Make Your Own Good Dirt - HomiLy 20th Sunday OTa

 

6-7; Ps 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8; Rom 11:13-15, 29-32; Mt 15:21-28

Praise be Jesus Christ 4 ever and ever – Amen.

Have you ever had someone say something to you in one context, but when you think about it means so much moreLet me tell you about mine…

My good friend and brother in Christ is a landscape architect. He has traveled the world in that career working with large international companies. He not only shared his green thumb and professional talents, he shared his faith as a witness of Jesus Christ.

Even though he has been successful in the business world, he still loves to garden at his home in Alexandria. He has a beautiful raised bed garden with clean wide walkways and strives to keep it immaculate. What the garden produces is magnificent!

At a recent gathering at the Jesuit Spirituality Center, I asked if he had any pictures of his garden to show my wife.

He said “Sorry, Brother Bill but I do not have my phone. I can tell you the secret of a good garden is to make your own good dirt. You have to have good soil.  If you compost, you make good dirt and will not need any artificial chemical fertilizers. The secret making things grow is to have good dirt.”

I thought about composting on the 3-hour drive back to Monroe. God wanted me to learn something else and the Holy Spirit showed me what God wanted me to learn from that advice.  It was about God's mercy, faith, and salvation.

Those are the subjects of our scripture.

Isaiah that begins with this message from God - “Do what is right and do what is just.” The secret of making things grow is to make your own good dirt

Isaiah raised a few eyebrows when he pointed out God’s mercy is not just for the people that would normally be consider the fertile soil (tribe of Israel.) God’s mercy is for all people not just the people. If people Love the Lord – keep the Sabbath free from profanation - and uphold God’s covenant –they will make themselves good dirt.  The LORD will plant the seed of faith in that good soil and from that seed of faith in God comes mercy that reveals his salvation and justice.

“My salvation is about to come, my justice about to be revealed.”

Even those raised in a good Christian home can reject God’s mercy.  They have little or even no faith. They turn their back on God with excuses like I‘m too broken of a person. I made a mess of my life. I done such bad things. God could never love me. That part of them, the soil where the seed of faith is planted has been poisoned.

The injustice that is the evil of this world has been planted in hearts. Those who should know God’s mercy by knowing Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, and are washed clean of sin in Baptism have become poison by what is around them. Their faith has become starved or choked or has withered under the heat of the deceivers influence. The evil of this world poisons them and the good  is overshadowed by what is not good. .

This becomes their truth – God does not know me. God does not love me.  I have done such bad things God could never forgive me. I am too far from God for his mercy.

Although the grace of God’s mercy is given to all, there little good dirt in the hearts of those whose allegiance is this world. They do not know or recognize God’s mercy around them.

The evil one justifies all that he does by boasting that this world is too broken for God to love.

The proof that we are loved is in the Gospel today.  The Canaanite woman comes to Jesus in faith seeking his mercy. She was fighting her demons. And, the disciples try to run her off. 

She was a foreigner and they did not think her good enough for Jesus’ message. Jesus even says -   my message is for the good soil – the people of Israel.

In never ending faith, this foreign woman asked Jesus for mercy. Let some of your goodness fall upon my child and me. Even dogs get the scraps from their master’s table.

Jesus looked at her and saw her faith. She was good soil made by faith.  This woman, a foreigner testifies to all - the justice of His mercy. The truth of his salvation. Because of her faith, her child was healed from that hour.

Friends composting takes all the scraps, refuse, and discarded materials from the yard, garden, and kitchen and makes it into something new. It is brought to the compost pile or bin and thrown in to be changed and to become good dirt.

It is the same for us- our sins, disobedience, all the bad things we have done that make us believe God will never love us can become  the best of soils to receive God’s mercy and justice.

The message St. Paul gave to the Romans is still true. It is a message so many need to hear.  You receive mercy because of disobedience; by the virtue of mercy we receive mercy. God’s mercy is for all.

