Sunday Reflection 22nd Sunday - Distractions, Potty Chairs, and The Litany of Life

Distractions, Potty Chairs, and a Litany of Life

Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-8l  Psalm 15:2-3, 3-4, 4-5;  James 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27; Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

Today’s psalm, “One who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.” 

It reminded me of a television commercial. A group of people is sitting in the room in front of a movie screen, the moderator explains that all they have to do is pay attention to what’s on the screen; easy enough, right. If you know the commercial, distractions keep happening. No one can pay attention.  Luckily, this company has the solution to the problem of distractions.  

Life is not that easy. Jesus and his disciples were accused of being distracted from the purity laws by not washing their hands. Jesus said it is not what comes from the outside the defiles but what comes from within. We can call these the distractions of the world. James tells us to keep ourselves unstained by the world. It’s a hard thing keeping those stains out. And, this is what Jesus is pointing out: the true distraction is in us.

As a grandfather, I am experiencing the joy of two year old child discovering the world. There was a four way conference call the first time the potty chair was used. Someone is always there to praise him. He gets scraps, knots, and bruises as he tests himself.  He has no fear. There is always someone there to catch him when he falls and to correct him if necessary.   

A child is pure innocence and love; yet, a child grows in the distractions of the world. The child becomes an adult with right and good distracted by the world. We become distracted. This can cause us to forget God.

But that is what is so great about our God. He is the solution to these distractions. The solution is a relationship with our Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ. A relationship where the Holy Spirit guides us through the Church praising what's right, correcting what's wrong, and picking us up when we fall. The Lord is always with us, always calling us, and always speaking to our hearts.

I put together a prayer for our healing service and I think it's good prayer to reflect on distractions in life. I called it The Litany of Life. The response is “Be with us Lord.”

Be with us Lord through the darkest night and brightest day; be at our side and in our life, be with us Lord.

When we suffer, be with us Lord.

When we are sick and in pain, be with us Lord.

When we have been hurt by life and are struggling, be with us Lord.

When we are grieving, be with us Lord. 

When we are anxious, be with us Lord. 

When we are depressed, be with us Lord. 

When we feel hopeless, rejected, unloved, abandoned and alone, be with us Lord. 

When we feel nobody understands, be with us Lord.  

When we feel we have nowhere to turn, be with us Lord. 

When we are blind to goodness, be with us Lord.

When others let us down, be with us Lord. 

When tempers are raised, outrage and violence occur, be with us Lord. 

When peace is fragile, be with us Lord.  

When lives do not seem important, be with us Lord.  

When forgiveness is rejected, be with us Lord. 

When burdens are heavy, be with us Lord. 

When we face difficult decisions, be with us Lord. 

When darkness weighs us down, be with us Lord.

When we are weak, be with us Lord. 

When hope seems faint, be with us Lord. 

When faith seems difficult, be with us Lord.

When joy escapes us, be with us Lord. 

When we feel detached from you, be with us Lord. 

When we cannot feel your presence, be with us Lord. 

Let us pray:

Be with us Lord and show us the wonders of the world you created, the depth of your word, and the life you offer us. Open us to the mystery of your purpose, the closeness of your presence, and the depth of your wisdom. Be with us Lord and open our hearts to your presence in the Eucharist, your presence within us, your presence among us, and your presence in our neighbor. Be with us Lord in our daily lives. Lord have mercy; Christ have mercy; Lord have mercy.  Amen.

Distractions keep us from God but by His glory and mercy God sent His Word to us. The grace of the Holy Spirit brings us justification through Christ Jesus' sacrifice for our sins. This justice allows us to live in the presence of the Lord. And we must empty ourselves of all the distractions - be with us Lord.

Litany Inspired by EXPO Formats for Eucharistic Adoration; Patricia Carroll Episcopal Delegate for Pastoral Resources; Anne McEvoy Youth Ministry Coordinator

Homily Reflection 21st Sunday - Excuse Me; I'm not going out there!

Excuse Me; I’m Not Going Out There!

Joshua 24:1-2a, 15-17, 18b;  Psalm 34:2-3, 16-17, 18-19, 20-21; Ephesians 5:21-32 or 5:2a, 25-32; John 6:60-69

We have two dogs, spoiled like children. One is 3. The other is 11. The young one is excitable; the older is laid back. The young one is nervous and scared of most things. The older dog is calm. The young dog is a pest. Let’s run. Let’s wrestle and play. The old dog endures it. 

