Archive for the ‘Holy Family Weekday Homilies’ Category

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

What is Real Unity?

Thursday, June 9th, 2011

Thursday of 7th Week of Easter

Acts 22: 30, 23: 6-11; John 17: 20-26

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

Unity! Christian Unity is the theme of today’s Gospel.  Jesus is praying that all people- those of His time and those who hear about him from His disciples- that all such people, might be one- ONE. 

And what does He mean by being one?  Well, Jesus says:  “So that they may all be one, as you Father are in me, and I in you.”  Just exactly how can we do our part to fulfill that prayer?  How can you and I be so unified with each other that God the Father dwells in us in the same way that He dwells in Jesus, and such that we are all one harmonious entity- the Body of Christ?  I think that Jesus was praying that not only would His disciples believe in common what He had taught them without their being contentions between them, but that they would put that belief into practice by each of them complementing each other  In going forth and Baptizing all nations.  Jesus is advocating the kind of teamwork one sees in a well- coached sports team.  There, as an ideal, each person works selflessly and tirelessly for the common goal with all the other teammates.     

Now in our first reading, we have a perfect example of the lack of such unity among “believers” in this World as Paul uses a clever ruse to escape his captors.  He pits the Sadducees (who don’t believe in the Resurrection) and the Pharisees (who do believe in it) against each other.  But the Jews, whether Pharisees or Sadducees, had so much more in common with each other than they had differences; especially when comparing the differences between themselves  and the Romans or the Egyptians or the Greeks.  That’s what makes the example in this reading so fascinating when it is paired with the Gospel call for unity.  Because these two factions within the Jews were anything but unified- they were ready to tear each other apart.   

It is no different today with us, is it- Catholics, Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists, etc. all share so much of the same Faith, and yet, we are hardly unified?  But before we can deal with the interdenominational unity problem, we must look within, because, indeed, our unity must begin “at home”- right here in our Parish.  Some of us are not joiners- our Faith is expressed as an individual thing.  Other folks are involved in one or more ways in Parish Groups.  We have prayer groups, men’s groups, ladies groups, social action groups, and all kinds of educational groups.  While each individual and each of these groups may be doing great work, the question remains- are we all working together as the unified body of Christ?   And can we do that better- develop our unity?  There are several things we need to get to the kind of unity Jesus is talking about.  First, we need the inspiration of the Holy Spirit- and that is coming shortly at Pentecost.  Second, we need an attitude that accepts that “I don’t have the answer; but rather, we have the answer”, because no matter how directed and fruitful we are as individuals or groups, God needs all of us to build the body of Christ.  Lastly, we need Love, a real love expressed towards each other.  Indeed Jesus ends his prayer this way, as he says:  “That the love with which you loved me may be in them, and I in them.”   

Tags:
Posted in Holy Family Weekday Homilies | No Comments »

Learning to Wait a “Little While”

Thursday, June 2nd, 2011

 

Thursday of the 6th Week of Easter

Acts 18: 1-8; John 16: 16-20

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

A period of turmoil! That’s what our life on earth is, a period of turmoil.  The reading from Acts describes some of the turmoil of the birth of the Church.  People are persecuted by the authorities; some reject the message of the Apostles; while doing his evangelical mission, people like Paul must continue to work at their trade, and that means Paul lives basically mouth-to-mouth in his mission of evangelization as he travels around the area.  It is a chaotic time, the birth of the Church.  Jesus Gospel message all but says that the Apostles should expect this; that they will feel like they have been abandoned- Jesus will be gone for an uncertain “little while”, they will be left on their own without the physical presence of Jesus to guide them day by day as they had become accustomed to, to give them constant inspiration and guidance.  And yet, Jesus is telling them to hold up, stand tall, be firm, endure, because their weeping and mourning will turn to joy. 

This message apples equally well to us today.  In the course of our lives, our mission, we will miss the presence of our Lord and savior.  It will seem like he is gone to us.  True, we never saw and talked to and felt the physical presence of the Lord as the Apostles did.  But we have the Scriptures that remind us of His life and presence among us, and the Resurrection and everlasting life, and the Spirit who will descend on us at Pentecost.  Even more importantly, we have the Eucharist, which is His real presence whenever we want it. 

