Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time - October 11, 2020 – Matthew 22: 1-14                              

Some friends and colleagues occasionally find pictures or cartoons relevant for our work in the Church. One of them came across my desk this past week, with specific reference to the Gospel we’ve just heard. One of God’s lambs is out in the pasture praying. The gist of the lamb’s prayer is this:  “God, I’m trying to figure out MY direction in life.” and God’s voice responds from heaven: “My little lamb, I just want you to love me, and to care for my loved ones.” Then, in the next frame, the lamb sounds a bit frustrated, and says, “Gosh, God, this isn’t about YOU! Everything isn’t about…” and then the lamb pauses and thinks a bit, and in conclusion says, “Oh, wait, God. Everything IS about you, isn’t it?  You and I know this is true!

The general flow of this parable is fairly easy to decipher, but challenging to live completely. In Matthew’s vision, the king is God, his Son is Jesus, and the invitation goes out to EVERYBODY, because God wants everyone included. And then, the excuses start to roll in from everyone: the lyrics of the song that we were taught to immortalize the parable says this: “I cannot come to the banquet, don’t bother me now; I have married a wife, I have bought me a cow. I have plans and commitments that just must get done; please hold me excused, I cannot come.” Now, the parable doesn’t record the excuse makers saying, “Don’t bother me now,” but it’s certainly the attitude we pick up. Those invited people are not attuned to the banquet giver’s purpose, which is to begin a forever banquet! 

However, the part of the parable people have struggled with for centuries is about 1 guest, the one NOT wearing a wedding garment for this banquet feast. I’ve been searching for 40 years for a clue. And probably because this wedding garment person’s section of the parable is told at the END, as an add-on to the main message, I and others have heard the king invite people 2come to the banquet at the very last minute: but then is holding this guest responsible for not wearing a wedding garment to the banquet. Doesn’t that sound a bit unfair to you? It certainly did to me, and didn’t sound like the voice of God or voice of Jesus. UNLESS….UNLESS….UNLESS this wedding garment is not an article of clothing, but a symbol.

For example, if the wedding garment symbolizes someone’s readiness to join in the banquet of God’s eternal feast of heaven, there could be a large number of reasons why someone isn’t ready. Remember the song I learned as a boy, with that line, “Don’t bother me now.” Or, like the famous screen actress Greta Garbo, who said: “I want to be alone.” That should certainly NOT be the attitude of someone who’s called to live in communion and community with the God who has BIGGER and BETTER plans for our future. If we accept this reasoning, then what other reasons would get someone tossed out and make them banquet UNWORTHY?

We already KNOW why: it could be someone like a misguided lamb, who’s just selfish. OR Someone just going thru the motions of practicing Judaism that Jesus showed in scribes and Pharisees: good people, but their hearts and prayer are NOT united. OR, it could be that, in someone’s life and heart, there’s a severe lack of good deeds that benefit others; OR someone who’s a great pretender, who wants the benefits without responsibilities.  It could even be someone going thru a rebellion stage, refusing to bend their will to God’s holy will. Whatever it is, such a person needs spiritual rehabilitation before being ready to receive all that an eternal banquet has to offer.

Now, if we examine our own hearts, could there be any internal adjustments or conversions I need to make, to be more in union with the Blessed Trinity, particularly if God decided to call us home to eternal life one day from this moment? Let us be attentive:  not only to our OWN words and actions, but to the movement and consolation of our God, who is rich in mercy, AND generous in forgiveness, AND unconditionally in love with us. Good News? Oh, yes: thanks be to God, who brings us renewal in Christ Jesus our Savior.

25^th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle “A” – Sunday, September 20, 2020 - Matthew 20:1-16

It seems to me that it might be very easy for SOME people in the 21^st century to hear this parable, and turn Jesus off right away. With human notions about what’s right and fair, it could be easy for some people to think that the Vineyard Owner and Jesus got this pay scale business all wrong.  Even today, some people STILL feel the VINEYARD OWNER should ONLY give a full day’s pay to those who worked all day long. By the way, a full day’s standard pay for a soldier or day laborer back then came out to be about 20 cents!

Now, the grumblers who worked the full day feel RIPPED OFF, CHEATED, BELITTLED, and DISRESPECTED when the VINEYARD OWNER gives everyone what turns out to be the SAME WAGE. Why are they SO MAD? Because they assumed the VINEYARD OWNER was going to pay all the workers proportionally: work for ½ the day = ½ the wage; work for 1/3 day, etc. As if proportionality was the one and only criteria. Now, you probably can guess as to what happens when we ASSUME things? Yes, at times MANY of us have gotten into trouble when we ASSUME THINGS. Further, the VINEYARD OWNER had made a verbal agreement – AKA known as a verbal contract - with each worker, at the time he found them, and sent them to work. Do we think this VINEYARD OWNER would have ANYONE work for him on Day Two, if he’d been UNjust to his laborers? No way.  

On the other hand, the happiest people must have been those who came on at day’s end:             I’d bet that some of them couldn’t BELIEVE their good fortune: to find a very generous owner.               If they were working for a different VINEYARD OWNER than this one, they’d surely received a very few cents. But not with this VINEYARD OWNER: they got a full day’s pay, without ALL the sun and daylong back-breaking labor.         

So now, let’s get to Jesus’ MEANING for us in this parable, a story with a bigger lesson/point.    In this bigger picture, God is the VINEYARD OWNER, a VINEYARD OWNER unlike any VINEYARD OWNER the workers or we have met. God does NOT want to divide or separate us into categories, the way most modern society systems do: no, God intends to UNITE us and INSISTS on being generous to ALL those who’ve been called: it’s God’s way of dealing with us.                And for those who live their lives believing they have a right to telling God what to do, and what not to do:  please wait for me in the lobby after Mass! I’m dying to know how THAT’S working out for you! Seriously, I also have to ask you if you’ve ever been jealous when good things happen to other people and not to you. Or, are you able to be fully happy for others’ good fortune, without feeling jealous or thinking that YOU’VE suffered a loss?

Now, stay with me here: this is where our reflection takes a turn in a VERY different direction.                  This parable isn’t REALLY about wages: it’s about God’s redeeming grace, and how much and how soon we can share in it. It’s all about saving souls: ALL SOULS, your souls and mine, and everyone else’s souls. It’s about God loving us so much that He wants ALL people to be there in heaven, in paradise, EVEN THE LATECOMERS AND THE LOLLY-GAGGLERS! Now, if we’re asking the question as to whether we want the latecomers included in the FULL grace of our God, be very careful, because the LATECOMERS to the vineyard are YOU and ME! That’s right! If we sided with the grumblers who came on first in the earliest part of the day, we wind up arguing against OUR OWN place in Christian existence. WE’D be agreeing that God should JUST have included the Jews among those to be saved: they were here FIRST as the first Chosen People. We’d wind up arguing that Jesus and St. Paul and apostles were WRONG to extend the Gospel to US gentiles. Following that logic, we’d be saying that you and I, who came along MUCH later, should only get a morsel or a taste of heaven,  rather than being able to experience the FULLNESS of God’s love, God’s eternity, God’s peace: ALL of it!

And last, there are STILL some people who think the LAST of the last-minute folks – the “deathbed confession” people - are BOGUS in God’s sight, and are no better than people who cut the line in front of us while we’re waiting to check out our groceries. Some people say God should slam heaven’s door on them, rather than leaving heaven’s light on for them. Really? And what if it’s you or me who’s been a sinner, and we awaken VERY late to Christ’s merciful love? What if the one coming on a deathbed is your spouse, child, grandchild, niece or nephew, who finally WAKES UP to love God?  Do you STILL think God should not be GENEROUS to latecomers who want heaven’s mercy? To be wise, if we take sides on the question of God’s generosity, let’s adjust our attitudes to be on God’s side; because we DO know one thing about God: God’s side will be victorious, and eventually that victory will be eternal. God bless you all.

