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How Does the Spirit Come?

Sunday, June 8th, 2014

Pentecost

Acts 2: 1-11; 1 Cor 12: 3b-7, 12-13; John 20: 19-23

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

What do you say when I say:  “The Lord be with you”?  “And with your Spirit!”  Yes, “And with your Spirit”.   

And today we hear of the coming of the Holy Spirit.  It is when our spirits are filled with the Holy Spirit that we are in harmony with God.  So just how does that happen?   

When we were born, God endowed each of us with our Spirit as well as our bodies.    Our spirits are what makes you “you” and me “me”.  Our spirits radiate our individuality, our gifts, and our personality.   God blessed each of us with a unique spirit.    But, that spirit is not in harmony with God, because we are born with free will.    Our spirits are independent and self-centered to start.  As we develop, we come to seek after meaning in life, and the search for that leads us to God and his Spirit.   

We learn today that there are two stages to becoming filled with the Holy Spirit.  The first stage is the subject of the Gospel.  First, the Apostles were visited by the risen Christ, who offered them peace, and said “As the Father has sent me so also I send you.”  Then Jesus : “Breathed on them and said: ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’”  Jesus had just ordained them in the sacrament of Holy Orders.  These 11 men had been given special sacramental graces.  They had been commissioned to do God’s work; to go out to evangelize and Baptize all nations.  But, they were not yet active in their ministry.  That would come later.   

In the first reading, we hear about the birth of the Church.  The Apostles are all gathered together after the Ascension.  And the graces they received at their ordination are unlocked as the Holy Spirit descends on each one of them individually.    This is the second stage of the process.  After Pentecost, they throw open the doors of the upper room where they had shut themselves in out of fear; and go forth filled with zeal and with individual special gifts unafraid of the authorities.  They speak different languages; they move out in different directions; they have different talents- some as teachers, others preachers, still others as healers.  St. Paul talks about the different talents and gifts of the Spirit in Corinthians this morning.  But the point is that God moved through his Spirit to unlock the graces of ordination on his selected Apostles,   And the Church was born as all of the Apostles worked harmoniously to accomplish God’s plan to evangelize all people.   

Each of us goes through the same two stage process when to receive the Holy Spirit.  For example, take the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.  When we receive the Eucharist, Jesus is present in each one of us, bringing us the Holy Spirit and His graces.  But as an assembly, we are joined together as the mystical body of Christ.   Collectively we have an opportunity to pray together and work wonders if we really believe in that power.   

Recognizing the second stage of the descent of the Holy Spirit along with His enabling power can be a problem.  Usually, it comes with prayer and in a group.  Many of you have seen it when our youth returns from their Confirmation retreat; or when Emmaus retreatants return from the Emmaus weekend; or at an ordination of priests or deacons.   But it can come in other ways as well.   

All confirmed Catholics are called to spread their faith.  It is when a person hears that call to participate in some way,  and then becomes active in the group they are called to that the Spirit will come to us, and activate the graces of the sacraments we have received  As he did to the Apostles this morning.   We have to take that extra step, a step towards our calling.     

This happens in Bible Study groups, the men’s club, the ladies association, the ministry to the sick, St. Vincent de Paul, the Knights of Columbus, in our families, and in many other ways when a person hears the call, gets involved, and works together to accomplish God’s plan for us.   

So this morning, as you hear about the descent of the Holy Spirit, think about the ways you are being called to get involved, to speak up in defense of your faith, to help a family member.  Follow that little voice inside that whispers to you to do something.  Pray about it and trust the Lord to help you as you make that step.  And then feel the Holy Spirit work within you to make it happen.   

And so I say it again:  “The Lord be with you.”

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Are You a Person of Faith?

Sunday, May 18th, 2014

Fifth Sunday of Easter

Acts 6: 1-7; 1 Peter 2: 4-9; John 12: 1-12

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

There are two kinds of people in this world- those with Faith and those without Faith.  Our second reading makes that abundantly clear.  Which group do you belong to?   

For those with faith, the rewards are said to be very great, for they will never experience shame according to Jesus.  Rather, they will experience God’s Kingdom forever and ever.  But for those without faith, then all of what our faith calls for, obedience to God and his will for them, can be a stumbling block and hindrance because that conflicts with their personal agenda in this world.  This, from Peter’s words for us today as he quotes scripture.  And how absolutely true Peter’s words are, especially in today’s world.   

We are in the middle of the Easter Season.  Easter is about Jesus’ Resurrection from the dead and his passage into everlasting life in the Kingdom of God.  We are rejoicing because we have been promised the same resurrection of the body and everlasting life and so, the message seems so positive.  Rejoice, the Lord is risen!   Yes, and you have been saved. Can’t you feel the joy!  We sing Allelulia and other joyful songs, dress up in our best clothes, and celebrate with feasts. Amen.   

But wait a minute.  God calls us not only to believe, but to practice our belief, to put into practice the Faith that we have in Him by living out the word of God.  That means not only believing, but picking up our own crosses, and following after Him.  And that is the rub, isn’t it.  Life as a Christian isn’t just about singing alleluia and praising Jesus for dying for us and rising to everlasting life.  We have to accept our own crosses and follow Jesus’ example by standing firm for our Faith.  That’s what life as a Christian is all about.   

