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You Are Called to Evangelize- You Are the Church!

Thursday, November 9th, 2017

Dedication of the Lateran Basilica
Ezek 47:1-2, 8-9, 12; 1 Cor 3 9c-11, 16-17; John 2: 13-22
Deacon Larry Brockman

Today we celebrate the feast of the dedication of St. John Lateran. St. John Lateran was the first Basilica built in Rome, pre-dating the Vatican. It was built by Constantine for the Pope in the year 314 and housed the pope for centuries. Ironically, Constantine acquired the property from his former rival’s family; and built the Basilica on what was the quarters for the horses. It was originally dedicated to St. John the Baptist; but later rededicated to St. John the Evangelist. The Basilica has been sacked several times; was ravaged by fire twice; and has fallen into disrepair occasionally. But it has always been renovated, and is one of the five major Basilicas in Rome today.

As the Bishop of Rome, it is Pope Francis’ Church, although an Arch-priest is assigned to run the Basilica. It served as the site for 5 major Church Councils, the most famous of which was the one in 1214.

From this brief history, I am certain you can see why the Church celebrates the dedication of this Basilica, a rather unusual Church Feast.

The readings all remind us of the relationship between the Church and God’s people. Obviously, the water flowing out of the temple in the Ezekiel reading has symbolic meaning since, in fact, no such water did flow from the temple. Rather, the water symbolizes the “living water” that flows from the Church. So, the water that flows is a foreshadowing of Christ himself. This living water was instituted in the Baptism of Christ; but the flow of the water may be seen as the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is the living water that went forth and flowed to all countries. By the grace instilled by the Holy Spirit, all Baptized persons spread this living water as they fulfill their Baptismal pledge to evangelize in word and deed. The fruit trees and other items cited represent the various ways that the Gospel, the living water, has borne fruit in those who have heard the Gospel and accepted the message.

Now in the Old Testament, there was but one Temple- the Temple in Jerusalem. It housed the ark of the covenant, and was the official place for worship because it was thought that God himself resided in the ark. Notice that the image of the flow of God from this temple is an important difference between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant instituted by Christ. God is no longer confined to the Holy of Holies within the temple. The water flowing from the temple shows that God is making himself accessible through his people.

In fact, Paul tells the Corinthians that they are the Church. The temple is no longer the Church. Paul says he lays the foundation for the Church based on the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the people are the building. He challenges them to be careful to build the Church properly on that foundation. We must always build on the teachings of Jesus Christ. Then Paul tells them that they are all temples, temples of the Holy Spirit. Indeed, the Holy Spirit dwells in each of us following our Baptisms.

Finally, our Gospel story reinforces this concept of each of us being a temple of the Holy Spirit. Because it makes clear that Jesus himself was referring to the temple of his body as he addressed the Scribes and Pharisees. Indeed, each of us as a temple of the Holy Spirit bear the responsibility for keeping and spreading the word of God. And God’s will is that all people be evangelized through the graces of the Holy Spirit which we receive at Baptism.

And so, as we gather in this fine Church building to worship God and to receive the Eucharist that is food for our spiritual journey, recognize that our real challenge is to do what the Deacon proclaims at the end of each Mass: to “go forth in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life” because you are the vehicle by which the living water flows; you are the Church that shares God with the masses.

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Rejoice Over the Souls of the Righteous

Thursday, November 2nd, 2017

All Souls Day
Wis 3: 1-9; Rom 8:31b-35, 37-39; Jn 6:37-40
Deacon Larry Brockman

Today, we celebrate the Feast of all the faithful departed. All of us have close relatives and friends who we hope are in that category. All of us hope that we will be in that category. Tonight at 7 PM, we have a special Mass in memory of all those who have died in the last year. But most of us have loved ones who have passed away over the years- our Moms and Dads, Grandparents, close friends, and many children. We remember them all now on All Souls Day; our hope and expectation is that they all are heirs to the promise in today’s scriptures.

