Sunday Reflection - 2nd Sunday Lent - Who is Jesus?

Who is Jesus?

Genesis 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18; Psalm 116:10, 15, 16-17, 18-19; Romans 8:31b-34; Mark 9:2-10

The word transfigured is a big word that means transformed or to be changed.  We hear about the transfiguration of Jesus today.  But was he transfigured or were those around him transformed?

So before I begin, I want to ask each to think about something. If someone came to you on the street and asked this question “Who is Jesus?”  How would you answer?

Would you tell them about Jesus' life and what he did? The story may start with you explaining that he was born of a virgin in a manger.  Maybe, you would say Jesus was a great teacher and then go into some detail about what he said. The description you use may be that he came to save us and then continue with the miracles, the healing of the sick, and casting out demons. You would tell how he was crucified, died and was buried but rose from the dead.

These are all great answers; but not many people would come straight out and answer "Jesus is God."

Not even Peter could give this answered when Jesus asked him, “Who do you say that I am?” It took a trip to a mountain to pray to open the apostles’ eyes.

Let me tell you a little about that day on the Mountain. Peter, James, and John went with Jesus to the mountain to pray. The disciples saw Moses and Elijah with Jesus.  Remember from the Old Testament that Moses and Elijah often went to the mountain to pray. On the mountain they saw God; not his face, but as God was passing by. They did not look upon his face. Jesus was transfigured and his clothes became dazzling white. On that mountain that day, Moses and Elijah looked upon the face of God.

Lent is a time for us to be transformed. Transfigured into someone who gives our self in obedience and service to God. We do this as husbands, wives, parents, children, friends, strangers, travelers, business people, or what ever definition meets the parameters of life. If we give ourselves totally and not withhold anything from God, we can be transformed.

In the transfiguration, Jesus gives all to God because Jesus is God. He is the beloved, the second person of the Trinity. In fact, the early Church Fathers said that it is in Christ’s image and likeness we were created; so that like Jesus we can give all to God and be his beloved adopted children.

But this is hard.  Sometimes in life, we are being tested. God is asking so much. We look around and see so much suffering and bad in the world. The ones that we love hurt. The ones we love are suffering, sick, or in pain. The world hurts and is constantly stricken with the plague of violence.

Abraham and Isaac knew the same things that we know today. They probably could relate to the words of the Psalm; I kept my faith even though I was greatly afflicted. God is asking us for same thing asked of Abraham and Isaac: surrender all to God. Abraham was willing surrendered his son and Isaac his life. They were rewarded because they did not withhold anything from God.

God doesn’t withhold from us, sacrificing his Son. Jesus did not withhold anything from us giving us his life. In Jesus, God did not withhold anything from us. 

Are we holding back?  Maybe we don’t know that we are. At the end of a meeting with my Spiritual Director, the last thing he said was “Remember Jesus, remember Jesus is God.” That’s the only thing I remember from that visit. The thing I needed to remember.

Lent is the time for us to come to know “Who is Jesus?” Lent is the time for us to be transformed and recreated by Jesus to become completely obedient to God.  We can be transfigured from our dull human selves into dazzling new creations.

“Who is Jesus?” Transformed, we can answer: "Jesus is God."

Reflection Healing Prayer Service - I Keep on Praying

I keep on praying
EST C:12, 14-16, 23-25; PS 138:1-2AB, 2CDE-3, 7C-8; MT 7:7-12

People ask, “Why should I keep on praying?” Some ask aloud; some ask it to themselves and some in actions by not praying. It’s a shame people ask this question.

It’s a question raised by the way we live. People depending on their abilities to get things done; they don’t really need God for everyday things. If they can’t get it done, technology can get it done for them.

Isn’t it contradictory that Our Savior is this naked, bleeding, crucified Christ that surrendered all; but, we want to be winners? We want to be powerful and in total control. Maybe it’s the middle-class thing. People have becoming comfortable. The world lets them believe they don’t need to pray and ask God for anything. They can get (or the world can create) anything they need. The world gives us just enough to make us believe we don’t need prayer. So, people ask “Why should I keep praying?”

