Tangible Faith - Homily 21 Sunday OTC

Inspired by Blog Mackerel Snapper by Matthew Tyson "Jesus Says be Ready. Ready for What?"

(Readings)

This is a great time of year. School has started. The kids will be excited for a couple of weeks. It’s the time of year for football games and pep-rallies. Fall is almost here, a time of change in the weather – cooler days and hunting season.

Students are studying to sharpen their minds. Athletes are preparing their bodies and learning the movements needed to perform at their best.  The hunter scouts, prepares the hunting ground, and gets the camp ready.

It’s a time of making ready through tangible actions; doing something.

We prepare through scholarship, athletic ability, preparation or even just the chance of being in the right place at the right time for things not promised like wealth, fame, success, and fortune.

In all this busyness of things, we can forget what has been promised to us. It is a promise of a much greater reward then anything we could possible achieve. It is the promise of salvation, the promise of the heavenly banquet.

Not all will be prepared for that promise. Someone asked him, "Lord, will only a few people be saved?" He answered, "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.”

We are all called to enter through that narrow gate of salvation. But, not all who call themselves Christians will be saved. Not all Catholics will find that narrow gate. Not even all religious will be strong enough to do what is necessary to prepare. 

Not all will have prepared themselves for the salvation, promised by Jesus’ death on the cross. And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth when you see …, the kingdom of God and you yourselves cast out

It is not because we are sinners. The reason is we lose focus. Just like the student’s mind that wanders or an athlete that gets lazy or the hunter who falls asleep; Christians and Catholics take their eyes and hearts off God.

That is something we can’t hide from God.  Thus says the LORD: I know their works and their thoughts…, and their hearts.

Jesus tells us again and again to be ready. .What are we to do, how do we prepare and make ready?

The answer in found in the gift of our Catholic faith. If we live and believe what our faith teaches us then we will be prepared.

Catholicism is tangible. It is doing something. It is preparing.  It is making ready. In the Mass, we don’t just sit, sing, and listen. We act. We take part in praise and thanksgiving that is crowned by partaking in the true Body and Blood of Jesus.

Jesus asked, “Do you find this hard? Whoever eats my body and drinks my blood shall have eternal life.”

Then we are dismissed from mass and sent out into the world with instructions from the Church to take every day to prepare ourselves. We are given tangible way to live as Catholic Christian’s by works of mercy and social justice.

Living just as Jesus speaks about for the final judgment: I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’

The righteous will say, ‘Lord, when did we see you– hungry, thirsty, a stranger, naked, ill, or in prison?  

He will say in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for the least of my brothers, you did for me.

These are not just instruction on how to live our lives and treat other people; they are how we serve Christ. (mtyson) It is how he will recognize us to recline at his table.

Many will not be ready. Sadly, they will not be prepared. There will be those who stand outside knocking and saying, 'Lord, open the door for us. 'He will say in reply, 'I do not know you.”

Our salvation is found the tangible action of being ready. Being Christian is about action. Being Catholic is about action. It is our action and interaction in the real world. It is sharing the Gospel in what we do and what we say and how we live.

God calls us all to be holy people, to prepare for that marvelous time. People will come from the east and the west and from the north and the south and will recline at table in the kingdom of God.  Some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last."

Be good, be holy, Go out to all the world and tell the Good News by the way you live your life and love one another. Amen

It's Hard to be a Man

(READINGS)

My friends the Holy Spirit is among us. I see it in you and truthfully I can testify that the Lord has protected me and the Holy Spirit has inspired me.

Last night, I was in the upper room (choir loft) praying over all at this gathering and I had to go to the restroom. I thought I would just go downstairs and return quickly, no one would know.

But that’s not what happened. About the second stair from the bottom, I missed a step and flew head first towards a crowd of my friends. In their love for me, the tried to catch me, which to be honest, was against all the laws of physics.

In that room quiet with prayer, I made a loud THUMP. The dust in the carpet made a mushroom cloud.

