Hope (2024-06-30) 13th Sunday

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Homily, 2024-06-30 (13^th Sunday, year B)  ●●  Wis 1:13-15; 2:23-24 ●● Psalm 30 ●● 2 Corinthians 8:7, 9, 13-15●● + Mark 5:21-43  ●●

[__01__] Losing My Wallet: An Inconvenient Experience.  I once had the inconvenient and distressing experience of losing my wallet while on a trip and being several hours away from home by myself. I was also supposed to fly home that same day. Back then, however, you could fly within the United States without having to show any i.d. This was a good thing, because I had none!

But, that “permission” alone did not grant me any peace. It was an opportunity on the one hand to put my confide in and trust in a co-worker - whom I hardly knew - who loaned me some money so I could travel and I paid him back a week later.  I also just had to keep moving forward, though my sense of peace and “faith and hope” were seriously disrupted.

By a great act of charity, someone did recover and return my wallet to me – that was a good thing. But, that did not happen right away.

I was just glad when I was able to get home that night, even without the wallet in my possession. Is it possible to have faith and hope while things are simultaneously going wrong around you?

 [__02__] Components of Hope and Faith

What enables us to have hope and faith? According to one psychological viewpoint I read, hope or confidence consists of three dimensions: a goal, a pathway, and  freedom. In my case, my goal was to get back home. The pathway was the co-worker who loaned me money, and my freedom was admitting I needed help.

[__03__] Gospel: Hope in Action
In the Gospel this Sunday, Jesus encounters two individuals in trouble. The woman with the hemorrhage and Jairus, whose daughter is dying. PAUSE

Both demonstrate hope. The woman had a GOAL to touch Jesus’ garments, and found a PATHWAY  through the crowd and had the FREEDOM to make contact. Jairus had the goal of bringing Jesus to his daughter. Both faced obstacles but showed real hope by moving toward Jesus, continuously.

Sometimes, our moves toward Jesus and God are small incremental steps that add up – later. 

However, in the short term, they may not seem to yield results, but they are important.

As Jesus says in the Gospel, “Matthew 11:28: "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”.

Sometimes, all we can do is rest and pray in God’s presence.

Doing so is a worthwhile goal, a pathway and a sign of own freedom. 

[__04__] The Virtue of Hope: Mother Frances Cabrini

This is the final weekend of June, the month of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and I would like to touch on the virtue of hope demonstrated and delivered by a Catholic religious sister and one known as the “first American saint”. This is Mother Frances Cabrini. Or, Saint Frances Cabrini, of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart. Recently, a movie “Cabrini” was released about her life as the first American saint.

One notable example of Mother Cabrini's perseverance and hope was her work in Chicago. Initially intending to establish an orphanage for the Italian immigrant community, she was directed by the AB [Archbishop James Quigley] to instead establish a hospital. Faced with the challenge of raising $25,000 to purchase the North Shore Hotel in Lincoln Park, she successfully raised the necessary funds through her sharp business acumen and organizational skills.   25,000 in her day in the mid 1800’s is the equivalent of $1 million today.

Mother Cabrini was not respected for 3 reasons in her day: a woman, an Italian, Catholic.

Her determination was further demonstrated when she discovered discrepancies in the property measurements – using her own ruler and tape measure --- and negotiated a fair price.

Mother Cabrini's life exemplifies the three components of hope: goals, pathways, and freedom. Her goal-setting was diligent and prayerful, always seeking divine guidance and not settling for less. She sought out pathways illuminated by her faith, often choosing more challenging routes that required deeper trust in God. Her freedom, or capacity, was not only in her belief in her own abilities but also in nurturing the gifts of others around her. 

[__05__] Hope Beyond Personal Goals

  Living in hope and having hope is not about the attainment of our own goals and material comfort.

In Mother Cabrini, we see someone with both resilience and prayerful reflection seeking to God’s will.

If we look only at the her success only in terms of finance/money, publicity and “real estate”, we would Mother Cabrini compares to celebrities in our own day such as Jeff Bezos of Amazon or the author and executive Sheryl Sandberg of Facebook.

It is true that Mother Cabrini also got her name out there, but the many hospital, orphanages, colleges and buildings with her name were done so after her death.  Nor did she accumulate any personal wealth during her lifetime. Similar to Mother Teresa of Calcutta who came later,  Mother Frances Cabrini took a vow of poverty.

