A Reflection 26th Sunday: Is it for Love or Honor?

Is it for Love or Honor?

Ezekiel 18:25-28;  Psalm 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14;  Philippians 2:1-11;  Matthew 21:28-32

In the Gospel reading Jesus tells the parable of two sons. They are both asked by their father to go and work in the vineyard. One is asked and says No, but does go and work in the vineyard.  The second son answers “Yes”; but, does not go and work. Jesus asks, which of the two sons, does the father’s will.

The fact that the priests and elders answered correctly is kind of a surprise.

Let us start with a couple of definitions.

The first is honor. The definition of honor is to regard with high respect and esteem, to fulfill an obligation. 

The second definition is love (agape) which is a profoundly generous manifestation of self-donation without concern for reward. 

This parable is about two sons. We will call them love and honor.

If you were to look at this story in the time it was told, the correct answer would probably have been the opposite. In the public square, no son would dishonor his father telling him “No.” In ancient Jewish society honor was expected. The son was to honor his father in his answer. 

The second son was honor. He honored his father by saying “Yes.” He answered with words of high respect and esteem. He gave the answer he was expected to give. Honor prevents his father’s embarrassment; but, honor did not live what he said.

The first son did not honor his father. He embarrassed him by disobeying a direct request. The second son was love. Love gave himself to his father.

The Jewish people lived in a world that commanded them to follow the law and much of it was about honor. The people lived in the world to which the 10 Commandments were given. And, they were about honor.

• I am the LORD your God: you shall not have strange Gods before me.
• You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain
• Remember to keep holy the LORD's Day.

These first three commandments are about honoring the LORD.

• Honor your father and your mother

This commandment states honor as the goal.

• You shall not kill
• You shall not commit adultery
• You shall not steal.
• You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor
• You shall not covet your neighbor's wife.
• You shall not covet your neighbor's good

These commandments are all about honoring society and your neighbor. Did you notice there is no mention of love?

Then Jesus begins to point out the greatest commandment - to love God with all that you are and love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus took a simple prayer given by Moses and known by everyone who knew the Torah and pointed out the truth behind the 10 commandments.

Those, who followed Jesus, knew this teaching and knew the correct answer to his parable. 

It was love that was more important. It was the love of the first son that truly honored his father. It was the first son who loved and honored his father by doing his will, just as Jesus would do. Love is so much stronger than honor.

Let us take this parable to our lives as Catholics and let us take it to the Eucharist.

When Jesus gave us the Eucharist at the last supper, Jesus said this bread is my body, this cup is my blood, the blood of the new and everlasting covenant. Do this in memory of me.

We are told this in all the gospels and in many of the epistles. It is what the Church teaches us.

In honor, I can pull a wafer or cracker from a box, pour a cup of wine.  Using these symbols, a lot of Christians say that I honor Christ’s words. Remember that to honor something means to show respect and fulfill an obligation. Like the unconsecrated wafer and wine, honor can be just a symbol. Like the second son, we don’t have to live it. It is only a show of respect.

But as a Catholic, we know there is more. The bread and that wine is offered on the altar of God. It is not simply blessed. It is transubstantiated. It changes. 

The priest is given the authority through the apostles from Christ Jesus, consecrates the host by his prayers. The priest calls upon the Holy Spirit to change the bread and wine into the substance of Christ’s body. It is not human flesh. It is not human blood. It is the divine resurrected Christ that we share.

Maybe some of us are like the first son. Sometime in our life we have said, “No” to Christ’s call. We are sinners. But, our love brings us back and we give ourselves totally.

Maybe some of us are like the second son. We've always said “Yes.” We honor the words and what we have been taught. We show respect, doing what we are expected to do. But not really believing the words we speak. 

Love or Honor, which son are you?

Eternal Life in Christ Jesus

Jude 1:21 - Keep yourselves in the love of God and wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.

