20250406 Lent Sunday 5A

Jesus asked Martha: “Do you believe this?”  

Let’s look at the background for the Gospel.  When Jesus heard that Lazarus was ill, he waited several days to go to Bethany.  Why would he do this? 

The Jews believed that the soul hovered around the body for three days after a person died.  After three days the soul left the body and could not be reunited with it.  In those days, the body was not embalmed.  When a person died, the body was prepared for burial and buried immediately. 

When Jesus arrived, Lazarus was in the grave for four days.  Therefore, raising Lazarus from the dead was to do the impossible.  This was to help his disciples believe in him more fully. 

When Martha heard that Jesus was coming to town, she went out to meet him.  Martha was a person of action.  She was the one who worked while Mary sat at the feet of Jesus.  Now, Martha takes the initiative to go looking for Jesus. 

“Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.  But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.” 

Martha expressed her faith that God would give Jesus whatever he asked his Father to do.  Jesus tells Martha that her brother will rise.  Martha confirms her belief that her brother will rise at the resurrection on the last day. 

Jesus tells Martha: “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.”  That’s when Jesus asks Martha “Do you believe this?” 

Martha replies: “Yes, Lord.  I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.”  What a proclamation of faith! 

Martha went and secretly told Mary that Jesus was asking for her.  Mary went to meet Jesus and said the same as Martha.  “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 

Seeing Mary and the others who were with her weeping troubled Jesus.  When Jesus saw the tomb, he wept.  We know that Jesus suffered in his Passion and crucifixion, and we know that despite the suffering Jesus did the Father’s will.  We think of Jesus coming to earth to accomplish his mission.  We seldom think of Jesus having close friends that would be considered family.  When Jeus wept we see a different side of him than we are used to seeing. 

The Jews said: “See how he loved him.”  However, some of them said, “Could not the one who opened the eyes of the blind man have done something so that this man would not have died?” 

There are always people who will criticize, who will say “you could have done more”, who will say you were wrong, or you didn’t follow the correct procedures.  If they did it to Jesus, the same type of people will say it to us today.  We do our best to serve and help others carry their heavy burdens of life.  Regardless of how hard we work at helping others, there are those who will complain that it was not enough, that there was more that we could have done. 

There is always more to do.  Jesus said that the harvest is great, but more laborers are needed.  When we see the amount of work that needs to be done, and hear the voices of criticism, it’s easy to become discouraged.  That is not what God wants for us.  He wants us to say, like Martha, that we believe that he is the Christ, the Son of God. 

Through prayer and spending time with God each day we receive the strength to help others to know God better.  We can share our faith; that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. 

Yesterday ninety-seven students, from several parishes in our area, were confirmed by Bishop Senior.  It took a lot of work by a lot of people to make that happen.  The parents, the catechists, sponsors and the students themselves.  They confirmed their faith on their own when they renewed their Baptismal Promises.  Like Martha, they said that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. 

Our young people committed themselves to the faith of our Church in the Baptismal Promises yesterday.  We must pray for them that they will be able to share that faith with their family and friends, especially those they know who do not know God. 

There will be those who criticize them for their faith.  It will be a difficult road to walk at times, just as it is for us.  On a previous visit, Martha worked while Mary sat at the feet of Jesus listening, learning, worshipping.  Martha’s proclamation that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God tells us that she understood who Jesus really is, that she understood that Jesus is the Son of God. 

Martha’s proclamation of faith gives us an example to follow to share Christ with everyone we meet.  We must believe it in the depths of our heart.  Otherwise, when we hear criticisms and derogatory remarks, we will be hesitant to share our faith with those around us. 

By following Martha’s example of sitting with Jesus, studying the Scriptures and spending time in prayer with him, we will have the strength and courage to share our faith with others. 

Let us pray for our young people that they may be like Martha acknowledging that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.  May they be strong in their faith that they can share this belief with others.  We must also give our young people an example to follow by how we live our lives and how we share our faith. 

Through scripture study, prayer, and seeking God’s will in our lives, we can say like Martha, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.” 

Jesus asks each one of us today: “Do you believe this?” 

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20250309 Lent Sunday 1C

Temptation!  Temptation!  Oohh, it’s here again.  I am tempted so much. 

