Urgent (2024-01-28, 4th Sunday)

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 Homily, 4^th Sunday (year B)

●●  2024 January 28  ●● Deuteronomy 18:15-20 _ ● Psalm 95  ● ● 1 Corinthians 7:32-35 ●  Mark 1:21-28 ● ●  Title: “URGENT”

[__01__]  The very first word of the gospel today is 'then' =   “T-H-E-N”. This word is written frequently by Mark to indicate that something is about to happen and something is “immediate” or “urgent”.  Mark's gospel has a theme of urgent action.

And I'd like to reflect on the fact that we all need healing urgently, we need healing as soon as possible from God. On an everyday basis, you and I need healing of our memories, healing of our motivations. And we go to confession to heal us of our sins, so that we can start over again with some urgency in our lives. It's a choice between the good spirit and the evil spirit every day.

PAUSE. I'd like to touch on an example I read about about how a group of young players with some urgency overcame the evil of discouragement in their lives, a discouragement they were perhaps not fully aware of.

[__02__] Around the year 2000, a man named John Bacon became the coach of his former high school ice hockey team.

          As a H.S. player on the team, he never scored a goal on the ice, and as a coach in the beginning he was facing a great challenge due to a year-long losing streak. The players had not won a game in nearly 12 months.

          And, they were just getting used to LOSING all the time.

          But, within 3 years, this same team was 1 of the top H.S. teams in the U.S.A. They went as we say, from worst to first from the bottom to the top.

How did he do it, with such urgency?

Noticeably, the coach didn't go out and get new players but simply raised the bar and expected more from his players and came to a new appreciation of what it meant to teach and lead.

In a talk about the topic, the coach proclaimed the following about the view that is often given, the opinion often states of younger people, age 14 to 29-30.

The coach said, “everyone is complaining about young people these days, everyone from age 14 to 29-30. So if you're a kid in high school or college, they're kind of talking about you.  You have been accused by others of not having a good work ethic, of wanting a participation trophy for just showing up.”  (John U. Bacon, “Let Them Lead”)

This coach had a different experience- when he raised the bar or standard, his losing team became a winning team, from “worst to first”

The coach says that some educators, teachers and coaches and clergy (including me) resent the idea that they have to “entertain” students or young people or players.

The coach was speaking to me, in a way, saying – You – PADRE – are an entertainer. You are not going to be on The Tonight Show or the Late Show. But I'm supposed to be some kind of an entertainer,

In other words, all of us in leading and teaching others are in fact in the “entertainment” business to an extent in other words, to demonstrate lessons by real life experience and not just by information.

 

[__03__]   in the Gospel today. Jesus is leading by example to his listeners, and we even read that they are astonished, they are surprised by his authority. And Jesus does this not to entertain them or us, but to attract all of us as His disciples. Jesus is doing this not just not just to entertain us, but to show and witness what it means to conquer and to compete against the evil spirit in our lives, especially if we feel we are on a losing streak or defeated too easily.

START HERE AGAIN

[__04__]    One the ways in which I am drawn down or discouraged is when I simply expect things to be EASY …and when they are not easy I am tempted to give up.

When I was in the seminary studying to become a priest, I noticed this attitude in my classmates and in me, that we were complaining about how much work we had to do, how many papers we had to write and how long it was taking academically to get through the seminary, we thought it should have been much faster, the E-Z Pass lane!. This was the catchphrase / complaint we were heard to say: “all I want to be is a simple parish priest.”

And, this attitude exists  - in other walks of life - among other students and young people who might say, all I want to be is a simple teacher --- lawyer – carpenter – technician - nurse – doctor – business person all I want to be as a simple father, a simple mother. The list goes on.

 Now, at the time, the rector and Dean of the seminary a priest, Monsignor Robert Coleman had a good comeback to this. He said: “All you want to be as a simple parish priest.” Well, I'm not going to deliver that to you because being a parish priest is not so simple.

And being a parent is not simple. Being a teacher is not so simple. And his own day, Jesus demonstrated that our choices between good and evil between the good spirit and the evil spirit are clear, but sometimes not so simple.  

For example, is it easy to stand up to our peers or a family member who is doing wrong or leading us in the wrong direction? It is often “simpler” and more popular to follow the crowd and yield to “peer pressure”.  Doesn’t the path of least resistance seem simple? That does not make it right.

