Adopted. (2019-12-29, Holy Family Sunday)

29 December 2019  -- Holy Family    • Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14  • Psalm 128 • Colossians 3:12-21 • + Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23  •

Title:  Adopted.

[__01__]     At Madison Square Garden and at the Prudential Center, after a period of play of ice hockey, they take out the Zamboni. The Zamboni comes out to re-surface the ice for the ice skaters of ice hockey … or for ice skating / figure skating competition, to make the ice perfectly smooth to the appearance and touch.

            From time to time, just to keep me humble and me from becoming too proud or self-absorbed or conceited, my mother will remind me of birth, when I was born. I was the first of four children in our family.

            And, I was – therefore – the first neo-natal newborn person my mother ever saw up close. And, so my mother tells me: “You were the ugliest baby I ever saw.” But, then, quickly admits that she had no perspective, no comparison and the labor and delivery team had not yet done their Zamboni resurfacing operation. I needed one of those.

            But, this is how – in appearance – it starts out with everyone. I must tell my siblings that are equal to me in this way. In any case, I do not doubt my mother’s or father’s love. I am blessed.

            This is Holy Family Sunday.

[__02__]     Nevertheless, I am not here to reflect on or compare notes on family functionality or dysfunctionality, whose family is better or worse…. but rather to say that it is… often by an apparent misunderstanding or miscomprehension that we come to greater understanding of what a family is and what love is.

            Father Ronald Knox wrote, for example, that we do not come to understand God as father strictly by noting what our fathers (dads) do or do not. Rather, we come to understand our fathers by worship and reflect on God’s love.  In this way, we also become fathers and mothers and even father-figures and mother-figures to others.

            [*** pause ***]

            While I do not like it when I did something to displease my parents (no one is the perfect child even in adulthood) – I can learn from these misunderstandings.

            We can learn that being a son – or being a daughter – in a family is a calling… it is a choice… it is love we choose to express, forgiveness we choose to share… it does not always come naturally or easily. Sometimes, it is not pretty. It may still be beautiful.

            It is a calling, something to which we are called.

            I’d like to give an example of this calling what this means for us, not just within our immediate family, but the whole family of disciples and being a disciple of Jesus Christ.

[_03_]     I’ll start with this story of a text message someone once received. I did not receive this message. I just heard about it.

            A brother sends a text message to his brother with some urgency. This is the TEXT:

Brother_1: “I have something important to tell you. Are you sitting down?”

B-2: “Yes, go ahead”

Brother-1: “I have to tell you. Mom and Dad just told me that you were adopted !  (Exclamation point).”

B-2: “Bro, I cannot believe you are texting this to me! (Exclamation point).”

Brother-1: “Oh, no, this phone and my spelling. We just heard from college-admissions – I meant “ACCEPTED” …and there’s financial aid.”

So, is it good news to be adopted? I say it is …

[__04__]     St. Paul writes this Holy Family Sunday that we are God’s chosen ones – we have been chosen, we have been adopted.

            In this regard, however we came into this world, however we may feel about our mothers and fathers, or own calling to be a mother / father, we are all ADOPTED, chosen by God.

            In 2^nd Corinthians, we read: “I will be a father to you and you will be my sons and daughters” (2 Corinthians 6:18)

            Now, if you have ever heard of or experienced the legal and real child adoption process directly or indirectly, you know that the process can be complicated, complex and confusing.

            And, this adoption process calls upon the adopting parents and the children being adopted to levels of forgiveness and understanding that are truly inspirations for us.   For example, in the case of the children or the parents - they may need to let go of past hurts, let go of why they were given up for adoption, or let go of what happened along the way to adoption.

            Adoption is a reality and loving reality in the structure of the family. It reminds us that we become part of God’s family – sacramentally – through adoption. We become part of God’s family, the Church, by adoption.

We are called to love each not because we know everyone’s story or history … or even because we “like” each other… we are called to love each other, because we know that God is love, and because God loves us.