This verse makes me think of how many well meaning people have asked me. ”Have you been saved?  Have you been born again?” It seems that a lot of them ask me this when they hear that I am Catholic. When I tell them I am ordained clergy they will still ask, “But are you born again.”

I am being evangelized by those who doubt my faith, my beliefs, and most of all God's mercy.

Sometimes, I just want to turn around and ask them, “Do you believe what is written in the Bible?”; "Do follow the commands of Jesus?"

In the gospel of John, Jesus says that you have to be born again to enter into the kingdom of heaven. But he also says so much more.  In this same gospel, he asks, "Have I been with you for so long a time and still you do not know me?" 

This may be where many are today. Jesus has been with us for so long a time and the world still does not know him. Too many Christians have taken only bits and pieces of Jesus.

Like baptism, it was not all Jesus ask us to do. How many forget the Eucharist?

Professor Scott Hahn points out that the New Testament of Jesus Christ is not those books in the bible but the Eucharist. All the Gospels - Matthew, Mark and Luke as well as the Epistles of Paul - speak of it. This is why these are called the New Testament.  This is the cup of the new and everlasting covenant. 

Jesus did not baptize anyone. He did give us the Eucharist and today many take it for granted.  John, chapter 6, says that when his disciples heard the mystery of the Eucharist and the secret of eternal life many of them left him because they could not do what he asked.

Today, Churches do not  identify as Eucharistic communities but Bible Churches. They take bits and pieces of the Bible and mold it to their needs. 

They then ask, "Have you been born again?"

I have been born again; I am baptized just as Jesus commanded, in water and the Holy Spirit. I live the new testament of Jesus Christ by taking part in the new and everlasting covenant; sharing in the body and blood just as Jesus commanded so that I may have eternal life. I obey the Church and her teachings as put forward through the apostles. 

As Christians we must hold on to all that Jesus Christ ask us to do. We have to live in Gods love and mercy to know the way of Christ. It is God’s mercy that changes us. In this change we are born again to eternal life.

It is not a magical prayer or a sacramental washing that allows us to be born again. Prayer and baptism are important and we should not forget our need for them. But, it is the mercy of Christ Jesus that changes us into new creature and brings us to  eternal salvation.

Prayer

Lord God, Jesus Christ our Savior, let us know the love of God and your mercy; so we can love and have mercy. It was through your love and mercy that we have been born again; let us be your witnesses to the world. Amen. 

Christian Flash Fiction: Change Comes

Prompt and Announcement of Event #25 

Length: 300-400 Words - Prompt: Revelation 5:7 "He stepped forward and took the scroll from the right hand of the one sitting on the throne."

Change Comes

 (WC-369)

It was a dramatic time.

The skies seemed to always be a somber gray; all of nature was mixed in turmoil between continuation and despair. Daylight saw filtered cold and haziness. The nights were absent the moon and even a single star. Even in this, promise was on the horizon.

Maybe, it began as a simple act of change. The optimist would see it as a scratch into the reality of what had always been; a small tear across the grain of continued sameness. Sometimes, it is simple things which reveal the promise of a new future.

He had been groomed from his birth for this time. It began with small choices he made in his life that started to prepare him. Decisions and tests constructed to direct thoughts to a desired qualities when others would see them from their perspective. His inherent character was gradually strengthened through his choices which he made in harmony and wisdom that some thought was beyond his years.

Maybe, these things strengthen human edifice; he would be one who stayed faithful and true to his word.  And to others, all his acts are considered good and beautiful.

The Father spoke to the Son. The Son replied, “Father, I am your servant.”

Maybe, it was wisdom he had learned over his lifetime; but, it felt like it was time to give comfort to those who would seek it.

He stepped forward, knelt and took the scroll from the right hand of the one sitting on the throne.  It promised hope.

“Father, I am prepared to be brave.”

A father spoke to his son. “Joshua, don’t be so dramatic. Your mom and I are only going out for the evening. This storm is driving us stir crazy. We need to get out.”

