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How Does the Spirit Come?

Sunday, June 8th, 2014

Pentecost

Acts 2: 1-11; 1 Cor 12: 3b-7, 12-13; John 20: 19-23

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

What do you say when I say:  “The Lord be with you”?  “And with your Spirit!”  Yes, “And with your Spirit”.   

And today we hear of the coming of the Holy Spirit.  It is when our spirits are filled with the Holy Spirit that we are in harmony with God.  So just how does that happen?   

When we were born, God endowed each of us with our Spirit as well as our bodies.    Our spirits are what makes you “you” and me “me”.  Our spirits radiate our individuality, our gifts, and our personality.   God blessed each of us with a unique spirit.    But, that spirit is not in harmony with God, because we are born with free will.    Our spirits are independent and self-centered to start.  As we develop, we come to seek after meaning in life, and the search for that leads us to God and his Spirit.   

We learn today that there are two stages to becoming filled with the Holy Spirit.  The first stage is the subject of the Gospel.  First, the Apostles were visited by the risen Christ, who offered them peace, and said “As the Father has sent me so also I send you.”  Then Jesus : “Breathed on them and said: ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’”  Jesus had just ordained them in the sacrament of Holy Orders.  These 11 men had been given special sacramental graces.  They had been commissioned to do God’s work; to go out to evangelize and Baptize all nations.  But, they were not yet active in their ministry.  That would come later.   

In the first reading, we hear about the birth of the Church.  The Apostles are all gathered together after the Ascension.  And the graces they received at their ordination are unlocked as the Holy Spirit descends on each one of them individually.    This is the second stage of the process.  After Pentecost, they throw open the doors of the upper room where they had shut themselves in out of fear; and go forth filled with zeal and with individual special gifts unafraid of the authorities.  They speak different languages; they move out in different directions; they have different talents- some as teachers, others preachers, still others as healers.  St. Paul talks about the different talents and gifts of the Spirit in Corinthians this morning.  But the point is that God moved through his Spirit to unlock the graces of ordination on his selected Apostles,   And the Church was born as all of the Apostles worked harmoniously to accomplish God’s plan to evangelize all people.   

Each of us goes through the same two stage process when to receive the Holy Spirit.  For example, take the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.  When we receive the Eucharist, Jesus is present in each one of us, bringing us the Holy Spirit and His graces.  But as an assembly, we are joined together as the mystical body of Christ.   Collectively we have an opportunity to pray together and work wonders if we really believe in that power.   

Recognizing the second stage of the descent of the Holy Spirit along with His enabling power can be a problem.  Usually, it comes with prayer and in a group.  Many of you have seen it when our youth returns from their Confirmation retreat; or when Emmaus retreatants return from the Emmaus weekend; or at an ordination of priests or deacons.   But it can come in other ways as well.   

All confirmed Catholics are called to spread their faith.  It is when a person hears that call to participate in some way,  and then becomes active in the group they are called to that the Spirit will come to us, and activate the graces of the sacraments we have received  As he did to the Apostles this morning.   We have to take that extra step, a step towards our calling.     

This happens in Bible Study groups, the men’s club, the ladies association, the ministry to the sick, St. Vincent de Paul, the Knights of Columbus, in our families, and in many other ways when a person hears the call, gets involved, and works together to accomplish God’s plan for us.   

So this morning, as you hear about the descent of the Holy Spirit, think about the ways you are being called to get involved, to speak up in defense of your faith, to help a family member.  Follow that little voice inside that whispers to you to do something.  Pray about it and trust the Lord to help you as you make that step.  And then feel the Holy Spirit work within you to make it happen.   

And so I say it again:  “The Lord be with you.”

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The Cost Paid for Our Redemption

Sunday, April 13th, 2014

Palm Sunday

Mt 21:1-11; Is 50:4-7; Phil 2:6-11; Matthew 27:11:54

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

Everyone who studies the evidence left behind agrees.  For example, the evidence left on the shroud shows that the person wrapped in it endured an unbelievable beating; and the historical records on Roman crucifixion indicate that it was purposely designed to be extremely painful.  Everyone that studies this evidence knows that Jesus’ Passion and Death were just absolutely horrific.   

In fact, it was painful mentally and spiritually as well as physically for Jesus from beginning to end.  He knew ahead of time what was going to happen and prayed that he be spared the ordeal.   His friends fell asleep when he needed them the most and then they abandoned him; He was betrayed for money by one of them; and was denied by another.  The trial was an insult and a mockery; and the flogging was debilitating and extremely painful.  The crucifixion was horrific, designed to humiliate and create the most severe pain and suffering possible.  And this ordeal went on and on and on for hours.   

All of this was dramatized so convincingly in the film the “Passion of Christ”.  It was done so well that it is hard to watch the film because it is so graphic; it makes us squirm.  But we need to be reminded of the pain and suffering.  God loves us so much that he was willing to send His only Son to be one of us and to redeem us by following His will; and His will was that Jesus suffer and die for telling the truth about God and how mankind can be saved for eternal life.   

