Are You Washed in the Blood of the Lamb? - Reflection All Saints Day

“Who are these wearing white robes, and where did they come from?”

He said to me, “These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb.”

That makes me remember the southern gospel song “Are you washed in Blood of the Lamb?” Are you washed in the blood, in the soul-cleansing blood of the lamb? Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow? Are you washed in the blood of the lamb? (1878 –Elisha Hoffman)

But it is a fact, we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God. It was that way with the Saints, those we know and those we don’t know.  St.. Matthew was a tax collector. St. Augustine was a pagan and womanizer. St. Francis was full of vain glory. There are many more stories of the saints and their failures.

But as that hymn goes on, they laid aside their garments that were stained by sin, they washed in the Blood of the Lamb.

Catholics know this cleansing power. Catholics realize the healing manifest in the body and blood of Christ at the Eucharist..

Servant of God, Dorothy Day knew the truth about the blood of Christ. A Priest came to offer mass at mission run by Dorothy Day. The priest went to the kitchen and took a coffee mug to use as a chalice to hold the blood of Christ. After the mass, he placed that former coffee mug in the sink to be washed.

Dorothy Day took the mug outside and proceeded to bury it. Someone asked why she was burying a coffee mug. Her reply was that it was no longer a coffee mug but a holy chalice that had held the Blood of Christ. From that moment on nothing else could worthily be placed in the cup.

Dorothy Day knew the cleansing power of the blood of Christ. She was a American journalist and a social activist who lived a carefree youth before becoming a Catholic Christian. She was an unwed mother. She was an anarchist.

Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed.

Pope Benedict XVI said Dorothy Day’s conversion story is an example of how to "journey towards faith ... in a secularized environment." The Church has opened the cause for Day's possible canonization, which was accepted by the Holy See for investigation. For that reason, the Church refers to her as a Servant of God.

My friends, we are like that mug that became a chalice. By our Baptism and by the Eucharist, Christ is in us. We are all God’s children now. What we shall be has not been revealed.

We live in a time, when the Church is persecuted. We live in a time when the public image of being a Christian is looked at with distain by the media and social influencers.

We all make mistakes; but we seek to be better. In our striving for good and Christ’s love, the system that is the world including media, celebrity, and social influencers mock us. 

God is the greatest influencer. He influences the heavens and the earth. By his is all of creation. By his command the winds are stilled and the waters quieted.

To be a saint, He must be the influencer of life. Who are those wearing white robes and where did they come from?

For Jesus said, “blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.”

Are you washed in the Blood of the Lamb?

Be good, be holy, and preach the gospel by the way you live your life and love one another. That is the way of a saint. Amen.

Momma Tried - Homily 30th Sunday OTA

Last night, Frances I. Malone, the Bishop of Shreveport, told this story at the confirmation mass. As a young child he would want to give his mother a gift and would ask her what did she really want? His mother would reply “I want you to be good and go find something to do.”

I think a lot of us may have been asked for that gift when we were young.

I can remember my brothers and I would ask my mother on her birthday or mother’s day what gifts would she like? She would say “I want your boys to be good and stop fighting each other.”

Momma tried to teach us right.

Today, we have Jesus’ words. The Pharisees, one of them a scholar of the law, are trying to catch Jesus saying something wrong. They asked him “what is the greatest commandment?”

Jesus answered, “You should love the Lord your God with all your heart; with all your soul; and with all your mind. This is the greatest commandment. The second is like it, “You should love your neighbor as yourself.”

That’s where our mothers got it.

Very simply to be good is to love God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. It is the ultimate good.

One way to love God with all that we are is to go to confession. Confession helps us to acknowledge and speak the times we have not loved God. That is a simple truth about confession, because sin is our failure to love God.

When we go to confession we contemplate our life. And, the more often we go to confession, the easier it is to see how every day in little ways we disappoint God by our sin.

To love God is to be good. It is what the Bishop’s mother new. That is what so many of our mothers and fathers knew. My mother told me, be good. My dad told me and my brothers, all I want is for you boys to grow up to be good and holy young men.

And that is the greatest commandment. But there is also a second part, Jesus said to love your neighbor as yourself. My mother said it simply - stop fighting.