But still, there will be times when we will feel abandoned.  Times when we are depressed over our sinfulness; or when we are faced with the difficulties and problems of life; or we lose a loved one or something very dear to us.  In these times, we may feel abandoned.  It is then that we need to recall these words of Jesus to his faithful:  “But your grief will become joy”! 

Tags:
Posted in Holy Family Weekday Homilies | No Comments »

Recognizing the “Higher Authority”

Thursday, May 5th, 2011

 

Thursday of the 2nd Week of Easter

Acts 5: 27–33; John 3: 31-36

Dc. Larry Brockman

A higher authority- the Apostles told the authorities that they owed their obedience to a higher authority.  This, it seems to me is a really difficult teaching for us.  Not so much on the surface of the matter but because in today’s society, our American system teaches all of us to question authority, and to do what we feel is right, letting our conscience be the guide.  So, as a people, we have been trained to pick and choose which rules we will follow, and which rules the “higher authority” of our conscience overrides.  The trouble is that the “Higher Authority” we are talking about this morning is God, not the spirit of independence and self-determination that seems to be the hallmark of American Society.  There is a difference, a profound difference, between the two.   

As Jesus tells us in today’s Gospel, what comes from above, from God, is trustworthy.  And whoever listens to that merits life. In today’s world, a very secular and pluralistic society, we find ourselves confronted with lots of tough issues- right to life; fertility issues; the efficacy of our tax laws; health care; the economic implications of runaway spending; and freedom of speech to name a few.  There are laws that cover each of these areas to be sure.  And there are interpretations of these laws by secular experts.  But, as believing Catholics living in the 21st century,  How should we vote?  For what should we lobby?  And when and how should we make our voices known?     

Our biggest problem is knowing what God has said, because there are so many issues to deal with.  That’s why we have a Church Teaching authority.  As Catholics, we need to educate ourselves on what God’s word and what God’s position is on these issues.  It is not easy- but it is part of our responsibility as Catholics.  I participated in Why Catholic this past Lent.  It is a good start- because it uses the Catechism as a basis.  But it was not very well attended.  For those who are not otherwise involved, I urge you to think very seriously about joining one of these groups next time.  We all need to listen to God.  The ultimate Higher Authority. 

Tags:,
Posted in Holy Family Weekday Homilies | No Comments »

How Easter Should Transform Us

Thursday, April 28th, 2011

 

Thursday of Easter Week

Acts 3: 11-26; Lk 24: 35-48

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

Transforming!  That’s what the Resurrection event became for the Apostles- transforming.  From a group of everyday regular folks- fisherman, tax collectors, and average Joes, the Apostles were transformed into courageous men of Faith who went out and evangelized despite warnings from the authorities.  Today, we hear about this transformation in our readings. 

In the Gospel, we hear about the beginning of the transformation.  These Apostles were huddled together in an upper room on the evening of the resurrection event.  They were afraid, confused, demoralized, and conflicted; pondering about what they had heard and what some of them had seen.  But then, Jesus appeared in person, and validated the rumors.  Here in the flesh, touchable, and able to eat just like the rest of them, was this man who had been arrested, tried, severely beaten, tortured, crucified, and buried.  They had seen it all- they were witnesses to all of the horror.  It all seemed impossible- but it was real.  Now, they were witnesses to the reality of the Resurrection.  And it brought them incredible joy. 

And so then we hear about Peter and the others in the Acts of the Apostles at a time just a few days later.  They were working miracles and speaking out.  Peter, who denied Christ three times; and the other Apostles, who wouldn’t even show their faces; these men had been transformed into fearless men who are spreading joy, and don’t care what the consequences are in their secular society.  That is what the Easter event meant to the Apostles.  It was transforming.   

