Deacon Larry

 

Holy Family

Sir 3: 2-6, 12-14; Col 3: 12=21; Mt 2: 13-15, 19-23

Dc. Larry Brockman

There’s an old saying that goes something like this:  “Everyone’s greatest blessing is also their greatest curse”.  I’ll bet that sometimes you might feel that way about your own family.  Because our greatest joys come from our family; like the feeling you had when you fell in love with your spouse; or experiencing the birth of your child; or the joy on the faces of children on Christmas Morning.  But our families can also be the source of our greatest suffering: like the loss of a loved one; or when our children leave us; or when a relationship begins to sour.   

You know, the family unit is God’s plan for humans.  God could have made us like ferns.  Ferns are self sufficient and self propagating.  They don’t need moms and dads.  But humans need a family to survive and propagate.  We are made in the image and likeness of God, and God is a Trinity.  Our families are like the trinity- Moms, Dads, and children, three distinct parts.  Each has their own role; each is dependent on the other.  Sirach talks about those roles, and the respect that is due to each person in the family- respect due to Fathers, Mothers, and Children.  And love is the centerpiece of those mutual relations between the members of a family.   

Today we celebrate the feast of the Holy Family.  It is our Parish Feast Day, because our Parish is Holy Family.  I am certain that very many of us celebrated Christmas as a Family- an extended Family that includes 4, even 5 generations.  This is how it should be, because all of our family shares in the gift of the Incarnation, how God became man, and the salvation of humanity that comes with it.  All of us should share in that joy with members of our family.    But sometimes, when families gather, there is strife.  It is part of the curse I talked about earlier.  The strife may be over old grudges that surfaced; or nagging that reminded us of frequent nagging in the past.  Or the strife might be fueled by jealousy or hurt over some part of the gift giving.  Somebody might be upset that they got light chocolates rather than dark chocolates; or Tommy’s toy is more in vogue than Dick’s; or this sweater is just not something I could ever wear.  In any event, today is a good time to put all that strife aside, and focus on the Christian Family.   

First, we need to recall that our Advent experience was over joyful expectation of the coming of Christ- not just the Christ Child- but the second coming of Christ as well.  At that second coming, all of us will be judged.  So, while we are rejoicing over the promise of our salvation that is made so very real by the birth of the Savior; we need to recognize that a big responsibility comes with that promise.  All of us now need to be ready for that second coming by living the life of a Christian.   

Now our families are our first and most important influence on who we become as people.  Parents and Grandparents are the first and most memorable teachers of children.  If they don’t teach by taking an active role, then their avoidance of teaching their children effectively teaches any way.  In the second reading, St Paul gives us incredible and succinct insight on what it takes to be a Christian:  “Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another if one has a grievance against another”; and then later he says “Over all of these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection”.  Indeed, these are the ingredients that all members of a family need to embrace.   

Nobody is perfect- no Mom or Dad or Child.  And when we perceive that somebody has hurt us, we need to draw from Paul’s list of virtues rather than react.  I know that is hard, because just like every one else here, people in my own family have done things that hurt me.  I really wanted those dark chocolates, you know!  But, I have also done things that hurt as well.  If I want to be forgiven, and even expect to be forgiven; then I have to forgive as well.  That’s why Paul’s list of virtues is so important.  And even more critically important is that these virtues be practiced in our own families.  Because children are watching what their parents do, and that is how they will behave.  Likewise, our neighbors are watching what we do; and if we don’t reflect our professed Christianity, that is not likely to be a positive influence on them.   

There is no better example of the effect of hate, rather than love, than the story in today’s Gospel.  Herod’s jealousy and hate had no limits.  He was willing to inflict incredible pain on many, many families by killing all the infants in the area in order to be sure that the ancient prophesy of a Messiah was not fulfilled.  That hatred spawned incredible evil and suffering over many.  It is no different for us.  When we hate, the tentacles spread wide and in many unforeseen ways.  But love, no matter how hard it may be to practice, it can permeate the human spirit and propagate as well.  So, remember this when you gather as a family:  “Over all of these put on love.”   

 

First Sunday of Advent

Is 2: 1-5; Rom 13: 11-14; Mt 24: 37-44

Dc. Larry Brockman

What if I told you that even if you had all your shopping done, all your gifts wrapped, your tree and all your lights up, all your cookies and goodies made, and all your Christmas cards mailed out, that you would still not ready for Christmas?  What a wake up call that would be, eh, and yet, that’s kind of what our readings are all about this morning, because all those things I just mentioned, cards and gifts and lights and trees- none of them is mentioned in our readings.  They don’t prepare us for the coming of Christ.  Rather, they just tell us how well we are prepared for the secular celebration of Christmas.   