Yet that seems to be all the world wants us to do. We fight as citizens of the world. We fight as citizens of this country. We fight as families. We fight as members of the Church.

This week Pope Francis made a statement about love. It’s a very controversial statement because he talked about love, homosexuality, and family. And there are different reports as to what he said. The English translation is stated to be different from his words in Spanish.

The Pope’s message is everybody needs love. But many peoples response is anything but love. Some have forgotten we are to hate the sin but love the sinner.

People considering themselves good Catholics speak with hate and venom towards Pope Francis whose teaching is on Jesus’ commandment to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.

It is a teaching about recognizing each and every person no matter their sins as a child of God.

The greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart and our soul and all our mind. As a child of God, we are to love the Lord with all our strength for he is our refuge, our rock, our shield, our stronghold, and the horn of our salvation.

Christians are to imitate Christ by our life. We are to be Christ in this world for others to see by our lives, our actions, and our love. We are to bring the love of God to others in this world.

Nowhere in the gospel of Jesus Christ does he tell us not to love others; even if they are different.

No commandment tells us to hate others because they are different; but Jesus did tell us to bring God's love to others.  

The only sin we are told that is unforgivable is a sin against the Holy Spirit. The greatest sin against the Holy Spirit would be not to love God with all that you are and to not the love of Christ, the Lord God has given to us through the Holy Spirit with one another.

As a country, people have forgotten how to love others. Many political leaders have forgotten how to love others. Those who bring violence and disrespect for the dignity of each and every human life have forgotten love. Sometimes, even believers have forgotten how to love.

Friends, the secret of loving others is to live the greatest commandment - love God with all that you are.  We see how we fail to love God by confession.

Mothers had it right when they said “be good.” That is why I say, “Be good, be holy, and preach the gospel by the way you live your life and love one another. Amen”

Invitation - Homily 28th Sunday OTA

Before mass, someone said, I just want to tell say you’ve become a really good preacher. You were always good, but lately you’ve gotten better.

I considered this during the first and second readings. I remembered my first homilies I tried so hard to get right. God would put a message on my heart and I would change it to get it just right. But, I noticed the less I edited the more it touched them people.

God supplies all we need.

He did this week. Friday, at 2:00 p.m., I was on the phone with a customer who did not want to end our conversation. Finally, I said "I need to go, I am preaching this weekend and need to read scripture and pray."

My friend said, I think God is calling me to ministry; but, I been too bad. I not good enough. And, I am definitely not smart enough.

Then he continues. My wife and I were raised Pentecostal but now attend a small Baptist Church. I was asked to be an usher and on the first Sunday when I went to take up the collection, the minister asked me to lead the offertory prayer. .

I had never prayed in public. I stammered, stuttered, and am sure offered the worst prayer. After service, I asked the preacher to please not call on me again. He did, the next Sunday; but then quietly added "Brother Bob, pray from your heart."

One Sunday the preacher came to me and asked "Brother would you consider being a youth minister?"

I had excuses. “I'm too bad, I not good or holy enough.  I'm definitely not smart enough. I’ve never been to seminary. I don’t know the bible well enough. ”

The preacher said, “I don’t either. I am just a country the boy the Lord called to preach the gospel.” Then he added, “I think he is calling you. If not the youth minister please consider teaching youth Sunday school classes with your wife.”

The Sunday school classes had been taught by an elderly couple for many years.  My friend said he explained he would not be comfortable taking Brother Billy’s class. The kids loved him and he loved them. Since his wife’s death the kids were all he had.

The preacher said, just help. The next Sunday, Brother Billy’s class was wonderful, well taught, and full of love. Afterwards, the old man came up to us and said “Thank you for your help, I have been praying God would provide.”

He continued, “I have needed help for this class. My wife helped me for years. She would teach me the lesson, because I cannot read or write.”

My friend said God humbled him at that moment.

Isaiah wrote, God will provide for the needs of his people.  

Jesus taught us to pray “Thy Kingdom Come. Thy will be done. ”Every day, it’s prayed hundreds of thousands of times. Hopefully, hundreds of millions of times - Christianity is l the most widely practice religion in the world.

Ideally 2.4 billion people daily will pray “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done.” That is a lot of people praying for an invitation to the wedding feast.

So when the invitation goes out, we will see how many will come.