And just what is that? Well, Solomon said: The souls of the righteous are in the hands of God. The righteous are in the hands of God! What better hands to be in than God’s. Now “righteous” means those who are right with God- they are those who believed in him and lived lives in accordance with his will. And most of us try to do that- live the lives in which God placed us; using the talents God gave us; and accepting the limitations that God gave us. We are mostly moms and dads and students and breadwinners and soccer coaches and lots of mundane things. And so were our loved ones who preceded us.

We may have started out life thinking we would conquer the world. The world was our oyster, so to speak. But sometime during our life, we become aware of our own limitations. We weren’t going to conquer the world. And we realized that self-indulgence has its limits and doesn’t bring true happiness. It is then that we came to understand the wisdom of the beatitudes that we heard proclaimed yesterday. Indeed, all of us need to learn the lesson of humility and deferring to others. God is in control, and we need to recognize that and turn over our trust to his wisdom, to his will. His will is that we love one another as ourselves.

God gives all of us a lifetime to find him and his will in this way. For many of us that is 70, 80, or more years. Thank God for all that time! Others have less time. But in that time, whatever it is, all of us were “chastised a little”, and yet hopefully that really means that we were “greatly blessed” Because God tried” us and found us “worthy of himself”.

Paul tells the Romans that God did not spare his own Son Jesus from suffering. Rather, Jesus paved the way for all of us by bearing his suffering with dignity; submitting to the will of the Father at the hands of evil men. But he conquered death by his Resurrection and Ascension to heaven. What became of those who put him to death after their worldly lives?

Indeed, Jesus’ Kingdom is not of this world. Ultimately, all of us will also come to the realization that life in this world is not what life is all about either; no matter how wonderful things seem at the prime of life. As we review the lives of our loved ones who have already passed away, we can see that this was definitely the case for them! And so, it is our hope that something more will be there for them- the everlasting life in the Kingdom of God that Jesus paved the way to. Indeed, that is our Christian hope as well.

Now Jesus made it very clear in our Gospel that his mission on earth was to save all that God gave him; and that is all of us and all of our loved ones who are already departed. He says that it is the Father’s will that all who “see the son and believe in him may have eternal life”; and that “I will not reject anyone who comes to me”. So, the key is for us to believe and to honestly do the will of God; to love one another and to always seek the Lord no matter what the hardship.

Paul tells the Romans something very profound: He says: “What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword? No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us”. Yes, God loves us- all of us, unconditionally. After all, he created us and desperately wants us with Him. Why would he create us and not want to have his creation with him? But, we must believe in him, endure the trials of this life, defer to one another, and then come after him. And “Coming after him” means seeking the Kingdom of God, not seeking after our own will.

And so, on this great Feast of All Souls. Let us rejoice over the great multitude of souls who have done just that- our moms and dads and grandparents and children and friends who loved us. Many of them accepted the challenges and hardships of life with dignity and grace- raising us, educating us, defending us in battle, giving to us from their sustenance- only to suffer illnesses or infirmities in their old age or even some sudden death. But make no mistake about it. The souls of these righteous ones are in the hands of God.

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Showing our Faith to God

Thursday, September 28th, 2017

Thursday of the 25thWeek in Ordinary Time
Haggai 1: 1-8; Luke 9: 7-9
Dc. Larry Brockman

“And he kept trying to see him”. Such are Luke’s words about the tyrant Herod. But Herod didn’t try very hard, and he just never got around to it until the day Jesus was dragged in front of him. Herod missed a wonderful opportunity to experience Jesus in the midst of his ministry; to experience his presence, his authority, his sharp and penetrating message;.and above all to experience Jesus Love and compassion for all mankind. Herod missed an opportunity to embrace the gift of faith- faith in something else besides what the world had to offer. Herod was steeped in the things of this world; He was just too busy thinking of himself. He just never got around to it.