Sometimes people consider being tempted with sinning.  To be tempted is not to sin.  To yield to the temptation is to sin.  Being tempted and sinning are not the same thing.  Jesus, who was without sin, was tempted by the devil.  We too are tempted by the devil and sometimes, we yield to the temptation, and we sin. 

Original sin in our human nature makes it easier for us to yield to the temptation and sin.  That is not the way God wanted it, but when Adam and Eve looked at the fruit and saw that it was good and the devil told them it would make them be like God knowing right from wrong, they yielded to the temptation. 

God took care of them in spite of their sin by clothing them, but they were driven out of the Garden of Eden and forced to toil for their food, shelter and clothing.  They also brought death upon themselves and all of us, their offspring. 

The devil was pleased with himself for having turned them against God.  The devil tries to do the same with Jesus, knowing that Jesus is the Son of God.  If the devil can get Jesus to yield to his temptations, it would be a major victory to bring the Son of God down.  Jesus did not yield to the devil’s temptations and in every instance that the devil used to entice Jesus, he refuted the devil with scripture. 

In our busy lives it is difficult to find time for reading and studying the Bible, but it is crucial that we do it.  How else will we be able to refute the devil when he tempts us?  This is an excellent way to help us not yield to the temptation by knowing scripture well enough to use it in our spiritual battle for our souls. 

Unlike Jesus, we have all sinned, many, many times.  We lose our way and turn from God, our ego seeking to be more important than anyone around, including God.  WE need to be the center of attention.  It is easier for the devil to get us to yield to temptation when our ego ,ME, gets in the way because we can decide what is right, or wrong, for us. 

Fortunately, God takes care of us just as he did with Adam and Eve.  God provided us with the Sacrament of Reconciliation for us to confess our sin, you know, the times we yielded to temptation, and we can receive absolution from the priest, acting In Persona Cristi, (In the person of Christ) to forgive us our sins.  This was given by Christ to Peter and is handed down through the ages by our Pope and Bishops. 

Our task is to leave the Confessional and through prayer and studying the Scriptures with the help of the Holy Spirit, become strong enough to resist the temptations the devil bombards us with each day. 

Luke’s Gospel tells us that: “Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devil.”  In ancient times, everyone knew that the desert was the place where the spirits lived.  It was a terrible and frightening place.  Not only did the spirits live there but it was full of robbers and evil people who attacked the innocent person traveling alone.  That is why people traveled in caravans for safety in numbers. 

The Anchor Yale Bible Commentary gives us a little more background on Jesus’ temptation from Luke: “Thus endowed (with the Holy Spirit), Jesus now undergoes an experience that sums up an aspect of his whole ministry. He conquers the devil, because he is filled with the Spirit.”  The Holy Spirit helps us to overcome the devil in times of trial and temptation just as the Spirit helped Jesus. 

Today’s Gospel ends with “When the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from him for a time.”  Notice how it says that the devil departed from Jesus for a time, not forever, but for a time.  If the devil never left Jesus alone, will he ever leave us alone? 

Saint Padre Pio said “    Be certain that the more the attacks of the devil increase, that much closer is God to your soul.”  If we inverse St Padre Pio’s statement, it reads: “The closer we get to God, the more the devil will attack us with temptations hoping we will yield to them and turn away from God.” 

The Christian life is hard.  The devil is always trying to lure us away from God.  The closer we are to God, the harder the devil works to destroy our relationship with him.  Saint Padre Pio also said: “Remember that we cannot triumph in battle if not through prayer; the choice is yours.” 

Lent is a time of prayer, fasting and almsgiving.  It is also a time of penance when we sacrifice something meaningful to us or take on additional acts of penance through prayer, spending time with God in a Holy Hour or service to others.  This act of showing our devotion to God and seeking his presence in our lives is part of our Lenten observances. 

Padre Pio said that we cannot triumph in our spiritual battle except through prayer.  The choice is truly ours.  Yes, it takes time to quiet our minds and our souls to enter God’s presence and ask him to enter our lives, giving us the Holy Spirit to defend us in our spiritual battle. 

If Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit when he entered the spiritual battle with the devil, how much more do we need the Holy Spirit in us.  There is no shortcut, it takes time with God, studying scripture and praying.  Are we willing to spend time with God as part of our Lenten penance? 