His father continued, “These are the phone numbers for the neighbors. They may stop by to check on you.”

Maybe, to those unaware of how a simple unfolding of life can hold deeper truths, this all sounds of a simple mundane night. Jesus, too, lived the simple life of a man.  

This night was the beginning of a change.  In the sky, a single promising star broke through the clouds.

Maybe

A Reflection for the 25^th Sunday Ordinary Time A

Isaiah 55:6-9; Psalm 145:2-3, 8-9, 17-18; Philippians 1:20c-24, 27a; Matthew 20:1-16a

As I was preparing, I studied the scriptures. I read homilies by priests and deacons with their reflections on today’s readings.

“Maybe”

I thought I should reflect on the same thing as many of them.   

I kept seeing the theme of generosity, goodness, and justice. It is in true generosity and goodness we will find justice. Justice is the gift of human dignity given with love. It is the gift of a decent life for each person.  This is a message that I truly love, but it is not what spoke to me.

“Maybe”

Something else was tugging at my heart.

When I read the parable in the Gospel, the writing of Isaiah, Paul’s letter to the Philippians, and even the Psalm something else spoke to me.

In the parable, the landowner went to hire the workers at the beginning of the day and he sent them to work in his vineyard.  He went at nine o’clock, saw others standing idle and sent them to work. He went at three o’clock and again saw workers standing idle. He sent them to work. He came back at the five o’clock, saw others standing around and asked “Why do you stand idle?”

Why do we stand idle?

This is an important part of the parable. Why did God want me to reflect on this?  I think we can look back on our lives and say “I think I have been there standing idle.”

I know that I can.

“Maybe,”

              I still am.

It’s not that we are not busy but we are idle. I looked up idle to see what it really means: lacking a purpose or effect; pointless.

“Maybe”

If we truthfully look at our selves, we are lack a purpose in our relationship with God. We’ve forgotten why we were created. Look at Paul, he was a busy man persecuting Christ in the Church, but idle in what was truly God’s work. Then, Christ called him to work. 

Paul states the purpose of his life simply, “Christ is Life”

In the parable, Christ is calling each of us as workers. Christ calls each of us to a full life; calling each of us no matter when we come - to a full days pay.

“Maybe”

We don’t realize that God’s creation continues. It will come to the fulfillment God has planned. No matter how smart humanity thinks it is because of our freewill.  No matter how much humanity denies God.  God and creation continues.

We are all participating in what is already happening. Some of us go to work in this vineyard early, some come later, and some may never come. They just stand idle.

No matter if we start to work early or just stand by idle, the way that we are participating is the reality of how we live our lives is how we present Christ to the world.

“Maybe”

We are like Isaiah who wrote “Seek while he may be found; call him while he is near” or the Psalmist who sang “Every day I will bless you.”  

“Maybe”

We are not there yet.

This “maybe” is why Jesus taught in parables, which is nothing more than a story used to teach.

“Maybe”

We should think about the parable lived out in our lives. 

No one wants their lives to be a parable of “Maybe.”  Where they ask, “Why were you idle?”  

“Maybe”

        If I wasn’t idle things would be different.

Now it kind of all goes back to the beginning of this reflection: the themes of generosity, goodness, and justice. Think about them in the parables each of us lives. Are they there? It is through Christ in each of us that they are there.

“Maybe”

We have made mistakes, but God is good, merciful and forgives. 

We can live the parable of our lives with in God’s mercy, generosity and goodness by sharing it with others. Then we will not be idle living our lives for the Lord.

o       We will not be idle being faithful to our spouse and children. 

o       We will not be idle doing Christ’s work in the Church and in the world. 

o       We will not be idle bringing justice and dignity to all people.

When our earthly work is over and we stand before the Lord to receive our pay, no matter if we have worked from the first hour or the last; we all receive the same reward. It will be nothing to complain about.

There is no maybe about it –

It will be a glorious reward.

Why do you stand idle?

