On Uniting Christians

May 22nd, 2014

Thursday of the Fourth Week of Easter

Acts 15: 7-21; John 15: 9-11

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

Today, we hear how the Gentile converts were accepted into the Church by the Apostles at the Jerusalem Council in the first decades of the Church.  The Apostles, of course were all Jewish.  They had modified their belief to accept Jesus as the Messiah, but they were still practicing all of the rules of their original Faith. 

Peter (Simeon) acknowledged that it was Jesus’ will that the Faith be spread to all mankind, including the Gentiles.  And Paul and Barnabas talked about how successful they had been in converting the Gentiles.  Finally James, the leader in Jerusalem, pleaded to accept the Gentiles who had converted to the Faith.  And so, the Gentiles, people like us, were welcomed into the Church and not forced to comply with all the old rules.   

Recently Pope Francis addressed a gathering of Evangelical Preachers via a taped video message.  His talk was introduced by Tony Palmer, a Bishop in his protestant congregation.  Palmer’s preface to the introduction was fascinating, because he said that the Protest is over that spawned Protestantism because in 1999, the Catholics and Lutherans signed a joint agreement that resolved the original issue behind Protestantism and so, there is nothing more to protest! 

Bishop Palmer stood up in front of all those Evangelicals and declared that the protest was over   And said “we are all Catholic now”- because we solved the issue!  He went on to say that “diversity of belief is divine, but division is diabolic”.  And thereby recognized that we may all be unified, or “catholic” by believing the essence of Christian Faith in our hearts; and yet, we still have significant diversity within our beliefs.  Division is what is dangerous, not diversity.   

Then came Pope Francis’ address.  The Pope greeted the assembled as Brothers in Christ, and even extended that greeting to his “brother bishop”.  The main part of the address was one of hope for unity.  What really struck me was the Pope’s acknowledgement that God had started this ecumenical outreach- the signed statement by the Lutherans and Catholics, for example- and that he never knew God to start something that he wouldn’t finish well!   

I think that is a great message for today’s world for Christians- a message of hope for the unity of all Christians because more than anything today, we need to be united as Christians.

There are serious divisions between the people of the World that are transcending the diversity of practice among us Christians.  We would do well to unite as Christians despite our diversity to counter the divisions caused by secularism, communism, jihadist Islam, and hedonism.  Moreover it is time for us to be proactive at it, just as Pope Francis has been.   

All of us live with and interact with other Christians.  But when it comes to addressing our unity of belief in the heart, we just don’t seem to do that with them.  It’s almost as if we erect a wall between us that prevents discussion of what unifies us because we want to avoid arguing over our diversity.   

Jesus says this in today’s Gospel:  “If you keep my commandments you will remain in His love; just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in His love.”  That, it seems to me, is what is most important.  That is the key to advancing unity between us, rather than solving the diversity of expression. 

For my part, I am satisfied that the Catholic Church has the fullest benefit of God’s revelation to mankind.  If I am secure in that; then I don’t need to be defensive and react to someone who criticizes how our Church worships. Rather, we need to build on the unity that jointly keeping the commandments implies:  like Respect Life; honesty in our dealings; recognizing God and giving him honor and respect through worship and prayer;  not taking His name in vain; understanding that there are absolute moral; truths; respecting and honoring marriage between a man and a woman.  These are things we all have in common as Christians!  And how much more wonderful the world would be if we jointly pursued these goals together. 

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Are You a Person of Faith?

May 18th, 2014

Fifth Sunday of Easter

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

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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On Betrayal of God

May 15th, 2014

Thursday of the Fourth Week of Easter

Acts 13: 13-25; John 13: 16-20

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

“The one who ate my food has raised his heel against me”.  This really struck me this morning because the betrayal by Judas was just such a complete surprise; and Jesus prediction of it just strikes me.   

First, just imagine how Jesus and the other Apostles must have felt.  Jesus had chosen 12 men to be around him- twelve men that he could trust and share intimately with.  For three years, these 13 people were constantly together.  They shared their lodging and their food and their souls with each other.  Jesus had sent them all out on a mission, including Judas.  They all seemed to jell well together and so, none of them suspected a thing.  And then this happens- and we hear about it at the Last Supper.  Judas betrays Jesus by handing him over to his enemies.   He does it for money- a betrayal of not only Jesus but his 11 other closest friends as well.  How absolutely depressing!   