It’s not easy. It’s a long drawn out process with heartbreak and confusion.

In this regard, Jesus does not simply invite his disciples to apply to his institute or college and then give them an acceptance letter with a scholarship for his classroom or webinar… rather he adopts them, he takes custody of them, and in the end, he lays down his life for them. His adoption is also not reversible, not revocable.  His adoption is our forgiveness, our hope.

[__05__]      In 2016, there was an Academy-Award nominated movie - non-fiction based-on-true-events movie – LION, based on the autobiography “A Long Way Home”.

            It is by written by a 34-year old Australian named: Saroo. Saroo was not born in Australia, but rather in India.  As a 5-year-old boy, Saroo wanders away from his elder brother at a train station, ends up on a train going 1,000-plus miles from his home and ends up in Kolkata (Calcutta).

            Saroo is 5 and does not speak the Bengali dialect of Kolkata in eastern India. He has no identification, no way to describe where he came from. It is truly an act of mercy that he is rescued by a kind stranger who brings him to the police station who transfer him to an orphanage. A remarkably devoted adoption agency director – Mrs. Sood – searches diligently for his family, but really has no way to communicate or interview Saroo. Saroo himself does not know where he came from.

            This happens in 1987 and Saroo is adopted by an Australian couple. He grows up Australian.

            What makes his biography so remarkable is his re-connection to his birthplace and birth-mother birth-family.  

In the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, Saroo discovered – just like you discovered and I discovered – Google. Specifically, Google Earth satellite images. These satellites enable us to zero in on everything on the planet.

So, for years, Saroo stays up late, draws map, looks on Google Earth for his birthplace which he only knows by a vague phonetic pronunciation and not the exact spelling. And, because India is so large and densely populated, every images is a new haystack. And, his hometown is the needle. All he can reconstruct and remember is a water tower near a railway station and train platform. Since that is not very precise, it takes years of searching on Google Earth, but he does get there.

[__06__]        I could not help but notice that Saroo’s identity is defined by his ADOPTION.           

            His ADOPTION defines him. But he is not defined by this because of LUXURY …but by LOVE.  He knows that he is loved, that he is chosen.

            In a Christian sense and the sense our salvation, we also defined by an ADOPTION. Jesus Christ laid down his life for us and took custody.

            Spoiler alert: yes Saroo does find his hometown and makes it back home.

The reunion with his mother is heartwarming ,  to say the least and Saroo is eager to help and be generous the mother of his birth; she lives an impoverished life.

            Yet, Saroo completely identifies with his own ADOPTED life in Australia,

            It is also noteworthy that as these Saroo re-connects with the family of this birth, the family of his birth and certainly not his birth mother, makes no advance, to take advantage of their relatively wealthy son and brother.

            I read that Saroo sends his mother $100 per month in India. She accepts this with great reluctance. When offered the opportunity to move to Australia, she refused…

            Of course, Saroo and his adopted family could afford more, but she would not accept it. What is most important to his birth-mother is that son is alive.

            That is the most important thing to her. Nothing else matters.

           

[__07__]     We have received God’s grace by baptism, by the ability to confess our sins and receive Holy Communion…and in these sacramental experiences and encounter of Jesus Christ as our savior, we both receive something and we are given away.

            We are put up, raised up and sheltered by God’s love.
            Our mothers and fathers also give us away by bringing us to the sacramental moments of Baptism and Communion and all the sacraments. They do so … so that no matter how we “look” or appear on the outside, that they can rejoice.

            And, this applies in a special way to every mother, every father, every grandparent who has actually suffered the death of a child. Losing a child to death. Because, what is their hope? Their hope is that their child lives, that they will one day see their child again and in our faith we believe this.

They know that their child lives.

            Though we die, we also live.

            You and I were adopted. That’s good news.    [__fin__]        

Found In Translation (2019-12-25, Christmas)

25 December 2019  /   Christmas -  Mass During Night  • Isaiah 9:1-6  • Psalm 96 • Titus 2:11-14 • +Luke 2:1-14  •

Title:  Found In Translation.

