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Show Me the Father!

Thursday, March 22nd, 2018

St. Philip and St. James, Apostles(U)
1 Cor 15: 1-8; John 14: 6-14
Dc. Larry Brockman

How often have we heard Philip’s words in our society? For Philip said “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” Yes, everybody wants to be shown the Father; everybody wants proof of God’s existence! And yet, the fact is that people are blind to that proof when they see it. They are blind because the truth is ultimately incomprehensible to our limited nature.

You know, it’s hard to believe that the events that unfolded before Philip’s own eyes hadn’t been enough for him. For this man had heard Jesus personally during his three year ministry. He had eaten with him, and had been one of his closest disciples; he had heard everything first hand; and seen everything first hand. Philip had witnessed the death and Resurrection first hand; and he had heard Jesus unfold the scriptures for him after the Resurrection. Philip had seen, touched, and experienced the glorified risen Christ. One would think that such a person would know God for who God is as well as anyone possibly could. Such a person would know God in their heart. And yet Philip still says “Show me the Father”. Oh ye of little faith! What more could Philip have seen or experienced to convince him to believe!

Yes, it is a leap of faith to believe in the Gospel story. We don’t have the first-hand knowledge and experiences that Philip had. And yet, we are called upon to believe, to accept what seems unlikely, and what can’t be proven by human reason. We are called to accept it precisely because we simply must surrender our wills in the salvation process. We must recognize that we are not in control- God is and always will be in control. If we don’t accept that, we simply can’t be happy with him in the Kingdom of God because no matter how you slice it, we can never ever understand and match the mind of God. Something will always be a mystery to us- some things we must accept on faith.

Our Faith is worth any residual doubt because of the revelations Jesus made to us about God and his nature and laws. These revelations were not made by some transcendent distant unapproachable God; but rather by God made man who lived amongst us. His is a unique story in creation; the story of a God who loved us so much he manifested himself as one of us. And Jesus left us the legacy of that story- more than 500 eye witnesses and the Gospels themselves that record all those events. The Gospels also give us the roadmap for living life in harmony with God’s will.

Now many people cannot believe in their hearts what the Gospel relates. So Jesus comes right out and says that if you cannot believe because it touches your heart; then believe because of the great works that were done- the many miracles Jesus performed.
St. Paul summarizes what the rewards are for those who believe and follow Jesus’ teachings in this way. We have all been saved and will share in the glorified life of Jesus. Yes, Jesus is the answer, because no one can come to the Father except through belief in God and the Word of God- that is, they cannot come to God except through Jesus because Jesus is the Word of God.

Every day we wake up is a miracle. Every moment of our life is a miracle. Every flower, life form, and star in the sky is an awesome miracle. The scientists unravel some details about these miracles and think we are in control. These details are like the peels of an onion; no sooner does one layer get explained when another layer appears.. What scientists find is incredible simplicity and incredible complexity intertwined in all things. There simply has to be some architect of all that; it cannot happen by accident. That should be proof enough; because again, we cannot hope to understand all that God knows. But it isn’t. People want to know absolutely.

Well God didn’t send Jesus’ generation the “sign” they were hoping for so they could know absolutely. And the Father did not show himself to Philip with any more clarity than Jesus revelation. God doesn’t reveal himself with any more clarity because we are incapable of understanding. What we are capable of understanding is what God has revealed to us; that was the reason for Jesus Christ. There is no need for the Father to show us any more proof than that.

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“Whoever is Not With Me is Against Me”

Thursday, March 8th, 2018

Thursday of the Third Week in Lent
Jer 7: 23-28; Luke 11: 14-23
Dc. Larry Brockman

Make no mistake about it, evil exists and is real. One of our greatest challenges as a Faith Community is to recognize evil in our world and hold firm against it.
This morning, we hear Jeremiah speaking to the Jewish people after over 1000 years of history following the Exodus event. In just these few words, Jeremiah summarizes all of that history.

Moses had acted as a Priest to set up a covenant between the people and the Lord God at the foot of Mt. Sanai when he delivered the Ten Commandments. These were the people the Lord had rescued from slavery and planned to deliver to the promised land, his own special people. God would assure that his people would flourish if they kept His commandments and loved their God with their hearts and minds and souls. That covenant was sealed by the blood of a sacrifice that Moses offered, a blood covenant. Moses warned them of consequences if they agreed to the covenant and then broke it. And so, Moses asked the people three times if they would abide by it. They all responded “yes”.