The invitation is something special. The Prophet Isaiah calls it feast of salvation. He writes: The LORD God will destroy death, wipe away the tears from every face; the reproach of his people he will remove.

Jesus parable is about the promise of salvation. It was a message meant for the Pharisees, elders, and all the Jewish people. It is a warning for Christians today.

Our salvation depends on us making the correct response to God’s invitation. So, Jesus tells the parable with two parts.  

The first is about those who seem to be worthy, the favored ones. However, they insult the King and his heir by declining the invitation. They put their own interests first.  Something is more important to them than their salvation.

The second part of the story focuses on those who would never have considered getting an invitation. The rest of us, the bad and good, those who don’t think they’re worthy to receive the Kings invitation.

Jesus tells us that God wishes salvation for all since He makes the invitation to everyone. If we sincerely accept that invitation it will change us. That change is our wedding garment.

There is warning for those who don't get it right. They will be cast out into the darkness where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.

Think about what that means. Although we want everyone to be in heaven - Hell is real and we must take it seriously. Hell is not filled by the ones that God rejects but by those who reject God.

Like the invited guests who spurned the king’s invitation, they will never know the heavenly banquet because they unknowingly chose hell.

Friends, the truth is God invites us to this wedding feast every day; all of us, bad and good alike. None of us are worthy. The invitation of salvation is for all. It is an undeserved, unmerited grace that comes to us in God’s lovingkindness. It is God’s will that is to provide for all his people’s need.

Believers pray, “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done”. Hopefully millions and millions times a day.

Be good, be holy and preach the gospel everyday by the way you live your life and love one another. Amen

Wild Grapes - Reflection 27th Sunday OTA

I am saddened by what I see in the world. I am not surprised. I am not surprised at the violence in the streets. I am not surprised that people are celebrating the President’s COVID diagnosis and wishing he dies.

That is evil; but, it seems it is the way people are turning. People are turning hate the sin, love the sinner to a more virulent, if you think an evil is sin then you are the sinner and we  hate sinners.

People of faith have seen this coming for a some time. In her 1985 visit to the United States Mother Teresa said that in a country where people fight for the right to kill babies, there is true evil. (paraphrased)

An article a couple of weeks ago in an interfaith blog told the story of a woman who left behind her Christian faith to join the Satanic Temple. She said “This Church is not about Satan. (It’s in the name).  She said that the Satanic Temple was good people wanting to do good. It’s about egalitarianism, social justice, and the separation of church and state.

The devil is the great deceiver, the prince of lies. He disguises evil to easier to accept. Do not be surprise by terrible actions in a world that normalizes evil. Do not be deceived by the wild grapes planted in the vineyard.

To stand up against the evil in the world, God’s people cannot lose faith. Morals cannot slip. Eternal truths cannot be tainted.

St. Paul wrote, “Keep on doing what you have learned, received, heard and seen. The God of peace will be with you.

The word for that is perdurance. It means permanence, persistence, and to last forever. It is from the philosophical theory of persistence and identity. It is when something keeps its identity even though everything is working against it.

The things God taught through the prophets are eternal truths. The gospel of Jesus will always be the good news. Remember these things. Know these truths. Study the Gospel.

Christians suffer a lack of perdurance. Look at the reading today, it was absent from even in the LORD's vineyard.

Isaiah writes about God’s vineyard. God planted it. Fed it with his presence; but it went wild. The people of Israel looked at the ungodliness around them and liked it. They worshiped idols. They didn’t follow God’s direction. 

The people of Israel still wanted to be in God’s vineyard, safe, protected and taken care of by God; but, they wanted it to be there by the rules they made.

Israel didn’t persist in what God asked. They didn't endure in their faithfulness. They failed to live up to the identify God had given them.  In punishment, God abandoned protection of Israel. Israel was conquered, destroyed, and the people scattered.

Jesus tells a similar parable. To have a good vineyard, the vineyard owner had tenants to take care of the vines. They tenants became greedy and decided they wanted the fruit for themselves. God sent his servant and even his son to set the tenants straight. The rebellious tenants beat them, stoned them, and killed even the son.

The people did not endure in faith. They did not want God’s way; they wanted their own way.