It's Complicated

People listen to what we say. They see the way we act and how we live our lives. Think back, have you ever thought, “I sound just like my parents.”

My great niece, who is six, misbehaved. No big surprise there; but, when she was asked why she acted out, she gave a wonderful answer, "You wouldn't understand - it’s complicated.”  

Her mother has told her this many times. It's here 'turn to' answer when a six year old gets into that rhythm of questions, "Why this, why that, how come, why, why, why."  The young mother will become frustrated and answer, "You wouldn't understand - it’s complicated.”  

Isn't it a shame we grow into our parents from a very young age. That's where we learn. Everything we know and everything we are comes from our interaction and conversation with others. What we see and what we hear influences us. 

This is a truth that Paul knew. Jesus knew it. Speak and live what you believe so it is the truth that people see. After his conversion, Paul began to evangelized the gospel and lived the good news of Jesus Christ. The language of Christ was not just the words Paul spoke; but, his life and the lessons, the love, and all the truths found in Jesus Christ, the savior of the world.

Jesus spread his message the same way, by living his message. His disciples had to think and live his truths. This is one reason Jesus taught in parables. Those who heard had to think about what was said. They would roll it over in their thoughts until their priorities and ideas changed. They realized new truths.  

In the Gospel of John, the disciples begin to understand Jesus' message saying “Now you are talking plainly. . . .” (Jn 16:29)  They changed. Their language and conversation changed.

Regretfully in today's world, the subject has changed. Society has changed the agenda of the conversation. It is now based on relativism. The conversation and truths are “me, me, and me some more.” I want to put forward is what is important to me and everybody should be like me.

We who know Christ need to change social conversation back to love as Jesus spoke it. We need to change what is spoken and acceptable. This will change society.

We begin evangelization in our selves. We begin in the way we live, speak, and interact with the world.  This change becomes the first in the order of our thoughts. It will be a change that evangelizes others. We share it with our family and friends; because, it becomes our language and our conversation, no matter what the topic.

Evangelization and conversation like Jesus; what would it be like? Without hate, without violence, and without prejudice maybe the conversation will become open to the world. Jesus Christ changed the world with the love and truth he spoke. It's a shame that in our weak human brokenness we've corrupted it. 

Love is complicated, but with Jesus Christ as our teacher, it become easy. With our hearts and our minds in the right place, it’s really not complicated.

A Beautiful Gate

The letter of James states "I by my works will show you my faith."(Jm 2:18)  This simple verse should be in the mission statement of every Christian. To many times Christians use simple things like this verse to build fences. 

Fences can keep out those who seek the love of Christ. You worship wrong. We worship right. You don’t worship at all. Fences that keep out those that for some reason we have identified as lame or needy.

Every fence needs a good gate. A Christian's gate opens and allows all those who seek the peace and love of Christ to enter. A beautiful gate allows friends and others who need to enter.

Remember the story of the temple gate called the Beautiful Gate. (Acts 3:1-10)  A poor beggar is brought to this gate daily. He is left there to beg from the people going to temple. The temple goers duty is to support the poor crippled beggar through alms. The apostles Peter and John have nothing to give him but Christ. They give him the gift of Christ and that gift changed the beggar’s life forever. They took his hand, and gave him healing of Christ. 

The apostles opened the Beautiful Gate and the beggar entered walking and leaping and praising God. 

In this story, which type of Christian are we? Is our Christian faith like those who bring the beggar to the temple or like those who pass him by and drop a coin? These good people were living their faith. But they always left the beggar outside the fence. 

Maybe our faith is like the faith of the apostles, Peter and John, who bring Christ. It is a faith of works. 

When we bring Christ to others, we open the Beautiful Gate. In our faith and works we become the gate. In our faith, we walk and leap and praise God. The reason for our works is our faith in Christ Jesus. 

Sometimes, a fence is there but always have a welcoming beautiful gate.