Eternal life- that should be our goal in life.  But the devil works on us constantly to divert our attention, to focus on ourselves, pleasure, and things of this world so that before we know it, our lives are over and we are not really worthy of the Kingdom of God.   

This week is Holy Week.  It is the perfect time to stop, get off the fast moving train that is focused on our earthly lives, and focus on the real meaning of life.  Jesus suffered and died to atone for your sins.  Yes, every crack of the whip, every blow to the nails, every breath taken in agony on the cross, all that suffering was caused by you and I as much as anyone because all of us have sinned, and have put ourselves first, not God and His will.   

Jesus suffered and died to redeem each one of us.  So that we could merit eternal life.  And so, we need to reflect on his message.  We need to take up our own crosses and endure whatever suffering that entails in order to follow God’s will for us.  And although our sufferings are real- sickness, problems in our relationships, age, economic and on and on; they pale by comparison with what we heard just now that Jesus endured.  So we can do it.   

Jesus saved us for something absolutely marvelous-  an eternal life in His kingdom following our death. 

In just a week, we will celebrate Easter, the Resurrection of Jesus and everlasting life.  We celebrate Easter because Jesus promised all of us the same Resurrection and everlasting life.  If you believe in Him, repent, and follow him, know that you will not be put to shame.  Rather, your reward will be great in Heaven. 

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Preparing For Christ

Sunday, December 8th, 2013

 

Second Sunday of Advent

Is 11: 1-10; Romans 15: 4-9; Mt 3: 1-12

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

“Prepare the way of the Lord-” that’s what we are all doing for the next 18 days- preparing for the coming of the Lord!  There are cards to be written, gifts to be bought, cooking to be done; decorations to be put up, trees to be trimmed.  And we are all engaged in preparing for the coming of the Lord when we do these things, right?  Not really!  Because as pressing and as important as those things seem to us, that’s not what John meant in this morning’s Gospel about being prepared.   

So, what does John say to do?  He says: “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!”  That’s John’s real message for us this morning, a message advising us to be ready for the coming of the King.  You see, there are two comings heralded by the season of Advent.  There is the coming of the Christ Child.  But there is also the second coming of Christ, and in these first two weeks of Advent there is a strong hint on the second coming of Christ as well as the coming of the Christ Child.   

That second coming is the one that Isaiah prophesies as well.  And what does Isaiah say?  He says that “with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips, he shall slay the wicked”.  Are you ready for that?   

Now many of you probably think about such a second coming as the Last Judgment.  But you know what, there is going to be an encounter with Jesus just like this when you die.  And that could come at any time.  Our readings have been making that point at weekday Masses the last couple of weeks.   

So, just how can we be prepared for the two comings of Christ?  John talks about what not to do, doesn’t he?  He scolds the Pharisees who come forward for Baptism because they were paying lip service to the whole process; they were just there to see what was going on and to be part of the popular activity of the time.  After all, people were coming out from all over Judea and Jerusalem to see John.  These Pharisees and Sadducees were just doing what everyone else was doing.  John implies that this is not what one should do.   

It’s kind of like us putting up Christmas lights and a Christmas Tree; sending out the cards and buying all the gifts.  These things are all part of the “holiday” culture of our time.  Everybody prepares in that way this time of the year.  But that is not what being prepared for Christ means.   

So what does John say to these Pharisees and Sadducees?  He calls them “a brood of vipers”, and says “who warned you to flee from the wrath to come”?  And then he says to them:  “Bear fruit that befits repentance”.  There it is- the message for all of us as clear as a bell.  Our preparation needs to be twofold:  First, we have to confess our sins.  Then, we have to bear fruit that befits repentance.  This is the kind of preparation that we are called to do for both of the comings of Christ.   

Every year, our parish has a Penance Service on a Monday night close to Christmas.  That service is the ideal way to fulfill the first of the two requirements- to confess our sins.  This year the Penance Service will be held on Monday December 16.  Not tomorrow night, but a week from tomorrow.  So all of us have sufficient time to clear our calendars so we can attend.  There are always more than a dozen priests there to hear confession at that service.  Typically, there are only 150 to 200 people there.  200 people in a parish of 3000 active families.  So, there will be room for you.   

Do you suppose that there are only 200 sinners in the parish, and the rest of you are sinless?  In the words of our pop culture Pro-Football commentators:  “C’mon man”!  All of us are sinners; all of us do something over and over again that we need to change.  We all need to first confess that- and so, all of us should be here on Monday night the 16th.   

But there is something else we need to do.  We need to repent as well.  Repentance means a sincere turning away, in both the mind and heart, from the sins of our past and from our self-centeredness, and then to focus on God.  So, John is calling us to bear fruits, that is, to show evidence that such a turning process is happening.  That’s a far cry from cards and decorations, and gifts and a lot of other things we do this time of year to prepare for Christmas.  And we have such precious little time to do it.   

