Divine Mercy Sunday (2022-04-24, 2nd Sunday Easter)

 Easter 2^nd Sunday    /  2022-04-24 –

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[_00-a_]  Many years ago, I was driving in car – I was the driver – down a street that I had walked, bicycled, or driven hundreds of times before. It was extremely familiar to me.  On this particular morning, I was on my way to a nearby train station to pick up a friend who had just arrived and was waiting for me.  Later that day, this friend and I plus two other friends – the 4 of us were driving to Portland (Maine) for the weekend. So, I mention that because while I was on my “short”  trip to the train station, I was already thinking about a much longer journey to Maine.

          The speed limit was 25 miles per hour. I was driving about 42 miles per hour. I was pulled over by the local police for speeding.

          I received a ticket for speeding.

[_00-b_]       And, I was very frustrated, mad, angry that I was given a ticket …and I was not in the mood to be reminded that this was really a relatively minor thing, and that I should take responsibility for my actions, and that speeding on a street where there is school, park, children is a dangerous combination.

          Worst of all, I did not want anyone to laugh at me. I was deadly serious about my frustration with the incident. My friend, whom I was picking up at the train station, thought the whole thing was hilarious.

          My friend grew up in NYC, lived in Manhattan, probably did not drive that much. What did she know?

          I wanted to be mad. I wanted to remain behind the locked door of my fault and my sin.  I had no sense of humor at that particular moment. It was ironic – perhaps appropriate – that we made the entire – longer trip – to Maine later that day – in my friend’s car. My friend did all the driving.  The journey did take my mind off the original incident. I was glad that we were going somewhere.

          It was ironic that I had to do no more driving. I did not take wheel at all later that day.

          There was a part of me that was still stuck at the original incident, “scene of the crime” with the police officer.

          Have you ever been stuck on, stuck in a rut regarding some fault or sinfulness or culpable error on your part, stuck in the past?

 

[_00-c_]      If so, the experience of the first disciples, of the Gospel today, may be present, may be manifest in you today. It is certainly manifest in me today, when I have trouble letting go, either of something that was done to me, or of something that I have done.

          At the incident with the police officer, I was tempted to blame for example the “way I was raised”… that was raised to be on time. Then again, if I had been raised to be on time, then I should have left earlier for the train station.

          In any case, becoming aware of of our own sinfulness, there is a sense in which we might easily blame someone else other than ourselves.

          Or, we may need to forgive someone else before we – or as we – repent of our own sinfulness.

         

[_00-d_]       In the Gospel today, the first disciples are locked behind closed doors. They are stuck in one place.

          And, it is ironic that they are “stuck” and hiding in the very place where Jesus had celebrated the Last Supper with them, in the room where He had said, “This is my body given up for you; this is the cup of my blood.”

          They are scared, anxious, and probably also angry, resentful that Jesus had been arrested and treated with such cruelty and died.

          Things had been going so well up until now.

          These disciples are called to make Jesus’ words from the Cross their own – “forgive them Father, they know not what they do.”

          For the person who has hurt you, and for the person who has hurt or offended me, we are called to make these words our own. Because some of the people who hurt us did not know what they were doing.

          Or, even if they did not know what they were doing – or should have known better – they could not have known exactly how it would play out in your life or my life.

          Forgive him, Father, Forgive her, Father,  Forgive them Father, they know not what they do.

 [_00-e_]  Recently, a movie and was released in theaters, starring Mark Wahlberg, about a Catholic priest with an unusual path to conversion, to forgiveness, to seminary, to priesthood.  He is also a former professional fighter, boxer who trades in his boxing gloves for a Bible and more. The title is “Father Stu” about a man who becomes a priest named Stuart Long.

          Having just seen the movie, I also noticed that during his faith journey and conversion, he has a similar attitude toward police officers and priests.

          He thinks – at times – that both of them are out to get him. He is arrested twice in the movie and argues with the police officers both times about their harassment and poor treatment of him. He is actually doing something wrong, but acts like he is the victim.

          When he goes to confession for the first time, to confess his sins to the priest, he treats the “Father” the “Padre” the “Priest” in a similar way. The future “Father Stuart Long” berates the priest for being self-righteous and not recognizing the priest himself is a sinner and is not “God”.

          I could not agree more. The priest himself – I myself and every priest – is a person in need of repentance and God’s grace and forgiveness. The question is not whether or not I am a sinner, but whether or not I am a repentant sinner. I also go to confession and take advantage of this sacrament, for my own well being and journey to God.

