Zacchaeus. Out on a limb. Contrition (2022-10-30, Sunday-31)

__ Click Here for Audio of Homily___  

___ Click Here for Video of Mass ____ 

 2022-10-30 – 31^st Sunday      ● ● Wisdom 11:22-12:2  ● Psalm 145 ●   2 Thessalonians 1:11-2:2 ●●  + Luke 19:1-10 ● ●  

 [__00-a__]     Zacchaeus climbs up a tree, climbs up a sycamore tree. He goes up the trunk of the tree and out on a branch or out on a limb, to see Jesus. Anyone or any animal could climb a tree go out on the branch / out on the limb in to reach someone / something. And at the end of this homily, I'd like to talk about that expression of going out on a limb or what it means to take a risk.

 [__01 __]      Several years ago, I learned something about sorrow, contrition, and conversion. But, I was not in church at the time hearing confessions.

           I had arrived recently and was a new parish priest / pastor for you, assigned here by the Archbishop.

At the time I was a newer and inexperienced parish priest.   Now I'm an older and inexperienced parish priest.

This was the story about “sorrow” or “being sorry.”   I had a 10 am in the morning meeting scheduled with 1 of our building contractors about a repair on the church. The man, the contractor arrived, and he arrived a few minutes early.  As the clock struck 10 am o'clock, I was trying to finish something up and did not come to meet him right away… I was about 5-10 minutes late for him.

In my heart, I was feeling my usual vanity or pride, and really didn't think that my lack of punctuality was any big deal. After all, this contractor was here to see me. We were going to be paying him for his services. Did it really matter? As they say, the customer is always right. And I was the customer.

But just to be polite, I told man waiting to see me “Sorry, I'm late.” 

But he knew that I was not sorry. How did I know? Because he told me. He told me face to face, in person, and man to man, “You're not sorry.”

And as only a respected man of experience in years could say to me as a younger person, “You're not sorry.” He was absolutely correct. He put me in my place without being angry or resentful, or bitter. He was good natured. He was even laughing. He was Christ to me in that moment.

[__02__]      What does it mean to have a contrite heart, contrite spirit, true sorrow?

Here's another example about a lack of punctuality, not being on time, sorrow.

One things I learned from my own family --- in the seminary and priesthood studies of the rules of the Ferry family house --- is that sometimes the breaking of rules that it was possible for me to break the rules.

And if I, as long as I avoided being caught that I could avoid being sorry, right. That's what kids think. If I don't get caught, I won't have to be sorry.

One particular evening, I arrived home very late. Now this was when after I had a driver's license. I was 19 years old. At this point, I pulled into the driveway and had been driving my father’s car. I’d been out with my friends.

My father was inconvenienced by my lateness because he wanted to leave on vacation that evening, and he couldn't leave. Because he didn't have his car.

There was no cell phone, no GPS, no way to check on me where I was. And when I arrived home in the middle of the night, my father was not visibly angry with me. He was upset, but I think it was partially relieved that I was still alive that it was actually breathing.

But I was at that moment, sorry. Yes, I had gotten away with being out all night. But I realized that my actions had caused trouble had called heart ache, or learned something about contrition and a contrite spirit.

[PEER PRESSURE] And also I had to ask myself about whether it's really worth it to give into peer pressure, and to do everything my friends were doing. Was that really worth it? I was sorry.

[__03__]       In the Gospel, this Sunday, we read about Zacchaeus, the tax collector.

Hearing this gospel, I'm always reminded about a moment when I was a teenager, in a Catholic CYO youth group. And I was asked to give a talk, a witness talk on a retreat to my peers.

And the biblical reading associated with the talk was this one. Luke chapter 19, 1 à 10, Zacchaeus climbs the tree. The title of the talk was “OUT ON A LIMB”.   The expression pertains to an animal or person going further and further from the trunk of the tree to reach something or someone.  