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20250209 Sunday Ordinary Time 5 C

The crowd was pressing in against Jesus as he was teaching them.  I’m sure it was noisy with the crowd pushing and shoving to get a better position to hear Jesus.  There were two boats along the lake, and the fishermen were cleaning their nets on the shore.  Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, Jesus asked him to put out a short distance from the shore.  Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. 

This has numerous advantages, for it gives Jesus a chance to be heard by a much larger group of people.  Sound carries much better over water.  Have you ever been by the lake and heard voices from quite a distance away, sometimes across the lake if the lake is narrow?  This is especially true if the land wraps around a small bay.  The slope of the land coming down to the land acts as an amphitheater projecting the sound even further. 

Jesus sat down in the boat to teach just as he would have done in the synagogue.  The people were eager to hear what Jesus, the great miracle worker and teacher, had to say to them.  Due to the contour of the land and water, his voice carried to the people who were listening. 

When Jesus finished teaching, he asked Peter to move out to deeper water and lower the nets.  Peter tells Jesus that they had fished hard all night and caught nothing, but he would do as Jesus told him.  It’s obvious that there were others in the boat when Peter pushed out from shore because it takes several people to lower the nets to fish.  Even though he is not mentioned by name, it is believed that Andrew was one of the partners in the boat that day.  

The Natural History of the Bible tells us that: “The density of the shoals of fish in the Lake of Galilee can scarcely be conceived by those who have not witnessed them.  They sometimes cover an acre or more on the surface in one dense mass.” 

This made catching a large number of fish easy if you could find one of these shoals of fish.  Peter and his partners had worked hard all night without any success finding fish. 

The scholar John Pilch helps us understand the Mediterranean culture of that time: “Fish became a popular commodity in the Greek and Roman period, and it is reasonable to guess that this specific partnership flourished.  

The act of a man calling followers in Mediterranean culture is readily recognized by every native as a process of a patron gathering clients.  In cultures like that where central government was perceived to be weak and ineffective, people banded together for mutual assistance. 

For the most part, families stuck close together and helped each other out.  But sometimes it became necessary to reach beyond the family and to form “family-like” bonds with others who could lend the help that family members couldn’t.  One of these others is a “patron,” that is, a person with surplus means, who distributes that surplus by purely personal whim and choice. 

By providing seasoned and experienced fishermen with a bountiful catch after a frustrating night of work, Jesus presents himself very obviously as a patron.  A patron can get for you something you could not obtain by your own abilities, or on better terms than you could arrange for yourself.  Jesus gets the better of these fisher folk at their own game!” 

John Pilch tells us that “By falling at the knees of Jesus, Simon Peter uses a specific gesture that recognizes him as superior, as a patron.”  I believe that Peter recognized that Jesus was much greater than a patron; he understood that Jesus was the Son of God.  Peter acknowledged that by his language; “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful person.” 

Peter recognized Jesus’ holiness and his own unworthiness.  In Luke’s Gospel Peter, James, and John clearly perceive Jesus as the Son of God.  They give up their ability to provide for themselves by fishing and follow Jesus. 

John Pilch also gives a commentary on our modern society; “In mainstream U.S. culture, we take great pride in standing on our own two feet and in not having to rely on anyone else.  We applaud those who pull themselves up by their own bootstraps.  Our Mediterranean ancestors in the Faith would consider this insane, an invitation to death and extinction.  Following Jesus as a client in the Mediterranean world or a disciple in the modern world involves a willingness to be dependent.”  

It’s true.  We don’t want to be dependent on anyone or anything.  Our pride will not let us do that.  This makes it difficult for us to let Jesus be in charge of our lives.  Jesus calls each of us just as he called Peter, James and John that day on the shore of Galilee.  They responded by saying yes and leaving their lucrative partnership, their family and friends to follow Jesus. 

How will we respond?  Will we say yes and put Jesus above everything else in our life?  Or will we be too dependent on ourselves to let Jesus have control? 

