Friday, February 28, 2014

The family, whether we like it or not, is the foundation.”


Today, there are those who say that marriage is out of fashion. Is it out of fashion? In a culture of relativism and the ephemeral, many preach the importance of ‘enjoying’ the moment. They say that it is not worth making a life-long commitment, making a definitive decision, ‘for ever’, because we do not know what tomorrow will bring. I ask you, instead, to be revolutionaries, I ask you to swim against the tide; yes, I am asking you to rebel against this culture that sees everything as temporary and that ultimately believes you are incapable of responsibility, that believes you are incapable of true love. I have confidence in you and I pray for you. Have the courage ‘to swim against the tide’. And also have the courage to be happy.” – Pope Francis

Gospel Text: (MK 10:1-12)
Jesus came into the district of Judea and across the Jordan.
Again crowds gathered around him and, as was his custom,
he again taught them.
The Pharisees approached him and asked,
“Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?”
They were testing him.
He said to them in reply, “What did Moses command you?”
They replied,
“Moses permitted a husband to write a bill of divorce
and dismiss her.”
But Jesus told them,
“Because of the hardness of your hearts
he wrote you this commandment.
But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female.
For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother
and be joined to his wife,
and the two shall become one flesh.
So they are no longer two but one flesh.
Therefore what God has joined together,
no human being must separate.”
In the house the disciples again questioned Jesus about this.
He said to them,
“Whoever divorces his wife and marries another
commits adultery against her;
and if she divorces her husband and marries another,
she commits adultery.”

The sacrament of marriage is not a one-off event. It signifies an abiding grace at work in all the high points, low points, and routines of life—until “death do us part.” For every couple united in sacramental marriage, the ceremony itself takes place at a particular time and in a particular place, publicly, signifying in a way visually evident to the two receiving the sacrament and to all present, what is intended to be a relationship of love that will never end. The love formalized in the sacrament is meant by God, the Church, and the couple to be characterized by mutual loyalty, fidelity, and uncompromising commitment. Sacramental marriage bestows on the couple the abiding grace to live their lives in a relationship which is constant, unconditional, and unbreakable.

The Church holds on to the principle that Marriage is indissoluble because its ultimate meaning reflects, represents, and realizes in the flesh and in the spirit the indissolubility of God’s love for us all—a love which by its nature is constant, and unconditional. Throughout our lives and into eternity, the loyalty, fidelity, and uncompromising commitment of God’s love for us is everlasting. The ceremony of marriage gives us the occasion to affirm this publicly and in celebration. By living out the sacrament through their married life, the couple gives witness to the same everlasting love, no matter what the vagaries of life may serve up to them.

Theologian Ronald Rolheiser adds a wonderful thought to all this:

Beneath the sometimes chaotic divergences between male and female bodies, spirits, emotions, ways of thinking and of regarding themselves, beneath and entwined with all these dwells a sometimes quiet but always strong desire: to share a union with God, and in that, with others in the most complete, profound way possible. It is the urge to “be-with.” It is the hope for an openess to another person, to God, in peace.

The union in sacramental marriage, initiated with the couple’s marriage vows and lasting for a lifetime, is the paradigm of what Rolheiser observes. That is why in the Gospel Jesus puts such high stakes on it.

If we’ve been through a divorce or know someone who has, we might have a hard time accepting these words. We might find ourselves thinking, “Doesn’t Jesus understand why marriages break down? Why can’t he show a little more compassion?” If we know anything of the guilt, anger, and sadness that come with divorce, it might seem as if Jesus is being a legalist here or that he enjoys “arresting” us on the charge of a broken marriage.

But remember who Jesus was talking to: legalistic Pharisees. They were looking for loopholes, trying to trap him by getting him to spell out when it was acceptable to leave one’s spouse. In response, Jesus told the truth, as he always did. Yes, marriage is sacred to God, and it is a blessing for us. It’s a union between two people that is sealed by the Holy Spirit, and the last thing he wants is for us to go through the agony of having that union torn apart.

Notice, however, that while Jesus said that divorce should not happen, he never said a condemning word about people whose marriages end up failing. He knows that we are human beings who make mistakes; that’s why he came to earth!