Zacchaeus climbed the sycamore tree, went out on a limb to see Jesus.

 

[Z] takes a risk. It’s dangerous. His, his people, the Jewish people, were not in favor of [Z]  making repentance. They did not think he was capable of any sorrow or real repentance or anything trustworthy.

[Z] was super negative [----], as though – in modern day terms – he wre Wall Street financier doing insider trading making tons of money for himself while everyone else was loving money. Somebody who traded on insider information. [Z] = Bernie Madoff who many investors – especially in NYC - with his pyramid scheme. Bernie Madoff was gaining while others lost and even though he died in prison, people might still wonder if was really sorry or sufficiently punished.

[Z] was gaining while other people were losing. And, for many years he was absolutely not sorry ! [Z] was the white collar criminal par excellence.  He was stealing from his own people and making the Roman Empire prosper. And even worse, he was a chief tax collector and a very wealthy man.

[__04__]       In my own “”Out on a Limb” talk, I told my youth group peers of an event in which some of them were actually involved.

It was about my failure to go out on a limb when I could have!  A few months before that in the summertime, our youth group had been on a summertime trip to a theme park called Vernon Valley Action Park here in NW NJ, water rides, car, go karts, pools, etc.

It was a great day with a strict deadline to meet at front gate in the parking lot by the bus at 4 pm..

I was in a group however, that decided that the 4 pm rule did not apply to us.  We missed the bus, but got a ride because one of the chaperones stayed behind with her blue Chevrolet station wagon and drove us home in the blue Chevy station wagon. But there were consequences for our actions. And I knew afterwards, I knew I had let people down. 

And I decided to go along with this group because I thought going along with this group was going to make me cool going along with this group was going to be my path to growing up my path to adulthood, strength, etc.

I told my peers how I'd given into peer pressure, and really let other people down that I was just going along with the crowd.  I had failed to go out on a limb. My “talk” went over well !

But was I really sorry? I asked myself this because sometime later, after I gave the talk, I had a talk with the parish priest who was on the trip with us. His name was Father Anthony.

Father Anthony was the leader and chaperone of the trip. And he told me he thanked me for reflecting on that episode, for getting up and telling the story for going out on a limb by telling the truth of what had happened.

But the truth was that I had failed and let down the group.  Father Anthony told me he was pretty angry that day, felt hurt by what we done and after all, he was responsible for all of us.

I was 16 but I learned something about the priesthood that day I learned something about his fatherly role to us. And I learned that my actions had consequences for him, but also that my confession had consequences.

My contrition had consequences. Confession has consequences. Contrition has consequences Absolution has a consequence. Mercy has a consequence.

God's mercy is greater than any of our sins. Jesus comes to save you and me who are lost. He says today to Zacchaeus, to you, to me, invites us to conversion and also that he that he wants to enter into your life and my own, with urgency à “come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house”  (Luke 19:5)  [__end__]    

Glory. Pharisee. Tax Collector (2022-10-23, Sunday - 30)

__ Click Here for Audio of Homily___  

___ Click Here for Video of Mass ____ 

2022-10-23 –30^th Sunday     ● ●  Sirach 35:12-14 16-18  ● Psalm 34 ●   2 Timothy 4:6-8,16-18  ●●  Luke 18:9-14 ● ●      Title:  Glory. Pharisee. Tax Collector

 [__01__]    [WCD]  When was the last time someone gave you a compliment? Do you recall how it made you feel appreciated and recognized?

Just in case it has been a while, since your last compliment, there is a day on the calendar to look forward to. I just read this. There is something called “World Compliment Day”. March 1, 2023.  Save the date.  “World Compliment Day”.

          “W.C.D.” is an effort based on research and science behind “praise”. That being praised or being affirmed – receiving a compliment – helps us to learn, to grow.

          Yes, this is a psychological mindset that has manufactured the artifact of a celebration.  Sort of like having a knee replacement – the replacement knee joint is manufactured… but it does actually enable you to walk …it is based on who you areSo, “World Compliment Day“ may sound artificial, but there could there be something to learn here, something real.