Take it all to the confessional where our sins and the bad is thrown out and by the grace of God’s mercy we receive forgiveness. Work to be made good soil. It is not easy. There is going to be some stench coming out of us. By grace we become a good dirt and who we are meant to be.

Friends come and kneel at God’s table. Pray and ask for his mercy. Pray for justice. Let faith be in all that we bring to Jesus to make us good soil

Be good, be holy and make yourself good soil so that the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ can grow in you to share with others by the way you live your life and love one another.

Praise be Jesus Christ – 4 ever and ever. Amen.

The Naked Truth - Homily 15th Sunday OTA

Readings - Is 55:10-11; Ps 65:10, 11, 12-13, 14; Rom 8:18-23:Rom 8:18-23

Praise Be to Jesus Christ, for ever and ever.  Amen

When my children were babies and my grandchildren were small they loved to run around naked. They would get out of the bathtub and you would have to chase them down to put clothes on them. The truth was the loved to be naked.

Here is another - Our first parents, Adam & Eve walked in the garden with God. They were naked.  The serpent tempted them, do you want to know the truth of what it is to be like God, then eat of what is forbidden. They did, the truth they realized was nakedness, so they hid from God.

From those two little hints, maybe you guess that I want to talk about Truth. Or even more exact The Naked Truth.

Truth walks into town and Truth is naked. All the people ran from the naked truth and closed themselves to the truth. Truth became troubled. 

Then one day, someone approached him and offered to be his friend.

Truth asks his new friend, why is everyone running from me.

His new friends say, because you are naked. But, my friend if you come with me I will be able to help you. My name is Story. I am a tailor. Come with me, I will clothe you so you are no longer naked.

Truth’s new friend Story, made Truth many fine suits of clothes, among them were myth, poetry, and parable.  Because of these fine suits, people opened themselves to Truth.

That is why I like to tells stories. That is why Jesus uses parables. So that people would be open to the truth. Today, Jesus shares the parable of the sower.  However, reflect on the truths of that parable in a slightly different way. 

Most of the time, we focus on where the seed is sown – the hard path, the rocky grown, the shallow soil, the patch of thorns or the fertile ground. A lot of times the focus is which one am I.

That is one of humanity’s sins, focusing on our selves instead of God. God is the sower. Focus on the sower. Focus on that truth.

One truth is that God loves each and every one of us. God loves us so much He sows seeds with abundance. Seeds of his grace. Seeds of his mercy. Seeds in the Word of God.

The sower gives each the seeds of his grace and mercy. God loves each of us as if there were only one of us. God loves us and sees in us fertile ground.

A second truth of this parable is God’s mercy. God, who is rich in mercy, shows this truth to those who go astray. The seeds of God’s mercy falls on the hard path, rocky ground, the shallow soil, and even it the thorn patch. He gives mercy to those in poor soil the same as he gives mercy to those on fertile ground.

The truth of God’s mercy is like the rain and snow, which comes down to water the earth. If we open our hearts to God’s grace and mercy, it makes good, fertile, and fruitful soil.

Sadly, we are too much like our first parents. We want our own truth.

The evil one comes and steals away what is sown in the heart with trials, tribulation, or persecution of the world. With thorns of worldly anxiety and false narratives the devil convinces many to run and hide from God. Those worldly truths choke the grace, mercy, and word of God from our hearts.

And even now all creation is groaning in labor pains. Pain from those in the world who want to be God and make their own truths. This makes poor soil that rejects the sowers seeds.

At his trial, Jesus said to Pontius Pilate – “For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.' 

Pilate said to him, 'What is truth?'

There is a 3^rd truth, found in the very first words of today’s Gospel. It tells the truth of Jesus. Jesus does not give up on us. 

He got up and leaves the house, goes to the sea (the place where he promise to make his disciples fishers of men), and large crowds were there.