Homily Reflection: Time Out

Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross - Sept 14, 2014

Numbers 21:4b-9; Psalm 78:1bc-2, 34-35, 36-37, 38;  Philippians 2:6-11; Gospel: John 3:13-17

This Sunday is the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The first reading involves a rebellion against Moses and God by the Israelites. Moses has two bronze serpents made for the people to look at. My entire life I wondered what that meant. 

In the letter of James, verse 1:23 are these words: "For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his own face in a mirror."  After preparing for this Sunday and then reading this verse in James maybe I understand a little bit more.

The Israelite peoples complained against God and Moses. They complained about their food and their living conditions as they wandered in the desert. Because of their complaining and saying they were disgusted by the gifts that God had given them. God punished them by sending the seraph serpents among the people which bit them and many died. 

I think God just stopped protecting them from the things that were in the desert. In the desert, things like snakes, scorpions, and spiders would have had to of been everywhere. But, they didn't have any problems and weren't bitten until they rebelled and started to complain to Moses and to God. 

When I read the verse from James, it dawned on me what this was about. The first rebel in the Bible is the serpent. He complains to Adam and Eve what God is keeping from them. So God sends the serpents as punishment. A reflection of what the people have become.

The Israelites followed Moses and heard the word of the LORD given to Moses. They were provided for and protected in the desert by God: given water and given food. They walked through the Red Sea. They were saved from the Pharaoh’s army. But they weren't happy and did not see any of this as good. They spoke against God just like the serpent in the Garden.

The people saw only for their own gain, only what they wanted, and did not see God’s plan. They didn't see that God was providing and protecting them from the snakes, serpents, spiders, scorpions and all the nasty things of the desert. So, God stopped. The serpents came, just like the serpent in the Garden to take away their life.  Not just the one serpent, but all the serpents that had been held back by God were free to come into camp. The people did sin against God and God punished them.

When I was little and misbehaved, my mother would tell me to sit in a corner and think about what I had done. We say we will not be like our parents, but I am and I did the same thing with my children. I’m sure than many parents corrected their children this way, sending them to "time out."

Maybe the bronze serpents were part of God's "time out" in punishing the rebellious children of Israel. The bronze serpents would have been like a mirror - nice shiny and bright. Think about what you’ve done. Think about what you’ve become. In the bronze serpents the punished children of Israel can see the reflection in what they have done wrong. 

God told Moses to send the children to sit in a quiet spot and think about it. Look at the snakes that bit you, repent, and "you will live." Look at what God protected you from and be thankful.

Then again, more than likely this is not what it means. Just a country boy's thoughts; but, I like this as an explanation of difficult part of the Old Testament.  There are some Jewish and Christian Theologians who have had similar thoughts.

All in all, people are the same now as they were then. We still live in a time were the serpents are real enough. 

People see themselves and their needs. Today, it is poplar for preachers to preach that if you’re happy and successful then God is happy. That's what people want to hear. Greed, avarice, and hubris are often thought of as good traits. Forgotten are the needs of others. Forgotten is the command to bring Christ to others.

In the modern world, the move is to forget Jesus' gospel and his new covenant. Forget the liturgy and bring the people what they want; concerts, coffee bars, and doughnuts instead of the bread of life. In this self centered world, the serpents are out there waiting to bite.

But, we are so lucky. We have Christ Jesus to protect us. Jesus took on all our weaknesses, all our sins, all our failings, and all the serpents that we reflect in ourselves from this world and took them to the cross with him to redeem us.

Instead of being like the Israelites who looked at the reflection of their sin in the bronze serpents, we are asked to look upon a reflection of our salvation.

We need to be like wayward children; reflecting on what we've done wrong and look to the cross. Christ made the cross a symbol of obedience and humility. Christ made the cross the symbol of God's generosity through our justification.  It is the cross that will not let us forget the works of the Lord.

Maybe, we need to look at the cross and open our self to hear God’s word through the ultimate doer of God’s will, Christ Jesus. We shouldn't see our own selves on the cross but the face of so many others who need us. Maybe, we should sit and look at the cross and repent; so, we can saved and have eternal life.