Advent begins today, the season that does prepare us for the coming of Christ.  And, although Advent certainly prepares us for the coming of the Christ Child; it is also the season to prepare us for the second coming of Christ.   

Now the joy that we all celebrate over the coming of the Christ Child boils down to this:  That God kept His promise, his covenant, by sending us a redeemer.  And that should be a source of great Joy for all of us, knowing that God loved us so much that he sent His only Son into the World to live amongst us as one of us; and to show us the way, through the example of His life, for us to live in harmony with God and His plan.  That’s what the Gospel is- a roadmap showing us that way.   

And the joy of the second coming is this: that we lived the good life here on earth, and are ready for everlasting life in the Kingdom because we believed, really believed, and lived our life with the love of Christ in us, responding to the call that each of us receives from God to do his will.  And so, we are ready for death and the Last Judgment.   

Now the emphasis of our readings today is on this second coming of Christ.  All three readings talk about it in one way or another, as well as the consequences of that second coming.  First, Isaiah describes people streaming to the Heavenly Kingdom, symbolized by Jerusalem, where they will be judged.  A life in everlasting peace follows for those embraced by the judge.  Next, we have Paul advising the Romans to live worthy lives so that when Jesus comes, they will not be caught off guard, but will be prepared.  Lastly, Jesus tells us that most people will be living their normal lives when the end will come; and that some will be taken, and others will not.   

We need a reminder of these two comings every year.  First, we need to be reminded that Jesus Christ is the answer, and that the Christ Child was the advent, the coming, of our savior so we can celebrate Christmas with great joy, make festive arrangements, and exchange gifts.  But second, we need to be reminded of the second coming as well.  Because after we recognize the Christ Child as God, we must live in harmony with God’s plan by living according to the roadmap in the Gospel, so that we will be prepared and joyful over the second coming of Christ.   

Preparation for the second coming takes a little effort because we need to step back occasionally from the lives that we are living, and check on our preparedness.  We need to reflect on our lives in the light of our Faith and the Gospel that shows us the way; and make changes in our lives accordingly so that we can be ready- ready for the end of our world for us because it can come at any time.   

Why is Advent is the time for us to do this reflection?  Well, it occurs once a year on the Church calendar just before Christmas and the fulfillment of God’s promise for a Redeemer.  If there is something nagging us about our lives, something that isn’t quite right then that nagging feeling will keep us from experiencing the joy that should be ours at Christmas.  You know, it is easy for us all to fall into a routine, a rut as we go through life- working, going to school, raising kids, and all the associated activities  These activities can become routines that we don’t even think about.  They are punctuated with constant pressures of the real world- like illnesses, financial problems, and people problems; and by questions and concerns, like what am I doing with my life, and what is life really all about?  You can find yourself depressed or puzzled about your role in the world.  It is then that it helps to step back from life to reflect on where we are going and how God is active in our lives.  That’s what Advent Reflection is all about.   

So how should we reflect?   First, we need to be in the right frame of mind- a frame of mind in which we slow down, put things out of our mind, and ponder the Faith we have in God and where he is working in our lives.  As an example of how we can get in the right frame of mind  Consider coming to the Church this Tuesday evening at 7:15 PM.  The parish will present a Lessons and Carols Service to help us reflect on the real meaning of Advent and Christmas.  We will review the history of the incarnation, the coming of Christ in our scriptures; and those lessons from scripture will be accompanied by the music of the season giving us all an opportunity to think about what God did for us and relax us so that we can begin the reflection process.   

Then, we need to pray to God asking him to help us sense and feel what He has in mind for us going forward- what feels wrong about our lives versus what feels right; what gnawing or nagging feeling do we have about the course of our lives right now, and what can be done to come to peace with it.  Each of us has their own unique cross to bear and God will give us the grace to endure it if we ask Him.  And finally, based on these reflections, we need to do something about it.  To steer our course in whatever direction helps to improve our relationship with God.   

Advent is a wonderful opportunity to come closer to God.  Embrace the season and use it to reflect on your life.  And then savor the joy of the Christmas Season. 

 

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Is 66: 18-21; Heb 12: 5-7, 11-13; Luke 13: 22-30

Dc. Larry Brockman

What’s with this narrow gate talk any way?  Wasn’t everybody saved by Jesus’ death and Resurrection?  All we have to do is believe, right?  So why the talk about a narrow gate.    Perhaps we should step back and look again at Salvation. 

