Curing Our Spiritual Blindness

April 3rd, 2011

Fourth Sunday of Lent

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

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

So, how is it that you and I are blind?    We are still in the midst of Lent; a time for meditation and reflection on our lives; a time for purification and change, so that when the Resurrection occurs, and the Light of the World, the resurrected Christ, shines his pure light into our hearts, we will be ready- ready like Paul challenges the Ephesians to be ready:  “You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.  Live as children of the light.”  And the chances are that each one of us, yes, each one of us, is still blind.  We cannot see as God sees, and we would do well to reflect on that, so that on Easter, we can live as light, fully comfortable and joyful.   

In today’s Gospel, the blind man goes through a miraculous transformation physically; he is cured of his physical blindness in a flash.  But he also goes through a second transformation:  He is cured of spiritual blindness.  We can see that this second transformation is slower.  Notice that, as the multiple dialogs in our Gospel unfold, the blind man begins with spiritual ignorance.  First, we hear:  “I don’t know what happened, all I know is that Jesus did this to me and now I can see”.  He was probably so shocked, so taken by what happened to him physically, that the implications of it all hadn’t had a chance to settle in.  But then, as the later dialogs develop between the blind man and the Pharisees and between the blind man and Jesus, we see that he has a different attitude.  So, he describes Jesus as a prophet- an explicit recognition that something exceptional happened, because he had a chance to reflect on the miracle. Yes, indeed, something profound happened and that meant to him that there was something special about Jesus.  But then, after he meets Jesus again and Jesus tells him that He is the Messiah, the blind man tells Jesus that He believes.  Ah, yes, he believes that Jesus is more than a prophet, and goes so far as to worship Him.  Indeed, this blind man went through a spiritual transformation.   

Now there are some of you who might think:  “Well, that is all very interesting, but it happened to this one man.  Certainly, I cannot identify with that blind man personally;  after all, I am here, already a believer, a real believer.  It’s the people like the Pharisees and the others in today’s Gospel story who are blind, not me.”  Well, consider this.  Samuel was one of the greatest Prophets and Judges of the Old Testament.  And yet Samuel was still blind, unable to see as God sees.  The proof of that is today’s story of the choice of David.  Samuel is ready to choose the handsome older son of Jesse because, he saw differently than God.  But God says basically, “don’t judge by appearances”.  Samuel, you see, was blinded by appearances.  And yet, ironically, once David is brought from virtual exile, away, hidden from sight by his pastoral duties as the family shepherd; indeed, once David is brought into the light, our reading tells us that David is “a youth handsome to behold and making a splendid appearance”!  Wow!  Once Samuel’s eyes were truly opened, then he could really see.  All of us who think that we can see need the same kind of transformation.  And Lent is the perfect time for us to stop what we are doing, take time out from the brilliance of the world and all it has to distract us, and to step back in such a way, that the hidden wisdom of God can transform us- transform us so that we can see, see the way God sees.   

So, I ask again, how is it that you and I are blind?  What is it that you are not seeing that is affecting your life, your relationship with God?  Is it something that is in your background, something that’s been there all along but you just haven’t seen it- a person, a circumstance, an opportunity, a problem?  Is it something that you are hiding, keeping locked up inside of you?  Perhaps it is something even suppressed because you don’t want to come to grips with it; or perhaps something that needs attention right now, but you think you are too busy to deal with it?  Then again, maybe you’ve been praying for something, and you don’t recognize that God has already answered your prayer because you are judging by your ability to see, and can’t see as God sees.   

Our second reading ends with a great piece of advice.  It is thought to be lifted from an ancient Baptismal hymn.  It is something all of us Baptized Christians would do well to ponder as we try to see things in our life  rhe way God sees them.  The advice is this:  “Awake, O sleeper and arise from the dead.  And Christ will give you light”. 

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“Whoever is Not With Me is Against Me”

March 31st, 2011

Thursday of Third Week of Lent

Jer 7: 23-28; Lk 11: 14-23

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

It seems sometimes that we, the people of God can work against each other.  Because when you come right down to it, we can sometimes allow ourselves to embrace differences, differences that cause us to become factions- factions that divide us, and in so doing, also divide the Kingdom of God.   