But despite a long and consistent history of prophets sent by God to his special people, prophets who constantly reminded the people of that covenant and warned about the consequences of breaking it, the people were not abiding by the blood covenant that God made with them. Why? Because of the evil that creeps into men’s hearts and takes possession of them.

That evil is characterized by three things- a failure to pass on the covenant to their children- either by laziness or indifference; preoccupation with things of the world, especially in times of prosperity- life is just too good; and selfishness, the tendency to put their individual interests ahead of the spirit and intent of the law.

And so, over the course of that thousand plus years of history, the Israelis did not obey the law of the Covenant, and fell victim to idolatry and grievous sin. The Old Testament shows cycles of up and down adherence to the covenant over the course of this history and speaks over and over of the Kings who “did evil in the sight of the Lord”. Over time divisions arose amongst the people, the tribes separated from each other, and that caused the Israelis to lose their national identity. Finally, the kings were powerless and were overrun by stronger and more resolute adversaries. Evil had undermined the Israeli nation.

In Jesus’ time, evil was symbolized in several different ways. But today, our Gospel talks about evil through a man possessed by an evil spirit. We can see the division in the people within this Gospel. Some feel that casting such a demon out of a person could only be done by someone close to God. But cynical observers accuse Jesus of casting devils out by the prince of devils, Beelzebul. These self-serving folks didn’t want to acknowledge that someone who they didn’t want to listen to could be right; so they tried to turn his good deed into an evil one. Boy, does that sound familiar in today’s world! But Jesus makes it very clear that “a house divided against itself cannot stand”. He shows that even Satan must keep his followers focused on that.

And so, the lesson for all of us today is clear. Evil exists, and we need to work together to recognize it and to counter it. We must be unified in our faith and then practice our faith to recognize evil and counter it.

Evil today feeds off divisions caused by things like moral relativism, pro-choice attitudes on life issues, and mistaking inaction for tolerance. Evil also feeds off of self-righteous clicks, greed, and over reactions. We can heal these divisions by all of us agreeing with the core beliefs of our faith.

These core beliefs are well represented in the teachings of the Church in the Catechism. The catechism guides us in what we believe and in how we should respond. But we have to believe in all of it. Yes, it’s the whole enchilada, or nothing.

Second, we need to cast out the modern demons in our world. We don’t cast these demons out by tolerating them. We have got to be proactive; stand up for our faith; and do whatever it takes to change the system. That includes voting, running for office, standing up before civil authorities and school officials when needed, and other forms of witnessing of our faith. It even means speaking up in discussions amongst our peers when they say things that are offensive to us.

Remember these words from today’s Gospel. They pretty well sum up Jesus’ attitude towards evil: “Whoever is not with me is against me”.

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The Remarkable Power of Prayer

Thursday, February 22nd, 2018

Thursday of First Week of Lent (U)
Esth C: 12, 14-16, 23-25; Mt 7: 7-12
Dc. Larry Brockman

Prayer. It’s one of the three pillars of our Lenten observance. And it is the topic of both readings today. In fact, both readings are about asking for something in prayer. And both give us key advice about what kind of prayer works.

The story of Esther is fascinating. I recommend that all of you read the book of Esther- it is short. But let me just put today’s reading in context.

Esther is a beautiful Jewish maiden living in exile in Persia with the Jews. The King is smitten by her and makes her his Queen, not knowing that she is Jewish. Her Father gets on the wrong side of the King’s right hand man, a ruthless, arrogant, hateful person This man tricks the King into signing a decree that would put all the Jews to the sword. And that is where we join Esther this morning- as she prays for deliverance of her people.

Although Esther is the Queen, the King has a concubine and doesn’t see Esther all that often. She cannot approach him; he must approach her. Hence, her dilemma.
Notice several things about Esther’s prayer. First, Esther is giving her whole attention to her prayer. All distractions and everything else have been put aside. Second, she is humble before the Lord, prostrating herself and her entourage. Then she blesses the Lord and recognizes Him as the Lord of her ancestors. Only after all that does she ask for something. Lastly, she is not asking for a miracle- she is only asking for inspiration. She says ”Put in my mouth persuasive words in the presence of the lion and turn his heart”. So Esther recognizes the need for her to act. She is asking God to enable her, not for God to work miracles. And we get the impression that she trusts that God will help her.