What kind of things can we do to show that we have turned things around?  Paul gives the Romans some good advice this morning that might help.  He says that we can derive hope “by steadfastness and the encouragement of the scriptures”.  Yes, we need to exercise self-control; be steadfast against the temptations of the devil; and to read and practice what we read in the scriptures.  Then he tells us that we are to welcome one another; and to live in harmony in accordance with the teachings of Jesus Christ.   

Experience the real joy of Christmas this year.  It is a joy that comes from knowing that you are ready, you are prepared for the coming of Jesus.  Because you are right with God and ready to meet Him.

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Waking Up Spiritually

Sunday, December 1st, 2013

First Sunday of Advent

Is 2:1-5; Col1:1-12; Rom 13:1-14; Mt 24: 37-44

Deacon Larry Brockman

 

Are you asleep?  Now you may be thinking to yourself that’s silly because you are all physically awake or you wouldn’t be here.  But what about spiritually?  Are you spiritually asleep?  St. Paul was talking about people who were spiritually asleep.  He tells them the time is right for them to awake from their sleep.  Paul is acting as a prophet- warning people to mend their lives because their day of salvation is near.  He advises the Romans to put aside the things of the world, and to “put on the armor of light” so they will be ready for that day of Salvation.   

Jesus is also talking about people who are spiritually asleep.  He uses the analogy of Noah and the flood to make that point.  Now this is interesting, because there wasn’t any prophet in Noah’s day like Paul in his day. .There was just Noah- Noah read the signs and prepared for the flood.  But he was all by himself.  Everyone else thought he was crazy.  They were eating and drinking and marrying.  In other words, they were just living life, enjoying the good life.   

So, the question for us is this:  Is that so wrong- just living our life and enjoying the good things of life?  Paul was talking about deeds of darkness, and he lists them- drunken parties, sensual pleasures, sexual immorality, quarreling, and jealousy.  But Jesus was just talking about eating and drinking and marrying.  These are things we all do, just like two men working in the field, or two women grinding some meal for a dinner.  These people were doing the ordinary things of life, not the dark things that Paul mentioned.  That’s why spiritually asleep seems to me to be such a good description for what Jesus is warning us about. 

Most of us don’t go through life spiritually dead- consciously doing evil and seeking pleasure; denying the existence of God and the coming of the kingdom of God. But we are often spiritually asleep- preoccupied with basic things of this world; unconcerned with the fact that some day we will die; unprepared for the fact that at any time we could be called by God.  Yes, we could be the person in the field or the woman grinding flour.  In today’s world, we could be the person in the path of a Tsunami or Hurricane or Tornedo; a bystander along the street of the Boston Marathon; the victim of a heart attack or stroke or tragic auto accident.  And life is suddenly over for us, and we are standing before Christ the King in Judgment.     

It’s not so much that there is anything wrong with living life, but rather, it is foolhardy to be spiritually asleep while we live our lives.  We need to be prepared and ready for the Coming of Christ at any time.     

That’s what Advent is all about, the four weeks before Christmas.  It is our time to wake up spiritually, and train ourselves to be constantly aware of our mortality, of our first priorities; and of our relationship with God so that we will be prepared at any time for the coming of Christ.   

The preparation is twofold.  While we live, we need to walk in the light of Christ, living our lives to the fullest, but in the pattern laid out for us by Jesus in the Gospels.  And secondly, we need to be constantly aware of our calling to a higher life, a life in the kingdom of God.  Isaiah describes this hope for us in very poetic terms, the heavenly Jerusalem on Mount Zion; the house of the Lord, where there is no more war or strife, only the peace of God.   

So, this morning, let us resolve to use this next four weeks of Advent to awaken spiritually to get ready for the coming of Christ.  We may be shopping and decorating and feasting and visiting and doing all the other rituals of the season at the same time.  But, let us be constantly aware and ready spiritually of the coming of Christ.

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Filling Your Vessel with Honey or Vinegar

Sunday, September 8th, 2013

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Wis 9: 13-18b; Phil 9-10, 12-17; Luke 14: 25-33

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

In one of his sermons St. Augustine of Hippo said this:  “Consider that God wants to fill you up with honey, but if you are already full of vinegar where will you put the honey?”  I think that this summarizes the essence of today’s Gospel.

You see, when we begin life, we are empty vessels.  We are filled with neither honey nor vinegar.  Life happens, and the experiences of life fill us with a combination of honey and vinegar.  One of the experiences we have that fills our vessels the most is the influence of our families- mothers, dads, spouse and siblings.  Let’s face it, nobody is perfect; so we inherit both honey and the vinegar from our families.  When we first embrace our Faith, we embrace it with enthusiasm and resolve.  But the facts are that most of us are vessels that are partially filled by that time.  And the problem is this- the vinegar can block our way from the objective to follow Jesus, because we need a full vessel of honey to make the whole journey, it is either all or nothing with God.  And so, we must dump the vinegar.