[_00-e_]       In the 27^th Psalm, we pray, the “Lord is my light and my salvation, of whom should I be a afraid?”

          Of whom are you afraid of? Whom am I afraid of?

           Yes, I can – at times – be afraid of others, afraid of how others might react to me. I fear my own laziness, my own selfishness.  I may also fear the outcomes and results of my sinfulness and selfishness.

          I fear getting pulled over. I fear being found out.

 [_01_]  Should I also fear the repentance and confession of my sins?

At one point in the movie, Father Stu, the young Father Stuart visits a prison to read the Bible and pray with the inmates.  He begins his sermon to those who are locked up to remind them that many people outside the prison may not want to talk to them, they may feel rejected. They may have no more phone calls. They may have used up their one phone call and the guards may be giving them a hard time. But God has not given up on them, nor on you. Make 1 more call. Turn back to God.

          What we bring to God is not just the “bad stuff” of our sins, because God does not just want the evil to be recycled, reduced and reused.

          God has a much greener and better environmental plan, God wants something good from us and from you, from me.

What God asks for is our repenantance, our sorrow for our sins. The sorrow for our sins is not equal to our sins. It is something God that exists in us to show that you can change, and be changed that you have not yet given up, regardless of where you have been “pulled over.”

 [_fin_]  

Compassion. Courage. Confidence (2022-04-17, Easter Sunday)

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2022-04-17 –  Easter Sunday  Title: C-3

[_00-a_]     Easter starts out with a race, with running. That appeals to me, because sometimes I think I will achieve what I want by running, racing.  I need to slow down. Do you need to slow down?

          Peter needs to slow down. Why? So that they can follow Jesus Christ in 3 ways that I would like to touch on as à  COMPASSION – COURAGE – CONFIDENCE.

Right now, they are running and they are amazed. We read of the AMAZEMENT of Peter regarding Jesus not being in the tomb. Peter is amazed. Amazed does not equal CONFIDENCE in the resurrection. It’s a journey, sometimes a slow walk, but nevertheless an active choice to be CONFIDENT..and also an active choice along the way to have both COMPASSION and COURAGE.

I’d like to touch on these 3 – COMPASSION – COURAGE – CONFIDENCE.

[_00-b_]   1^st. Choosing Compassion. 

My grandparents lived on their own, in their own home in the Bronx, until they both nearly 100 years old, for one major reason, the compassion of my uncles James and Hughie who took care of them and lived in their neighborhood. Hughie lived in the same house.

Compassion is something they chose. We can also choose – or reject – compassion.

Hughie – living with my grandparents – was a man of great compassion and simplicity.

The word compassion of compassion is central to our salvation and forgiveness.  In the way of the cross and on Calvary, Jesus suffered for us with compassion.

The word “passion” does not simply mean something we like to do… like a passion for a particular sport or food.  Passion means suffering or something we suffer for.

Compassion means we choose to suffer with someone.

As we read in Philippians 2: “Jesus emptied Himself and took the form of the slave.”  This compassion is not accepted by everyone. As St. Paul also wrote” , The cross is foolishness to those who are not being saved, but to the us being saved. It is the righteousness of God.”

We were blessed by his compassion – together with my uncle James for my grandparents. But the good news of Holy Week and Easter is not simply about feeling compassion, because Jesus doesn't simply respond with an emoji.  Certainly, a text can also be compassionate. Just as some texts can be the opposite of compassion!

Jesus’ compassion leads him to COURAGE.

2^nd. Choosing Courage. 

Jesus is courageous, suffers on our part. At times, your courage – my courage – might be to simply do what we are called to do, courage to love our families, courage to go to work every day, courage to forgive the faults of others, courage to correct someone lovingly, while simultaneously forgiving the other person. Courage is cooperating with God's will.

This is an example of choosing courage – but then afterward – on my part – not fully recognizing it.

Many years ago, my father told me of some trouble that his brother – my uncle – had found himself in.  At least, it sounded like trouble.  This related to or HUGHIE.

          It was a Saturday afternoon  and Hughie was at his local bar/restaurant and a man – call him the PERPETRATOR - walked into the bar making very threatening motions and words. As a defense mechanism, Hughie pinned the threatening man up against a wall with a chair. Soon after, the NYPD police were called and settled everything and arrested the threatening perpetrator. We did not know then who the perpetrator was looking for …but we did find out later.

My uncle is average height and build; he’s no bodybuilder or weightlifter. This was shocking to us, to my father to my siblings.