[__01__]     Sometimes, we become anxious when we send a text message to someone and the other person does not respond back in a timely fashion – that person might be à me.

            The other day, I received 2 messages … one from someone telling me about some article about the popularity of the fleece vest… and because he knows I liked fleece vests about 15 years ago…he’s forwarding me a text and article. Ok, cool, but I do not recognize your number.

            The second was from someone who told me he was returning my call – “Sorry… I missed your call…. I have to go out this afternoon let’s talk and catch up after Christmas in January.”

            The phone number-to-name connection was not made/recognized and this was precipitated by my recent upgrade of my phone …and the numbers did not all transfer over. I am slowly re-entering them and also somewhat anxiously from time to time messages getting people whom I do not recognize … “What are you talking about?”  …    “Yes, I’m the fleece vest guy.   …but who are you? ”

[__02__]     To read and receive a decent translation of information, we not only need to know what is being said, but who is saying it, we need the TRANSLATION and the TRANSLATOR.

            I bring this up because Christmas reminds us that Jesus is not only a “MESSAGE” and a “TRANSLATION” but he is the MESSENGER and TRANSLATOR. I should save Jesus’ number ! It’s good to have a TRANSLATOR. 

[_03_]     Lately, I have gone to several medical appointments – doctor’s appointment with my mother – how has Parkinson’s.   Parkinson’s is the movement disorder that affects your balance, agility and other physical characteristics.

            I am often impressed with how little the doctor/physician says at these appointments and how actively engaged the nurse and nurse practitioner – Meredith – is.  

Meredith has a medical vocabulary and knowledge of the brain and neurology that rivals any doctor. Meredith really runs the appointment.

            A few months ago, a young medical student sat in on the appointment, taking notes as part of his academic neurology rotation. He did not say anything. He just listened. He knew what to do.

            We really hang on her Meredith’s every word at these appointments at the hospital. In fact, the hospital appointments are kind of inconvenient to get to, because they are at a hospital in upper Manhattan, but when you have access the word and information, you need..you go there. I am often the driver and/or bodyguard for these trips. I try to not say too much. I do not have the word. I am there to receive the word, even if I do not understand – at first – what is being said. What is being TRANSLATED

 [__04__]     To translate … effectively, I suggest we are called to … COURAGE … to COMPASSION and CONNECTION It’s not easy.

            We are also trying to learn the COURAGE – the COMPASSION and CONNECTION of Christ in the Gospel.

[__05__]       1^st COURAGE.  The Gospel tells us that: “In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God.” (John 1:1)

            Jesus is the word made flesh who dwelt and pitched his tent among us. (John 1:14)

            But, this communication of the word required the COURAGE of Joseph and Mary  for whom there was no room at the inn. But, the word – Jesus – finds a way into the lives of Mary and Joseph. They survive and by their courage help us to survive.

            Father Ronald Knox wrote that Joseph and Mary come to understand that that their child – Jesus - belongs not only to them but to the whole human race, to all languages and people.  He came to gave his life as a ransom for many. And, he came to speak and live and be among us.  We listen for his word.  Immanuel. God with us. The Word among us.

            What is his language? He speaks all of our languages and when we look up on the Cross and Crucifix we recall that he speaks to us about all of our sufferings and fears.

            His courage is also a message of COMPASSION.

[__06.01__]       2^nd COMPASSION.

“COMPASSION OF PRAYER”

Our church – our parish was founded in 1914 – not only for those as a compassionate action who know the WORD and words of prayer … but also for those who do not to pray and those who do not know how to pray …but also for those who do not come here – or may not yet come here – so that we can pray for them …and, if possible, also reach out and teach them how to pray the word, even if they do not have our number. We can reach out in prayer.

            St. Paul reminds us that Holy Spirit does not dwell only in Temple/church of California redwood beams and brick and marble, but also in Temple of your heart and my heart. We are Our Lad of Lourdes Church. Advent and Christmas are times to pray for those who do not know how to pray or those did not know how to pray.

