Mercy for Abortion Victims

September 10th, 2016

Blessing of the Memorial to the Unborn

Deacon Larry Brockman

As we gather together to bless our memorial to the unborn,  let us recall some very insightful words from our newest canonized saint- St. Theresa of Calcutta.  St. Theresa said, and I quote:  “Abortion kills twice.  It kills the body of the baby and it kills the conscience of the mother.  Abortion is profoundly anti-women.  Three quarters of its victims are women: half the babies and all the mothers.” End quote.

St. Theresa was always keen in her understanding of the poor.  And the poorest of the poor are those whose spirits are broken.  Truly, St. Theresa understood the long term implications of abortion- that the women who have abortions are wounded, broken, and suffering- they are victims, poor in spirit.

Studies have shown that in the first weeks after an abortion, the majority of women are emotionally paralyzed by the event, some 80 percent.  They don’t want to talk about it; they can’t talk about it.  By the 8th week, some begin to open up.  Those that do, express negative feelings and emotions-  55% express guilt; 44 percent experience nervous disorders; and 31 percent regret their decision.  More than one in ten required psychotropic medication from their doctors just to cope.

And, it doesn’t seem to get better with time.  In a Canadian study done over 5 years,  25 percent of post abortive women made visits to psychiatrists, some 6 times higher than the control group.  Other studies over multiple populations have shown that post abortive women are from 4 to 6 times more suicidal.  Post abortive women are indeed victims, they are poor in spirit.  St. Theresa understood this.  And as with other victims, St. Theresa understood the need for the Church to be merciful to such victims and minister to them.

All of us gathered here are sickened by the blight of abortion.  It has taken over 40 million American lives in less than 50 years; and almost 25% of American women have had abortions sometime in their lifetime.  There are avowed “Catholics” at the highest levels of our government defending a woman’s “right” to abortion.  The clinics are unhealthy and data shows it’s all about the money for the providers.  Despite having fought the problem for decades, we don’t seem to be winning.  And so, we project anger and disgust at this major problem.  This anger and disgust is certainly justified.  It’s easy to be angry at the system; it’s easy to be angry that people make the wrong decision.

But we need to understand something very profound about our anger.  Our attitudes can be misunderstood by the surviving victims of abortion- the post abortive women.  Our anger and frustration can be interpreted as a lack of willingness to extend mercy to them.  At a time when these women feel guilty and abandoned,  when they have recognized that they have made a mistake, and that they need to take a step to make a change in their lives;  it is at exactly that time, they may feel shut out by those who can help the most because they sense the anger we have over abortion, and they interpret that anger as being directed at them.

St. Theresa understood that; and she was always there to open the fount of mercy that God has for his people.  All of us are sinners in one way or another.  All of us need the mercy that God is willing to extend to us.  One of the things that is special about Christianity is the fact that God is a God of Love; and that God is love.  God loves all of us.  And there is much rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents.  All of us have an obligation to make that love apparent to our brothers and sisters who need it the most.

Pope Francis has commissioned all of us to extend mercy during this year of Mercy.  His papal message made it clear that the Church needs to go out where the people are rather than wait for them to come to us.  That is a challenge.  But chances are, every one of us knows someone who has had an abortion.  They are likely hurting in the ways I indicated earlier.  But they have separated themselves from the Church.

I go to Health Central Hospital twice a week to help the chaplain.  The Chaplain sends me to all those who indicated they are Catholic on the incoming census.   Last Ash Wednesday I distributed ashes there.  As I entered one patient’s room, and asked the lady if she would like ashes.  She told me she no longer goes to Church because, because…  She just knew that she was not worthy of receiving ashes.  I told her that God loves all his creation, and that He is constantly looking for his lost ones.  I told her that she was precisely the kind of person who needed that Ash Wednesday blessing the most.

But there simply are not enough Deacons and Priests to go around to minister to all of these women like that.  That’s where all of you come in.  These post abortive women are all around us.  They may be defensive about their situation; they may be tight lipped about it; or they may be openly distraught and in despair.  But with our eyes and ears, we need to be Christian witnesses and bring them back to the fold.  Through our help, we can turn these victims into strong soldiers for Christ.

At the end of every Mass, it is my privilege to say these words.  Hopefully, you will take them to heart because that is what we need to bring post-abortive women back into the fold.  “Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life”.

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Do You Love God?