Everyone ran to me to see if I was hurt. A doctor was afraid I had a heart attack. I was fine, just a little sore.

Later that night, I sat before the Blessed Sacrament, contemplating my message. What message did the LORD have for me? I felt a slight pain in my shoulder, tightness in my back, and swelling in my knees and ankles. And I heard the LORD’s answer "what more do you want?"

My message "we are all falling, by God’s grace, we are not broken."

Usually, I preach on the Gospel, but today I want to talk about Joshua. This message if mainly for the men. For you see, Joshua was a soldier, warrior, explorer, and leader. Joshua knew about the covenant that can exist between men who come together for mission. But, Joshua was also a man of God, a spiritual leader, a prophet, and lived in covenant with God.

We are asked to come together as people of a covenant. As men we should come together as men in covenant. If we understand covenant, then we will see its truth. Truth is where healing begins.

A covenant bonds one to another; man to man. More important than the bond between us, men need to realize a man to man covenant with God.

Joshua knew about covenant. Joshua lived as God wanted him to live in his relationship with others and with God. Joshua was a Godly man.

That is what we should realize; the thing that makes us Godly men.

Each of us needs a man to man covenant with God that leads us to what God intended us to be; a covenant that brings us back to a masculinity touched by the nature of God.

To live this Godly masculinity, we must be in relationship with God. Joshua tells us to have this relationship we must serve God completely and sincerely. That means throwing away the false gods of this world.

These are false gods that the devil uses to destroy us. Psalms tells us that each of us walks with the gods that are important to us. By these false gods, the devil destroys our relationship with God.

It is a war on men the devil began with the first man to man covenant with God.

God told Adam to be fruitful and multiply but we have turned that into a worship of sex and lust. God said to have dominion over the earth; but, we have made wealth, power, and prestige our gods. We turned all that God gave us through Adam into false gods.

Joshua speaks that to honor the covenant with God by “putting away strange gods and turning hearts to the LORD …,"

Listen to those words. Think about your experience with all the false gods of the world and realize one thing. It is what we all know, but, probably never said: It’s hard to be a man.

We don’t say it because; maybe we aren’t articulate enough to say it. Maybe we’re too private. Maybe we’re not brave enough.

“It’s hard to be a man” when we live in a world where manhood is belittled, challenged, and degraded. Yet, it’s our fault; we’ve failed to live as true men in a man to man covenant with God. We have failed to realize true masculinity given by God. Instead, we are men tainted by sins and gods of the world.

That makes it real, real hard to be Godly men.

So, most give up. Most quit or fail at being Godly men. Most will die still trying to be Godly men; because, the devil works to destroy us.

If the devil wins, it leaves the world fewer Joshua(s); fewer leaders to bring us to our destination; fewer prophets to bring God’s word; fewer soldiers for God’s army.

It’s hard to be a man. It is hard to go through the challenges of being a child, a teenager, a young adult, middle age, and senior years without that man to man covenant. It's hard to be a man without that a man to man covenant with other Godly men that will be with us our battle against the devil. 

Each of us needs a good and Godly man to accompany us through our challenges. Godly men willing to catch us as we fall. Godly men anointed by the Holy Spirit, that lead us to realize a man to man covenant with God, realize a man to man covenant with God/man Jesus Christ; and leads us to live a man to man covenant with our Lord and savior.

To be bonded in covenant means regardless of what we know, what we see, or what we are exposed to; we will not hurt one another. We will support one another. We come to the aid one another spiritually and physically. In God's terms, it is forgiveness. 

If we have fallen or if we are broken, God wants that covenant for you. Live as a people that have declared the presence of God in their lives. Men, you are the ones that Christ calls. Men, you are the ones the Church needs.

Brothers, truth where healing can begin. The truth is that in that covenant with Jesus Christ, the best is yet to come. Joshua knew it was about the stone. Jesus is the corner stone of the covenant.

Be good, holy, and Godly men preaching the gospel by the way you live your lives and loving one another. Amen.

Flight Check - Reflection 19th Sunday OT

(Readings)

Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things it seen.