Yes, Hughie had courage, but should we encourage or celebrate this?

Our celebration of that moment was quite muted. We didn't celebrate Hughie with a cake or party. And then my uncle got his picture on the wall  of the bar with the word HERO written below it, but among our family, while we were proud of him, we were also a bit anxious about the whole incident, it could have turned out badly.

How do you feel about the celebration of Easter? We are correct in saying that life is too short. Life is too short. But it is also correct to say that eternal life is long, and we can celebrate eternal life, because of Jesus's celebration, because of Jesus's life for us. And I suggest that part of our conversion to Christ, to be explicit and not muted.

And, Easter Sunday and every Sunday Mass is a victory celebration for you, for me.

Part of our personal relationship with him is to remember that we are called to compassion and to courage.

These are not just muted silent emotions, feelings but also choices.

          Confidence is also a choice.

3^rd. Choosing Confidence. 

You can choose to act and be confident because Christ died and rose for you personally. And this is a reason for you to celebrate, and to put our fears aside and to have confidence.  Easter is a victory celebration.

About a month ago, my father was reminded of the incident with Hughie one more time. We thought we had heard it all, but we had not. 

Meeting my father, this man said – “Your brother – Hughie – saved my life.”

We learned that he's that this man was actually the target of the original guy making the threats.

The man who - as they say on the NYPD cop shows was the victim or the “vic”, but that day he didn't become a victim because of the actions of Hughie and others.

CONCLUSION.

We live in a time of great woundedness and of people hurting.

You and I are also not victims. We don't have to live as victims. We are called to live in freedom and to remember that Jesus Christ lived and died for us. For me, I have to say this is a reminder for me to be more hopeful. expect more and not to go so fast, to run ahead of everyone else in a search for compassion, courage, confidence.    I am also blessed by the compassion – courage – confidence – of so many of you --- at Our Lady of Lourdes to help us in our mission at Our Lady of Lourdes. I am grateful for everyone who has decorated our altar, , who sings in the choir who helps at the doors of the church to keep us safe, who reads at the altar, the lectors, for the many readings of the Easter Vigil,  the ministers who have refilled our holy water, who serve at the altar who light our candles, who work in the sacristy who work in the Office of Our Lady of Lourdes, who worked downstairs upstairs in religious education, teaching our children teaching the faith, all of them. All of you are examples of cooperation and confidence in Christ. And a reminder to me that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. He invites us to celebrate also by going out to spread the Good News  [_fin_]     

Will I See You Again? (2022-04-15, Good Friday)

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2022-04-15 –  Good Friday ● + John 18:1-19:42     ●  

Title:  Will I See You Again? (Good Friday)

[_01_] During our prayers and biblical readings of Holy Week, many events take place at unusual hours, unusual times. We see each other again – here at 3 pm on Friday, the middle of the afternoon.

          But, there are also important events that happen in the middle of the night. We will see each other again at 7:30 pm at Easter Vigil tomorrow.

[_02_]  Many years ago, I had to wonder – at least for a little while -- if I would see my friends ever again.

I was traveling with some friends – backpacking and trying to travel “economy class” by taking trains in France and Italy.  One time , we were on the railroad somewhere in France or Italy. The train journey was several hours long and we were not in comfortable seats.  And this was one of the rare instances when the train stopped at a station. I guess I was hungry or thirsty or something. And I wanted to exit the train, stand up and walk around for a while.

I exited the train, went down to the platform, walked into the train station for about 10 minutes and realized, wow, this is a pretty big railroad station, pretty big train station. And there were several trains and tracks beside my own.

I can recall the panic that my own train was not clear to me. They all looked the same. Would I be able to retrace my steps to find the train that I was on?   Yes, I would be able toto..but it took a few minutes, of un certainty of which platform I had to go to.

I had my passport and wallet and my wits about me. But what good was all that? What good was my identity if I was disconnected from all my possessions – my bag, clothes, etc. and my traveling companions. I was disconnected from the journey from I was supposed to be on. 

I'm sure I didn't look all that. well or good at that moment. It was the middle of the night, so my appearance had changed. My surroundings had changed. Or at least something had changed and become unfamiliar to me.

I was traveling with two friends. I wondered when or if I would see them again. I did in fact see them again. I did in fact, recover my way retrace my steps because the train had a sign on it that eventually I found.

But those 10 minutes of uncertainty seemed much longer.

[_03_] This is my example my sketch and personal example to give you a profile of Peter the Apostle.

