We All Live in Ordinary Everyday Nazareth

 

Deacon Dave · We All Live in Ordinary Nazareth

Homily for Holy Family Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023. Gospel of St. Luke 2:22-40. Theme: We All Live in Ordinary Everyday Nazareth 

 Even though it’s still Christmas-time many of the sights and sounds of the season are starting to slowly disappear. Things are gradually returning to the normal and the ordinary again. And today’s Gospel is very much like that. It starts out sounding a lot like Christmas with Simeon and Anna rejoicing over the Newborn Messiah while His parents stood by in amazement. It must have reminded them of the shepherds of Bethlehem when they came to the stable and told them about angels singing the praises of their Son. 

 But the Gospel’s closing verses move us away from the extraordinary events surrounding Jesus’ birth. They bring us back to the normal and the ordinary as they tell us of the Holy Family returning to their hometown of Nazareth. Their life in that little village was so very different from all the supernatural phenomena they had been experiencing in Bethlehem and Jerusalem since Jesus’ birth. In Nazareth there are no heavenly angels singing glory to God in the highest! And there are no temple-prophets praising the Messiah-King. Nazareth was not like that at all. Nazareth is a place where the Holy Family lived by faith and not by miracles. It was an ordinary everyday kind of place where they lived an ordinary everyday kind of life. 

 The Gospels don’t say much about the life of Jesus in Nazareth. All we have are a few verses telling us that He was obedient to His parents as He grew in age, wisdom and grace. We are told that there was nothing extraordinary in what He said or did that made Him stand out from among the other residents of Nazareth, nor even among His own relatives. The Scriptures do inform us that though He was God, Jesus didn’t cling to His divinity nor exploit it as a kind of perk in becoming human. He left all that behind and had to develop as we all do in mind, body and soul. Amazingly, this means that God Who is Love now had to learn what it means to love and what it feels like to be loved as a human being. Imagine that! 

 Jesus grew up as a rural backwoods boy, experiencing the ups and down of daily life in the boondocks of Galilee. He was socially counted among the poor, because in ancient Israel there was no middle class. Only those in power had it all. Everyone else, including the Holy Family, simply struggled to make ends meet. And so to do Hs part, Christ became a craftsman, a laborer, following in the family business. He earned his living by the sweat of his brow and the work of his hands. He had to pay taxes to the emperor, deal with bills and difficult customers, and meet with the men of the village to arrange for protection and store up provisions. As a devout Israelite, Jesus observed the rituals and festivals of Judaism, went to synagogue every Sabbath, and prayed the Psalms with Joseph and Mary every night at home. He had fun celebrating weddings and births and He mourned as we all do in times of suffering and death. In other words, He was exactly like us in every way and in all things, except for sin. 

 But is that how we usually think of Jesus? Or do we focus more exclusively on His miracles and majesty? Both are important, of course, but too often I think we just kind of overlook the fact that for 30 of his 33 years as a man, God chose to live the ordinary kind of life that we all live. Now it’s important to remember that God the Son freely chose the condition and status of His earthly life. And since both the Scriptures and the Church teach us that everything He did was for our instruction and salvation, we need to stop and ask ourselves: what is He saying to us in the fact that 90% of His life was lived in obscurity, in spending His days doing the usual and the ordinary? He just has to be saying something to us in all this because God didn’t come to earth simply to waste time! So, what message does Nazareth hold out to us? 

 I think the message of Nazareth is that we need to stop looking for God and holiness only in the extraordinary and the miraculous. God is present and active in every single aspect of life no matter how insignificant or trivial it may seem. Jesus blessed and sanctified the ordinary and the humdrum simply by participating in it. He knew that this is how most of us live and so He wanted to show us and teach us that loving and serving God can be accomplished even in those everyday things that we don’t think are all that special. And He invites us to also bless and sanctify our daily duties by carrying them out in a spirit of solidarity with Him and His everyday life at Nazareth. 

 We can do this every morning by simply making a conscious decision to embrace our day and everything we will experience in it in union with Him. It’s really that simple. We can make this decision with words or simply by the intention of our minds and hearts. And when we do so, then everything that makes up our day – all of our prayers, works, joys and sufferings – everything, can become a part of His own offering of His life and work in Nazareth to the glory of God the Father. This spirituality of the daily offering enables us to give deeper meaning to all that we do and enables us to become partners with our Savior in consecrating the world to God. It actually has the capacity and potential to make us into saints. 

 So, yes, the extraordinary events surrounding the Nativity of the Lord were truly spectacular and awesome and I look forward to celebrating Christmas every year! But honestly, Nazareth stands out to me so much more than Bethlehem, because it’s where the Gift of God’s only Son is unwrapped, so to speak, revealing for us what it meant, what it looked like, for God to become a man. Nazareth is where I see Jesus most fully and most humbly and most amazingly living out His Christmas name of Emmanuel, which means God-with-us, God-as-one-of us.

Rejoicing as We Bless the Bambinelli, Cause of Our Joy!

 

Deacon Dave · Rejoicing as We Bless the Bambinelli, Cause of Our Joy!

Bambinelli Explanation & Blessing, Gaudete Sunday 11AM Mass, Dec 17, 2023

 At this time we’re going to have the Bambinelli Blessing of your Christ Child figurines, but first a few words to put this ritual into context. You know, at Christmas-time we’ve sort of been programmed by our culture to expect joy in unrealistic ways such as can be found on greeting cards or in Hallmark movies. These storybook scenarios project a Christmas of perfect presents, that are all perfectly wrapped and artfully placed underneath the perfectly decorated Christmas tree. Then everyone gathers as a perfect family, to eat a perfectly cooked meal, while enjoying perfect conversation shared by all in perfect harmony. But the problem is that kind of joy simply doesn’t exist. It’s a joy based totally on fiction. 

 However, there is a joy that can be ours no matter what we are going through in life as today’s Scriptures illustrate for us. For example, when Isaiah spoke his upbeat prophecy the people of Israel were being crushed by an oppressive government and threatened with economic disaster. And when St. Paul was writing about rejoicing, he was on the run for his life having narrowly escaped an angry mob that was bent on killing him. And when the Blessed Mother was singing out her joyful praise to God that we repeated in our responsorial this morning, she was facing the heart-wrenching task of informing her fiance and her parents that she was pregnant, which would also bring social shunning in her village once the gossip spread. 

 And so we bless the Bambinelli on Gaudete Sunday precisely because that Child in a manger brings us a joy that is fact and not fiction. The Baby is the manger is tangible proof of God’s love for us and so we can rejoice even though we may not feel like it and even if life around us doesn’t encourage it. We can rejoice because that Baby in a manger is Emmanuel, which means God-is-with-us, God-has-become-one-of-us and there is nothing, absolutely nothing that can take that joy away from us.! This is the authentic holiday cheer of Christmas that we all need and are eager to possess. This is why we rejoice and bless Him on Gaudete Sunday. And now that we understand why, let’s bless the Bambinelli. Please hold up your Christ Child figurines while I give the blessing. 

