To Those To Whom Much is Given... (Easter 2nd Sunday, April 15, 2023)

___ Click Here for Audio of Homily ___  

__ Click Here for Video of Mass___ 

Homily file for April 16, 

 [_01__]  As you and I go through our daily lives, we are told to appreciate meaningful experiences, to count blessings, to feel grateful for benefits we have.  Researchers have shown that such an investment of counting your blessings leads to the payback of better psychological and  physical well-being.

           Recently, I had the untimely - but also fortunate experience - of being helped through Holy Week and Easter by our visiting priests, by you - our parishioners - by friends who checked in on me.

           Just after Palm Sunday and before Good Friday, I lost my voice. Laryngitis.

           My doctor told me of his own experience with the condition. This was also a blessing. I felt better, both physically and psychologically. I can count my blessings. Thank you.

 [_02__]  Do you remember that there is a parable / example of being blessed – the “parable of the talents” ?

 In the parable, there is an unequal distribution to each of the persons, but each of the 3 is called to invest, use, make use of his or her talents.

 And, of the 3 recipients of the money, one does not invest his money, he hides the money. And, as a result, this money/talent is taken from him and given to the others.

 And, the punch line of the parable is: “to those to whom much is given, much will be expected.”  (Luke or Gospel ___  ? )

 This is, also, I suggest an important part of what it means to “count  your blessings.”

 “to those to whom much is given, much will be expected.”  (Luke or Gospel ___  ? )

 During Holy Week, while I could not speak or say Mass for Easter, I was also being asked to remember this –  “to those to whom much is given, much will be expected.”  (Luke or Gospel ___  ? )

 

[_03__]  In Acts of the Apostles, 2nd chapter, we read that the early Christians “devoted themselves to the teaching of the Apostles and to the communal life … all who believed were together and had all things in common. ”(Acts 2:___)

 

They were counting their blessings, but they were also recognizing to those to whom much was given much would be expected.

 

The early Church Christians were not wealthy or living in large houses, but they also saw that the gift of the Eucharistic - of Christ’s Body and Blood was a reason for them to be generous to others.

 

I am inspired by the ways in which I see you - the people of God of Our Lady of Lourdes - generous not only to me, but also to each other, to those whom you know and those whom you do not know.

 

I try to remember the way that lessons of mission and ministry were passed down to me. In the seminary, we had a very good priest - Monsignor Robert Coleman - who also says Mass here at Lourdes. Monsignor Coleman is very reverent, serious …and one Ash Wednesday he was celebrating Mass in the seminary chapel and in the middle his homily when the cell phone loudly rang one of our seminary employees. 

 

Knowing Monsignor Coleman to be calm but also dignified, I did not know how he would react.   The cell phone was answered loudly in the middle of his homily as the person walked out the door, right behind the pulpit, saying “Hello, Hello !”

         

Monsignor Coleman did even shrug his shoulders.

 

“to those to whom much is given, much will be expected.”  (Luke or Gospel ___  ? )

It was a lesson to me in being calm, one that I have not fully learned.

It was also a lesson that the Mass -or going to church - does not belong to the priest. It is a ritual action belonging to God.

We are his servants.

We are his imperfect servants.

Count your blessings.

[_03__]  In the Gospel of John, this Sunday, we read that Jesus commanded his apostles

 

“Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them and who sins you retain are retained.”

(John 20:___)

 

Why do we practice forgiveness and mercy in the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation?

 

We could say that we practice this because it is commanded. But, more importantly it is commanded because it is good.

 

And … also 

 

“to those to whom much is given, much will be expected.”  (Luke or Gospel ___  ? )

 

Jesus has delivered all of us from our sins, but he has not yet made this deliverance explicitly known to everyone.

 

It was made explicitly known to the apostles. When and how was it made explicitly known?

 

That was at the Last Supper, which we recalled in our Solemn Celebration of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday.

 

This is our faith….