There’s a similar message in the first reading. The Jews are released from captivity by the Persian Emperor Darius. After decades of exile from Judea, they return to Israel, and enjoy a period of peace and prosperity. They have eaten and drank; built houses with paneled walls; clothed themselves comfortably and found work. But everything has been centered on their own comfort; they have done nothing to thank the Lord who delivered them from their exile. The temple at Jerusalem remains in rubble.

I am reading a very interesting book about the way things were during Biblical Times in the Holy Land. The book emphasized the importance of Jerusalem and the temple to all Jews. The geography of the place and the way the temple was fortified, made it virtually impregnable. Both times that the temple was destroyed, the sieges were long and bloody. When the Jews returned from exile, the area was peaceful, and no one had fortified the old site. For a devoted Jew It would have been unthinkable to let decades and decades go by without working on the Temple. Such was the message of the prophet Haggai. The temple was the center for the practice of their faith- it housed the ark of the Covenant, containing God’s direct communications with his people. It was more precious to them by far than Rome and the Vatican is to us Catholics. It was a disgrace that God’s people had ignored his house.

And so, the message in both readings is abundantly clear. God does not like to be ignored; and he does not like lip service. God craves our attention, our devotion, and constant efforts on our part to show our faith and seek His will.

I am in the middle of a Bible Study on the Book of Hebrews. A very interesting analogy was given last week about our faith relationship with God. The statement was made that our faith doesn’t just come from a one- time embrace of what we believe at Baptism or Confirmation or in an aha conversion experience. Rather, our faith is like breathing itself. We must constantly renew our faith and show it each and every day; like we renew our life force by breathing constantly. That’s what God wants us to do- to believe in him; his will for us; and to trust in him In real time way as we live every day of our lives.

Unlike Herod, we need to make the time and effort to stay in tune with God. God wants our constant attention. Unlike the Jews returning from exile, we need to devote some of our energy each day to building a suitable temple for the Holy Spirit in our own precious bodies because we owe everything to God. We do that by praying, increasing our knowledge of God, his law and His will for us, so that we are strong temples of the Holy Spirit.

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Hearing the Call

Thursday, September 7th, 2017

Thursday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time
Col 1: 9-14; Luke 5: 1-11
Dc. Larry Brockman

Sometimes we have to be hit over the head to wake up to God’s message in our lives. I think that is what happened to Peter, James, and John in today’s Gospel.

These three- Peter, James, and John- were fisherman by trade. They knew that the best time to fish was at night- not during the day; they knew the best places to fish in the lake- and they weren’t necessarily in the deep water.

And so after working hard all night for naught, while repairing their nets, they listened to Jesus preach. This context is important; because Jesus was a near stranger to them at this point. Then Jesus asks them to take him a short distance into the lake so all in the crowd can hear him. In a recent book, Fr. James Martin describes the actual scene, which he visited first hand. He makes the point that it was a natural amphitheater, a place where the acoustics would have been good on the shore. Everybody would have been able to hear- the whole reason Jesus wanted Peter to take him out there.

And so, this simple fisherman aids the stranger Jesus. And then something truly extraordinary happens. Jesus asks Simon to go into the deep water for a catch. And Simon Peter followed Jesus’ direction. He was clearly skeptical about the whole idea. And yet, the results were truly astounding to Simon and his partners. So many fish that the nets were tearing.

Let us reflect for a moment about just what was going through Simon Peter’s mind as he listened to Jesus preach. Here’s a person gainfully employed in his trade- probably a family trade. He was there at the lake to engage in his trade- not for any other reason. He wasn’t looking for anything different in life. But along comes this preacher, Jesus. He may as well listen while he repairs his net, kind of like we listen to the radio while we work some menial task. Perhaps Jesus’ teaching impressed him; perhaps not. He might have felt a tinge of conscience- something that made him uneasy. But, he was committed to the nets and his job. Out of courtesy he helps Jesus by taking him offshore. Even though he was skeptical, he goes into the deep for a catch. I suspect it was in reaction to the clear tone of authority of the preacher that motivated Simon to help Jesus.

