Deacon Paul

The Young the Old and Their Relationship

2012-01-19T09:50:00.000-08:00

When I was growing up I spent a great deal of time with an older man who lived right on the sea shore. He worked with several of us teens and often had us paint his boat and help around his house. I remember him telling me how industrious I was and how lazy my friends were. I was pumped up by this until I found out he told my friends how industrious they were and how lazy the other teens were. I often wondered why older people thought we were lazy.

This came to mind while I reflected on the readings for January 19, especially 1 Samuel 18:6-9; 19:1-7, I was fascinated by the relationship between David and Saul. Saul was the king who led Israel into battle against the Philistines, but was stumped when he was confronted by the challenge of Goliath. Saul couldn’t figure out a way to defeat Goliath but David came up with a clever way to overcome the giant. Saul became jealous of David because of David’s success in defeating Goliath. This led the people to praise David ahead of Saul and eclipsed the standing of King Saul in the eyes of the people. This Saul resented and feared that they would proclaim David King. Clearly Saul resented the youthful David and his accomplishments.

It occurred to me as I reflected on this scripture that this is a problem we have in our society and in our church. The problem is the relationship between older people and younger people. Often older people ridicule the younger generation for the way they dress, the way they act, that they spend too much time playing video games etc. This creates a rift between the generations and gives neither side the desire to close that rift. I suspect the older generation may subconsciously resent the strength and vitality of the youth as they have lost theirs. Clearly Saul was not able to stand up to Goliath while David was able to overcome the giant.

If we want young people to grow up in the faith and become responsible members of our community we need to stop ridiculing their habits (to a great extent they were probably much like them in their youth) and invite them to be part of our community of faith. We will have to accept that they are stronger, have a much better grasp on modern technology they are more energetic and may even have ideas of their own that seem to be different from the older generation but may actually improve things.

One thing I think the older generation has particular trouble with is technology. The older generation doesn’t understand the new things that the kids are so good at. Things like computers, iPads, “Twitter” and “Facebook” stump the older generation while the young people live on these new forms of social media and have created a whole new vocabulary around them which seems like a foreign language to older people.

The older generations needs to welcome the things they don’t understand and give the younger folks room to grow in the environment they live in. In this way they will have a better opportunity to influence and mold the young people. Saul never really accepted David and didn’t try to use David’s talents to the benefit of Israel. He eventually tried to kill him again and David became what we might call a rebel, never attacking Saul as David respected the fact that Saul had been anointed by the Lord. David lived apart until Saul was killed in battle, then moved in and became a great king.

The older generation can avoid the period of hostility that Saul and David experienced by accepting young people the way they are. Accept the way they dress, the way they communicate and the way they relate to each other. If the older generation accepts these differences they will have more influence on how the young people grow and mature.

Reflection on Mary the Holy Mother of God

2012-01-10T13:25:00.000-08:00

As a convert to Catholicism, particularly a convert from a very austere form of Christianity, my church was descended from the pilgrims; I had a hard time coming to grips with the concept of Mary and her relevance to Christianity. Yet, as I experienced more of the Catholic faith and learned more about Mary I began to appreciate her far more. I think this really began when I visited Lourdes. While stationed in Germany my wife and I worked with the youth group and twice we took the teens to Lourdes during Spring break, where the teens worked with elderly and handicapped pilgrims who were visiting Lourdes from Germany. As I watched the teens reach out to people they didn’t know I believed I was watching a miracle in itself. When I returned I looked up information on the appearances at Lourdes and found it far more profound than what I had imagined. As I looked at other appearances of the Blessed Mother I realized they all contain a similar thread.

To better understand this I suggest we need to look at when she appeared, who she appeared to and finally what did she say – how did she express her message and how was it received. To do this I will look at what I learned about the appearance at Lourdes, and then review a few other appearances that are similar in nature.

Most of her appearances took place when there was tremendous difficulty in the culture of where she appeared. She appeared in Lourdes in 1858. The middle of the 19th century saw tremendous chaos in Europe and particularly in France. The Industrial Revolution had brought on changes that Europe was having a hard time coping with. The elites were seeing their positions being eroded while the poor were being driven off their land and into cities to look for work which either didn’t exist or paid so poorly they had a hard time living day to day. People living off the land or in remote areas were having a hard time understanding what was going on. They saw many of their traditional values being questioned and in many cases eliminated. What were they to do?

During the mid 1800s Europe saw the rise of radical political ideology in response to the industrial revolution. This is the time Marx and Engel formulated the basic documents of Communism. Insurrections occurred in numerous places. Also France had been the strongest nation in Europe but the German Prussians under Bismarck were rapidly overtaking France as the strongest nation in Europe.

So by 1858 the people living in the French lands along the border with Spain didn’t know where to turn. Into this world the Blessed Mother appeared to a mentally challenged girl whose family lived in the old town jail. She appeared numerous times but said very little. She did ask that a church be built on this site and told Bernadette to dig for water, which she did and uncovered the stream which now feeds the baths that have healed many people.

Yet, this in itself should not have caused the tremendous outpouring of faith from across France. In 1870 France was soundly defeated by the Prussians. The French were shocked and embarrassed and looked for something to help them through this difficult time. This is when the pilgrimages to Lourdes began in earnest. People were seeking a rock on which they could cling during these tempestuous events in Europe. Mary had come to give them hope.

When I looked at her appearance at Guadalupe in Mexico and Knock in Ireland I found similar environments. In Mexico the natives were defeated by the Spanish who destroyed their culture. Mary gave them a reason to become Christian, as she seemed to be one of them. She brought them hope and still brings hope to her people. When she appeared in Knock Ireland, they were in the midst of the potato famine. People were dyeing due to the famine, many could not find work and families had broken up with some going to America to find work. Their spirits were low; they needed a sign of hope. In both cases she showed that God had not abandoned them and that they still had hope.

In all cases she spoke very little. Often just her presence was enough. She did usually ask if a church would be built on the spot where she appeared. I suspect this was her way of making sure her appearance and her message would extend beyond the current generation. Indeed, as pilgrims flock to the many shrines where Mary appeared she does continue to feed the multitudes with hope and the message that God has not abandoned them and is still with them.

Mary seems to be a messenger from God and her Son to us. The message she brought was that God had not abandoned them, that their hope was not in vain, and to remain faithful to God and Jesus her son. She appeared to the poor and those who had lost hope. She rarely appears to the intelligent and well off, they already have their reward.

Today we too, can look to Mary for hope. Her statues in churches and her pilgrimage sites still pass on that message that God has not abandoned us, that we must hope in the future and encourages us to remain faithful to God and the teachings of their son.