BAMBINELLI BLESSING 

 God our Father, You loved the world so much that You sent Your only Son as Savior to call each one of us back to You. We ask You to bless + and sanctify these images of the Christ Child that they might become for us a sign of His Presence and a Cause of Joy in our homes. 

 May the sight of this Holy Child in the manger, wherever it may be placed, open the hearts of those who look upon Him to believe in the great love You have shown for by sending Jesus as Emmanuel, God-with-us. Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.

Caution: Spiritual Roadwork Ahead!

 

Deacon Dave · Caution: Spiritual Roadwork Ahead!

Homily for the Second Sunday of Advent. Gospel: Mark 1:1-8. Theme: Caution: Spiritual Roadwork Ahead! 

 The sights and sounds of Christmas are all around us these days. And a plethora of holiday characters, both fact and fiction, can be found decorating our homes and stores, or featured in holiday movies as well as being displayed in the front yards in our neighborhoods. Among all these figures we will surely find Mary and Joseph, of course, along with the whole retinue of stable animals, shepherds and kings. But there are many other characters as well, completely foreign to the original Nativity Story that have made their way into our holiday hearts and minds: Santa and his elves, Rudolph and his reindeer gang, Frosty, Grinch and even old Mr. Scrooge. 

 But amidst all this Christmas crowding there’s one figure who, though vital, is completely missing. You won't find this person in the holiday section of any store nor featured in a Nativity scene. There are no inflatable likenesses of him for your lawn and he is utterly absent from every single holiday greeting card. Yet he is crucial to helping us experience the whole reason for the season. The great missing person of Christmas is St. John the Baptist! 

 For millennia, the Church has placed John the Baptist front and center in our liturgy during Advent because he embodies its very spirit. He is the carrier of the Christmas message that the Messiah comes to transform our lives and restore our lost spiritual fortunes. Both the Old Testament reading from Isaiah and the Gospel from St. Mark in today’s Mass emphasize that he is the one whose voice cries out in the wilderness to us saying, “Prepare the way of the Lord! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!” 

 But these directives will make no sense to us unless we step back in time to learn how people of those days prepared for the arrival of nobility. When news of an upcoming imperial visit came to a village certain indispensable steps of cultural protocol had to be followed. And so the entire village, from the youngest able-bodied person to the oldest, got busy with literally filling in low spots in the road and leveling off uneven terrain. In this way they could show their respect for the royal entourage and give it a proper welcome. And this is the way our Christian tradition interprets Isaiah’s prophecy and John's Christmas message. In other words, if there was a construction warning sign flashing purple and pink lights to announce Advent it would read: “Caution – Spiritual Roadwork Ahead!” We are to get busy and give it all we got in making smooth and straight the Lord’s pathway into our hearts and clearing away the garbage that has accumulated in the wasteland of our lives, Then when the King arrives He will bless those who prepared so diligently. 

 St. Mark’s Gospel opens by recalling the prophecy from Isaiah and then showing us that it’s being fulfilled in the person and ministry of St. John the Baptist. He is the voice of one crying out in the desert calling us to make a way for the Lord into our hearts by straightening out the inconsistencies and crookedness in our lives. In other words, he is challenging us to repent, which means to have a change of heart, a change of mind, a change of attitude and set our sights on the Lord’s Kingdom. He is calling us to recognize that we need to allow God to be actively present in our lives, He promises that Jesus the Messiah will make our personal transformation possible through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit Whom He pours into us. 

 Both Isaiah and St. Mark are asking if we are willing to do the site preparation and accomplish some serious personal construction for this to really happen. Do we have a blueprint, a plan in mind as to how we will proceed? Are we aware of the spiritual tools of prayerfulness and mercy that we will need to repair the broken bridges in our lives so as to reconnect with others and with God? They are asking us to make room, in the midst of our very crowded Christmas season, for St. John the Baptist as our Advent Voice of Preparation. He’s calling us to get ready for much more than just another festive holiday. He’s reminding us that it’s never too late to change so as to experience God’s love, grace and power which will lead us to a new way of thinking, a new way of looking at life, and a new way of living that will be so much better than how we have lived up till now.

Christ Comes in History, Mystery & Majesty!

 

Deacon Dave · Christ Comes in History, Mystery & Majesty!

Homily for the First Sunday of Advent, Dec. 3, 2023. Gospel of St. Mark 13:33-37. Theme: Christ Comes in History, Mystery & Majesty! 

 Well, here we are at Advent once again, ushering in the holiday season that is always so special in just about everyone’s heart. The word Advent is derived from Latin and means “coming” or “arrival”, reminding us that we are in a season of preparation, a time of awaiting the return of the Lord of the house, as Jesus calls Himself in today's Gospel. He used the people’s familiarity with the vital role of a gatekeeper to get across the importance of attention and expectation, two important qualities for our own Advent waiting. Our Lord often referred to familiar stories and experiences as illustrations of his teaching and we can do the same thing by using stories we are familiar with to better understand His message. 

 For example, to me one of the most cherished stories that powerfully brings the spirit of Advent to me is A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens. I am sure you are all familiar with this holiday tale of how on bleak and cold Christmas eve, the greedy miser Scrooge is converted into a generous Christian man by means of the three visitations he has from the Ghosts of Christmas-Past, Christmas-Present and Christmas-to-Come. Well, you know, it wasn’t by accident that Dickens thought up this plot. He lived at a time when Christianity still permeated culture and we can see in his classic story a strong hint of the triple traditional meaning of Advent as a season that refers to the past, the present and the future. 

 It’s in Advent-Past where we all tend to spend so much of our time and energy during this season. It’s what all of our holiday shopping, decorating and cooking revolves around! It’s when Jesus came to us in history, giving up his divine power in becoming a vulnerable baby born in Bethlehem to a poor working class family. He did this in order to truly be our Savior by sharing in and sanctifying every aspect of our lives and even to the point of suffering and dying as we all must do. But Jesus doesn’t want us to spend Advent just remembering what He did for us, as marvelous as it was. He wants to be born into our hearts and come to live in us today. He wants us to move on out of the past and spend more of our time in Advent-Present. 

 Advent-Present, is the miracle of Jesus coming to us here and now in mystery. He comes to us as the Bread of Life, really present in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. He becomes personally present to us in the assembly of His Body the Church. And He continues to be mystically present for us in the persons of the needy poor. Jesus Himself told us about these realities of His Presence. He clearly taught that the Eucharist was His living flesh and blood by which He would live in us and we in Him. He declared that “where 2 or 3 are gathered together in my Name, there am I in the midst of them.” Finally, Jesus identified Himself intimately with those who are in need in any way when He said, “whatsoever you do to them, you do to Me.” 