Esther’s prayer is answered, as you will find if you read the book. But the events that unfold are truly unexpected. There is no way anyone could have foreseen these events. God’s solution solves all Esther’s problems, and makes things better than she could have expected. And this makes a very important point. When we ask for God’s help, our expectations can get in the way. God will answer our prayer, but will not necessarily meet our expectations. God knows what is best for us and that is what he will give us. In the long run, we are better off with God’s solution and not our expectations.

Now the Gospel comes after Jesus presentation of the Lord’s Prayer. He explains the Lord’s prayer after presenting it. Then in this chapter Jesus goes into detail about when we ask for something. He tells us to “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you shall find.” But what will be given to us is what we need, not necessarily what we want. We are, after all, God’s children. We often respond to a child’s request with what they need, not what they want; And it is no different with God and his children.

It may seem to you that some specific expectation is the thing that is best for you- a home or place, a job, a promotion, a relationship with someone, a skill, and any number of other things. But when you pray for such things, keep an open mind. God may have a better place, a better job, another person, or a different skill for you. And in the long run, God’s way will be better.

God is big on trust. We tell our children the same thing- trust us. But sometimes that can be hard. Because, just like our children, we are disappointed that things don’t go our way even after prayer. But consider this: When Jesus says the law and the prophets is “Do to others whatever you would have them do to you”, then be assured of this. God will always do right for you, because He is beyond the law and the prophets.

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There’s More to Life THan Life in the Flesh!

Thursday, February 15th, 2018

Thursday After Ash Wednesday
Dt 30:15-20; Lk 9: 22-25
Deacon Larry Brockman

Life! All of us cherish our lives, right.

But what does that mean, really. Most of us cherish a prosperous life in this world. As long as things go well- we are healthy, comfortable, surrounded by loving family and friends; and have a good source of income, for example, then we cherish life in this world. And society constantly bombards us with advice about the good life- advertisements for foods, drink, leisure activities, and other pleasures the world has to offer. For those who are young or in the prime of life, especially in a prosperous country like ours, life is good! In fact, it can be so good that little thought is given to the ultimate reality of life. A person can be blinded to his long term destiny by the pace of life. There is, after all, school, work, raising children, finding a job, vacations, kids soccer games, super bowls, concerts, and lots of other things that make life a blur; weeks upon weeks of endless activities. There simply isn’t any time for anything else.

But if the circumstances change a bit- we lose our health; our family members and friends somehow vanish; if we have problems supporting ourselves; or if we would have to live in one of those third world places in abject poverty, then our enthusiasm for life can wane, and we can become depressed or disillusioned. Life in this world can then become drudgery.

Some people yearn for an end to life when they face pain and discomfort. In fact, some even seek suicide and euthanasia so they don’t have to face the reality of life.
When you come right down to it, the truth about life in this world is simply this: Life in the fast lane doesn’t go on forever. And the quality of life diminishes with time for those who live a full life in years. Ultimately, of course, all of us are going to die to this world.
Now ultimate life is the topic of both readings today. But the ultimate life that both Jesus and Moses are talking about is not life in this world. Both Moses’ message and Jesus’ message are the same: Live your life according to God’s plan for you, or else your ultimate life will be hell.

For us, Moses words are more allegorical. Moses and the Israeli’s have just gone through their “Lenten” experience- forty years wandering in the desert looking for the promised land. When he talks about being led astray and worshiping false gods, that translates to listening to the prince of this world, the devil; and embracing addictions that serve as false gods. Things for example, like pornography; excess preoccupation with things like video games, social media, work, or pop culture; and dependence on alcohol, drugs, or even one another. And the long life in the land promised to the people means everlasting life in the Kingdom of God. This is only achieved if people follow the commandments, the Mosaic Law.

Jesus’ message is one of the most direct messages in the bible. Jesus speaks this passage to his disciples after he has gone through his “Lenten” experience, the forty days he spent in the desert. Previously a carpenter for some 15 years, Jesus goes away after his Baptism to spend 40 days in the desert. There, he is tempted by Satan three times. Jesus is offered pleasure, fame, and power in this world. But Jesus returns with a clear vision, the vision he shares in our Gospel. It is a daunting vision- he must preach repentance and forgiveness of sins, and because of his teaching, he will suffer at the hands of the establishment. But then, there will be resurrection of the body and everlasting life.

