Listen Up! Homily Reflection Transfiguration Sunday.

(Readings)

Peter wrote as an eyewitness, remembering the experience of the transfiguration. I want to begin kind of in the same way, remembering that we are all to be the face of Christ in the world.

I remembered my high school football coach reading today’s gospel. 

Butch Stoker commanded attention. He would walk into a room; raise his hand and say, “Listen up, men!”

He never won a state championship in 32 years coaching at Alexandria Senior High; but, he accomplished more. He built young people of character. His character was our example.

I was an eyewitness.  One example he set was he never cussed. He did not allow his assistant coaches to cuss. And if you played for him, you did not cuss.

Listen up men, be good students! Listen up men; respect each other, be good friends! Listen up men, become good fathers, good husbands, and good citizens! Listen up men, do your best, live a good life!

Some found it hard and would leave. Yet, he was a man respected by the school, the community, and the thousands of lives he touched.

Listen up men!

We read, “A majestic voice came from the cloud and said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.’ "

This was the eyewitnesses’ experience. They saw Elijah and Moses. They saw Jesus change before their eyes, transfigured; His face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light.

But the words from heaven were: Listen to him. Listen, understand who Jesus is.

I wonder how many still listen to him. Some find it hard and they leave. Saying we don’t need religion; we don’t need the Catholic Church. These are things that step on their toes.

Peter points to the truth “We possess the prophetic message that is reliable. Pay attention to it like a lamp shining in the dark…..”

By that experience on the mountain, Peter, James, and John, disciples of Jesus, apostles of Christ, were given the truth and told listen to him. And by listening they learned that He is the One whose dominion is everlasting. His kingship shall never end.

Over 2000 years later, His kingdom still reigns.

But the one who was the leader of the rebellion against God in heaven continues to rebel against Christ and his Church on earth. The Devil’s message is do not listen to the word of God.

The devil tempts with an unhealthy notion of God and God’s church in the lie proclaiming that it is all a myth. It is a lie some who call themselves Christians may even believe. They argue God. They argue Jesus.

Peter writes “it is not a myth; we are eyewitnesses of his majesty. Jesus received honor and glory from God the Father in that unique declaration of the majestic glory.”

They listen to him. They didn’t argue God. They didn’t argue Jesus. They did share their witness.

The problem is we were not eyewitness. Many do not listen to Him.

People will listen to the King of Lies instead of the King of Kings. And the devil tells the world that God is a myth. God is meaningless. God is dead.

It’s what many want to hear.

It’s easy to believe the deceiver because all our human concepts of an infinite God are inadequate. All the teachings of the Church are insufficient to explain God’s grace and glory and radiance. People believe what is easy to believe.

Until we witness it in our lives like Peter, James, and John, we cannot even come close to understand the glory of Christ.

We can become eyewitnesses of Christ’s glory. Listen to him, listen to the words of Jesus in the gospel; listen to Jesus alive in the writings of the Apostles; listen to Christ in the traditions and sacraments of the Church; and listen for him in the world.

Seeing Christ alive in the world make it easy to believe and even easier to be a witness.

Even those with a heart far from God, if they listen to him and to his Church, will rise up and not be afraid to leave the lies of the world. They will proclaim “The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth.”

For His Church, the path God is no one else but Jesus.

Those who believe will raise their eyes and see no one else but Jesus alone.  

The eyewitnesses told the world these things.  They told the truths of the Church as eyewitness of the glory of Jesus’ life, his transfiguration, his death on the cross, and to his resurrection and ascension.

Listen to him, understand who Jesus is.

May all peoples see His glory!

Listen up, men! Listen up, women! Listen up, everyone! May the world see His glory in you, be the face of Christ that brings out the best in others.

Yall be good, yall be holy and preach the gospel by the way you live and love. Amen.

Re-gifting - Reflection 17th Sunday OT A

(Readings)

I had to prepare a presentation for a professional meeting. No specific topic, it just had to be current, profession related, and insightful. I had no idea.

Instead, I studied the word of God for this reflection. The church gives me someplace to start and the Holy Spirit takes over with the message to proclaim.

The message I found is that God gives each of us a gift; but how do we respond and use that gift. How do we re-gifting the gifts of God?