The need is great.  We live in a broken world filled with hate, violence and evil.  Disciples are needed to go into the world sharing God’s love with everyone, regardless of their status in life, their culture or their color.  The lonely need someone to sit with them, the bullied need someone to stand up for them, the grieving need someone to hold their hand.  Are we too busy getting ahead at work to notice?  Are we too busy with family activities to stop and pray for someone who we know needs help; and then go to visit them? 

Jesus was more than a patron to the disciples, and he is more than a patron to us today.  Jesus, our Lord, is calling each of us.  How will we respond?  Will we put our pride aside and, like Isaiah, say “Here I am Lord, use me.” 

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Denali Prayer

God dwells on his Holy Mountain
It is there that the people go
to visit God in his majesty. 

It is very humbling to be at the base of Denali
the tallest mountain in North America
being quiet listening for God’s voice amidst the stillness. 

The mountain is not out,
but that does not matter,
I still know that the mountain is there. 

Just as I know that God is with me everywhere
even when I am even far away from this mountain
his presence is still near me when I am quiet and listen. 

The Ancient Elders knew God spoke to them
even when they were far from the mountain,
they knew God’s strength was from within. 

I stop and listen, the Raven calls
to those who are lost to show the way
back to God who dwells everywhere. 

The little birds speak as well to those who listen
their little voices full of praise to God who provides
and we too pause to give God praise for all his blessings. 

I am changed forever by being here,
not at the base of Denali
but in God’s quiet presence. 

Thank you, God, for all your blessings
for the birds, the critters big and small
the meek and ferocious as well. 

Let me leave here changed
not by the mountain
but by quiet time with God. 

Amen.

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Tanana River Prayer

I watch the river flowing swiftly past.  I ask God to make me one with the river and all the fish and creatures in it.  Bless the river, the fishes, creatures in the river and the mammals, birds, and creatures who rely on the river for substance. 

I am blessed to be here.  To watch the river and the trees on its banks as well as the mountains in the distance.  The beauty fills my soul, and I am at peace with the world and God. 

Amen

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20240518 Pentecost B

Peace be with you. 

In today’s Gospel Jesus said to his Disciples: “Peace be with you.”  After his Resurrection, Jesus greeted his Disciples with “Peace be with you”.  A few simple words with tremendous meaning and healing. 

What do we think of when we say “Peace”?  We usually think of a time without war or fighting between nations, groups and even within families.  But peace can also mean a sense of well-being within ourselves, our heart and soul.  

Peace is elusive.  Whether it is peace between nations, ethnic groups, families or even within our inner being.  We see war all around us; Ukraine, Middle East, the political polarization within our country – regardless of which side we are on, between different cultural groups and even within our families. 

But the most disconcerting perhaps is the war within us.  Even with all the blessings and comforts of life that we have there is still a restlessness within us, we are still restless, lacking true peace.  Saint Augustine of Hippo, a Doctor of the Church, wrote: “Great are you, O Lord, and exceedingly worthy of praise; your power is immense, and your wisdom beyond reckoning.  And so we mortals, who are a due part of your creation, long to praise you – we also carry our mortality about with us, carry the evidence of our sin and with it the proof that you thwart the proud.  You arouse us so that praising you may bring us joy, because you have made us and drawn us to yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” 

Indeed, our soul is restless, at war with itself, until we rest in God. 

Bishop Senior of Harrisburg wrote for Pentecost: “The Holy Spirit, the Advocate, is our helper and guide just as He was for the first Apostles. As Christians, we are all entrusted with the mission to spread the Gospel, each in our own way. In the Church, priests play a critical role in the work of evangelization.”  While the Priests are given a special role, we too as laity must spread the Gospel, each in our own way.  But how can we do that if we are restless within? 

In today’s Gospel, Jesus said to them (the Apostles) again, “Peace be with you.  As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”  And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the holy Spirit.” 

Jesus then told the Apostles that the sins that they forgave would be forgiven and established for us the wonderful Sacrament of Penance.  This sacrament has been handed down through the millennia from the Pope to the Bishops and from them to the Priests. 

In the 51st Psalm, the Psalmist wrote: “My offenses truly I know them my sin is always before me.”  When our souls are troubled and we are unable to find peace within because our sins are always before us, we can receive absolution for our sins through the Sacrament of Penance. 