[__02__]    [Aquinas, Glory 1-2, 1 Thess 5]  In a book about the real virtue of Love and the thoughts of St. Thomas Aquinas, the author (Josef Pieper, Faith Hope Love, p. 186) writes this that what we are all hoping for is to be GLORIFIED, to be PRAISED.  (That may sound it surprising or “unreal”  but it is true).

          We come to church for glory of God, but we also come to church and to pray in order to understand the meaning of “praise’ and glory in our own lives and to gain the glory of eternal life.  Achieving “glory” is the real supreme goal of our lives.

          The writer (Josef Pieper, Faith Hope Love, p. 186)  observed this – which resonated with me – perhaps it resonates with you. There is hardly anything we want so ardently as to be

(1^st) praised or acknowledged;

(2^nd) helped or assisted.

          And, if we deny our need for praise or help,  that does not just mean that we are failing to observe “World Compliment Day”, but also that we are not quite hearing the Gospel message either.

          This is one thing we can learn very well from small children, in that they – in real and true purity of heart –accept praise and accept help. They accept being “glorified”.    We – on the other hand – as young people or young adults or grown-up’s we may reject compliments, turn away from praise or deny our need for help either from God or neighbor.

          Praise is our goal both in “life” and beyond our earthly lives. We praise children even before they are born. We also praise people after they die. In both of these cases, we are also praising God for the gift of life.

          Not all praise is mere flattery. St. Paul writes to the Thessalonians: “Encourage one another and build one another up … see that no one returns evil for evil, always seek what is good.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11, 15)   We need praise and encouragement to grow.

[__03__]    [1^st 2^nd, P, TC  - talk to self] There is a parable in the Gospel this Sunday about 2 people who go up to the Temple to pray. They have 2 very different attitudes about being “glorified”.

          The 1^st–the Pharisee – he thinks he is already glorified and praised and he is exalting himself

          The 2^nd person – the tax collector – knows he is not yet glorified and he calls out to God begging for mercy, for help, assistance.  By humbling himself, he is exalted.

The one who should know better – the Pharisee, a religious leader – is striking out, falling behind and showing himself to be very self-absorbed and unable and unwilling to turn his life over to God. (Pharisee is falling behind as though he is “NY Yankees ” falling behind to the Astros in MLB playoffs). This is stated quite explicitly in the text that the Pharisee is described talking to himself rather than to God.

[__04__]   [talk to self, preoccupy, cnfszn, 51^st ]         Do you ever do this, talk to yourself rather than talk to God? If so, I am glad that I am not the only one walking around talking to himself!

If you see me talking to myself, it may indicate that I am simply pre-occupied temporarily with something. You may talk to yourself when you are temporarily pre-occupied, whether trying to remember a password or find your keys, your computer malfunctioned.

          Regardless of the reason for your self-pre-occupation, you may be startled easily frightened when someone walks up right behind us while we are so absorbed.  We may not even recognize that we are in a bubble of self-absorption.

          The probability is fairly good that I will be able to see the pride and arrogance in someone else  more clearly or more quickly than I see it in myself.

          The reason that we have in Catholicism – the sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation is to recognize that we need not simply talk to ourselves about our sins. We can also talk to God. As we read in the 51^st psalm: “a humble contrite heart O God you will not spurn.”   The act of being contrite and repentant reminds us to turn to God’s grace rather than to our own strength.

[__05__]     [UCLA]  There was once a famous college NCAA basketball coach – in California at UCLA – who was known not only for championships and slam dunks but also for the discipline and structure he taught his players many of whom were superbly gifted. And, they were on the road to “glory.”

          His name was John Wooden – and one of famous quotes is this –

“Talent is god given. Be humble.

Fame is man-given. Be grateful.

Conceit is self-given.  Be careful.”