In the first reading, God gave King Solomon a gift of wisdom.  The LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream and said ask me and I will give it to you. Solomon’s response was for the wisdom on an understanding heart. In that understanding heart, God gave him so many other gifts.

Solomon re-gifted his understanding heart and wisdom to the people as King Solomon.

Christ gives us gifts even greater than the Wisdom of Solomon. Through Christ, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. With the gift of the Holy Spirit, we get wisdom and also understanding, counsel, knowledge, piety, fortitude, and fear of the Lord.

It is a gift that allows us to know the Kingdom of Heaven of Jesus’ parables. The treasure buried in the field and the pearl of great price. The Kingdom of Heaven we should want to achieve. 

Christ’s gift gives us all we need for that and more.

We celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit in the sacrament of Confirmation. Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth; for you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the kingdom

By the presence of the Holy Spirit, we bring our gifts to others. Those instructed in the kingdom of heaven brings from his storeroom both the new and the old. It is a gift we are to share, re-gift to others.  But do we?

Too many people forget the sacrament and put their gifts away to never to use them. The gift of the Holy Spirit becomes like unused and unopened Christmas gifts hidden in the back of the closet. The gifts we receive as believers born in Christ are left unrealized and undeveloped, put away and forgotten.

That is not the way it should be!!

King Solomon was called to be king, sharing the gift wisdom with his people. For that, the Lord promised he would be remembered as great among the kings of Israel. 

Re-gift what Christ has given; bring the old and the new because “All things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”

For myself, hopefully, I have grown in the gifts Christ bestowed on me when I was a new believer and have shared them with others. As a spouse, parent, son or daughter, brother or sister or friend each of us should grow in the gifts of the Holy Spirit; re-gifting them to all those we love.  

We are called to share our gifts as disciples; sharing the gospel and proclaiming the Kingdom of Heaven. For that, Jesus promised, “The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous.”

Think about the words of wisdom from today’s Psalm:  O LORD, my part is to keep your words. In all your precepts I go forward. The revelation of your words sheds light, giving understanding. Lord, I love your commands.

As a deacon, my ministry is bringing the Gospel to the workplace. Today’s gospel brought me a message for the workplace. You might say, I’ll be re-gifting this gift.

We are all called according to our purpose. King Solomon took the gift the Lord gave him and built up the Kingdom of Israel. Jesus tells us use all He has given us to build the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.

Our part is to keep His words and move forward sharing God by a life lived in His gifts.

Do you understand all these things?

Yall be good, yall be holy and preach the gospel by the way you live and love. Amen.

Communication - Communication - Communication - Homily 16th Sunday

(Readings)

Jesus tells the parable of the wheat and weeds. This parable was common practice to plant weeds in a field for revenge or hate or competition and it was against Roman law. The weed is called darnel.

It grows like wheat. It looks like wheat. It’s so similar it’s called false wheat; but it’s poison. Eating it makes you sick or worse.

Unless you knew what to look for, it was hard to tell the wheat from the weed. But when ripe, the fruit of the wheat turns a golden brown and the weed turns black. The master gave these instructions: wait until the harvest. Let’s see the fruit.

This week, I worked with great people from my company. My boss gave me these instructions: communication–communication-communication.

I’ve worked in my field for 30 years. In the beginning, every day I would learn something new and then something new again. I still have a lot to learn; but, my learning is not in leaps and bounds as it once was.

The communication instructions I was given was about learning every day. Learn from co-workers, peers, and customers. Most importantly, communicate what I learn so others learn.

That’s easier said than done. To learn more I will have to seek it with intentionality, with a lived life.

It is also the way of faith. Faith comes with intentionality, with a life lived.

Faith is by the grace of God; but to be strong, it needs to be experienced in life. Purposely put faith in our daily life by how we live in Christ and how we bring Christ to others. It’s a lot easier said than done.

Yet, the Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness

In the beginning, faith can grow like a mustard seed. Faith gets stronger every day and the next day again. Those who’ve lived long in faith still grow, but maybe in less leaps and bounds as when it was new.  

It is by the intentionality of faith through prayer we communicate with God. It is hard to pray as we ought but by the purposeful intention of prayer we grow in God; so pray – pray - pray.

Pray so that as faith matures, it will continue to grow. Again, seek faith a lived life.