Many of you have recently received First Penance in preparation for your First Holy Communion.  What a wonderful gift it is, and I pray that you will continue to go to Confession throughout your life for the peace it brings to you.  In a few moments, Father will concentrate the bread and the wine, and it will become for us the Body and Blood of Jesus the Christ, our Lord and Savior.  That is what sets us apart from all other religions. 

When you will receive your First Holy Communion, you will receive the Body and Blood of Jesus into your body and soul.  Receive these Sacraments of Penance and Holy Eucharist frequently throughout your life, and the Holy Spirit that Jesus will send to you, will grant you his peace. 

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20240329 Good Friday B

When we think of the Passion of Christ, we normally think of the physical suffering that Jesus endured for our sins. 

Ron Rolheiser said “We have, I think, focused too much on the physical aspects of the crucifixion to the detriment of what was happening more deeply, underneath.  Why do I say that?  Because none of the gospels emphasize the physical sufferings, nor indeed, in the fears he expresses in conversations before his death, does Jesus.  What the gospels and Jesus emphasize is his moral loneliness, the fact that he was alone, betrayed, humiliated, misunderstood, the object of jealousy and crowd hysteria, that he was a stone’s throw away from everyone, that those who loved him were asleep to what was really happening, that he was unanimity-minus-one. 

And this moral loneliness, mocked by those outside of it, tempted him against everything he had preached and stood for during his life and ministry.  What made his sacrifice so special was not that he died a victim of violence (millions die as victims of violence and their deaths aren’t necessarily special) nor that he refused to use divine power to stop his death (as he himself taught, that would have proved nothing).  What made his death so special is that, inside of all the aloneness, darkness, jealousy, misunderstanding, sick crowd hysteria, coldness, and murder, he held out, he gave himself over, without bitterness, without self-pity, holding his ideals intact, gracious, respectful, forgiving, without losing his balance, his meaning, or his message. “

Jesus was in control during his whole passion.  When Judas appeared with the crowd, he stepped out so he could easily be identified.  He could have called angels down to rescue himself from all the physical suffering.  He decided when he was ready to die on the cross.  He was already dead when the soldiers checked, so the soldier pierced his side to be sure and Divine Mercy flowed out in the water and blood. 

Reginald H. Fuller, a Benedictine wrote “It is important that we see the Cross, not as the mechanical fulfillment of a preconceived dogmatic scheme, but as the culmination of the intensely personal mission of Jesus as a whole.  He identified himself completely with sinners during his ministry, and in so doing he broke through the barrier of sin set up between God and humanity.  He stood for God on the side of sinners.” 

Fr Ron summed up Jesus’ passion best: “Christ’s passion was a drama of the heart, not an endurance test for his body.”  His love for us prevailed.  He accepted his Father’s will for his life. 

Jesus’s suffering was one of loneliness and total rejection; by his closest friends, the religious leaders, the people of his time, and even you and me.  We must remember that Jesus was totally human and totally divine.  The human part of him could have said that these sinners are not worth this much suffering and said NO to his Father’s will.  But he didn’t. 

Anthony Carnesi, a composer and artist wrote the song ‘My Lord and My God’.  He sings:

“…Though scourged by Roman soldiers our sins hurt you most of all…” 

Jesus suffered more because of our rejection of him than from the physical pain he experienced.  We are so unworthy of that love.  Forgive us Jesus for the many times we turned our backs on you. 

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20240303 Sunday Lent 3 B

Ronald Knox was an Anglican Priest who became Catholic in 1917.  He helped G K Chesterton discern his decision to become Catholic a few years later.  Father Knox was not as well-known as Chesterton but left an imprint on the Church just as important as Chesterton’s. 

In one of his sermons on the Eucharist, Father Knox made this observation: throughout two thousand years of history, Christians, both whole churches and individual believers, have consistently been able to ignore many of Jesus’ key commandments and invitations.  We have either been too weak to follow his counsels or we have rationalized them away somehow. 

Oblate Father Ron Rolheiser said “And so, to a large extent, we have exempted ourselves from the demand to love our enemies, to turn the other cheek when attacked, to forgive 70 times 7, to leave our gift at the altar and first go and seek reconciliation with our brother before we worship, to place justice on the same level as worship, to see mercy as more important than dogma, to not commit adultery, to not steal, to not call someone a fool, to not tell lies, to not give in to jealousy.  We have, in virtually every one of these areas, individually and collectively, a history of infidelity and rationalization.” 

