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God’s Special People

Sunday, September 27th, 2015

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Num 11: 25-29; James 5: 1-6; Mark 9: 38-43, 45, 47-48

Dc. Larry Brockman

I want all of you to think of yourselves as special today. Because just like the people in Moses time, you are in that special group of people on whom the Spirit of the Lord has descended. In fact, you are kind of like Eldad and Medad, who were absent from the main assembly, but, as believers, they were still gifted with the spirit. So, even though you are not out there working and mixing with the main assembly; you are still gifted with the Spirit- a spirit who gives people the ability to counsel, to prophesy, to teach, and to comfort, among other things.

And you know what? You are badly needed right where you are to do exactly that. In fact, you are especially needed right where you are because many of your contemporaries are at the end of the line. They have lived the fast track of life, and now it has ended and they don’t know where they are going. But you know where you are going. You are all looking forward to the everlasting state of happiness in the Kingdom of God. Yes, the kingdom is there for all who believe and repent of their sin.

And so, it has already begun for you because despite your infirmities and limitations, you know that the best part of life lies ahead; and the joy that comes with that knowledge fills you as you bear the hardships of life.

Are you ready to perform mighty deeds? Because many of the folks right here with you are waiting to hear about the good news, and to be blessed with the same spirit that you have dwelling within you- a spirit of hope, of comfort, of enthusiasm, and of peace in the future.   Jesus says it well in today’s Gospel: “Whoever is not against us is with us”; and “anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward”. That is all of you who show your love and spirit to your fellow mankind, especially those who are lost and looking for meaning in life and the future. By your spirit, the spirit of hope and of joy, you can transform others who are confused and seeking the truth.

Now to be sure there are many out here that fit the description in James letter today. They have lived life mostly for themselves. But now, their gold and silver has corroded, and that corrosion has been a testimony against them; they “lived on earth in luxury and pleasure”; they “have fattened their hearts for the day of slaughter”. They have condemned; and they have injured the righteous.

But you, brothers and sisters have good news for them because it is not too late to for them to repent. You can be instruments of conversion, because you bear the truth, and by your example and testimony, you demonstrate that Love conquers all, and that life with God is our ultimate goal. Surely, if you do that, your reward will not be lost.

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Anticipating the Kingdom of God

Tuesday, September 1st, 2015

Tuesday of 22nd Week of the Ordinary Time

Is 35: 4-7a; James 2: 1-5; Mk 7: 31-37

Dc. Larry Brockman

All of us want to be whole. Like the deaf and dumb man in today’s Gospel, we all want to be free of all sickness and limitations and defects. But the reality of life is different, isn’t it because all of us have limitations. And if you don’t have one today- just wait because age will certainly bring on limitations. But you know what? We are blinded by these limitations to what is really important. This life, no matter how sweet it was to us in the past, and no matter how sweet we would like it to be in the future, aAnd no matter how painful it may be at the moment, Is not what life is really all about. Jesus came down and lived among us to offer all of us a better life- life in the Kingdom of God. And he showed us the way to the Kingdom of God in the Gospel. First, we have to believe in Him. That’s what all of our readings for the last 6 or so Sundays have been about- believing in Him; believing that He is the son of man; and believing that when we receive Communion, that He is comes into us body and spirit. He has told all of us that if we do believe in Him, and follow His Gospel, then we will get to join Him in the Kingdom of God. And what does it mean to follow the Gospel? It means that we pick up our own crosses and bear them faithfully with dignity. That’s what all of us are doing right now, isn’t it. Trying to live with the crosses we have to bear with dignity and patience and grace- living with limitations, pain, loneliness, and other forms of temporary suffering. This week, we hear some very good news! This morning, we hear Isaiah talk about what it will be like when we get to the Kingdom of God. First, he says to fear not because God will come to vindicate. Then he says there will be no more limitations. The blind will see; the deaf will hear; the dumb will talk; and the lame will dance and play. They will no longer live in a desert- no longer be deprived, but rather, they will live in a lush and beautiful land, happy forever and ever. And the good news is that it will be like that for all of us who are faithful and have born our crosses faithfully. So rejoice, brothers and sisters. Because all of you are destined for great things, forever and ever, Amen.

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What Are You Hungry For?

Sunday, July 26th, 2015

17th Sunday of Ordinary Time

2 Kgs 4: 42-44; Eph 4: 1-6; Jn 6: 1-15

Deacon Larry Brockman

What are you hungry for? Just exactly what are you looking for as nourishment?

Today we hear two stories about people who are hungry for something. The first one is about a group of people who were physically starving. A famine had struck the land, and there was no food anywhere. The people were just desperate for survival. And so, Elisha prays for help. Then, the man arrives from another area with meager provisions- just 20 barley loaves. Elisha trusts that his prayer has been answered, and commands that these 20 loaves be shared with all 100 people. What a leap of faith! And yet, the last line of the first reading tells it all: “And when they had eaten, there was some left over, as the Lord had said.” God had been trusted; and he had provided what the people needed when they needed it, with some left over for good measure.