Scripture does not give specifics about the house. Maybe it was a disciple’s house or a friend’s house. However, the truth is Jesus left the Father’s house to come to this world. This world represented by the sea. In biblical scripture, the sea represents the chaos and turmoil of creation. The large crowds reveal that Jesus came for everyone.

Jesus does not give them the naked truth. He preaches the truth by this parable because he wanted them to come to the truth.  I speak to them in parables, because they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.

Pray that we all are rich and fertile soil for the seed God sows in our heart through the Word of God. For creation awaits with eager expectation the revelation of the children of God. Many longed to see what you see and to hear what you hear.

Be good, be holy, and preach the truth of the gospel in the story and parable of how we live our life and love one another.

Praise Be to Jesus Christ, for ever and ever.  Amen

Whoever Disregard This Disregard God - First Friday 9/1/23

Readings - 1 Thes 4:1-8; Lk 21:36; Mt 25:1-13

There is a profound message in today’s scripture.  I want you to hear it. I want you to share it with all who will hear you - The will of God is our holiness.

St Paul writes - God did not call us to impurity but to holiness; whoever disregard this disregards God.

Holiness is to draw near to God.

In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus tells us how to answer the call to holiness - “Pray Constantly.”  Be vigilant; pray so you have the strength to stand before the Son of Man.

Then Jesus gives us the parable of 5 wise virgins and 5 foolish virgins. 

The 5 wise virgins prepared themselves for the coming of the bridegroom. The brought out their lamps, trimmed the wicks, and brought extra flasks of oil.

They were waiting for the LORD to come. They had the light of faith.  The wicks trimmed so the flame would burn bright. They stayed vigilant and brought extra oil to keep the flame burning.

They did everything they needed to do be able to draw near to the LORD.

The 5 foolish virgins were unprepared. When the bridegroom came, their light was out. They were not vigilant.

They had run out of oil. Not ready for the coming of the bridegroom.

See Christians today.

Those who seek holiness are vigilant in prayer, worship, and praise of God.

The foolish want God on their terms. Cafeteria Catholics choosing what is easy. Ignoring what is right or hard.

Catholics who do not come to mass or confession. There are those who do not rightfully receive the Blessed Sacrament.  There are those who do not pray.

Christians worshipping the popular of the world rather than following truth in God’s will. Many choose to identify as spiritual but not religious and follow the will of the world expressed in human voice.

Just like the foolish virgins, people consider themselves good. They identify as Catholics, Christians, or even something else.  How many are answering a call to holiness?

Are we following God’s will?

God calls us to holiness through Jesus Christ. Whoever disregard this disregards God.

One day the foolish will be knocking at the gates of Paradise – calling – “Lord, Lord, open the door for us.”

He will say in reply, “I do not know you.”

There is a profound message in today’s scripture.  Hear it & share it with all who will hear - The will of God is our holiness. God wants us to draw near to Him. 

Whoever disregard this disregards God.

Living in Ordinary Time - 2nd Sunday OTA

 

Praise be Jesus Christ forever and ever. Amen.

This is the 2^nd Sunday of Ordinary Time. Google “Ordinary Time,” it is defined as the part of the liturgical year outside the seasons of Advent-Christmas and Lent-Easter.   

That is kind of an “ordinary definition.”

The Church’s definition is more Christ centered: Ordinary Time is a time for growth and maturation in which the mystery of Christ is called to penetrate ever more deeply into history until all things are finally caught up in Christ. 

In our part of the country, the ordinary time between Christmas and Easter is King Cake and Mardi Gras season. That is not a bad thing. The king cake with the baby inside, reminds us always look to find Jesus. Mardi Gras celebrates goodness and blessings before Lenten penance for our unworthiness as wait the return of Christ.

It is in these times, we reflect God’s glory to all around us by what we say and what we do.

It is also a time people fall back to ordinary routines and everyday habits – good and bad. Back to their normal ways, which may be missing time to pray; missing time to praise and worship God; missing mass; and missing the sacraments.