NEW SECTION    One the ways in which I am drawn down or discouraged is when I simply expect things to be SIMPLE or EASY. And, when they are not easy I give up.

St. Paul himself wrote that what we are fighting against what we're fighting against in our lives. We're not simply fighting enemies and adversaries we can see, but really, all of us are encountering evil spirits when we cannot see, and it's often not so simple and we may give up too easily.

NEW SECTION    Consider how some us – myself included – were inclined “give up” during the trouble of the COVID pandemic and the COVID shutdowns, it was not so easy to see the good and the evil at that time, there was the spread of an unfamiliar virus, the COVID-19 that affected thousands of people and necessitated heroic actions by many nurses, doctors, medical professionals, 1^st responders, and essential workers of all kinds. For their heroism we can be grateful.

But how did you respond or I respond to this challenge?

Did we respond by expecting more from ourselves? Or did we respond by expecting less or even nothing? How did you and I respond in a good way or an evil way?

For example, during this virus during this pandemic shutdown, did you find reasons to reconnect with others? Some of us used the virus as a reason to disconnect from people to excuse ourselves from obligations or visits with loved ones.   This is a surrender to the evil spirit to a vice to laziness, sloth

What about religious practice? Did the virus make you (me) more aware of our need for God and His mercy thankful for his mercy? Or did it make us more proud with the attitude? Hey, God, we got this, we flattened the curve,  we survived.

What about our view of other people in our world? Did the virus and the pandemic make us more aware of the many working class men and women by whom food is delivered? Mail is delivered roadwork is done repairs are performed? Or did the experience of being at home make us more close and upon ourselves, and more likely to just take what we want?

 Jesus conquers evil and consoles us not by giving us what we want all the time, or simply driving us to a destination dropping off in his vehicle.

Rather, he is giving us his body and blood. He is giving us the keys to the car you might say and he's doing that with some urgency to help us to move forward, so that we can drive or walk or run or make our way toward God’s call under our own power, but also with his help. This applies to all of us at every age, whether we are younger or older, urgently  [__END__]

Jonah. "Love your enemies" (2024-01-21, Sunday, 3rd)

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● ● Homily, 3^rd Sunday (year B)   ●●  2024 January 21  ●● Jonah 3:1-5, 10 ___ ● ● Psalm 25 ● ● ● ● 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 ● ●  Mark 1:14-20  ● ●

 [__01__]  In our 1^st reading, we read about Jonah the prophet. Jonah is a popular boy's name these days:

J-O-N-A-H. Jonah is famous in the Bible.

          And Jonah is sent to as a messenger in a way that we are sent as messengers of God's mercy. The disciples are sent as messengers in the Gospel.   Jonah had to decide: would he deliver the message of mercy or not? Is Jonah going to deliver the message for or against the people of Nineveh, the people whom he regards as an enemy? Jonah has every reason not to like Nineveh.

Nineveh is a neighboring city and nation, and it's an empire and borders Israel and they are enemies. Nineveh will ultimately conquer Israel and carry Jonah's people into exile.

God knows this. But there are other instances in the Bible where God gives 1 more chance, 1 more merciful chance to somebody before judgement. This is such an example of that, that God gives 1 more chance to Nineveh and Jonah’s message of repentance is their chance, if only Jonah will only carry out the mission.

God believed in the people of Nineveh Jonah does not believe in the people of Nineveh. God represents mercy Jonah represents vengeance.

 

[__02__]  And, the history of Jonah is familiar to many of us:

Jonah is sent to this neighboring city of Nineveh and nearby city but also a political enemy.

Jonah refuses to believe that the people of Nineveh deserve salvation. So, though Jonah had a “boarding pass and bus ticket” to Nineveh, Jonah does not get on the bus and go overland to Nineveh. Rather, Jonah goes down to the port, down to the dock, hops on a boat out to sea to get away from Nineveh as far as possible.

Out at sea there's a “winter storm warning”. There is “weather”.   The sailors on board this boat recognize that Jonah is the problem. The reason for the storm the reason for their curse, they throw Jonah overboard,

Jonah is then swallowed by the whale. He spent 3 days and nights in the belly of the whale, very much a prefiguring of what happens to Jesus. Jonah is resuscitated from the whale and he ends up on land again thanks to God.

Jonah is given a 2^nd chance to go to Nineveh. And you and I are given 2^nd chances as well. Throughout the book, we see that Jonah is rescheduled, he's delayed, he’s fearful.

