SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

24 FEBRUARY 2019

          We continue to hear from Saint Luke’s account of the Sermon on the Plain.  Last Sunday, Jesus began his sermon by telling the poor, hungry, mourning, and persecuted that they are already part of the Kingdom of God.   He says that the rich, the well fed, the happy, and the popular people already have their reward.  Today, he continues to give us the blueprint for living in the Kingdom of God.  It is a very different blueprint than what our modern culture gives.

            Our modern culture would tell David that he should have gotten revenge on King Saul, because Saul had allowed his jealousy of David to pursue and try to kill him.  But David respected God’s choice of the king as his anointed one, even though the king’s heart remained hardened.  Our modern culture offers us another example:  an economy of exchange.  We can get trapped into a cycle of gift giving.  When we receive a gift from another person, then we are bound to match that gift with something in return, creating a cycle that traps us into ongoing gift exchange that never ends.  Jesus argues that those who live in the Kingdom of God have received gifts that can never be returned.  In gratitude, we thank God and make every effort to treat others as God has treated us, not expecting a return from our gift of love.

            Because God loves everyone, even those who reject his love, we who live in God’s Kingdom must love our enemies and respond to violence with courageous acts of love.  Loving our enemy does not mean that we move to Syria and hug all the ISIS fighters.  Instead, we pray for our enemies.  Praying for our enemies can involve asking for a change of heart on their part, or letting go of a deep hurt.  Loving an enemy means wanting the best for the good of the other.  We who live in the Kingdom of God need to be generous and merciful.

            We became members of the Kingdom of God when we were baptized.  Living in this Kingdom is both demanding and difficult.  The death of Jesus on the cross is a powerful sign of living in the Kingdom.  But so also is the power of the resurrection.  That is why it is so critical for those who live in God’s Kingdom to develop a habit of praying.  We give thanks to God for all he has given us at every Sunday Eucharist.  This weekly source and summit invites us to enter more deeply into a life of prayer during the week, both alone and with our families.  The upcoming Season of Lent presents us with a perfect opportunity to renew our stewardship of prayer.  Please read the materials which are waiting for you in the Parish Life Center.  Please listen to James Summers, as he speaks of his own journey of prayer.

Stewardship talk

Good evening (morning)

As Father said, I’m James Summers.  Best know by most as Wendy’s husband.

I’ve been blessed to be asked to speak to you about Stewardship of prayer.  As Scripture tells us, “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit.  there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone”.  This teaching starts to tell us about the gifts God gives us so that we can be church … be a vital, functioning, contributing part of the Body of Christ.

Some of you know that Wendy and I came to this area in 1999 due to a job offer I received.  What you may not know is that we had come from a large parish in Wheaton Ill, just west of Chicago.  My experience in that parish was not the best.  I actually had to fight to be allowed to be a lector despite 10 years of experience at a previous parish. 

When we bought our house in Granger this was the closest Catholic Church.  But it reminded me of the one in Wheaton and I really, really, really did not want to come here.  But Wendy insisted we give it a try and as any husband knows, one of the secrets to a long happy marriage is knowing when to say, “Yes dear”.  So, we came.

At this point you should be asking what does this have to do with Stewardship of prayer?  Well, I want you to think about the gifts you have been blessed with.  I want you to think of the impact sharing those gifts might have on you and everyone you might touch. 

Back in ’99 we walked in the doors of the old church and my attitude was something less than prayerful.  And out of nowhere this couple, Bill and Nancy Wieger just appeared and said, “Welcome to St. Pius”.  This was before we had hospitality ministers.  This was just this couple sharing their gift of kindness.  I know in that moment I saw Jesus in Bill’s eyes.  I’m sure if it hadn’t been for that moment, I would not have had the many opportunities afforded to me to proclaim the word here.  I’m sure if it had not been for that moment, I would not have gone on a Christ Renews His Parish Weekend.  I’m NOT sure that if it hadn’t been for that moment, I’d still be a Catholic much less studying to become a permanent deacon.

So, the question is what is your gift?  How is God asking you to share it?  How might sharing it change your life for the betterment of the body?  How might your gift change the lives of others in ways that only God knows? 

I know Bill and Nancy dramatically changed my life in that brief moment.  I’ve been told they touched many, many others in this church the same way. 

There are so many ways to share your Gifts at St Pius.  You might be like me and love to Proclaim the Word.  You might have a voice that needs to be in the choir.  You might be able to work with kids in a loving and special way. 

You might be able to change a life by saying “You are welcomed here.”

I ask you to take some time today, this week and pray on it.  And soften your heart so that you can listen and consider this bit of Scripture:

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send?  Who will go for us?”

“Here I am” I said. “Send me”. 

Thank you.  God bless.

SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

17 FEBRUARY 2019

          We are more accustomed to the Beatitudes in the Gospel of Saint Matthew, who wrote his Gospel to a predominantly Jewish audience.  They would have understood why Jesus went up a mountain as the new Moses to give the new law.  In Saint Matthew’s version, there are nine different groups of people whom Jesus names blessed, or fortunate, or happy.

            Saint Luke wrote his Gospel to a predominantly Greek audience.  He places Jesus on the level ground.  Having read the first two chapters of his Gospel, his readers would know that Jesus had come down from heaven in the Incarnation.  Having taken on human flesh, Jesus preaches in the everyday plane of our existence.  Jesus names four groups of people as blessed:  the poor, the hungry, the weeping, and the persecuted.  Then he pronounces woe on four other groups:  the rich, those who eat well, those who laugh, and the really popular people.

            This is the living word of God spoken to us at this Mass.  The Lord is speaking to us who live comfortable lives, who are well fed, who know how to enjoy ourselves, and who embrace good reputations.  Jesus is not telling us to drag our families into abject poverty.  Nor is he saying that we must become malnourished, or walk around with long faces, or make people angry all the time.  He is saying that we cannot depend on these things to bring ultimate happiness.  In fact, these realities have the potential to decrease our trust in God.

            Our first reading can help us to understand this message.  The Prophet Jeremiah uses similar direct and harsh language.  He insists that those who trust in human beings are cursed.  Those who trust in God are blessed.  In other words, if we put all our confidence and trust in human beings, we will be ultimately disappointed.  There are two fundamental orientations, and Jeremiah provides a picture of each one.  Those who put all their energies into anything other than God become like a barren bush in the desert.  Those who place their trust in God are like a tree planted near running waters.  Even when life becomes difficult, those roots will receive nourishment from a bedrock trust in God’s life giving presence.

            Many disciples of Jesus Christ in Third World countries do not live comfortable lives.  Too many live on the edge of poverty without enough to eat.  Many are persecuted for their faith.  They already know what it means to be blessed, because they have put their trust in God.  I saw that trust when I was with Father Larry at the dedication of his church in Uganda.  If we rely too heavily on our possessions, we begin to lose trust in God’s love for us.  If we eat well all the time, we forget that our ultimate hunger can only be fulfilled by God.  Once we see the damage caused by our bad choices and our sins, we can see the importance of weeping over them.  We will learn that it is more important to speak the truth with love than to be popular. 

            The Season of Lent is just around the corner.  On Ash Wednesday, we will be marked with the ashes of our mortality.  Those ashes remind us that the day will come when we will open our eyes in eternity to know the truth of how we have lived our lives as disciples of Jesus Christ.  The forty days of Lent provide a perfect time to do some spiritual soul searching.  When we spend more time in prayer, we can ask ourselves if we have placed our fundamental trust in anything other than God.  When we fast, we learn that giving up certain foods and drinks can intensify our hunger and thirsting for God.  When we give alms, we provide food and drink for so many people who are malnourished and dying of hunger in our world.  Lent invites us to mourn for the many ways we have not lived our baptismal promises and refused to die with Christ.  Lent prepares us to renew our faith in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Saint Paul is pretty clear in stating that without faith in the resurrection, we have no hope!

FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

10 FEBRUARY 2019

          The prophet Isaiah remembers well the event that changed his life.  It happened in 742, the year King Uzziah died.  Isaiah is doing what priests do in the Temple.  He is praying.  All of a sudden, he is given a vision of God.  Because such visions are impossible to put into human terms, Isaiah uses images:  the train of the Lord’s garment fills the Temple, Seraphim stationed above, and the smoke and earthquake (reminiscent of his ancestors’ encounter with God at Mount Sinai).  Overwhelmed by this incredible experience, Isaiah realizes that he is a sinner.  The Lord purifies him with the burning coal and sends him to be his prophet.

            Simon Peter also remembers the event that changed his life.  It happened at the Sea of Galilee.  He is doing what fishermen do, even when they have caught nothing.  He is cleaning his nets.  Jesus asks him to use his boat as a pulpit.  Because Simon had been drawn to Jesus and was grateful that he had healed his mother-in-law, he gladly obliges.  But then, Jesus tells him to go back out to the deep water to lower his nets for a catch.  Simon Peter must be thinking:  what does this landlubber from Nazareth know about fishing, especially after we professionals have failed all night?  However, he obeys.  In catching that huge amount of fish, he encounters the divine, much as Isaiah had encountered the divine in the Temple centuries before.  Like Isaiah, Simon recognizes that he is a sinner who cannot come near the holiness of the Son of God.  But Jesus tells him not to be afraid and calls him to catch people through the net of the Gospel.  Peter and his companions are so affected by this encounter that they leave their nets and everything to follow Jesus and eventually become the leader of his Church.

