Sunday Reflection - Called to be Prophets - 4th Sunday OT

Called to be Prophets

Jeremiah 1:4-5, 17-19;  Psalm 71:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 15-17;  1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13 or 13:4-13; Luke 4:21-30

I love the words of Jeremiah “… gird your loins; stand up and tell them all that I command you.”

A prophet is an inspired teacher or proclaimer of the will of God. Jesus and Jeremiah were both prophets.

God called Jeremiah to be a prophet. He shook the people up. Jeremiah took his role as a prophet to the extreme.

God sent Jesus to be a prophet. First they praise him then they mocked him. The crowd wanted to throw him off a cliff and kill him because they did not understand. Jesus’ role as a prophet was the extreme.

We are all called to be prophets. The words of the psalmist tell us that we are called to “sing of your salvation.”

We are called to be the inspired teachers and proclaimers of the will of God. His will is that we know salvation.

Are we his prophets? Yes, I am going to modernize that phrase from Jeremiah. Pull up your pants and heed the Lord’s call.

And we protest. God is asking me to do the extreme and I can’t. No one will take me serious; No one will listen or believe what I say. Even Jesus said no prophet is accepted in his own native place.

Nobody is going to think I have the gift to proclaim God’s word.

Paul writes, “…I shall show you a more excellent way.” That excellent way is Love. Prophesies, tongues, knowledge, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit can come to an end. They are imperfect without love.  If they exist without love, they are nothing. Love is real and tangible. Love is active. Love is extreme.

Hitch up your jeans and preach the Gospel. Preach it by your words and your actions; preach it by your love. Preach in your real life; preach so people can feel it; preach it in your actions.

A friend of mine married young. His new wife had been a single mother with a severely disabled child. I apologize that I do not remember the condition the little girl had; but, she was never more than an infant. She lived her entire life blind, mute, and dependent until the Lord called her home.

At seventeen years old, this young man came home from work to a disabled child who was not his. And, he would hold her. He would carry her. He would feed her and bath her. He would love her. He loved her with all the dignity and love you would give your own child. Because even though she was not his natural child, his love was real, tangible, and active. She was his child.

Twenty years later I still remember the sermon he preached through his love.

Love is real, tangible and active. Did his daughter know him, as a father who loved her much?

This is our relationship with God. God comes to us and holds us, takes care of us, and loves us. God’s love is real, tangible, active. It is given to us freely. We are children that don’t always recognize the absolute real love of the one who loves us so much, our Heavenly Father.

So they take God’s love and mock it, criticize it, and even kill it. God still loves us.

In the middle of this, we are called to be prophets. We are called to be teacher and proclaimer of God’s love and grace. We are to preach love by all that we do and all that we say. Love never stops caring. Love does not come to an end.

Love is extreme. Love is real, tangible, and active.

In a passage from the children’s book by Margery Williams, ”The Velveteen Rabbit.” The stuffed toy Velveteen Rabbit asks the stuffed toy Skin Horse what it means to become Real. The Skin Horse’s answer is love makes you real.

“When a child loves you for a long, long time … really loves you… you become Real… by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out, and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter… you are Real, you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”

People who have not experienced the real and extreme of God’s love are those who just don’t understand the call to be a prophet, teacher, and proclaimer of the will of God. Prophets like Jeremiah who took his role as a prophet to the extreme because of his love for God; or, Jesus’s role as a prophet taken to the extreme because of God’s love for us.  

Gird your loins, pull up pants, or hitch up your jeans; and heed the Lord’s call. God’s love is extreme and we are called to be prophets. Proclaim what is Real, the love of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit!

“Y’all be good, y’all be Holy, and always preach the Gospel by the way you live and love.” Amen.

Sunday Reflection - Strong Enough - 3rd Sunday OT

Strong Enough

Nehemiah 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10; Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 15; 1 Corinthians 12:12-30; Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21

Faith is something we share. Faith grows in us individually but at the same time with the help of others, especially those around us. True Christian faith brings to us justice, love, and respect for the dignity of others.

Then I look at the internet – Facebook, Twitter, Blogs & other places- post made by people who call themselves Christians; and, that is not what I see.  Is our faith strong enough?

It is part of the story in the readings. At two separate times, two separate men come before the people. They are both returning home, to unroll the scrolls of God’s word to share with the people.

They came to build. They built on the word of God because they came to build faith. They both were there for God’s work. Ezra came to build the temple. Jesus came to build the kingdom of God.

Ezra finds Jerusalem and God’s temple in ruins, destroyed. The people and community had been destroyed by years of absence, captivity, and outside influence. Jesus came to find the same thing but he was not working with physical ruins but spiritual ruins. The people and community had been destroyed by outside influences, greed, and politics.