And we can see that when we look at the lives of the saints.  People like the Apostles, all of whom except John were martyred.  And even the lives of modern day saints, people like Pope St. John XXIII and Pope St. John Paul II, St. Padre Pio, and Blessed Mother Theresa.   These people lived their faith- they put it into action.   

When you were Baptized, you were figuratively plunged into the waters of Baptism   You did that because you assented to your faith; you agreed to believe all that the Church teaches.  And so, when you rose out of the waters of Baptism, you were declared a new person- free from any and all sin; forgiven for any and all sin; and you emerged committed to spread your faith to others so that they could be saved as well.  That was the essence of your Baptismal promise.   

But to retain your Baptismal purity, you need to live out that Baptismal promise, to be what you promised to be, a person of Faith who keeps the commandments, and so, to be a witness to your faith.   

Now I realize that most of you were Baptized as infants.  But consider this:  On Easter Sunday, all of you renewed your Baptismal promises.  That means it was as if you were plunged into the waters of Baptism on this past Easter and you are starting over just as if you were Baptized as an infant.  Jesus confirms for us this spiritual rebirth by the emphasis he has placed on Divine Mercy Sunday, the Sunday after Easter.  He has guaranteed all of us mercy for whatever we have done by participating in the sacraments of Reconciliation and Communion at Easter and by reciting a simple 9 day novena prayer.   

This morning, we are blessed with those who are participating in our RCIA program.  As we began Mass, you heard us begin the right of acceptance with them.  These wonderful people have chosen our Faith which they accept today.  But now, we challenge then to live out that Faith. 

Likewise, all of us Baptized Christians have a chance to start anew each Easter, to accept our call to be Christians by putting our past behind us- that is by repentance for our sins; and then practicing what we believe going forward- that is promising to live our lives differently going forward.  That is what it means to have Faith.  That is the kind of Faith that helps build the body of Christ, to build on to the cornerstone that Christ symbolizes.  All of us have an opportunity to show that Faith by living our lives as a Christian and making the Church stronger going forward by not just affirming our Faith with our lips but by living it out in our actions.   

How do we do that? We do that by living our Faith where we are planted: by defending Life; by showing good example to our Children; by being honest in our business dealings; by accepting our infirmities and illnesses with dignity and humility; by finding time to give honor and respect to God; by supporting our Church financially; by taking care of our aging relatives; by being there for friends and family when they are in need; and by voting according to our Christian values.   All of us know people in our lives who have done these things with dignity and grace.  They are Dynamic Catholics, the truly extraordinary Christians of our times.   

In today’s Gospel, Jesus says this:  “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these”.  There are two kinds of people in the world- those with Faith; and those without Faith.  Which group do you belong to?

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The Woman at the Well- A Confession

Sunday, March 23rd, 2014

Third Sunday of Lent

Ex 17: 3-7; Rom 5: 1-2, 5-8; John 4: 5-42

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

As you sit here in this pew this today, listening to all these words about water, spirit, and everlasting life, let me ask this question:  Just what is it that you are here for today?  Are you thirsting for something special?  Or are you here for a refreshing drink of water, so to speak, a respite from the humdrum of life?   

I noticed something very interesting about the Gospel, that when the woman went to the well she was not thirsting for something special, the answer to questions about the meaning of life.  Nothing like that was on her mind.  She was just looking for water; she was looking to just get by for that day, to quench her normal thirst.   

I think that is probably true for most of us here as well.  We didn’t come here this morning expecting something special.  But you know what, just like the woman at the well, God has other plans for us if we are willing to listen to Him.   

I am in a Bible Study session this Lent that breaks down the readings each week.  The other night, we did the session for this week’s readings.  There was an interesting pictorial in the lesson.  Picture this in your mind:  Jesus is sitting on the edge of the well holding a cup, with the woman kneeling next to him with her water jar and rope.  Jesus is looking at the woman as one who is instructing.   She is looking at Jesus with intense concentration and a great sense of peace.  The area around them is otherwise deserted so this was clearly a private and open discussion.   

The thought came to my mind that it was as if Jesus was hearing this woman’s confession.  And you know what?  That is kind of what happened to her, wasn’t it?  Only Jesus tells her what’s wrong with her life; she doesn’t have to bring it up.  Here she is, just coming to the well to get water, and all of a sudden, she is confronted with the essence of what bothers her in life.  She didn’t expect it, it just happened.  But what happened next, her conversion, happened because she opened up and listened to Jesus.  She recognized that she was thirsting for something more in life, and that Jesus had hit upon it. 

Her life-long search for fulfillment had resulted in 5 failed marriages and now she was involved with a sixth man, not her husband.  But none of those 6 relationships had quenched her inner thirst.  Jesus awakened in her the thirst for meaning in life.  And then Jesus was there to fill the void with the promise to provide “living water”, something that would quench her thirst for all time- a way to realize everlasting life.   

It would be hard to summarize the meaning of Lent more succinctly than the story of the woman at the well does.   Each and every one of us, deep down, has a thirst, an inner voice of unrest that cannot be quenched.  This voice tells us there must be something more to life than what we are experiencing.  Most of the time we suppress that thirst and just get on with life as we know it.  And we become blinded to what it is that is holding us back.  Lent is the perfect time to change all that. 