Some nights, a stranger visits our yard. The dogs get excited. The old dog wakes me up with a poke from her paw. I imagine her wine as “Wake up! Come and see! Something’s here!” The old dog runs out the door barking. “Something’s here! Come and see! Something’s here!”

The young dog is all excited and runs out. Shocked by the darkness, she stops, turns around, and runs back inside. She’s afraid of the dark. Sitting on her heels, me between her and fear, she looks up with an expression that says: “Excuse me; I’m not going out there.”  

This is supposed to be a funny story but look closely. We can see Christians in this example.   

As Catholic we live among Christians of younger traditions. I’ll refer to them from now on as the young ones.

Catholics don’t get excited by much. We’re patient. But, the young ones are always excited about saving us. They’re concerned for our souls. Those poor Catholics are lost. The Catholic Church is confused. It’s not the Church Jesus founded. Catholics don’t believe in the Bible. Catholics do things, standing, kneeling, crossing themselves, it’s not Biblical.  

On the Eucharist and the real presence, the young ones sit back on their heels, “Excuse me; I’m not going out there!”  But, Catholics can get excited about the Eucharist. “Wake up! Come and see! Christ is here! “

If you are like the young ones and doubt, I hoped you paid attention to the readings. Paul writes to be faithful to Christ and the Church. Our Catholic faith lives the words of Joshua, “As for me and my house we will worship the Lord.”

These readings are about the Eucharist. Something the young ones believe Catholics have wrong. The young ones don’t believe in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. To them, it’s the Lord’s Supper, a symbolic memorial to Jesus. They believe that’s what Jesus wanted.

It’s not what Jesus tells us. Last week we heard Jesus’ instructions to “eat His flesh and drink His blood.” The Greek word John actually used was “gnaw.” I like chew on it.  Chew on Jesus; Chew on who Jesus is; Chew on what he means to you; Chew on the Christ that becomes part of you.

We shouldn’t be surprised that the young ones criticize and can’t accept this. Jesus’ disciples couldn’t accept His words either. They grumbled and criticized. His words were extreme. The words were different and controversial. “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”

The disciples knew his words weren’t symbolic. They took His words literally. 

And, Jesus explained his words. He didn’t say this is a parable you don’t understand. He asked “Does this shock you?”

It was not the shocking description of a memorial meal but an invitation to an intimate and personal relation with the living Christ. “Does this shock you?” It shocked his disciples; many no longer accompanied him.  

Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to leave?” Peter said, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

This was Peter who Christ used to build his Church. This was was the same Peter to who every Pope, Catholic Bishop, Priest, and Deacon can trace the authority of his ordination. It was Peter and his successors in the Church that have kept the faith, defended it against heresy, false tradition and teachings; always remains faithful to Christ, celebrating the real presence in the Eucharist, and preaching the promise of eternal life.

Despite how the young ones interpret it, the Bible is Catholic. It contains the traditions, teachings, beliefs and sacraments of the Catholic faith. It is the teachings of those in the upper room, the ones Jesus breathed upon to receive his Spirit; the ones guided by the Advocate, the Paraclete that brings truth always. It’s the teaching traditions of the apostles, beginning with the 12 who stayed.

• They believed His words were Spirit and life.
• They believed the promise of eternal life.
• They believed in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, His flesh and His blood under the species of bread and wine. 
• They believed what Jesus said and believed Jesus meant what He said.

We believe it too. We believe the Lord is here in the Eucharist. We believe God loves us: old ones, young ones; those who left and those who stayed; the ones who would not believe, those who betrayed him, the sinners, the lost, and everyone else.  We believe God loves all of us. We believe God forgives all of us.

In all that we believe as His Church, Jesus is still asking, “Does this shock you?” It shocks many.  

Brothers and Sister, live your Catholic Faith. Stand up proudly for what you believe. Love one another as Christ loves us. Come to mass. Celebrate the sacraments. By your life, words, and actions accompany Christ as faithful members of his body.

Finally, what did I learn from my dog as she sat there with me between her and fear. It’s like our relationship with Jesus.  No matter what scares you, Christ is between you and your fears. Jesus is with you always.

Don’t be shocked. Don’t sit back on your heels afraid thinking “Excuse me; I’m not going out there.”  Get excited. Go out and shout to the world, “Wake up! Come and see! Christ is here!”

Christ is here in Eucharist, in the Church, and in each one of us.

Sunday Reflection - 20th Sunday - Everyday Wisdom

Everyday Wisdom

Proverbs 9:1-6; Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7;  Ephesians 5:15-20;  John 6:51-58

Over the years I’ve invited people to a Bible study who are afraid to come. They’ll tell me that they just can’t understand the Bible. No matter how much they study the bible, they didn’t get or understand a lot of it. Maybe, a lot of us are like this.

