We are not there yet; watching and waiting for the Lord

Homily for Advent - 1st Sunday Year B 2014-2015

 Isaiah 63:16-17, 64:1.3-8; 1 Corinthians 1:3-9; Mark 13:33-37

Introduction

“Are we there yet?”  When your child keeps asking this question from the back seat of the car, are they not expressing what we all experience in life, but we are too grown up to admit.  None of us likes waiting at the doctor’s office or at the DMV office; we don’t like waiting in traffic or in line at the Black Friday sales.  Human beings expect things to happen not in the future, but by yesterday.

And yet, the Christian life is itself essentially about watching and waiting.  We watch and wait for Jesus, who comes us to us from the Father.  How can we wait patiently and fruitfully, but still with enthusiasm?

Scripture and Theology

In her wisdom, the Church gives us various seasons of the Church year, with each season giving us something special for our faith.  The Advent season, which we begin today and will end on Christmas eve, teaches us how to wait.

The people of Israel waited, sometimes patiently, sometimes not so patiently, for the first coming of Jesus.  And true to his word the Son of God, came down to earth and became one of us, at Bethlehem on Christmas Day.  And from that day onwards, the world has not been the same.  Moreover, as the song tells us, “man will live forevermore because of Christmas Day.”  That is why Christmas is such an important celebration for us Christians.  But this is enough about Christmas, about the first coming!  In about four weeks time, we will have more than enough time to focus on the Lord’s birth and what his first coming means for us.

During Advent we focus on the second coming.  Like the people of Israel waited for the Lord to come the first time, we Christians wait for him to come again.  In the gospels, Jesus promises in very clear terms that he will come again.  He even uses parables to make the message loud and clear:

·        He compares his coming to that of thief coming in the night.

·        He compares his coming to that of a bridegroom for whom 10 virgins wait.

·        He compares his coming to a master returning from a long trip.

In today’s gospel, for example, he tells his disciples: “Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come.”  Jesus is like a man travelling abroad, leaving “his servants in charge, each with his own work.”  That is exactly what Jesus did when he returned to the Father on Ascension Day.  He left his work in the hands of the Church.  He left a job for each of us to do: some are deacons, priests and bishops, others are mothers, fathers and single lay people, others are religious men and women.  In other words, our waiting cannot be idle.  We must be found doing something, when Jesus returns “whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning.”

I learned something about waiting when I was growing up.  When my parents separated, I often had to help look after my three siblings, when my mother went on errands or simply to work.  At first, like any self-respecting teenager, I chose not do what my mom asked me to do; rather, I played the whole day, bossed my siblings around and each day invented new ways to be naughty. I would then try to guess when mom might be returning and get ready for her by destroying all evidence of my mischief.

Now strategy this worked sometimes, but sometimes it did not.  And I soon realized that playing Russian roulette in this way required too much energy and anxious planning.  I realized that it was much easier simply to do my chores and do the right thing always.  That way, I did not have to worry if mom came back earlier than usual.  And so, besides the rewards she gave me for finding everything in order, I received another reward for being good.  I spent my time watching and waiting with peace of mind.

Advent is a time for us Christians to get ready, to watch and wait for the Lord’s coming with peace of mind, as we ask: “Are we there yet?”

Christian Life

That is why it is unfortunate that today, even among us Catholics, we completely skip over Advent.  We move from Thanksgiving straight on to Christmas.  If we want to enter into the true Christmas spirit, we have to celebrate Advent; for Advent is a time to prepare well for Christmas – for we are not there yet.

Of course we have all the practical preparations to consider.  Where am I having Christmas dinner this year, grandma’s or the in-laws?  What about that Christmas shopping list – where can I find that latest gadget for my nieces and nephews and I might add, for my favourite priest?  And the decorations – they are not going to get put up by themselves, are they?   Yes, we need to do all these things – but is this really the extent of our preparations for Christmas?

Let me suggest that out of our busy Christmas preparations, we curve out some time for actually celebrating Advent.  There are actually some truly Catholic Advent symbols that could help us prepare.  They are not as glamorous as the Christmas ones, but nobody ever said that waiting is glamorous.