Just like the woman at the well, we came here today with good intentions, but not necessarily for a conversion of heart.  Just like her, we can be blind to what is holding us back until Jesus opens our eyes.  When Jesus spoke to her, and she listened, that all changed.  Just so, we are called to listen for God’s plan for us- to seek out the living water, the spirit of God, especially during the season of Lent.   

One of the roadblocks to conversion of the heart is our attitude.  The Old Testament reading talks about the Israelis grumbling against God and the reality of the harsh, dry, desert they found themselves in.  God does not like grumbling, no more than we like a whining child. But many of us feel like grumbling as well.  The economy and job situation is still a problem; we read of dangerously volatile conditions in places like the Ukraine and Syria that could escalate into major wars; and our moral code as Christians continues to be under attack by our own Government  with issues such as gay marriage, abortion, and other areas.  And all of that and much more can cause us to be angry and grumble.    

In fact, the Israelis were so angry and distraught that Moses feared for his life.  Notice, though, that Moses appeals to God for help- he didn’t ask for water.  It was God who answered the prayer with a promise to give the people water- water, an absolutely essential commodity to sustain life as we know it.   

So perhaps some of you are here because you are angry about something- something not going well in your life. Rather than grumble, put your anger aside and really listen to God.  His message may not be what we expect; because God is mostly concerned about what is in our hearts- that’s what we take forward with us into the Kingdom of God.   

Consider your encounter with Jesus today after Communion like a session with Jesus in the confessional.  Let him tell you what is wrong with your life.  Listen, and joyfully respond with your hearts.  Remember our Psalm: “If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts.” 

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Healing Divisions

Sunday, January 26th, 2014

Third Sunday of Ordinary Time

Is 8:23 – 9:3; Math 4: 12-23

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

Divisions!  That’s what St. Paul experienced after he founded the Church in Corinth, people who held on tight to some details of what they believed and gravitated to one or another principal advocate rather than focusing on belief in their hearts in Jesus message.  Yes, Divisions occurred right from the very beginning.   

Isn’t it sad that there are so many Christians today, and yet, we are all divided into different denominations?  And rather than build on what we believe in common, some of those denominations tear the others down.  The Catholics seem to be on the receiving end of that quite a bit.  How many times do you hear some of our Protestant brothers telling the whole world that unless you accept Jesus as your personal savior, you cannot be saved.  And then in the next breath, they attack the Catholics who they say put more faith in tradition than in the Bible.  Many of them say we are damned.   

And yet, when these people sit down and talk with us, they find much common ground.  For example, there are things that are basics that we all agree on- these are our Christian foundations.  Some of these things are the belief in one God, the Trinity, and the other elements of the Creed.  And most Christians denominations respect and believe in the sanctity of the word of God- the Bible; they also believe we need to honor God’s natural law, that is, respect the sanctity of all life from womb to tomb.   

Yet even within our parishes, there are divisions.  People feel passionately about Emmaus or Cursillo or the Carmelites or this prayer group or that prayer group; and seem be put off and even hostile to people who are passionate about one of these other movements.  They sing praises for the Knights of Columbus and are ambivalent about the Men’s Club or vice versa.  Some say the only answer is meditative prayer; others concentrate on loving as Jesus taught by living in the world so that they use their God given talents; still others believe we need to love our neighbors as ourselves through social justice- that that should be the key to everything we do.   

The truth is that we need all of these Christian expressions, and even more.   We need to build each other up and not tear each other down.  Rather than harp on the differences between us; we need to emphasize the common ground, and we need to rejoice in the diversity of ways that we serve and praise God, not emphasize one over the other.   

There are plenty of ways for us to do that.  First, with respect to our Protestant brothers, we need to build on these common beliefs by working together.  I am encouraged, for example, by the Chaplain at Westminster Towers who invited me as a Catholic to come into their Presbyterian run institution and conduct  Communion services and Rosary Services there for the Catholic Residents.  And now, several times a year, I am invited to preach at their ecumenical service.  After preaching there, the Protestants have told me how much they appreciated my message, and that they didn’t know Catholics believed all that!  Such services are a great way to build bridges, not build divisions.  All of you know and interact with many other Christians.  Don’t shy away from discussions with them; rather, encourage dialog with a kind and knowing heart.  The Bible and the Catechism are our best ways to be informed and relevant in such dialog.     

Similarly, try to engage in joint activities with people of other faiths, perhaps by inviting people here for some of our events.  For example, we arranged a field trip to bring people from Westminster Towers to see the Eucharistic Miracles Exhibit.  Some of the Protestants who came told me they will never forget that experience.  In the last several years, our Parish has been proactive at inviting our fellow Christians to The Fall Festival, our Lenten Fish Fries, and our Music Concerts.  I have shared the fish fry meals with Presbyterians, Methodists, and others from neighboring Churches; and I think the dialog has been productive and healthy.  Other examples include our 40 days for Life; the St. Augustine March for Life, where we arranged for a bus; and the Life Chain along Apopka Vineland- all of these open to anyone.   

These are modest first steps in our challenge to be evangelical and ecumenical as Christians so that we can reestablish unity amongst Christians.  In this day and age, when mainline Faiths like Christianity are under attack from secular society to eliminate school prayer; eliminate the use of the bible, and secularize Chaplaincies, we need much more efforts like these to unify us.   