September 11, 2020

I learned of the attacks on the World Trade Center when my co-worker called me from his car while driving down on the West Side Highway on the morning of an ordinary workday.  “Turn on your radio,” he said.  “We’re under attack.”

I stopped my van on the overpass to JFK airport and just sat there in my van glued to the vision what was unfolding as I watched the skyline of Manhattan and the twin towers shrouded in huge billows of smoke.  All the commentators’ speculation ended when the second plane hit and it became clear that this disaster was intentional, not an accident. I stepped out of my vehicle and stood beside a bus driver who had stopped next to me and was now kneeling on the pavement praying and crying. A moment later, the first tower began to collapse…and the world became suddenly silent. Then shortly after, something no one could have ever imagined took place live on network television.  Two of the mightiest man-made monuments in the world simply vanished in a cloud of darkness before our eyes.

September 11 changed not only how I viewed my own existence, but the lives of all Americans.  

I choked up when the Congress sang “God Bless America”; and when the Buckingham Palace guard played the “Star-Spangled Banner”; when a solitary bag-piper played “Amazing Grace” in Union Square; and hundreds of New Yorkers as they walked around in a daze holding photos of their missing loved ones, or sheltering candle flames in their cupped hands. I watched on TV as Dan Rather broke down during an interview and was being comforted by David Letterman. I felt a sudden surge of loyalty and unity with my country that was new to me.  

Scott Simon put words to it in a National Public Radio editorial after the WTC attacks.  

Patriotism is not based on a blind belief that the United States has no need to change, he said.  God knows we need to change in many ways.  Rather, our love for America rests on the belief that the changes that are needed, are more likely to occur here than anywhere else in the world.

The following is an excerpt from the journal of Gordon MacDonald;

And more than once I asked myself—as everyone asks—is God here?  And I decided that He is closer to this place than any other place I have ever visited.  The strange irony is that, amidst this absolute catastrophe of unspeakable proportions, there is a beauty in the way human beings are acting that defines the imagination.  

Everyone—that is, everyone—is everyone else’s brother or sister.  There were no strangers among the thousands at ground zero.  Everyone talks; everyone cooperates; everyone does the next thing that has to be done.  No job is too small, too humble, or, on the other hand, even too large. Tears ran freely, affection was exchanged openly, exhaustion was defied.  We all stopped caring about ourselves.  The words ‘it’s not about me’ were never more true.

Every time I walk through the halls of John T. Mather Hospital, my eyes are drawn to the mission statements that are crafted onto the walls. One in particular is repeated several times throughout the Hospital…it is this quote from the Dalai Lama.

” If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.

19 years ago, when tragedy struck our nation, people forgot about race. color and religion because then, all lives mattered. What has happened to our country since then? Why has all that love and compassion been replaced by hatred and violence? 

I would like to close this reflection with a prayer from the committal service I use at Calverton Cemeteries.

Lord God,

Whose days are without end and mercies beyond counting, keep us mindful that life is short and the hour of our passing unknown.

Let your spirit guide our days on earth in the ways of holiness and justice, that we may serve you in union with the whole world, sure in faith, strong in hope and perfected in love.

Amen.

22^nd Sunday in (A)

What began as a brief news story before the election of 1972, gradually escalated with news stories from Woodward and Bernstein. As the incident escalated, people began to ask themselves if President Nixon knew about the break-in. I remember reading one of the famous lines from the Watergate Scandal of the 70s. It was from Senator Howard Baker who asked that infamous question, "What did he know and when did he know it?"

Our gospel reading from last week and this week present us with two equally intriguing set of questions that cause us to stop and think.

Last week, Jesus asked his disciples, "Who do men say the Son of Man is?" and "Who do you say that I am?"

This week he asks them, “Do you wish to save your life” or “do you wish to lose it?”

But the problem is, there is not one Jesus in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Each gospel paints a different picture of Jesus, and some of these differences are profound. Matthew presents Jesus as the Son of David; Mark most often calls him Son of Man; Luke refers to Jesus as Savior of the world; while John presents him as the Word made flesh. It seems that even the four gospels cannot completely agree on who Jesus is, except from the realization that they sense he comes from a higher power.

But perhaps we are asking the wrong questions here? What if we were to turn the question around and asked; “Who do people say that you are? “And “Where is your life heading?”

It is easy to say that Jesus is the Lord… but that does not mean much until others are able to see him at work in your own life.  

One of my professors at the seminary would constantly remind us: "If we were on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict us?"  Is the way we think and act, decidedly different from the world around us?

Here is one example:  I had a friend who taught at an elementary school in North Dakota where I was stationed during the Sixties.  One morning there was a minor altercation on the playground – a second-grader pushed one of his classmates off the slide, and, while she was not hurt, it could have been dangerous.  The teacher sent for the principal.

She talked with the children in the hallway outside their classroom.  She listened to both sides of the story and then explained to each of them, the seriousness of playground safety and how important it was to be nice to each other.  When she was finished, the little boy apologized, and that was that.

A couple of days later, she happened to see the little girl with her mother in the checkout line at the grocery store.  She smiled and they waved discreetly to each other.  She then stepped into the next checkout line, but was close enough to hear the mother of the little girl ask her daughter, "Who was that lady who just waved to you?"  

 The little girl said, "She's works at our school."  "What does she do?" the mother asked.  The little girl replied, "She helps people apologize." My friend admitted to me that hearing this, "Helped her to think much more clearly about what she did in her position at school… beyond the titles and status, and how her actions reflected how Christ worked in her life.

When you think about it, the world knows us mostly by who we are related to and what we do for a living. In reality, there is so much more to life than that.  Real life is not defined by what you do for a living, but more by what you do with your life; and by what your life has to do with helping others in the name of Jesus', because how we live our lives, will help others to come to know us as one of his disciples.

Jimmy spinner, was a young man who used to be a band director. I had met him when we were playing together in a country band while I was in the air force. One day he told me about a time when he had returned to a community where he had once taught.  How he enjoyed getting re-acquainted with parents and friends he had not seen for years.  He said, “One day as I was walking on a sidewalk in downtown St Paul, a young man came up and asked, do you remember me?"  He didn't have a clue, but then, he had taught a lot of students, and they had long-since grown up.  He said to the young man, "You're going to have to help me out here."  The young man told him his name and said, "You're the one who introduced me to the world of music, and I just wanted to say thank you."

Today’s gospel question now becomes even more profound. Who do others say that you are?  To confess Jesus as the Christ is to know him in your heart and walk in his footsteps, serving others to the glory of his name.

 But can a church, in todays self-centered, self-help culture, ask its people to sacrifice for the sake of the kingdom? Jesus’ challenge to all would-be disciples requires more than just a “feel-good” or self-hug spirituality. True discipleship begs the question, “Are you willing to sacrifice something for the kingdom”? Too many people today think they can have Christianity without the cross. They are the curious by-standers who stand at a distance from the foot of the cross. They become casual followers of Jesus. They take their Christianity like they take cream in their coffee – just a little something added to make life interesting. Sometimes I am afraid that most of us have not yet heard the call to discipleship. We do not yet understand the real meaning of the cross. Oh sure, we talk about it amongst our inner circle of friends… we display it proudly in our homes… but secretly, we pray that no one asks us about it. 

There is a sign on the road of our culture that says, “Get more, be more, build it bigger, be more successful”.

And then there is a sign on the road to Christ that says, 

“Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me.”