·        There is the Advent wreath, the empty manger and the Jesse tree, all pointing to the waiting and watching for the birth of the Lord.

·        We also have some customs for the feast of St. Nicholas on December 6, the feast of St. Lucy on December 13^th and of course the feasts of Our Lady on December 8 and on December 12.

·        Even at Mass, you will notice a few Advent things: the vestments are the colour purple, we don’t sing the Gloria, and the wreath has five candles which we keep lighting one by one until Christmas Day when we light the big white candle in the middle.

As important as these external signs and symbols of Advent are, even more important is the preparation we make to ourselves.

1.    Although Advent is not strictly speaking a penitential season like Lent, yet any waiting for the Lord must involve some conversion on our part.  We do this best when we examine our souls to check the health of our relationship with God, with one another and with our very selves.  And if there is something terribly amiss, we go to confession and therefore get clean as we wait for the Lord’s coming – for we are not there yet.

2.    Many parishes also hold parish missions and Advent days of prayer and study – we go to them, to be nourished by God’s Word to prepare us for his coming, for we are not there yet.

3.    And then of course as Christmas draws nearer, we make those immediate plans that I spoke about.  And just as we have learned to keep Christ in Christmas, we also remember to keep Mass in Christmas.  Our preparations for and our celebration of Christmas must include prayer.

Conclusion

But the watching and waiting we do during Advent is only practice, dress-rehearsal.  Learning to prepare well for Christmas teaches us how to prepare for when the Lord will call us, and for when he will return.  That long term waiting is something we do all our lives, and not just during the Advent season.

On Christmas Eve, perhaps after going to Mass, ask yourself:  Have I waited with the enthusiasm of a child who asks “are we there yet?” but also with the patience and hope of the adult Christian who prays: “Come Lord Jesus, Come Lord Jesus.”

Christ - a King who cares

Homily for Christ the King Sunday Year A 2014

Ezekiel 34:11-12; 1 Corinthians 15:20-26,28; Matthew 25:31-46

Introduction

As we celebrate Christ the King Sunday today, we might be asking ourselves: “Why does the Church propose the image of Christ the King to us?”

·        After all, kings aren’t out of fashion?  Just think of the bad kings of the Bible like Ahab, Ahaz and Herod!  Just think of the authoritarian kings of the Middle Ages!  Just think of King George of England, against whom this country fought for its independence!

·        And so we might ask, isn’t kingship a spent image, now used only for the ceremonial Prom King and Queen and the Mardi Gras kings and queens?

But we shouldn’t throw out the baby with the bath water.  In celebrating this feast of Christ the King, we focus on the kingship of the Lord, a kingship that cares.

Scripture and Theology

Ezekiel told us in the first reading that this is how the Lord will rule his people.

·        I myself will look after and tend my sheep.

·        I myself will give them rest.

·        The lost I will seek out, the strayed I will bring back, the injured I will bind up, the sick I will heal.

And then we heard the Psalmist in Psalm 23 taking the Lord at his word, saying:

·        The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. In green pastures he gives me repose. Beside restful waters he leads me; he refreshes my soul.

·        He guides me in right paths for his name's sake.

·        You spread the table before me in the sight of my foes; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

What a great shepherd to have, one who provides the things we need: food, water, spiritual guidance.  That is why the Psalmist can express the hope that given all this care from the Lord, “Only goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for years to come.”   Only a king who cares can provide such total contentment.

A few years ago I was fortunate to see The Lion King on stage, when they were touring New Orleans.  In that movie, there are three kings:

1.    There is Mufasa, the King of the Pride Lands, whose fights hard for the animals of his kingdom.

2.    There is Scar, the jealous brother of the King, who usurps the throne after killing his brother.

3.    Then there is Simba, the prince, the second in line to the throne.

Clearly only Mufasa comes close to being the kind of king that Christ is.

·        Mufasa is concerned about the protecting the Pride lands from the marauding hyenas, so that his subjects will have enough to eat and drink and survive.  He truly believes in the circle of life, in which each creature has a part to play in sustaining the whole Kingdom.