But we also need to be more active inside our walls, glorifying and appreciating the wonderful diversity of ministries that folks can participate in here.  We can do that by knowing the wealth and breadth of the ministries available; and by more participation ourselves.   

You know, it is common wisdom that 20% of the people do 80% of the work.  If we are going to make a difference, we need to change that.  In today’s Gospel, Jesus taps a few good common men on the shoulder, and tells them to follow him.  If these few could make such a tremendous difference; think what all of us can do together.  If we all work together, and that means all of us, not just some of us, we can make a tremendous difference.   

We can eliminate Divisions, and convert the world by our example of knowing, loving, and working for Jesus;  But not just some of us, all of us. 

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Making Our Families Our Greatest Blessing

Sunday, December 29th, 2013

Feast of Holy Family

Sir 3: 2-6, 12-14; Col 3: 12-21; Mt 2: 13-15, 19-23

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

We don’t choose them; they are our greatest blessing as well as our greatest curse; but they are also the bedrock of our society.  They are our families.   

Today, we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family.  It is our Parish Feast day, as well as the feast day for virtually all of us in this Parish because all of us either come from, or participate in a Family.   

First, and foremost, we all need to understand why the family is so critically important to society.  It is because the family is made in the image and likeness of God.  That’s right- God patterned our human families after himself.  You see, God is three persons in one God, the Trinity.  The three persons of the Trinity share their Godhead with us through a complex set of relationships and communications between themselves and us.  And each of the three persons has a special role.  God the Father- the Head, the Architect; God the Son- the Word of God, the enabler; and the expression of the Love of the Father and the Son- the Holy Spirit, who gives life to all things.   

Doesn’t that sound like the family- a complex set relationships between persons sharing in the dynamic of a unit, with each person having a special role.  Both Sirach and Paul tell us of the roles as the fathers, mothers, and children in the family unit.  Fathers have a special role as the leader, the head of the family.  Fathers and mothers must love and respect each other; and the fruit of the love and respect that Fathers and Mothers have for each other is their children, who carry forward the life and spirit of their parents.  And children need to honor and respect their parents by being obedient to them in all things.   

This family cycle is God’s will for us, and has repeated itself endlessly throughout human history.  It occurs in parallel with the creative and productive activities we are all called upon to do as we emerge from our parent’s families, and form families of our own.  Just like God continues in His creative and productive activities throughout time.  Men and women, coming together as a married couple, and having children- Such was, and is, the will of God for mankind.  And as long as our society follows God’s will and respects the family unity, society will prosper because new generations of healthy, stable people will continue the process.  But when we diverge from God’s plan, then problems develop.  Divorces, orphaned children, struggling single parents, and many other things occur when the basic family structure breaks down.  And so, it is the Christian family that is the ideal.   

Today, the Christian family is under attack, isn’t it?  Rather than a family unit that echoes the image and likeness of God secular society is pushing the individual, not the family unit as the basic unit of society.  This leads to alternate family structures and alternate life styles based on “choice” not on God’s will.   

Today, we need to take the time and effort to do whatever we can to build up our family unit in to a Christian Family.  We need to go back to a structure that echoes the Trinity; to go back to the simplicity and effectiveness of the Holy Family as the building block of society.   

To do that, let us all think back on the best times we had with our families on this special feast day- the special love that our Mom’s have given to us as little ones; the work and dedication that our Fathers have done to provide for us; the many hours our parents stood by us in times of trouble- sickness or when someone hurt us; the time and dedication they gave to help us to learn, to play sports; when they give us that special gift we wanted so much; that special camping trip Dad took you on; the concert Mom and Dad took you to; and the prom dress Mom got for you.  

When you really think about it, there are many times in your life like that when the love of God was reflected by the love your parents had for you.  Think of those things on this special feast.   

Now I know that there are some of you out there who have bitter experiences in your families.   Just the other day, for example, I heard a story about a friend’s family.  She was beaten frequently as a child, and grew up with very little education because the money that was dedicated to her education was squandered on something else.  But she rose above these limitations and vowed never to let these things happen in her family.  Rather, she became a loving, nurturing mother, and despite the abusiveness in her own family, speaks with honor and respect for her parents.  No matter what kind of family you grew up in, you have a choice: you can use the negative experiences as an indictment of your parents sins, and even as an excuse for your own lack of development.  Or you can learn from them, like the lady I mentioned.  You can also recall the positive experiences you had in your family.  And pattern your families to emulate them.   

Yes, you have a choice to make your family  The greatest blessing for your children;  And not the greatest curse.  The choice is yours.

 

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Preparing For Christ

Sunday, December 8th, 2013

 

Second Sunday of Advent

Is 11: 1-10; Romans 15: 4-9; Mt 3: 1-12

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

“Prepare the way of the Lord-” that’s what we are all doing for the next 18 days- preparing for the coming of the Lord!  There are cards to be written, gifts to be bought, cooking to be done; decorations to be put up, trees to be trimmed.  And we are all engaged in preparing for the coming of the Lord when we do these things, right?  Not really!  Because as pressing and as important as those things seem to us, that’s not what John meant in this morning’s Gospel about being prepared.   

