Urgency (2025-07-27, 17th Sunday)

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  [v.4] 17^th Sunday (Year C), 2025-07-27 , Genesis 18:20-33 and Luke 11:1-13

[01]    [Introduction – When Urgency Knocks]

The Gospel today includes a parable about knock at the door, after dark, in the middle of the night.  A neighbor is desperate. He needs bread. He needs help. It’s not convenient. It’s not the right time. But it’s urgent.

How do you and I respond to the urgent moments God places in our path?

Do we open the door? Do we act? Or do we pretend not to hear the knock?

Or, to use a different context, how do I respond to the alarm or alert or do I simply press “mute” or “Snooze”?

I am not going to lie to you. I have done this. I can also lack the motivation to say YES at the right times.

Jesus tells this story not to praise inconvenience, but to teach you and me what persevering in discipleship means. This urgency means living with detachment, discernment, direction.

 

[02, Detachment – Letting Go of Comfort]

A few weeks ago, I went out for an early morning walk from here in West Orange, into Montclair onto South Mountain Avenue. South Mountain Avenue is usually quiet, peaceful, with very little traffic.

Suddenly, on this street, to my surprise a New Jersey Transit bus pulled up beside me. The driver opened the door and called out with some urgency, “I'm lost. Can you help me find the Mississippi Avenue bus loop?” (This is across the street from us right here!)

It was 7:30 in the morning. I wasn’t feeling the urgency – not right away. But he was. He had passengers to pick up. A schedule to keep. He needed help—right away.

At that moment, I had a choice: Stick to my plan, or step onto the bus.  I did step onto his bus, ride with him, and guided him to this Mississippi Avenue destination. More on this later.

This was an example of detachment.

Detachment isn’t about being aloof. It’s about freedom from our own preferences, so we can respond to the needs around us.

St. Ignatius of Loyola called this holy indifference: not coldness, but a readiness to say, “Lord, use me however you need—not just how I prefer.”

 

[03, Discernment – Choosing What Matters Most]

Where do all these alerts or urgencies come from? Do they all require action?

Here is another example: sometimes I’m driving and a car comes speeding up behind me. We call this “tailgating” because the car is very close to your rear tailgate and you can see the car in your rear-view mirror.

Clearly, something feels urgent to the other driver. But is it urgent to you? Do you want to be part of their predicament?

So, in a heartbeat, what I often do is this. At the next safe opportunity, I pull aside, let them pass. Sometimes I even pull into a parking lot.

Recently I told that story to one of my cousins, who replied:

"Forget the tailgater. Focus on the road ahead."

That’s discernment: choosing what matters now, not what’s chasing us from behind.

How often do you (or I ) get pulled into other someone else’s urgency or emergency? Or regret from the past?

Discernment helps us separate the true SIGNAL from the NOISE of life.

 

[04, Sacrament of Confession example]

Regarding our Catholic understanding of the urgency of both sin and forgiveness, this is important.  We read in the Catechism (Catholic Catechism n. 982, and Roman Catechism I, 11, 5): “There is no one, however wicked and guilty, who may not confidently hope for forgiveness, provided his repentance is honest.”

Going to confession is not meant to be a re-living or re-hashing of the past but a reconciliation as we discover honestly not only what is evil but also what is good – being contrite, being sorry, is a good thing. It is an alert we are called to heed and then we can be healed … to move forward in discernment.

And, this also reminds us of Abraham in Genesis reading who acknowledges sin but pleads for mercy.

Like Abraham in Genesis intercedes for Sodom, we too plead for mercy—not only for others but for ourselves in Confession…”

 

[05, Prayer of Abraham]     Genesis 18 shows us Abraham praying with patience and trust in God’s mercy for the people of Sodom: “What if there are 50 righteous people? What about 40? 30?”

Urgency doesn’t mean rushing. It means being present and prayerful when the stakes are high.

And today—Catholic World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly—we remember those who showed us how to do that.

Your (and my) grandparents and elders have lived through hardship, decisions, sacrifice. Your grandparents gave life to your mother and father. Pray for them.

Our grandparents and our elders faced their own midnight knocks at the door. Maybe they didn’t talk about them much. But their steady love, their wisdom—it taught us something vital: how to tell the difference between what the urgent signal is and what is just the loud noise.

If you still have a grandparent or elder in your life, ask them:

What decision changed your life? How did you know what was right?

Their lives are sermons in discernment.

 

[05.01, Direction and Choices]

Our choices influence others, which leads me to another memory…”

It was summertime and being from N.J. and in New Jersey, I wanted to go with my friends to a Bruce Springsteen rock concert.