[__06__] Serving the Downtrodden: Italian Immigrants

Mother Cabrini sought to give hope to others by imitating Christ and just as Jesus was sent first to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel”, to the Jewish people and then to the whole world…Mother Cabrini was sent first to the lost and downtrodden among her own people, Italian immigrants in the 1800’s in the big cities of NY, Chicago, Seattle and Los Angeles.

          Italian immigrant were treated extremely poorly in the United States in the 1800’s though the United States is the “land of the free”. What we know value as racial / ethnic equality and dignity did not exist in the 1800’s

For most of the 1800’s slavery was still legalized and followed by Jim Crow laws in many states.

          Living at that time, if the government said it was OK to own and keep human beings as property, why not look down on newly arrived Italian and other immigrants as well? It was a slippery slope and still is!

[__07__] Bringing the Good News

Mother Cabrini ‘s goal was not just to bring the hope of a warm bed and better food and clothing but also the Good News that Jesus also gave his life for the neediest among us.

Mother Cabrini sought no “brand identity”, but only God’s identity in all her efforts.

Jesus himself also does not seek to be known but to glorify is Heavenly father. And, we are also not called to glorify ourselves but God as well. Do you resist sharing the credit for jobs well done in this way? I do too..

Jesus gives us the example.

At the end of the Gospel today, Jesus himself also shuns the “photographers” and the publicity, not wanting his name in any papers or on any papers.  Jesus simply suggests that the girl he has healed be given something to eat.

He is instructing us to eat as well, to prepare our hearts to be healed by repenting of our sins and then to receive the feast of his wisdom and the feast of his Body and Blood.

In this may we also be able to serve others who need to know God’s love and that through Christ, we may discover both goal and a path. And through his grace, a commitment and will to know that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13)

[__end__]  

Trust. (2024-06-23, Sunday 12th)

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Homily, 2024-06-23 (12^th Sunday, year B)  ●●  Job 38:1, 8-11 ●● Psalm 107  ●● 2 Corinthians 5:14-17 ●● + Mark 4:35-41 ●●

[__01__]  Have you ever been on someone's boat, on a lake or the ocean? If you have, you've probably encountered some rules for safety and caution regarding wearing  lifejackets, not falling overboard and the parts of the boat. Bow = front. Stern = back. Etc.!  

          Boating “commandments” and information are essential to avoid trouble and to promote communication and trust on board and on the water. Trust – and confidence in another person - is crucial in many aspects of life, however, not just on a boat.

When my friend was [living in California], he took classes in order to learn how to sail and navigate on the water and in the wind. After completing this course, be began not only sailing on his own on the bay in San Francisco where he lived, but he also bought a sailboat and moved into the sailboat living there, as a single person, full time.

          He does not live on his boat anymore, partly because he is now married. His wife would rather live in an apartment on dry land rather than on a sailboat. While their apartment is a modest 1-bedroom, the boat is even smaller. She has chosen wisely.

          Nevertheless, my friend still enjoys sailing on his boat and has invited me to join him a couple of times.

          Before setting sail, my friend gives a safety presentation. He explains that while we're on the water, he might interrupt our “leisure” or our “lunch” or our “laughter” us and give direct instructions.

          “I'm not doing this to be a tyrant or a dictator, but because I really care about you, because I care about your life. And this is an example of trust.”

          I learned from a university professor’s presentation that trust has 3 elements: empathy, logic, and authenticity.  (https://hbr.org/2020/05/begin-with-trust )

          I would like to apply these to the Gospel and our call to follow Jesus. Trust = empathy + logic + authenticity.

[__02__]  Trust is essential in relationships, including our relationship with Jesus, who is the cornerstone of our lives.

In the Gospel, the disciples are afraid during a storm, and they turn to Jesus.

Trust, as mutual confidence, is the cornerstone of relationships. And, Jesus is the cornerstone of our lives.  But, in Jesus’ case – the “cornerstone” was rejected for a while. [ repeat / version / last: But the message of the Gospel is that even the storm – the evil of a storm or crisis – can be transformed by God’s grace and become the foundation of new-found trust and faith. Do we not grow in trust by enduring crises with each other? ]

 

[__03__]  Why is trust a good thing?