Have faith in your relationship with Jesus, and the more complete and content your life will become.  

Faith is, first and foremost, a gift of the Holy Spirit – not something you can conjure up on your own.  If you have faith, praise the Lord.  And if you do not, pray that the Lord will give you faith, according to his will.  Don't think too highly of yourself if you feel you have a lot of faith, and certainly don’t, put yourself down if you only have a little.  Faith is a gift of the Spirit.  Be thankful for what you have and trust that God will give you what you need in order to accomplish his will for your life.

I would like to leave you with these words from a poem by Robert Frost.

Titled “Two Roads Diverged in the Wood”. It concludes with,

I shall tell you this with a sigh. Somewhere ages and ages hence, two roads diverged in a wood, and I…took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”

 God Bless.

22^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time – August 30, 2020 – Matthew 16: 21-27                                           

We have had some interesting weather around here in the past few weeks, including some lightning. When lightning flashes, it’s here one minute and gone the next, until the next flash comes. But when that next flash of lightning will come is unpredictable: I could blink and miss one; OR I could fall asleep and miss a lot of them!                                                                         

Some people say that’s what inspiration is like: a flash of an image, for example, of how a new garden can be arranged; or of how a person’s toolshed can be RE-organized.  Or inspiration comes when someone discovers the exact right word for a poem or a song, the word that expresses what we all know to be true. Now, having travelled with St. Matthew’s Gospel this year, we know that Peter WAS inspired, in fact, just last week! Out of all the names and identifications people were using for Jesus in His preaching ministry, Peter correctly calls Jesus “The Christ, the Son of the Living God.”  Remarkable. And inspired. Only God Almighty could have helped Peter to come to that realization and awakening, just as only the Blessed Trinity could have helped Peter, James and John to begin to understand the Transfiguration event they witnessed on the mountain.

Ah, but when we get to today’s Gospel, Peter’s period of being inspired has long set sail. Jesus, the EPITOME of truth, provides the Apostles with the full recipe of being a Messiah: this recipe is one in which service-based discipleship + sacrificial self-denial = salvation.   Jesus’ recipe is from God our Creator: Jesus is committed to fulfilling this recipe to the letter.

On the other hand, Peter is following a DIFFERENT recipe, a human one, a CONVENTIONAL one: Peter, who distinguished himself from the other Apostles and the world last week in identifying Jesus, has now slipped back into the recipe that Jewish people had carried in their heads for generations. Essentially, conventional Judaism was waiting for a military Messiah to slaughter Jewish enemies, to re-establish Jewish power and authority, and free Jews from constant enslavement. And then, when all these things had taken place, great celebrations would replace sadness and sorrow. This recipe comes down to this: The arrival of the Messiah to lead us into battle versus enemies, plus the restoration of power, privilege, riches and  wealth, would equal a life of ease and contentment. 

I have joked more than once about Peter’s underhanded solution to Jesus’ suffering and death: it is as if Peter says to Jesus, “Hey. Don’t worry, Jesus. I know a guy: he’s good, he’s reliable: when the time comes and it’s too dangerous to live here, this guy I know can sneak us out. You won’t have to even think about going to Jerusalem and suffer.” Peter might have added, if he was being completely truthful: “and that’ll be a good thing, Jesus, because if YOU don’t have to go and suffer, then we won’t have to go and suffer either, and that will be fine.” OMG. Jesus’ blood pressure might have gone up just a tad, for his VOICE VOLUME comes through today in our hearing: it seems to me that no one calls another person a SATAN or a STUMBLING BLOCK, that is, a SCANDAL, without their blood pressure going up.

As for us, taking up one’s cross and following Jesus is going to be different for each of us and all of us. But the call is there, even on days we awaken, and discover we’re only at 80% of our best, or we didn’t sleep well the night before, and are prone to be ornery throughout the next day.  But one way for us to apply this Gospel teaching today is to think about Jesus’ command at the words of Institution of the Eucharist: when Jesus says, “do THIS in memory of me,” what’s this? It’s today’s Christ-Gospel vision:   we are called not only to feed the poor, but to BE the bread that gets broken and  feeds others as His Body; and  not only getting others something to drink, but to BE the sacrifice of all those crushed grapes, that are transformed into wine, and ultimately His blood shed for all. As we continue to pray during this Eucharist, and discern to what further discipleship Jesus the Christ may call us, we recognize our individual and communal need to be strengthened. The unique strength Jesus provides us in the Eucharist is a sign of hope and courage for us and for all people. Let us continue to witness, to one another and to the world, WHICH RECIPE we are truly following: the Peter recipe of entitlement, or the Christ recipe of salvation. Let us choose wisely.

21^st Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle “A” – August 23, 2020 – Matthew 16: 13-20

Jesus’ question: “Who DO YOU say I am?” is a GREAT question for each of us to answer, and for all of us as a parish to answer together. When an engaged couple comes to visit me to discuss their upcoming wedding to one another, during our first conversation I’ll ask EACH of them to introduce me to their fiancé(e) by naming as many of that fiancé(e)’s positive qualities and virtues as they can. Yes, it’s true: I let them brag a bit to me about their intended spouse. 

And in over forty years of asking fiancé(e)s to describe the one they love, and the one they intend to marry, not once did one of them say, “well, MY fiancé finished first in the 100 yard dash on his high school and college teams!” And not once did one of them say, “MY fiancée sold the most Girl Scout cookies of anyone in her Girl Scout troop.”  I’m not suggesting that either of those would have been wrong: but if we’re talking about someone’s essence or the depth of their character, we’re talking about long-lasting qualities of substance.  So, when Jesus asks that very personal question, “Who do YOU say that I am?” he’s asking NOT about our book knowledge or fact knowledge, but something deeper!

So how would each of us describe Jesus, either to Jesus or to someone looking to get to know our human & divine Savior better? Think of some ways the Church has described Jesus: Shepherd, Lover, Guide, Friend. Redeemer, and so on. Peter calling Jesus the Christ shows he knows Jesus is God’s Anointed & Chosen One of all time. And, it’s a very appropriate time for us to reflect at the level of our own personal experience: “Who DO YOU say Jesus is 4U?” If you have a specific name or way of describing your relationship with Him, do that now in the silence of your heart. [Pause]. Let me tell you this from me: when my father Jack died, I was 22 years old; I was crushed: I felt my world was crumbling around me. In prayer, I had been praying the Liturgy of the Hours, and had discovered a line in Psalm 116 that says: “I was brought low, & God saved me.” That line summarized accurately my experience, and through the aid of counselors, spiritual directors, and classmates, the power of Jesus Christ truly saved me.

Now, most of us, including couples getting married, know very well that making a promise to someone, be it to a spouse, future spouse, friend or Jesus, such a promise is NOT done once in a lifetime and then forgotten about! No! In fact, in his writings, Pope Francis reminds us that the renewal, on a regular basis, of such a significant promise & loving commitment, breathes new life into us and into the relationship.

So, let’s look at what our commitment to Jesus has been looking like recently. For example, if someone says, “Jesus is my Guide, or my internal GPS, or my faithful navigator,” s/he could incorporate that notion into his/her prayer. And at the end of a day, a week, or a month, s/he could reflect inside and ask his/her self: “Did I allow Jesus to lead, guide and navigate me in through life, in ALL my ups and my downs? Or did I at times dismiss Jesus’ divine GPS, and fly solo without his guidance?

It also seems to me that some lessons that Jesus has to teach us are very tough at times to learn. One lesson that we are ALL having to apply and attend to right now is the lesson to WAIT a minute. Look at all the plans we had starting at the end of last winter & the early days of spring. Then what? This CORONA-Virus came and interrupted the way we live, and breathe, and move around in daily life. And yes, we wear masks because science & our southern neighbors show us it’s a public health issue, not because we want to imitate Wonder Woman or look like Spider Man!