I myself worked hard, stood in a long line to get the 4 tickets. The concert was going to be a big deal.  Then I found out I had soccer tryouts the same day. Both felt urgent. The concert would be unforgettable. The tryouts were for something longer term.

Here’s the thing: I didn’t pray about it. I just made a practical decision. That soccer would be “longer lasting” than a one-time concert.

I did NOT pray about this explicitly …

How many of our urgent decisions go unprayed?  Discernment without prayer can lead us to choosing the short-term convenience over a lasting commitment.

Every day, we make decisions – and especially given the many entertaining options in our lives, we also are called to pray about the decision to attend Sunday Mass and church – I encourage you to pray for yourself and your loved one to discern, to persevere and to be a witness to others.

[06, Direction – Acting with Courage and Love]

Back to that morning on the sidewalk: I said yes. I got on the bus.

But once I did, I realized I didn’t know every turn. The streets between South Mountain Avenue and Mississippi Avenue are a maze.

I needed the GPS on my phone to guide us. The bus driver couldn’t use his. (It’s against NJ Transit policy / law).

He was totally dependent on someone else—on me—for direction. But we did get here successfully and on time.

This reminded me: Sometimes we’re asked to give direction. Sometimes we need it.

Discipleship requires humility in both speaking the truth and receiving the truth.

And it requires direction—not in the sense of the exact measurements of GPS, but in the willingness to act “exactly” now or promptly.

          Many years ago, in college, I had the opportunity to attend Mass on Saturday afternoon on our campus. Often, I went there with my friend and classmate who wanted to go also but admitted that he was so buried in his books, science and math and pre-medical school studies that he would lose track of time. He wanted me to come and get him at the proper time.

          It was the first time that I realized that the practice of my faith had some influence – my own perseverance  - in detachment and discernment was not only going to affect my direction but that of someone else.

          A few years ago, when the mother of this same friend died and was too buried in a cemetery near here, his mother’s funeral was in this church with his family.

 

[07, Direction and Gospel] The man in the Gospel doesn’t have time to write an email or schedule a meeting. His friend is at the door. The bread is needed now.

Jesus lived that urgency. He gave everything—His body, His blood, His very life—for us.

The parable is not about a midnight snack. It’s about the Eucharist. The bread we share isn’t just food. It’s Christ Himself. And He holds nothing back.

 

[08, Daily Bread, Daily Yes]

In the Our Father, we pray: “Give us this day our daily bread.”

It’s a prayer for sustenance. But it’s also a prayer for perseverance to hear the Word of God. For the grace to act today.

When Jesus was tempted, He said: “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word from the mouth of God.”

Urgent discipleship depends on daily bread: daily grace, daily strength, and daily wisdom.

- Detach from comfort, so love can lead.

- Discern with prayer, so our choices are rooted in God.

- Follow direction, taking real steps of love and sacrifice—like Jesus does for us.

And remember: God isn’t asking you to save the world alone.

He’s asking for your daily yes to persevere in love to hear every word that comes from the mouth of God.

Hospitality (2025-07-20, Sunday-16)

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 [ver_03] 16^th Sunday, 2025-07-20   Homily on Luke 10:38–42 – “Come and See: The Hospitality of Presence”

[__01_] In today’s Gospel from Luke chapter 10, Jesus visits the home of Martha and Mary. It’s a familiar scene—one sister busily serving, the other sitting at His feet. But before we walk into this house at Bethany of M, M, I want to start with something that happened in my own house/neighborhood a simple invitation I received in high school.

One December, our neighbor called and asked me to pass along this message to my parents:
“Please come over Friday night to see our Christmas tree.”

I was puzzled. Why would someone invite guests just to look at their tree? I asked my mother, and she gently explained:

“They’re having us over for a Christmas gathering. The tree is just their way of saying, Come and see our home, our joy, our lives this season.”

That experience taught me something. Hospitality isn’t always loud or elaborate. Sometimes, it’s subtle. Sometimes it sounds like: “Come and see.” It’s a gesture that says: We want you here. We want to share something meaningful with you.

 

[__02_]  This declaration—“Come and see”—is also found in the Gospels. It’s what Jesus says to His first disciples when they ask where He lives. It’s what we’re told when Christ is inviting us deeper into His life.

Sometimes, in Gospel, Jesus speaks to smaller groups or individuals more intimately. Please be alert to the passages when Jesus speak to the “crowds” generally and when he chooses to speak to the 2 or 3 more intimately gathered in his name including:

-        Transfiguration moment with only Peter. James and John

-        Resurrection appearance only to Mary Magdalene

-        This Bethany “site visit” only to Martha and Mary

 

[__03_]  And so we come to Martha and Mary.