Noah and Advent

2011-11-25T09:39:00.001-08:00

As we are beginning the season of Advent I was listening to a broadcast of “On Being” that I downloaded to my iPod to listen to while I work out. Today I listened to a piece on “The Genesis of Desire.” This was a conversation between the host Krista Tippett and Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg who is a celebrated literary teacher of the Hebrew Torah. Below is an edited version of part of that conversation and revolves around Noah and the flood. As Advent is a season to recreate ourselves I thought some of the discussion might help us in our journey through Advent. To see the whole conversation and more go to: http://being.publicradio.org/programs/2011/genesis-of-desire/transcript.shtml
The Flood, the idea, the word that's used for Flood, mabul, is an idea of a surging mass of water, of confusion, of chaos. What happens in the Flood is that there is a return to a pre-created universe, to the universe before. Yes, without form and void, which means specifically then without language. In Hebrew, again, it's very graphic. It's tohu va-vohu. And tohu va-vohu, even the sound of it is like a kind of babble, a sense of — a babble of waters and the need to control that and in some way give form to that, and that is all lost when everything is destroyed, when everything is flooded. That would be almost like the metaphysical implication of something very physical.
And that void is also larger than the loss of language, right? I mean, is it the loss of connection then between human beings? The loss of encounter and relationships?
Well, I think by language, the tradition means dibur is not simply the technical act of language. It's communication, it's connection, it's everything that saves the individual and the world from being closed up in oneself.
That's right, which the Hebrew word for ark, again, is tevah, which is a box, and that sort of gives you the picture that actually he is boxed in. Very interestingly, the word tevah also in later Hebrew means the word. It's the word for the word which the Zohar will play with. The Zohar will have things to say about that, but essentially it's a prison, you know, it's a floating prison in which the seeds of a new civilization are preserved and it's an extremely unnatural life that's lived in that box.
First of all, how did they all eat? How did the animals eat? It's a big …
Yes. I mean, all right, maybe they brought on food for the animals, but how did they get at it? ... Noah spends his whole time, morning and night, day and night, feeding the animals. That's an expression of his desire to preserve the world. And he feeds each animal according to its own timing, it's own feeding schedule, so he's really rather fully occupied feeding the world. He doesn't get a wink of sleep, again.
But then when the time comes to get off the ark and God says, "Tsay menehteva" — you know, leave now — he says, "Leave you and your wife." And by leave, therefore, not just get off, you know, get onto the plank and walk off, but he means return to a human way of living, which means you and your wife dibur, speaking, the human thing, and he leaves with his sons and, again, the women separate, which means that he doesn't really agree to leave, that there is something about that setup in the box that, in a strange way, suits him, because it seems to him in some way simply safer. And that way, of course, the end really lies.
I think precisely the things that he can't do in the ark or he mustn't do, like sexual relations, sleeping, the way he spends all his time feeding, it occurred to me that these are descriptions of God. God feeds all living beings and God doesn't sleep. He doesn't slumber nor sleep and God, of course, has no partner. So in a sense, there's a kind of omnipotence that Noah is experiencing in this prison, which is, again, very natural that, once you have deprived yourself of life and you see that in some way as an ideal and as an expression of ultimate power because you are not compromised now in any way by the messy world of talk, of communication. So to me, it's a defense mechanism and he refuses to let go of it.
Noah becomes drunk, so there's a kind of intoxication that comes of that kind of solipsism and depression, actually. I mean, I see it very much in modern psychological and psychoanalytic categories that it's an unwillingness even to admit that one's lost something and, therefore, one is not prepared to mourn what one has lost. So really one is caught in a state of closure that holds no hope at all. It's an impossible situation, but a situation that's very human.
But even the most heroic figures, like a David or like a Noah, the one man who's saved, are flawed. These are not fairy tales with happy endings.
You know, you don't read; you study. You study the text and that implies that you don't really understand it, first off. You read it and then you read it again and then you notice things and things don't work and things don't make sense and then you're exorcised by it. And that's what I call desire, because something is not. Something that should be there is not there and that's what gets people going. That's what gets people involved and this very intimate connection between the human being and the text, between Jews and this text, is a result of that.

Preferential Option for the Unlikely

2011-10-25T17:33:00.000-07:00

Recently in a homilie I shared a story about two football teams. I thought I would put it on my blog and share it with a wider audience. This, I believe, is a case of Christianity in action.

Grapevine, Texas-one of Money Magazine's top 100 "best places to live" in 2007'-is almost 90% white, has a $90,000 median family Income, and award-winning schools like Faith Christian School. Like most towns in Texas, Grapevine takes its high school football seriously.' Faith's football team, for example, has seventy players, eleven coaches, the latest equipment, and hordes of involved parents. In November 2008, the Faith Lions were 7-2 going into the game with the Gainesville State Tornados, Gainesville State, on the other hand, headed into the game 0-8, having scored only two touchdowns all year. Gainesville's fourteen players wore seven-year-old pads and dilapidated helmets and were escorted by twelve security guards who took off the players' handcuffs before the game. Gainesville State, a maximum security prison north of Dallas, gets its students by court order. Many Tornados have convictions for drugs, assaults, and robberies. Many of their families have disowned them. They play every game on the road.
Before the game, Faith's head coach Kris Hogan had an idea. What if, just for one night, half of the Faith fans cheered for the kids on the opposing team? "Here is the message I want you to send," Hogan wrote in an email to Faith's faithful. "You are just as valuable as any other person on Planet Earth." The Faith fans agreed. When the Gainesville Tornados took the field, they crashed through a banner made by Faith fans that read "Go Tornados!" The Gainesville players were surprised to find themselves running through a forty-foot spirit line made up of cheering fans. From their benches at the side of the field, the Gainesville team heard two hundred fans on the bleachers behind them, cheering for them by name, led by real cheerleaders (Hogan had recruited the JV squad to cheer for the opposing team). "I thought maybe they were confused," said Alex, a Gainesville lineman. Another lineman, Gerald, said: "We can tell people are a little afraid of us when we come to the games .... But these people, they were yellin' for us! By our names!" Gainesville's quarterback and middle linebacker Isaiah shook his head in disbelief. "I never thought I'd hear people cheering for us to hit their kids .... But they wanted us to!"
At the end of the game (Faith won, 33-14), the losing team practically danced off the field with their fingers pointing #1 in the air. They gave Gainesville's head coach Mark Williams what ESPN sportswriter Rick Reilly described as the first Gatorade bath in history for a 0-9 coach. When the teams gathered in the middle of the field to pray, Isaiah surprised everybody by asking to lead. ("We had no idea what the kid was going to say," remembers Coach Hogan.) This was Isaiah's prayer:
"Lord, I don't know how this happened, so I don't know how to say thank You, but I never would've known there was so many people in the world that cared about us."
As guards escorted the Tornados back to their bus, each player received a bag filled with burgers, fries, candy, a Bible, and an encouraging letter from a Faith player. Before he stepped onto the bus, Williams turned and grabbed Hogan hard by the shoulders: "You'll never know what your people did for these kids tonight. You'll never, ever know." The Gainesville players crowded onto one side of the bus, peering out the windows at an unbelievable sight-people they had never met before smiling at them, waving goodbye, as the bus drove into the night.
It was, in Reilly's words, "rivers running uphill and cats petting dogs"-or, as another Isaiah put it: The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. (Isa. 11 :6)
Here is the web address for the original ESPN story:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?section=magazine&id=3789373

Visible and Invisible

2011-10-07T11:30:00.001-07:00

As Catholics prepare to change the wording of many of the prayers in our liturgy it has been suggested that this is a good time to look at the words, think about the words and meditate on them. Often the words of our prayers roll off of our tongues and we don’t really think of them as we are saying them. In that light I’ve been looking at some of the word changes in the creed. Today I am reflecting on the change from “seen and unseen” to “visible and invisible” it doesn’t seem they are much different, but it does give us time to reflect on the meaning of those two phrases.