But it was the miracle of the fish that changed him forever- it was like being hit over the head. It was as if he realized that even though Jesus was addressing the whole crowd; it was he, Simon Peter, who Jesus was talking directly to. He, Simon Peter and his two partners were being asked to change their lives forever. In the other Gospels they were asked to become fishers of men. They left everything and followed Jesus.

In the first reading, Paul tells the Colossians that he does not cease praying for them and asking: “That you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, so as to be fully pleasing” to Him. The knowledge of God’s will. That’s what suddenly happened to Peter, James, and John. Whereas they listened to the sermon as passive bystanders; they came away committed to changing their lives in accordance with the will of God. They had been given knowledge of God’s will.

None of us are exempt from the same experience sometime in our lifetimes. All of us either are being, or have already been, called by the Lord to something. Sometimes we have to be hit over the head to realize it. A disaster, an illness, an impossible business situation, or any number of other things can happen to us. Rather than dwell on the negative, look for God’s will in such situations. We may have to change; maybe even a whole lot. But rest assured that if you respond to God by discerning His will You will be ready to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, so as to be fully pleasing” to Him.

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A Wake Up Call From Jesus

Thursday, August 31st, 2017

Thursday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time
1 Thes 3: 7-13; Mt 24: 42-51
Dc. Larry Brockman

I hear it all the time: I’m too busy right now; maybe later on when my life calms down, after the kids have left for school; or after I take care of remodeling the house; or after the peak in my business; or after any number of things; then I will get in tune with the Lord and his will for me. Chances are, after the kids go to school, you will remodel your house, and then work harder during the business peak, and then something else will come up.

Today’s Gospel is intended to wake all of us up. Now is the time to pay attention to what the Lord has in mind for you- yes, right in the midst of your busy daily life; and right in the midst of all the special circumstances. God is calling you even then; maybe even especially then, to listen to what he has in mind for you.

You see, like the steward the Lord put in charge of his property, The Lord has entrusted you with gifts and talents and service to others. You are called to live out your Baptismal promise to believe in Him and to serve others on his behalf; to love others as Christ has loved you. It is a promise you made in exchange for membership in the Kingdom of God when you were Baptized. It is our challenge to always be in touch with God during the midst of life’s secular activity and to respond to him in real time, not our time, when he calls us.

Tell me this seriously. Which of us hasn’t swept aside the voices we hear pleading for help, and proceeded to live life according to our plans instead? The crisis in Texas is an example. It would seem that all of us should and can do something- it’s not just FEMA’s problem or the President’s problem or the Governor of Texas’s problem. There’s a tremendous crisis effecting hundreds of thousands of our own people right now.

If we ignore that crisis, isn’t it a little bit like the steward who beat his servants, shirking his responsibilities; and then partied away into the night? Jesus tells us that the Lord could come at any time and that the persons he has entrusted with much will be held accountable for their actions.

So will we. We are just as accountable for sins of omission as sins of commission. The Lord could come at any time.

So do yourself a favor. Stay awake; stay in tune; listen to the call of those in real need. And always take the time to do something. We are people with time, talent, and treasure. We can pray; we can donate; we can volunteer. But we all should be doing something. We can never be too busy to serve the Lord. After all, all of those affected are part of the Body of Christ.

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Forgiving Our Trespassers

Thursday, August 17th, 2017

Thursday of 19th Week in Ordinary Time
Josh 3: 7-10a, 11, 13-17; Mt 18: 21 – 19: 1
Dc. Larry Brockman

Recently, I saw a lady in the hospital who was recovering from a terrible automobile accident. A 19 year old woman had driven her car through a red light and hit her friend’s car broadside, killing her friend who was driving. This lady was the lucky one, a passenger in the car who survived; but she had a broken arm and broken leg, and several internal injuries. And she was bitter, not really thankful her life had been spared. She really wanted to talk, and during our talk, the topic of forgiveness came up. She looked at me with piercing eyes and said there was no way she could forgive the woman that killed her friend.

