September 3, 2009

Thursday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time

Col 1:9-14; Lk 5: 1-11

Dc. Larry Brockman

Don’t you feel it- the good news, the news that you have been delivered from the power of darkness and transferred to the Kingdom of God?  Yes, you.  You may be having problems with your job; overwhelmed with the demands of your children; suffering from the aches and pains of older age; or pre-occupied with what your going to do after you leave here today.  But this good news is still for you and you should feel it! 

The Apostles felt it.  Just imagine yourselves in their shoes.  You have fished all night-  and you are an expert- a professional- but nothing.  And then you go out one more time at Jesus command, and, Walla, so many fish that they nearly sink two boats.  The gospel says “they left everything and followed him”.  So yes, they felt it.  They felt personally touched by the nearness of God; by the power of God; and by the reality of the one God of the universe calling them in person to follow him along his footsteps.  They somehow put the concerns they had over job, family, health, and duty into proper perspective.  The direct encounter with God was so important to them that they did that. 

Now later in the Gospel, we hear about Peter’s mother in law, for example.  So it isn’t like these Apostles abandoned or totally discounted family, health, job and duty.  Rather, they were able to get the proper perspective on life, a perspective that Paul addresses in the first reading:  They were motivated to seek the knowledge of God’s will.  They were able to walk in a manner pleasing to Him; and through knowledge of God, they were strengthened by the power of God to learn endurance and patience.  This way of life led them to Christian joy.  It was a joy that all of the problems and trials of life, when these problems are experienced as a Christian, could not be taken away from them.  It is a joy sealed by the certain knowledge of their membership in everlasting life through Jesus. 

In a few moments, you are going to have a real encounter with Jesus.  He will become present to you in the Eucharist.  He is making the same promise of everlasting life to you in the living word that we just read, so rejoice, and feel the joy, because life, no matter how burdensome it may seem, is worth it.   

 

August 27, 2009

Thursday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time

1 Thes 3: 7-13; Mt 24: 42-51

Dc. Larry Brockman

Years ago my two boys were in Boy Scouts.  Now as most of you know, the Boy Scout motto is “Be prepared!”  And it can’t be a more appropriate motto.  For example, my wife and I went once with our two boys on an overnight scout canoe trip.  We were serving as chaperons assisting the Scoutmaster.  When we got finished with the first day’s rowing and were setting up camp, we discovered that some of the scouts had forgotten a few things.  One little guy forgot spare underware; another forgot a flashlight; but a third scout forgot his food.  “Be prepared” was the retort from the scoutmaster, followed by “You are responsible for yourself”.  Jane and I were a bit shocked at the apparent lack of compassion as the Scoutmaster insisted the young man suffer the consequences of forgetting to bring food.  Later, he told us quietly that this lesson would insure that it would never happen again. 

Today’s parable ought to instill the same lesson in all of us.  You are responsible for your own relationship with God.  You cannot afford to forget; you have got to be prepared at all times,  and nobody else can come to your rescue.  Jesus makes an additional point as well.  You can’t deceive him.  Whatever you do while He is away will be discovered, you can be sure of that.  It will, indeed, be as if He returns at the worst possible moment, when you are off guard. 

It doesn’t have to be that way.  For example, St. Paul told the Thessalonians that:   “We have been reassured about you, brothers and sisters, in our every distress and affliction, through your faith”   So, even though Paul was away from them, the word to him was that they were holding firm, were acting as faithful stewards in his absence.  And although there were some deficiencies mentioned, the main point is that they were trying,  They were giving it an honest effort.  And that’s what we need to do too.  We need to always keep our eye on the goal and to “Be Prepared”. 

 

August 20, 2009

Thursday of 21st Week in Ordinary Time

Feast of St. Barnard

Jgs 11: 29-39; Mt 22: 1-14

Dc. Larry Brockman

How foolish we can sometimes be in our relationship with God?  Take the stories in the two readings for example. 

First, in the Old Testament reading, Jephthah makes a foolish vow to God, one that ends up costing him dearly- the sacrifice of his only daughter.  Sounds pretty far fetched, doesn’t it.  But the fact is, people today make foolish promises to God all the time.  People will say, “if only you do this for me God, then I promise to never do such and such again”.  Does that sound familiar?  But, we cannot bargain with God.  We can pray to God, and ask sincerely that what we pray for be granted.  But bargaining with God is out of the question, and the story of Jephthah demonstrates how foolish it is.   