 Peter the apostle, who was also alone in the dark after denying Jesus three times before the cock crowed twice. Peter is far from home.. Peter was not as the children's book, say a “city mouse”, but Peters was in the big urban center of Jerusalem just then. 

Peter was a country mouse from Galilee. Jerusalem is the urban big city. Peter feels out of place and is even identified by others as out of place by his pronunciation of words, his “acccent”, by how he speaks.

Peter is out of place and even moreso after denying Jesus three times.  He also had to wonder – will I see Jesus again? How could that be?

 

[_04_]  This feeling of “moral spiritual distance”  that is more than just superficial 6-feet of “social distance” was  part of the Isaiah the prophets prediction in our reading today. This is known as the 4^th song of the suffering servant, a prophecy of Jesus on Good Friday who appears to be out of place.   Jesus has been arrested, thrown in jail. He is hard to recognize and easy to reject.

We read in Isaiah: “Behold, see my servant, He shall prosper he shall be greatly exalted.” (Isaiah 52-53___)  

And for you and me who are familiar not only with the Gospel ,we know the DESTINATION on this journey is “glory to God in the highest”  But on Good Friday, this seems hard to fathom hard to understand.

Isaiah: “even as many were amazed at his appearance, so marred was his look beyond human semblance. So shall he startle many nations”  (Isaiah 52-53 __)

Who are the many nations that will be startled by Jesus? That doesn't simply mean Jesus is startling the United Nations or people in another country.   Jesus’ appearance and sacrifice are startling to you and to me from every nation.

 

We are called to be more than startled spectators. We adore adore the cross, we look to the cross, we bow to the cross we accept the cross explicitly in our lives.

Part of our identity as Christians is to pray for the strength to forgive others. And to relegate to the past, the harm done to us letting go of anger and resentment can itself be a bit scary.

Sometimes anger is like a navigation system that helps us to know what to do, because I'm angry, I know what to do. Because I'm angry. I have knowledge of what another person has done to me. If I let go of my anger, will I lose my ability to navigate? Will I lose my identity? Will I be out there in the dark?

What we read however, in the Letter to the Ephesians is the importance of letting go of anger. Not just for all time, because it's hard to imagine I'll never be angry again, but simply to let go of anger each day, each day each night. The old saying is … “do not go to sleep / bed angry”

This is in the New Testament. St. Paul writes, If you're angry, let it be without sin. The sun must not go down on your wrath. Wrath means anger. The sun must not go down on your wrath. Do not give the devil a chance to work on you. 

We know that anger can affect

us "subconsciously" ...even when we are asleep!

 

When we are angry when we were upset when we were anxious, we may feel or be inclined to think there is no God or God is absent. That's the conclusion.

But what about those who are really immersed in terrible realities and tragedies? What about the NYPD police or New Yorkers who were on the were in harm's way on the Brooklyn subway platform earlier this week? Did not many of them make sacrificial acts? What about the soldier or relief worker or helper in Ukraine who puts himself or herself in harm's way? It's no accident. As Pope Benedict XVI wrote that those who have been most condemned to suffering, those people who have been most battered and most wretched, also have often become the people of God's revelation, and make God visible to the world. We see God visible in times of tragedy by those who reach out even when everything else is marred and broken in appearance.  (Josef Ratzinger, Dogma & Preaching (1973), “Ch. 26 Good Friday”, p 289, San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2001)

Good Friday is a day when the score is settled, and a new identity even after the three times denial of identity is possible. Peter is offered away home away out of the dark. You are offered a way home. I am offered a way home, paid in full by Christ's cross. Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. It is our hope to Him again.  [_fin_]  

Celebrity, Calamity. Certainty. (Palm Sunday, 2022-04-10)

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2022-04-10 –  Palm Sunday  ● Isaiah 50:4-7 ●  Psalm 22_   ●   Philippians 2:6-11  ● + Luke  22:14—23:56     ●  

Title: Renewal that is… a  CELEBRATION,  CALAMITY, CERTAINTY

[_00-a_]       My brother was recently waiting – somewhat anxiously, with uncertainty – for the renewal of his U.S. Passport because he was supposed to travel to Ireland and Europe.

          And, the passport renewal was delayed and made it his home less than a week before his actual departure.

          Fortunately, he obtained his passport in time, but there was no guarantee.

          Along the way, he kept comparing notes with me, because I had renewed my passport recently and he was trying to calculate if he would get his in time, based on my experience and timeline

          I don’t know why his took so long. Renewing something – a driver’s license, a financial account, a passport – can be complicated and subject to delays and to individual experience and bumps in the road.