Thursday, February 27, 2014

“The tighter you squeeze, the less you have”


"He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have." - Socrates

Scripture Text: (JAS 5:1-6)
Come now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending miseries.
Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have become moth-eaten,
your gold and silver have corroded,
and that corrosion will be a testimony against you;
it will devour your flesh like a fire.
You have stored up treasure for the last days.
Behold, the wages you withheld from the workers
who harvested your fields are crying aloud;
and the cries of the harvesters
have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.
You have lived on earth in luxury and pleasure;
you have fattened your hearts for the day of slaughter.
You have condemned;
you have murdered the righteous one;
he offers you no resistance.

The words of St James in the reading above are harsh. The gold coveted by the rich will consume them. Their zeal for luxury murders the poor. Hearts grown fat with comfort will face the day of slaughter. The wages robbed from workers weep. The psalmist today at Mass warns that those who trust in folly will never see the light.

“Rabble rousers” like St James are rarely heard today. They would be labeled extremists and ignored. With everyone needing access to money, being rich and powerful has lost its taint. Just look at the names embedded in buildings, arenas, schools, operas, films, parks, museums, concerts, and libraries. Students race down the court with corporate logos flying from their uniforms, and they work out under donors’ names. Maybe the dollar proclaims “in God we trust,” but the song might be right: “money makes the world go round.” Only churches and children still are named after saints.

How do we recover the sharp edge of Scripture in a world like ours? The works of mercy rouse us to feed the hungry and shelter the homeless. The coat drive leaves us feeling warm. But the works of justice are a tougher sell. The struggles for fair wages or immigration reform take time; groups clash and compromise gets ridiculed.

So why does St James use such strong language? Because he wants to jolt us into getting the message: Greed is a sin and it is deadly. It separates us from the love and life God offers us. Take action! Jesus stands ready to help us see and do the next thing that will bring us closer to him. Let’s do it!

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

“Providence is wiser than you, and you may be confident it has suited all things better to your eternal good than you could do had you been left to your own option.”


“In Gethsemane the holiest of all petitioners prayed three times that a certain cup might pass from Him. It did not.” - C.S. Lewis, The World's Last Night: And Other Essays

Gospel Text: (MK 9:38-40)
John said to Jesus,
“Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name,
and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.”
Jesus replied, “Do not prevent him.
There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name
who can at the same time speak ill of me.
For whoever is not against us is for us.”

Making a life plan is a very natural and human thing to do, but it can be a hindrance at times to realizing what God is really calling us to do. There are so many events in life that we simply cannot plan for, and really “you have no idea what your life will be like tomorrow” (James 4:13). If we do have a plan, it needs to be adaptable to unforeseen circumstances and opportunities set before us, and it especially needs to be lived out by discerning on a continual basis whether the choices we are making are giving the most possible glory to God. God will never force us to go down a certain path. We have to choose our path while being open to the opportunities set before us and praying to God for direction.

In today’s Gospel, the disciples were not originally open to others working miracles on Christ’s behalf if these people did not follow Christ exactly as his most intimate disciples did. However, God’s plan is so much larger and grander than anything we could imagine ourselves, and he sees the big picture. We need to be receptive to the mystery of God’s plan and understand that we can’t foresee exactly how our lives are going to be played out.

God wants us to place our hope in him and in the future he has promised us. He wants us to be free to serve him. So don’t let the cares of this world make you afraid or anxious. Don’t let your worries convince you that you have to overcome every obstacle on your own. Instead, turn to the Lord, and ask his Spirit to help you let go of worry so that you can live in the light of his promises.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

“If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”


Spiritual superiority only sees the individual. But alas, ordinarily we human beings are sensual and, therefore, as soon as it is a gathering, the impression changes -- we see something abstract, the crowd, and we become different. But in the eyes of God, the infinite spirit, all the millions that have lived and now live do not make a crowd, He only sees each individual. - Soren Kierkegaard (Danish Christian philosopher and theologian)

Gospel Text: (MK 9:30-37)
Jesus and his disciples left from there and began a journey through Galilee,
but he did not wish anyone to know about it.
He was teaching his disciples and telling them,
“The Son of Man is to be handed over to men
and they will kill him,
and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise.”
But they did not understand the saying,
and they were afraid to question him.