·        Jesus too was very concerned about the welfare of his people, healing and even feeding them with loaves and fishes.  And we read in the gospel of John that the people were so happy that he had fed them with free food and they wanted to “come and take him by force to make him king”, but “Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself” (John 6:15).

But King Mufasa is even more like Christ, because he gives up his life for his subjects.

·        King Muafasa is killed while fighting the ravenous hyenas, who allying with his brother, are attacking his kingdom and destroying it.

·        For Jesus, the only time he accepts the title of king is at the Passion, when he is in chains.  Pilate asks him if he is the King of the Jews and he admits that he is a King.  For his kingship consists, above all, in dying for his people on the cross.

Christian Life

On this feast of Christ the King, we must renew our devotion to the Christ the King.  We must make him once again the King of our lives; for he is a true King, who as we heard in the gospel, will return to sit on the throne of judgement.  Our fate will depend on what kind of subjects we have been, on how devoted we have been to our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ.

But being the truly humble king that Christ is, he asks that our devotion to him be channelled through the least of his brothers and sisters.

·        We revere Christ our King when we give food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty and welcome to the stranger; for Christ is these lowly people.

·        We adore Christ our King when we clothe the naked, care for the sick and visit the prisoner; for Christ is all these needy people.

And for this devotion, we shall be rewarded accordingly.

Jesus warns us against failing to give him the attention fit for a King.

·        We fail to worship Christ the King when we deny food to the hungry, refuse drink to the thirsty and send the stranger away; for Christ is these people.

·        We fail to venerate Christ the King when we don’t clothe the naked, don’t care for the sick and don’t visit the prisoner.

And for being bad subjects in this way, for being like King Scar, the King will punish us accordingly.

But Scar is not the only bad Lion King whose example we must avoid.  Simba, the young prince is not that exemplary either.

·        When as a young cub he hears that one day he will be a king, he says “I just can’t wait to be king,” but for all the wrong reasons. He can’t wait to be King to do what he wants, free to do it his way.  But Christ the King is not a dictator.  He proposes his teaching and way to us; he does not impose it.  He wants us to do the same.

·        And then as an adult lion, when Simba is asked to return home and rescue his kingdom, he is very reluctant to step up to the plate.  But Christ the King is not a coward.  He knows his mission and does not shy away from it.  He wants us his subjects to be just as courageous.

Conclusion

And so, today’s feast of Christ the King, should remind us of two kingships: the great Kingship of Christ, and our little Kingship based on his own.

·        Like Jesus was a king who cared for others, we must also care for others, especially the needy.

·        Like Jesus was a courageous king, speaking and acting without fear, we must also stand up for the Kingdom of God without fear.

·        Like Jesus was a king who gave himself unto death, we must be kings who give ourselves completely for others.

In exercising our kingship in small acts of devotion and charity, we honour the Great King of the world, Jesus the Lord.  And as a result, at the Resurrection, he will say to you and me:  “Come, you who are blessed by my Father.   Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”

Uniquely gifted for the Lord’s work

Homily for 33^rd Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A 2014

Proverbs 31:10-13.19-20.30-31; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6; Matthew 24:14-30

Introduction

For someone from another country like me, American Football is a strange game.

·        For starters, the gear that they have to wear is something to admire.

·        Also, why is the game called football, when they barely touch the ball with the foot?

·        But what causes most confusion is that there are so many different teams: the offensive team, defensive team, special teams.  Each unit seems to have a different skill set and comes on the field to do something unique for the game.  Even the skinny guy has a part to play, that is, to occasionally kick the ball, and thereby give the game the name of “football.”

This is one redeeming quality that has endeared me to the game.  For me, the team in American Football is a good image for the Body of Christ, the Church, where we are one team, but each of us has been gifted differently and has been given different roles.

Scripture and Theology

In the parable of the talents, that we just heard, the three servants are entrusted with different quantities of talents: one is given 5 talents, the second is given 2 talents and the last is given one talent.  And they are all expected to put those talents to good use, for the benefit of their Master.