            The Lord continues to grace us with his presence.  He has already called each of us to follow him when we passed through the waters of Baptism.  As we continue to walk as his disciples, there are occasions when we encounter the Lord’s presence and find it difficult to put that experience into words.  Maybe it happened to you at your marriage, or at the birth of your first child, or on a weekend retreat.  It happened to me when I was ordained a Deacon in Cincinnati in 1973.  I had spent months agonizing over whether or not I should be ordained.  I had never had so many doubts in my life.  Is God really calling me to be a deacon and then a priest?  My parents had moved out of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend and lived in the Chicago area.  No one in my immediate family lived in this Diocese any more.  I had many doubts about whether or not I could live the celibate life.  Despite all of those doubts, I presented myself to the Cathedral for ordination.  After Archbishop Bernardin laid hands on me, and as a priest friend was vesting me in the stole and dalmatic, I had the most overwhelming experience that has not repeated until the day that Bishop Rhoades dedicated this church.  I still cannot put that experience into words.  But it convinced me that the Lord was calling me to priestly service, no matter how unworthy and sinful I may have been.

            Saul of Tarsus had one of those experiences on his way to Damascus to persecute the followers of Jesus of Nazareth.  He encountered the risen Lord and responded to his call to be the Apostle to the Gentiles.  Saint Paul remained painfully aware of his sinfulness and murderous intents.  He knew that he was not among the original Twelve.  But, his experience of the risen Lord convinced him that the Lord was calling him to proclaim the Gospel beyond the confines of God’s Chosen People.  The risen Lord is calling us to do the same.  He chooses us, not because we are good or because we are gifted.  He chooses us, because he loves us and wants us to bring his Good News to our world – not so much by our clever words, but more by the way we try to live our baptismal promises with trust and without fear.   

FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

3 FEBRUARY 2019

          Those who attend Catholic weddings will recognize the passage from Saint Paul to the Corinthians.  Even though this reading is not required, most couples choose this reading, because they sense that their emotional love must deepen if their marriage is to last. 

            While it is true that Paul’s words surely speak to a couple living a healthy marriage, he wrote these words to the Church in Corinth that was being torn apart by divisions.  At his prompting, many had recognized the gifts or charisms given to them by the Holy Spirit.  Some were speaking in tongues, while others enjoyed incredible knowledge or prophecy.  Others were known for their work for the poor.  Because the different groups had been arguing about whose gift was more important, Paul puts his foot down.  He acknowledges that each of these gifts is very important.  But he insists that these gifts must be used with love.  He does not use the Greek word “eros” (the root for our English word “erotic”).  That type of love implies a possessive desire that seeks its own good.  Instead, he uses the Greek word “agape,” which implies charity and compassion and is outward oriented.  He points out that all the gifts given by the Holy Spirit will pass away when people die.  But love will never die, because God is love.  Those who learn to love will be identified with God, even after death.

            Like the Church in Corinth many centuries ago, our members at Saint Pius have also been given many gifts.  We have parishioners who have advanced degrees in theology and the other sciences.  Others are talented musicians or gifted teachers.  Many have the gift of organization and leadership.  Others have mechanical abilities and can offer practical solutions.  Others have a keen sense of serving the needs of the poor and those who live in the margins.  And the list goes on.  Saint Paul reminds us today to thank God for these gifts.  But he also reminds us that we cannot argue about which gifts are more important.  Instead, he reminds us that we need to place our gifts at the service of the community, and that we need to give them with love.

            During these last two weekends, both women and men have received the gift of a parish retreat through Christ Renews His Parish.  Those of you who have received this gift and have been able to give it to another group know the power of this retreat.  You know that your relationship with Christ has been renewed.  You know that you have been connected with a small group of people in a very large parish.  But you also know that this retreat works only when you have cooperated with the Holy Spirit, recognized your gift, and connected it with the needs of the parish.  That outward movement, the movement of love, has indeed renewed our parish in many significant ways.  Those of you who are married understand the same dynamic.  Deacon Lou’s Marriage in Christ Seminar emphasizes the dynamic of agape love, and those of you who have gone through that seminar understand it.  When we have the courage to put our gifts in the service of communion, whether that involves the communion of married life or the communion of parish life, then Christ can use us to increase his divine love.

            It takes a great deal of courage to live this love.  When Jesus sits down in the synagogue in his home town and announces that he has fulfilled the promises made by Isaiah, the hometown crowd is initially pleased.  Their humble village can now boast of a famous figure accomplishing mighty works.  But then, he tells them that his mission is to take Isiah’s words beyond their own tribe and identity.  They become so angry that they try to throw him off the cliff.  As his mission continues, his disciples will learn that he is the Son of God, not the son of Joseph.  They will be horrified by his death and thrilled with his resurrection.  They will understand that his sacrificial love will bring light to a darkened world.  We are called to live this same love.