 And so we see clearly that if we want to encounter Jesus truly and personally present in our lives here and now, we must turn to the Eucharist, to Christian community, and to the relief of those who suffer. These three things are precisely why worship, festive gatherings, and increased charitable actions have long been part of our Christmas customs. And so, it should be obvious that living Advent-Present is the most important meaning of the season because it’s the only one that is truly in our hands. Advent-Past is history. Advent-Future is yet to come But Advent-Present is ours to live here and now. 

 Finally, we have Advent-Future, Advent-to-Come. This was the most effective part for old Mr. Scrooge’s conversion and perhaps it can be the most effective for us as well. You’ll recall that in the novel Mr. Scrooge is led by the Ghost of Christmas-to-Come to the site of his future grave. In a similar way, Advent-to-Come makes us face the fact that life is both short and temporary; that our time on planet Earth will end. However, our personal existence will continue because we all survive our physical deaths. What will become of us when we meet Christ in His majesty? Where will we go to spend our eternity? The choice is ours to make here and now while we still have life and breath on planet Earth. How we live Advent-Present says a lot about what will become of us in Advent-to-Come. 

 So this year let's try to live Advent to its fullest, Past, Present and To-Come. Let’s keep in mind the history, the mystery and the majesty of Christ to help us observe Advent to the best of our ability. And let’s pray that Christmas Day will find us as changed and transformed as was old Mr. Scrooge, when he woke up on that decisive morning after the triple visitations, and suddenly found new gratitude and such joy in his new way of thinking, his new way of looking at life and his new way of living!

Viva Cristo Rey! Christ the King Lives!

 

Deacon Dave · Viva Cristo Rey! Christ the King Lives!

Homily for the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, Nov. 26, 2023. Gospel of St. Matthew 25:31-46. Theme: Viva Cristo Rey! Christ the King Lives! 

 At 10 a.m. on Nov. 23, 1927, a 36-year old Jesuit priest was taken from his death-row cell and marched across the prison yard. He was among the most wanted men in Mexico. As he walked he held a crucifix in one hand and a rosary in the other. One of the guards approached him and with tears in his eyes begged forgiveness for what was about to happen. Upon arrival at the place of execution, the priest asked permission to pray and knelt before a wall that was stained with blood and riddled with bullet holes. Then he stood up, extended his arms in the form of a cross, and facing the firing squad he exclaimed in a loud steady voice: “¡Viva Cristo Rey!” “Christ the King Lives!” Shots rang out and the priest fell to the ground. To the frustration and dismay of the government authorities - and despite great danger to themselves - 60,000 Catholics lined the streets of Mexico City for his funeral procession, repeatedly chanting his dying words: “¡Viva Cristo Rey!” “Christ the King Lives!” 

That priest was Father Miguel Pro, whom we now honor as a martyr and whose feast day is appropriately celebrated every year close to Christ the King Sunday which we are observing today. He ministered during the bloody persecution of Catholics in Mexico in the 1920’s, but for a short time he sought refuge not too far from here down in Los Gatos. In order to evade the police he became a master of disguises, continually avoiding capture and persistently bringing the Gospel and the Sacraments to the Catholics of Mexico City. And he had a great sense of humor and daring when carrying out these escapades. For example, one time he dressed in a fancy suit, lit up a cigarette and then walked hand-in-hand with a female parishioner right in front of police headquarters. The officers thought they were seeing just another young couple out for an evening walk, having no clue that they were greeting one of Mexicos’ most wanted and that hidden safely in the women’s purse were consecrated hosts of the Blessed Sacrament being brought to the sick and dying. 

Blessed Miquel became a government target precisely because he stood up for the truth, bravely defying the anti-freedom laws which forbid the display of faith in public. He ignored these illegal policies, firm in the conviction that no earthly government has the authority to deny religious freedom or eject God from civic life. He protested the idea that the practice of religion was to be confined behind the walls of a church, or kept politely within the parameters of one’s personal life as a simply private matter. He knew that a truly free and just society was one built upon public faith in God. And you know, we are actually in a similar situation today. 

 In our own nation, people of faith are told to keep God and His Word to themselves when it comes to our schools, our workplaces and in our politics. Our present-day attacks on religious freedom may not be bloody but they are nonetheless very real and carried out by means of discriminatory government directives and echoed by the public voice of a very anti Judeo-Christian biased media. We need to have within us the very same spirit as Fr. Pro and make his cry our own: “¡Viva Cristo Rey!” “Christ the King Lives!” 

Pope Piux XI established Christ the King Sunday just 2 years before the martyrdom of Fr. Pro as a way to highlight the importance of faith and support religious freedom. Humanity had just come out of the never-before-seen horrors of the First World War. The godless tyrannies of Communism in Russia, Facism in Italy and Nazism in Germany were rising and demanding absolute loyalty while canceling human rights. But those who kept faith amidst persecution made a huge difference. People with faith had much more inner strength to endure and survive. It was faith that led them to put their own lives on the line to serve and protect their suffering brothers and sisters. And so, Pope Piux XI hoped that Christ the King Sunday would inspire Christians to recommit to Christ and live according to the values of the Gospel so that it would be possible to build a civilization of love, rooted in peace and justice, and characterized by compassion and mercy. 

The message of today’s celebration is that it means very little if we simply say that Christ is King but do not make him Lord of our lives. To do so, we must dethrone ourselves and give this pride of place to Jesus. It means we must put and keep Christ first in our lives as King of kings and Lord of Lords. In return, He will bless us and transform us into Kingdom-people whose hearts become healed, restored, changed and forgiven by obedience to His Word and the grace of His Sacraments. And then he will send us out as ambassadors of the Kingdom, as missionary disciples who share with others what Jesus has done for us and what He can do for them. In this way we enable the grace and Good News of the Kingdom to touch and influence our families and our friends, our neighborhoods and our workplaces, our government and our politics. And this is really what today’s celebration of Christ the King Sunday is all about. I would like to end by leading you in a prayer based on that which Pope Pius XI asked to be recited every year on Christ the King Sunday: 

 Christ Jesus, I acknowledge You as King of the universe 

And I enthrone You as Lord of my life. 

 I here and now renew the promises of my Baptism 

 asking You to live and reign within me. 

Open my mind to be taught by your Holy Word. 

Open my heart to be fed by Your Holy Sacrament. 

Open my mouth to share Your Good News to others 

so that Your Kingdom may come to every human heart. 

 Amen.