St. John Paul II said - If faith is not fully incorporated into our culture then we do not fully accept it. Think about that for a second……, if faith is not fully part of our life, do we really have faith? Sadly, faith is no longer an ordinary part of culture.

The world accepts the dismissal of faith as the ordinary. A world that is waging a battle against Christian faith; making the hurt of sin as the accepted actuality of “everyday” life.People of faith are at risk of falling to this peril by the ordinary in the “everyday” world.  

This “everyday” becomes the ordinary. Friends take care and do not fall into this ordinary.

Jesus Christ came to the world so we would not worry on “everyday” life. (Mt 6:25) Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, takes away the sin of the world. (Jn 1)

We receive grace upon grace (Jn 1:16) that feeds our souls.  And, our baptism, the sacraments, and the Holy Spirit prepare us to fight against “everyday” ordinary life of this world.

It is a fight for our souls and the souls of the ones coming after us. (Jn 1) It will be easy for those who come after to reject faith they know nothing about.

You may ask, how do I fight against the everyday world? I cannot do this. There is nothing special about me.

Even John the Baptist said he was unworthy, but he was the voice that cried out in wilderness. He had the strength of this voice, because God called him.

Our strength is Jesus Christ the Son of God. Whoever believes in the Son of God has this testimony. (1 Jn 5:10)

Holy was John the Baptist. Holy was St. Paul. Holy are those who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Rm 10:13). In our holiness, the LORD calls each of us by name. Called to Christ Jesus by the will of God. (1 Cor 1:2)

Friends answer God’s calling, “Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.” Announce God’s justice. Put a song on your lips and God’s hymn in your heart. Because God the Father sent his Son into the world to change us.

We are God’s children now.(1 Jn 3:2) Adopted as sons and daughters through Jesus Christ. (Ep 1:5) God’s family living in this world.

Sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy. (1 Cor 1:2).  Each made glorious in the sight of the LORD. (Is 49:5)

God is our strength! God’s strength allows us to live by faith in the “everyday” ordinary. In living out faith,  we reflect God’s glory to all around us.  

It is up to us. Do not restrain your lips. (Ps 40:10)  All of God’s children, TESTIFY. Announce justice. Live a life of faith. Make it our culture. (Ps 40:10)

Merge the “everyday” with the mystery of Christ. Weave into the world an ordinary that is a culture of faith. Be the light that allows the mystery of Christ to penetrate deeply into the “everyday” ordinary of this world. (Is 49:6)

As believers and people of faith make the sacredness of prayer, praise, and worship a priority. Glorify and praise the Lord God as your normal. Our Ordinary Time is being the Lord’s witness in “everyday” ordinary until all things are finally caught up in Christ.

We reflect God’s glory to all around us by what we say and what we do.

Be good, be holy, and witness the good news of Jesus Christ by the way you live your life and love for one another. This is what our faith is all about!

Praise be Jesus Christ forever and ever. Amen

"It Must Have Got Some Spice In It" - Homily 21st Sunday OTC

Isaiah 66:18-21 Psalm 117:1, 2  Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13 Luke 13:22-30

Praise be to Jesus Christ, forever and ever.  Amen

Here is the message of the parable Jesus teaches in the gospel: “We will all be standing outside the locked door knocking and saying, “Lord open the door for us.” And he will say to you in reply “I do not know you.” 

Those are some harsh words. They cannot be meant for me. I am a believer and a Christian. I come to his table - I ate and drank - and listen to his teachings. Jesus is not talking to me in those words. He is probably not talking to any you.

But, the truth of our everyday words and actions can put us outside that locked door. The LORD knows your work and your thoughts. He will say, ”I do not know you, depart from me you evil doers.”

As a deacon, I don't want anyone God has been given to my care to be outside that lock door.  My ministry is to help you find a friendship with God. For that reason I share this story.