It is popular today to talk about how much God loves all of us, and that He saved all of us.  Yes, everybody was saved by Jesus sacrifice on the Cross.  But that doesn’t mean that we will all find our salvation.  Jesus makes that quite clear in this parable.  To find our salvation, we all need to strive for it.  We need to seek out the Kingdom of God. 

Notice that Jesus never answers the question of how many will be saved.  The answer He gives is personally directed to his questioner.  Jesus says, in effect, that it is not your concern how many are saved.  Rather, your major concern is whether you will be saved.  And so, Jesus advice is to “Strive to enter through the narrow gate”.  Now the word “strive” was translated from the Greek word agonizomai.  Our word agony comes from this word.  So, the sense of Jesus’ meaning of “striving” then, is an agonizing, consuming effort.  That is what Jesus is telling his questioner he needs to do to enter the narrow gate- to make an agonizing, consuming effort, to find his salvation. 

Wouldn’t the same thing be true for you and I?  That means several things when you think about it:  First, it is not enough to just say “I believe”, rather, we have to know the Christ we profess to believe.  We cannot be like the folks who ate and drank with Jesus in the parable and then were told:  “I do not know where you are from”.  That’s because these folks heard the message, but were not involved with their God.  They were there- but were bystanders.  So , the Master says he did not know them- twice.  He goes on to say to these people- “Go away you evil doers?”  Seems like such a harsh statement.  Is it possible that you can come to Mass every week and you can be involved in parish activities but still not gain eternal life?  These folks said that they ate and drank in the Master’s company.  I think Jesus is telling us we not only need to believe, but we also must be in a committed, life-changing, personal relationship with Christ.  Your relationship with Christ needs to be living, lasting, and ever growing, so that Christ affirms that He does have a relationship with you. 

We can come to know Christ that way through prayer.  We do that by making room for prayer in our busy lives.  We especially need a two way conversation in our prayer, so that we hear God as he pulls us towards the narrow gate.  Our parish is blessed with the Perpetual Adoration Chapel.  Visiting there is a great way to get away from it all and get to know Christ better.  It’s a great way to begin and sustain that two way conversation with God.  Also, in a few weeks, our parish will begin “Why Catholic”.  “Why Catholic” Discussion groups will be formed to explore the Catechism, another great way to know Christ,  Because the groups will explore details about God and what we believe about faith, morals, sacraments, and prayer in our Church   

Second, we have to get rid of extra baggage.  One can not get through a narrow entrance with arms full of heavy baggage.  Our excess baggage may be things, things we are addicted to; too much TV; too much food; too much drink; or too much gossip; even too much football.  Of course, I am not guilty of any of those things!  Or, it may be baggage we carry by virtue of our attitudes:  Laziness and fear come to mind.  Sometimes we just don’t want to get up and go; it’s easier to just stay the course.  Others are afraid to try something new for fear of failure   But, both of these attitudes amount to excess psychological baggage that we carry around with us, burdens that keep us from “striving” for God’s Kingdom.   

Third, we must actually strive to enter the narrow gate.  Striving involves action- not a passive existence.  All too often, our lives are characterized by a routine, a sort of settling into a comfort zone.  It may be a busy life, even a very dynamic life, but just the same, it is a life that is mostly focused on our own families and friends and problems, while our relationship with God remains static, not dynamic.  Being in a growing and living relationship with Christ means that we are open to risk.  Risk means moving out of our comfort zone, our immediate circle, and getting involved with the larger Church by “Striving” to live our lives as a Christian in service to others- responding to those little nudges you hear in your prayer life, things that Jesus may be calling you to do.  These are ways to “strive” for your salvation on the way to the narrow gate.  They are strivings which involve a commitment of the heart- not just of our time and effort.  The call may still be close to home, in our families.  Or we may be called to help outside of our immediate family.  But it would mean things like helping someone who is sick or ill; becoming involved in a youth program, RCIA, or Prep; visiting and caring for the elderly; or helping with the poor and marginalized.  Holy Family has very active ministries to the sick, youth programs, Prep, and Rest Home Ministries.  And our St. Vincent De Paul Society chapter operates a store in Clermont, and provides on-campus counseling and aid to the community.  Additionally, our Just Faith program is identifying other ways for us to share our talents with the less fortunate.   

The Gospel ends with the people who think they knew Jesus, but who are on the outside, seeing others from all over enjoying the Kingdom instead of themselves.  And we hear “the last shall be first, and the first shall be last”.  Truly, it matters little how well regarded we are in the eyes of society.  All that matters to God is what is in our hearts.  We have to strive with our hearts, minds, and bodies to be strong and enter that narrow gate.  Unfortunately life is like that- an agonizing, consuming commitment to Christ is needed to get through the narrow gate o the heavenly banquet.     