Now in the Gospel story, we hear that a group of the crowd claimed Jesus cast out devils by Beelzebub.  Why? Because they did not want to accept that God could work through this righteous Man.  Jesus message was too direct, too unconventional.  Jesus didn’t follow all the customs, all the laws.  Jesus preached a message of repentance, a message of turning away from the normal path of life.  Rather, Jesus followed his heart, and what his heart told him the Father’s will was for him.  Jesus was like one of those Old Testament Prophets that Jeremiah was talking about.  Those prophets kept trying to get the Israeli people to listen to God.  They wanted people to turn from their ways of the world, and return to the basics, the rules that Moses and the prophets wanted the people to write in their hearts: loving the one true God above all, and loving neighbor as self.  And who was Jesus neighbor?  Jesus was inclusive, not exclusive, in his message.  Everybody could be Jesus’ disciple, independent of station in life or heritage.  Jesus wooed Pharisees, and the uneducated in their faith; rich men, poor men, beggars, lepers, Jews, and even the dreaded Samaritans- everybody who would listen and turn to him.  But society in Jesus time was broken into factions- those who were members of the “in crowd”- but even then in competing schools of thought like Pharisees and Sadducees; and then there were the outsiders- rejected beggars and lepers;   tax collectors and prostitutes; and people who sympathized with the Romans. 

And so, is it any wonder that a group of the crowd would use the argument that Jesus cast out devils by Beelzebub.  It was a sort of a divide and conquer approach, one that would somehow cast Jesus and his followers as just another faction, but really a devil, a wolf dressed in sheep’s cloth.   

I read recently where some group has studied religion in a dozen various countries in Europe and the Americas, and has come to the conclusion that organized religion is waning out, dying out.  They base their results on numbers that show that people are rejecting the label of a designation- Catholic or Methodist or Lutheran or whatever.  The statistics show that more than half of the people who say they are Christian don’t attend services- and so, the people doing the study claim the light is going out on Religion.  That is what factions can do to us.  Although the majority of the World is nominally Christian, the light appears to be going out.  because without group support in Churches, our belief systems will erode and disappear.  As Christians, we simply must build on what unites us: belief in Jesus and all that he did, and the commandment above all others- Love of God and neighbor.  Because, as Jesus said in the Gospel:  “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters”. 

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On the Answer to Prayer

March 17th, 2011

Thursday of First Sunday of Lent

(St. Patrick’s Day)

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

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

Did you find it strange how today’s Gospel ended- the contrast between the theme in the two readings- prayer, and the last line of the Gospel on “doing to others”?  What’s the message there?  Now the readings tell us that God answers our prayers.  As an example we have Queen Esther’s story.  Here is a faith filled Jewish lady in the Old Testament, who is faced with dire circumstances.  She prostrates herself in prayer all day long in hopes that against all odds, God will spare her people from a terrible decree by her husband, the King.  We did not hear all of the story today, but Queen Esther’s prayer was indeed answered,. Her people were spared, her prayer was answered.  

And then, we have the famous words of the Gospel:  “Ask and you shall receive” with the quite vivid imagery of a father not giving his son a snake rather than a fish.  Indeed, if God, who is all good will always answer our prayers, and never ever give us a snake rather than a fish, then why, why does it sometimes seem that our fervent prayers are not heard?  Why does one person’s prayer seem to be answered, and yet another, equally, and maybe even more faith filled than the first, seem to get turned down- Why?  Personally, I have seen people pray for, and make devout and sincere novenas over time, and yet, their prayers seemed to go for naught- people who prayed that God would help them out of a job loss or natural disaster of some kind; the loss of a loved one so early in life; or people who were making a difference with their dedication and ministry but who succumbed to cancer or some other horrible disease.  And yet others seem to be miraculously healed; or wonderful things just fell into place, sparing them of the disaster.  And so I ask- why?  Why one person and not the other.?  

Well, this is one of those times where human understanding and knowledge falls short.  Because, basically,  we don’t have all the facts and we don’t know all the consequences.  Only God does- and it is God’s wisdom that we must learn to trust in.   

Today we celebrate the feast of St. Patrick.  It occurs to me that St, Patrick is a good example.  Here was a man who was kidnapped, enslaved, and subjected to terrible conditions for years.  Certainly, he must have felt abandoned by his God over the years of his captivity.  Certainly it must have seemed that his prayers were going for naught.  Finally, he escaped, and returned to his native England.  Now here’s the really interesting part; what did St. Patrick do?  He returned to Ireland as a Bishop, and worked for the rest of his life to convert the very people who had subjected him.  He dedicated his life to doing unto others as he would have them do to him.  Because St. Patrick lived as if Christ’s love surrounded him, and no matter what seemed to be happening to him , he could depend on the goodness of God’s will for him.  