 

As we read in the Catholic Catechism, the gospel is the revelation of Jesus Christ, of God's mercy to sinners. The angel announced to St. Joseph, the husband of Mary, you shall call Him Jesus for for he will save his people from their sins. The same is true of the Eucharist, the sacrament of redemption. This is the blood of the covenant, which is poured out for the forgiveness of sins. (CCC # ____)

 

Jesus loves you and me so much that he died for our sins. 

 

“But God commendeth his charity towards us; because when as yet we were sinners, according to the time, Christ died for us; much more therefore, being now justified by his blood, shall we be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son; much more, being reconciled, shall we be saved by his life” (Romans 5:8-10)

 

And…  “to those to whom much is given, much will be expected.”  (Luke or Gospel ___  ? )

 

[_04__]  It used to be Catholic traditional practice that to go to confession was a very public and highly structured act.

 

          Catholics were even known to put off confession until they know they were going to die… until they were terminally ill….and they would do the penance at the last possible moment.

 

          Our modern practice of confession is, of course, different. But the reasons those early practices came into being was a recognition that sin affects not just the wrongdoer or sinner, but sin affects someone else, and may affect the whole community.

 

Penance was a structured way for the person to recognize that forgiveness - through Christ - is possible…. But also…

 

And…  “to those to whom much is given, much will be expected.”  (Luke or Gospel ___  ? )

 

          The way “scandals” are handled and prosecuted in the media, these days, or even the way that unpopular kids in school may find themselves in trouble has more connection to the early and public penance.

         

Consider -whether you are a junior at West Orange High School or a junior employee at a big company, do you not sometimes want to run and hide rather than admit you are wrong?

 

There is a price to pay for admitting you are wrong.

 

The Good News of our salvation and your possibility of mercy and forgiveness is that your sins - your faults - are only going to be conversation between you and God through the priest in the confessional.

 

Another Good-News aspect of the superiority to Catholic Confession to “social media” confession and so-called mercy is that you are not going to be judged on the quality of your contrition or the level of your sorrow.

 

Consider what happens when there is a public scandal or even when something goes wrong among a group of people.

 

The wrongdoer is judged also for how “sorry” he or she appears to be or whether he or she was just trying to “save face” or “avoid retribution.”

 

The sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation is so much beter, so much deeper.

 

God accepts you and me even if if our contrition is imperfect or - for now - incomplete.

 

In this we, you and I are all a bit like Thomas the Apostle who arrives late to the party, but still connects with Jesus.

 

The Easter Gospel of a shared life and community , of forgiveness through Christ reminds to count our blessings. 

 

Our main blessing is to have our sins forgiven.

 

That includes between 4:15 to 5 pm Saturdays, but also other times know that you can always call the rectory to see me to see a priest for confession. 

 

You're not bothering me by your requests. I assure you that your request helps me to grow in closer to our Lord and Savior.

 

If I seem busy, ask anyway. I might have to get back to you with an exact time. 

 

And…  “to those to whom much is given, much will be expected.”  (Luke or Gospel ___  ? )

Easter. Awakening. (2023-04-09)

 ● April 9, 2023 ● Easter  ●  ●  ● ● ●  ●       

[__01__]   The emotional tone of a wake is sometimes seen as more positive – and uplifting --  than a funeral (in church) due to the socially supportive atmosphere and the focus on the life rather than the death of the deceased.

          A “wake” is often regarded as a especially Catholic tradition of mourning in which we also gather in the presence of the body of the person who has died.

[__02__]  Many years ago, the wake or visitation to a person who had been terminally ill served a practical purpose … NOT JUST A SOCIALLY SUPPORTIVE PURPOSE… The family wanted to see if the person – over a a day or so …. could be revived, if her she would “wake up”.

          This was also reflected in Jewish tradition reported in the Gospel of John, chapter 11, the burial of Lazarus and the raising of Lazarus.