Now consider the people following after Jesus in this morning’s Gospel.  We are talking about adults who have lived in their culture of the day and who have sour experiences and sweet experiences that have filled their vessels.  And yet at this particular moment in their lives, they are brimming with enthusiasm about Jesus.  They are following Jesus and hanging on every word.  They want to follow after him on the road to the Kingdom of God that he promises them.

But Jesus shakes them all up with reality- the fact that their enthusiasm may not match their ability.  Most scholars agree that the word “hate” here is not to be taken literally.  That’s why I like the honey and vinegar concept.  We cannot be totally dedicated to our families if we are to follow Jesus because some of the influence and commitment which members of our families require of us is the vinegar in our vessels.  Which of us hasn’t heard the comment: “If you love me, you will….”  That baggage may be filled with vinegar.  And yet, if we follow Jesus, we can’t embrace the vinegar that our families demand of us.

I’m not talking about pain, but “vinegar”, or sin because all of us need to bear a certain amount of sacrificial pain on behalf of our families to show real love.  But that is different than an expectation that we will support someone or do something for someone that is clearly wrong and keeps us from following Jesus.

The two parables today are interesting messages that support this argument.  Take the tower for example.  Unless we are committed to following Jesus, we will be like the guy who doesn’t have the resources to complete the tower.  You see we might get most of the way there in building the tower before we realize we can’t complete the task   Because our hearts are still tied to something of this world- a person, place, or thing- that we are just not willing to give up.  Others, looking from the outside, might find this attachment, this impediment, laughable.  But we may be blind to it, and frustrated by an inability to complete our task.

Likewise, the story about the king and the army resources can have a similar meaning.  We might decide we aren’t able to go the whole 9 yards to follow Jesus because we don’t have courage to go all the way.  That means the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.  So what do we do?  We try to bargain our way into a settlement.  But sadly, we cannot bargain that way with God.  What we end up doing is bargaining with the devil instead.  We draw a line in the sand to hold on to something, and think we can still follow Jesus at the same time.  Unfortunately, this Gospel is telling us it is either all or nothing with God.

And so, Jesus is telling the crowd to wake up to the reality of what committing to follow him is all about.  It means we have to make a choice when we are confronted with a real test in life- a choice to give up whatever is necessary to follow Jesus.

Our second reading is a great example of the whole process of such a test.  You see, Onesimus was a runaway “indentured” slave from Philomen’s household.  Nowadays, we can’t relate to slavery; but it was ingrained in Roman society.  Not only that, such property, as Onesimus was considered, was quite valuable.  But the Christian teachings that Paul spread called for people to be converted in heart and set aside evil.  Paul is asking Philomen to forgive the runaway slave, make no further claim to him, and accept him as a brother instead.  Wow! What a choice.

Well, that’s the kind of choice each and every one of us will face at some point in our lives- maybe even more than once.  We will be challenged to put aside the things of this world that hold us back, and make a choice to follow Jesus.  What will you do?

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Praying as a Friend of the Lord

Sunday, July 28th, 2013

17th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Gen 18: 20-32; Col 2: 12-14; Luke 11: 1-13

Dc. Larry Brockman

Prayer, today’s scriptures are all about prayer.  We heard the Our Father and how it is a blueprint to prayer to the Lord.  That is, it tells us how to pray and what to pray for.  But there is much more to learn from the scriptures today than that.  To begin with, prayer is when we join our minds and hearts with the Lord.

Well, let me pose this question about prayer-  How well do you know the Lord?  Do you know the Lord well enough to join your minds and hearts with Him?  It is pretty clear from both the Old Testament story about Abraham’s petition for Sodom and Gomorrah and the Gospel where the Apostles asked Jesus to teach them to pray, that both Abraham and Jesus knew the Lord pretty well.  Abraham is “walking” with the Lord.  The conversation is casual and friendly.  And Jesus addresses the Father as “Abba”, which means “Daddy”.  So, the first thing we should notice about praying to God, is that those who are familiar with God are good at it.  Think of it this way, can you imagine having an intimate conversation with someone you don’t really know?  It doesn’t sound like it would be very comfortable for either party.

And then there is the matter of mutual trust.  That may seem like a no brainer- trusting God.  But do you really trust God?  Our trust should be the same as that exhibited by little children a kind of unlimited, comfortable trust like the kind that comes with the relationship between a young child and a familiar parent.  So being familiar with the Lord would really help when we pray.

How do we achieve that familiarity?  Well, knowing about the Lord would help.  That means, for example, reading the Bible and knowing what the Catechism says.  But it also means having frequent contact.  The more often we pray, the more likely we will be familiar with the Lord, just like the more often we come in contact with any other friend, the more familiar and comfortable we become with them.