They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house,
he began to ask them,
“What were you arguing about on the way?”
But they remained silent.
For they had been discussing among themselves on the way
who was the greatest.
Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them,
“If anyone wishes to be first,
he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.”
Taking a child, he placed it in their midst,
and putting his arms around it, he said to them,
“Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me;
and whoever receives me,
receives not me but the One who sent me.”

When people are arguing, fighting, coveting, and unsatisfied with their position, they are focused on worldly things, which are unsatisfactory, instead of focusing on spiritual things. If they would ask God for what they truly need, they would be satisfied, but instead they go against God by coveting things of the world.

If the Lord does not build a house, then in vain do the builders labor (Ps 127:1).

If they would, as the psalm suggests today at Mass (PS 55:7-8, 9-10A, 10B-11A, 23), throw their cares on the Lord, he would support them, but they choose instead to put their energies and focus elsewhere, and they get no support, and no satisfaction. Sound familiar?

The disciples in the gospel passage above are no better. They fight amongst themselves over who is the greatest. They are fighting with each other and coveting position and thinking of more worldly issues, even as Jesus is telling them the most important aspect of the Christian faith. He is telling them that he will die and rise from the dead, but they did not understand what he was saying and what he meant, so they squabbled amongst themselves over who was most important in their group.

Don’t people today still ignore the bigger issues of the faith and instead squabble over insignificant details and over who is most important?

When Jesus finds out that his own people have been ignoring his teaching and instead fighting with each other over importance, he gives a lesson on what is important. He says that the greatest is not the richest or most powerful, the greatest is the most helpful: the opposite of the one at the top. He brings in a child – the least powerful, most vulnerable – someone who can give no benefit but requires the most help. And he says whoever helps a child, the least important of people, will be receiving Jesus and God himself.

Instead of hating each other, we should be loving God, and the best way to love God is to love his people. What better way to show God our appreciation than to appreciate and respect, even love, his creation (i.e. each other). Loving each other, treating each other decently – even the poor, especially the poor – is the most effective way to acquire satisfaction in our lives. Those who love the lowest, least important people, those who give with no expectation of benefit, will receive the greatest benefit.

The things of the world are not the most satisfying, but the love of God can satisfy all.

Monday, February 24, 2014

“The more we receive in silent prayer, the more we can give in our active life.”


You don't know how to pray? Put yourself in the presence of God, and as soon as you have said, 'Lord, I don't know how to pray!" you can be sure you have already begun.' - St. Josemaria Escriva

Gospel Text: (MK 9:14-29)
As Jesus came down from the mountain with Peter, James, John
and approached the other disciples,
they saw a large crowd around them and scribes arguing with them.
Immediately on seeing him,
the whole crowd was utterly amazed.
They ran up to him and greeted him.
He asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?”
Someone from the crowd answered him,
“Teacher, I have brought to you my son possessed by a mute spirit.
Wherever it seizes him, it throws him down;
he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid.
I asked your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable to do so.”
He said to them in reply,
“O faithless generation, how long will I be with you?
How long will I endure you? Bring him to me.”
They brought the boy to him.
And when he saw him,
the spirit immediately threw the boy into convulsions.
As he fell to the ground, he began to roll around
and foam at the mouth.
Then he questioned his father,
“How long has this been happening to him?”
He replied, “Since childhood.
It has often thrown him into fire and into water to kill him.
But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
Jesus said to him,
“‘If you can!’ Everything is possible to one who has faith.”
Then the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe, help my unbelief!”
Jesus, on seeing a crowd rapidly gathering,
rebuked the unclean spirit and said to it,
“Mute and deaf spirit, I command you:
come out of him and never enter him again!”
Shouting and throwing the boy into convulsions, it came out.
He became like a corpse, which caused many to say, “He is dead!”
But Jesus took him by the hand, raised him, and he stood up.
When he entered the house, his disciples asked him in private,
“Why could we not drive the spirit out?”
He said to them, “This kind can only come out through prayer.”