          We read that Lazarus was in the tomb for 4 days. This was a specific detail because Jewish tradition was that the soul and body separated in death after 3 days.

          So, this 4-day interval made the miracle of his Lazarus’ rising even more momentous. In other words, Lazarus had really died.

          And Lazarus had a remarkable turnaround to tell people later, he could truly report, “You know, I almost died once.” Not everyone can say this !

          In Lazarus’ case, his “wake” was not just a gathering to tell stories about someone who had died and was no longer there, but to realize the Good News that Jesus had announced to his disciples:

 “Our friend Lazarus is asleep, but I am going to awaken him.”  So the disciples said to him, “Master, if he is asleep, he will be saved.” But Jesus was talking about his death, while they thought that he meant ordinary sleep.

So then Jesus said to them clearly, “Lazarus has died.  And I am glad for you that I was not there, that you may believe. Let us go to him.” (John 11: __)

          It is important for John’s Gospel to report in the Lazarus episode and in the passion and death of our Lord to report the details that both Lazarus and Jesus have, in fact, died.

          Lazarus might say and you and I might say of her own fragile health or a serious condition – “I almost died” – but in the case of Lazarus and Jesus, they were in fact deceased.

          Recently, I was reading a short autobiography, by a physician, a brain surgeon who is himself terminally ill as a relatively young 30-xyz (check age) who died in March 2015. He died before he “finished” the book. At one point he wrote about the importance of being valiant and strong in the operating room, to work as hard as he could for his patients…while outside the operating room to report to them in ways that they could really understand, perhaps having to tell them more than once.

          Isn’t it true we often need the diagnosis and prescription from the doctor more than once?   In the book, he also writes that the original meaning of the word “patient” is the one who endures hardship and suffering without complaint.

          Though I have been a “patient” in doctor’s offices, this definition – hardship and suffering without complaint – does not match up with the name and date of birth on my chart.

[__03__] Is it not one of our greatest fears that not that we will die but that we may die far from home or far from family and friends or without assistance.

          One traditional night-time Catholic prayer that I favor is this –

          “Protect us Lord as we stay awake, watch over us as we sleep that awake we may keep watch with Christ and asleep rest in his peace.”

          In other words, regardless of whether my doctor is available or my family or my friends, let me know Lord, that you are here.

          This is not only true when we are feeling physically sick but also when we are quite well.

          Do you ever wonder what the work of your life,  your actions in life, your friendships, your taking care of your family, do ever wonder whether it has enduring meaning?

          And, for those who are older or infirm – in our midst – or in our homes, the way that we treat them when they are vulnerable witnesses to their lives having meaning.

          Mother Teresa of Calcutta who cared for the poorest of the poor in India often made observations about more affluent people in the so-called “west” meaning west of India/Asia, western Europe, the Americas. This could apply to West Orange 07052:

“The greatest disease in the West today is not TB or leprosy; it is being unwanted, unloved, and uncared for. We can cure physical diseases with medicine, but the only cure for loneliness, despair, and hopelessness is love. There are many in the world who  are many more dying for a little love. The poverty in the West is a different kind of poverty -- it is not only a poverty of loneliness but also of spirituality. There's a hunger for love, as there is a hunger for God.”

          We come to church on Easter Sunday to remember that Christ has died Christ is risen, Christ will come again. We also come, knowing that it in God’s love that you have new life, whether you are awake or asleep.   [__END__]

Palm Sunday (2023-04-02)

___ Click Here for Audio of Homily ___  

__ Click Here for Video of Mass___

 [__ver-03__]  ● April 2, 2023 ● Palm Sunday ●    ●  Isaiah 50:4-7 ● Psalm 22  ● Philippians 2:6-11 ●  Matthew 27 passion  ● 

Source(s)/Biblio:   ► Pope Benedict XVI (Josef Ratzinger), Dogma and Preaching (1973), San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2011.