When we use the word “talent” today, usually we mean a skill or artistic gift that is useful for some activity.  And we see all these various God-given talents at work even at this very Mass, with different ministries (lectors, servers, musicians, ushers) doing different things which they are good at.  We see various gifts coming together to ensure that all the activities of our parish and school run well.  We are one team, using our skills to serve both society and the Church.

But the word talent means more than just a skill.  As used in the gospel story the talent referred to a sum of money, quite a large sum of money, perhaps equivalent to thousands of dollars today.  And so, even for us, a talent should also mean any gift that we have received from God, especially the spiritual gifts we receive, such as the gift of faith.

The Lord wants us to use our talents, our physical skills and our spiritual gifts.  The time frame which he has given us for doing this is now, between his Ascension to the Father and his Second Coming, whose timing we do not know.  Just as the Master in the gospel came back after a long time, Jesus is coming back after a long time to settle accounts with each of us, asking us: how have we used the talents, the gifts that he gave us?

It is part of human nature to compare ourselves with others.  Sometimes we look at others and say, “wow, I wish I could be like so-and-so.”  Or we say, “there is no way I can do what she does.”  And then looking down upon ourselves with pity, we decide, “I am off the hook – I don’t have to do anything.”

The Lord does not like this attitude in Christians.  This is the attitude of the third servant – the one who thought there was nothing he could do, simply because he had only one talent.  We heard that he “went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master's money.”  But we also heard what the Master did to him when he returned.  The Master ordered that this servant be thrown “into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.”  He was punished, not for having one miserly talent, but for doing nothing with it.

This example should be a sober warning that, it is not just those who do evil deeds, who are punished, but also those who choose not to do any good.  Saying “But I didn’t do anything!” will not get us off the hook!  That is why at the beginning of Mass each of us confesses that we have greatly sinned, “in what I have done and in what I have failed to do.”

Christian Life

When God created each of us, he made us unique.  God does not run a cookie-cutter operation.  We are not like cookies from the same batch of dough, which look the same, feel the same and taste the same.  We are more like the contents of a trail mix packet, some of which are salty, others are sweet and with every bite we take, our taste buds expect to be surprised.  We are all unique, each having a unique set of gifts and talents, some more, some less.  But God expects us to use them, whatever they are, to produce profit for him.

What better profit to give him, than bringing others to the Lord!  We should use our talents in evangelization, helping others know and fall in love with Jesus.

·        The family is a natural starting place for us to do this.  Most of us received our faith from our parents and grandparents.  They had us baptized, brought us to Mass with them, taught us the basic doctrines and prayers, but most importantly by their daily example of Christian life, taught us to love Jesus and follow him.  Parents can proudly come before the Lord and pointing to their children or grandchildren say: “Master you gave me five talents, here are five more.”

·        But even outside the family, we can share that gift of faith at the workplace and among friends.  Perhaps some of us came to the faith because of friends and co-workers.  Perhaps it was not even because of what they said, but rather it was seeing the joy and peace in their lives that they drew us to their Catholic faith.  Co-workers and friends can proudly come before the Lord and pointing to each other say: “Master you gave me two talents, here are two more.”

·        For those among us who are teachers, especially teachers of the faith, we use our talents when we teach with words, when we teach by our example, even when we challenge and discipline our students.  You probably remember a particular teacher who had a great influence in your life.

Mine was an Irish missionary.  Even though he did not have those cool and charismatic gifts we usually look for in a teacher, Father Harney was amazing.  He was quiet and shy.  But he taught us just about every subject including from science to Latin.  He coached us in all the sports activities (soccer, basketball, volleyball or tennis), even though he had no athletic bone in him.  Father Harney run the scouting club, the debating club, the drama club and the Legion of Mary club.

But what has stayed with me all these years is not all these things he did for us, but that he offered himself completely to make us into the men that we are today.  And he did this because of his faith, leaving his home in Ireland and coming to Uganda where he lived for almost all his adult life.  I have no doubt that when the Lord asks him what he did with his talents, hundreds of alumni from my school will show up as evidence of his work.

