St. Joseph Church Homily Archive: Recent Episodes
St. Joseph Church
One of the windows along the south side of our church features the image of a boat on stormy seas. The sky looks dark, the sail is full of wind and the waters look rough. I’ve been in a few storms while boating and each time was frightening in its own way. Each time, I had to take a breath and remind myself, all storms pass, all that’s needed is to stay in the boat. So, today’s Gospel reading, featuring Peter, who gets out of the boat during a severe storm at the command of Jesus, catches my attention as it goes against my own training and natural inclinations. Of course, literal storms out in the lake aren’t the only kinds of storms I’ve faced. We all encounter different kinds of storms throughout life. Some maybe experience financial storms and worry about being swamped by the waves of bills and inflation. Others could be experiencing relationship storms, concerned about properly navigating the shoals of rocky relationships. Maybe battling health issues or poor workplace conditions feels like fighting against gale force winds. Storms of all kinds surround us and even though we know Our Saviour is never all that far away, sometimes the threats of the storms we face seem like impossible barriers between us and his saving power. The key to surviving all these storms is to stay in the boat. The disciples in today’s Gospel were confronted by multiple storms all at once. Of course, there was the literal storm that threatened their lives. But their God given mission at Capernaum, their destination, would include other kinds of storms. Their journey across the lake would take them from the familiar territory of the Jewish people to a territory infused with Gentile cultures; on the other side, they would face not just opposing winds, but cultures completely opposed to the Good News. Internally, each of the disciples faced storms in their relationship with Jesus; instead of being comforted, the appearance of Jesus walking on the waters terrified them. They were also in the middle of stormy faith, demonstrated visibly when Peter allowed the dangers of the storm to distract him from Jesus. For the disciples to survive all these storms, they had to stay in the boat. Going back to our church window with the boat: the sail in the image is inscribed with a word, “Ecclesia”, the word for Church. The Church is the boat we’re supposed to cling to when facing storms. While in the boat, Peter could trust in Jesus and hear him; but once he got out, the winds and waves distracted him and he needed rescue. When facing so many threatening storms in life, the presence and voice of God is often difficult to perceive and trusting in his power is a true challenge. Today’s first reading featured Elijah who hid in a cave when the rulers threatened his life. While hiding, he could have given in to despair over his predicament. Instead, he remained in a prayerful state, he was attuned to the voice of God and could hear him in the whisper of a breeze even over the noise of fire, great winds, earthquakes and the threats against his life. Disciples know our faith doesn’t spare us from the threatening storms of life. So, we come here regularly: to stay in the boat of our Church, listening for the voice of God. Outside of this place, when the threats of storms distract us from trusting in the power of The Saviour, like Peter we begin to sink. Here though, we stay in the boat of our Church; we retreat from distracting storms to focus on him and listen for the whisper of his voice. From in the boat, Peter and the disciples were attuned to the voice of Jesus. From in the boat, they could hear his voice. From in the boat of the Church, the disciples properly worshipped Jesus, professing that he is, “…the son of God.”[i]. Maybe you’re lucky, you’re not currently experiencing storms in your life. For disciples, that’s an opportunity to worship Jesus from in the boat of our Church. Here, we praise him for his power and give him thanks for safely guiding us and guarding us. Maybe, for one reason or another, you’ve left the boat and the storms of life make it difficult to trust in the love and power of The Saviour. That’s okay: he’s never all that far. In our prayer, like Peter we call out, “Lord save me!”[ii] and allow him to lead us here. Hopefully, though, you’re in the boat during the storms of life; in our Church, through prayer, scripture and especially by receiving Jesus in Communion, we remain above the waves, listening for his voice, remembering, how all storms pass; all that’s needed is to stay in the boat. Our faith doesn’t eliminate the storms of life, but reminds us that we’re not alone, our Saviour remains with us always through all storms and threats. Father of all, we pray today that through the power of your Holy Spirit, the faith of all disciples would increase and encourage them to remain in the boat of Your Church. Open our ears to listen for the call of your Son. Open our eyes to recognize his approach. Grant us courage to follow his call even when his call contains challenge. Through this, may we brush aside all apathy and affirm our belief that Jesus truly conquers every storm that threatens. We make this prayer in his name. Amen. [i] Matthew 14:33 NRSVCE [ii] Matthew 14:30 NRSVCE
For the last couple weeks, we’ve reflected on our Baptism. Of course, the Baptized are adopted children of God; that’s who Baptism says we are. But Baptism also has something to say about what we are too, it makes a practical difference; it gives us a job going all the way back to Adam and Eve. Being made in the image and likeness of God, the first couple were true prophets; a clear reflection of the maker, at least until they said, “no”, to his plan. Since then, fear has led God’s people to hide or cover themselves, obscuring the image of God within. Adam and Eve were also kings, made to maintain the harmony of the Garden of Eden through their leadership and it worked, again, till they said, “no”, to the plan of the maker. Since then, even the best of leaders have let us down. We need good prophets whose life, words and actions reveal God and his word. We need good leaders, good kings for today, who bring harmony to God’s people and creation. Baptism is God’s first step in restoring those essential roles. Made after his own image, God made Adam and Eve to be prophets, kings and also priests. The Garden of Eden was the place where Adam and Eve met with God, walked and spoke with him and offered back to him all that was made; it was a place of prayer, a kind of temple. Again, since the first couple said, “no”, to God, it’s been a challenge for many to find God, hear and speak with him and to offer him right worship. We need good priests to restore the relationship between God and his people. Now, as Catholics, our understanding of priesthood is rooted in our Jewish background. Priests, like Zechariah, whose words we heard in today’s first reading, worked in the temple to restore and maintain the relationship between God and his people through prayer, worship and sacrifice; that’s what the priests were expected to do. In fact, only the priests were permitted inside the temple building, everyone else had to stay out in the courtyards. When thinking of priests today, it’s easy to maybe think of priests like Brother Joseph or myself. But we’re not the only priests in this space. Each Baptized person is a priest; it’s why, not just Brother Joseph and I but all of you are invited inside our church. Each of us are called to restore and maintain the relationship between God and his people through prayer, worship and sacrifice beginning right here at Mass. At every Mass, each Baptized priest, each of us, has opportunity to offer prayers for the world by, not just listening, but by participating in what happens here; even the different postures we take and the hymns we sing are part of our shared prayer. At every Mass, each Baptized priest has opportunity to offer worship by helping out, maybe as choir members, hospitality, decorators, gardeners, altar servers or even by cleaning this space before each weekend: we don’t need any of ministries; they’re acts of worship done for God. At every Mass, each Baptized priest has opportunity to make a sacrifice, especially at the collection. Especially for parents, I know part of your sacrifice includes just getting here with your kids. God has Baptized us priests so each can help restore the relationship between God and his people, to make every place, somewhere to meet God. Brother Joseph and I and every ordained priest work at that task in our own unique way, especially in this space. But, to tell the truth, I believe we have the easy job; we just need to follow the directions given by the Church. While we’re called to work here, you’re called to work everywhere else, to transform your homes, workplaces, communities, families, to make everywhere opportunities for all to meet God. Disciples do this by offering prayer, worship and sacrifice wherever they go. It’s a serious job, a big job. So, begin in your own homes. Parents: you’re the chief priests in your families. Take steps to make your homes places of prayer, worship and sacrifice; it could be as simple as praying grace before dinner. To any employers here: you’re the chief priests in your workplace. Take steps to make your workplace a space of prayer, worship and sacrifice; it could be as simple as making sure your business is involved in charitable works in even a small way. Wherever disciples go, they go as Baptized priests, offering prayer, worship and sacrifice so, once again, all God’s people have opportunity to meet, walks with and listen to the Maker, just as Adam and Eve first did. Maker of all, we praise you for including us in your work. Send to us your Spirit, to form of us wonderful leaders, kings for today, with hearts reflecting your love. Make prophets of us who reveal your Good News and presence and inspire us as we serve you and all you have made as Baptized priests who imitate the prayer, worship and Sacrifice of our Saviour, in whose name we offer all our prayers. Amen.
Canada Day offers a great time to reflect on all the blessings we enjoy here and among those is our electoral system: it’s a blessing to have the right to elect our leaders. It’s not perfect, of course, and that’s felt whenever an election fuels divides among even the best of friends, when you discover a friend has ‘cancelled’ out your vote with their own. It’s still a true blessing though because life in those nations where leaders do win one hundred percent of the votes isn’t nearly so nice as it is here. Our system works through humility, acknowledging that no one person has all the answers. We’ve all experienced the struggles that come when a leader misuses their position. A bad coach, an unsympathetic teacher, an uncompromising landlord, an arrogant boss: politicians and clergy aren’t exempt; and it’s easy to completely mistrust leaders, whoever the kings of today may be, after being let down enough. For a few weeks, we’re reflecting on our Baptism. Of course, the Baptized are adopted children of God, called to inherit his Kingdom. That’s who Baptism says we are. But Baptism makes a practical difference in the lives of disciples too; it gives us a job going all the way back to Adam and Eve. Being made in the image and likeness of God, they were true prophets; a clear reflection of what God’s like, where he’s to be found and what he wants, at least until they said, “no”, to his plan. Since then, fear has led God’s people to hide or cover themselves, obscuring the image of God within. Last week, we examined how Baptism is God’s first step in restoring the role of prophet so, once again, the life, words and actions of each disciple can reveal God’s presence and message. Adam and Eve were made to be prophets, but also kings. One of their jobs was to name all God had made: God made it all and included the first couple in his work by inviting them to name what he had made. This is a big deal; naming all God created wasn’t just about applying labels to things but about properly asserting why God made all there is and declaring how his creation is to be properly used. Through that leadership, that kingship, harmony existed in the garden. But once the first couple said, “no”, to God, that kingship was corrupted and instead of using creation according to God’s purpose, people since have sometimes used creation, including others, for their own selfish purpose; that original harmony found in the Garden of Eden has been lost. God has lots to say about leaders. He’s revealed his desire to work through leaders. While good leaders are praised for cooperating, for bringing harmony back for God’s people and creation, leaders who misuse their position are greatly criticized. In today’s Gospel, Jesus points out the qualities disciples should exhibit when leading. Good kings place nothing ahead of following the Saviour. Good leaders are ready to take up the cross. Good managers listen to and welcome prophets. The ones in charge are doing it right when they truly care about even the simplest needs of those most in need and at our Baptism we were anointed, called to seek the gifts needed to become that kind of leader. Just as we need good prophets, we need good kings, good leaders, who work to restore the harmony of God’s plan. But, while we may not have much influence over the leadership qualities of others, beyond doing our best at the polls, there’s a few things disciples can do for ourselves. Disciples recognize how in ways, big or small, we’re each in some kind of leadership position. Maybe you’re not leading a nation, but a family, or workplace project, a team or some other group. Perhaps you’re in a place of influence, work with children, pass on skills or host guests; maybe all you’re the leader of is a few extra dollars in a wallet. These are all places God has led his disciples to. We also admit our own need for growth; disciples acknowledge there’s been moments where each has misused their position. If you’re a parent, maybe there’s been times you’ve put yourself before your children. If you’re a manager or supervisor or teacher of some kind, it’s so easy to be less than perfect in using authority. I know I’ve had to bring up my own shortcomings as pastor in the Confessional. It’s uncomfortable, it’s humbling, but admitting the need for growth softens the heart so the Spirit can form us into the kings God’s called us to be. Disciples also declare that our royal dignity is exercised not through authority over others, but through authority for others. We reign by becoming like the greatest king of all, who’s given his life for others, for us; that’s the king, the leader, disciples long for and imitate. Here’s the thing: elections, nations, empires, armies and dollars all come and go. Those who use authority only for themselves eventually become powerless. Our Saviour, however, calls us to aim for something endless. Shortly, in, ‘The Lord’s Prayer’, we’ll entrust all to our eternal king; we’ll pray that the Father’s, “…will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” This isn’t a passive request. No, in this petition disciples accept that from Baptism, we are anointed kings, called to reflect the love of our maker. King of all, we praise you for anointing the Baptized, for inviting us to share in your kingship and work. Bless all who find themselves in positions of authority, big or small, and guide them to escape all temptations to use their positions selfishly so your holy will can truly be done on earth as it is in heaven. May your disciples follow the example of your Son, who ruled through sacrifice and love. This prayer we make in his name. Amen.
Most of us, if not all, have been Baptized. Of course, we know the Baptized are connected to God’s family, that they’re children of God, called to inherit the Kingdom. That’s the answer Baptism gives to who we are. But, over the next few weeks, we’re reflecting on the practical difference Baptism makes, on the job Baptism gives to disciples; in short, the Baptized are priests, prophets and kings. It all goes back to Adam and Eve. Before the fall, before saying, “no”, to God, like us, the first couple were children of God, but they were also prophets. Being made in the image and likeness of God, all they said and did revealed what God’s like, where he’s to be found and what he wants. Adam and Eve were a clear reflection of God at least until they said, “no”, to his plan. Ever since that divide, sin, appeared between God’s people and the source of life, fear has been a problem and it was the experience of being full of fear, that led Adam and Eve to cover themselves, to obscure the image of God within. Fear prevented the first couple from being effective prophets. So long as fear has filled God’s people, there’s been much confusion, even outright conflicts, about God. We need prophets who are free of fear. God didn’t make us for fear though; he made us to be prophets, and Baptism is the first step God takes in restoring the role of prophet so, once again, the life, words and actions of each person can reveal God’s presence and message. It’s a huge challenge, though, because God’s Good News isn’t always welcome. We’ve all felt the discomfort; we’ve all experienced moments when the call to publicly practice or profess faith has left us feeling full of fear. We’re in good company though. Today’s First Reading comes from one of the major prophets, the prophet Jeremiah, whose message was very unwelcome during his life. At God’s prompting, the prophet declared that the people of Judah would be conquered if they didn’t change their ways; no one wanted to hear that. Then, while the city was under siege, surrounded by enemy forces, Jeremiah encouraged surrender. Despite following God’s will precisely, doing the best he could, no one listened. Many, including the king, tried to eliminate him; even the temple priests had Jeremiah arrested and violently mistreated. We can imagine the fears Jeremiah may have had: He was abandoned by everyone, his life was in danger and despite proclaiming God’s word and doing God’s work, no one listened. Aware of his situation, the prophet wrote, “…All my close friends are watching for me to stumble.”[i] We may not fear for our lives in the same way, but it’s still easy to imagine the fears of Jeremiah, the discomfort of isolation and rejection. There is a difference between feeling fear and being full of fear. In this life, feeling fear can be good; it’s what reminds us to lock the door at night or to turn off the oven. “Fear of the Lord”, is one of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit urging disciples to put God first. I’m sure Jeremiah felt fear. Being full of fear is different though; it’s paralyzing, holds prophets back and makes it difficult to trust God. We each have our own fears and maybe some here are full of fear: paralyzed by fear, holding back or in some way covering themselves, obscuring the image of God within. Jeremiah gives a good example of what to do. While acknowledging his situation, the prophet also observed, “…the Lord is with me like a dread warrior…”[ii] Because God never fails, Jeremiah had no fear of failure. By filling his life with signs, reminders, of God’s presence, the prophet knew he was not alone. When God is difficult to find, we come here to do a similar thing, to recognize God with us. The Eucharist, the Confessional, the Anointing of the Sick: the Sacraments bring us closer to the source of life, undoing the divides of Adam and Eve. Disciples know we’ve not been made to be full of fear but to be prophets of God today. So, we bring our fears here and present them to the Saviour, the source of life. Poverty may have some temporary power now, but at Communion we remember how God defeats poverty by feeding us with his very self. Betrayal, injustice, heartbreak, even cancer and death: one look at the crucifix reminds us of the overpowering faithfulness of God. Bad things are going to happen to us, some will face terrible things, as did the prophet Jeremiah, there’s no escaping it. But here we’re reminded that God, through his love, will have the last say. Maker of all that is good, many of your people are held back by fear. To those paralyzed by fear, send your Holy Spirit to draw them to yourself, the source of life. To those haunted by fear send reminders that you always walk with them and to those tempted to hide away for safety, may this celebration be a reminder of how your love conquers all. May your comforting presence fill our hearts, empowering us to walk boldly on the path of faith. This we pray through our faithful Lord. Amen. [i] Jeremiah 20:10 (NRSVCE) [ii] Jeremiah 20:11 (NRSVCE)
First of all, sorry to begin with a sad story: I was once made a visit to someone who was severely held back in life by a mental health issue. He was truly tormented, despite having received the best of care. He told me though, that he was actually afraid of getting better because, having endured his ailment for so much of his life, he wasn’t sure who he would be without it. He had allowed disorder, his cross, to define him. We each allow a variety of values to define who we are and it’s a big deal because how we view ourselves shapes the choices we make around what to wear or buy, what language we use or how energy and time is spent. Some, very aware of their limits, might define themselves by their weaknesses, what they can or can’t do. They may say things like, “I’m not a great athlete” or “I’m just not great first thing in the morning” and it can become progressively more self-deprecating. Holding a slightly more positive outlook, others define themselves by their strengths; they know what they’re great at and what their best qualities are. They know they’re strong or fast or smart and are pleased to let everyone know that’s who they are. There are problems with both approaches, of course, because the various qualities someone might use to define themselves change. Someone who identifies as a good athlete is challenged when health fails or the inescapable truth of age creeps up. The one who identifies as ill is challenged when the right cure is found. Being defined by qualities, strengths or weaknesses, just eventually falls apart. Today we celebrate Trinity Sunday. Often, it’s a prompt to revisit the Christian definition for who God is: three persons, one God, a true mystery. But today’s feast isn’t just a celebration of our Church’s definition of who God is. It also celebrates the fact that God reveals himself. He reveals himself in creation. He reveals himself in the unique life of each. Best of all, he’s revealed himself through Jesus and, yes, he’s revealed himself as a Trinity. There may be a lot of mystery despite the best of definitions, but the Trinity remains worth celebrating because it’s amazing that God reveals himself for us at all. It’s also a celebration because when God reveals himself, he also reveals who each of us are. He is the maker and his mark is in each person; it’s why we assert that each has been made in his image and likeness. In today’s Gospel, Jesus reveals a little bit about who God is: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”[i] Through this one verse we begin defining God as one who sends his son and wishes to offer eternal life. But the same verse begins to define each of us too; it reveals that we’re worth loving and we’re worth saving: some very Good News! The more we learn about God the more we learn about ourselves. Without God, we’re left to struggle to define ourselves; those anxious about weaknesses begin to tear themselves apart while others, honouring their strengths, can easily become prideful and even worse can happen when one group defines themselves as superior to even the smallest degree. Our faith proposes a different way: a definition based on who God says we are. Our faith proclaims that we’re not defined by strengths but by our Baptism: we’re first of all children of God. Our faith proclaims that we’re not defined by weaknesses either but by the cross: there’s no need to prove our worth when the Saviour has given his life for us. Our faith proclaims that we’re not defined by any quality but by our call to share in the work of building God’s Kingdom. Disciples don’t define themselves but accept God’s definition and this matters because those who define themselves allow their strengths or weaknesses determine how to live out faith. But disciples who accept God’s definition allow him to determine how to live out strengths and weaknesses. Going back to the today’s feast: as we celebrate the Trinity, how God has revealed himself as three persons, yet one God, as one who sends his son and offers eternal life, we also celebrate what it reveals about us: the Good News that we’re worth loving and worth saving. But there’s one more thing: God’s self-revelation also unveils how we don’t have to convince God of our value; we’re worth loving and saving simply because God has defined us so. We only need to accept it. Father of all, we thank you for revealing yourself to us through the mystery of the Holy Trinity. May our contemplation of your revelation help us see ourselves not through our own eyes, through strengths or weaknesses, but as your beloved children, created in your image. Grant us the grace to accept the worth and dignity you have given us, trusting that we are worth loving and worth saving because you have declared it so. Following the example and command of your son, may our actions and words reveal your glory and the dignity of each person. We offer this prayer in his name. Amen. [i] John 3:16 NRSVCE
In the basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome, one of the first things a visitor will notice are the massive statues, about three times the height of a person, looking down into the congregation. The statues are of the apostles who, of course, were all martyred but one. But what’s catches the attention of visiting pilgrims isn’t just the size of the statues, but how they’re depicted: held in the hands of each statue are the very means by which they were martyred. For example, St. Simon, who was sawn in two, holds a saw that’s as long as he is tall. While it may be a bit gruesome, these statues are also a great reminder of how committed the first Apostles were. It’s certainly one of my prayers that I’m never put to the test like that. Truth be told, I’m not sure that I have what it takes to be a martyr, nor do I wish to find out; sometimes it’s a challenge just to get up in the morning to celebrate the Mass, but the martyrs were killed for doing exactly what we’re doing now. It’s easy to imagine how tempting it would have been to abandon the faith, how tempting it would have been to simply deny Jesus to avoid horrible pain and death. Perhaps none of us will ever be threatened with martyrdom, but we all know what it’s like to have faith put to the test, to be the subject of ridicule or to be told to keep faith to ourselves. Because we all want to be counted as faithful disciples, the question naturally arises: how did those first disciples remain so faithful and committed even when facing death? What is it that made the martyrs so strong? In short, the answer is the Holy Spirit. At one point, fear drove the disciples to lock themselves away. They feared death. They felt inadequate to share the Good News. They were very aware of their limits and failings; very far from sainthood. So, the disciples hid. It’s not where they were to stay though. Once they received the Holy Spirit, they left their place of hiding to proclaim the Good News. When they felt inadequate, the Holy Spirit offered them the gifts needed to find the right words and acts. When they felt far from the Saviour, the Holy Spirit offered them the gifts needed to become saints and heroes for us today. We learn how it’s the Holy Spirit that strengthens, teaches, equips and moves disciples, how the gifts of the Holy Spirit give life to our Church. One thing Catholics are great at is making lists. Sacraments, virtues, vices: we make lists not just so there’s something to quiz Confirmation candidates on but so it’s easy to have goals to aim for and to recognize signs of invisible truths happening all around. One list is the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, a set of categories of different ways we know the Holy Spirit works through disciples. Through the Gift of Wisdom, disciples gain the capacity to love spiritual things more than material things. Through the Gift of Understanding, we understand how to live as followers of the Saviour, never confused by conflicting cultural messages about the right way to live. The Gift of Counsel, sometimes called Right Judgement, reveals the difference between right and wrong, and even right and more right, helping disciples place values in the proper order. With the Gift of Fortitude or courage, we overcome fears and are willing to take risks when following Jesus and his commandments to love and share the Good News. Through the gift of knowledge, disciples don’t simply wish to understand God and his ways, but actually see things from God’s perspective. When empowered by the Gift of Piety or Reverence, we acknowledge our total dependence on God, we approach him with humility, trust, and love, offering right worship. Finally, the Gift of Fear of the Lord stirs awareness of how all we truly desire, perfect knowledge, and goodness, perfect power, love, happiness and joy, are found in God alone. Maybe you can recognize some of these gifts in your own life, great signs of the Holy Spirit working in your life, proof that God’s called on you to share in his work. But maybe you recognize how you might lack some of those gifts. The statues I mentioned earlier: what they held in their hands, the instruments through which they were martyred, were transformed through the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, from instruments of death or signs of failure into trophies that proclaim victory through the Holy Spirit. So, what Gifts of the Holy Spirit could we use more of today? Which of his Gifts might empower our Church, our parish, our families and each Christian to become faithful Disciples who make as big a difference in the world today as did the first Apostles. Let’s now take a moment to pray that we would always accept the gifts and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Father of all, we pray that you would send to us your Holy Spirit to offer us his gifts. With wonder and reverence, may we draw closer to you. With knowledge, and understanding, may we share our faith with the world and with courage, may we do so boldly. With wisdom and counsel, may we recognize where we’re called to proclaim truth and how we are to use your gifts so our community would reveal your love and be a light in the world. We make this prayer in the name of Jesus, Our Lord. Amen.
I remember, back in high school student, being asked to envision my life ten years into the future, to make a five or ten year plan. It’s a job interview question I’ve had too, “where do you see yourself in five years”. I get how it’s important to have goals and plans, a positive perspective for the future. But it’s not a question I’ve especially liked because, in my experience, life rarely goes as I plan. It works out, of course, and in many ways it’s been better than I’ve planned. But those moments of having to surrender part of my vision, the experience of realizing how my plans just aren’t going to work out, is frustrating and even painful at times. We’re often left wondering why this has to be, why our vision or perspective, our great plans for the future, can’t be realized. Today is often called Good Shepherd Sunday. Jesus has referred to himself as, “…the good shepherd.”[i] and in this weekend we take a closer look at how the image of a shepherd and sheep is a great analogy for our relationship with the Saviour. On our own, we accomplish many amazing things; we’ve built a blessed nation, we’ve formed wonderful families, we’ve harnessed great powers, but all it takes is a little turmoil in life, a health issue, the loss of a job, conflict or inflation, to discover how we’re as weak as sheep, powerless against the predators of the world; a Good Shepherd is vital to our survival. Everyone loves Psalm 23, ‘The Lord is my shepherd’. It begins by forming an image from the perspective of sheep trusting that the good shepherd will lead to green pastures and clean waters. I’m sure, if we were sheep, there would be no argument from us; safety, shelter, food, drink: sounds like bliss for sheep; what else could be wanted? Maybe that’s what you wish for yourself: safety, shelter food and drink. Maybe you’ve envisioned the best: a big house in a fancy neighbourhood, steak and eggs every morning. Maybe you’re a little humbler, happy to settle for mac and cheese and a modest home in Bowmanville. But our vision and God’s perspective don’t always match. It may be enough for sheep to have their basic needs and comforts met. But we’re more than sheep and the Good Shepherd is so good because he knows that we’ll never be satisfied with simply having basic needs met. In the Psalm, the work of the Good Shepherd doesn’t end with the provision of the best food and drink. It continues, “You prepare a table before me…”[ii]. Turns out, the comfort of green fields and flowing water isn’t enough; the Good Shepherd wants to share a meal with his flock, he wants the sheep to share his joy. The Psalm concludes, “…I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.”[iii] The sheep are invited to live in the home of the Good Shepherd. That’s not how farms usually work: animals usually stay in barns, away from those who look after them. This is the Easter perspective, the vision of the Good Shepherd: for his sheep to live, not in the best barns possible, or to have the best food, but to share in his life and joy. Here’s the challenge and where many frustrations appear: before living with the Good Shepherd and eating at his table, before being truly happy with the Easter perspective of the Good Shepherd, the sheep must be willing to let go of their own dreams for barns and green fields and water, they must want for more than comfort and the fulfillment of basic needs and instead long for what only the Good Shepherd can provide. The flock of the Good Shepherd recognize that their plans and vision, no matter how good they may be, always fall short of the Easter perspective the Good Shepherd wishes for them. A great example of this lived out is seen in our patron, Saint Joseph. Before learning about his call to be the foster father of Jesus, I have no doubts he had great and good plans for the life of his family. Accepting the even greater plan of God, a plan for life for all, meant surrendering his own plans. Of course, it’s still a great practice to make plans and envision a great future; it feeds hope and motivation. So do make the best of plans. But disciples pray to gain an Easter perspective, so when the Good Shepherd urges us away from the comfort of green fields, warm barns and fresh water, we’re willing to follow. When we accept the Easter perspective of the Good Shepherd, when we long to join at his table and live in his home, the frustrations and pains that arise when our own dreams are shattered are overshadowed by his life and joy. Prayer Kindly shepherd, guide us to the banquet of your Kingdom. Shepherd of love, guard us against powers that work to divide. Holy Shepherd, reveal to us your redeeming plan. Good Shepherd, never allow us to wander away from you. In your name we pray. Amen. [i] John 10:11 NRSVCE [ii] Psalm 23: 5 NRSVCE [iii] Psalm 23: 6 NRSVCE
I know of many who love going to art museums and can spend hours appreciating great works of art. It’s different for me though. After about twenty minutes of looking at paintings, they all start looking the same. I know I’m missing something and won’t get the same enjoyment as many others, at least not till something in my own perspective changes. Missing out because of an incompatible perspective is something everyone experiences. It’s felt when you don’t get the punchline of a joke. Maybe, as a student, you experienced it when some concept taught in school just seemed impossible to grasp. Oh, you were told everything you needed to hear; no details were skipped. But, because of an incompatible perspective, something just seemed to go right over your head. That’s basically the position the two disciples on the road to Emmaus found themselves in. As they walked along, Jesus was with them, but they didn’t recognize him. It’s a common pattern: that those who saw Jesus after the resurrection couldn’t recognize him. We’ve reflected on how a perspective focused on the cross and tomb as symbols of definitive failure made it difficult for Peter to believe Jesus had risen and impossible for Mary Magdalene to recognize the Saviour standing right before her. We considered how the disciples could see no other option but to hide in a locked room, so long as their vision was fixed on the power of the Romans and religious authorities. Despite the strangeness of the resurrection, these closest friends of Jesus should have been able to recognize our Saviour; he was right there before their eyes. But they couldn’t until gaining a new perspective, an Easter perspective. The disciples on the road to Emmaus we heard about in today’s Gospel suffered from clouded vision too. They could retell the life of Jesus in great detail. They knew of his miracles and message. Their inability to recognize Jesus certainly wasn’t because they didn’t know enough. What they lacked was an Easter perspective. Death appeared final to them. In their mind, there was no need to look for Jesus, so they didn’t. Instead of joy, their day was filled with sadness and God’s presence went unrecognized. It’s so easy to be like those disciples. Many of us have spent years in Catholic schools; we know lots about our faith. But, when worry and anxiety creeps in, when we feel threatened or hurt, the miracles and message of Jesus become clouded and it’s hard to believe he’s with us at all. We don’t look for him. We can’t recognize him. There’s definitely great news though. Even when we cannot recognize him, Jesus still walks with us. To those disciples along the road, Jesus worked in their hearts by opening the scriptures, by reminding of them of God’s Word. They were already very familiar with the scriptures; but God’s Word always has more to reveal. But when they took a closer look at the connections between the life and death of Jesus and the promises found in scripture, their vision began to change; they opened up to receiving an Easter perspective. We do the same thing at every Mass. Yes, we’ve heard the scriptures many times. But God’s Word always has more to reveal. We know that by reading and reflecting on the scripture, Jesus walks with us and offers a new perspective. When they finally arrived at Emmaus, Jesus broke bread with the disciples and they finally recognized him; they gained an Easter perspective. It’s what happens at Mass too. Again, we know what’s going to happen when we come to church; there’s no real surprises here. But there is no better place to recognize the presence of Jesus among us than at the altar where he offers to us his very self. We meet Jesus in the breaking of bread and invite him to change our perspective as well so that, as we journey through life, we recognize his presence with us. There’s plenty outside those doors to distract us from God or to say that God isn’t really there or that he offers nothing against the dangers of the world. When that happens, when the Saviour is difficult to recognize, we gather here to join those disciples who gained an Easter perspective, who discovered that Jesus had been with them all along urging them in his ways. Maker of all, like those disciples found on the road to Emmaus, the hearts of your people are often filled with sadness and worry. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, help remove from us all that prevents us from recognizing the presence of your Son with us, all that keeps us from walking in your ways. Through this and every Mass, may our appreciation of your Word increase and our dedication to your Son be renewed. In his name, we offer our prayers. Amen.