  19th Week in Ordinary Time

Wis 18: 6-9; Heb 11: 1-2, 8-19; Luke 12: 32-48

Dc. Larry Brockman

Faith and Obedience go hand in hand!  All three of our scriptures today demonstrate this.  The Hebrews obediently followed God’s directions on the night of the Passover because they believed God’s promise that they would be spared.  And Abraham obeyed God’s call to journey to a foreign land because he believed in the one true God’s promise of the inheritance of a promised land.  Indeed, men of Faith in the Old Testament demonstrated that their Faith was real by obedience to God’s call to them.  It wasn’t enough to just say you believed, or even to show up at the temple and worship.  Rather, these men of Faith did extraordinary things to show their faith and when you look at each of the incidents described in the first two readings, you find that the hallmark of the obedience is trust.  Trust that the Lord, in whom they believed, would not let them down.  And so, these patriarchs of the Old Testament obeyed the Lord in difficult times, trusting in the Lord.   

Now there is a very important statement in today’s Gospel that reads  “Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more”.  This is Jesus answer to his disciples, who ask him if the first parable applied to everyone or just to them, the leaders.  Jesus second parable talks about what is expected of the Faithful  to whom he entrusts much- like his disciples.  The answer is still Faith and obedience- but with an added wrinkle that the more we are entrusted with, the more faithful and obedient we are called to be. 

Jesus talks about a Master who chooses a servant to handle his affairs-   The master entrusts all his affairs to this servant.  So, this servant is acting as a leader of many.  Now the servant needs to be obedient to the Master’s will to maintain the Master’s trust.  The parable says some servants were obedient- they followed directions and were constantly prepared for the return of the Master.  Others were not ready out of lack of attention or ignorance; and still others were just plain disobedient- following their own designs.     

Likewise, the Lord chooses us and entrusts us with something:  For some, this is a talent, or a certain degree of wealth.  For others it is a certain amount of public responsibility; and for still others, the authority to govern.  Basically, we are the Lord’s servants- acting as stewards of the whatever he has entrusted us with; and so, each of us is called to show that we really do believe in our Faith.  We do that by being obedient to God’s law as we act as stewards and discharge our responsibilities.   

Following the parallels in the parable- those who recognize the stewardship God invested in them but defy God will be condemned- sounds like Hell; those who are ignorant of what they have been entrusted and do not act properly, but not out of defiance, will still face God and his justice, aut a lesser punishment- sounds like Purgatory; and finally, those who are ready for the Lord at judgment, will be rewarded- sounds like Heaven.   

Just like the apostles, some of us are entrusted with more.  And it is to those who entrusted with the most, those who govern, that even more is expected.  We are just weeks away from our Primary elections, and after that, the November General Election.  The people who serve us as public officials ultimately serve God and are accountable to him.  They are the folks to whom much more has been entrusted, because their decisions effect all of us.  But that does not absolve us of our duty because, fortunately for us, our society elects our officials.  They are servants of God who act as the master on behalf of the Lord, but we are responsible for choosing them.  And so all of us share in the stewardship of governing.   

I cannot recall a time in my life when so many moral issues have been at stake in our society:  reckless economic policies that have wracked up an incredible and shameful public debt-it’s the same as stealing; public funds being used for abortion; illegal drugs and associated violence; an attack on the sanctity of marriage; the Gulf oil spill caused by carelessness and greed with all of its consequences; and continuing radical terrorist factions that intend to use even nuclear weapons against us if given the chance.  

It is the duty of each and every one of us to be obedient to our God and thus, demonstrate our Faith to Him.  First, by knowing what God’s law is on these complex moral issues; second, by being obedient to God’s law with regard to these issues; and third, by electing public officials who will act as good stewards as they lead us. 

Now some say there is a distinction between living our lives as Christians, and requiring that everyone in a pluralistic society abide by our Christian values.  These folks believe that to adopt our morals as public policy puts our freedom in danger.  Some of these people are our elected officials.  But there is a greater danger.  There is the danger that we can act as poor stewards of God’s creation by not representing our God.  The German Theologian Dietrich Boenhoffer said it very well, and I quote:  “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless.   Not to speak is to speak.   Not to act is to act.”

It is time for us to act, to speak up, and to vote our convictions- to vote as good stewards of the Lord’s message, faithful and obedient stewards. 

 

Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Zech 12: 10-11: 13:1; Gal 3: 26-29: Luke 9: 18-24

Dc. Larry Brockman

It is important, very important, for you to know who you are.  And it is also important for others to know who you really are- not who you would like to be, but who you really are; because that is the truth, and we must always live the truth.   