Conclusion

And so, when the Lord calls us, as he will certainly do, what can we show for our efforts of preaching the gospel by word and example?  Let us remember that showing up just by ourselves is not an option.  That would be selfish and unacceptable, since it would mean returning the talent to the Lord just as he gave it to us.

Rather, I hope that we can show up with others, who are the works of our hand, our words and our example so that the Lord will say to us: “Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities.  Come, share your master's joy.’”

The Church as Body of Christ and as House of God

Homily for Dedication of Lateran Basilica – November 9, 2014

Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12; Ps 45; 1 Corinthians 3:9c-11, 16-17; John 2:13-22

Introduction

What makes a house into a home?  A house provides shelter, but a home is where the family live, where husband and wife raise their children, where they carry out all those little family rituals, share their meals, create memories and most importantly learn the faith; for the family is the domestic church.

Today when we celebrate the feast of the Lateran Basilica in Rome, we should ask a similar question.  What makes a house or a building into a Church? 

Scripture and Theology

And the answer is the same.  A church is the place or building, where the people of God gather to pray, to worship, to recall all the mysteries of our salvation.  Whether a church costs millions of dollars like this one or only $10,000 like a church in Uganda, it is only as valuable as the faith of the people who gather there.  Without the people who worship there, a church becomes like those temples in South America or Greece that have no life in them because they are empty monuments.  Our gathering in a church every week makes it “holy ground,” because what we do there is holy.  St. Paul calls us the temple of God.

But there is a second reason that makes a building into a church; it is the house of God.  For Jesus told us that:  “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I will be their midst.”  Of course God is everywhere.  But he has told us to find him in some special places, the Temple for the Israelites, the Church for Christians.  This building might look like any other meeting hall, but its special architecture, sacred furnishings and images, even silence and music, tell us it is holy ground.

·        That is why Ezekiel in today’s first readings describes the temple as the source of life. We too come to his house to be nourished with God’s Word and his Food for life.

·        It is for the same reason that Jesus also kicks out of the temple, the merchants and money-changers; for they have turned his Father’s house into a marketplace, instead of a place where people can meet God in a special way.  Just imagine if we had ATM machines and vending machines at the back of Church; while that would make taking collections easier and quenching our hunger and thirst easier, it would make this building less a house of God and more of a marketplace.

Christian Life

Although there are many beautiful churches in the world, a Catholic should concern himself or herself especially with these three: the parish church, the cathedral and St. John Lateran in Rome.  These three churches represent the three communities of faith to which each of us Catholics belongs, the place we go to meet God in his own house.  Let us look at these three churches.

Our parish church (name it), this beautiful building, is our first spiritual home.

·        Many of us were baptised here, received our first holy communion here, were confirmed, wedded and probably will have our funeral Mass here.  As they say, this is where we are hatched, matched and despatched.

·        But more importantly this church is where we come to Mass every week, to hear the Word of God and receive his Body and Blood.

·        This church is where we come to form one Body in Christ, as we pray together.  Hopefully we come know and love each, fulfilling the Lord’s wish for us that he made at the Last Supper: “May they be one.”

But our unity as Catholics goes beyond this parish community.  We belong to the Archdiocese of New Orleans.  Our bishop, Archbishop Gregory Aymond and his Church, the St. Louis Cathedral in the French Quarter represent that wider unity.

·        For example, it is at St. Louis Cathedral that the more important rituals of our diocese take place: there we receive new Catholics during the enrolment of the Catechumens at the beginning of Lent and there too men give themselves to serve us as deacons, priests and bishops and are ordained.  I believe our pastor and deacon were ordained there.

·        And every Sunday at 11.00am, Archbishop Aymond or his representative celebrates Mass for the whole Archdiocese of New Orleans; some of you who can’t get down to the French Quarter follow this Mass on television. 

And so, as a Catholic in this area, the second church that should mean something to my faith is St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans; for that church represents the wider community of faith to which each of us belongs.