As a deacon I have certain things I do. Every day, I pray. Every day, I read a little bit of the Bible and study. I usually do these early in the morning, and late in the evening.  I put daily verses and prayers on facebook or email. I share short pieces of the Catechism on Twitter. These are part of my studies and I pray that I get them right.   

We live in a culture where wisdom and intellect is paired with how we think, book smarts, and a formal education. This comes from the ancients Greeks; a people of philosophy, who liked to sit around, ponder and argue ideas. This sounds like bible study. We tend to forget that wisdom is more. I said I pray that I get it right; but no matter how much I study to understand. I don’t always get it right. Someone or something can always open my eyes more fully to the Lord’s wisdom.

In Hebrew, the word for wisdom is more a tactile thing. The word is “chokmah” (hokhmah.) It’s the wisdom we find every day in God’s creation. Wisdom is the building of the house, the setting of the pillars, the preparing of the meal, and even the eating of the meal. True wisdom comes from God. Sharing in creation is sharing wisdom.

In this proverb, wisdom is found in action. Ultimately wisdom is abandoning foolishness (simpleness, ignorance or errant thoughts.) To do this, Wisdom calls for action “come and eat my food.”

Brothers and sisters, this proverb points us to Jesus Christ. The house is the Church that Christ built; the seven pillars are the sacraments. Each of us is called to the table of thanksgiving. All of these things are visible concrete actions of Christ, of wisdom.

Paul warned believers to watch how you live – don’t be foolish or ignorant but know the will of the Lord. This was his call to the action for believers. How many of our fellow Christians have forgotten this?

Jesus tells us: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.... Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.  Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him…. whoever eats this bread will live forever.”

Sometimes it is hard to understand what Jesus asks of us. The words that Jesus speaks will cause many of his followers to leave him. Trying to understand by studying the bible is a good but hard if all we do is sit back and think. The true wisdom comes by living what Jesus taught. Taking Jesus and chewing on him making him part of us.

Wisdom is the action in our lives that bring Christ. We become one with Christ through the Eucharist, the sacrament that is the meal of the risen Christ. God is alive. God is in us. What a great call to action!!

That call to action opens our eyes to the Lord’s wisdom maybe more than the reading and study. It’s that tactile form of Wisdom. I understand what Christ asks of me when I bring communion to a patient in a dementia ward than in studying the bible. In this I find Jesus who calls me to his table and eat the bread of life. I chew on Him; He nourishes me; He remains in me. This is truly studying his word.

Wisdom found in every day. May we build his house, set his table, and call others to eat. May we have every day wisdom of the Lord Jesus Christ in our lives.

Sunday Reflection 19th OT - Don't Worry, God will make it Better!

Don't Worry, God will make it Better!

(Who’s on Your Cross?)

1 Kings 19:4-8; Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9; Ephesians 4:30-5:2; John 6:41-51

I went to a memorial service this week for a long-time friend. Sherry was a gracious, optimistic, and a most Christian person. She could find a bright spot in every situation and always had words of encouragement.  She could build a person up, no matter how dejected they were. In a bad situation, she would say, “God will make it better!” And when a situation improved, she would praise God saying “Isn’t it a blessing.” Sherry worked at the University for 30 years touching the lives of students, parents, other employees, and even visitors. People's spirits were raised up by her “Don’t worry, God will make it better!” as she taught them to recognize their blessings.

She lived the Psalm: “Taste and see the goodness of the Lord. I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall be ever in my mouth.” It takes a special person to be like this.

Elijah needed this. He had lain down to die. Elijah was in such a bad place that he prayed, “take my life Lord!”  Elijah was sitting under a broom tree in the desert, murmuring his discontent.  Elijah didn’t believe God would make things better.

The people murmured against Jesus. A murmur is that mumbled or quite expression of discontent hovering in the background. If we listen closely; it is still heard today. We do it ourselves saying, “Things are bad and and getting worse.” The evil in the world uses these murmurs to grow the things St. Paul warns us about - bitterness, fury, anger, shouting, reviling and malice. Murmurs of discontent denying people dignity and respect; murmurs that deny people freedom and safety. Murmurs building anger, bitterness, and malice. Murmurs spoken against God’s creation that needs our care. Even those who call themselves Christians murmur.

Open the newspaper or the internet and you see racism, hatred, bitterness, injustice, and disrespect. Most is disguised as patriotism, heritage, national safety, justice, or one of many other things we could call good. It calls us to circle our wagons, lock down the churches, and makes us forget Jesus.