And so, as difficult as it may seem to us,  God’s will is the answer to all of our prayers. 

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What Lent is All About

March 16th, 2011

Westminster Tower Ecumenical Service

From the Gospel for the 2nd Sunday in Lent

Matthew 17: 1-9

Dc. Larry Brockman

We’re in the middle of Lent!  You know, Lent, that 40 day period just before Easter when you’re supposed to fast and abstain from something and give alms and pray.  At least that is what us Catholics are supposed to be doing during Lent.  I’m resolved to give up beer and TV, for example.  That should give me more time to reflect, and a clearer head to reflect with.

Now, I see where lots of folks from the other Christian denominations were distributing ashes on Ash Wednesday.  I helped distribute ashes at a local hospital; and a Baptist minister was there too, helping us.  I think they may have distributed ashes here, in fact.  And since Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent, that means that Lent is something all of us Christians are paying more attention to these days.  Since these nice folks from Westminster Towers asked a Catholic to preach at their Ecumenical Service, I thought I would share some perspectives on Lent with you.   

Now you might ask what the Transfiguration described in our scripture has to do with Lent.  Well, first off, did you know that the three people who were transfigured- Jesus, Moses, and Elijah- shared something in common that echoes one of the Lenten themes I mentioned a moment ago?  Namely, all three of them fasted for 40 days and 40 nights at some time during their lives.  And they all fasted in the same desert wilderness- the region around Horeb. They fasted for 40 days and 40 nights- which is exactly how long Lent is.  And all three of them did that in order to get close to God.  Fasting has that effect because when you fast, you have a tendency to become more sensitive, more feeling.  Fasting opens your senses because you realize that something is missing, you can just feel it, and so, you can be swept into a heightened sensitivity to other things while you are fasting.  Fasting will help you to concentrate on God and listen to His message for you.   

Now, as I mentioned, along with fasting, Jesus, Moses, and Elijah got away from people by going into the wilderness to make sure that they could use their heightened sensitivity to focus on God and God alone.  There are two classic ways of getting away- going into the desert, and going to the top of a mountain. Let’s focus on the Transfiguration itself for a few minutes because it is an example of going up a mountain.  Jesus takes his three most trusted apostles- Peter, James, and John up a mountain- but not just any mountain, a high mountain.  Some scholars think it was a mountain nearly 10,000 feet high.  That took some time; you just don’t climb a 10,000 foot mountain over night.  And you can’t really take a lot of food with you either.  So, these guys were in a fast of sorts as well.  And so, this was a very isolated place where the Transfiguration took place, days away from civilization. 

Once there, Jesus is Transfigured.  But what exactly does that mean?  Well, it comes from the Greek word “metamorphosis”, which implies a change in state.  For example, when a caterpillar goes through a metamorphosis, it changes to a butterfly- a completely different manifestation, but the same creature.   

So this means that Jesus changes in some very significant way right before the Apostles’ eyes, but is the same person.  We hear “His face shone like the sun; and his clothes became white as light”.  In other words, Jesus experiences a metamorphosis to His glorified state.  Then, along with Jesus’ change, Moses and Elijah appear in a similar “transfigured” state.  And what was the Apostles’ reaction?  They were dumfounded- absolutely petrified.  And so, in his frightened and confused state, Peter says something stupid about erecting three tents or booths or tabernacles- depending on which translation you read, as if doing such a thing can sustain this incredible and dazzling vision.  It is then that we hear these words coming out of a bright cloud, as the voice of God the Father proclaims:  “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased”.  These are the exact same words that God the Father proclaimed out of a cloud when Jesus was Baptized.   

Indeed, these three most trusted Apostles took days to climb up that mountain with Jesus;  all the while living sparsely.  And once there, in an isolated spot, away from everyone and everything else, they had a direct encounter with Almighty God, an experience which was both awesome- because they saw a prefiguring of the Glory of God; but at the same time, an experience that was frightening- hence they fell prostrate in fear.   