The creed was originally formulated in the fourth or fifth century C.E. and modified a little over the years, but remains essentially intact to this day. In that time period the writers wouldn’t know of many things that were invisible then but are now visible or known to us today. At that time they didn’t realize the earth rotated around the sun among other celestial phenomenon. They were not aware of many other things like gamma rays, infrared and the many other rays that existed in their world and permeate the world today. Also the many discoveries from astronomy and the Hubble Space Telescope would have been unknown to them, yet existed then. Yet they believed that God created all those things that they knew and that they didn’t know. It is a marvel, all the things we didn’t know and makes one wonder what are all the things we still don’t know.

Some say that faith is what comes between what we know and what we don’t know. Obviously there is much that we don’t know and much we have to learn. In the meantime, when we deal with relationships between each other and with God we are working in an area where we don’t have firm hard facts. Therefore, it is a matter of faith that leads us to believe in God. We all have faith, many have faith in God, and many have faith in other things. What we worship depends on what we have faith in. Ralph Waldo Emerson said:

“A person will worship something, have no doubt about that…That which dominates our imaginations and our thoughts will determine our lives, and our character. Therefore, it behooves us to be careful what we worship, for what we are worshipping we are becoming.”

When we deal with what we know as facts the result is obvious. But when we deal with the things we don’t know we must resort to faith to at least feel comfortable with the subject. Things like why do we exist, why is there pain in the world or war and much more. We have no definitive proof so we turn to ideas, thoughts, musings or faith to get our hands around these and so many more issues. As Emerson said, be careful what we worship because that is what we will become. How we answer those ultimate questions often defines who we are what we have faith in and what we worship.

Reflection on the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

2011-09-27T06:40:00.000-07:00

Obedience

In this week’s second reading (Phil 2:1-11) we hear “He humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death…” “Obedience is the submission of one’s will and conduct to an authority.” God is unconditionally obedient but we humans are conditional in our obedience. Jesus humbled himself to be one of us in obedience to the will of his father. We are not so good at being obedient to the will of God. In the Gospel (Mt 21:28-32) one son dishonors his father by saying no to a request by his father, but then does what was asked. The other son says yes but disobeys his father. We all struggle with obedience, it is a conflict between what we want to do and what God calls us to do which is what we really should do in life to live happily. The prophet Ezekiel (Ez 18:25-28) poignantly describes this conflict when he says what so many of us would like to say, that God is not fair. God makes us do things we don’t want to do. It is a struggle for virtuous people to remain virtuous, temptation is always lurking around us. Our readings this weekend call us to be strong against temptation, to be humble in our life and in so doing we will do the will of the Lord. We are so often like the first son, our initial response to God’s call is that it is too hard or I have other things to do. Whatever our excuse when we realize we have dishonored God by rejecting his request and turn to do His will we are serving him. Often our outward lives look like rejection while our inner lives show devotion to God. We need to make our inner and outer lives to be the same and to reflect God’s love for all. Not an easy thing to do! This is why we need to pray and visit God in church regularly to get the strength to do His will and to live our lives in peace.

Reflection on the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

2011-08-23T09:25:00.000-07:00

Upon This Rock

When any organization is looking for a leader or someone to manage the entity they look for certain qualities. In the first reading Isaiah (Is 22:19-23) said that Shebna, who was the king’s “chief of staff,” did not have those qualities and the keys of the kingdom would be given to Eliakim. The declaration of Peter that Jesus was the Messiah (Mt 16:13-20) showed Jesus that Peter had the requisite qualities to lead the disciples; Peter understood who Jesus was and what his mission was. Yet, we often wonder why he picked him. Peter ran away when Jesus was arrested, denied he knew him, and in other situations didn’t seem to understand what Jesus was talking about. Yet Jesus saw something in Peter that led him to choose Peter to lead the disciples. St. Paul (Rom 11:33-36) answers this mystery when he says “For who has known the mind of the Lord.” Neither God nor Jesus sees as we see. We often judge leaders by our personal standards, yet God has His own standards and we don’t understand them. Ultimately it comes down to faith, a faith Peter expressed. Faith is the rock on which Jesus would build his church, faith is our rock especially in difficult times as well.

As Christians we place our faith in Jesus and His teachings. We often don’t understand them, but they become the rock we cling to in times of trouble.

More and more research is coming out showing people who have faith are happier and healthier. An example of this research is in a recent Gallup Poll presentation they found that people who attend church services weekly scored better on criteria for well being. You can see the full Gallup Poll results on by going to http://www.gallup.com/poll/144080/Religious-Americans-Enjoy-Higher-Wellbeing.aspx

What rocks hold you in place?

Reflection on 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

2011-08-12T19:19:00.001-07:00

Finding Favor from God

Psalms 15 and 24 ask “Who may dwell on your holy hill?” then proceeds to list the attributes of those who can. These are similar to what is listed in our first reading, (Isaiah 56:1, 6-7). These three and many other Old Testament readings make no distinction between Israelite and foreigner, anyone who follows the guidance found in the bible especially these Psalms will find favor with God. In the Gospel (Matthew 15:21-28) Jesus encounters a gentile woman and tries to dismiss her yet in her persistence he realizes she is following these guidelines better then His fellow Jews. In the Vatican II declaration on Non-Christian Religions it says “Throughout history even to the present day, there is found among different peoples a certain awareness of a hidden power, which lies behind the course of nature and the events of human life.” Clearly the Canaanite woman saw in Jesus this hidden power and she sought his healing power for her daughter. St. Paul (Romans 11:13-15, 29-32) was bemoaning the fact that his Jewish coreligionists did not see this power in Jesus yet the many gentiles with whom Paul was working did see this power. Our readings remind us that God is present to all peoples of most all religions. We should not dismiss other religions out of hand but take the time to see the power of God working in them and learn from them as well. The Trappist Monk Thomas Merton learned a great deal about meditation while working with Buddhists in the Far East. His work and that of many others who studied in India and Thailand have enriched Catholic and Christian prayer. We can also learn a great deal from other Christian Religions as well as other Catholic Cultures. Many of our Catholic practices come from pagan rituals, just think of the Christmas tree and lights as an example. Each culture and each religion contributes to our understanding of the ineffable God we worship.

The Slow Process of Healing

2011-08-05T19:21:00.001-07:00

Recently I had a chance to spend about 10 days on the Island of Hawai’i (the big island). It is a fascinating product of the geological forces that exist on earth. The island was formed 70 million years ago. Volcanic action created the island from the bottom of the ocean. The island now is about 425 square miles and is growing. It includes two mountains, one an active volcano the other dormant, that rise over 13,000 feet, and there is a third mountain smaller in size but still formed from volcanic action. Now it seems another volcano is forming in the seabed off of the coast.
The island grew out of the sea, as you might imagine, that as it grew out of the volcanic action there were no plants or animals. Eventually seeds were blown to the islands from distant lands and took root. Specialists estimate that a new plant specie was introduced about every 10,000 years. Most of the current vegetation and all animals were brought to the island by people who settled there over the years. Polynesians first settled there during the first millennium and brought many food and flower plants. They also brought pigs which now run wild and procreate so fast they are a problem.
As you travel along the west and south coast of the island you see many lava fields. This molten rock when hot, burned all it came in contact with, it destroyed all vegetation and anything else that got in the way. Yet, after it cooled plant life would start to grow out of the lava as you can see from the picture at the head of this article.
Nature seems to be a metaphor showing that violence, when cooled can lead to healing, that healing can lead to new growth. But, of course, it takes time. The other islands in the Hawaiian archipelago were also formed by volcanic action and today have some of the most beautiful vegetation, not to mention beaches, mountains, forests and much more. The lava when it cools seems to contain many nutrients needed for plant life.
Truly this is an example of how healing can produce a stronger more robust environment.