I have to admit, sometimes seeing things from the perspective of others is a real challenge. So, I hope you’ll forgive me for starting off with a little judgment. Now that the Artimis Two crew have returned, I’ve seen some early reports and reflections on the successes of their mission. It’s not as great as Easter, but their success is a success for all and worth admiring. That crew went farther than anyone and the pictures sent from that unique perspective are amazing. But then, and this is where the little judgment comes in, I occasionally see some content posted proposing it was all made up and the earth is flat; and it leaves me wondering: when the earth looks so clearly round and spinning, what could possibly cloud someone’s vision to see anything else? Now, if you happen to see the earth as a little less spherical than most, again, sorry for the judgment, we still love having you with us because Easter is for you too. Truth-be-told though, we all suffer with clouded vision in one way or another. It what suggests to a child in need that turning to a parent will lead to rejection. It affirms lunchroom gossip as an acceptable tactic for advancement. It proposes that forgiveness will only result in further hurt. Proposing limits to love, a clouded vision tempts someone to keep secrets from their spouse. Clouded vision leads us to see others as obstacles instead of opportunity, life as dangerous and ourselves as inadequate. Last week, we reflected on the clouded vision that afflicted the disciples on the first Easter morning. Their clouded vision insisted that the cross and tomb were symbols of definitive failure making it difficult for Peter to believe Jesus had risen and impossible for Mary Magdalene to recognize Jesus standing right before her. Like those disciples, when plagued with clouded vision, if we don’t have the right perspective, we miss a lot. We can’t see how God mysteriously answers prayers and guides his people. It’s clouded vision that so often leads to choices that eventually require the healing of a good Confession. We admire the first disciples because they truly know what it’s like to suffer from clouded vision. Their first Easter didn’t start as a day of joy; the disciples weren’t running out to buy lilies and egg-shaped chocolates. No, we’re told how, on the evening of the first Easter, the doors, “…were shut where the disciples were, for fear…”[i]. The religious authorities had demonstrated how far they were willing to go to silence the message of Jesus. The Romans had proven their power over the people. That’s all the disciples saw, and that clouded vision left them feeling powerless against such giant forces. So, filled with fear, they hid, they locked themselves away; their clouded vision told them there was no other option. But then something changed. The disciples saw and heard. Jesus appeared pointing out signs of his power; through the marks of the nails, the disciples saw. The Saviour then spoke: “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”[ii] The disciples heard. While a clouded vision fixated on weakness against powers like the Romans or religious authorities, Jesus revealed an Easter perspective: that disciples are to work in his name and with his power. The religious authorities may have had power to imprison, but they could never silence the Good News. The Romans may have had power to crucify, but death would not have the last say. The disciples saw and heard the Saviour and it gave them an Easter perspective. Our continuing Easter celebrations offer great opportunities to reflect on our own vision and perspective. Maybe at times, it’s easy to see things with an Easter perspective, to see God at work, to trust him and put him first and I hope that’s your experience today. But there are also moments, and we’ve all been there, where it would be easy to stand among those disciples who have fearfully locked themselves in a room. Armies, inflation, politicians, relationships: there are some very intimidating powers out there. Regardless of where you are, the response is the same, to see and hear the Saviour. Disciples work to see Jesus maybe by coming here or taking a moment to reflect on where he has worked. We might examine the incredible lives of saints or on the good works done by Christians everywhere. Disciples work to hear Jesus too, perhaps by spending some quiet time in the chapel, by reading scripture or by caring for his creation. Disciples see and hear, not just for themselves but for all. We all know people who live as though they are in a locked room, fearful of the powers of the world. For many, life can seem like a cross and fear of the tomb highlights the limits of time, energy and resources. But disciples show something different: a power over all that, our Saviour who reveals a new perspective, an Easter perspective, that overpowers the cross, the tomb and all else that threatens God’s people. God of all, we praise you this Easter season for conquering the grave. As the love of your Son transformed the cross and tomb into symbols of life, may he also transform all that threatens and inspires fear in your people today so we would accept the gifts of your Holy Spirit, who empowers disciples to lead others in seeing and hearing the call of the Saviour. In His name we pray. Amen. [i] John 20:19 NRSVCE [ii] John 20:21 NRSVCE
Something I’ve learned over time is how maintaining relationships takes constant, deliberate work. It’s worth the effort, of course, but when that work isn’t done, relationships begin to drift apart. I’ve had close friends from grade school, high school and beyond, some from workplaces, who I’ve just drifted from once various things in life changed, making it difficult to maintain those connections. All relationships struggle when one doesn’t put in the constant effort to get to know and understand the other. It’s seen in friendships when the lives of each go off in different directions. It’s found in families, between siblings or a parent and child when they don’t keep up with each other’s lives. It’s experienced even in marriages when a couple, once very much in love, become strangers to one another. But its saddest of all when disciples drift apart from God, feeling they don’t know him, and when that happens, God’s power, goodness and presence is questioned and faith lacks the strength needed to affirm hope when the worries of the world confront. Some don’t know God because, in their youth, God remained a subject to study at school instead of a person to get to know. They may know all kinds of facts about God, can rhyme off the Sacraments and the Fruits of the Holy Spirit or even be familiar with the lives of many saints, but aren’t so certain about what’s in the heart of God. Others might not know God because our Catholic faith was presented as just a bunch of rules and laws to follow and didn’t have anything to do with friendship with Jesus or maybe they were told simply that God is love and there’s nothing more needed. I’ve heard of a few who have thought God was dull and boring and bad because their experience of church community was dull, and boring and bad. The result is disciples who feel a great distance between themselves and God, that God is just too far away to be interested in friendship or that we are too far beneath him for friendship to be possible. It becomes difficult to find joy in faith, and easy to be like the Pharisees we heard about in today’s Gospel, who were unable to celebrate the miraculous healing of a man born blind. You have to feel bad for the Pharisees. They worked hard to follow the Jewish law, but to a fault. The law became their saviour instead of God. So, when miracles happened all around them, they took offence instead of finding cause for joy. Obviously, we want to be more like the man born blind and experience the kind of joy he must have felt on recognizing the Saviour. But first, the unnamed man had to go through a kind of journey. The story began with a man unable to see anything at all. He knew he was physically blind and knew healing could only come by trusting in the power of someone greater than himself. At the prompting of Jesus, he took a risk, the blind man trusted enough to give up his begging, time needed to hopefully receive what was needed to sustain himself, to go and wash in the pool of Siloam. There, he regained his sight. But his healing wasn’t yet complete. The miracle attracted the attention of others who wondered about the healer. When asked, “…how were your eyes opened?”[i], the healed man credited, “The man called Jesus…”[ii]. At this point, he perceives Jesus simply as, ‘a man’: not a friend, definitely not the Saviour, just a regular guy. Instead of being happy for the healed man and celebrating the obvious miracle, the Pharisees argued and were divided about Jesus. They pressured the previously blind man to break their stalemate who announced about Jesus, “He is a prophet.”[iii] By relating how Jesus had changed his life, the vision of the heart of the healed man began to clear, he grew to know Jesus a little better, enough to recognize that Jesus was no longer just some man, but at least a prophet. But his journey of healing would continue. The healed man was pressured to denounce Jesus, forcing him to reflect on his relationship with Jesus. There could be no middle ground, the formerly blind man replied with a challenge, “Do you also want to become his disciples?”[iv] The heart of the man born blind realized, Jesus was more than a man or prophet but someone worth following. This realization came with a cost, however. As a disciple, a follower of Jesus, the man was cast out of the community. We can imagine the fears and sadness that undoubtedly weighed on the man at this point. But his divide from the community created space for God to continue working. The eyes of his heart opened, allowing Jesus to draw close so the healed man could finally recognize that Jesus is not just a man or a prophet or someone worth following but the one to worship. We all want to see God as clearly as the man born blind did by the end of this Gospel. We want to offer the Saviour true worship and witness him miraculously at work. But sometimes the eyes of our hearts are clouded and Jesus becomes difficult to spot. We need healing. The progression found in the heart of the man born blind offers a path each of us may take as we seek healing for any blindness found in our own hearts. So first, we admit our own blindness. The man born blind was quick to admit what he didn’t know. He admitted he didn’t know how Jesus did what he did and he admitted to Jesus he didn’t know who the Messiah was. Through that honesty, he could hear the voice of Jesus. Disciples might also hear the voice of Jesus by humbly admitting our own need for healing. Next, the man born blind was eager to follow the directions, the commands, […]
For near a year, I’ve been paying a little more attention to what I eat, avoiding sugars and that kind of thing. As someone happy to start the day with apple pie for breakfast, the biggest challenge for me has been passing by baked goods; they smell good, they look good and they’ve never let me down. On those occasions when Krispy Crème is giving out free samples at the Costco, I circle around to pass by and enjoy the smells a second time, maybe even a third. Truth-be-told, it’s a horrible example of how to deal with temptation. The Gospel reading for the First Sunday of Lent, the Gospel we heard today, always focuses on the temptations of Jesus; and it’s impossible to reflect on the temptations of Jesus without also giving due recognition to the temptations we each face. We all face temptation, so it’s important to first know that temptation itself is not sin. Sin requires conscious choice and those thoughts that appear without invitation, an experience every person has, are just temptation. It’s the response to those temptations that can be upright or sinful. The sin doesn’t begin till dwelling on the temptation, till taking that second pass by the Krispy Crème sample stand. Temptation usually takes one of two forms. Sometimes it proposes that what we know to be harmful just isn’t so harmful; it promises benefit with little to no cost or drawback. This is often seen in our coping mechanisms; we all have them. It’s found in the suggestion that it’s no big deal to spend a little more on the credit card, to have that extra glass of wine, to tap on the alluring image or to spend another fifteen minutes doom scrolling. At other times, and this is the more disturbing form of temptation, it leaves us feeling trapped and powerless, declaring there is no choice but to give in. We can see this in someone suffering through compulsion or addiction, who wishes for different but feels powerless. It’s found in the mind tormented by some unwanted thought. It’s seen in the young mother who’s made to feel there’s only one option. Temptation may not be sin, but it still leaves disciples feeling guilt and shame and weak, because we know the stakes are high; ultimately, the cost of sin is always too high, we’re left wondering if there’s any way out. Fortunately, we’re not alone in this experience. Today’s Gospel reveals how the Saviour had to deal with temptation too, and over the last few Lents we’ve reflected on that a little deeper. In short, the suggestion to turn stones into bread is a temptation to end poverty, the prompt to jump off the top of the temple is a temptation to win followers by fame instead of love and the invitation to rule over all earthly kingdoms is a temptation to establish peace throughout the world. The cost, however, would be idolatry, faithlessness and no aim for heaven. Fortunately, Jesus knows there’s a way out of temptation; he rejected the suggestions of the devil and so his time in the wilderness offers clues on how we, too, might deal with temptation and find a way out of those traps and, like him, be quick to declare, “Away with you, Satan!”[i] A first thing to notice is how Jesus wasn’t surprised by temptation. He, “…was led up by the Spirit…”, we’re told, “…to be tempted…”[ii]. If Jesus can’t escape temptation, there’s no chance any of us will be spared the challenge. Disciples know they will be tempted, especially through weaknesses. Here’s a great way to be aware of weaknesses: pay attention to what you do when stressed or bored. This doesn’t mean stress and boredom will lead to evil deeds, but the tendency is to hide weaknesses through practices that numb or offer escape from discomfort. This doesn’t eliminate temptation but offers awareness of where and how temptation might appear; it doesn’t have to catch us off guard. Don’t be surprised by temptation; and next, establish guards. While minding what you eat, don’t take that second pass by the Krispy Crème sample stand, even just to have a smell. Don’t slow the car down to give additional appreciation to the attractive person taking a jog. A big one: be aware of the media consumed. What’s read and watched easily inspires imagination and temptation, ask any child who has nightmares after watching a scary movie. Disciples avoid those practices and places that feed temptation; they establish guards. This doesn’t remove temptation but robs it of fuel. Third, especially when it proposes to be innocent, know why sin actually is unattractive or harmful. When the devil proposed how good it would be to turn stones into bread, to end poverty and hunger, Jesus was quick with his response; he knew the compromise came at too high a cost: substituting the bread of life for the cheap imitation of earthly bread. Disciples know why sin is always harmful. This doesn’t take away temptation but makes it easier to recognize cheap imitations of the good things God wishes for his people. Disciples know there’s a way out of temptation by being ready for it, by establishing guards, by knowing why sin is harmful and finally by drowning out the voice of temptation with what’s true, good and beautiful. It’s not enough to just say, ‘no’. Disciples are aware of what our faith says, ‘yes’ to. By saying, ‘no’, to turning stones into bread and keeping his attention on dirt, Jesus said, ‘yes’, to remaining focused on the life of heaven. Our faith calls disciples to say, ‘no’, to many things, even good things, so we can always say, ‘yes’, to God. This doesn’t eradicate temptation, but offers a reminder that God promises something much greater than anything temptation could suggest. The ending of the Lord’s Prayer can be a little confusing. When teaching his followers to pray, Jesus gave the words, “…lead us not […]
There are many reasons why I’m not a great athlete, but while watching the Olympics I’ve realized that one of those reasons might come from my attitude towards competition. When I might view other competitors as obstacles, getting between myself and a gold medal, the impression I get from the Olympians is that they see one another as opportunity to push further and become better. Their hearts see something while the vision of my heart may be obscured by clutter. Life is often full of clutter, of unhelpful things we cling to maybe from habit or insecurity. Of course, God wants us to enjoy what he’s made. But when there’s so much that it creates stress: that’s clutter. On top of the practical issues of clutter, it’s also a spiritual problem, limiting freedom. The things that fill life demand attention. Clutter also tends to grow, sometimes to the point of overwhelming. The only way out is to declutter, to sort what needs to be kept from what ought to be discarded. Since Christmas, we’ve considered how decluttered spaces and souls, relationships, minds and calendars allow peace and love, grace and truth to thrive, building disciples up to share God’s joy and Good News. If you like or need, feel free to review or catchup on any missed reflections on our app and website. The heart can become cluttered too. But, while a physically cluttered heart presents serious medical problems, the focus today is more about what happens when a heart is spiritually or emotionally cluttered. It’s from that part of the heart where decisions are made and relationships are felt. The heart affects priorities and motivations, work and family life, relationships and happiness; and while there’s many things that can spiritually or emotionally clutter the heart, today we’re looking at just one, an emotion that can truly disrupt and disturb: anger. To be clear, anger isn’t a good or a bad thing. There’s lots we ought to get angry over. Injustice ought to make disciples angry, as should hunger or human trafficking or witnessing people struggle to find shelter. If someone hurts us, that ought to make us angry. The Bible records Jesus becoming angry at times. Like all emotions, anger can be very useful in revealing what’s happening in or around us. But we have a choice in how to respond to anger and it’s that choice, the response to anger, that can lead to a cluttered heart. Jesus knows how anger can clutter the heart, so he warns his followers, “…I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment…”[i]. A heart becomes cluttered with anger when it clings to anger and won’t let go; this hinders love and when that happens it’s easy to see others as obstacles instead of opportunity. Some cluttered hearts turn inward and feed bitterness, resentment, shame or guilt. Other cluttered hearts turn outward, resulting in raised voices, name calling, manipulation, violence or passive aggressive tendencies. When someone’s heart is cluttered with anger, everyone around them feels it and no one want’s to be around it. That’s the judgment Jesus is talking about. The Saviour wants his followers to have hearts full of love, ready for heaven, but that’s difficult for a heart cluttered by anger. Fortunately, Jesus gives some guidance on what to do, “…first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.”[ii] In most conflicts, it’s rare that one hundred percent of the blame is on one person. Usually, the fault is shared, maybe not equally, but still shared to some degree by those involved. Jesus encourages his followers to own their part, to admit where they may have slipped up and their desire for healing. Feeling angry when hurt is expected, but disciples declutter the heart of anger to build up hearts that reflect the heart of God, a heart that does all possible to reconcile broken relationships. Reconciliation is one way to declutter a heart of anger. But, sadly, sometimes a relationship just can’t be reconciled. Sometimes the other person won’t own up to their part of the rift or they truly are completely responsible for the rift. Some relationships simply can’t or shouldn’t be reconciled because they’re toxic or even dangerous. In those cases, the goal may not be reconciliation but forgiveness. Reconciliation heals a relationship, but when that can’t or shouldn’t happen, forgiveness offers another way to declutter the heart of anger. To the one who’s been hurt, forgiveness affirms they deserved better. To the one who has hurt, forgiveness declares that even inexcusable actions don’t have to have the last word. Whatever happened to create the divide: yes, it mattered, it hurt and it wasn’t right; to this forgiveness simply says, more was deserved, more was owed, but now that painful debt has been canceled. Disciples declutter hearts of anger, they let it go, by reconciling where possible and forgiving when needed. But maybe the hurt is just too deep to do either. That’s okay too, because there’s a third way to begin the work of decluttering the heart: invite God to do it. When you can’t forgive someone, ask God to do it for you. It’s fine to ask God to do what you cannot, to realize and admit limits. Nothing is beyond him and through that simple act, God is invited into whatever might be cluttering the heart. While clutter can leave us feeling trapped or imprisoned, decluttering hearts offers the freedom and clarity needed to see God at work in and around us, making room for his life. So, as lent quickly approaches, maybe now is the time for each to examine how anger could be cluttering the heart. Are there any relationships that could use a little reconciliation? Maybe it’s a prompt to give a call, own up to faults and reveal the desire for healing. Is there anyone needing forgiveness? Maybe it’s a prompt to name the hurt and cancel the debt, to declare that the hurt of inexcusable actions doesn’t […]
Life is often full of clutter, of unhelpful things we cling to maybe out of habit or oversight or fear. Of course, God wants us to enjoy what he’s made. But when there’s so much that it creates stress: that’s a sign of clutter. In addition to being a practical issue, clutter is a spiritual problem, as it limits freedom. The things that fill life demand attention and the only way out is to declutter, to sort what needs to be kept from what ought to be discarded. Since Christmas, we’ve considered how decluttered spaces allow peace and love to thrive. We reflected on how a soul, decluttered of all that pretends to be more important than God, makes space to remember how we’ve been set apart to share the Good News. We examined how decluttering relationships, investing in those which reveal grace and truth, brings out our very best. Last week, we observed how a decluttered heart is free to dwell on what builds up to share in God’s joy. There are many ways for life to become cluttered. But for me, it’s the calendar, the schedule, where clutter first appears. Instead of saying, ‘no’, or delegating tasks where possible, I allow the calendar to fill up. To be sure, lots gets done, but where I should have a balanced and ordered schedule that gives peace, I usually end up with a cluttered schedule has an impact on prayer, relationships and self-care that isn’t always positive. If you feel like your schedule could be cluttered too, stressful instead of peaceful, there’s a few things that could be going on: A cluttered calendar could be a sign of poor time management skills, but it could also be what happens during a busy season of the year. For an accountant, tax season is a busy time and exam time fills the schedules of students. Perhaps you’re not in a busy season of theyear, but a busy season of life. Caring for another, starting a business, moving to a new home or facing health issues can quickly consume a calendar. Maybe your schedule is at the mercy of the schedules of others, the schedules of a workplace or the extra-curricular schedules of your kids. We all like to be needed, but a cluttered calendar can come from the inability to say, ‘no’, when you ought to. There’s a lot that can contribute to a cluttered schedule, and decluttering all that, sorting out what should be kept and what could possibly be set aside, at least for a time, is a real challenge. There are a few words in today’s Gospel that can help discern it all. To his followers, Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth…”[i]. At the time, salt was incredibly important as a preservative and flavouring and in healing. As salt offers life and enhances all it touches, Jesus expects his followers to do likewise in their workplaces, families and communities. Instead of keeping the life of faith for themselves, disciples are expected to, ‘salt’ the world, by sharing faith and adding to creation. When reconnecting with an old friend, a common question is, “have you been keeping busy?” Having a good work ethic or working to achieve goals is good for growth; feeling challenged and stretched is healthy, but constant busyness can be an obstacle for those following Jesus. “You are the salt of the earth…” Jesus declared, “…but if salt has lost its taste… It is no longer good for anything…”[ii]. Salt has value because of how it adds to food and life and if something gets in the way, preventing salt from doing what salt is supposed to do, it loses its value. Likewise, a cluttered schedule can easily lead to exhaustion, holding disciples back from making a positive contribution to the world. Disciples find life, not through busyness but through decluttered schedules, through having the freedom to share the life of faith with the world, and this will look different for each of us. There are good works that only you can do in your workplace, in your family and in your friendships. There are ways and places where only you can salt the world with faith-fueled influence and inspiration. The question each disciple asks when it comes to how our limited time and energy is divided up is: what are the good works that only I can do. I’m the salt of the world when I declutter my schedule of all that holds me back from celebrating the Sacraments with you, from prayer and from looking after myself, so I have the strength to be an effective pastor. A parent becomes salt for the world when they declutter their schedule to have the freedom needed to love their children, help them grow, and teach them how to pray. The husbands and wives here are the salt of the world when they declutter their schedule of what prevents them from being present to their spouse and revealing God’s love. An employee is salt for the world when, unburdened by a cluttered schedule, they have space to recognize how their work contributes to God’s creation. God has called each of us to be salt for the world, to share in his work from within the unique places we each find ourselves. When it comes to decluttering the calendar, each disciple gives priority to what does the most good from their unique position. This could mean saying, ‘no’, to things that may be good but don’t really build up the world. It could also mean doing for yourself what no one else can: saying, ‘yes’, to carving out the time needed for prayer and for the rest needed to truly be salt for the world. Guide us in your ways, O Lord, so we would offer back to you the gift of time you have given us. Direct us, through your Spirit, in sorting through what must be done, what can be set aside for later and what […]
I hear it all the time: someone frustrated with distracted prayer or a student struggling to focus on studying for an exam. We all know what it’s like to be harassed by thoughts that confuse and get in the way of careers, relationships and peace; I’m certainly no exception to the experience. Maybe the minds of some here are filled with worry or hurt, stress-filled to-do lists or just unwanted thoughts that make the mind feel full and cluttered. Life is often full of clutter, of unhelpful things we cling to maybe out of habit or oversight or fear. Of course, God wants us to enjoy what he’s made. But when there’s so much that it gets in the way, threatens order or creates stress: that’s clutter. On top of all the practical issues, clutter is a spiritual problem, because it limits freedom. The things that fill life demand attention. Cluttered schedules forbid rejuvenation. Cluttered spaces obscure joy. Even a cluttered fridge can be an obstacle to a good meal. Worse still, unaddressed clutter tends to grow, threatening to overwhelm. The only way to get rid of clutter is to declutter and until Lent, we’re reflecting on that. We started with a consideration of how decluttered spaces make the right conditions for peace and love to thrive. We continued with a reflection of how a soul, decluttered of all that pretends to be more important than God, makes the right conditions to remember how we have been set apart to share the Good News. Last week, we examined how decluttering relationships, investing in those which reveal grace and truth, make the right conditions that bring out our very best. Just as a garage can be filled with so much junk that there’s no room for the car, the mind can be cluttered with junk too. We were made to think, to use our minds, but when the mind becomes cluttered, clear thinking becomes challenging and peace is hard to recognize: all signs of the need to declutter the mind. Today, we listened to one of the most well-known parts of the Bible, the Beatitudes. Everyone loves the Beatitudes. They’re like God’s manual for right living: eight special blessings offered to those who strive to live after the example of the Saviour. In the sixth Beatitude, Jesus declared, “Blessed are the pure in heart…”[i]. Purity is a term usually associated with living chastely and rightly so. But there’s more to having a pure heart than just chastity. In the Bible, the heart is the place where thoughts originate; the sign of a pure heart is a mind free of harmful or selfish thoughts. Those with pure hearts have clear vision. While a cluttered mind is tempted to objectify others, to think of others either as objects to be used or as obstacles to be conquered, a pure heart consistently thinks of others as opportunities for love; they see others and creation as God does and this is the reward, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”[ii] The pure of heart have decluttered their minds so they’re not distracted from recognizing God’s presence and work in the world and in others. They are first to recognize the mark of the maker in all he has made. A decluttered mind is filled with thoughts that regularly lead in a positive direction, thoughts that give joy and peace, thoughts that keep us aligned with God’s plan. Decluttering the mind means eliminating toxic thought patterns that wear us down. It’s an ongoing exercise of rewiring the mind so there’s room for thoughts that build up and fuel us to thrive. Here’s what disciples can do. First, be aware of what the mind is exposed to. You can clear the browser history of your device, but the mind has no such feature. Just as children who watch scary movies before bed are more likely to have nightmares, the minds of adults are more likely to get stuck dwelling on thoughts planted by what is heard and seen. A mind could be decluttered of worry about world events by shutting off the news. The clutter of grief from a broken relationship might diminish by taking a break from social media. Avoiding movies or shows known to have passionate scenes in them can be a way to declutter a mind distracted by desirous thoughts. Disciples declutter the mind by judging the content we consume, the voices we hear and the information we receive. Next, deliberately expose the mind to content that’s positive, uplifting and inspiring. Parents might do this for their kids by bringing them to Compass or Awaken. All adults are welcome to Waymark and in the spring there’ll be an invitation to The Search. These are places in our community where disciples of all ages can surround themselves with discussions that directs thoughts towards God. At home, maybe consider checking out the movies, podcasts or books on formed dot org; it’s completely free for all in our community, there’s content for all ages and each week, three recommendations are offered in the news app. Maybe this week, consider taking a moment to review the thoughts that fill your mind, hunting out the clutter that weighs down. The goal is to fuel thoughts that nourish pure hearts by shielding from voices that feed toxic thinking. It could mean deleting the app, turning off the screen or simply adjusting what we expose ourselves and our loved ones to. Developing pure hearts is challenging work, to be sure, but it comes with the promise of a great reward: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”[iii] Imagine that peace that would come with seeing God as the angels do, recognizing his loving work and witnessing his power over all evils. That’s a truly great reward that guides disciples. We praise you, O God, for wonderfully making us and for guiding us through your Spirit and your Word. May the promises of the Beatitudes lead our […]