          In other words, all of us have gifts and talents but we should neither boast about them nor conceal them. Just be humble.  And, if we can some recognition or success, it’s OK to accept a compliment. Be grateful.  But, also be aware that it’s possible to be so pumped up or puffed in pride about ourselves..that we could become conceited. Be careful.

          He who humbles himself will be exalted. He who exalts himself will be humbled.   [__END__]   

Who You Know (Persistent Widow) (2022-10-16, Sunday-29)

__ Click Here for Audio of Homily___

___ Click Here for Video of Mass ____ 

2022-10-16 –29th Sunday    ● ●  Exodus 17:8-13  ● Psalm 121 ●   2 Timothy 3:14-4:2 ●●  Luke 18:1-8 ● ●     Title: Persistent Widow / Who You Know

 [__01__]     Remember the old saying, it's not what you know, it's who you know.  Meaning: We, as people,  benefit more from personal connections (to people who can help us) than from our own intellectual knowledge.

          So … friendship and connections are important. But, how do you know if someone is a friend or ally?

          St. Augustine wrote that a friends is someone who will speak the truth to you, even bitterly and still love you. A foe is someone who flatters you and despises you. (Josef Pieper, Faith Hope Love, page 187)

          And, in Ephesians 4:15, St. Paul urges us to “speak the truth in love“

          Also, none of us can look on comfortably seeing someone choose what is convenient over what is actually good.  (Josef Pieper, Faith Hope Love, page 187)

[__02__]     Here is one example – publicly known example – where doing what was good was not convenient and was also a controversial solution to a difficult problem.

In 2018, the following incident happened in Thailand in southeast Asia. 12 young boys – who were on a Thai soccer team – went for a recreational expedition to a cave underground.  This is reported in the real-life documentary “Thirteen Lives” (Ron Howard).  The real-life events demonstrate what is possible with great perseverance and love. It was a very difficult rescue with local politicians involved and a not-very-clear solution. The experts eventually recommended – and succeeded in rescuing all 12 boys and their coach – by sedating them medically and carrying them through the waters and cave asleep.  It required great perseverance which is what we expect from experts and rescuers. It also required love…

 [__03__]     St. Augustine wrote that the reason you are called to love your neighbor is to teach your neighbor about the love of God.

          The widow of the parable demonstrates this connection between love of neighbor and love of God.

          We might wonder – regarding this widow – how she felt about so many rejections, so many failed attempts to secure her rights, how she felt about the person of the judge.

          Whatever her feelings were , they do neither deter nor distress her.

          Could we not say that the widow is living out the character of charity written of by Paul in 1^st Corinthians 13, i..e, the widow is “not inflated, not rude, not quick tempered, not brooding over injury but rejoicing  in the truth.”

          In Gospel terms, she is loving her enemy as though he is her neighbor.  Jesus said, “Love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you.”

 [__04__]     You and I are also called to the same love and prayer. Persevering. It’s not what you know it’s who you know. And we know the love of God in Jesus Christ.

          Do we not face difficult persons or circumstances from someone who does not give us what we want? This is what the persistent widow faces in the parable.

          Who is that person for you – a neighbor on your street, co-worker or boss, your child’s teacher, your relative or spouse..  

          In all these circumstances, I recommend you pray to your own Guardian Angela and to the Guardian Angel of the other person.

          We also can prepare ourselves for confrontations and encounters with difficult people by going to confession, it helps us to grow in trust and love of both neighbor and God, so that we can meet the other person with a  clear conscience, as we read in the 51^st psalm: “a humble contrite heart O God you will not spurn.”

 [__05__]      The widow of the parable – by her persistence teaches us about love of God and love of neighbor and teaches us to love the difficult person by praying for him or her. And to love God who is our helper.

          God is not the foe or adversary who will flatter us but really despises us. God is the friend who will speak the truth.

          St. Augustine’s point is that love of neighbor is the means by which we teach others to love God. It;’s not what you know, it’s who you know.