All of us are in the middle of our Easter event.  How seriously are we taking it?  Has it become a transforming event in our lives?  You see, we are also called upon to be witnesses, witnesses of what happened, yes, because the reports have been maintained in the Gospels and by tradition these 2000 years.  But what is really important, is that we believe and allow ourselves to be transformed by projecting that we really do believe with Easter Joy! 

Tags:,
Posted in Holy Family Weekday Homilies | No Comments »

“Whoever is Not With Me is Against Me”

Thursday, March 31st, 2011

Thursday of Third Week of Lent

Jer 7: 23-28; Lk 11: 14-23

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

It seems sometimes that we, the people of God can work against each other.  Because when you come right down to it, we can sometimes allow ourselves to embrace differences, differences that cause us to become factions- factions that divide us, and in so doing, also divide the Kingdom of God.   

Now in the Gospel story, we hear that a group of the crowd claimed Jesus cast out devils by Beelzebub.  Why? Because they did not want to accept that God could work through this righteous Man.  Jesus message was too direct, too unconventional.  Jesus didn’t follow all the customs, all the laws.  Jesus preached a message of repentance, a message of turning away from the normal path of life.  Rather, Jesus followed his heart, and what his heart told him the Father’s will was for him.  Jesus was like one of those Old Testament Prophets that Jeremiah was talking about.  Those prophets kept trying to get the Israeli people to listen to God.  They wanted people to turn from their ways of the world, and return to the basics, the rules that Moses and the prophets wanted the people to write in their hearts: loving the one true God above all, and loving neighbor as self.  And who was Jesus neighbor?  Jesus was inclusive, not exclusive, in his message.  Everybody could be Jesus’ disciple, independent of station in life or heritage.  Jesus wooed Pharisees, and the uneducated in their faith; rich men, poor men, beggars, lepers, Jews, and even the dreaded Samaritans- everybody who would listen and turn to him.  But society in Jesus time was broken into factions- those who were members of the “in crowd”- but even then in competing schools of thought like Pharisees and Sadducees; and then there were the outsiders- rejected beggars and lepers;   tax collectors and prostitutes; and people who sympathized with the Romans. 

And so, is it any wonder that a group of the crowd would use the argument that Jesus cast out devils by Beelzebub.  It was a sort of a divide and conquer approach, one that would somehow cast Jesus and his followers as just another faction, but really a devil, a wolf dressed in sheep’s cloth.   

I read recently where some group has studied religion in a dozen various countries in Europe and the Americas, and has come to the conclusion that organized religion is waning out, dying out.  They base their results on numbers that show that people are rejecting the label of a designation- Catholic or Methodist or Lutheran or whatever.  The statistics show that more than half of the people who say they are Christian don’t attend services- and so, the people doing the study claim the light is going out on Religion.  That is what factions can do to us.  Although the majority of the World is nominally Christian, the light appears to be going out.  because without group support in Churches, our belief systems will erode and disappear.  As Christians, we simply must build on what unites us: belief in Jesus and all that he did, and the commandment above all others- Love of God and neighbor.  Because, as Jesus said in the Gospel:  “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters”. 

Tags:
Posted in Holy Family Weekday Homilies | No Comments »

On the Answer to Prayer

Thursday, March 17th, 2011

Thursday of First Sunday of Lent

(St. Patrick’s Day)

Esther C: 12, 14-16, 23-25; Mt 7: 7-12

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

Did you find it strange how today’s Gospel ended- the contrast between the theme in the two readings- prayer, and the last line of the Gospel on “doing to others”?  What’s the message there?  Now the readings tell us that God answers our prayers.  As an example we have Queen Esther’s story.  Here is a faith filled Jewish lady in the Old Testament, who is faced with dire circumstances.  She prostrates herself in prayer all day long in hopes that against all odds, God will spare her people from a terrible decree by her husband, the King.  We did not hear all of the story today, but Queen Esther’s prayer was indeed answered,. Her people were spared, her prayer was answered.  