Come Holy Spirit

2011-06-13T18:06:00.001-07:00

This past weekend we celebrated Pentecost. As I reflect on what happened that day, I see men who had a wonderful message but didn’t know how to spread it. For various reasons they were unable to move the message out of that room. Yes, they were afraid of the ruling classes that just executed their mentor. But they probably had a hard time figuring out how to make the message known to those who had not Jesus personally, how could they be Jesus to others.
I am reminded of the story of Helen Keller. Keller became a brilliant writer and speaker, yet she started life locked in her mind. She became blind and deaf at 19 months of age and was only able to communicate some very basic needs. She must have lived inside her dark world with very little ability to communicate other than her basic needs. When she was six years old Anne Sullivan, who was also blind, was hired to help Helen. Anne used a form of sign language on Helen’s hand to try to develop a path of communications. With a tremendous amount of patience Anne finally made the breakthrough and Helen understood that the movements in her hand related to something, the first thing being water. With this breakthrough Anne was able to create a means for Helen to communicate. In time Helen was able to learn and articulate her thoughts. She eventually went to and graduated from college. This was in the early 20th century when few women went to college.
Prior to Pentecost the disciples were much like Helen, they had this tremendous knowledge but couldn’t get it beyond the room they were in. With the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles they overcame their fears and developed the ability and confidence to effectively communicate the good news of Jesus to all in Jerusalem. Like Anne Sullivan the Holy Spirit was able to open that path of understanding.
So often we are like Helen was when she was young and the disciples in the upper room. We know Jesus, we know the message Jesus preached, we know the good that comes from that message, but we are reluctant to share the message beyond a small group, sometimes not even within family.
At the Confirmation at the Cathedral of Mary our Queen on June 12, Archbishop O’Brien challenged the confirmande to stand up for what their faith teaches them and to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. We are also called to be open to the Holy Spirit within us. Too often we lock the Holy Spirit in our mental upper room. We must have the courage to allow the Holy Spirit to be active in our lives. It will be difficult, but the promise of Jesus is that the message will lead to a better and more peaceful world. How can we sit back and allow evil to flourish. In the Gospel reading Jesus gives us the power through the Holy Spirit to stand against evil. It is only our fear that keeps us back.
Let us always pray “Come Holy Spirit fills the hearts of your faithful.”

Living in an Imperfect World

2011-05-10T17:21:00.000-07:00

When we look around the world we can often see all that is wrong. We see people with cancer, addictions, marital problems and so much more. We also see natural disasters like hurricanes, typhoons, earthquakes, etc. We then wonder why all these bad things happen, why does the world seem to be so imperfect.

There is a story about a man who wanted to marry the perfect woman. He searched all around his neighborhood, involved the help of his friends. Finally, he embarked on a trip around the world to find the perfect woman to be his wife. When he returned home his friends asked if he had found her and he said “yes.” They asked if he married her. He said no, that she was looking for the perfect man.

The reality is that we are all imperfect and our world is imperfect. Once we recognize this then we can start living with our perfections and helping others with theirs. Our imperfections in many defines who we are and gives us the opportunities to help others with their imperfections.

As I look around my community, my country, the world, and even the universe I realize none of it is perfect. Meteorites crash into planets causing considerable damage. When they crash into the earth, which they do every million or so years, they cause climate change, kill off living things etc. We also see earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes etc. that wreak havoc on people and property. Indeed we live on an imperfect planet in and imperfect universe.

Yet, to a great extent, the imperfections of the planet earth are what make it a place where life can grow. The planet is dynamic and moving which means it regenerates those things that are needed to support life. Yet those same movements cause tremendous destructions. These imperfections are what created mountains, forests, plains, in other words the earth is the product of these imperfections.

Humans are very similar. None of us are perfect, our imperfections, to a great extent, define who we are. We are born with certain physical characteristics, some are tall, some short, some thin, some not so thin. Many are born with disabilities, Multiple sclerosis, Down syndrome, and less pronounced mental illnesses, these define who those people are. We all have less obvious imperfections, things like anger, laziness, over eagerness, etc. These imperfections all influence our relationships with others.

We can modify many of our imperfections. We help those who have profound disabilities, we try to control anger or even addictions so they don’t impact our relationships with others. It is an uphill battle.

Jesus came to this imperfect world to help us learn to live with who we are and to give us permission to be who we are. This is no easy task! We often struggle to be something we can’t be. I had a childhood friend who desperately wanted to be a basketball player, but he was only five and a half feet tall. He was not able to make the varsity team in high school. He made many excuses for not making the team, but I believed his size was the major cause, yet he had trouble accepting that.

Jesus was also treated imperfectly. Clearly his trial was flawed, the reasons for his sentence were not based on fairness or truth. Yet he accepted his fate and died for us. When I look at his suffering body on the cross I am reminded of the injustice that put him there, but also that the people who carried out that injustice were flawed in many ways. We are all flawed. I think one message Jesus tried to give us was to see ourselves for who we are, accept who we are, and learn to treat others for who they are and not who you want them to be.

Jesus consorted with all sorts of sinners. He accepted them for who and what they were. I doubt he encouraged the prostitutes and thieves to be good prostitutes and thieves, but by accepting them and treating them with dignity he was giving the gift that might help them move out of their sin and begin to live respectable lives.

Jesus calls us to look at our imperfections and the imperfections of others. He calls us to accept ourselves for who we are. In that acceptance it will give us the confidence to be what God created us to be. We find Jesus and God through our imperfections.

Saint Isidore of Seville

2011-04-04T10:41:00.000-07:00

Today is the feast day of St Isidore of Seville. For some reason he was named the Patron Saint of computers and the Internet. So, I thought I would provide some background on this saint and provide a prayer for logging onto the internet.
St Isidore of Seville (ca. 560-636) was a prolific writer and is often considered the last of the Fathers of the Church. He lived at a time of conflict and growth for the church in Spain. The Visigoths had invaded the land a century and half before his birth. They adopted a form of Christianity called Arianism which was declared heretical by the church in Rome. Through his work and writings he converted many Visigoths from Arianism. He reunited Spain, making it a center of culture and learning. He was also a teacher and guide for other European countries whose cultures were also threatened by barbarian invaders. He organized the Church of Spain through synods and councils, especially the Second Council of Seville (619) and the Fourth Council of Toledo (633), over which he presided.
An amazingly learned man, he was sometimes called "The Schoolmaster of the Middle Ages" because the encyclopedia he wrote was used as a textbook for nine centuries. He required seminaries to be built in every diocese, wrote a Rule for religious orders and founded schools that taught every branch of learning. Isidore wrote numerous books, including a dictionary, an encyclopedia, a history of Goths and a history of the world—beginning with creation! He completed the Mozarabic liturgy, which is still in use in Toledo, Spain. For all these reasons Isidore (as well as several other saints) has been suggested as patron of the Internet.
Prayer Before Logging Onto the Internet
Almighty and eternal God, who has created us in your image and bade us to seek after all that is good, true and beautiful, especially in the divine person of your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, grant we beseech Thee that, through the intercession of Saint Isidore, bishop and doctor, during our journeys through the internet we will direct our hands and eyes only to that which is pleasing to Thee and treat with charity and patience all those souls whom we encounter. Through Christ our Lord. Amen