Today Jesus tells us we must forgive, not just once, but 7 times 70 times. Now that doesn’t mean that you don’t have to forgive the 491st time. Rather, 7 times 70 means as many as needed.

You know what? It is impossible for me to envision the Kingdom of God any other way. Let me explain. First, for every offense someone has committed against us; we have likely offended someone else the same way. Isn’t that the point of the parable today? And many of the times we offend others are we not even aware of it. Someone plays the radio too loud; someone parks his car too close to yours; someone makes an unkind or nasty remark without thinking; someone nicks the side of your car with their car door; someone cuts you off in traffic; someone won’t let you cut in; someone cuts the line at the movies or grocery store. That someone is likely you as often as it is done to you! And these are all little things; but they all require forgiveness. Most of us can live and let live on these little things; but have we forgiven the offenders, or have we just let it go?

Then secondly, there are the “big” offenses that we find harder to let go of and forgive- like the car accident the lady in the hospital experienced. Now this category includes lots of things, like family arguments and disagreements where people stop communicating; and things that separate us from parents or children or friends or coworkers, maybe even permanently. And there are the various ways people cheat each other with money- cheating people out of an inheritance; cheating them in a business deal. There are those who do violence against us; and of course, there are those who say things about us that we just cannot forgive. We can conceive of a whole lot of “big” unforgivable offenses like these. That said, we have an obligation to recognize the sins that we have committed and to go confess them so that we are right with God.

Let’s face it, we have all done things that we know are wrong and have hurt someone else, including some of the things mentioned above. So we go to Confession and ask for forgiveness from God. In fact, we actually expect God to forgive us for those sins, don’t we? Because He has told us that he will forgive us those sins we confess, right.

But he has also told us this: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” And today he tells us we need to forgive those who trespass against us 7 times 70 times. Why? Because when he forgives us, and we go to the Kingdom of God, we will be amongst all those people who “trespassed against us!” All of us will need to love and accept everyone that is in the Kingdom of God; and we simply can’t do that unless we have forgiven them, no matter how often they have hurt us. That’s why I can’t envision a Kingdom of God without this kind of radical forgiveness.

Let me ask each of you to do something this morning. Examine your life and find one person that you have told yourselves the proverbial “7 times 70 times” that you cannot or will not forgive them; and forgive them from the heart so that you would be comfortable in the coming Kingdom of God.

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The Treasure of the Church

Thursday, August 10th, 2017

St. Lawrence, Deacon & Martyr
2 Cor 9: 6-10; Jn 12: 24-26
Dc. Larry Brockman

Today is the Feast of St. Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr. Not only do I share the same name, but by the grace of God, I share St. Lawrence’s Diaconal calling as well.

St. Lawrence’s story is riveting, and was recorded for us by St. Ambrose. In the third century, Lawrence served as Pope Sixtus II’s Deacon. As Pope Sixtus was being led to his execution under the Roman Emperor Valerian’s persecution, Lawrence lamented that he was not sharing in Sixtus’ fate. So Sixtus remarked to him prophetically that he also would lose his life in just three days!

Indeed, the Roman’s then summoned Lawrence and demanded the “treasures of the church” from him, knowing that Sixtus’ Deacon was the keeper of the purse. Lawrence cheerfully agreed to provide them the treasures. But Lawrence assembled all of the poor, widowed, maimed, and lepers in front of his accusers and boldly proclaimed that these were the treasures of the Church. The Romans seized Lawrence and sentenced him to be burned alive on an open grill. As Lawrence was being executed, he was allegedly heard admonishing his tortures in defiance to turn him over, he was done on one side.