Now before going on, I want to take a few moments to talk about the symbolism in the Transfiguration scene.  Most scripture scholars feel that Moses represents the law; and Elijah represents the Prophets of the Old Testament.  And so, the Transfiguration links Jesus and His mission to fulfill the promise for a Messiah in the Old Covenant with the Old Testament covenant as defined by the law and the prophetic message.  During the Transfiguration, Jesus meets and discusses this fulfillment with the very people through whom God chose to reveal the Law and prophecies in the Old Testament- Moses and Elijah.  The Transfiguration, then, represents a kind of lesson that Jesus shared with his most trusted Apostles  He gave them the opportunity to get away from everybody and everything so that they could see how he came in contact with God and discerned his own mission.  And so, the Apostles saw Jesus in his own future Glory, the Glory of the only Son of God; and they experienced the awesome power of God the Father.  The Transfiguration validated Jesus claim to be God, and demonstrated how one could come to the mountain in isolation, pray, and discern God’s will.     

But the Apostles didn’t see any of this at all.  They missed the point that Jesus was, in fact, the Son of God, and that he was discussing his role in life- to be the Messiah that fulfills the Old Testament Covenant.  They missed the point that they needed to reflect in a similar way on their mission in life by going into the desert or up the mountain to encounter God, and listen to His will for them.   

During Lent, we are all challenged to use the 40 days that the Church calendar provides to prepare ourselves for the Resurrection experience that comes on Easter Sunday by fasting and praying; and by reflecting on our lives and our mission in life.  The Transfiguration can be seen as an incident in which Jesus shares with us a formula for all of us to follow.  First, fasting and preparation; then, the journey to the desert or the mountain; and lastly, listening to God and what his will is.   

Our fasting doesn’t have to be difficult.  It just needs to be substantive enough to sensitize us;  to remind us that fulfilling our wants and desires is not what life is all about, but rather, doing the will of the Father.  And our journey to the desert or mountain can be simple as well- the privacy of our rooms or a quiet corner in a garden, for example.  It can be any place where we separate ourselves from the distractions of the world.  And if we listen, we may just hear, or sense, the presence of God as the Apostles did.   

One way to heighten such an experience is to imagine yourself in the midst of one of these biblical scenes- like the transfiguration we just heard this morning, or John’s story of the Woman at the Well; or a healing story, like the raising of Lazarus or the healing of the blind man.  First, read the scripture several times slowly so you are familiar with it.  Then, close your eyes, and go through everything the scripture describes as if you were a bystander or participant.  And then maybe, just maybe, God will speak to you in some way.  A hint, a nudge, a feeling, may come to you that will help answer your prayers whatever it is that you may have been looking for.  God is always listening to us when we pray.  But sometimes we don’t listen to him because we are looking for different kind of answer.  God’s wisdom is a knowing kind of response   Rather than a detailed roadmap on the steps to follow to solve one of our problems.  It’s a validation- a warm feeling that things are OK.  It’s a vision of something that leads us in the right direction; and it can also be an uneasiness that tells us to look elsewhere.   

Every year we hear about Lent, and for many of us we start off resolved to make a special effort to get in touch with God.  But like New Years resolutions, days, even weeks pass, and before you know it, the opportunity for our self examination and our purification is over.  Before you know it, Easter has arrived and we are celebrating the Resurrection.  Don’t let that happen this year.  Rather, savor the season of Lent.  Use it to find out how to make a change in your life to align yourself with the will of God.  Then, the Resurrection experience on Easter morning will be one of true joy, knowing that you have made the effort to align yourself with the will of God. 

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A Life and Death Matter

March 10th, 2011

Thursday After Ash Wednesday

Dt 30: 15-20; Lk 9: 22-25

Dc. Larry Brockman

A life and death matter! That’s what our choices in life amount to, a choice of life or death.  And yet it is ironic that the meaning of life and death in both readings today is actually reversed compared to the way the secular world looks at these two terms.  For those of us who are Christians, real life means everlasting life, not life in this world as we know it.  Very clearly, we have to pass through death to get to that everlasting life, and in fact, there are several layers of death that lead to the everlasting life that is referred to. Jesus talks about both- first dying unto yourself and doing God’s will; then, suffering and actually dying physically so that you are no longer of this world.  Jesus tells his disciples that He will endure both to achieve eternal life.   

By contrast, the secular world values life in the world at all costs- they emphasize a certain quality of life of comfort and leisure.  And so people do whatever is required to prolong life in this world, especially a comfortable life.  They try to avoid both layers of death that I mentioned above.   

And yet, the bad kind of death that both Moses and Jesus refer to is anything we do that puts us on the outside with God.  We face that bad kind of death when we reject his will for us,  People who just seek comfort and leisure and a long life rather than living God’s will for them,  are choosing this awful kind of death, not life because no matter who you are, you cannot stave off physical death forever.  But you can reject everlasting life by putting yourself first.