Then Jesus shares with his disciples that they too must pick up their crosses and follow in his footsteps. That means, finding God’s will, even in the midst of the fast moving pace of life. That means doing the harder thing- rejecting the glitter of pleasure, fame, and power in this world for the real mission that God has in mind for each one of us.

These readings give us a wake-up call that says- stop. Stop what you are doing and take the time for your own Lenten experience. Use the next 40 days before Easter to find your roadmap to true life. Consider Jesus’ parting words today: “What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself”

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“Be a Man”!

Thursday, February 1st, 2018

Thursday of Week 4 in Ordinary Time
1 Kgs 2: 1-4; 10-12; Mark 6: 7-13
Deacon Larry Brockman

“Take courage and be a man”. These are David’s words to his son Solomon as David rested on his deathbed.

And just to make certain Solomon understood what that meant, David elaborated on what it means to be a man (or woman). It means following the law of God- his statutes, commands, ordinances, and decrees. In other words, putting away any tendency to folly and to accept the responsibilities of life. But first and foremost, the will of God.

In Solomon’s case, his role was to rule Israel as a successor to God’s chosen one, David. Solomon had received a mandate, his marching orders. He was to do God’s will and obey Him in all things and to make certain that his descendants and the people followed the will of the Lord and kept his law. Solomon was a prefiguring of the Messiah to come. Through Solomon, the promises made to King David were to be passed on to David’s descendants and the Kingdom of Israel would be maintained.

Only things didn’t work out that way. Solomon and his descendants strayed from the path, Their emphasis was on things of the world- a worldly Kingdom; and their priests and Pharisees distorted the meaning of the law. Rather than a law that moved their hearts, they interpreted the law literally.

Nearly 1000 years later, Jesus arrives on the scene. Jesus became the true Messiah that Solomon prefigured. He was the first-born son of God, and God’s chosen one. And Jesus mission was to preach repentance. Jesus message was to live the law of God in your heart. And so, Jesus commissions the disciples to preach repentance.

The disciples’ authority is established by the power Jesus gave them to cast out evil spirits and to cure the sick and lame. They are given their marching orders, and discharged to carry them out- to go forth two by two and spread the message of Jesus, a call to repentance; to love your neighbor as yourself; and to find and do the will of God in your life.

We are nourished today by two messages. The first message is the message in the first reading. Given human tendencies, civil authorities will lose favor with God if they do not follow his lead. In fact, our civil leaders have fallen into the same human trap as the kings of Israel. They are preoccupied with things of the world- getting elected, making money, and wielding power. They do not govern the people according to God’s law, a law of love.

And our spiritual life has to go deeper than following the law. It is only human to look for a way to follow the law in a literal sense- to do what is required to satisfy the letter, but not necessarily the intent of the law, and then to settle onto a comfortable plateau of compliance.

But that is not satisfactory to God. And so, the Gospel message rings loud and clear for us today. The Church has been commissioned by Jesus to go into our midst with the message of repentance. We are the townspeople who receive that message. Do we welcome God’s message amongst us? Or are we rejecting it. Rejecting it can take many forms- but procrastinating and even forgetting on a daily basis are the easiest paths.

We are just a couple of weeks away from Lent. The time is coming for us to reflect on our role as Christians. It is a time to “take courage, and to be a man”. And that means repenting of our ways.

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What Are You Looking For?

Thursday, January 4th, 2018

Thursday of Second Week of Christmas
St. Elizabeth Seton
Jn 3: 7-10; Jn 1: 35-42
Deacon Larry Brockman

“What are you looking for”?

I think these words ring just as true for all of us as they did for Andrew in this morning’s Gospel. First, something happens that awakens us to our need. Andrew was looking for something new; that’s why he was following John the Baptist in the desert. Then he found it: John the Baptist’s words suddenly gave direction to Andrew and his companion. Andrew heard the words “There is the Lamb of God”. In other words: “There is the answer to the restlessness about what it’s all about.”

