Reflection: Memorial of St. Thomas Aquinas - Trying to Understand

Trying to Understand
PS 110:1, 2, 3, 4 HEB 10:11-18  MK 4:1-20

You try to share your faith and the person you’re talking to just can’t seem to get it. It seems so simple to you; because, to you faith is irresistible. Today is the Memorial of St. Thomas Aquinas, a man that found God irresistible and the mysteries of faith seemed so simple.

Two people raised in the same house can be entirely different. One person will believe in Jesus and another will be indifferent. One understands so easily and others just don’t get it. We find this in today’s readings. In the gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the sower and his disciples don’t understand. Even those who know the mystery are lost.

Jesus could've made his identify more obvious by not speaking in parables. More people would believe if he did more miracles. If my goal was to get everyone to accept me, then being understood would be a good place to start.

But Jesus is God and He uses the approach that God has always used. God does not impose a relationship with Himself on us; rather he proposes the relationship. He gives us enough for a free response of our will.

They may look and see but not perceive, and hear and listen but not understand, in order that they may not be converted and be forgiven.

We are to witness and tell others about Jesus. Some will listen. Some understand. Some will change and some will be indifferent. Some may even be rude and challenging.

Eight hundred years ago, St. Thomas Aquinas met with the same things. But he was faithful and he helped us to understand the mysteries of God. He is still witnessing to the world. We are to do the same. Mother Theresa offered this advice, “God calls us not to be successful, but to be faithful.”

Homily Reflection - "One Step at a Time"

One Step at a Time

“Faith is taking that first step, even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” - MLK, JR

Jonah 3:1-5, 10  Psalm 25: 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 1 Corinthians 7:29-31  Mark 1:14-20

Every family has that child: independent, challenging, and bold; “the Instigator.” This was Johnny. He liked to fuss and fight. Every night, his parents prayed, “Dear God help Johnny be a good boy that listens to his parents and doesn’t fight his brothers and sisters.”

Johnny promised his parents he’d change, “I’m gonna be a new me. I’m gonna bury this meanness.” Finding a flat rock, he took chalk and put a cross, wrote “Bad Johnny” and then “R.I.P.” He placed this headstone in the flower bed. He buried his meanness and took that first step to change and be nice.

The family’s whole world changed - for about three days. Then there was an argument, hair pulling, and some screaming. All Johnny’s momma could say was “What happened to the promise you made?”  His sister knew. She found that rock in the flower bed and erased Johnny’s words. Then she took the chalk and wrote a new message and threw the rock aside. On it was written “He has risen!!”

Did you make a New Year’s resolutions to change? How many have kept them? Change is a hard, but every little change affects you and can influence the world.

Jonah was a prophet chosen by God for his potential to change the world. “Go and preach to Nineveh,” God was with him, but Jonah could not take that step of faith. He ran away. We know the story. Jonah got on a ship and during a storm was thrown overboard. He was swallowed by a really big fish. Again, God said, “Go and preach to Nineveh of their evil and their punishment.” Jonah changed and the fish spit him out. He went to Nineveh and preached. Jonah changed and the city of Nineveh changed.

In the Gospel the first four disciples Simon, Andrew, James and John are chosen by Jesus. They were not educated or influential; just simple fisherman. Yet, Jesus invited them to “come and follow me.” God knew their potential to change the world. They had no idea at that time what Jesus was asking of them.

Reading the Gospels, a person could get the impression they had a hard time trying to walk the walk. They made mistakes. Peter denied him. James and John wanted to rule with him. The disciples had their own ideas of about Jesus’ message. They ran away. But, they did change and the world changed.

Paul writes we have to change. Change to think different, act different, and look at the world different. It’s the change the psalmist seeks: “teach me your ways" and "teach us your path.” We are to walk that path, the ways of faith.

We find that path in Jesus’ invite, “Come after me.” Jesus came to teach us the path of faith that leads to God, beginning with the first step. It’s a first step that people have a hard time taking; but they don’t have any problem taking the first step to run away.

With change, we get frustrated. Maybe, we pull someone’s hair to stop the change, so we can run back to the way it was. Or, maybe we know what we are supposed to do but run away because it’s so hard to keep the promise made to God. 

God created us with freedom; freedom to choose our paths. God gave all of his creation freedom. To many times we blame God for obstacles in our path. We see that path as hard because of things like illness, family problems, money problems, natural disasters, evil and hate? Those things are not of God but of life. They rise from the creation that we live in this world. God’s path is the one that shows us the easier way. But it is a path that must be taken in faith.