Jesus has come into their home. One sister, Martha, is working, serving, tending to many things. Mary, meanwhile, sits at the feet of Jesus, listening. And when Martha complains that she’s doing all the work, Jesus responds—not with scolding, but with love:

“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things. Mary has chosen the better part, and it will not be taken from her.”

[__04_]  It’s easy to hear this as a contrast between good and bad. But the Church’s tradition, especially thinkers like St. Augustine, sees something richer here. Martha represents our active life on earth—the life of service, work, duty. Mary represents the contemplative life, the life of prayer and intimacy with God. Both are important. But when Jesus speaks of “the better part,” He reminds us of what must come first—presence before activity, relationship before productivity.

[__05_]  We’re not always good at this. We live in a Martha world—busy, distracted, constantly doing. But Jesus is asking us to make space to receive Him—not just to serve Him. Hospitality, in the Gospel sense, begins with making room in our hearts for His presence.

And this hospitality is not reserved for people with large homes or perfect meals or organized calendars. You might think, “I live alone. My space is too small. My life is too messy.” But the Lord didn’t visit Martha and Mary because of their furniture or their kitchen. He came because He was welcomed. The real hospitality He desires is spiritual—our attentiveness, our listening, our openness.

[__06_]  This deeper kind of hospitality—a work of mercy—shows up in many forms.

I recently watched a video about the flooding along the Guadalupe River in Texas. A man named Larry Minor, a firefighter turned rescue specialist, has been working tirelessly with a team to search the area—using drones, dogs, and technology—not just to find survivors, but to recover victims, give families closure, and ensure the deceased are buried with dignity.

Is that hospitality?
Yes. It’s mercy.
It’s love for the suffering.
It’s honoring the dignity of strangers.

[__07_]  Not every act of mercy ends in a miracle. Jesus healed some people, but not all. He raised Lazarus, but Lazarus still died again. And yet, even when there is no dramatic rescue, Christ is present—in the compassion, in the comfort, in the presence we offer to others.

Hospitality, then, isn’t just what we do for guests—it’s what we offer to anyone in need. In Matthew 25, Jesus tells us plainly:

“I was a stranger and you welcomed me. I was hungry and you fed me. I was sick and you visited me.”

[__08_]  And sometimes, the “stranger” isn’t an unknown visitor at all. Sometimes, it’s the person we’ve become estranged from. The neighbor we’ve avoided. The family member we haven’t spoken to in years. The person who wounded us—or whom we’ve wounded.

Can we welcome Christ in that person?

Can we make space in our hearts not just for friends, but for those who do not love us back?

[__09_]  This is where the Gospel challenges us most. Hospitality is not decoration—it’s devotion. It’s not just opening your door—it’s opening your life. And sometimes that starts with a simple, quiet invitation: Come and see.

So today, let Martha and Mary remind us to make room—room in our lives and our schedules, room in our homes and in our relationships—for Jesus to be present. Let that neighbor’s Christmas tree be a sign for us—not of ornament or obligation, but of warmth and grace. And let our hospitality be more than social—it must be spiritual. A mercy. A love that reflects the love we’ve already received.

 John Paul II reflection on Luke 10:38-42:  / JOHN PAUL II  ANGELUS, abridged

Sunday, 22 July 2001

. Today's Gospel presents the episode of Jesus' visit to Bethany, to the home of Martha and Mary, the sisters of Lazarus. Martha is very concerned with her preparations, while Mary sits peacefully at the feet of the Master listening to him. To Martha who complains that her sister does not help her, Jesus responds that "Mary has chosen the better part, which shall not be taken away from her" (Lk 10,42).

How can we not perceive in this episode the reminder of the primacy of the spiritual life, of the need to be nourished with the Word of God which gives light and savour to our daily routine. It is an invitation which is particularly opportune for the summer period. Holidays and vacation time, in fact, can help to balance activism with contemplation, haste with natural rhythms, great noise with the healing peace of silence.

 

3. A further source of reflection comes from the liturgy. On 22 July we celebrate the memorial of St Mary Magdalene, disciple of the Lord and first witness of the Resurrection. The story of St Mary of Magdala shows how decisive it is for each one of us to meet Christ personally. It is Christ who understands the human heart. It is he who can satisfy its hopes and longings and give answers to the concerns and the difficulties that humanity today faces in its daily endeavours.