And then, we have the famous words of the Gospel:  “Ask and you shall receive” with the quite vivid imagery of a father not giving his son a snake rather than a fish.  Indeed, if God, who is all good will always answer our prayers, and never ever give us a snake rather than a fish, then why, why does it sometimes seem that our fervent prayers are not heard?  Why does one person’s prayer seem to be answered, and yet another, equally, and maybe even more faith filled than the first, seem to get turned down- Why?  Personally, I have seen people pray for, and make devout and sincere novenas over time, and yet, their prayers seemed to go for naught- people who prayed that God would help them out of a job loss or natural disaster of some kind; the loss of a loved one so early in life; or people who were making a difference with their dedication and ministry but who succumbed to cancer or some other horrible disease.  And yet others seem to be miraculously healed; or wonderful things just fell into place, sparing them of the disaster.  And so I ask- why?  Why one person and not the other.?  

Well, this is one of those times where human understanding and knowledge falls short.  Because, basically,  we don’t have all the facts and we don’t know all the consequences.  Only God does- and it is God’s wisdom that we must learn to trust in.   

Today we celebrate the feast of St. Patrick.  It occurs to me that St, Patrick is a good example.  Here was a man who was kidnapped, enslaved, and subjected to terrible conditions for years.  Certainly, he must have felt abandoned by his God over the years of his captivity.  Certainly it must have seemed that his prayers were going for naught.  Finally, he escaped, and returned to his native England.  Now here’s the really interesting part; what did St. Patrick do?  He returned to Ireland as a Bishop, and worked for the rest of his life to convert the very people who had subjected him.  He dedicated his life to doing unto others as he would have them do to him.  Because St. Patrick lived as if Christ’s love surrounded him, and no matter what seemed to be happening to him , he could depend on the goodness of God’s will for him.  

And so, as difficult as it may seem to us,  God’s will is the answer to all of our prayers. 

Tags:
Posted in Holy Family Weekday Homilies | No Comments »

A Life and Death Matter

Thursday, March 10th, 2011

Thursday After Ash Wednesday

Dt 30: 15-20; Lk 9: 22-25

Dc. Larry Brockman

A life and death matter! That’s what our choices in life amount to, a choice of life or death.  And yet it is ironic that the meaning of life and death in both readings today is actually reversed compared to the way the secular world looks at these two terms.  For those of us who are Christians, real life means everlasting life, not life in this world as we know it.  Very clearly, we have to pass through death to get to that everlasting life, and in fact, there are several layers of death that lead to the everlasting life that is referred to. Jesus talks about both- first dying unto yourself and doing God’s will; then, suffering and actually dying physically so that you are no longer of this world.  Jesus tells his disciples that He will endure both to achieve eternal life.   

By contrast, the secular world values life in the world at all costs- they emphasize a certain quality of life of comfort and leisure.  And so people do whatever is required to prolong life in this world, especially a comfortable life.  They try to avoid both layers of death that I mentioned above.   

And yet, the bad kind of death that both Moses and Jesus refer to is anything we do that puts us on the outside with God.  We face that bad kind of death when we reject his will for us,  People who just seek comfort and leisure and a long life rather than living God’s will for them,  are choosing this awful kind of death, not life because no matter who you are, you cannot stave off physical death forever.  But you can reject everlasting life by putting yourself first.

One of my favorite Holiday movies is “It’s a Wonderful Life”.  The hero, George Bailey, wants a different life for himself than the one he is born into.  Rather than live in a small town and take over his father’s business, George wants to get away, see this world, and do something “big” by the world’s standards.  But circumstances, and his conscience, force him into living the life he was given, not the one he wanted.  And so, anger and frustration develop, and he wishes he’d never been born.  As the story goes, a funky kind of angel is sent to rescue George by granting him his wish.  He shows George how much worse off his little world would be if he had never been born.  George comes to realize this when the angel tells him that “He really did live a wonderful life”.   