Now Jesus knew who he was and what His mission was.  After His baptism, he went out into the desert for 40 days, to pray and reflect on just those questions.  When he returned, he knew who he was.  Yet he asked his disciples who the crowds said he was, and who they thought he was.  Perhaps part of the reason was that he wanted to know whether he was projecting His true self; was he doing and saying the truth of who he was.  The Apostles said the crowds saw Him as a prophet, because that is how he came across in sermons and in His public ministry.  But His disciples, who really knew him intimately, knew who he really was:  Christ, the Messiah, the anointed one of God. 

Now the vision that we have, the expectations that we have, of God and the way He works are not always accurate.  Such was the case with the vision the Jews had of the Messiah.  They thought the Messiah would restore Israel’s unity; free them from their bondage to Rome; and establish peace and prosperity for the chosen people of Israel.  That was not God’s way.  God’s will for Jesus, His son, was that he tell the truth about God and the eternal Kingdom; bear whatever suffering happened to Him for telling the truth, even if that meant death, which it did; and then rise from the dead and commission his followers to spread the good news of His coming, death, and rising.  That truth was too hard for the average Jew of the time to swallow.  They wanted a worldly Messiah.  So Jesus entrusted the truth to his disciples alone, and asked them to withhold it until the proper time.   

What about you and I?  Who are you and I?  As Paul says, “You are all children of God in Christ Jesus”.  We become Children of God by virtue of our Baptism, our acceptance of our faith, and our practice of it; by loving God and keeping His commandments for us.  But what does that really mean for us?   

Well, just like Jesus, we need to enter the desert sometime in our lives, reflect on our baptism into the Faith, and determine how we live our lives in love of God.  Just like Jesus, we need to determine who we really are, and then, we need to show truth of who we are in what we say and do.   

Notice that Jesus went through his desert experience in his early thirties.  He did not start His public ministry till then.  And we know virtually nothing about Jesus from the time he was 12 till he was 30.  Presumably he did what his stepfather did- carpentry.  But that is still a long time- 18 years of carpentry before Jesus came to a conclusion of who he was.  I think we all have the same opportunity.  We are all given time to live life, and gradually come to the conclusion that there is more to life than what we want for ourselves and what this world has to offer.  For some, that may take 20 years; and for others it may be a lifetime of 40 or 50 years or more.  Now speaking for myself, I see it as a gradual process, and not a single desert experience.  I’ll bet that many of you would identify with that. 

Today is my 40th Wedding Anniversary.  I have to tell you that it has been 40 wonderful years, a wonderful spouse for all those 40 years who has loved me despite my weaknesses.  We have played together hard, and worked hard together.  We were blessed with 5 beautiful Children.  Together, we have tried hard to raise those children to be God fearing and practicing Christians.  Today, we are blessed with 9 grandchildren as we watch each of our children raise their families. 

But each of those 40 years have been punctuated with some miserable experiences as well.  One of our children died at an early age; both of us have had our share of life threatening heart problems; and Jane lost her best friend in the prime of life.  We haven’t always agreed with each other; but we have always managed to respect each other, and to get beyond our disagreements.  We have shared a common faith, as both of us were cradle Catholics.  That has really helped because we have stayed the course when things got tough.  The experts say there are 20 or so love hate cycles in each long term marriage.  We have been through some of those. 

So, from 40 years ago till now, I knew that I was a married man and a Father, but it wasn’t always my top priority.   I worked for some 35 years as an Engineer in the Aerospace Industry.  Years ago, I would have said that this defined who I was as well- an Engineer and manager.  But the reality is that after working for two of the industry giants all those years, I came to realize that a job in the secular world, no matter how much power and influence it brings, is not what defined me because loyalty in such a scenario is really tied to an economic contract.  We may have certain skills- God given skills and knowledge.  That helps define who we are, because it influences how we think and what we do.  But our jobs are not who we really are. 

And so as I look back on life, I realize now that the role of a Father and Husband was much more of who I am and was intended to be.   In fact, relationships in general are a big factor that determines who we are.  We are all part of the Body of Christ.  Each of us is integrally necessary for the Body of Christ to measure up to the full potential desired by the Father.  Basically, our identity has to be tied to community in one way or another.  And so, however your relationships define you, make sure that is where your priorities are.   

Because it is so important, know who you are.  Today, for those of you out there who are Fathers and Husbands, be that person.  Let that be your priority. 