One of the biggest challenges in life, at least for me, is finding great friends. It’s a challenge even to define what a friendship is or to determine what criteria to use when assessing a friendship or relationship. Is a friend the one willing to wait for you at the airport or to help lift the heavy boxes when moving? Maybe you’ll discover that your best friends are the ones who help shovel the snow. Is it enough to be friends on facebook? Why is criticism from a friend perceived as love while the same words from a stranger can be demeaning? Even well into adulthood, friendships and relationships inspire a while clutter of questions. Life is often full of clutter, full of unneeded, unhelpful things that don’t serve but we still cling to maybe out of habit or oversight or fear. Of course, God wants us to enjoy what he has made. But when there’s so much that it gets in the way or when the pile threatens order, creating stress: that’s clutter. On top of creating practical issues, clutter is a spiritual problem, because it limits freedom. The things we fill our lives with demand attention. Cluttered schedules give no space to rejuvenate. Cluttered minds undermine peace. It takes work and time to keep cluttered spaces clean and ordered. Worse still, if left unaddressed, clutter tends to grow, threatening to overwhelm. The only way to get rid of clutter is to declutter and until Lent, we’re reflecting on that. We started by considering how decluttering the spaces in which we live makes the right conditions, offers the freedom needed, for peace and love to thrive. Continuing last week, we reflected on how a decluttered soul, a soul that’s free of all that pretends to be more important than God, makes the right conditions to remember how we have been set apart to share in the work of sharing the Good News. Early on, after presenting all of creation to Adam, God declared, “It is not good that the man should be alone…”[i]. The Maker made us for relationships with others; there’s no suitable substitute in all creation. Since then, we’ve all had loads of people in our lives: relatives, acquaintances, loved ones, co-workers, some chosen and some imposed. Sometimes, this is wonderful. Great relationships fill life with joy and bring out the best in us. But it’s possible for relationships to be cluttered too; cluttered relationships can lead to trouble, rob joy and hold us back. By decluttering relationships, disciples develop relationships that inspire true growth. This doesn’t happen by accident though and the Gospel passage we heard today highlights how Jesus and his first disciples were very deliberate in their relationships. First, we heard how Jesus, “…left Nazareth…”, where he grew up, “…and made his home in Capernaum…”[ii]. There’s nearly fifty kilometers between those centres and during a time before cars that may as well have been five hundred kilometers. That move would have had a great impact on Jesus’ relationships with relatives, loved ones, work acquaintances and friends. But he moved anyway, to form the right relationships with the right people. Once in Capernaum, Jesus encountered Andrew and Peter, James and John and invited them into a relationship. Jesus would be moving on again and invited these men to share in his journey and work. But it would mean, for them too, leaving behind relatives, loved ones, and coworkers, business relationships and friends. Prioritizing a life-changing relationship with Jesus meant putting other relationships on hold, at least for a time. To grow through the Saviour, those first disciples knew they would have to declutter their relationships. Like Jesus and those who followed him, we need to be deliberate with our relationships and develop ones that bring out our best. Now, to be clear, decluttering relationships doesn’t mean cutting people out. Of course there are toxic relationships that need to end. But for the most part, decluttering relationships is about evaluating which relationships are the best to invest in, identifying which ones should take priority. It’s also important to acknowledge that it’s okay if things don’t always feel even in a relationship. Sometimes we give more than we receive, parents and caregivers know all about that, and at other moments we’re more on the receiving end. Sometimes, decluttering relationships means knowing who to humbly accept support from and at other times it means knowing who to offer support to. That’s all okay so long as there’s an overall mutuality, the recognition that healthy relationships are the ones where the love of God is shared among all. There are two basic criteria that can be used to sort this all out, to help prioritize relationships: grace and truth. Disciples experience God’s grace through relationships rooted in kindness, care and compassion. We all need affirming words, reassurance, maybe even a supportive hug: the presence of those happy to journey through joys and sorrows. Relationships that encourage growth must also be filled with God’s truth. Disciples depend on the honest wisdom of others to keep rooted in reality; we need others who are brave enough to speak truth in a loving way we can hear, even if that truth is difficult or challenging. Disciples prioritize relationships that give and receive God’s grace and truth. As a curator declutters a museum, transforming a collection of things into opportunities for growth and inspiration, disciples aspiring to reflect the love of Jesus to those they care for need lives rooted in his grace and truth. That will mean some decluttering, so the right relationships can be developed and make the right conditions for those same values of grace and truth to make a real difference. Through this, through relationships free of clutter, we can truly encounter Jesus in our relationships and offer his same loving presence to others. Maker of all things good, we praise you for the gift of relationship and for the opportunities to encounter your love through the people in […]
When I go grocery shopping, I always bring a list and, mostly, I stick to it. I discovered long ago that without a list, I’d end up buying just whatever looked good. The result: a bigger food bill, forgotten necessities and waste. I discovered that, for me at least, a successful grocery shopping trip demanded I declutter my shopping practices. Life is often full of clutter, full of unneeded things, unhelpful things, things that don’t serve but we still cling to anyway, maybe out of habit or oversight or even fear or insecurity. Of course, God wants us to enjoy what he has made. But when there’s so much that it becomes a challenge to track it all or to find a place or everything, when the pile threatens order and makes stress: that’s clutter. On top of the practical issues it makes, clutter is a spiritual problem too, because it limits freedom. The things we fill our lives with, in a way, own us; they demand attention. A cluttered schedule gives no space for rejuvenation. A cluttered mind gives no space for peace. A cluttered room or house demands time to keep it clean and ordered and working. Even a cluttered fridge can be an obstacle to a good meal. Worse still, if left unaddressed, clutter tends to grow even to the point where it overwhelms. The only way to get rid of clutter is to declutter and until Lent, we’re going to reflect on decluttering. Last week, we considered how decluttering the spaces in which we live, our homes and rooms, make the right conditions, give the freedom needed for peace and love to thrive. It’s an act of decluttering a little easier to do because it’s visible and practical; it’s easy to see the progress made as you work. A bigger challenge, is decluttering what’s invisible, decluttering the soul. The soul is what connects us to God. We all got our bodies from our parents; they provided the genetic material and helped us grow. The soul though, what makes each of us, us, comes from the maker; there’s no one else who decides what makes up our soul. We actually can accumulate clutter in our soul. A healthy soul will be attuned to God and his plan. A cluttered soul, however, is distracted from our creator, tempted to place other priorities, like pleasure, power, money or fame, over God; and because the soul organizes all other aspects of life, when the soul is cluttered, it’s difficult to then sort the good from the bad, or to conquer dilemmas with wise decisions; it’s easy to feel conflicted or fragmented or lost. This has always been a challenge for God’s people. Today, in the second reading we heard the introduction from a letter Saint Paul wrote to the Christians living in the city of Corinth, the Corinthians. We could think of that city as being like the Bowmanville of today: its location offered wonderful opportunities for trade and manufacturing. So, the citizens of that city enjoyed extra luxuries, wealth and influence. Nothing wrong with that, but it tempted the Christians of Corinth to clutter their souls with concerns about those things and Saint Paul knew it had to be addressed. So, he began his letter, “From Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God.[i]Paul started by linking his identity to God’s will. He’s an Apostle, not because he trained for it or had some innate talent. His position and authority, the reason he should be listened to, comes only because he was called by God for that work. From the very first sentence in his letter, we can tell where Paul’s priorities lay. Saint Paul then extends this thought to the Corinthians. He addressed his letter, “…to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints…”[ii]. It’s a reminder to the Christians of Corinth that they have been set apart for a special purpose. While the city of Corinth may have pressured the Christians to prioritize money, power, pleasure and fame, God has set them apart for something else. This is what it means to be sanctified: to be set apart for a special purpose defined by God. John the Baptist recognized this. He recognized how he was set apart, not to live as a priest in the temple like his father, but to announce the presence of the Saviour. An ordered, decluttered soul begins and ends with God and organizes life and priorities around God’s will; always asking, what does God want me to do, how does God want me to live my life? An uncluttered soul understands the call to first love and worship him, to serve others in his name, to participate in the Christian Community and to direct others to the Saviour. The uncluttered soul puts God given skills and gifts to work not for personal gain but to further God’s plan. For Saint Paul, it meant becoming an Apostle and it would eventually mean giving his life in martyrdom. A cluttered soul leads to feelings of inner conflict because our priorities don’t match those of God. A cluttered soul leads to feelings of meaninglessness or being lost because purpose becomes obscured. There’s a need to declutter. For this, deliberate, prayerful reflection is key. Decluttering a home takes deliberate work; it won’t happen by accident. It takes effort to go through it all to determine what is to be kept, what is to be stored away and what should be eliminated. Decluttering the soul takes a similar approach: deliberate examination of all that fills the soul, to judge what should be kept: those things that align our priorities to those of God, what should be stored away: those things that strengthen and nourish during difficult moments, and what should be thrown away: all that pretends to be of greater value than our Saviour. Disciples throw away anger, bitterness, resentment, lust, greed and selfishness. We make the determination […]
One thing I really despise is losing something. I know it’s something everyone experiences, but while some seem able to shrug off losing something as a frustration and children just accept losing things as part of life, I lose sleep when I know I’m missing something. It’s an experience that encourages me to be a bit of a minimalist, at least with my own things and when I lose something I wonder if I just have too much. Having less means there’s less to keep track of. But this takes work too. It takes work to constantly get rid of the things that maybe just aren’t needed. It’s an exercise often called decluttering. Life is often full of clutter, full of unneeded things, unhelpful things, things that don’t serve but we still cling to anyway, maybe out of habit or oversight or even fear or insecurity. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with having things and God want’s us to enjoy what he has made. But when there’s so much that it becomes a challenge to track it all or to find a place or everything, when the pile threatens order and makes stress: that’s clutter. The only way to get rid of clutter is to declutter and until Lent, we’re going to reflect on decluttering, not just the space in which we live, but also our schedules, finances, mind, heart and life. I have no doubt there’s all kinds of self-help books that discuss the practical problems of clutter, but clutter is a spiritual problem for disciples too because clutter limits freedom. In a way, the things we own, own us; they demand attention. A cluttered schedule gives no space for rejuvenation. A cluttered mind gives no space for peace. A cluttered room or house demands time to keep it clean and ordered and working. Even a cluttered fridge can be an obstacle to a good meal. Clutter is a spiritual problem because it tends to grow to the point where it overwhelms. I think every home must have some kind of junk drawer or junk bowl: that place where all the stuff that has no other place to go ends up. It’s where that single battery or mystery key falls into so you don’t have to look at it. It’s an illusion of order though. Over time, if it’s not addressed, eventually that junk drawer or bowl fills up and even overflows; it needs to be decluttered. Today we’re celebrating the Baptism of Jesus a moment that marks when people first stated noticing him. It’s the first mention of the adult life of Jesus. The Christian belief about Baptism is that it invisibly changes someone, that through Baptism, someone becomes part of God’s family. It’s an invisible change; though a baby cries just as much after being Baptized as before, we’re certain a change has taken place in the soul that makes things right. Being God himself, Jesus, of course, didn’t need to be altered in that way. But the Gospel we read today does mention a change that took place at his Baptism. As he came up from the water, “…the heavens were opened to him…”[i] we’re told, and then the presence of the Spirit and God’s voice was perceived. This wasn’t for the benefit of Jesus, but for us. Through the Baptism of Jesus, the conditions were right for God’s Spirit to be visible and for God’s voice to be heard. This is what Baptism does: it makes the right conditions. Baptism is about taking on a new identity, shedding the clutter that divides from God. For disciples, Baptism makes the right conditions in the soul to be adopted into the family of God. At the Baptism of Jesus, the conditions were right for God’s voice to be heard. Baptism may make the right conditions in the soul, for heaven to be opened for us, but when life around remains the same, God’s voice and presence can be obscured; we know it’s there though it’s sometimes difficult to recognize. Some change is obviously needed, a little decluttering, to make the right conditions for peace and joy, focus and insight to be realized and for many the easiest place to start is by decluttering your stuff. Well-ordered museums depend on great curators who constantly declutter. Without the vigilance of curators, museums would just become warehouses not worth an entrance fee and all the stuff inside would become useless. Curators transform piles of stuff into exhibits; they make the right conditions that teach and inspire. Changing the world is a job far beyond any of us. But we do have a little more control over the spaces in which we live. Maybe decluttering our own stuff, making the right conditions in our homes and spaces, can be a starting point for bringing about the change needed to clearly hear the voice of God and God’s voice has power over all. The things we have: they can add to our lives, contribute to joy and assist us through life. But they can also be a hinderance and contribute to cluttered lives. Disciples imagine life with a little less clutter: life with more freedom, less stress and hopefully a little more space that makes the right conditions for the presence of the Spirit and God’s voice to be recognized and praised. Maker of all, creator of order, open the heavens for us so we can share in your work of making all things right so your Spirit can invade hearts and homes to listen for your voice. May we follow the example of your Son who has entered the world and welcomes us into your family through Baptism. We offer all our prayers through him. Amen. [i] Matthew 3:16 NRSVCE
I was actually hoping Brother Joseph could have preached this weekend, but he’s filling in elsewhere. I have to admit, I find the Ascension is one of the more difficult feasts to preach on. We all know the story of Jesus Ascending to heaven on a cloud; it’s a challenge to add much to what’s been said. At first glance, it seems that Jesus ascending into Heaven has little to do with us at all; it might even be considered a sad moment, like a goodbye, and we might wonder why Jesus Ascended. We might think how it would be easier for disciples today if we too, like those first disciples, could look on the face of Jesus, see the marks of the nails and hear his voice.
A key to understanding why it’s good that Jesus ascended can be found in the reaction of those disciples who witnessed him rise up. We heard in today’s Gospel that after watching Jesus ascend into heaven, the disciples left that spot, “…with great joy…”[i]. There’s no sign of sadness among them. No, instead they left rejoicing, like those shepherds who left the stable after seeing the newborn Saviour on the first Christmas.
The disciples were filled with joy because of their understanding of what the Ascension meant. They recognized how the ascension of Jesus wasn’t a departure from this world, but Jesus’ entry to the Kingdom over all to rule over all, not from some distant place but invisibly, from very nearby. The resurrection was great for Jesus, it reveals how death has no power over him. But through the Ascension the Resurrection becomes something for us; by ruling over all, Our Saviour conquers death not just for himself, but for all who follow him.
Had Jesus not ascended, yes, we could look on his face, but his voice and healing power would be limited to one place and he didn’t come to rule over one group or place; he came to be king of all he has made. It’s always been, ‘from high up’ where God has revealed his power. It was from up on a mountain where God gave his people the Ten Commandments. It was the top of a mountain where Jesus revealed God’s Kingdom and gave The Beatitudes. The Transfiguration of Jesus before Peter, James and John happened on a mountain and from the top of the Cross, Jesus offered forgiveness. God rules over all.
A real mystery of today’s feast isn’t that Jesus Ascended, he’s God and can do all things. No, a real mystery is found in how our Saviour exercises his rule over creation for all time.
First, the Saviour rules over all through his disciples. Today, we’re the ones to bring the healing of Jesus to the world. It’s through us that the Good News is proclaimed. It’s through us that
Also, through the Sacraments. Baptism, Confession, Eucharist. This lifts us up and keeps our attention fixed on where true power comes from: not an earthly source but form God in Heaven. Focusing on gifts (including people) as source of fulfillment: we’re left unfulfilled. Focusing on life in God’s Kingdom: we know we will be fulfilled.
Our hope isn’t escape from this world, but to renew, to transform, to add to this world and existence. Ascension is about Heaven meeting Earth. We can get a taste of this when doing the work of God and through Sacraments. Hard work though, like climbing a mountain. Pray.
[i] Luke 24:52 NRSVCE
There are many mysteries in our faith; but there’s one that’s noticeable on a very practical level: we know the death and resurrection of Jesus has changed everything, that it’s somehow made things better for those who follow the Good Shepherd, and yet outwardly, it seems very little has changed. Disciple or not, everyone faces challenges in life and is left with questions about what Easter has changed. In short, we’re not yet at the end of the story. We live in that part of history between the climax and the ‘happily ever after’. Easter has guaranteed a joyful ending, but there’s still a more of the story to be revealed.
I’ve met some who can’t stand waiting to get to the end of a story, who want to know now how everything will be all wrapped up. This person isn’t bothered by spoilers and might read the last few pages of a new book before opening the first chapter. If that’s you, if you like to get a preview of the end, then the Book of Revelation, from where today’s second reading comes from, is for you.
The Book of Revelation reveals God’s final plan, it’s the ‘happily ever after’ God has arranged for his people, the last brushstroke of his masterpiece. This final book of the Bible is the record of a dream that Saint John had of that moment. So, while it does reveal truths about the end of time, it does so often using figurative language. By breaking down some of the symbols, we can get an idea of what God’s plan is, where we fit into it and how we might prepare.
First, we discover that God’s ultimate plan is not to remove his people from creation or to destroy his creation. Instead, he introduces the New Jerusalem, the gift of a perfect city. Cities have always been problematic. On one hand, cities encompass the best civilization has to offer. The best schools, hospitals and museums are usually found in cities. Cities often hold centres of justice, healing and governance. The city of Jerusalem is where God was given right praise and worship in the temple and where his written message was preserved. But there’s also a lot that’s wrong with cities. At one point, Satan tempted Jesus by offering all the cities of the earth, implying that the devil has a lot of control in our cities. The deadliest crimes are often committed in cities and many social problems, like homelessness or hunger, are rooted in cities.
It shouldn’t be a surprise because cities are constructed according to the designs of faulty human builders. The best cities ever conceived in the minds of the greatest architects will always contain faults. So long as our cities are built according to the plans of imperfect human beings, something will always be lacking.
The gift of The New Jerusalem is different kind of city, constructed according to the plans of God. We’re told that it radiates like a rare jewel; it’s a place of beauty. The citizens of this city never obscure the beauty of God’s city with graffiti or vandalism but complement it through harmony and united purpose, like different pieces of stained glass making one great image.
God’s city features a thick wall and many gates. While the gates allow God’s people to freely enter the city, there’s also a wall, not to be an obstacle but to set the identity of the city apart from the influence of the wilderness. The walls offer freedom to God’s people from the anxieties of survival and scarcity.
Finally, a key feature of God’s city is the lack of a temple. Our cities are often divided up, highlighting areas for working, entertainment, living and shopping; so many things happen in our cities, but not all these things are directed towards God or reveal his glory. Today, we need places of worship because of that shortcoming. In God’s city, however, there’s no need for a dedicated place of worship because all things, all activities and efforts give God praise. Because God’s presence is everywhere and in all things, God’s city has no night or shadows, dark alleys or areas to avoid. That’s God’s city built according to his plans and while we know we can’t do any better, maybe this image of the New Jerusalem presents a challenge to us to examine what it is we do build.
The New Jerusalem challenges us to consider how we build up our world through our care for creation. The New Jerusalem challenges us to question how we build up our nation and community through our concern for the wellbeing of others. The New Jerusalem challenges us to question how we build up our homes through the values we hold and the lessons we teach our children. The New Jerusalem challenges us to examine how we build up our lives by using the gifts God has given each of us according to his commandments. To prepare for the gift of the New Jerusalem, our challenge is to let go of our own plans, as good as they may be, to acknowledge, accept, adopt and praise the great plans of God. While waiting for the great end of the story, we long for the gift of God’s city by building reminders here.
We praise you, God of all, for revealing your plans for our redemption. Through the help of your Holy Spirit, may we adopt your plans so our world, nation, community, homes and lives would conform to your will and radiate your love. May the presence of our Saviour, received here, dwell in us, guide us and build within us a longing for the promised New Jerusalem. We offer all our prayers in his name. Amen.
Especially around Easter, we hear a lot about being redeemed; so it’s something we’ve been reflecting on over the last few weeks. There’s lots of ways the word, “redemption”, can be used, but the redemption our faith offers is, “the restoration of something that had been lost.” In today’s second reading, God’s ultimate plan is revealed; this is what God’s redemption looks like: “…God himself will be with them; he will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more…”[i].
Clearly, we’re not there yet though. We know we’re far from perfect, that we’re disadvantaged by our own weaknesses and are not as we could or should be. We’re not saints, yet. We need God’s redemption because without it we’re just imperfect people striving for the impossible. But our Christian faith offers another way, a Saviour who redeems us from those weaknesses we cannot overcome on our own.
We’ve reflected on how Jesus redeemed Thomas. Instead of allowing doubt to remain a barrier, Jesus transforms doubt from an obstacle into something that urges us to seek out and come closer to God. Doubts no longer have to divide us from our faith but become a call to keep searching.
We considered the redemption Jesus offered Peter when forgiving Peter for his three-time denial; the broken relationship was restored and redeemed. Through forgiveness, Jesus redeems our relationship with him so we can live as his disciples.
Then last week, we explored how Saint Paul had to go through his own long redemption before sharing in the work of the Saviour. It would take him over a decade to be freed of qualities incompatible with God’s plan so his gifts, abilities, intellect, drive and courage could flourish. So, it’s no surprise when our own redemption takes time and patience.
So many of the disciples had to be redeemed; they had real faults that could only be overcome with the help of Jesus and the words of the Bible highlight that. But today, we’re reflecting on someone who is only ever described positively in the scriptures. He’s described as generous, understanding and helpful, earning the name, “Barnabas”, a name meaning, “son of encouragement”. He’s a great example for those who know they have been redeemed, for those who are already close to Jesus and their faith.
When the Christians were afraid of Paul, Barnabas put his reputation on the line and vouched for him. When the Christians of Antioch faced a hostile culture, he encouraged them to remain faithful so they could assist other struggling communities and when Paul failed in his first attempt as a leader, Barnabas took him as a kind of apprentice to offer a second chance. Eventually, Barnabas would even mentor Mark, who wrote one of the Gospels.
In the first reading, we heard about a kind of tour that Paul and Barnabas went on. They moved city to city, working to establish a Christian community in each. Knowing the struggles these new communities would face, Barnabas encouraged them, “It is through many persecutions that we must enter the kingdom of God.”[ii] Knowing he was redeemed, that he was already close to Jesus, Barnabas spent his life encouraging others. He put his reputation and life on the line. He took risks by investing his time and energy into encouraging others, into lifting others up and as a result our Christian Faith spread rapidly.
I know each of us wants to make a difference in the world and some exert a lot of effort to make a difference. Indeed, whenever I witness the efforts of those who serve in our community, when I see those working in our food bank or with Kindred Spirits, Development and Peace or any of our service groups, I know there’s many who are making a difference. But the greatest contribution someone could make might come from encouraging others, from lifting others up.
When there are so many powers that tear people down, that proclaim a message of bad news that says, “you’re not enough”, maybe one of the greatest contributions a disciple might make is to be like Barnabas, to be a son or daughter of encouragement, and proclaim some Good News, a message of redemption, of a Saviour who died and rose for all. Sounds easy, but it’s risky work. It means giving a second chance to that person who maybe doesn’t deserve it. It means re-directing those workplace conversations that criticize. It means looking past those hurts caused by family members and reaching out. It means deliberately looking for the mark of our maker in each person and recognizing others as opportunity to love. This is the hard work that makes God present in our community, that wipes out tears and pain and divisions.
Redeem you people, O Lord, from all that divides. Free us from doubt and fear, from sin and hopelessness. Through your Holy Spirit, establish here, in us, a community that supports and encourages so all who enter this place would encounter our Saviour who redeems all through his love. In his name we offer our prayers. Amen.
[i] Revelation 21: 3-4 NRSVCE
[ii] Acts 14: 22 NRSVCE
For a few weeks, we’ve been reflecting on what it means to be redeemed; it’s a word we hear a lot in our faith, especially around Easter. The redemption offered in our faith is something very different from the act of redeeming a coupon or gift card for something we want. No, for us, redemption is, “the restoration of something that had been lost.” The ending of second reading describes God’s plan for us, “…the lamb at the centre of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”[i]We’re still a long way from that ideal, though; clearly the world needs some redemption.
Last week, we considered the redemption Peter experienced when Jesus forgave him for his three-time denial at the cross. Through Jesus, the broken relationship was restored and redeemed, and Peter was then able to take up his role as our first Pope. Through forgiveness, Jesus redeems our relationship with him so we can live as his disciples.
We reflected on how Jesus redeemed Thomas from his doubt. Instead of allowing doubt to remain a barrier in Thomas’ faith, Jesus redeemed him by revealing himself. Jesus transforms doubt from an obstacle into something that urges us to seek out and come closer to God. Doubts no longer have to divide us from our faith but become a call to keep searching.
We love stories of redemption because we know we’re disadvantaged by our own weaknesses. We know we’re far from perfect, that we are not as we could or should be. We know we’re not saints, yet. Left to our own, we’re just imperfect people striving for the impossible. But our Christian faith offers another way, a Saviour who redeems us from those weaknesses we cannot overcome on our own.
Being Jewish themselves, the first disciples began sharing the Good News, that Jesus has risen from the dead to redeem us, from within their own Jewish communities. The Jews were God’s chosen people, so it made sense to begin sharing the Good News there. But the outreach had to expand as the first Christians discovered that not everyone welcomed the Good News or the promised redemption.
We hear a bit about that in today’s first reading. On discovering that they were no longer welcome in some Jewish communities, Paul and Barnabas decided to take the message of the Good News to non-Jewish communities, to the Gentiles, who were very open to hearing about a Saviour: success was found! But this success didn’t come from nowhere. Before sharing the Good News of the redeeming love of Jesus, Paul had to go through his own redemption.
