Sheep without a Shepherd (2024-07-21, 16th Sunday)

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Homily – July 21, 2024   16^th Sunday (Year B)   ● Jeremiah 23:1-6 ●  Psalm 23  ●   ● Ephesians 2:13-18 ● + Mark 6:30-34 ●

[__01__]  Recently, one of my childhood friends and classmates shared with me 3 distinct memories of our grade school principal:

1^st. His mother always spoke of her love and respect for the principal – her name was Sister Teresa

2^nd. One day, he decided to bring a camera to school and he took a picture of her. He may have gotten in trouble for that one. He still has the picture.

3^rd. There was one time when were left alone in the classroom, because the teacher left the room.

          Or, to use a metaphor and phrase from the Gospel: we – the children – were like sheep without a shepherd.

          The “Law & Order” was restored suddenly to the classroom when Sister Teresa, our principal appeared. She was an authority figure, commanded respect.

          As a grown up, looking back, I now respect her even now more than I did “back in the day”. It’s difficult to be a school principal.

We, the children had gone wild for a while. There might have been children who were alone or scared or afraid in that situation. Children are sometimes in danger when they are completely unsupervised.

When we feel LONELY abandoned, we may act out selfishness, sinfulness, brokenness.

Reflecting on this incident, I would just like to remind myself –

1.    That even if someone I know respects and loves “Jesus”, this is no substitute for my personal relationship with our Savior.

2.    Jesus is not just a photograph or image from the past, but present to us here and now.

3.    He is already here …and he wants us to connect to Him. He comes to bring us healing and strength.

[__02__]    The Gospel, this Sunday, concludes with a statement and an observation by Jesus about the people whom he encounters that they are like sheep without a shepherd. Our Savior

Knows that they and we heed HEALING and STRENGTH that comes from knowledge of his mercy and this connects us to both God and neighbor.

 [__03__]     The Gospel then reminds us of the importance of connection and community.

          And, the lesson – from God’s Word – is that even we are “alone” … we are meant to recall how similar we are … and how much we need each other.

In the beginning … in the book of Genesis, we read that Adam, the first man, was created, and that he was alone. He was completely alone, with no other human being. Then Adam and Eve were created together, but they were still alone. Of course, they had each other. But, at first they had nothing to distract them --- no technology, no distractions, no other destinations to go, no messages from the world, no Wi-Fi, no entertainment, no other people.  Their only “calling plan” was to each other and to God who walked with them.

They were alone, unto themselves, but they also knew that they had been created by God and were in communion with God and with nature as well. They were similar to the innocent state of those people who completely live off the land.

 

[__04__]      Have you been one of these people – or known one of these people – who really tries to be in harmony with the environment and nature?

Have you ever been, or have you ever seen someone, who spends hours and hours caring for plants, trees, nature, water, wanting simply to be one with nature, wanting to be undisturbed and completely content to be alone, to be alone in the garden, to be in solitude? In this regard, Adam and Eve were living not in confinement, but in community.

As John Henry Newman wrote, Adam and Eve were put into the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. For them, this was a mode of life, free from tumult, free from anxiety or excitement and … as it is [usually with those who are really into their gardens or into nature]. (John Henry Newman, “The State of Innocence”, Book V, Sermon 8, Parochial and Plain Sermons (1891), San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1997, p. 1025)

So, harmony with nature can also lead us to love of God and neighbor

[__05__]        When we come to church, even if we travel here on our own, sit on our own, and leave on our own, we come here both for the solitary nature of being here and for the solidarity of prayer with others. We are both alone and together at the same time. This togetherness also reminds us that we are all creatures of God, created by him out of love.

And, the natural world teaches us this.

There is in our world only one real source of intelligence, an intelligence that is not strictly human and certainly not artificial.

The intelligence and wisdom we have comes from God.

And, is this not demonstrated through natural phenomena?

God is the author of our life, of all life, and all lives.

The human being [was] … fashioned from God’s good earth … we are told that all human beings are earth. Despite every distinction that culture and history have brought about, it is still true that we are, in the last resort, the same: … Emperor and beggar, master and slave are all ultimately one and the same person, taken from the same earth and destined to return to the same earth. (Benedict XVI, “The Creation of the Human Being” In the Beginning (1986), Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdsman Publishing, 1995, p. 43)

“The rich and poor have this in common: The Lord made them both” (Proverbs 22:2)

[__06__]       Do you ever feel isolated, distressed, or disconnected? 

This happens to all of us. Sometimes we feel this even with someone sitting right next to us, or someone in the next room, or someone in our own house. Being married or being part of a family is not a guarantee that we will never feel alone.

The Church practices of prayer and fasting remind us to keep Jesus at the center of our lives and are designed to bring us HEALING in soul and body.

 [__07__]    Prayer is kind of like gardening or landscaping. In gardening and landscaping, it is a project in which we are not simply doing stuff and working the Earth, but also cooperating with God's creation and nature.