So, what does John say to do?  He says: “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!”  That’s John’s real message for us this morning, a message advising us to be ready for the coming of the King.  You see, there are two comings heralded by the season of Advent.  There is the coming of the Christ Child.  But there is also the second coming of Christ, and in these first two weeks of Advent there is a strong hint on the second coming of Christ as well as the coming of the Christ Child.   

That second coming is the one that Isaiah prophesies as well.  And what does Isaiah say?  He says that “with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips, he shall slay the wicked”.  Are you ready for that?   

Now many of you probably think about such a second coming as the Last Judgment.  But you know what, there is going to be an encounter with Jesus just like this when you die.  And that could come at any time.  Our readings have been making that point at weekday Masses the last couple of weeks.   

So, just how can we be prepared for the two comings of Christ?  John talks about what not to do, doesn’t he?  He scolds the Pharisees who come forward for Baptism because they were paying lip service to the whole process; they were just there to see what was going on and to be part of the popular activity of the time.  After all, people were coming out from all over Judea and Jerusalem to see John.  These Pharisees and Sadducees were just doing what everyone else was doing.  John implies that this is not what one should do.   

It’s kind of like us putting up Christmas lights and a Christmas Tree; sending out the cards and buying all the gifts.  These things are all part of the “holiday” culture of our time.  Everybody prepares in that way this time of the year.  But that is not what being prepared for Christ means.   

So what does John say to these Pharisees and Sadducees?  He calls them “a brood of vipers”, and says “who warned you to flee from the wrath to come”?  And then he says to them:  “Bear fruit that befits repentance”.  There it is- the message for all of us as clear as a bell.  Our preparation needs to be twofold:  First, we have to confess our sins.  Then, we have to bear fruit that befits repentance.  This is the kind of preparation that we are called to do for both of the comings of Christ.   

Every year, our parish has a Penance Service on a Monday night close to Christmas.  That service is the ideal way to fulfill the first of the two requirements- to confess our sins.  This year the Penance Service will be held on Monday December 16.  Not tomorrow night, but a week from tomorrow.  So all of us have sufficient time to clear our calendars so we can attend.  There are always more than a dozen priests there to hear confession at that service.  Typically, there are only 150 to 200 people there.  200 people in a parish of 3000 active families.  So, there will be room for you.   

Do you suppose that there are only 200 sinners in the parish, and the rest of you are sinless?  In the words of our pop culture Pro-Football commentators:  “C’mon man”!  All of us are sinners; all of us do something over and over again that we need to change.  We all need to first confess that- and so, all of us should be here on Monday night the 16th.   

But there is something else we need to do.  We need to repent as well.  Repentance means a sincere turning away, in both the mind and heart, from the sins of our past and from our self-centeredness, and then to focus on God.  So, John is calling us to bear fruits, that is, to show evidence that such a turning process is happening.  That’s a far cry from cards and decorations, and gifts and a lot of other things we do this time of year to prepare for Christmas.  And we have such precious little time to do it.   

What kind of things can we do to show that we have turned things around?  Paul gives the Romans some good advice this morning that might help.  He says that we can derive hope “by steadfastness and the encouragement of the scriptures”.  Yes, we need to exercise self-control; be steadfast against the temptations of the devil; and to read and practice what we read in the scriptures.  Then he tells us that we are to welcome one another; and to live in harmony in accordance with the teachings of Jesus Christ.   

Experience the real joy of Christmas this year.  It is a joy that comes from knowing that you are ready, you are prepared for the coming of Jesus.  Because you are right with God and ready to meet Him.

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On Being an Involved Catholic

Sunday, November 10th, 2013

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

2 Mac 7: 1-2, 9-14; 2 Thes 2: 16 – 3:5; Luke 20-27-28

Deacon Larry Brockman

 

Can you imagine how much Faith it must have taken for the young men in today’s first reading to do what they did, to sacrifice everything, their lives included, in order to keep the tenets of their faith?  All they had to do was eat pork, and they would have been spared.  But they believed in the law; they believed in their Faith; and their allegiance was to God and that Jewish Faith not the secular morality of the government of the time.  And you know, for all of us who eat pork, it might sound silly.  But it is the principle that matters.  Today, our government is trying to force Catholic business people and the Church and it’s institutions to accept the provisions of the HHS mandate for health care.  It’s just like eating pork for the Jews in our first reading.  And so, it is a matter of who we owe our allegiance; and it is time for all of us to stand up and be counted.

Now all of us are gathered here this morning for a reason.  And I hope that the reason is our commitment to Christ and his Church.  It is not so much a mater of what the Church can do for you; but rather, what you can do for your Church.  Clearly, the more committed our members are to the church; the more we pray together as a community; and the more we act together in unison as a church and individuals; then the more likely it is that we will prevail in the never ending battle we face against secular society and the attempts to force its standards on our Church.  But it takes all of us, not just some of us.

We had Matthew Kelly here some months ago, a very prominent Catholic lecturer who, among other things, studied involvement statistics.  One of the surprising results of his study is that only 7% of Catholics are really involved, whether it is as significant financial contributors or active members in Church organizations.  Amazingly, this statistic has been confirmed in parishes throughout the country.  But it runs counter to everyone else’s studies that say that it is the same 20 % of the people who do 80 % of the work in any conventional organization.  So the question is this: are you part of our 7% that is involved and makes a difference, or are you part of the other 93 %?