There’s actually more known about Paul than about most of those named in the Bible. While most of the first disciples came from modest backgrounds and had little to no education, Paul was different. His original name was Saul. He knew multiple languages and seemed to have been more educated than most. As a Roman citizen, he was privileged and, on the side, ran a successful tent-making business.
Paul was also Jewish, trained in Jerusalem. He was also a Pharisee, a kind of sect of the Jewish faith of the time who believed that God’s people would only be redeemed through a strict following of the Jewish laws, no exceptions. So, Paul was highly disciplined too. The idea that redemption was impossible without the Good Shepherd, a Saviour, directly challenged that belief and some, including Paul at first, were willing to take even violent steps to silence that idea.
After participating in the martyrdom of Saint Stephen and taking up the mission of arresting Christians, Paul had a vision where Jesus revealed himself. He was that lost sheep whom the Shepherd sought out. On seeing and hearing Jesus, Paul’s heart changed on the spot, though he lost his vision for a short time. That was the moment he received his new name and the work of his own redemption began, but it wouldn’t end there.
The work of accepting the redemption of Jesus would take Paul over ten years. It would have taken that time for Paul to win the acceptance of the Christian Community and let go of his ties to the Pharisees. He would have had to surrender any of his own ambitions and plans to adopt those of God. Paul had to let go of arrogance and intolerance to development humility, patience and charity. He was freed of qualities incompatible with God’s plan so that his gifts, his abilities, intellect, drive and courage were able to flourish. His redemption took over a decade while he was shaped from within. But after all that work and time, Paul became one of the most influential figures of history and of our faith.
This is how redemption often works: it takes its time to shape disciples, to transform qualities incompatible with God’s plan into qualities that build God’s kingdom. It can take a long time, but that shouldn’t be a surprise because when we look at the lives of the saints, we find that most did not become saints overnight; they had to work at it over a long period of time.
So, the first lesson we might learn about our own redemption is that it might take a lot of patience and time; there’s no rushing it. But it’s not a time of waiting. No, we can assist Jesus in his work of redeeming us. If we really take a good look at ourselves, we might find all kinds of qualities we know aren’t quite compatible with God’s plan, we know we’re not saints, yet. We all have habits, tendencies, sin, compulsions that hold us back. Maybe, one way to work on accepting the redemption of Jesus could be to focus on overcoming one, with the Saviour’s help, of course. Working on one issue is easier than working on a hundred. Pick just one way you know you could grow; do your part at working at it but also invite the support of Jesus by bringing it to prayer or even to the Confessional. Once it’s conquered, then move on to the next.
As Jesus helped redeemed sinful Saul by shaping him into saintly Paul, he can redeem and transform us too. So, we’re happy to offer him our prayers.
Kindly shepherd, guide us to the banquet of your Kingdom. Shepherd of love, guard us against powers that work to divide. Holy Shepherd, reveal to us your redeeming plan. Good Shepherd, never allow us to wander away from you. In your name we pray. Amen.
[i] Revelation 7:17 NRSVCE
We get to start with some great news. Our bishop has appointed Deacon Peter Bissonette as Associate Pastor after his ordination to the priesthood later this month. Br. Joseph will continue to serve our community till at least the end of June, but we’ll shortly be joined by the newest priest in our Diocese. By the way, especially if you’ve never seen an ordination, maybe this is the one to check out since the man being ordained will begin serving our community shortly after. The ordination will take place at the Cathedral in Peterborough on the evening of Friday, May 30th. Full details are in the News app or bulletin board.
There is something I need some help with: On the long weekend, a team of young adult missionaries from NET ministries are coming to our parish to lead a retreat for our youth. We all know of so many Catholic youth who aren’t always connected with their faith or Church; they’re in our families and schools. For those who are connected, faith can seem like something isolating instead of joyful. This team hopes to plant the seed of faith in the hearts of the youth of our community and let them know how our faith unites us and offers joy. However, while with us this team of missionaries needs a place to stay. If you have an extra room or some space in your home where you could host a couple of these missionaries, I’m eager to hear from you after Mass. They don’t need a bed, but a place to sleep and maybe some breakfast.
Some not-so-great news: What was supposed to have been for extreme cases has now become commonplace as MAiD or euthanasia has become the fifth leading cause of death in Canada. As the sanctity of life continues to be challenged for the young, the infirmed and our elders, it’s become more important than ever for Christians to speak out and affirm the truth about life. This Thursday is the March for Life in Ottawa and a bus has been arranged to take those who wish to attend right form our parking lot. In Ottawa, participants will begin with Mass before taking a peaceful walk to proclaim what we know to be true. You can sign up through the News App, the poster at the entrance or see me after Mass.
Also this Thursday, at seven in the evening, we’ll celebrate a special Mass and Holy Hour for the election of a new Pope. On that day, Cardinals from around the world will gather in the Sistine Chapel to begin the difficult and important task of electing a new Pope and we can help them with our prayers. We ought to assist them with our prayers because, despite what a popular movie about the Conclave would have us believe, ultimately, the election of a Pope isn’t a political exercise but a spiritual exercise. For the last federal election, we assisted by becoming informed about the issues and platforms before casting a ballot. For the election of a Pope, we assist through our prayers.
Since Easter, we’ve been reflecting on what it means to be redeemed. It’s a word we hear lots around Easter and for our purposes, we’ll define redemption as, “the restoration of something that had been lost.” We started by exploring how we all love stories of redemption, stories of disadvantaged people overcoming great challenges in unexpected ways. We love these stories because we know we’re disadvantaged by our own weaknesses and long for a Saviour who leads us to overcome the obstacles in our lives. Last week, Br. Joseph examined how Jesus redeems doubt by transforming it from something that divides us from faith into something that urges us to seek and come closer to God; the doubts of Saint Thomas didn’t cut him off from Jesus but led him to keep seeking the Saviour.
This week, we hear about an encounter between Jesus and Saint Peter some time after the Resurrection. From his boat, Peter saw Jesus on the shore; but like many others, he didn’t recognize Jesus at first. Earlier, Jesus has told his followers, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”[i] Because of his denial of Jesus earlier, because of his own failings, Peter’s heart wasn’t pure so he couldn’t recognize Jesus at first. The Saviour would fix this though and bring redemption for the fallen Apostle; the relationship that had been lost would be redeemed and restored. This is another way Jesus redeems his people: he overcomes their limits and failings. We may turn from him at times, but he never turns from us.
This is important to remember as a new Pope is elected because whoever the new Pope turns out to be, he will have his limits and failings. He will be a sinner in need of redemption and that’s okay because that’s exactly what our Saviour came to do.
Many have asked me about who I think should be the next Pope. To start, I mostly stay away from Pope’s Cardinals and Bishops where possible. But I also think it’s the wrong question to ask. When we consider who we would like to be in charge, we can only consider human qualities, what we want. It’s a mistake because what we want always falls short of God’s plans. It’s a mistake because it’s a prideful attempt to build a kingdom in our image instead of in God’s image; this is what has led to the end of nations and empires. We want a Pope who is kind and generous and outgoing and merciful: all good qualities but maybe not always the kinds of qualities God looks for.
At first glance, none of the Apostles were especially impressive. They were faulty, sinful, cowardly. But God knows best and chose them anyway. They may not have been the best people or the strongest, wisest, kindest or smartest, but in God’s wise plan, they were the right people. The same is true today. God has a plan for his Church and we believe he guides the Cardinals in electing the right person at the right time. This is why we pray that the Cardinals will be open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and see their job, not as a political function, but as a spiritual one. In the end, we will have a Pope who is full of limits and failings. But that’s okay because we know the Saviour redeems; he can overcome our limits.
For us today, maybe at this Mass, especially during Communion, take a moment to bring to the Saviour your own limits and failings. As Jesus redeemed Peter by offering to overcome his failings, he wishes to overcome our failings too and build within each of us pure hearts ready to see God.
Hear your people, O Lord, who cry out to you in need. Send your Spirit to open our hearts so we would trust in your power to redeem, to give back what has been lost through our failings. May the example of your Son and the disciples who turned to him inspire us to go to him always and long to recognize his presence each and every day. This prayer we offer in Jesus’ name. Amen.
[i] Matthew 5:8 (NRSVCE)
For a couple weeks now, we’ve ben reflecting on the Jubilee Year we’re celebrating. Despite our best efforts, it’s easy for things to drift away from God’s plan over time; a Jubilee year is a moment to set things back in the right direction, towards God and the life he promises. We started by considering...
When thinking about Lent and where it originated, today’s Gospel is often what comes to mind. We connect this season to the forty days Jesus journeyed through the wilderness; or maybe some think of the forty years God’s people wandered through the wilderness as they prepared to enter the promised land. Neither of those journeys...
In today’s second reading, St. Paul encourages Christians to put on imperishability and immortality[i] and Lent is a season about doing just that; when powers try to hold our attention here, we devote a season to remembering that we have all been made for something truly great: eternity with our maker. It’s a reminder of hope,...
We all make plans for life, often great plans, but then the unexpected easily knocks those plans down. It’s a challenge everyone experiences far too often, an experience we’ve been reflecting on for the last few weeks. Next week, we’ll get to hear from Brother Joseph. Sometimes the unexpected is a delightful surprise with blessings...
For the last few weeks, we’ve been reflecting on how to survive the unexpected. By the way, from our website, you can always catch up or review past homilies; just click or tap on, ‘Homilies’, to find recordings and often the full text of reflections offered in our church. Anyway, we all make plans for...
We all make plans, big and small, but then the unexpected happens; there’s no avoiding it. The unexpected constantly threatens to knock down even the greatest and best of plans and leave us frustrated, angry or even, at times, overwhelmed. We just heard, in the Gospel, about how the unexpected impacted a wedding. The wine...
Many undoubtedly started the New Year with all kinds of great plans. Maybe some made plans for a vacation or two. I’m sure many have plans to deepen a relationship or overcome a habit. Some may plan to develop a hobby, diet or exercise or strengthen their prayer: all great plans. The problems with plans...
I hope your twenty-twenty-five is going well so far, that you’ve managed to make it to the gym, say the prayers, start the book or diet, begin the project, remain patient with your kids or keep whatever resolutions you’ve made. A New Year is an opportunity to set new goals, and those goals are usually...
On Christmas we reflected on the joy that is promised for everyone through the coming of Christ into the world. One week later, we reflect on the starting point of how that joy is to be brought about: through Mary. One requirement for true joy is peace. Peace is not simply the absence of war...
I don’t believe it’s an accident that our Church has placed the feast of the Holy Family right after Christmas. The Shepherds, who we reflected on at Christmas, found not just the baby Jesus in the stable, but a family and it’s through that family that God was recognized and given glory. Many of our...
Even if you’re one of those people who finishes all your Christmas gift shopping before December, I know this still remains one of the most hectic times of the year. The Christmas parties, the family dinners on top of all the usual things that need to get done: there’s so many pressures, so much to,...
Last week, we listened to the words of John the Baptist, a cousin of Jesus, who encouraged his listeners to prepare for the coming Saviour. At the time, when a royal official planned to visit a city, the roads along the route would first be improved. A visit from a royal official was a blessing,...
Christmas is coming. I know some are ready. You’ve finished all the shopping and decorating, to-do lists and wrapping. But there’s many who aren’t so ready, those to whom Christmas still seems a long way off so there’s no need to think a lot about it just yet. Regardless of which group you fall into,...
Our countdown to Christmas begins today. For the next four weeks, the culture around us won’t let us forget about it. Even our prayer and worship here will be directed towards the upcoming Christmas celebration. Maybe you count yourself among those who can’t get enough of this season: you’ve had your tree up for a...
An older brother, fed up with his annoying younger brother, chased the younger down a hall and into a closet. After the closet was closed, the older of the two braced his foot against the door so his brother could not get out. He then realized a problem: while he didn’t want his younger brother...
In the creed we’ll all profess shortly, we’ll proclaim our belief in the second coming of our Lord; we know Jesus is coming again, we just don’t know when. I know some wonder if we’re living in the end times. We hear of wars, divides, hunger and struggles and wonder if this is, “…the time...
Among all the kings of Israel, one of the worst was Ahab. While he built temples and altars to idols, his wife, Jezebel, hunted and killed God’s priests and prophets. Before going into hiding to save his life, the prophet Elijah promised there would be no rain until his return. The severe famine during the...
We’ve been reflecting on surrendering control and all the challenges that come along with that. We all like having control, it brings feelings of safety, security and strength. Feeling ‘in control’ is a relief, but when life feels, ‘out of control’, it’s easy for fret and worry to fill the mind. So, surrendering control is...
Today’s Gospel introduces Bartimaeus, a blind beggar who is praiseworthy because he didn’t let the opinions of others dissuade him from calling out to Jesus. Many from the large crowd tried to silence him. The shouting from the beggar may have annoyed those who didn’t especially care about him. So, they told him to be...
Surrendering control: it’s something we all struggle with because each of us have things we like to remain in control of. In the days when a home had just one television, control of the remote was a real struggle. As it gets cool out, I know, in some homes, struggles for control over the thermostat...
I have to admit, one thing I struggle with at times is giving up control. I might not go so far as to say I micro-manage, but I like things to be my way on my time; it’s sometimes a challenge to delegate even if it might help. I know I’m not the only one...
Alright, before the break of last weekend, we were reflecting on a question most everyone is haunted by, “am I enough?” Despite best efforts, it often seems impossible to be enough for all the demands and pressures of life, for family, school and work, finances and health, faith and friends. Yet we try our best...
Am I enough? It’s a question we all ask, a question we’ve been examining for a couple weeks now. It’s a question that often haunts because it seems like, despite all best efforts, it’s impossible to be enough for family, school and work, finances and health, faith and friends. Yet we try our best to...
Success in life and finding happiness often demands so much time and energy divided across so many different areas that it appears there’s never enough. Family, school and work, finances and health, faith and friends: giving enough to all these areas seems near impossible and yet everyone knows happiness and success will only be found...
Ever wonder if you’re enough? I know the question comes up for me all the time. Do I pray enough? Am I enough as a friend? Do I serve enough? At the end of the day, I don’t stop work because I don’t have enough things to do, but because I feel I don’t have...
For anyone on a journey, food is a big deal. No road trip is complete without the right food. A camping trip can fall to pieces if enough food isn’t packed. I suspect the purses of many mothers here have at least a little food in them, just in case. Once, while on a walking pilgrimage, I stumbled on this tree that had something that looked like walnuts growing on it. I wasn’t carrying much food with me because over a day, extra food gets heavy. So, finding food along the way was always a blessing. I took and cracked open one of these nuts and bit into it only to find it completely inedible. It tasted awful and my mouth even went numb for near an hour. Having the right food is important for any journey, big or small.
In the first reading, we heard about one of the early challenges God’s chosen people faced as they journeyed to the Promised Land: the problem of hunger. The people were on a journey, constantly on the move, so there was no time to farm. When hunger appeared, they worried for their survival. Some even went so far as to accuse God of leading his people into the wilderness to die of hunger.
God responded to the cries of his people with a miracle, with the appearance of an edible bread-like substance nearly every day. The people called it ‘manna’, and this food sustained God’s people through the remainder of their journey to the promised land. We learn how God miraculously feeds his people, but he feeds them for a journey.
Last week, we heard about a miracle Jesus did before a crowd of thousands who had followed him to a remote spot. They had been with him so long that they ran out of food. Instead of sending the people away, Jesus multiplied loaves of bread and a couple fish and everyone had their fill. Afterwards, instead of returning to their homes and jobs, the crowd followed Jesus across a lake. He could make food out of nothing; there was very good reason to follow him. Jesus called them out, saying, “…you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.”[i] The people wanted more free food and Jesus knew it; free food would certainly make life much easier. God, however, didn’t come to make life easier. No, his plan is to miraculously feed his people for a journey.
When we come here or when we pray, disappointment is easy to find because when we expect God to make life easier or to help us survive from day to day, what we discover here is something very different. God doesn’t feed us to survive, he miraculously feeds us for a journey. If we forget that we’re on a journey to God’s Kingdom, when the primary concern becomes survival here, then our worship here seems pointless. We come here because survival isn’t enough, we long for something more. We may have built incredibly comfortable homes here, but we know we’re still on a journey. We come here to find a miracle, a food we cannot find anywhere else.
For God’s chosen people who fled Egypt, the journey was to the promised land. For us today, the journey is to God’s Kingdom; and just as God’s chosen people were unable to give themselves the miraculous food needed to reach the promised land, neither can we make for ourselves the food that’s needed for our long and difficult journey. We come here not to find food that will feed us for a day but to receive the food needed to reach his Kingdom.
The miraculous food God feeds us with is his very self, offered on the altar here pretty much every day. It may not be especially filling, it may not taste particularly delicious, but this miraculous food forgives sins, units us to God’s family and gives us the strength needed to share in God’s work. Even our efforts to alleviate the sufferings of the hungry through the food bank are derived from what we receive here. The ordinary food given out here, our care for those who cry out is hopefully a reminder of the greater care and miraculous food God offers.
Near the conclusion of the Gospel, Jesus proclaimed, “I am the bread of life.”[ii] and with these words he started a long conversation with the crowds who followed him. It’s called, ‘The Bread of Life Discourse’, and in this conversation Jesus encourages those who follow him not to seek survival, but to seek all that’s needed to reach the end of a great journey. For the rest of the month we’re going to explore this conversation. We’ll see how Jesus calls all to accept his miraculous food and follow him on the journey and how this call, sadly, eventually leads most to turn away from him.
God of all that is good, your people cry out to you in need. For some, survival is threatened as they hunger for food, purpose, security and peace. Guide us and make us your instruments to bring relief to those who suffer. May our prayers here, your Word and the gift of your very self on the altar nourish us for the great journey you call us to accept. May we never turn away from your Son, but draw close to him, the Bread of Life. In his name, we pray. Amen.
[i] John 6:26 (NRSVCE)
[ii] John 6: 35 (NRSVCE)
We’ve been reflecting on our Baptism, especially on the moment when consecrated oil is placed on the head of the newly Baptized in the sign of the cross while they’re told they’re now united to Jesus as priest, prophet and king. This is not just a ritual but the continuation of an ancient practice reaching far back into the Old Testament. The anointing wasn’t just a blessing, but a sign of dedication and support. The people knew, as we do today, that God leads his people through priests prophets and kings.
We considered how each Baptized person is a priest, given the job of leading God’s people through prayer, worship and sacrifice. That’s what the priests did in the temple and it’s what we continue doing in our church. Through participation at Mass, we offer God prayers for the needs of all. Through the collection we present a sacrifice, asking God to transform it into something life-giving; and through music, gestures and the various ways so many contribute, we offer God worship.
Some, like Fr. Erwin and myself, may be called to live out the priesthood we received at Baptism as ministerial priests. We’ve been given the task of making sure this place remains a place of prayer, sacrifice and worship, especially through the Sacraments. But every other Baptized person has a job too: to lead God’s people by building homes, families, and communities that are dedicated to prayer, sacrifice and worship.
We explored, last week, how each Baptized person is a prophet called to lead God’s people by sharing God’s word, his message of love; they’re like God’s voice in the world. When so many false prophets suggest that joy is to be found in wealth, pleasure, honour and power, we need true prophets who set things straight, who remind us that joy is found instead in having a right relationship with God and with others. When so many false prophets urge us to become gods for ourselves, true prophets point out the way to the joy of God’s Kingdom.
God also continues leading his people through kings. I’m sure each of us have expectations of what a king looks like. Here’s a nickel with Charles the third on it. I don’t know why he’s not wearing a crown; in my mind, kings wear crowns. I’m sure each of us also have expectations of what a king does. Maybe some here imagine kings as living in castles and sitting on thrones, bestowing honours on nobles and keeping peasants in check.
God also has expectations for what a king should do. For God, the job of kings is to guide his people by using his gifts to build up the Kingdom of God. It’s perhaps God’s first rule. Even before commanding the first people to avoid eating the forbidden fruit, God instructed them to be stewards of creation, to continue building upon what God started. God wants his people to rule, but to do so in his name and in his ways.
In the Old Testament, the livelihood of God’s people often depended on the faithfulness of the king. Things went very well for God’s people when kings used their position to uphold God’s commandments and when they slipped and became unfaithful, God’s people suffered, sometimes greatly. God leads his people through kings, but kings are often faulty and that’s a true problem.
God has a solution though. In today’s First Reading through the prophet Jeremiah, God reveals his plan to lead his people into a great future through a king, “…I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king… In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety.”[i]This new king is Jesus, God himself and a man free of all the failings that have led God’s people astray in the past. Instead of ruling from a throne room, he asks to rule from the heart of every Baptized person. Wanting to be great kings in his name, there’s three things disciples do to allow Jesus to rule from our hearts:
First, disciple know the gifts they’ve received. Nations regularly take a census to understand the gift of people dwelling within. It’s expensive and time consuming but it helps in understanding gifts and it’s necessary for any nation hoping to grow and develop. Disciples can do something similar. They might take a moment regularly to appreciate the gifts they’ve received. Some might appreciate the gift of family and loved ones, while others recognize they been given gifts in their talents or career or position.
Next, the disciples of today, the kings among us, proclaim something greater, God. This is an exercise in honesty, recognizing that we have been made kings, not because any of us have accomplished anything great, not because we’ve earned a kingdom but because God has called us. He’s the one who’s given us a share in the kingship of Jesus: he’s the greater being.
I stand by my earlier statement: kings should wear crowns. Disciples take up their crowns, they take charge and use the gifts they’ve received to build up God’s kingdom. Even when powerless against the clouts of the world, we take up our crowns by starting within. Vices, sin or bad habits have no place in the hearts of those who take up the crown of discipleship. Instead, God hopes we’ll accept crowns of faith, hope and love: crowns that reveal God and leads others towards his Kingdom.
At Baptism we were joined to Jesus, offered a great inheritance and that is some truly great Good News. But we’ve also been given a great responsibility as priests, prophets and kings today. By living that identity out, we not only lead God’s people but make the King of Kings present in the world.
God of love, we praise you for inviting us to share in your work. Through your Spirit, make of us a community of faithful priests, prophets and kings to lead your people after the model of Jesus who rules over all as the Good Shepherd. In his name we offer our prayers. Amen.
[i] Jeremiah 23: 5, 6 (NRSVCE)
In the Old Testament, through a ritual of anointing, certain individuals were set apart as priests, prophets and kings to lead God’s people. The anointing wasn’t just a blessing, but a sign of dedication, indicating how the anointed one was chosen for the special task of sharing in God’s work of gathering the people. Today, we still anoint people for the same reason. Right after the pouring of water, Sacred Chrism, a consecrated oil, is placed on the head of the newly Baptized in the sign of the cross while they’re told they are united to Jesus as priest, prophet and king.
Last weekend, we considered how each Baptized person is an anointed priest. Now, the job of priests has been to lead God’s people through prayer, sacrifice and worship. That’s what the priests did in the temple and it’s what we continue doing in our church. Through participation at Mass, we offer God prayers for the needs of all. Through the collection we present a sacrifice, asking God to transform it into something life-giving; and through our music, gestures and the various ways many contribute here, we offer God worship.
Some, like Fr. Erwin and myself, may be called to live out the priesthood we received at Baptism as ministerial priests, by making sure this place remains a place of prayer, sacrifice and worship, especially through the Sacraments. We probably have it easiest as the various books and rules of our church tell us exactly how to do that and if we slip up, the bishop is sure to correct. Every other Baptized person has a job too though: to lead God’s people by building homes, families, and communities that are dedicated to prayer, sacrifice and worship.
God also leads his people through prophets. A prophet is someone who shares God’s word; they’re like God’s voice in the world. In the first reading we heard about the prophet Amos, a shepherd and fig farmer from the nation of Judah who God called to go to another country, Israel. The land had many false prophets who told the people that happiness was to be found in wealth, pleasure, honour and power. Even the king listened to these false prophets and encouraged the people to abandon their Jewish faith.
So, the people worshipped these false gods, these idols, who made no demands about caring for those in need. Forgetting about the miraculous way God had led his people out of slavery to the Egyptians, indebted slavery became common practice. Those who owed too much on their credit card were sold into slavery until their debt was paid off and this free labour made it easy for some to become very wealthy. Things seemed to be working; so, the false prophets were believed.
False prophets still exist suggesting that happiness is found more in wealth than in God, enslaving many to materialism. The false prophets of today still propose that it’s pleasure and not faith that offers joy, urging many to depend on substances, entertainment and forms of love that aren’t life-giving. False prophets today suggest that honour, not sacrifice is the way to fulfillment, threatening conflict and practices that scatter and divide God’s people instead of uniting them. When the false prophets of today suggest that prayer makes no real difference in our world, those looking for change begin placing more trust in politicians, economic systems, policies and elections than in God’s power.
We need true prophets today to set things straight, prophets like Amos who, at God’s prompting, went to the primary temple of the false gods in Bethel, to revealing how happiness wasn’t to be found in power, honour, pleasure or wealth but in having a right relationship with others and with God. We need true prophets today who reveal God to those looking for answers, hope and happiness and these needed prophets come from among us, the Baptized.
But being a true prophet today is challenging. The words of Amos weren’t well received; many strongly urged the foreign prophet to return home or at least keep his faith to himself because his message also contained an unpopular prophecy of destruction and exile if the people refused to return to their faith; his prophecy did come true about forty years later. Amos is a recognized prophet today not because he was the most knowledgeable or well educated or smartest but because he proclaimed, not his own word, but God’s.
Disciples do the same thing today, they become great prophets when they simply proclaim the Good News and it’s simple: Out of love for us, God entered the world; through his death and resurrection he conquered all that divides us from love and through his Church he units us and empowers us to share in his joyful work. That’s the message of the prophets of today, a message shared in our homes and schools, families, workplaces and beyond. Disciples wanting to go a little deeper might check out the weekly videos, readings and audio recordings listed in the news app each week or even consider coming for some of the adult lessons held here each winter.
Being a true prophet today is challenging, especially when difficult questions and trials obscure God. Jesus has promised, though, that the pure in heart will see God. So, as the true prophets of today, we ask God to purify our hearts.
Maker of all and source of life, we beg you to raise up from among your people dedicated leaders, priests, prophets and kings, who reveal your presence and lead your people who are often scattered and searching for hope. Send your Spirit to touch the hearts of the Baptized, so they would never shy away from your call to courageously share your Good News in our families, community and world. We offer these and all our prayers in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Saviour. Amen.
In the second reading for this weekend, Saint Paul points out a unique features of disciples; he observes, “…we walk by faith, not by sight.”[i] Of course, Christians witness the same things as everyone else. Our senses are no different; we hear and see the same news and encounter the same joys and challenges as anyone. But while sight alone might view life as a series of events, sometimes good and sometimes not-so-good, faith gives a different perspective.
In the first reading, we heard of a promise God made to his people through the priest, Ezekiel, who used images of trees and twigs to explain. To truly understand this promise though, a little background is needed. God’s people had just been exiled from their homeland by the Babylonians. The temple was destroyed and the wall around Jerusalem torn down. God had promised to make a great and everlasting nation from this people. But at that moment, it appeared they had lost their nation, their freedom, their homes, God’s love: absolutely everything. At least, that’s what sight alone might have had them believe.
Today, we still witness many oppressed groups and great powers, so it’s easy to understand why the exile of God’s people to Babylon might have tempted them to simply give up all hope. Sight alone focuses on the limits and smallness of people. Sight alone claims that people are small and powerless against empires, injustice or hunger. Guided by sight alone, pride, selfishness and deceit threaten to overwhelm. People of faith, however, see things a little different.