Many months ago, I was at the corner of Montauk Highway & Deer Park Avenue in Babylon Village, and I’d pressed the button to trigger the traffic light to cross the street, and I heard a voice saying, “WAIT!” WOW! The attitude that went through my 67 year old brain was not meek & mild; it was more like, “who’s telling me I have to wait?  Yes, it was the traffic-light voice monitor telling me to wait, so that I wouldn’t get run over by oncoming traffic! But when I think about it, it could just as easily have been Jesus, telling me to wait. Because to put my will at HIS command & service, and to live “thy will be done” is a whole new way of living and breathing, especially from someone who has preferred to say, “I did it my way!”

As we receive the Eucharist today, may WE strengthen our church & faith to the ends of the earth   by living and loving Christ, by serving and desiring Christ, and by making Him #1 in our minds & hearts not only in name, but in fact.  God bless your week!   Fr. Chris Heller

19^th Sunday in Ordinary Time – August 9, 2020 – Gospel: Matthew 14 : 22-33

I have told some of you my mom Rose has a green thumb, and that her son the priest kills cactus. And since cacti only need a few drops of water, it takes a pretty consistent hand to kill it, or should I say, drown it! Well, several years ago I went to visit my mom in Nassau County.  From the moment I got out of my car and approached the house, I could see that Rose had been very busy: there was a BURST of color all across the front lawn. The first question she asked me was, “how do you like the tulip arrangement I created on the lawn?” I told her the truth: “it’s beautiful.” We started to talk about other things, and before I left to come home here, she asked me this: “did you see anything unusual in the tulip arrangement?” I admitted that I had not. This time, I took a longer and closer look: Rose had arranged the tulips in the shape of a heart, and the arrangement took over the entire front lawn. I hadn’t looked closely enough to see it before.  

I must make the same kind of admission of inattentiveness to you today about the Gospel we just heard. For this year, I have heard something I did NOT hear in my previous hearings of this selection of God’s Holy Word. Now, you and I have heard this familiar story many times about the boat on the waves and Jesus walking on the water; we could probably almost tell the story ourselves, even before Deacon Bob proclaimed each and every part of it. I’m pretty certain that we all understood how Jesus tried to calm the fears and terrors of those in the boat.   And I’m equally certain that we understand this Gospel as a miracle of earthly forces obeying Jesus, and that as the True Son of God, Jesus used Divine Power to teach all who can see and hear a valuable lesson.

Ah, but there’s another part to the story that I have overlooked in the past, for whatever reasons. When the disciples were terrified as Jesus walked toward them, Jesus spoke, and he reassured them: “It is I: do not be afraid.” Now, the facts are clear: these same disciples were with Jesus a little earlier that day: they knew what Jesus looked like, what he sounded like, how he spoke and also how he walked. You know: sometimes, even before you see someone’s face, you can tell them by the way they walk. Suffice it to say that there were LOTS of different signs to indicate that the one they were with less than 12 hours before was indeed the same Jesus. But then, Peter asked a Q that gave a sinking, uncomfortable feeling to my heart: “Lord, IF it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” That’s where the sinking feeling is!

Earlier in Matthew’s Gospel, Matt 4:1f, Jesus has been on retreat in the desert: we know that Gospel account if we’ve been to Ash Wednesday Masses and services in the last 50 years! When Jesus is feeling humanly and physically weak, Satan the Evil One comes to tempt him.           And the first temptation is: “IF you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Hear the echo? Peter essentially asks the Lord to PROVE that he’s really Jesus on the water: “IF it is you!” The proof for which Peter was asking was to have Jesus command him to walk on water and come to him. What’s wrong with Peter asking that? Well, he was putting Jesus to the test, like Satan did before, and we know what Jesus responded back then very quickly to Satan: “you shall not put the Lord your God to the test.” Jesus is NOT just “one of the guys,” although he would

This is NOT a “pick on Peter the Apostle” day, though you and I can recall a few other mistakes that Peter made along the way. Remember when Jesus was telling the disciples that eventually, he’d have to go to Jerusalem, and undergo some trials, and eventually be killed before God the Father would raise Him up on the third day. Recall Peter?  Peter tries to talk Jesus out of being obedient to the Father’s will: it’s as if Peter is saying this: “Jesus, don’t worry. I know a guy. And when it gets bad, this guy can get you out of town quickly; you’ll never have to go through that suffering/or death experience. Do you remember what Jesus said to Peter on that occasion: “Get behind me, Satan.” And why? Because Peter was looking at Jesus saving the world with human eyes, rather than through God’s divine eyes.

The bottom line: Peter should never have gotten out of the boat. Safety meant being IN the boat with Jesus. What are some of the takeaways for us? Well, Peter sank when he took his eyes off Jesus, for he was focused on the wind and the waves.  For ourselves: 1) let’s keep our eyes on Jesus, in whatever storm we find selves: Covid-19; the pedophile priests scandal; a country sharply divided against itself; racial disharmony; and hurricanes, etc. 2) The second takeaway is to ask Jesus to strengthen our faith, while at the same time empowering us to name and acknowledge the storms around us. And then, as we name the storms of doubt, fear, sadness, desperation and isolation inside us, let’s ask Jesus: “Lord, calm these storms in us, and the true signs of storms outside us and all around us. Lord, calm them all, in your great mercy!

18^th Sunday in Ordinary Time The Gospel for Today: Matthew 14: 13-21                              August 2, 2020

It seems to me that today is one of those days when God wants to be sure we get the message! And it’s as if God is sitting us down and showing us The Holy Word of Revelation and saying: “Okay, I don’t want YOU to miss it: so my word’s in bold print and italic text and highlighted so YOU get it!” And we respond: “Yes, Lord: It’s all about food, and being fed, and how YOU feed us the best of all!” And so, everywhere we listen today, we hear an echo of our Responsorial Psalm: “the hand of the Lord feeds us, who answers all our needs.”

Non-believers must sometimes think we’re off our rockers: they point to the COVID-19 Virus and ask, “This is what your God is giving YOU? This is how your God feeds you, protects YOU? Forget it.” And we, who know God’s true nature, and that God doesn’t punish us, for we are God’s beloved ones, are deputized to point to where God’s work is being done IN THE MIDST OF this pandemic horror. Please let me share two examples to illustrate.  

1st, science tells us wearing masks deters the spread of this virus, so let’s wear these masks to protect one another, and let’s offer it up as a sacrifice, that is, make it a holy offering for a special intention: for instance, it could be to seek some healing between myself and a particular family member/relative with whom we seem to argue a lot. Is that not what Jesus is saying in directing his disciples:  “You, apostles, disciples, YOU give these people some food yourselves.” Jesus tells us here to be part of the SOLUTION, and not to join the whining complaining crowd that recounts WHAT WE LACK. And aren’t we relieved when the Apostles finally DO bring to Jesus the loaves and fishes, entrusting them to Jesus rather than hoarding them, or gorging themselves privately on the food, in a selfish way that violates every gospel mandate?

2^nd There’s a refrigerator, and several keepers of the refrigerator, which is plugged in  on the ground, beneath the northernmost Bronx station on one of NYC’s subway lines. Some people who have an abundance of food drop off food for the needy, homeless, jobless, and struggling families from the neighborhood and elsewhere. And the beauty of all this giving – of electricity, food, and Freon to keep it col: the poor obtain this food without question, without charge, without someone demanding to see their immigration papers.               On its face value, it appears to be an example of unconditional love, one of which we have heard echoed in the past in Scripture passages. Our first reading today signals that open invitation from God to us: see Isaiah 55: 1-3.