The statement “I do not know how to pray” is itself a prayer – these were words of the disciples to Jesus saying, “Lord teach us to pray.”

Our prayers have gravity and our prayers have gravity when the focus on the immediate needs of the day.

[__06.02__]       COMPASSION OF COMMUNION AND FORGIVENESS.

Christmas reminds us of the word or God which is made flesh, embodied in Jesus Christ for us.

            John Henry Newman (sermon: Christian Sympathy / Christmas) described it this way:

            Christ took our human nature and human form, was born in a human body as Jesus of Nazareth in a particular place and personality.  He then suffered personally for you and for me and he put himself through a torturous passion to make amends – or to atone – for our sins. He takes our guilt upon himself, not because we are good, but because He is good.

Analogously, you as a mother, a father, a teacher – anyone who cares for a y young person – will do the same – not just because they are good but because you are striving for goodness. You will accept some (or even all) of the blame for a young person’s wrongdoing. After all, what is forgiveness if not the letting go of all the blame and punishment I may want to heap upon another person. I am called to pick up that end of the cross. That’s the word made flesh. That’s a compassionate translation.

            And, in any act of repentance for forgiveness we might make, we recognize that we share a common nature. If we repent or forgive only superficially, Jesus said, then we have cleansed only the outside of the dish.  Christ’s word of love, mercy and yet the word is meant not only to be heard and seen but also to be hidden and saved and savored within.

Then,  after Jesus suffered at the Passion of Good Friday, offered his body on the Cross, he took and and allowed that body to be broken, divided and in a sacramental sense – divides that still at the altar, in Holy Communion. Take this body, divide it among yourselves: “Take this all of you and eat it, this is my body, given up for you.”

This compassion is Christ’s CONNECTION to us.

Courage leads to compassion and compassion leads to connection.

[__07__]    3^rd     CONNECTION.

            Connection reminds us we care care not only about “WHAT” is being said but “WHO” is saying it.

            We read the Gospel so that we will have – in a spiritual way – Jesus’ number saved in our phone and we will recognize him when he calls.

[__07.01__]        Last week, my mother had another appointment, a neurology appointment and my father and I drove together to the hospital.

            On this particular busy December Christmas shopping day in NYC, I could find no parking space. There was no room at the inn, nor at the main hospital garage, nor at the second hospital garage, nor on any nearby street. I just had to drive around the block several times.

            When the appointment was over, I took the call from my “customers”/parents and went to pick them up.  I was consoled to know that my mother’s check-up went very well. We got the word from Meredith and from the doctor.

            Of course, that was important – the  medical part. But what came next was also important. At first this seemed extraneous – extra – information, but it was not extraneous. It signified not only the importance of the “translation” (information) but also “translator” (individual).

            That is, my father shared with me – without any prompting - what Meredith was doing for Christmas … that she would be going to London to visit her brother and sister-in-law, what her brother does there… how long he’s been there .. he’s been there for 10 years and works in construction, what his wife does for a living. She works for Apple.

            When you trust in a word, you also trust in a person and this regard Meredith has become a person, almost a part of our family in the way that a trusted medical professional or counselor can be. We trust the word, and the person.  It’s almost as though we were all going to London, or part of the journey.

            We are all going, spiritually, to Bethlehem, to receive his word, the word made flesh and continue our journey. And, we need translators to get there, fellow believers who both cherish and challenge us.
            Do we know that word?  And, equally important – do we recognize the number? 

[__fin__]        

Christmas / Hope (2019-12-22, Advent)

[ 2019 December 15^th – 4^th Sunday Advent  ● Isaiah 7:10-14  ● Psalm 24 ●  Romans 1:1-7 ● Matthew 1:18-24 ●  ]

Title: Christmas / Hope

[_01_]   I heard somebody say, yesterday, that we wish that every day could be Christmas. Perhaps, we wish every day could be Christmas because Christmas signifies peacefulness, harmony, generosity, giving.  The coming of God into our lives is symbolized – signaled – by these outward actions.