The third church that should interest us Catholics is the Lateran Basilica in Rome, the anniversary of whose dedication we celebrate today.  It is the Pope’s Church.  Every bishop has his cathedral and for the Pope as Bishop of Rome, his cathedral is this Lateran Basilica.  This Church actually has an interesting history.

·        It has three patrons: the Most Holy Saviour, St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist.

·        It is located on the Lateran hill of Rome, on the spot where there has been a church continuously for 1700 years.

·        Four councils were held there and twenty-eight popes are buried there.  For a thousand years it was the seat of the Catholic Church until the Pope moved to the Vatican hill across town in the thirteenth century.  You might say the Lateran was the Vatican of the time.

·        But even when the Pope moved to the Vatican, where the far more impressive St. Peter’s Basilica and Square are, the Pope still continues to hold St. John Lateran as his main Church, the Mother of all Churches.

And that is the reason, why today, we celebrate the anniversary of the dedication of this church, a building which represents in a visible way, the universal church.

There are many things I love about being Catholic.   But one of them is that I can go anywhere in the world, find Catholics and go to Mass with them.  I can even come here and be invited to preside over Mass and it is the same Mass.  The Pope provides this universal unity and that is why we commemorate the dedication of his church.

Conclusion

An old saying goes: “On the road between the homes of friends, grass does not grow.”  And so, as we travel week after week, between our homes and the house of God, let us think about three things that a church represents.

·        The first lesson is that the church building is a house of God, sacred space, especially since very few things are sacred anymore.  Let our church always remind us that there are places, things, and times, set apart just for God and just for growing into intimacy with him.

·        The second lesson is that the church building means little without the people who worship there.  That is why it is the buildings we call churches with a small “c” and it is the community of faith that we call Church with a big “C.”  Whether it is our parish church, our cathedral church and or those who have a chance to visit the Lateran basilica in Rome, let them all remind us of the community of faith to which belong.

·        Finally, let our churches on earth be signs of the heavenly Jerusalem for which we hope.  There in his house we shall see God as he is and with the Blessed Mother, the angels and saints, we shall praise him forever and ever.

How Christians deal with death: Weeping, Hoping, Praying Together

Homily for All Souls – November 2, 2014

Reading 1 WIS 3:1-9; Responsorial Psalm PS 23:1-3A, 3B-4, 5, 6; Reading 2 ROM 6:3-9; Gospel JN 6:37-40

Introduction

In this world nothing is certain except death and taxes, so said Benjamin Franklin.  What then are we to do about these horrid things, death and taxes?

When it comes to taxes, Jesus has very little to say.  As we heard in the gospel a few weeks ago, all he said is: “Pay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”  Luckily for us, when it comes to death, Jesus has so much to teach us, so that we are equipped to deal with death, unavoidable death.

Scripture and Theology

On this “All Souls” Day, when as Catholics we focus our attention on those who have died, I would us to reflect on what Jesus teaches us about death.  I would like to reflect on three specific words: weeping, hoping and sharing.

And so, first, the Christian way is to take death seriously and accept it.

·        While the world tends to use euphemisms to describe death, words like “passing away,” “kicking the bucket” or “breathing one’s last,” the Bible simply speaks of death and dying.

·        While the world tends to sanitize death and cover up all its messiness, pain and suffering, the Church tackles death headlong. 

·        While the world tends to try to avoid death at all costs or to take it on, but on one’s own terms, Christians respect death as the entrance into life with God, leaving its timing to him.

One of the passages in the Bible that first comes to mind when I think about death is the verse where it says: “Jesus wept” (Jn. 11:35).  Jesus wept for his friend Lazarus, not so much because Lazarus had died, but because Jesus saw the pain of his sisters Martha and Mary and all those who loved him.  I know that our society says “real men do not weep,” but if Jesus wept, that is good enough for me.  I must confess that I often weep at the death of someone.  Like Jesus I weep at the great suffering that I see in the bereaved that have lost a loved one.  A dear friend of mine recently lost her grandmother and as I was talking to her she said: “I know my grandma was in pain, but I still wanted her around.”