 Link to Livestream Bernie Mooney Funeral Mass, 10 am July 15

3D Travel (2025-07-06, Sunday 14th)

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 [v. 3] Homily:  "3 D: Declaration,  Directions, and Destination" – Luke 10:1–12, 17–20. 

In today’s Gospel, Jesus sends out 72 disciples on a mission. They are traveling with a purpose, with clear instructions, and with the goal of preparing the way for the Lord. I’d like to reflect on this Gospel using three words: Declaration, Directions, and Destination

[►► 1. Declaration]

As we celebrate this weekend’s 4^th of July, it's estimated that over 72 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles—more than ever before. Interestingly, today’s Gospel also speaks of 72 travelers – 72 disciples —not folks headed to barbecues or the beach, but disciples heading into towns to share the Good News. Both groups are on the move.

Before any journey with Jesus, we are called to make a  declaration—a profession of faith. The disciples didn’t just wake up and wander; they accepted a calling. In the same way, each of us begins our spiritual journey with a declaration: at our baptism, in our prayers, through acts of love and forgiveness.

Here is one practical example. In April, I made a personal declaration: that I would fly to visit my parents after Easter Sunday Mass. It was a tight schedule—Easter Sunday Mass in the morning, a flight out of Newark Airport by early afternoon. I was nervous about the timing, the traffic, the logistics. But a friend kindly offered to drive me, taking a route through the city of Newark which I did not know. To my surprise, everything went smoothly. I arrived early and boarded a quiet plane—most people weren’t traveling that day.

In this case, going against the flow, making a different kind of choice, felt “risky” but made the journey easier.

And spiritually, this is often true. Discipleship sometimes means taking the path fewer people are on—making different declarations with your life than those around you. That can feel risky, but it's the beginning of entrusting ourselves to the Holy Spirit.

[] Making a “declaration” as a traveler – practically and legally speaking – also means we have something of value that we possess.  Being a traveler, and disciple to our own families, with our faith, means sharing our faith by what we say and do. Yes, this type of declaration might cost us something, but we are laying up treasure in heaven. []

[►► 2. Directions]

Once we declare our intent to follow Jesus, we need  directions—and in this Gospel, Jesus gives them. He tells the disciples to carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals, and to greet no one on the road.

That might sound odd. Why shouldn’t they greet people? Isn’t kindness a part of discipleship? Of course—but Jesus is urging focus. Not every conversation is fruitful. Not every path is meant for us. Sometimes we need to be discerning, to stay on course spiritually, rather than getting caught up in distractions.

 

I remember being at an airport years ago, delayed for hours. I was tired and bored, and I struck up a conversation with someone who had a backpack from my old high school. It passed the time, but it was just small talk. Nothing wrong with that—but spiritually, Jesus is reminding us: Be careful who you talk to. Be careful what conversations you allow to shape your journey.

[] In more serious “difficulties” than an airport delay, I am called to ask myself – do I seek advice and counsel carefully and with discernment? Do I hear only what I want to hear and disregard the rest?  []

This doesn’t mean we should avoid others or be unfriendly. But not every distraction is harmless, not every conversation is helpful. Some detours in life can derail us. That’s why Jesus gives these strong instructions. Focus on the mission. Focus on where you're going.

[►► 3. Destination]

And what is our destination? Jesus says, “Rejoice not because the spirits are subject to you, but because your names are written in heaven.”

That’s our goal. Not just to get somewhere faster. Not to be praised or noticed or recognzied. The disciples weren’t sent out to make a name for themselves—they were sent to prepare the way for Jesus.

In contrast, most of the 72 million traveling this weekend are headed to beaches, cookouts, family reunions. These are good things—but our Gospel calls us to think bigger. Our true destination isn’t a vacation—it’s our vocation, our calling:  heaven. Eternal life. That’s why we declare, why we follow directions, why we stay focused.

And along the way, we live as disciples not just in name, but in action.

[] And, that’s why travel – so we can also come home. We go out also so that we can come home to God in prayer and meditation. []

We show our faith by loving the people who are hard to love. By sharing what we have with those in need. By forgiving others, even when they don’t say sorry. By teaching our children about faith, and by praying even when we don’t feel like it.

We declare our faith not only by what we say, but by what we carry, what we let go of, and where we’re going, what we “declare ---

[Close]   Jesus is telling us: Don’t rejoice in what you can do—rejoice in what God has done for you.  Don’t travel just to be seen. Travel with purpose. Follow the path that leads to life.

Declare your faith. Follow His directions. And keep your eyes on the destination.