          But, we do not often wish that every day could be the 2 or 3 days before Christmas, because so many people lose their patience and sense of humor.

          Have you lost your sense of humor? This will be a test (this homily) because I am not good at telling jokes.

[_02_]   This is a fictional example of an airplane journey from Miami to New York City – it’s a xyz.AIRLINE and they say people from New York and the tri-state area do not have a sense humor, especially at this time of  year. We’ll see.

          This is a xyz.AIRLINE flight and in the first hour or so of the flight everything is going well.

It was almost in New York. And, then there was a tremendous explosion from the right wing of the aircraft and the pilot and co-pilot come over the loudspeaker to say::

          “Ladies and gents, we got a problem with the numbah 3 (‘tree’) engine on the right wing of da plane. Please do not panic as we have four (faw) engines.  We have … [explosion]…. We also now got a  problem with engine numbah one….. but we have 2 very good engines… [explosion]…  we have 1 engine but I assure (uh-shaw) you that we can fly the aircraft with only 1 engine.  [explosion].   (Pause)

Ladies and gents we are about to land on the water (waw-tuh).

We will speak to you from the water, please do not panic.”

The xyz.AIRLINE pilot and co-pilot, of course, makes a spectacular landing on the water.

And, their voices come over the loudsspeaker again and say:

“Thank you ladies and gents for following our instructions.  Now please listen very carefully to what we are about to say.  

All those of you who can swim, please line up on the right wing of the aircraft. All those of you who cannot swim, please line up on the left wing of the aircraft.  And, we will speak to you from the water.“

So, the passengers do everything the captain/pilot says. And, finally they see the pilot and co-pilot in a little life raft / rubber boat rowing to the front of the airplane and say a loudspeaker and they say:

“Ladies and gents, again I congratulate you for following my instructions. Now please listen very carefully to what I am about to say. 

First, those of you on the right wing of the aircraft, New York is this way … (pointing) It is only 3 nautical miles, the water is warm and the current is with you. Good luck.

Now, those of you on the left wing of the aircraft, Thank you for flying xyz.AIRLINES !  ”

[_03_]   It is quite common to associate hope and hopefulness with what we can do with our own power and potential energy: in this case: can you swim?

          Hearing this xyz.AIRLINE fictional joke recently, I was reminded of the most famous water landing of our era and area, of our time and territory: USAir flight 1549 in 2009 (“Miracle on the Hudson”) in which the real-life passengers did line up on the 2 wings (remember the photos?) and wait for instructions and rescue and what to do. In that real-life case, the pilot and co-pilot and crew absolutely did not abandon them and  he was not in a lifeboat alone. They were the last ones off the “air-craft” in New-York.

[_04_]    So, is our hope based on what we can do?

          Josef Pieper (a scholar of Thomas Aquinas) writes that our hope is not based on our own power, but rather based on what is true and what is truly possible. And, this invites to have our hope and hopefulness based not only on an aspiration for something better but also on the humility that we are not God, not in control of the outcome.

         

[_05_]   Our country is divided right now, right down the middle – left wing and right wing -- by the 2019 impeachment proceedings in Congress. If you read most of the statistics, reports, polling data, your will find it is 50/50 percentage “for”  or “against” …or 48/48 about the impeachment and whether or not it was the right procedure to follow.

          And, while Congress voted for impeachment, the Senate is poised to oppose it, on party / partisan lines.

[_06_]   What can we do? Make a run for it? Sink or swim ?

          While the fictional pilot and co-pilot in the xyz.AIRLINE plane example abandons the  passengers, I would suggest that we the passengers would not abandon each other – and we are the passengers might well find a way to help each other.

          How can we help each other?

          Would we really abandon the others, on the other wing?

[_07_]   It’s simply based on our own power, but what is true and what is possible…I’d like to reflect on as Christians what we can do.