And then there is the guest in the Gospel who shows up at the wedding without the proper clothes.  What a foolish thing that would be for us to do- to show up at gates of the Kingdom of God unprepared.  And yet, for most of us, our daily lives consume our time, so much so that thinking about being prepared for our ultimate meeting with Christ just isn’t a priority with us.  We think that it can always wait- being prepared before God.  But, the fact is that we have an obligation to be prepared at all times.  We have an obligation to know God and to know what He expects of us; sort of like the guest knowing what the proper preparation for a wedding would be.  And we have an obligation to live the life God gives us in the way He intended it to be lived- that is putting on the mantle of what it means to be a Christian, just like the guest had an obligation to put on the right wedding clothes. 

Indeed, these two stories remind us that our prayers to God must be sincere; and that our commitment to God must always be met if we are to enter into His Kingdom. 

 

August 13, 2009

Thursday of 20th Week in Ordinary Time

Jos 3: 7-10a, 11, 13-17; Mt 18: 21- 19: 1

Dc. Larry Brockman

Forgiveness!  Specifically, forgiving our neighbor 77 times!  This is a tough one for just about all of us.  And yet, the Gospel parable makes it very clear that God will forgive us if we forgive our neighbor. 

Now we can all relate to the hypocrisy displayed by the servant to the king.  We can see the injustice in the parable.  And so, after hearing this story today, hopefully we will all go out of here motivated to forgive the guy that cuts us off in traffic; or the strangers who make too much noise at the next table while we are dining; or any of the minor things that happen each day between our neighbors and ourselves.  We can forgive those things that happen because people are imperfect, and just human beings, and we can forgive the things they do selfishly when they put themselves first on a case by case basis- at least for a while. 

But what about the big things that demand forgiveness, can you forgive those?  How about a rift between you and one of your children that has gone on for months, or even years; or the spouse who cheated on you; or the neighbor next door who deliberately did something that damaged your property; or any of those things that cause anger and resentment that last.  How about the anger that lasts in such a way that every time you see or think of the offending party, the anger comes back anew, maybe even 77 times!. 

And yet, for each one of the offenses that you hold on to of this type, consider this:  You have done something like that to another, and you have asked God’s forgiveness for it.  In fact, you expect God’s forgiveness for it.  That’s what Confession is all about for you. 

It is tough, but you have to forgive others even in these difficult cases.  When all of us die, we want to see the impenetrable waters of the Jordan lifted, so each of us can cross the dry land and enter Paradise. 

It is so very true, that Mercy triumphs over Justice.  But it is hard.  

 

Thursday of 17th Week in Ordinary Time

Ex 40: 16-21, 34-38; Mt 13: 47-53

Dc. Larry Brockman

Jesus spoke a parable this morning which likens a scribe recording Jesus words about the Kingdom of God, to a householder bringing out “Both the new and the old.”  What is He talking about? 

Well, Jesus was referring to Matthew, the scribe who recorded his Gospel.  Matthew is known for linking the words in the Old Testament stories and prophecies, with the New Testament promises- the new covenant.  Hence, the new and the old are brought out by our scribe, Matthew.

Now the Exodus reading this morning, on first glance,   Appears disconnected with this theme about the Kingdom of heaven, and the new and the old.  First, there is all the talk about the precise construction of a structure- the temporary tent temple,that will hold the Ark of the Covenant containing the Ten Commandments.  Then, there is the description of the cloud and fire that occupies the tent structure when the Lord is present.  Is there a connection? 

Well the tent was the dwelling place of the Lord during the Exodus.  It is analogous to our Church Building, and the pillar of fire and smoke signify the continuous presence of the Lord with His people, the people of God.  Today, we are the people of God, and in this Church structure, we are blessed by the continuous presence of the Almighty God in our tabernacle, with a light that shines perpetually when Jesus is present in the Eucharist just beside it.   

The Exodus story goes on to record the wandering in the desert for 40 years.  The seemingly pointless wandering of a people dedicated to doing the will of God, and yet, for 40 years they wander here and there, almost as if they couldn’t discern God’s will for them.  In essence, these are a people who waited, waited until they were convinced that the time was right to enter the promised land.  To be sure, they made some mistakes- but despite these mistakes, the Lord was present continuously for them in the tent that housed the Ark of the Covenant. 

Doesn’t this sound familiar?  Which of us could describe our lives any differently?  We seek God’s will, and come here weekly, and sometimes more often than that, to pray that God will lead us in the right direction.  And yet, for a great many years, hopefully more than 40, we wander along the zig zag course of life, experiencing some high point and some low points, but in the process of it all never quite sure that we’ve got it right.  And yet, God is always there for us in this Church, listening, encouraging us to go on.   What’s the payoff- the promised land, the Kingdom of God, at the end of life.  Because we all have the sure hope for that Last Judgment that Jesus describes when the bad will be separated from us forever, and the good will be left as the Kingdom of God.   