Guided by faith, Ezekiel the priest proclaimed that the exile was not the disaster it appeared to be but would become a sign of God’s greatness and faithfulness. He compared Babylon to a great tree of which God’s people, a simple twig, were forced to become a part of through exile. The Babylonian empire may be gone, but we’re still familiar with many impressive trees, forests filled with trees that seem as though they’ll endure forever. We may think of powerful nations or influential figures. The impressively powerful trees of our day may include poverty, war or popular ideologies incompatible with our faith.
While sight alone may keep the attention of all focused on the greatness of the tree, Ezekiel promised that God was at work, that he would take that perhaps unnoticeable twig, God’s people, and nurture it into an even larger tree that would house birds of all kinds.
Guided by faith, Mary, Mary and John could follow the cross while everyone else ran. Faith has led Christians to establish monasteries, schools and hospitals. Through faith, Christians have risked it all to share the Good News in even the most hostile of places in every part of the world. Faith tells us that life is not made up of just a series of events to be judged as good or bad but as God continuously at work.
Sometimes, the challenges of life and dark powers of the world can capture our attention and make us feel small. That’s when worries, stress and anxiety begin to fill the mind. This experience doesn’t have to mean there’s a lack of faith, though. Instead, disciples use this experience as a prompt to focus on God at work through the twig. Through the twig, God doesn’t just nurture a large tree. No, through Ezekiel’s imagery, it’s revealed that God nurtures a tree designed to house birds of all kinds, a symbol for all the peoples of the world.
We witness this lived out in our Church. Empires come and go and great kingdoms establish walls to keep some people in and others out. The Babylonian empire, the Roman Empire: they’re both long gone. The G 7 meeting from this past week may point out incredibly powerful nations, but none of them will last forever. Our Church, however, remains at work gathering people from all over. Every day, Saint Peter’s Square is filled with people from all over. World Youth Days have generated the largest gatherings of people ever seen. If it weren’t for the extension of our Church into Clarington through our parish here, maybe none of us, many who have migrated from other continents, would ever gather.
The challenge for us is to notice what captures our attention. While those who walk by sight may focus on the greatness of the trees of the world today, perhaps out of admiration or of fear, we focus on the twig God uses to gather his people. Those who walk by sight alone are relieved when things seem to go well and are filled with fear when powerful evils rise up. Guided by faith, however, disciples don’t run from the cross, their hearts aren’t filled with fear of the powers of the world. Instead, disciples who walk by faith are eager to share in God’s work of gathering.
Father of all, through your Holy Spirit, open our hearts so we would see beyond sight and hear beyond sound. Giving attention and admiration, not to the powerful trees of the world but, to you at work nurturing your kingdom, a home for us and for all peoples. We make this prayer in the name of Jesus, our Lord. Amen.
[i] 2 Corinthians 5:7 (NRSVCE)
Last week we celebrated the Ascension of Jesus, the moment when those who followed our Risen Saviour watched him ascend into heaven on a cloud. Though they saw him leave, the disciples didn’t depart that hill in sorrow. They left in joy knowing Jesus was with them always; he had promised it and whenever they broke bread together, whenever they celebrated Mass as Jesus asked, they were confidant in his mysterious presence with them. But just before ascending into heaven, Jesus gave his followers one last command. We call it ‘The Great Commission’. In his final words, Jesus directed, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…”[1]. He told them to Baptize all people and to teach everyone to obey his commandments.
While we might expect that the disciples, after receiving ‘The Great Commission’, went right away to proclaim the Good News from every street corner or invited their families over to talk about the message of Jesus, that’s not what they did. No, the first thing the disciples did after receiving the command to Baptize the world was to lock themselves in a room. They hid themselves and it’s incredibly easy to understand why. Talking about Jesus is difficult and intimidating. Maybe the thought of sharing faith fills many with fear here even though our culture is still somewhat Christian. The first disciples had even more reason to be full of fear as proclaiming the Good News could have meant expulsion from communities, loss of employment or even worse. No, the disciples hid themselves because they lacked something. They lacked the gifts needed to reflect God’s love.
You see, God’s love gets things done. Through God’s love, children are adopted into God’s family at Baptism. Because of the love of God demonstrated on the cross, sins are forgiven. With God’s love Jesus is present at every Mass. So, for disciples, reflecting God’s love means being like Jesus, being willing to carry crosses and make great sacrifices. The life of Jesus reveals God getting things done and the call to reflect that in our own lives can be terrifying, urging us to hide away as the disciples did.
Without love God’s people hide. When Adam and Eve turned from love, they hid themselves from one another and from God. Without love the disciples hid themselves from the world. Maybe they prayed. Maybe they were generous and kind. But they weren’t living lives that revealed God to the world or made the world better.
God’s people, God’s Church, needs Pentecost. That’s what we celebrate this weekend: the moment our Church, the disciples of Jesus, are finally empowered through the Holy Spirit to reflect the love of God and actually fulfill that final command of our Saviour to Baptize all nations.
We see this lived out in the lives of Jesus’ followers almost immediately after they received the Holy Spirit. After the tongues of flame, the disciples courageously left the locked room. Through a miracle, they discovered they could speak all languages and they used this gift to tell others about the death and resurrection of Jesus. Peter gave his first recorded sermon. The disciples reflected the love of Jesus; they cared more about sharing the Good News than about their safety or comfort and as a result, three thousand were Baptized in just one day. God’s love gets things done and when disciples reflect God’s love, they also get things done.
So here we are today, like the first disciples, gathered into one place. We’ve all been given the same great commission as the disciples. Maybe some here are excited about the mission, ready to share the Good News. Some here have already been at it for some time and already carry crosses to share Good News in their families, workplaces or through their service to others. I have no doubt those who need the food bank encounter Jesus through the service of those who minister there.
But I know there’s many who find the idea of sharing faith with others frightening and that’s okay because something can be done about it. When speaking about the glorious acts of God is frightening or difficult, disciples might begin by reflecting the daily works of God. After all, God’s work is never done; he continues to bless and guide his people. Through miracles both great and small, God reveals his love each day and through a few small steps we can reflect that.
First, we notice. It’s too easy to simply drift through each day: to get up, go to work, eat the food, go to bed. But there’s certainly more to our days than just that. Disciples might deliberately work to notice all the little things that happen each day: the people met, the words shared, the experiences, joys, sorrows and feelings. We might deliberately work to notice all these things for the next step: to acknowledge the source.
Disciples acknowledge each moment and experience as coming from God. We acknowledge that our lives aren’t made up of just one random event after another but are purposely shaped by someone who loves and cares for us. Just as the fine details of a painting can reveal things about the artist, we acknowledge that the small details of our day to day lives reveal something about our maker.
Finally, disciples proclaim what we notice and acknowledge, by shaping our words and actions to point out for others where God is found. We might voice thanks to God for the beautiful day or for the raise someone got or for the relationships we value. I know a few families who have a tradition around Thanksgiving of sharing with one another what they are thankful for. This could easily become a daily practice, a way for Christians in each home to point out signs of God’s love.
So many people need this because there’s a lot of fear suggesting that God isn’t really there, that some worldly evil, inflation, climate change, war or injustice will bring the end. The world needs a different message though, a witness of good news revealing that there’s no need to stay locked away and hidden and every reason to believe that Jesus is truly with us.
Father of all, we praise and thank you for the gift of Pentecost which gives life to your Church. May the Holy Spirit open our hearts so our very lives would reflect your love and contribute to the building of your Kingdom: the kingdom of love, joy and peace, a kingdom of patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. May the faith in our hearts grow through our families and Baptize the people of the world with the help our Lord, in whose name we pray. Amen.
[1] Matthew 28:19 (NRSV)
We’ve been reflecting on how the extraordinary sign of the empty tomb reveals how ordinary will not have the last say. That’s true Good News for us, because often ordinary just doesn’t work. Ordinary can be monotonous or boring; it can make meaning difficult to find. When bad habits, addictions or compulsions become ordinary, God’s people are robbed of freedom. Death is the greatest example of ordinary not working.
But with God’s help, ordinary practices by ordinary people can bring extraordinary results. When the first Christians sacrificed personal ambitions to contribute to the goals of the group, when, “…the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul…”[i], they built an extraordinary community where, “There was not a needy person among them…”[ii]. That’s the kind of community we build here, especially through our generous giving and our service.
We examined how encouraging words may build a person up to strive for extraordinary. The disciples accepted an extraordinary gift of joy and reconciliation delivered through ordinary words, “Peace be with you.”[iii] But first, they did something ordinary: they were familiar with God’s Word, the scriptures. It’s God who grants extraordinary understanding of his Word. The first task of Disciples is often to simply be familiar with his word.
At home or work, among friends, family or loved ones, each of us are in positions to influence and guide others. On Good Shepherd Sunday, we explored how ordinary people reveal God’s presence when they reflect the extraordinary love of the Good Shepherd in ordinary day to day moments. This never happens accidently though; to reflect the love of the Good Shepherd, who gives his all to nourish the flock, disciples deliberately seek ways to be like him.
On the night of the Last Supper, Jesus used the image of an ordinary vine and branches to explain how disciples can remain connected to God in extraordinary ways. The image reveals how we are fed with the gifts of life and joy through Jesus and that’s some true Good News. But the image is also challenging news too.
On the night of the Last Supper, Jesus told his disciples “Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.”[iv] The branches, each of us, must remain connected to the vine, Jesus, to accomplish anything truly great.
The image is a challenge because a quick look may show how, through our own hard work, homes have been built and filled. Through your own effort, perhaps you’ve nourished a beautiful family, good health and a rewarding career or business. Maybe your life is marked by generosity and kindness and your name will be known for generations to come for all the right reasons: no prayer needed. Before they encountered Jesus, Peter, James and John seemed to have all those things too. But it was only through their willingness to leave it all and follow Jesus that the lives of the first disciples did works that had eternal value.
I have a sad story. Some time ago, I was called to a man’s house whose very elderly mother had died there during the night. The hope was that I would offer the Sacrament of the Anointing of the sick. Of course we prayed together, but really it was much too late for the Anointing. The elderly lady had been declared palliative many months prior, so there had been plenty of time to call for a priest long before that sad moment. But no one in the family thought of it simply because there wasn’t a strong habit of reaching out to God in prayer or of joining God’s community in worship.
Oh, they did all they could to let their mother know she was loved and would be missed. They kept her comfortable and took shifts to ensure she always had company, even in her final moments. She passed surrounded by love in the familiar setting of her son’s home. All very wonderful things, things that ought to have been done, but also very temporary things. What the family forgot was to include the eternal, to call for a priest so their mother could be Anointed, given Communion and offered a chance to make a Confession.
We can feed the poor, build peaceful communities, be full of kindness and generosity: these are all good things disciples ought to do. But when disciples are disconnected from the vine, it’s easy to forget about eternal things. The image of the vine and the branches challenges disciples to do what they can to be always connected to Jesus, the vine, the source of life. There are a few ways to do this.
Disciples remain connected to the vine when they pray. When I pray, I like to set a countdown timer on my phone to keep me either from checking my watch all the time or from losing track of time. I know of others who set alarms to remind them to pray. You can pray by reflecting on some scripture or by looking for the presence of God in your day. You might ask for guidance on how to grow in God’s love, invite Jesus into the decisions you have to make or simply listen for God.
Disciples remain connected to the vine through the Sacraments. By joining in worship as a community, as Church, disciples practice for life in God’s Kingdom and by receiving Jesus in the Sacraments we profess our need for the nourishment of his life.
Perhaps most difficult: disciples remain connected to the vine when they welcome the pruning of God. To be truly extraordinary, to truly make a difference in the world, the vine and branches must be pruned; there are parts that must be removed and that process can be difficult or even painful at times. This may mean going to the Confessional to ask for God’s strength when we’ve fallen. It may mean accepting criticisms humbly. This could simply mean recognizing moments of trouble and uncertainty as opportunities to ask God how he’s pruning and shaping us rather than prompts to run.
Apart from Jesus disciples are limited to ordinary things. We may do many good works, but only through Jesus can we do extraordinary things of eternal value. When disciples, the branches, remain connected to Jesus, the vine, they no longer settle for ordinary but open themselves to the extraordinary nourishment God has planned for all his children.
We entrust our hearts to you, Jesus, our Lord, seeking your love and your strength. Guide us through the Holy Spirit, so your disciples, the branches, would never settle for what is ordinary, but always strive to remain connected to you, the vine and source of life. Prune us so our very lives would reveal your extraordinary presence and work. These prayers we offer in your name. Amen.
[i] Luke 4:32 (NRSVCE)
[ii] Luke 4:34 (NRSVCE)
[iii] Luke 24:36 (NRSVCE)
[iv] John 15:4 (NRSVCE)
For a few weeks now we’ve reflected on how the extraordinary sign of the empty tomb reveals how ordinary will not have the last say. That’s true Good News for us, because often ordinary just doesn’t work. Ordinary can be monotonous or boring; it can make meaning difficult to find and when bad habits, addictions or compulsions become ordinary, it robs God’s people of freedom. Worst of all is the ordinary experience of death.
However, with God’s help, ordinary practices by ordinary people can bring extraordinary results to our lives, our world and our Church. We explored how the extraordinary happens when Christians work as a Church. When the first Christians sacrificed personal ambitions to contribute to the goals of the group, they built a community where, “…the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul…”[1]. Something extraordinary happened: “There was not a needy person among them…”[2]. That’s the kind of community we build here, especially through our generous giving and our service.
Last week, we examined the extraordinary power of ordinary words. Encouraging words may build a person up to strive for extraordinary and hurtful words may bring tears or lead someone to settle for ordinary. When Jesus opened the minds of his followers to understand the scriptures, they accepted a gift of joy and reconciliation delivered through some ordinary words, “Peace be with you.” But before receiving that extraordinary gift, they had to do something ordinary: they had to be familiar with God’s Word, the scriptures. It’s God who grants extraordinary understanding of his Word. The first task of Disciples is often to simply be familiar with his word.
Today we celebrate Good Shepherd Sunday, a weekend where we reflect on the image of Jesus as a shepherd. Now, we’re lucky to have many good leaders in our community; I think of parents or educators or so many who go out of their way to lead and guide others to growth. Communities depend on good leaders, shepherds for God’s people today.
Those who lead us have limits though and flaws; no one is perfect. As a result, there are many broken things in our world that have become ordinary. Right in our community there are people who go hungry or struggle to find housing. Violence is never especially far away. Relationships struggle and even end at times, despite best efforts. There’s plenty of hurt right here in our community even though it ought to be one of the best places on the planet. Of course, it’s easy to point the finger of blame. But, truth-be-told, a change in shepherds is often just a trade of one set of challenges for another. That’s some bad news for sure, But God plans to do something about it through disciples who mirror the love of the Good Shepherd.
In the first reading, we heard about a moment when Peter and John were arrested. There’s some background to this arrest. One day, Peter and John went to the temple to pray where they encountered a crippled beggar. Peter and John had been out of work for over three years as they followed Our Saviour, so they had no money to give the poor man. Instead, they spoke to him about Jesus and prayed over him in the name of Jesus. Suddenly, the crippled man was healed and started walking. This caught the attention of the crowd of people who wanted to know more about this Jesus whose very name could bring healing. The commotion in the temple area attracted the attention of the authorities who had Peter and John arrested.
Of course, everyone was impressed by the miraculous healing; there was no problem with that. But when Peter and John told the story of the unjust crucifixion of Jesus and of his resurrection, the authorities took great offense and ordered the arrest of the two disciples.
More impressive than the miraculous healing was how the miracle came to be through ordinary people. Even today we expect healing to come through the hands of educated doctors, surgeons and other medical professionals. Peter and John may have been leaders, shepherds, in the early Christian community, but they were very ordinary. They weren’t the smartest or strongest or educated in any way. They did not come from royal bloodlines nor did they have any money or influence backing them. This baffled many.
It’s easy to picture the saints as being extraordinary, as needing some kind of hall of fame for their greatness. But the truth is that the saints were all very ordinary, like any of us. Some saints were rich or influential or healthy, while others were none of those things. Some were well educated while others couldn’t even read.
It’s convenient to picture saints is being extraordinary. After all, if the saints were extraordinary figures, it becomes easy to brush our hands of the task of sharing the Good News; we can leave that difficult job to the best us. But the saints weren’t extraordinary. They were people, like any of us.
What made the saints unique was how they mirrored the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd is so good because of the lengths he’s willing to go to guide his people to growth: even to the point of surrendering his life. Saints are great simply for following that example.
The Good News is that God wishes to redeem the world through shepherds, leaders for today. This Sunday is a moment for us to appreciate how God works to do this through each one of us. In big or small ways, in our homes, families and workplaces, among our friends and loved ones, we’re all in positions of influence and have opportunity to be like the Good Shepherd who leads and guides the flock of God’s people.
So, wanting to fix the world or at least give a taste of Heaven, here’s the challenge for Disciples of today: be like the Good Shepherd. This won’t be accidental; it’s not possible to accidently be like the Good Shepherd who give his all. No, becoming like the Good Shepherd takes deliberate prayer and thought.
At the entrance, you’ll find some prayer cards featuring our seminarians, men who are taking a moment to deliberately consider how they could be called to be like the Good Shepherd by serving in the ministerial priesthood like Fr. Darlington or myself. It’s a seven to nine year journey, so I know these men would appreciate your prayers.
Of course, not all are called to shepherd in that way, but we’re all called to reflect the goodness of the Good Shepherd. This is why you hear me asking all of you to get involved. It’s not just to build things up here; I know that through you is how God wants to work in the world and share his Good News. We see this especially through the way God can bring big and extraordinary outcomes from the small and ordinary help so many offer. A small group of people here sorts cans of soup weekly, a very small and ordinary thing through which hundreds are fed in an extraordinary way. A few people share their voices in the choir or give a smile at the entrance. Through that ordinary act, God is made present here in an extraordinary way. Good Shepherd Sunday is an invitation, a call for each to reflect on how to be like him.
God of all that is good. We thank you for creating us and praise you for guiding us through your Spirit. Inspire us by raising up shepherds for your people today who reflect the love of the Good Shepherd. May we, your people, never shy away from the call to follow you but trust completely in Jesus, the Good Shepherd who gives his very life for us. In his name we offer this prayer. Amen.
[1] Luke 4:32 (NRSVCE)
[2] Luke 4:34 (NRSVCE)
On the first Easter, Mary Magdalene went to do something very sad but ordinary, to honour the body of Jesus with traditional burial rituals. But as it turned out, through God’s power, that first Easter would be anything but ordinary: the tomb was empty; Jesus had risen.
There are times when ordinary is welcome: when life becomes safely predictable. But ordinary can get boring or monotonous, making meaning and purpose difficult to find. Ordinary is outright unwelcome when it strangles freedom perhaps when bad habits, addictions or compulsions become ordinary; the worst injury to freedom is the ordinary experience death. But when ordinary just doesn’t work, the sign of the empty tomb is true Good News that ordinary will not have the last say.
So, for a few weeks we’re exploring how, with God’s help, ordinary practices by ordinary people can bring extraordinary results to our lives, our world and our Church. We reflected last week on life in the early Christian community, on how, “…the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul…”[1]. Like geese flying in a vee, the first Christians worked for the same goal, depended on one another and trusted that the head knew how to lead the community closer to God. By sacrificing personal ambitions to contribute to the goals of the group, “There was not a needy person among them…”[2]. The extraordinary happens when Christians work as a Church. That’s the kind of community we build here, especially through our generous giving and our service.
Words are very ordinary; everyone uses them. Even those who own nothing at all still have words. But, despite being ordinary, words have extraordinary power. When a president posts words on twitter all kinds of responses are inspired. Debates over the freedom to use words take place in government buildings all over.
Words can build up and direct the life of a young person. Maybe you’re where you are now in life because, with ordinary words, someone encouraged you or pointed out a natural talent or simply told you that you’re loved and worthy. Words can stir someone to strive for extraordinary. But words can tear down too. Discouraging words may lead someone to settle for ordinary. Hurtful words can bring out tears and mean-spirited criticism might hold someone back from taking the risks needed to love.
On the first Easter evening, the disciples were filled with many fears. Their leader had been killed. The body of Jesus was missing and extraordinary stories and rumours circulated. Confused by it all, the disciples even worried for their lives. At first, the appearance of Jesus heightened their fears. They wondered if they were seeing a ghost. Maybe some felt guilt over abandoning him at the cross. But then Jesus used ordinary words, “…Peace be with you.”[1], to begin a process of reconciliation that led to joy.
Before the cross, Jesus had revealed how he must suffer, die and rise. But the disciples didn’t understand; his extraordinary words went over their heads. It’s easy to avoid the Bible, the Word of God, because often the words seem confusing or are difficult to understand. That’s normal. The Bible was written long ago in a completely different culture. Scholars today still spend decades studying the Bible, and Christians often can’t agree on how it is to be interpreted. So, when opening a Bible, it’s okay to not completely understand the words. The disciples who heard God’s word directly from the mouth of Jesus also didn’t understand at first. So, when scripture seems confusing, you’re in good company.
Finally, on the day of the resurrection Jesus, “…opened their minds to understand the scriptures…”[2], and only then could his followers begin sharing the Good News of the Resurrection. Disciples often need help to understand God’s extraordinary Word. But before they can receive that help, disciples must first be familiar with God’s Word. Those who followed Jesus may not have completely understood the scriptures, but they were familiar with them; that’s the first step to understanding.
Being familiar with God’s extraordinary Word is important because the ordinary words of the world proclaim messages that often aren’t true. When the ordinary words of the world declare that someone’s value comes from career, bank account, possessions or body shape, God’s extraordinary Word declares us his adopted children. When the ordinary words of the world highlight our smallness or powerlessness, the extraordinary Word of God unveils our great call; and when the ordinary words of the world assert that we are subject to the whims of fate or the will of more powerful people, God’s extraordinary Word reveals our true King who gave his life out or love for us. All kinds of lies about who we are exist out there. We need God’s Word to reveal Truth.
So, the challenge for disciples today may not be to understand God’s Word, but to become familiar with it. This is a simple and ordinary thing to work at. I know some here follow along with the ‘Bible in a Year’ YouTube channel. Others reflect on the readings for each Sunday before even coming for Mass. A few have joined a Bible study group here when it’s offered. These are all fantastic yet ordinary ways to become familiar with God’s Word.
Because they were familiar with God’s Word, Jesus could open the minds of the disciples to understand the scriptures, enabling them to truly act in his name, to not simply quote scripture but to live it out. The result was far from ordinary. Through ordinary men and women, God’s extraordinary love was revealed, the world was changed forever and God’s people continue to learn how they’ve been made, not for ordinary but for extraordinary.
Giver of life, we praise you not only for creating all things but for revealing truth through Your Word. May discouragement or lack of understanding never keep us away from Your Word but through Your Spirit, strengthen our resolve to become familiar with Your Word so Your Son can open our hearts and minds to truly recognize and understand Your message of extraordinary love. We make this prayer in his name. Amen.
[1] Luke 4:32 (NRSVCE)
[2] Luke 4:34 (NRSVCE)
[1] Luke 24: 36 (NRSVCE)
[2] Like 24: 45 (NRSVCE)
Often we like ordinary, when feelings of peace and contentment become the normal. But there’s also moments when ordinary is not so welcome. Ordinary can become monotonous. When children get tired of the ordinary days of summer break, they might complain of boredom. When purpose, growth and meaning become difficult to find, ordinary becomes unwanted. Even worse is when ordinary restricts freedom. When a bad habit, an addiction or compulsion becomes ordinary, freedom is strangled. Death is the greatest example of the ordinary robbing God’s people of freedom. Sometimes, the ordinary just doesn’t work and an extraordinary power is needed.
On the first Easter, Mary Magdalene went to do something very sad and ordinary, to honour the body of Jesus with traditional burial rituals. As it turned out, through God’s power, that first Easter would be anything but ordinary: the tomb was empty. Jesus had risen: true Good News, a sign that the ordinary would not have the last say. So, for a few weeks we’re exploring how, with God’s help, ordinary practices by ordinary people can bring extraordinary results in our lives, our world and our Church.
Now, I don’t know the physics of how this works, but I’ve read that by flying in a vee formation, geese can fly as much at seventy percent farther each day with less effort. That’s an extraordinary advantage over ordinary birds. But it does come at a cost. The geese have to fly in the same direction, they have to depend on one another and they have to trust that the lead knows where to go. I don’t especially like Canada Geese, I think they’re mean, but because group work wasn’t my strength in school, I do admire how they set aside their own wants to contribute to the goals of the group.
Sacrificing for the group doesn’t always come naturally. The ordinary inclination is to work at getting things right on our own, to be independent, to lose the weight, achieve the grade, raise the kids, earn the money, learn the skill: to grow, all on our own. Especially when it comes to a relationship with God, it’s incredibly easy to live as though following God’s ways is a solitary endeavour. Then, we might drift away from coming here to worship. Afterall, it seems we can pray and reflect on scripture and encounter God by caring for his creation from anywhere, no Church necessary.
But that ignores the power of a community working together to share the Good News of God’s extraordinary love. In today’s first reading, we heard about life in the early Christian community. The author, Saint Luke, observed something that made the early Christian community anything but ordinary: “…the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul…”[1]. Like geese flying in a vee, the first Christians worked for the same goal, depended on one another and trusted that the head knew how to lead the community closer to God. They sacrificed personal ambitions to contribute to the goals of the group. For geese, living this way helps them escape freezing to death in winter. For the Christians, living this way ensured, “There was not a needy person among them…”[2]. The extraordinary happens when Christians work as a Church, when disciples become more concerned with the life and mission of our Church than with grasping for what is theirs.
Communities have extraordinary effects when members share their gifts and talents, pool their resources to accomplish more than if they each worked alone. This is the type of unity we build here. Through the collection, our combined sacrifice, we share the resources God has given, knowing God multiplies our offerings and their impact; it’s a commitment to the flock of our Church.
So many here share their time and talents knowing God multiplies their power. Thanks to the sacrifice of near two hundred volunteers, people meet God through our music, décor and welcome. The Good News is shared through those fed through the food bank and the sharing in Kindred Spirits. The generosity of groups like the Knights of Columbus, Catholic Women’s League and Development and Peace ensure a change to the ordinary felt beyond the walls of this building and the borders of our nation. Something extraordinary happens when disciples stop saying, “mine”, and instead unite in heart and soul.
The ordinary often doesn’t work. So, the challenge is for Christians to deepen unity in heart and soul. Perhaps for some, this challenge is a prompt to serve through a ministry. For the busy, I have the perfect ministry for you: helping with the distribution of Communion. We’re in need of more help in that ministry and since you’re coming anyway, it’s an easy way to serve that takes no extra time. For others, responding to the challenge might mean increasing financial generosity or to contribute in a planned and deliberate way. Maybe the challenge is a simple call to pray for our Church community, for unity in heart and soul, for growth, for those separated from our flock or even that people would be powerfully touched by God through our worship and service. The challenge is for each to ask, not only how to grow as a disciple but, how to unite as a flock to ensure the needs of all are met, something truly extraordinary.
God of extraordinary love, so many of your people are oppressed by the ordinary and meaning and purpose remain hidden. Through the Holy Spirit, awaken disciples so they would never settle for the ordinary but unite in heart and soul to reveal the Good News of your Son whose resurrection proclaims how the ordinary will not have the last say. We offer our prayers in his name. Amen.