 

[__06_]     Here are 3 examples – 1 is my own, the other 2 were told to me. Love is about “who you know.” These are “1^st day of school examples.”

On my own 1^st day of high school, one of my classmates noticed that he and I were scheduled to attend all of the same classes. So, at the end of the 1^st day, he said to me, we are in class together, let’s be friends. I have never had such an explicit invitation to friendship. And, to this day, we are still friends. And I have also come to know his whole family well. That was a good 1^st day !

Another example, a boy I know goes off to his first day of school and he’s really worried upset, in distress. In fact, at times there are real tears and he is crying. Another child finds his behavior unacceptable and says to him, “You know, buddy, only babies cry!” That’s not a good 1^st day.

3^rd example, a different boy is also crying on his 1^st day. A classmate approaches him, confidently knowing – through his elder siblings – that the 1^st grade classroom has a nice aquarium with fish inside. He puts his arm around his weeping classmate and says, “You know there are goldfish and tropical fish in there…”

In which of these examples, is the person taught to love school?

By our own prayer, perseverance, petition, we are called to hear the word, not to give up, so that we can teach others to love God by whom we have been loved first. It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.  [__end__]  

1 of 10. Francis. Trinity (2022-10-09, Sunday - 28)

__ Click Here for Audio of Homily___

___ Click Here for Video of Mass ____ 

 2022-10-09 –28^th Sunday     ● ●  2 Kings 5:14-17 ● Psalm 98 ●   2 Timothy 2:8-13 ●●  Luke 17:11-19 ● ●

[__01_]    Have you heard this one, this joke:   A man is driving his car around searching for a parking space in a crowded city, urban center, but he is finding nothing available.. As he drives around he begins to desperately pray to God.    “Please God, if you find me a parking spot I will make --- [list of possible changes to his life in terms of prayer, activity, honesty, charity, etc.  ]”

A moment later, he turns the corner and sees an available parking spot open up for his car. He gasps and heads toward it. Then remembers and calls out to God one more time, follow up on his earlier desperate petition, informing God:  “Never mind!  I found a space already!”

Do we give thanks for waiting, for the waiting process?

[__02__]       This past Tuesday, October 4 was the feast of St. Francis of Assisi and Francis of Assisi (Italy) north of Rome, 1181 - 1226.

And Francis of Assisi experienced a profound change in his life due to an encounter with a sick person, specifically because of an encounter of a man with leprosy, a very sick person. It was a Trinity moment, but he Francis did not see it that way at first.

It was also an experience of delay – of waiting …

That is also the Gospel this Sunday. Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem on his way to becoming the Paschal Victim on the Cross  / Calvary. En route, Jesus encountered 10 men with leprosy in a public place. Jesus did not shy away.  They were waiting for him. And, the “delay” and “disease” of leprosy brings them into contact with Christ.

1 of the 10 sees the blessing in this and returns to give thanks.

It was a very positive experience for and with the man with leprosy.

The very first of experience of

Francis of Assisi, with persons with leprosy was not so positive. Frances of Assisi wanted to withdraw, to escape. Francis wrote this about leprosy and his early perceptions of leprosy. Francis wrote this:  [paraphrased] “when I was in sin – i.e., before my conversion - the sight of those with the disease of leprosy made me very ill, very sick beyond measure, but then God led me into their company and I had pity on them when I became acquainted with them, what had previously made me very sick mentally and physically became the source of spiritual and physical consolation for me.”   Francis of Assisi reported later that he could see Christ Himself in the person with leprosy.  There was community for Francis

At first, then, Francis of Assisi was unable to “deliver” on the “love”  or “mercy” or “forgiveness” God was calling him to. I often fail – at times – in my attempts to deliver the message. I need the Holy Spirit, the Trinity to work …

“The process of becoming a Christian begins only when a person sloughs (pushes away) off any illusion of being autonomous and self sufficient.”
(Benedict XVI, Dogma and Preaching, “Ch. 25 Lent”,  San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2011 p. 280)

Your Christian identity is affirmed when you realize you are dependent on others.  This is the Trinity.

