Good Shepherd. Don't Scare Them Off. (2023-04-30, Easter 4th Sunday)

___ Click Here for Audio of Homily ___  

__ Click Here for Video of Mass___ 

April 30, 2023  4^th Sunday Easter (Year A)  ● Acts 2:14a, 36-41 ● Psalm 23 ● 1 Peter 2:20b-25 ● John 10:1-10 ●

Title:  Don’t Scare Them Off.

[_01__]    How do you follow? How do we follow in the ways of Jesus as the Good Shepherd? This is the Good Shepherd gospel.

Just an example. Have you ever been to Liberty Science Center (LSC)?

To LSC, a museum in Jersey City near NY Harbor, in Liberty State Park. The LSC stated goal is to form the next generation of scientists and engineers to excite learners with the power and the promise of science and technology. But one person also said at LSC that their first goal is in attracting girls and boys not to frighten them, do not scare them away.

And as somebody who has sometimes been scared away from science, or mathematics or difficult classes like that, I can relate to being “scared off”

[_02__]    When I was a college freshman, and taking a difficult math class for the first time I was failing. But I was also had a very fortunate experience and that the professor welcomed me to his office many times to do equations with me to show me the ropes as it were to move my me from a failing status to a decent grade with him, I felt safe, he did not scare me off, we all need such she shepherding, teaching and guiding.

I have experienced this also shepherding in those my spiritual life in the quadratic formula, the quadratic formula of sin and sinfulness and faults. In other words, going to confession to have my sins absolved, I was not “scared off” but rather encouraged by Jesus through the priest, to show that I can begin again, we can all begin again and start over.

 

[_03__]     Today is about the good news and strength of the Good Shepherd, which also relates to the famous parable of the shepherd and the lost sheep. Remember the shepherd and the lost sheep. In this case, the shepherd goes out to search for the 1% of the 100.

And in this case, the 1% is not the one with all the advantages. The 1% is the one who has fallen behind you are the 1%. I am the 1% at times. And in biblical language and biblical history, the shepherd is an important image.

“Before Jesus” as shepherd - there was the young David of Bethlehem who was the shepherd, the shepherd boy who was selected and anointed to be the next royal ruler, the next king of Israel.

And David seemed an unlikely choice. But he was the shepherd boy who knew how to fight he had agility, strength, and he defeated the mighty Goliath by his skills.

All the kings of Israel are referred to as shepherds. But as Jesus said, some were better shepherds than others. Some were thieves and robbers.

David, however, is described as a shepherd after God's own heart. Jesus is born in the Ancestry DNA lineage of David.

“DURING JESUS TIME” The shepherds came to visit Jesus in Bethlehem after his birth. It's a reminder that Jesus comes to those who are awake and alert, and waiting for him and not necessarily to the famous or connected.

“AFTER JESUS / TODAY” The word pastor = shepherd. Please pray for me as a shepherd, I also need to listen to the voice of God as the voice of God and Jesus as the ultimate Shepherd.

[_04__]      A shepherd in the Middle East in Jesus’s day andin our own would have gone ahead, gone first, to lead the sheep.

Now, sometimes it's scary to go first.  As the eldest sibling in my family, I often had to go first and sometimes wished someone would go ahead, go first.

[_05__]         How can we “go first / take initiative” and follow in the ways of Christ the Shepherd.

There are everyday way we can do this.

(a)            Eye contact with somebody who's not necessarily looking at us. That means going first taking the risk to look at somebody in the eye, or taking the risk to listen to somebody, maybe somebody who doesn't seem to be listening to you. Listening carefully to someone is not an exercise in “being passive” but also in being actively compassionate.

(b)            Slow Down. Sometimes I'm rushing around, trying to “get ahead”. But can I not take more initiative by slowing down and not being too abrupt in my actions? By praying for guidance.

(c)            SILENCE. At times, it can be the charitable thing not to say anything or not to say too much. If you are a parent, a mother or father, have there not been ways in which you have revealed only what was necessary to your children, to tell them only what they can handle right now. This not sometimes waited told your children, And we are called to choose silences in certain ways in charitable ways

 

These are everyday ways in which we can take initiative in following the Good Shepherd and being good shepherds.

[_06__]          Jesus is also the Good Shepherd because he leads us to his flock and part of his flock is the parish of Our Lady of Lourdes, 07052. Perhaps this is your parish or your parish is in another location.

And the church universal is also meant to be Jesus's flock.

The strength of a community is shown not just by what we say, or by the words that are spoken from this microphone, but also by what we do.