When we have TRUST in a relationship – e.g., at work –we voluntarily and readily admit when we are wrong rather than simply waiting to get caught or punished.

          When we have TRUST in a relationship, we voluntarily and readily affirm and praise others. We share the credit for a job well done rather than promoting ourselves with “bragging rights”

          Trust brings us together.

          And lack of trust drives us apart.

 

[__04__]   Empathy is the 1^st element of trust. To gain your trust, I am called to show that you care about you. If you sense my empathy, you are more likely to trust me.

Consider this example: a child or a younger earlier version of you is refused something by your mother/father. What's are 1^st words out of your mouth: “Mom you lack empathy” … no, actually, “Mom/Dad, you don’t care”

Empathy is, however, more than just giving people what they want; it's about understanding their needs and sometimes saying no.

Empathy alone, however, is not enough for trust.

[__05.01__]   Logic is the 2^nd element. Communicating the logic behind your actions is important. This doesn't mean giving long speeches, but rather being clear and courageous enough to explain your reasons.

In the Gospel, Jesus appears illogical by sleeping during the storm.

Why is this illogical? Because he is not being “productive”.

Why does Jesus seem illogical? Because during the storm, He's asleep and not responding as expected. Is it logical to go to church every Sunday, especially if it interrupts other activities like sports, music, recitals, special academics and other activities that , for example, seem so important to help our children prosper.

[__05.02__]   This is a common logic, but there's another perspective. Attending church every Sunday has its own logic: as a married person, it’s about renewing your wedding vows and values through going to Communion

All of us – as part of a family of faith – are reaffirming your commitment in faith and each other, not just through words but through actions, silence, and prayer. This different logic challenges the conventional one, emphasizing the spiritual and communal benefits of regular church attendance.

          Coming to Mass on Sunday helps us to renew and repent and receive grace and energy which is not available anywhere else.

Doesn’t the ability to pray and talk to God teach all of us that God is primary source of prosperity, to enable to know that God’s is the primary voice we are called to listen to and trust?

 [__05.03__]   St. Paul writes in 2^nd Corinthians:

“For we fix our attention, not on things that are seen, but on things that are unseen. What can be seen lasts only for a time, but what cannot be seen lasts forever” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

Learning “how to sail in the wind” is also about navigating through the unseen.  You cannot “see the wind”, but you can see the direction the wind is pointing. Isn’t the same true of the good and the bad in our lives. We may not see the evil or the good clearly, but can we not see the direction they are taking us?

This is logic.

          [extra idea – future develop ? that evil often – always ? – lacks visibility because evil = privation of good. Examining our lives, we might ask not “how is there evil” but rather “how is the good absent ?” (Augustinian)]

What really lasts forever is God’s love for you and for me. This gives us the logic not only be empathetic but to to pray for and work for the eternal salvation of others.

Trust is based on empathy and logic.

 

[__06__]  Third. Side 3.   Authenticity. Being real in reality.

          In order to love God and neighbor, we are called not only be real but also see – envision – what is real.

          The Church teaches, e.g., to see the dignity of every person and this dignity is not based on productivity or profitability.

          Our belief in the inherent dignity of the unborn child or terminally ill older person is an act of TRUST in God and is also a REALITY-based trust.

          An unborn child is real.

          Our belief in the inherent dignity of a person is also an act of trust in God when we realize we are at fault or that someone has sinned against us.

[__07__]       We are called to pray for mercy for sinners – for ourselves and for others. 

          When encounter physical injury or illness, we have a choice – to ignore it and hide it…or to seek treatment and bring it out into the open. The same is true of sinfulness – in our selves or in others. If it is hidden, and ignored, it can become a feeling of undue guilt or shame or sadness.

          Our belief in the inherent dignity of the person reminds us that all of us are sinners in need of God’s mercy.

          Our belief in the value of mercy and “getting mercy” is not  based on getting everything 100% right all the time…but knowing – trusting – that we can be redeemed by our Lord and Savior who died for us, for our sins. This is His logic which he shares with us.

[__08__]  And, the Lord in His Mercy does care if we are perishing….

He is still reaching out to us – if we listen to him, we may be aware that he is able to speak to us in our hearts, to interrupt our conversations and thoughts, to turn us in a new direction for our good.