And then there is the matter of persistence.  Abraham was certainly persistent, carefully talking the Lord down from finding 50 good people in Sodom to just 10.  Jesus uses a parable about waking a sleeping friend after midnight to ask for three loaves of bread as a way to address persistence.  Now I have asked myself, why is persistence so important?  After all, God knows what we want even before we ask for it.  Why not just ask once; why burden the Lord.  Well, I think it’s because we should take the Lord at His word.  He wants it that way.  Ironically, the persistence in the Gospel story implies that the friend will open his door and give the three loaves of bread to the requester because he is irritated and just wants to get rid of the problem.  But, as the story of Sodom and Gomorrah shows, God always listens no matter how many times we ask him.  He is receptive when we do pester Him, our persistence doesn’t put him off because it shows our commitment to Him; it shows our recognition of our limitations and need for God.

Now in the story about Sodom and Gomorrah, we see a loving Lord who is willing to accommodate Abraham’s petition, that is, his prayer.  Abraham has confidence in the Lord, and is well aware of His power and might.   So very respectfully, Abraham pushes the situation to the limit confident that the Lord will do what is best.  Now, we all know what happened.  Sodom and Gomorrah were totally destroyed by the Lord.  This happens right after the story we just heard.  So our loving, Lord, who was so willing to accommodate Abraham went ahead and destroyed Sodom because He couldn’t find even 10 good souls in Sodom.  Was Abraham’s prayer answered?  Yes, it was, because God kept his bargain.  However, it seems like a “no” because saving Sodom was Abraham’s objective and yet, that is not what was best.  And we can all identify with that.  Because we all can see that Sodom was a disaster.

Sometimes when we pray, we ask for something but the answer is “no” by the Lord, only we don’t see the other side of the story like Abraham did.  We don’t see what’s best for us.  In the Gospel, Jesus tells us that our heavenly Father knows what is best for us, and uses an example of a Father giving his son a fish rather than a snake.  As a parent, I can identify with that.  How many times do our children ask for snakes rather than fish?  And as a parent, we have to tell them, “no” rather than “yes”, or “not right now” for one of their requests  Those are God’s three answers too- yes, no, and not right now.  But we need to trust God and be confident that he has answered our prayer, even when it seems like the silence is deafening because He gives us the Holy Spirit always to work through the situation when the answer is no or not now.

In the clutter and humdrum of today’s world where both parties work in a marriage, sometimes 60-70 hours a week; with cell phones and radios and TVs blaring constantly; we all need a friend- a real friend.  Take some time to get to know the Lord.  Pray; pray often to your friend and confidant, the Lord.  Pray with confidence and persistence.

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Sitting and Chatting With Jesus

Sunday, June 2nd, 2013

Corpus Christi

Gen 14: 18-20; 1 Cor 11: 23-26; Luke 9: 11b-17

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

When you come right down to it all of us are pretty needy, aren’t we?  All of us are hurting in some way and looking for something to take that hurt away.  If it isn’t the pressures of life- like our job, our marriages, our health, and our finances; then it’s concern over others- our parents, our kids, our friends.  And the fact that all of us are meeting here at the hospital this morning is a testimony to the reality of those needs.  We are hungry for a healing miracle in mind, body, or spirit; whether it comes to us as burst of inspiration or a special break or physical healing.  We are all looking for relief from whatever it is that is troubling us.

Today’s Gospel reminds us that we are not so different from the people that lived 2000 years ago in that respect.  Thousands of folks were following after Jesus.  All of them were looking for something.  Clearly, many of them were looking for a physical healing as the story tells.  And, since they followed Jesus all day, they were hungry as well.  A literal reading of the Gospel tells us that Jesus cured “those who needed to be cured” and fed five thousand men and their families.  But there is more to it than that- something for us to take away as well as we contemplate our special needs and the role that God plays in our lives.

First of all, notice that Jesus is God.  So, it is God who was meeting the needs of those thousands of people in the Gospel.  Second, God, in the person of Jesus, was ever so close to all those people.  Wouldn’t it be wonderful if Almighty God would come down here today and sit right beside each one of us in this chapel, give us his full, undivided, and loving attention; and while having a meal with us, discuss our needs with us, vand heal us of our pain?  Well, that’s precisely what Jesus had in mind, and you will have that experience in just a few minutes.

Let me explain.  In the letter to the Corinthians, we hear about how the Eucharist was instituted at the last Supper.  This was the earliest scripture account of this event, and arguably the most accurate.  In it we hear how Jesus gave us His body and blood in the Eucharist as a gift.  He told us to remember that whenever we offered the bread and wine through the priest, and consecrated it, then it became His body and blood; and that we should do that in memory of Him.  That is such a special gift, one which we are called to ponder this morning on this feast of Corpus Christi, because it guarantees that we all have the same closeness, the same intimacy, with Jesus as those thousands who shared a meal with Jesus two thousand years ago.