Temptation

2011-03-14T18:40:00.000-07:00

Oscar Wilde once said, “I can resist anything but temptation.” Our readings for this week (March 13) revolve around temptation and the impact it had on Adam and Eve and then on Jesus. There always seems to be a question as to whether temptation is something good or bad. Actually it can be both!
The dictionary tells us that temptation is a desire to do something, especially something wrong or unwise. It is a matter of making a choice between at least two essentially, conflicting things. It is as often a conflict between immediate gratification and a long term goal or goodness. It is a form of testing ourselves.
Looking deeper into temptation and the impact it has on individuals we see that it exposes the inner core of the person. It reveals their true identity. We sometimes say we see “what they are made of.” It does lead to understanding one’s nature. On the positive side it can open pathways to a deeper faith by creating stability on one’s identity formation. As one’s ability to deal with temptation grows it will lead to commitments to certain values and a greater awareness of the self. When one is able to put temptation into the proper perspective it will create a right relationship with God.
In the readings from Genesis (2:7-9; 3:1-7) and the Gospel of Matthew (4:1-11) we see completely different responses to temptation and different results. Confronted by the serpent (aka the devil, the tempter, Satan) Adam and Eve are tempted to eat of the fruit that God had forbidden Adam to eat. (interesting point, Eve was not created when God gave Adam the instructions not to eat this fruit) The fruit looked good, and the serpent assured them they would not die. So they ate the food and received momentary gratification. However, their world fell apart shortly after that. The heavenly bank determined them unreliable, foreclosed on their property and evicted them. They set up home in a new neighborhood where Adam had to work his tail off and Eve suffered tremendously in child bearing. Their family life wasn’t very good either. Their two boys didn’t get along and one killed the other. Adam and Even must have spent hours regretting those disobedient nibbles.
In the Gospel, Jesus had spent 40 days in the desert, possibly building up the courage to carry out the mission his father had given him. I wonder if during those 40 days he was tempted to go back to being a simple carpenter and forgoing the trials that his father’s mandate would cause him. In this weakened state, weakened both physically from lack of food and mentally from questioning his mission, in comes another tempter (aka the devil) to help him out. We know the three temptations put before Jesus. But there is another message in the temptations and in Jesus’ response.
In the first temptation, as Jesus was very hungry, the devil invited Jesus to turn stones into bread Jesus refused. Jesus would not use his relationship with God for his own gain or profit. In the second temptation the devil offered Jesus the opportunity to jump off the parapet of the temple. In a grandiose display of his divinity the angels would rescue him and all would know of Jesus’ power. But Jesus again refused, faith in his Father would not be based on a spectacular event, one should not test God. Finally the devil offered Jesus power over all the earth to do with it whatever he liked. Again Jesus refused to worship the devil and remained true to his father. This would seem to indicate Jesus did not feel religion should be mixed up with political power.
In these readings and in much of the bible there are several names for the one who tempts. Whether it is a cunning serpent in Genesis, the advocate in Job, or the devil in the Gospel, the act of temptation comes from that side of us that seeks instant gratification.
In his letter to the Romans (5:12-19) St. Paul identified this as a basic difference between the reaction to temptation by the primal couple and by Jesus. When Adam and Eve sinned by succumbing to temptation they started a human process that continues today. That is of giving into the temptation to do something contrary to God’s law because it will feel good. When one does this they are damaging their relationship with God as Adam and Eve did. It also brings into jeopardy their future life. To make our relationship with God a strong one we must follow the example of Jesus who chose to follow God’s way and not that of the devil, to resist the allurement of using his relationship with God for his own benefit, not to do something spectacular, and not to mix politics and religion. When Jesus set this example he gave us the opportunity to be free from sin and to build a right relationship with his Father.
What is the message for us as we begin the season of Lent. How and when are we tempted? Do we do things contrary to the way God wants us in our relationships with our family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, or the aliens living in our community? When we succumb to the temptation to be angry with any of these, to gossip, or worse, to somehow inflict injury, we are not only hurting them, we are hurting our relationship with God. We create a hostile environment, figuratively we move out of the Garden of Eden into the desert where we have to work harder as we have damaged the relationships with others and with God that could help and support us.
We often find spectacular events are more pleasing to us then spending time with God. Who is more important in our lives, the Ravens or God? Are we drawn to some televangelist whose magnificent choir and beautiful building inspires us. Or do we find time to spend with God in prayer, reading the bible, actively participating in Mass or better, working on your relationship with God through repairing relations with others.
The last temptation is a tough one. Where do we draw the line on mixing politics with religion? Jesus seemed to be supporting separation of church and state. Yet, the values we profess are values we want our government to reflect, and indeed many of those values are enshrined in law, such as care for the poor, programs to help the disadvantaged, the elderly and the unemployed to name a few. These are all based on our Christian faith. But where do we draw the line.
This week I encourage everyone to take a few moments in prayer with God and reflect on the temptations in our lives. Are we responding to the call of the devil or are we responding to what God wants us to do.

Reflection on the 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time

2011-02-28T13:07:00.000-08:00

Our Hierarchy of Needs

We all want to be happy, to live good and fulfilling lives, but we are often waylaid on the path to happiness by wrong turns and false plans. How do we achieve happiness? Abraham Maslow, a psychologist, postulated a hierarchy of needs which is generally accepted as a way to understand human motivations and needs. One must progress up the hierarchy of needs in order to find self-actualization. At the lowest level are biological and physiological needs such as food, drink, shelter, etc. Then one needs safety, belongingness, love then esteem and finally one may reach self-actualization. In Sunday's Gospel Jesus has a very different hierarchy. Jesus said we must first seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness. We must, as is said in the first reading, have faith that God will take care of us. With that mindset we must reject “mammon” which is material wealth or greed. We must seek only what we need. In today’s parlance that means rejecting consumerism that is, buying things that we want but don’t need. When we follow this hierarchy we won’t have to worry about the basic needs. Often we are influenced to acquiring unneeded goods because others have them, sort of peer pressure. In St. Paul’s Epistle he says he is not judged by human standards, he is only judged by the Lord. This is all good advice, seek the kingdom of God, reject the foolish influence of greedy people and follow the ways of the Lord. This will take away our tendency to worry and bring us the peace of Christ.

Choices, A Reflection on the Readings for the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

2011-02-17T17:15:00.001-08:00

When I was stationed in Germany I volunteered with a youth group who were named “Choices.” This is a fitting title for a teenage group as they face so many choices in their early years and often are not well prepared to make good choices. Those choices are influenced by many things, in the home, at school and in the media as starters. Their peers often espouse a certain set of values, the advertisements on TV and other media suggest many things to them, and the movies they watch have their own message. Teens follow all this and whether they realize it or not are influenced by these messages.

In the first reading from Sirach (15L15-20) the writer tells us we have choices, choices between good and bad, between fire and water. Sirach encourages us not to conform with what is but to seek what should be. We are free to make those choices, but are we really free?

We are born into and raised in a family and in a community. We are influenced by the values and choices made by the family and the community. This is reflected in the religion we choose, the political party we follow and the sports teams we cheer for. Did we really freely choose these or do we follow the influences of those around us? Do we conform to what is? Sirach is warning us to watch what we choose; if we choose the way of God we will enjoy good things. We must freely choose, not be influenced by things around us but be influenced by God and the way of the Lord, to become what should be.

