Homily Lent 4C: Learning God's fatherhood, our sonship and our brotherhood

Homily for 4^th Sunday of Lent Year C 2022

 Joshua 5:9a,10-12; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Luke 15:1-3,11-32

Introduction

What a beautiful parable we have just heard!  It is perhaps the most famous parable in the gospels second only to that of the Good Samaritan.  We know it as the Parable of the Prodigal Son.  But a few other names have been suggested.

·        Some have called the "Parable of the Lost Son," coming as it does after the two parables of the Lost Coin and the Lost Sheep.

·        Others have called it "The Parable of the Merciful Father", focusing on the love and the mercy that the father shows to both sons.

·        And Pope Benedict suggested the name, "The Parable of the Two Sons."

For our reflection today, I would like to focus on the last two name, to show that this parable is really first about the mercy and compassion of the Father, and secondly about the sin, not just of the younger son, but of both sons.  And if we are honest with ourselves, we have at one time or other been each of these sons.

Scripture and Theology

We start by reflecting on the mercy and compassion of the father, who represents God’s mercy.  First, like the father in the parable, God is the kind of father who respects the freedom of his children.  Unlike some human fathers, the father in the gospel story does not use the inheritance to hold the younger son hostage; he lets him go.  He knows that every child reaches an age when he wants to be his own man, make his way in life, even making mistakes and hopefully learning from them.  Of course, by doing this the father risks being forgotten forever; but still, he does not stop his son from exercising his free will.  That is what God does to us.

Secondly, God is a forgiving father, who anxiously waits for his sinful children to return. And when they do, he rushes out to meet them and bring them back.

·        Did you notice that for the younger son, "While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him."  The father had been patiently waiting for him.  He then decked him out in the finest clothing and jewellery, and ordered a festival in his honour, with the main dish being the fattened calf.

·        And with the older son, the one who refuses to come in and join the feast, again the father went out there to seek him and plead with him.  He told him: "My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours."  He never forced him to come into the house and the story does not tell us if the son did.  But it was not for lack of trying on the father's part.

And so, God our Father, like the father in the story, both respects our free will, but is also seeks us out and waits to receive us when we sin and repent.

Christian Life

So, this is the king of father God is.  But what kind of sons or daughters are we?  Perhaps when we hear this parable called the Parable of the Prodigal Son, we think that only the younger son was the sinful one and see him in ourselves. But aren’t both sons sinners?  Aren’t we like both sons in some way?  Can we learn something from each son?

From the younger son, we learn to avoid entitlement and to practice conversion.

1.    Rather than always demanding: "Father give me the share of your estate that should come to me," we should allow God to give us freely what he thinks we really need.  In our prayer, we can request, but must we leave it to God to grant our requests.  We must not demand, bribe or grab. That was the sin of Adam and Eve who ate of the fruit of the tree, so that they could get for themselves knowledge apart from God.  That can be our sin today, when we take, take, from God, but never give, give at all.  And of course, this entitlement is the root cause of materialism, consumerism and all the other sins that come from misusing what God has given us.  That is what the younger son does too.

In addition to the entitlement, the younger son is also guilty of abandoning his father, and going to a pig-raising foreign land. In an agricultural community like Judah, when a son got his inheritance, he did not depart, but stayed on the farm to help his father.  We do something similar when we abandon God and his Church, and go out there, as it were, in a land foreign to the faith.

2.    But from this younger son, we also learn what to do, especially when we sin.  As a Jewish man, being reduced to feeding pigs, unclean animals for that religion, was the lowest one could get.  He had scraped the bottom of the barrel.  That is when he realized that going back to his father, not as a son but as servant, would still be much better than being in his situation.  And so, he went and said: "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son."  But the father received him back as a son.

Don't we too sometimes find ourselves at the bottom of the barrel, struggling with sins of purity, with our marriage, with our work situations, or even prayer? Like the younger son, we too should examine ourselves, become contrite and return to the father in confession to seek his mercy. In fact, during confession, we use virtually the same words of this parable when in the act of contrition, we say: "O my God, I heartily sorry for having sinned against you."

From the older son we can imitate his diligence and avoid his jealousy and envy.

1.    Starting with his good qualities, clearly, he was a committed son.  When the younger son went off and abandoned the dad, he stuck around.  He is diligent and obedient, like he says himself: "Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders."  Every day, he works hard: he can be counted on to deliver the calf at 2.00 in the morning, milk the cows at dawn and take the oxen out to plough in the hot sun.  In fact, he has yet even taken a penny of the inheritance, for he tells his father: “you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends.”  Would we not like to have a child like him?

How many of us can claim this level of diligence, obedience and commitment to our earthly parents and perhaps even more importantly to our heavenly Father?  Can we learn these qualities from this older son?

2.    At the same time, this older son has some vices that we must avoid: As a son, he thinks of himself as a slave to his father, rather than as a beloved child.  He wants to buy his father's love by hard work and blind obedience.  But as Jesus tells us, "I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father" (Jn. 15:15).  God wants sons and daughters who love him for him, not simply out of fear of him.

As a brother, the older son harbours jealousy and envy towards his brother. 

·        Jealousy makes him want to keep the father's love for himself and not share it with his little brother.  We too can be like him when we deny that God could love people of a different religion, race or even sinners.

·        Envy makes him not want the brother to have the father's forgiveness.  Don't we also sometimes think that God and the Church are too merciful to sinners, prisoners, immigrants, the poor, people who don't deserve mercy?  In fact, it is to address such envy that Jesus told this parable, to Pharisees grumbling that “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

Conclusion

And so, as we continue our Lenten repentance, may the parable remind us that although imperfect like both sons, we have a prodigal, generous, merciful Father.

And I want to end by reading just one paragraph from Pope Francis’ homily this past Friday, at the special event of consecrating Russia and Ukraine, and indeed the whole of humanity to the Blessed Mother.  What he said is a fitting message to take away from today’s gospel.

In these days, news reports and scenes of death continue to enter our homes, even as bombs are destroying the homes of many of our defenceless Ukrainian brothers and sisters.  The vicious war that has overtaken so many people, and caused suffering to all, has made each of us fearful and anxious.  We sense our helplessness and our inadequacy.  We need to be told, “Do not be afraid”.  Yet human reassurance is not enough.  We need the closeness of God and the certainty of his forgiveness, which alone eliminates evil, disarms resentment and restores peace to our hearts.  Let us return to God and to his forgiveness.

Homily Lent 3C: The link between sin and suffering, sin and repentance

Homily for 3^rd Sunday of Lent Year C 2022

 Exodus 3:1-8a,13-15; 1 Corinthians 10:1-6,1-12; Luke 13:1-9

Introduction

What is the connection between sin and suffering?  Often when disasters occur, some Christians rush to the conclusion that the suffering must be punishment for our sins.  They said that recently about the COVID pandemic, they said that 20 years ago after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, they said that after hurricane Katrina.