Why did Jesus say prayer is necessary? Through prayer, we put aside the noise of the world so that we can see more clearly what needs to be done. When we come into contact with the Lord, we allow him to influence us and guide us. We don’t get bogged down in distractions or needless controversies.

Do you believe that this is possible for you? It is......................!

It all begins in prayer, but it certainly doesn’t end there! Prayer is not a moment of time with Jesus, followed by many more moments of thinking and acting the same old way. Prayer is meant to change us so that we think and act like Jesus. Prayer opens our eyes and makes us aware of things that we used to overlook, like the suffering of the poor or the marginalizing of those who don’t measure up to society’s standards. Prayer makes us more loving and considerate.

So quiet the noise around you and listen. God has something He wants to say to you today.

Sunday, February 23, 2014

“Love your Enemies, for they tell you your Faults.”


“Now there is a final reason I think that Jesus says, "Love your enemies." It is this: that love has within it a redemptive power. And there is a power there that eventually transforms individuals. Just keep being friendly to that person. Just keep loving them, and they can’t stand it too long. Oh, they react in many ways in the beginning. They react with guilt feelings, and sometimes they’ll hate you a little more at that transition period, but just keep loving them. And by the power of your love they will break down under the load. That’s love, you see. It is redemptive, and this is why Jesus says love. There’s something about love that builds up and is creative. There is something about hate that tears down and is destructive. So love your enemies. (from "Loving Your Enemies")” ― Martin Luther King Jr., A Knock at Midnight: Inspiration from the Great Sermons of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.

Gospel Text: (MT 5:38-48)
Jesus said to his disciples:
“You have heard that it was said,
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.
When someone strikes you on your right cheek,
turn the other one as well.
If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic,
hand over your cloak as well.
Should anyone press you into service for one mile,
go for two miles.
Give to the one who asks of you,
and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.

“You have heard that it was said,
You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.
But I say to you, love your enemies
and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be children of your heavenly Father,
for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good,
and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.
For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?
Do not the tax collectors do the same?
And if you greet your brothers only,
what is unusual about that?
Do not the pagans do the same?
So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”


Today I want to look a bit closer at the notion of loving our enemies.  Too often in popular and social media I see people saying terrible things in regards to men and women they deem evil.  Occasionally Facebook is riddled with sayings like “he deserves to suffer and die,” in regards to people like Osama Bin Laden, Sadam Hussein, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev (Boston Bomber), and other people who have committed horrible atrocities.  While it would be un-Christian of me to claim that these people should not be punished in some way for their actions, these comments make me ask these questions: 

“When did these people cease to be humans deserving of mercy?  If they don’t deserve mercy, how can I believe that I do?”

How do we decide what acts are too horrendous for mercy?  As Christians, we shouldn’t.  Too often we become victims of popular culture that wants revenge.  We want to claim that God’s mercy is limited and some sins are beyond forgiveness and must be punished to the extreme.  But we as Christians know better than that.  We know God’s mercy is limitless in our own lives as well as others.  The Psalm today at Mass reminds us of that when it says, “He pardons all your iniquities (all of them, not just some), heals all your ills.  He redeems your life from destruction, crowns you with kindness and compassion.” (Psalm 103:1-2, 3-4, 8+10, 12-13)

In our own lives there may be people who have personally wronged us so atrociously that we simply cannot show mercy to them.  They have become our enemies in this life and are beyond our forgiveness.  But Moses says to us, “You shall not bear hatred for your brother or sister in your heart,” and Jesus says to us, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”  As Christians, this is arguably one of Christ’s most difficult teachings.


But we must remember that mercy does not come from us, but rather through us.  Some persecution is beyond our power to forgive, but not for Christ.  We are called today, by the words of Christ, to let his mercy flow through us.  

Allow him to transform us from the inside out, so that we may be able to love our enemies and that we may be perfect, just as our heavenly Father is perfect.

“Love your Enemies, for they tell you your Faults.”