 

Thursday of 16th Week in Ordinary Time

Ex 19: 1-2, 9-11, 16-20b; Mt 13: 10-17

Dc. Larry Brockman

“All the people in the camp trembled”.  Imagine that-  God making His presence so abundantly clear through nature, that everyone trembled.  And yet, even with such clear and unmistakable signs, people, as a rule, did not listen.  For, as we shall see, the ten commandments follow shortly in the Exodus story.  They were direct, plain talk about what to do and what not to do.  Yet, the people did not heed them; and did not make the Lord their top priority, even when truly marvelous and unmistakable physical signs were worked for them, followed by the plain talk in the ten commandments. 

Why?  Why is it that plain talk and clear physical signs don’t work.  I think it’s because we are born products of this world, conditioned to have a set of hopes and expectations that resonate with our knowledge of the world.  It’s that knowledge of the ways of the world that biases our expectations of what we want to hear.  We want to hear about justice in human terms; pleasure and happiness in human terms; and we hear that all men are created equal-   But that means to us that we are created first among equals, because of what we see and observe in others.  Certainly some people are not as equal, people like unborn babies; people with downs syndrome, and the wild natives in darkest Africa or New Guinea.  That’s what we see; and that fuels what we expect to see. 

So, the message of the Kingdom of God just doesn’t compute where everyone is truly created equal; where real happiness is Christian joy, which is not necessarily always about us, and is not pleasure oriented; and where justice and mercy are balanced by a set of rules that only God understands.  So, rather than the direct approach, Jesus uses another approach- parables, parables with layers of hidden meaning, and a wisdom that is not of this world.  Only those who seek God and respond to His grace can understand it.  It is a wisdom reserved only for those who choose to listen, to listen with their hearts.  Consider yourselves truly blessed.  Because you have the chance to really hear and see. 

 

Thursday of 15^th Week in Ordinary Time

Ex 3: 13-20; Mt 11: 28-30

Dc. Larry Brockman

I am who am- Yahweh!  That is the Jewish name for the Almighty God.  So sacred is it that the Jews don’t pronounce that name, and Pope Benedict has decreed that we should not use it either.  This honor of the name of God is called for out of respect- respect for the almighty power and sacredness of God.  In a nutshell, these attitudes towards the sacred name describe the transcendence of God, the fact that God is so powerful, so holy and good, so far above and beyond our nature, that we should always show the utmost of respect, and recognize the infinite gap, the distance, between us and God.  The very answer, “I am who am” is such a perfect description of the mystery of God.  Because no matter how hard disbelievers try, nobody can explain how anything ultimately came to be.  God’s answer to Moses, “I am who am”, is such a perfect answer.  It cannot be explained; it just is. 

And so also is that innate feeling of transcendence between ourselves and God.  But, despite the reality of the separation between God and us, God chose to willingly narrow that gap.  In the first covenant, he did it by communicating with his people by being present with them in the Cloud or the Pillar of Fire, and as a voice to Moses.  Then later, God was constantly present through the prophets.  But the people did not respond; did not stay in obedience to His will and commands.  And so, God sent his only son, Jesus, true God and true man to live among us and show us the way.  This forever bridged the transcendence between God and Man.  No other religion can make that claim. 

And so, as Christians, we benefit from the intimacy that God shared with us   By assuming our human nature. and living amongst us for 30 some years, long enough to show us that it was possible to please God in our human nature. 

The first reading is a most ideal way to set the stage for our Gospel, today.  Listen again: “Jesus said:  “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”” 

 

Thursday of 14th Week in Ordinary Time

Gen 44: 18-21, 23b-29,; 45: 1-5; Mt 10:7-15

Dc. Larry Brockman

Just imagine, your family, your own flesh and blood, selling you into slavery.  What a terrible tragedy!  And yet the story of Joseph has this happy ending that we hear this morning.  Because rather than displaying bitterness and seeking revenge on his brothers, Joseph says something truly amazing that reveals much about the faith that was in his heart throughout his slavery.  He says:  “It was really for the sake of saving lives that God sent me here ahead of you”. 

Wow, what faith this man had in the Lord.  Joseph shows us that even when you are subjected to evil, such as your brothers selling you into slavery, good can come of it, the Kingdom of God can emerge even in the face of such evil.  It depends on how you react to the evil and whether you live your faith when exposed to such a disaster. 

There are lots of similar stories as Joseph’s.  Consider St. Patrick’s story for example.  He was captured and enslaved by the Irish as a young man.  Although Patrick managed to escape that slavery, he returned voluntarily to Ireland as a Priest, and that resulted in the conversion of Ireland to the faith. 