Jesus’s Good News is the basis for our empathy, logic, authenticity.

The message of the Gospel is that even the storm – the evil of a storm or crisis – can be transformed by God’s grace and become the foundation of new-found trust and faith.  Our Savior is our cornerstone of trust in God and in each other.

Being invited on board Jesus’ boat – the Church – we realize that we are still, each day, learning how to navigate and how to sail with the wind of the Holy Spirit.

[end]  

Heart Healthy. Seed Growth (2024-06-16, 11th Sunday)

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Homily, 2024-06-16 (11^th Sunday, year B)

●● Ezekiel 17:22-24    ●● Psalm 92  ●● 2 Corinthians 5:6-10 ●● + Mark 4:26-34●●

[__01__]   Our Catholic calendar of worship is not only divided up by Lent, Easter, Advent, Christmas -- but also divided up devotionally by month – with the month of June dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a feast day, 2 weeks after Pentecost. Devotion to the Sacred Heart emphasizes the transformation of Jesus' love and compassion in our lives.

          I’d also like to make a comparison between what we value and strive for in the heart “physically” and “medically” and what it means to be a follower of Jesus.

          I’d also like to connect this to the Gospel Good News about the seed which is buried in the earth and grows into a plant or tree.

          Having a healthy heart, physically, is not just about how we live as solitary individuals but also how we interact with others and go out of ourselves. For example, having a healthy heart invites us to be active not completely sedentary… having a healthy heart invites us to manage stress and anxiety. We will always live in a world with stress-inducing “people” and “problems” and “computers” and traffic jams. How we live this out emotionally affects us physically. And, these habits of the heart also apply to our spiritual lives.

[__02__]  Do we not recognize – or are we not frequently reminded – to take care of our hearts – our heart health?

          Perhaps, you or someone you know has a heart condition. There are many amazing things done by doctors today for circulation, blood pressure, and more. But if your heart is not right, you cannot really put that off. The heart may need treatment or therapy for everything else to function.

          A couple of years ago, I was meeting a friend for dinner, but he called me up to say he could not make it because his heartbeat was once again quite irregular and he knew he had to go the hospital. Our dinner plans turned into a drive to the Emergency Room. We still had time talk on the way. The heart was the priority. We could not go to Star Pizza to get a table and then drop by St. Barnabas later.

 

[__03__]   In last Sunday’s readings and this Sunday, St. Paul is writing to the Corinthian church and we are reading “2^nd Corinthians, ch. 4 and ch. 5”.

          Paul is reflecting on the apparent contradictions of our lives, writing, “although we know that our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day”. (2 Corinthians 4:16)

          One commentator on the Catholic radio station pointed that this “wasting away” really refers to the experience of getting physically and chronologically older.

          Physically, cognitively, mentally, we are not getting any younger, but our inner self is being renewed all the time.

          As an example, have you ever met someone who is at an advanced age, or suffering an illness and that person demonstrates a peacefulness and tranquility that others who are younger and stronger do not have?

          St. Paul goes on to say that we all have “momentary light afflictions” which can produce an eternal weight of glory.

          What is the momentary light affliction for you or a loved one?

          Is the affliction --  a stroke, heart disease, anxiety, dementia, a movement disorder or tremor such as Parkinson’s or confinement to a wheelchair?

          The reminder is that these afflictions can even lead us to God, if we will allow ourselves to be led there.

          Also, even if you yourself are not suffering a difficult illness, maybe you care for someone who is. Your life is beset with “afflictions”, the therapy, doctor’s appointments, safety concerns, medication schedules.

          In this regard, we are called to walk by faith, not by sight and we can be renewed internally and spiritually.

[__04__]     In today's Gospel, Jesus uses the mustard seed to show how small beginnings can lead to significant growth. Biblical scholar John Bergsma suggests that the mustard seed also represents Jesus Himself, who, though obscure at both His birth and His death, rose to bring life and hope to the world (John Bergsma, The Word of the Lord, Year B, p. 279). Your small acts of faith and love can grow into something much larger. Did you smile at someone today? Did you admit you were wrong? Did you forgive someone’s faults? These little things add up! This seed is God's Word, and we are called to share it with others.

[__05_]  This applies to the way we speak about and strive for health and wholeness and healthy transformation in our lives.