Sometimes the experience of a lived life hurts and all we can do is groan. Offer that as prayer. Scripture says that then, the spirit himself will intercede… and God will hear it and know our intentions.

The Holy Spirit is the source of our prayer.  By grace, the Holy Spirit communicates us to God and God to us to grow our faith. Then by the Spirit that is in us, we communicate God to others.

A couple of weeks ago, Father challenged us to become dynamic Catholics. We are to be good wheat; but, we must be dynamic, which means being Catholic with the intentionality of a lived life.

According Matthew Kelly’s book The Four Characteristics of Dynamic Catholics are prayer, study, generosity, and evangelization.

These are all communication. Prayer is communication with God. Study is the communication of His knowledge, wisdom, and reason. Generosity is communication of His love and caring. Evangelization is the communication of the gospel of Christ to others. The first three all lead to evangelization. The more you grow in Christ through prayer, study, and generosity the more you desire to share Christ with the world.

Imagine a world living in accord with the greatest commandment. Imagine a world where prayer, study, generosity, and evangelization communicates love of God and neighbor in the most natural and effective way of kindness and friendship.

The world constantly changes for better or worse; full of good or full of poison. It is the way it is because of our human weaknesses, bad seed strewn by the enemy. As dynamic Catholics, we are wheat separated from the weeds by our fruit. We are to live a dynamic communication of God in prayer, study, generosity, and evangelization.

We have to do it intentionally, with a lived life.

Yall be good. Yall be holy. Preach the gospel by the way you live and love. Amen.

Fertile Ground - Reflection 15th Sunday OTA

 Fertile Ground

Readings

"A sower went out to sow.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,
and birds came and ate it up.
Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil.
It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep,
and when the sun rose it was scorched,
and it withered for lack of roots.
Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it.
But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit,
a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.”

When it comes to mass, you usually see many of the same faces, some faces you don’t see as often, and then some you see once or twice a year.

I was thinking about this in reflecting on the gospel. To grow a seed has to fall on fertile ground. For us to grow in the Gospel, to grow in love, we have to be in fertile ground.

There is an old saying “We are what we eat.”There is something else I have always been told. “All that we hear and we see becomes part of us.

Those two sayings are true for those who consider themselves Catholics. The Mass, the worship of God, and the praise and thanksgiving of the Eucharist, becomes part of who we are. We are what we eat, all that we hear and see becomes part of us.  Today, what we eat, we see, and we hear can be far from God. 

In scriptures Jesus’ followers found Jesus’ teachings hard and left him. But the disciples who stayed asked to whom else shall we go?

That’s what we find in the gospel. It asks are we fertile ground like the disciples who stayed or have we gone somewhere else and become hard, rocky, or thorny ground. Each and every time we turn away or forget or have something more important than God, we become bad ground that cannot grow the seed that is the word God has put in us. Instead, to whom else do we go?

In life, I have been guilty of going somewhere else, probably many of us have. I played golf, instead of coming to mass. Or, the ball game was to start at noon and if mass is long; I’d miss the pregame and some of the first quarter. And, I heard it was to be a great game.

At one time in my life, a child’s ball game or athletic event was more important than mass. The most important thing for my child’s life is to play ball, mass can wait. God’s asks something hard; to whom else shall we go?

At some time, I realized this truth. The truth of those who stayed that Jesus has the message of eternal life.

I understood this parable of Jesus; the hard ground, the rocky ground, and the thorns. My life had been the all those places.

Many times I’ve been hard and indifferent to the word of God. The birds were things I put before God. And because of my hardness and the things I put before  God, truth and love had no chance to grow. I put things before Him; a round of Golf, a ball game, or even work.

There were times I was on rocky ground. I thought I was good Christian but inside I was hateful to the world. Ugly and angry thoughts burned up the good inside of me for no reason other than to justify my own unhappiness. The seed of truth and love of God sown by Jesus could not find fertile soil.

When I was younger I lived among thorns. Even though I knew the love of Christ, I frequented things that were a bad influence not to change hearts; but, more often than not changing mine. Life among thorns can choke the love and goodness in you.

In times I was hard of heart or in a rocky place or living among thorns, God seed was in a little patch of fertile soil my parents had prepared in me. The seed that fell on this rich and fertile place grew. It made me work on the bad places. It worked to soften the hard part of me. I worked on the rocky parts and got the thorns out of my life.