Because we have heard that pledge and promise of God to care for us throughout the Scriptures, today may sound like a renewal of that promise. But today’s miracle also joins the chorus of what The Bible also tells us about our heavenly life to come, that is, when Christ will be all in all. We pray it as part of the church’s prayer, at the Rite of Committal spoken at burial services: “your loved 1 has gone to her/his rest in the peace of Christ. May the Lord now welcome him/her to the table of God’s children in heaven.” So today’s Gospel is also an important component of Jesus’ describing your invitation to God’s reign, and to the  banquet feast that will never end.  

One way us to connect this holy liturgy and the call to holiness in our daily lives is to explore that central theme of hunger, about which Jesus certainly preached often in his public ministry. From one perspective, we as individuals woke up, got out of bed, and decided to come and gather today to pray the Eucharist; at same time, knowing that God is the initiator of love, we responded to God’s invitation today.  And while we know people come to the Eucharist for many different reasons, we ALSO know that we are conscious of different  hungers in ourselves that need to be fed. Let’s ask our Savior and Brother Jesus Christ to help us this summer: let us ask him to help us to identify the hunger God is trying to address in YOU today, a Resurrection day in mid-summer.                

16 A – Mt 13: 24-43 Some of the movies I saw growing up were low-budget cowboy movies, westerns where everyone knew from the start that the good guys were wearing white hats, and the bad guys were wearing black hats. The movie plotlines ran that way, too: and there were very few cowgirls or women, except for Annie Oakley!  In truth, however, we can acknowledge that MOST of us are mixtures of redeeming grace & stubborn pride.

So why start our reflection this way? Because it helps explain WHY, when the disciples ask Jesus did he want them to start pulling the weeds out right away, he said no, let it be for now. Those who study the Sacred Scriptures as their life’s vocation tell us there’s an ancient word for these parable weeds: it’s called darnel, pronounced DARN-ill. This darnel is a plant that is a close imitation of wheat. As it grows, especially in its earlier stages, it is impossible to discern the wheat from the darnel: yes, the darnel DOES pose as a liar, fraud, an impostor, and a wolf in sheep’s clothing!                                                                                                            

Only at harvest time does the darnel grain completely reveal itself; that’s when the difference between the wheat and the darnel is most visible. For at harvest, the darnel grain is GRAY in color, and flour ground from darnel grains tastes awful & is poisonous if eaten!                                                                            On the other hand, wheat is that light orange color: its flour nourishes people world-wide.   

And as we put two and two together, & see that the wheat represents the good people, and the darnel represents the evil ones, what is the effect of Jesus postponing the judgment day for the wicked ones? It is nothing short of love and grace! It provides more time for them to change their hearts in a TRUE conversion of life: And to be clear, this is NOT just doing something more productive for themselves and their own lives, but productive and beneficial for the reign of God, and the spreading of Jesus’ Name and the Gospel to others. Yes: imagine the stories of the people who started out in the WEED division, & then wind up helping to further God’s Plan. Saul of Tarsus, for all his limitations and idiosyncrasies, started out killing Christians; when he became St. Paul, he brought Good News to people hearing about Jesus Christ for the very first time.

Now, with all our years of listening to & meditating on the Scriptures, & hearing today’s reflection, we may think that we have an innate ability to discern good & evil in other people. We’ll often hear people say, “I’m an EXCELLENT judge of character.” Where are those accurate and excellent judges? Many are police officers & detectives, who size up truth-tellers & lying weasels each days; others are parents and teachers, who know kids SO well that they KNOW a scam when they hear it! But the providential thing about today’s Gospel parable is that NONE of us has to deliver an evaluation or an assessment concerning someone’s veracity/mendacity, goodness/evil. Because this parable isn’t just about the wickedness that may be growing in OTHER people: it’s meant for us to be applied to ourselves:  it’s a verbal way to put a mirror up in front of our eyes, and assessing what’s REALLY growing within us: and that means in every dimension of us: the spiritual, social, emotional, physical, and you know all the other levels in which we live.

Before we come to the Eucharist today, the Heavenly Food that helps us fight lies & evil,               we might like to thank God our Creator, whom we come to know through the words and deeds of Jesus, for two specific gifts: 1) God’s promise to always be with us; and 2) God’s always-patient and never-ending supply of mercy, for us and for the world. Amen.

15^th Sunday of Ordinary Time – July 12, 2020 – Gospel: Matthew 13: 1-23 or 13: 1-9

Not too many years ago, I received an invitation to a Mardi Gras celebration at a local parish. Mardi Gras, of course, is held the night before Ash Wednesday, just before the season of Lent begins. And the party was sponsored by the Parish Outreach Office of that particular Catholic Church. The organizers decided the entry fee would be 5 cans of food for the needy: why? So that the entire parish might more clearly understand that Parish Social Ministry (a.k.a. Outreach) is not a person, or even an office but it’s ALL of US, and that the FRUIT of our Christian reflection was this: disciples of Jesus Christ feed others, as He did. In a similar way, every time we reflect on a Jesus parable, it’s ALL ABOUT our bearing fruit: true results that God finds are truly valuable. And for 4 today, it’s ALSO ALL ABOUT being a Jesus follower in discipleship, now and all the way to the last judgment.

Now, there are some Gospel texts that are very straight-forward. Remember when Jesus   was reassuring his disciples about his presence in the world, He gave us a wonderful teaching: “for where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”   I hope it brings you the same positive consolation I know it’s brought to me and others during these difficult days. Similarly, when I was younger, my parents noticed that my artwork and sketches were pretty primitive. So they bought me a kit created by a man named John Gnagy. John was a self-taught artist, and he is best remembered for being America’s first television artist. His shows, “You Are an Artist,” and “Learn to Draw,” taught people to draw copies of famous, identifiable museum paintings. From the very beginning of the lesson, we knew WHAT we’d be painting and the major persons in the artwork when we started out. However, when Jesus is teaching via a parable, there is one fact that we and Christ’s Apostles have had to learn about: and that’s the fact that parables are NOT straight-forward stories, but do contain some surprising & unpredictable elements before the end. 

For example, now that we are aware that it is our FRUITFULNESS that the Lord is seeking,      in what forms might this fruitfulness of being faithful to God’s Word take root?    In several circumstances, such as living together with others OR extended listening to people on television, If we are honest with ourselves, we can admit that it is VERY EASY to become judgmental of others in our thoughts or words. It can happen in an instant. But in our calmer moments, we realize that we could NEVER possibly know all that’s going on in a person’s mind or heart. The other side of the coin is ALSO true: when it comes to God interacting with us, and when we are attentive to God’s presence & voice, anytime is a God-moment, or God-incidence. And we may have experienced those events at different times in our lives: for God can speak to us through music and lyrics of songs, through the memory of loved ones that have gone home to God, through our dreams, and even through our imaginations.

But as Jesus teaches through parables, it is NEVER a one-size-fits-all-application. That is, we may all hear the same words, but we won’t all hear it the same. And why? Because, as we refer to today’s Gospel, some people’s hearts might be ready to bear fruit 30-fold, while others might be ready & capable of bearing fruit 100-fold. Here’s an example that comes to mind. Years ago, there was a movie about Mahatma Gandhi, a man from India, and his way of nonviolent resistance. A Hindu man came to Gandhi seeking spiritual advice: the man explained to Gandhi that he had KILLED a young Muslim boy, in retaliation for someone else killing his own Hindu son. Hindus and Muslims were enemies, and it would be fair to say that they hated each other. Gandhi told the man to go out, and find another young Muslim boy, and raise him…. and the eyes of the Hindu man looked relieved for a second…that is, until Gandhi finished his sentence: “find another Muslim boy, and RAISE HIM AS A MUSLIM.”