Pentecost

Acts 2: 1-11; 1 Coe 12: 3b-7, 12-13; John 14: 15-16, 23b-26

Dc. Larry Brockman

Happy Birthday!  Today is the Birthday of your Church.  Because on the feast of Pentecost some 2000 years ago, God sent His Spirit to dwell within several dozen people gathered in one small room in Jerusalem, and from that humble birth, the Christian Church has spread to all the corners of the Earth to be the largest religion in the world.  Happy Birthday to our Church!   

Now we usually dwell on Pentecost as the coming of the Spirit, but it is more than just that,  Pentecost initiated the great period of Evangelization, the conversion of the whole World- the Gentiles.  Just as Pentecost was used by the Jews as the commemoration of how God   Gave Moses the Ten Commandments and made His covenant with them to be their God; so also Pentecost commemorates for Christians how God gave the Apostles the Spirit and energized by that Spirit, He sent them to spread the New Covenant promising salvation to all people. The energy of the Spirit was not used to serve their own purposes, but rather, to accomplish God’s purpose.  They started by preaching to the tremendous crowd that was gathered in Jerusalem for Pentecost, one of the three main Jewish pilgrimage feasts that brought Jews from all over the World to Jerusalem each year.   

Scripture scholars tell us that the miracle of the tongues we heard about, that is, each foreign person hearing preaching in his own language, was a symbol that the scrambling of speech and confusion that occurred at the Tower of Babel thousands of years before that, was being reversed.  God used this event, the first Christian Pentecost, to broadcast a clear message:  He had sent His Son to the redeem all people, people of every nation and tongue, and now was the time to spread that message to all people; to unify all people in belief in the one true God.  And so, God’s Spirit spread like tongues of fire on His Apostles and from them to people of the many nations gathered in Jerusalem at the time- a Spirit which instilled in them God’s Love for them; and a spirit of life and enthusiasm; a spirit that promised an inheritance of everlasting life for those who believe and repent of their sins.   

The Church celebrates Pentecost each year to remind you and I of all this so that we too, just like Apostles, will go out and spread the good news of the New Covenant.  Indeed, in the Gospel, Jesus makes this clear.  There, He talks about first loving Him and then keeping His commandments.  Then he says that, quote, “..we will come to him and make our dwelling in him”.  What dwells within in us is the Paraclete, or Advocate.  But an Advocate of what- God’s advocate; God’s voice that will dwell in us and is ever present to remind us, through our conscience, of what God wants us to do; and to be an advocate for us in God’s behalf.     

In our second reading, we hear that:  “To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.” First, this means that these inspirations have been specially selected by God for you, whatever they are.  Second, it means that whatever manifestation you have been given, whatever urgings, talents, energies, and inclinations that God whispers to you through His spirit, are for some benefit in His cause to unite all of us.  Our community of believers, our Church, consists of many diverse people with many diverse God-given gifts that are the manifestations of the Spirit of God.  So there is a place for all of us in God’s plan to evangelize.  Just like the Apostles, we are being called to use those gifts for the greater glory of God, and to build His community of believers, the Church. 

Most of us are not being called to drop out of the life we have been given to do something entirely new, but rather, to learn how to bloom right where we have been planted.  Chances are that all of you out there recognize the special abilities that God has given you.  These are the gifts of the Spirit that you have.  They are your talents; the wholesome interests that you have; and even your limitations.  They are the things that you love.  They are what makes you special.  God wants you to use those inclinations and gifts for the common good, and in such a way, that your actions broadcast your dedication to the values and goals of Christianity.  If you are a business man; be an honest and trustworthy business man.  If you are a caretaker- a stay at home Mom or caretaker for a sick or aging person, be a loving and giving caretaker;  if you are someone’s employee; be a loyal and hard working employee;  and if you are a teacher, or a person in a position of influence through your words and deeds,  then always teach and act by what is true and of value.  Whatever you do, do it for the greater glory of God.  And like the miracle of tongues today, everyone will hear you, loud and clear, whether you speak their language or not. 

Ascension Sunday

Acts 1: 1-11; Heb 9: 24-28; 10: 19-23; Luke 24: 46-53

Dc. Larry Brockman

What will you do?  Imagine that you were there for the Lord’s Ascension.  You are there as one of the Apostles.  Before your very eyes, this man whom you had come to love and depend on, who suffered and died a horrible death; and then, in the middle of a desperate feeling of depression three days later, when you felt abandoned, and confused, and without hope; you saw him resurrected in body, eating and talking with you.  Wow.  And this goes on for 40 days, this Easter experience.  

But now, after the 40 days, he tells you that “repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem”.  Then he tells you that you are witnesses to all of that.  He doesn’t mean that you were there for it, although as an Apostle, you surely would have been that kind of witness.  No, what he means is that you are to witness to all of that, meaning you are to give testimony to what happened.  You are the one being asked to proclaim what happened.  Indeed, you are to be the person who proclaims the message of repentance beginning in Jerusalem.  You, as a party to all of what happened, are called to be that kind of witness- just think about that.   