I got away from bad influence of things I saw and heard that became part of me. I ate the body of Christ. I drank His blood. I saw and heard prayers of praise and thanksgiving that drew me closer to Jesus. That little patch of fertile ground became more and more. “The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been given to us....To anyone who has, more will be given.”

Are we being infertile ground so love and truth has trouble growing in us, our spouse, children, and friends?

What are you putting before God? A  ballgame, work, a fishing trip, or maybe a trip to Disney World,  remember, all in this present time is as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us.

Consider the example you set for others, because we are what we eat, all that we hear and see becomes part of us. You build fertile ground by the way you live, love, and preach the gospel.

Yall be good, yall be holy. Amen.

Got Burdens? Reflection 14th Sunday OT-A

Readings

Jesus used the words of the prophets to point to who He was. Before we begin, I’ll share these words that point to who we are, “The beginning of the Christian life is easy, the end joyous; but in the middle - battles take place!” (Viola)

Jesus used these words from the Book of Sirach "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves, for my yoke is easy, and my burden light."

Jesus refers to himself as a place of rest. These are words of wisdom; especially for those of us in the middle, where battles take place.

There is a young woman, beautiful, with loving husband and healthy and attractive children. She has a great job and a nice home. The world would say she’s got it made; but, she has burdens many will never carry. She battles for peace, trying to break the warrior’s bow that targets her life.

She comes to Jesus each week at mass. She comes with a broken heart washed in tears. She takes all that she has, all her burdens, and gives them to Jesus.

She has realized the truth. We can only give to the Lord who and what we are. This includes the burdens and sufferings in our lives, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened and I will give you rest.” This promise is words of comfort.

We all have burdens and nobody needs to tell us.  We can look at our life and make a list.  Burdens cannot be erased from lives. Suffering cannot be expunged from the world. But, when burdens or sufferings descend upon us, there is a safe place to go far beyond our troubles, “Come and I will give you rest.”

Those who see clearly know that everything can lead us to God. Everything and everywhere, even burdens and sufferings become a juncture for good and an occasion for encounter with God. 

He will use even bad situations for good. God, the Father, will bend down low to raise us up. He comes to us a humble and loving God. We know “… and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to who the Son wishes to reveal Him.”

He is Jesus, the word of God that lives in the world. He is God that experienced the burdens of humanity, love, hunger, thirst, and sufferings. Jesus Christ is the love of our Heavenly Father that bent down to bring us up.  

God is the Holy Spirit that continues to lift us up. The Holy Spirit is continuously at work in the world and move us towards God’s plan for us.

A plan so perfect even burdens, suffering, and tragedy can bring us to Him. God’s plan makes them part of the solution; so, we see in truth. The truth found in the cross Christ revealed to us. Like the cross which came from this world, burdens and sufferings are parts of living in this world.

We are exposed to a world where success is to have control; control of the situation and others. We are shown that power comes from having an advantage over others. Strength is said to be monetary wealth and possessions.

Jesus says learn from me. “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart, and you will find rest for yourselves.” Carrying a burden and suffering bears true fruit as we change and heal by taking on the yoke of Christ.

There was a man who was a professional. Successful and prestigious, he had money and power over many. Then his child contracted a terminal illness. It broke him. He could not find comfort in his success, money, power, and prestige.

This man and his family found rest by embracing the meek and humble heart of Jesus. They found the just savior who triumphs over the battles of the world.   

In burdens and sufferings, you know who are in God. Either you turn away from God or you run to Him. God is the one in control. God is the only one with power and advantage over our burdens and sufferings.

Scripture tells us, The Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead will give you life.  Look around, many are quietly carrying their burdens. We don’t know the battles they fight. They come to the one who can give them life. They come to true comfort, the one who gives them rest.

Look at yourself, He will give you rest.                                     

Yall be good, yall be holy and preach the gospel by the way you live and love. Amen.

My Worst Nightmare - Reflection 13th Sunday OT A

(Readings)

A professor gave an impassioned lecture on his area of expertise in class. After class a usually half-asleep-back-row student came up and said “Wow! You take this stuff seriously!”

People take stuff they are passionate about seriously. Just look at politics: Democrats and Republicans, Liberals and Conservatives. They take their stances passionately. But in that passion, do they live the ideas they express?