[1] Luke 4:32 (NRSVCE)
[2] Luke 4:34 (NRSVCE)
There’s many times when we like things to be ordinary. The ordinary can bring a sense of peace and safety. Stress is lower when there’s no fear of unexpected things coming up. But there’s also moments when we don’t like the ordinary so much. What’s ordinary can become boring. When children get tired of the ordinary days of summer break, they might tell their parents that they’re bored. Slightly more frustrating is when the ordinary becomes monotonous, when each day seems the same as the previous one.
This is when the ordinary can become unwanted, when feelings of purposeless arise or meaning is hard to find. Even worse is when the ordinary robs us of freedom. When a bad habit, an addiction or compulsion becomes part of the ordinary, that’s when the ordinary starts to hinder freedom. One of the forms of this can be found in death. Death has become an ordinary part of life and it definitely robs God’s people of freedom.
On the first Easter, Mary went to do a very sad and ordinary thing: to honour the body of Jesus with some traditional burial rituals. Because his death happened so close to the sabbath, Jesus’ followers didn’t have a chance to perform the burial rituals on the day he died. So, first thing after the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene went to do those ordinary rituals, perhaps wishing for things to be not so ordinary. Ordinary just wasn’t working.
As it turns out, through God’s power, that first Easter would be anything but Ordinary and that’s what we celebrate today. In front of the altar here, we get a little glimpse of the extraordinary findings of that first Easter. Ordinarily, tombs remain sealed, but on the first Easter, the stone that sealed the tomb was rolled away and the body of Jesus was missing.
We get hints of how extraordinary Jesus is first at Christmas. We might think of the visits from shepherds and wisemen or the vision of angels: no ordinary events. These are some very early signs of Good News because for many people, the ordinary just wasn’t working. Political leaders oppressed the people often through violence. While the religious leaders helped the people in giving God right worship, they often made faith a burden. Sin was a problem; the people knew there was a divide between God and his people and like today, the people had to deal with the sad but ordinary experience of death. There was a great desire for a saviour to come and deliver God’s people from these ordinary things.
Throughout the life of Jesus, even more signs appeared, indicating that Jesus was going to do something about those ordinary parts of life that just no longer worked. He demonstrated power over illness and weather, demons and sin; his miracles were anything but ordinary. His claim to be divine, the Son of God, was also a sign that he was anything but an ordinary king.
For so many, this was true Good News, a sign that the ordinary would not have the last say. Not everyone welcomed the Good News though and a few would do whatever they could to bring a swift end to the extraordinary words and works of Jesus. No one was left unaffected though. Each person who encountered Jesus was affected and had to form an opinion, had to pick a side either in favour of or against the extraordinary message and mission of Jesus.
Easter is a celebration of the most extraordinary event of all: the resurrection. It’s extraordinary for us because it finally reveals the core beliefs of our faith: if you were to reduce all Christian teachings to their simplest form, you would find three things. First, our Christian faith asserts the divinity of Jesus, that he is the Son of God. Next, our faith proclaims the resurrection of Jesus, announcing that he has truly risen from the dead. Finally, our faith repeats an invitation for all people to follow Jesus.
That third part of our faith is the best news of all. It affirms that the Resurrection isn’t just for Jesus; it’s for us. It gives hope that our fate is no longer limited to the ordinary, that death does not have to have the last say.
Now, with a promise like that, the fear is that it takes extraordinary means to accept the extraordinary invitation of Jesus. The bigger the reward, the bigger the cost, right? But here’s a twist. Our Saviour doesn’t ask for anything extraordinary from us. When we look at his followers, we don’t find extraordinary people. We see carpenters and fishermen, uneducated sinners. Nothing about the first disciples stands out as being extraordinary.
When we look at the Sacraments Jesus established, we don’t find that he’s used extraordinary things. Shortly, we’ll all be sprinkled with Holy Water as a reminder of how Jesus used ordinary water to bring us into his family as adopted sons and daughters of God. Later, ordinary bread and wine will become the extraordinary presence of Jesus among us. Water, bread, wine: through very ordinary things, some very extraordinary things happen.
On Easter, we celebrate how an extraordinary event has power to change the ordinary using ordinary means and this raises a question for each of us. What ordinary parts of your life do you wish weren’t so ordinary? Are there some habits of compulsions that have become ordinary for you that you wish weren’t so ordinary. Have some relationships become ordinary and stagnant? Has the ordinary robbed life of some freedom? Here’s some signs you may need the extraordinary power of Jesus to change the ordinary: feelings of meaninglessness or of being stuck or if there’s been no growth in your life; these are all signs that the ordinary is maybe just not working and if you find that the ordinary isn’t working for you, this Easter, turn to the one who is anything but ordinary.
Over next few weeks we’ll look at some practices we may use to invite our extraordinary Saviour to change the ordinary parts of our lives through extraordinary ways.
Maker of all things, as we celebrate the rising of your Son, remind us how his rising isn’t just for him, but for us. Through your Spirit, may we never settle for what is ordinary, but trust in the extraordinary invitation of Our Saviour to follow him always. In his name we offer all our prayers. Amen.
Battered fish: it’s one of the great symbols of Good Friday, isn’t it? Maybe many here are hoping for a short homily so they can get a good place in the line at the Captain George’s after our celebration. Another of the most recognized symbols for Good Friday is the crown of thorns. For anyone familiar with the Christian faith, the image of the crown of thorns will instantly bring up thoughts of the suffering of Jesus.
Of course, Jesus suffered in many ways: we might think of the nails or the scourging. But through the crown of thorns our king endured not just physical suffering, but the suffering of humiliation. For we know Jesus deserved the honour of a much better crown. But instead of a crown of gold, instead of being crowned with a crown that glorified his power, Jesus was crowned with mockery, betrayal and rejection: all symbolized in the crown of thorns.
Now, I know how I react when experiencing similar humiliations, usually not very well. When given crowns that tear down, the temptation is respond by tearing down others. It’s easy to get defensive when presented with a crown of mockery or to wish not so nice things on those who offer a crown of betrayal or to dwell on self-pity when given a crown of rejection. We react in these ways because we know we’re worth more. We know God made us for something better.
So, on this Good Friday, we might consider rethinking how we respond when given crowns of humiliation and our model ought to be Jesus. For all his mistreatments, Jesus never defended himself or wished ill on others and he never demonstrates any sign of self-pity. No, instead of striving to claim the crown he deserved, the actions of our Saviour presents a different way. Instead of being concerned for his own crown, he offered a crown of forgiveness to his executioners, the crown of friendship to those who abandoned him and a crown of paradise to those who hung next to him.
Jesus transformed his crown. By accepting the crown of humiliation, Jesus joins all those who have similar crowns forced upon them; he transforms his crown of humiliation into a crown of love that lifts his people up. Humiliation cannot hold the Good Shepherd back from lifting up his sheep. Disgrace cannot stop the Ruler of God’s Kingdom from lifting up those who belong to the Kingdom. May this become our model.
So many of God’s people suffer crowns of humiliation; instead of expending our energy to grasp at whatever crowns we believe we deserve, let us lift others up. We live in a very privileged part of the world, yet some of God’s people, just blocks away from this place, are crowned with homelessness; they deserve better. Those who serve in the food bank here, can tell many stories of people who are crowned with hunger; they’re worth more. Countless people have been crowned with objectification; that’s not what God made them for. Through conflict over territory or ideals, many are crowned with despair; a crown of hope is what they should be offered.
I guarantee that all of us will encounter crowns of humiliation. I know you’re worth more. I know you deserve better. But there’s no escaping it, not in this life. So, we have two options. We can push and fight to grasp for and take the crowns we feel we deserve or we can instead look at the crown our Lord accepted and beg him to transform any crowns of humiliation we carry into demonstrations of his love for all, a love that builds up God’s children.
In a moment, the cross here will be unveiled for everyone here to venerate. This will take some time as one-by-one we each come up to venerate the cross, but this time offers an opportunity to unite whatever crowns of humiliation we may wear with the crown of Jesus. You can kiss the cross, touch the cross, bow before the cross. However you choose to venerate the cross, take advantage of this time by begging Jesus to transform your crown. Ask for his strength so instead of spending our lives grasping for crowns, our lives would reflect the love of our Saviour by our efforts to life others up.
God of mercy and forgiveness, bless your people with your abundant love. Fill us and guide us through your Spirit so our lives would be marked by our efforts to reflect the love of your Son, our Saviour. May our actions and words lift others up and make us more like Jesus, in whose name we pray. Amen.
During a fairly violent persecution of Christians, followers of Jesus were forced to celebrate Mass in secret. Those identified as Christians were imprisoned and executed. At the end of Mass, someone would covertly bring the Eucharist to the Christians who were imprisoned for their faith to help strengthen them. The priests and deacons couldn’t go because if they were caught, not only would they be put to death, but there would be no one left to celebrate Mass or Baptisms or to teach the Good News.
So in one instance, a twelve year old boy, Tarcisius, would bring Communion, after Mass, to the Christian prisoners. No one would suspect a child of trying to spread the Christian faith, after all. It was a great disguise and it worked, at least until it didn’t. Some of the young man’s peers became aware of his suspicious behaviours and took notice of the mysterious object he so carefully carried. They confronted him and discovered he was a Christian when they heard him utter a prayer to Jesus for strength. Then, they beat him to death.
Stories require context, a background, to make sense and it’s that background that often shapes how we judge and understand a story. The context of life, the background each of us comes from, often shapes the choices we make. Despite living in the same place, we vote differently and even pick different foods to put into our shopping carts. Depending on your background, the context of your life, your opinion of the war in the middle-east or in the Ukraine may vary greatly from my own. To make sense, the martyrdom of Saint Tarcisius needs some context too. To make sense, there’s two things we need to understand.
First, we have to understand the mysterious object the young saint carried and obviously valued: the Eucharist. Earlier in his ministry, after the multiplication of bread and fish, Jesus promised to feed people with his flesh and blood and even went so far as to proclaim that his followers could not have life without eating his flesh and blood. Many took these statements literally and no longer followed him. Surely anyone who endorsed cannibalism could never be the messiah.
Then, at the Last Supper, Jesus clears things up. Indeed, he truly feeds his followers with his flesh and blood, but offers himself under the appearance of bread and wine. That must have been a great relief for those disciples who joined in that special dinner. The body and blood of Jesus, the Eucharist, the food needed for life, is what Christians continue to celebrate at every Mass and this life-giving food is what Saint Tarcisius valued so much and wished to share with imprisoned Christians.
The other bit of background that helps understand the martyrdom of a twelve year old is the freedom the Eucharist offers. There’s a couple different ways to see freedom. One way suggests that freedom is a kind of power that must be taken, even by force at times. We might see tyrants use violence to assure their freedom or a playground bully demean other children to assert their freedom. Freedom can come and go quickly, however, and those worried about losing their freedom will exert a lot of energy trying to cling to it.
Another way to see freedom is to see it as a gift that’s given from above. Adam and Eve were offered freedom. Of course, the tree we remember most from the story of Adam and Eve is the tree of knowledge of good and evil, the forbidden fruit. There was a second tree though: the tree of life. The first couple was encouraged to eat from this tree and accept the freedom of eternal life God offered. Instead, the couple wanted to claim freedom for themselves.
Later, God offered the gift of freedom to a groups of slaves: his chosen people in Egypt. Through the Passover meal, by following a ritual given by God, God’s chosen people were given the gift of freedom in a miraculous way.
The Eucharist offers the gift of freedom too. Often, God seems distant and divides among his people seem almost insurmountable. But in the Eucharist there’s hope for a different kind of freedom where all divides are conquered by the gid of God’s own self. That’s a freedom that can never been taken by force, but a gift we’re invited to receive.
God offers the gift of freedom to his people, but there is a price: service. This is the connection between the washing of feet and the last supper: before participating in this special meal with our Saviour, disciples need to be ready to serve. Adam was called to serve by being a good steward of God’s creation. God’s chosen people in Egypt were called to serve by offering a ritual meal. Jesus give his very life in service to God’s people.
The freedom of the Eucharist and service is what shaped the life of a young twelve year old martyr; these two features not only encouraged the young man to participate in Mass but prompted him to take a huge risk in serving those Christians who had been arrested. The young Tarcisius knew he had to serve if he truly wished to accept God’s invitation of freedom through the Eucharist.
Service and the Eucharist shaped the context of Saint Tarcisius and that leads to a question we might all ask: What shapes the context of our lives? What defines our lives or guides the decisions we make. In what ways does the Eucharist and our service to God and to others shape our lives? As we begin the most holy time of the year, we pray that our hearts would be touched so the example and life of Our Saviour would be at the centre of all we do.
God of all, you made us for love and for service. With the help of your Holy Spirit, strengthen our resolve so that, by word, thought and deed, we would share your love with the world and always crave the life giving food of your Son, in whose name we offer these prayers. Amen.
You would think that a healing miracle, a sign of God at work in the world, would be something worth celebrating. A blind man was healed; that ought to have been a great cause for celebration; it had never been done before and was a real sign of God’s presence and a great cause for hope. Truth be told, the healing itself doesn’t surprise me. There’s lots of stories of Jesus healing people of all kinds of afflictions, some more serious than blindness. What surprises me most is how some reacted negatively to what ought to have been a very joyful moment.
Instead of celebrating, first, the leaders tried to dismiss the miracle as a simple case of mistaken identity; they even went so far as to question and intimidate the parents of the man who had been healed. When that didn’t work, they tried to discredit Jesus, suggesting the healing was actually a bad thing because of the day of the week the miracle was worked. Most everyone agreed though, that the healing of a blind person was a good thing. So, when that tactic failed too, they just ejected the man who had been blind from their community.
This reaction leaves me wondering: why the resistance? Even if they had no love for Jesus, why couldn’t the pharisees at least have been happy that a suffering member of their community had been given sight? It’s an important question to ask because we don’t want to fall into the same trap. If Jesus offers healing today, we don’t want to divide ourselves from his healing touch. If Jesus continues to heal people today, we don’t want to dismiss his works or resist his gifts.
At first glance, it seems that what bothered the pharisees most is that Jesus worked on the sabbath. The sabbath is the period between sundown on Friday and sundown on Saturday. According to the Ten Commandments, no work is to be done on the sabbath as a way to mirror God’s rest on the seventh day of creation. Instead, God’s people are to devote the day to enjoying and honouring all God has made and done for his people; it’s when the Jewish people would go to the synagogue to worship as a community. Though Christians introduced some flexibility and recognize Sunday, the day of the Resurrection, as the day for communal worship, the commandment to devote a period of time each week to worship and relaxation is still taken very seriously.
It’s too easy to explain the negative reaction on the day of the week though; I think there’s more to the miracle that angered the pharisees than that it happened on the sabbath. You see, the healing of the man born blind also presents a challenge. Like today, the people in the time of Jesus faced their own share of challenges and it became easy to dismiss the problems of the world as the fault of others. So long as they could blame the blind man or his parents for his blindness, the pharisees weren’t expected to help the suffering man. So long as the problems of the world could be blamed on the sins of individuals, the pharisees could be content with putting their own interests first. This approach divides God’s people by proposing that your problems are your own and my problems are mine. It’s an attitude that persists today too. We might blame climate change on the auto industry or high rent on greed or the conflicts in the middle east on tyranny. The list of things we might blame Justin or Biden for seems endless at times. It’s easy to dismiss the problems of the world as the fault and responsibility of others.
Through the healing of the man born blind, Jesus proposes a different view: that we’re all connected, that the sufferings and sins of one affect all and are the responsibility of all. The light of Jesus suggests that, sinner or not, the blind man deserved the assistance, love and compassion of the pharisees and others. The restored vision of Jesus insists that so long as the world is in need of healing, each of us is in need of healing.
Efforts like those of our food bank and Development and Peace constantly remind us of our duty to care for others, that the sufferings of others, regardless of who is to blame, does affect us and calls on us to do what we can to assist those in need. Rather than allow suffering to create divides, we see it as something uniting.
We also come here. Jesus could have healed the blind man through a thought. But instead he goes through a ritual, putting mud on the man’s eyes and commanding him to wash. God works in our world through ritual. Through the ritual of bread, wine and words of consecration, Jesus is physically present with us. Through the ritual of water a child becomes a child of God. Through the exchange of vows, a couple are united through God. Of course, God can work in the world anyway he chooses, but he’s chosen to work through rituals.
In a couple of weeks, on Saturday, March 23rd, we’ll observe a day of mercy. For the bulk of the day, Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament will be exposed on the altar for worship. Father Darlington and I will also be available in the Confessional for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. To get ready for the day, there will be copies of the examination of conscience for different age groups at the entrance of the church for you to take home and reflect on over the week. The examination of conscience is just a prompt, a reminder of how we are all connected and responsible for one another. It’s the first step in admitting our need for the healing power of our Saviour.
So, do take one home to pray over and then come out on the day of mercy to receive healing in the confessional and give God worship. If we wish to to accept the healing power of Jesus into our world, we should begin with ourselves. If we want to bring the peace of Jesus to our families, workplaces or lives, we should begin with ourselves. The pharisees were unable to make a difference in the world because they refused to accept their own blindness and need for healing. We may be powerless to do much for many of the sufferings and evils of the world, but we can start with ourselves and beg that the healing power of our Lord would pervade our world through us.
In the Gospel for today, we discover that the man born blind was fully healed, not when his sight was restored, but when he recognized the presence of the messiah and gave him worship. In the remaining days of lent, let us ask the Holy Spirit to remove from our hearts any resistance to the healing Jesus offers.
Divine physician and God of all, like the man healed of his lifelong blindness, we come before you to worship. We admit our spiritual blindness and seek your healing touch not only for ourselves but for our world. We offer this prayer in the name of Jesus, who offers his very life for us. Amen.
Ashes, fasting, Stations of the Cross: Lent is filled with all kinds of traditional practices that lead us to consider one basic truth no one really disputes: things aren’t exactly right in the world. Sure, there’s plenty of good things to enjoy and many live good lives; creation is filled with all kinds of beauty...
So, in the Gospel for today, we hear about a moment when Jesus healed an unnamed man of leprosy. One part of the miracle I find interesting is how, right after healing the man, Jesus asks him to go to the priest and make an offering. Leprosy was a deadly and contagious disease, to be...
Most stories feature a hero and at some point in most stories, the hero is challenged with some form of suffering or torment. It doesn’t matter if the story is in a book or a movie, in the theatre or mini-series; the hero of almost every good story encounters suffering at some moment in their...
For a few weeks now, we’ve reflected on joy. It all started with an examination of the happiness we all search for. Everyone wants to be happy and the quest for happiness, either for ourselves or for those we love, guides many decisions around how to use time, money and effort. Happiness is a kind...
We’ve been exploring for a couple weeks now, our search for happiness. Everyone wants to be happy and the search for happiness guides a lot of what we do. Parents make all kinds of sacrifices so their children will be happy. Maybe some made New Year’s Resolutions hoping to be able to look back on...
Everyone wants to be happy. Some make New Year’s resolutions because they want to be happy. Parents make all kinds of sacrifices hoping their children will be happy. Maybe you wished others a “Happy New Year” because you want others to be happy. We began reflecting last week on our efforts to find happiness because...
If you’ve made any New Year’s Resolutions and managed to keep them so far, your year is off to a good start. We reflected on resolutions last year but didn’t explore what motivates us to make them. Of course, the resolutions we make can take many different forms, but what motivates us to make resolutions...
Happy New Year, everyone. In the Gospel reading for today’s feast, a feature that strikes me is the how the shepherds were motivated to go to Bethlehem. We remember from Christmas how the shepherds heard some Good News from a choir of angels. With very little discussion after the experience, this group of witnesses drop...
I don’t know if this is really true or not, but I like to think that our Church celebrates the feast of the Holy Family right after Christmas because over the last week, many have spent some time with family and for those who didn’t, their minds were probably filled with thoughts of their family....
Maybe there’s some here who have been facing some conflicts during these days leading up to Christmas. The stress of preparing for the feast can be a real test of patience leaving behind some irritability. Or maybe your children have had a little too much sugar; that’s a real threat to peace. Or maybe the...
Do you think someone can be commanded to rejoice? Our Church calls this weekend, the third week of Advent, ‘Gaudete Sunday’. It is a prompt to reflect on joy, but there’s more to the weekend than just a call to reflect. ‘Gaudete’ is a command to rejoice, to be joyful. Now, for the youngest among...
I know many are already starting to plan out those days leading up to Christmas and considering which Christmas Mass to attend and because Christmas is on a Monday, there is some confusion. Some have asked if Christmas Eve Mass, on the Sunday evening also counts for the Sunday obligation. In short, it does not....
I know there’s some here who love getting the adrenaline flowing by holding off their Christmas shopping till at least December 23rd. Those more on the thrifty side might be waiting for those Black Friday deals. But the most serious gift givers among us might have gift lists made or maybe have already bought all...
Though long weekends are always great, I’ve never especially liked Labour Day weekend. Maybe there’s some parents celebrating or teachers eager to get back to using their skills. I’ve heard excitement from some of our younger members, ready to get back to school. But for me today, this weekend is the beginning of the end...
I’ve heard from parents about how frustrating it can be to work with a child who says, ‘no’, when asked to do anything. Almost as frustrating is working with a child who questions everything, who asks, ‘why?’, to every request. Sometimes, this is just a tactic to delay or to get out of doing some chores. But sometimes the ways of parents just don’t make sense to their children who then either begin to ask questions, or worse, rebel a little bit. This tendency to ask questions when things don’t make sense doesn’t really go away. To laws that don’t make sense, people begin to protest and when the actions of leaders don’t make sense there’s a call for public inquiry.
For many, the ways of God don’t make sense this experience is sometimes used as evidence against God’s existence. It doesn’t make sense that an all good, loving and powerful God would allow innocent children to suffer, or for natural disasters to take lives or for poverty to hold so many back. It doesn’t make sense. We can try to explain away some of these. Poverty can be explained by greed or disasters might be explained by climate change. But there still remains so many things that go unexplained.
The early Christians were confronted with a similar dilemmas. Despite their best efforts to share the Good News, progress in baptizing all nations, as Jesus commanded[i], was slow; most who heard the Good News didn’t accept it and sometimes even responded with violence. It didn’t make sense that their message of God’s love backed by the evidence of the resurrection and a great many other miracles was so difficult to share. It didn’t make sense that God’s chosen people would be so reluctant to accept that Jesus was the long-awaited saviour or that the gentiles would be quicker to let go of their pagan religions to adopt the Christian faith.
God’s ways often don’t make sense and this fact often bothers us deeply because we like things to make sense. In the second reading today, Saint Paul acknowledged this experience to a group of Christians who were confused about God’s ways. “…how inscrutable his ways!”[ii], the saint declared, “For who has known the mind of the Lord?”[iii] No one can read the mind of another, we’re left looking for signs in the actions of words of another and even then are often left guessing at what’s on the mind of others. Long-time spouses have shared with me how, even after decades of time spent together, they can still surprise one another. Getting to know who a person is, is a life-long project. God is no different. Great studies can be conducted to know things about God. But to actually know the mind of God: that takes a special kind of relationship.
In the Gospel today, we heard about a moment when Jesus asked his small group of disciples a couple of questions. First, he asked them about popular opinion, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”[iv] The people had seen Jesus at work. They heard his message and witnessed miracles. They saw enough that they were led to say that Jesus must be like many of the prophets who had come before, that Jesus is like Elijah, Jeremiah or even John the Baptist. There were a variety of opinions floating around about who Jesus was, but they were all wrong.
The people didn’t get it right. There was something lacking in their relationship with Jesus and until something changed, they couldn’t truly know Jesus. Peter did much better; he recognized that he was in the company of no mere prophet or teacher. When Jesus next asked the disciples, “…who do you say that I am?”[v] Peter correctly proclaimed, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”[vi]This declaration was probably the first official act of the first pope. Peter didn’t just speak for himself but for all the disciples, he spoke for the Church.
Right from the first days of the Christian faith, there’s been a divide between the opinion of the public and the opinion of the Church on who Jesus is. They don’t at all agree and they can’t both be right. Wanting to align ourselves with the disciples, we can take a look at what set Peter’s confession apart. After all, Peter saw the same miracles as the people and he heard the same words; but the crowds seemed to miss or overlook something that Peter picked up on.
First, Peter was determined to do whatever was needed to stay close to Jesus. The man gave up his job and left his family so he could journey with Jesus. It wasn’t enough for Peter to simply see miracles and hear words. He wished to be with Jesus. We come to church regularly to do the same thing, to be near Jesus. For a moment each week, we leave the comforts of our homes and surrender our plans to be with our saviour. Beyond the walls of this place, there are signs of God at work. It’s possible to even hear the Good News or to see miracles as the crowds of Caesarea Philippi did. But that’s not enough for us. We want to be with Jesus and come here to do just that.
Next, Peter had also been given a unique gift. After making his correct confession about who Jesus is, the saviour praised him, “…flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my father in heaven.”[vii] Peter wasn’t the smartest or the most educated; he wasn’t the holiest and wouldn’t be the first to believe in the resurrection. He had, however, been given the gift of faith and this gift allowed him to recognize something that remained invisible for most others. Like Peter, we’re not the holiest or the best educated or smartest, but we have obviously been given a similar gift of faith. Many things may prompt us to question our faith, but our shared faith draws us here for renewal and strength.
It’s helpful to know what set Peter’s confession apart because, like the disciples we heard about in the Gospel, we’re also asked about who Jesus is. Every time God’s people are threatened or are confronted with death, when God’s ways seem strange or innocent people suffer, we’re asked about who Jesus is.
Here’s our response: Like Saint Paul, we recognize that God’s ways often are strange to us just as a parent’s ways may seem strange to a child. Yet, the child knows their parent is loving and worthy of trust. This is Saint Peter’s response: a confession in the midst of so many questions declaring that God is also trustworthy; he’s sent his son to be our saviour. Like Saint Paul, we acknowledge how the mind of God often doesn’t make sense and like Saint Peter we profess that he still deserves our sacrifices, our worship, love and trust.
Jesus didn’t ask his disciples about what people thought he was doing, or what his purpose was. He didn’t ask if the disciples could understand his ways. Jesus didn’t strive to explain the ways of God. To those who faced many of the same hardships we do today, to those wondering about the ways of God, Our Lord asks, who do you say I am? There are many things that don’t make sense to us, but we’ve not been left alone in facing them for God is with us.
Maker of all that is good, you’ve given us a great many gifts. When things don’t make sense, draw us close to you so we can renew our faith in your son who reveals your way, truth and love. This we pray in his name. Amen.
[i] Matthew 28:19 NRSVCE
[ii] Romans 11:33 NRSVCE
[iii] Romans 11:34 NRSVCE
[iv] Matthew 16:14 NRSVCE
[v] Matthew 16:15 NRSVCE
[vi] Matthew 16:16 NRSVCE
[vii] Matthew 16:17 NRSVCE
While I was growing up, there was this one policy my parents had and it was applied doubly during summer holidays. Maybe there’s some parents here who have a similar rule. During down or more relaxed times, my siblings and I weren’t to say, “I’m bored”, “there’s nothing to do”, or any similar complaints. Overall,...
When walking into someone’s home, it usually doesn’t take long to figure out what’s important to the owner. A mess of toys laid about says children are the centre of attention or they’ve just taken over. A golf bag cluttering up the entrance reveals someone who loves to golf. A few of those carpet covered...
I don’t know if any here have ever climbed a mountain: I don’t mean a giant hill like Everest, but maybe something closer to home. Brimacombe in Kirby is three hundred meters high. If you’ve enjoyed the view from up there, maybe while on a ski trip, Saint Peter might tell you that it’s nothing....
Maybe some here are lucky enough to know a good listener. A good listener can make you feel like what you have to say matters. A good listener can make you feel valued and understood. Parents and teachers are easily frustrated when a child doesn’t listen and few escape the hurt that comes when a...