Our parish is devoting the next couple of weeks to a Stewardship campaign.  That means we are asking for your help in time, talent, and treasure.  It is called a stewardship campaign because all of us, no matter who we are, are stewards of the time, talent, and treasure that we possess because we receive all these as gifts from God; we are just His stewards.  Now you’ll hear people talk about tithing and 10%- they say that is the requirement.  But that seems like the wrong criteria- just meeting some financial threshold and then leaving it at that.  Rather, we are not asking for 10%; but we are asking for your involvement because, you see, everything you have is a gift.  God is most generous to those who are generous with what is theirs- whether it is time, talent, or treasure.  And everything we do should be in concert with being a good steward if all of us recognize that everything belongs to God and we are just His stewards.  Our Gospel readings over the last couple of months have emphasized this over and over.  So what we are asking for is 100% involvement, because that’s what God expects of us- He expects all of us to be involved.

How do you get involved?  Well we need CCD and Prep Teachers, Readers and Eucharistic Ministers, Ushers, Musicians and Singers, and Helpers with St. Vincent de Paul.   We need Pro Life helpers in many different activities; and people to help with bereavement.  We need people devoted to prayer groups and Bible Study; people who give their time in perpetual adoration.  We need men’s club, KOC, and Ladies Association members who serve as volunteers at their many activities.  We need people to write their representatives often and consistently about issues like abortion and Catholic Social Teaching.  We need people to start and lead new activities- a hospitality ministry, a Respite Ministry for caretakers; and other social justice activities.  And of course, we need money as well to support all of the facilities and the fine programs this parish is involved in.

And when you get involved, it will mean two things:  First, it will mean you have to give something up.  If your involvement doesn’t mean you are giving something up, like the widow a couple of weeks ago in the Gospel, then you are not giving from the heart; you are not really committed.  Secondly, it will mean that you have to trust God that your efforts will bear fruit.  Sometimes, there will be an immediate reward, like the satisfaction a minister of the sick sees when a hospitalized person receives the body of Christ; but more often than not, the rewards are longer term and a surprise, like when a CCD student comes up to a teacher 10 years later and tells them how much they helped them.  And after all, we are committed members of the Church for the long term “The Kingdom of God”.

So, how about it?  How about joining the 7%?

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Believing in our Hearts

Sunday, October 20th, 2013

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Ex 17:8-13; 2 Tim 3: 14 – 4:2; Luke 18: 1-8

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

Faith!  Faith is what all of us need to survive as Christians.  Faith is what will sustain us in times of trouble.  This morning, our readings are all about Faith.    Now some people confuse Faith with knowing all about what we are supposed to believe about God.  Indeed, we speak of our “Faith” as Christians and Catholics in terms of what we believe.  But the real essence of Faith is something that is a lot deeper than that.  Faith in God, first of all, is really all about our ability to believe what we cannot prove about God.  Things like the certainty of the existence of God; the truth of the Trinity; the incarnation, or God becoming man in the person of Jesus; the mystery of how Christ being Crucified could ransom us from our sins; the Resurrection of Jesus from the Dead; and Eternal Life in the Kingdom of God.  We need to know all about these things, and we learn them from scripture and the Church, but we need to believe in them despite the fact that they can’t be proven using human reasoning.  That is the first part of real Faith.

And then secondly, we need to show that we really do believe in them.  That means more than just accepting them with a nod.  It means living our life according to the pattern that Jesus set for us in the Gospel because that’s how he promised us a ticket to everlasting life.  It does no good to give assent to something with our lips, but not with our hearts and minds and bodies.  If we really have Faith, then we will be engaged in showing it.

Listen again to what Paul tells Timothy in the second reading:  He says: “I charge you in the presence of God and of Jesus Christ . . . to proclaim the word, be persistent, whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching”.  That’s what it means to live your Faith.  To proclaim God’s word whenever and wherever it is needed, whether it is convenient or inconvenient; and to minister to others by convincing them, reprimanding them, and encouraging them.

When you were Baptized, you were welcomed into the Church.  And at that time, you made a Baptismal promise.  For most of us, that promise was made on our behalf by our Parents and Godparents.  Basically, that promise consisted of learning your Faith and living it out by evangelizing to others in word and deed; by spreading your zeal and commitment to the Faith.  Yes, all of us were called in Baptism to go forth and teach all nations in our Faith so that all could share in everlasting life in Heaven.

When you are confirmed, you are confirming your commitment to the promise that was made on your behalf at Baptism.  So, you see, your life as a Christian just begins with Confirmation; it doesn’t end with Confirmation.  Your commitment means you will continue to grow in knowledge of your faith and in your ability to live that Faith with resolve and conviction.

Now in today’s first reading, we have a very interesting story about real Faith.  Moses believes that he has been given special powers by God through his staff.  And so, he believes that if he can hold that staff up during battle for all to see- that staff, which is a symbol of Faith in Israel- then no matter how bad the situation is with the enemy Amelek, his people will be saved.   But when his resolve and that of his helpers Aaron and Hur, waivers just a little bit, and the staff somehow gets lowered, then Amelek begins to prevail over the Israelis.  So, Moses, Aaron and Hur redouble their efforts to keep that staff held high no matter how tired they get.