Then evil attacks us with suffering that we can’t handle. Maybe, we open ourselves to the pain of those we love or what’s in the world. We go to a place that's “Lord, help me; I have no one but you!” There is no “Why should keep on praying?” But only “How do I keep on praying?”

Jesus has simple instructions: Ask, Seek, Knock: Ask and keep on asking; some things we must ask for. Seek and keep on seeking; seeking is deeper than just asking. We seek God’s will. Knock and keep on knocking; let God know you desire to be in his comfort and companionship.

With ever-increasing intensity; keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking, and keep on praying. Because with prayer there are two certainties:  

One, God hears every prayer. Jesus says that God hears our prayers, “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks the door is opened.” God hears every prayer.

The other is God always answers. Jesus tells us that no prayer is wasted. “Your Heavenly Father will give good things to those who ask him.” God always answers.

This was written about prayer. “I asked for all things that I might enjoy life; I was given life, that I might enjoy all things. I received very few of the things I asked for; but I received the things I had hoped for.” 

 “I keep on praying!” and God gives me what I need and sometimes what I ask for, but remember, NO PRAYER IS WASTED!  "I keep on praying!" because Jesus says to keep on asking, to keep on seeking, and to keep on knocking and it shall be given. 

God wants us to on keep praying! 

Homily Reflection: 1st Sunday of Lent - Empty Handed

Empty Handed

Genesis 9:8-15 Psalm 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9  1 Peter 3:18-22 Mark 1:12-15

On Ash Wednesday, I was in an office building in downtown Dallas.  I looked around and saw so many people with ashes on their foreheads. As a deacon I was humbled to see so many people had received ashes to say they were sorry for their sins.

Later that week as I drove home, I wondered how many people still wore those ashes. No, not on their forehead but in their heart. Or had they went home washed those ashes off and then fell back into the cycle of temptation we live in everyday.

I thought about our readings. Noah did not fall to temptations. He was a just man following Gods directions. Through him, God save the earth and humanity. The Gospel tells of Jesus and how he faced temptation. Through the spirit and through prayer he defeated Satan. Through Christ, God save us.

I also remembered another story I heard from a priest that I would like to share that I think speaks to this.

There was a good man. He loved God. He loved his family, the land, and especially his farm. One day he felt sick and got off his tractor to rest. Sitting in the shade, he knew he was dying and grabbed a handful of the soil he loved so much and held it tight.

Arriving in heaven still holding the dirt the man comes before God the Father. “Welcome my son; you have been a good man. Come into my Kingdom.” The farmer walked forward; but God tells him, open your hand and leave what you’re holding behind, you don’t need that in heaven. I can’t, says the farmer, so he couldn’t enter heaven.

In the same moment, God comes as an old friend. God and the man remember the man’s life. God says, “Come into heaven.” The farmer walked forward; but, God tells him to open his hand and let the dirt fall, he can’t bring it into heaven. I can’t, said the farmer, so he did not enter.

Eternity continues and God comes as the farmer’s granddaughter. God hugs him and says, “I love you and miss you, please come into heaven.” The farmer waiting for eternity stands to enter heaven. The hand that clutched the dirt is tired and the earth begins to fall out. Then empty handed the man enter heaven. There the farmer finds all that he loves his family, friends, and his farm.

I thought it was a shame that a person could hold on to something so tight that it kept them from God. But the more I thought about it, I thought of how that farmer held onto that dirt all through his life and how it kept him from his family, his friends, and those he loved.

Driving home alone, I looked at me the average person. Am I like that farmer, do I have anything that I hold on to that keeps me from God and the ones I love?  Was I being selfish with the things that were important only to me and kept me from the important things like my marriage, my family, all of you in my community? By holding on to things that really weren’t important did I hurt others?

Life can bring problems. My wife and I have been married for 30 years. So I am speaking from experience. In a marriage most problems are because someone cared more about themselves than their spouse and God. They hold something so tight that it can build up a wall that comes between love. It is a sin of selfishness when one or both partners put themselves before their spouse and God.