The irony of the book of Jonah is that Jonah is not very compliant with God. He's maybe 39% or 40% compliant with what God wants him to do. But everybody whom Jonah meets is obedient to God 100% including the sailors on board the ship when they throw Jonah overboard they turn back to God themselves.

In short, Jonah does not love his enemies.

[__03__] How are you and I to regard our “enemies”?

How are you and I to regard those we regard as enemies or adversaries. The word “enemy” is such a strong word! We do not like to use that word with somebody in our own family or close “circle”.

But sometimes there are adversarial relationships we have with others, difficult relationships we have to work through.

How are we to how are we to regard such difficulties or difficult people ? It certainly seems logical or safe to go for “an eye for an eye” or a “tooth for a tooth”. Jesus says NO to this. Do not seek an an eye a tooth for a tooth. Rather, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

 

[__04__]  What is love? What is your idea or reaction when it comes to the “LOVE” or “LOVING”?

          Love, for example, is about gift giving. Love is about kind words. Love is about a good feeling inside that somebody nobody else can see.

All of these things culminate on February 14, Valentines. Day. It’s Ash Wednesday. Save the Date !

 

[__05__]     And the words we hear – along with receiving ASHES – are the words from the GOSPEL today, from our Lord: repent and believe in the gospel.

Jesus invites us to love in a calling that is beyond superficial feelings or emotions. Jesus invites us to certain actions to carry out this love.

Yes, such love involves:

 

[__05.01__]     1^st. Gift Giving. And while love this might not be a gift, wrapped chocolate or other gift you're having difficulty with,

The gift might simply be that we do good to someone who has done bad to us. We do something good for someone who has done something bad. It's that simple.

          I have done things bad or selfish, and others have done good to me in return, and I am grateful. This helps me on the way to salvation.

 

[__05.02__]       2^nd. Kind Words. Do such “kind words”  mean you or I will a Hallmark greeting card or a Christmas card to everybody who's done us wrong? That would be a thought, but it’s not where I am going !

I am simply saying that if someone has said something bad of you, or failed to say something good, can you say something good in response of the other person?

This is this is how what St. Paul says, If you were to be insulted, do not return insult for insult but return a blessing instead. (cf., Romans 12:14-17, also 1 Peter 3:9)

 

[__05.03__]    3^rd. Good Invisible Feelings. How do we something for our hearts “inside” when we are troubled. Pray. Silence. Listen to God.

And while we might be endangered by certain people who we regard as enemies are difficult in our lives, who have harmed us it might not be safe for us to be around everybody who has hurt us.

Perhaps, all we can do is to pray, to pray for someone who has caused us difficulty to pray that God will do good to the other person.

That God will give the other person what he or she needs. In this regard, we can become our brothers and sisters keepers. We can do more than Cain was able to do in the book of Genesis. Cain’s objection: Am I my brother's keeper? Why are you asking me about Abel? Well, we are our brothers and sisters keepers. In some way, we are called to help others on the way to salvation.  (Genesis 4:1-9)

 

[__06__]    The message to Jonah the prophet ultimately that God takes care of our enemies. It's not our job to carry out vengeance or revenge.

Love of enemies doesn't simply mean we are not doing anything, love of enemies. It's not about inactivity. It is not about reactivity, is it about it is about simply about activity.

Do good.

Return a blessing

Pray for those who persecute you.

At this time of year we also extend our prayers to those in the pro-life movement and those who were part of the March for Life in Washington DC this past Friday, to pray for for those who may be enemies on two sides of an important issue, to pray for unborn children to pray for those who are not properly cared for.

To pray and remember that there is mercy in the sacrament of penance and reconciliation – for every woman or man who has been involved in an abortion. God desires every sinner to live and know His mercy. There are confidential resources available through the Archdiocese. For those who might want to speak confidentially to someone outside Lourdes parish, you can call or email: Cheryl.Riley@rcan.org  Phone 973.497.4350.