God, in his goodness, puts all of us into the world at a certain place and time and station so that we will bloom where we are planted.  There are many joys in that life for most of us- happy times in childhood; a love story that pairs us with a wonderful spouse; talents that lead to jobs that challenge and delight us; and children and grandchildren that fill us with joy.  Along with all of these joys are pain and suffering, and everybody is dealt some pain and suffering.  We see illnesses like Cancer and Alzheimers and Parkinsons and the like in our families; job losses and broken relationships and losses of dear ones.  They are the crosses we are called to bear. 

Lent is a time to reflect on the call to carry our crosses.  Lent is a time for us to choose life. 

Tags:,
Posted in Holy Family Weekday Homilies | No Comments »

What is Real Faith?

Thursday, March 3rd, 2011

Thursday of the 8th Week of Ordinary Time

Sir 42: 15-25; Mk 10: 46-52

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

What was so special about Bartimaeus’ faith?  I asked myself that question as I read this morning’s Gospel.  Here was a man blind from birth.  That meant lots of things in his day.  It meant that Bartimaeus was uneducated; it meant that he was unemployed, unable to care for himself; and it meant that he was rejected by society, he was ignored and pretty much resigned to a place in the background and a lowly station in life that was an object of pity.  And yet, Jesus singles Bartimaeus out, cures him and tells him “Go your way, your faith has saved you”.  Wow!   

Now Bartimaeus’ blindness certainly has a symbolic meaning, not just a literal meaning.  Because that’s the reason the Gospel stories were selected by their authors- as teaching stories, not just biographical stories.  So “blindness” in this case could mean many things.  For example- clueless, oblivious, pre-occupied, self-absorbed; all of these things are a form of blindness.  They are blindness to the realities of what life is all about. 

In the first reading from Sirach, we are all asked to appreciate the wonderful works of God.  This, it occurs to me, is the opposite to the symbolic blindness of the Gospel.  Because when we really appreciate the wonderful works of God, we exhibit a simple form of faith in God. He is a God who does great things and a God whose will results in the ultimate goodness for everyone and everything.  This kind of faith motivates us to accept the life that God gives us, and work our way into the Kingdom of God.   

Notice that after Bartimaeus is cured of his blindness of sight, he doesn’t just dance off in euphoria over his miraculous cure.  Rather, he follows Jesus, and so we have a hint that not only is his physical blindness cured, but his blindness to the meaning of life is cured as well.  Bartimaeus realizes that he needs to follow up on his cure, and seek God.   

But still, why was Bartimaeus singled out?  What was so special about his Faith going into this incident?  We have a few subtle clues.  First, Bartimaeus is persistent- so persistent that he is rebuked for being a pest.  And then, his appeal is simplistic, almost child-like in simplicity.  Also, Jesus doesn’t go to Bartimaeus the blind man; rather, Jesus asks the blind man to come to him!  And so Bartimaeus throws off his cloak, probably his sole and special possession, and works his uncertain way toward Jesus.  So, Bartimaeus exhibits a persistent, simplistic, basic faith, one in which he abandons all he has got to get to the object of his appeal, Jesus; and the path to Jesus was uncertain and meandering; yet steady.   

Our society is marked by a certain sophistication; our society honors wisdom and knowledge,  and throws out roadblocks of skepticism for things of faith.  Bartimaeus’ kind of faith as I just described it, is the antithesis, the direct opposite, to the wisdom of the world. 

And so, when you appeal to Jesus, do you do exhibit Bartimaeus kind of faith? 

Tags:
Posted in Holy Family Weekday Homilies | No Comments »

Blessed Are They Who Fear the Lord

Thursday, February 10th, 2011

Thursday of the 5th Week of Ordinary Time

Gen 2: 18-25; Mk 7: 24-30

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

“Blessed are they who fear the Lord”.  That was our response, repeated several times this morning.   Indeed, we hear all the great things that will happen to us if we fear the Lord.  For example, we shall eat of the fruit of our handiwork; have many children; and see prosperity all the days of our lives- all because we fear the Lord.  These images, and granted they are Old Testament images, were evidence of great favor in the culture of ancient times.   