One priest tells the story of being on a plane coming to New Orleans and the person sitting next to him told him that New Orleans had it coming, because of the debauchery that goes on here.  The priest then asked him, why is it that the French Quarters, the ground central of the debauchery, was spared the damage, but the neighbourhoods, where innocent families live suffered untold damage?

In his answer, the priest was perhaps borrowing from Jesus who in today’s gospel rejects an automatic connection between sin and suffering.

Scripture and Theology

In the first part of today's gospel Jesus speaks about two great tragedies.

1.    The first was the atrocious massacre of some worshippers by Pilate, when as we heard, Pilate mingled their blood with that of their sacrifices.  We can compare this incident to the suffering we experience at the hands of others, like 9/11, school shootings and the unjust invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

2.    The second tragedy was a construction accident at Siloam, where a tower fell and killed eighteen people.  We can compare this second incident with suffering that occurs by accident or by natural phenomena, like hurricanes Katrina and Ida, tornadoes, car accidents, or even plane crashes.

Jesus then asks his listeners if the victims of these tragedies were greater sinners than everybody else!  Of course, his answer is an emphatic "No."  He rejects the one-to-one link between sin and suffering; those victims did not cause their suffering by their sin.  Yes, some suffering is our own doing, like when we get sick because we do not take care of ourselves.  But not all the suffering in the world is caused by personal sin.

The reason Jesus rejects this automatic link between sin and suffering is because it creates complacency in people who are not suffering.  They think, "I am doing rather well, I am not suffering, I am just fine."  To them, both then and now, Jesus says: "I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!” 

But don't we all perish?  Don’t we all die?  Of course we do.  But by "perish,” Jesus is not talking about physical death; he is talking about eternal death, separation from God forever and ever.  In other words, he reminds the Jews and us that the punishment for sin is not always given here on earth, but will certainly be given after death.  And so, since we don't know when we are going to die, just like those victims of Pilate and the construction accident, like the victims of the terrorist attack or the plane crash, we must repent. Should any tragedy befall us, while we will die physically, we shall not perish eternally, for we shall be found in a state of grace.

Alfred Nobel, the man who instituted and endowed the Nobel Prizes, was a Swedish chemist who made his fortune by inventing powerful explosives and licensing the formula to governments to make weapons.  One day, Alfred's brother died.  By accident, the newspaper printed the obituary of Alfred instead of that of his deceased brother.  It described him as the inventor of dynamite who made a fortune by enabling armies to achieve new levels of mass destruction.

When Nobel read his own obituary, he got a glimpse of how he would be remembered: as a merchant of death and destruction.   That is when he decided to change and convert.  He took his fortune and used it to establish awards for accomplishments contributing to life rather than death, the Nobel prizes.

If Nobel's example and the tragic examples of Jesus serve as negative incentives against complacency, the parable of the fig tree should be a positive incentive that inspires us to repent. The fig tree is a special tree in Palestine. Every family tries to raise one, showering care and their limited supply of water on it, and expecting to harvest some figs after three years and every year after. The tree in the gospel was in its sixth year and had produced no fruit.  That is why the master is tired and wants it cut down.  But the gardener pleads for the tree and asks for one more year, to tend it a little more, so that it might produce fruit.  The gardener believes that change is possible, that with some more nurturing, the tree will produce fruit.

In this parable, God the Father is the tree owner and he has just about had it with humanity.  Jesus is the gardener, pleading with the Master to allow him try his hand one more time at converting stubborn humanity with his life-giving message.  But now, even the gardener, Jesus, is getting really frustrated especially with the religious leaders who have refused to listen to his message of salvation and who are actively persecuting him.  That is why in very stern words Jesus says to them: “I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish . . . .”

Christian Life

Like a bitter pill, these stern words bear a message of hope for us.  They tell us that repentance is possible, even for the worst of sinners.

You have heard the proverb, "a leopard cannot change its spots."  While that might be true for leopards, for us Christians, Jesus teaches that we can change our spots.  Through the mouth of Isaiah, the Lord says: "Though your sins be like scarlet, they may become white as snow; Though they be red like crimson, they may become white as wool" (Is. 1:18).  We must not give up on others and especially not on ourselves.  We must not resign ourselves to our sinful condition, but must always harbour the hope that change is possible, even though it is not always easy.

The fig tree parable gives us three things to help: time, other people, and God.

Change needs some time and work.  That is why the gardener asks for one more year, four seasons for nurturing the tree.  For us Lent can be such a season, when through prayer, fasting and almsgiving, we work on our addictions and sinful habits.  Some sinful habits, which are built over time, will also take time to work on; and we should not be discouraged if change is not instant but gradual.

In addition, as much as we need time to change, we need the help of others.  On its own, the fig tree was unable to change; only with the help of gardener, watering it, fertilizing it, would it begin producing some fruit.  This gardener is like the accountability partner or sponsor in many 12-step programs. For us, our gardener could be a spouse, a parent, a teacher, a friend, a co-worker to point out our sins and help us avoid them.  In addition, one more gardener that the Lord left for us is the priest, who through the sacrament of confession helps us with his counsel and advice as we walk away from sin towards God.

But perhaps the most important person we need in our journey of conversion is God himself.  Sin has such a powerful hold on us, that we need a powerful ally.  That is why regular prayer is such an important tool if we want to resist the Evil One, turn away from his allures and turn towards God.  God's help comes best from the sacrament of confession, where the priest says to us: "I absolve you from your sins, in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

Conclusion

So back to the question I asked at the beginning.  What is the connection between our sin and our suffering?  The simple answer is that it is complex.  Some sins bring suffering for us.  Also, some sins bring suffering for others.  But Jesus rejects the automatic link between our sins and our suffering, since some innocent people suffer and some sinful people prosper in material things.  But the suffering we must really worry about is perishing in the afterlife, and that is why we must repent.

Homilia Lent 3C: La conexión entre el pecado y el sufrimiento, el pecado y el arrepentimiento

 Homilía para el 3er Domingo de Cuaresma Año C 2022

Exodus 3:1-8a,13-15; 1 Corinthians 10:1-6,1-12; Luke 13:1-9

Introducción

¿Cuál es la conexión entre el pecado y el sufrimiento? A menudo, cuando ocurren desastres, algunos cristianos se apresuran a llegar a la conclusión de que el sufrimiento debe ser un castigo por nuestros pecados. Dijeron esa recientemente sobre la pandemia de COVID, dijeron esa hace 20 años después de los ataques terroristas del once de septiembre, dijeron esa después del huracán Katrina.

Jesús, en el evangelio de hoy rechaza una conexión automática entre el pecado y el sufrimiento.

Escritura y teología

En la primera parte del evangelio de hoy Jesús habla de dos grandes tragedias.