[__03__]      In the Gospel, this Sunday, we read about Jesus traveling to Jerusalem. He encountered the 10 men with leprosy.

Jesus healed them, sent all of them off to the temple for their healing to be recognized, and for them to be reconciled to the community. According to Jewish tradition, and the Levitical priesthood, it was the task of the temple priests to certify the one previously known as a leper now to be clean and recognize reconciled with the community

Of the 10, one is the 2x double “outsider” because of both his leprosy and his “Samarian / non Jewish identity”.  It is ironic that he is the one to return giving thanks.

 [__04__]      We don't come to God alone.  We become Christians and disciples through the sacraments of the church.

In the sacrament of baptism, for example, you and I, were most likely brought us to the baptismal font by our parents and godparents.

The pouring of water is a visible form, but invisibly is the forgiveness of sin and eternal life.

Every sacrament has an outward visible form, and then an invisible reality, to remind us that we didn't become Christians alone, but in communion and in community.

 [__05__]      Many times during my ministry as a priest here at Our Lady of Lourdes, I have been reminded to praise God to give thanks and to recognize that I do not carry out this ministry of the priesthood alone.

 [__06__]    Many years ago, when I was a teenager in H.S., I was waiting in a hospital ER emergency room to receive stitches on the side of my head.  It was nothing serious. That’s why I was in the queue; in line; it could wait. But, I also had a desire to be healed, to be made whole. Do you not also want to be seen and to be healed when you are not feeling well?

While I was waiting, I saw – across the corridor 1 of my H.S. classmates. He was not a patient, but a working as volunteer on the EMS / ambulance corps.  I was surprised but also very relieved to see a friendly face.

We talked; he listened to me, asked how I was. He was totally not - to use a clinical term - freaked out, which helped to reduce any freak-out factor in me about being in the ER.

We talked about stuff and he gave me the opportunity to appear to be brave and courageous to one of my peers. That was a plus!  It also passed the time !

Back at school, the next day, I enjoyed telling my friends at school later how I had endured a hospital ER visit, had stitches, and seen one of our classmates. That was positive as well.

It was a moment that would be influential in my understanding of the Christian life and my calling to be present to someone who is sick or in need. As I had received, I would be called to give. The moment was also influential in my calling and understanding of the priesthood. But we are called to visit the sick and to recognize Christ is the one we are visiting.

Also, the delay and “distress” of the E.R. was a moment of God and Trinity for me.

When you think of the word “Trinity” or “Holy Trinity”, what comes to mind for you? Naturally, logically, we may think the 3 persons – Father – Son and Holy Spirit – who form a very lofty “3 person” ideal of God.

It is a lofty – heavenly – ideal. But it also a practical reality for you – for me – whether at someone’s bedside, at the kitchen table, in the car.

Some of you come here to church to this XYZ-30 Mass, but you are part of the Church's larger body of Christ, and the body of Christ grows and reaches us fulfillment and needs you to become the church, your prayers, your petition, your conversion matter.

It is a trinity moment to visit a sick person to recognize that Christ/God is present between you and your family member or spouse or friend. You + the other + the love between you forms a trinity.

To put it another way, marriage of 2 people is not just about husband + wife = 2, but wife + husband + love (who is God) = 3.

The Trinity reminds us that we are not alone … in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.   [END]

Identity Crisis. (2022-10-02, Sunday - 27th)

__ Click Here for Audio of Homily___

___ Click Here for Video of Mass ____ 

2022-10-02   (27^th Sunday)   Title:   Identity Crisis 

● ●  Habakkuk 1:23-3, 2:2-4 ● Psalm 95 ●   2 Timothy 1:6-8, 13-14 ●●   Luke  17:5-10 ● ●

[__01__]     Have you ever had an identity crisis? Have you ever seen anybody have an identity crisis? Perhaps you've had one, or more than one I've had more than one in my life. At the end of this homily, I'd like to talk about one example ….