The first time I flew was an experience of faith. Everyone told me it was safe. It would be comfortable and I would enjoy it.

My company booked me in a small plane that carried 10 passengers. The pilot boards looks to the back and approaches me. And he asks “How much do you weigh?”

I am going to have to ask you to change seats so we can take off. That pilot was my prophet at that time. I moved and did exactly what he told me.

I had faith that God would watch over me, but you have to listen to his prophets. Even though it startled me that size could make the plane not fly properly, the truth was the pilot that prophet spoke a truth that only strengthened my faith.

The pilot was the speaking truth on the physics of flight, God’s creation. I believed him. He was preparing the plane, himself, and me for the flight.

Prepare for the flight; gird your loins.

Riding on that little small plane was one of my best flying experiences.

The Hebrews knew that the God’s judgement was coming. In faith they painted the door posts with the blood of a lamb so God’s judgement would pass over their household.

Pharaoh and the Egyptians did not believe, had no faith in God’s prophet. And the angel of death took the first born of all who did not have faith.

They were not going to prepare themselves for something they don’t believe.

Look around. We have all this sin in the world. Think of what is considered the seven deadly sins: lust, greed, avarice, sloth, gluttony, wrath, envy, and pride. Thinks that society have come to think is not that bad.

These things sell. They make money. And the people who profit from this are the ones who want to tell us what to think. They want to tell us what is right and what is wrong.

But Jesus tell us different.

Don’t get lazy in doing what you should be doing. Don’t forget what is right and moral and just.

Because we have been told that the Kingdom of God is coming. That the master is returning.

Just because we did what was right by world standards or because we identify ourselves as Christian or we come to mass does not mean we get a free pass when Christ comes again.

Believers should be making ready. Make that preflight check. Gird your loins. “Be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”

Speak out against sin and all that is wrong. Prepare for eternal life like a pilot who completes the preflight check for his safety and the safety of all he is responsible for on the plane.

If we have not done these things remember we will all be judged by what we have been given. “Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”

Friends, I share these words with you at the end of each of my reflections: Be good, be holy, and preach the gospel by the way you live your life and love one another. Amen.

A Pure Heart - Homily Reflection 1st Friday Mass/Adoration

A Pure Heart (Readings)

Jesus came to his native place and taught the people. The people were astonished, "Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds? Is not his mother named Mary?

In the Catholic Church, the month of August is dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

For mothers, the nearest and dearest thing to their heart is their children. They carried them in their womb, under their hearts. The Blessed Virgin Mary carried God under her heart.

This devotion to the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a devotion to her interior life and all that is found in her most Immaculate Heart.

It is her joys and sorrows,

Her virtues and hidden perfections,

And, above all, her pure and immaculate love for God the Father,

Her immaculate and maternal love for her son Jesus,

And her compassionate love for all people.

At this time, we are asked to devote ourselves to the contemplation of one whose life and heart is so devoted to all that is Christ’s Church in this world.

A church filled with all things found in the interior life of the Blessed Virgin Mary and her Immaculate Heart.

We are the Church.

We are a church of joys and sorrows,

A church of virtues and hidden perfections,

And, above all, we are a church that loves God the Father,

Expressed by and through our love for Jesus Christ,

And we share Christ by our compassion and love for all people.

At least, we like to say that, but, we have become complaisant. We know the church; it’s not perfect. We know the priest and ministers. They’re human. We forget that the Church is the LORD’s house.

So, we question and challenge. Some protest the teachings of the Church on morals, sin, and even the sacraments. They argue these are not what Jesus really meant. They are too strict. Many say the church is out of touch with the world.

Look at the world. Is that really a bad thing? 

And Jesus said, "A prophet has honor except in his native place and his own house."

When we ignore wrong, even in our own house, we do not honor the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We do not honor the Christ she carried under her Immaculate Heart as the infant Jesus.

Honor Christ; devote yourself to the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Use her as an example for our hearts: a heart pure enough to be next to God. The world needs the pure heart.  Amen