In the first letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians, part of which we read this weekend, Paul is dealing with a community that is broken up into factions much like other communities. There is a faction of the wealthy and well educated, the faction of the middle class who are probably unlettered, there are workers and then slaves. Each group has established ideas or prejudices about the other groups. This does not lend itself to a sense of unity; of working together to build the kingdom of God that Jesus called them to build. Paul called them to a wisdom not of this world, of a heavenly wisdom which will lead to what should be.

In this week’s reading from the Gospel of Matthew (5:17-37) we hear more from the Sermon on the Mount. In this reading Jesus is dealing with life in 1st Century Palestine. In that society honor was of paramount importance, it seemed to overshadow all other activities. One may be poor or rich, but honor was something they all had and they would defend it vigorously. This was the environment they lived in, but it too often led to hostility between people and families. Jesus was addressing the causes of this friction; he advocated righteousness, which is a proper and honorable relationships with other people.

In this section of the Sermon on the Mount Jesus is reiterating the teachings of the law, the message of God on how to live our lives properly. This reading sounds harsh with little room for error, but when you look at more closely at what Jesus is saying it makes more sense. The message is how to create right relationships between people, to build a society on how things should be. These laws, if followed, avoid disharmony between people and groups and creates peace and righteousness among all.

Jesus expanded on the commandment not to murder. He says you need to remove those things that might lead someone to anger, violence and maybe murder. He tells his disciples they shouldn’t insult others. Insults lead to anger and the belief that the insult must be avenged, which may lead to violence and murder. Don’t create a situation that could lead to murder.

Jesus goes beyond the surface of adultery, clearly adultery in itself is wrong, but actions that may bring one to adultery are equally wrong. If a man lusts after a woman he may plot to meet with her. As she is married this would violate the honor of her husband. He would seek to avenge his honor, which again would lead to violence. Jesus tells his followers not to be tempted, do not look at women with lust.

Divorce was another problem that addressed the honor of not only the individuals, but the families as well. If a man divorced his wife he was insulting her family. In 1st Century Palestine the woman was often a first cousin so this would cause friction within the family, which again, could lead to anger, insults and violence. To avoid this Jesus cautioned against creating a hostile environment through divorce.

Jesus goes on to address other things that cause animosity within groups. His point is that to follow the law is to create what should be. Although we no longer live in a 1st century Palestinian environment we still face the same issues of honor and vengeance. This passage is addressed as much to us as to the disciples of Jesus. Let us look at our lives and see if we are living by the standards of the day or the standards of God. We have choices available to us, if we truly choose freely we will not be influenced by what is but will seek what should be.

Discipleship

2011-01-20T19:05:00.000-08:00

As we begin Ordinary time in this liturgical year the readings for the first six or seven weeks focus on Discipleship. The readings describe who are disciples, what is expected of disciples, and what disciples can expect. Disciples are particularly called to be steadfast in their faith and practice of what is right. To do that they must listen to the wisdom of the poor, serve others, and obey the law of the Lord. If we do all this in our words and actions we will be a light to the world.
We are called to be steadfast in our faith. The Old Testament prophets, Jesus, St. Paul and many church authorities encourage us to remain faithful to the teachings brought to us through Moses, the prophets and Jesus. We are encouraged not to follow the ways of the world but be true to the ways of God. No easy task with all sorts of temptations around us. Yet more and more studies are showing that people who attend church regularly have fewer family issues and are generally happier. They are rewarded by their steadfastness.
We are encouraged to listen to poor, the foolish, those who seem to have no worldly understanding. When we listen to them we will hear God speaking to us. St. Paul told us that it is in our weakness that we find strength. It is not those who are filled with knowledge that understand, but it is those who are filled with wisdom. Wisdom is something hard to describe, but when we hear it we know it. We hear most wisdom from the poor and the lowly. Those with great knowledge are encouraged to listen to the lowly to learn their needs, for their needs are our needs, then use their knowledge to fill those needs. In doing so, they will fill our needs.
We are called to serve those people as well. That is an excellent way to learn what their needs are. About five years ago I started doing prison ministry. I visit a local prison once a month. Prior to my starting this work I had no understanding of the issues inmates face in prison and worse, that there is nothing to help them when they are released, which explains the high level of recidivism. Not that I have made any great strides at changing this, but if more people in high places spent more time listening to them and building programs that would help them after release. With program built around their needs there is an excellent chance we could bring down the recidivism and reduce the number of people in jail.
Discipleship is not easy. We often must start with the realization of no matter how much education we have we really don’t have the wisdom that will make the world a better place. We need to rely on the teachings of Moses, the prophets, and Jesus to find the wisdom of the world. When we become wise, remain faithful, listen and serve those less fortune our lights as disciples will shine brightly for all to see.

Thoughts for the New Year

2011-01-01T09:10:00.001-08:00

As I reflect on the Christmas season I am drawn to reflect on the Advent season and what they tell us to think about in the upcoming year. This year the readings for the first three weeks of Advent give us a review of what is to come, they are a warning, and give advice on how to behave. The arrangement of the readings is interesting as well.

The first readings all came from the prophet Isaiah. In these readings Isaiah described the perfect leader and what he would bring to the world. We see these readings as looking forward to the Messiah and what attributes the Messiah would possess. To summarize, Isaiah said this person would judge between the nations, turn swords into plowshares and bring peace. That he would have wisdom, understanding, counsel, strength, knowledge, and fear of the Lord. With these tools he would bring seemingly irreconcilable factions together. In the animal world normal enemies such as the leopard and the lamb, the bear and the cow etc. would live in peace. That through this wisdom he would make the desert bloom, the blind would see, the lame would dance, the dumb would sing. This is what the Messiah would do and it would truly be heaven on earth.

In the Gospel readings from Matthew we follow a bumpy and uncomfortable road. In the first week Jesus warns us that the second coming will come unexpectedly as the floods in Noah’s time. People would be going about business as usual when the end would suddenly come. The message is to be prepared, don’t wait until the last minute to reform your lives. This is also the message John the Baptist brought to the people. Repent, that is reform your lives, turn away from sin, turn to God for your redemption. As he was baptizing in the Jordan people came from all over Judah to baptize. Many were tax collectors, thieves, prostitutes, and others. They recognized their sinfulness and were seeking to change their lives. John warned the Pharisees and Sadducees who came to the Jordan probably to see what John was all about. John reminds them that they are not perfect, that they, too, needed to repent. Many of them may have felt they had nothing to repent for, John knew better. This may be a warning to those of us who think we are walking the straight and narrow that we need to look at our lives more closely to see if indeed we are not without sin. In the third Gospel reading John is trying to figure out what kind of Messiah Jesus is. Jesus is reflecting the prophet Isaiah be healing the sick, raising the dead, and preaching the good news.

The second readings during the first three weeks of this year’s Advent come from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans and the letter of St. James. In Paul’s letters he is telling us to reform our lives. He tells his readers to throw off works of darkness such as orgies, drunkenness, promiscuity and much more. He advises the readers to live in harmony with each other, great each other as Christ would great them, reach out beyond ethnic and social boundaries to all people. St. James reminds us that this behavior will not find instant fruit, like the farmer it will take time. He agrees with St. Paul that as the farmer must prepare the soil, so we must prepare our lives by doing the things St. Paul called us to do. But it won’t be easy, many don’t want to live in harmony nor reach out to others. We will face opposition and ridicule when we do these things. St. James reminds us that the prophets were persecuted for calling out the people of the land. St. James reminds us we also will face opposition by following the teachings of Jesus, but that we must be patient.