And so, just like Andrew, we should go forward and seek after that answer when it is pointed to us. The arrival of the Christ Child at Christmas is like John the Baptist’s declaration. In fact, the whole season of Advent memorializes the theme: “The Lord is coming, there he is, follow him”. And as we go after the truth, we should hear Jesus calling back to us: “What are you looking for”? and “Come follow me and I will show you where I dwell”.

In fact, the whole process described in the Gospel applies over and over again to each of us. Whether it’s in our prayers or in other pursuits of the truth like a book we are reading or a class we are taking to seek the answer to the age old question of “What’s it all about”. Indeed, those are times to turn our attention to the Lord and follow him as he calls us.

The four Gospels tell us how Jesus followed the call to holiness. They chronicle Jesus through 3 years in word and deed. They show how he went into the desert and pondered what it was all about for him; how he determined God’s will for him in the midst of temptation; how he came out from the desert and launched his ministry; and how he was called to hold firm to the Father’s will even when threatened by evil men who didn’t like his message. Jesus held firm to the end by gving his life rather than forsake the will of the Father.

St. John’s epistle helps us with the follow-through. Whatever you do to help you in your quest of the Father’s will, you need to act in righteousness. Righteousness is holy and upright living in accordance with God’s standards. We are righteous when we are right with God. If what we are doing is not in accord with God’s standards, then do not kid yourselves; you are not righteous. St. John’s words are stronger- he says we are in sin if we are not righteous.

Life is full of times when we wonder what it’s all about. A break in the normal routine, like the Christmas Holidays, and the whole idea of a new beginning for the New Year calls our normal routine into question. These times give us the opportunity to feel that urge that maybe a change is needed. Don’t let the opportunity pass.

What are you looking for?

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On Being Greater Than John he Baptist

Thursday, December 14th, 2017

Thursday of Second Week of Advent
Is 41:13-20; Mt 11: 11-15
Deacon Larry Brockman

So, the least in the Kingdom of God is greater than John the Baptist!

But, you see, it was Christ’s sacrifice on the cross that opened the kingdom of Heaven to mankind. So, all the great Old Testament Saints- the Patriarch’s, Prophets, and the other figures of the Old Testament had to wait until Christ paved the way to the Kingdom of God in order for them to enter it. Clearly, all those who have entered the Kingdom of God are better off.

And so Jesus is continuing the theme of Advent that something new is about to happen. The days of Old Covenant are over; the waiting is over. The message of expectation of the Messiah is at an end; and with the coming of the Messiah, a better place will become available for all of us. John the Baptist symbolically fulfills the return of Elijah to announce the Lord’s coming and the day of the Lord. This prophecy came from the last lines in the very last book of the Old Testament, the book of Malachi.

And yet, elsewhere in the Gospel, Jesus tells us that the Kingdom of God is already amongst us! How can this be?

Well, Jesus the Messiah was amongst the people of his day. Jesus had eternal life living within him, and his death, Resurrection, and Ascension opened the Kingdom of God to all of us who follow in faith by doing God’s will. That opening was symbolized by the tearing of the veil from top to bottom in the Temple at the moment of Jesus Death. You see, the veil was used to keep everyone out of the holy sanctuary in the Temple except for one day a year when only the High Priest entered to offer a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people of Israel. But the veil was permanently torn at Jesus death. This symbolized the fact that all are now able to enter the Holy Sanctuary, the dwelling place of the most High God, by following after Jesus footsteps. We do that by believing in Jesus and by taking up our crosses and following his example of doing God’s will. Anyone who does this will be greater than all those who have not entered the Kingdom of God.

Notice that God has also told us that he will help us. Recall Isaiah’s words in the first reading. Twice he says: “I will help you, says the Lord.” He will give us the tools to break down mountains and crush them. Yes, Jesus gave is the Holy Spirit and the treasures of his graces in the Sacraments to help us combat whatever mountains get in our way.

Today we are being called to take heart, to listen to the prophecy of the coming of the Lord from Malachi, Elijah, and John the Baptist. We are called to take advantage of the spiritual help the Lord has made available to us because something new is about to happen- the Christ Child is coming, and the Gospel, the good news of Jesus life is about to be played out. In it can be found the way, the truth, and the light. And all those who follow it are guaranteed a place in the Kingdom of God. All those who follow have the potential to be greater than the Prophets, for our salvation is amongst us. Alleluiah

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Trusting in the Eternal Rock

Thursday, December 7th, 2017

Thursday of First Week of Advent
Is 26: 1-6; Mt 7: 21, 24-27
Deacon Larry Brockman

“Trust in the Lord Forever! For the Lord is an eternal rock.” Now that’s the kind of foundation we should all seek for our lives. It’s the kind of foundation Jesus is describing in his parable. It sounds very straightforward, doesn’t it? Trusting in the Lord and making God’s word our foundation.