The Mexican government took photos of Fr. Pro's execution thinking that they would serve as a scare-tactic warning to protestors. Their plan failed and actually had the opposite effect of increasing faith and uniting the people against their unjust government.

Blessed Miquel Pro kneeling before execution.

Fr. Pro at the moment of his martyrdom.

The Talent of Intercessory Prayer

 

Deacon Dave · The Talent of intercessory PRayer

Homily for the 33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Nov. 19, 2023. Gospel of St. Matthew 25:14-30 Theme: The Talent of Intercessory Prayer 

 Today’s gospel is known as the “parable of the talents”. And as with every parable, the characters and plot of the story represent something deeper than what appears at surface level. The Master of the parable is God. The talents represent a gift we have been given by God for the sake of spreading the Gospel and Kingdom of Christ. As an aside, a “talent” in Jesus’ time was a financial figure that equaled a common laborer’s payment for 15 years of work, so that gives us an idea of why the Master expected wise investments! Finally, the Master’s evaluation of the servants’ responsibility symbolizes our own personal judgment before the Lord at the end of our earthly lives. We will each be held accountable for what we have done - or failed to do - with the talents that God has entrusted to us. 

 Just as none of the three servants received the exact same amount of money, so not all of us are born equally talented. This reality check can help us avoid the mistake of comparing ourselves to others. Too often we look at those whom we admire for their outstanding abilities while minimizing or even overlooking the very real and worthwhile gifts which we ourselves have been given. But I want to suggest that there is a talent we have all received and which enables every one of us to invest in making a real difference in the world and, indeed, in the lives of others. And that talent is intercessory prayer. 

 Not all prayer is intercessory, of course. We have the prayer of praise and adoration by which we express our dependence upon God and gratitude for His blessings. And there is contemplative prayer and meditation in which we ponder the Scriptures, reflect on the mysteries of our Faith or simply rest peacefully in the Divine Presence. Then there is intercessory prayer by which, as its name implies, we present various persons and petitions to God, asking Him to bless and assist them and us in our various needs. 

 You know, often people talk about intercessory prayer apologetically as if it’s the least they can do to help others. Or they refer to it as a kind of last resort when all our human efforts seem hopeless! But this outlook is all backwards! Prayer is the first thing we should do when dealing with situations head-on because it can go where we cannot. Prayer is not confined by walls or hindered by geographical distance. It opens up doors, not physical ones but opportunities to reach out to someone. This can be especially significant in situations where actual doors would be shut to us. Our prayer can travel through those locked doors and penetrate into the heart of the person behind them. 

 This is why we keep praying for someone even if we don't see observable results within the time-frame we would like. Our prayer can become like powerful waves of the ocean that pound against the hull of a boat. If they keep crashing incessantly against the ship it will find or make a weak spot allowing the water to enter in. And even just a little crack in the closed heart of a person is all that God’s grace needs to penetrate and take effect. And so we don't give up praying for someone even when things seem to be against us because we trust that the continual waves of our intercessory prayer will eventually open the pathway for Christ into their lives. 

 And this basic power principle of prayer is also how we can reach out to the larger world in its needs. Take, for example, the horrible present situation in the Middle East. Can we realistically make a difference and contribute to de-escalation and peace? Of course we can! Authentic peace and lasting social renewal can only happen in a meaningful way with the conversion of hearts, person by person. And the only way hearts are truly transformed and people are changed is by the grace of God. If peace and reconciliation are not rooted in a real change of hearts then they are only temporary and fragile. So when we pray for peace we ask that those involved become personally aware of God’s deep love for them which will open their hearts to the gift of Jesus as Lord and Savior, as Messiah and Prince of Peace. 

 But we need to be aware that there are two temptations that keep people from fully using their talent of prayer: distrust and laziness. Distrust is a lack of faith rooted in the idea that God won’t hear prayers because of our sins or that what we are asking is in fact impossible, even for Him. And so there are people who won’t even try to begin to pray. They see it as a waste of time and energy. The second obstacle is spiritual laziness which is rooted in an improper sense of priorities and time management. This manifests itself in a person who, for example. has no problem juggling work, family needs and social life yet somehow cannot find the time to pray the rosary or some other form of intercessory prayer. Laziness leads us to bury our talent and do nothing with it like the wicked servant in today’s parable. What we need to ask ourselves is this: which of the three servants do I choose to follow in putting my talent of prayer at the service of our Master and His Kingdom?

The Master & Servants of the Parable

is There Oil In Your Lamp?

 

Deacon Dave · Is There Oil in Your Lamp?

Homily for the 32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Nov. 8, 2020. Gospel of St. Matthew 25:1-13. Theme: Is There Oil in Your Lamp? 

 At this time of year as nature seems to become more quiet and a bit lifeless, the liturgy turns our attention to the fact that we are each moving closer to the end of our time on planet Earth. Catholic spirituality reinforces this theme by setting aside the month of November as a special time of prayer for the faithful departed. We all know that death is an inescapable fact for each one of us and that we need to be better prepared for our ultimate meeting with the Lord. And so through today’s parable of the wise and foolish bridesmaids, Jesus is asking each one of us: Are you prepared? Are you ready to meet Me when I arrive? 

 Ancient Christian writers tell us that the lamps and oil in this Sunday’s parable can be interpreted as symbols for the body and the soul. The foolish bridesmaids had beautiful ornate bridal lamps but they were running on empty and fundamentally useless because they did not have the one thing necessary: a flask full of oil. In a similar way, we can have great lamps, that is, bodies that are in excellent physical condition. But inside ourselves we can be running on empty by lacking the one thing necessary to receive eternal life: a personal and vibrant relationship with God. 

 In both Scripture and in the Liturgy, oil is a symbol of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. That’s why it’s used in the Sacraments to consecrate us to God, to anoint us as His holy people, and to bring His healing touch into our lives. It’s this oil of the Spirit that enables us to speak with God from the heart in prayer. It’s the supernatural fuel that enables us to keep moving forward in the Christian life even amidst ridicule or difficulty. It’s the spiritual energy we need to remain faithful to Christ by keeping the flame of faith burning brightly in our lives and guiding us along the way. 

 So, it’s important to always be checking our personal oil level on a regular basis. When we start running low on this fuel we need to fill up the flasks of our lives because there are some things that we just cannot borrow from others. I think this is what the parable means when it says that the 5 wise bridesmaids would not lend any of their oil to the foolish ones. It’s reminding us that we can’t borrow someone else’s faith. We can’t borrow someone else’s grace. We can’t borrow someone else’s relationship with God. But what we can do is make sure that we keep replenishing this oil of the Spirit by praying from the heart every day, by reading and applying the Word of God to our lives, by repenting of our sins and confessing them, by receiving Jesus in the Eucharist with mindfulness, and by doing our best to treat those with whom we live, work and socialize with kindness and mercy. 