Yes, when we receive the Eucharist, as we all will in just a few minutes, then God will be very close to us, ready and willing to help us just as he was ready and willing to help the thousands in the Gospel story.  It will be as if Jesus were sitting here beside you sharing a meal with you, and listening to your concerns with a mind towards giving you the help that you need and relieving your pain.

There is, however a catch.  We all have to put something into that meeting with Jesus during the Eucharist.  Notice that thousands of folks followed Jesus in his day; but there were many more that did not.  The people that were there believed in him, and were willing to follow after him all day long into a deserted place presumably without food and water.  Their persistence and forbearance are symbolic of faith.  So first off all, we have to believe in Jesus and have faith that he can help us.

But additionally, we have to believe in the reality of the Eucharist- that it really is Jesus that we will eat.  Now I can talk to you about the real presence scientifically- pointing to the hundred odd Eucharistic Miracles that have been validated over the centuries, and about the scientific testing that has been done that shows that the bread and wine really did become flesh and blood in these incidents.

But what is important is that we believe it with our hearts more than our minds.  What it boils down to is this:  You can’t expect God to help you when you receive the Eucharist if you don’t believe that He is actually there.

Also, the whole Eucharistic process involves a sacrifice- the offering of the bread and wine by the priest at Mass.  Symbolically, we are called upon to participate in that sacrifice.  I think that is the point of our first reading.  Notice that after the offering of the bread and wine by Melchizedek; and after the blessing, Abram tithes a tenth of everything he owns.  That was a substantial sacrifice for Abram.  Recall that this story occurs well before Moses and the Mosaic law.  So Abram is not following the law; he is offering this sacrifice of his own free will.    Likewise, we are called upon to participate in a sacrifice.  Perhaps we need to give up something in our lives that is hurting us or those around us. Perhaps we need to give more of our time, talent or treasure to God and his plan for us; or perhaps we need to just give our worries over something to God- turning it over to God.  But, we have an obligation to participate.

Lastly, we are called upon to trust.  We need to trust that whatever it is that God gives us as a result of our sincere Communion with Him in the Eucharist, that it is for our own good.

Today, we celebrate the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ.  It is the Eucharist, and it is a tremendous gift.  If we receive the Eucharist with faith, believe that Jesus is really there, and do our part, then God, who is so close to us in the Eucharist, will answer our prayer to take care of our deepest needs.  You can trust in that.

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The Boston Marathon Bombing and Christian Hope

Sunday, April 21st, 2013

Fourth Sunday of Easter

Acts 13: 14, 43-52; Rev 7: 9, 14b-17; John 10: 27-30

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

It’s been a week of great frustration and suffering, especially for the people of Boston.  A terrible, senseless, evil act of violence aimed specifically at indiscriminately hurting innocent people was carried out by two young, misguided, men.  The events closed down a major city for almost 2 days; and now, over a hundred people are recovering in a place just like this, a hospital, some of them wondering what life will be like without an arm or leg.  The rest of us can only stand by feeling helpless and frustrated.

I suspect that visitors to this hospital and even some of the staff feel much the same way about a loved one suffering here or a patient they are caring for- frustrated and helpless, and maybe even a little angry that God would allow such things to happen.

In the second reading, John has a vision.  It’s a vision in which he sees all of those who are saved, and it is a great multitude that no one could count.  That seems rather uplifting- that so many will be saved.  But recall these words from the reading:  “These are the ones that have survived the time of great distress.”  And so, all of those who are saved had to survive a period of great distress- all of them.  It’s critical that we keep that in mind as we go through life.  Into every life a little rain must fall.  And in some cases, a lot of rain falls, doesn’t it?

In today’s world, our technology and medical progress have seemingly made it possible for people to live comfortable and pain free lives.  But this is really just an illusion, isn’t it., Because none of us will live forever, and none of us can be comfortable for our whole life in this world no matter how rich and gifted we are.

Michael Jackson comes to mind as a talented person who could “buy” any type of happiness;  But it was all an illusion; deep inside he was hurting.  It is just unrealistic to expect our lives to be comfortable and pain free.

A person who embraces unrealistic expectations, will have to face the consequences.  It’s as simple as that.  And while the consequences for that person may be his own pain and suffering, all too often his consequences are our consequences as well, like in the Boston marathon bombings.

In the first reading, the Jews are a perfect example of what I’m talking about.  They expected a worldly messiah, someone who would rise up as an earthly king and rescue them from the oppressive Romans.  All of this talk by Paul and Barnabas about Jesus being the Messiah- a man who was crucified, the worst humiliation and suffering imaginable in his time, such talk angered them and caused them to “stir up persecution” of Paul and the Christians.  So, the consequences of their unrealistic expectations were that they alienated themselves from the saving message of Christ; and they stirred up of persecution of innocent Christians.

You and I face a real challenge in this changing world.  We must not expect too much from it.  We cannot expect to be free of all pain and suffering; and at the same time, we cannot let it paralyze us.