But you know what? In the heat of the battle, we need to make decisions daily. And we are constantly confronted with uncertainties. It always seems that “It depends” and “it’s all relative”. But you see, in order to make good decisions in situations calling for discretion, our foundation just has to be rock solid, otherwise, we falter and don’t know what to do.

How do we make our foundation solid? Well, we not only need to know what is right and wrong, but we need to know them well enough to survive “it depends” and “it’s all relative” situations. And we need to know where we are going with our lives, and why. We need focus in order to eliminate our uncertainty.

Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. We all learned that in school. So what we are really talking about is making God the foundation for our edifice, our whole selves. And we need to make decisions with both our head and our hearts, that whole self. So it’s not just knowing the word of God and what the Church teaches that constitutes our foundation. We also have to feel what is right and wrong from the depths of our being. That comes with intimacy with God. We not only need to know about God, but we need to know Him like a friend.

Sounds pretty demanding, building our foundation on the Lord, doesn’t it? That’s why Jesus said we need to act on his words. Acting on his words is not just listening; and it is not even limited to taking them to heart. It means more than that. It means making a permanent commitment to the Lord. We need to be tied to him as any house is tied to its foundation.

These readings are so appropriate because Advent is our opportunity to make a difference in how we live our lives each year as we prepare for the two comings of Jesus Christ. Yes, we are preparing for the coming of the Christ Child. And that is important because the incarnation, the fact that God sent His son to live as one of us in a human body, is what distinguishes Christianity from other religions. God became one of us and showed us the way to eternal life through the story of his life- the Gospel. We need to be ready to follow him and seek the Kingdom of God as our focus.

But we must also be ready for the second coming. That will happen for all of us at the moment of death. And that could come at any time. So we can’t waver from our path; we need an even more rock solid foundation to our faith for that. That comes from a close relationship with God : through our prayer life. It comes from putting God’s will first in our life. It comes from building our confidence that we know the right thing to do.

Let me suggest that we get off the high speed rail of life for a couple of weeks, and to use some time to firm up our foundations. Make a plan for the coming year to learn more about your Faith and your Lord. And then put it into practice. Let go and trust in God’s mighty hand in the years to come.

Yes, trust in the Lord forever! For the Lord is an eternal rock.

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Speaking out for Jesus at Christmas

Thursday, November 30th, 2017

Thursday of the 34th Week in Ordinary Time
Feast of St. Andrew
Rom 10: 9-18; Mt 4: 18-22
Deacon Larry Brockman

So, according to Paul, “Their voice has gone forth to all the earth and their words to the ends of the World”. This leads us to conclude that all have had the opportunity to believe in Jesus Christ. These words condemn those who have heard and have not chosen to believe.

The problem with that is that people forget with time. I’m not talking about individual people; but “people” in the collective sense, so whole Peoples have forgotten about Christ over the course of a couple of generations. In today’s world, many of our brothers and sisters right here in this country have never heard of the real Jesus Christ; nor have many people in the rest of the Western World. Their parents have become dulled to the message of Christ for a variety of reasons: by the ravages of war, unable to reconcile a loving God with what happened; by prosperity of means, for who needs God in the midst of all the pleasures and comforts of the world; and by ignorance- a willful disinterest in learning about things of God when there is so much to overload our senses. And so, Churches and Christ can be all around us, but the people who see it have never really heard of Christ. They haven’t seen what Christ can do for them.

Also, knowledge of Christ is suppressed over a third of the World by Islam, which strictly forbids any Christian evangelization in the areas they control. And Christianity has never penetrated over large areas of Asia where Eastern religions are practiced. And so, we have a very serious problem. We need to spread the word- we need to evangelize. The need for us to be Christ to the world has never been more urgent.

St. Paul talks about confessing with the lips, and believing with the heart; and that if we do that we will be saved. That’s all of us here, right. But if that is really so, then our lives should be full of enthusiasm for Christ. After all, if you believe in your heart and confess with your lips, you would be zealous for the Lord. Others should see that; others should be moved by that; others should be anxious to find out why you are so joyful and want to know more.