The Children of Israel also had a problem with keeping the Commandments that God gave Moses on the mountain.  By the time Moses came down the mountain, they were worshiping a golden calf instead of the God who delivered them from slavery in Egypt.  Time and time again they turned away from God and worshiped the gods of the nations around them.  It seems that our nature is such that we can easily make excuses or rationalize our sins away, so we don’t feel any guilt. 

Father Rolheiser continues: “But we have, for the most part, been faithful and consistent throughout all the years to one of Jesus’ commands: to celebrate the Eucharist, to meet together in every circumstance and share his word and break bread and drink wine in his memory.” 

Jesus became angry with the way the temple was being used as a marketplace rather than a place of worship.  The reason that I became Catholic is because of the reverence that Catholics hold for the Sanctuary.  Most Evangelical churches talk and chat in the Sanctuary the same as outside the church.  This bothered me but I didn’t realize the bigger distinction that makes Catholics different.  As I studied to become Catholic, I realized that it is the Eucharist that is what sets Catholics apart from other religions. 

We celebrate the Eucharist at every mass.  This is where we get our strength to follow Christ each day.  It is in receiving his Body and Blood in the Eucharist that helps us to go out into the world to share his love with everyone we meet. 

During our Lenten journey, as we examine our hearts and motives, it is important for us to not only look at the Ten Commandments that God gave us but to look deeper at the teachings Jesus gave us to love one another as he loves us.  Father Rolheiser mentions leaving our gift at the altar and going to a person to seek reconciliation before offering our sacrifice to God. 

When Jesus talked about this in the Book of Matthew, he said “Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”  

Notice that Jesus didn’t say that you have something against someone, that is easier to control, but that you know that someone is angry or upset with you.  Then you should go and reconcile with that person and then come and offer your sacrifice. 

This is one of the hard lessons that Jesus taught about loving others as he loves us.  Being sensitive to others is difficult for all of us.  We are so busy taking care of ourselves and our family that we don’t notice the pain we may have caused to others by our carelessness or impatience with others. 

It may be something that we did or said that we didn’t realize upset that person at the time.  It may even be something that we don’t think should bother anyone.  But it did and we must take the first step as Disciples of Christ to correct it by going to the person and seeking reconciliation. 

At the start of mass, we always ask for God’s forgiveness for the times we have failed to obey the Commandments or to love as he loves us.  We do this to prepare our hearts to receive him in the Holy Sacrifice of the Eucharist.  During this Lenton Season, let us take it one step further and resolve the hurt, even if we don’t know the specific issue or didn’t mean to offend, it is enough to know that someone is upset with us that we should seek to make it right. 

All of us are Children of God.  Our body is the Temple of God.  Jesus speaks to us today, he wants to drive out the sin in our hearts the same as he drove out the money changers from the Temple two thousand years ago. 

Each day during Lent I listen to the Franciscan Short Way of the Cross by the choir and students of Thomas Aquinas College to remind me that Lent is a time of preparation.  The Fourteenth Station is: Jesus is taken down from the cross; When I receive you into my heart in Holy Communion, make it a fit abiding place for your adorable Body. 

As we prepare to receive the Body and Blood of Jesus into our hearts and lives, let us resolve to reconcile ourselves with others and with Christ.  Help us Lord to stop making excuses and rationalizing our sinful behavior so we may be a fit and abiding place for your Body. 

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20240218 Sunday Lent 1 B

Earlier in this first chapter of Mark we learn that John proclaimed: “One mightier than I is coming after me.  I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals.  I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the holy Spirit.”  After John the Baptist was arrested, Jesus began his earthly ministry.  It seems that Jesus knew that John’s ministry is over and his must begin. 

The three verses before today’s Gospel reading tells us about Jesus being baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River, the heavens opening and the Spirit descending as a dove upon Jesus.  The Father speaks saying “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” 

Then in today’s Gospel “The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert, and he remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan.”  This Spirit so beautifully described as a white dove descending upon Jesus as a sign of his Father’s approval now drives Jesus into the desert to be tempted by Satan doesn’t seem like the same Spirit at all. 