We are called to cooperate with God's creation and nature by our prayer for other people.

We are all in an  “ecosystem” and “environment“ with other people, some of whom do less than or the exact opposite of what we want.

What is true of the “garden or natural world” is also true of people – we often have to work with what and with whom God gives us. And, sometimes, the difficult person or experience can turn out to be a blessing. In all these things, I am called to pray God’s will would be done, not my will, but thy will.

This can help us to take a longer-term view of “nature” – human nature included!

This prayer also leads us to two other goals in the Christian life: fasting and sacrifice. While fasting and sacrifice may seem isolating, they also bring us into solidarity with others. For example, can we not go to bed a little bit hungry or leave the table not quite full, not only of for the “health” of losing weight, but also for the healing of the world and uniting ourselves in soul and in body to those who live in famine or in poverty or natural disaster? Fasting and sacrifice build community. They don't isolate; they build connections

Ultimately, the heart of Jesus’ message in Matthew 6 is that fasting is about humility. It leaves no room for bragging about how much we have given up for God, and it leaves no room for complaining about our sacrifice. Fasting calls us to humility within us and remind us what God has done on our behalf

          This prayer and fasting lead us back to Jesus, the King of Love my Shepherd is.

            Jesus reminds us that our connection to Him is because he loved your parents or gave them faith, but that he also loves you and invites you to faith.

Nor is love based only in an old photo or memory of the past. He is loving you now, pouring out his mercy on those who ask.

51^st psalm: a humble contrite heart O God you will not spurn.

Jesus does not leave us alone or in anxiety but wishes us to draw closer to him, to cultivate our own gifts and gardens where He is Lord of both Heaven and Earth.

The Lord is my Shepherd. There is nothing I shall want.  [__end__]

Trajectory of Repentance. Coming Home (2024-07-14, 15th Sunday)

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 Homily – July 14, 2024    15^th Sunday (Year B)  ● Amos 7:12-15 ●  Psalm 85  ●  ● Ephesians 1:3-14 ● + Mark 6:7-13 ●

Title:  Trajectory of Repentance. Coming Home

FYI / Reference: https://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2015/5/29/8683385/home-run-trajectories-and-pitchers

[__01__] We are in the season of baseball. Baseball has a baseball diamond with 4 bases, a pitcher and a batter. The goal in baseball is to score runs by coming back home. Yes, the batter is swinging a bat so as to run to 1^st base and beyond, but the ultimate goal is to come back to home plate. The best possible result is a “home run”. And the best way to connect with the ball and score with a home run is to launch the ball very high in the air, so the ball will travel far, 400 feet or more, beyond the outfield fence.

And in baseball games, have you noticed there are calculations that are made, mathematical calculations, geometric calculations, angle of the ball off the bat into the air, because the higher the ball travels, the easier it is to come home, to get back home.

This is the trajectory.

 

[__02__]     I bring this up because the gospel of Mark Jesus is sending his disciples out --- on  a trajectory -- but he's also sending them out so that they can get home, so that they can come back home. He's sending us out so that we will also come home, come home to Him. Jesus is calling His disciples to get off the ground first, to make some changes. He's sending them out on a mission to preach and to teach. The disciples are given instructions about simplicity, about material things, preparing them to aim higher. And sometimes we have to make changes in order to aim higher.

To … make sacrifices. Maybe we make sacrifices by cutting calories, cutting spending, or cutting out pleasures.

Maybe we have to cut calories or cut spending, reduce spending or cut back on some pleasures we're enjoying. These are ways in which we can follow Jesus by making sacrifices to love God and love our neighbor. But the trajectory, the way to come home to God and Jesus is also talking about, is repentance, repenting of our sins.

[__03__] ### Raising the Bar Through Repentance

Now, you and I might think that repentance is a way to keep the ball really low or the bar low, but I'm suggesting repentance is a way to raise the bar. Repentance is a positive trajectory, a way to help us be raised up. Repentance is a salutary reminder that we're all sinners in need of God's mercy.

[__04__] ### The Sense of Sin

In 1984, Pope John Paul II wrote: “The restoration of a proper sense of sin is the first way of facing the grave spiritual crisis looming over man today. But the sense of sin can only be restored through a clear reminder of the unchangeable principles of reason and faith which the moral teaching of the Church has always upheld.”

(Pope John Paul II, Reconciliatio et Paenitentia, 1984, n. 18)

[__05__] ### 3 Types of Repentance

I'd like to touch on the fact that there are three trajectories – or “directions” of repentance, each one can get us off the ground, get a home run, and draw us closer to Jesus. But depending on the curveball you're facing in your sinfulness, or the curveball I'm facing in my sinfulness, we may need a different swing, a different type of repentance to get the ball in the air and to come home.

[__06__] ### Repentance Right Away

A classic example: the thief on the cross who comes home.  As soon as he is aware of the holiness of Jesus, Christ crucified with him, he repents of his sins. He doesn't demand or expect forgiveness. He just repents. He does it immediately, right away.