There’s a very subtle distinction to be made here.  You see, it isn’t the staff itself that was so important.  The staff was just a symbol of the power of God.  Rather, it was their belief that the power of God was with them.  And they had to continuously demonstrate their Faith in the power of God in order for their Faith to sustain them.

It’s the same way with us.  Our Faith needs to be strong and continuous.  We can have all the knowledge of our Faith down pat, so much so that we can recall it at any time.  But if we set it down and to the side by saying to ourselves “Well let’s get on with life, and when I need God, I will recall what I have been taught”,. meaning, let me pursue my own agenda for life without regard to how my partnership with God is affected, then we cannot expect our faith to sustain us.  If we really believe it, we will live our Faith to the fullest, always holding it in our hearts and consulting God about everything we do in life.  Because it is then that our Faith will always sustain us.

The message in the Gospel confirms this about our Faith.  The persistent Widow is just that relentless and persistent in appealing to the judge.  And as corrupt as the judge was, he responded to that commitment and tenaciousness.  Our ever-loving God will certainly do as much and more.  And so, that’s how our Faith can sustain us- through an absolute commitment to it.  Through a persistent and consistent never ending partnership with God, continuous prayer and demonstration of our Faith, we can and will be shown the way even when the going gets tough.  It may not be the way we would like, but the way will be shown to us, God’s way.  But it takes real Faith, the Faith of a Confirmed Christian to guarantee our success.

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Vanity and Joy

Sunday, August 4th, 2013

18th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Eccl 1: 2; 2: 21-23; Col 3: 1-5, 9-11; Lk 12: 13-21

Dc. Larry Brockman

“Vanity of Vanities; all things are Vanity!”  It’s a hard lesson to learn, but at some point in our lives, we will all learn it, whether we like it or not.

Life in this world can be so precious and good, can’t it: a newborn baby; the joy that children and grandchildren bring; experiencing the beauty and diversity of God’s creation; discovering and using our talents; our first love; friendships and marriage; great food and music and the arts.  All the things the world has to offer are so good and attractive, especially when we are young and vigorous.  In fact, when we are young and vigorous, anything beyond our goals and joys and activities in this world seems remote and unimportant to us.

And so, all this talk about vanity sounds so depressing doesn’t it.  But if we are honest about it, the reality of worldly life comes into focus in our first reading, because all things that we experience in this world are vanity- all of them can be taken away from us; or all of them can pass away as we know them.  Some of us suddenly and for no apparent reason lose a child; a spouse, or a parent.  Others lose their talents and agility through illness- a heart attack, a stroke, dementia, arthritis and many others.  Still others suffer greatly from poverty, lack of work, prejudice, or failed or wounded relationships.  If none of this has happened to you yet; just wait- chances are something will.  And when these things happen, either we grieve the losses; or we endure the suffering, or we suffer our own limitations or all of these things combined.  Sometimes we ask the question- Why me?  And yet something traumatic happens to all of us in life.  Even the person in perfect health who seems to have it all dies some day; and they can’t take it all with them.  Jesus’ story in the Gospel makes that very clear.  Yes, all of us experience a wake-up call that shouts loudly to us “All things are Vanity”.

That brings up a very interesting question.  How do we reconcile this seemingly depressing message with the joy that we are supposed to feel as Christians?  Well, Paul and Jesus both give us some great insights.  First, Paul says to focus on things that are above, things that last.  He is referring to the Kingdom of God.  For weeks now we have been hearing about the Kingdom of God.  But the message of these several weeks may have eluded us.

So, a reminder is in order.  The Kingdom of God is already among us; the joy of the Kingdom of God can be experienced now and will remain with us; it will not pass away; and following God’s will is what brings us that joy both now and in the next life in Heaven.

In the gospel, Jesus says something very pointed:  He says: “One’s life does not consist of possessions”.  Then he tells the parable about the rich man storing up earthly treasures, but whose life will be lost that very night.  He goes on to say:  “Thus will it be for all who store up treasure for themselves but are not rich in what matters to God”.

The joys that come to us in our lives, like the joy of having a new baby, our marriages, our relationships and using our talents, these things do remain with us when they are all part of God’s plan for us, because no matter what happens to us in this world we bring them with us into the next.  We are storing up treasures in areas that matter to God when we are loving, sharing, and responsive to the urges that God gives us to follow after Jesus.

But when we focus only on our own pleasure and comfort here; when we become absorbed and consumed with that, then the reality of the world will eventually catch up to us like it did for the rich man in the parable.  Storing up treasures of this world only leads us to disaster.

God loves us and has given us this world with all the great things it has to offer.  And yet, all things of the world, even our gifts, are loaned to us- they don’t really belong to us because when we die, we can’t take them with us, and all such things are perishable anyway.  Hence, all things are truly vanity.  We need to put that into perspective.

And pain and suffering are part of life- they are part of life for all of us.  They were certainly part of life for Jesus and his disciples.  Some things that happen to us, the loss of a child for example, will just never seem right to us- they are a mystery.  Their meaning will be revealed to us some day, but not necessarily when we experience them.  But if we focus on living life to the fullest, always in tune with the Lord, trusting in His goodness, then the Kingdom of God will be there for us even in the midst of the suffering.