In a restaurant recently, I overheard a man speaking with his coffee break buddies about the virtues of the Democratic party in his county, He stated he would rather do something reprehensible than to shake a Republican’s hand much less  vote for one. Then he went into an elitist and racist tirade against everybody else.

Hearing the rhetoric shouted by Conservative Republican Christians, I wonder do those words go together. Christians are to announce the praises and live the gospel of the one who called then out of darkness. But, praising Christ and living the gospel can go against many people who identify as Conservative or Republican or Liberal or Democrat.

Jesus told us it would even be hard for Christians to praise him and live the gospel. "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me….”

Democrat or Republican, Liberal or Conservative, no Christian should ever deny justice to the poor, the sick, the naked, or the homeless. Every Christian should respect the life and dignity of every person, unborn, newborn, elderly, terminal, and even those in prison.  For believers to fail in these is the worst nightmare of our faith.

The media’s new buzzword is “social justice.” This is not something new, Jesus tells us “Take up your cross and follow me.” For Christians, social justice is defined by following Christ. Social Justice must be part of who we are, our faith, and the cross we carry; yet, we fail.

We don’t care enough. We stand behind fake crosses and ignore what we champion. The cause of the weak and poor are just papier-mâché crosses we rally behind. We rail against politicians for in action thinking we are being compassionate but only place blame and never carry the cross.

We live in centrally cooled and heated houses with spare rooms and the homeless people are sleeping outside on pavements. We scrape good food into our garbage disposal, compost piles, or garbage cans; and, under a bridge on the opposite side of town hungry people wait in line for handouts. We want more stuff; yet, the tattered person on the corner scavenged possession fit in a shopping cart. The list can go on and on…

Good people say there are agencies; but, can a mentally ill person find safe shelter or a person with a history find a bed for the night? These will be turned away. And, the world still stands behind labels, throwing insults and rocks to protests. Even Christians fail in the responsibility of their faith.

In all our passion, do we do more than just ask, “Can something be done for them?” The answer is “Yes!”

Whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because the little one is a disciple— amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward."

Instead of going out to the incarnate suffering world to bring relief, most find it easier to argue, oppose, critique, judge, and evaluate those in need or those who don’t agree. But those of us, “…baptized into Christ Jesus are baptized into his death. If we have died with Christ, we shall live with him.”  We are to live His ministry, his works, his caring, and his mercy. Most of all, we are baptized into his love.

My worst nightmare is for all of us to go through life as half-asleep-back-row Christians speaking justice, bringing none. The Lord takes this stuff seriously. “And whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.” It is time for us to take our faith seriously.

Yall be good, yall be holy and preach the gospel by the way you live and love. Amen.

Pollution Warning - Reflection 12th Sunday OT - C

Readings

The spectacular view of the stars in the night sky is one of my favorite things. The awesome vastness of God’s creation can be experienced even if you never leave the little patch of ground where you were born.

But, something hurts the incredible beauty of the night sky; excessive and inappropriate artificial light (www.darkskiesawareness.org) It’s called light pollution. The invasion by artificial light into the skies; light that trespasses to where it is not wanted or needed; the excessive brightness of glare that decreases visibility; and, the clutter of excessive and confusing light sources that add to the pollution.

All of God’s creation benefits from the natural light of day and dark of night, both are good. Yet, our modern world pollutes the night sky. Creation has become confused with artificial light.

Light pollution touches all of us; but, there is other pollution in our life. It’s pollution of our faith. Faith pollution is from sin which grows a polluted artificial faith and includes: faith in God invaded by the draw of sin, self, and worldly views; worldly ideas that trespass into our faith so sin becomes acceptable; the glare of sinfulness and its acceptance by a worldly culture. It decreases our vision of truth; and, the clutter of confusing ideas and opinions of special groups that adds to the pollution of sin and artificial faith.

All of God’s people benefit from faith. The modern world pollutes with sin and artificial faith. Faith has become confused by artificial faith.

Sin obscures the truth. Faith becomes weak in worldly ideas, acceptance of sinfulness, and the confusing messages the world expects us to accept and normalize.

Sin kills hope. It pollutes and weakens the valor and strength of the human heart and spirit. Even reason fails when faith is displaced by the sinfulness of artificial faith.