Chances are, those people needed to satisfy more than their physical hunger. They needed to know how to live life in a more meaningful way. But they were so focused on their physical needs that they couldn’t see the way out. The fact is, life is always more complex than our physical needs. Our spiritual needs are the most critical ones- but we can become so set in our physical lives that we don’t recognize it. We can become so wrapped up in our world, that we forget that God is there for us, and so, left to our own devices in this world, we starve.

Fortunately, Elisha had faith; he knew what was really important and where to turn. And through his faith in God, the people were spared; Elisha was showing them the way.

Then picture this: Over a thousand pass, and this scene unfolds in the hills of the Holy Land. Jesus finds thousands of people wandering out into the wilderness to follow him. Why? Because he has shown them that there is more meaning to life than their physical needs. They have wandered off without food and water just to hear Jesus, hoping to see a miracle, hoping his unique message will move them, hoping that things will be different in their lives. And in an ironic twist, Jesus’ first concern is their physical well-being! He feeds them with food before feeding them with the message on the bread of life. That message on the bread of life follows next in the Gospel of John.

Indeed, it was no accident that the crowd that Jesus fed miraculously was fed with Barley Loaves, just as the crowd that Elisha fed had been fed with barley loaves. Jesus is drawing attention to the Old Testament miracle to make a point- that the real salvation of mankind is not the sustenance that the world provides, but rather, the “bread of life”; and that such bread of life comes only through God.

I think that as we get older, our aches and pains and physical comfort can be a real obstacle to us in our spiritual life. We are reminded of these discomforts by our bodies in almost every moment of our consciousness. Some of us are sensitive in our diets or appetites; some can’t sleep regularly; some need special medications to relieve pain or to keep us going; some need help getting around; some need help thinking things through; and so, all of us can become preoccupied with just getting along from moment to moment. This preoccupation dulls our ability to see what is really important in life- a hunger for the Kingdom of God.

All of these physical limitations, and indeed even hunger itself, should remind us that life is very fragile. It is a gift from God; and God controls our destiny. So, we should look to God for our sustenance. We should put our trust in him and ask for what is his will for us. It’s hard to do that; our bodies broadcast louder signals to catch our attention. But ultimately, we will not be free of all of our ills until we enter the Kingdom of God.

So, as you receive the Eucharist in a few minutes today, recognize that you are receiving the bread of life, Jesus Christ, himself, into your very being. Capture that moment, and ask Jesus to satisfy your real hungers in life- the peace of mind that only God can provide in the Kingdom of God.

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Why Catholics Believe in the Eucharist

Wednesday, June 3rd, 2015

Westminster Tower Ecumenical Service

Mark 14: 12-16, 22-26

Deacon Larry Brockman

 

As many of you know, I have been coming here for almost 10 years now to conduct a Holy Communion Service for the Catholics on the Fourth Thursday of the month. I mention that because I want you to know how important Holy Communion is to us Catholics. We say that it is the source and summit of our faith because belief in Jesus and his sacrament are fundamental to what it means to be a Catholic. That’s why most Hospitals and Assisted Living Facilities seek Holy Communion services and ministers for their Catholics just like Westminster Towers did, so that this great need can be fulfilled. I am going to talk a little bit today about why the Eucharist is so important.

The reading you just heard is for this coming weekend, the Feast of Corpus Christi. That is also known as the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ- or Holy Communion. Now almost every Sunday of the year, the readings we use as Catholics are the same as the ones used by the majority of other Christian Denominations, because the Common Lectionary used by most Christian Churches drew heavily from the Catholic Lectionary that was published after the second Vatican Council way back in the ‘70’s. However this weekend is an exception.    This weekend only the Catholics will hear the Gospel reading you just heard.

Now, the Church follows a carefully worked out pattern in our Calendar that sequentially celebrates the key beliefs of our Christian Faith. First we celebrate Christmas, the birth of Jesus. That means God sent his only Son to live as one of us. We call that the Incarnation.    Then came the suffering of Jesus and his crucifixion. But Jesus did not really die, because on Easter we celebrated the Resurrection of the Lord. And Jesus promised all of us the same resurrected life when we die if we believe. Then we celebrated his Ascension and promise to send the Holy Spirit.  After that we celebrated Pentecost, the day the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles and the Church was born. The Spirit is what gives us eternal life. And then last week, we celebrated the feast of the Holy Trinity- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit- three persons in one God, to tie it all together.

So far all of us have celebrated the great mysteries of faith in this sequence- Catholic and Protestant.  This week, Catholics celebrate Corpus Christi, the Body of Christ, because we feel that belief in the Eucharist as the real presence of Jesus continues this overall theological thread.

As you listened to today’s scripture, you heard the beginning of Jesus passion and death because it all began at the Last Supper. In the famous words of today’s scripture, Jesus offers himself up as a sacrifice. Listen again: “He took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and said ”Take it; this is my body””. Then He did the same with the chalice, ending with these words: “This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many.”  So, Jesus is offering his body and blood as a sacrifice to be shed for many at the Last Supper. And he describes it as the blood of the covenant.

Now the Last Supper was a Passover meal celebrated in the Jewish tradition. Jesus wanted to celebrate the Passover with his Apostles that is clear from the first part of our reading when he lays plans out to do so.