Today, many look at envy on the sinfulness of those who fail God’s love. The world is now full of “what’s important to me”, ever sinking morals, and influences of the media. The vineyard is full of wild grapes. People celebrate it.

That is not what God asks of us. He asks be persistent in faith. He asks for endurance the truths he set forth. He asks believers to be permanent in that identify.

Most in the world has become like the tenants of the vineyard, not wanting to give to God the fruitfulness of our lives.

Friends, “Keep on doing what you have learned.”  It is as valid today as it was when St. Paul wrote it. Follow what you have been taught and stay true to the Gospel. The Gospel does not change. God has not and does not change, forever.

Through prayer, we are given a better understanding of God’s unchanging truth. In this world full of wild grapes, you will not have to worry. You will have joy and love. You will find the peace of God.

After all, God’s love for us has perdurance, forever.

Be good, be holy, and preach the gospel by the way you live your lives. Amen.

I Found Jeezee - Homily Reflection 25th Sunday OTA

Mass on Facebook

Father asked me Wednesday to share a homily this week. I prayed for it to be inspired by the Holy Spirit. I read the scriptures and prayed “Come Holy Spirit, inspire these words to kindle the fire of your love.

The first thing put on my heart was St. Cornelius and St. Cyprian. Wednesday was their feast day. They are great examples of workers in God’s vineyard.  

In 251 AD, they fought the heresy of Novatainism, which taught if a person lapsed in faith even if being tortured; they were no longer a Christian. They could not return to the church to ask forgiveness. This heresy wanted the Church to say “no” to forgiveness.

There are lapsed Christians; but, was that the message God wanted me to share. I prayed and as I sat in my recliner reading scripture, my 2 year old grandson comes running into the room.

“Poppy, I found ‘Jeezee’, I found ‘Jeezee.’” He was giggling, smiling, and clutching something tight to his belly.

He opens his hands to show me a small crucifix I keep on my desk. “Poppy, I found ‘Jeezee’”. He was happy holding Jesus tight.

On the lips of children Lord you have found perfect praise. God is so great. He sent a child with his message that this parable is about finding “Jeezee” Jesus.

This parable has different interpretations. The one most familiar is this; workers come early and they are paid a full day’s wage. Workers come at mid-morning and they are paid a full day’s wage. Workers come at noon and they are paid a full day’s wage. They come at three and even at the end of the day and they are paid a full day’s wage.

That shouldn’t surprise us. In Jesus’ parables, the landowner is God. The one who goes out into the world is Jesus.

To earn the wage the Lord is paying, it doesn’t matter when one comes to the Lord. He pays all the same wage, That wage is the gift of forgiveness, the reward of salvation, the joy of the resurrection, and the promise of eternal life. The righteous receive this reward no matter if they are the early believers of a thousand years ago or us today.

It doesn’t make any difference when you come to God, Jesus forgives the same.  “Turn to the LORD for mercy - our God is generous in forgiveness.”

The workers complained it wasn’t fair.

It is unfair. It’s unfair because it’s far beyond what we can comprehend as fair. God's goodness goes way beyond our small sense of “what is right.”  God's ways are not ours. As high as the heavens are above the earth are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts.

In the parable, the landowner asks the complaining workers “are you jealous because I am generous.” The literal translation is “are you giving me the evil eye because I am good.”

The world doesn’t want goodness. People in the world do not want to forgive each other and the world doesn’t want God to forgive either. Remember, the heresy in the early church St. Cornelius and St. Cyprian fought against. It said “no” to forgiveness.

That is not the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Gospel tells of God’s generous mercy and forgiveness. It proclaims the promise of the Kingdom of Heaven..

It doesn’t matter if you found “Jeezee” in youth or old age; because, God is good. God is generous. And, God is loving.

We know this. The Church teaches this. But, instead of being a happy, giggly child of God holding tight to Jesus, yearning for the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth, people give each other the envious, jealous, evil eye.

Wednesday night, I was reading these words, for to me life is Christ … and Liam full of life and joy comes running with this message “Poppy, I found ‘Jeezee’, I found ‘Jeezee.’”

Today we come to find Jesus. We come to worship God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We come to partake in the Holy Eucharist. We wait for the master to call us. We wait for our reward.