“Now there is a final reason I think that Jesus says, "Love your enemies." It is this: that love has within it a redemptive power. And there is a power there that eventually transforms individuals. Just keep being friendly to that person. Just keep loving them, and they can’t stand it too long. Oh, they react in many ways in the beginning. They react with guilt feelings, and sometimes they’ll hate you a little more at that transition period, but just keep loving them. And by the power of your love they will break down under the load. That’s love, you see. It is redemptive, and this is why Jesus says love. There’s something about love that builds up and is creative. There is something about hate that tears down and is destructive. So love your enemies. (from "Loving Your Enemies")” ― Martin Luther King Jr., A Knock at Midnight: Inspiration from the Great Sermons of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.

Gospel Text: (MT 5:38-48)
Jesus said to his disciples:
“You have heard that it was said,
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.
When someone strikes you on your right cheek,
turn the other one as well.
If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic,
hand over your cloak as well.
Should anyone press you into service for one mile,
go for two miles.
Give to the one who asks of you,
and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.

“You have heard that it was said,
You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.
But I say to you, love your enemies
and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be children of your heavenly Father,
for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good,
and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.
For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?
Do not the tax collectors do the same?
And if you greet your brothers only,
what is unusual about that?
Do not the pagans do the same?
So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Today I want to look a bit closer at the notion of loving our enemies.  Too often in popular and social media I see people saying terrible things in regards to men and women they deem evil.  Occasionally Facebook is riddled with sayings like “he deserves to suffer and die,” in regards to people like Osama Bin Laden, Sadam Hussein, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev (Boston Bomber), and other people who have committed horrible atrocities.  While it would be un-Christian of me to claim that these people should not be punished in some way for their actions, these comments make me ask these questions: 

“When did these people cease to be humans deserving of mercy?  If they don’t deserve mercy, how can I believe that I do?”

How do we decide what acts are too horrendous for mercy?  As Christians, we shouldn’t.  Too often we become victims of popular culture that wants revenge.  We want to claim that God’s mercy is limited and some sins are beyond forgiveness and must be punished to the extreme.  But we as Christians know better than that.  We know God’s mercy is limitless in our own lives as well as others.  The Psalm today reminds us of that when it says, “He pardons all your iniquities (all of them, not just some), heals all your ills.  He redeems your life from destruction, crowns you with kindness and compassion.” (Psalm 103:1-2, 3-4, 8+10, 12-13)

In our own lives there may be people who have personally wronged us so atrociously that we simply cannot show mercy to them.  They have become our enemies in this life and are beyond our forgiveness.  But Moses says to us, “You shall not bear hatred for your brother or sister in your heart,” and Jesus says to us, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”  As Christians, this is arguably one of Christ’s most difficult teachings.


But we must remember that mercy does not come from us, but rather through us.  Some persecution is beyond our power to forgive, but not for Christ.  We are called today, by the words of Christ, to let his mercy flow through us.  

Allow him to transform us from the inside out, so that we may be able to love our enemies and that we may be perfect, just as our heavenly Father is perfect.

Saturday, February 22, 2014

"Good leaders must first become good servants."


"Life is a place of service. Joy can be real only if people look upon their life as a service and have a definite object in life outside themselves and their personal happiness."--Leo Tolstoy

Gospel Text: (MT 16:13-19)
When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi
he asked his disciples,
“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter said in reply,
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.
And so I say to you, you are Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my Church,
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven.
Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

Have you ever wanted to be someone else?

You might wonder if Peter had ever fantasized about doing something else when he was a fisherman. Well, as it turned out, Peter got not only a new job but a new name as well. He became “the Rock” on which Jesus built his Church. He grew into his new identity, making a lot of mistakes along the way. He even denied knowing Jesus at one point! But he kept at it, and eventually he became all that Jesus had envisioned.

This is how it works in our lives as well. When we are confirmed, we take on a new name, a saint’s name. Then we commit ourselves to trying to grow in holiness, all the while learning how to yield to the Spirit’s work in our lives. It’s no fantasy. We know that we are weak, but we can take comfort in the fact that the Spirit is powerful and loves to give us his strength.


Jesus asks his disciples “Who do you say that I am?” This is a question that I often ask myself. How do I describe Christ? Who is He in my life? To me, Jesus is a forgiver, a redeemer, a savior, a friend, and my rock, but the answer to this question is different for everyone. Challenge yourself to answer who Jesus is to you today.