And that's true also in a family and in a community that we also speak a body “physical langauge”.

You speak a body language is your presence here at Sunday Mass. And this is your witness to others. You are here and we need you here. Also to be present to Jesus who is here also here body and soul.

Body language is also spoken by being together at meals, or physically present and visiting each other.

says something about our being together, being together at the dinner table or being together in the living room, or being together is more simply “calling [texting] to say, I love you”.

The body language of your virtue is spoken by keeping your family together your marriage together at difficult times.

[_07__]      Jesus is the one who willingly went to the cross and spoke in a way in a body language sort of way, because he is the lamb led to the slaughter, who openened not his mouth. [Isaiah 53:7]

Why can the shepherd of the parable leave the 99% and go after the 1% It's because he knows Jesus and the shepherd knows the biology and the psychology of sheep, that the 99 together will protect and keep each other warm while he goes to look for the 1% who is lost.

Meanwhile, the 1% who has lost that one sheep was lost will perish or at least be severely harmed because the sheep who is lost and alone, might fall down might not be able to get up and needs the shepherd to lift him up.

And we also need the help and support of Jesus as our shepherd and wished to lift us up as well.

To remember that he comes among us as the incarnation he comes among us to be among us as a human person, and to teach us – first by not scaring us off -- but also by his actions by laying down His life for us one at a time. [_END__]   

Road to Emmaus ("Inside Out") - (2023-04-23, Easter - 03)

___ Click Here for Audio of Homily ___  

__ Click Here for Video of Mass___ 

Homily file for April 23, 2023  -  3^rd Sunday Easter (Year A)  Luke 24:13-35, Road to Emmaus

[_01__]  When I was ten (10) years old, and a few weeks before I was to start 5^th grade – G -5 – my mother held a press conference in the living room to announce to my brothers and me that we were going to a new elementary school, to leave the public school in our neighborhood and go to the Catholic school across town.

          As a future priest, you would think it would have been joyful and glad, but I was not. Change was bad.

 [_02__]  At age 10, in a relatively short span of time, I experienced a range of emotions from FEAR à ANGER à DISGUST à SADNESS.

          If I had known about the official “stages of grief”, I would not have  been interested because I could not “bargain” my way out of this.

[_03__]   I bring this up because there is a great change happening to the 2 disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24)

          They also do not like change. Their world has been turned upside down by the death of Jesus of whom they expected great things. “He was mighty in word and deed.”

          Now, due to a mysterious plan of God which they did not comprehend, Jesus had been put to death.

          And, now they are experiencing a range and ricochet of emotions – fear – anger – disgust – sadness. When Jesus Himself appears – to them – as random bystander and asks, “what were you talking about as you walked along”, they respond in distress, “are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know what just happened?” (Luke 24)

 [_04__]   This question is a paradox – because Jesus is – in fact  - the only visitor to Jerusalem who knows what really happened.

 [_05__]  “Don’t you know ?” -- “Don’t you get it ?” Is this not how we express our complaints and frustrations in plain language when we feel misunderstood or misdirected?

          For example, to one’s wife or husband, one might say “Don’t you know… don’t you get it…”

          Or to one’s inner circle including your neighbors, friends, siblings, children ….adult children, co-workers, a boss … “Don’t you know… don’t you get it…”

          Perhaps you were trespassed against or wronged, or you feel  you were.  At times, in true justice, we have to state – in a loving way – what we are feeling.   Because you and I do have a right to our private thoughts – but sometimes we also have to express them and also to PRAY OVER THEM and through them, and bring them to our Lord who wants to enter into your pain – sadness – fear – anger – disgust – and did so by taking up his cross and dying for you and me.

          Jesus is your personal savior who wants you to talk to him. He is not a fortune-teller or mindreader.

[_06__]  In the meanwhile, don’t we have all of our competing emotions and feelings?

          In 2015 there was a popular movie by Pixar Studios called “Inside Out”. This was totally fictional but “Inside Out” has also been very positively received by both psychologists and church/religious scholars as an accurate and family-friendly look at our emotions and their meaning.

          The movie reminded me of my 10-year old self, because the main character – named Riley – is a 10 year old girl who is told by her parents that the family has to move – for professional/career reasons from the Midwest in Minnesota to the West Coast in California.

          The movie is not just about the people as “characters” but each emotion is a different character.   Joy is a bright yellow sunshine character.  Sadness is a blue character.  And, “Joy” is used to being the emotion in charge but now – due the move to California – has to contend with other emotions of fear, anger, disgust, sadness.