The tainting of faith brings struggles to even those of true faith. We hear the whispering of others. “The world cries out terror on every side! Denounce! Denounce those who believe!” It is all around. It has been in all times.

Artificial faith glorifies arrogance, greediness and excess, materialism, immodesty, sex, idleness, and envy with bitterness and resentment. It promotes an abundance of anger in the world. It is the champion of pride, gluttony, avarice, lust, sloth, envy, and anger; seven deadly sins that are the source of artificial faith in self and the world.

The same sin puts our selfish needs in our path to God. It is sin that allows us to forget we are forgiven and that God asks us to sin no more.

The sin of the world moves to shame us, declaring us outcasts for our true faith and belief in God. We often just want to run and hide.

People of good faith, stand strong and bear insult. Even though those who disparage us have the ear of the world, Jesus tells us “Fear no one.” “The Spirit of Truth will testify to me and you also will testify.”

We should fear no one because we are a dwelling place for God and His love. We testify that the faith we have is greater than the faith in the world. It is the spirit of truth, the love from God we share with one another that makes us a people of true faith.

Our modern world pollutes our view of the night sky. The same world pollutes our faith. It began in sin and has been in the world since Adam.

Something extraordinary and outside of us is needed to clean up the pollution. In faith, we can pray and ask for God’s favor. God has not forsaken us. By His grace and the gracious gift of one man Jesus Christ - the pollution of sin is removed - our faith, our hearts, and our spirits revive.

Like the night sky, humanity’s faith in God will never go away. In times to come, the night sky will shine in the splendor of God’s vastness and creation; and, we will stand before God in awe.

Here is a pollution warning for all who live in this world.

Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known - God know us, God knows were our faith lives. Either our life will acknowledge God in a true and pure faith or it will be polluted with an artificial faith that denies God.

The pollution in our lives is cleaned up by surrendering self to God who knows we have fallen.

Yall be good, yall be holy and preach the gospel by the way you live and love. Amen.

Do You Believe in Miracles? Homily Reflection -The Body and Blood of Christ

Readings

My grandson’s favorite meals are in this order – pizza, chicken nuggets, and hamburgers. He loves French fries but not with ketchup instead ranch dressing. These are not really the best foods for you and probably not a diet that adults should follow.

But there is one meal that each and every believer should eat. This meal is the body and blood of Christ found under the species of bread and wine in the Eucharist. Jesus left us a true meal, Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life…

Many Christians think these words of Jesus are a metaphor. He didn't really mean it. It was symbolic words he used to make a point. He really didn’t mean eat his body and drink his blood.

There are Catholics that think the same thing. They don’t understand that the bread and wine is changed by the Holy Spirit. They find it hard to believe in the miracle of transubstantiation; the miracle of the bread and wine becoming the body and blood of Christ.

Still, ask a Christian “Do they believe in Jesus’ miracles?”

They’ll say yes we believe. We believe the Bible.

·       He healed the leper, Lord if you choose, you can make me clean. Jesus touched his hand and said I so choose. 

·       He raised the dead, He told the Jarius’ daughter “Get up little girl!” He commanded Lazarus to “Come out” of the tomb.

·       He cast out demons, because even demons know his name.

·       He walked on water, he multiplied and loaves and fishes and fed thousands.

·       And, they believe He suffered, died, and was buried only to rise again on the 3^rd day.

They believe these miracles. They recognize them as gifts from heaven. Miracles that sustain belief like the manna from heaven and the water from rock which sustained the Israelites.

The miracles of Jesus are the manna He called down from heaven; the bread that changes disbelief to belief; water from the rock that sustains in us the promise of God’s love, God’s word, and God’s grace. Jesus is the manna from heaven and tells us in these words - I am the living bread that came down from heaven, says the Lord; whoever eats this bread will live forever

The one miracle Christians have problem believing is the miracle of the Eucharist. It is the miracle of our manna from heaven and our water from rock, the body and blood of Christ.

It was a miracle they could not believe when Jesus first spoke of it and one many cannot believe today. The Jews quarreled among themselves just as believers today disagree, how can He give us his flesh to eat?

Because they dispute this, the true body and blood of Christ is a food unknown to many. Some cannot believe Jesus’ words - Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day, for my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.  

When He said this, it offended many; they found it difficult. Many turned back and did not follow this teaching.

