God is Relevant

July 20th, 2008

 

July 20, 2008

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Wis 12: 13, 16-19; Rom 8: 26-27; Mt 13: 24-43

Dc. Larry Brockman

God is irrelevant.  That’s what a Canadian social study concluded about that nation’s young people.  Because, although 84% of those surveyed said they believed in God, only 10% believed that God had “a great deal of influence on how they lived”.  Our society teaches that here as well.  It claims that everything can be explained by natural processes through science, and that those natural processes are not coordinated by “an intelligent source”- they are just random.  So people don’t really believe God works miracles- because they can all be explained through science.  And what follows from that is very subtle, but it is nevertheless certainly assumed.  Because if God doesn’t intervene in what happens in our world, then that implies that God doesn’t work in our lives either.  So, the chances are that lots of people today, even those who say they believe in God, don’t really think God has a great deal of influence on their lives. 

Do you?    Really, do you think God has a great deal of influence on your life?  Well, today’s parable of the wheat gives good insight into God’s attitude towards our lack of faith,  Because it deals with mercy- God’s infinite mercy.   

First, let me explain something about the parable.  The word used for “weed” in the parable is actually “Darnel”.  Darnel looks very much like wheat when it is young.  That makes Darnel difficult to deal with until it grows to a mature plant.  But Darnel’s fruit is poisonous as opposed to the nourishing properties of wheat.  That is what made the enemy’s deed so cunning and effective.  Scholars indicate that processing costs would have been 4 times normal to do what the landowner ordered his workers to do- to separately gather and process the good and the bad crops.  So, a normal landowner would not have been so calm.  He would have been very angry, and sent his people out to find the enemy and seek revenge. 

But, Jesus theme in this parable is Mercy.  Jesus tells us the meaning of the parable in his own words.  The enemy is the devil; the Darnel are those who follow the devil; the Son of God is the landowner; and the wheat represents the righteous ones.  Jesus says the landowner’s plan was to be patient- and wait until the harvest.  He didn’t seek revenge. 

Now, all of you out there probably think this parable is talking about “them”, not “us”.  After all, us’ns all gathered here are believers.  “Them” are the evil ones out there in the world, the people who are not here; the Canadians I mentioned, or people who are atheists or imprisoned felons- the bad people of the world.  Well, I don’t think so.  I think Jesus is talking to you and I,   Because there’s a little bit of Darnel in all of us.  We are all sinners.  And society has carefully sown a dangerous weed seed, one that grows up right along side of us.  It looks like a believer; it says it’s a believer; but when you come right down to it, it is not a believer.  Down deep many people all around us think God is remote, and irrelevant in their lives.  And that happens right here among us, it’s not just “them”- somewhere out there.   

But, Jesus is telling you and I that God will be patient.  God will wait until the harvest at the Last Judgment to determine who is righteous and who is not.  In other words, God will be merciful. 

I see at least three lessons to be learned from this parable.  First, God is giving us every chance to repent and bear good fruit.  We can be Darnel today, but wheat tomorrow.  And God is willing to give us every chance to follow him right up until the last moment.  Second, God knows that we will be exposed to those who are weeds.  Indeed, God will leave the weeds amongst us. 

Why would he do that?  Well, because He wants all of us, and He is patient enough to give all of us a chance to repent.  Even those who think he is remote and not active in their lives.  Yes, he even loves “them”.  And thirdly, God wants us to be patient with the Darnel.  We are all called to show the same kind of mercy to others, as the mercy we would want shown to us.  Recall the words from the first reading:  “You mastery over all things makes you lenient to all”, and “And you taught your people, by these deeds, that those who are just must be kind”.   Kindness leads to conversion.   And so, the evil in the world is left in place partly because God hopes we will do his will, and by our example of kindness and mercy, convert even the hardest of hearts.     

Rest assured  God does have a great deal of influence in your lives.  Again, as the Wisdom reading says so well:  “For you show your might when the perfection of your power is disbelieved”.  Despite cynics and skeptics, this might has been demonstrated over the years in the miracles of the saints.  Anyone familiar with Padre Pio or Mother Theresa knows and understands that.

How can you assure that God is active in your life?  You access God in your life by your faith in Him, which translates to trusting that He will be with you in your life; and by prayer.  Paul tells us in the second reading that God’s spirit will come to our aid in weakness to plead for us when we pray, and I Quote:  “Because he intercedes for the holy ones according to God’s will”.  Try that- and see how he intercedes for you.  He answers your prayers by showering you with gifts- a child, a job, a healing; and, like any good parent, by disciplining you- a forced change in your life; an apparent no; or a loss of some kind.  When you have a prayer relationship with Him, you will come to understand the “why” of these hard things in time.  When that happens, and it surely will, it is then that you will know, that:

God is relevant. 

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On Being an Apostle

June 29th, 2008

June 29, 2008

Saints Peter and Paul


Acts 12: 1-11; 2 Ti 4: 6-8, 17-18; Mt 16: 13-19

 

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

St. Ignatius of Loyola once said:  “Pray as if everything is up to God; and work as if everything is up to us”.  Today, we celebrate the feast of Saints Peter and Paul.  These are two men who did precisely that, men who lived ordinary lives, even following their own agendas for a while.  But they were also men who heard the Lord’s call.  They were able to reconcile that call to put God first by praying constantly; but at the same time, these men were able to live life to the fullest by doing, by working courageously to accomplish God’s will for them. 