[__02__]     What is an identity crisis? An identity crisis is a term used by psychologists, counselors to describe a period of uncertainty or confusion in a person about his or her role.  E.g., “1^st day of school” = identity crisis.   “New job” = I.C.;   “Being retired = I.C.  Being a mother or father = “I.C.”

          All of these are identities that we have.

The disciples are having a bit of an identity crisis, they “text” Jesus a short message today, “Increase our faith”, which could be abbreviated on screen: “Increase R Faith.”

They “text” this because they don't know how to pray, they're not sure not sure of their confidence in God.

Jesus’ reply: you only need a little bit of faith. You only need faith the size of a mustard seed and that mustard seed would like a little seed or grass seed that is buried in the dirt or in the soil would grow into a big plant.

Jesus is telling them that their identity is going to affect their mission. In other words, what we believe about ourselves will affect how we behave, what I believe affects how I behave, either for good or for ill.

 [__03__]      One example, in the Lord’s Prayer we express a belief or identity, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

          That’s a belief.   But do I really pray for forgiveness or for mercy? If someone has hurt me, sometimes I do the opposite of that, if I feel hurt, I may wish ill on the other person, I may not pray for forgiveness or mercy for the other person.

          That problem was in me, what I really needed was a little bit of faith, faith the size of a mustard seed. What I believed (my identity) affected how I behaved (my mission).

 [__04__]    [ROSARY] October is the the month of the Rosary. On October 7, we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Rosary.

And the Rosary is part of the identity of our parish of Our Lady of Lourdes. It's also part of the identity of the first Lourdes shrine in France, on the mosaic on the vertical borders of the mosaic on the on the right and on the left. There are little ovals/circles are rosary beads, signifying also the rosary beads Bernadette herself is carrying and praying in the in the apparition of Our Blessed Mother at Lourdes.

The Rosary is a reminder of our identity. Part of our identity is to meditate on the mysteries of Jesus's life, the mystery of our blessed mother's life as well starting for example, with the Annunciation, the Annunciation = Good News of Jesus's birth announcement.

And we are called to meditate on that announcement each day and even to announce it to others, if not by our words than by our actions.

And if you don't pray the rosary, maybe you find I can't pray the rosary, the whole thing will I just ask you, perhaps one decade of the Rosary is a way to start takes about 2 ½ minutes to pray one decade. So it's a way to start and to meditate perhaps just on one mystery of Jesus's life.

That's part of our belief, part of our identity and it affects how we then behave, how we carry out our lives.

 [__05__]    [RESPECT LIFE]      October is also respect life month when we pray for the protection of life at all stages. And one way we carry out this identity is our Respect-Life team’s a baby shower, a charitable drive during this month. It's located to your left as you leave church today we're  collecting

new items for mothers and families in need mothers and families in need, who might be in a crisis pregnancy in an identity crisis pregnancy in an hour of severe need.

We are called to help them by what we believe and how we behave as well. Part of our Catholic belief part of our Catholic faith is to believe in the sanctity of life at all stages. Jesus is our Savior from the moment of conception, and life is both present and precious from the moment of conception.

Is it true that children are born into this world in horrific and violent circumstances? Yes, that's true. But they also come into the world because of an act of God's love. We don't create life ourselves. We share in God's creative power.

The church also opens her doors to all women, men, mothers, fathers, families who have been hurt in any way, by abortion or also by, by extension by miscarriage. There's a ministry called Rachel's Vineyard which offers a confidential setting, a retreat setting for women and men to come to, to confess their sins to meditate on the parables of Jesus to know God's mercy in their lives, both through the Rachel's vineyard retreats and through counseling. That meant private counseling that may happen outside of Rachel's vineyard.