My youngest grandson learned a new word. “Hate.” He does not know what it means. He says things like, I hate my dinosaur. I hate hot dogs. I hate my brother.

His mother tells him, “We do not hate, it is not nice.” He laughs and says it more. Finally, my daughter says, “Go talk to Poppy!”

So he crawls up in my lap, and curls in the crook of my arm. So loving and so trusting. I tell him I love him. I tell him his mommy, brother, nanny, and mammaw, and even his dog loves him. Does he like the love in my hugs and kisses when he sits in my lap?

U-huh, I love you.

I tell him, hate is the opposite of love so why does he say he hates,  “Do you know what hate means?” He just turned 4, he doesn’t.

God gives me this idea. I pulled this bottle of Tabasco Sauce from the back of the refrigerator. The cap had not been put on firmly, so the rim was nice and crusty. I put him in my lap and said, “Do you want to drink this?”

He says “No it’s nasty! It is spicy. It will burn and make my tummy ache.”

I said, Liam, that is like hate. You do not want to put hate in your mouth because it is nasty. You don't want it inside you because it burns the goodness away. It makes you hurt and broken. When hate is inside you it hurts you and it hurts others. Do you understand?

He said he did. Maybe, he proved it the next day.  On the way to school, he asked his mom for his favorite song “We don't talk about Bruno.” --- We hear that song a lot.

She was driving and could pull it up on the phone; but, he kept asking why. Finally in desperation, she says, “My phone is broken!”

In a 4-year old's logic, he says, “It must have got something spicy in it.”

That is how our life is - this world gets inside of us. The nasty old crusty bottle of worldliness burns up the goodness and we forget Jesus. We forget why we eat the bread of life and drink from the cup of salvation. 

We turn from love to hate.

The greatest commandment is love God with all we are and love our neighbor as ourselves. That is seen as less and less important. It is alive in people of all races, cultures, and viewpoints. The world does not want us to know that. It does not want us to love God, each other, and to forgive one another. 

The world wants us to hate.

People can bring that attitude to the Church even though they do not see it. They have stopped listening to the word of God. They sit at his table, but it is not important to them. They don't know God and they stand outside the door. To them, the LORD will say I do not know you.

Hate and the bigotry, prejudice, vitriol, disrespect, and violence hurt us and others. It causes us to be broken. The broken person is not new. Isaiah prophesied.

“People from all nations will come to see God’s glory, but if you are coming to God’s temple bring your offerings in clean vessels.”

Jesus teaches that to enter into God’s kingdom requires the discipline of knowing, following, and listening to God. He calls it a narrow gate.

St. Paul tells us God comes to us every day. God comes in times of trial, turmoil, and trouble. He communicates in times of joy and happiness. In these, we are to strengthen ourselves and make our paths straight.

Friends, God speaks to our hearts in different ways -- in creation, in everyday experience, in the things we love. 

A dialogue with God must go both ways. God talks to us; but do we hear his word? He knows us. He knows our thoughts. Do we know God’s voice and listen? 

Are we strong enough to talk to God with all that we are including fears, troubles, joy, and concerns. Can we get mad at God, laugh with God, mourn with God, rejoice with God?

God spoke to me and my grandson with a bottle of tabasco sauce. I took it in little bites and chewed it good and long to see God’s message. It is not necessary something that comes easily. 

To grow in this, I partake in spiritual direction. I have a spiritual director that helps me in my friendship with God.  It is a friendship I desire and God desires for me to have. My spiritual director is helping me grow in that relationship.  

Priests, deacons, religious brothers and sisters, all seek spiritual direction. If you are seeking to grow in your friendship with God and your dialogue with the mysterious other, spiritual direction may be for you. It may be what you need to open the door, to truly hear Jesus' words and teachings. To fully sit at the LORD’s table.

Lord open the door for us so that each of us may grow in your friendship. 