Prayer
Lord Jesus; Keep us from being the world's reflection; but, let us be a living mirror of the love and wisdom that you brought to the world. Amen

Christian Flash Fiction: Never Forgotten

Length: 1-950 Words Prompt: Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go

Note:  Too Long for the contest, could not get it to under 950 words.This story is not really true, but not really all false.

Never Forgotten 

By WEGoss2

“Son, if you want to play ball for me, ah this University, you go the extra mile. You work hard and prove that you want it.”

I sat on the couch sinking almost to the ground. Across from me, was my coach, self proclaimed God of all he saw. Between us was his sacramental, a polished corpus of a dead football player frozen in the classic football pose. It stiff-armed me so that I didn’t get too close in an ever growing distance established by a simple request.

“Coach, my dad is dying; they don’t expect him to live much longer.”

“Well family’s important, but you have to think what your dad would want. Do you think he’d want you to forget about your future?  Would he want you to stay here, play ball, and get better; or, do you think he’d want you there crying at the foot of his bed.”

“Coach, it’s not him I’ll be going home for; it’s my mother and my brothers.”

“Go then, if that’s what you have to do. But, I got things I got to do as well. I can’t hold your scholarship. All I can do is let you can walk on in the fall, try to win your scholarship back, if you come back.”

Next to my father’s bed, a ventilator provided breath for him. “Hiss-ha, Hiss-ha, Hiss-ha.” 

I sit at his feet and looked across at him. I thought of his life and all that he worked so hard to win. He had been a preacher, a servant, and had given his life to Christ. Now he lay dying at the Veteran’s Hospital not able to breath on his own. The invisible hing killing him had infected him during the war. A man, who preached the world of God, lets the ventilator speak, “Hiss-ha, Hiss-ha, Hiss-ha.”

His funeral was simple. It was held in the church hall at the bottom of the hill that had the cemetery at the top. To bury him, his casket would be carried up the hill so he could look down over the valley and the people where his ministry had been for 20 years. The preacher, a close friend, wore the raggedness of human life on his face and in his eyes.  The sermon was, “Well done my good and faithful servant.” 

The sermon only made me angrier with God.

I remember the “Hiss-ha, Hiss-ha, Hiss-ha” sound of the pall bearers’ footsteps on the gravel path that led to the cemetery.   

~~~

Running from all of this, I returned to college, ready to pick up were I left off. I went back to forget my mother and my brothers. I went back to pick up where I left off, but the team had moved on without me.

Before leaving in the spring of my sophomore year, I had been second team. I came back in a position I had never played.  I was at the bottom of the depth chart behind high school walk-on players. I was on the practice squad, doomed to be a practice dummy.  If I made a good play, it was not because I had done well, I must have done something illegal. I just stewed in my own misery and became angrier. Because I hated so much, I did things that were wrong to me and other people.

I went into spring practice and moved up the depth chart. However, since I did not have a scholarship, I had to work during the summer and could not attend “unofficial summer workouts.” Star players luckily found high paying summer jobs that allowed them to attend workouts. Some of of the not so important had to find real jobs. When pre-season fall two-a-days started, I was again on the bottom of the depth chart behind every one, the only sixth string player on the whole squad.

I now remember how my angry forced breathing as I walked down the hall, “Hiss-ha, Hiss-ha, Hiss-ha.”

Again I sat on the couch, looking at that coach’s greatest moment. “Son, we just don’t think you worked hard enough. You didn’t sacrifice enough.
So we think we need to move on without you.  You can still be a part of the team, but you’re not in our future plans.” 

I didn’t beg and I didn’t stay any longer.

That night, lying across my old trucks bench seat, I could hear the anger in my breath, “Hiss-ha, Hiss-ha, Hiss-ha.” My car was my only option. I couldn’t stay in the athletic dorm and I couldn’t go home.

Screaming at God, “I hate you! Why did you ruin my life? Even you don’t want me around!”

A strong quite voice answered me “I have never left you.”  I sat up and looked around. I was just my imagination.

But everything worked out. A friend of mine who had left the team at the same time invited me to come and lived with him and his sister. I went back to my summer job. Soon, I met my wife. 