I am also available. The Rachel’s Vineyard retreat program has helped many men and women.   We pray also that there will be proper health insurance both for mothers children. We pray for the dying, for the sick so that we can protect life at all stages from conception to natural death and to remember that we need not be enemies but through the gospel. We can grow in friendship and care for each other.      [__END__] 

Epiphany. (2024-01-07)

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Homily, Epiphany Sunday ●●  2024 January 7  ●● Isaiah 60___ ● ● Psalm 72  ● ● Matthew 2:1-12   ● ●

[__01__]   This Sunday is called “Epiphany” which is a Greek word meaning “manifestation”

            This feast commemorates the sign and star which was seen for Jesus Christ not just in Bethlehem – but by the whole world – or to use a Biblical term, by the “Gentiles”. The word “Gentile” comes from a Hebrew word meaning “nation”. So, Jesus is being revealed and shown to the whole world first by the STAR which appears in the sky and then by the visit of the  the 3 Kings – who come from other nations – all the way to the little town of Bethlehem.

            These 3 Kings – or the Magi –recognize Jesus as being a divine person. We read that the Magi – who were VIP’s in their own right – did him homage and prostrated themselves   before him. This means that they placed themselves face down on the floor, in respect.

            In a similar way, we read Moses lay prostrate on the ground for 40 days and 40 nights while waiting for the 10 commandments on Mount Sinai.

            The 3 Kings are professing the same faith in God as Moses did

Epiphany is 1 of the 3 principal and oldest festival days of the Church: the other 2 being Easter and Christmas.

Traditionally, Epiphany was always on January 6 – 12 days after Christmas. Now, Epiphany is on the 2^nd Sunday after Christmas.

[__02__] The Gospel of the Epiphany tells us of the choice between 2 STARS – there is the STAR in the sky leading the 3 Kings to Bethlehem. This is a divine sign from God

            Then, there is another STAR to choose from. Or, at least one who thinks of himself as a STAR and the center of the governmental/political “solar system”.

            This STAR is King Herod.

            Which STAR will you choose – the STAR leading to Jesus as our King or the STAR signifying earthly power in King Herod?

            The Magi have chosen Jesus as their STAR, their Savior.

            One of the things we talk about – either casually or seriously – is the STAR we were born under – we might speak of personality types – related for example to astrological signs such as Gemini, and Capricorn, and that there are 12 signs in the so-called “astrological” calendar.

            You might also recognize that the 3 Kings – the Magi themselves – were students of both astrology and astronomy. In our own time in history, we recognize a clear difference between ASTROLOGY  and being born under a supposed sign and the ASTRONOMY which is a serious science with telescopes and physics and mathematics.

            There is a clear difference today. But, in the Bible and for many centuries, some people put their faith in astrological signs – or predictions based on movements of the planets.

            I just take this opportunity to caution you that we – in our life’s journey – cannot put our faith in any form of fortune telling, palm reading, card reading, psychics, mediums or astrology. Each one is a form of idolatry and a rejection of God’s mercy Providence.

Idolatry, in both the Jewish faith and our Christian faith is the worship of someone or something other than God as though it were God. The 1^st of the 10 Commandments prohibits idolatry: “You shall have no other gods before me.”

            Yes, we live in difficult times, but all the more reason but our faith in Almighty God and not in the “stars”.

            Remember the Divine Mercy prayer: “Jesus, I trust in you.”

 

[__03.01__] Now, you might reject what I am saying or even say … I do not take that seriously and no one I know really takes it seriously. That’s a good thing.

            But, at the very least, to trust in mediums or psychics or astrology simply creates a LOVE TRIANGLE – connecting  you, the STARS, and God …when there is really a straight line between you and God.

            God created the stars. He is greater than the stars.

           

[__03.02__] There is also a temptation to create a triangle when there should be a straight line between 2 people.

            I have been guilty of this. For example, if I have a difficulty in a human relationship – or trouble – I may be afraid or fearful to talking it out with the person directly. Do you every have trouble talking things out – or speaking the truth – in your love to your spouse, to your child, to your parents, or intimate friends?

            When it is hard to do the straight line – to speak the truth – I am tempted to make a triangle. I do this by asking the opinions or seeking counsel in many “stars and planets”.  I am referring to my circle of friends and acquaintances as the “stars and planets”. I may look around for someone to agree with me. I may also idolize the opinion of certain people. I may look to another to tell me everything will be OK, to tell me that I am really doing “good”, when in fact I could be doing a lot better.

            Of course, it is good when people agree with you or me – when we feel “liked”, when we feel “popular”. These are, in fact, good things, but they are not GOD .  (I support, nevertheless, that we need good friends and confidantes, but even these relationships are meant to reflect – not reject – God’s will in our lives.)