          So, with only four days to go before his departure, a package arrived at his home on Monday. Then, he was able to leave the following Friday. That was the good news, for him.

[_00-b_]       Renewal is the Good News of the Gospel. Renewal is the essence of our forgiveness through Jesus Christ.

          I’d like to touch on this RENEWAL, as one that we read about that is …

          At 1^st – CELEBRATED

          Then (apparently) a CALAMITY

          Finally – a CERTAINTY

          Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem is celebrated; he is treated as a celebrity.

 Now, when we hear the word celebrity, we may immediately think of a spoiled brat who  has way too much time on his or her hands, and always gets into trouble.   That's one way to look at a celebrity. But more generally, a celebrity is somebody who is celebrated, and possibly somebody set apart, perhaps for specially treated, sometimes for good reasons.        

Celebrities are known to get special treatment wherever they go, including special tables.

          While Jesus does not come to Jerusalem for the fame and fortune and riches, he does come for a special table, really the altar and so that he might celebrate the Passover – at table with his disciples.

          He goes in private to share that he will lay down his life for his disciples, and for you and me.

          He also reminding us that whatever possessions we have or wealth, the greatest gift we can give is that of ourselves to others.

          Also, he reminds us that what God really wants us to give ourselves away in ways that do NOT attract attention. “Do not let your left hand know what right is doing.” (Matthew, Chapter 6)

          While Jesus arrives as “celebrity”, he gives an example of sacrifice to follow that we can all follow.

[_00-c_]       Renewal is the Good News of the Gospel and this renewal – which is at first celebrated – seems to be a CALAMITY, a DISASTER.

          Soon after the celebration, Jesus is arrested thrown in jail.

And it's no surprise that this fire Pharisees and scribes had been waiting for some time to trap Jesus, they have a plan.

Jesus the celebrity becomes now Jesus, the criminal or conspirator, and they're going to take Jesus down. What takes Jesus down? It's not just because the Pharisees and scribes get together and plot his downfall.

It's not because Judas Iscariot betrays him or Peter denies him 3x.  What takes Jesus down is that Jesus willingly takes the fall for you and me in being punished for our sinfulness.

His calamity, is our currency that his calamity is profitable for you and me, his loss is our gain. Jesus's loss is our profit.

Sometimes in a calamity, good things can happen.

In Ukraine right now, there are devastating calamities, disastrous outcomes, injuries and deaths of many people, but are they're not also new, renewed examples of courage and bravery and charity, which will be remembered long after the war. Have you ever had to face down an adversary to yourself or to your family? Have you ever had to stand up to a bully? This can be a calamity. Have you ever had to fight fair when someone else was fighting? unfairly or unjustly?

All of these are examples of sharing in the cross of Jesus, it's not easy to pick up our cross a new each day is sometimes feels like a calamity or disaster.

St. Paul expressed in the 2^nd reading last Sunday, that he regards all his possessions as “loss” because of what he gains by surrendering them to God.

On a human level, I suggest we already do this with some intention. That is, parents give up conveniences so that they can see their children prosper.

And, doctors and nurses and medical professionals and firefighters and police officers and paramedics of all kind will place themselves in harm’s way for the good of a patient.

And there, there are moments in a disaster when we just have to pray, Lord, help me to see you so that I can see you along the way of the cross. So first, there's Jesus the celebrity then there's Jesus, the calamity.

[_00-d_]       Jesus comes to renew us in the Gospel with a certainty, a certainty that if we unite our sufferings to his, we can gain something greater.

          St. Paul wrote in 1^st Corinthians that the cross and suffering appear to be foolish to those who are not being saved, but those who are being saved, there is wisdom in suffering.

          This does not mean that God wishes to inflict punishment on you or on me…or that we should go out seek to be punished or beat ourselves up due to our own perception of our faults.

          There is also not a lot of use in comparing the timeline for “salvation” for someone else to yourself. My brother was trying to figure out whether he would get his passport, based on when I got mine. You cannot figure out governmental efficiency that way…you also cannot figure out God that way.

          Rather, the certainty is that Jesus has died for your sins ..which are different than my sins… and wishes to raise you up with him.  You and I hope to reach the same destination – heaven – but there will be different path, different struggles for everyone in this church and beyond….

Jesus is not simply a celebrity with an endorsement and a “following”… and his death was not a disaster or calamity.

His death and resurrection are a certainty that we have an identity even longer lasting than a passport and a home with him beyond this life where there is more suffering and dying.  [_fin_]