Sometimes we can do this too when we realize the error of our ways quickly, perhaps due to the personal holiness or virtuous example of someone around us.  If we really desire someone's friendship, or love, we often repent right away.

Such repentance is a home run and leads us home to Jesus, getting the ball in the air.

[__07__] ### Repentance Readily, Rapidly

Classic example: the Prodigal Son who come home.  The prodigal son didn't repent right away. It took a little while, but he did repent readily when he arrived at his father’s house. He makes repentance a priority.

          Is repentance a priority for me? For you?  In the Gospel, Jesus says that if you or I were to come to pray at the altar and there recall that a brother or sister has something against us, we should go first to our brother or sister, then come and offer our gift and prayer. (Matthew 5:23-24)

Another example of this would be not letting the sun set on your anger or sinfulness. (Ephesians 4:26)

We are called to repent readily, which might mean putting off something else in order to repent. Maybe we put off finishing a project at work, watching TV, going out to dinner, or some other pleasure, because repentance is the priority. This kind of repentance is a home run. It gets the ball in the air and brings us home.

[__08__] ### Repent Repeatedly

Classic example: King David. Though also a great king, David has multiple sins and coverup’s of his sins This has to do with his affair with Bathsheba, the taking of the life of Bathsheba’s husband and more!

          And, David does all of this in his own home! David repents when gets caught!

Let's face it, each of us might face sins that are very vexing, repeatable in our lives, and troublesome. We may need to repent more than once and ask God to help us amend our lives, even if it takes a while. Just as we might have to forgive 77 times, we may have to repent 77 times. Repenting 70 x 7 is a home run.

[__09__] ### Prayer, Fasting, and Charity

Jesus is asking us each day to pray, to fast/sacrifice, and to give charitably not only for our own salvation but also for that of our loved ones. And, actually, not only for those we love and know but also those we do not love and do not know, those we do not like. Jesus said to his disciples:

“For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:46-48).

Jesus reminds us that we are called to love our enemies and to pray for those who might persecute us or cause us difficulty. But, because there are so many problems in the world, we might resist doing this.

[__10__] ### Reflecting on Destruction and Peace (09)

Father Ronald Knox, reflecting on life in England and the European Continent after World War II in the 1940-1950s, wrote about physical destruction. We have also witnessed physical destruction such as 9/11 in NYC and now much more recent violence affecting people in the Holy Land, in Ukraine, and now an assassination attempt on a presidential candidate and former U.S. President.

“We are sad at the disappearance of old landmarks, uneasy at the changes in our familiar habits of life. Travel is more difficult and more wearisome; we find it hard to make contact with old friends, even when we are little divided from them by distance. All that sets up a restlessness in our minds which perhaps is good for us in a way; it may save us from falling too much into a rut and taking life too easily. But it does not make the business of our souls a more encouraging task. For that, we need tranquility, recollection; how are we to think about God or eternity, with daily needs and worldly preoccupations and public cares so weighing on our minds? The thought of God seems to get crowded out; our own sins get overlooked – they are so petty, compared with the needs of a distracted world, the perils of an uncertain future.”

(Ronald Knox, “Peace in Ourselves”, Pastoral and Occasional Sermons, Part VII. The Eucharist, p. 281)

[__11__] ### Understanding the Eucharist

What is the Eucharist – what is Holy Communion? How are we to understand the effect of the Blessed Sacrament in our lives and our call to fast and pray for others?

I invite you to check the websites of Relevant Radio.com, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, and other media to watch and listen. You are also invited here to pray, especially Wednesday and Thursday from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm, and confessions will be heard.

The Holy Eucharist and Holy Communion remind us that the world is saved by the Precious Body and Blood of our Savior who proclaimed from the Cross, “Forgive them Father, they know not what they do.”

[__12__] ### The Goodness of the Holy Spirit

The goodness of the Holy Spirit is poured out for me, for you, for us to see the good in ourselves and also to see the goodness in others.

 

In a little while, we will bring forth up the center aisle the gifts of Bread and Wine which are blessed and consecrated in the sacrament and Eucharistic prayer. These gifts of Bread and Wine also signify you and me, in a way that we are also called to be transformed:

“There is something to be done on our side. The wheat must be ground into bread, the wine must be pressed out of the grape, before we can give our Lord the opportunity to work his miracle of transubstantiation. The offertory first, man stretching out his hands to God; then the consecration, God accepting and transforming man's gift. We must come to meet him early in the morning, when sleep has smoothed away the memories of yesterday, and no cares have yet assailed us to disturb the equilibrium of our lives. We must hand over the direction of our lives to him if we are to know what it means to live an ordered life, “heart-whole” and “mind-whole” in a world like ours. Then, we can go to Communion.”

(Ronald Knox, “Peace in Ourselves”, Pastoral and Occasional Sermons, Part VII. The Eucharist, p. 282)May this remind us of our upward angle, our true trajectory, our journey à HOME.

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.

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