          Each of us is a seed growing to fulfillment.

          Yes, we are all growing and changing, but we are also called to recognize we already made good through God’s love and design.

 

[__05__]   Pope John Paul II taught us that we are called to see our bodies [as a gift. Your body is God’s gift to you and to all of] creation. [Each of us is] a unity of body and soul. Our bodies express the reality of who we are as persons [and as having a] profound freedom. We are not just somethings; we are “someones”—and our bodies testify to this.” (Source: https://focusequip.org/the-catholic-church-and-gender/)

          I recognize that there are both children and adults who may experience difficult identity crises and dysphoria. The medicines and treatments are available here are contrary to God’s plan for “change”. We are all changing and growing, but we also have to recognize that we already made good and whole in God’s eyes.

 

[__06__]  The Gospel message is about our own growing and changing. We may not get the results we want or expect all at once.

We cannot make the seed grow.

As Jesus said this about the mysterious growth:  “It is as if a man would were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day and through it all, the seed would sprout and grow, and he knows not how.” (Mark 4:26-27)

I pray that this parable and all of God's word will remind me, remind you, remind us to put our trust in God's Holy Spirit amid our own changes and struggles.

St. Paul wrote: “For this  momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to what is seen but to what is unseen; for what is seen is transitory, but what is unseen is eternal. For we know that if our earthly dwelling, a tent, should be destroyed,

we have a building from God, a dwelling not made with hands, eternal in heaven.”   (2 Corinthians 5:1)

This is how it is with the kingdom of God.  [__end__]   

Speed Trap. (2024-06-09, 10th Sunday)

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Homily, 10^th Sunday (year B)  ●●  2024 June 9 ●● ●

[__01__]         Do you know when to stop?  Sometimes, I don't know when to stop or slow down. For example: my 1^st speeding ticket

On the 1 hand, going out that day, I knew the speed limit and that there was police officer regularly parked about a mile from our house. I was pulled over for 43 mph in a 25-zone. Suddenly, I was no longer innocent. I also felt afraid as the police officer walked toward my car. There was now something on my record, though it wasn’t a terribly serious offense. I was horrified that I had broken the law and, even worse, gotten caught. I didn’t know when to stop or slow down.

Sin and sinfulness can be like that. How do you know when to stop? How do you know when to slow down? This is why we have commandments. They define certain LIMITS – and speed limits. They are not speed traps or sting operations.

They guide us, reminding us to check our actions and intentions. What is your attitude toward the law and the commandments and their purpose? God's law is said to be written in our hearts, as mentioned in Hebrews: “I will put my laws in their minds and write them upon their hearts. I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”

In Genesis, God’s law was initially not written down but told to Adam and Eve, inscribed on their hearts. They had no reason to fear the law and could have avoided sin by adhering to it. Adam and Eve were given one law—not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil—not because they were bad, but because they were good. Similarly, our laws and commandments serve to protect and guide us.

 

When we fall into sin, we often create justifications or stories, even if we don’t share them with others. I remember rushing to pick up a friend at the train station when I got the ticket. I didn’t tell that to the officer, knowing it wouldn’t help.

 

QUESTION – are commandments really necessary? Here is the thing:

 

Without commandments, there would be no personal freedom or choice. Commandments and laws define our freedom rather than restrict it. Some commandments we might think are irrelevant to us. Some commandments seem too “out there” too “extreme”.

 

Consider: 6^th , “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” This might seem unnecessary if we've been faithful, but it’s not only about staying within the boundaries and limits of a proper relationship.

 

     It’s about the foundations of morality in marriage and family, reminding us that God is the author and designer of love. Love is more than an emotion; it’s a commitment designed by God to nourish us physically and spiritually. When we are nourished in love, we feel satisfied; when we are starved of love, we feel unsatisfied – both physically and spiritually.

 

The commandment against adultery is not merely about physical or emotional relationships between men and women but about affirming the sanctity of marriage and family. It underscores that God created affection and love to be shared within the bounds of holy matrimony.

     It is not true to say that “Love is Love”, rather “God is Love”

 

The commandment against adultery also speaks to everyone, married or single. It calls for chastity and purity, which are expressions of God's desire for marriage as a sacred union. This commandment applies to everyone, not just those in consecrated life – those such as priest or nun or sister or brother who have taken vows to the Church.