For a marriage to work there has to be communication - talking, listening, and understanding, but, most importantly, you have to pray and pray together. A marriage is between two people and God; talk and listen to each other. Pray and listen to God and ask him for understanding.

I thought about my life and my experience as a parent and as a child. We fail as parents because we put our dreams and expectation on our children. I know I am guilty of this. We want them to be us and meet expectation that we hold tight. We don't celebrate and recognize the gifts God has placed in them.

I am also a parents child. Children fail their parents because they fail to respect, they think about what will make them happy, what their friends thinks, what’s cool. We sin when we forget our parents or our children or God and put out self first.

Parents and children must talk to one another. Parents listen to your children. Children listen to your parents. Parents pray with your children and children ask your parents to pray with you. Our Heavenly Father loves us and hears our prayers. God is with us in grace. If we are quite and listen, we can hear him speaking to us. He speaks to us from an understanding heart.

I look at the different ways I have failed to love in my community. Jesus told us we are to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. But too often, we don’t see our selves in our neighbor. If we don’t see Christ in them maybe Christ is not in us. We sin when we fail to love them.

We have to listen to understand and to love. Differences are problems when they are not understood. I have no idea what it is like to be woman. I do not understand being Black or Latino or Asian. I don’t understand what it is like to be 25 years old anymore. I don’t know anything but whom I am. And, I will never understand or love unless I am open and listen. I can only do this if I don’t put what I hold tight between understanding and my heart.

In each of these relationships, we are like the farmer holding onto the handful of something that's really not important because we think it will make us happy. It only keeps us from God and from love; we need to let it fall through our fingers.

We can only open our selves to understand and love through the one who gives us strength, Christ Jesus. Pray and ask God for this grace. Pray to be receptive to God who always comes to us. All we need to do is let go. It is only by Jesus, through the power of the Holy Spirit that we can let go of that selfish sin that keeps us from love.

After being tempted, Jesus went out and preached the kingdom of God. Even after our temptation and sin, we can preach the Kingdom through our marriages, as relationships, and our lives in the world.

Jesus preached repentance. Lent is the time for repentance. Repent and ask God for forgiveness. Repent and ask those we love for forgiveness and forgive them.

Empty handed we will enter heaven. 

Reflection 6th Sunday: The Blemish

The Blemish

Leviticus 13:1-2, 44-46  Psalm 32:1-2, 5, 11 1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1Mark 1:40-45

A young boy is raised in a poor family in a small town. His father never finished third grade but worked hard at a dangerous job and after work raised row crops to take care of his children. To many, this young boy was considered blemished. The town only had limited opportunities if you were blemished.

The leaders of the community had rules. If blemished, you were outcast and kept separate.There was special places. One was his school; poor, unkempt, and full of hand me downs. It was a separate but to the leaders, it was fair.

Then one day, someone said it wasn’t fair.

The young boy could choose. He could stay at the same school or go to the school across town with the newest facilities, newest books, and even a pool. He chose the one with the pool because he wanted to learn how to swim.

The local leaders wouldn’t have it. They still only see the blemish of his skin. They don’t want his blemish to contaminate them. It might wash off; so, they pour cement into the pool. Even a child knows it will not wash off. Black skin is not a blemish. It’s who he is.

When I met him, he was a wild child. I think he was wild child because of a leprosy. Leprosy found in the bigotry and racism that surrounded him as he grew up. One summer, he went home and met someone that would change his life. He met Jesus. He was no longer a wild child. He wanted to witness, to preach, and to testify about the Good News of Jesus to anyone who would listen.  

This story belongs to a football player who set records and had a good chance to become a professional athlete until he got hurt. Instead, he became a deputy sheriff in California.  

As a deputy he worked at the jail and saw so many young men, suffering from the same kind of a leprosy he once had. They were angry. They didn’t trust authority. Their life was forced on them by the circumstance of their skin color. If they did get an opportunity people would just pour concrete in their swimming pools.