They brought God’s law to build faith. They used God’s word to proclaim justice, love and the dignity of others. Jesus and Ezra did this sharing God’s word with those around them. Each called to the poor, the downtrodden, the wounded, and people seeking forgiveness.  Do not be sad and do not weep— for all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law.

Those were people just like us. The people were weeping because they knew they had sinned. There were a people seeking justice, needing to be loved, and most of all needing dignity.

We live in a world of people just like Ezra’s time. We live in a world of people just like in Jesus’ time. We live in a world that is broken both physically and spiritually. Is our faith strong enough?

Ezra asked the people to believe and realize the certainty of these teachings. Luke asks of us to believe the words of Jesus, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” 

That’s what faith is about. Justice, love, and dignity is found in God’s word, which is alive today. Believe in the scripture and it is fulfilled.

It is still being fulfilled today through the Holy Spirit. It is fulfilled through Christ who is always present, especially in us, his Church.

Luke points out that we are a continuation of Jesus’ work. We continue the building of his kingdom as the body of Christ. A body of many parts we are one body in Christ.  For through the Holy Spirit we are baptized into one body. We are one body giving glory to God and bringing holiness to his people through the word of God.  Do not be sad, and do not weep your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

The Church is the body of Christ anointed by the Holy Spirit. We build the kingdom on faith. It is a faith that exudes justice, love, and respect for the dignity of others. For the Lord asks us to stand above the crowd. God sends us to the poor and to the oppressed.  

This calls for us to be strong, right? Maybe I am not strong in the way I need to be strong. Am I strong enough?

Jesus tells us faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains. I pray and pray waiting for something to happen. I pray for people to be healed, peace to be realized, and for justice, love and the world to realize the dignity of all people. I am only part of the body and part of the prayer.

Even the parts of the body that seem weaker are necessary and important. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honored; all parts share its joy. This is the truth shared by Ezra, “rejoicing in the Lord is our strength!” Our joy is strength; it refreshes the soul!

Together we are strong enough!

Jesus, Ezra, and Luke teach us on our relationship to God and to one another.  Our relationship to God is the basis of our faith; a faith built in justice, love, and respect for the dignity of others.

In this Year of Mercy share God’s word and your faith like Jesus, Ezra, and Luke.

“Y’all be good, y’all be Holy, and always preach the Gospel by the way you live.” Amen.

Sunday Reflection - "How Good is the Wine to Come?" - 2nd Sunday OT

How Good is the Wine to Come?

Isaiah 62:1-5; Psalm 96:1-2, 2-3, 7-8, 9-10; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11; John 2:1-11

“Everyone serves good wine first… but you have kept the good wine until now.”

Moses and Aaron appeared before Pharaoh with God’s message. Pharaoh asked, “Who is your God that I have to listen to him?” Pharaoh’s heart was hardened. He didn’t listen to God speaking through Moses.

Because Pharaoh didn’t listen, God used Moses to answer. Moses touched the water of the Nile and it turned to blood. No one could drink the water and the plagues began. The water turning to blood was a curse on Pharaoh and Egypt for not hearing the word of God.

There was a wedding at Cana. Jesus’ mother was there and so were Jesus and his disciples.

When the wine ran short, his mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” And, they did. They filled six stone jars with water. They were stone jars for the ceremonial washing before worshiping God. Then, the waiters drew some out. The water had become the good wine.

And the headwaiter said, “Everyone serves good wine first… but you have kept the good wine until now.”

This passage from the Gospel of John is the first sign in Jesus’ ministry. Any one hearing this at the time the Gospel was written would have known that Moses had turned the water of the Nile into blood. Now, someone greater had come, someone turning water into wine.

Isaiah painted the picture of God’s blessing on Zion and Jerusalem. He speaks of a wedding, a covenant between God and his delight. This is a covenant in which the Lord rejoices.

Jesus is the new covenant; a covenant different from previous ones. It is a covenant of blessing manifest by Jesus turning water into wine. Wine is the symbol of abundance, blessing, celebration, and life.

This wedding at Cana is a symbol of the new covenants between God and all the earth. The Lord’s delight made evident through his son Jesus Christ. God rejoices in us and blesses us with gifts.  They are different that the ones that Isaiah proclaimed. They are different blessings but the same Lord. They are different workings but the same God. The Holy Spirit is itself a gift of the Lord’s; and when the Holy Spirit fills a person the Spirit brings gifts as well.

“Everyone serves good wine first… but you have kept the good wine until now.”

Now, we go back to the water. Water turned to blood. Water turned to wine. Water we can see as our life. Do we see curse or do we see blessing?

God shows his greatness through these miracles with water. In one, water becomes a curse of blood. The second, the water becomes the blessing of wine. “Wine.” as Scott Hahn points out, “that Jesus does something special with.” It becomes his blood. The Blood of Christ is our blessing.