          What is our aspiration? We are not in complete control of the outcome, but there are things we can do.

          I’d like to reflect that our lives as Christians are not defined by our ability to swim away or run away or by any of the 3 legs of the triathlon --  there is also bicycling.

          But, rather defined by our ability and choice to .. PRAY – FAST – GIVE CHARITABLY.

          Praying, fasting and giving charitably are not simply for the 40 days of Lent, but apply to any crisis, any difficulty we have.

          Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do – in hope – for your country.

          Would you not want to do this, regardless of which wing you are on?

[_08_]   I.e.,   ►►►PRAY – offer petitions, take time in the internal and interior space of your heart and mind – rather than giving in to anger, to resentment or revenge, to bitterness, but rather to pray for the members of Congress, the Senate, the President and his advisers, to pray for those you agree with and those you do not agree with. (Pray for your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…. Matthew chapter 6).

►►►FAST – to give up something. Fasting is something we associate normally with foregoing of food or drink or a full meal or – medically – with the required fast for a scientific test. The doctor wants, e.g., your ‘fasting’ glycemic (blood sugar) level.

          Yes, fasting is often difficult and a test of some kind, but it is also a test and trial that we can introduce and practice in order to gain patience, resolve, peace.

          That patience and peace does not come from someplace else or from someone else but can come from the dwelling of the Holy Spirit within us.

          In his 2015 Pentecost homily (24 May 2015), Pope Francis spoke:

          “Strengthened by the Spirit – who guides, who guides us into the truth, who renews us and the whole earth, and who gives us His fruits – strengthened in the Spirit and by these many gifts, may we be able to battle uncompromisingly against sin, to battle uncompromisingly against corruption, which continues to spread in the world day after day, by devoting ourselves with patient perseverance to the works of justice and peace,”

Consider a fast from food … or cutting back on entertainment, media, or news “screen time” … in order to listen to God’s voice who is love.

          Jesus also reminds us that we do not fast in order get noticed: “when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face so that when you fast you may not appear to others to be fasting” (Matthew, ch. 6)

►►►ALMSGIVING / CHARITY – one of the  things we can I find difficult to do in a confrontation is to listen…to listen to the other side, Yet, this is also an act of love, charity.

          And, as we approach certain family gatherings, we might have to listen to the other side. We might pray those we will meet.

          It does not mean we have to surrender what we know is right… or to approve something we know is wrong.. but rather listening is an act of love, charity, unity, community.

          It makes every day a little bit more like Christmas, like the generosity of Christmas.

          And, it will help us reach the shore. [__fin__]

The Conspiracy of Faith (2019-12-15, Advent)

[ 2019 December 15^th -- 3^rd Sunday Advent  ● Isaiah 35:1-6a, 10  ● Psalm 146 ●  James 5:7-10 ● Matthew 11:2-11  ●  ]

[_01_]   It is better to PERSUADE rather than to OVERPOWER , to persuade rather than to “make” someone believe anything.  “Persuasion” is different than power or overpowering.

          In the Gospel this Sunday, it seems that John the Baptist needs to be PERSUADED ..because he does not believe.  What can make him believe? Is that the point of this Gospel that Jesus our Lord is trying to make J.T.B. believe?

          What I am suggesting is that Jesus is trying to “sell” or “persuade” NOT John the Baptist but that Jesus is trying to persuade + teach the disciples of John (JTB). It's kind of... a conspiracy...

          J.C. + J.T.B. are trying to persuade the disciples of John to believe and they are in on a plan together.

[_02_]   We read the Gospel about John the Baptist – punished and in prison at the end of his life and he is asking a question that seems to betray some doubt, disbelief.      But, John the Baptist is a true believer.  Maybe… yes ..he wanted the Messiah to be a bit less SILENT .. and more SPECTACTULAR. Yet, JTB is a true believer.

          What does it mean to trust / believe ?