One of my favorite Holiday movies is “It’s a Wonderful Life”.  The hero, George Bailey, wants a different life for himself than the one he is born into.  Rather than live in a small town and take over his father’s business, George wants to get away, see this world, and do something “big” by the world’s standards.  But circumstances, and his conscience, force him into living the life he was given, not the one he wanted.  And so, anger and frustration develop, and he wishes he’d never been born.  As the story goes, a funky kind of angel is sent to rescue George by granting him his wish.  He shows George how much worse off his little world would be if he had never been born.  George comes to realize this when the angel tells him that “He really did live a wonderful life”.   

God, in his goodness, puts all of us into the world at a certain place and time and station so that we will bloom where we are planted.  There are many joys in that life for most of us- happy times in childhood; a love story that pairs us with a wonderful spouse; talents that lead to jobs that challenge and delight us; and children and grandchildren that fill us with joy.  Along with all of these joys are pain and suffering, and everybody is dealt some pain and suffering.  We see illnesses like Cancer and Alzheimers and Parkinsons and the like in our families; job losses and broken relationships and losses of dear ones.  They are the crosses we are called to bear. 

Lent is a time to reflect on the call to carry our crosses.  Lent is a time for us to choose life. 

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The Faith of a True Christian

March 6th, 2011

9th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Dt 11: 18, 26-28, 32; Rom 3: 21-25, 28: Mt 7: 21-27

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

It isn’t good enough.  It isn’t good enough to just say you believe- assenting to some vague sense of belief in the trinity, and that Jesus died on the cross, rose from the dead, and promised those who believed all of that they, then they would inherit eternal life.  Because this may be paying lip service to the consequences of what our faith teaches.   And appearances don’t cut it either- looking like a Christian by just appearing to live as a Christian, coming to Mass each week; and associating with a Christian community like this one.  These are good things- but they aren’t sufficient,  because they don’t in and of themselves make us Christians.   

You see, as Moses says in the first reading on behalf of God the Father, we have to “Take these words of mine into your hearts and souls”.  Into your hearts and souls!  That means that we need to not just say we believe, or appear to believe, but me must understand what our faith teaches so that it becomes part of our innermost being.  If we do that, then we will live our Faith, and that is the key, living our Faith- believing and understanding what we believe to such a depth that our hearts and minds respond to it by the way we lead our daily lives.  That is what it means to be a Christian.  And so, today’s scriptures, taken as a whole, require a whole lot more of us than just saying we believe or going through the appearances of a believer.   

Now St. Paul says very clearly this morning that:  “A person is justified by Faith apart from the law”.  So, Faith is what saves us, not observance of the law, but it has to be real faith.  Faith is believing in what God has revealed to us, even if we can’t understand it all or reason it all out.  Today’s society has embraced an intellectual attitude that says to believe in something, it has to be proven; there has to be scientific evidence of it.  But again, Faith is accepting things we cannot prove- things like the incarnation and the trinity and even the existence of God, just don’t conform to our culture’s standard that requires scientific proof.  And yet, through the whole body of scripture, and the tradition of the Church, we have been given our basic Nicene Creed on what we believe about God.  This Creed is professed every Sunday right after the Homily.  It is what all of us as Christians- even our Protestant brothers,  jointly profess as the basics of our religious belief.  To be a Christian, we need to believe all of it, taking it on Faith.  Why? Because over thousands of years of our Judeo Christian tradition,   the Nicene Creed emerges as the essence of God’s revelation of His nature to us, and so we need to accept it. 

And we have been given the ten commandments on what God expects of us in terms of moral behavior.  These have been augmented by Jesus’ teachings, particularly the Beatitudes.  We need to accept these because they are direct revelations from our God.    Now our culture teaches us, especially when we are college educated, to challenge everything.  We are taught to be discerning, skeptical, and critical of what information is presented to us.  We are taught to test everything, reason it out, and weigh all of the implications in arriving at truth.  And our society preaches that things are relative; that it all depends on the circumstances and your perspective. 

And so, when we are confronted with something like our Catechism- which summarizes the teachings of the Church including the implications of what our faith teaches on the Creed and the 10 commandments and the beatitudes at the next level of detail- people tend to bristle at this level of detail and challenge it.  Rather, our culture encourages a cafeteria type of “faith”, one in which we pick and choose what we reason to be acceptable from the Catechism, as if any of us individuals have the intellectual capacity to compete with the aggregate teaching authority of our Church.   And this is done under the guise of going by our own consciences.  I’ll have more to say about the conscience part in a minute.    And so, there are folks who claim to be people of “Faith” who believe, for example, that Abortion is OK because they see other dimensions, other perspectives of the truth- like the circumstances surrounding the pregnancy.   But this is not a matter of personal opinion, it is a moral truth.  And yes, there are moral absolutes, things are not relative.  Abortion is not OK even in cases of rape and incest because of the circumstances; it is always inherently wrong because it takes an innocent life. 