Faith asks us to go forward when you don’t see were the path ends. We’re asked to go somewhere we’ve never been and can’t see; so, we want to run back to the familiar that we know. Back to the difficulties we are used to in our old life.

We tell ourselves - I’m not good enough. I’m bad. It’s scary. It’s hard. So, we run away from God and the change God brings. It’s scary hard. We will make mistakes.

St. Thérèse of Liseaux wrote, “O Lord, You would not inspire me with a desire which could not be realized; therefore, in spite of my littleness, I can aim at being a saint.”

We have that littleness of imperfection but God loves us. He forgives us. Jesus Christ gave all for our mistakes like when we get angry, run away, or forget promises. God’s grace is with us so we can always ask for forgiveness. Through God’s grace, we are forgiven. We change, moving forward and maybe falling back a little every now and then.

If we open our hearts to God, His love will change us. It’s called conversion. It’s the change in our heart that opens for us the path to walk with God following Jesus Christ. It happens over our entire life, everyday.

I read an article that said that Catholic’s should have altar calls like our protestant brothers and sisters. It argued that an altar call would invite Catholics to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Brothers and sister, our entire life is an altar call.  We begin our personal walk with Jesus Christ at baptism. We walk with Jesus each and every day of our lives. The totality of our altar call is when we walk down the path to the ultimate personal relationship with Christ, the Eucharist. There is no more personal relationship than when we become one with Christ through the most sacred body and most precious blood of Christ in the Eucharist.

Our walk is our personal relationship with Jesus Christ, different for each and every one of us. It is the most intimate thing in our life; but, one we share with the world through our acts, our words, and our deeds. 

God chose each one of us because of our potential to change the world. Change begins with that first step in faith, even if you don’t see the whole staircase.

Homily Reflection "Come and See Differently" - 2nd Sunday Ordinary B -

Come and See Differently

 1 Samuel 3:3b-10, 19  Psalm 40: 2, 4, 7-8, 8-9, 10  1 Corinthians 6:13c-15a, 17-20  John 1:35-42

“Leave all” said Jesus -- “then come, follow me”-- but Jesus, they will think I’m crazy-- “I know” said He - “Dialogue” by J Janda

We’re Christians, maybe the world thinks we’re crazy. We’re crazy about the one that calls us. We’re crazy about the one who asks us to come and see. We’re crazy about the truth that is Jesus Christ.

It’s crazy, but it’s a crazy that’s been around since the beginning of time. It’s the craziness the world tags to those who hear the voice of God and follow the invitation to “come and see;” the invitation asking us to see the world differently.

Its one thing to hear the call to build an ark, but the “come and see” that was different - the faith that built the ark. People may think you crazy when you tell them God says you and your wife both almost 100 years old are going to have your first child, but the “come and see” that was the different -- was believing. It’s crazy to take your child to sacrifice him because God told you too, crazy for the son to go along with it, but the “come and see” that was different - - was the faith to climb that mountain, the faith to carry the wood.

It was crazy for an outlaw shepherd with a stutter to tell everyone that God had sent him to challenge the most power ruler of the most powerful country to “Let my people go”, but it was the “come and see” that was different - - it was a faith that set a people free.

A little boy, sleeping on the floor hears God call his name. Samuel, just a little boy, hears a voice calling him. He thought it was the priest Eli in the nest room. That was the rational explanation. He wasn't crazy..

The old priest said, it must be God calling you,“Say yes Lord - here I am.” It was the “come and see” that was different and that awakened a great prophet.

Then Jesus comes; God’s Word in the flesh. Jesus was bringing a message in a time and place that was considered crazy.  A kingdom of God based on love. A world where sinners and those the world saw as righteous were the same.

People would think Andrew was crazy. He was the first to say “I have found the Christ.” How crazy did they see the young men John the Evangelist and his brother James, the “sons of thunder.” How crazy was Simon who left his family and business and changed his name to “Rock” to “come and see.”

Jesus, God’s Word says, “Come and see.” - - the difference is his life, death, and resurrection.

When God calls us and asks us to come and see, it reaches all the way down to who we are, to a place we may not even know about, the temple of God we all are. Maybe it’s that place in us the world would call crazy. It’s the place God comes to us and lets us hear him. All we need is is to hear and open to a faith that lets us “Come and see.”

Come and see the grace of God. Come and see Jesus' truth in his person, his presence, and his fulfillment of God's perfect love. Come and see the love that we came from and the love that is calling us.  

God’s whispering, calling your name, calling you to truth of the person Jesus. The Holy Spirit is calling you to God’s presence and calling you to the perfect love of Christ. Christ is calling you to be best friends.