All of us are subject to a test- a test that purifies us and validates our faith and conviction.  And how do we survive that test?  Hope- Christian hope is the answer, in which we look forward to the future and move on. And that hope is very well summed up in the Gospel.  If we belong to Christ, then we follow him.  He has guaranteed us everlasting life- that is our hope.  And it is not a vague, uncertain hope.  Rather, it is a sure thing- for as Jesus says, those who believe in him and follow him cannot be taken out of his hands.  But like sheep, we need to trust that God’s way, Jesus’ way, is the answer.  That means we listen to the voice of the shepherd and above all, trust in Jesus like the sheep trust their shepherd.  We don’t always have to understand.  But we do need to trust.  And then, we need to cheerfully move on and project that hope.  That’s what others who are experiencing the pain need the most.  It gives them Christian hope as well, no matter how bad things get in our world; because ultimately God will wipe away every tear from our eyes.

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A Blueprint for Conversion

Sunday, February 17th, 2013

First Sunday of Lent

Dt 26: 4-10; Rom 10: 8-13; Luke 4: 1-13

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

Lent is all about conversion, and conversion is a continual process.  It never ends, because God is always calling us to a more intimate relationship with Him.  And that means we have got to change.  As I listen to these scriptures,  I see a blueprint in them for the process of conversion.

The first step in our conversion is a change in our attitude- a conversion of the heart.  In the prime of our lives, we are focused on the things of this world- our careers, our spouses and families, our talents and our pleasures.  These things take up most of our time.  And when problems occur, whether they be financial, medical, relationships, or whatever, they really fill up our time and attention, don’t they?  During Lent, we are called upon to try to put all that aside, and reflect on the real meaning of Life and what God’s path through all the difficulties is.

In Paul’s reading, the emphasis is on professing faith on our lips, and then really believing in our hearts- faith first of all, that there is a God, that He sent Jesus to redeem us, and that the death and resurrection of Jesus are our means to salvation and everlasting life.  And this faith leads to knowledge that there is a higher purpose in life than life in this world.  That purpose is union with God and everlasting life in the Kingdom of God.  The path to that salvation involves a more intimate relationship with God- one in which he leads us, we don’t lead ourselves.  That is something that we need to be so convinced of that we believe it deep down in our hearts.  Paul is reminding us that Jesus has promised everlasting life for those who do have faith and do believe in their hearts.

Then, there is the reminder in the Old Testament about how God saved his chosen people and how these people felt an abiding sense of thanksgiving for that.  And in thanksgiving, they offered their best to the Lord- the first fruits of their labor.  So, we need to do the same-  We need to be so thankful that God saved us through Jesus His son that we will offer the first fruits of our labor as well.

What would that be?  Certainly not our animals or our harvest, because those are not the first fruits of our labor.  Rather, the first fruits of our labor are our talents and our time and our treasure.  In other words, our lives cannot be totally focused on ourselves.

Notice that the Gospel starts off with the phrase that Jesus was:  “Filled with the Holy Spirit”.  The good news is that each of us was instilled with the Holy Spirit by virtue of our Baptism and Confirmation.  And so, we just need to awaken that Spirit within us.  Lent is a way we do that- by reflecting on what it is that the Spirit of God is prompting us to do.  And it doesn’t have to be a sweeping change in our lives either.  It is just a matter of letting the Spirit take over so that God can carry our burdens, whatever they are, by having the spirit move us in God’s direction, not our own.  So, if your burden is a loved one who is ill; or an older relative; or children or a career- whatever, now is a good time to reflect on what God has in mind for you.  That’s what Jesus did when he went into the desert- he went there to reflect on how the Father wanted him to proceed with his life.  Filled with the Spirit, he was ready to reflect on how to do that.

But what happened to him is precisely what will happen to you and me when we try to reflect on our lives.  Jesus was accosted by the temptations of the devil.  We hear about three of them.  First, there is the temptation to turn the stone into bread.  Ah, yes.  We would like God to give us exactly what we want when we want it.  We are constantly looking for the “bread” to fill our hunger, whatever it is.  But we don’t live by bread alone, and so whatever it is that we want explicitly may not be the answer to our prayer.  And perhaps, the solution you are hoping for is not the real solution to your problem.  So, we need first of all to trust that God will give us what we really need when we want it.

The second temptation is power and fame.  One thing that we constantly seek in our prayers, if you really think about it, is power; only the power we seek is control.  We want to be in control.  And the reality of life is that we are never really in control.  God is in control, and this is the message that Jesus sends back to the devil when he says:  “Worship the Lord your God alone”.

Lastly, we can sometimes just give up on a situation.  Like when we stuff a problem into the back of our consciousness, and don’t try to deal with it at all.  And yet life goes on; the problem doesn’t go away.  That’s like throwing ourselves down off a mountain top, just hoping that we will be somehow saved.  You see, no matter how much we “trust” in the Lord, we still have an obligation to be involved.  Otherwise, we are putting the Lord to a test.