 Some people take the risk of being like the 5 foolish bridesmaids who waited until it was too late to check their lamps and fill up with oil. Such people know they should focus more on God in their lives and get things in order, but they assume they have plenty of time to do so. They put it off for later, for tomorrow, for “another day”. But in doing so they risk sharing the bitter disappointment of those foolish bridesmaids who unexpectedly found the door to the feast shut and locked! This locked-door symbolizes for us the fact that it's too late to change once death comes knocking. 

 Our years here on planet Earth are just a tiny drop in the bucket of our whole existence. Now is the time to choose God. Now is the time to choose Christ. Now is the time to choose eternal life. Once the door to the heavenly wedding feast is shut tight and locked, our opportunity to make these choices comes to an end. And so we need to keep this parable in mind and listen to the voice of Jesus speaking deep inside us and asking: Are you prepared? Are you ready to meet Me when I arrive?

A Clear & Ever-Present Danger!

 

Deacon Dave · A Clear & Ever-Present Danger

Homily for the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Nov. 5, 2023. Gospel of St. Matthew 23:1-12. Theme: A Clear and Ever Present Danger!

 Our readings this Sunday put the spotlight on the personal integrity of Church leaders as shepherds of the flock of Christ. And this isn’t a very comfortable topic in our times which have been overwhelmed by public revelations of abuse, corruption and breach of trust by bishops and priests. Perhaps we can find hope in the fact that nothing can obstruct the grace and light of Christ from reaching His people. Nevertheless, the ordained leadership of the Church must honestly reflect on today’s Gospel as a searing examination of conscience. 

 Pope Francis is often pointing out the great spiritual and moral danger of clericalism. Clericalism is when a man sees himself as "higher" or "better" or "holier" or "privileged" simply because of his ordination. It misleads him into thinking that he should be treated in a differential manner. Clericalism leads to "climbing the ladder" in Church leadership in order to claim its status of power, prestige and position. Clericalism was behind the deceitful behavior of abusive bishops and priests who perceived themselves as being above the rules. It is also what was behind the covering up of crimes in order to preserve the public image of the Church. Clericalism is a clear and ever-present danger to the well-being of the People of God. 

 Jesus dealt with this issue in today’s Gospel. He criticized the religious leaders of His time for putting forward their own agendas and self-interests at the expense of the people. He exposed their show of religious zeal as a sham and pointed out their pride in wanting to be honored and preferred to others. He condemned their strutting around in public dressed in the finest and fanciest robes of their office for all to see. These leaders were classic examples of ministers who fail to “practice what you preach.” And yet despite all of this…Jesus still upheld their legitimate authority as religious teachers. But He clearly made a distinction between the need for their divinely appointed office and the personal integrity of the ones who held it. 

 And this distinction makes a lot of sense to me because we do need a Church leadership that carries with it the certainty that God will direct us through it. Jesus did, after all, establish a teaching Church led by official teachers as the gospels clearly attest. We need bishops, priests and deacons who lead us, who assure proper organization and care of the flock. We need those who have studied long and hard and can teach us important things about our Faith. We need those who have been officially commissioned to preach the Gospel and celebrate the Sacraments for us. 

 At the same time we must realize that the clergy are sin-affected people like all of us. They have to struggle with the same kind of temptations and battle the same sort of desires that we all do. These things do not suddenly disappear when a man is ordained. And quite often if he is placed upon a pedestal by well-meaning people he may feel compelled to live and act in a way that is artificial but expected. This special treatment can even make it harder for him to see and admit his own weaknesses and sins. 

 So, how should we relate with our ordained clergy? Are we to turn a blind eye to their sins and ignore the lack of true leadership evident in some of their lives? No. not all. But it does remind me of an old saying, attributed to St. Teresa of Avila, which says that “God writes straight with crooked lines”. This means that despite weaknesses and sins, despite even laxity and corruption, God can still achieve His purposes through them. Christ can still teach us His Gospel through them. Grace can still reach us through them. In fairness to us it really cannot be otherwise because without human leadership how are we to receive the Word of God, offer liturgical worship and receive the blessings of the Sacraments? 

 So, what we need to do is follow the wisdom and directives found in today’s Gospel. This means that as long as what they preach is in accordance with the Faith, listen to the clergy because the Holy Spirit has sent them out as messengers of the Gospel. But don’t be shy or afraid to point out corruption or dereliction of duty when you see it. Quite often people grumble and complain but nothing ever changes because they refuse to speak up out of a false sense of respect for the clergy. As a baptized Catholic, a member of the Body of Christ, you have a responsibility for the well-being of the Church. Refuse to treat clergy differently than you would treat any other human being. And above all pray daily for all bishops, priests and deacons that having preached salvation to others they may not lose it for themselves.

Love is the Pathway to Peace

 

Deacon Dave · Love is the Pathway to Peace

Homily for the 30th Sunday of Ordinary Time, October 29, 2023. Gospel of St. Matthew 22:34-40. Theme: Love is the Pathway to Peace 

 I am sure we can all agree that Christ's Message of love, which is at the same time a message of peace, is desperately needed in our world today. World peace seems like such an abstract goal that’s far beyond our reach. I mean, can you and I really have any real influence in that regard? Well, actually, yes we can! But to see how this is possible we have to first break down that seemingly unreachable global concept into its smaller very reachable parts. What I mean is that each one of us is called to contribute to world peace by focusing on the little slice of life that is indeed within our reach, within our sphere of influence. 

 It’s very much like the way medicine is injected into one small part of the body and then slowly makes its way throughout the whole system until the disease is eradicated. Or as Jesus Himself told us, the Gospel of peace will spread throughout the world person by person, the way a pinch of salt makes its way through the whole recipe or the way a little bit of yeast ends up elevating the whole batch of dough. So you see, we have God’s Word that our personal efforts for peace can indeed end up having a global effect. It is not an utopian ideal beyond our reach. 

 In today’s Gospel, Jesus teaches us the way to peace by commanding us to love God above all things and to love our neighbor as much as we love ourselves. However, this double commandment was just the beginning, the starting point for His ever-expanding teachings on love. He moves on to include enemies in the list of those whom we must love and in the parable of the Good Samaritan He teaches us that all people without exception are to be recipients of our kindness and mercy. Finally, at the Last Supper He gave us His highest directive when he said, “This is My commandment: love one another as I have loved you ” (Jn 13:34) . And those last few words, “as I have loved you” make all the difference in the world! They are what make Christian love so radically different from all other definitions of the word. 