We need to shout and sing the Psalm (96) - Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations. Announce his salvation, day after day. Tell his glory among the nations; among all peoples, his wondrous deeds. Worship the LORD in holy attire. Tremble before him, all the earth.

“Everyone serves good wine first… but you have kept the good wine until now.”

Follow the instructions of the Holy Mother of Jesus, “Do what he tells you!” Listen to him.  

Jesus… so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him. What does the future hold for us who believe? How good is the wine to come?

“Y’all be good, y’all be Holy, and always preach the Gospel by the way you live.” Amen.

Homily Reflection - Baptism of Jesus - Y'all be Good (Pt.2)

Y’all be Good (pt. 2)

 Isaiah 42:1-4,6-7; Psalm 29:1-4,9-10; Acts 10:34-38; Luke 3:15-16,21-22

My parents raised 3 boys. I was the oldest and the biggest, although my two brothers were a whole lot meaner. As we grew up, there came a time when we out grew the punishment of a child. My father would tell us, “Y’all boys be good and be holy Christian men.”

I remembered that this week when my brother and sister-in-law wish me a happy birthday. They told me about someone who had met me at work.  

Normally, I work with construction companies. In fact, the morning I met this person, I had been at a construction site and was dressed in khakis, muddy work boots, and a plaid shirt. But, I was called to a rush meeting with the administrative staff of an aging services company. They usually see people in suits.

I showed up to an office full of ladies. They were told a consultant was coming. They didn’t know what to expect; but, it sure wasn’t me. It was said “I filled the doorway and then I filled the office.” To them, some man who looks like he just climbed off a bulldozer shows up to tell them how to run a nursing home. I was intimidating!

But my sister-in-law was told that I was nice, encouraging, and knowledgeable. It was a nice surprise to them that I knew about the issues they were having and could offer solutions for them. I was polite and respectful and never made them feel uncomfortable or talked down to them. She said many other nice things about me.

I remembered my daddy’s words, “Y’all be good and be holy Christian men.”

Do you ever wonder how people see you? Do you live the gospel in your public life? Do others see Jesus in you?

We celebrate the Baptism of Jesus, the beginning of his public life and ministry. What did people see in his public life in the time when people were expecting the messiah?  

And “The people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Christ. John answered them all, saying, “I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming.”

John was preaching in the wilderness and baptizing people for repentance of sins.  John baptized them in the Jordan.  He dunked them to wash away their sins.

People saw this wild looking man, shouting for change, to be good, and to be holy. People thought surely this is the one to come. John’s answer, “Y’all be good. Y’all be holy; because, I’m not the messiah.”

Yet, people kept coming for baptism. They had sinned. They needed God’s help. But there was one in the crowd who knew the truth. The one in the crowd was Jesus.

John baptized Jesus. 

Jesus didn’t need baptizing. He didn’t need to be told to be good and to be holy. He was without sin. And, a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” 

The voice of God proclaims Jesus “my beloved son.”

But doesn’t God love us all? Doesn’t God in his perfect way love us all the same whether we are saint or sinner, good or bad, angel or devil, king or pauper? I am going to answer that “Yes.” Jesus tells that God’s love is unmerited and unconditional. In Romans, Paul said that our lack of faithfulness to God does not cancel God's faithfulness to us. No matter what we do God loves us; and, nothing can ever stop God from loving us.

Then why do we need to be baptized, why do we need to be good, to be holy, if God loves us all the same shouldn’t we all be promised heaven. I am going to answer that “No.” It’s about how we love God in return.

Our love for God is apparent by the baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire and power  Jesus brings.

To be good and to be holy is when you give the LORD glory and praise; give the LORD the glory due his name; and adore the LORD in holy attire. (Ps 29) Clothe yourself in goodness and holiness. The good and holy of John’s repentance; holy attire he prepared for the people through baptism. The holy attire “Y’all be good; Y’all be holy.”   

Anyone truly living their baptism lives in the goodness and holiness that faith and the love of Jesus asks. Being good and being holy is the response to God’s love and the expression of the love of God in mercy and dignity for others.

A voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son…” But, it was easy for Jesus; He was the beloved Son of God and I am a sinner.

God didn’t promise easy for Jesus or for us. By coming to baptism, Jesus showed his unity with us. He took our sinfulness though he never sinned. He was tempted and we’re tempted. Jesus suffered and we suffer. Jesus was persecuted; we are too. Jesus was crucified for our sins. God didn’t promise easy for Jesus or for us.

Jesus gives us the secret of being good and being holy, “After all the people and Jesus had been baptized; He was praying.”  Jesus prayed, constantly. He lived those prayers doing good and so should we.