St. Lawrence understood what it meant to die to oneself. He had dedicated his life in service as a Deacon, and he was obedient to Sixtus and the Church. Lawrence treasured the Christ in all of his people; the breathing, living, spirit of God; and the goodness that dwells in all of us despite what the external appearances or the assessment in the eyes of the world tells to the contrary.

Indeed, Christ does dwells in the poor, widowed, maimed, and lepers amongst us in today’s world. This includes those with severe diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and all forms of physical disabilities- today’s maimed and lepers; it includes the homeless, the jobless, victims of human trafficking and many who live day to day- todays poor; and it includes those who have lost loved ones or lost everything in some tragedy- todays widowed. There are many of these people in our affluent community. And, as in Lawrence time, they are the treasure of the Church because God desires that all of us be saved. We are the body of Christ; and the Body of Christ is the strength of the Church and the Kingdom of God.

Our Gospel parable tells us that we must put aside our own desires and allow ourselves to die to them, else we die alone and abandoned. On the other hand, if we fall to the ground, and let God take over, then we will produce much fruit.

But then after that parable, Jesus says this directly. “Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be.” And Jesus is with all those who believe and hope in him, including the maimed, poor, and widows. Jesus goes on to say: “The Father will honor whoever serves me”. And that is our ultimate goal: to follow Jesus and share in the honor of those who serve him.

The Feast St Lawrence is a reminder that all of us are called to get involved. The suffering part of the body of Christ is all around us. They are the treasure of the Church; they are our brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ. We need to bring them home because that is how all of us will thrive.

As Paul tells us in today’s reading: “Whoever sows bountifully will reap bountifully;” and that “God is able to make every grace abundant for you”. So, if you know someone who is sick, struggling, losing their mobility, or recovering from a disaster; help them in their moment of need. Don’t wait to be asked. They are the treasure of the Church.

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Aligning Our Work Ethic to God’s Will

Thursday, July 13th, 2017

Thursday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time
Gen 44:18-21, 23b-29; 45:1-5; Mt 10: 7-15
Deacon Larry Brockman

One of the foundations of our American society is a good work ethic. It’s that conviction we have that we can do wonderful things if only we find our thing and apply ourselves to it judiciously. Early on, we are all taught that if we go to school and learn a skill or expertise to our liking; then we can do it; we can become self-sufficient and successful in society and make our own destiny. We even pray that God will bless our efforts to do whatever it is that we want to do. We are taught that we are free to choose our vocation and run with it.
But our readings today add some twists to that whole idea of living life that way. Because the stirrings inside of us to discover “our thing” are a battle between God’s word and spirit on the one hand; and the devil and his forces on the other hand. If our primary motivation for what we do is “self” fulfillment; then the devil is winning that battle, and we need to be cautious. But if our motivation is based on seeking God’s will for us, then we can be comfortable we are on the right track.
Today’s readings have some interesting perspectives for us about this battle. In the Gospel, Jesus says: “Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give”. Yes, each of us has received gifts that we have not had to pay for. They are our talents; our likes; and even our limitations. So it is quite natural for us to move towards those things we are good at and away from the things that limit us; we are drawn to the things God has graced us with. But then there is the other part- “without cost you are to give”. So, these talents are not just for us, but for the benefit of others as well.
Therein lies the key to discerning how we use what we were given without cost. For example, the disciples were given the power to cure and drive out demons. It was not for their own benefit, but for the benefit of those who needed it to recognize the Kingdom of God. In today’s world then, a financial adviser’s success in the eyes of God is not whether he makes a lot of money for himself, but rather, whether he helps a lot of people. This kind of discernment is needed in each of our lives- doctors, lawyers, accountants, plumbers, teachers, engineers, whatever.
Now sometimes we have a feeling of being trapped in life. Despite our best efforts, we look back on life and we see that we are in a job or career or situation where we sense that things are not right. Our inner voice tells us we are on the wrong track. And we resist making a change because we are afraid. Just what can we do?
Well there’s another major message imbedded for us in today’s reading on the story of Joseph and his brothers. Our lives, from God’s perspective, are a “zero sum” process. No matter how disastrous your experience in life is up to now; if you are humble enough to recognize and repent of your mistakes, then God views the process going forward as more important than whatever has happened in the past. Not only that, God can turn disaster into triumph for you.
And so, as we listen to the deplorable mess that Joseph’s brothers caused by selling their brother Joseph into slavery and lying to Jacob; we see how God turned the whole situation around. Joseph becomes Pharaoh’s right-hand man, and in Joseph’s own words: “It was really for the sake of saving lives that God sent me here ahead of you.”
So, no matter how disastrous you may think your situation is, take heart, because God is there for you with a solution. It may mean some pain- certainly Joseph and his brothers felt pain. But he is there for you nevertheless. It is never too late to get on God’s page for you.