          Every emotion in our lives has a place. There is no such thing as a life without feelings of sadness or fear or anger. Yes, these emotions can get us into trouble. They have gotten me into trouble.

          We can – at times – in fear or sadness – lose ourselves to love in all the wrong places, or to feelings of being devalued or diminished.

          Or we may pursue pleasures or entertainment or even information (gossip, anyone?) which are wrong.

          In prayer and repentance, we are called not to ask God to eliminate this emotions but rather to heal our injuries,  and brokenness and to bring to the Lord what is troubling us.

          This was expressed by the 2 troubled travelers on the road. They did not fully recognize Jesus but still were able to say and pray, “Stay with us for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.” (Luke 24:29)

 [_07__]  My experience of changing schools was – in fact – a positive experience in which I made many new friends. I am grateful.

          But, I am also aware of my inclination toward over-evaluation or getting into “analysis paralysis” before making a decision.

          No one is going to send me to an unfamiliar uniform store 10 days before Labor Day to put on itchy polyester!

          I must admit that some things in life have worked out well for me, even when I could not – or especially when I could not – evaluate all the options first.

          This is also the virtue of obedience to which we are all called. “Obedience” is not just about a Sister of  Charity going where the provincial sends her…or a priest going to a new parish by the Archbishop. Yes, these are examples.

          But, all of us are called to obey the Commandments which guide and are guardrails for us in purity, integrity, honor, respect… it’s not jus about not stealing…but also about finding creative ways to be honest !

          Regarding obedience as a priest, on the night before my ordination, I was told I would be coming to Our Lady of Lourdes. I never had a chance to run a background check on you. You guys turned out to be all right!

[_08__]  Even the seminary where I studied also turned to be a blessing for me in terms of both study and prayer. But, I vacillated about it for a while. When I was still in the trial or “let’s try on this uniform” phase, I was required to go for an interview with the Rector/Dean of Immaculate Conception Seminary and theology school at Seton Hall U. I had never met him, hardly knew his name.

          But something about my 10-year old experience came roaring back.

          I don’t like change. I was surprised to know his last name was “Coleman” because at age 10, “Coleman School” was the school I had left so suddenly. A minor coincidence? Was I going back?

          The Emmaus Gospel reminds us that Jesus is back. Following him we can find where we belong.  In times of sadness, can we not recognize our need for love of God and neighbor. God loves you.     We all need God’s grace and help and we can say in darkness together, to ask for Christ’s help: “Stay with us for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.” (Luke 24:29)   [_END__] 

To Those To Whom Much is Given... (Easter 2nd Sunday, April 15, 2023)

___ Click Here for Audio of Homily ___  

__ Click Here for Video of Mass___ 

Homily file for April 16, 

 [_01__]  As you and I go through our daily lives, we are told to appreciate meaningful experiences, to count blessings, to feel grateful for benefits we have.  Researchers have shown that such an investment of counting your blessings leads to the payback of better psychological and  physical well-being.

           Recently, I had the untimely - but also fortunate experience - of being helped through Holy Week and Easter by our visiting priests, by you - our parishioners - by friends who checked in on me.

           Just after Palm Sunday and before Good Friday, I lost my voice. Laryngitis.

           My doctor told me of his own experience with the condition. This was also a blessing. I felt better, both physically and psychologically. I can count my blessings. Thank you.

 [_02__]  Do you remember that there is a parable / example of being blessed – the “parable of the talents” ?

 In the parable, there is an unequal distribution to each of the persons, but each of the 3 is called to invest, use, make use of his or her talents.

 And, of the 3 recipients of the money, one does not invest his money, he hides the money. And, as a result, this money/talent is taken from him and given to the others.

 And, the punch line of the parable is: “to those to whom much is given, much will be expected.”  (Luke or Gospel ___  ? )

 This is, also, I suggest an important part of what it means to “count  your blessings.”

 “to those to whom much is given, much will be expected.”  (Luke or Gospel ___  ? )

 During Holy Week, while I could not speak or say Mass for Easter, I was also being asked to remember this –  “to those to whom much is given, much will be expected.”  (Luke or Gospel ___  ? )

 

[_03__]  In Acts of the Apostles, 2nd chapter, we read that the early Christians “devoted themselves to the teaching of the Apostles and to the communal life … all who believed were together and had all things in common. ”(Acts 2:___)

 

They were counting their blessings, but they were also recognizing to those to whom much was given much would be expected.

 

The early Church Christians were not wealthy or living in large houses, but they also saw that the gift of the Eucharistic - of Christ’s Body and Blood was a reason for them to be generous to others.