Each year when Lent arrives, we usually give something up.  Rather than giving up ice cream or beer or candy or even TV this year, try giving up a little of your time.  Go into a desert- a quiet secluded place- and take the time, the time to embrace the Lenten Call to prayer and Conversion.

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Healing Blindness in Today’s World

Sunday, October 28th, 2012

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jer 31: 7-9, Heb 5: 1-6, Mark 10: 46-52

By Deacon Larry Brockman

 

How strong is your faith?  Are you willing to give up everything to cure your blindness?  That’s what the blind man did in today’s Gospel- he gave up everything because he believed that Jesus could cure him of his blindness.

   

Now you might say, “We’ll, what did he really have to lose;  After all, he was desperate”?  But you see, he stood to lose his cloak; and a cloak, in first century Jerusalem, was a critical possession.  It was protection against the elements- like wide swings in temperature and winds; and it doubled as a blanket at night.  Because he was homeless, that cloak was Bartimaeus primary protection.  It may have even been his only possession.  It was unthinkable for him to drop it, and walk away because he might never be able to recover it.  Indeed, Bartimaeus stood to lose whatever stability he did have in the world if he lost that cloak.  He stood to lose everything.  But Bartimeaus did just that- dropped it and walked away from it!  That’s how deep his Faith was in the power of a man he couldn’t even see- all on faith, a promise of something literally and figuratively unseen.

   

Now the faith Bartimaeus had in Jesus was all word of mouth from others as well.  So, something they told Bartimaeus must have really moved him.  Perhaps it was because he could see with his heart what others did not see with their senses- that Jesus’ message was different, not like that of the Pharisees.  It was compelling; revolutionary; and gave real and lasting meaning to life; and so Bartimaeus decided to take the risk, stepping out of what little comfort zone he had.  Because of the Faith he had in Jesus, he was cured of his physical blindness, and then he followed after Jesus.

   

Now most of you don’t consider yourselves blind.  So what does this have to do with you?  Well, you know something; there are all kinds of blindnesses.  And I suspect that all of us could benefit by recognizing our blindnesses, and doing something about them.  Let me just talk about blindnesses that we might have.  

 

Some of us are blind to how our society is becoming more and more secular; how our values are slowly eroding away.  Maybe it’s because we are too busy working or caring for our families, or just trying to deal with life’s trials, like illnesses, our children’s events, sports, and social activities.  And so, we hear about things, but we really don’t see them in the proper context; and we don’t step out of our comfort zone to cure them.  Bans on school prayer, holiday trees rather than Christmas trees; the push for gay marriage rights; public funding of abortion; the HHS mandate forcing Churches and their institutions to cover immoral procedures and drugs- these are all evidence of eroding public morality.  Our Church teaches that acts like abortion and gay marriage are intrinsically evil, and must always be opposed by Catholics in good standing.   But some of us are passive, inactive, yes even blind to these things and their consequences.   

When we are blind to what God’s natural law is.  Then we are blind to the disastrous affects that changes in our values on marriage and life have on our society.  But they are leading society to acceptance of Euthanasia and alternate family styles that are contrary to God’s plan.  That kind of blindness does harm to the body of Christ.  To correct it, we need to realize our blindness and step out of our comfort zone to act.

   

Secondly, consider our situation compared to the third world.  We consume at an ever faster rate and dump unspeakable amounts of garbage and waste- like plastic bags that virtually never degrade which clog our oceans and water ways, killing birds and animals along the way.  Meanwhile a very large percentage of the World’s population lives in poverty.  Millions are starving; millions can’t read or write; millions have inadequate shelter.  And while we pride ourselves that slavery is gone; many human beings are tricked by unprincipled people into the slavery of human trafficking.  Yet these offshore poor and the victims of human trafficking are ought of sight; out of mind.  Yes, it’s another form of blindness. 

  

The blindnesses that I just mentioned have a common theme- they are all characterized by a form of self-centeredness  A sort of tunnel vision which keeps us from seeing the reality of the larger world- a larger world that we are all called to see and to respond to.  Most of us are in some kind of comfort zone, and don’t really want to step away from it to do something.   

Today, Jesus is calling all of us to do what Bartimaeus did- to throw off the protective cloak that keeps us in a safe haven; that protects us from things we would rather not see or deal with; and through Faith, resolve to open our hearts and minds to see these things as they really are so we can do something about them. 

  

It’s a tall order, and it is hard to see what we can do that would really make a difference or even how we can get started.  But, the very first step is actually very easy- it is prayer.  Ask Jesus the very same thing that Bartimaeus asked Him: “Master, I want to see”.  Because when you do that, Jesus will respond, as in the Gospel: “Go your way, your faith has saved you”.  And you have only to follow the urgings of the Lord in good faith, he can and will do the rest through you. 

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