Think back on the moments of your life that brought you the most joy.  I’m not talking about pleasure, but joy.  Chances are they are moments when you listened to God or when you saw God in others or His creation.  They are tender moments, memories, and legacies.  And they are times when you did something for someone else.  And some of these moments even come in the midst of tragedy.

It’s not that God is calling us to reject the world, but that God is calling us to be good stewards of His creation.  God is always calling us to something new; to follow him on the journey He has in mind for us.  He wants us to grow always- not to settle into a rut.  So, it is what is ahead of us that counts, not what is behind us.  And so, when God speaks to us, we are called to let go of both our riches and our sorrows and listen for what is ahead of us.

Our responsorial psalm points us in the right direction:  “If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts”.

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Praying as a Friend of the Lord

Sunday, July 28th, 2013

17th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Gen 18: 20-32; Col 2: 12-14; Luke 11: 1-13

Dc. Larry Brockman

Prayer, today’s scriptures are all about prayer.  We heard the Our Father and how it is a blueprint to prayer to the Lord.  That is, it tells us how to pray and what to pray for.  But there is much more to learn from the scriptures today than that.  To begin with, prayer is when we join our minds and hearts with the Lord.

Well, let me pose this question about prayer-  How well do you know the Lord?  Do you know the Lord well enough to join your minds and hearts with Him?  It is pretty clear from both the Old Testament story about Abraham’s petition for Sodom and Gomorrah and the Gospel where the Apostles asked Jesus to teach them to pray, that both Abraham and Jesus knew the Lord pretty well.  Abraham is “walking” with the Lord.  The conversation is casual and friendly.  And Jesus addresses the Father as “Abba”, which means “Daddy”.  So, the first thing we should notice about praying to God, is that those who are familiar with God are good at it.  Think of it this way, can you imagine having an intimate conversation with someone you don’t really know?  It doesn’t sound like it would be very comfortable for either party.

And then there is the matter of mutual trust.  That may seem like a no brainer- trusting God.  But do you really trust God?  Our trust should be the same as that exhibited by little children a kind of unlimited, comfortable trust like the kind that comes with the relationship between a young child and a familiar parent.  So being familiar with the Lord would really help when we pray.

How do we achieve that familiarity?  Well, knowing about the Lord would help.  That means, for example, reading the Bible and knowing what the Catechism says.  But it also means having frequent contact.  The more often we pray, the more likely we will be familiar with the Lord, just like the more often we come in contact with any other friend, the more familiar and comfortable we become with them.

And then there is the matter of persistence.  Abraham was certainly persistent, carefully talking the Lord down from finding 50 good people in Sodom to just 10.  Jesus uses a parable about waking a sleeping friend after midnight to ask for three loaves of bread as a way to address persistence.  Now I have asked myself, why is persistence so important?  After all, God knows what we want even before we ask for it.  Why not just ask once; why burden the Lord.  Well, I think it’s because we should take the Lord at His word.  He wants it that way.  Ironically, the persistence in the Gospel story implies that the friend will open his door and give the three loaves of bread to the requester because he is irritated and just wants to get rid of the problem.  But, as the story of Sodom and Gomorrah shows, God always listens no matter how many times we ask him.  He is receptive when we do pester Him, our persistence doesn’t put him off because it shows our commitment to Him; it shows our recognition of our limitations and need for God.

Now in the story about Sodom and Gomorrah, we see a loving Lord who is willing to accommodate Abraham’s petition, that is, his prayer.  Abraham has confidence in the Lord, and is well aware of His power and might.   So very respectfully, Abraham pushes the situation to the limit confident that the Lord will do what is best.  Now, we all know what happened.  Sodom and Gomorrah were totally destroyed by the Lord.  This happens right after the story we just heard.  So our loving, Lord, who was so willing to accommodate Abraham went ahead and destroyed Sodom because He couldn’t find even 10 good souls in Sodom.  Was Abraham’s prayer answered?  Yes, it was, because God kept his bargain.  However, it seems like a “no” because saving Sodom was Abraham’s objective and yet, that is not what was best.  And we can all identify with that.  Because we all can see that Sodom was a disaster.

Sometimes when we pray, we ask for something but the answer is “no” by the Lord, only we don’t see the other side of the story like Abraham did.  We don’t see what’s best for us.  In the Gospel, Jesus tells us that our heavenly Father knows what is best for us, and uses an example of a Father giving his son a fish rather than a snake.  As a parent, I can identify with that.  How many times do our children ask for snakes rather than fish?  And as a parent, we have to tell them, “no” rather than “yes”, or “not right now” for one of their requests  Those are God’s three answers too- yes, no, and not right now.  But we need to trust God and be confident that he has answered our prayer, even when it seems like the silence is deafening because He gives us the Holy Spirit always to work through the situation when the answer is no or not now.

In the clutter and humdrum of today’s world where both parties work in a marriage, sometimes 60-70 hours a week; with cell phones and radios and TVs blaring constantly; we all need a friend- a real friend.  Take some time to get to know the Lord.  Pray; pray often to your friend and confidant, the Lord.  Pray with confidence and persistence.

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