 

I am inspired by the ways in which I see you - the people of God of Our Lady of Lourdes - generous not only to me, but also to each other, to those whom you know and those whom you do not know.

 

I try to remember the way that lessons of mission and ministry were passed down to me. In the seminary, we had a very good priest - Monsignor Robert Coleman - who also says Mass here at Lourdes. Monsignor Coleman is very reverent, serious …and one Ash Wednesday he was celebrating Mass in the seminary chapel and in the middle his homily when the cell phone loudly rang one of our seminary employees. 

 

Knowing Monsignor Coleman to be calm but also dignified, I did not know how he would react.   The cell phone was answered loudly in the middle of his homily as the person walked out the door, right behind the pulpit, saying “Hello, Hello !”

         

Monsignor Coleman did even shrug his shoulders.

 

“to those to whom much is given, much will be expected.”  (Luke or Gospel ___  ? )

It was a lesson to me in being calm, one that I have not fully learned.

It was also a lesson that the Mass -or going to church - does not belong to the priest. It is a ritual action belonging to God.

We are his servants.

We are his imperfect servants.

Count your blessings.

[_03__]  In the Gospel of John, this Sunday, we read that Jesus commanded his apostles

 

“Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them and who sins you retain are retained.”

(John 20:___)

 

Why do we practice forgiveness and mercy in the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation?

 

We could say that we practice this because it is commanded. But, more importantly it is commanded because it is good.

 

And … also 

 

“to those to whom much is given, much will be expected.”  (Luke or Gospel ___  ? )

 

Jesus has delivered all of us from our sins, but he has not yet made this deliverance explicitly known to everyone.

 

It was made explicitly known to the apostles. When and how was it made explicitly known?

 

That was at the Last Supper, which we recalled in our Solemn Celebration of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday.

 

This is our faith….

 

As we read in the Catholic Catechism, the gospel is the revelation of Jesus Christ, of God's mercy to sinners. The angel announced to St. Joseph, the husband of Mary, you shall call Him Jesus for for he will save his people from their sins. The same is true of the Eucharist, the sacrament of redemption. This is the blood of the covenant, which is poured out for the forgiveness of sins. (CCC # ____)

 

Jesus loves you and me so much that he died for our sins. 

 

“But God commendeth his charity towards us; because when as yet we were sinners, according to the time, Christ died for us; much more therefore, being now justified by his blood, shall we be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son; much more, being reconciled, shall we be saved by his life” (Romans 5:8-10)

 

And…  “to those to whom much is given, much will be expected.”  (Luke or Gospel ___  ? )

 

[_04__]  It used to be Catholic traditional practice that to go to confession was a very public and highly structured act.

 

          Catholics were even known to put off confession until they know they were going to die… until they were terminally ill….and they would do the penance at the last possible moment.

 

          Our modern practice of confession is, of course, different. But the reasons those early practices came into being was a recognition that sin affects not just the wrongdoer or sinner, but sin affects someone else, and may affect the whole community.

 

Penance was a structured way for the person to recognize that forgiveness - through Christ - is possible…. But also…

 

And…  “to those to whom much is given, much will be expected.”  (Luke or Gospel ___  ? )

 

          The way “scandals” are handled and prosecuted in the media, these days, or even the way that unpopular kids in school may find themselves in trouble has more connection to the early and public penance.

         

Consider -whether you are a junior at West Orange High School or a junior employee at a big company, do you not sometimes want to run and hide rather than admit you are wrong?

 

There is a price to pay for admitting you are wrong.

 

The Good News of our salvation and your possibility of mercy and forgiveness is that your sins - your faults - are only going to be conversation between you and God through the priest in the confessional.

 

Another Good-News aspect of the superiority to Catholic Confession to “social media” confession and so-called mercy is that you are not going to be judged on the quality of your contrition or the level of your sorrow.

 

Consider what happens when there is a public scandal or even when something goes wrong among a group of people.

 

The wrongdoer is judged also for how “sorry” he or she appears to be or whether he or she was just trying to “save face” or “avoid retribution.”

 

The sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation is so much beter, so much deeper.

 

God accepts you and me even if if our contrition is imperfect or - for now - incomplete.

 

In this we, you and I are all a bit like Thomas the Apostle who arrives late to the party, but still connects with Jesus.

 

The Easter Gospel of a shared life and community , of forgiveness through Christ reminds to count our blessings. 

 

Our main blessing is to have our sins forgiven.

 

That includes between 4:15 to 5 pm Saturdays, but also other times know that you can always call the rectory to see me to see a priest for confession. 