In other words, “demonstrate that you are sorry for killing your enemy by loving that enemy in the next generation, loving that Muslim son as your very own flesh and blood, in the religious and cultural practices of your enemy.” That is CERTAINLY different from simply saying “I’m sorry” to a person I’ve offended, and the matter quickly coming to a close. We might all wonder how ready we would be to seek complete forgiveness by offering complete love.

As we celebrate this Eucharistic treasure today, a gift we cannot ever take for granted,               may our eyes and hearts be opened in faith to see beyond the bread and wine to see clearly the hunger and desire NOT ONLY that we have for Jesus: but to see the desire that Jesus has for each of us: to be united to Him, the Father & the Holy Spirit, so that our fruitfulness may be abundant for God’s reign, both now and forever. Amen.  Love, Father Chris

The Fourteen Sunday in Ordinary Time July 5, 2020 Gospel: Matthew 11: 25-30

With all the COVID-19 stresses, and feeling like fish out of water, we look for Jesus’ consoling love. And how blessed we are with today’s Gospel, where Jesus offers us in love multiple invitations!

To begin, Jesus KNOWS and HEARS us speak of our burdens: in his humanity He walked more than a mile in our shoes. Jesus IS sympathetic to our sorrows: he knows when we’ve been burdened to the point of tears, and SO weary our bones seem ready to break. Jesus presents himself as our OASIS, our pause, our relief and refreshment in our sorrows: in fact, it is God’s saving plan that Jesus would redeem the whole world: for those who love him, for those who are apathetic toward him, and for those who do NOT love him, or for those who hate him.

But of course, in the Christian life, “relief and rest” is not the end of the invitation Jesus offers. Step Two of this divine process is: Jesus calling us to EXCHANGE our yoke for HIS yoke. What? Right.  Everybody’s got burdens and responsibilities: we are not just SITTING around.  So what does this mean: “take MY yoke upon your shoulders and learn from me?” To what is it pointing?

Well, for one thing, it could mean that the way I’ve been carrying a burden is what wearies me, and Jesus wants to show me a DIFFERENT way to carry that same burden. It could also mean that we have been carrying a heavy burden all by ourselves, and it may be tiring or killing us. It could ALSO mean we’re carrying a burden Jesus tells us that we’re NOT supposed to be carrying. As we see, Jesus offers us options that NO ONE ELSE is offering us: some different WAYS to re-imagine our burdens.

And what about this yoke EXCHANGE? Jesus invites us to take HIS yoke on our shoulders,      and learn from HIM, and JOIN with him, and continue the work of caring for those around us, offering support to all the OTHER weary people, worn out by neglect and indifference.                           So picture this yoke: that’s YOKE, not like the egg yolk, YOLK. A yoke, YOKE, is a harness, usually made of metal and leather. Yokes are shared by two oxen around necks and heads, allowing them to work together as a team. Let’s be clear: Jesus is NOT handing over all the earth’s burdens to us and then abandoning us: far from it! But Jesus IS asking us to join him in HIS work, to minister with Him, as we say at Mass, at the end of the Eucharistic Prayer:   “through him, with him, and in him…..”    

Where can we see this principle of partnership at work?  In some religious wedding ceremonies, including the Greek Orthodox wedding celebration, the bride and groom are bound together by a cord, and they are led three times around the altar by the presiding cleric and, this is important, at the clergyman’s pace. Learning to walk at someone else’s pace is NOT as easy as it looks: it requires two virtues that Jesus himself had: humility and patience. Jesus invites US to have those same two virtues when we lay down our OWN burdens and instead we CHOOSE to be yoked with Christ: that is, to place ourselves IN TRUST, and under Christ’s care.  Jesus’ yoke IS lighter because He is the partner that all of us needs, the one who is with us and on our side, advocating for us, and desiring to lead us TO the light, and away from the darkness.

Back in the 1980’s the Church assembled a book entitled the Order of Christian Funerals.  This book, which is still in use for wake services, funerals, memorials, and graveside service, features the Gospel we have just been reflecting on. And we most certainly see its relevance:               when God calls our loved ones and other members of the Body of Christ to come home,             they are invited to surrender all sorrows, worries, pains and anxieties. But we NOW see clearly that this Gospel is for every one of us, 4 we too are homeward bound in God’s eternal love. Let us NEVER dismiss the assistance Jesus offers us, or the alternatives He proposes: it can literally save our lives.

The Fourteen Sunday in Ordinary Time July 5, 2020 Gospel: Matthew 11: 25-30

With all the COVID-19 stresses, and feeling like fish out of water, we look for Jesus’ consoling love. And how blessed we are with today’s Gospel, where Jesus offers us in love multiple invitations!

To begin, Jesus KNOWS and HEARS us speak of our burdens: in his humanity He walked more than a mile in our shoes. Jesus IS sympathetic to our sorrows: he knows when we’ve been burdened to the point of tears, and SO weary our bones seem ready to break. Jesus presents himself as our OASIS, our pause, our relief and refreshment in our sorrows: in fact, it is God’s saving plan that Jesus would redeem the whole world: for those who love him, for those who are apathetic toward him, and for those who do NOT love him, or for those who hate him.

But of course, in the Christian life, “relief and rest” is not the end of the invitation Jesus offers. Step Two of this divine process is: Jesus calling us to EXCHANGE our yoke for HIS yoke. What? Right.  Everybody’s got burdens and responsibilities: we are not just SITTING around.  So what does this mean: “take MY yoke upon your shoulders and learn from me?” To what is it pointing?

Well, for one thing, it could mean that the way I’ve been carrying a burden is what wearies me, and Jesus wants to show me a DIFFERENT way to carry that same burden. It could also mean that we have been carrying a heavy burden all by ourselves, and it may be tiring or killing us. It could ALSO mean we’re carrying a burden Jesus tells us that we’re NOT supposed to be carrying. As we see, Jesus offers us options that NO ONE ELSE is offering us: some different WAYS to re-imagine our burdens.

And what about this yoke EXCHANGE? Jesus invites us to take HIS yoke on our shoulders,      and learn from HIM, and JOIN with him, and continue the work of caring for those around us, offering support to all the OTHER weary people, worn out by neglect and indifference.                           So picture this yoke: that’s YOKE, not like the egg yolk, YOLK. A yoke, YOKE, is a harness, usually made of metal and leather. Yokes are shared by two oxen around necks and heads, allowing them to work together as a team. Let’s be clear: Jesus is NOT handing over all the earth’s burdens to us and then abandoning us: far from it! But Jesus IS asking us to join him in HIS work, to minister with Him, as we say at Mass, at the end of the Eucharistic Prayer:   “through him, with him, and in him…..”    

Where can we see this principle of partnership at work?  In some religious wedding ceremonies, including the Greek Orthodox wedding celebration, the bride and groom are bound together by a cord, and they are led three times around the altar by the presiding cleric and, this is important, at the clergyman’s pace. Learning to walk at someone else’s pace is NOT as easy as it looks: it requires two virtues that Jesus himself had: humility and patience. Jesus invites US to have those same two virtues when we lay down our OWN burdens and instead we CHOOSE to be yoked with Christ: that is, to place ourselves IN TRUST, and under Christ’s care.  Jesus’ yoke IS lighter because He is the partner that all of us needs, the one who is with us and on our side, advocating for us, and desiring to lead us TO the light, and away from the darkness.