But the Christian does not weep in despair; the Christian weeps with hope.  And that is the second point of our reflection – hope after death.  The Christian hopes that although death is painful both for the deceased and the bereaved, with death, life is changed, not ended. We hope that the promise of Jesus will be fulfilled: “that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life” and when he says: “and I shall raise him on the last day.”

For Christians, the words death and resurrection go together all the time, not only for Jesus, but for us his followers as well.  We heard St. Paul tell the Romans that just as we have been baptised in the death of the Lord, so shall we also rise in his resurrection.  “If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him” (Rm. 6: 8).  We believe the words of the book of Wisdom, that: “The souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them.”

Yes, Christians weep at death; Christians hope after death.  The third thing that Christians do is weep and hope together, in mutual support and prayer.  When the dying person is still on this side of death, the Christian practice is to support the dying person not only with the physical care of medicine and food, but also the psychological care of family and friends and most important of all, the spiritual care of grace and blessings.  Just think of the many Church-run medical facilities and medical missionaries in the world, including the areas currently suffering with ebola.  Just think of the many priests and lay ministers who attend to the spiritual needs of the sick.

When the person crosses over to the other side, we continue to support them with prayer.  We pray for the dead in funeral Masses, Masses for the dead, Mass intentions and all other types of prayers.  Besides, we set aside this day, All Souls day, to pray for all the faithful departed, that they might be received by the Lord in his mercy.  It is not a coincidence that All Saints day and All Souls day follow each other in the calendar.  They are twinned, as it were, so that the whole body of Christ, the communion of saints which we profess in the creed, can show its love and care for all members of the Church.  We the pilgrim Church, who are still on pilgrimage on this side of death, join with the triumphant Church, who have made it to heaven, to pray for those who are halfway there in purgatory – the suffering Church.

Christian Life

Unfortunately, this Christian way of weeping, hoping and communion in death is not always accepted.  The contrast between the non-Christian and Christian approach to death has been played out in the last few weeks in the media.  You may have heard about a young lady, Brittany, who has terminal cancer and planned to end her life today, as her way of dealing with this terrible and tragic illness.  Her approach to death has been glorified and glamourized in the media.

But you may have not heard in the media of another person who also has terminal cancer, and perhaps as much pain and suffering, but one who chose another path, the Christian way.  This is Philip Johnson, a Catholic seminarian from the Diocese of Raleigh, North Carolina, whose response summarizes the Catholic approach to death.  I will just read a few of his letter, words which are so powerful because they come from someone staring death in the face.

First, he acknowledges his own suffering and fear of death.  He says:

After years of terrible headaches and misdiagnosis, my Grade III brain cancer (Anaplastic Astrocytoma) proved to be inoperable due to its location.  . . . I was beginning an exciting career as a naval officer with my entire life ahead of me.  I had so many hopes and dreams, and in an instant they all seemed to be crushed.  

But even more frightening for him is what his last days will look like.

I will gradually lose control of my bodily functions at a young age, from paralysis to incontinence, and it is very likely that my mental faculties will also disappear and lead to confusion and hallucinations before my death.

But thanks to his faith, Philip has hope.  This is what he says:

This [prospect of suffering and death] terrifies me, but it does not make me any less of a person.  My life means something to me, to God, and to my family and friends, and barring a miraculous recovery, it will continue to mean something long after I am paralyzed in a hospice bed.  My family and friends love me for who I am, not just for the personality traits that will slowly slip away if this tumor progresses and takes my life.

Philip concludes his letter by acknowledging the support he continues to receive from his family, friends and the Church and the support he gives to Brittany.

I will continue to pray for Brittany as she deals with her illness, as I know exactly what she is going through. I still get sad. I still cry. I still beg God to show me His will through all of this suffering and to allow me to be His priest if it be His will, but I know that I am not alone in my suffering.  I have my family, my friends, and the support of the entire universal Church.  I have walked in Brittany’s shoes, but I have never had to walk alone. Such is the beauty of the Church, our families, and the prayerful support that we give to one another.