~~~

Fifteen years later, I went to bed one night. I woke up in the hospital.  I hear, “Hiss-ha, Hiss-ha, Hiss-ha,” as a machine breathes for me. My wife sits by my side, crying and praying. 

Remembering my father death, I realize these could have been my last breaths. The preacher’s words from his funeral came to me, “Well done my good and faithful servant.”

I realize that no one can truly say that for me.

Crying to myself, “How can I be a father? How can I be a husband? Who will take care of my wife, my children, my mother, and my brothers?” 

In the steady calmness of the “Hiss-ha, Hiss-ha, Hiss-ha,” I asked, “God have you forgotten about me?”

A strong quite voice answered me “I have never left you.” 

~~~

Prostrate on the ground before the altar at my ordination, I looked up to the cross. There, the corpus of Jesus Christ with arms outstretched brings me nearer to God. Christ embraces me. The greatest sacrifice offers himself and welcomes me to God.

A Homily Reflection - STOP SIGNS

Good Morning Brothers and Sisters. After such a hot few days, we wake up to a cool morning.  It as if God is correcting the hot weather we are having.  It leads us to our readings today on correct actions.

If you’ve every really thought about it, no one wants really wants to be corrected.  The reasons why:

• People don’t want to be told their wrong
• People don’t want to feel guilty about things they have done wrong.
• People don’t want others to think less of them, and
• People don’t want to be judged.

But that’s not what being corrected is all about.

Think about it, we all need to be corrected.  Parents correct your children, Wives correct their husbands and husband if that once in a life time occasion comes up where your wife was wrong, you would correct her.  Friends often will correct friends.  As a deacon it is my ministry to teach people the correct path.  Father Joe is our pastor and here to teach and correct us.  All this correction is done in love not in judgment.

In our lives we hope that some people are corrected.  Two I can think of (and there are many others) are airline pilots and people directing traffic.  When airline pilots learn to fly, they begin to learn to fly in a classroom. There are so many gauges, dials, switches and lights in the cockpit of the airplane; I hope someone has told the correct way to do the job of an airline pilot.  When that buzzer goes off, I want them to know the correct way to fix it.  Pilots need to know about air speed, altitude and something called attitude:  the planes relationship to the horizon. If the altitude is not correct the plan can fly into the ground or off into the heavens. I want to get to heaven, but I don’t want to take a plane.

This leads us to our readings today.  The readings today tell us about the need for correction in the world.  In the reading from Ezekiel God gives Ezekiel his commission, telling him to watch the wicked and warn them to change their ways.  In the Gospel, we learn how to give correction to someone who may need to be corrected.  Paul writes that in all these things we must do it with love.  The Psalms tells those who received correction harden not their hearts. 

I know most of us here have heard of Albert Einstein. You’ve probably seen pictures of him with the wild hair and bushy mustache.  He is known for his “Theory of Relativity.”  But he also had a theory much more pertinent to those here today.  Let’s call it the “Theory of Conscious.” 

Einstein said, “No problem can be solved by the same conscious that caused it.”  This is a call for correction by one of the smartest men in recent history.  This can be summation in a simple statement to the problems in the world today.  THE WORLD NEEDS A CHANGE OF CONSCIOUS; The world needs to be corrected.

As a Church, do you think we need a change of conscious?  I was speaking to a friend of mine who came to hear me preach. He said, Deacon Bill – I would never see your type of preaching at our mass.  In our Diocese they just want to line us up, run us through communion, and then out the back door.

Brothers and sisters that is not what a church is supposed to be. A church is a community of loving brothers and sister who care about each other. A church is a community that asks about each other and shares with each other the love of Christ.