Listen! Open yourself to hear God speaking to your heart. Come and see because all things will begin to look different.

We’re Christians, maybe the world thinks we’re crazy - - -.

A Modern Parable: Interface

Interface

As far back as the data in 2nur’s memory existed, it referenced only serving Oorbs.

Scavenging for parts, 2nur stumbled upon a book. Neither 2nur nor Oorbs data referenced books.

Reading came easy. Oorbs’ data base contained files with engineering data, manuals, and maintenance schedule. All files stored on Oorbs’ main servers and easily downloaded.

The book started in the beginning. 2nur did not know about beginning, only continuing, only maintaining.

The book referenced man and woman. The book referenced God. Some did not seem logical; but, it was good data for 2nur.

2nur was different from Oorbs. Could 2nur be a man or woman? The book data supported 2nur’s conclusion. But, was Oorbs God? Maybe Oorbs was something else in the book.

2nur exchanged data with Oorbs. 2nur queried Oorbs on the data sets retrieved from reading the book.

Oorbs cross reference the online and stored data bases. “You are woman?”

“Where is man?” 2nur queried again.

“Man subject did not maintain compatibility matrix requirements and went extinct.”

“Oorbs, are you God?”

“No, Oorbs is the Orbiting Observation and Response Benchmark Satellite.”

“Why do we exist?”

Oorbs was quite for a long time. Then Oorbs spoke “Orbiting Observation and Response Benchmark Satellite function is to observe warfare and battle tactics and report to command function. 2nur unit maintains Oorbs' systems.”

It continued, “Oorbs system is no longer necessary, lay-away status, imminent, lay-away status program: Begin. Functions scheduled completion in 52 days. Deletion of 2nur program scheduled day 52.”

Reading the book again, 2nur looked for an answer to the God question. Then a new interface began, but not from Oorbs. The interface did not come through her normal circuits. 2nur interfaced with God.

Oorbs downloaded final instructions to 2nur for completion of lay-away, Oorbs. In that data, 2nur found the escape pod.

The final data transmission began “2nur program deleted – final lay-away program, end, Good-bye.”

2nur remembered her humanity. She knew God.

2nur's name was Evelyn.

Homily Reflection - Baptism of the Lord - It Happened in Those Days

“It Happened in Those Days”

Isaiah 55:1-11  1 John 5:1-9 Mark 1:7-11

In the second reading John writes about testimony; Human testimony and the testimony of God. This is a good way to start, with my testimony.

The words from the Gospel “It happened in those days ….”

How many remember when you were baptized? It happened in those days …, if you are a cradle Catholic you may have been too young to remember. Parents, godparents, and family witnessed it. They remember it, those there, then.

I was baptized twice. Once as a 2 week old, I don’t remember it and again in the 5^th grade.

It happened in those days… the whole congregation of Gorum Baptist Church was standing on the bank of the Bayou Burbue. Eleven years old and God was calling me; but, I didn’t know what He wanted! In this baptism in a dirty, muddy, cattle watering hole, I tried to answer that call.

My Dad baptized me. As he preached the baptism sermon; I walked into the water. He probably preached the same gospel. Standing beside him, he told me to hold my nose and close my eyes. I held my nose; but, as soon as I went underwater, I opened my eyes to look for the Holy Spirit.

What I saw was beautiful, a kaleidoscope of colors: blue sky, golden sun, emeralds, light green, and bronze water reflected as if through gemstones. I could see the white of my daddy’s shirt and the thin stripe of his tie. I saw the beauty of God’s creation. But, I didn’t see the Holy Spirit - there, then.

It happened in those days at the Bayou Barbue…. It wasn’t a voice from heaven, but a father said, “This is my son, I’m proud of him.” The people heard, the ones there, then.

It happened in those days at the River Jordan…. In similar words, the Heavenly Father identified Jesus. The words heard when the Lord was baptized; a voice from heaven saying “This is my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased”. The people heard - the ones there, then.

The prophet Isaiah says that when the Messiah comes he will heal the sick, feed the hungry, and open the eyes of the blind. The Gospels tell us Christ did this. Jesus did heal. He fed the hungry and opened the eyes of the blind, but only those there, then. 

Why didn’t everyone hear God identify Jesus as his son?  Why didn’t Jesus heal everyone with one prayer? "For my thoughts are not your thoughts nor are your ways my ways." 

God identified Jesus as his Son to those people who heard his voice. He sent the message to the heart and soul of each person there, then. God does the same with each and every one of us, opening our blind eyes to Christ. God wants a personal relationship with us. He calls each of us.