Most of us are touched by some kind of evil during our lives.  God doesn’t will this evil on us, but everybody has free will, and sometimes one of our brothers uses it in evil ways.  And so, innocent people are cheated, or swindled, or the victim of identity theft every day, for example.  Similarly, husbands or wives leave their families suddenly causing great pain and suffering.  Accidents and disease leave many people in difficult situations.  The examples of evil that befalls us are many.  When these seemingly evil things happen to you, it is hard not to be bitter, but, as Joseph demonstrates, it is important to focus on your faith rather than the bitterness and revenge.  God always provides us the grace and the means to build his Kingdom- even in the face of evil. 

The Gospel message is not just meant for the apostles.  Because all of us, too, are being sent out.  However and wherever we end up as a result of the circumstances of our lives, Including those times when we are burdened by evil, we are called to proclaim the Kingdom of God.  In fact, we all have the potential to do great things in the face of evil just like Joseph and Patrick! 

 

Thursday of 12th Week in Ordinary Time

Gen 16: 6b-12, 15-16; Mt 7:21-29

Dc. Larry Brockman

Why the emphasis on a foundation other than pure Faith?  After all, isn’t Faith itself the foundation on which we as Christians build our lives?  And certainly, all of us here are believers, people of Faith.  We are among those who proclaim, “Lord, Lord”.   

Yet Jesus says “Not everyone who says ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven”.  That’s a very sobering statement that Jesus makes.  Because Jesus is telling us that the foundation on which we build our lives is not just a statement of Faith  It is the conversion that accompanies our statement of Faith, and that conversion must result in a positive response to the will of God for us, one which is motivated by a love of God and a desire from the heart to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord. 

Now many people confuse the idea of work for the sake of the doing good with doing God’s will.  For sure, God’s will includes good works.  But there is a difference between a conversion of the heart, one which calls us to do the will of God for us, and a response that results in a lot of involvement, involvement that seems to mark one as a member of the Church of believers, but may not be from your heart.  If your involvement is motivated by a desire to belong, or serves to build up your own status, or a host of other motives not related to a call from the heart, then it is not clear these works are following the will of God.  That could be likened to the folks who Jesus said cast out demons and did mighty deeds in the name of the Lord; and yet, the Lord said he didn’t know them.   

Jesus talks about the winds that blow and the floods that come, and refers to the dire consequences for those who don’t have the proper foundation.  Indeed, all of us experience these winds and floods in our lives.  They are especially evident now, in these times of high unemployment and economic uncertainty.  Our focus is essential- is it on the God of our Faith?  That means we hold the church’s moral teaching, which flows from our understanding of the will of God, as paramount in our response to the wind and floods just outside our door.  If we build our lives on that foundation, then we can survive the turmoil.  It is not sufficient to just proclaim that we believe. 

  Thursday of 10th Week in Ordinary Time

Feast of St. Barnabas

Acts:11; 21b – 26; 13: 1-5; Mt 10:7-13

Dc. Larry Brockman

“Without cost you received; without cost you are to give”.  These were Jesus words to his disciples as he sent them forward.  They are something all of us need to ponder.  Because almost all of us did, indeed, receive the gift of faith without cost. 

Not so in China, or Iran, or dozens of other places, where the cost of believing is certainly an issue.  How truly blessed we all are, whether our faith was handed down to us in Baptism as an infant, and nurtured by our parents, or acquired by us later in life through our own free choice.  It was basically without cost- free to us.  All we had to do was accept it, and move on.  Consider how costly accepting faith is for others, like the people in the places I mentioned. 

But, we have an awesome obligation as well- an obligation to spread that faith, also without cost, to others.  But what exactly does that mean?  Most of you, I am sure, do not consider yourselves evangelists.  But, by virtue of your Baptismal promise, you are.  And whether you like it or not, you have been given the opportunity already- your children, your co-workers, your friends, even your enemies.  They have all had the opportunity of relating to you, and observing first hand how and whether you project your faith.  Have you demonstrated it freely, and without charge?  Or do you hide it, keeping it to yourself? 

So, first of all, you give your faith freely by living it so that it is noticed by all by going out of your way to make your Sunday obligation; and by taking seriously what your Church teaches on issues and morals.  Second, our faith needs to be contagious- like a gift- something that others will seek out because they want what you have.  You do that by projecting joy, conviction, and above all, love, in what you do. 

Paul and Barnabas are great examples of evangelizers.  They exhibited these qualities, and their peers could not help but notice it.  Today’s society is absorbed in secularism.  All of you are called to be new Barnabases and Pauls, by sharing what you have, freely, and without cost.