It is the same thing today. People don’t believe in the miracle of the altar. People leave the true Eucharist. They leave the promise of Jesus, Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.

It doesn’t fit their point of view. They don’t like the reference points, the morality, what is right and what is wrong, the admittance of sin, or having to answer to someone other than themselves.

Many are going to be disappointed when they find out God doesn’t need us as a reference point. God is God’s own reference point. God is true to God. That is why Jesus said - the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.

With Jesus words and the writings of the evangelist and apostles, there is still a failure to believe in the presence of Christ in the Eucharist, in the fact that it is His body and His blood. Instead of believing our Lord, we believe our selves. That’s a shame.

Even though people fail to believe Jesus’ own testimony, He still loves us. God still loves each and every one of us; because, His love is Divine Love. And Divine Love is not generated by our worthiness but by the total generosity of the God.

That is the secret of the Eucharist. It is the mystery of generosity of divine love of God by sharing in the body and blood of Christ. God so loves us that He gives himself to us over and over and over again in the sacrament of the altar.

About eating his body and drinking his blood, do you believe in miracles?

It brings us out of that place of slavery to this world. It is the manna that sustains us.

For some, pizza, chicken nuggets, and hamburgers are good food. For some grape juice and soda crackers in a plastic cup are a metaphor, a symbolic meal of the body and blood of Christ. It is not true food and it leaves you hungry.

The cup and bread that is blessed by the priest at the altar of God becomes the cup of blessing, the participation in the blood of Christ; the bread we break, becomes the participation in the body of Christ.

Brothers and sisters, true food and true drink are the body and blood of Christ at the Eucharist table.  We should never be afflicted with a hunger for God. Christ who gives his Divine Love to us in the Eucharist is always there for that hunger.

Do you believe in miracles?

Yall be good, yall be holy and preach the gospel by the way you live and love. Amen.

A Teaspoon at a Time - Homily Reflection - Most Holy Trinity

Readings

The Holy Trinity is hard to explain. St. Patrick used the three leaf clover to explain the Holy Trinity. I've heard people use – ice, water, and steam; the same thing in three forms. These explanations fall short of the mystery of God, the Most Holy Trinity.

To understand the mystery of God is like trying to empty an ocean a teaspoon at a time. You can fill a bucket or maybe a swimming pool; but, in a lifetime you’ll never come close to capturing an ocean. In the same way, we will never come close to understanding the mystery of God.

Even more overwhelming is the fact that our modern world seems to prevent us from knowing God. And many of the voices trying to explain the mystery of the Trinity are lacking the most important things needed to know God - prayer, peace, love, and truth.

These things move a person closer to knowing the mystery of the Trinity. To have them many need to change their lives and their hearts.

This was the first message Jesus proclaimed after his baptism – REPENT. He called metanoia, mend your ways, change, and repent of things that are not of God. We come to the mystery of God, the Trinity, by making the change that Jesus proclaims.

But unfortunately, the words Moses proclaimed over the people of Israel apply to us today “These are indeed a stiff necked people.” Yet God remains with us and receives us as his own; this is the same God who is, who was, and is to come. Our God who so loved the world, he gave his only son so that everyone who believe in him might not perish but have eternal life.

Jesus did not come to change God the Father’s mind about us. It does not need changing. In his lovingkindness, God knows the goodness that He created in us. Jesus is changing our mind about what is real and what is not. Jesus says repent.

As the Father sent his Son, the Son promised the Holy Spirit. In the world today, the message of repentance comes from the Holy Spirit to fill the hearts of believers with love and passion to repeat the gospel to the entire world.

Repent and know that the God of Love and peace is with you. 

The Most Holy Trinity is love. It is love that exists in millions and millions of God’s people. It is the love of God the Father, the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.

The world doesn't want this. It seems to prevent us from repenting by making it difficult to hear Jesus’ message.

In May 2017, twenty-two young people died in a terrorist bombing in Manchester, England. It was all over the news for weeks; but no mention of God. God was not spoken about in the media, the newspaper, or on television. The media did have voices that deny God calling for peace in the world.  

Two days later, two buses of Christian pilgrims were attacked in Egypt. Passengers were taken one by one from the first bus and told to profess Mohammed and deny Christ, or be shot. Twenty-eight Christians were taken off that bus (men, women, and children as young as 2); and, each one refused to deny Christ. They died for Christ.  