The deputy would go home from his job and wonder, “Why doesn’t someone do something?” He looked for someone to help. One day, he realized someone was him. 

Still a deputy sheriff, he founded a mentoring program where law enforcement officers mentor boys and young men. It has grown from one deputy sheriff in California to a nation wide program. Monroe, Louisiana, was the second city to adopt this program.

In our reading today, Mark tells us about Jesus. Jesus is special; special to God, a miracle worker, someone who cast out demons, and He preaches the Kingdom of God. Mark tells us something more. Jesus brings the outcast back; the lepers, the sinners, and those disdained by society.

And St. Paul’s message is to be imitators of Christ. Touch those in need; reach out to lepers, criminals, and those different from us. Do it for the glory of God.

That's the story of my friend. Jesus reached out and touched him. He had to tell everyone. He went out and imitated Christ not seeking the benefit for himself but for many.

Christians believe Jesus traded places with us. He took our sins to the cross. He took our suffering and pain to be nailed to the cross. But, even before that great sacrifice, Jesus gave himself for us. The leper is us and Jesus had pity. In that pity, Jesus took our sin, all our blemishes, upon himself even before He was nailed to the cross.   

Jesus became an outcast for us. We must be willing to become an outcast for Christ. We have to become imitators of Christ for the benefit of the many.

Sunday Reflection: Too Busy for God

Too Busy for God 

Job 7:1-4, 6-7  Psalm 147: 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-23 Mark 1:29-39

God calls every person to seek him. It is an intimate call that we as humans can neglect, misunderstand, ignore, or just plain reject. But people will always realize that there is emptiness in them. They want something to fill this emptiness and they busy themselves to find that fulfillment. But unlike Job – They don’t realize its God that’s missing.

Even people who say they believe can have emptiness. People try to fill that emptiness by looking at themselves and what they control. In the search to fill that emptiness they become too busy for God; ask them. The problem becomes that they are looking at the world and the works of men to fill that emptiness. They don’t look to God. 

Their motivation is external motivation. They find their God in the applause from others, success, recognition, or praise. When they don’t get that praise and honor they feel they deserve, they are discouraged

This was not on Jesus’ agenda. He was not after praise. That is not why Jesus was here. So many places in the gospel Jesus “would not allow them to speak” of what he had done. 

Jesus was busy. His busyness was driven by a different motivation that what drives most people. He was doing the work of the Father. The Gospel tells us about Jesus. He started the day in the synagogue, healed Simon Peter’s Mother, and then the whole town came bringing those who were ill and possessed by demons. And, he preached.

Despite his busyness, Jesus always found quality me-time to spend with God. “In the morning, long before dawn, he got up and left the house, and went off to a deserted place and prayed.”  Then he was off to the synagogues to preach and to heal.

Paul was busy preaching.  He didn’t preach for fame, success, or applause.  He preached because he had too. He preached to share in the Gospel. He preached to fill that emptiness with God. He shared his preaching and his prayer for that me-time with God.

My brothers and sisters you preach by the life you live; but what do you preach. If we are too busy for God and only worried about success, applause and recognition, those are the gods that you truly preach.

Let me tell you about another young preacher. Grant was a baseball player. Twenty-three years old and in the Oakland A’s minor farm league, Grant hit 31 home runs in his first minor league season and another 11 in fall league. He won the Most Valuable Player award in November 2009. He was the talk of the league and as a second round draft choice had signed $430,000 contract. The next year instead of returning to baseball, he gave up fame, applause, and the success of professional sports career to become a priest.

Each of us looks for success. We have family; we have school or work; we have friends and we want success for all of them. For true success, we need Christ. All the success of earth is temporary, for eternal success we need God. We start this true success in that me-time with God, found in prayer. 

Prayer brings us true success as we re-energize our faith. We see the fruits of our work, purify our intentions, and remind ourselves why we do what we do, when we bring them all to God.

That me-time with God allows us to recognize the true motivator. In that me-time we are looking for Him. It is prayer where we fill the emptiness inside us and recognize the glory of God. Then we can truly preach.