[__01__]   The passion and death of Jesus our Lord – who goes to his death on the Cross without luxury and without celebration – highlights the meaning of St. Paul’s letter to Timothy:   “For we brought nothing into this world: and certainly we can carry nothing out.”  (1 Timothy 6:7)

 [__02__]   Pope Benedict XVI  (B16) wrote that for you and me to understand the process of living …it is not just about learning stuff in school, or learning to invest money wisely, to eat right or even find perfect spouse or career.

          All of these things, but they are not the ultimate good.

“For we brought nothing into this world: and certainly we can carry nothing out.”  (1 Timothy 6:7)

[__03_(a)_] We are called to learn the connection between “living” and “dying”. And, dying is not just about what happens after our heart gives out and the death certificate – your passport out of here – is stamped.

          In other words, we are called to “die” each day.

          By acts of prayer, fasting and alms/charitable giving, and visiting a sick person, loving the person who either cannot or will not love us in return. This is “taking up our cross and dying each day.”

I want to be careful here. Lent and the 40 days of Lent and the Christian disciplines are not nuanced or subtle self-harm or self-inflicted wound.

          We are not asked to abstain from meat on Fridays and to make material sacrifices just to “make ourselves miserable.”

          In a similar way, God does not want any young person – or any person – to inflict harm on himself.

[__04_(b)_]        We fast and pray – and do these disciplines during Lent to unite ourselves to Christ and reminder that he is in charge, not me, not you.

          Are we not often reminded that we cannot “control” the world or universe. We may get stuck behind a school bus, or derailed by someone else’s sinfulness or our own sinfulness.

          Do you want to be in charge?

          I Do ..but this “I Do” is not the vow that Jesus is asking of us.

          So, when we say no to ice cream or to entertainment or to the tablet/video, this helps us in little ways to allow God to be in charge.

          And, we do this not simply to lose weight or get in shape, but to prepare our hearts to for love and to resist “giving up” when things get tough.

[__04_(c)_] How do I give up when things get tough? From my perspective, I can give in to bitterness and resentment.           After all, I am in charge – right?

          But this bitterness and resentment can be also the sinful source of “bad” anger. Not all anger is bad. Some anger is righteous. Jesus demonstrated righteous anger (cleansing of Temple, admonition of Peter, or somewhat angrily telling Peter and others “stay awake”, etc).

          But, anger allowed to run rampant is fatal, toxic, lethal. And, as we read, the Lord does not want the sinner to die but to turn to him and live.

          So, in acknowledging our anger, we are also learning not only about how to live but also how to suffer and die.

          When Jesus could have been really angry, he said, forgive them father they not what they do.

          When I get hurt or frustrated or injured by others or by myself, I often do not say this. I need “practice” to learn this, to learn about “dying” – in a spiritual and charitable sense. not just as a medical reality at the end of life, but dying to myself each day.

Death is not something that simply befalls us.

[__05__]    Our solemn observances and prayers of Holy Week remind us that Jesus has died and yet he also promises to return. This was mysterious even to his own apostles and also to us today.

          To children, it may be difficult to understand or at least hard to pronounce.  One of my cousins told me a story about her grandchildren who were learning and even singing of the Paschal / Easter mystery of faith. But because they had no place intellectually place this new vocabulary word for Messiah = “Christ”, they replaced Jesus’ title with a similar sounding word, whether in long or short grain style:

          [ Rice has died  - Rice is risen  -        Rice will come again.]

[__06__]    They were onto something, because Jesus –while not being “rice”-- is the grain who falls upon the ground and dies, but he is also the grain that bears much fruit in Holy Communion. (cf. John 12:24)

          You and I are called to accept death and Christ’s death for us and  “translate that fact concretely into his own existence” (Dogma & Preaching, p. 250), citing such examples as –

·       Humiliation / be humbled by failure or sinfulness –

·       illness of oneself or loved one

·       Decline in one’s mental ability.