Jesus baptism was the beginning of his public life and ministry. Compare our public life to Jesus’ public life. Compare our Church ministry to Jesus’ ministry. Look at ourselves. Clothe yourself in holy attire. Live your baptism; Love others like Jesus showed us.

Share the Gospel, “This is my beloved Son, listen to him.” Spend some special time with God: pray, go to adoration, attend mass, and come to the Lord in the Eucharist. Give God a special place in your heart. Through baptism, God has settled upon you as “one with whom I am pleased, upon whom I have put my spirit.”

I have a new way I am going to end by homilies. I hope you never get tired of it.  “Y’all be good, be Holy, and always preach the Gospel.” Amen.

Sunday Reflection - Epiphany - Y'all Be Good

Y’all Be Good  

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

One of my father’s favorite sayings, “Y’all boys be good; cause, Christmas is coming.”

Y’all be good; cause, Epiphany is still Christmas. We tend to forget.

In our busy world, it’s become anticlimactic. Probably, in the past two weeks we’ve forgotten some of the gifts from Christmas. We’ve moved on to the next thing: the New Year, getting back to work, and every body’s favorite tax season. We’ve put gifts up and unless we bring them out every day; we accidentally forget about them. They lose their luster.

But for people of faith, the true gift of Christmas --- the babe of Bethlehem, the word made flesh, the precious Son of the Father --- will never lose its luster.

Today's readings are about that gift which Isaiah sees in the one to come, the servant who is the “light to the nations.” A gift the scriptures describe by these words, “Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance.” And “… every nation on earth will adore you.”

These scriptures perplex the world. Too many of us have put this greatest gift of all up on a shelf, seldom bring it out, and maybe even have forgotten about it. It has lost its luster in the everyday of human life. It’s the story of the Epiphany.

This is a story of great contrast. It is a story of how people receive the greatest gift of all in Jesus’ birth. It is an examination of the difference in the reaction of the Magi, the wise men that bring their gifts and place them at the feet of messiah to worship him, and King Herod, who tries to kill him.

Herrod knew this child was special. But,to the world, Herrod was King not this Child. His own chief priests and scribes affirmed the prophesies spoken by the words of the Magi. What was Herrod’s Epiphany? Herrod’s realization of the divine was to destroy it.

We have that same problem today and we call ourselves Christians. If we have not had an Epiphany of who Jesus is and what he means, then we have probably forgotten about the gift of Jesus.

In the world we live in, we call ourselves Christians; but, we deny and destroy the idea of the divine. We look at Jesus as an exclusive gift for just a few lucky people. The ones we think are included. Jesus is not for only a few to worship. He is all inclusive. He is God and we are all joined to him. Jesus is not a gift for the few but a reward for the many.

Last week, I got  a new follower on Twitter.  The twitter follow was by Brian Gill who authors the blog “A Catholic Citizen in America”. This is a very eclectic blog written from a Catholic Christian perspective. Brian Gill is a convert to Catholicism.

Brian writes this about himself.

“My values are somewhat counter-cultural. That's because I'm a practicing Catholic who is also an American citizen: not an American whose name shows up in a Catholic parish directory. ”

He hit on the problem of faith today. We put everything before being followers of Jesus Christ. We destroy the divine when we put our country, our politics, the color of our skin, and our self before our Messiah. These are all the things that Herrod did.

Maybe we need to be counter-cultural, following the example of the Magi. We need to forget how we identify, forget our selfish motives, forget the world around us and “prostrated ourselves and do him homage. Open our treasures and offered him our gifts.”

The world is still searching for Jesus. Each of us searches for God. Those who find Jesus find the divine. In our Epiphany do we worship the divinity of Jesus or destroy it. As Catholics, we find him in the Eucharist and open themselves to a true Epiphany. 

I believe that Brian Gill found Jesus in the Eucharist. I found Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. . If someone asked, I believe we’d agree this is how our story goes. Jesus was born in our hearts; we came to the place he was and found the Lord. We fell down and worshiped him, offered him our gifts, and we do him homage. We didn’t go back the same way, we had changed.

This is how we learn to walk in his light. This is how nations will adore him by the Epiphany in each one of us.

Epiphany is still Christmas. For those of us who have experienced a personal Epiphany in the babe of Bethlehem, the word made flesh, the precious Son of the Father, this is the most precious gift that will never lose its luster.

Brian Gill thanks for following me.

I'll close by paraphrasing the words of his father-in-law, Deacon Lawrence Kaas (age 81) of St. Paul’s Catholic Church, Sauk Centre, Mn.  (I think I’m going to adopt this; it reminds me of my father and brothers.)

“Y’all be Good, be Holy, and always preach the Gospel in Words and Holy Actions.”  

Amen.