September 8th, 2016

Thursday of 23rd Week in Ordinary Time

Nativity of Blessed Virgin Mary

Romans 8: 28-30Mt 1: 18-23

By Deacon Larry Brockman

Do you love God?    Most of us would say “yes”, we do love God;  but if you’re honest, there’s a twinge of something in the back of your mind, a doubt almost.  Because when you come right down to it, loving God is something that is hard to verbalize and visualize.

You can love your spouse, your parents, your children, and other people partly because you can visualize them.  They are there in flesh and blood to hug, to share and to reciprocate affection and love.  You can feel it and visualize it.  But loving God is different, isn’t it?  You can say you love God when you pray, and for most of us, the response from God is mostly silent, or subtle at best.

Paul speaks eloquently of the Love of God this morning.  He says that:  “We know that all things work for good for those who love God who are called according to His purpose”.  So very simply, we show that we love God by accepting the call God has given us; and the proof that we are truly loving God will be that God assures that all things will work for good when we do that.  Loving God shows results by fulfilling God’s plan.  And that “good” is something that we can see; it’s like the hug we receive from our loved ones.

Of course the “good” that Paul is talking about is an ultimate good, the good that God intends.  That doesn’t always match the “good” that people seek on their own.  So, one has to be particularly discerning about the good we sense.  Some of us have special talents- artistic or technical or sporting or any number of other skills.  When we use those talents and skills the way they were intended, we feel good inside- a validation that things are working for good.  Many of you do things for other people- caring for the sick, helping those in need; teaching; and a whole host of other things.  They make us feel good as well; and that is an expression of the good that God intends.

This morning we are celebrating the birth of the Blessed Mother.  And our Gospel speaks of the prophecy God made to Mary using the Angel Gabriel through the eyes of her husband Joseph, who received validation of that prophecy when an angel of the Lord appeared to him and gave him the same message as Mary about the baby Jesus.

Both Mary and Joseph accepted God’s will for them; they married under less than ideal circumstances; and parented the child Jesus because it was God’s will for them.  Joseph did not divorce Mary but accepted her as his wife; Mary accepted that the child inside her was God’s child.  They both lived their lives by parenting Jesus in the best way they knew how.  They were called to a relatively straightforward, yet important task.

It’s something most of us have done or will do as well-  marry under less than an ideal situation, and parent children.  It is an awesome responsibility to parent any child-  they are a fantastic gift to any family.  But that is also what most of us have or will do.

My point is that neither Mary nor Joseph was asked to do anything tremendously extraordinary in life.  They didn’t invent the i- phone; they didn’t lead an army to victory; they didn’t write a best seller; they didn’t break any world sporting records.  They just parented the child Jesus, accepting the trials and tribulations of everyday life along the way.  For some of us, we may not be called to do extraordinary things in this life either.  But that’s OK, it is only necessary that we follow the calling we do have.  And all things will work for good when we do that.

Now the good that Mary and Joseph worked was not the good that the world expected.  The Messiah that the Jews expected was a King, someone in the image of a David or Solomon.  That isn’t what Jesus became; and yet, Mary knew.  Mary knew that Jesus was special; and all things were working for good through Him.  In the same way, we will know when things truly work for the good of God.  We will see it in our children and their lives.

Of course, like God and his children, we have to let go of our children at some point because they have free will, and are open to choose to follow God’s will for them or not.  But no matter what they do, we will still always love them.  It’s like the Love we are supposed to have for God- with our whole mind, our whole heart, and our whole soul, isn’t it.

Do you love God that way?

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How to be a Disciple of Christ

September 4th, 2016

Twenty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Wis 9: 13-18b; Philemon 9-10, 12-17; Luke 14: 25-33

By Deacon Larry Brockman

Today Mother Theresa has been canonized a Saint.  And clearly, Mother Theresa was a disciple of Christ.

So, what does it take to become a disciple of Jesus Christ.  Well, that is the topic of our readings today.  And, clearly, one cannot become a disciple of Christ  without putting aside conventional wisdom, and embracing wisdom from above.  That’s the message to all of us this morning in our readings; and it’s the message that St. Theresa of Calcutta broadcast throughout her life.

First, let us consider the context of the Gospel.  Jesus has been working miracles, curing the lame and the sick.  And a great multitude has gathered and is following him.  The people are enthusiastic and hungry for more.  But Jesus turns on them suddenly, and says:  “If any one comes to me without hating his father and mother,   Wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life,   He cannot be my disciple”.  Pretty strong words!

Some of the great doctors of the Church have struggled over those words, even asking the question,  “How can we be told by Jesus we must hate our own flesh and blood, when he has also told us to love everyone”?  But you see, Jesus was a master at shock treatment with many of his words and preaching.  This is a perfect example, because our fathers, mothers, wives, children, brothers and sisters, and all of the pleasures that life has to offer, must be secondary to our relationship with God if we are to find our way into the Kingdom of God.  And it takes shock therapy like Jesus’ words today to get us to realize that.

Simply put, we need to “hate” anything that tends to derail God’s plan for us, and our efforts to live it accordingly, even when the obstacles are our loved ones and living life for ourselves.  Yes, we are being asked to sacrifice our personal interests when that is needed to assure that we make an effort to follow Jesus.

If you are willing to look closely at your life, you can see areas where life gets in the way.  Sleeping in on Sunday Morning; sports events, family parties, trips out of town, and kids sporting events are a few examples.  None of those things are bad, and in fact, they are all good as far as that goes.  But they can be obstacles in maintaining our relationship with God and in following after Jesus if we allow them to.

Our second reading gives an interesting example about the kind of sacrifice we are called to make.  You see, Paul’s letter to Philemon was a letter to a well-to-do person whom Onesimus had served as a slave.  Onesimus had escaped, and ended up attending to Paul while Paul was in prison.  Paul is sending Onesimus back to Philemon, but there is a catch.  Paul is asking Philemon to accept Onesimus as an equal.  So, in a time and culture in which slavery was accepted, and a personal slave considered a status symbol, Paul is asking Philemon to forgive Onesimus for escaping; refrain from punishing him; refrain from putting him back into slavery; and accept him as an equal.   Wow! That was asking a lot.

But the reality is that all of us need to let go of something that’s holding us back from being the Christian we are called to be.  Maybe it’s some combination of those little things I mentioned, but it can also be some major attachment or habit or personal relationship, like the one that Philemon had for his slave.

And notice that the thing that might hold you back the most, is what society thinks of you.  For example, if Philemon accepted Onesimus back as an equal, then Roman society would have thought of him as a fool, a weakling, a loser.  That kind of societal pressure can be hard to take.

But Jesus tells us that:  “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.”  Yes, we have to embrace our crosses and follow him, turning away from what other people think, turning away from gratifying our flesh and blood.

But we cannot do it alone, can we.  Solomon understood that, as we saw in the first reading.  First, Solomon pointed out how difficult it is for us to grasp the mind of God on our own.  Then he writes:  “Or who can know your counsel, unless you give Wisdom and send your holy spirit from on high”.  Yes, it is the Holy Spirit that we need to identify God’s will for us, and our associated cross.  Our cross is simply the obstacles that the world and the agents of evil throw into our path along the way.  Those obstacles can be a pile of little things that divert us; or a major obstacle like the one Philemon had, including peer pressure to belong to our current culture.

So, let all of us reflect a bit on our lives.  First, call upon the Holy Spirit for the Counsel of the most high.  Then ask yourself this question.  What is holding you back from accepting your cross?  What do you have to turn away from, even “hate”, in order to accept Jesus’ invitation.

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God’s Plan for Mankind

August 27th, 2016

Twenty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sir 3: 17-18, 20, 28-29; Heb 12: 18-19, 22-24a; Luke 14: 1, 7-17

By Deacon Larry Brockman

Just what is God’s plan for mankind?  Well, today we hear about that plan straight from our readings.

Let me start by talking a little about Paul’s message in Hebrews.  It sounds quite confusing at first reading, doesn’t it, all of that talk about blazing fires and gloomy darkness and the rest of it?  But all of those references in the beginning of the reading were to the God of the Old Testament, who shrouded himself in a cloud at Mt. Zion as he revealed his commandments to Moses.  And in fact, everyone was very, very afraid.  The God of the Covenant with Israel evoked that kind of fear in order to command respect from the people.  His message was communicated to people indirectly, through messengers such as angels or prophets like Moses.  And fear off the Lord was the best way to get everyone’s attention.

Paul then goes on to tell the Christians that all of that has been replaced with something new in the New Covenant- direct access to God’s message through Jesus Christ, who lived, preached God’s message, died, was Resurrected and paved the way for the image of the new Zion- the Kingdom of God.  The image of the New Zion is our hope for the future.  Hence, we have the countless angels in a festal gathering that also includes the spirits of the just made perfect.

Guess what?  That second group is all of us who follow Jesus and do the will of God.  And so, plain and simple, that is God’s plan for mankind-  that all of us, when we finish life on this earth, enter the festal gathering in the presence of God forever and ever.  But just how can we best help to accomplish God’s plan?

Today’s Gospel is introduced as a parable about the Pharisees.  These people, the Pharisees, represent the Church.  The Pharisees invited Jesus to a banquet.  But they did it out of a social obligation rather than out of a conviction that they needed to listen to Jesus’ message.  At the end of the Gospel today, Jesus tells them not to invite friends, relatives, and the wealthy to such banquets; but rather, to invite “the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind”.  Why? Because their function as the establishment, as the teachers of Judaism, was to help all the people come to God, especially those who had lost their way.

This should sound familiar to us today because it is the same message that Pope Francis has been giving the Church.  Our Church needs to invite the poor- the poor in spirit as well as those who are of little means; the crippled- those who are broken, not just physically, but by virtue of crippled relationships or crippled values; the lame, including those who have been disenfranchised by job loss or health issues; and the blind- and in particular those blinded by today’s secular society along with all of its glitter and fast moving action.  We need to go out and invite all these people to our Church because God’s plan for salvation includes all of his people, not just those that come here faithfully week after week.  Indeed, the Church needs to go out where the people are who need God’s mercy.

Both the first reading and the first part of the Gospel carry a very strong message for all of us.  Quite simply: “Don’t disturb the plan that God has by letting our self- importance get in the way”.  Rather, these scriptures tell us how we can personally be more evangelistic in our every day lives.  First, Sirach says to humble ourselves and we will be loved more than a giver of gifts.  Indeed, whenever we interface with unbelievers, we need to send a message of love and acceptance to them, but done such that it is clear we love the person; but not necessarily the person’s behavior.  Second, Sirach says “What is too sublime for you, seek not”.  We need to accept the wisdom of the Church in areas that we are not qualified in, or for that matter, conversant in.  That’s what it means to have faith and to trust in the Lord.  When a person of faith acts with conviction, that commitment broadcasts a strong message to all of those he touches.  Both humility and trust in the Lord are great tools for us in our relationships with the unbelievers in our Lives.  Those relationships are the beginning of the path towards bringing such people into our Church.

Lastly, Jesus message in the parable addresses all of us who are invited to the banquet.  Rather than clamor for the seats up front, God will determine our place and our station in his kingdom.  If we have the humility and trust in him that Sirach teaches, then we will be invited forward at the banquet.  On the other hand, those late comers and sinners who truly repent may be invited to be seated ahead of us at the festive gathering.

God is truly a God of Mercy.  And it is his plan that all of us should be saved.  Our mission is to help God in that plan by being welcoming, kind, and humble in the presence of all of God’s people.

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A Call to Vigilance!

August 25th, 2016

Thursday of 21st Week in Ordinary Time

1 Cor 1: 1-9; Mt 24: 42-51

By Deacon Larry Brockman

A call to vigilance!  Because the Lord may come at any time.  How true.

Last week, my wife had major surgery, some 4 hours long.  Many folks were praying for her- and we were most grateful because everyone understood that the operation could be life threatening.  She planned for it by having the Sacrament of the Sick before the operation.  That gave her a certain peace of mind that she was prepared, as indeed it should.

But the reality is that all of us are vulnerable all the time, not just when we face a crisis.  As I drove each day back and forth to the hospital, especially in rush hour traffic, I encountered many crazy drivers.  And I suppose that in my frame of mind, I might have been one of the craziest.  It wouldn’t have taken much to become one of the highway statistics.

And so, the thought occurred to me  Was I ready?  Was I prepared?  I certainly wasn’t off eating and drinking, or beating the servants like the steward in the parable.  But I was preoccupied, and maybe not as vigilant as the Lord was suggesting.

What makes us prepared for God’s visit at any and all times?  Well, Paul gives us a hint in his message to the Corinthians.  There he compliments the Corinthians for being responsive to their call; for their Faith in the message of Jesus Christ; for acting on the Grace that had been conferred on them as a result; and for being rich in “spiritual gifts”.  That’s what we all need to do too- to have faith, act on it, and to use the spiritual gifts that we have.

Then, we will be ready at any and all times for the coming of the Lord.

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What Do We Do After We Celebrate the Fourth of July?

July 3rd, 2016

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Is 66:10-14c; Gal 6: 14-18; Luke 10: 1-12, 17-20

By Deacon Larry Brockman

It’s time for us all to celebrate our Nation’s Birthday- it’s the July 4th Weekend.  And boy, do we ever know how to do it in style- with fireworks, barbeques, and pool parties galore.  And we should celebrate, because we have much to be proud of as Americans.  Our nation, founded on the Judeo Christian values of our Forefathers, has been a beacon for freedom and democracy, not only here, but in so many places over the globe.

It would be fair to say that the American Republic has led several spiritual renewals that have been responsible for paving the way for the freedoms here that have migrated across the globe.

First, our revolution resulted in Religious Freedom for the many diverse religious groups that migrated here from Europe in the 200 years prior to our Revolution.  Our forefathers built religious freedom into our Constitution to assure that all religious groups were free to practice here.  They did that because they recognized that freedom of Religion was the most basic freedom and that the role of Government was to protect our right to exercise our faith.  It was not the role of Government to impose Religion or prohibit its practice.

Then, America successively led the way to the abolishment of slavery; the rights of workers and the rights of women in successive spiritual renewals that recognized that all humans are created equal.

In the twentieth century, our nation unselfishly provided the critical help necessary to suppress three threats to freedom and belief in God in the First World War, the Second World War, and the Cold War with Atheistic Communism.  We call those who were involved in the latter two wars “the Greatest Generation” because of the resolve and commitment that the entire nation unselfishly made.  Yes, we have much reason to celebrate the 4th of July.

But notice a couple of things about all of these accomplishments that we celebrate.  First, we are celebrating the accomplishments of the past.  Second, our accomplishments were in cycles that occurred over a span of 200 years.  Third, new generations of Americans rose to the challenges in each cycle of evil that confronted them.  Fourth, prior to each cycle, prophetic voices were heard that called for action against each evil whether it was suppression of religious freedom, the evil of slavery, labor violations, suppression of women’s rights, or foreign dictators and tyrants.  And lastly, America was blessed with God-fearing leaders in each case that led the charge against evil.  Now I mention all of this because we owe our freedoms to the wonderful actions of our forefathers in many generations; but our future depends on us; it depends on you and how you move forward.

You see, the devil is never finished spreading evil.  We may be able to suppress it for a while; but the devil is quite resilient in confronting us with an even more sinister evil.  And so it is with our current society.  We are confronted with multiple evils now, just as sinister and perhaps more deadly than those we have faced in the past.  Much of our affluent society has turned its back on our Judeo Christian values, such as the ten-commandments; the beatitudes; respect for life; and equality of opportunity for all.  And there are radical religious movements that insist that the entire world must be converted to their faith, and the universal establishment of a 7th century code of ethics; or die- there are no alternatives that satisfy them.  Lastly, the advent of the global economy has pushed greed and the methods to achieve it beyond any one nation’s ability to control the process.  This is a multiple pronged attack by the forces of evil that you and I and our current generation must deal with.

Our Gospel story today shows how Jesus trained his Disciples ahead of his Passion for the work they would have to do as the Church after his death- to proclaim the Kingdom of God.  The 72 disciples represent the Church- a group that included the Apostles and disciples- the Bishops and Priests- who were sent out after an abundant harvest.  Yes, the harvest is abundant because the harvest Jesus is referring to was the abundant legacy he was giving us in the Gospel- the abiding word of God and especially Jesus’ own example.

In that first experiment that Jesus conducted with his mini-church, the 72 were sent out two by two so that there were multiple voices of the message for clarity, and so that they served as witnesses for each other in the event of controversy.  They were sent out penniless so that they didn’t have a vested interest.  Jesus trained these men and with that training fresh in their minds, they were successful; so successful that Jesus says that he “Saw Satan fall like lightning from the sky”.  This means that Jesus saw that the mini-Church had dealt a blow to Satan and his evil.

So, let us certainly celebrate today and tomorrow the successes of our forefathers and the freedom they have won for all of us.

But beginning next week, we all have work to do.  Paul tells us that he can only boast of the cross that he carries.  This should be our criteria as well.  We should only boast of the cross that we have to carry.  As a people, our cross to bear is the suppression of the evil in our times.  And so, we need to serve as the prophets, the evangelizers, and the faithful who will respond to the current call to fight evil in our times, not just some of us, but all of us.

It is once again time for spiritual renewal in this country so that we can maintain the freedom our forefathers brought us; and establish a newfound advance in the freedom of mankind that new generations to come will celebrate on the Fourth of July.

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Salvific Suffering

June 19th, 2016

12th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Zech 12: 10-11; 13:1; Gal 3: 26-29; Luke 9: 18-24

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

Suffering!  It is something that all of us try to avoid, and yet, it is an integral part of life for all living creatures.  Jesus told his disciples that he would suffer greatly in our Gospel.

In fact, Jesus fulfills the prophecy in our first reading.  Jesus, part of the Trinitarian God-head, was sent by His Father to become one of us.  God’s first born son suffered greatly at the hands of the establishment.  He was not exempt.  And all of us mourn the horrible tragedy that Jesus endured on the cross.  But as Zechariah says, when Jesus fulfilled his salvific mission, he brought to the “inhabitants of Jerusalem”  “A fountain to purify from sin and uncleanliness”.

What does that mean?  Well, the innocent God-made-man suffered for all of us; he suffered mentally, spiritually, and physically; but bore it all because it was the will of the Father.  Jesus showed all of us the way to bear God’s will for us with dignity and resolve, even if it means suffering.   And all of us are purified from our sin and uncleanliness if we believe and follow Jesus.  Jesus made it clear that if we are to follow him, we must each suffer too when he says:  “He must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me”.

Now, I think that many of us are a bit confused about what our cross is.  We focus on Jesus horrible fate; and maybe even presume that to be worthy of God’s favor  We are going to have to bear the same kind of test.

But that is not the case.  St. Paul tells us that “through faith, we are all children of God”.  Yes, we need to believe first and foremost.  And Baptism symbolizes that we believe and embrace that faith.  Even if we were Baptized as an infant, that is the case because through our parents, family, the church, and our own efforts as well-meaning Christians, we come to believe and to live that faith just exactly where we are planted.  We cannot earn our salvation, our favor with God.  But through God’s infinite mercy, we are forgiven our sins and made sharers of the salvation that Jesus earned for us.

And so, although we are all sinners, we are all given the opportunity to choose to carry our crosses.  Our crosses are the talents, limitations, irritations, challenges to our faith, and decisions we make in life as each of us walks through life.  Some of us suffer physically with chronic diseases or life-threatening illnesses.  Some of us suffer from the burdens of caring for others; some of us suffer from the ravages of old age; and some of us work long hours for years and years.  Some of us suffer mentally, under pressure from relatives, bosses, coworkers, and others in our lives.  Some of us suffer spiritually because we want something for ourselves other than what we have been given by God; and in some cases, we want something different than what we have been called by God to do.  But all of us, in one way or another, suffer in this life.

Today is Fathers Day.  Many of us are Fathers or Mothers.  The Cross we bear in being a Father or Mother is a significant part of the lives of those of us who chose marriage and family as a vocation .because along with the many joys of being a parent, there are moments of suffering- separation, pain over a child’s misery, and clashes of wills.  Our responsibilities never end when it comes to our children and even our parents.  We need to focus on being the best parent possible in parallel with accepting all of the other elements of the daily cross God has given us.

And so, the major challenge in life is to find God’s peace and joy in the midst of accepting and carrying our crosses.  That’s what Jesus showed us through the Gospel.  That means we continue to believe and to trust in him no matter how difficult the suffering; and no matter how grim the situation. .And we need to be ready at any time for the ultimate test- namely, are we following his will- our crosses to bear, when he calls us home.

Just one week ago, 50 people here in Orlando were brutally mowed down by a maniac.  These folks had no hint that there time had come.  Yet, we can be called at any time, like these 50 folks; circumstances beyond our control can result in our time coming.

Are you ready; are you carrying your cross as Jesus asked you to do?  Because if you are doing your part, then recognize the promise Jesus leaves you with in today’s Gospel.  “Whoever loses his life for my sake will save it”.

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The Eucharist- A Taste of What’s to Come

May 29th, 2016

Corpus Christi

Gen 14: 18-20; 1 Cor 11: 23-26; Luke 9: 11b-17

By Deacon Larry Brockman

 

Today we celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi.  Corpus Christi means “The Body of Christ”.

So, do you believe?  Do you really believe that The Eucharist you will receive in just a few minutes really is the body and blood of Jesus?  And why is that so important for us in our faith?

In the first reading, the ancient priest Melchizedek brought out bread and wine, blessed those gifts, and blessed Abraham and God over this basic meal.  Thus Abraham left his established home for the promised land on Faith in response to God’s original covenant promise to him.  A man whose wife was barren, who had no ancestors, was promised “salvation” for his lineage, descendants as numerous as the stars of the heavens, if he listened to the Lord and left his established home.  And so he left his home on faith, and he went with God’s blessing.  Indeed, Abraham was blessed with descendants as promised.  “Salvation” had been realized.

Later on, The Lord memorialized the Passover event in which the Israelites were saved from the power of the Egyptians.  They were promised “salvation” in the form of independence and their own land.  The Passover symbolized the covenant the Lord made with Moses.  Both Bread and Wine are integral parts of the Passover celebration in which the presider blesses the bread and wine, and the blessing cup is shared amongst all the participants, memorializing and reminding them of their salvation.

Jesus used the same two fruits of the earth at the Last Supper as the Second reading describes.  Only now, the presider is not Melchizedek or Moses, but Jesus Christ himself, the perfect priest.  The bread and wine are first blessed, and then they become the body and blood of Christ.  They no longer symbolize the salvation that was promised by Jesus Christ.  Rather, they give us a taste of that salvation.  We call, this the New Covenant.  We are invited to eat this bread and wine turned Body and Blood of Christ because when we consume the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist, we share in the life of the Risen Lord, a life that transcends our earthly life.

Recall our Gospel acclamation today from the Gospel of John:  “I am the living bread that came down from heaven, whoever eats this bread will live forever.”  If we believe, really believe, that the Communion we will receive in just a few moments is the body of Christ, then we believe that we are participating in the everlasting life of the Risen Christ as our Gospel acclamation asserts.  And not only that, but we keep receiving this gift each and every time we receive Communion.  We become an integral part of the Mystical Body of Christ, and we are participating in the coming Kingdom of God.

The Church has the Sacrament of the Sick for those who are sick or close to death.  And part of the sacrament is “Viaticum”, which is the reception of Holy Communion.  “Viaticum” means “food for the road”.  And so, Viaticum can lead the recipient from this life to eternal life.  Beautiful, isn’t it?

But you know what?  After a while it all just seems so mechanical to us- the same old same old week after week.  We can lose our sense of awe, of reverence, over this holy sacrament and what it offers not because we are weak in faith, but because we are human.  And we just don’t hold on to the significance; we become dulled to its meaning just like we would become dulled to the joy of eating chocolate cake every day.  Rather, we need to remind ourselves constantly of the meaning of the sacrament and the joy it brings.

Jesus works a monumental miracle in the Gospel reading today.  First, he talks about the Kingdom of God, everlasting life with God.  Then, he gives them real, earthly, food, all 5,000 families; families mind you, not individuals; from just a few loaves and fishes.   Jesus performed this miracle to show us that everything is possible with God.  Our earthly food sustains us for a day.  But the Bread of Life sustains us for a life that lasts forever.

Today, when you receive Communion, remember that your everlasting life has already begun.  You are living with Christ.  And no matter whether you are agile or feeble in this world, the life and spirit of the almighty God is there for you in the Eucharist.  It is a taste of what is to come.  Amen.

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Overcoming Spiritual Blindness (U)

May 26th, 2016

Thursday of the 8th Week in Ordinary Time

1 Peter 2: 2-5, 9-12; Mark 10: 46-52

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

Blindness!  Something all of us fear.  Imagine what it would be like not to see in this beautiful world of ours like God’s creative work in nature- the mountains and the sea; God’s gift of life- a newborn baby; or God’s energy manifest through the wonderful works made by the hand of man.

And yet even worse than physical blindness is spiritual blindness.  Jesus often criticized the Pharisees, who knew the law of the Lord, but didn’t see the intent of the law.  They suffered from spiritual blindness!  And likewise, he praised the children of the world, whose innocence and openness made them receptive and not blind.

Bartimaeus was a truly lucky man.  He was fortunate enough to be open spiritually to Jesus message because he had trained himself to be discriminating about what his senses told him.  He had to be discriminating- he couldn’t see.  And so, he was open to the “pure spiritual milk” that Peter was talking about.  He was so blessed by his simple faith, that his physical blindness was healed as well.

Lest we be too critical of the Pharisees, it is fair to say that all of us can suffer from the same kind of blindness.  First, it is easy for us who do see to be blinded by what we see and have seen.  It’s a kind of sensory overload- sight, sound, and all of the other senses bombarded by so much all day long, all the time so that we don’t see the truly meaningful amongst the chaff.  Second, we hear and see some things so often, that they don’t register with us, and their meaning can escape us.  And lastly, we are blinded by expectations based on what we have heard and seen.  Propaganda works like that.  If you show people something often enough, and tell them something often enough, they can be convinced that it is true, even when it isn’t.  Real truth, real understanding, is something that is a gift from God.

And so, “sighted” folks need to be careful.  We need time out occasionally- time to close off the loud noises and the vibrant sights; long enough so that we will be open to the “pure spiritual milk” that Peter talks about; time in which we put aside our prejudices and expectations and what everybody else is doing and saying so that we can reflect on what our conscience tells us. and what God is urging through His Spirit.  Only then can we truly say,  “I see”.

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The Heavenly Church- the New Jerusalem

May 1st, 2016

Sixth Sunday of Easter

Acts 15: 12, 22-29; Rev 21: 20-24. 22-23; John 14: 23-29

By Deacon Larry Brockman

 

The common theme in today’s scriptures is the Church.

First we have a description of a Church with divisions among the participants.  Some people were saying that the most important thing to maintain membership in the Church is following all the rules.  And the rules they advocated were the rules they brought with them from their Jewish heritage.  They were do’s and don’ts and detailed ritual rules.  Follow the rules and you are “in”; break the rules and you are “out”.  Others were saying that the rules have changed by virtue of Jesus and the opening of the Church to the Gentiles.  What is important is following the Gospel that Jesus taught, a rule of love and openness to all people.

So, Paul and Barnabas return to Jerusalem and get a reading from the Church leaders of the time on which interpretation is correct. Should the Church carryover the old Mosaic law with Jesus teaching added to it; or should the rules be changed to emphasize the teachings of Jesus and an openness to all?  Notice that the feedback from Jerusalem includes a unanimous vote from the leaders, but it also includes the “decision of the Holy Spirit”.  This is kind of like the first Papal Action, because the decision of the Apostles is validated by the Holy Spirit. God has spoken!

And the decision is to abandon the detailed rituals such as circumcision and strict dietary laws in favor of what is reasonable for ritual practice supplemented with the teachings of Jesus on internalization of the Gospel message.  The ritual practice that Jesus left- the breaking of the bread and the opening of the word of God, were adopted.  But make no mistake about it.  The concept of the “Church” was validated.  We all need to belong to a Church to strengthen our faith and worship God communally.

This point is validated by the second reading from Revelation, which describes how the Church will ultimately evolve into the Kingdom of God.  Most Bible scholars agree that the New Jerusalem described in the book of Revelation is the new Church, the heavenly one.  It has three gates on each of four sides because it is universal, accepting all peoples from all regions of the earth.  It has high walls to protect all of the members and provide a safe haven from any harm.  And, there is no need for a temple or lights because of the presence of God forever, who provides heavenly light and is the center of all worship.

It is the objective of all of us to be part of that Church, one where we are in the presence of God continuously for ever and ever, and one where we share that presence with all of our loved ones communally, and participate in God’s Glory.  That is what is known as the Communion of Saints.

Just how do we guarantee that we will gain entrance to that Church?  Well, Jesus tells us very plainly in the Gospel:  “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.”  So, all of us must love God and keep His word to dwell with him.

But then Jesus goes on to tell the disciples that even though he will be leaving this world in his human form, he will not abandon us; rather, he will send:  “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name—  He will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.”  So, the Spirit will guide us on how we should interpret and implement Jesus teaching.

Every so often in the history of the Church the Church has gone through reformation and revision.  I think Pope Francis is reminding us today that we need to go back to our roots, kind of like the Early Churches went back to Jerusalem for a reading from those who were Jesus’ contemporaries.  Francis’ exhortation on the Family talks about maintaining all of the traditional teachings of the Church on family matters, including marriage and divorce; homosexuality; abortion and birth control.  But Francis is reminding us that our attitude towards all of God’s people must be one of love, forgiveness, and mercy.  Francis wants all of us to exhibit these properties rather than emphasize rules and regulations.  That’s why he has called on the Church leaders to use proper discernment in all of their pastoral decisions.

We need to welcome sinners as Jesus welcomed sinners and convert them by our love, not by our rule of law because we want all to join us in the heavenly Church, the New Jerusalem

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