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When People of Faith Pray Together

Thursday, July 6th, 2017

Thursday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time
Gen 22: 1b-19; Mt 9: 1-8
Deacon Larry Brockman

“When Jesus saw their Faith…”. That really caught my attention this morning. Picture the scene in your mind for just a moment. Jesus gets off the boat and a large crowd approaches him with a paralyzed man on a stretcher. Then try to capture just what there might have been about “them”, the people who were carrying the man, that projected great Faith? Was it their great numbers, their enthusiasm, their persistence? This, by the way is the same incident described in Mark, the one where the paralytic was lowered through the roof. So yes, these people were determined and persistent.

Or was it something that Jesus could just sense in the air- an intangible group sense of sincerity, hope, trust, even deferral amongst the people. Maybe it was all of these things. Think of a time when the sense of a crowd that you observed spoke more than anything else.
Now we too, are a people of Faith. We are sincere, committed, believers. We come together, we pray together, we know each other, we support each other, just as the people in the small town of Capernaum did. And all of us, yes every single one of us, has our share of trials and sufferings that we bear. And when we pray, we usually pray for specific solutions to our trials and specific reliefs of our sufferings. After all, that only makes sense.
Now all of us know someone we would like to collectively lower into Jesus house and ask for a healing just as the people bearing the paralytic did. They had one and only one thing in mind: this poor man was paralyzed and they sincerely wanted to see him cured. We would have only one thing in mind: our friend or relative is suffering greatly and we really believe that Jesus can heal them.

Now call back the vision of this incident in your mind. Much to everyone’s surprise, Jesus does not heal the paralytic at first. Rather, he forgives his sins. Think about that for a moment. Jesus, who is God made man, and who can look into the minds and hearts of all of the people there and the poor paralytic, decides that what is really needed is forgiveness of this man’s sins. How many times do we pray on behalf of someone else and feel that our prayers are not answered? Well, those folks who lowered the man to Jesus must have felt the same way.

The cynics in the crowd, the religious leaders, noticed this immediately, and accused Jesus of Blasphemy. You see, they believed that nobody but God could forgive sins. Now I don’t know about you, but I don’t believe that Jesus was playing games with those people. I believe his immediate response, the forgiveness of sins, was what God mandated. But given the challenge, Jesus used the situation to make an important point: that it was easier in human terms to forgive sins than to heal a paralytic. And so, Jesus went on to cure the paralysis to make the point that he was God.

Nevertheless, we can miss a major teaching in this incident if we concentrate on the cure and not Jesus’ first response. The fact is that our prayers, especially the sincere, faithful prayers of groups of people- people like families suffering as a result of the illness or infirmity of a loved one; or communities suffering from the effects of some man made or natural disaster; or groups suffering the effect of discrimination- their prayers are heard by God and they are answered. But they may not be answered in the way all of us hope or expect.