There's information about this. On the archdiocese and website there's information about this if you want to see me. Also, there's a person in the Archdiocese that I want you to know about Cheryl Riley, who runs the Respect Life ministry for the Archdiocese is available to speak to anybody confidentially at any time. You can ask me for Cheryl's number, you can Google Cheryl Riley at Archdiocese of Newark to contact her as well.  Cheryl Riley at 973.497.4350 or email, Cheryl.Riley@RCAN.ORG.

Click here for Archdiocese of Newark Respect Life.

 [__06__]    Identity affects our mission; what we believe affects how we behave. True for Jesus’ disciples; true for you and me.  Here's an example of one- day identity crisis. You might an identity crisis takes longer than 1 day. But this is just one example that boils down some of my own personality, some of my own flaws, waywardness.

 This was many years ago, I was in on a trip to Washington, DC, and I was getting out of a taxi cab accidentally. As I got out of taxi cab, I dropped my wallet, my identity, my credentials, my credit cards, my money, everything.

I didn't realize this until until about 30 minutes later, there was no Uber back then I couldn't call the driver to retrieve my wallet. In fact, I didn't even know that my wallet was in the cab. The driver came back to the building and tried to find me he couldn't find me. Meanwhile, I had to fly back, come back here to New Jersey to Newark airport the same day.

If this this had happened, in our modern era of airport security and ID checks, I would still be in Washington, DC  !

Now fortunately, I retained one thing important. I had not lost was the paper printed ticket to get on the airplane. You could get on an airplane with no ID at that time. Hard to believe! But that was the deal. You were just you were just a number. I was just a number I got on the plane, I In other words, I had a mission.

However, I had no way to prove my identity. Along the way, I was in great distress. I was pretty worried. I went to somebody I worked with at that location / office. I didn't know too many people very well. And I borrowed some money, some cash, so that I could buy lunch so I could buy a ties pay for a taxi to get home.

I paid that person back. But, during my little identity crisis, I acted very locally, very privately, I didn't think globally. And I didn't think about God, I don't think I made a single prayer that day, or a real prayer anyway.

In other words, I reached out only to that one person I didn't call I had one of my own friends, a college roommate who worked across town in DC, you think I called him? No, I was embarrassed about what had happened. I didn't want to admit it.

I didn't call my mother or father, I didn't call a single friend or family member back here in NJ to tell them. I wanted to go through this and alone. That was my identity, my belief. It was not a spiritually healthy or mentally healthy choice. But that was my choice at that moment. God does not want you to go through life alone. God wants you and me to go through life in communion with Him.

I paid back the people that I borrowed money from along the way, that $$ got me to my destination. But life is not just about paying back what you owe, or getting what you  deserve. We don't come to church simply to pay back to God what we owe, we come to church, yes, are meditating on the commandments.

There are things we are called to repent of to reform our lives about but that we're not here to pay back to God what we owe Jesus, Jesus through his life gave us more than we could ever give back.

He gave us his whole life. And this was exemplified to me in the story in a sense of my wallet and identity. The next passenger in the cab who got in after me retrieved my wallet from the floor, he gave it to the driver of the taxi cab. The driver their taxi cab went to the trouble of calling “411” to looked up my address call me here in New Jersey.

And there was a message on my answering machine -- the blinking red light -- when I got home from the driver telling me that he would return my wallet to me in whatever way I wanted.

If I came back to Washington, he would give it to me then he would send it to me whatever I wanted. The only thing he would not do, he would accept absolutely no money, no monetary reward of any kind.

He only wanted to restore to me what was mine. He didn't want me to pay him back. Life is more about more than pay back. It is about communion with God, communion with others and to remember that you are worth more than any possession. Even if you feel lost even if you feel alone. The church is here the sacraments are here to help you to guide you to help you get back on track for me as well to get back on track to remember that God loves us and that he always has our back  [__end_]