Conclusion

Yes, death and taxes are inevitable.  But Jesus has shown us a way of approaching death, that of others and our own.  As we deal with the death of beloved ones, and as we prepare for our own death, let us acknowledge the sorrow of death with hope, giving and receiving the support of one another, in the communion of saints.

We are marching towards sainthood!

Homily for All Saints – November 1, 2014

Revelation 7:2-4,9-14, 1 John 3:1-3 and Matthew 5:1-12a

Introduction

My former bishop tells the story of when, as a young priest, he had just completed his graduate studies in New York and was returning to Uganda.  After congratulating him on his academic success, someone told him: “Father, although you have now acquired an academic title, there is still one more title you need to get.”

“Which one,” the young priest asked?  “Monsignor?”

“No,” was the answer.

“Bishop?”

“No.”

“Archbishop?”

“No.”

“Well, it must be Pope.”

The answer was still, “No.”  “The title that you still need to add to your name is that of “Saint, Saint Denis.”

Scripture and Theology

We Christians are on a journey; the journey of becoming saints.  Before our baptism, we were lost, we had no GPS, we were sense of direction.  Baptism set us on the path that leads to heaven.  Although we often have other reasons for being Christians, such as peace of mind, living a good moral life, the only reason that counts is this: we are Christians so that we can become saints.

In today’s second reading, John describes the saints: it is those who are with God in heaven as well as those on the journey towards heaven.  He says:

Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed.  We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

Being like God is what saints are!  Seeing God as he is, is what saints do!

The saints are also the ones whom the writer of the first reading from Revelation describes in his vision: “a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue.”  They stand, dressed in white robes before the throne of God, praising him.  That is the life to which we should look forward: being like God and seeing God as he is, as we share his company forever.

Unlike Halloween, which celebrates those disturbed spirits still lingering around on earth and causing all kinds of trouble, All Saints Day celebrates those spirits, who have made it to heaven and are rejoicing with God.  The spirits of Halloween have lost their way; the spirits of the saints kept on the right path.  Halloween dramatizes our fears of death and darkness; All Saints Day tells us that heaven and the hope of heaven have overcome these fears, promising us the life and light of God.

Christian Life

But how do we ensure that we shall make this journey to sainthood successfully?  How do we get there?  What road do we take?  Do we take Interstate 10 or do we take Airline Highway with all its traffic lights and small towns?

Throughout the gospel, Jesus suggests ways in which we can live and remain on the path that leads to heaven.  In the Beatitudes, he declares as blessed, in other words, saints, those who live according to the way of the Beatitudes.

·        As Jesus promises, they will arrive at the heavenly destination and be counted among the Blessed those who are poor in spirit, those who mourn and those who are meek.

·        They will be admitted through the pearly gates, he says, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, those who are merciful and those who are clean of heart.

·        Heaven will be the abode for those who, along journey are peacemakers, are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, and are insulted and persecuted and have had every kind of evil uttered falsely against them because of Jesus.

And so, if we are to pack any supplies for the journey to heaven, it is these beatitudes and the values of mercy, poverty, righteousness, meekness, and cleanness of heart.  Yes, we still sin and sometimes we take the wrong exit.  But because we have entered the correct address into the GPS of our life, because we have charged it with God’s grace in the sacraments and in his word, our GPS recalculates and brings us back to the main highway to heaven.  Because our eyes set on getting to heaven, hopefully, we will live lives worth of heaven.

Conclusion

When I first came to New Orleans, I was surprised that the song, “O when the Saints go Marching in,” refers to the New Orleans Football team.  In Uganda, this is a song we sing about the saints in heaven.  It includes all the saints, including Pope John XXIII and John Paul II, who were just recently canonized as saints, and from that date their names will be on the list of the saints of the Catholic Church, models for us all to follow.

But let me suggest a third meaning for the saints referred to in this song about the saints marching on.  These saints are us.  We are the saints who are marching on and who want to be counted in that number, of those who have made it to heaven, and are busy rejoicing in God’s presence.  That is our goal, that is our motivation, that is our hope.