All of us have experienced the same thing at one time or another in our lives.  Somebody betrays us and it is a real surprise.  Somebody promises to keep something you tell them a secret; but they reveal it instead.  Somebody uses information you shared in confidence for their benefit; somebody turns on you in business or in a group you belong to.  We have all experienced betrayals in our most trusted circles, even in our own families.  Betrayal is one of the most difficult things to bear as a human being.     

But what struck me was this.  Why does Jesus bring it up in this context?  He has just washed everyone’s feet- an act of service and tells them they need to do the same.  Then He tells them that this unimaginable thing is going to happen   And he is telling them about it so that they will believe, so that they will believe that “I am who am”; meaning that He is God.   

Notice that Jesus also talks about how no slave is greater than his master.  Many of the commentaries speculate about Judas’ motivation for the betrayal.  Rather than the money itself, many of them imply that Judas was impatient with Jesus.  He was expecting Jesus to do something “big” in the way of becoming the Messiah.  But by “big”, Judas meant something spectacular in a secular way.  Judas, these bible scholars say, was trying to force Jesus’ hand.  So Judas betrayed Jesus out of a sense of superiority.  He thought he was smarter than his own Lord and could bring about the restoration of Israel quicker his way, by setting up the circumstances so Jesus would have to do something spectacular.   

But Judas was not smarter than His Lord.  Judas sin, then, was one of pride and self-absorption.  Judas wanted things his way and he wanted them now.   

And so, the message for us is simply this.  Jesus is “I am who am”, God, and we should never question God’s wisdom.  When we think that our way is better than God’s, we are betraying our God because we are putting ourselves first.  Just as those who betray us are putting themselves above us. 

This Gospel is truly about learning to be humble.  We see two examples and where they lead:  the humble God-made man who acts as a servant to all; and by contrast, the disciple who thinks he knows better than his Lord, and so, is just serving himself. 

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We Are All Taught By God

May 8th, 2014

Thursday of the Third Week of Easter

Acts 8: 26-40; John 6: 44-51

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

So, “They shall all be taught by God”.  That’s the scripture that Jesus quotes today.  That means that God is teaching you and I and everybody else all the time!  Yes, it is God who is our primary teacher because God loves and cares for all of us.   

And you know what?  There are many ways that God teaches us constantly: through His creation; through the people He places in our lives; through inspiration when we pray; through the scriptures and the catechism; through wonderful experiences in our families and lives; in books and other media; through the lessons we learn in life; and even, and I would say especially, through the mistakes we make.  The question is not whether God is teaching us all the time, but whether we are hearing His teaching and responding to Him.   

What does it take to listen and respond to the Lord?  First, we need to hunger for the teaching.  We can’t just expect to absorb God’s lessons for us by going about our lives in an ordinary way committed to the duties and activities of the world; oblivious to the cues God is placing in our lives.  Rather, we need to be constantly searching for God and his will for us as we live our lives. 

Second, we have to be open to change when we hear the message.  Sometimes we hear a message, and begin to think about it, but then we get caught up in the humdrum of our world, and our opportunity to change and respond to God is lost.   

The story of Philip and the Eunuch is a great example of how someone listened to God and responded.  The Eunuch, a foreigner who was a Jewish sympathizer, was reading Isaiah while riding his chariot.  This man was going about his business, important business for the Empress Candace of Ethiopia.  But he was also seeking God as he went along, that’s why he was reading Isaiah.  Second, he was open to change.  After having heard Philip explain how Jesus fulfilled Isaiah’s scripture, the Eunuch doesn’t just thank him and continue on with his business.  Rather, he stops his chariot, and asks Philip to baptize him.   

The Eunuch is a symbol for all of the Gentiles.  The Jews were the first to be offered Salvation by Jesus.  Most of them rejected it at the time because they weren’t listening or didn’t believe.  But this foreigner hungered for God, so much so that he was feeding off the scriptures as he went about his business.  And so, God opened the way through Philip for him to learn what the word was really all about.  Then, rather than pass by his opportunity to change; he stopped in his tracks and asked to be Baptized right then and there.
  Jesus goes on to talk about how each of us can be nourished with the bread of life.  Yes, the Eucharist gives us access to the Lord and His graces, so that we are in the right frame of mind for God’s lessons.  The Eucharist is a great way to hunger for God’s teaching and be ready for it.   

So believe, receive the Eucharist, and hunger for God’s teaching, however it comes and whenever it comes for to you. 

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The Cost Paid for Our Redemption

April 13th, 2014

Palm Sunday

Mt 21:1-11; Is 50:4-7; Phil 2:6-11; Matthew 27:11:54

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

Everyone who studies the evidence left behind agrees.  For example, the evidence left on the shroud shows that the person wrapped in it endured an unbelievable beating; and the historical records on Roman crucifixion indicate that it was purposely designed to be extremely painful.  Everyone that studies this evidence knows that Jesus’ Passion and Death were just absolutely horrific.   

In fact, it was painful mentally and spiritually as well as physically for Jesus from beginning to end.  He knew ahead of time what was going to happen and prayed that he be spared the ordeal.   His friends fell asleep when he needed them the most and then they abandoned him; He was betrayed for money by one of them; and was denied by another.  The trial was an insult and a mockery; and the flogging was debilitating and extremely painful.  The crucifixion was horrific, designed to humiliate and create the most severe pain and suffering possible.  And this ordeal went on and on and on for hours.   

All of this was dramatized so convincingly in the film the “Passion of Christ”.  It was done so well that it is hard to watch the film because it is so graphic; it makes us squirm.  But we need to be reminded of the pain and suffering.  God loves us so much that he was willing to send His only Son to be one of us and to redeem us by following His will; and His will was that Jesus suffer and die for telling the truth about God and how mankind can be saved for eternal life.   

Eternal life- that should be our goal in life.  But the devil works on us constantly to divert our attention, to focus on ourselves, pleasure, and things of this world so that before we know it, our lives are over and we are not really worthy of the Kingdom of God.   

This week is Holy Week.  It is the perfect time to stop, get off the fast moving train that is focused on our earthly lives, and focus on the real meaning of life.  Jesus suffered and died to atone for your sins.  Yes, every crack of the whip, every blow to the nails, every breath taken in agony on the cross, all that suffering was caused by you and I as much as anyone because all of us have sinned, and have put ourselves first, not God and His will.   

Jesus suffered and died to redeem each one of us.  So that we could merit eternal life.  And so, we need to reflect on his message.  We need to take up our own crosses and endure whatever suffering that entails in order to follow God’s will for us.  And although our sufferings are real- sickness, problems in our relationships, age, economic and on and on; they pale by comparison with what we heard just now that Jesus endured.  So we can do it.   

Jesus saved us for something absolutely marvelous-  an eternal life in His kingdom following our death. 

In just a week, we will celebrate Easter, the Resurrection of Jesus and everlasting life.  We celebrate Easter because Jesus promised all of us the same Resurrection and everlasting life.  If you believe in Him, repent, and follow him, know that you will not be put to shame.  Rather, your reward will be great in Heaven. 

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Awakening from Sleep

March 30th, 2014

Fourth Sunday of Lent

1 Sam 16: 1b, 6-7, 10-13a; Eph 5: 8-14; John 9: 1-41

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

There are all kinds of ways for a person to “see”.  And todays readings talk about many of them.   

First, Samuel had his vision about what to look for in a King.  He was looking for the tall, powerful, self-confident commanding type; the kind you think about when you imagine a King.  But God was looking for a man after His own heart.  So, the two did not “see” eye to eye on what the best attributes of a King were.  Their perspectives were different.  Indeed, we see differently according to what we are looking for.  Perspective can blind us to discovering the truth and God’s will.   

Then there is Paul’s description of the deeds of men.  Basically, Paul points out that we see the same thing differently when it is bright and illuminated than we do when it is shrouded in darkness and shadows.  What is hidden from others to see may be terribly flawed when viewed in brightness and light.  Indeed, one can hide the truth from people using darkness and obscurity; but that doesn’t change the truth.  So, we can be deceived by what we don’t see in the full picture of things; or worse yet, attracted to the dark side of something that is bad for us.     

And then there is the blind man in the Gospel.  He cannot see with his eyes; and so he has learned to “see” with his other senses.   Jesus gives him his physical sight; but his ability to “see” with his other senses has served him well because he recognized God in Jesus.   This great faith in God served him well in standing up to the Pharisees and in moving forward.in life.  This man, even though he gained his physical sight and could then function in his world, followed after Jesus and sought the kingdom of God.    

Lastly, there were the Pharisees.  They saw only the letter of the law; not its spirit.  They deceived themselves into thinking that they were complying with the law by following the mechanics of the law.  They became quite good at that- literal compliance.  Anyone who came along and challenged their sense of contentment was attacked.  They were so consumed with the detail tat they couldn’t see the forest from the trees.   

And so, there are all kinds of blindness:  blindness of perspective; blindness to deceit and evil; physical blindness; and blindness of the heart.  All of us are human and flawed; and all of us possess one or more of these kinds of blindness to some degree.   

Consider how these kinds of blindness effect our relations with God.  We can foster our own perspective, not God’s; we sometimes overlook evil when there is a perceived good in it for ourselves; we can’t see things at all when we are preoccupied with ourselves; quite often we don’t want to open our hearts, especially to change; and we can hang on to details when the essence is right there before us.  In other words, we can’t see our sinfulness for what it is.   

So, what is the solution?  Well, we are in the middle of Lent.  Lent is a time of the year when we should pause from the humdrum of everyday life and open our eyes and hearts to God.  We need to “see” things as they really are about ourselves, where we are going in life, and how our relationship with God is going.   

We still have a couple of weeks to do this reflecting.  Perhaps the best way to open our eyes is to go somewhere where it is quiet and listen to God and what he has to say.  Like the blind man, our physical limitations are not holding us back from our ultimate goal.  Rather, it is our inability to see ourselves as we really are.  It is our sinfulness.  We need to seek out how to illuminate the truth.   

In some respects, it is like we are asleep.   How fitting are St. Paul’s words today:  “Awake O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”

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Listen to the Prophets!

March 27th, 2014

Thursday of the Third Week of Lent

Jer 7: 23-26; Luke 11: 14-23

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

Isn’t it frustrating?  Whenever we look at History, we see the same mistakes made over and over again.  Governments arise with power hungry tyrant leaders.  They suppress the people, sometimes killing those who don’t agree with them.  They cause war and suffering for Millions of people.  Ultimately, they are defeated and some order is reestablished.  But then the pattern starts all over again.  If it’s not Nazis, it’s Communists; and If it’s not Communists, it’s Islamic Jihad.  Mankind just doesn‘t seem to learn from our past mistakes.  How frustrating!

The Israeli nation was like that as well.  They had prophets for over a thousand years, prophets like Elijah and Elias and Isaiah and Ezekiel and Jeremiah, who foretold of the doom that was to befall them if they didn’t repent and change their ways.  And yet, as Jeremiah tells us in the first reading, they didn’t listen to the prophets, and so, they suffered the humiliation of the exile.   

It was no different in Jesus time.  Here was a person who preached a new Gospel, or “The Good News”, a new way of living life to please God, a way to attain the kingdom of heaven that transcended the nit-picking laws of the Torah, all 651 of them.  He even worked mighty miracles for them, like casting out demons.  But, the leaders of the time didn’t want to listen to Jesus any more than they wanted to listen to the prophets.  Jesus message was not a political solution to the troubles at the time; it was a spiritual message- how to get in touch with God’s will.  But the leaders of Jesus time only wanted to hear of political salvation, salvation from the harsh Roman rule.  They were not focused on spiritual salvation.  So, they spoke harshly of Him, accusing him of casting out devils by Beelzebul, the prince of devils. They said and did anything, even the illogical, to discredit Him and get him out of the way.   

All of this leads us to our own times.  We, like our predecessors, are a stiff necked people as well.  These cycles of secular destruction have continued even in our own day.  There are modern day prophets prophesying secular doom.  But the root problem is not really the budget deficit or the mess created by the health care bill or massive unemployment.  The root problem is a lack of our attention to the Word of God and the Law that God has written in our hearts.  That law demands that we love one another and seek first the Kingdom of God.    Only when we become a nation and a world that puts God-centered values first, will the harmony that God intends for all of us be established.

So, are you listening to the Word of the Lord?  Are you focused on a spiritual journey to the Kingdom of God; or are you part of the secular world that seeks only self-gratification.    Remember this-, “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” 

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The Woman at the Well- A Confession

March 23rd, 2014

Third Sunday of Lent

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

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Finding the Lazaruses in Your Life

March 20th, 2014

Thursday of Second Week of Lent

Jer 17: 5-10; Luke 16: 19-31

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

Doesn’t he get under your skin and irk you, this prophet Jeremiah?   

Listen again to that first sentence:  “Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings, who seeks strength in the flesh”.  “Cursed” he says- pretty strong language.  And as you listened to that, didn’t you bristle just a little bit because all of us, no matter who we are, listen to human beings and seek strength in the flesh?.  We listen to doctors and lawyers and all kinds of worldly experts; and we surround ourselves with trusted family members and friends.  And don’t we seek strength in the flesh?  How many of us work out or watch carefully over our diets?  And don’t we look up to certain people in this world who either physically look good or have some special talent or personality trait which attract us?  We all trust people and seek strength in the flesh.  In fact most of life is interaction with people and this world.  And so Jeremiah’s words make us uncomfortable, just as they did the Jewish people long ago.   

But notice that Jeremiah adds the phrase:  “Whose heart turns away from the Lord”.  And that is the key point.  We all depend on each other and we quite naturally seek certain people out.  There are people we want in our lives and others we don’t.  And we all, quite naturally avoid things and people that we don’t like and that make us uncomfortable.  It’s just we have to do that kind of living in this world without turning our hearts from the Lord.  It’s a matter of focus and emphasis and balance.   

The Rich man in the Gospel is an example of the kind of person Jeremiah is talking about.  He doesn’t have the proper focus, the right emphasis, nor balance in his life.  For whatever reason, God blessed the Rich man and his family of 5 brothers in this world.  We don’t know exactly what that blessing was- talent, charm, inheritance, luck, or whatever.  But the upshot of it is that he is rich and comfortable.  And based on this Gospel vignette about Lazarus, the Rich man appears to be clueless on the plight of Lazarus.  He recognizes him alright, or else he wouldn’t have asked for Lazarus to bring him a drop of water.  But that is all; he apparently ignored Lazarus in his lifetime.  Lazarus was an annoyance to be looked beyond.   

The Rich man lived life comfortably because that’s just the way it was for him, comfortable.  He didn’t have to think about the suffering of others; he didn’t think about his own salvation.  He didn’t focus on the reality of what life was all about and where he fit in.  He didn’t emphasize the right things as he lived life; and he didn’t balance his own wants and needs with those of others.  It isn’t that he was a bad man; he was just clueless.   

Jesus and Jeremiah are both warning us of the same thing:  Life is about more than comfort and meeting our own daily wants and needs.  Each of us needs to focus on more than that.  We need to listen for God constantly and what he tells us in the depths of our hearts.  And then trust God in our lives.  That is harder to do when things are going well for us, as they were for the Rich man.  And so, we have to make it happen.   

Lent is the perfect time of year to do that, to put aside some time to find the Lazaruses in our lives that we look beyond.  Who or what is it that God has put into our lives that needs our attention; and yet, we keep looking beyond like they it wasn’t there?  It will be something that is inconvenient for us and interrupts our comfort zone.  But God is calling us to refocus our lives; pay attention to that call; and focus on somebody or something else.   

The trust part is very important.  Because when we trust the Lord, then even these uncomfortable situations, the Lazaruses in our lives, can be managed because our roots will reach out to the stream, the inspiration of the Spirit of God.    It’s important for us all to find Lazarus in our lives because God rewards us according to our ways.  He finds what’s in our hearts. 

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Learn How to Pray From Esther

March 13th, 2014

Thursday of First Week of Lent

Esth C: 12, 14-16, 23-25; Mt 7: 7-12

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

It seemed like a hopeless situation.  The entire exiled Jewish nation was doomed by a decree of the Persian King Cyrus, Esther’s husband, after he had been tricked into signing that decree by an unscrupulous leader.  But Esther had Faith and her prayers were answered, as you will find if you read the rest of the book of Esther.   

Notice a couple of things about Esther’s prayer.  First, she is humble.  Esther prostrates herself and her entire court and she begins with a humble plea to the God of her ancestors.  Second, she talks about how God always listens to those who abide by the law.  Esther’s obedience was well established earlier in the book.  Next, her pray is not so much for herself, but rather for her people.  In other words it is for a very worthy cause.  And lastly, she was praying for God’s help to inspire her in what to do, rather than an outright miracle.  She was willing to do her part, whatever was required as long as it was God’s will.   

Jesus tells us in the Gospel that God will always hear our prayers and give us what we truly need.  But we need to ask Him in the proper way.  In that regard, we would do well to pray as Esther did: with a humble and contrite heart; while in a state of grace from our obedience to God’s commandments and will; asking for something that we truly need rather than just want; and prepared to play an active role in making the answer to the prayer happen.   

Then, after we pray, we need to trust that God will answer our prayer.  We need to recognize that what He gave us was a fish, not a snake.  Sometimes that can seem hard because our prayers are not always answered the way we want them.  But consider that if this is the summary of the law and the prophets:  “Do to others whatever you would have them do to you”.  Then certainly God will do for us what is right for us. 

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