Remember, in this crusty world, it is important for us to be good, to be holy, and to preach the Gospel by the way you live your life and love one another. 

Praise be to Jesus Christ, forever and ever. Amen.

Which do you Choose? Hommily 18th Sunday OTC

Praise be Jesus Christ forever and ever. Amen

Did everyone get the message of our scripture readings today?  Greed is bad.  Greed is the excessive, reprehensive, inordinate, and a wanting desire for possessions– money, things, cars, houses, and food. With greed, this desire become more important than anything else does.

No one here won the $1.28 Billion dollar Megamillion lottery jackpot. There is a chance for a “lotto greed” with that much money and people were lined up out the door when I got my tickets.

One ticket sold in Illinois won. That is a lot of money, if you took that amount of money in $100 bills and laid it end to end, it would be well over 1200 miles. In $100 bills, it would weigh over 28K lbs. That is a lot of money. 

Since no one here won that money, I really do not have to speak about greed because none of us is rich enough to be greedy.

If that is what you think,– Vanity of vanities! All things are vanities. Qoheleth (ko--hay-leth) this – if all you do is work so you will have more. If you are up all night worrying about your job or how you’ll have more – it is vanity of vantities - “you can’t take it with you so what is the point?”

Consider the choice between two newspaper articles from an unknown date in the future that tell your life story.

One outlines a world famous, super successful, and extremely wealthy person. In life you focused on success and wealth to ignor everything else (ignored your family, friends, and God) to become this self-made person. It told of a life full of all the wealth and excess success in the world brought about. It told people were jealous and envious, which made you guard everything, even yourself, what if this article was your obituary.

One outlines how loved you are and the good you have done. You lifted up the poor and lived a lifetime ministering to the hungry, sick, homeless, and imprisoned. Yet, you had no earthly wealth or things – money, possessions or fame- only a life lived among people you loved and who loved you. People knew your smile, generosity, love, and devotion to God. You shared everything and yourself with others, what if this article was your obituary.

Which do you choose?

Greed is not just about money and wealth.  Greed is desires that harden your heart to the Christ in you and the Christ is all.

Paul describes this to the Colossians. Each of us is given the choice of what is of the earth and important to this world. Those things are immorality, impure passions, evil desire, and greed. All are idolatry. These things become god of the world.

Or, we can seek the better. Choose what is above instead of what is on Earth.  Choose a life hidden with Christ in God. Choose to be renewed. Become a new person in the image of God our creator. When see Christ is in us, we see Christ in all.

Paul asks, “Which do you choose?”

Your probably thinking, Deacon I am not rich or greedy. I have no excessive, reprehensive, desires for anything, especially none of the things Paul lists. I just want a little bit more.

Be careful, God’s commandment is not to covet (desire) what we do not have. Someone wanted just a little bit more and said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to share his inheritance with me.”  

Jesus response knew that person’s heart.  Jesus could have said your right, bring your stingy scoundrel of a brother here to take him to account.

Knowing the heart of the person who spoke to him, Jesus said –“Take care to guard against all greed for though one may be rich, your life does not consists of possessions.”

Greed causes us to put a wrong value on temporary things. It treats the temporary things of this earthly life as if it will endure on earth forever. The temporary things become all we hope and believe in.

Greed treats eternal things as if they are not real and will never happen. That may be why scripture does warn that the greedy will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Jesus warns; Do not make earthly things, the most important thing in our life.

Jesus does not say being successful and having nice things is wrong.  He does not condemn a nice house, a nice life style, or things we have in our life.

He gives us this parable of the rich man’s bountiful harvest. He hoarded all his wealth, greedily keeping all the good things for himself.

Jesus said to those who listened, “you are going to have to make an account for all this things you have been given.” Who do they belong to, you or God.

Jesus asks this question - Build riches on earth or build treasures in heaven? Which will you choose?

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

Praise be Jesus Christ forever and ever. Amen.