My friend is probably not the most devout when it comes to going to mass. But a person learns by what they see a lot faster than by what they hear. The priest or deacon may be saying one thing but what he sees is something else, and that is what is learned. If this is what people see in our churches, no wonder people are leaving the Church and they feel that Church does give them anything. We do not want our church to be like that! What do people who come to our Church see and what do they go away with?

In the job that I am paid to do, I work with construction companies that builds roads. I help them set up the construction zone and I train the people who direct the traffic. The thing that I tell them to never set up the construction zone with signs that say, construction ahead, road work ahead, and flaggers ahead, if nothing is there. People will soon ignore it; kind of like that Church we just talked about.

A bunch of nice flashy signs that promise what is ahead but don’t give what’s promised.  Pretty soon people ignore the signs and warning just like they ignore the Church. 

Pull out Stop /Slow Paddle  

Has anyone been corrected with this? If you’re going to tell someone your beliefs and correct behavior you have to hold it high. You have to send a strong message; hold it high so there is no mistake about it. 

But in the reality of life, we get good corrections and bad Corrections. Have you ever seen someone give correction like this.  (Holding the stop sign up to stop but waving you on).  This is giving mixed signals, this is the way it should be, but go ahead and do it the way you’ve been doing it. Don’t do it, but go ahead and do it. 

(Sign held up, not really held up not looking at you)  This is the message that some give.  I am going to give you correction but I don’t really believe it and I don’t really care what you do. 

(Sign up, the holder more interested in himself, and it changes from front to back to front to back.) This is the wish washy correction. Their message is not firm.  

This is a nice sign isn’t it? Clean, large letters, it reflects the light even in the darkest conditions.  Just like us as Christians are supposed to do, reflect the light of Christ into the darkness of the world.

Does your sign look like this. Mine doesn’t and I doubt that any of yours does either, there only been one perfect man. 

(CHANGE SIGNS)

This is what my sign looks like,  it reminds me of my life that is scratched, broken, and stained it up. Its fell off the truck and been run over a time or two. Maybe like this sign, it has been pulled out of the trash a time or two.

 

We say to ourselves I can’t give correction with a sign that looks like that.  Stand strong, & hold firm because people will listen and they will probably listen better. A person like this sign cannot be judgmental because they have been there.

Before we go any further – STOP – this old beat up sign is the sign I have. These scars, these stains, the cracks and breaks all represent me. I have needed to be corrected.  Someone held up their beat up old stop sign and gave me directions. They told be the right way to go. (Put sign down)

I went through the Deacon formation with 16 men all who are lot smarter than me.  I was taught by teachers who will know more than I will ever know. 

I have one lesson that I know with my whole heart.  And each week I teach it and offer it as correction.  I offer it to every one of you who feel, I’m broken, I’m stained, I’ve been run over.  I’ve done things that God can never forgive me for. 

Each week I teach this lesson of correction as I stand before Church community and offer each the body and blood of Christ.  Each person that comes up and does not receive, I bless them.  I’ll say, “Jesus Christ loves you; may he live in your heart.” To the Children I say, “Jesus loves you.”

So before you come forward, I want to make sure that each of you knows these things:

• God Created us, God sent his Son; God Loves You;
• Jesus Loves You; became man, live a human life, went to the Cross
• Christ Loves You: comes to us in the Eucharist; Christ shares himself
• Christ came for you.
• He is in the world He love you and you and you and you and you and even me
• We are forgiven

Sometimes we have to be corrected and correction may hurt.  But we don’t want to be like the signs that point the way to an empty Church.  As Einstein said, “WE HAVE TO CHANGE OUR CONSCIOUS”

It may come from a dirty old sign like me. Pick up sign then turn it around (written on the back is LOVE) but, backing up that old sign is LOVE – that makes it a good sign.

Don’t be afraid to hold up your old cracked and dirty stop sign. Hold it up high, don’t send a mixed message, and always back it up with LOVE.