Friends, wait as a child of God, happy and holding tight to Jesus.

Be good, be holy, and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ by the way you live and love. Amen

Mostly Good is not What God Asks of Us - Reflection 24th Sunday OTA

 The Word of God is there with the answer. And today, scripture begins with this answer: Wrath and anger are hateful things, yet the sinner hugs them tight.

We are all sinners.

A couple of weeks ago, I had a dream about an injustice some in my family are experiencing. I woke up in the middle of the night so angry I scared myself. My heart was racing. I was trembling all over. I lay in bed and couldn't put the dream and the anger out of my mind.

I have forgiven the person that is source of this injustice many, many, many times. I constantly pray for the strength to forgive and to forgive again; but, the person does not change, in fact, vile actions continue.

In a dream, my unconscious thoughts asked, “Why should I keep forgiving?” I try to be good in everything else that I do. I am good in most things.

Mostly good is not what God asks of us.

Sirach’s wisdom tells us “You cannot nourish anger and wrath against another and expect God’s healing. You cannot refuse mercy and expect mercy. “

These things make our heart vindictive and abusive, unjust and unfair. These feelings are the suffering experience by the absence of mercy we have for others and ourselves. It destroys the goodness of our soul.

Isn’t that what we see in the world? The world ignores and does not care about the human soul.

As Christian we cannot ignore the human soul. Jesus came to heal our soul. He taught that each person is more than the worse thing they have done. That is why Jesus tells his disciple to forgive not seven times but seventy-seven times.

Forgiveness is hard when the badness of the worse thing a person has done affects you.

Yet, the Word of God is there with the answer.

Even though, it is hard to forgive others, Jesus has done the hardest thing and forgiven us. And, Jesus, the source of forgiveness, our salvation, the way the truth and the light, tells us we must forgive others from our heart.

St. Paul tells the Roman Christians and us: None of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself. For if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord.

If Christians are to represent Christ by how we act and how we love and how we live, remember almost is not good enough.  To illuminate the image and likeness of God in the world we must live our lives in a conscious union with God.

A conscious union with God is something you have to make an effort to attain. It is decisions deliberately made; not to be angry and vengeful. It is the choice of mercy. It is the act of forgiving. 

It is continuous. It is something to pray about. Mostly good is not what God asks of us

And, the Word of God will  be there with the answer.

Friends - Set enmity aside of the world. Pray unceasingly in these days where it is so easy to be angry. Love one another enough to forgive. This love is a moment by moment choice and surrender.

Be good, be holy and preach the gospel by the way you live your life, with love and forgiveness of one another.

AMEN

Brother's Keeper - Homily Reflection 23rd Sunday OTA

God asked Cain where his brother Able was; Cain answered “I know not; am I my brother's keeper?” We say the same thing even today - Am I my brother’s keeper?

Our answer is not necessary the one God asks of us.

From the gospel: If you see someone doing wrong, tell them. If they do not listen take one of two more with you and tell them. If they continue to do wrong bring it to the church.

Then God’s message by the prophet Ezekiel: If I tell the wicked, “O wicked one, you shall surely die,” and you do not speak out to dissuade the wicked from his way, the wicked shall die for his guilt, but I will hold you responsible for his death.

God says “we are our brother’s keeper?

In this world, that is a tremendous and formidable responsibility. Regrettably, many never take this task God has given us to heart. They balk at the thought of telling someone they are doing wrong and to give up sinful ways.

They the answer of Cain, “I know not; am I my brother's keeper?” or maybe their excuse is "I have enough just to keep myself from sin"

But friends, love call us to be our brothers' keepers.

We shall never overcome our own temptations to sin if we have no time to think of our neighbors' need.

The model of sin shared by us and others becomes the examples to the weak and young.  The lack of example impedes many non-Christians to the possible acceptance of the faith.

If Christians had lived these instructions of charity the prophet Ezekiel and Christ himself gave to us, maybe there would not have been great fractures in the Church that have caused so many in the world to lose faith in Christ and in God.,

Most of us will say, I don’t know where or how to do this.

Friends, if we are parents or godparents or grandparents or aunts or uncles, the first neighbors and fellow Christians we must correct are our children. Their salvation and our own depend on how well we do this.

Families obedient to Christ in this will have opportunities to share these acts of love and help to those outside the household.