 

[][][][]  Chastity and purity applies to those of us who are not married – to young people, single people – who are dating and trying to find a future spouse.

          The commandment about “adultery” is expressing God’s desire for marriage as the definitive and solemn gift of men and women to each other (CCC 2391)

          Also, marriage is meant to be the way in which children are brought into this world in a united couple relationship.  Sometimes, it does not work out this way. There are countless dedicated single fathers and single mothers around us. God bless them for their ability to carry out both parenting roles. They need our prayers and support.

          Yet, the couple relationship is created and consecrated in marriage as the way in which children are born into the world naturally.

          Now, it is important to note that we can and do love others unconditionally. What does this mean? This means we love our children – or siblings – simply for who they are – NOT -- for what they do. A man loves his wife and a wife her husband for the same reason.

          Your child does not earn your love and cannot lose your love.

          Yet, this commandment about chastity and purity does ask us at times to correct and teach others about God’s plan for our lives.  To correct and teach – e.g. – if someone is not living a chaste life outside marriage, if someone is in a same-sex relationship.

          These situations call for speaking the truth in love.  Regarding same-sex attraction, the Catholic Catechism CCC reminds us that every sign of unjust discrimination must be avoided. These persons – all persons – are called to fulfill God’s will,  while our “existence” fulfills God’s will, not all of our actions do. Not all relationships fulfill God’s will.

          Sometimes, we get ahead of ourselves. [][][][] 

 

The commandment to live with a pure heart also involves countless daily acts of compassion and service, like doing the laundry, helping someone in need, and doing dishes, scrubbing the bathroom.

 

The fall of Adam and Eve is a warning about human pride and fear. We all need to consider our pride and seek spiritual direction. Examination of conscience, confession, and absolution help us know ourselves better in Christ. Jesus is our true physician and healer. Just as God sought Adam in the garden, Jesus seeks us out. He will find us, and in finding us, we will find him.

Ultimately, laws and commandments are about living in harmony with God and respecting ourselves and others. They guide us in our relationships and daily lives, helping us to stay true to God’s plan.

The experience of getting a speeding ticket ruined my day. I could have just accepted the consequence and moved on, but my ego made it difficult. Taking responsibility for one's actions doesn’t mean being harsh on oneself but acknowledging our need for God’s grace. I got ahead of myself in self-recrimination. God’s plan for us is not based on labeling us as criminals, but rather as acknowledging our weaknesses and need for his help.

On this journey, Jesus the Way, the Truth and the Life and he goes ahead of us.

          “God proves his love for us that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

Location. Location. Location (2024-06-02, Corpus Christi)

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Homily, Corpus Christi, 2024-06-02 (year B)  ●●Exodus 24:3-8   ●● Psalm  116 ●● Hebrews 9:11-15 ●● + Mark 14:12-16, 22-26  ●● AI modified version of Saturday 5:30 pm transcript

Title: Location. Location. Location

 [__01__]     The altar is arranged this way due to Corpus Christi Sunday. We’ll have some time of Eucharistic Adoration after Holy Communion. It's optional for you to stay and there'll be benediction after about 10 minutes.

 

[__02__]   This past Wednesday, I was driving down Main Street at nighttime on in West Orange. And I noticed the barricades set up along Main Street between West Washington Street and Park Avenue. And it reminded me that there was going to be the street fair, which was yesterday in West Orange.

And I thought, well, that's a good idea set up these barricades ahead of time, so that they're ready to go. This was one VISUAL reminder. Then I started then I got the robo calls from West Orange. Did your phone ring?

This is the township of West Orange, telling you that there would be a street fair yesterday, and then Main Street would be closed yesterday.

Do you think I remembered this? This went in one ear and out the other. I tried to drive down Main Street at about 915 yesterday, and was immediately rerouted.

The purpose of bringing people to the street fair is to promote the location of downtown West Orange. So people know about downtown West Orange. And what's going on here.

Place is important.

What is the old saying about the 3 things for a successful restaurant or real estate venture? #1, location  # 2, location, # 3, location. Location, location and location.

[__03__]    The Gospel today begins with a search for a place. Jesus's disciples say to him, “Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” (Mark 14:___)

 Where?