At every Mass, right after the consecration, after the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of our Saviour, the priest says, “The mystery of faith”. We started reflecting last weekend on how the Mass stirs us to explore the mysteries of our faith. God’s love, forgiveness and mercy, his wisdom, the ways he...
While growing up, one of the ways my siblings and I would entertain ourselves would be to play a board game and one game we might pull of the shelf was the game ‘Clue’. Now, my siblings and I: we didn’t use the game as intended. For us, the game was yet another way to...
If I were to ask for a show of hands as to who has burdens in their life, I expect that most every hand would go up. Some might even put up two hands. Not me, of course, because it’s always great to serve here. But even children can find their chores or siblings or...
Of all the people mentioned in the scriptures who endured tough circumstances, I probably feel worst for the prophet Jeremiah who we heard about in today’s First Reading. At God’s prompting, the prophet declared that the people of Judah would be conquered if they didn’t change their ways; a very unpopular message, to be sure....
At every election we’re given the great opportunity to elect new leaders. Sometimes, we end up with leaders we like and sometimes we don’t. Sometimes we elect great and strong leaders and sometimes we’re left simply thankful that time will eventually present another chance to vote in someone else. Of course, we know that no...
I don’t know if anyone here does jigsaw puzzles. I don’t really have the patience needed to finish puzzles, but I know some who love them and even go to yard sales to find cheap ones. That must be a real gamble, though: to buy puzzles that have already been opened. There’s no way to...
Today we celebrate our mothers and the gift of motherhood. We recognize their different roles and gift in the development of the church of Christ. Humanly speaking, the church cannot do much without our mothers. It was our Mother Mary, a woman who gave birth to Jesus. It was a woman who was at the crucifixion of Jesus, standing hear the cross even when most of his male disciples ran away. It was also a woman, Mary Magdelene who was the first to see Jesus alive and in person after his resurrection and ran to give the message to the rest of the disciples. They are gifted in so many ways…Please let us appreciate them.
I hope our fathers are not jealous. The fact is that when you put side by side the love of our mothers and the love of God, you understand and appreciate the unconditional love of God towards us his children that he had to send his own son to die for us. John 15:13 tells us, “There is no greater love than this that a man lay down his life for the sake of his friends.
Jesus wants us to reciprocate this love by loving him and keeping his commandments. He tells us in the gospel reading today, if you love me, you will keep my commandments. The questions we should ask ourselves are; Do we really know the commandments of God? Do I make effort to keep the commandments or do I choose those to keep and those to disobey? Do I also make effort to teach them to my children? After God had given the people of Israel his commandments and laws, he said to them: You shall teach them diligently to your children and you shall talk of them when you sit in your house. (Its our duty as parents..). Prov. 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he/she should go and when they are old they will not depart from it.”
Jesus summarized the 10 commandments into two: 1. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. 2. Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself.
St. Augustine simplified it for us when he asserted, “Love God and do whatever you please: for the soul trained in love to God will do nothing to offend the one who is Beloved. If you love God, you will learn to love and forgive people. If you love God you will learn to be patient with your parents, your children and those around you. If you love God, you will make effort to avoid sin, you will not kill, Steal, commit adultery. If you love God you will keep his commandments.
You will agree with me that there is no true love devoid of giving. John 3:16 would tell us that, “For God so love the world that he gave us his only son…” and in our gospel reading today Jesus promises us the gift of the Holy Spirit as our counselor and helper. We saw the manifestation of this promise in the first reading-How the followers of Christ received the gift of the Holy Spirit after the Apostles laid hands on them.
Jesus went on to assure us in his farewell speech that he will not abandon us nor leave us as orphans. (leaving us desolate). This is a clarion call to remind us that as Christians we are not standing alone. Jesus is standing with us. In the darkness moments of our lives, Jesus is standing with us. In that sickness and in our weakness, Jesus is standing with us. When your best friend, family, children or even your spouse abandon you, Jesus is standing with you. Whatever challenges you are experiencing in life. Jesus is standing with you.
Because He lives, you also will live and because Jesus is alive, all our fears and worries should be no more.
Now, I’m not at all sponsored by Airbnb and this isn’t an endorsement as it’s not for everyone, but I often use Airbnb to save money while travelling. For those maybe not familiar, Airbnb helps connect travelers with homeowners who are willing to accept strangers into their homes. Anyway, once I stayed with this lady who regularly opened two bedrooms of her house for paying guests. She made enough from this that she quit her job and, aside from taking the time needed for basic housekeeping, she spent her days sitting on a tropical beach. Sounds like a fantastic arrangement and at first, I thought she had found the perfect, almost heavenly, life arrangement.
Heaven is sometimes described as a place of rest and for us who work hard or toil, that’s an easy image to cling to. But, while there’s nothing outright wrong with this image for heaven, it does fall short. Truth be told, I’m not sure I could spend my remaining days just sitting on a beach somewhere; I know I’d eventually get bored and if heaven is the perfect place, then it can’t be boring.
All kinds of analogies have been used to depict heaven, but it’s actually very difficult to describe the place because there’s no real eyewitness accounts of what it’s like and if someone were to come back and, in plain English, describe what heaven is like, I’m not sure any of us would understand. Yet, it’s extremely important for Christians to consider heaven, to long for that place, because it’s a big part of what our faith is about. Jesus died on the cross to open for us the gates of heaven. He ascended into heaven to lead us there and in the Gospel for today, he tells his disciples that he goes to prepare a dwelling place for his followers in that kingdom, our true home.
The Father’s house: I believe that is one of the best analogies for heaven. It’s a true home. When a home functions well, it becomes the place everyone wants to go to and remain. A good home offers safety from all dangers, it delivers rejuvenation and peace, joy and love. But, when a home isn’t working well, when it’s a place people wish to escape from, it becomes instead a place of grief and loss.
Lots of great things happen in a good home. While each member of the household may have their own lives, their own rooms and interests, there’s no room for self-centredness. Members of a true home support one another and depend on each other. So, the home becomes the place for many individuals to live as one.
Heaven isn’t just something for the end of life, it makes a difference today if it’s allowed to shape the hearts of disciples. Of course, we can’t create heaven on earth. But we can create opportunities to get a taste of heaven here. In the first reading today, we heard about a time when the early Christians discovered a problem within their community: some of their members, widows, were suffering for lack of food. After some thought, prayer and discussion, the ministry of the deaconate was established and the problem overcome. The witness of love prompted many to join the Church. We may never be able to eliminate sadness, poverty, disease, war or any other evil entirely in this life. But we still work to do so because our efforts offer a taste of the unity and love found only in our true heavenly home; it gives a hint of what happens when many live as one.
Many living as one: it’s the model we ought to keep in mind when we grow our families and our Church. Disciples keep this in mind when making decisions or using their time, gifts and energy.
But sometimes we encounter serious roadblocks or some evils just seem impossible to overcome. I know there are many who sadly find it difficult to discern any similarities between the peace and love offered in the father’s home and their own workplace, church or even home. Heaven makes a difference today because we’re already members of the household of God and as members of his home we have a great family of saints supporting us through their intercession. Among that heavenly family is Mary.
Today, we crowned this image of Mary. She’s important to us for all kinds of reasons, but today we might reflect on her faithfulness to the members of God’s home. Life is filled with all kinds of ups and downs, joys and sorrows that can leave us feeling alone. But as members of the father’s house, we’re never abandoned. At the joy of the first Christmas, Mary was there. At the darkness of the cross, Mary was there. At Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit gave life to the Church and the disciples began their hard work of sharing the Good News, Mary was there. We’re happy to turn to Mary during difficulties, to look to her and prayerfully seek her intercession when facing great evils. We’re happy to crown Mary as our queen because she’s faithfully there as a reminder that we are members of God’s home. She faithfully shows us what happens when many live as one.
I know there’re many here facing great struggles, who feel isolated or maybe you know someone who’s experiencing that. Maybe for the remainder of this month, consider praying, for someone who might need prayers, a rosary or even a decade of a rosary each day. If you need a rosary, there’s one freely available for you in the chapel. Maybe for the next few weeks, consider coming to Mass thirty minutes earlier than usual to join our community in praying the rosary.
To finish, let us ask Mary to intercede in our world and remind all God’s children of how they are members of the Father’s home called to be part of a family composed of many who live as one:
Hail Mary…
Imagine, for a moment, two sheep. One of these sheep lives out in the wild while the other lives in the fenced in fields of a shepherd. One is free to do whatever it wishes while the other is limited by the fence and rules of the shepherd. We might ask, “which of these two has the greatest freedom?” We all long for freedom; wars have been fought for it and it’s a topic that’s been coming up frequently over the last couple of years.
Sure, the first sheep who lives in the wild is free to do whatever it wishes whenever it wishes but only at a price: by giving up the guidance and protection of the shepherd. Unfortunately, the world is filled with wolves, with all kinds of powers that work to destroy, divide and spread despair. The sheep living in the enclosed field may be expected to follow the rules of the shepherd, they may be unable to freely leave the pen, but it’s this sheep who lives in the peace needed to truly grow. It’s this second sheep, who submits to the guidance and protection of the shepherd, who can sleep well each night without fear or worry.
This weekend is often called Good Shepherd Sunday. We have all kinds of shepherds guide us in life: teachers, relatives, parents and friends among so many others. But this weekend we reflect on a special shepherd we all have: Jesus, the Good Shepherd. There’s lots about our Good Shepherd to celebrate. But one aspect that catches my attention is the freedom the Good Shepherd offers his sheep.
It’s not always easy living under the rule of shepherds. Sometimes the shepherds who are supposed to care for us don’t live up to their role or have let us down. There are shepherds who have neglected their responsibility for the sheep, selfishly used the sheep or even taken advantage of those in their care. Truly, many of the deepest hurts we’ve sustained have come through the hands of those who are supposed to be shepherds. So, it’s easy to mistrust shepherds and when prayers seem to go unanswered, when questions arise in the heart about the love or concern of God, we may even find within ourselves seeds of mistrust for The Good Shepherd himself.
So, to protect ourselves from future injury, we may be tempted to set off on our own and be like that first sheep who is free of dependence on any shepherds. On our own, it may be possible to hide away from the dangers of the world. It might be possible for the strongest of us to overcome all kinds of threats. But the Good Shepherd does much more than protect the sheep, the freedom Jesus offers is built on something much more than safety; he offers a special freedom impossible to find anywhere else.
Among the readings selected for Good Shepherd Sunday is a favourite psalm, Psalm 23. We all love the beginning of the psalm: the parts about the Good Shepherd guiding the sheep to green pastures and still waters. We love hearing about the protection the Good Shepherd promises in the dark valleys. But towards the end of the passage we heard here today, we learn that the Good Shepherd also prepares a table for his sheep.
Now, I’m no expert on any kind of farm animals, but I know sheep don’t normally eat at a table; they’re happy to settle for the grass of green pastures. The Good Shepherd, however, goes above and beyond: he lifts his sheep up. He offers his sheep a new freedom they could never imagine, something they could never do for themselves: he makes them like himself and invites them to the feast of the Good Shepherd. Those sheep who surrender to the will of the Good Shepherd are most free, not just because they’re kept safe, but because they are lifted up to share in the life, joys and work of the Good Shepherd.
As a people who long for the freedom of the Good Shepherd, as people who wish to be lifted up, today’s Gospel offers some important advice: The gospel writer points out how the sheep follow the Good Shepherd because they recognize his voice. This may be the challenge for the sheep of God, for us: listening for and recognizing the voice of the Good Shepherd. After all, there are all kinds of voices calling out to us; lots of voices urging us to follow them, making all kinds of promises. But only one is the voice of the Good Shepherd, only one voice can lift us up, but recognizing his voice takes some work.
Listening for the voice of the Good Shepherd will call on us to make time and space to listen so we’re familiar with his voice. Listening for the voice of the Good Shepherd requires setting time aside for prayer, just as listening to a friend requires setting aside time.
Recognizing the voice of the Good Shepherd will call on us to be part of his flock, his Church. This means contributing to his Church by sharing the various gifts we all have so the flock will grow and draw others in. The Good Shepherd is concerned for the wellbeing of the entire flock, that should be our concern too.
Following the voice of the Good Shepherd will call on us to learn his will, to become familiar with what he wants from us and for us. This we can find in the teachings of our Church and in the scriptures.
Indeed, life is full of all kinds of dark valleys and while our Good Shepherd doesn’t remove those evils, he does journey with us, not simply to protect us but to lead us through, to lift us up to a greater freedom. Through his sacrifice we have been invited here to share at his table and receive the food of his very self. God of all, we praise you for sending to us the Good Shepherd. Through your Holy Spirit, open our hearts so we would always long to hear his voice and grant us the courage needed to trust in him who guides us through the dark valleys found in life here and lifts us up through the sacrifice of his very self. In his name we pray. Amen.
We just heard one of the most well-known analogies our Lord presents for what the life of a disciple should be like. Jesus says that the life of a disciple, of one who follows him, should be like salt and like light. Now, on their own salt and light don’t have a lot to offer; they instead build on other things, other truths. Salt works best when there’s food to put it on; no one who wants to live long ever has a meal of just salt. Likewise, light only reveals colours and shapes when there’s something for it to reflect off.
I’d like to consider, for a moment, how we’re called to be light for the world. We’re lucky in this era of GPS: there’s no more getting lost, no need to pull over and consult a map. But after the sun goes down, even with GPS, light is essential for safely navigating to a destination. Our cars have headlights for seeing what’s ahead, of course. But most of the lights on our cars aren’t to help the driver see, but for the benefit of everyone else on the road.
Break lights, hazard lights, turning lights: these all do nothing but let other drivers know you’re slowing down, or turning or have become an obstacle. My personal favourite is the double flash of high beams letting all on the road know the police are ahead, encouraging safety. All these lights, indicators and signals aren’t for the driver, but for everyone and they become useless if covered up.
But this analogy reveals a danger too, because it’s by light that we can see things we would rather not see. Want to hide the cobwebs in the corners of your house, just dim the lights. Don’t like how you look first thing in the morning? Just keep the lights off when passing the bathroom mirror. It’s easy to hide truth from our eyes, to keep the light covered. But our Saviour uses this analogy of light to illustrate more serious ways truth can be covered up. The need for forgiveness is easily covered up by excuses, the horrors of euthanasia or abortion are concealed by ignoring them, the suffering of others is hidden by blame: we’re tempted to cover these uncomfortable things up.
Jesus however, calls for truth to be revealed and why should we expect anything different. Jesus went to the cross for professing truth, that he is the Son of God. John the Baptist was put to death because he declared that God has expectations, laws, around Marriage. All but one of the first Apostles were martyred, not because of their kindness and generosity but because of how they were like light illuminating the truth of the resurrection of our Lord.
None of us may ever be called to be martyrs. But each of us have been placed in positions of influence, maybe because of special gifts, talents or skills, maybe because of a career decision, maybe as a parent or as a member of an organization, association or circle of friends. This is not by accident; it’s from these places, from where we find ourselves currently, that we are to be light for the world.
There’s a lot at stake here. Because when Christians are not light for the world, when they fail to reveal truth and illuminate that which is good and that which is bad, the world begins to fall apart. It’s sadly amazing that various forms of evil have sprung up in traditionally Christian places. How could Nazism have arisen in Christian Germany unless Christians failed to illuminate truth or how could the residential school system have thrived in Christian Canada for over a century unless Christians failed to reveal the truth of what was happening.
When salt has lost its saltiness, it’s incapable of contributing to our meals. When light is covered up, its unable to reveal truth. Maybe there are some here who feel that way, that they have lost their saltiness or the light of faith and that’s okay because our Saviour has an answer. We may be unable to restore the saltiness of salt, but Jesus can. We may be unable to uncover the light of faith in our lives, but our Heavenly Father who created light can. At times we may be completely unable to open our eyes, minds and hearts to recognize truth, but the Holy Spirit can.
So, we come here. Today’s Gospel reading came from a great sermon Jesus gave called, “The Sermon on the Mount”. It began with the beatitudes we heard in last week’s Gospel and continues for two more chapters. Jesus delivered this sermon to a great crowd of people who left their homes hoping Jesus would offer something they could not give to themselves. To them and to us, Jesus gives his very self.
God of all goodness and love, send to us your Holy Spirit to open our minds, eyes and hearts to recognize your truth. May we, your disciples of today, truly receive your Son so we would be salt and light for the world and accept our share in our saviour’s work in whose name we pray. Amen.
Inspired by the popular practice many have of making New Year’s Resolutions at the start of a New Year, we’ve been reflecting on habits this month. We know our world could be better. We know our lives could be better. We know we could be better. So, with hope that something, anything will be better by this time next year, many work to keep resolutions. The problem, however, is that resolutions are incredibly difficult to keep. It seems that free will is overrated, that there are limits for even the most strong-willed of us. So, we proposed that, instead of resolutions, one-off goals, it might be better to make new, good habits.
Habits are behaviours we do automatically; we don’t even have to think about them. Instead of being one-off goals with one-off rewards, habits are ongoing; they’re about continual, life-long improvement. Habits offer daily opportunity for success because they’re formed through a cycle. First, there’s a cue, something that triggers the habit. Then there’s the routine, the habitual action, followed by the reward, something that affirms the habit.
We observed how God can use even the smallest of habits to bring big changes. Because of their small habit of observing the stars of the night sky, the wise men were guided to Jesus and were among the first to honour him. If God can do that, he can use our small, good habits to guide us too.
We also reflected on how our habits ought to echo our call to holiness. The life of any holy person will always be marked by good habits. The Corinthians who lived in a Greek and hedonistic culture may never have developed the good habits needed to embrace the Good News on their own. But they weren’t on their own. The Christians of the city of Corinth accepted the strength offered by God present among them. God offers strength for his people and here, in the church, through the Eucharist, we accept his grace.
Last week, we explored how understanding our identity is extremely important when forming habits because our habits should reflect who we are. Those who don’t have a great grasp of who they are likely to develop unhealthy habits. But those who recognize how they are children of God invited to share in the joy, love, sacrifice and work of our Maker are likely to develop habits that reflect that truth. Andrew, Peter, James and John could only begin seeking holiness after Jesus reveled to them their true identity: They weren’t just fishermen, but his disciples.
Though habits may be easier to develop than resolutions, there’s still the challenge of motivation. In the beatitudes, Jesus announces blessings for those holding certain character traits. We know these are great traits to have and are happy to hold those who demonstrate these traits in high esteem. Often, we look for these traits when exploring the life of a saint.
But on self-reflection, while we find that each of us may demonstrate any of these traits at least a little bit, there’s always room for growth and some of the traits Jesus blesses we might truly struggle with. Now, when working to develop new habits, one approach might be to focus on building up traits you know you struggle with most, to work on eliminating the greatest shortfalls. But that can be hard. There’s a reason why some of those traits are difficult.
But, instead of beginning at where you’re lacking, another approach might be to start by looking at what you long for, what you hope for most. Each of the beatitudes come with a reward. Jesus promises mercy for those who are merciful, and consolation to those who mourn. Which reward would you like most? Remembering how rewards affirm habits, dwelling on the reward might give just the motivation needed to establish a new habit. For example those who wish to see God might develop habits that make for a pure heart. Those who wish to inherit the earth might work on habits that affirm humility.
This is why we make habits, not to avoid bad things, but to accept the rewards our saviour has promised and it makes sense too. Our faith isn’t first of all about saying ‘no’, but about saying ‘yes’ to the love of God. When we do say ‘no’ to something, it’s always to say ‘yes’ to something greater.
Now, one habit we have as a church is to pray for the sick and to bring them to Jesus and one of the biggest ways we do that is through the Sacrament of the Anointing of the sick. So, next weekend we will offer that Sacrament here at the Saturday evening and Sunday Masses.
Who is it for? Any kind of illness that threatens life: physical, mental, emotional, spiritual. Those going under general anesthetic.
We bring the sick to Jesus because we know he offers healing
We know the Sacrament works because through this Sacrament, we unite our suffering to Jesus’
We know the Sacrament works because it units us as a Christian community
This is not last-rites, Sacrament can be received multiple times. Please don’t wait to the last moment to seek a priest.
Offer for all next weekend.
What to expect
Pray.
I know we’re past the halfway point of January, but we’re still at the beginning of a new year and along with a new year comes new hope. We know our world could be better, we know our lives could be better, we know we could be better. Holding that hope, many make New Year’s Resolutions so that something, anything, will be different, will be better by this time next year.
But while we know things can be better and have every intention to create and keep the greatest of resolutions, it turns out that free will is overrated. We’re not as strong as we had hoped and the majority of us can’t reach or keep our resolutions. Recognizing and respecting our limits, we proposed here that instead of making annual resolutions, it might be better to make new, good habits. Habits are different than resolutions. Instead of being one-off goals, habits are ongoing; they’re about continual, life-long improvement. Habits are behaviours we do automatically; we don’t even have to think about them. Maybe there’s some here who talk to themselves when they’re alone; you know it’s a habit when you have to work at not talking to yourself when there’s others around.
Unlike resolutions, habits offer daily opportunity for success because they’re formed through a cycle. First, there’s a cue, something that triggers the habit. Then there’s the routine, the habitual action, followed by the reward, something that affirms the habit. So, if someone gets into an argument with a spouse; there’s a cue. Stressed, they automatically head out to go shopping; there’s the routine. Then the reward: they feel better for having spent a few hundred dollars on stuff they didn’t really need. That may be a habit, though not a great one.
We’ve observed how God can use even the smallest of habits to bring big changes to our lives. Because of their small habit of observing the stars of the night sky, the wise men were guided to Jesus and were among the first to honour him. If God can do that, he can use our small, good habits to guide us too.
Last week, we reflected on how our habits ought to echo our call to holiness. Living in a Greek and hedonistic culture, the Corinthians, may never have developed the good habits needed to embrace the Good News on their own. But they weren’t on their own. The Christians of the city of Corinth accepted the strength offered by God present among them. God offers strength for his people and here, in the church, through the Eucharist, we accept his grace. Saint Paul, the Corinthians and each of us are called by God to be holy and the life of any holy person will always be marked by good habits.
Often, the hardest part of forming a new, good habit is knowing where to begin. So, I’d like to suggest that the best place to begin forming a new habit is to consider your identity, who you are. In the Gospel today, we heard of the moment when Jesus revealed to Andrew, Simon, James and John, how they were called to be his disciples. Before their encounter with Jesus, as far as they could determine, they were called to be fishermen and the habits they developed reflected their trade.
It’s easy to imagine these men having the good habits of good fishermen. We can picture them habitually rising early each day and automatically checking the weather before setting out to sea. Jesus found James and John cleaning and mending their nets; I’m sure that was a good habit for fishermen to have. Maybe they had good habits that helped them be good Jewish men, good fathers and husbands and members of the community. They could have had habits that helped them be kind and generous, respectful to others and considerate of God’s law. But they were more than fishermen or husbands or fathers and before they could begin truly serving God, Jesus had to reveal to the disciples their true identity.
Understanding our identity is extremely important because unhealthy or incomplete understandings create unhealthy habits. One who doesn’t recognize their body as a gift from God is less likely to have healthy eating or exercise habits. Those who don’t consider how God has made all people to have a relationship with him are less likely to have habits of prayer or to seek out the Sacraments.
In the second reading today, we see how a misunderstanding of identity led to divides in a community that should have been united. Some of the Christians of Corinth had been Baptized by Saint Paul, others by Saint Peter or Apollo or another apostle. They forgot that Baptism spiritually joined them to the Kingdom of God regardless of who Baptized them. They forgot their true identity as children of God. They looked to human sources to discover their identity and this divided their community.
To see who we truly are, we turn to God himself. We don’t invent our identity, we turn to the one who made us, redeemed us and knows us best. We look at ourselves from God’s perspective. At our Baptism, we were welcomed into God’s family as his adopted sons and daughters: this is our identity. When we approach our Lord at Communion, we recognize how we’re called to share in his joy, life and sacrifice: this is our identity. At Confirmation, we discover how God gives us many gifts through the Holy Spirit so we can share in God’s work as disciples today: this is our identity. Of course, how this is lived out will look different for each of us, but those wanting a better grasp of their identity, those wanting to discover who they truly are, can begin the search at their Baptism and Confirmation and in the Eucharist.
So, because we want to have habits that affirm our true identity, maybe a task for the week could be to take a look at your existing habits. What do your habits say about who you are? Of course, each of us will have all kinds of habits that affirm our identity as children of God called to share in his joy, sacrifice, life and work. But there will be some habits that take away from this identity and as a people wanting to serve and love, we replace those habits with new good habits that affirm our true identity as reveled by God.
God of all, you made us and you know us. Through your Holy Spirit, reveal to each of us our true identity as your children called to share in your joy, sacrifice, life and work. With your guidance, may we develop those habits that affirm our identity and share the Good News of your love with the world. This we pray in the name of Jesus, our Lord. Amen.
I know there’s many here who have made New Year’s resolutions. Some have done well in keeping their resolutions so far, others are struggling and I’m sure there’s more than one here who have already given up. You’re in good company if that’s you; stats show that most give up their New Year’s resolutions by the second Friday of January. Then there’s the realists among us, like myself, who know they won’t keep resolutions, so they don’t even try.
Regardless of where you fall, we make resolutions because of a deep desire we all have. We know our world could be better. We know our lives could be better. We know we could be better and so we set goals so something, anything will be better by this time next year. But, despite the best of efforts and intentions, few have the strength to keep their resolutions.
Reflecting on this, last week we proposed that instead of making annual resolutions, it might be better to make new good habits. Habits are different than resolutions. Instead of being one-off goals, habits are ongoing; they’re about continual, life-long improvement. Habits are behaviours we do automatically; we don’t even have to think about them. For some, they automatically hit up Tim Horton’s on their way to work; they don’t decide to go, they just instinctively head there. Some just can’t go to sleep without a book in their hands. I’ve heard there’s some strange people who automatically make their bed up each day. While resolutions provide happiness only when the goal is achieved, habits offer continual opportunity for success.
Habits are formed through a cycle. First, there’s a cue, something that triggers the habit. Then there’s the routine, the habitual action followed by the reward, something that affirms the habit. So, you’re driving and someone cuts you off; there’s a cue. Then you automatically share the one-finger salute; there’s the routine. Then the reward: you feel better for giving the free driving lesson, right? I’m sure none here have such a habit.
Last week, we reflected on how God can use even the smallest of habits to bring big changes to our lives. Because of their small habit of observing the stars of the night sky, the wise men were guided to Jesus and were among the first to honour him. If God can do that, he can use our small, good habits to guide us too.
The second reading today comes from a letter Saint Paul wrote to the Corinthians, the people of the city of Corinth. I found you can add that name to pretty much anything to make something sound extravagant. I know the pews of our church need some work, but I bet you would feel special sitting in them if I said they were made of Corinthian spruce and maybe the robes I’m wearing aren’t made of polyester but of Corinthian wool; very fancy.
But while Corinthian spruce and wool aren’t real things, the city of Corinth was; it was a very prosperous city in Greece and at the centre of the life of that city was a temple to Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of sex. You can imagine some of the big lifestyle changes the people of that city had to make before taking on new Christian habits. Saint Paul wrote to encourage the people through the transition and there’s a simple word he used to urge them; he used the word, ‘called’.
About himself, Saint Paul began his letter saying, “…Paul, called to be an Apostle…”[i]. The saint knew he had been called. He knew his efforts and his various habits would only matter and bear fruit so long as they reflected God’s call for him. The same was true for the Corinthians. So, Saint Paul reminded them of how they were, “…called to be holy…”[ii]. Oh, the people had already been sanctified, but being holy is another thing altogether.