Yet, those who are lax, who give little or no thought to getting to heaven or to their children getting there in God's good time, will hardly bother with their neighbor's salvation.

If we are to bring Christ to the world, then we must give the world Christ and that includes telling our neighbors to go and sin no more.

I’ve been lucky in my life with many concerned about my salvation; my brothers, parents, wife, friends, and even my children over the years have taken the time and love to tell me I was wrong. They told me I was on the wrong path. Some knew they were correcting me, most did not; we all need this type of love.

From experience, following Christ’s instructions are not easy. People become angry. People will not listen. They will tell you to mind your own business. It not only the person that errs, others in the community as well.

Today, many are lost. The world is looking for something.

Maybe they are looking for happiness, peace, and love but they are searching in things and experiences that are not love. They don’t know happiness, peace, and love Christ Jesus can bring. 

We are called to be our brother’s keeper. Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another; Love does no evil to neighbor;

Look around to see, Love is where the world fails. Yet, the greatest commandment is a call to be our brother’s keeper. “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

We truly love when Christ is in our midst.

Be good, be holy, and preach the gospel to your children, brothers, sisters, neighbors and the world, by the way you live your life and love one another. Amen.

Funeral Parlor Fans – 22nd Sunday OTA

We are having mass today, without electricity because of Hurricane Laura's visit to the State of Louisiana this week. We pray for our brother and sisters in Calcasieu Parish, Lake Charles and all the communities in the Hurricane’s. Even over 230 miles from where it came ashore, our community felt the storm.

Without electricity, it was hot at mass. Everybody was fanning themselves with the order of mass cards. It made remember funeral parlor fans. 

I grew up in a small country Church with no air conditioning. On Sundays in the summer, everyone used funeral parlor fans. It was just a piece of cardboard on a stick advertisement for the funeral home. The hotter it was, the faster the funeral parlor fans fluttered. If the sermon was too close to home, the faster the funeral parlor fans fluttered.

No matter how hot, the men wore suits and ties and the women had on their best. They came prepared to meet God and fought the heat with funeral parlor fans.

Now days, people look for reasons not to come to church. It’s too hot. The homilies are too long or boring. They have something else to do. They feel it's not really necessary to go to Mass or Church or Sunday Meetings because God knows my heart. (God does and is often disappointed). God wants us to be happy.

The problem is where people find happiness.

Be happy,but, find it in the right place; because one day, God is going to call us to account. People will ask themselves -Where were you at; When do you pray; When did you love God? 

When called to account for a life lived without God, many will blame God. They don’t find happiness in the things of this world, they blame God. Think about it, many blame God for everything.

They will be lamenting “You duped me, O LORD, and I let myself be duped…” I didn’t know that you wanted so much of me.

If people just knew and listened to the word of God, the words of Jesus.

“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny self, take up his cross, and follow me.  For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

God is good and loving and wants us to be happy. Denying yourself seems the very opposite of happiness, and the cross is an instrument of torture.

The route to the happiness God does want for us goes through the cross of Christ. Christ is The Way for us and we meet him at the cross for our true happiness in love and holiness in him.

Find our happiness in Christ and one day maybe, we won’t need funeral parlor fans anymore.

Be good, be happy, and preach the gospel by the way you life your life and love one another. Amen.

Upon this Rock - Homily Reflection 21st Sunday OTA

Watching the news over the past couple of weeks, I notice that the world seems to be going through the terrible twos.  

My youngest grandson is going through the terrible twos; and, he is good at it. I came home from a funeral yesterday to find him running down the street, hands in the air, and yelling screaming as two years old will do; and my poor wife running after him with a loving but frustrated look.

Most people never leave the terrible twos even those who try to live a Christian life. We strive to be Holy despite our shortcomings. Most of us have weaknesses and sins that tempt and plague us. It can be insecurity or disobedience or as my roommate in college called it “a wild hair.”

Despite this, those who live in the love of Christ know God is in us. We see the face of Christ in others. Each of us and all of us are the Church.

These are the truth of the Gospel today. The truth taught is the ecclesiology of the church and Christology of the Christ.

The truth of the Church comes what Peter said about Jesus. This truth is found in Jesus words to Peter:

“Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.”

