott if he wanted a donut, he replied, “Well, can I do my own pushups?” Brother Tim said, “No, Steve has to do them for you.” “In that case, I don’t want one,” said Scott. Brother Tim turned to Steve and asked, “Steve, would you do ten pushups so Scott can have the donut he doesn’t want?” As Steve began to do ten pushups, Scott protested, “Hey! I said I didn’t want one!”

 

Brother Tim said, “Look, this is my classroom, my class, my desks, and my donuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don’t want it.” And he placed a donut on Scott’s desk.

 

By now, Steve had begun to slow down a bit. You could see a little perspiration coming out around his brow. Brother Tim started down the third row. The students were beginning to get a little angry. Brother Tim asked Jenny, “Jenny, do you want a donut?” She answered, “No.” Brother Tim then asked Steve, “Steve, would you do ten pushups so Jenny can have a donut that she doesn’t want?” Steve did ten and Jenny got a donut. Many students said “No” so there were many uneaten donuts on their desks. Steve was putting forth a lot of effort getting through ten pushups for each donut. A small pool of sweat began to form on the floor beneath his face.

 

Brother Tim asked Bob to watch Steve to make sure he did ten pushups in each set because he couldn’t bear to watch all of Steve’s work for all of those unwanted donuts. So Bob began to watch Steve closely.

 

Brother Tim started down the fourth row. Some students had wondered in and stood along the back wall. When Brother Tim noticed this, he started to worry if Steve would be able to make it. He went on to the next student and the next and the next. Near the end of that row, Steve was really having a rough time completing each set of ten pushups.

Steve asked Brother Tim, “Do I have to make my nose touch the floor on each pushup?” Brother Tim thought a bit, “Well, they’re your pushups. You can do them any way you want.”

 

Just then, Jason came to the door. All the students yelled, “Don’t come in!” Jason didn’t know what was going on. Steve picked up his head and said, “Let him come in.” Brother Tim said, “You realize that if Jason comes in, you will have to do ten pushups for him.” Steve nodded.  Brother Tim turned to Jason and asked, “Do you want a donut?” “Yes,” said Jason.

 

“Steve, will you do ten pushups so that Jason can have a donut?” Steve did ten pushups very slowly with much effort. Jason, bewildered, was handed a donut as he sat down.

Brother Tim finished the last row, then he started on those standing in the back. Steve’s arms were now shaking with each pushup as he struggled to lift himself up. Sweat was dripping off his face and by this time, there was not a dry eye in the room. The last two girls in the room were popular cheerleaders. “Linda,” Brother Tim asked, “Do you want a donut?” Too choked up to talk, she shook her head, no.

 

“Steve, would you do ten pushups so that Linda can have a donut she doesn’t want?” Grunting from the effort, Steve did ten very slow pushups for Linda. Then Brother Tim turned to Julie, the last student in the room, “Julie, do you want a donut? Crying, she asked, “Can I help him?” Brother Tim, with tears of his own, said, “No, he has to do it alone. Steve, would you do ten pushups so that Julie can have a donut?”

 

As Steve very slowly finished his last pushup, aware that he had done all that was required of him, having completed 350 pushups, his arms buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor, his strength entirely spent.

 

Brother Tim then concluded the day’s lesson.

 

“And so it was, that our savior, Jesus, cried out, ‘Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.’ Knowing that he had done everything required of him, he collapsed on the cross and died.”

 

“Jesus called loudly, “Father, I place my life in your hands!” Then he breathed his last.”

 

“And so it was that our savior, Jesus said, ‘Now it is finished.’ And bowing his head, he handed over his spirit. Knowing that he had done everything required of him, he collapsed on the cross and died.”

“On the night he was betrayed.” Those words weren’t in tonight’s gospel yet they should sound familiar to you. Each time we celebrate the third Eucharistic prayer, we hear them. Tonight let them seep into the very marrow of your being. By dwelling on the reality of betrayal in our own lives, we can sense some of the pain Jesus felt and grow closer to being the people God calls us to become.

 

I suspect we have all felt betrayed at some point in our lives. After sharing a confidence with a friend, I later heard it being bantered around by others. That prompted me to lose my cool, as they say with the friend whom I thought had betrayed me. That didn’t help matters any. Despite apologizing for my inappropriate outburst, our relationship has never been the same since.

 

Perhaps a spouse has betrayed you with unfaithfulness or indifference. Some parents feel betrayed because their now adult children no longer practice the faith in which they were raised. I could go on, but I think you get the idea. How we handle these betrayals in life determines our future.

 

For example, in tonight’s gospel, John never tells us why Jesus rose from the meal and proceeded to wash his disciples’ feet.  The timing really makes little sense to me.  I could understand why Jesus might have done this as a welcome gesture at the start of the meal but in the middle?

 

In Luke’s account of the last supper, we are told that a dispute arose among the disciples about who would be regarded as the greatest.   In the midst of his final meal with his closest friends, Jesus has voiced his fears, his hopes, his pending betrayal, and the meaning behind his gifts of bread and wine.   Instead of really listening, the disciples bickered amongst themselves about their pecking order.

 

What if Jesus had reacted as I did when I felt betrayed?  Picture him, walking out of the upper room, peeved that his closest friends really did not care about what he had just told them.  “OK, forget what I just said.  I’m leaving for the Garden of Olives now.”

 

Instead, Jesus responds to this distraction by saying, in effect, “Watch this.”  So he gets up and grabs a towel.  Then he took a basin and pitcher and began to do a task that is normally done by slaves. Imagine how Peter felt!  Instead of seeing Jesus as Lord, he now sees Jesus as one who came to serve rather than be served.  That is the common understanding we have in the washing of the feet.

 

For me, the scene goes beyond the notion of service to others.   The image of dirty feet suggests that we carry around dirt from past ventures.  Washing dirty feet implies a cleansing of our past attitudes and of our self-centered agendas that can prevent us from nurturing the difficult art of reconciliation with others in our lives and with Jesus himself.  So long as we remain coated with the dust of our self-centered ways or the dirt of past hurts, how can we allow Jesus or anyone else to be our companion? How can we truly experience forgiveness?

 

We know very well how Peter reacted when Jesus came to him, “You shall never wash my feet!”    “If I do not wash you,” Jesus answered, “you will have no inheritance with me.”  In other words, the art of forgiveness is what being a Christian is all about.  For us to share in his legacy, Jesus asks that he be given the chance to wash our feet of whatever sins are keeping us from having a close friendship with him.    “So long as you are soiled by the dirt of your ways, how can you fully understand what I am leaving with you?”

 

We generally think of bathing as a very private affair and for Jesus to “clean our dirty feet” can indeed be a humbling and moving experience and for a true friend to do that can also be humbling for us. What separates the true friend from the mere acquaintance is the knowledge that in spite of what I have done, a true friend, like Jesus, is willing to forgive me.

 

As Lent comes to a close, we should ask ourselves, “Who needs our forgiveness?” In the spirit of the gospel, “Is there anyone whose feet we need to wash?” On the night he was betrayed, Jesus washed the feet of his apostles, knowing full well that in the days ahead, all of them except John would abandon him. When he was done, he issued them a mandate, “what I just did was to give you an example:  as I have done, so you must do.”   

 

Are we willing to follow his example?  If we are willing to forgive others for the times we have been betrayed, then we can fully savor the Eucharist as a meal that can truly feed our souls.