That’s what the emphasis in today’s Gospel is trying to tell us.  Moral relativism is like building your house on sand- because as an individual your house cannot handle relativism.  You and I need bedrock to build our foundations on- absolute rights and wrongs- or else we will fall apart when we are confronted with all of the challenges.  None of us has the wisdom and discernment of God.  And so He has revealed his truth to us through scriptures and our aggregate tradition.so that we will know- will know what the truth is, and the Catechism is the truth, the bedrock foundation we all need.   

Let me talk about conscience for a minute.  We all must act according to our consciences, right.  And in fact, the Catechism says that.  But, the Catechism also says that our consciences need to be informed, fully informed.  The formation of our consciences is not a secular responsibility.  It is a responsibility that is associated with our belief system.  You know, last December, our parish and the Diocese as a whole, launched a program called “Why Catholic”.  “Why Catholic” is a walk over several years, through the Catechism.  It is a way for you and I to become better informed as to what the Church teaches and why.  It is a Catholic way to form your conscience.  It is not too late to join one of these groups.  We will be signing folks up for these groups again as we enter Lent. 

Now when your Faith is strong, and you know what our church teaches, it will be written on your hearts and minds.  And like all people of good will, you will live that faith with conviction, even when the going gets tough, because the overwhelming majority of us want to do the right thing. 

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What is Real Faith?

March 3rd, 2011

Thursday of the 8th Week of Ordinary Time

Sir 42: 15-25; Mk 10: 46-52

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

What was so special about Bartimaeus’ faith?  I asked myself that question as I read this morning’s Gospel.  Here was a man blind from birth.  That meant lots of things in his day.  It meant that Bartimaeus was uneducated; it meant that he was unemployed, unable to care for himself; and it meant that he was rejected by society, he was ignored and pretty much resigned to a place in the background and a lowly station in life that was an object of pity.  And yet, Jesus singles Bartimaeus out, cures him and tells him “Go your way, your faith has saved you”.  Wow!   

Now Bartimaeus’ blindness certainly has a symbolic meaning, not just a literal meaning.  Because that’s the reason the Gospel stories were selected by their authors- as teaching stories, not just biographical stories.  So “blindness” in this case could mean many things.  For example- clueless, oblivious, pre-occupied, self-absorbed; all of these things are a form of blindness.  They are blindness to the realities of what life is all about. 

In the first reading from Sirach, we are all asked to appreciate the wonderful works of God.  This, it occurs to me, is the opposite to the symbolic blindness of the Gospel.  Because when we really appreciate the wonderful works of God, we exhibit a simple form of faith in God. He is a God who does great things and a God whose will results in the ultimate goodness for everyone and everything.  This kind of faith motivates us to accept the life that God gives us, and work our way into the Kingdom of God.   

Notice that after Bartimaeus is cured of his blindness of sight, he doesn’t just dance off in euphoria over his miraculous cure.  Rather, he follows Jesus, and so we have a hint that not only is his physical blindness cured, but his blindness to the meaning of life is cured as well.  Bartimaeus realizes that he needs to follow up on his cure, and seek God.   

But still, why was Bartimaeus singled out?  What was so special about his Faith going into this incident?  We have a few subtle clues.  First, Bartimaeus is persistent- so persistent that he is rebuked for being a pest.  And then, his appeal is simplistic, almost child-like in simplicity.  Also, Jesus doesn’t go to Bartimaeus the blind man; rather, Jesus asks the blind man to come to him!  And so Bartimaeus throws off his cloak, probably his sole and special possession, and works his uncertain way toward Jesus.  So, Bartimaeus exhibits a persistent, simplistic, basic faith, one in which he abandons all he has got to get to the object of his appeal, Jesus; and the path to Jesus was uncertain and meandering; yet steady.   

Our society is marked by a certain sophistication; our society honors wisdom and knowledge,  and throws out roadblocks of skepticism for things of faith.  Bartimaeus’ kind of faith as I just described it, is the antithesis, the direct opposite, to the wisdom of the world. 

And so, when you appeal to Jesus, do you do exhibit Bartimaeus kind of faith? 

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Blessed Are They Who Fear the Lord

February 10th, 2011

Thursday of the 5th Week of Ordinary Time

Gen 2: 18-25; Mk 7: 24-30

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

“Blessed are they who fear the Lord”.  That was our response, repeated several times this morning.   Indeed, we hear all the great things that will happen to us if we fear the Lord.  For example, we shall eat of the fruit of our handiwork; have many children; and see prosperity all the days of our lives- all because we fear the Lord.  These images, and granted they are Old Testament images, were evidence of great favor in the culture of ancient times.   

Now the word “Fear” in this context means a healthy respect, rather than the kind of fear that is a terrifying horror.  It is like the respect a young child shows his parents.  Given the awesome power and overwhelming benevolence the child sees, they honor and respect every word, action, and facial expression of the parents.  Their parents are their whole world to them.  Even their cries can echo a sense of respect.   

The Syrophoenician woman in the Gospel is a person that fears the Lord in this sense.  This woman respected the power of God that was entrusted to Jesus so much that she believed that whatever was left over from Jesus ministry to the people of God, the Jews- yes, even that little built, like the scraps children drop from the table would be more than sufficient  to heal her daughter, to heal her daughter of the presence of an unclean spirit.   

If we could see a prayer dramatized- the lifting of a person’s mind and heart to God in a request to God to help that person, then the story of the Syropoenician woman is basically like that.  It is a vision of how a humble, sincere prayer to God was heard and answered by God himself in real time.   

Many of us here this morning have similar dilemmas as this woman.  We have a demon that needs to be cast out somewhere in our families or in our lives, and despite our best efforts, we can’t seem to get it done ourselves.  It might be a big demon- like somebody’s addiction, a depression, or a financial disaster;  or it may be a smaller demon; ;ike a bad personal habit or someone who is pestering us.  But it won’t go away.  And yet, if we fear the Lord, and bring our hearts and minds to God, He will answer our prayers, because “Blessed are they who fear the Lord”. 

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You Can do it if you Believe

February 3rd, 2011

Thursday of the 4th Week of Ordinary Time

Heb 12: 18-19, 21-24; Mk 6: 7-13

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

What a visionary.  Paul’s visions of the Old and the New Testament God are so graphic.  First, he gives his vision the Old Covenant vision of the God of Moses- fearful, terrifying, power and might, and foreboding.  It was a vision such that people begged that there be no more of it.  In fact, Paul says even Moses thought the scene was terrifying.  But then, Paul gives a vision of God in the New Testament- a heaven that awaits all of us because we are the ones invited to approach it.  It is a wonderful, joyful, welcoming place of peace and joy.  Such a contrast!   

It seems to me that the first vision communicates a sense of overwhelming power- a power that none of us can cope with, a power that is hopelessly beyond us, the power of the almighty God.  It evokes fear, because it should evoke fear.  All of us are so small compared to God, that all of us should fear the immensity and the power of the supreme being.  It is a power and might that should strip of us of all our prideful inclinations.  And indeed, that was the emotion that Moses described.   

But the fact is that when Jesus came, it was our merciful God coming among us to calm our fears.  Jesus broadcast a message of the love and mercy of God.  It was as if God was saying, “Look, I will take on your nature so that you can see that you do not need to fear me like that; just listen to me, and I will show you the way so that you can be with me in eternal joy.  Don’t worry, be happy; I am a God of mercy”.   

But with that promise, there comes a price to pay.  That’s what our Gospel is all about today.  Did you notice that Jesus sends his disciples forth to preach before his passion?  It was a sort of trial run of the Apostle’s future mission after He dies and is resurrected.  These men of faith are told what to do- to carry out their mission with confidence and in faith.  They are empowered with authority.  And walla, they do it- they cure the sick, drive out demons and work miracles!   

Now the way I see it, these men were just showing all of us the way.  We, too, are being sent out to work miracles and spread the good news.  First we have to believe.  Then the conviction of our belief and the reassurance of our God will give us the authority and the confidence to do mighty things.  Unlike the Apostles, whose mission really was to spread Christianity to the whole World. our mission is much less ambitious.  We just need to practice our faith in our lives, in our families, and in our communities- in our little world.  We are called upon to do that with confidence and authority, so that our brothers will see that Christianity is the way and the truth.  In our little world, there are many demons to cast out:  Abortion, lusts of all kinds, and materialism are just a few;  And there are many illnesses to cure: addictions, psychological disorders, and others.  And we can do it, because we really do believe.   

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True Humility

January 30th, 2011

4th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Zeph 2: 3; 3: 12-13; 1 Cor 1: 26-; Mt 5: 1-12a

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

When St. Augustine was asked to name the three most important virtues, he gave an interesting answer:   First, he said, humility; second, humility; third, humility.  Humility is God’s favorite thing; he longs to find it in us.  But just what is humility.   

There are all kinds of interesting stories about truly humble people.  Here is just one:  It seems there was a cocky, successful, young French businessman traveling by train to Paris, many years ago.  He was sharing a compartment with on old man who looked like a peasant – simple clothes, short hair, and a weather-beaten face.  The up-and-coming businessman noticed the rosary gripped in the old man’s hands, and the devotion and concentration expressed on his face.  The young man thought he would have some fun, so he said, “I see that you still believe in that medieval bunk about praying your beads.   Do you also believe in all the other myths the priests try to teach us?”  “Yes, indeed”, the old man answered, “Don’t you?”  “Me? Do I believe in all that ridiculous superstition”?   The young man laughed out loud; then he said:   “I gave that up in college.  And if you want to be smart, you should throw those beads out the window and start studying some real, scientific truth.”  The old man answered,   “I don’t understand what you mean. Maybe you could help me”.  The young whippersnapper felt he had been a little harsh, so he answered,   “Well, I could send you some articles, if you like.  Do you know how to read”?  “More or less”, the old man answered.  “Good – so where should I send the material?”  The old man fumbled in his coat pocket and then handed over a card.  It bore a simple inscription:   Louis Pasteur – Paris Institute for Scientific Research.   

Clearly Louis Pasteur’s humility didn’t hinder his greatness.  So, humility is not shying away from and denying ones talents.   Rather what true humility is can be understood by discovering the unifying idea that undergirds the eight Beatitudes, which we just heard, and which summarize Jesus’ teaching about how to live.   Looking carefully, we see a common denominator: The person who is blessed is the person who is not thinking about himself all the time. The poor in spirit and those who suffer persecution  They gracefully realize that they are not the center of the universe – God is.  The clean of heart realize that other people don’t exist just for the sake of their pleasure.  The peacemaker is concerned about the needs and problems of others.  The merciful is concerned about the suffering of others.  The mournful is concerned about the damage his sin does to the Church, the world, and other people.  The meek care more about getting things done than getting credit for doing things.  Those who hunger for righteousness realize that their life has a higher purpose, that it’s part of a bigger story.  So, underlying all the Beatitudes is this fundamental attitude that puts God and others ahead of self.  It looks out at the world instead of staring in, fixated on self.   

Now if the essence of humility is thinking more about God and others than about oneself,   Growing in humility means training ourselves to do just that, and it is a life-long project.  Prayer is essential here, by turning our attention towards God.  Reading the Bible is essential as well, because it presents us with Christ’s perfect example of humility.  But I want to talk about one other way to express our humility:  Praying for the souls in Purgatory.  Something all of us need to realize is that very, very, few people die so full of the Love of Christ that they are ready to see the face of God.  Rather, most of us die without having been completely purified from our self-centered habits and desires, no matter how old we have gotten.  If we die in friendship with Christ, we will enter eternal life with him in heaven.   But we can’t make that entry until the last remnants of self-centeredness have been purified.  Purgatory is the name the Church gives to that process of purification.  The Church has also taught us that we can pray for the souls in Purgatory, and we can even help speed up their purification.   We can help the souls in Purgatory, relieving their suffering and speeding up their entry into heaven, in many ways.  Simply lifting our hearts to God, and offering our daily sufferings up for the souls in purgatory will help them, if we desire it.  Certain prayers, like an act of faith, the Rosary, or the Creed, can be offered up in this way as well.  Teaching someone about Christ or Christian doctrine, doing an act of kindness with a spirit of faith, or giving up a small pleasure (like sugar in our coffee, or salt on our French Fries), are all actions that we can offer up for someone else.  So, like a good mother, the Church has made it easy for us to help our brothers and sisters in Purgatory.  And whenever we do, we are opening our hearts to God and to others, thereby exercising the pivotal virtue of humility, the key to holiness and happiness.   

This week, let’s give God the pleasure of doing our part to grow in his favorite thing, humility.[1]


[1] Homily material taken extensively from e-priest notes for January 30th, 2011

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