But then, even before all of that could sink in your mind,  He takes you out to a neighborhood hill overlooking a garden valley, and while he is blessing you, He parts from you.  Parts from you- what does that mean?  The reading from Acts, also authored by St. Luke but later, says that he was lifted up and disappeared from them in a cloud.  But that’s not what Luke’s Gospel says.  It says that He “parted” from them.  It is as if He vanished from them- poof- right in the middle of the blessing, just as he did to the two Emmaus brothers in Luke’s earlier story.  How would you feel if you experienced all that?  What will you do?   

Some 2000 years later, all of us hearing this story of the Ascension in the pews this morning, can hear the story of the Ascension one of several ways.  First, you can hear the story of the Ascension as a detached critical observer.  That means you hear it like any other old story from history- something that is quite a yarn, and something that you hope is true, but deep down- you need more proof.  You will just have to wait and see, maintaining all your options.   

A second way you can hear the story is in your head, in which case, the Ascension story is something you decide to believe in, something that becomes part of your “faith”.  That means that you believe that God, in the person of Jesus, took on our nature and became human, that Jesus underwent suffering and death, then was Resurrected, and finally ascended into heaven.  Theologically, that means that God came very close to us for a while, close enough for some people that lived at the time to see and touch God.  And then, He  went back to God in heaven.  Wow! Isn’t that awesome, the one God dwelt amongst us as one of our own.  God who is the creator of everything, was that close to us.  That, in itself is a mind numbing piece of knowledge for those who believe. 

The fact that God so loved us that he came close to us is unique to our Christian Faith.  It is not something that Jews or Moslems or Hindus or Oriental Faiths believe that God would or could do.  It is unique to Christianity; we call this the Immanence of God.  Other faiths believe that God is so immeasurably greater than us that there is, and always will be, a separation between us, called a “Transcendence”- and so God Transcends us.  The Ascension shows us both the Immanence and the Transcendence of God- it is the transition from Immanence to Transcendence that we witness in the Ascension story today.  And that is all very good for us to understand with our heads.   

But there is a third way to hear the story of the Ascension- with our hearts.  As we come to realize the full revelation of the mystery of God, the simultaneous Immanence and Transcendence of God, we can feel that in our hearts.  It is a feeling of tremendous Joy, the joy of knowing that we are that close to the one true God who is also so far above us.  That’s what the Apostles realized in the Gospel.  Not only did they experience the story of the Ascension with their minds, but they also experienced it with their hearts. And that’s why they did him homage, returned to Jerusalem, and continually praised Him in the temple.  Because the Apostles realized that if God was that close to them, and also infinite in power, then nothing, absolutely nothing, could harm them.  They trusted in the God that they experienced, no matter what.  They trusted Him so much that they went into the Temple where Jesus had been hauled before a tribunal for Trial and conviction and execution.  They were no longer afraid of anything like that, but rather, were ready to be the witnesses He had called them to be.   

If you heard the story of the Ascension with your heart today, then you, too, can experience the joy of complete trust in God, and be His witness here and now, 2000 years later.   Next week, the Church celebrates Pentecost, when the energy, the life force, the inspiration, and the strength to follow through on your joy will be given to you.  As the Apostles received the Holy Spirit, then when we are armed with the Holy Spirit, we, who trust in God’s will for us, can all do great things. We do this as we witness for Him in this cold, secular, and increasingly Godless world-  wherever we work; we shop; we go to school; we play; we vote; we talk; and we walk.  We can be His witnesses, witnesses to the truth of Christianity, preaching the repentance for the forgiveness of sins in His name, by what we do and say.

What will you do?    

 

Divine Mercy Sunday

Acts 5: 12-16; Rev 1: 9-11a, 12-13, 17-19; John 20: 19-31

Dc. Larry Brockman

Imagine the joy the Apostles experienced as they actually saw and talked to the Risen Jesus Christ!  They had eaten and drank with Jesus at the Last Supper, and listened to his prophesy in confusion.  They had seen the trial and Crucifixion in horror; they had fled for cover into the upper room in fear; they had seen the empty tomb and were in awe; they had heard the story of the two men from Emmaus; but they had not yet understood the prophesies that Jesus had foretold and they had not seen the Risen Lord.  And so, they were confused and conflicted; not believing in what was implied- the Resurrection, but rather, wondering what it all meant. 