Back in the 1980’s the Church assembled a book entitled the Order of Christian Funerals.  This book, which is still in use for wake services, funerals, memorials, and graveside service, features the Gospel we have just been reflecting on. And we most certainly see its relevance:               when God calls our loved ones and other members of the Body of Christ to come home,             they are invited to surrender all sorrows, worries, pains and anxieties. But we NOW see clearly that this Gospel is for every one of us, 4 we too are homeward bound in God’s eternal love. Let us NEVER dismiss the assistance Jesus offers us, or the alternatives He proposes: it can literally save our lives.

12-A: Today’s reflection hopefully gives us an opportunity to think about whether or not we really believe Jesus, when he says that you and I are each worth more than a flock of sparrows, and that we also believe all our brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ are worth more than flock of sparrows, too. And of course, timing is everything, as you know.              

So, this phone call came into the rectory about two weeks ago. The voice at the other end was very loud, and sounded very annoyed. She asked this: “Could you please just tell those priests to put on Fox News on their TV, and start listening to the Real News, and obey the President by opening all the churches to full capacity right now, no matter what the Governor says?” This was like a Public Service Announcement rolled up into a political action committee ad.  

I have to say: I had several different emotions swirling in and around me then: I had just finished doing an outdoor pre-burial service for one of our parishioners. I was feeling bad for the family of the deceased, because I wanted to do a funeral Mass for

Their but could not do one way back then ago; so I was feeling ineffective as a priest, having wanted 2B 1 since I was 5 years old. I was also, like many of you, feel boxed in, dislocated, disoriented and confined, with so many Groundhog Days, that I was not my best self that day.

And I have to be honest, with God, you and myself: my first, off the cuff, silent and mental reaction was to respond this way: “why don’t YOU go chase fire engines and play in traffic for a while, and I’ll get back to you?” I certainly was not thinking about calling up this person to go out to lunch, or for coffee. In fact, I was NOT positively inclined toward her at all. The response I did make was a factual one, that I had not taken an oath of obedience to either President Trump OR Governor Cuomo, but I had taken a vow to the Bishop. And that as soon as the Bishop would let us open the churches, I would be one of the happiest people on earth.”

But you know, God’s sense of humor and God’s catechetical lessons are sometimes rolled up together. For later that day, I’m listening to one of those cable TV stations that plays golden oldies 24 hours a day. And the first song I heard after sitting down to listen was a twentieth-century song called, “Walk a Mile in My Shoes,” by a man who went by the name of Joe South.” And the lyric that stuck me was this: “Before you abuse, criticize and accuse, walk a mile in my shoes.” That’s what I lacked at that moment: I lacked the patience and the tolerance to respond in a proper way to someone who was in truth was also COVID-19 frustrated. I was lacking and devaluing the precious life that God gave her in Christ Jesus.

And for myself, the only thing that worked was doing what Jesus said early in St. Matthew’s Gospel: “pray for your enemies, do good to those who persecute you.” Finally, we’ve realized that prayer is never to change God’s mind, but to convert OUR minds and hearts to God’s Agenda. And by deliberately and intentionally praying for someone, we CAN become changed beings.  It’s a saving grace, isn’t it, to know that even on those days when we are not our best selves, the God who knows ALL there is to know about us STILL loves us unconditionally, and with no strings attached. What a wonderful reminder in this time of stress and worry: Our God-with-Us, Our Jesus is right at the center of our hearts. We would do well to live thanksgiving prayers and lives, that we might continue to be opened up to the greater mysteries of divine love.

The Body and Blood of Christ – June, 2020  Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14b-16a   Psalm 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20  1 Corinthians 10:16-17   John 6:51-58

As Catholic Christians, we are very blessed: we have 2 Testaments of Scripture to nourish us, at Mass and elsewhere: 1st, the Hebrew Scriptures, which many of us called the Old Testament as we were growing up, and the New Testament’s 4 gospels and letters. Both of these testaments provide spiritual nourishment for all of us who open ourselves to God’s Word.  e.g. In Psalm 136, which is one of my Top Ten favorite passages, King David names 26 good things God did for the People of Israel, and the response is: “God’s Love is Everlasting.” This phrasing reminds us that it is God’s firm intention to continue to feed us, for we are a people who belong to God.

In fact, we become aware that the Scriptures is a story where God outdoes God’s own love & generosity or gift-giving, and it’s especially embedded in the Scriptures today. In Deuteronomy, Moses first reminds the Israelites of some of the good things God did for them, like feeding and caring for them as they wandered in the desert, even when they were cry-babies! Moses DOES                 reveal who the One True God truly is: the truth is that God isn’t just a meal-ticket who’ll take away the hunger-pain rumblings in their stomachs. No, God fed them AND God, who is a LIBERATOR, freed them from slavery to Pharaoh and the Egyptians. So, the God who did that for the FIRST chosen people, ALSO does that for us, who are chosen & beloved in Christ Jesus.

St Paul is just as emphatic and comfortable with acknowledging that God is the MORE, the Gracious Lover, the One who can NEVER be outdone in generosity. Because Paul experienced the Risen Christ as His Savior and Redeemer, Paul knows a few good things: one is that when Christian believers celebrate the Eucharist, there’s a miracle EVERY SINGLE TIME: i.e., ordinary unleavened bread and table wine are transformed into Christ’s Body and Blood. And for 21 centuries it has been so.           

But that’s not all. Paul reminds that we’re not just actively sharing in Christ’s Body and Blood:                                  we’re ALSO sharing in Christ’s union with God our Father and participating in the call to be holy,               so that being in communion with God, Father Son and Spirit, and each other is our way of becoming divine, yes, becoming Christ! What would our world be if every communicant in every church believed and remembered that: Jesus doesn’t just want us fed with Heaven’s Food and Drink: he wants us to BE his heavenly love, his heavenly food and drink for others, here on earth!

And speaking of Jesus, how about His Words in the Gospel about eating his flesh and drinking his blood?   At every Mass, we hear His words “do this in remembrance of me.” So, people have debated for centuries about what Jesus means by DO THIS. What’s the THIS He speaks of? It CAN’T simply mean holding up bread and wine over the altar, or in our hands, or just coming to Mass and praying. Our very best scholars tell us that Jesus is inviting us to BECOME his body that is broken, and his blood that is poured out in love and sacrifice, in dedication and commitment, in devotion and great love daily. 

We know that if something is VERY important to us because it involves ourselves or someone we love at a deep level, we find ways to accomplish things we’d never thought we’d be able to do. Think of what you have seen and heard people accomplish in the last 3 months during this COVID-19 outbreak: from one perspective, it’s been a heartbreak and nightmare; from another, in the midst of darkness and sadness, we’ve seen people SHINE like the brightness of new light at dawn: what the Scripture describes as “sparks shining through stubble.”

And in everyday, ordinary circumstances, there are parents working 2 jobs or taking extra overtime hours; adults who take time off from work or play to care for their family members and friends.     We’ve heard of people taking others into their homes, and neighbors driving extra blocks to be sure that folks are well taken care of. WHY do they do these things?  Because at a very fundamental level, they believe it’s what Jesus is CALLING them to do: to first be nourished at the Table of the Eucharist, and then to become his missionaries. If that sounds to your ears like the definition of a vocation, you heard it right: it’s a vocation to be an active Roman Catholic Christian in the 21^st century. And as we listen to the promises Jesus makes to those who are nourished with this Holy Eucharist, let us ALSO hear deep within ourselves the ultimate desire of Jesus. You can be SURE Jesus doesn’t want to love us part-time; no, Jesus wants to be our EVERYTHING!