[_03_]   In his book/essay on FAITH / CONFIDENCE IN GOD Josef Pieper wrote that BELIEF – BELIEVING – in a proper sense is not simply about a proposition which I can comprehend….  But also about a person whom I can connect to …

In other words, “believing” is not just about INFORMATION, but about RELATION and RELATIONSHIP.

          A person might tell you about a book you should read, a place you should visit … or whether you  should get the iPhone or Android …but it’s not just about what is being said but who is saying it.

          The person and proposition.

[_04_]   John the Baptist does not simply believe in Jesus based on a calculation…but on a commitment.

          So why does John ask this question? It seems that John is becoming like the “doubting and absent  Thomas” after the Resurrection, late in life.

          John does not believe simply out of a calculation but also out of a commitment and personal understanding, personal relationship with Christ.

          No one could make him believe. John believed. Or, did he?

          St. Jerome in his commentary on Matthew’s Gospel wrote that John does not ask the question – “are you the Christ?”- because John himself needs more mathematical data to solve an equation.

          Rather, John is believing…but he is not so sure about his disciples. He wants them to learn something.

[_05_]   Consider, for example, a teacher says to his or student and tells them go home after school and tell your siblings or parents something that you learned today about history or geometry or biology.

          You teach them, you tell it on the mountain!

          The teacher is saying this not for the parents’ edification or education, but rather to make the child a responsible messenger and comprehensible messenger to others.

          In a similar way, a parent might say to a child… I want you to ask the teacher this question..then you come back and tell me what you heard. Even if the parents already know this.

                    The disciples are sent by God not simply to be bike messengers carrying packages back and forth between Jesus and John…but rather to be evangelists themselves.

          Jesus says: “you go and tell John what you see and hear, the blind see, the deaf hear, … and blessed is he who takes no offense at me. ”

          The “aim” of his persuasion is not to reach the profile page and account of John the Baptist … but that the disciples of John will recognize and teach about Jesus as the Messiah. 

          Jesus and JTB are in on this plan together.

[_06 _]   What does this mean when we say that the blind see…the deaf hear…

          We may not have witnessed such medical miracles and physical transformations?

          But, have we not witnessed the power of faith and confidence in God of those who might be debilitated and discouraged… aged, infirm, physically ill…. That they sometimes see …hear and have motivations – through their faith that is beyond what is possible for the more “physically healthy.”

          St. Paul writes … “when I am weak it is then that I am strong…” This is the sign of the Messiah in our lives. And… that we are persuaded..that we believe.

          (This may be “acceptable/good theology”…but does it really relate this Gospel?).

 [_07_]       So, Jesus and John the Baptist are in on this plan together, to teach the disciples.

          I’d like to use an example

Many years ago, when the kids in our family were smaller and my mother was driving us all over the place to/from school or to other places, there was one child who did not believe – or behave – regarding the importance of wearing a seat belt.

          This was the youngest of my siblings – she did not want to wear her seatbelt. And, I admit this was a different time and era when people were less compliant and committed to the safety of seat belts in cars.

          So, my sister not wearing a seat belt. She does not believe, she does not behave, and no amount of arguing was convincing her.

          One day, my mother approaches a local police officer and asks him – not to arrest her slap the metal handcuffs on my 5-year old sister’s wrists – but rather simply asks – or gets my sister to ask …what about wearing a seat belt… ? Is that important?

          So, the police officer was in this plan. He was in on it.

          My mother did not need to hear the answer, my sister needed to hear the answer. Sometimes we need to ask and answer certain questions and hear the answer ourselves.

          And, yes, my sister did start wearing her seatbelt, understanding what was good.

          John the Baptist and Jesus were in on this plan together.

          As a parish priest, it is also my role not to get you to believe me, to listen to me, but to lead you closer to God – who is good - and to his love and mercy – what is good.

          Even as parents, is not your goal not simply to get your children to listen to you, but to listen to God, the Holy Spirit? You and God are in on the plan together.

          Are you in on the plan?