At Christmas we celebrate the first coming of Jesus and anticipate his second coming. We acknowledge in the first coming that Jesus reflects the qualities Isaiah predicted. We also acknowledge the wisdom of his teachings. The prophet John the Baptist reminds us to change our ways, to repent of our wrongdoings and become clean in our lives. When we do all of this we are ready to start the new year with a new way of life, one that conforms to the teachings of Jesus.

May the Christmas season inspire you to look at your lives closely, see what is good and continue, see what is bad and resolve to change. As you think about making New Year’s resolutions look at what is not good in your lives and resolve to fix those things so that you may live in harmony with your world. Then you will experience the peace Isaiah suggested in his readings.

Fruit of the Spirit

2010-12-02T07:32:00.001-08:00

In this weekend’s Gospel John the Baptist throws out a challenge to the Pharisees and Sadducees that had come to him for baptism. “Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance.” In the first reading Isaiah lists some of the good fruits that are the attributes of the spirit of the Lord, wisdom and understanding, counsel and strength, knowledge and fear of the Lord. These are like the “Gifts of the Holy Spirit.” When we practice these gifts in our relationships with others we do experience that beatific world Isaiah described, at least in that relationship if not with the whole world. Jesus was the example of this relationship as he treated everyone with respect and dignity. In the second reading St. Paul encourages us to follow that example; “Welcome one another, then, as Christ welcomed you...” When we see each other as individuals and not as this or that group, but as children of God, then the relationships we have with them can be based on the justice and dignity Isaiah and all the prophets called us to extend to all we come in contact with. During this Advent season as we prepare ourselves for the coming of Jesus, let us reflect on how the fruits of the spirit are reflected in our lives and relationships.

Parable of the Bible

2010-11-03T17:27:00.000-07:00

The woman was in her mid-thirties and had three children at home. She just finished a week of business meetings in a distant city. She was a consultant to a large bank and the meeting was discussing new ways to encourage people to sign up for the bank’s credit cards. Advertising in the media was her specialty, but the discussions then moved onto schemes to invite people to use the credit cards for all sorts of purchases and run up their balance so they bank could charge high interest rates and enjoy a hefty profit at the expense of the cardholders. For her the meeting was difficult. She was surprised at how many in the meeting sought paths that were not to the benefit of the customers. They were clearly more interested in profit for the bank then the customer. She was glad to leave the meeting and head back to the comfort of her home.

She hurried to the airport and quickly boarded the plane. After putting her carry-on in the compartment above her seat and placing her handbag under the seat in front of her she took some time to compose herself. The gentleman next to her greeted her and remarked that she looked tired to which she quickly agreed.

After takeoff she reached into her bag and withdrew a bible and began to read various passages. The gentleman noticed what she was doing and became a bit arrogant. Finally he couldn’t hold himself anymore and in a somewhat acid tone asked if she believed that reading the bible would insure a safe flight?

The woman quickly answered that isn’t why she reads the bible that her life was in the hands of God. But that after her busy and stressful week she needed to read the passages in the bible that reaffirmed her ethical beliefs. She liked Psalms 15 and 24 because they tell us that God looks kindly to those who do what is right, speak the truth, who do not slander with their tongue and much more. Many of the prophets remind us of similar attitudes. “Here is one I’m looking at now from Isaiah” she remarked. In this passage the prophet tells us that God favors “Those who walk righteously and speak upright, who despise the gain of oppression, who wave away a bribe instead of accepting it …” and more. She noted that in the New Testament there are many places where Jesus tells us to act honestly, to care for the poor, those who have no hope.

“No I don’t read the bible because it will somehow protect me from an accident” shhe said. “But” she went on “I read the bible as it reaffirms the way of life I believe in and it encourages me to live my life honestly, to share my bounty, to treat each other with kindness, honesty, and compassion. Reading the bible strengthens me especially when I have faced many who do not follow those standards.”

Then she looked at the gentleman and asked, “What do you read?”

Monumental Values

2010-09-28T18:00:00.000-07:00

For some reason the issue of placing the Ten Commandments outside courtrooms has come to mind recently. Although the issue seems to have faded away I think there is still a good reason to look at the controversy, why have statues that is, what purpose do they serve.

First, let me look at the Ten Commandments as I’m not so confident that they shouldn’t be outside courtrooms. Here is my reasoning. The promulgation of the Ten Commandments was, as far as I can tell and I have looked into the issue, the first time a code of law was set down and declared part of the culture of a people. At the time of Moses each ruler set out his laws, but didn’t codify them. Therefore they changed from one ruler to the next. Many aspects were probably passed on from one ruler to the next, but they weren’t codified. In the Ten Commandments we see the first true codification of laws to guide behavior.

Although the first four of the ten deal with our relations with God, and even one of those about not having idols may apply to the secular world as well, of the ten, six are, in one way or another, codified in most national laws, though shall not kill, steal, lie, covet (X2). Honoring parents is part of many cultures although it is not generally codified in law.

Therefore, the Ten Commandments are the beginning of the law profession and therefore all lawyers should have them present where they do a great deal of their work to remind them of how old their profession is. They also provide a strong basis of how work in a court should be conducted, don’t lie, steal, kill, etc. Having the Ten Commandments at a courthouse points to the basic values we hold dear.

The issue also begs the question, why do we have statues? In secular society we have statues of Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Martin Luther King Jr. and many more. Why do we go to such great expense to erect these monuments? I believe that by erecting these monuments we endorse the values that these people stood for. In the process of seeing the statues we are reminded of those values and hope to incorporate them into our lives. Lincoln reminds of honesty, steadfastness of purpose, emancipation and more. We honor Washington and Jefferson among others because they valued democracy and established a system of peaceful change of leadership in our country. Martin Luther King Jr. reminds us of the value and dignity of each human being regardless of race, color, or national origin. These are all values we, as Americans, hold dear and when we see monuments or statues to these people we are reminded of those values.

As Catholics we have many statues, paintings, stained glass windows etc. Too often people think we pray to those items. Like the secular works of art, these also are to remind us of the values represented by the statue or other work of art. When we see a statue of St Paul we are reminded of the values and teachings he proclaimed in his letters. When we see the suffering Jesus on the cross we should be reminded not only that he suffered for us, but to look at the root of our problems, our bad relationships, our spiritual pain, all summarized by the word sin.

Statues remind us of values and each time we look at a statue or a work of art we should ask ourselves what it is telling us. If it leaves us empty or angry, is it really a work of art? If it inspires us then the artist is getting their message across.