If you live with anyone else on this Pentecost, this feast of the birthday of the Church, please wish
them “a Happy Birthday” for me. If you live by yourself, let me extend that Happy Birthday Church to
you. When my mother reached her 91 st birthday last September, there was NO way to fit all 91
candles atop the Carvel cake that we’d bought for the occasion. So we did 9 BIGGER candles for her
nine decades, and one small candle for the new year she was greeting with this latest celebration of
her life. In like manner, today’s Pentecost birthday, as with all birthdays, contains something new,
something recalled, and something to guide us into the future. You will remember that before this
latest translation of the Mass, we used to sing an acclamation: “Christ HAS died. Christ IS risen. Christ
WILL come again!”  That was a great summary in time and space of the paschal mystery of God’s
eternal love for each of us.
So, let’s reflect together today on what God is doing through us, with us, and for us, as we say at
Mass. In all three dimensions of NOW, BEFORE and GOING FORWARD is that strong mighty wind:
what’s that wind say to us? That Holy Spirit presence is trying to fill you and me, and people all over
the world with a missing life ingredient: peace. Jesus gives God’s peace to us repeatedly, to empower
us, encourage and support us during this pandemic. And if you listen to World News on TV, you have
heard the word peace in many different languages. We and all our ancestors celebrate our God’s
mighty deeds in us! And what will we DO with God’s gifts?  Some people are heroically putting their
talents and skills into action: did you know, for instance, that there are still some medical personnel
from outside our area who are still here, tending patients in our hospitals? Alleluia!
This same Holy Spirit, the one who came to you and me in the sacraments of Baptism and
Confirmation, is renewed in today’s celebration as a REMINDER and REMEMBRANCE of what God has
done already! For us and others from the past: we were lost, and God found us: God IS our helper,
comforter, and advocate. You probably know that in certain languages, there is a VERY strong link
between advocate and lawyer, that is, the one who will defend you no matter what, and who will
plead your case before God and others: in plain English, God’s the first in your corner with
unconditional, persistent and unrelenting love. Alleluia! And after our Advocate the Holy Spirit
defends and protects us, we are THEN freed up to serve and do the works of God: yes, that’s right:
you and I who have been LIBERATED and forgiven of our sins by God’s grace and are ready to serve.
Think of the FEAR that paralyzed Jesus’ friends, who were LOCKED in the Upper Room 2000 years ago.
And once the Holy Spirit freed them from fear and replaced it with faith and confidence: you know!
And going forward: I have never met someone who said, “My relationship with God is deep enough
now: I don’t need to keep growing or deepening our relationship.” ALL of us can continue to explore
and deepen the wonders that God has called US and ONLY us to accomplish. You remember the song
we sing here: “eye has not seen, ear has not heard, what God has ready, for those who love him.”  
God’s grace opens the doors to eternity for us, and opens the new heavens and earth as we are ready,
which is a very good idea: if Jesus showed us the entire world to come; we couldn’t take it all at once.  
But the Holy Spirit: who brings us the very presence of Jesus in truth and joy, isn’t an absentee
landlord: this saving presence is a day by day, minute by minute, second by second presence. An
example: some people who had the Corona Virus are now donating blood to harvest their platelets for
research: isn’t that like God, bringing resurrection and new life out of a swamp of death and darkness
and despair. Yes
So, if you have spent some time reflecting, from Ascension Thursday until now, on which spiritual gifts
and talents would be MOST beneficial in your service of God and neighbor going forward, that’s fine.
Otherwise, you might consider spending a few moments today, on your church birthday, and be
humble: to stand before that Spirit of Love, presenting yourself ready and willing like Samuel of the
Hebrew Scriptures. God called Samuel at night, and eventually Samuel said, “Speak Lord, your servant

is listening.” WOW: if we could listen to the Lord with that kind of attentiveness, with that kind of
open willingness and love, there is no doubt in my mind that the Lord will take us to see more places,
and to even meet more amazing people.  For this is the truth, my sisters and brothers in the Lord:
did you not know that you are a temple of the Holy Spirit, precious to God and most beloved?            
So, be his hands, his feet, his voice, his legs, his eyes, and his heart. And be assured that God has plans
for you! Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.

Ascension 2020 – Acts 1:1-11           Psalms 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9                 Ephesians 1:17-23              Matthew 28:16-20

There are 2 parts of the first Reading on this Feast of the Ascension tied to my life experience.                   The 1^st goes back over 30 years ago, and I was a grad student taking a class called the Comprehensive Examination Review. The professor couldn’t re-TEACH in 4 weeks all the info from the 16 courses we’d taken over 4 summers. But the review course triggered our memories, reminded us of the highlights, & helped us make connections.  The course functioned much like St. Luke did at the start of his Acts of the Apostles, his 2^nd book. For the faithful disciples, Luke reviewed what the risen Christ had said in their midst: why? So they could teach it to others: like God growing our faith: even if it’s the size of a tiny mustard seed, God in Jesus Christ can & will grow it!  OR when the Apostles were arguing who was most important, Jesus said: whoever serves me wholeheartedly is the most important.

The purpose of Luke’s review, it seems to me, was not simply a matter of providing good history stories, but a way of showing us that when the teachings of Jesus are alive, then HE is TRULY ALIVE in US. As our Jewish sisters & brothers prayed during the Passover celebrations just a short while ago: when they tell the story of how God freed the Israelites from wicked Pharoah in Eqypt, the TELLING              of that religious reality brings it ALIVE: for the elders who know it, & the younger ones, who LEARN it.                       

Now, there is something in our culture that is demonstrated from time to time among all generations: it’s the notion that if something is out of sight, then it’s out of mind, & if it’s out of mind, it’s forgotten: it no longer is seen as vital to the story of a people’s life, journey, suffering, growth, and victories. Listen to this true story: over 200 years ago, when I was in 6^th grade serving Mass on Ascension Thursday, Mass was still in Latin:  so the priest read the Gospel in Latin with his back to us, and then went to the pulpit to read it in English.     

But at the end of the Gospel, and before the priest began his sermon, he motioned to the older server to go to the sacristy, get the candle snuffer, & snuff out the light of the Easter candle, with a puff of smoke its only remnant. The priest opened his sermon by noting that Jesus who was Risen from heaven is GONE now: GONE. Years later, I remember asking myself: “well, if Jesus is gone, why should I stay? & if He’s gone, how will we have the Eucharist?” 

Well, you & I have the benefit of 2000+ years of history, and WE are privileged to know the many ways that Jesus has been present to his Church & to the world since His Resurrection. Jesus is always alive in His Holy Word, alive in the Sacred Species of the Eucharist, alive in those who serve in ministries, alive in the priest who presides, among other ways, even in spiritual communions as during COVID-19.  And on this wonderful Ascension church feast, we are reminded of the Blessed Trinity at the heart of our Baptism: for as Catholic Christians strong in Christ, we acknowledge God above, we profess Christ by our side, and we celebrate the Holy Spirit planted in us. 

And so, NOW we know why those 11 disciples and Mary had to go back to Jerusalem after the Ascension. They had to gather in the Upper Room: to remember & review Part I of their formation in the Lord Jesus, AND to be prepared to make more connections between what Jesus taught them, & adapting those teachings to newcomers.  So, we realize that looking up at the clouds to see Jesus is a waste of time & energy: what shall we do? Some Christians in the Western hemisphere take these next 10 days between now & Pentecost Sunday, and rather than TELL Jesus which of the 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit he should give us & PRETTY quick, enter into a prayerful dialogue with yourself and God to see and hear which gift would benefit you and others most. And who knows? It might also help keep you focused and centered on what REAL priorities are, in the midst of this pandemic, showing us that things we thought were crucial aren’t so much anymore. Imagine: that as we celebrate Jesus’ ascension to the Father  days after the feast of the Resurrection, we here on earth might become more GROUNDED & ROOTED in what Christ finds truly valuable.