 

You're not bothering me by your requests. I assure you that your request helps me to grow in closer to our Lord and Savior.

 

If I seem busy, ask anyway. I might have to get back to you with an exact time. 

 

And…  “to those to whom much is given, much will be expected.”  (Luke or Gospel ___  ? )

Easter. Awakening. (2023-04-09)

 ● April 9, 2023 ● Easter  ●  ●  ● ● ●  ●       

[__01__]   The emotional tone of a wake is sometimes seen as more positive – and uplifting --  than a funeral (in church) due to the socially supportive atmosphere and the focus on the life rather than the death of the deceased.

          A “wake” is often regarded as a especially Catholic tradition of mourning in which we also gather in the presence of the body of the person who has died.

[__02__]  Many years ago, the wake or visitation to a person who had been terminally ill served a practical purpose … NOT JUST A SOCIALLY SUPPORTIVE PURPOSE… The family wanted to see if the person – over a a day or so …. could be revived, if her she would “wake up”.

          This was also reflected in Jewish tradition reported in the Gospel of John, chapter 11, the burial of Lazarus and the raising of Lazarus.

          We read that Lazarus was in the tomb for 4 days. This was a specific detail because Jewish tradition was that the soul and body separated in death after 3 days.

          So, this 4-day interval made the miracle of his Lazarus’ rising even more momentous. In other words, Lazarus had really died.

          And Lazarus had a remarkable turnaround to tell people later, he could truly report, “You know, I almost died once.” Not everyone can say this !

          In Lazarus’ case, his “wake” was not just a gathering to tell stories about someone who had died and was no longer there, but to realize the Good News that Jesus had announced to his disciples:

 “Our friend Lazarus is asleep, but I am going to awaken him.”  So the disciples said to him, “Master, if he is asleep, he will be saved.” But Jesus was talking about his death, while they thought that he meant ordinary sleep.

So then Jesus said to them clearly, “Lazarus has died.  And I am glad for you that I was not there, that you may believe. Let us go to him.” (John 11: __)

          It is important for John’s Gospel to report in the Lazarus episode and in the passion and death of our Lord to report the details that both Lazarus and Jesus have, in fact, died.

          Lazarus might say and you and I might say of her own fragile health or a serious condition – “I almost died” – but in the case of Lazarus and Jesus, they were in fact deceased.

          Recently, I was reading a short autobiography, by a physician, a brain surgeon who is himself terminally ill as a relatively young 30-xyz (check age) who died in March 2015. He died before he “finished” the book. At one point he wrote about the importance of being valiant and strong in the operating room, to work as hard as he could for his patients…while outside the operating room to report to them in ways that they could really understand, perhaps having to tell them more than once.

          Isn’t it true we often need the diagnosis and prescription from the doctor more than once?   In the book, he also writes that the original meaning of the word “patient” is the one who endures hardship and suffering without complaint.

          Though I have been a “patient” in doctor’s offices, this definition – hardship and suffering without complaint – does not match up with the name and date of birth on my chart.

[__03__] Is it not one of our greatest fears that not that we will die but that we may die far from home or far from family and friends or without assistance.

          One traditional night-time Catholic prayer that I favor is this –

          “Protect us Lord as we stay awake, watch over us as we sleep that awake we may keep watch with Christ and asleep rest in his peace.”

          In other words, regardless of whether my doctor is available or my family or my friends, let me know Lord, that you are here.

          This is not only true when we are feeling physically sick but also when we are quite well.

          Do you ever wonder what the work of your life,  your actions in life, your friendships, your taking care of your family, do ever wonder whether it has enduring meaning?

          And, for those who are older or infirm – in our midst – or in our homes, the way that we treat them when they are vulnerable witnesses to their lives having meaning.

          Mother Teresa of Calcutta who cared for the poorest of the poor in India often made observations about more affluent people in the so-called “west” meaning west of India/Asia, western Europe, the Americas. This could apply to West Orange 07052:

“The greatest disease in the West today is not TB or leprosy; it is being unwanted, unloved, and uncared for. We can cure physical diseases with medicine, but the only cure for loneliness, despair, and hopelessness is love. There are many in the world who  are many more dying for a little love. The poverty in the West is a different kind of poverty -- it is not only a poverty of loneliness but also of spirituality. There's a hunger for love, as there is a hunger for God.”

          We come to church on Easter Sunday to remember that Christ has died Christ is risen, Christ will come again. We also come, knowing that it in God’s love that you have new life, whether you are awake or asleep.   [__END__]