[alt from ver. 1] The Pope writesof such examples as humiliation or being humbled by a failure or sinfulness. Have you felt humbled or humiliated lately?

So also is the illness of you face or the infirmity of a loved … or the decline in one's mental ability, mental or physical ability.

All of these are example of dying and surrendering to God. In this regard, death is not a “blind fate … [but a] training in true freedom .” (Dogma and Preaching, p. 251)

      Jesus’ life your life, my life has value beyond this world. Learning this and living this has an effect has an effect not only you, but on your children, grandchildren,  generations who come after you.    “For we brought nothing into this world: and certainly we can carry nothing out.”  (1 Timothy 6:7)

But, we also trust that Christ, going before us in his Passion, shows us the value of traveling light and taking up our cross each day.  [__end__]

4 Dreams of St. Joseph (2023-03-20, St. Joseph Day)

● March 20, 2023 ● St. Joseph ●  ● 2 Samuel 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16 ● Psalm   89  ● Romans 4:13, 16-18 ●  Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24a ● 

 [__00-a__]   With the coming of Jesus as servant who is willing to give up his life for sinners, we see a new standard ---  for what it means for “father” and “son” to cooperate with each other.

          Being a son, I have a father. I have not always cooperated with him. There were times I “failed to cooperate” with him.

          Did you ever “fail to cooperate” with your mother or fail to cooperate with your father?

[__00-b__]   One of the ways in which we seek to imitate Joseph and reason we pray for his intercession is because he cooperated with God in a profound way, becoming the foster father of the 2^nd person of the trinity, Jesus, the incarnate son of God.

          We pray and praise “Joseph most obedient…”

          Joseph was obedient also as a “mediator” and “model” for Jesus.

          We read in the Gospel of John: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that all who believe in him might not perish but might have eternal life” (John 3:16).

          God the Father gave his only Son. Joseph – in a parallel – also gave his only Son to the world.

          Father Ronald Knox, a British priest and writer, observed that Joseph and Mary raised their son not only as their own , but also to give him away to the whole world.

[__00-c__]    Have you ever given your son or your daughter away?   To enable your child to grow up, to be educated, to get married, to choose his or own way, this involves “giving the child away.”

          We also use the term especially in marriage “to give one’s daughter away.”

          But, I suggest the same applies to parents more generally.

          To anyone in charge of raising a young person.

          You are preparing to give the child away.

          But, the mystery here is that you and the child do not lose connection with each other, but actually can grow stronger.

[__00-d__]    God the Father gave away his Son to die for sinners. But everything Jesus did was to honor his Father in Heaven.

          And, the 4^th commandment teaches all of us to honor your father and mother. This honoring does not simply mean going to bed at a particular hour or doing your homework.

          Honoring and obeying and cooperating with one’s parents is something we are called to do in our pursuit of virtue, whether our parents are near or far, living or deceased.

          To honor and to obey.

 

 

[__04.01__]     These days, we strive to raise children – and cultive in ourselves being INTELLIGENT, PHYSICALLY STRONG, and having  CHARACTER.

          It goes without saying that we would want all of these things in a child – INTELLIGENCE, STRENGTH and CHARACTER.

          But, do we think in terms of raising children – or being ourselves “obedient”?

          Is being “obedient“ a virtue to you? to me?

          It sounds antiquated and old fashioned to say that “obedience” is a virtue. In other words, it sounds as though the obedient person is just a programmable robot or a drone.  And, as we know, robots can break down and drones can be shot down.

          However, in a biblical Gospel sense, being obedient to God’s word is what will help you and to have INTELLIGENCE, STRENGTH, CHARACTER.

I’d like to touch on these 3 virtues of INTELLIGENCE, STRENGTH, CHARACTER as they relate to Joseph’s 4 dreams and Joseph’s obedience.