Jesus preached. Paul preached. We are each given the ministry to preach the Gospel. Preach to our family and the people around us. We preach with our lives when what we do is for the glory of God.  We preach when we allow Christ, the word of God to flow in us!  We preach in through our lives when we engage with others and God! 

Success is filling that emptiness that exists in us. Success is found in what motivates us to fill that emptiness. True success is finding the higher motivation than anything on this earth. True success is found when we pray and realize the glory of God. Then everything else falls in place.  

Christian Flash Fiction - A Hidden Voice

Prompt Romans 10:9 - “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

A Hidden Voice - by WEGoss2

A jogger saw him ashen and stiff on the cold sidewalk and called 9-1-1.

***

It was early morning and the police were there with the body. Just a dead homeless man, he had probably frozen to death. The police were there just to make sure it wasn’t something more.

They searched his body for identification but they found nothing with his name. They did find bundles of neatly folded pieces of paper. The strips looked like they were torn from loose leaf notebook paper. They looked like they had been made by a child; the edges of the folded sheets wetted by saliva and then torn along the folds to make strips.   

They were in all of his pockets. Stacks bundles together with rubber bands or string were found in the cardboard box where he slept. There they found the rest of his stuff: a worn St. Joseph’s bible, a few blank pages of notebook paper, paper cups, plastic bags, some worn-out clothes, and a flyer about the mission’s meals for the homeless.  

On each creased, carefully folded strip of paper was a phrase scribbled in pencil. Each piece had the same words. No one at the scene could make out exactly what it said. One thought was it was a line or a verse from something. The writing was light, shaky-sloppy and looked like it had been written against the sidewalk. The crime scene technician bagged and marked it all as evidence.

As the detective was walking away, he found one that had been missed and picked it up. He placed it in an envelope and pushed it into his pocket. It was stray piece of paper among many but it might be the one that change everything.

***

The police officers who patrolled the area said they saw him often. No one was sure of his name. They called him the paper boy. Every day he was on the street handing out his pieces of paper, always smiling and singing. It was his gimmick. It sounded like he was singing some kind of “church music.” Sometimes people would give him loose change; but most turned their heads and hurry on by. It they took the paper they would soon drop it to the ground or in the trash cans.

***

“That was Paul,” was what they told  him at the mission. “He was mostly a deaf mute. Hard to understand him but we did get that his first name was Paul. To us, he was Paul Doe # 47. He started showing up a couple of years ago; but, we haven’t seen him in a couple of weeks.” 

“He would come to eat, pick up some canned food, and maybe some clothes. He liked to stay for the worship service. Every Sunday and Wednesday we have a worship service with the homeless, singing and preaching. It’s all a person has to do to get some food. Before he’d leave, he would give us a paper cup full of change.”

“He was also always handing out these little pieces of paper. We tried to decipher what they said, but mostly they’d just end up on the floor and we’d sweep them up.”

***

The detective stood outside the doors of Holy Rosary Parish.  He had come here because of a name stamped on the inside cover of the Bible, “Fr. Luke O’Pry, Holy Rosary.” He was disappointed to learn that Father Luke had passed away earlier in the year. There was another priest who knew the deceased man.

“Yes,” Father Mark said, “I knew him. His name was Paul. At least that’s what I was told by Fr. Luke. I don’t remember Father ever telling me his last name.”

“He has a story like most people who live on the streets. Life tripped him up. He never had a family that I am aware; but, once he did have a job and a nice apartment.”

“At one time, he was an atheist activist that fought against prayer in schools and public events. One day, this man who made his living speaking against God, woke up and couldn’t speak. He was not able to work and became depressed.  Then he became addicted to the pills the doctors gave him. He lost all he had and went out to the street.”

“After about a year and a half of living on the street, he began showing up for adoration. He wasn’t just coming inside the building but actually worshiped and prayed. Before he left, he would always fill the poor box with loose change. We’ve tried many times to get him help, a place to stay; but he always sent back to the streets.”