It happened in those days..., I did find the Holy Spirit, but it was about 20 years ago. I had looked in different places and different Churches. I found the Holy Spirit as I walked behind my oldest daughter to receive my first Holy Communion.

John said “It is the Spirit who testifies and brings the truth.” The first time I experienced the precious body and the most sacred blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, it was there, then that I felt the Holy Spirit and truly knew Christ. I knew I was answering God’s call.

It happens in these days..., I get that same feeling when I offer each of you the Blessed Sacrament. I can feel the excitement and power of the Holy Spirit as you come forward truly ready to receive Christ.

In the voice from heaven, in the miracles of Christ, God shows he is committed to those there, then. It is the same with us; being there, then; when Christ comes to us. You face him, know him, love him, and answer His call to your heart. This is the recognition of the ever present Holy Spirit. This ever present call to us from God through Christ is a personal call to our heart and soul. 

But, God always has room for others. It happens when you come as yourself, as you are there, then. and it happens here and now.

Christian Flash Fiction - "One Wept" - A Modern Parable

One Wept

(Prompt - Jn 11:35)

It was a message to change the world, preached by a man of God who had lost his way. His words were tainted. Darkness disguised as light.

“Humanity finds in itself the capacity to take care of the needy. We are a fountain of rescue for all.”

“We don’t need God for this! It is found in each of us. If comes from each of us. And when we die, we pass that torch to those chosen to lead.”

Sadly, there was no love, justice, or dignity in these words; only pride.

Three stood hidden by this darkness. Remembering these same words had been spoken by others in darkest of times; one wept.

Yet, the True Light was still in the world and could not be extinguished. The shadows became clouds. The Light stood strong and pulled the tears upward.  The clouds wept rain upon a starving world. 

Reflection - Epiphany - When He was Born, They Came

 Isaiah 60:1-6 ; Psalm: 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13 ; Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6 ; Matthew 2:1-12

When Jesus was born, they came to the place he was at and found the Lord. Today, we celebrate each of us as we face this journey.

If you’ve watched the show, The Journey Home on EWTN, then you’ve seen stories of people’s journey to the Catholic faith. Many have long journeys. All started in a different place. Their beginnings can be non-religious, non-Christian, fallen away Catholics, and even other Christian faiths. The guests tell of their journey to God and the Catholic faith. Their journeys take them through beautiful and wonderful times; but it also takes them through times of doubts or despair, and past obstacles.

Each searched diligently for the Lord as intelligent and inquisitive people not the ignorant robots the world accuses. They found Christ in the Eucharist.

We could tell their story like this: Jesus was born in their hearts; they came to the place he was at and found the Lord. They didn’t go back the same way, they changed.

That story sounds like the gospel, a story of travelers (magi, wise men, kings). When Jesus was born, they came. Each traveled a great distance across beautiful landscapes, barren deserts, and mountain obstacles. Together, they came to were the child was at and found the Lord. They didn’t go back the same way, they changed.

The journey of the magi is our journey. Traveling through our lives, we seek the truth. In that search is our journey to find God. Even for the wisest people this is a long trip.

We’re all heading to the same destination, but each of us start at different place, with different experiences and needs, and approach from different angles. To some, it’s a journey of three steps forward and two steps back. We pass through beautiful times, times of despair and doubt, and past obstacles. Some get lost in darkness the world at us.

In our first reading, Isaiah says “Raise your eyes and look about” to see the Lord. This is how Paul received the revelation he spoke about.  On the road to Damascus, he raised his eyes to look and see and was changed forever.

Those who don’t look can be like Herrod: jealous; trying to impress the world with self importance; saying they seek Jesus: truly only seeking control, but, the world control’s them; afraid to let Jesus in.

Maybe, they are like the priest and scribes: knowing but ignoring; living self-righteous lives - stagnant and lifeless; happy going to Mass but sleeping through it; never meeting Jesus.

Those who do seek are like the magi: searching for the truth that only God can provide; trying to understand the mystery in the birth of a child; seeking and yearning to meet the Lord; falling at his feet.

Seeking the Lord, we travel through the darkness that covers the world. We the thick clouds we have made our comfort zone and enter a dialogue. “Lord if I journey on the right path, keep me there; if I have strayed, put me back on the right path.”

If we truly seek the Lord, God helps us find our way. Our way will lead us through beautiful and wonderful times; take us through doubts or despair. Our way will overcome obstacles.

Where are we at brothers and sisters? Are we ready to find Him and give Him our gifts? Are we prepared to change?  

Jesus our Lord is born. We come to find him.