1^st. “Do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.”  (INTELLIGENCE)

          Right there, in the beginning, we see the possibility that Joseph might be getting “cold feet”, getting scared and may want to excuse himself from the vow to take Mary as his wife.

          Now, there are interpretations of this dream that suggest Joseph was actually afraid because he thought of Mary as too virtuous – too good for him…and that is why he wanted to divorce her quietly.

          That is not a bad theory, but I suggest it does not leave space to consider that Joseph was still possibly – AFRAID.

          Just a bit.

          When I am afraid, I want an excuse not to do something.

          Do you ever – out of fear – try to excuse yourself or get away?

          The message here is that “fear” and other emotions can coexist. Fear does not have to be winner or the victor.

          It is possible for “love” to be underdog winner here. And, I suggest we are called to use our INTELLIGENCE here.

          I am often tempted to use my INTELLIGENCE to find ways not to obey God or to get around the commandments.

          It is also possible to apply oneself and use intelligence to work through our fears, to consider alternate possibilities and to listen to God.

          Intelligence helps us to cooperate, to obey God.

2^nd dream: “Rise, take the child and go to Egypt.”   (CHARACTER)

          Why Egypt? This was a good place to escape the evil King Herod. But Egypt – in biblical history – was a place of “rescue” …

          It was a place of rescue because the book-of-Genesis “Joseph” lived there and became the rescuer of his father and family during a time of hunger/famine. The rescue was also part of a great reconciliation in which the book-of-Genesis Joseph forgave his brothers for having sold him into slavery.

          Joseph in the book of Genesis demonstrates a great character and mercy towards his brothers to whom he very easily could have despised and hated.

The rescue in Egypt – in Genesis / Exodus – shows God’s character.

It also forms the Gospel Joseph’s character and part of Jesus’ character to forgive those who abandoned him.

This forgiveness was not just Jesus’ “generous” choice. It was also an act of obedient service.

Have you ever considered that God wants you to forgive others not to show how great you are, but how great He is?

          That’s character. Obedience.

[__05__]   3^rd and 4^th dreams. Take the child and go back to Nazareth. Go back by another route.   (STRENGTH)

          Joseph is now called home, told to return home and then told again to go back by a different route.

          In his own deathbed speech in Deuteronomy, Moses said this to the people who were going into the Promised land, the same destination as JMJ:   “So keep all the commandments I give you today, that you may be strong enough to enter in and take possession of the land that you are crossing over to possess”  (Deuteronomy 11:8)

          It takes strength to love God, love your neighbor as you yourself.

          Sometimes, it is easy to forget or omit or figure that “loving God” is going to be the corollary or device output as long as I check all the boxes of loving my neighbor, spouse, children and – not to mention – my enemies.

          Yes, it’s possible that loving God will be the logical outcome

          But, we also are called to recognize that God is our strength.

          God is leading us. To love God first of all.

          And, this is particularly important in Christian marriage and the sacrament of matrimony for a wife and husband.

          For the wife and husband are joined not only to be strong and have strength for each other to love and honor each other.

          Yes, that is true.

          In a similar way, a priest “called Father” is called to love and honor the people he serves.

          I am called to this, but my role in doing so is not just to judge whether or not you like what I am doing. There is a higher standard. To love God first of all.

          Parallel – we love our parents not just because they are nice to us today – but because they gave us life. We want to love them be blessed by them. Anything else is a curse!

          It is a blessing to love God as Father and to do so first of all.

          It also helps avoid being caught up in seeking love in the all the wrong places.

          Have you ever been tempted to do what is right just to get more “likes”?

          A husband or wife might be tempted to do the same.

          But, marriage and the Christian call us to love God …also to follow the interior voice of God which for Jesus came in his 4 dreams.

          These 4 dreams led him to back by a different route.

          Listening to the Holy Spirit, we are also tapping into the virtues intelligence, of character and of strength so as to cooperate with God and to follow the example of Joseph, most obedient.     St. Joseph, pray for us.  [__end__]