Being sanctified means having God’s life in you; it means being set apart for a special purpose. The people of Corinth had been sanctified at their Baptism just as we are. But being Baptized, being sanctified, doesn’t make someone holy. We all know of Baptized Christians who are far from holy.
Being holy is more than having a good prayer life or coming to church each week, though those are important qualities for a holy person to have. Being holy means developing the full, physical, intellectual, spiritual, social and emotional potential God has given us and the life of a holy person will be marked by good habits that develop those aspects.
Those who develop habits to look after their physical health or expand their knowledge or skills, those who form habits that increase the capacity of reason and reflection grow in holiness. Those with habits of prayer, contemplation, spiritual reading and accessing the Sacraments grow in holiness. Those who are habitually kind to others and generous, those who instinctively serve, point out the value of others and can recognize, understand and lovingly respond to even the most passionate of emotions all cultivate holiness.
But while habits may give daily opportunities to celebrate success, they can be incredibly difficult to form. Willpower is overrated, people have their limits and weaknesses; it’s part of the reason why twelve step programs call on recovering addicts to form a trust in a higher power, to establish a relationship with God. Of course, habits are very different than addictions; the two are incomparable. But, in both cases, God’s strength is needed.
Saint Paul continued encouraging the Corinthians in the verse following what we heard today; “I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given to you…”[iii]. It was a miracle that the church in Corinth could flourish in such a hedonistic society. On their own, the Christians there may never have developed the good habits needed to embrace the Good News. But they weren’t on their own. The Christians of that city accepted the strength offered by God present among them. God offers strength for his people and here we accept his grace.
Saint Paul, the Corinthians and each of us are called by God. We’re called to be holy. We’re called to be holy parents and children, employers and employees. We’re expected to be holy disciples and the various habits we develop: they ought to affirm, support and witness to that divine call. So, while considering a new habit to develop this year, reflect on the holiness God has called each of us to. Only accept habits that accept the aid God offers and ensure your habits guide you in living out your call.
We give you thanks, O Lord, for your aid and strength. With the assistance of your Spirit, may we develop the good habits necessary to embrace your Good News and become the holy people you created us to be. We thank you for the example of Saint Paul and the Corinthians, and we ask for your continued guidance and strength as we follow in their footsteps. In your holy name we pray, Amen.
[i] 1 Corinthians 1:1 NRSVCE
[ii] 1 Corinthians 1:2 NRSVCE
[iii] 1 Corinthians 1:4 NRSVCE
I was just reading a statistic earlier this week suggesting that less than one in ten people are successful in keeping their New Year’s Resolutions and most people give up on their resolutions by the second Friday of January. Now, I’m not the superstitious type, but this year the second Friday of January is Friday the 13th. Personally, I don’t make New Year’s Resolutions because I know I won’t keep them. But, I will say and extra prayer for those of you who have made resolutions.
One thing I do find interesting is how people in different parts of the world are inclined to make different kinds of resolutions. In North America, the top resolution is to exercise more. In Poland, the top resolution is to save more money. In South Korea, it’s to get a better job. In India, it’s to waste less time. I couldn’t find any stat for any place in Africa.
Though the differing values of different cultures may shape the resolutions people make, I think this practice of making resolutions points out a deeper desire all people have. We make resolutions because we know our world could be better. We know our lives could be better. We know we could be better. But despite the best desires and best efforts, few have the strength needed to keep their resolutions.
I wonder if keeping resolutions is so difficult because we aim too high. We know big changes are needed in life and in the world and because we’re impatient we’re tempted to set goals that are just too big. If you’ve resolved to go to the gym for an hour each day, I wish you all the best; but the realist in me is very sceptical.
So, for those of us who struggle with resolutions, for those of us who fall among the great crowd who will probably abandon their efforts by Friday, I’d like to suggest: instead of making resolutions, what about making habits?
Habits are different than resolutions. Resolutions have conclusions. Once the goal is reached, once the weight is lost, the money saved or the new job realized, the resolution comes to an end and then we can feel happy and satisfied. But in the meantime, while striving for the goal, the pressure, anxiety and sacrifice is just draining and a loss of focus fueled by fatigue easily leads to failure.
Habits are different, however. Instead of being one-off goals, habits are ongoing; they’re about continual improvement. They’re much smaller in scope, but continuous, often even life-long. While resolutions only provide happiness when the goal is achieved, habits offer continual opportunity for success.
A habit is something we do regularly and automatically; we don’t even have to think about it. You get in the car and do up the seatbelt without having to think about it. There’s lots of morning habits. Some instinctively gravitate to the coffee maker after waking. Others automatically check their phone for new messages; some, still half asleep, have a habit of doing both.
I don’t know if any of the saints made New Year’s Resolutions, but I know they all had some great habits. So this year, I’d like to encourage you to form one positive habit, to form one small practice that will hopefully become a positive automatic pattern in your life.
To do that, it’s helpful to understand the cycle that makes up habits. First, there’s a cue, then a routine and then a reward affirming the routine. So, for example: you change your clothes; that’s the cue. Then you put the dirty clothes in the laundry basket; there’s the routine. Then, your spouse doesn’t nag you for leaving dirty clothes all over; there’s a reward affirming the routine. It’s a cycle that can be used to build new habits.
Many habits may seem like tiny daily routines, but they can have a huge impact. In the Gospel for today, we’re introduced to the wise men, astronomers who watched the sky. Now, to me the stars always look the same each night. But these wise men noticed even the smallest of changes. They were so good at watching the movement of the stars and planets that they became close advisors to the king of Persia who believed that the stars of the sky could predict earthly events.
There’s great debate today about what exactly the wise men saw that prompted them to leave their country and seek out the new born king in Israel. But, it’s only because of their habit of studying God’s creation that they had their position as advisors to the king of Persia and were able to recognize signs of God’s presence in the world.
Just off topic for a moment: this retelling of the visit of the wise men should not be taken as an endorsement of astrology. Astrology pretends that the stars and planets have some sort of supernatural power, which they do not. Yes, God can and does use his creation to teach us about himself and how he’s at work in the world, but true signs of God, from the stars, a sunset or any other part of creation always point back to God. On the feast of the Epiphany, we don’t celebrate the stars, but how God has used the stars to reveal himself and we celebrate the openness of the wise men who recognized the presence of one much more powerful than stars.
Back to habits though. We want to build up good habits and it’s great to begin this new year by forming just one new good habit. Start by considering one area in life you would like to see change. Then, pick one habit you can take up to support that change: something easy, something you know you can do, something that can be accomplished and celebrated daily. Those wishing for a better relationship with spouse or children, might start a habit of spending even just a few more minutes with them each day. Any wanting to feel more financially secure or wanting better health may start a habit of bringing lunch to work rather than picking up fast food. Those wanting to come closer to God’s word might start a habit of reading a chapter or two of the Bible a day as part of their prayer.
For the next few weeks, were going to continue reflecting on our habits and how good habits, even if they seem small, can have long term, life changing impacts. Thanks to their small habit of looking up at the stars each night, the wise men were invited to share in God’s joy and be among the first to lay gifts before Our Saviour. If God can use that habit to lead the wise men, he can certainly use our habits to lead us too.
Maker of the stars and all that is good, as we celebrate the way you guided the wise men to Jesus through the light of the stars, we beg you to guide us through the light of your Spirit. Grant us the grace and determination to stay focused on our spiritual journey and to seek a deeper understanding of your love through the good habits we develop this year. This we pray in the name of Jesus, our Savior. Amen.
While growing up, my family always had a cat or two, but I always thought it would be neat to have something a little larger, like a lion or a tiger. Of course, you can’t own an animal like that, at least not for very long. The instinct those large cats have to hunt and eat is just too great. One time while I was serving in Peterborough, people’s small dogs started disappearing after a lynx escaped from the zoo. There was no real mystery about where those unfortunate dogs went. For now, we just accept the existence of a food chain and wishing to remain at the top, we’re happy to respectfully admire many of God’s creatures safely from behind a fence. As we accept a food chain, we also accept conflict, poverty, natural disasters and death as part of our existence. But it won’t always be this way.
We just heard the prophet Isaiah present an image of how God wishes his creation to work. The prophet finishes his image saying, “They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain…”[1]. When God gets his way and all creation is restored, there will be no predator or prey, no injustice or conflict, it won’t even be necessary to guess at what’s in the minds or hearts of others. Those of us wishing to pet a lion will even have the chance to do so without threat. This image Isaiah presents[2], of animals and children all living harmoniously together without fear or danger sounds amazing. This kind of peace is what God has planned for his creation and I’m sure every person here looks forward to that peace.
But there’s great gap between that image and what we experience in life and each time we hear of some natural disaster or war, whenever we witness the effects of addiction, disease, poverty or any other evil, we’re reminded of this great gap. It’s an experience that’s in no way new. Those living during the earthly life of Jesus endured the very same experiences. Like us, they longed for that peaceful image of the prophet Isaiah to be realized and like us, they too wondered about what should be done while waiting for the restoration of creation.
Shortly before Jesus began his public ministry, God sent the greatest prophet of all, John the Baptist, and through this prophet, God gives those who wait for the restoration of creation some direction: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”[3] In a couple of weeks, we’re going to celebrate a Reconciliation Service. It will be an opportunity for us as a community to pray and examine our conscience. Fr. Darlington, myself and a couple guest priests will be here to offer the Sacrament of Reconciliation. This is just how Christians, “Prepare the way of the Lord…”[4], it’s how we follow the serious command of John the Baptist and get ourselves ready for the coming of our Saviour.
“I haven’t really done anything bad since my last Confession.” We’ve all thought this. But, this thought dismisses the fact that we aren’t always aware of all the connections we have with others and the rest of creation. I think of those tradespeople who built the residential schools or those who unknowingly voted for politicians who upheld policies that supported residential schools. These people can’t at all be blamed for what happened. But, there was clearly a flawed system that every Canadian was connected to.
So, when I witness injustice or homelessness, lonely people who have surrendered hope or families who struggle through poverty, war or the effects of climate change, I have to wonder if I, or any of us, could be unknowingly connected to systems that uphold such evils. None of us may be to blame and none of us may be able to directly do anything against these evils. But, there’s a clear need to welcome a Saviour who shows us the way to true peace.
It doesn’t matter if we’ve done anything especially bad since our last Confession or not. It doesn’t matter if there’s no discernible link between what we confess and the problems of the world. The world needs reconciliation and in the confessional, we do our part to, “…make his paths straight.”[5].
In one image of what Jesus is like, we hear about how the Good Shepherd doesn’t just seek out the one sheep that has gone astray, he brings the lost back to the fold[6], back to the kingdom where all rejoice over the mercy one has received. If we are all connected, parts of systems that make a difference in the lives of others and the natural workings of our world then, through Jesus, our small efforts in the confessional make a very real difference not just for ourselves, but for all. This is what we celebrate in the confessional. It’s why our Church recognizes true reconciliation not as a private affair but worthy of celebration in our churches with God’s priests.
So, to get ready for our Reconciliation Service, you’ll find, in the next bulletin, links to different versions of an examination of conscience for different age groups. Paper copies will be available here next weekend and at the Reconciliation Service too. I invite you to use these tools to prayerfully reflect on your conscience, to see where you might receive forgiveness and contribute to the reconciliation our world desperately needs. This isn’t an exercise in clinging to the wounds and failings of the past, but of looking to that future of peace the prophet Isaiah describes and doing our part to invite our Saviour to guide us to that restored and reconciled creation.
Maker of all, your creation and your people cry out for true reconciliation. Our world is filled with hurt and pain. Your people are divided in many ways and need healing. Send your Spirit to fill us with a desire for your peace and as we prepare to celebrate the entry of your Son into our world at Christmas, inspire us to follow the example and command of John the Baptist to be ready for his coming. Through our Lord and Saviour, we offer this prayer. Amen.
[1] Isaiah 11:9 (NRSVCE)
[2] Isaiah 11:6-8 (NRSVCE)
[3] Matthew 3:2 (NRSVCE)
[4] Matthew 3:3 (NRSVCE)
[5] Matthew 3:3 (NRSVCE)
[6] Luke 15:3-6 (NRSVCE)
The idea of a king, of being subject to a non-elected leader, is frightening. Those places with the least freedoms and useable resources are often overseen by someone not fairly elected and those who seek to be uncontested rulers often use violence, corruption and deceit: demonstrations of power that often create suffering, to get their...
Although we all long for good news, for whatever reason it’s often bad news that captures attention. The media takes advantage of this characteristic as they plan their programming: when the CBC issues some breaking news, it’s pretty much a guarantee the news won’t cause dancing in the streets. For the next few weeks, we’re...
Truth be told, I’m not big on watching the news. To start, it’s hard to find an unbiased source for news. It seems that most have their own slants and I get suspicious when news becomes political or a tool to sell some thing or some idea. For me, it’s sometimes a challenge to know...
I was visiting one of our schools this week, helping students create some intentions for the Prayers of the Faithful for an upcoming school Mass. Considering the various things going on in the world right now, the students quickly crafted prayers for peace in the Ukraine, for those affected by recent hurricanes and for reconciliation...
Last Sunday, we read about the parable of a rich man with the unjust steward and in that parable, Jesus instructed us to be wise and prudent in the use of material wealth and possession and he ended the parable by saying, “You cannot serve both God and money.” In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus gives...
I’ve noticed all the election signs going up around the city. I know there’s still more than a month to go but definitely vote when the time comes. Truth be told, I don’t have as big an interest in municipal elections as in others; the stakes just don’t seem as high as in Federal or...
It’s unusual to hear Jesus speak about hate, especially to promote hatred towards anyone. Elsewhere, our Lord has commanded us to love our neighbour and even our enemies; and life is supposed to be something sacred. So, the Saviour’s command to hate family or life itself just seems out of place. We might even imagine...
In the Gospel, we heard of a question someone asked Jesus, “…will only a few be saved?” The unnamed man basically asked Jesus if, at the end of time, the Kingdom will be full or empty. Will most make it into Heaven or will many be condemned. The question continues to be asked today because...
Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve been reflecting on the need to be ready. It’s something we’re all very familiar with; we spend much of our lives getting ready. Maybe some of the youngest of us here are beginning to get ready for a new school year. An engaged couple, expectant parents, someone going...
We started last week reflecting on the need to be ready. It seems we spend much of our lives getting ready. An engaged couple will use a lot of energy getting ready for a wedding. Expectant parents will spend many months getting ready for new life. Even a vacation or holiday takes planning. When the...
Saw some boxes, Fr. Isaac is getting ready for his new ministry. Seems like we’re always getting ready for something: job interview, students, engaged couple, expectant parents. When the risks are higher, getting ready is more important. Earlier this month, I went sailing for nine days, checking out some spots between Sandbanks and Presquile. Of...
Quite some time ago while serving at another parish, I was called to anoint an elderly lady who was dying. Now, in many ways she was lucky because she was able to remain at home surrounded by loved ones. She was also lucky because she was conscious and could receive Communion. After Anointing her, offering...
Welcome to Trinity Sunday. “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” The Sign of the Cross. Words we say,-a simple action we do,-an outward sign in our belief in the Holy Trinity. The sign of the cross was originally done in some parts of the Christian world using only...
Many biblical scholars believe today’s chapter of the Gospel was added by John after his original Gospel was completed. Previous chapters spoke about the tomb being empty and that the Risen Christ had a real body which still bore the marks of the nails and the spear thrust in his side. This story goes a...
Since Palm Sunday, we’ve reflected on some of the signs of Jesus’ love for us. We need signs of love. Love, after all, can’t be seen on its own. That doesn’t make it any less real, of course. But although we know love is real, signs of love are extremely helpful reminders that affirm what...
“Jesus is the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Him, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in Him, will never die.” DO YOU BELIEVE THIS? This week’s readings have a message of hope, resurrection, and -new life. As I was meditating on these readings, a personal experience, kept coming...
As we listened to todays’ Gospel, we heard about so many things that should not have happened. Certainly, the people at that time would have had many questions that challenged them to open their minds to the actions and words of Jesus. Jesus uses these actions and words to pass on two key teachings. The...
I’m so happy to see our space here mostly returned to how it was before the first pandemic lockdown, about two years ago. It looks great, thanks to a small team who spent near five hours on Saturday putting all the pews back into place. We all still need to wear masks, and please do...
Today’s first reading offers many of us a familiar story. Let’s first go back to how David and King Saul first became friends. Saul was being tormented by an evil spirit and the only way he could find comfort was by David playing his harp. As time went on they became very good friends. Later...
For the last three weeks, we’ve been reflecting on stories. Regardless of if it’s for books or streaming services, we’re willing to pay lots for stories because we love them. Stories help us understand the world and the people in it. They inspire us and offer a great distraction. Even the stories we heard as...
I hear that Netflix is raising prices for their service over the next month. But most will just continue to pay whatever they ask. We pay either from our wallets or by watching ads because we love stories. Stories help us understand the world and the people in it. They inspire us and can offer...
A central part of our worship at every Mass is stories. Stories make up a large part of the scriptures we reflect on and without them, most of what we do here loses meaning. We all love stories. We love them so much that we’re willing to hand over a good portion of our paycheques...
I’m sure you’ve noticed: as the Christmas season has ended, our Christmas decorations have been put away. I have to give lots of thanks to those who contributed to our Christmas decorations this year. I think of the team who came in just before Christmas, an especially busy time for many, to beautifully decorate this...
“Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God.” These words from Isaiah, certainly express something we all desire, especially as we endure another round of Covid lockdowns. At the time of the first reading, most of the people of Jerusalem had been exiled from their land for approximately 60 years by the Babylonians. Isaiah was...
While putting things away after a Mass one day, during my first year as a priest, I noticed an excited group of people in one of the isles of the church. Curious, I started walking towards the group. As I got closer, I noticed that attention was being given to something on the floor. It...
I’m sure Mary would have preferred to give birth to her son at home. I bet Joseph had used his skills as a carpenter to build the perfect crib for Jesus too, but the parents of Our Lord had to settle for a manger, the animals’ feeding trough, to lay their newborn child. Really, most...
“Rejoice! Rejoice!” This third Sunday of Advent is called Gaudete Sunday, which is Latin for “rejoice.” This is why today we light the rose coloured candle as rose or pink represents Joy. We rejoice in the fact that we are more than halfway through advent, to celebrate Christ’s birth. Today’s first reading from the prophet Zephaniah tells...
For weeks now, we’ve reflected on the ‘harvest principle.’ If you’ve missed any of our reflection so far, no worries. Fr. Isaac and I always post the text and a recording of our homilies on the parish website. The ‘harvest principle’ says: you reap what you sow. As planted corn produces a harvest of corn, the...
For a few weeks now, we’ve reflected on what we’ve called, ‘the harvest principle’. A principle is a fundamental truth that applies to all. While it’s sometimes possible to find exceptions that propose a principle isn’t true, these exceptions don’t last. Birds that seem to defy the principles or laws of gravity must eventually return...
For the last couple of weeks, we’ve been reflecting on what we’ll call, ‘the harvest principle’. A principle is a fundamental truth that applies to all. While it’s sometimes possible to find exceptions that propose that a principle isn’t true, these exceptions don’t last forever. Birds may seem to defy the principles or laws of...
Though we’re not primarily a farming community, Thanksgiving, the change of seasons and shrinking days has many thinking about harvest time. I mean, so many decorate their homes with pumpkins, corn stalks, gourds or straw: the produce of the harvest. At least, they do till Halloween decorations take over. The harvest defines seasons, shapes holidays,...
Today’s gospel continues with the theme I spoke to you about last month. If you remember, the disciples were arguing with each other about who was the greatest amongst them. Jesus told them, “They must become last and not first, servants not masters.” Today, we heard James and John come to Jesus and say, “We...
In the first reading, we come across what is probably the first time that God expresses displeasure at something in his creation. After placing Adam in the Garden of Eden, granting him life and reflecting on creation so far, God asserts, “It is not good that the man should be alone…”[1]. Something is missing and...
Surprise was nothing new for the disciples; most everything about Jesus was surprising and that’s probably what attracted many of the disciples in the first place. The casting out of demons, the witness of one being freed of an evil spirit would have undoubtedly been an incredibly joyful experience for those who followed Jesus, an...
Most of us don’t think of ourselves as having servants like Mr. Carson the butler and the other servants on Downtown abbey. Even though we don’t hire these people directly there are lots of people who serve are needs. Cleaners, food servers, fast food employees, truck drivers, not to mention the workers who harvest our...
Just a glance at the news these days reveals a lot of anger. I mean, when people throw stones at the Prime Minister, they’re angry. But it only take a brief reflection on the events of the last few months to see why. We might think of the revelation of the horrors of the residential...
After a long period of lockdowns, I’m so glad our parish can once again minister to those of our community residing in nursing and retirement residences. It’s a ministry that still has lots of growing to do, but at least Mass can be celebrated with those individuals. Now, during a Mass celebrated in one of...
There was a young boy called John, who fell deeply in love with Kate.Kate had never gone out without wearing make-up. Then, throughout the period of their dating John had never spent a night together with her. So, on their wedding night after the reception, John discovered to his great surprise that Kate was an...
A friend of mine once told me of a cruel trick his older brother would often play when his parents bought a snack for each of them. While my friend would gobble down his snack right away, his older brother would save his till later so he could eat it slowly in front of his...
In the Gospel last weekend, we heard how Jesus sent the disciples to share the Good News with the surrounding communities. While the disciples had not yet witnessed the greatest sign of the love of our Lord, his death and resurrection, they still had true Good News to share. To support their message, Jesus empowered...
One of the greatest fears a nation of people might have is to be conquered. After all, it never goes well for those dominated by a foreign power. Peoples of conquered nations have been displaced, exiled, enslaved and even killed. What’s worse is the loss of the unique cultures and customs that unite a people:...
THINK TWICE BEFORE YOU WRITE HIM OFF In contrast to parting ,homecoming is more likely to be a very happy experience for all involved. Yet homecoming can also be complicated affair. . In the Gospel today Jesus returns to his home town of Nazareth having left there some time in the past. He has...
I can only imagine how thrilled and happy Jesus must have been with each of the miraculous healings we heard about in today’s Gospel. In each encounter, Jesus witnesses a suffering person find relief, a sinner reunited with the Father and a proclamation of God’s love for all those who gaze on in amazement. However,...
JESUS CALMS EVERY STORM IN MY LIFE. The Lake of Galilee was notorious for its storm. The voyage across the Lake was always liable to encounter storm such a sudden storms as portrayed in the Gospel of today. In the evening at the end of day’s work spent by Jesus in announcing the kingdom...
Again, I welcome all of you back into our church. It was a great surprise for me when the Provincial reopening plan was adjusted to allow our church to open at stage one. It’s been wonderful to celebrate with you outside over the last five weekends and the fact that we always had good weather...
The discovery of undocumented remains of over two hundred children on the grounds of a former residential school in British Columbia has undoubtedly weighed heavily on our minds and hearts over the last week. The has put a number to it, something measurable, two hundred and fifteen young lives. We already knew that the whole...
At a confirmation an arch bishop asked the children for the meaning of the Holy Trinity .A girl answered very softly. The Holy Trinity is three Persons in One God. The arch bishop who was using a hearing aid replied I didn’t understand what you said and the girl replied you are not supposed to...
This past winter, I got a bunch of calls from parents who, wanting the best for their children and recognizing the very real gifts our schools offer, wished to enroll their children in a Catholic school for September. They encountered a problem though when neither they nor their children were Baptized in a Catholic Church....
Rev. Billy Graham arrived in a small town to preach a sermon. Wanting to mail a letter ,he asked a young boy where the post office was. When the boy told him, he thanked him and said ‘’if you would come this evening to the Baptist Church you can hear me telling everyone how to go...
In the Gospel last week, Jesus used the image of a vine and branches to describe how we are to be and remain always connected to him. Being connected to Jesus isn’t something that happens accidently, but takes deliberate effort and, indeed, following his commandments is hard work. We long to be connected to our...
Over the last year, I’ve been so impressed by and grateful for those who have worked through all the challenges the pandemic has presented. The contributions of so many have made it possible for us to stream the Mass each week and in so many other ways ensured that our church remains a place of...
The Jews were a pastoral people, and it was only natural that their literature ‘’Old Testament Books’’ have many references to pastoral life. Our Lord and his Apostles continued in this tradition and used the pastoral images familiar to their hearers to illustrate to them the spiritual truths about Christianity. Today is traditionally called Good...
I know many are curious over how Friday’s announcement from our premiere will affect things here. Yes, some temporary changes are coming. After this weekend, the Sunday Mass will not be publicly celebrated. Instead, the church will be open Sunday Mornings from nine till noon with the Blessed Sacrament exposed for adoration and private prayer....
During the Easter Season, the church focuses on the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. Therefore the first reading from the Old Testament is replaced with a reading from Acts which was written by Luke. When we read Luke’s words in Acts today, we have to marvel at the teaching of the Apostles, attesting to the...
One aspect of Good Friday that touches me most has to be the judgment of Jesus. Judging him unworthy of faith, Judas betrayed him. Judging him unworthy of hope, Peter denied him. Judging him unworthy of praise, the religious leaders chained him up. Begging for the release of a murderer, the crowds judged Our Saviour...
Toady we celebrate Christ’s triumphant entry to the Temple in Jerusalem as a King and awaited Messiah. This was the fulfilment of God’s promise to raise from the house of David a King who will rule eternally and his Kingdom will never come to an end. Christ triumphant entry has two goals: Immediate and ultimate....
Last Sunday the first reading told us how the evil mind-set spread to the leaders and the priests and filtered down the people and kicked off an epidemic of evil respecting the abominations of pagans and polluting the temple of God. God repeatedly sent warning messages to them. Out of his compassion he wanted to...
Not that it’s ever at all a good idea to make a comparison between people, but do you ever wonder why certain people seem so successful in some part of life? I mean, we all certainly try, but some just seem to excel maybe in their relationships or marriage, in their work, business or finances....
When we think of Jesus flipping tables and driving all the venders out of the temple, we might imagine him being angry or frustrated over the misuse of the sacred space. It’s important to remember though, that when God feels angry or frustrated, it’s always combined with love. Jesus still loved those he drove out...
Truth be told, I don’t really like the moment we heard about in today’s First Reading. I don’t like the test God put to Abraham: when he asked Abraham to sacrifice his own only son. God had promised the elderly Abraham that through Isaac God’s chosen people would be established, that a nation so large...
A common practice Catholics have is to give something up for Lent, to make a Lenten sacrifice. It’s a tradition that reminds me of making New Year’s resolutions. We all know that we can be better, that there’s room for growth. A New Year is a good opportunity to make resolutions to be better even...
Leprosy is referred to in two of the three readings of today. In the time of Jesus, leprosy was the most isolating of all diseases. In the Word of today’s reading the leper had to live outside the Camp, away from the normal places where people interact with one another. If for some reason, the...
Suffering cut across the first reading and the Gospel of today. The cry of Job in today’s reading is the one that comes out of deep suffering. He was in a very dark place indeed. Not only has he lost his health, property and members of his family, but he seems to have lost God....
For a few weeks now, we’ve been reflecting on defining moments. For many, a past experience, event or season of life is evaluated not by weighing the ups and downs of the experience as we might when considering future plans, but by specific moments that define the value of the whole. A trip filled with many...
We’ve been reflecting on defining moments. For many, a past experience, event or season of life is evaluated not by weighing the ups and downs of the experience as we might when considering future plans, but by specific moments that define the value of the whole. A trip filled with many difficult moments can be remembered...