 So, what does it mean to “love as Jesus loves”? What does that look like? Well, fortunately for us all we need to do is turn to the Gospels for the answer. By doing so, we see Jesus in action and learn that His way of loving is one of self-emptying, self-forgetfulness and self-giving. It doesn’t take into account what it will cost the lover, the giver, because the focus is always on God and others. It’s very difficult to define, but we can surely say that to love as Jesus loves means that our love must be unconditional. To love as Jesus loves means that our love must be sacrificial. To love as Jesus loves means that our love must be forgiving. This way of loving is the pathway to authentic peace. 

 To love unconditionally means that we accept people as they are and not how we want them to be. We are to show kindness even to those who may rub us the wrong way without first insisting that they change their attitude or behavior. If any changes really need to be made in them, then those changes will more surely come about not by our demanding it, but by our loving them into existence. Because, when a person experiences unconditional love, it can often stir up within them the desire and the determination to become the best that they can be. So you see, practicing unconditional love in our relationships, which sometimes may have to be what we call “tough love”, has the power over time to change hearts and lives from the inside out. Unconditional love can’t help but breed peace. 

 Christ-like love is also meant to be sacrificial, putting the needs of the other before our own. Our natural tendency is to put ourselves and our own desires first. But Jesus reorders the priorities of our love. He calls us to put God first, others second, and ourselves last. Now, for us frail human beings, it’s a struggle to love like that, and it’s especially difficult to keep on doing so consistently! However, with and in Christ we can do it because God’s grace empowers us to do things that we didn't think we were ever capable of doing. We can find inspiration to keep on doing this in the figure of Christ on a crucifix, with His arms outstretched and His pierced side opened wide for us. It will remind us that He kept on loving right to the end and never gave up. Neither should we. 

 Lastly, to love like Jesus means that we must be forgiving. A hard fact of life is that we often hurt one another. A flippant remark, an insult expressed in anger, or a grudge that we won’t let go of can cause emotional wounds that fester and bleed. The refusal to forgive or the refusal to accept an apology drains life out of relationships. It leads to wounded hearts, results in broken families, and works against serenity in our hearts and ultimately against peace in the world. You know, when it comes to forgiveness, what always impresses me most is the fact that after His Resurrection, Jesus never made even one remark or rebuke to his disciples for having denied Him and abandoned Him. Instead of condemning them, the very first thing the Risen Christ said to them were words of peace and blessing. He allowed the past to remain in the past and die there. We would do well to do the same. 

 Loving as Jesus loves seems quite impossible and indeed it is on the natural human level! But He gives us the grace, the supernatural power, to do so. And He does this particularly through the Eucharist. Christ-living-in-us by Holy Communion unites our human love to His divine love and elevates it. It injects us with spiritual strength that can go far above and beyond our normal human capabilities. Through the power of His Sacramental Presence within us, He enables us to love as He loves but this happens gradually, bit by bit, day by day. And so over time, if we are faithful, we will find ourselves becoming real instruments of peace by loving more unconditionally, sacrificing more joyfully, and forgiving more quickly and sincerely. 

 Now, imagine if all 2.3 billion Christians on planet Earth each decided to live this way! What a huge leap forward that would be to actualizing world peace!. And it is possible but the decision is left up to you and me. Sadly, so many chose not to do so and become part of the problem instead of being what Jesus wants us to be: part of the solution.

Dressed for (Eternal) Success!

 

Deacon Dave · Dressed for (Eternal) Success!

Homily for the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time, October 15, 2023. Gospel of St. Matthew 22:1-14. Theme: Dressed for (Eternal) Success! 

Today’s Gospel gives us another one of Jesus’ parables and while it has a lot going on within it, the partthat seems to always grab people’s attention is the man who gets kicked out of the party for not being properly dressed. That may seem a bit extreme to us, but it’s another reason why I always say that we miss out on the full message of Scripture if we don’t know the culture out of which it came. With this in mind it’s helpful to know that in Jesus’ time when a king gave a party he often supplied more than the expected food, drink and entertainment. The host would often provide a rack of formal garments at the entrance gate for guests who did not come appropriately dressed. 

The wedding garment of this parable has often been interpreted as a symbol for the white gown that was given to adult converts at Baptism. We still have a remnant of this custom today which is why catechumens and infants often wear white when receiving this sacrament. It stands for the purity of the brand new spiritual life that is given through the saving grace of Baptism. It’s meant to remind us that through this sacrament we change out of our natural human condition of sin-woundedness and are re-dressed in the clothing of divine life which we call “sanctifying grace”. Or as St. Paul describes it, we “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 13:14) and are no longer spiritually alienated from God. 

But let’s get back to that guest who wasn’t wearing his wedding garment and see what that might mean. First, guests often arrived at a wedding party after having traveled for many days and so their clothes were dirty and stained with sweat. Clothing was hand-woven and handmade so it was extremely expensive and so ordinary everyday people didn’t own much of a wardrobe. This is why the host often supplied party garments and thus there was no polite excuse for anyone to enter without it on. This means that the offensive guest in today’s parable either refused the garment in the first place or he was wearing it but at some point decided to take it off. Either one of these actions would be extremely rude and a gesture of ingratitude to the king. 

I think we can see in this a symbol for those who either refuse God’s generous gift of eternal life through Baptism or who did indeed receive Baptism but later decided to not abide by it. For whatever reason, they do not want to live a Christian life and have chosen to lay aside their baptismal gown. They have taken off the Lord Jesus Christ and have only their own clothing to wear, soiled by sin and unfit for the wedding feast of Heaven. I bet many of us know people who would fit into this category. And I would also guess that many of us ourselves fall prey to this temptation now and then. And so we might be tempted to take off our wedding garments, assuring ourselves that we will have both the time and the opportunity to put them on again. The famous German Lutheran minister, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was killed by the Nazis in World War II, coined a term for this way of non-challenging self-focused thinking and acting. He called it “cheap grace”. 

Cheap grace means that we want God without His commandments; Christ without the cross; Heaven without repentance for sin; and Christianity without all the rules. In other words, cheap grace means that we want a Christianity of our own making; a religion that is fashioned according to our own likes and desires. Cheap grace is a hybrid-Christianity that doesn’t cost us anything or challenge us in any way. However, today’s parable warns us that our refusal to wear the wedding garment of God in favor of the cheap grace of our own clothing, will not only get us kicked out of the party but cause us to run the risk of being cast into the torment of Hell. 

And this is where we come face-to-face with the curious saying with which Jesus ends today’s parable: "many are invited but few are chosen". What the Lord is telling us is that in his great mercy and generosity, God invites all human beings to His wedding feast which is a symbol for living in a right relationship with Him both here and hereafter. But not everyone who RSVPs in a positive manner to this invitation ends up actually staying at the party. For various reasons some of us take off the wedding garment and lose our status as guests. While those who do remain dressed in their baptismal gowns for the celebration become the chosen few. 