I am going to say something many of you may not like. We do not have a flag on our altar. We come to worship God, through Jesus Christ. It should not be conservatives or liberals, democrats or republicans speaking to our hearts but the Holy Spirit. It’s not the President or a Supreme Court judge or a member of Congress that looks down from the Cross. It is the Lord, the one who whispers the words “Father forgive them.”

Words drowned out by the murmur. We live too short a time to be in a murmur of discontent.

The Angel of God quieted Elijah with bread from heaven; Jesus quiets the murmur in those who truly live by the bread of life; the bread of life that hung on the cross. He is “Our God and He makes things better.”  The bread of life is Jesus, God who teaches us. Jesus is the bread of life God sends to us. “Everyone who listens to my Father and learns comes to me.”

Through the bread of life, we can be kind to one another, compassionate, and forgiving, just as God has forgiven us. Be imitators of God and live in love. Look at life and if it’s bad remember “God will make it better!” If it’s good remember, “Isn’t it a blessing!”

Just days before Sherry slept in the Lord, a friend visited in tears, despondent as her friend neared the end to her worldly life. Sherry looked at her and with a smile said, “God’s going to make it better and it will be a blessing.” Sherry went to be with the Lord and God did make it better and God did bless her.

Sunday Reflection 18th Sunday - Monkey Mind

Monkey Mind

Exodus 16:2-4,12-15; Psalm 78:3-4,23-24,25,54; Ephesians 4:17,20-24; John 6:24-35

I am going to start this reflection with some oriental wisdom called the monkey mind. St. Paul called it a futile mind.

The monkey mind is this: The human mind can be like it’s filled with monkeys, jumping around, screeching, chattering and carrying on endlessly. Our emotions are different monkeys in our mind. It is said monkey mind overtakes an entire society.

I know I’ve been there with stuff screaming, screeching and jumping around in my head; so many different things fighting inside of me. Fear has been especially loud pointing out the unknown hidden things to worry about.

Faith calms a fearful and futile monkey mind. Paul tells us “Truth is in Jesus.” He writes do not live in the futility of your mind or deceitful desires.

The whole Israelite community was full of fear and deceitful desires. They grumbled. Afraid of the unknown, they desired to go back Egypt and slavery. They complained of hunger.

Hunger is “a strong desire or craving.” You can hunger for food, success, revenge, love and truth. Our emotions mostly desire and crave truth.

From hunger, the multitude followed Jesus. Looking to him not for the signs of the messiah; but, because they ate. They wanted to make Jesus king because he had quieted a hunger.

The Israelites left Egypt. No one made them leave. They saw the plagues and the signs that God set upon Egypt. They saw the miracles of God. They saw the parting of the Red Sea and the destruction of Pharaoh’s army. They saw the Angel of God the led the way. They had no faith; all they saw was the hunger and hardships, the violence and the vastness of the unknown about them. The Israelites had all these hungry emotions inside the mind of the community. The strongest was fear.

The multitude following Jesus saw or heard of his miracles, healing and casting out of demons. They heard Jesus teach. They were part of the miracle that fed 5000. They had no faith; all they saw was oppression in the rulers, hunger and hardships in life and a violent vast unknown existence. The multitude hungered from fear.

Two sets of people existing and seeking the answer to their hunger. Today, our society is the same. This world has put so many things screaming, screeching and jumping in our heads. It is a world existing in fearful hunger from a lack of faith.

It’s not necessary. If we lived as Jesus taught us and follow the commandments of God, if we just look around to see the miracles God works in this world despite the evil and lack of faith, we could quite the fearful and futile monkey mind.  

This is faith. Through faith, God gives himself to us to quite the hunger.   

Paul tells us to put away our former way of life; renew the spirit of your mind. God calmed the Israelite community with manna, bread from heaven. Jesus calmed the multitude breaking the loaves and feeding them. God can calm us if we look to him to feed us.

Fear is all about hunger. We hunger for peace. We hunger for comfort. We hunger for safety. We hunger for an absence of conflict. We hunger for justice and dignity. We hunger for much in our fear.  Faith calms the fearful and futile mind. Faith renews the spirit of our mind.

Faith in God, Jesus Christ, can rid us of hunger. Christ quiets the hungers that exist in our lives. Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”

If your mind is jumping around, screeching, and chattering endlessly from something missing, maybe it hungers for truth. Truth is in Jesus. Brothers and Sister come to the Bread of Life.