            I am guilty of putting my faith in being liked or being popular, and thus avoiding what is challenging and real in a relationship.

[__04__]      The Magi or 3 Kings give us an example of following Jesus as the true star and also doing so at the risk of their own lives. They are not just “greeting” Jesus but also saying “good-bye” to their old lives and faith in the stars.

            They would have known – or learned that Herod was dangerous and unstable.   The safe route for them would have been to create a TRIANGLE – connecting the Magi to Herod to Jesus.

Herod was the STAR – or perhaps we might better describe him  as a FALLING STAR or BLACK HOLE who was dragging other people down with him.

            Which star do you wish to follow – HEROD or JESUS?

            Epiphany reminds me to choose Jesus as my star each day, to be guided by him. Some days, I am better at choosing him than other days. Do you have better days than others?   I look forward to sharing and praying on the journey to our Savior with you. [__END__]

Pondering. Mother of God. New Year's Day (2024-01-01)

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2024 January 1, Solemnity of Mary

[_01_] "We learn from the Gospel of Luke that the Mary, our Blessed Mother, carefully considered and reflected upon the messages she received, keeping them close to her heart.

          This act of pondering involves deep reflection and contemplation, encompassing both joyful and troubling aspects. Mary, faced with uncertainties about Jesus' future, exemplifies the need to pause amidst the busyness that accompanies the arrival of a child.

 

    [_02_]     There is much to do  - in action and work and effort - when a child is arriving and certainly after the child is born. You know this from personal experience, or from observation,

Mary and Joseph had much to do lots of dreams, journeys to take. But they also had to stop and rest. They were called to ponder.

And if you've seen to witness the birth of a child is and to exam an example of stopping and resting and letting that child come into your life or doing what's necessary to allow the child to come into your life.

 

[_03_]       When I was 12 years old,  a young person, I found out that my mother was expecting a child. So I remember this very well, that that one more was going to be that I had two brothers, but there was going to be one more coming into our family.

I had no idea what efforts and actions were involved. I was more an observer than participant.  But it was good for me – it is good for young people – to observe what parents must do …. Both in demans that are difficult and moments that are joyful.

Also, it helped me to understand what interruptions or changes – and pondering – needed to take place.

This was particularly pronounced – this interruption – during a family vacation. And, at this point, the new child – my sister – had not yet been born.

About 3 months before she was born, we took a family trip to Washington, DC, sightseeing.

Both my father and mother were there. And, my mother was up for walking around, riding the metro, going to museums, the whole bit.

And, in addition to this, we had plans to visit the FBI building, the i.e., the U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation.

My parents had a friend who worked in NY / NJ for the FBI and he made special arrangements for us to go to the FBI museum.

It was to be a tour on the day that that the museum was normally closed.

So, we were “hooked up”.

We were all looking forward to this.

On the day before the FBI visit, my mother stepped off a curb in downtown Washington and sprained her ankle.

It was not a serious injury but this concern led to us going to the ER Emergency Room.  (It was also the only time during that trip that we took a taxi. Everything else was walking or the Metro. This was important!)

Everything was fine.  My mother was really fine. The baby was really fine. No problem.

We went back to our hotel room and the next day is the FBI museum visit.  It did not occur to me that my mother might not come with us.  It seemed that there were only 2 options:  either, my mother comes with us to the FBI museum or we do not go at all.

There was a third option.

That is, 4 boys – my father, my brothers and me – go to the museum and leave my mother behind.

Not knowing anything about the lives of adults and parents, I thought this was a bad option.

Would not my mother be sad and lonely having to stay behind?

But, she was so happy waving good-bye to us as we left the Holiday Inn.

She loved us. But she really wanted that time to ponder.

Also, this was a pronounced example – during a family vacation – that someone new was coming into our lives.

My mother was not going to be alone. She was going to be with her child.

Mary keeps all these things pondering them in our heart. She reminds us to ponder these things. New Year's Eve and New Year’s Day is not just a time to party …but also to ponder.

Maybe we stay up a little bit later pondering or maybe we go to bed early pondering, but it's a time for us to ponder the year that has gone by the ponder the things that have been difficult,

the events or people from whom we have received joy or sorrow.

the sinfulness and faults of our lives we are called to correct.

The people we are called to forgive, the faults of others we are called to forgive….

The sacrifices we are called to make for the coming year.. And to make a New Year's resolution to ponder these things in our hearts.

[_04_]