Jesus who knows everything, was not writing down an address for them, nor entering a destination in their phones, for them to find by GPS.

He gives the location somewhat mysteriously, this instruction:

“Go into the city and a man will meet you carrying a jar of water” (Mark 14:__)

Go into the city, into the crowd – where there might be a street fair and you will see – identify - a man carrying a jar of water. This is an exceptional sight.

As you as you may well know, in Jesus's day, you didn't get hydrated or wash your hands by turning on the faucet in your sink, in the kitchen or anywhere else. You had to carry the water to the house. Or, somebody had to carry it.  This person was usually a daughter rather than a son, as the sons had other work. Or, the mother rather than the father. It was a woman of the house who would typically carry the water.

It would have been exceptional to see a man doing this humble menial manual task.

In a sense, this man stands for the disciples themselves, who are called to humble service. And, he stands – most of all of Jesus who's called to the humble task of giving up his life for us.

And to this day, we still use that expression to carry someone's water as an as a description --- whether the a man or a woman -- , somebody who carries somebody's water is doing a humble task of helping.

[__04__]    We are trying to move in the same direction towards a particular location. Coming to Mass on Sunday is such a direction.

It is obligation to come to Sunday Mass not just on Corpus Christi, but every Sunday, and sometimes we are fighting traffic to get here. What is the traffic that we're fighting?

 The traffic we're fighting is sometimes sports on Sunday. I remember when soccer was “”discovered / invented” in northern New Jersey. And there was soccer games on Sunday. But our township specifically made a choice soccer would be in the afternoon on Sunday. Not so anymore. Soccer is 7 days / week with Sunday mornings being a time for soccer and many other sports taking precedence.

So you and I have to fight the traffic of sports to get here on Sunday. Sometimes we have to fight the traffic of our own desires, our own desires for convenience or comfort, not to be without our Wi Fi signal for one hour to be here on Sunday.

We're saying no to certain entertainment, or news or comfort to be here on Sunday.

[][][]            All of the above are good. The are in both religious and civilian terms – “legal” and “good”. But can you and I not sometimes get too much of good things?

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It's good for us to move in this location. It's good for us to come to God with our petitions. We're not coming to God to remind God that we are here. God knows you are here. He has a really good app for that.

You and I are here to remind us of God's presence in our lives and our need for God and the gospel:

forgiveness and mercy

loving your enemies praying

seeking forgiveness when you do wrong,

forgiving those who do wrong against.

It's difficult to do these things we come to God and to the church to remind Have these things. We also come to church to make sacrifices, works of mercy. One of the sacrifices we're making you're doing it right now is fasting. We fast for at least one hour before receiving Holy Communion. And the fasts that we make are the sacrifices we make are not meant to be big or ostentatious.

In a fast, but there are little things we can do. Like not putting sugar in our coffee, or maybe going with not butter on bread, or other little things we can do, postponing a meal, things that no one else will notice except you and God. And Jesus says in the Gospel about fasting, when you are fasting, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to others to be fasting.

          Also, by saying NO to what is good, we get practice at saying NO to what is perilous and wrong, when such situations arise.

Nobody wants to be nobody wants to be around that person who's announcing his fasting and His sacrifice all the time. Who is the martyr?

I am sometimes that person telling everybody how tough everything is.

Been there done that . Perhaps you've been there done that, too.

So we're not supposed to announce how difficult our fasting is.

We're just supposed to do it simply also, what happens when we do something really dramatic in terms of fasting is the same thing that happens when you're trying to put down a rebellion. Your body will rebel against you. So, it's good to do things gradually, in little ways.

These are ultimately they're works of mercy. St. Paul says reminds us in first Corinthians that we are called to do all these things out of love out of charity, St. Paul writes, If I give up my body to be burned, or if I give up my body, so that I may boast but do not have love again, nothing.

So we are called to do these things with love and charity. Jesus is also reminding his disciples that it is about he's inviting them to come with him. At the last supper. Jesus says:

“In my Father's house, there are many mansions. If there were not I would have told you, but I go and prepare a place for you so that where I am you also may be” (John 14:2-3)

 Location, location, location.

I pray that our worship together may bring us together keep us together in love of God and love of neighbor.

I can't wait to see you next Sunday.

 

 

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