These Christian martyrs know the mystery of God, the Trinity. They were able to pray, If we find favor with you, O Lord, come along in our company. 

This tragedy had only a brief mention in the media. There was no mention of their profession of faith. No mention of their peace and agreement with one another in their faith in God. There was no coverage of those who did not deny Christ; no coverage of their witness. 

To deny Christ is to deny God, the Holy Trinity.

In England or even these United States, terrorist do not ask victims to deny Christ. People would do it. “These are a stiff necked people.” They are too busy trying to capture the ocean a teaspoon at a time that they don’t know God.

Why do so many hold back from the love of God, the grace of Christ, and the presence of the Holy Spirit? Maybe, they don’t hear Jesus’ words – Repent, because we fail to proclaim those words.

We have failed to share the message that God is love. God is peace. God encourages agreement. We have not shared the love and truth that is the light of God. We can only do this, by trying to understand the mystery of God, the Holy Trinity by our life of prayer, peace, love, and truth. In us, these things are only the beginnings of the mystery of truth and love that is the Holy Trinity.

My brothers and sister, rejoice. Mend your ways, encourage one another, agree with one another, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.

Yall be good, yall be holy and preach the gospel by the way you live and love. Amen.

Experience Pentecost - Reflection Pentecost Sunday A

Everyone needs to experience Pentecost. Everyone should experience the coming of God’s spirit in your own particular way.

I had a man ask me when I was much younger, “Have you ever experienced the Holy Spirit?”

I was young at that time, so I didn’t know the answer. Instead, I said “I didn’t know if I had, had he?”

He said “Yes! The Holy Spirit is alive in my Church, you should come.”

I asked him then, “What it’s like to be in the presence of the Holy Spirit? How do you know?”

His answer “Our preacher can see the Spirit in you. He calls you forward and in front of the entire congregation lays hands upon you. You can hear the Holy Spirit Coming. It begins in a whisper and becomes a mighty wind.”

He continued, “I lose all control, fall to the ground, and speak in tongues.”

I’m telling you this story not to condemn him or his church. He shared with me his full gospel charismatic experience.

Don’t think it is not true because, scripture tells us, "No one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God."

I was 26 years old and that story scared me.

Being told of his experience, I wondered about Pentecost; had I known the fulfillment Christ's promise in experiencing the Holy Spirit. Did I fall short?

As I have grown in my faith and my relationship to God through Christ Jesus, I have realized one thing, “God is Love.”

Our God by his love makes known to us Christ, his Word, his living Utterance. The same risen Christ who said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

I can answer that question now, “Have you ever experienced the Holy Spirit?” I can answer with, "God is Love."

God is Love and love is His gift. It is His love that is His grace. It is love that contains all His gifts. The gift of God's love is poured into us and our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

The gift of God’s love is forgiveness. As Catholic Christians, we believe it is our communion in the Holy Spirit that restores the baptized to grace as adopted sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father.

Each of us is filled with God’s Love; by this love, each of us can know the Holy Spirit. So my brothers and sisters, when asked have you been baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit, say yes!!!

Because, it’s not necessarily speaking in tongues that show we experience the Holy Spirit. It’s speaking in God’s love and God’s love that fills us with the Holy Spirit.  

Everyone should experience the coming of God’s spirit in your own particular way. Here is the truth from the scripture. There were people from every nation under heaven and each one heard them speaking in his own language. The Holy Spirit speaks to us in the language we need to hear, different working but the same God. 

The Holy Spirit is not generic. The Holy Spirit is not a one-size-fits-all force; but it’s a relationship, individual and specific to each one of us.

The Holy Spirit comes inimitably as our comfort in struggles. The Spirit helps us in our weakness. By the power of the Holy Spirit, Heal our wounds our strength renew.

The Catechism gives us this beautiful teaching; if we do not know how to pray as we should, the Spirit for us intercedes with sighs too deep for words.

Our Heavenly Father who loves us sends the Spirit of his Son into our hearts. When God sends his Son, He sends his Spirit. No one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.

Experience the Pentecost. Proclaim the Holy Spirit. Proclaim Jesus is Lord. Proclaim God’s love.

Y’all be good, Y’all be holy and preach the gospel by the way you live and love. Amen.