But Jesus always has Good News for us. And the good news for today is that we can always rediscover the beauty of our Baptismal gown and redress ourselves in the wedding garment of saving grace. We do this by our sincere repentance, turning back to God and striving to live life with Him instead of without Him. We recommit to the promises of our Baptism by rejecting sin and selfishness and professing our trust in God as Father, in Jesus as Savior, and in the Holy Spirit as Lord and Giver of Divine Life. And then we can rejoin the party and enjoy all the festivities that God has in store for us at the wedding feast of Heaven.

Looking Backward & Forward in the Vineyard

 

Deacon Dave · Looking Backward & Forward in the Vineyard

Homily for the 27th Sunday of Ordinary Time, October 8, 2023. Gospel of St. Matthew 21:33-43. Theme: Looking Backward & Forward in the Vineyard 

I find it very odd that a verse which actually puts today’s parable into context has not been included in the gospel reading! The missing verse is found after the parable and it says: “When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they knew that he was speaking about them….” It’s no secret, then, just who Jesus is referring to and what this parable means. But like all parables, it goes beyond the literal and has application for our own lives today. This means that today’s parable looks backward and it looks forward. 

First, we’ll look backward. The parable was originally intended for the chief priests and Pharisees. Both groups were foundational to Jewish daily life. The Pharisees oversaw proper ritual behavior (even in one's home and private life) while the chief priests exercised authority over the people and acted as intermediaries between Israel and Rome. Both groups arose in the centuries before Christ to become caretakers of God’s people (the vineyard in today’s parable). Both groups ended up opposing the servants who were sent to the vineyard (the prophets of Israel). And lastly, both violently opposed even the son (Jesus) of the Landowner (God) when he came to set things straight. 

So, how did the chief priests and Pharisees end up being in opposition to God and failing in proper care of His people? The answer is really quite simple and quite ancient. As a matter of fact it's as old as the human race. It was sin, or more specifically, the illusions and delusions that are the fruit of sin. This is what made Adam and Eve think that they could become like God. This is what led the chief priests and Pharisees to think that they were not just tenant-managers but really the owners and rulers of the vineyard. And it is what ultimately brought Jesus to his death. 

Sin can make any of us fall into delusions and illusions as well. This is because all sin is fundamentally an expression of pride, which is an exaggerated unrealistic opinion of oneself. Pride makes us think that we are so vital in our personal world that things would fall apart without us. Pride fools us into thinking that we know best when it comes to setting moral standards in our lives, so who needs to pay attention to the Word of God? And, yes, pride still tempts those in religious leadership today into thinking that they are the owners of the vineyard instead of its tenant-managers when it comes to shepherding and serving the Lord’s people. 

And this is where the parable looks forward to us. Jesus says that new tenant-managers are being sent to oversee the vineyard. He is talking about His disciples, about you and me. This means that we are to see to the proper care and feeding of God’s people. Not just those who form the Body of Christ which is his Church, but all people for all belong to God in some way, shape or form. We are to do our best to “produce good fruit” which means living in a right and just relationship with God ourselves and helping others to do the same. To enable us to do this Christ has given us three special supernatural gifts: faith, hope and love. These garden tools of the vineyard help us to avoid the pitfalls of the chief priests and Pharisees. 

Faith means living in a dynamic personal relationship with God. It defeats the pride of Adam and Eve who forgot that they were but creatures and sought instead to become like the Creator. Faith reminds us of just who we are and Who God is. It enables us to maintain this sense of proper relationship as stewards and managers who are answerable to the Divine Landowner. 

Hope is the confident trust that God doesn’t judge us by externals but looks instead at our hearts and understands our weaknesses. It defeats the pride of the chief priests and Pharisees who were self-righteous, believing that scrupulous observance of the Law made them holy. Hope teaches us that God saves and blesses and reaches out to us freely and simply out of love and not because we have done something to earn it. Hope sets us free from the impossible burden and task of trying to be our own saviors. 

Love, which is the greatest of the three gifts, enables us to forget ourselves, showing compassion and mercy to all whom we encounter. It defeats pride by doing away with the delusions and illusions of exaggerated self-importance and reminds us that we are simply servants of God Who is love. It is the greatest of Jesus’ commandments and He told us to exercise love in the proper order: God first, others second and ourselves last. 

Faith, hope and love, then, are indispensable for the successful care of the Lord’s Vineyard. But they can only grow within us if we water them frequently with the grace of prayer and the sacraments. They blossom and produce fruit only if we prune away the dead branches of selfishness in our lives. They enable us to become faithful servants and trustworthy tenant-managers who will bring joy to the Landowner and will receive a reward from His Son when it comes time for the final harvest.

Walking the Walk, Not Just Talking the Talk

 

Deacon Dave · Walking the Walk

Homily for the 26th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Oct. 1, 2023. Gospel of St. Matthew 21:28-32. Theme: Walking the Walk, Not Just Talking the Talk 

The Parable of the Two Sons in today’s Gospel teaches us to be real careful about judging people based on who they are and how they live. Only God sees into the heart and knows all the various things that have happened in a person’s life that have made them into who they are and what they do. It also teaches us that no one is beyond God’s reach and that it’s never too late to change direction in life. We have plenty of examples of this in the lives of saints who lived far from God for many years and then turned themselves around in amazing stories of conversion. And we have also had our share of those in the opposite situation; of Church leaders who seemed good and holy on the outside but were corrupt and self-serving on the inside. 

A majority of the Jewish leaders whom Jesus was addressing in this parable were very much like that. They were so precise and externally obedient to their religious rituals and laws and from the outside looking in, they seemed to have it all together regarding God and devotion. But in reality, they utterly failed when it came to living out the very heart of religion. Even when they saw the miracles Jesus worked before their eyes they remained deaf to His teaching. They are like the first son in the parable, saying the things that make them look good and pious, but never actually following through with what God really asks of them. 

On the other hand, the tax collectors and prostitutes were in the opposite situation. They obviously did not care about looking good and virtuous to the people. Tax collectors were Jews who turned traitors, working for the enemy occupied forces and extorting their own people for personal financial gain. Prostitutes didn’t give a second thought to God’s Word about the sacredness of marriage and human sexuality. They made a good living by dragging others into their debauchery. In other words, at first they said “no” to God. But after hearing St. John the Baptist preaching repentance for sin, something clicked inside of them and they turned their “no” into a “yes”. And so they are like the second son. 