But chances are, we hold back- after all, we must be politically correct- no talking of religion or politics; no expression of moral judgment in the workplace or schools; no condemnation of secular values and media for religious reasons. It’s as if we are trained to say: I’m OK; your OK; just let me believe what I believe on my own, and I will leave you alone. But that is not confessing with your lips or believing in your hearts. Keeping our faith to ourselves wasn’t good enough in Jesus’ day, and it is not good enough today.

Jesus needed a team of disciples to follow after him. He needed to preach what was right; do what he preached; and leave a legacy behind to evangelize the Gospel. That’s how people confess with their lips and believe in their hearts the Word of God.

This morning, we hear about Andrew’s call. But this Gospel is taken out of context. Jesus did not walk up to Andrew, Peter, James, and John out of the blue as these words appear to indicate out of context. Take Andrew’s case. Andrew had been an ardent disciple of John the Baptist; and had shared all of that with Peter. Andrew had also been Baptized by John; and heard John’s words about who Jesus was. So, Andrew didn’t just respond out of the blue- he had been thinking about his life for some time. When Jesus tapped Andrew for help, it pushed him over the top. He and Peter left and followed the call. They didn’t just keep it to themselves.

This time of year, we are preparing for the joyous feast of Christmas. It is central to our belief as Christians. The focus on cards, trees, cookies, parties, presents, decorations, and all of the other secular emphasis on “The Holidays” distorts the real meaning of Christmas. Let us all make a resolution this year to confess with our lips and believe with our hearts, that Jesus Christ is what Christmas is all about.

It is always “Merry Christmas”, and it is all about Christ.

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Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God

Thursday, November 16th, 2017

Thursday of the 32nd Week in Ordinary time
Wis 7: 22b- 8: 1; Luke 17: 20-25
Deacon Larry Brockman

So, the Kingdom of God is amongst us! And yet it is not something that one can announce and point to. Such a mystery.

And it certainly is a mystery to us human beings, because we lack the wisdom to truly comprehend the concept. We confuse God’s wisdom with earthly concepts for wisdom- a mixture of intelligence and knowledge; reasoning and observations. Yet we constrain our faculties to the things of this physical world, not the least of which is the dimension of time.

One thing is certain. Those who enjoy the Kingdom of God are alive; but to be alive means more than just life in this world. Some people have embraced life in the larger sense. They prioritize a relationship with God in their earthly lives. And to be alive in this way is to have God living in them- God’s spirit motivates and graces them. These folks are privileged with the special gift that the author of Wisdom speaks about this morning. They are the “holy souls that Wisdom passes into from age to age”. They are destined to everlasting life, and since they are alive today, and they are amongst us, then the Kingdom of God is amongst us as well.

Because some people have been gifted with Wisdom, they exhibit the characteristics listed in that first reading to a greater extent than most people. There is a sense about them that exudes intelligence, holiness, and uniqueness. Their wisdom exhibits itself in many ways, is subtle, quick, and clear. It is unstained, certain, not baneful, and keen. It is unhampered by the opposition, kindly, firm, and beneficial to those who come in contact with them. They are secure, firm, and tranquil people.

If you think about some of the really holy people of our century, people like John Paul II, Padre Pio, and Mother Theresa, these characteristics leap out at us. All three of these people were unique, yet each of them exhibited the characteristics of true Wisdom to a greater extent.

But you know what? All of us are invited to be holy as these special saints were holy because all of us are invited to the heavenly Kingdom by virtue of our Baptisms. In the Gospel of John, Jesus says as much. It is God’s will that all of what the Father gave him be saved. And Jesus says that the Father gave all of us to him.

Jesus did his part: He came, he showed us the way to live life by accepting the will of the Father and suffering whatever the consequences in worldly reaction. He left the Gospel as his roadmap. And then he rose from the dead and ascended to heaven, the seat of the Kingdom of God. In so doing, he opened up and paved the way for us.

Now it is up to all of us to follow his example. Our first step going forward is to seek out the Wisdom of God. When it comes, it will be a subtle knowing; a warmth that comforts our hearts when we are troubled as long as we respond to His urgings. That’s what it means to seek ye first the Kingdom of God.

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