If we are lucky, we are sometimes enlightened on how God answered our prayers. We sense that things came out for the best sometime later. But in the short term, our faith may be tested. Isn’t this exactly the case in the story of Abraham and Isaac in the first reading?
So, I urge all of us to hang in their when we pray together as a group- for our families, our community, and for our nation. God hears our prayers, always, when we pray together with great faith and sincerity.

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Burnt Offerings In Today’s World

Thursday, June 8th, 2017

Thursday of the 9th Week in Ordinary Time
Tob 6: 10-11; 7: 1b-e, 9-17; 8: 4-9a; Mark 12: 28-34
Deacon Larry Brockman

Wouldn’t you love to hear Jesus say these words to you: “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” Just what was it about the Scribe that prompted such a compliment from Jesus:

Well, the essence of it is this: This Scribe understood that loving God and neighbor with his heart and mind is worth much more than any sacrifice he might offer up. I think it’s worth digging into what all of this really means to us today.

First, notice that Jesus’ compliment is not over the words as much as it is how he read what was in the Scribe’s heart. Jesus senses that the Scribe really understands the meaning of love of God. He had internalized it; it was integral to his being. And that is probably because Jesus had gone through that experience himself. He had gone off into the desert after his Baptism by John and came back dedicated to loving God and neighbor. That was the essence of his preaching- the greatest commandment. So, Jesus could relate to how the Scribe projected his words; there was a sort of “kinship” in Spirit between them.

That kinship addresses what wasn’t said more than anything that was said. What wasn’t said, but what was meant, was that love of God and neighbor means deferring one’s self. And this deference is motivated by a love of God so strong, that His will, not one’s own, is one’s primary focus.

By contrast, consider the idea of sacrifices of burnt offerings. That’s hard for us to imagine. After all, we don’t do anything like that these days. We don’t slaughter, burn, and sacrifice animals as an offering to God.

But just for a moment consider the motivation of these Old Testament burnt offerings. These sacrifices were done to gain favor with God. Someone would offer God his best ram in a burnt sacrifice in the hopeful expectation that God would do one of the following: forgive him a transgression; heal him from some infirmity; or help him to achieve some goal. You get the picture- they were kind of directed at fulfilling something for the person making the offering. The focus of the burnt offering was on one’s own agenda.

Jesus turned all of this upside down in the Gospel. His sacrifice was not to gain favor with God- He already had favor with the Father. He sacrificed his own life for all of us. Jesus deferred to God’s will always- such was his love of God and neighbor.

Now while it is true that we don’t burn sacrifices to gain favors; we do, in fact, focus many of our prayers and petitions on our agenda, and we even make incredible sacrifices for our loved ones and children. We ask for favors for ourselves- a healing, success in the work we do, help in finding a suitable partner. And we extend those prayers and petitions for others. We even do many things for others in deference to ourselves. We ask the Lord to heal our friends and family, bless the work they do, and bless their relationships. We help them when they are in need. There is nothing at all wrong with any of that- as far as it goes.

But, our focus in all of that needs to be on trusting in God and loving others even if it means deferring our own interests. Oftentimes that means trusting God in difficult situations to the point that we give up control. That is hard- and indeed, it was hard on Jesus.

I go to the hospital to help the chaplain two days a week. I see people all the time there who have made incredible sacrifices for other people. These sacrifices have stressed them out so much that they have affected their own health. Even when they are suffering, they are trying to maintain control of everything that is going on in their lives. This is done out of a real sense of responsibility. But, they are like the folks in the Old Testament who offered the best of what they had as a burnt offering hoping God would favor them, so that they could maintain control.

God sometimes has mysterious plans that we don’t understand. We have to love God enough to trust that when we reach our own limits it is necessary to trust the love and providence of God. At some point we have to let go and let God take over. We can’t be in control of complex situations when we are incapacitated ourselves. Rather, we have to love God enough to trust in his mysterious providence and let God be in control. Our motivation has to be love of God and neighbor, not love of our plan for our neighbor.

It is with this trust in God that we will be truly close to the Kingdom of God.

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