It seems to me that Jesus is asking each one of us to personally identify how we are responding to God’s Word in our lives. Are we like the Jewish leaders who think they are just fine as they are? Do we think that we will be welcomed into the Kingdom of God simply because we fulfill the formal obligations of our religion? Jesus calls us to examine ourselves on this very important question because He cannot heal what is broken until we admit it and then ask for His help. And a good place to start this process is by reflecting on a verse from our second reading today. In it, St. Paul calls us to proclaim Jesus Christ as LORD and then to live lives that truly reflect what this proclamation means. 

You see, in the ancient culture of the early Christians, the title of “Lord” was the way one addressed the ruler of the land or the master of slaves. So, St. Paul is telling us that if we truly profess that “Jesus is Lord” this means that He is the Ruler of my life and the Master of all my actions. In other words, Jesus is to be Lord of every aspect of my existence and not just of my religious devotion. So, we have to honestly ask ourselves: is Christ really and truly Lord of all my life? Lord of my social life, Lord of my financial life, Lord of my sexual life, Lord of my professional life, and Lord of my political life? Do His words and teachings influence, direct and inform all of these aspects of my existence? 

The external practices of faith can make us look good and even fool us into thinking that we are doing good, when in reality we are simply practicing an “empty-on-the-inside” religion. In such a situation, our lips say “yes” to God while the actions of our lives are really saying “no”. This is what Jesus was condemning in the Jewish leaders he confronted in today’s Gospel. But in the lived example of the reformed tax collectors and converted prostitutes Christ was reminding us that it’s never too late to change our response. And we can do so the very same way that they did! By being humble enough to take the preaching of St. John the Baptist to heart and put it into practice in our daily lives. 

And what was his message? It was simply this: Repent and give evidence by your actions that you intend to change. To repent means to have a change of mind which leads to a change of heart. It begins with humility and means walking the walk and not just talking the talk. It expresses itself by asking God for the grace to turn ourselves around. Repentance is more than the feelings of regret or remorse. It’s a mindful and intentional turning away from sin and selfishness that proves itself in a new way of living, a new way of thinking and a new way of loving that is inspired and enlightened by the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

God's Ridiculous Generosity!

 

Deacon Dave · God's Ridiculous Generosity!

Homily for the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Sept. 24, 2023. Gospel of St. Matthew 20:1-16. Theme: God’s Ridiculous Generosity! 

The Parable of the Landowner in today's Gospel always gets alot of comments. Most of these have to do with how unfair it is to pay people the same wages for not doing an equal amount of work. However, as with all parables, it’s important not to get caught up in the particular details but to discover the message it contains. As important as a just wage may be, Jesus has a much deeper lesson to teach us. This parable is really about how God seems to be ridiculously generous with His love and mercy. It’s an example of how, as our first reading puts it, God's thoughts are not like our thoughts and God’s ways are totally unlike our ways of doing business, of living life. 

A big reason for this difference between how God thinks and acts and how we think and act is due to the fact that even among the best of us, there’s always some trace of selfishness. When we set out to do something, even something good and noble, there always seems to be a little bit of the question, “what will this cost me?” in the back of our minds. But as Christians we are called by Christ to put a check on selfishness because our mission in the world is to reflect the goodness of God. We are called to follow the example of Jesus who was also ridiculously generous with love and mercy, even to the point of it costing Him His life on the cross. 

When a Christian becomes really aware of this calling it begins to change them from the inside out. They start to understand more deeply the teaching of Jesus that love for God is utterly inseparable from love for neighbor. They begin to realize that since God has been so ridiculously generous with them, they are to pay it forward. So, when they see suffering around them, they refuse to be blind to it. And when they hear the cry of the poor they refuse to close their ears to it. Their hearts will not let them rest until they have done something, anything, whatever they can do, even if it doesn’t seem like much, to help their struggling neighbors who need some ridiculous generosity in their lives. 

One such group of Christians who do this are the members of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul which was started in Paris in 1833, a time of bloody revolution in France. The destitute poor were starving and being decimated by sickness in their slums, while the wealthy were carrying on with their opulent lives, turning their eyes and ears away from the sights and sounds of suffering. A 20-year-old Catholic law student at the Sorbonne University named Frederic Ozanam together with 4 college classmates and a professor, began to understand that a faith that didn’t do something about this horrible situation wasn’t much of a faith at all. They reached a breaking point where they were no longer content to practice their religion by simply saying their prayers and going to Mass. They were pushed out of their comfort zone by the Scripture that says, “You can’t say that you love God whom you cannot see, if you do not come to the aid of your neighbor whom you can see.” 

Even though it was extremely dangerous, they began to go out 2-by-2 into the shacks and hovels of the Parisian slums. Through these home visits they were able to see with their own eyes what needed to be done. Then they would return to their parishes to collect food, clothing, medicine and money to distribute on their next round of visits. As news of what they were doing spread, others of all ages began to join them and many began to support them. The Society grew and spread. Today it’s a world-wide Catholic lay movement that has close to 100,000 members just in the USA alone. Here at St. Sebastian’s we have been very blessed to have had a parish Conference of the Society for over 40 years. And its members, known as Vincentians, still serve in that person-to-person way of Frederic and his first companions. They meet with the poor and learn for themselves the various needs that exist. And then they come back to their parishes, to us, in order to spread the word and collect funds to provide relief. 

Our Vincentians are ordinary everyday parishioners who have responded to God’s call to be ridiculously generous and do something beautiful for those who are struggling just to survive. You might be surprised to learn that right here within our own parish boundaries (which encompass Greenbrae, Kentfield and southern San Rafael) there are those who are living with the constant stress of being just one small paycheck away from homelessness. And quite often they are also caring for a disabled child or spouse. There are those who have to decide whether to pay utility bills or buy medicine because they can’t afford to do both. There are some who are newly out of rehab or others escaping abusive relationships who need assistance to start a new life and head in a new direction. And finally, there are so many who depend on the Safeway cards that our Vincentians distribute to help ends meet until the next meager paycheck arrives. 

Today’s Gospel parable tells us that not all who were sent into the vineyard did the exact same work and yet they all received the exact same reward from God. And this can also be said about the Vincentian works of mercy. God calls all of us without exception to share the responsibility of serving our neighbor in need, but not all of us will be able to work at it in the same way. Some are called to become active Vincentians who go out to the poor and we certainly need more of them! Others are called to become Vincentian partners through financial support. Both forms of participation are indispensable; both are desperately needed! So please listen with the ears of your heart and discover how God is calling you to become part of this beautiful expression of His ridiculous generosity. 

Today’s second collection for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul can be dropped into the donation boxes at the entrances to the church. Be sure to make a note on your check or use one of the special white envelopes you will find in the pews. I can personally assure you that every penny donated goes directly to the care of the poor. St. Sebastian parishioners have always been extremely generous to the poor and I am confident that this will continue and so I thank each one of you ahead of time! God bless you and grant you peace!