The Church is because of who Jesus is.

Everything the Church has to say begins and ends with its God-given knowledge of Christ Jesus. It is the inexhaustible treasure of truth, which it holds in trust for the world.

The world doesn’t necessarily like the truth that Church reveals. The work of the great deceiver is that the Church is irrelevant. It falsely puts forward Jesus is a myth.

Because of sin, people will believe evil. They fight against the reality of the truth the Church presents to the world.

The reason people don’t like what the Church has to say is because they don’t understand who Jesus is. They don’t understand the Christology.

Jesus asked the disciples “Who do the people say that I am?”

The people who saw all the great things Jesus did tried to identify him with the realities they knew. The disciples told Jesus the people said John the Baptist, Elijah, or even Jeremiah.”

The Christology, the reality of Jesus requires a much greater leap in imagination and faith. Like that leap that Peter took, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

The reality of Christ requires great faith.

Believing the truth of the Church that comes from God, requires great faith

Jesus told Peter “upon this rock I will build my church”

Friends, we all know the story of Peter. Jesus did not call him a rock because of his steadfastness or reliability. The Passion exposed his tendency to falter. He ran away. He denied Jesus. He hid.

“Upon this rock” was the insight of faith God had communicated to Peter.

“Upon this rock” the Church will survive all attempts to destroy it.

“Upon this rock” the Church survived Judas. It survived all the shortcomings of Peter. It survived the doubts of Thomas. It survived the persecution of Paul. It survived the persecution of the Roman Empire. It has survived in all the places ancient and modern that has persecuted it, ban it, and martyr true people of faith.

The church is built “upon this rock” of faith; “upon this rock” in each of us.

It was founded “upon this rock” Jesus found in Peter. It was the same Peter who love and sinned but held on to the Lord anyway.

Jesus told us that the gates of Hell cannot prevail against this kind of love.

I looked and before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. (Rev 7:9)

The Church is each one of us striving to be Holy despite our shortcomings. That is a deeply comforting thought.

Be good, be holy, and preach the gospel by the way you live your life and love one another. Amen.

Hope Belongs to Our Call - Reflection for 17th Sunday, OTA

It seems all that we see is bad news, violence, hatred, and bigotry. The news is full everything except hope.

Without hope, so many ask, “Where are you God?” Sadly it is the only way that many know how to pray.

All they ask is to see God.

This prayer from those who truly seek God, is pure. For earnest prayer, God tells us, “Ask something of me and I will give it to you.” But, most with only this prayer will have no idea what they are looking for, where to find it, or how to find it. 

Maybe they seek the same that Solomon asked; the wisdom of an understanding heart.

More people with the wisdom of an understanding heart can make the world a better place.

With all the unhappiness in the world, people are searching; but, most do not know where to find it or how to find it. They really don’t want to know God as God asks of us. Scripture tells us, to really know God you have to die to yourself.

That is not an easy thing; so, people tend not to look to have an understanding because it is not an easy thing. They look somewhere else. They cry out for an understanding heart to come to them.

So people shout, “Where are you God?” And, they do not recognize God’s answers. If the understanding heart  God sends does mimic their opinion, rhetoric, or world view they reject it.

God has given them the freedom to make that choice.

And there are those who say, “Where are you God?” as a mockery of God. They do not want an answer. And, in God’s greatness, he still answers their prayer by the freedom of their creation.

God answers each of our prayers through freedom. God created us with the freedom to know God or not. Each person has the freedom to pray or not. Each has the freedom to seek heaven or hell. Each has the freedom to love or not. Each of us has the freedom to accept the miracle of God’s healing or not.

Neither Governments nor humanity can chain the freedom given by our creator. Only we have the freedom to do that.

We can ask God to have the wisdom of an understanding heart by choosing to know God, pray, and seek heaven. These can allow us to forget our self imagined importance and grow closer to God. They open our hearts to love. It changes us. It makes us citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven exemplified by our lives here on earth.

That is a kingdom hidden within us. We find it coming to God in Jesus Christ with constant, earnest, living prayers.

It is not the easy way. It is a pearl of great price. It takes sacrificing the ego in this world to find the hidden treasure t there for us to find.