“Father Luke told me that was because Paul now spoke with and for God. He could only listen to God speaking to him on the streets.”

The detective listened and shook his head side to side. Fishing in his pocket for the envelope, he then asked, “All that he had on him were these strips of paper. They all have the same thing written on them.” He found the one he had stuffed in his pocket. “Do you know what they are?”

The young priest, open the piece of paper and smiled, “I believe Father Luke was right about Paul and God.”

“Why do you say that Father?”

The young priest smiled, “Detective, this is a verse from the Bible from the letter to the Romans.”

“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

"Thank you Father, I guess this is just a homeless man who froze to death."

Father Mark smiled. “Detective, the Book of Romans was written by the apostle Paul. He was struck blind for persecuting Christ and the Church. God restored Paul’s sight and he spent the rest of his life living on what the Lord provided; preaching and spreading the Gospel to all who would listen. Paul died spreading the good news.”  

“I think that this was our Paul’s story too. Except, the voice he got back was one that only let him speak with God. It was a voice you or I couldn’t understand. But if you listened close, his voice sounded like choirs of angels. He spread the Gospel to everyone who would take this simple note.”

“No Detective, he was more than just a homeless man who froze to death. Paul spread the Gospel one slip of paper at a time. Now his body has died and Paul has gone home. For some, Paul and these little pieces of paper changed everything.” 

Sunday Reflection: Preach with Authority

Preach with Authority

Deuteronomy 18:15-20; Psalm 25: 1-2, 6-7, 7-9; 1 Corinthians 7:32-35; Mark 1:21-28

A fellow Deacon (and friend) tells the story of a compliment he received; at least, he thinks it was a compliment.

A parishioner came to him after he preached and tells the Deacon, “We really like our new young priest’s homilies. They are so poetic and flowing. He seems to really put a lot of work into them. And Deacon, we really like your homilies, too. They’re just different. You get down in the dirt with us.”

This is the truth behind every deacon’s ministry. A deacon teaches with authority; the authority of a man who has got down and dirty in everyday life. My friend was a marine. He is married. He is a father. He has worked a regular job; got his hands dirty and splinters in his fingers. He has worried about bills, feeding his family, and the health of those he loves. People have looked at him for most of his life as just another guy, not necessarily a man of God. This is the authority from which he preaches.

Jesus teaches with authority. It is an authority far different than anything you and I may have. He teaches with the confidence of one who knows the truth. He has authority and knowledge to speak of God. Because he has authority, he can influence and command the thoughts of those who listen.

And who were the first to recognize his authority? Moses said the ones who listened would recognize him. The ones who listened were those who needed healing, those who were ill, and also those who feared him. They recognized his authority.

Paul explains the reason the rest of us have problems listening. We focus on something else besides God.  We focus on the things of this world. Married people focus on our spouses, our families, and then on the things of this world we need for them. All these are distractions that keep us from God. So, we are asked to avoid these distractions. This is an extremely hard place to be. It is the world of priests and those called to the life of religious brothers and sisters.

Then there are deacons. We constantly fight these distractions everyday. Through our ordination we have promised God, we will listen. We will not be able to avoid the distractions of the world. We are to live a life of prayer; but we still live in the world as married men, with jobs, everyday responsibilities, and everyday troubles. We get down in the dirt of everyday life.  

That is the authority by which the deacon comes. He preaches with the authority of someone who has been there. He preaches with the authority of someone who has fought through all the confusion of the world. But we also preach with the authority of one has dedicated their life to listen to Christ.

We still have our families. We still live our lives in the world. We’re the person next to you in the pew or at the office. We’re the guys you call by childhood nicknames. We’re the guys whose children are friends with your children. Lives lived like everybody else. We preach from the authority of these lives.

Deacons just stopped to listen.

Each and every one reading this can do the same. All Christians can come forward and preach with the authority of one who knows the truth. Our authority is from someone who has lived in God’s love witnessing Christ in our everyday lives. This is what we preach with the authority in our words, our witness, and our lives in God’s love. Go out and preach His love with authority.