Why would the Spirit drive Jesus into the desert alone to be tempted by Satan.  Peter Kreeft tells us “He was lead there by the Holy Spirit to toughen up his humanity, so to speak, like basic training in the Army; to prepare for his three years of spiritual warfare in his public ministry, which would culminate in his Passion and Death and Resurrection.  He prepared for this for the first thirty years of his life, the silent years, but especially during these forty days.” 

Peter Kreeft tells us “He fasted for forty days not only from food but also from human friendship, which is even more basic than food.  ….  Animals and angels are both good and important – in fact more important than we usually think – but even good friends above and below us are not human friends.  We are neither animals nor angels.  Animals have no spiritual souls, and angels have no mortal bodies.” 

I could not imagine what that must have been like for Jesus.  While Jesus was Divine, he was also Human.  To be alone without any other person to pray for him, to encourage and comfort him in his temptations would be devastating and make Jesus more susceptible to yielding to the temptations that Satan would present to him. 

Because Jesus was tempted by Satan in this manner, he can understand the temptations that we endure from Satan in our lives.  The major difference is that Jesus was alone without any other contact with people.  This is the first time that Jesus is abandoned and alone during his life on this earth.  The second time is during his Passion and Crucifixion when everyone abandoned him. 

We are blessed to have our family, our Church (which is our Family in Christ), and friends to pray for us, comfort, encourage and help us on our journey of life.  Jesus had no one.  Only wild beasts who wanted to devour him, angels and demons. 

There is nothing that we must endure that our Lord has not already endured in this world.  Sometimes our temptations seem so overwhelming that we can barely go on.  Jesus has been there and understands, he offers help in our trials and temptations. 

We can find comfort knowing that Jesus endured much more than we are going through.  He stands ready to help if we only ask him. 

In our busy lives it’s easy to forget that we too have angels and saints walking with us and ready to help us.  We believe that angels and saints are all around us, walking with us, protecting us, guiding us and giving us strength the same as the angels ministered to Jesus. 

When Jesus stared his ministry he said: “Repent, and believe in the gospel.”  These are the same words we heard on Ash Wednesday when ashes were used to make the sign of the cross on our foreheads. 

What is the Gospel message that Jesus taught?  Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength; and love your neighbor as yourself.  This means keeping the Commandments given to us by Moses from God the Father.  It means living the New Commandment that Jesus gave us; Love others as much as we love ourselves. 

Loving others like we love ourselves is extremely hard for us.  Our ego gets in the way.  We are the only one who is important to us, sometimes even more important our family or God.  Our ego, our False Self is more important than anything else in the world.  It drives us to work longer hours to obtain more promotions at work, to make more money than our neighbors, and to live in the adoration of others wishing to be like us. 

Jesus said “Repent, and believe in the Gospel.”  This Gospel was to love God by obeying his Commandments and to love our neighbor as ourselves.  This means really caring about others; the lonely neighbor down the street who seems grouchy all the time, the family struggling to have food on the table to eat, the family being discriminated against because of their race, culture, religion, or marriage partner.  It means respecting each human being as a Child of God. 

It’s not about writing a check to give to a charity that helps others; it’s spending personal time listening to those who are struggling talk about their struggles, helping the neighbor with yard work who is unable to do it, and spending time fasting and praying for all of them as well as writing a check to a charity that helps them. 

During his forty days in the desert, Jesus fasted and prayed.  Jesus helps us the same as the angels ministered to him, but we must be receptive and let him into our hearts. 

Jesus said “Repent, and believe in the Gospel.”  What is that Gospel?  Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength; and love your neighbor as yourself. 

Do my actions show others that I really believe in the Gospel that Jesus taught? 

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20240121 Sunday Ordinary 3 B

Today’s Gospel tells us that Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: “This is the time of fulfillment.  The kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent, and believe in the gospel.” 

In a couple of weeks, we will receive ashes on our foreheads and hear the words “Repent and believe in the Gospel”.  Ash Wednesday is on February 14th this year.  It is early so, even though we are in Ordinary Time, as we begin to look toward Lent and Passion Week, we should begin to ask ourselves “Do I really believe in the Gospel?” 