Humility

2010-09-06T12:47:00.000-07:00

As I write this we are in the final stages of an election year. The advertisements are on the TV and in the newspapers. Each candidate is telling us how good she or he is and how bad their opponent is. That each can do so much for us and we should vote for them. The one thing that seems to be lacking in every election is humility, indeed it seems to be in very short supply throughout the political arena, most politicians have more pride than humility and come across quite often as arrogant
Arrogance and false-pride, in theological terms, are self-exaltation and contempt for God and for others. Pride does not seek the help of God or others. It believes it is the only one that knows what is best.
Humility avoids inflation of one’s worth or talents and avoids excessive devaluation of oneself or others. It is self-forgetfulness that exalts the glory of God. It seeks the thoughts and opinions of others. Humility is not a low opinion of oneself. Indeed truly humble people are vital, engaged individuals who passionately invest in relationships with God and humanity. It is constantly aware of the infinite mystery, greatness and immensity of God’s creation. When one looks at the pictures from the Hubble Space Telescope or at a geological formation like the Grand Canyon one can ponder the immensity of what God created and feel very humble.
There are many skills associated with humility; one of the most important is listening. Too often people only talk with other people who agree with them. They confirm their beliefs in this way. They don’t take the time to reach out to people outside their circle to hear different thoughts and ideas by listening to other people. Too often they participate in a duologue. This is a discussion where when one person is speaking the other isn’t really listening but preparing their rebuttal. When it is their turn to speak the other doesn’t listen but is preparing their exchange. Neither learns from the other. Humble listening requires one to take the time to really listen to the other, to try to understand their point of view. It is being more interested in what the other person has to say than what you would like to say. Sounds easy, but it isn’t, it takes a lot of practice.
As mentioned earlier, humility is not a low opinion of oneself, but often can lead to false-humility. False humility does take a low opinion of oneself, that idea that “I am not worthy” therefore I won’t do anything. True humility is having a good understanding of one’s abilities and using them. Often we find it easier saying we aren’t smart enough or strong enough to do something as a way of getting out of helping. We sometimes tell our children they aren’t smart enough for something and limit their future. Humility is being honest with ourselves and with others. It is turning to God for help and listening, yes listening, to God.
If we take the time to know ourselves, to know others, we will know God. Then we can become what God created us to become.

Exercising Religion

2010-08-18T09:34:00.000-07:00

Being a religious person or living a spiritual life of God is like taking steps to insure a healthy body. People do many things to insure a healthy body. They read books and magazines to find the best way to remain healthy, they eat foods that are good for them and they exercise regularly. Often they find doing these things with other people, especially exercising, helps motivate them and broadens their understanding of nutrition and exercise. Exercise, in particular, can be more rewarding when done with others, especially in a sports event like playing baseball or football. But it takes discipline to remain faithful to their diet and exercise regimen. It helps to have friends to work with because they motivate each other and keep each other on the course for health. It is the same with religion, for religion to be of benefit it must be exercised regularly. Religious exercise includes praying regularly, attending church services regularly, conducting our lives in a way that is consistent with the teachings of the particular faith we follow. It also means reading those books and magazines that show us the best way to practice our faith. It helps to practice faith with others as well as each shares their understanding and encourage each other to participate in bible studies, religious services, or private prayer. Attendance at retreats also helps improve one’s faith life.

Jesus preached that the kingdom of God was near and invited people to come into the kingdom of God. In Isaiah 66:18-21 the writer tells us that all are invited to this Kingdom. In Luke 13:22-30 someone asked Jesus who would be saved that is, who would be invited into the kingdom of God. Jesus didn’t answer directly but said that many would “strive” to enter but would not be strong enough. He encouraged his followers to build up strength to enter the kingdom of God. According to Barbara Reid who writes a weekly reflection on scripture in the magazine “America” “Jesus advises that one must “strive to enter the narrow gate.” The verb “agonizomai,” “strive,” is used to describe what is required in athletic training (similarly, see 1 Cor 9:25). Just as an athlete must gradually build up strength through daily disciplined exercise, so spiritual fitness takes consistent effort and training.” In the Letter to the Hebrews 12:5-11 the writer advises that one must have discipline in following the way of the Lord. It takes discipline to exercise regularly and it takes discipline to be a follower of Jesus. At the end of this Gospel passage Jesus told a parable about people trying to get into a friend’s home, that is Heaven, but the homeowner didn’t recognize them. The people were those who heard Jesus speak who shared meals with Jesus, but didn’t follow his teachings. Jesus was calling on the people to not only listen to him, but to do what he was teaching. It takes discipline and hard work to do what Jesus taught. We all need some sort of spiritual exercise to help discipline ourselves to be followers of Jesus, not just listeners.

Saint Lawrence

2010-08-11T09:35:00.001-07:00

As a Deacon I can’t pass up the chance to remember one of the great Deacons in the Church, Saint Lawrence on this his feast day. He lived in the third century after Christ and ministered to the poor in Rome. Legend has it that when the Roman officials demanded he give them the wealth of the church he presented them with all the poor he had been serving and said these are the wealth of the church. The officials didn’t accept his answer and he was executed three days after Pope Sixtus II was executed.
Deacons were first introduced into the church shortly after the death of Jesus. They were selected to distribute food and goods to the poor so that the Apostles could focus on preaching and spreading the Good News throughout the world. The Deaconate declined after the 4th century but was revived with Vatican II and is growing rapidly. Today Deacons serve in many roles, most are serving the needs of a parish and are often found visiting the sick, distributing alms to the poor, defending the unborn, and much, much more.
We try to emulate the works of great deacons like St. Lawrence and we ask for his prayers to give us strength in our ministry.

Reflection on the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul

2010-06-29T16:47:00.000-07:00

June 29 is the Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul. It is interesting that we celebrate these two apostles on the same day as they were so different, yet each contributed to the establishment of the foundations of Christianity.

St. Paul was educated in the Greco-Roman empire; his first language was probably Greek. He was literate, an intellectual, and probably quite cosmopolitan. He spent time in Jerusalem where he became steeped in Hebrew Scripture and culture. Although he is referred to as a “tent maker” it appears this is a profession he took up after becoming an apostle and that probably was to provide a venue for spreading the gospel that is by working with other working people. St. Peter was a worker, a fisherman by trade. He probably was illiterate and what he knew about scripture, history, etc. was probably gained through the oral tradition. But he was a manger of a small fishing company, he would have had skills in organizing, working with others, and leading small groups, he might have been more pastoral in his work as well as he dealt with people directly.

The relationship between the two became strained. Paul was preaching a Gospel of Jesus Crucified to the Gentiles and preaching that one need not become a Jew and submit to Mosaic law to become a Christian. Peter, although he agreed with this, his agreement was luke warm and later confined himself to working with Jewish converts (remember at that time Christianity was a sect of Judaism and not a religion unto itself as it is today). He baptized Cornelius, a gentile, and when he first arrived in Antioch ate with gentiles, something against the Mosaic law. But when associates from Jerusalem arrived he stopped eating with gentiles, something Paul roundly condemned him for and broke with him, they probably didn’t speak again to each other.

However, Christianity needed both of them in order to organize the faith. Again, they were not seeking to create a new religion, but to enhance Judaism. Paul provided the intellectual and theological backbone of the faith, while Peter provided the organization. I doubt Peter expected to be considered the first Pope and first leader of this new religion. Indeed it didn’t become a new religion until well after his death.

It would seem the tension between theory and organization still exists in Christianity, regardless of which branch of Christianity we discuss. On the one hand we have the theology, the guiding principles of the faith; on the other we have the pastoral need, how to deal with people who have real problems and have a very limited understanding of their faith and why we believe in the various teachings of the church.

I would argue we need both elements in the faith. We need the guiding principles to show us the way and the pastoral leaders to help us on the journey.