At the Passover, each Jewish family slaughtered a lamb, commemorating what happened on the original Passover when the Lord struck down the first born of all who had not celebrated the Passover and spread the blood of the sacrifice on their doorposts. And so, Jesus is described as the “Lamb of God” by the Church because Jesus, not a lamb, is the sacrificial offering of the new covenant. It was his blood that would be shed in just a few hours after the Last Supper Jesus predicts what will happen at the Last Supper and begins the sacrificial process that only ends on Calvary.

When you read the 6th Chapter of St. John, which occurred a couple of years before the Crucifixion, Jesus talked at length about the necessity of eating his flesh and drinking his blood in order to enter the kingdom of God. He mentions it at least three times. This was repugnant to the Jews for several reasons. First of all, they were forbidden from consuming the blood of animals. But even more to the point, they were repulsed by the idea of eating human flesh. Jesus command violated both of these taboos of the Mosaic Law. So, many of Jesus’ followers left after hearing that. The rest stayed with Jesus, but didn’t really understand what he meant. But then, some years after Jesus spoke those words, as he is consuming the Last Supper, Jesus talks about it again. “This is my body and this is my blood”, he says. Why? Because he meant it both times, literally. He meant for the consecration of the bread and wine as the Eucharist to be an important part of his legacy.

God sent his son to a particular first century generation. That generation experienced Him first hand- one on one. People could talk to Jesus just like you and I can talk to each other.    In this sense, Jesus was immanent to the people of his time. All other religions consider God remote, above us, unapproachable- or transcendent. But here was Jesus, God made man, right there alongside of human beings. No longer was God unapproachable. And not only that, but Jesus left us several gifts. First, he left the Gospel as a script for how to relate to God. But that wasn’t all he gave us. He also gave us the Blessed Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ. By partaking of the Sacrament, we can be just as close to God today as Jesus was to the Apostles in their day. Lastly, he promised the gift of his spirit, which we commemorated just two weeks ago.

Notice from our reading that Jesus says, take it, eat it, and drink it. This not only means we are partaking of the Sacrament of Holy Communion as individuals. But it also means that all of us are partaking of the one body. So all who partake of the Body and Blood of Christ have the second person of the Trinity dwelling in them, the congregation that shares in the Eucharist is joined together in Communion by that one Body. We call that the Body of Christ.    Thus, one of the main reasons we gather in worship to receive Communion is for us to be joined together in union as one people in the Body of Christ.

If you read the book of Revelation, which is very cumbersome to read and understand, there some things that really leap out at you. For example, the 19th Chapter of Revelation speaks of the Wedding Feast of the Lamb. They are referring to the Lamb of God, Jesus, who as we have just said replaces the Passover Lamb with his own Body. And Revelation goes on to say that “Blessed are those who are called to the Wedding Feast of the Lamb”;  that is us- all of us who are saved, who are washed clean by the blood of the Lamb, will be in invited to the Wedding Feast of the Lamb as is clear from the other words in Revelation. And what happens at the wedding feast of the lamb? Everyone will be in communion with Jesus and will be offering praise and thanksgiving to God.

Notice how similar worship services that emphasize Holy Communion are to the Wedding Feast of the Lamb. Because all of the Faithful who consume the Body and Blood of Christ enjoy Jesus physical presence as one mystical Body in worship and praise of God.  So another reason the Eucharist is so important is that it foreshadows the worship that we will experience when we reach the Kingdom of God.

There is one other important reason why the Eucharist is so important. And that is because Jesus told us that it is his body and blood in scripture as I discussed earlier. Now this is a stumbling block to many, as it was for those who heard it described in the Gospel of John.  Just how can it be?    Most people say “I can see that the bread and wine doesn’t change in physical appearance”. But some of you took a field trip a couple of years ago to my Church.    There, we had on display “Eucharistic Miracles” exhibits. These were large poster boards that documented some miracles observed over the centuries. The miracles included bread and wine actually turning into flesh and blood; images of Jesus that suddenly appeared on the host; hosts that were preserved in perfect condition over hundreds of years; persons whose only subsistence was Holy Communion for years; and others.

I find it curious that these 130 odd sanctioned Eucharistic miracles have not gotten more publicity. But of course, none of us here have witnessed any of them first hand. And so, we tend to be doubting Thomases in that regard. The real issue here is a matter of faith, not proof. Yes, we need to have faith- belief in something despite the fact that it cannot be proven. We believe in the Incarnation, the Resurrection of the dead, Life Everlasting in the Kingdom of God, and the Trinity. These are all mysteries of our faith that we celebrate in sequence.

The Real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist is yet another mystery that we are called to believe on faith. And when we believe and join in the celebration of the Eucharist, or the Mass, we are called to the closest thing on earth to the wedding feast of the Lamb. We become one body and one spirit with our brothers and sisters in the worship and praise of Almighty God.

Listen to the words we use as we receive this great sacrament. The minister says: “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the World, Happy are those who are called to his Supper.” And the people respond: “Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed.” Then we offer the body of Christ to them, they consume it, and they respond.  “Amen”.

Amen!

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Jesus is With Us Till The End

Sunday, May 31st, 2015

Trinity Sunday

Dt 4:32-34, 39-40: Rom 8: 14-17; Mt 28: 16-20

Deacon Larry Brockman

 

“Behold, I am with you always until the end of the age”. This is Jesus promise to each and every one of us.

You know, as Christians, we share in the unique belief in the Incarnation. This means that we believe that God became man in the person of Jesus Christ, and lived and dwelt amongst us as one of us.  He suffered, died, and was buried, only to rise again on Easter. After spending 40 days with his Apostles, He then ascended into heaven. But he left us two very important gifts: The first was the gift of the Eucharist, the Body and Blood of Christ. We will celebrate that gift next week on the feast of Corpus Christi; and the second gift of the Holy Spirit, which we celebrated last weekend on the feast of Pentecost.

Today we celebrate the mystery of the Trinity- the fact that there is just one God, but He is three separate persons- the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  You know, most of us don’t think much about the Trinity.  It’s a mystery that “bends our brains”; it defies reasoning.    How can God be one, and yet still be three distinct persons?

And yet, the Incarnation and the Trinity go hand in hand in defining the uniqueness of Christianity as a Religion. And I’d like to bring up a few things about why that uniqueness is so important to each of us.

You see, most religions believe that God is far above us. They use the word “transcendent” to describe His distance from us. That simply means that God is far above us, has always existed and always will exist; He is infinitely good, knowledgeable, and He created all things.    And so each of us is humbled by the “bigness” of such a God. It would be hard to imagine how to relate to a God who knows everything, and is all good, because he is so far above us.    Where would one begin?

Some religions think God just set things in motion and has left things to run their natural course- and that he is uninvolved. These people are called Deists, and Unitarianism has Deist roots. Other people believe that it takes a special kind of person to communicate with God, a person who divorces himself from the world and all things of the world, because God is a spirit, he is not of this world. He is above the world in all ways.

But Christians have this special gift- the Incarnation, in which God sends Jesus into the world to live as one of us. Jesus is both fully human and fully divine, the second person of the Trinity. And so, the Trinity and the Incarnation are interrelated mysteries.  We are not capable of understanding either of these mysteries. But what they mean for us when we believe in them is very important.

You see, if God’s son Jesus lived amongst us as one of us; and was both human and divine, then God’s Son was not transcendent.  Rather, he was just like one of us.  God became what is called immanent to us by living right there alongside of other human beings in his time.    That means that real people could relate directly to God. They did so directly with Jesus.  And the 4 Gospels record how Jesus taught us to relate to God; to other people in the world, and to the world itself.

While the Incarnation and the Trinity are mysteries; God took away the mystery on how we can all relate to Him. He gave us himself incarnate as Jesus, who was the living example of how humanity can be close to God.  And just to make sure that all people of every age that followed Jesus shared in the immanence of Jesus’ earthly presence, He gave us the Eucharist, Holy Communion, his own Body and Blood  as a sacrament so that the living God, Jesus would be close to everyone after his time as well.

Now he also promised us the second great gift, the Holy Spirit; the breath of life; the comforter. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, and lives forever. So, if we have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, we will live forever just as the risen Christ lives forever. This, too, is unique to Christianity- the promise of life ever after with the Spirit of God dwelling in us, another sign of the immanence of God in our lives.

And so, let us all be grateful for the mysteries of the Incarnation and the Trinity. We choose to believe without really understanding- we call that Faith. And the fruits of that faith are the two great gifts Jesus left us- Holy Communion and the Holy Spirit.

So, Rejoice, because truly, as Jesus said in the Gospel: “Behold, I am with you always until the end of the age”

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A Better Way to Live Life

Sunday, February 22nd, 2015

First Sunday of Lent

Gn 9: 8-15; 1 Peter 3: 18-22; Mk 1: 12-15

Deacon Larry Brockman

 

Did you know that Noah preached to the people of his time for 120 years before the flood?  For 120 years, Noah pleaded with the people to reform and turn to God.  And whether the 120 years is literal or not- the message is that God worked through Noah to bring people back to him for a long time.  But despite Noah’s patience and perseverance, only 8 people, his closest family members, believed and repented. 

Noah warned everyone the flood was coming as well, but that warning fell on deaf ears.  In fact, Noah was ridiculed and laughed at for building the ark.  So, virtually all the people of the time perished in the flood.  Ironically, those that were saved were saved by the same water that the others perished in!  Buoyed up by the ark, Noah and his family transcended the evil around them, and the devastation of the flood, to live.  And so, the covenant we hear about this morning was made with Noah and his descendants- those who listened to God.   

In the second reading, Peter refers to the flood waters as a prefiguring of Baptism, because the waters of the flood saved the few who were seeking God and his forgiveness.  Likewise, Peter says that Baptism “saves you now”, or immediately.  Indeed, when we were Baptized, all of our sins were washed away immediately. 

The same is true in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, which was instituted so that persons who sinned after their Baptism might receive immediate forgiveness.  All we have to do is confess our sins and repent, and those sins are washed away for good.   

Peter also talks about the dead who were imprisoned by virtue of the flood.  The dead were the multitude that didn’t listen to Noah.  Peter says that Christ went “in spirit” to preach to the dead in that prison.  There’s a lot of discussion by Scripture scholars about what Peter’s words mean here.  But the majority of Scripture scholars seem to interpret that many of those lost in the flood had a last minute conversion when the flood actually came.  Christ had spoken to these lost souls through Noah for 120 years, that’s what the preaching of Christ was.  And although these people did not listen till the flood came, they remembered, and had this last minute conversion.  Some scholars quote St. Augustine who described this as a “miraculous” conversion. 

Nevertheless, those lost in the flood had to wait all that time- thousands of years from the flood till the coming of Jesus, till Christ redeemed them of their sin and released them from their prison. I don’t know about you, but this sounds very much like Purgatory to me and it sounds like a very, very sad condition.   

This reminds me very much of my experiences at a local hospital.  I go twice a week to help the Chaplain, where I visit the Catholics.  Many of the people I see have become estranged from the Church.  They either don’t attend Church, or they go to some other Church now.  Their faith is on the back burner while they live their lives.  Yet, when it comes to identifying what their religion is, they say they are Catholic.  Some of these people see their hospital stay as a wakeup call, and seek reconciliation with God through His is HChurch.  But many of them seem indifferent to God, and just want to get out of the hospital and resume business as usual.  There will always be time later to respond to God’s call and repent they think.  This sounds just like the folks caught in the flood.   

There is a different and better way for all of us- the way that Jesus shows us in this morning’s Gospel.  After his Baptism, Jesus went into the desert for 40 days and fasted and prayed and reflected on the meaning of life.  In the midst of great temptations by the devil, temptations to use the talents God gave him on his own terms; to wield power; and to satisfy himself,  Jesus rejected all that.
 Rather, Jesus emerged from the desert in harmony with God’s plan.  He was resolved to change his life to do God’s will for him and so, the simple Carpenter from Nazareth became a fiery preacher, a faith healer and messenger to announce the coming of the Kingdom of God.  His Gospel is his legacy; the crucifixion is the price he paid for doing God’s will; and the Resurrection and everlasting life were his reward.  Jesus showed us the way to do the same thing.   

We are challenged in these 40 days of Lent to make a change in our lives.  Lent is our desert time of the year, if we take the opportunity.  Let go of some of the clutter in your life, whatever it is that is holding you back from entering that desert.  Maybe it’s some of your TV time; some of your internet time; some of your shopping time.  But whatever it is that holds you back- cut some of it out.  That’s what you should fast from.   

And then, use that time to get with God.  Try the adoration chapel; or a quiet space in your home.  Pray for God’s help to identify and recognize your weaknesses and your sinfulness.   For example, reflect on whether you have a tendency toward any of the seven deadly sins-  Pride, Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Laziness, Anger, or Envy.  If you are honest with yourself, you will probably find something there that rings a bell.  And then resolve to do it, to change it.  Change is the key to success .  

There’s a saying used in 12 step addiction programs   That gives some insight into why change is necessary:  “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results”.  I think most of us are guilty of that.  We live our lives in a fixed pattern, and we’d like to change things, but we still keep going the same way.  And so, the results are no different.   

The people of Noah’s time did not change.  They never learned the lesson  They squandered more than a lifetime of God’s urging and patience.  Don’t repeat their mistake. 

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On Loving Our Neighbor- For Seniors

Sunday, October 26th, 2014

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Ex 22: 20-26; 1 Thes 1: 5c-10; Mt 22:34-40

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

It’s the thing that separates our Judeo-Christian heritage from other faiths, this idea of loving our neighbor as ourselves, especially when our neighbor is broadly defined to include everyone.  Not only that, Jesus tells us this is part of the greatest commandment, second only to loving God himself, so it is very important to love our neighbor.   

Our first reading is particularly clear about who our neighbor is because the Israelites were called upon to respect the rights of visiting “aliens”, that is, everyone visiting who came from outside of Israel.   That was a real challenge for the tribal culture of the Mideast.  Everything was tied up with your own tribe- outsiders were not usually welcome.  But Jesus was simply quoting the Law of Moses.  Besides, Jesus makes it clear in the Beatitudes who our neighbor is because he speaks of the poor, the persecuted, and the marginalized there.  Yes, we need to love everyone as we love ourselves.  And that is a tall order. 

But just what does that mean- especially for those of us who are getting older?  Elsewhere in the Gospel Jesus tells us that means sharing our food with those who have none; and even giving away a spare tunic if we have a second one!  We are to visit the sick and the imprisoned;  and we are to settle arguments amongst us before we bring an offering to the altar.  In other words, we are to be concerned with things other than our own comfort,   We should not become self-absorbed.   

One of the greatest things about America has been the generosity and loving attitude of its citizens over our nation’s history.  In the days of the frontier, people would pitch in and help each other build houses, raise barns, and make it through tough times.  Families took care of their own, including their elderly.  Organizations like St. Vincent de Paul, the Salvation Army, and Good Will supply the poor with much.  And America came to the aid of many nations for the sake of liberty during the first and second world wars.  Our foreign aid has been critical to the recovery of Western Europe and Japan after the war.  We were for many decades the source of missionary efforts throughout the world.  Even today, people worldwide can count on the financial aid we give to others in our special collections.  Yes, Americans have lived the definition of what it means to love our neighbors.  All of us have shared in that time of American History.  We have shared our tunics, our treasure, our food, visited and cared for the sick, and been there for the “alien” in need.  All of this shows that we have been a people concerned not just with our own interests, but we have been concerned for others as well, even “aliens”.  And we have been blessed for it.   

But things are changing now.  Years ago, families stuck together and most households had three generations of folks in them.  Now, almost all of us value our independence more than family.  And so, we live separate from our families, and don’t see them as often.  Part of that is due to our ability to live anywhere, so that families are separated by great distances.  All of this means that newer generations have been taking more and more time for themselves.  Yes, a spirit of independence pervades our younger generations.  So much so that it transcends independence and becomes self-absorption.  We are a nation that is fast becoming self-absorbed.   

Those of us who are older have much to share with the younger generations about the meaning of loving each other.  Among the things we can share are:  The value of life itself; that we’ve been there, done that (or, there is nothing new under the sun);  the salvific value of the suffering in living a life with dignity; sacrificing your own agenda to care for someone else; the wisdom of the ages versus book knowledge; and many other things that come only through the school of life experiences.  But it takes contact, lots of real contact, with our families to accomplish a mission of sharing all of that.   

I know, in many cases it is easier to just let go.  Many in our families just don’t want to be bothered with us anymore.  But the facts are, they really need you more than you need them.  Because, you see, they just don’t realize it.  Because the real meaning of life is much more apparent to those of us who have lived a while, than it is to the young and restless.  We know that there is more to life than what the world has to offer, and that we will never be satisfied until we find God.   

Yes, love your neighbor as yourself.  Begin with your family.

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On Losing Your Life to Save It.

Sunday, August 31st, 2014

Twenty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jer 20: 7-9; Rom 12: 1-2; Matt 16: 21-27

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

Are you one of those people trying to save your life that Jesus is talking about?  It would seem you are- because we all are trying to keep alive no matter how old and feeble we may get, right.  And yet, Jesus says: “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”  What can that mean?   

Well, the key of course is the “for my sake” part of Jesus words.  We are encouraged to give up our lives for Jesus’ sake.  He is not talking so much about our physical life as he is our spiritual life.  But the spiritual life and the physical life are so intertwined that we have a problem understanding what that means.   

First of all, self-preservation is such a strong instinct, isn’t it?  And we wouldn’t be normal if we didn’t act that way.  No matter what is wrong with us physically, we have a basic instinct to do whatever it takes to keep alive.  There is nothing wrong with that to a point.  But there are times when our spiritual life is more important.  For example, notice that Peter called Jesus to the side and rebuked him for saying that he was going to die a terrible death on a cross.  Peter was thinking as all of us do about self-preservation.  And of course, why wouldn’t Jesus do whatever it took to stay alive, to avoid such a fate.   

But there is more to life than our physical lives.  We have a spiritual life; we have a destiny to live forever.  And to do that, we have got to believe in God and seek God’s will for us.  That’s what Paul is telling the Romans.  “Do not conform yourselves to this age, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect”.   

We are given a great example of what that means in today’s first reading.  Jeremiah was gifted with prophecy but it was a prophecy of gloom and doom.  When he spoke out for the Lord, and told the truth, he was thrown into a cistern and left for dead.  Certainly it would be easier, and better for his health, to just keep it to himself, to button up when he felt inspired by the Lord, because he knew that what the Lord wanted him to say was controversial.  And yet, as out reading shows, Jeremiah was compelled to speak out-  he was in tune with dying to self for the sake of doing God’s will. 

I suspect that all of us are tested in some way during our lives like Jeremiah was tested.  Some of these tests are clear and unmistakable- like the Sudanese Christian lady who was severely treated and almost executed just because she was Christian and wouldn’t convert to Islam.  The same with all those Iraqi Christians stranded on that Mountain top. But for most of us, the test is probably more subtle. 

We all have been taught our faith, but do we follow it when it is challenged?  Do we join the crowd and engage in gossip about someone, even though we know it is wrong?  Or do we walk away from someone in need because we don’t want to get involved, even when we feel that inner urge?  When the going gets tough and it isn’t convenient, does a young mother opt for life for her child or for an abortion?   Life is full of choices like these where we either show our faith by responding to God’s call to do His will, not our own; or we don’t respond to God’s call.   

Jesus tells us we must die to ourselves and pick up our crosses and follow him.  We don’t have to suffer and die on a cross.  But we do have to suffer the consequences of being a believer. 

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Hope From the Transfiguration

Wednesday, August 6th, 2014

Wednesday of 18th Week of Ordinary Time

Transfiguration

 Mt 17: 1-9

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

Why don’t we take a little pilgrimage together today in our minds. We are going to go up the high mountain with Jesus. We are going along with Peter, James, and John and we are going to see the Lord Jesus transfigured before our very eyes! Then we are going to see what that means to us.

 

But first, a few words of background. Just before the transfiguration, Jesus had worked a miracle of tremendous magnitude. He had fed 5,000 men, which was really about 15,000 people by the time you include women and children, from just 5 loaves and 2 fish.  It was the only miracle recorded in all 4 Gospels.  Consider how huge this miracle must have been because 15,000 people was one third the population of all of Jerusalem at the time.

 

Having done such an impressive miracle, Jesus then asks his disciples who he is. Peter, answering for the Apostles, responds rightly that Jesus is the Messiah, and the Son of God. Jesus then tells His disciples that before He comes into His Glory, he must first suffer and die on the Cross. Peter is appalled at this suggestion, and calls Jesus to the side to rebuke Jesus for saying such a thing. In Peter’s mind, such suffering was not becoming for a man of such stature- the long awaited Messiah. And so Jesus remonstrates Peter, even calling him a Satan, for not understanding God’s plan! And so, for six days now Jesus has been revealing God’s plan to the disciples, a plan that includes suffering and death on the cross for Him before experiencing the Resurrection and the glory of the Kingdom of God.  He even tells the disciples their lot will be similar to His!

 

I am quite certain that by now God has revealed his plan for you.  Everyone here has had far more than six days to understand and appreciate that plan.  In fact, we have all been exposed to that plan for years, some of us 70 years or more, rather than 6 days.  You see, God plays a zero sum game with us.  That means, whatever you did in the past, all he is interested in is getting us to come over to his will in the future.  So, after 60, 70, 80 years, our path has become his path for those who believe and try to do his will.  To be sure, we have experienced joys and good things; but we have all had our share of trials and tribulations, and pains and suffering.  We have all had to make sacrifices to live our faith.  We can all appreciate Jesus’ words that the son of man must first suffer.  We all know that Peter was indeed mistaken when he rebuked Jesus and that Jesus was right.

 

But here we are, still living that path after all the years of trials and tribulations.  And most of us are not as limber as we once were.  So, how about the glory for us?  Can we have a glimpse of what is coming for all of us who have been faithful?  And will that make a difference?

 

During that six days after the miracle of the loaves and fishes, Jesus did promise his disciples a glimpse of that Glory.  And the Transfiguration is the glimpse He gave them.  That glimpse of the coming glory represents hope; hope that by living the good news of the Gospel by accepting our crosses and making sacrifices accordingly.  Then we will be glorified with Jesus in the Kingdom to come.  And that glory will be so intense and last forever that any and all tribulations of life will pale by comparison.

So, let’s see if we can sense the glory to come by walking in the shoes of Peter, James and John as they experienced the Transfiguration some six days after they were promised a sign.

 

First, we are going to ascend a high mountain.  You people are going to have to work with me here on this part.  We aren’t going to be able to just walk peacefully up a ramp to get to the top of the mountain.  No sir!  We have to struggle to climb a high mountain.  It is a stretch; it is not easy; we will get tired and worn out.  For some of us, it has already been a 70 or 80 year climb.  That has been enough of a struggle and tiring enough hasn’t it.

 

Now notice that Jesus took just three of his disciples because that was the proper number for a legal witness to an event- three witnesses!  And there are three Gospel accounts of this event, also.  So, it’s legal! It has been officially witnessed that this happened.  You know why Jesus did that, had three witnesses?  So that we would recognize that it was true, hard as it is to believe.  Yes, it is something we just have to believe; we take it on Faith even though we were not there to see it first-hand because we believe in Jesus and he went to the trouble to assure there were three witnesses!

 

So now, let us get to experience the transfiguration.  Imagine that as we are climbing alongside of Jesus, Peter, James, and John to experience the transfiguration with them,

we see that they are just 4 ordinary human beings walking, climbing the hill of life.  But now we come to the top of the mountain with them, and suddenly Jesus is transfigured before our eyes so that his face shines brightly and he is dressed in a dazzling pure white gown that radiates light, goodness, and glory- not just any ordinary brightness, but a dazzling brightness, brighter than anything you have seen, a knock your socks off type brightness.  Notice that this is a glory that comes from within Jesus, the glory of Almighty God in all its purity and love; and it is overwhelming!  Are you overwhelmed yet?

 

We are seeing what has been veiled all along as we walked up the mountain because of Jesus’ humanity.  The story of His life that we read in the Gospels is so human isn’t it- born in a stable; growing up as a carpenter; hanging out with a group of fisherman; dying a horrible painful death on a cross.  We have trouble thinking of Him as divine.  But now, in this vision, it is easy to see His divinity in the radiance of His transfigured face and clothes.  He has moved beyond the pain and suffering and he is on the other side.  We know that because we have also seen Him as the Resurrected Lord.  How truly magnificent that is.

 

But let’s get back to the story.  Before we can react to this vision, we see something else.  We see Moses and Elijah standing there talking to Jesus.  No kidding- Moses and Elijah all dressed up like royalty are there.  Moses, who gave the people the Law of God; and Elijah, who was a prince among the prophets are there.  They are standing there transfigured as well; radiant and bright; talking to Jesus who stands out amongst them.  Only their radiance is a gift; it comes from the outside of them and shines on them.  It doesn’t come from within them because only God radiates that kind of joy, light, and peace.

 

They are talking to Jesus about how he will suffer and die in Jerusalem.  Moses is validating that all of this will be done in accordance with the Law he received from God the Father.  Elijah validates that his prophecies and the prophecies of all the prophets will be met.

And so Moses and Elijah in their glorified state, are bearing witness to the testimony of Jesus from the last 6 days to his disciples, that he, Jesus, would have to suffer and die before experiencing His ultimate glory.

 

The ethereal nature of the scene begins now to dawn on Peter, James, and John now.   Peter, well-meaning though he may be, says something really dumb:  “It is good for us to be here; let us build three tents, one for each of you”.  As if the glory of God that is shining forth from Jesus, and shining on Moses, and Elijah needs to be protected by tents; as if Peter, James, and John can hope to contain this glory all for themselves by taking up residence on this mountain, and just staying there forever as they wanted.

 

How about you and I!  What are we thinking as we experience this scene!  Are we, like Peter, so taken by the heavenly feeling of the moment,  that we would try to constrain it just for ourselves?  Or are we so exuberant we want to share it with everyone else  so they, too can experience the joy?

 

But then, behold, the third heavenly witness besides Moses and Elijah enters the scene.  Because a bright cloud casts a shadow over them, and God the Father’s voice is heard from inside that cloud.  A piercing, penetrating voice like thunder says:“ This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased; listen to him”.  At this, Peter, James, and John prostrate themselves

Overcome with fear and respect.

 

I am certain I would have done the same.  How about you?  And I am also certain that this would have been enough.  I have seen what glory awaits Jesus after He completes His mission; and I understand that by promise, the same glory that is resting on Moses and Elijah awaits us who follow Jesus as well.  And now I have heard God the Father with unmistakable clarity.  I have seen and heard enough to know that this glory has existed for thousands upon thousands of years; even millions and millions of years, and in fact forever.  Forever!

 

So, what is next?  Well, in a flash, it is all over.  Jesus is standing there alone- no Moses, no Elijah, no glorified body, no cloud, no God the Father.  Jesus taps Peter, James, and John, and you and I as well, and says “Let’s go”.  Yes, let’s go, there is still much to do because unlike Peter, James, and John, we are not being asked to keep it all a secret.  It is after the Resurrection for us, and we are being sent forth as witnesses to tell the whole world.

 

How do we do that?  We are all, after all, witnesses.  We have heard the call and lived the life- 60, 70, 80 years or more of it.  And we still have Life and we still have Faith.

But even more to the point, now we have seen the glory of the Lord.  We know that we are in the midst of the Kingdom right now.  We have closed our eyes and have seen it, felt it with our hearts  We have seen how we are destined to be transfigured ourselves.

No matter how much longer we have to wait, it is worth it.  Because we know that those who believe and follow will be in glory with God Forever.  Amen!

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The Reason for Your Hope

Sunday, May 25th, 2014

Sixth Sunday of Easter

Acts 8: 5-8, 14-17; 1 Peter 3: 15-18; John 14: 15-21

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

Are you ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope?  Because, Peter advises us all to be ready.   

First, of course, we have to agree that there is hope!  Now all of you gathered here today have lived a good, long life.  I am sure that they are lives filled with the richest of experiences and blessings.   

But hope points to the future, not to the past.  And realistically, as we get older, our ability to hope for the great things of this world diminishes.  I doubt if any of us will be able to make the Olympics; none of us is going to be a dashing movie star; and mountain climbing, sky diving, and all those thrills don’t seem in the cards for us.  None of us will become renowned world scholars either; and making lots of money or coming up with a fantastic invention are out of the question as well.  So, just what is our hope?   

Let me give you a hint:  We are in the Easter season and Easter reminds us of the hope we have for resurrection of the body in the Kingdom of Heaven.  Jesus promised that all of us who believe in him and keep his commandments would be welcomed into his Kingdom.    And you know what?  The older and more experienced you become, the better able are you to project that kind of hope.  Because you know- you know that everything this world has to offer like good looks, money, athletic ability, fame, rich food and even sex is going to pass us by, and we will need something else to hope for.   

That’s the way God planned it.  He planned for all of us who reach maturity to have the ability to reflect on the real meaning of life so that we could find hope for the future that life brings.  As a Christian, we learn from the lessons of living in the world that God’s Kingdom is the ultimate goal and reality; and that it is our hope.   

Now Jesus promises some things in today’s Gospel:  He promises us that if we love him and keep his commandments then he will give us the spirit of truth, who will guide us through thick and thin.  And that if we keep the Faith, then he will be with us always, and he will find a place for us in the Kingdom of God.  That, then, is our Christian hope.  And it is our hope precisely because our experiences all tell us “It was great, but it doesn’t last, and it isn’t what life is all about”.  We are all so much more capable of understanding that than those riding high in the prime of life.   

And so, we need to live our senior years with dignity and grace by being cheerful and hopeful for the future; by showing everyone love because we realize it is the thing that lasts and lasts forever; and by patiently enduring the trials and tribulations of this world because we hope for, and we know with certainty, that the Kingdom of God is ours.   

When we live like that we are living the reason for our hope.  And all those immersed in the prime of life can’t help but see just exactly what Christian hope is all about.  And they will begin to understand that there is something better for them as well.

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