          Are you up for this conspiracy?   [__fin__]

Immaculate Conception 2019 (2019-12-09)

2019 – December 9  [ immaculate conception  ]

• Genesis 3:9-15 • Psalm  •  Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12 • Luke 1:26-38  •

[__01__]       / [__02__]     One of the reasons that some sports fans get  disillusioned and impatient – even watching their favorite sport and team is that they observe the players – sometimes very professional players – not observing or keeping to the rules.    Professional soccer players are legendary for this – if you have ever watched professional soccer – even World Cup Soccer – there are players who in a tight and difficult situation will pretend to be injured – they will “feign injury” in order to cause the referee to blow the whistle and stop the game … as a fake defensive measure.

           I just use this as an example to to show that even the most talented, the most gifted individual in a situation where he can display his gifts for all to see … will, under the right circumstances … do something dishonest just to get ahead, or take the easy way out.

[__03__]     I am not saying that “Adam and Eve just flopped themselves down on the field….” But there was a fall… there is a reason why this Genesis Book of Genesis, 3^rd chapter, is called the Fall of Adam and Eve.

          In a reflection on the influence and work of the Devil, Father Robert Barron (later, “Bishop Robert Barron”) observed that just as we can recognize in the world good and evil in ourselves …and in others.

          Well, we can also recognize good and evil in the spiritual beings – in the angels created by God. The angels also have free will, to choose good or to choose evil.

          And, consider what might the greatest aspiration of anyone who has any authority position – and this could be someone in the authority position of being:

-         Mother, father, parent

-         Teacher

-         Religious sister or brother …or the priest, a.k.a., “Father”

-         Physician – someone who can heal someone physically.

In any of these professions or vocations  and other professions, we hope to pass along – to hand down something good, not only by what we tell or teach but also by how we behave.

All of us have great potential to do good.

We also have potential to do harm.

Does this harm – or potential for harm exist simply because of our own personal weakness … or some institutional weakeness?

We might easily come to this conclusion about, for example, the  Church, the Catholic Church ..and sins of her own priests, her own “Fathers” and others.

I am not looking to pretend that bad stuff did not happen. It did.

But not simply because the institution was weak or weakened (we need better policies) … or because the person was week (we need better priests) … but also because of fundamental choices and flops and falling down on the basic choice between Good and Evil.

There is a potential for harm as well as good.

[__03__]   Bishop Robert Barron’s point about the fallen angel – or the Devil – is that he uses all of his so-called “connection” to God and powers bestowed by God do things that are contrary to God.

          Barron offers these examples:

God is is the one who collects who unites… but the Devil is the one who distracts, who scatters… it is the Devil’s great success to “separate”  Eve and Adam. Adam and Eve never really got together to reflect on what the Devil was saying. They each reach their own conclusions and then blame each other.

          Parodoxically, after God appears, the only one with reverent silence before God is the devil. But, his work at that point is done.

          The devil succeeds by separating… us from each or from ourselves.

          The Devil also succeeds by the LIE, by DISHONESTY.

          His famous opening question to Adam and Eve suggests that “regulation” in the garden was all about prohibition rather than protection, the devil suggests that God is shutting down A & E, when he is really sheltering them by his rule.

          How are we affected by dishonesty?

          Bishop Barron asked this question – consider a moment when someone said something untrue about  you, or when you even dared to think that someone said something untrue?

          Or, consider a moment when you said something untrue about another person ..or when the person thought you did so?

          Can the “evil” of that lie simply be explained or corrected by “personal weakness” or “institutional improvements in policy”?

          A lie can have a life of its own.

          And, sometimes all we can do is pray for the Holy Spirit to do his work, for the saving Blood of Christ to sanctify and redeem us and recall that our battle in this world includes a battle with evil, sometimes with untruth, but it is one that Jesus also assists us with …and he suffered and died in order to save us, to raise us and to bring us to a new Garden, a new hope, a new heaven and a new earth.  [__fin__]