1.    El primero fue la masacre atroz de algunos adoradores por Pilato, cuando, como hemos oído, Pilato mezcló la sangre de ellos con la de sus sacrificios. Podemos comparar este incidente con el sufrimiento que experimentamos a manos de otros, como el ataco terrorista del once de septiembre, los tiroteos en las escuelas y la injusta invasión de Ucrania por parte de Rusia.

2.    La segunda tragedia fue un accidente de construcción en Siloé, donde cayó una torre y mató a dieciocho personas. Podemos comparar este segundo incidente con el sufrimiento que ocurre por accidente o por fenómenos naturales, como los huracanes Katrina e Ida, los tornados, los accidentes tráficos o incluso los accidentes aéreos.

¡Jesús luego pregunta a sus oyentes si las víctimas de estas tragedias eran más pecadores que todos los demás! Por supuesto, su respuesta es un enfático "No". Rechaza el vínculo uno a uno entre el pecado y el sufrimiento; esas víctimas no causaron su sufrimiento por su pecado. Sí, algún sufrimiento es obra nuestra, como cuando nos enfermamos porque no nos cuidamos. Pero no todo el sufrimiento del mundo es causado por el pecado personal.

La razón por la que Jesús rechaza este vínculo automático entre el pecado y el sufrimiento es porque crea complacencia en las personas que no sufren. Piensan: "Estoy bastante bien, no estoy sufriendo, no tengo nada que hacer." A ellos, tanto entonces como ahora, Jesús les dice: "¡y si ustedes no se arrepienten, perecerán de manera semejante!".

¿Pero no perecemos todos? ¿No morimos todos? Por supuesto lo hacemos. Pero por "perecer", Jesús no está hablando de la muerte física, está hablando de la muerte eterna, la separación de Dios por los siglos de los siglos. En otras palabras, nos recuerda a los judíos y a nosotros que el castigo por el pecado no siempre se da aquí en la tierra; pero ciertamente se dará después de la muerte. Entonces, como no sabemos cuándo vamos a morir, al igual que esas víctimas de Pilato y el accidente de construcción, como las víctimas del ataque terrorista o de los accidentes, debemos arrepentirse. Si alguna tragedia nos sucediera, aunque moriremos físicamente, no pereceremos eternamente, porque seremos encontrados en un estado de gracia.

Alfred Nobel, el hombre que instituyó y otorgó los Premios Nobel, fue un químico sueco que hizo su fortuna inventando poderosos explosivos y autorizando la fórmula a los gobiernos para fabricar armas. Un día, su hermano murió. Por accidente, el periódico imprimió el obituario de Alfred en lugar del de su hermano fallecido. Lo describió como el inventor de la dinamita que hizo una fortuna al permitir que los ejércitos alcanzaran nuevos niveles de destrucción masiva.

Cuando Nobel leyó su propio obituario, tuvo una idea de cómo sería recordado: como un mercader de la muerte y la destrucción. Fue entonces cuando decidió cambiar y convertirse. Tomó su fortuna y la usó para establecer premios por logros que contribuyen a la vida en lugar de la muerte, los premios Nobel.

Si el ejemplo de Nobel y los trágicos ejemplos de Jesús sirven como incentivos negativos contra la complacencia, la parábola de la higuera debe ser un incentivo positivo que nos inspire a arrepentirnos. La higuera es un árbol especial en Palestina. Cada familia trata de criar uno, rociándolo con cuidado y su suministro limitado de agua, y esperando cosechar algunos higos después de tres años y cada año después. El árbol del evangelio estaba en su sexto año y no había dado fruto. Por eso el amo está cansado y quiere cortarlo. Pero el jardinero ruega por el árbol y pide un año más, para cuidarlo un poco más, para que dé fruto. El jardinero cree que el cambio es posible, que con un poco más de cuidado, el árbol producirá frutos.

En esta parábola, Dios el Padre es el dueño del árbol y casi es cansado con la humanidad. Jesús es el jardinero, suplicándolo que le permita probar una vez más para convertir a la obstinada humanidad con su mensaje vivificante. Pero ahora, incluso el jardinero, Jesús, se siente realmente frustrado, especialmente con los líderes religiosos que se han negado a escuchar su mensaje de salvación y que lo están persiguiendo activamente. Por eso Jesús les dice con palabras muy severas: “Y si ustedes no se arrepienten, perecerán de manera semejante . . ..”

Vida cristiana

Como un trago amargo, estas severas palabras llevan un mensaje de esperanza para nosotros. Nos dicen que el arrepentimiento es posible, incluso para los peores pecadores.

Un proverbio dice que "un leopardo no puede mudar sus manchas". Si bien eso podría ser cierto para los leopardos, para nosotros los cristianos, Jesús enseña que podemos cambiar nuestras manchas. El profeta Isaías nos enseña que aunque nuestros pecados sean como la grana, se volverán como la nieve; aunque sean rojos como el carmesí, se volverán como la lana (Is. 1, 18). No debemos darnos por vencidos con los demás y especialmente con nosotros mismos. No debemos resignarnos a nuestra condición de pecadores, sino que debemos tener siempre la esperanza de que el cambio es posible, aunque no siempre sea fácil.

La parábola de la higuera nos da tres cosas para ayudar: el tiempo, otras personas y Dios.

El cambio necesita algo de tiempo y trabajo. Por eso el jardinero pide un año más, cuatro estaciones para nutrir el árbol. Para nosotros, la Cuaresma puede ser una temporada en la que, a través de la oración, el ayuno y la limosna, trabajemos en nuestras adicciones y hábitos pecaminosos. Algunos hábitos pecaminosos, que se construyen con el tiempo, también requerirán tiempo para cambiar; y no debemos desanimarnos si el cambio no es instantáneo sino gradual.

En segundo lugar, necesitamos la ayuda de los demás. Por sí sola, la higuera no pudo cambiar; solo con la ayuda del jardinero, regándola, fertilizándola, empezaría a dar algún fruto. Este jardinero es como el socio responsable o patrocinador en muchos programas de doce pasos. Para nosotros, nuestro jardinero podría ser un cónyuge, un padre, un maestro, un amigo, un compañero de trabajo para señalar nuestros pecados y ayudarnos a evitarlos. Además, un jardinero más que nos dejó el Señor es el sacerdote, quien a través del sacramento de la confesión nos ayuda con su consejo y consejo a caminar del pecado hacia Dios.

Pero quizás la persona más importante que necesitamos en nuestro camino de conversión es Dios mismo. El pecado tiene un control tan poderoso sobre nosotros que necesitamos un aliado poderoso. Por eso la oración regular es una herramienta tan importante si queremos resistir al Maligno, apartarnos de sus encantos y volvernos hacia Dios. La ayuda de Dios viene mejor del sacramento de la confesión, donde el sacerdote nos dice: "Te absuelvo de tus pecados, en el Nombre del Padre y del Hijo y del Espíritu Santo".

Conclusión

Así que volviendo a la pregunta que hice al principio. ¿Cuál es la conexión entre nuestro pecado y nuestro sufrimiento? La respuesta simple es que es complejo. Algunos pecados nos traen sufrimiento. Además, algunos pecados traen sufrimiento a otros. Pero Jesús rechaza el vínculo automático entre nuestros pecados y nuestro sufrimiento, ya que algunas personas inocentes sufren y algunas personas pecadoras prosperan en las cosas materiales. Pero el sufrimiento del que realmente debemos preocuparnos es el de perecer después de la muerte, y es por eso que debemos arrepentirnos..

Que esta Cuaresma sea la suspensión de la ejecución que necesitamos, dándonos tiempo para arrepentirnos para asegurar que no perezcamos después de la muerte, sino que continuemos viviendo eternamente con Dios para siempre.

Homily Lent 2C: Working for our citizenship is in heaven

 Homily for 2^nd Sunday of Lent Year C 2022

Genesis 15:5-12,17-18; Philippians 3:17-4:1; Luke 9:28b-36

Introduction

"Our citizenship is in heaven," we just heard St. Paul say in the second reading.  What does he mean? Is he suggesting that because we are Catholic, we are not American citizens, Ugandan citizens, Canadian citizens, Mexican citizens?

Fortunately for us, there is a thing called dual citizenship.  For example, I can be both a Ugandan and a US citizen.  Someone can be both a Canadian and a US citizen.  And some European countries like Italy, Spain and France allow you to claim citizenship if at least your great grandparent was a citizen of that country, so that you can be both an Italian and a US citizen.

For us as Catholics therefore, we are dual citizens; we are citizens of this world and citizens of heaven.  Moreover, as St. Paul and indeed our readings today remind us, we are citizens of this world only for a short while; our permanent citizenship is with God in heaven.  And story of the Transfiguration in the gospel, gives us a glimpse of that heavenly citizenship.

Scripture and Tradition

In last Sunday's gospel we saw that the desert was the place where God prepared his messengers for their mission: Moses and the Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years, the prophet Elijah and Jesus for 40 days and nights.

But when he wanted to reveal himself, he met them on mountains.

·        It is on Mount Sinai that Moses often met God and from where he came down with God's message, including the Ten Commandments.

·        Elijah too went to meet God on that same Mount Sinai (1 Kg. 19).

·        And in today’s gospel we heard that "Jesus took Peter, John, and James and went up the mountain to pray."

But while Moses and Elijah only conversed with God on the mountain, they did not see his face.  God revealed himself to them only in partial way, like a shadow or a silhouette.  In the case of Jesus, however, he reveals himself fully.

·        We heard that: "While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white."  This is what the disciples saw.

·        Even the appearance of Moses and Elijah, revered messengers of God, symbols of God's Law and the Prophets, testified to who Jesus was.

·        And to top it off, there was the voice of the Father himself from the cloud saying: "This is my chosen Son; listen to him."

What Moses and Elijah had only seen partially on their previous trips to the mountain, the three disciples could now see fully in the transfigured Jesus.  The disciples had a foretaste of the heavenly citizenship that awaited them.

Moreover, Jesus had a special purpose in bringing with him up the mountain these three, Peter, James and John, his inner cabinet, the closest of the Twelve.  For a week earlier, he had just announced to his disciples for the first time that “he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.”  The disciples found this message difficult to understand or accept, since for them, a Messiah was someone who would come in glory and power; not someone who would suffer.  Jesus had even told them that every one of his disciples would also have to deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Jesus.  His painful fate would be their painful fate.

And so, having proposed this rather stark picture of what it means to be a disciple, Jesus now provided a morale booster, an antidote, if you like.  By giving them, this experience of the Transfiguration, he assured Peter, James and John that this suffering, both on his part and on their part, is not for nothing.  It is the means by which they will share in the glory of the Father, their true citizenship.

·        And so, in this experience of the Transfiguration, they have a sneak-peek of that glory, to which they must look forward, for which they must work.  Like a preview of a good movie entices you to go and watch the real thing, a preview of heaven, would make them work for the real thing.

·        This experience might also be compared to a plastic surgeon showing his patient what he or she will hopefully look like after the procedure.  In this way, the patient might be more inclined to undergo the pain and suffering.  Similarly, the disciples, were able to understand the Cross, because they saw the glory that comes from it, their true citizenship that would follow.

Christian Life

What this experience did for Peter, James and John, it should do for us today.  And coming as it does on the Second Sunday of Lent, this story should help us understand why we have to go through the harshness of the desert, that is, of Lenten Penance, as well as of the difficulties of our daily lives.  This gospel should remind us that the prospect of heaven (and for that matter the avoidance of hell), must always be at the forefront of our thoughts.  We must never forget as St. Paul told us that our true citizenship is in heaven.

·        In virtually all sports, coaches always tell their players to keep their eye on the ball, if they want to win.  For us Christians, the ball is heaven, which we must never keep far from our thoughts and actions. 

·        And for those who use the GPS for navigation, it only works if you enter the correct destination.  If we enter heaven as the destination of our life's journey, even when we take the wrong turn, as we tend to do with sin, it should recalculate and keep on the true path that leads to heaven.

Besides reminding us about our true home in heaven, this story of the Transfiguration also gives us the two ways of getting there: ascending up the mountain and descending down from the mountain.

We climb up the mountain, whenever we pray.  Luke's gospel tells us that Jesus went up to the mountain to pray.  And it is during his prayer, that this marvellous experience of his glory happened.  We too, can experience something of God's glory, both in our private prayer and in our community prayer.  We come to prayer, to leave behind, at least temporarily the cares of our current citizenship and have a foretaste of the other citizenship.  We come to the Eucharist, Confession, devotions and personal prayer, to acquire strength, be anchored and properly oriented for the difficult journey we are making towards heaven.  That is why prayer is not only one of the three Lenten practices, it is also one of the seven spiritual works of mercy; it reminds of our heavenly home.

But then we must climb down from the mountain of prayer.  We cannot like Peter want to build three tents and remain there; rather we must bring our experience from the mountain-top to the valleys and even the deserts of everyday life.  We must let that sneak-peek experience of heaven we get in prayer inform the rest of our life.  For Peter than meant coming down and enduring the suffering and death of his Lord and Master, and later his own.  For us, coming down from the mountain means that we must return to the world ready face the daily hustles of family life and work life, to face questions such as why is all that death and suffering happening in Ukraine, why did Hurricane Ida destroy our homes, why are family and friends, or even ourselves in poor health.  When the deacon or priest after Mass dismisses us saying: “Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life,” he is essentially saying, start climbing down the mountain; go back to your daily lives and live out what you have received here.  And particularly during this season of Lent, our sneak-peek experience of heaven, should inspire us to do this by fasting and almsgiving, the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.

Conclusion

And so, may the experience of the three disciples on the mountain, inspire our own lives, especially during this Lenten season, by both climbing the mountain in devout prayer to have a foretaste of the heavenly citizenship, and climbing down the mountain transform our current citizenship in word and action.

Let us eagerly look forward to that day, when we finally get to heaven, to the mountain of the Lord, where there will be no more ascending and descending.  There we shall take up permanent residence and citizenship, with Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with the Father, in the Holy Spirit, forever and ever.

Homily Lent 1C: Dealing with temptation through fasting, almsgiving and prayer

 Homily for Lent – 1^st Sunday Year C 2022

Deuteronomy 26:4-10; Romans 10:8-13; Luke 4:1-13

Introduction

Temptation is a daily experience of our lives, with virtually nowhere to hide from it.  A friend of mine with little children once told me that even going to the grocery store presents a dilemma.  For when passing through the check-out lane, should he let his kids be tempted by the tonnes of sweets on one side or by the tonnes of magazines with pictures of people in various stages of undress? Or should he leave them home with television?

No wonder then that even our Lord, who despite being without sin, experienced temptation.  For our reflection today, I would like to reflect on the three temptations Jesus experienced in three parts: first by going back to Genesis where we see our first parents falling to them, then seeing how our Blessed Lord rejected them, and then thirdly how we can also fight them.

Scripture and Theology

We heard that Jesus "was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devil."  This harsh environment of the desert, which has hardly any rainfall, limited plant life and often extremely high temperatures, is a place of trial and purification.  And just like Moses led the Hebrew people to the Promised Land, not via the shorter route, that is the present-day Gaza strip, but through the desert for 40years to test them to see if they were really ready and worthy to be God's chosen people, so for Jesus the 40 days in the desert was a period of testing.

The purification and preparation itself partly took the form of three temptations, which Luke arranges in a slightly different way from what the gospel of Mark and Matthew do.  For Luke the three temptations of Jesus correspond to the three reasons that caused Adam and Eve to sin in Genesis.  There we read that "The woman saw that the tree was [1] good for food and [2] pleasing to the eyes, and the tree was [3] desirable for gaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it."  And so, we see that Adam and Eve succumbed to the temptation to eat of the fruit of the tree, first because it was "good for food," the temptation of bodily pleasure just like Jesus is tempted to change the stones into bread to satisfy hunger.  Secondly, Adam and Eve ate of the fruit of the tree because it was "pleasing to the eyes," the temptation of possessions, just like the Devil offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world.  And thirdly Adam and Eve succumbed to the temptation to eat of the tree because it was "desirable for gaining wisdom," the temptation of presumptive pride, just like Jesus was tempted to throw himself down from the Temple.  And so, like he tempted Adam and Eve, the Devil tempts Jesus by dangling before him the same three false goods.

"If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread."  This first temptation places before Jesus is the prospect of bodily pleasure.  Considering that Jesus had been fasting for forty days and forty nights, this first crack at him by the Tempter was particularly attractive, for he was surely hungry.  As we know, later in the gospel Jesus will be in the business of making bread out of nothing for the crowds and will change water into wine at Cana wedding.  And so changing stones into bread is something that he can very easily do.  But Jesus, unlike and Adam and Eve, does not succumb to the temptation of instant bodily gratification.  He tells the Devil, "It is written, One does not live on bread alone."

Having failed to get him, the devil then "took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a single instant."  And then he tempted him: "I shall give to you all this power and glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I may give it to whomever I wish.  All this will be yours, if you worship me."  This second one was the temptation to possessions.  Actually, this was not an empty promise by the Evil One.  Jesus had come to take the world from Satan's control.  And so, it was a real temptation that would allow him recover the world, not via the arduous way of suffering and death on the cross, but the easy way proposed by the tempter.  But again, Jesus says, thanks but no thanks.  Quoting from Scripture he says: "You shall worship the Lord, your God, and him alone shall you serve."

The third temptation is that of presumptuous pride.  After taking Jesus to the roof of the Temple, the devil tells him:  "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written: He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you, and: With their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone."  This proposition places before Jesus the choice of trusting in God unreservedly or obtaining a little proof that the Father cares for him.  Moreover, jumping down from the temple roof and surviving the experience would have been an excellent opportunity for Jesus to show his divine power and win over many people.  But since doing this would be also be testing God for his own purposes, Jesus rejected this temptation again quoting Scripture which says: “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.”

And so, Jesus recapitulated and overcame the three fundamental temptations of Adam and Eve, of human nature: the temptation of physical pleasure, the temptation of possessions and the temptation of pride.

Christian Life

Like Adam and Eve, and Jesus were tempted, we too are tempted in the same ways.  Fortunately, we have the Season of Lent and its three traditional practices of Fasting, Almsgiving and Prayer, to help us deal with these temptations.

By fasting we battle the first temptation of physical pleasure, the tree that Eve considered "good for food," the stones that Satan wanted Jesus to change into bread.  When we fast by giving up all food and drink, in that experience of hunger, we get to know that deprivation felt by the poor man Lazarus and what total dependence on God is.  Abstaining from meat and other favourite foods or pleasures, helps us to set our sights on the greater pleasures of God.

By almsgiving we battle the second temptation of possessions, the tree that Eve considered "pleasing to the eyes," the possessions of kingdoms that Satan presented Jesus.  Almsgiving is sharing our material possessions with those who are less fortunate than we are.  We can do this privately by giving to those who we encounter in our lives or we can support the Lenten campaigns promoted by the Church, such as giving to Catholic Charities which helps the poor within the USA, and Catholic Relief Services which does so abroad.  And then we realize that possessions are only a means to pass through this world, not an end in themselves.  God is the end of everything we do.

By prayer we battle the third temptation of pride, the tree that Eve considered "desirable for gaining wisdom," the adulation Jesus would have received had he thrown himself down from the Temple roof and lived to tell the experience. We grow in humility before God when in prayer we realize that we are nothing before him and he is everything to us.  During Lent we intensify our prayer activities, so that we can get closer to God and know more clearly his will for us.  And so, we don't give in to the temptation to presume God's providence.

Conclusion

As we begin our Lenten observance, we are therefore invited to follow the Lord into the desert for purification and growing in intimacy with God.  It should be no surprise that the period of Lent is also 40 days, the same number of days that Jesus spent in the desert.

May our experience of the Lenten desert through fasting, almsgiving and prayer lead us to realize that only God can offer us what is "[1] good for food and [2] pleasing to the eyes, and [3] desirable for gaining wisdom."

Homily Ash Wednesday: The true meaning of Ashes: Repent and believe in the gospel

 Homily for Ash Wednesday 2022

Joel 2:12-18; Corinthians 5:20-6:2 · Matthew 6:1-6,16-18

Introduction

"Getting my ashes."  That is a phrase I have heard a lot in the past few days here in New Orleans.  This craze for ashes has reached a point where some Christian denominations, even in our area, are offering drive-through ashes or ashes to go.  Just to be clear, we do not do that in Catholic Churches.

And why don’t we? Why don’t we get our ashes in the way we get our double cheese-burger?”  Put simply Catholics receive ashes in the context of liturgy because we believe that ashes by themselves mean nothing, if they are not accompanied by a few other things about which I would like to reflect today. 

Scripture and Theology

Our first port of call to understand the meaning of the ashes that we receive today is the words used by the priest or deacon as he imposes the ashes on us.  The Church offers two formulas to use:

1.    “Repent, and believe in the Gospel.”

2.    “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

You will be happy to learn that both formulas come from the Bible.

The first formula is from the words of Jesus in the first chapter of Mark's gospel.  When Jesus begins his public ministry, he introduces his mission by saying: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand.”  And then he concludes with: “Repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mk. 1:15).  By this instruction, Jesus is not only announcing the “Breaking News” about the arrival of the Kingdom of God; he is also instructing his listeners on what they must do, if they are to gain admission to that Kingdom of God.  The two things required are contained in this first formula: Repent from your sins and believe in the Gospel, which is Good News of God.

The second formula for the ashes comes from Genesis 3:19, where God pronounces sentence on Adam for his sin.  He declares: “By the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread, until you return to the ground, from which you were taken . . . .”  Then he concludes: “For you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”  In these few words God describes what the fate of man is: a life of toil and suffering ending up in death, that is, until the Saviour comes.

Therefore, whichever formula the priest uses, the message is the same.  The ashes, Ash Wednesday itself and Lent cannot be empty signs of cultural Catholicism, or an empty external mark that we carry around; they must be a reminder to us of the journey of repentance from sin that we must travel.

·        If the priest wants to scare you into conversion by a stark reminder of eternal death, which comes from sin, he will remind you that "you are dust and unto dust you shall return," unless you turn to the Lord.

·        But if he wants to encourage your conversion by reminding you of ugliness of sin as compared to the beauty of the Good News, he will choose the much gentler encouragement to repent and believe in the gospel, which essentially is turning away from sin and being faithful to the gospel.

And so, when we present ourselves in a few minutes to receive the ashes, we are committing ourselves to doing these things, turning away from a life of sin and turning towards the message of the gospel, because otherwise we shall miss out on eternal life and instead embrace the dust of eternal death.  And although this is something we must do throughout the year, during this time of Lent, we are asked to make an extra effort, go the extra mile.

Christian Life

What will this extra focus, extra effort, extra mile be for us?  Today’s gospel suggests the three traditional penitential acts of almsgiving, prayer and fasting. 

By almsgiving, we share our material possessions with those who are less fortunate than we are.  We can do this privately with those who we encounter each day or we can support the Lenten campaigns promoted by the Church, such as supporting Catholic Charities which helps the poor within the USA, and Catholic Relief Services which does so abroad, as well as other groups that truly help the poor.

In this year's Letter for Lent, Pope Francis has some ideas for our almsgiving.  He says:

Let us not grow tired of doing good in active charity towards our neighbours. . . . Lent is a favourable time to seek out – and not to avoid – those in need; to reach out – and not to ignore – those who need a sympathetic ear and a good word; to visit – and not to abandon – those who are lonely. Let us put into practice our call to do good to all, and take time to love the poor and needy, those abandoned and rejected, those discriminated against and marginalized (cf. Fratelli Tutti, 193).

And when we carry out almsgiving in all its forms, we remember that we and what we have is dust, and what really counts in the long run is life with God.

A second Lenten practice is prayer, which is something we do every day, but during Lent we kick it up a notch.  Do we say prayers as a family, before and after meals, perhaps the rosary before we watch our favourite television show, as well as our morning and night prayers?  Can we consider coming to daily Mass, if that is a possibility?  And of course let us not forget the Sacrament of Penance, which after baptism, is the sacrament that reconciles us to God.

About prayer, Pope Francis has reminded us:

Let us not grow tired of praying. Jesus taught us to “pray always without becoming weary” ( Lk 18:1). We need to pray because we need God. Thinking that we need nothing other than ourselves is a dangerous illusion. If the pandemic has heightened the awareness of our own personal and social fragility, may this Lent allow us to experience the consolation provided by faith in God, without whom we cannot stand firm (cf. Is 7:9). . . . Faith does not spare us life’s burdens and tribulations, but it does allow us to face them in union with God in Christ, with the great hope that does not disappoint, whose pledge is the love that God has poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit (cf. Rom 5:1-5).

The third Lenten practice is fasting and abstinence.  We fast by giving up all food and drink, particularly today on Ash Wednesday and on Good Friday, so that in that experience of hunger, we might know what the deprivation of the poor man Lazarus means and what total dependence on God is.  We also abstain from certain foods or pleasures, so as to set our sights on the greater pleasures of God.  But fasting and abstinence is not a weight-loss program, although that could be an unintended lagniappe.  Like the ashes, it is a sign of what is happening inside our spiritual lives.

The Holy Father has also given some advice on fasting and abstinence.

May the corporal fasting to which Lent calls us fortify our spirit for the battle against sin. . . One of these is addiction to the digital media, which impoverishes human relationships. Lent is a propitious time to resist these temptations and to cultivate instead a more integral form of human communication (FT., 43) made up of “authentic encounters” (FT., 50), face-to-face and in person.

Conclusion

There are many Catholics throughout the world today who will not receive ashes, in mission countries like Uganda, perhaps because they lack priests and churches.  As we receive our ashes, as we carry out our Lenten observance of almsgiving let us remember them.  And as we receive our ashes, let us remember them especially in our prayer today and throughout Lent.

And then in forty days, on Easter Sunday, we shall return to this very place, to celebrate the Lord's resurrection in joy.  Having been reminded that we are only dust and unto dust we shall return, during the season of Lent we shall have truly repented and believed in God's Word in the gospel.  And on Easter we shall anticipate the fruits of our Lenten observance, by celebrating the joy of the Lord’s resurrection, which has paved the way for our own.

I will be looking out to see if you will be here.  If you don't show up, I will hunt down in your homes.  It is a date.

Homilia Miércoles de Ceniza: El verdadero significado de las cenizas: Arrepiéntete y cree en el evangelio

 Homilía del Miércoles de Ceniza 2022

Joel 2:12-18; Corinthians 5:20-6:2 · Matthew 6:1-6,16-18

Introducción

"Recibir mis cenizas". Esa es una frase que he escuchado mucho en los últimos días aquí en Nueva Orleans. El deseo por las cenizas ha llegado a un punto en el que algunas denominaciones cristianas, incluso en nuestra área, ofrecen cenizas para llevar sin dejar el carro. Para ser claro, no hacemos eso en la iglesia católica.

¿Y por qué nosotros católicos no hacemos? ¿Por qué no ponemos nuestras cenizas en la forma en que obtenemos nuestra hamburguesa con queso? En pocas palabras, los católicos reciben cenizas en el contexto de la liturgia porque creemos que las cenizas en sí mismas no significan nada, si no van acompañadas de otras cosas sobre las que me gustaría reflexionar hoy.

Escritura y teología

Para comprender el significado de las cenizas que recibimos hoy vamos primero a las palabras que usa el sacerdote o el diácono cuando nos impone las cenizas. La Iglesia ofrece dos fórmulas para usar:

1.    Conviértete y cree en el Evangelio. O bien:

2.    Recuerda que eres polvo y al polvo has de volver.

Les alegrarán saber que ambas fórmulas provienen de la Biblia.

La primera fórmula es las palabras de Jesús en el primer capítulo del evangelio de Marcos. Cuando Jesús comienza su ministerio público, presenta su misión diciendo: “Este es el momento del cumplimiento. El reino de Dios está cerca.” Y luego concluye con: " Arrepintanse y crean en el Evangelio" (Mc. 1:15). Por esta instrucción, Jesús no solo anuncia las "Noticias de última hora" sobre la llegada del Reino de Dios; él también está instruyendo a sus oyentes sobre lo que deben hacer, si quieren ser admitidos en ese Reino de Dios. Las dos cosas requeridas están contenidas en esta primera fórmula: "Conviértete y cree en el Evangelio."

La segunda fórmula para las cenizas proviene de Génesis 3:19, donde Dios pronuncia una sentencia sobre Adán por su pecado. Dios declara: “Con el sudor de tu rostro comerás el pan, hasta que vuelvas al suelo, pues de él fuiste tomado. . .. " Y luego concluye: "Porque eres polvo y al polvo tornarás." En estas palabras, Dios describe cuál es el destino del hombre: una vida de trabajo y sufrimiento que termina en muerte, hasta que llega el Salvador.

Y así, cualquiera que sea la fórmula que use el sacerdote, el mensaje es el mismo. Las cenizas, el Miércoles de Ceniza y la Cuaresma no pueden ser signos vacíos de catolicismo cultural, o una marca externa vacía que llevamos; deben ser un recordatorio para nosotros del viaje de arrepentimiento del pecado que debemos viajar.

1.    Si el sacerdote quiere asustarle para que le convierta mediante un recordatorio de la muerte eterna, que viene del pecado, le recordará "que eres polvo y al polvo has de volver," a menos que le vuelva al Señor.

2.    Pero si él quiere alentar su conversión al recordarle la fealdad del pecado en comparación con la belleza de las Buenas Nuevas, elegirá el estímulo mucho más gentil para arrepentirse y creer en el Evangelio, que esencialmente es alejarse del pecado y ser fiel al evangelio

Y así, cuando nos presentamos en unos minutos para recibir las cenizas, nos comprometemos a hacer estas cosas, alejándonos de una vida de pecado y volviéndonos hacia el mensaje del evangelio, porque de lo contrario nos perderemos la vida eterna, y en cambio abrazamos el polvo de la muerte eterna. Y esto es algo que debemos hacer durante todo el año, pero durante este tiempo de Cuaresma, se nos pide que hagamos un esfuerzo adicional.

Vida cristiana

¿Cuál será este esfuerzo adicional? El evangelio de hoy sugiere los tres actos penitenciales tradicionales de limosna, oración y ayuno.

Al dar limosna, compartimos nuestros bienes con aquellos que son menos afortunados que nosotros. Podemos hacer esto en privado con aquellos con quienes nos encontramos cada día o podemos apoyar las campañas de Cuaresma promovidas por la Iglesia, como el apoyo a Catholic Charities que ayudan a los pobres dentro del país, y Catholic Relief Services que lo hace fuera del país, así como otros grupos que realmente ayudan a los pobres.

En la Carta de Cuaresma de este año, el Papa Francisco tiene algunas ideas para nuestra limosna. Él dice:

Durante esta Cuaresma practiquemos la limosna, dando con alegría (cf. 2 Co 9,7). . .. La Cuaresma es un tiempo propicio para buscar —y no evitar— a quien está necesitado; para llamar —y no ignorar— a quien desea ser escuchado y recibir una buena palabra; para visitar —y no abandonar— a quien sufre la soledad. Pongamos en práctica el llamado a hacer el bien a todos, tomándonos tiempo para amar a los más pequeños e indefensos, a los abandonados y despreciados, a quienes son discriminados y marginados (cf. Carta enc. Fratelli tutti, 193).

Y cuando llevamos a cabo la limosna en todas sus formas, recordamos que nosotros y lo que tenemos es polvo, y lo que realmente cuenta a la larga es la vida con Dios.

Una segunda práctica de la Cuaresma es la oración, que es algo que hacemos todos los días, pero durante la Cuaresma lo mejoramos un poco. ¿Rezamos oraciones en familia, antes y después de las comidas, tal vez el rosario antes de ver nuestro programa de televisión favorito, así como nuestras oraciones matutinas y nocturnas? ¿Podemos considerar venir a misa diaria, si es una posibilidad? Y, por supuesto, no olvidemos el Sacramento de la Penitencia, que después del bautismo, es el sacramento que nos reconcilia con Dios.

El Papa Francisco nos ha recordado nuevamente sobre la oración, diciendo.

No nos cansemos de orar. Jesús nos ha enseñado que es necesario «orar siempre sin desanimarse» ( Lc 18,1). Necesitamos orar porque necesitamos a Dios. Pensar que nos bastamos a nosotros mismos es una ilusión peligrosa. Con la pandemia hemos palpado nuestra fragilidad personal y social. Que la Cuaresma nos permita ahora experimentar el consuelo de la fe en Dios, sin el cual no podemos tener estabilidad (cf. Is 7,9) . . .. La fe no nos exime de las tribulaciones de la vida, pero nos permite atravesarlas unidos a Dios en Cristo, con la gran esperanza que no defrauda y cuya prenda es el amor que Dios ha derramado en nuestros corazones por medio del Espíritu Santo (cf. Rm 5,1-5).

La tercera práctica de Cuaresma es el ayuno y la abstinencia. Ayunamos renunciando a toda la comida y bebida, particularmente hoy el Miércoles de Ceniza y el Viernes Santo, para que en esa experiencia de hambre, podamos saber qué significa la privación del pobre Lázaro y qué es la dependencia total de Dios. También nos abstenemos de ciertos alimentos o placeres, a fin de fijarnos en los placeres mayores de Dios. Pero el ayuno y la abstinencia no es un programa para bajar de peso. Al igual que las cenizas, es una señal de lo que está sucediendo dentro de nuestras vidas espirituales.

Escuchamos que dice el Santo Padre:

Que el ayuno corporal que la Iglesia nos pide en Cuaresma fortalezca nuestro espíritu para la lucha contra el pecado. . .. Uno de estos modos es el riesgo de dependencia de los medios de comunicación digitales, que empobrece las relaciones humanas. La Cuaresma es un tiempo propicio para contrarrestar estas insidias y cultivar, en cambio, una comunicación humana más integral (cf. ibíd., 43) hecha de «encuentros reales» ( ibíd., 50), cara a cara.

Conclusión

Hay muchos católicos en todo el mundo hoy que no recibirán cenizas, en países de misión como Uganda, quizás porque carecen de sacerdotes e iglesias. Mientras recibimos nuestras cenizas, mientras llevamos a cabo nuestra observancia cuaresmal de la limosna, recordémoslas. Y al recibir nuestras cenizas, recordémoslas especialmente en nuestra oración de hoy y durante la Cuaresma.

Y luego, en cuarenta días, el domingo de Pascua, volveremos a este mismo lugar, para celebrar la resurrección del Señor con alegría, celebrando los frutos de nuestras cenizas y de nuestro viaje cuaresmal.  Que nuestra cuaresma proceda con la gracia de Dios.

Homily Ordinary 8C: Avoiding the sins of the tongue

 Homily for 8^th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year C 2022

Sirach 27:5-8; 1 Corinthians 15:54-58; Luke 6:39-45

Introduction

We have just heard Jesus narrate three short parables or riddles. 

1.    The first about a blind person leading another blind person.

2.    The second about taking a log out of one’s eye before attempting to remove a speck in another's eye.

3.    The third about a good tree bearing good fruit while a rotten tree bearing rotten fruit.

So what is the overall message of these seemingly different parables?

Scripture and Theology

For our homily today, I would like to suggest that we reflect on these parables through the lens of the sins of the tongue.  That Jesus here is talking about how we should use our speech is suggested by the setting of these parables:

1.    First, these parables follow immediately upon where we left off last Sunday, when Jesus said: “Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned," a clear injunction not to use our speech unfairly and incorrectly against another.

2.    Second, today's gospel ends with the words "from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks."  And so in way, our short three parables are sandwiched at both ends by a clear instruction about using speech, and we can see them as ways of elaborating on that message.

Jesus gives the first parable in form of a rhetorical question: "Can a blind person guide a blind person?"  Of course not, since both will fall into a pit, perhaps one of those abandoned water wells found in Palestine.  Obviously, the person who is physically blind lacks the ability to see potential obstacles and dangers and will not only harm themselves but also those others who are depending on them.

But much worse is spiritual blindness, to which this image of physical blindness points; the failure to know God's will for us similarly leads to spiritual harm.  That is why Jesus goes on to explain that the disciple must not presume to know more than his teacher, at least until he has been trained like his teacher.  A disciple who presumes such knowledge can be said to be spiritually blind; and when he or she leads others it is often into the pit of spiritual destruction.

How often today people mislead others because they themselves don't know what they are talking about!  You see this all-over social media, when people write and post on social media all kinds of things that are not based in the truth.  As someone put it well, on social media we argue about things we don’t know, and with people we don’t know.  But even in the traditional media of talking on the phone, or shooting the breeze as they say, we can peddle such blind guidance.  Such falsehoods are fairly innocuous if they are dealing with pictures of cats, one's favourite dishes or even one's favourite sports team.  But they are particularly dangerous if they deal with matters of the spiritual life and of the moral life, with our relationship with God and with fellow man.  The message of this first parable, therefore is this: "Have you used your tongue to mislead because you yourself are spiritually blind?"

Jesus also begins the second parable with a rhetorical question: "Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own?"  Of course the answer is that you shouldn't.  Instead: "Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother's eye."  Perhaps more clearly than the first parable, this absurd image of the log in one's eye shows once again how a lack of self-knowledge is a very dangerous thing.  Here we are not only talking about inability to see, but we are also talking about hypocrisy of the highest level.  Such hypocrisy often occurs when we claim to see the faults of others, but cannot see our own much greater faults.  And like Jesus warned, we are often very fast to express judgement and condemnation when we see the splinter of sin in the other.

Now let us be clear that Jesus is not saying we cannot point out the sins of others unless we are completely squeaky clean ourselves; for nobody is without sin, except Jesus and the Blessed Mother.  No, what he is asking is that we do both, but start with our own sinfulness.  In fact, it is by dealing with our own sinfulness first, that we can more easily see the sins of others, and perhaps even understand why they do what they do, and offer them the most effective help to repent and return to righteousness. Some of the greatest saints like St. Paul and St. Augustine were able to speak so clearly about sin, only because they had reflected on their own sinfulness, rejected it and gained better insight, thanks to the light of God.  And so, the message of this second parable is this: "Before speaking about the sins of others, something which we must often do, especially to help them repent, have we looked at our own condition before God?"

We should be familiar with the third parable about good trees and good fruit, since we say that the apple does not fall far from the tree.  But while we use this image to speak about a son taking after his father, or a daughter after her mother, Jesus uses the image to teach about the relationship between inner virtue and external witness.  He says: "For every tree is known by its own fruit.  For people do not pick figs from thornbushes, [but certainly from a fig tree] nor do they gather grapes from brambles [but from a vine shrub]."  So if we are the tree and our words and actions are the fruit, then only a good person will produce good words and actions; a an evil person, will produce evil words and actions.

Returning to our theme of speech, our speech can only reflect what is going on in our hearts.  Unless we cultivate hearts and minds that are filled with virtue and truth, our words cannot but lack truth and virtue.  That is probably why Jesus said of the disciple earlier, that they need training, so that they can teach the truth like their teacher.  And so the question for us from this third parable is this: "Do we take the trouble to form ourselves in virtue, goodness and truth, so that our words come from hearts that are virtuous like good fruit comes from good trees?"

Christian Life and Conclusion

James Melton (via Msgr. Pope) offers a list of ten ways of sinning with the tongue, sins which Jesus in today's gospel, instructs us to avoid.

1.      The Lying Tongue that speaks falsehoods to intentionally mislead others.

2.      The Flattering Tongue that overstates the good qualities of others so as to win their favour, through lying and brown-nosing.

3.      The Proud Tongue that overstates the good qualities about oneself, so as to seem more than they actually are, again through lying.

4.      The Overused Tongue that speaks too much, too often, about everything, even about things they know little or nothing about.

5.      The Swift Tongue that draws conclusions from scanty information or none.

6.      The Backbiting Tongue that talks about others behind their backs, harming their reputation by calumny, that is by lying about them, or by detraction, that is, by drawing attention to their faults.

7.      The Tale-bearing Tongue that spreads information about others, information that should not be shared.

8.      The Cursing Tongue that wishes others harm and damnation.

9.      The Piercing Tongue that speaks with needless harshness and severity, vitriol and nastiness.

10.  The Silent Tongue that does not speak up when it should, especially to warn people about sin, as well as to speak up for others.

May our tongues never speak from blindness, or with a log in our eyes, but always be the fruit of a tree that is steeped in virtue and truth.