And then it happened.  Jesus stood before them in the Risen State.  He was real flesh and blood too- with the wounds still in his side and hands.  And he even ate with them proving He was not just some apparition.  Wow, that was surely something else!  Imagine the joy they felt. 

But as awesome as all that was, it was not the source of their lasting joy, because their joy was about to become much deeper than that.  You see Jesus goes on to explain the meaning of it all.  Jesus explains that all that happened to Him was done to complete God’s overall plan for salvation for all people, that everything Jesus experienced fulfilled the prophesies of the prophets just the way the Father had planned it, and that through His suffering and death, he, Jesus had brought redemption to all of us.  Jesus explained how he had to do God’s will, not his own, as hard and as painful as that was, and that the reward for His obedience to God the Father, as humbling as it was for God-made-man, was everlasting Life in a Resurrected body,  For as it says in Revelations:  “Once I was dead, but now I am alive for ever and ever”.

This was the source of lasting joy- as the Apostles came to understand that they, too, would be resurrected after death for everlasting life if they lived out their lives in the way Jesus showed them.  And not only that, but the Apostles and their successors were commissioned by Jesus to spread this Good News.  Jesus says: “As the Father sends me, so also I send you”.  And so, the apostles were being sent out to preach the good news of the Gospel to all men- about His obedience to the Father, and the suffering and death and Resurrection that was a consequence.  He told them to preach that all mankind is called to repent and follow His example. That’s why Jesus gives the Apostles the power to forgive or retain sins, because there is more to our Salvation than just believing in the Resurrection and the potential for everlasting life.  We have to seek forgiveness of our sins, and then repent, that is, change our way of life, to bring it in harmony with God’s plan for us.   

That message has been preached by the Church down through the centuries,   We have just heard that message during our Lenten experience.  Indeed, living the life God has given us, God’s will for us, is the challenge we all now face even if it means we have to suffer for a while- a physical disability, a terrible disease, a limitation; or the need to sacrifice our ambitions to serve others; or any of a number of other constraints on our agenda to assure that God’s agenda is met.  That’s what it means to live God’s will for us.  That’s what it means to be a Christian.  But the reward is our salvation, and the everlasting life with God that comes with it.   

Now part of the joy of Easter is that it lasts for 50 days.  But that 50 days is a meant to be a process, not just a celebration   And so, our Easter experience comes in stages.  First, on Easter Sunday, there is the joyful realization that Jesus rose from the dead, that God so loved us that he sent His only son to live among us as a man, to bring Salvation for all of us through his suffering and death.  That is our Faith- that we believe in Jesus and the Resurrection. 

But then comes the next stage, the realization that to benefit from the Resurrection, we need God’s mercy to repent from our former ways, and change our lives.  We need to live the life that God calls us to, whatever that is, and to bear with the suffering and joys of all that that involves. 

Today, we celebrate a great feast- Divine Mercy Sunday.  Jesus promised St. Faustina back in the 1930’s, that today would be a special day in our yearly Church calendar.   Today, the Sunday in the Octave of the Easter, is the day each year that Jesus calls on us to seek God’s mercy, to seek forgiveness and to resolve to repent.  Jesus revealed that if we confess our sins and receive the Body and Blood of Christ on Divine Mercy Sunday, then our sins will be forgiven, and so will the punishment due us for those sins, this is how immeasurably vast God’s mercy is on this special day. 

Many of us have already gone to Confession this Easter in the wonderful Penance service held here the Monday before Easter.   But, all of us still have time to complete our Easter Duty by asking for forgiveness for our sins here today, and then completing the process by going to Confession before Pentecost.  And so, when we receive Communion today, we can all be assured we will receive the second tremendous gift of the Easter Season- the mercy that is the essence of The Divine Mercy promise.   

And then there is the third stage of our Easter experience, the reception of the Holy Spirit.  It is through the gifts that come with the Holy Spirit that all of are given the strength to follow Jesus’ footsteps. 

Truly, we have an awesome God.  A God who Loves us; who shows us mercy and forgiveness for whatever we have done, and one who gives us strength to do incredible things in God’s name.   

Now I suspect that there are some out there who are skeptical that the Easter experience can be that profound, that it can fundamentally transform our lives.  So let me give you an example of a man who fully experienced Easter.  Look at Peter.  Just two days before the Resurrection, Peter denied Jesus three times, an incredible sin of abandonment to a best friend.  And now, just 10 or so days later, Peter has confessed, experienced God’s infinite mercy, and has received the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Now, we see a vibrant, confident, fearless, faith-filled Peter.  One who heals in the name of Jesus, just by casting his shadow.  Indeed, Peter has learned his Easter experience well.  Let us pray that all of us can make the same kind of transformation.