Now the word “Fear” in this context means a healthy respect, rather than the kind of fear that is a terrifying horror.  It is like the respect a young child shows his parents.  Given the awesome power and overwhelming benevolence the child sees, they honor and respect every word, action, and facial expression of the parents.  Their parents are their whole world to them.  Even their cries can echo a sense of respect.   

The Syrophoenician woman in the Gospel is a person that fears the Lord in this sense.  This woman respected the power of God that was entrusted to Jesus so much that she believed that whatever was left over from Jesus ministry to the people of God, the Jews- yes, even that little built, like the scraps children drop from the table would be more than sufficient  to heal her daughter, to heal her daughter of the presence of an unclean spirit.   

If we could see a prayer dramatized- the lifting of a person’s mind and heart to God in a request to God to help that person, then the story of the Syropoenician woman is basically like that.  It is a vision of how a humble, sincere prayer to God was heard and answered by God himself in real time.   

Many of us here this morning have similar dilemmas as this woman.  We have a demon that needs to be cast out somewhere in our families or in our lives, and despite our best efforts, we can’t seem to get it done ourselves.  It might be a big demon- like somebody’s addiction, a depression, or a financial disaster;  or it may be a smaller demon; ;ike a bad personal habit or someone who is pestering us.  But it won’t go away.  And yet, if we fear the Lord, and bring our hearts and minds to God, He will answer our prayers, because “Blessed are they who fear the Lord”. 

Tags:
Posted in Holy Family Weekday Homilies | No Comments »

You Can do it if you Believe

Thursday, February 3rd, 2011

Thursday of the 4th Week of Ordinary Time

Heb 12: 18-19, 21-24; Mk 6: 7-13

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

What a visionary.  Paul’s visions of the Old and the New Testament God are so graphic.  First, he gives his vision the Old Covenant vision of the God of Moses- fearful, terrifying, power and might, and foreboding.  It was a vision such that people begged that there be no more of it.  In fact, Paul says even Moses thought the scene was terrifying.  But then, Paul gives a vision of God in the New Testament- a heaven that awaits all of us because we are the ones invited to approach it.  It is a wonderful, joyful, welcoming place of peace and joy.  Such a contrast!   

It seems to me that the first vision communicates a sense of overwhelming power- a power that none of us can cope with, a power that is hopelessly beyond us, the power of the almighty God.  It evokes fear, because it should evoke fear.  All of us are so small compared to God, that all of us should fear the immensity and the power of the supreme being.  It is a power and might that should strip of us of all our prideful inclinations.  And indeed, that was the emotion that Moses described.   

But the fact is that when Jesus came, it was our merciful God coming among us to calm our fears.  Jesus broadcast a message of the love and mercy of God.  It was as if God was saying, “Look, I will take on your nature so that you can see that you do not need to fear me like that; just listen to me, and I will show you the way so that you can be with me in eternal joy.  Don’t worry, be happy; I am a God of mercy”.   

But with that promise, there comes a price to pay.  That’s what our Gospel is all about today.  Did you notice that Jesus sends his disciples forth to preach before his passion?  It was a sort of trial run of the Apostle’s future mission after He dies and is resurrected.  These men of faith are told what to do- to carry out their mission with confidence and in faith.  They are empowered with authority.  And walla, they do it- they cure the sick, drive out demons and work miracles!   

Now the way I see it, these men were just showing all of us the way.  We, too, are being sent out to work miracles and spread the good news.  First we have to believe.  Then the conviction of our belief and the reassurance of our God will give us the authority and the confidence to do mighty things.  Unlike the Apostles, whose mission really was to spread Christianity to the whole World. our mission is much less ambitious.  We just need to practice our faith in our lives, in our families, and in our communities- in our little world.  We are called upon to do that with confidence and authority, so that our brothers will see that Christianity is the way and the truth.  In our little world, there are many demons to cast out:  Abortion, lusts of all kinds, and materialism are just a few;  And there are many illnesses to cure: addictions, psychological disorders, and others.  And we can do it, because we really do believe.   

Tags:,
Posted in Holy Family Weekday Homilies | No Comments »

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »