Homily Ordinary Sunday 21 C 2016: Who will be saved?

Isaiah 66:18-21; Hebrews 12:5-7.11-13; Luke 13:22-30

Introduction

“Lord, will only a few people be saved?”  This is the question the man asked Jesus in the gospel.  But don’t we also sometimes ask this same question?

·        As Catholics we might look at Baptists and ask: “Will they also be saved?”  As Christians, we might look at Muslims and ask: “Lord, surely you did not die for them too?”

·        Don’t we wonder about the fate of those who are different from us in other ways, like people of a different race, occupation, political party, secretly wondering: “Surely, Lord, you are not going to save them too, are you?”

·        And then you have the people who are personally disagreeable to us: the ex-husband or ex-wife, that horrible neighbour or terrible boss, the corner drug-dealer or prostitute.  We wonder: “Will they also be saved?”

Let us return to the gospel itself, to hear how the Lord answers this question.

Scripture and Theology

The man in the gospel was probably looking for Jesus to confirm the notion that only a few people, only the Jewish people would be saved.  After all, they were God’s chosen people.  Why else would God invite anybody else?

But Jesus does not give a simple "Yes" or "No" answer, the kind we get from some of our politicians.  His answer is complex, complete, both "Yes" and "No." 

On the one hand he says: "Yes," only a few will be saved.  That is why he urges: “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.”  In other words only those few, who will strive to enter through the narrow gate, who be saved.  Those who will fail to get through the narrow gate, will not be saved.

What was this narrow gate?  The cities of that time were protected by high walls, many of which you can still see in the Middle East and Europe.  These high walls kept enemies away, especially at night or in war.  The only way to enter a city like Jerusalem was by passing through specific gates.  There was also the narrow gate, to be used at night, something like the night depository in many banks.  According to Bible scholars, this gate was so small and so narrow, that a threefold contortion of the body was needed to enter through the eighteen-inch doorsill.  Only those with the physical and athletic abilities, like some of those we are seeing in the Olympics, could perform the extraordinary manoeuvres needed to pass through this narrow gate.

If physical strength and fitness were required to do the lifting, bending and twisting of the body to enter the physical gate leading into the city, it is spiritual strength and spiritual fitness that will be needed to enter the narrow gate that leads to heaven.  This spiritual fitness is achieved by observing the threefold rigorous demands of God, namely, believing in God, worshipping God and living according to his commands.  And so, only those who accept God's help and invitation, and put in the work will be admitted to God’s kingdom.  And so, to the question: "Lord will only a few be saved?" the answer of Jesus is, "Yes, only a few will be saved, those who will respond positively to God's invitation."

But then Jesus goes on to expand his answer; there is Part B to his answer.  "No, more than a few people will be saved."  For although there is a condition for entering heaven, Jesus has changed things by opening that condition to all. Jesus says: “And people will come from the east and the west and from the north and the south and will recline at table in the kingdom of God.”  These are the Gentiles.  In the first reading God had already promised that he would “come to gather nations of every language” and that he would “bring all your brothers and sisters from all the nations . . . to Jerusalem, my holy mountain. . . .”

Before Jesus came the invitation to enter heaven was given only to those of Jewish birth, thus excluding all non-Jews.  But now, the criterion is the narrow gate, through which anybody is invited to enter, if they so wish.  Even the close disciples of Jesus could not be guaranteed free admission.  For we heard Jesus say, that if they showed up and all they had to say was: “We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets,” Jesus will say: “Depart from me, all you evildoers!”  For them too, the criterion for admission is the narrow gate of firm belief, worthy worship and faithful living.

And so, although the man was expecting a “Yes” or “No” answer to the question “Will only a few be saved?”, Jesus has given a “Yes” and “No” answer.

·        “Yes,” only those few who respond to God’s invitation to the great banquet by meeting the rigorous requirements of the narrow gate will be saved.

·        But “No”, more than a few will be saved, because now the invitation has been extended to all nations and indeed to every person.  And so, if they too respond well to the invitation, then more than a few people will be saved. Now everybody has a chance to take up or reject the invitation and therefore present oneself and one’s credentials at the narrow gate.

Christian Life

This twofold answer of Jesus applies to you and me directly in two ways.

First, when Jesus answers that “Yes” only a few will be saved, he is challenging you and me to be concerned about being counted in that number.  Am I passing through that narrow gate?  Am I keeping myself spiritually fit, so that I can twist and turn and squeeze through that narrow opening?  Have I responded to that invitation card God sends me every week in the Sunday readings or every time I pray, so that when I show up at the heavenly wedding banquet, there will be a seat reserved for me, plus one, my spouse, if I am married?

Secondly, when Jesus answers “No”, saying that more than a few will be saved, he is challenging you and me to stop excluding others from his love.  Let us leave to Jesus, the speculating about who will or will not be saved. The fact is that God has sent the invitation to many other people, even those whom I think don’t deserve it.  God wants the banquet to be more lively and that is why he invites more people; the more the merrier.  Deciding who enters heaven is really above my pay-grade.  Even if I suspect that because of their behaviour certain people might be excluded, I must leave it to God, to make that determination; who knows, in his mercy, he might just admit them, just as he treats me better than I deserve.  If, from the evidence before me, I suspect that someone might be going the wrong way, my job is to help them return to the right path, perhaps by talking to them or by praying for them, but certainly not by despatching them to hell.

Conclusion

Perhaps like the man in the gospel, some of us might find Jesus' long-winded answer a little wishy-washy.  We want a simple direct answer to our question.  Let us get some consolation from the fact that we are thinking as man thinks, not as God.  God's world is far more complicated than ours.

Let us be happy that all have received the invitation.  Some like us have received the invitation via priority mail, which is by hearing the gospel and receiving the sacraments.  Others have received the invitation via a slower route, which is natural reason in their hearts.  The bottom line, the common denominator for both, however, is that we ready ourselves, we arm ourselves, we strengthen ourselves to enter that narrow gate.

It is my prayer that I get to heaven, and moreover, that when I get there, I am not alone – I am with all the children of God.

Homily for Assumption 2016: Making Mary's path our path

Revelation 11:19a;12:1-6a;10ab; 1 Corinthians 15:20-26; Luke 1:39-56

Introduction

We at Notre Dame Seminary are privileged to have two senior priests among us. Father David Kelly and Archbishop Alfred Hughes have lived for a really long time, and with a combined priestly experience of more than a century, they do teach us many things.

One of the things I have picked up from our casual conversations is that when they speak about their childhood, the subject of their mothers often comes up.  Eighty years later they vividly remember the kind of sandwich mom packed for the school or something that she said to them.  This is perhaps because there is something uniquely special in the relationship between a child and his mother.

Scripture and Theology

We should not be surprised then, that Jesus too holds his mother in such high esteem as to grant her several privileges.  We have just heard Mary herself admit as much when she said: “The Almighty has done great things for me.”

In the same Magnificat canticle she adds: "All generations will call me Blessed," something the Church has done by giving Mary a privileged place in her life.  And especially in her liturgy, the Church recalls three of the great things that the Lord has done for Mary, in the three Marian solemnities of the Liturgical Calendar.

1.    On December 8^th, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, we celebrate a great thing that the Almighty did for Mary, arranging that she be conceived without original sin.

2.    On January 1^st, the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God, we celebrate one more great thing the Almighty did for Mary, making her the Mother of God.

3.    And today, August 15^th, the Solemnity of the Assumption, we celebrate yet another great thing that the Almighty did for Mary, taking her up to heaven, body and soul, where she is glorified with her Son.  Today’s reading from the Book of Revelation described beautifully and in quite some detail this great privilege that the Lord accorded his mother.

Christian Life

It is a happy coincidence that today's solemnity comes during this week of orientation.  For some of you, on your first night here, lying on a twin-size mattress, might have asked yourselves: "What am I doing here?  What have I gotten myself into?"

Let me suggest that like every faithful Catholic, not only should we turn to the Blessed Mother seeking answers in prayer, but we should also take the trajectory of her life as a pattern for our own, especially for our own discernment of a possible call to the priesthood.  Like the Almighty did those three great things for the Blessed Mother, he also extends his threefold mercy to all "those who fear him in every generation," even to us who are seeking to serve him as his priests.

First, while you and I were not conceived without original sin, the Lord provided the sacrament of baptism that removed original sin and thus restored us to virtually that immaculate condition that he had given to his mother at her conception.  And even when due to sin we stain that condition, he provided yet another sacrament, the sacrament of penance to give us a second chance, a third chance and so on, to restore us the divine life to us.  With Mary we can surely say that the Almighty has done great things for us.

Secondly, while you and I were not chosen for the singular honour of bearing God's son and so playing a pivotal role in the work of salvation, God has given each of us our own small part to play, in bringing others back to him.  And if figuring out that role proves a little difficult, remember it was just as difficult and unclear for Mary.  In fact, she had to seek further clarification from the Angel Gabriel asking: “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?".  While in seminary, you too should ask clarifying questions, so that you can understand clearly what the Lord wants you to do for him.  And so, you can rightfully consider your time here, as another great thing the Lord has done for you.

It is perhaps in the third of the Blessed Mother's privileges, her Assumption into heaven, that we come closest to sharing her very experience.  For the third great thing that the Almighty did for Mary, taking her into heaven body and soul – that great thing he has promised to do for us as well.  The Assumption should therefore remind us not only that the Lord has redeemed us from our sins, but also that he has opened the doors of heaven, not just to our souls, but also to our bodies at the Resurrection.

Perhaps our discernment of the God's will for us, will have a firmer footing, if it is done not with becoming a priest as the ultimate goal, but rather with eternal life for ourselves and for those to whom we minister as our ultimate goal.  Although being eternal life with God as a goal that seems so far away, so remote, it is real and should be the concern of every Christian.  Such a clear and hope-filled goal will provide our formation and indeed our Christian lives with much-needed direction, since we shall know where we are going.  For the eagerness to be resurrected in body and soul, to see the Lord as he is, and to be like him will be the prism through which we carry out all those activities of human formation, spiritual formation, intellectual formation and pastoral formation.  And keeping our eye on the ball and on this noble goal, we shall weather the distractions of the Tempter and the sheer demands of this arduous journey of seminary formation and the even more difficult one of priestly life and ministry.

Conclusion

My friends, since we are heaven-bound, let heaven be the address that we enter into the GPS of our discernment.  And then we shall be guided by God, turn by turn, sometimes recalculating or rerouting when we have made the wrong turn, sometimes taking detours when we need to avoid the traffic jams of temptation, but always directing us to the goal of being assumed into heaven like the Blessed Mother.  With the Assumption of Mary and the hope of our own Resurrection as the correctly entered address, we shall continue our journey of the Christian life, but also our journey of formation, better able to clearly hear the word of God and faithfully observe it.

And then like Mary, we and those to whom we minister, the servants on whom the Lord has looked with favor and for whom he has done great things, the lowly whom he has lifted up, the hungry whom he has filled with good things, and the sinners whom he has shown mercy, we shall be called Blessed for all eternity.

Preaching the Good News, in season and out of season

Homily for 20^th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year C 2016

Jeremiah 38:4-6,8-10; Hebrews 12:1-4; Luke 12:49-53

Introduction

Prophet of doom, party-pooper, killjoy, wet blanket.  These are some of the names we give to people who spoil other people's fun, by what they say or what they do.  You have the Human Resource person who gives the pink slip, the doctor who announces a diagnosis of cancer the day before your fiftieth birthday, and the priest preaching a challenging message about marriage or immigration.

Scripture and Theology

Actually, the original "prophet of doom" was Jeremiah, whose words we have just read in the first reading.  The Prophet Jeremiah was asked by God to reveal the sins of the people, to tell them of the impending disaster that would befall the nation unless they surrendered.  Naturally, his pessimistic message was denounced by other prophets and by the leaders.  In fact in today's passage we heard him accused of demoralizing the soldiers by suggesting that the nation would fall.  And for his efforts, Jeremiah was tortured and persecuted.

But if the title, "prophet of doom" was imposed upon Jeremiah, Jesus takes it upon himself when he preaches fire and brimstone in the gospel we just read.

·        “I have come to set the earth on fire," he says, "and how I wish it were already blazing!”

·        And then again: “Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.”

Like Jeremiah, Jesus is teaching an unwelcome message of fire and division, rather than the more welcome message of peace and joy.  Such teaching did not make him popular at his time, nor is such teaching any more popular today.  And the reason we denounce Jeremiah and Jesus as prophets of doom, is because we listen to them with the mindset of the world, rather than the mindset of God.

That is why at the Last Supper Jesus tells his disciples: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you” (Jn. 14:27).  The world often understands peace to mean merely an absence of war.  This kind of peace is a passive relationship, in which people don't fight, but they also don't love each other. It is the kind of peace borne out of indifference, the peace that sweeps problems under the carpet, the peace that compromises the truth.  If that is what we call peace, Jesus says, he will have nothing to do with it.

But the peace that Jesus brings is an active kind of peace; it involves commitment, faithfulness and love of Jesus and one another.  And since love is caring for the good of another, sometimes such love will point out what is wrong in the other person, and therefore bring about division.  For this truly lasting peace to come about, Jesus must set the earth on fire with his demanding message that also brings life.

• His message is the fire that must destroy the dense undergrowth of the forest, so as to allow new plants to germinate.
• His message is the fire of heat and light that makes plants grow.
• His message is the fire that cleanses and purifies gold and silver, burning away all that is impure and unworthy.
•  His message is the fire of God’s presence that Moses saw in the burning bush, the pillar of fire that accompanied the Israelites in the desert, and the tongues of fire at Pentecost which set the apostles on their mission.

Three years ago, at the World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro, Pope Francis encouraged the youth to return home, go out onto the streets and make noise, bringing the gospel outside of the churches to the world.  Some misunderstood the Pope’s words and suggested that he was encouraging the youth to go out on the streets and start riots and demonstrations.  But the Pope, like Jesus was only encouraging the youth to get out there and be courageous missionaries, on fire for the gospel.  Like Jesus, the Pope was not encouraging war and destruction, but rather an ardent spirit and commitment to the message of salvation.

Christian Life

When you and I as Christians accept Jesus' message of fire, sometimes we experience division in our families that Jesus spoke about.  For example:

·        A father, who runs his business on Christian principles of justice and honesty, will be divided against his son who prefers quick gain.

·        And a son, who chooses to become a priest will be divided against his father who wants him to join the family business and make money.

·        A mother, who upholds Christian sexual morals in marriage will be divided against her daughter who sees sexuality as being only about pleasure.

·        And a daughter, who chooses a career of service to the poor and needy will  certainly be divided against her mother who does not care about them.

Perhaps a good example of this division is the family of St. Monica, her husband Patricius and their son Augustine.  As you probably already know, Monica was the only Christian in the family.  Both her pagan husband and son refused to believe and live according to the Christian faith.  Augustine, for example, not only practiced some strange religions, but he also lived a rather promiscuous life, even having a son out of wedlock.  This sad situation certainly caused Monica a lot of heartache and of course a lot of division in the family.

Perhaps we too have experienced divisions and estrangement in our families as a result of the faith.  Perhaps we have been tempted to give in, so as to escape the same fate that both Jeremiah and Jesus experienced as a result of teaching and practicing the truth.  Let me offer three responses to such situations: truth, charity and prayer.

1.    First, we must never compromise the truth, we must never give in for the sake of an easy peace, we must share the truth of Jesus with others.  People will not respect us, if we approach them with what they already know to be flawed; we shall be giving them only a phoney peace.  Our steadfastness, commitment and even suffering will win respect for us and victory for the Lord.

2.    But secondly, we must present the truth of Christ with charity.  The saying about catching more flies with honey than with vinegar applies here more than ever.  Many people are brought to the faith more by our good example and kindness, rather than by rude, discourteous or hateful things.  St. Monica certainly did convert Augustine by her example.

3.    Third, besides upholding the truth and upholding it in charity, we must also pray for the conversion of others and ourselves.  Let us turn to the Lord, who is the source of all conversion, that he may bring those who have gone astray back to him.  I know many parents who pray for their wayward children daily. That is what St. Monica did.

Conclusion

The gospel of Jesus Christ is also called the Good News; it is good news because Jesus told us about and brought for us the love of the Father.  But it is not a happy-go-lucky kind of good news, which allows us to do whatever we want.  It is challenging Good News, because the Father expects us to reciprocate his love, particularly in our belief, in our worship and in our daily lives.  May this Good News, laced with crosses and commitments, bring us close to God, not only in this life, but also in the life to come, where all division will come to an end.

IN MEMORIAM MSGR. FRANZ GRAEF (1930 – 2016)

IN MEMORIAM

MSGR. FRANZ GRAEF (1930 – 2016)

Rev. Deogratias Ekisa

St. John Berchman's Cathedral, Shreveport - June 29, 2016

Dear Bishop Duca, my brothers and sisters, I count it a great honour, to stand before you, to say a few words about Msgr. Franz Graef, on my behalf and on behalf of Notre Dame Seminary, where he served two wonderful tours of duty.  I am sure that each of us who has known him would have something special to say about his influence on our lives.

In my case, I first met Msgr. Graef, as we called him, in 1994, when I joined Notre Dame Seminary for my theological studies.  Like me, he had an accent, an unusual accent, a German accent; but unlike me, his accent had a gravitas to it, a depth that kept you listening to what he had to say, whether it was about theology or simply his good natured humour.

In preparing my remarks for tonight, I spoke to a few alumni of Notre Dame Seminary to share with me some of their memories of Msgr. Graef.  I would like summarize these memories by speaking about three things which Msgr. Graef passed on to us, not only by his words, but especially by his actions.  And coincidentally, the three things line up exactly with the threefold office of Jesus Christ, as priest, prophet and king.  Msgr. Graef was an astute theologian, a caring pastor and a noble priest.

Msgr. Graef the theologian: Despite his humble and unassuming nature, the theological depth of Msgr. Graef was obvious to anyone who met him.  He was always available he was when called upon to teach theology, whether in the diocese or at the Seminary.  At the seminary, he taught courses in dogmatic and sacramental theology.  As you know, this area of theology is rather abstract, dealing with dry and difficult concepts like the Trinity, Christ's nature, grace, transubstantiation etc.  But he made us love theology; he made us love these abstract concepts.

In his teaching, Msgr. Graef not only taught us orthodox Church doctrine, but he also taught us to explore the various legitimate ways of understanding the faith.  Always drawing from the threefold font of Scripture, Tradition and the Magisterium, he also helped us to consider the myriad ways of understanding the same deposit of faith, both throughout history and in our times.  He trained us to receive what mother Church has to teach us, but also how to appropriate it ourselves and make it a part of our lives.  He hoped that this exercise would produce at least one Augustine or a Thomas Aquinas or at least one Karl Rahner.  If I may speak for myself, in this regard, I think that Msgr. Graef was being a little too generous about the intellectual abilities of us his students.

Msgr. Graef the pastor: If reproducing his theological prowess was perhaps a little beyond our ability, emulating his pastoral zeal was well within our reach.  Msgr. Graef always taught theology with a pastoral goal in mind, that is, he intended that we use this theology to shepherd God's people.  In fact, virtually his only assignments tested our ability to teach the faith as pastors, bringing doctrine to a practical level that would apply to the everyday lives of Christians. That is why he gave us take-home exams dealing with concrete pastoral situations.  For the course on the Eucharist, for example, he had us write a homily for the Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord's Supper; for the sacraments of healing, we had to write a parish presentation tracing the development and history of both the sacraments of penance and anointing of the sick.  And he asked that we ensure that we our work could be used later in our own priestly ministry.  And I can testify that I was able to use these assignments, with only minimal modification during my priestly ministry.

And so when I too began to teach the same courses at Notre Dame Seminary, I followed his model, as my former and current students can testify.  If these students have found these assignments a little demanding (as they once even told Bishop Duca on one of his visits), I hope they now realize that I am not entirely responsible for their having to burn the midnight oil – they have to blame Msgr. Graef.  But if these students, now in ministry, have found those pastorally-oriented assignments of some benefit to their priestly ministry, I cannot take the credit – it is Msgr. Graef they can thank for training us to always have the pastoral heart of Jesus Christ.

Msgr. Graef the priest: Msgr. Graef took his sanctifying role very seriously.  He always celebrated the Eucharist with decorum and composure.  His dignified poise at liturgy was perhaps due to his naturally subdued Teutonic temperament.  Whenever he saw priests who celebrated Mass in an excessively exuberant manner, Msgr. Graef would often remind them that the Mass, which we celebrate daily, is not about us, but about God.  Like all things in the Graef world, his dignified manner of celebrating the liturgy flowed from his theological understanding of the great mystery we celebrate at the liturgy.  He believed that since God was the focus of the liturgy, he should be allowed God to increase and the celebrant to decrease.

And so, if I may speak for hundreds of priests who received their theological training at the feet of Msgr. Graef and for thousands of other students that he taught throughout his priestly ministry, I must say that we truly won the powerball lottery of theology.  We must admit that in having Msgr. Graef for a pastor and mentor, it is like we had Pete Sampras for a tennis coach or Diana Ross teaching us how to sing.

May the memory of Msgr. Graef continue to be perpetuated in the way we carry out our various ministries, both as clergy and as lay people.

• May we always start what we do from a deep knowledge and keen understanding of our faith.
• May we continue to apply that knowledge and understanding to the concrete realities of our Christian lives and lives of other people.
• May we always celebrate the liturgy in a manner befitting the Father whom we adore, the Son who charges us to offer with him and the Holy Spirit who empowers us to offer worthy worship.

The saying goes that you can bring a horse to the water, but you cannot make it drink.  Msgr. Graef has brought us to the water, let us continue drinking and sharing that water with others.

Thank you.

Burning ships to follow Christ

Homily for 13^th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year C 2016

1 Kings 19:16b,19-21; Galatians 5:1,13-18; Luke 9:51-62

Introduction

The story is told of Hernando Cortés.  He was the Spanish Conquistador, who attempted to conquer and colonize the Aztec empire, what is now much of Mexico.  But compared to the Aztecs his army was rather small.

And so, legend has it that after his men got ashore, Cortés ordered them to burn all the ships that brought them from Spain. He did this so that his men would understand fully that their only options were to win or to die – there would be no retreat, no plan B, no fall-back position. And so, knowing that their options were now limited, the Spanish army would fight harder and with more commitment.

Today's readings teach us the same message, that when Jesus calls people to follow him, they must do so without any reservation, they must completely cut ties with their former lives, they must burn their ships.

Scripture and Theology

The gospel passage presents three candidates who want to follow Jesus.  But they all three lack something of the commitment that Jesus wants in a disciple.

One says: "Lord, [I want to follow you but] let me go first and bury my father." This seems like quite a reasonable request.  The man wants to fulfil his duties as a son, to bury his father.  Perhaps the father was quite ill and needed care in his last days.  Perhaps the father of this man was in good health, but still needed him to help around the house.

To this man Jesus says in quite stern terms: "Let the dead bury their dead.  But you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God."  Is Jesus suggesting that we must abandon our family obligations?  No.  But he is asking the disciple to reflect seriously on where his priorities lie.  Do his priorities lie with family or with Jesus?  Sometimes, in fact, often, the disciple will have to choose Jesus over the family.

Another candidate says: "I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home." And we would again agree that this is also a fair request.  Today, if a young man or woman were to enlist in the army, he or she would not just take off without first saying goodbye to mom and dad first, perhaps even to seek their blessing.  That would be like eloping.

But Jesus once again uncompromisingly says: "No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God.”  Again he is using this hyperbole to teach that commitment to him trumps all other commitments.  He demands that his followers burn the ships of their former lives, even of their family ties.

While these two candidate-disciples seem to lack full commitment because they were hesitant, another candidate-disciple lacks commitment in a different way.  This is the one who says: "I will follow you wherever you go."  This man or woman is rather enthusiastic about the mission of Jesus, willing to go anywhere, do anything for Jesus.  But Jesus seem to discourage him by saying: "Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head."  Why?

Jesus speaks this way because enthusiasm alone does not a disciple make.  The potential disciple must know the realities of what following Jesus means.  That is why Jesus tells him that while wild animals have a place to stay, Jesus is essentially homeless.  This disciple must learn that committing himself to Jesus means also committing himself to the difficult life, the suffering of Jesus.  Jesus is going to Jerusalem to be arrested, crucified and killed; the disciple needs to know this.  The television commercials emphasize only the benefits of their product in glowing colours, clear words and large print, but hide the downside in small print.  Jesus places everything on the table for the disciple to make an informed choice.

Christian Life

Christians have lived out this radical message of the gospel in various ways.

In the Early Church, those who became Christians had to give up a lot: they had to give up ordinary jobs, social status and sometimes even their lives for Christ.  Later this radical commitment was also lived out by some in what we now call religious life.  The hermits, like St. Anthony, left the world to go into the desert.  The monks and nuns like St. Benedict and St. Rita went to a monastery.  The friars like St. Francis of Assisi and St. Dominic lived on the street.  All these men and women cut ties with family and the world, and chose to focus entirely on Jesus Christ and his way, living in poverty, obedience and chastity.  They burnt their ships of family security, material security and personal security.

But the challenging message of Jesus is not just for nuns and priests; it is a call for every Christian.  Day in and day out, Catholic men and women live out this radical commitment to Christ, especially in their families.

I know a couple, Francisco and Maria, who have been married for 57 years.  Whenever I visit them I see how much love they have for each other.  He is 92 and she cares for him every day.  Have things always been smooth sailing? No.  Have they had difficulties?  Yes.  But they never gave up.  They weathered the difficult times because they believe what Jesus teaches about a man and woman becoming one in marriage for ever – they believe that when they said, "I do, in sickness and in health" they were burning the ships that could take them to other relationships; they were committing themselves to each other forever in God.

I also know their adult children, who are just as committed to their parents as the parents are to each other.  I suspect that the children picked up this commitment from their upbringing in the faith, in the Catholics schools they went to, going to Church with mom and dad, but especially in the example set by the parents at home. There is no better school in which to learn about commitment, but the school of mom and dad, who work hard at their jobs to put food on the table, who love and respect each other, who pray with the family.

And yet, you and I sometimes struggle with being totally committed to Jesus:

• Sometimes we are like the disciple whose only possession is enthusiasm, an emotional high, but does not do the heavy lifting that Jesus demands of his followers, like those corporal works of mercy, and the seven spiritual works of mercy.  Jesus reminds us that while the Christian way can be a bed of roses, those roses also have thorns that prick.
• Sometimes we are like the two disciples who hesitate to put their toe in the water, because they are being pulled by other engagements, even of family or work.  Perhaps God is calling you to consider becoming a priest, a deacon, a sister or brother, but you are holding back.  Many of our students at the seminary tell us that they thought about becoming priests for many years, but feared to take the plunge.  Finally one day they heard the radical call of Jesus to leave all behind and follow him, and they decided to come to the seminary and try it out.

Conclusion

And so, as disciples, sometimes with his grace we are fully committed to Jesus, at other times we are only partially committed because we accept only the easier parts of his message, and at other times still we are not committed at all.

Let us turn to Elisha the prophet we heard about in the first reading.  Enthusiastic at first, he asked Elijah to let him first go and bid farewell to his father and mother.  But fortunately, he thought better of it, and like Cortes' men, literally burnt his ships: he slaughtered the oxen and used the ploughing equipment to cook the meat.  Then Elisha left and followed Elijah as his assistant.

What ships do you and I have to burn, so as to follow Jesus with full and unreserved commitment?

Three dimensions of God’s mercy

Homily for 11^th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year C 2016

2 Samuel 12:7-10,13; Galatians 2:16,19-21; Luke 7:36-8:3

Introduction

This is the Jubilee Year of Mercy.  Pope Francis designated this year of Mercy, to remind the Church and the world, that mercy is an important aspect of God.  And he picked this year 2016, probably because during this year, the third in the cycle of readings, we read from the gospel of Luke, a gospel that has plenty to say about God’s mercy.  Today’s readings are an example of the gospel teaching on mercy.

That is why in today’s homily, I would like to focus on three dimensions or directions in which mercy moves: downwards, upwards and sideways.

Scripture and Theology

We say that mercy moves downwards because mercy always starts from God; it is always the initiative of God.

•  Did you notice that it is God who sent the Prophet Nathan to King David who had sinned?  God showed mercy to him first by pointing out his sin to him, and then again by offering him mercy when King David repented.
•  Or if you look at the three parables of mercy in Luke Chapter 15, you notice that the person representing God in those parables, is the one who takes the initiative: The woman goes to look for the lost coin; the shepherd goes out to look for the lost sheep; and the Father is the one who is anxiously waiting for the return of his son, and indeed runs to him when he sees him a distance.

But even in a broader sense, God started the process of mercy, not only when he created us, but also when he redeemed us.

Think of a young man in high school, let's call him Michael.  He is unremarkable, not particularly athletic, not very smart in class either, and scores average or lower on all the kinds of things young ladies would look for in a potential date.  Then out of the blue, Monica begins to show him some attention.  She is not only really beautiful, she’s also the head cheerleader and valedictorian of her class, to say nothing about all the good work she does at Church.  She is the kind of daughter every parent wants to have.  True to her kind nature, she asks our nondescript Michael to be her date for the Prom.  Now perhaps most of the guys here are probably thinking “no way this could never happen in real life.”

But this is exactly what God did when he created us.  He had no need of human beings, but still he created us and shared with us human beings more than we deserve – he gave us life, his life.  We probably don’t think of God creating us as a form of divine mercy; but do we realize that we didn’t have to exist?  Like Michael was out of Rachel's league, we too as human beings are out of God's league.  But in his mercy, he creates us and invites us be like him.

If the first form of God's mercy has to do with our lower nature, the second has to do with our sinful nature.  Let’s return to our high school friends Rachel and Michael.  They actually go to the Prom together.  And then even better, they eventually fall in love, begin dating and get married a few years later.  We would all agree that Michael has won the jackpot.  Unfortunately, after they have been married for a couple of years, he begins to take her for granted; he begins to forget how lucky he is.  And then this knucklehead cheats on his wife.

Fortunately for Michael, after she does some tearful agonizing and serious praying, Rachel forgives him and takes him back.  Being the truly good woman that she is, she treats him better than he deserves.  If dating him in the first place was an act of mercy because he was out of her league, now forgiving him is an act of mercy because she does not punish him as he deserves.

In the same way God is not only merciful in creating us, he is merciful in forgiving us.  Yes, he punished the Jewish people sometimes; but he was quite lenient.  The punishment for sinning against God, who is all good, is eternal separation from God.  But that is not the punishment that God meted out to Adam and Eve, to Cain, to the children of Israel and subsequent generations.  In his mercy he not only forgave them, but he also sent them prophets, priests and kings, to help them get back on the right track.  Moreover, he sent his Son to be the final and lasting instrument of forgiveness and mercy.

Christian Life

But in response to the downward dimension of mercy, from God to us, there must be an upward one from us to God.  That upward dimension takes various forms:

•  Like King David in the first reading, our response to God’s mercy should be, “I am sorry, forgive me.”
•  Like the woman in the gospel, our response to God’s mercy should be one of gratitude, devotion, adoration, veneration of God.

Some of us are carrying heavy burdens; some of us are oppressed by the sins of our past lives.  We must go to the fountain of God's mercy, especially the sacrament of confession and the other sacraments as well.  During this year of mercy, let us make use of all the tools that God gives us through the Church, to drink from his bottomless spring of mercy, both in sorrow and in gratitude.

There is no better example of a worthy response than the act of contrition which we say during confessions.  There are many versions, but let me read the traditional one:

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins because of Thy just punishments, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who art all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasions of sin.

That is why in the gospel, Jesus praised the woman, who having been forgiven greatly by God, also loved much.

There is still one more dimension of mercy: we have seen the downward from God to us, the upward of sorrow and gratitude from us to God.  The third dimension is sideways, from us to each other.  In Luke Jesus tells his disciples: “Be merciful, just as [also] your Father is merciful” (Lk. 6:36), Jesus says.  We must share God's mercy.  It would be unfortunate for Michael, if after he had been forgiven so much by Rachel, he himself does not forgive others who sin against him: his children, his co-workers, even his relatives.  If he did that, he would be acting like the steward in Matthew’s gospel (18:21-35), who is forgiven a great debt by his master, but refuses to do the same for a fellow servant who owes him even less.  That is why we pray in the Our Father, “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

During this Jubilee Year of Mercy, as we ourselves take a bite out of God's mercy, we must share it with others.

·        Are there people who have hurt us that we must forgive as Jesus teaches, not seven times, but seventy-seven times?

·        How many of the seven corporal works of mercy have I carried out, so that I can share God’s mercy with others?

·        How many of the seven spiritual works of mercy have I carried out so that I can share God’s mercy with others?

Conclusion

Let me end by encouraging you to read a small book by Pope Francis, called “The name of God is mercy.” You can find it on Amazon or any religious bookstore.  I am not an agent for Pope Francis, trying to sell books for him, but I really want you to read how in very simple and straightforward language, the Pope gives us examples of God’s mercy in his own life and in the lives of those to whom has ministered.

Dionne Warwick told us that “What the world needs now, is love sweet love.”  With all due respect to the great musician, I think Pope Francis might slightly change the lyrics of her song and say: “What the world needs now, is mercy.”

May we seek this mercy for ourselves; but may we also share it with those who need it, the poor, the forgotten, the downtrodden and especially the sinners, who are all of us.

The Body of Christ is Sacrament, Sacrifice and Communion

Homily for Corpus Christi Sunday Year C 2016

Genesis 14:18-20, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, Luke 9:11b-17

Introduction

One way Catholics mark the great truths we believe in is to observe them with feasts.  And so we have Advent and Lent, Christmas and Easter, marking the great events of our salvation.  But there are a few more truths of our faith.

Last Sunday we celebrated Trinity Sunday, highlighting that our God is both one and three persons.   Today we celebrate the feast of Corpus Christi, the Body and Blood of the Lord.  For some people, Corpus Christi is simply a city in Texas, while for others, it is "hocus pocus", a parody of Corpus Christi by those who make fun of the Eucharist.  But for Catholics, this feast of Corpus Christi celebrates an important element of our faith.  If Trinity last Sunday reminded us of who God is, today's feast of Corpus Christi reminds us of how God saves us. 

Scripture and Theology

God saves us through the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.  While today's feast highlights this truth in a big way, every time we come to Mass we hear again and again that our salvation comes from the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.

For example, at the consecration, the priest, while holding the host, repeats the words Jesus used at the Last Supper as St. Paul reminded us in the second reading, saying, "Take this all of you and eat of it, for this is my body which will be given up for you."  Two things should strike us when we hear those words.

First we must believe that the host is truly the Body of Christ.  After all that is what Jesus said himself, and what Christians have believed from the very beginning.  Even Martin Luther, the Protestant reformer, while he disagreed with the Church on many things, he strongly believed that we must take Jesus at his word, when he commanded his followers to take bread and eat it as his body, and the cup as his blood.  That why our response to those words of the priest is to bow in adoration at the host lifted high up for us to see.  That is why in Ireland, for example, they have the custom of saying at this time: "My Lord and my God," the words Thomas blurted out when he finally saw the Risen Lord.

But did you notice that Jesus did not just say "this is my body?" He also added "which will be given up for you."  In other words, besides being the Sacrament  of Jesus Christ, the Body and Blood is also his sacrifice.  The body we adore, the body and blood we eat and drink at communion, is a body that was sacrificed, given up for the life of the world, for the forgiveness of sins.  The Body and Blood of Christ at Mass make his sacrifice present for us in a very real way and allow us to participate in its fruits.  That is why just before communion, the priest holding up the host over the chalice says: "Behold the Lamb of God, Behold him who takes away the sins of the world, blessed are those called to the Supper of the Lamb." The priest reminds us that the host and wine we are about to consume are not only Jesus himself, but they are the lamb of sacrifice, offered for the sins of the world.  And then when we realize the great mystery Sacrament and Sacrifice before us, we borrow the words of the Centurion and say, "Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof . . . ."

If you listen carefully to the words of the Mass, you will hear the word "sacrifice", "my sacrifice," "your sacrifice" said over and over again.  A sacrifice is essentially a gift we give to God, to represent our devotion, our complete selves. But because there is really nothing of value that we can give to God, not even the old sacrifices of sheep and goats, Jesus generously told his disciples to offer his sacrifice in the form of bread and wine, just as he did at the Last Supper, on the night before he was to offer the actual sacrifice on the cross.  It is like when parents give their children money to buy a gift for the other parent, for Mother's Day or Father's Day.  We too give to the Father, something of value, the sacrificed Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, under the form of bread and wine.  That is why after the consecration, we sing the words: "When we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim your death O Lord, until you come again."  This is because at Mass, at the Eucharistic celebration, together with our sufferings, our own praises and thanksgiving, we offer the Body and Blood of Christ to God.

Christian Life

What does this feast of Christ's life-giving Body and Blood, of his saving Sacrifice mean for us personally?

·        Thankfully today, there is a resurgence of belief in the Real Presence of Christ, with many churches having benediction and some even having round-the-clock adoration.  Come, let us adore the Lord.

·        As for sacrifice, there is also a return to understanding what Jesus did for us as a sacrifice.  There is even an appreciation that we too have to offer our own sacrifices.  For example, on Memorial Day weekend we remember the men and women who serve their nation, by putting themselves in harm's way, offering their lives as a sacrifice.  Also, there is slight increase in the numbers of men and women, entering seminary and convents to become priests, brothers and sisters, to offer their lives as a sacrifice to God and their brethren.  We cannot forget the daily sacrifices of mothers and fathers who are up all night taking care of crying babies, but especially raising children in the Christian faith, when this is not the popular thing to do.  Our belief in the Jesus' Sacrifice of his Body and Blood seems to be inspiring our own small and big sacrifices.

But besides being the Sacrament of Jesus' very Body and Blood, and his sacrifice, the Eucharist has a third meaning, communion. The Body of Christ which we adore and offer in sacrifice should build up the Church Body of Christ.  That is why we call it communion; the Eucharist enables us "become one body, one spirit in Christ" both on earth and finally in heaven.  Perhaps an image that best illustrates this meaning of the Eucharist is the 1987 movie, Babette's Feast.

Babette, a French woman works as a housekeeper for two Norwegian Spinsters, daughters of a Lutheran pastor.  The sisters live modestly and are exemplary, but the church community left behind by their father is now filled with animosity and division.  After working seventeen years, Babette wins the lottery; and now she can return home.  But before she does so, she asks the sisters to allow her prepare for them and their church community, a lavish meal to celebrate what would have been their father's hundredth birthday.

The meal is a great success; the food is delicious, the wine exquisite and the company enjoyable.  But something even more beautiful happens; enemies forgive each other and broken friendships are restored.  Babette's feast, like the Eucharist restores communion.

But that is not where the analogy with the Eucharist stops.  At the end of the story, all the hard work, all the sacrifice Babette put into preparing this meal is revealed.  But most importantly, it is also revealed that to prepare this wonderful meal, this meal that brought back unity to the community, Babette had spent all the money she won from the lottery.  She was back to being dirt poor.

Conclusion

And so, the next time you receive communion, when you hear the words: "The Body of Christ," and you say "Amen," remember you are professing three things:

·        First, that host is a sacrament; that while you see and taste bread, see and taste wine, it is really the Body and Blood of Christ himself you are receiving.

·        Second, that host is also a sacrifice; the Body and Blood that you are receiving is a body sacrificed, blood poured forth, for your salvation.

·        Third, when you receive that host, the Body of Christ, you commit yourself to build up the Body of Christ, the Church, here on earth and in heaven.