John Pilch tells us “Scholars believe that after his baptism, Jesus became a disciple of John, preaching his message of repentance and baptizing others.  Over the course of time, Jesus began to discover a new ministry for himself.  According to Mark, Jesus embarked upon it after John was arrested. 

The theme of Jesus’ preaching is quite similar to that of the Baptist’s: “the time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news”.  Jesus invites his listeners to give undivided loyalty to God whose definitive reign is about to begin.” 

Jesus then calls the first four of his disciples to follow him.  We are still in the first chapter of Mark and a lot has happened.  John the Baptist preaches a message of repentance.  Jesus is baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist and then tempted by Satan; just like we are tempted.  Jesus begins his ministry and calls the first disciples and begins his miracles of healing. 

The disciples immediately leave their livelihood and follow Jesus.  This always seemed strange that they just stopped what they were doing, left their father and the hired help and followed Jesus.  John Pilch helps us understand the culture of that time. 

“Cultural background and information shed light on the story.  It is highly likely that Jesus and the four followers he summons here are not strangers.  If they have not personally met each other before this time, they were aware of each other’s aspirations and objectives.  News traveled quickly in the ancient world thanks to gossip networks.  (And I might add, it seems that hasn’t changed in two thousand years.) 

Jesus the artisan moves from Nazareth, an insignificant village, to Capernaum, a hub of activity on the Sea of Galilee at the crossroads of major highways.  His presence and activity stir curiosity and become the topic of gossip.  He does not seem to have gone there to seek work.  Instead, he appears to be seeking people to join him in a common venture.”  

Jesus has been in the background for most of his life.  He is thirty at this point and worked as a carpenter just like his earthly father, Joseph.  This was common to learn the trade from your father and have the same position in life as your father.  As we proceed through the Gospels this theme appears several times.  His father was a carpenter so how is he now a teacher or Rabbi?  It was out of place in that society. 

Jesus became noticeable because he taught with authority, not like the scribes and leaders of the synagogue, he spoke out against the establishment, against those who followed the Law so closely that they allowed no room for worshiping God. 

Sometimes we too get like the Pharisees; congregations become divided over where the altar should be placed or how to process into mass or which songs to sing, or not sing.  We adhere so precisely to the rules that we lose sight of the real message “The Kingdom of God is at hand.  Now is the time of fulfillment.  Repent and believe in the Gospel.” 

Jesus called many others to follow him during his ministry.  The young rich person who had many possessions and went away sorrowful because they were unwilling to put Christ above their possessions.  The person who wanted to wait for their parents to die before following Christ.  Our egos to get in the way.  We desire to have prestige, to be noticed for our accomplishments, to have power over others, to dream of being the hero in a difficult situation and receiving acclaim for our actions. 

We lose sight of the real message of Good News that Jesus taught, Repent, and believe in the Gospel.”  When Jesus calls us to “Repent and believe in the Gospel” we seem to hesitate.  Why?  What is holding us back?  What are we afraid of?  Scorn from co-workers, being held back from a promotion because we are Catholic, attachment to material things or placing family above God? 

Two thousand years later, Jesus calls each one of us to follow him, just like he called Simeon, Andrew, James, and John.  I have often wondered what the world would be like if I had the zeal of the early Apostles or St Paul.  They didn’t just preach the Gospel; they lived the Gospel. 

It seems that most of the time we are like Jonah.  We hear God’s call but don’t want to follow it.  We have our reasons just as Jonah had his.  The Ninevites were an enemy of Israel.  Jonah wanted them to be destroyed so the land would return to Israel. 

Jonah disobeyed God and ran away from his call.  How many times do we do the same thing.  Like Jonah, we have our reasons.  God continued to call Jonah to fulfill the mission that God was calling him to do.  We sometimes run away from it like Jonah, wanting to follow our own path in life. 

Each of us must ask ourselves, “What is God calling me to do?”  Is God calling me to speak to someone about God’s love, about his forgiveness and the true peace that only Christ can give?  Is God calling me to be a Priest, or join an order of religious life? 

How will we respond?  Like Jonah and run away from his call, or, like the disciples, and follow Christ? 

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