People pray “Where are you God?” because; giving up or self love to love others is trouble for the world. It is too great a price to relinquish the self-loving ego for the wisdom of an understanding heart of agape that comes from God.

Look at the world. There is hate, bigotry, racism, and injustice. It fills many hearts. Instead of the love we have for one another, these sins are the measures of humanity the world seeks out.

But, listen closely. Hear the voices of the ones blessed by God the Father to know the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven. They speak regularly with God in prayer and the understanding of his Word. They know and live a life of love, peace, hope and justice.

They speak of it. They share it. By dying to the self, they live for God, know the hope of his kingdom, and share it.

When all are pulled to judgement those who have found the great treasure will be the good catch.

Those who did not open themselves to the Heavenly Father's answer when they asked “Where are you God?” At that time, all will know.  

All will know.

We are called to his purpose. That call is to the freedom of the agape wisdom of an understanding heart. It is freedom to exemplify the kingdom of Heaven despite the sinfulness the world gives us. It is the freedom of hope no matter how much the world despairs.

Hope belongs to our call.

Be good, be holy, and preach the gospel by the way you live your life and love one another.

Amen.

The Parable about the Kingdom of Heaven - Reflection 16th Sunday OA

(Inspired by Bible Odyssey article by Jonathan T. Pennington)

Jesus tells us in parable that the Kingdom of Heaven may be likened to a landowner who sows his fields with good seed. His enemy comes and sows weeds in the fields. When asked what to do, the landowner says to leave them. The bad will be sorted from the good at harvest time.

The Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven is the unifying theme of the bible. The OT identifies God as the king over all the world and promising the coming of a great king. In the NT, Jesus teaches the kingdom is near and He is the heir to the king

Today, there are few kings and queens, most are only figureheads. In the few countries with a royal family having authority it’s based on inequity and oppression.  

In most societies, suspicion is usually on any leader who has great power.  

So to many, the notion of God as king over all of creation is abstract and spiritual ideas with little effect on modern life. That’s a weed the enemy has planted.

But the kingdom of Heaven is not abstract. It is not oppressive or irrelevant but is a promise of God’s liberating and life-giving reign from heaven to earth. God will not this by his anointed one who will be a conduit of God’s blessing, peace, and justice in the world.

That anointed one is tell us the parables in the Gospel today.

Through parables and teachings Jesus describes the kingdom as present already.  The kingdom is like a seed sown in people’s hearts; like a treasure found hidden in a field; or a pearl of great price.  

It is there for us to find, like the thief crucified next to Jesus who asked to be received into Jesus’ kingdom. Jesus responded that on that day he will enter into paradise.

And, when Jesus is asked when the kingdom of God will come - he states the kingdom is not something that can be directly observed because “the kingdom of God is among/within you.”

Friends, as followers of Jesus Christ, we are bring the kingdom of Heaven by caring for the poor and needy, offering forgiveness and reconciliation, and bringing life and light to all nations. We are to do this until the kingdom comes and there is no distinction or inequity between any persons. This is how the eternal kingdom of Heaven impacts lives today.

Jesus, also, indicates that the kingdom of Heaven is not yet present but will come when God finally sets right the world.  It will come with Jesus’ return from heaven to earth as the glorified Son of Man.

Jesus tells us that at that time those who have done the will of God will enter into the kingdom and eternal life. He will separate the good and the bad.

Jesus speaks of both of these realities because the reign of God may be described as both “already and not yet,” and “now with more to come.” And, not everyone can understand or accept his teachings about the kingdom

The difficulty of these teachings is why so many do not realize their truth in this modern world. There are some true believers, Christians who work to bring the kingdom of Heaven to earth. There are others who believe and they are the enemies of God.

The devil attacks the Kingdom that is in this world by attacking the Church, people of faith, and peace.

Now is the time for fight to realize and bring the kingdom of Heaven to earth. Fight with prayer for protection because the enemy will attack. Fight with peace because the enemy brings violence. Fight with a humble spirit against the arrogance of the world.

St Paul wrote that the Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness . . . because he intercedes for the holy ones according to God’s will.

God’s kingdom is present now and forever because he rightly rules over his own creation. Be good, be holy, and preach the Gospel by the way you live your life and love one another, in prayer, peace, and humbleness of spirit. Amen.