  

Most of us have a tendency to think that God has only a few favorites that he taps for service;  that God chooses a few special people to do great things for him, like Saints Peter and Paul in Apostolic times; like Mother Theresa and Pope John Paul II in today’s times.  I don’t think that’s the case.  You see, I think God calls all of us to do his work.  Let’s examine Peter and Paul closely, because they are good examples of how God hopes all of us will respond to His call. 

 

The first, Peter, was of no special lineage, just a poor fisherman by trade.  And then, one day, He was asked by Jesus to follow him.  He was a man who denied his best friend, Jesus, at the most critical time in his life, not once, but three times, because he was afraid the Jews would do the same to him- arrest him and try him for treason.  And yet, Peter repented, believed in the Lord, and resolved to do the Lord’s will.  He then followed wherever the Lord led him.  Peter lived life fully with enthusiasm through much adversity as this morning’s Gospel story of his jail break demonstrates.  As the veiled threat at the end of the Gospel indicated, Peter was martyred for Christ, the very thing he feared that caused his three denials. 

  

Paul, a tentmaker, by trade, was a zealous Jew who was very learned in the Pharisaic tradition.  He persecuted the Lord relentlessly by leading the Jews in the early persecution of the Church.  But Paul heard the Lord’s call on the road to Damascus.  He went off for 3 years to pray and understand the Lord’s Gospel which was revealed privately to him; and then he became the great Missionary to the Gentiles.  Did you know that Paul was small in stature, skinny, and had a weak whining speaking voice?  And yet Paul’s weak and whiney voice has lasted over 2 millenia. 

 

Yes, both men were sinners.  Both men had limitations.  But God called them to just trust him, and let Him take over in their lives.  And so, despite their weaknesses and fears, these men did great things; not because of their own capabilities; but in spite of them.  Rather, they did great things because of God’s grace in them. 

  

All of you can do the same.  You can dedicate your lives to God by praying constantly, without becoming a monk; and yet, doing the work God intends for you by living life to the fullest.  It means that you let God’s grace work in your lives, and you trust in him.

 

St. Theresa of Avila expressed the effect of grace this way:  She thought of the soul as a garden, and the plants in the garden as virtues like humility, patience, faith, hope, and courage.  These virtues are seeds planted by God in each of our souls.  Our job is to water them with prayer, and to fertilize them with obedience, even if it means self sacrifice.  But it is God himself, who gives life to the seeds as He sees fit.  We can work without praying- in which case our souls become dry deserts with no grace flowing in them, no virtues blooming, and no satisfactory direction emerging.  Or, we can pray without working, and our souls become like a stagnant pond-  no outlet for the grace we receive.  But we can do both- both pray and live life fully.  God will activate the virtues we need to do the job he intends for us.  God will show us the way.  And generally, but not always, our work will be right where we are- our families, our jobs, our community. 

  

In this year of evangelization, and especially now as we enter the Jubilee year dedicated to St. Paul, I challenge all of you to pray as if everything is up to God; and work as if everything is up to you. 

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Father’s Day

June 15th, 2008

  June 15, 2008

11th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Ex 19: 2-6a; Rom 5:6-11; Mt 9: 36-10:8

Dc. Larry Brockman

Way back in 1910, Mrs. John Dodd did something that affects all of us today.  You see, her dad, William Smart, was a civil war vet, who returned home to his farm in Spokane Washington only to find his wife had died in childbirth, bearing his 6th child.  Mr. Smart brought up the 6 children and ran the farm, too, all by himself.  It wasn’t until Mrs. Dodd grew up and had children of her own, that she fully appreciated the strength and selflessness her father had shown in raising 6 children as a single parent.  The strength came from belief in God and from love; and the selflessness demonstrated that love put into action.  To show her appreciation, Mrs. Dodd organized the first “Father’s Day” in Spokane, Washington on June 19, 1910.- a special day to honor fathers who had given so much to their children in the selflessness that had been an inspiration for their children.  By 1924, Father’s Days were being celebrated throughout the country, but not all on the same day.  It wasn’t until 1966 that President Johnson signed a presidential proclamation that set Father’s Day as the 3rd Sunday of June each year.  Today, we celebrate Father’s Day.   

Now in today’s gospel, Jesus summons his disciples and sends them out to do God’s work.  to proclaim the Kingdom of God to everyone.  This image prefigures the role of the Church today.  The Church sends out Bishops and Priests and Deacons to proclaim the Kingdom of God and bring people together.  But this summons and the mission that follows it doesn’t just apply to priests, deacons and religious; it applies to all of you as well.  Only instead of being summoned to proclaim the Kingdom of God to the community at large, the Church; you are called to proclaim the Kingdom of God in your families, the domestic Church.  That’s what parents are called to do for their children, to live and proclaim the word of God in their families.   

In the second reading, St. Paul tells us that Christ died for all of us, a good man dieing for the ungodly.  He says that “..only with difficulty does one die for a just person, though perhaps for a good person, one might even find the courage to die”.   But isn’t that what a good Father does for his children all the time?  Once a man becomes a father he is constantly called upon to makes sacrifices.  He works to feed and provide for his family.  He spends time being with and teaching his children.  In a sense, he dies a little to himself over and over, so that his children can have a better life.  His children represent his hopes, the happiness of his children gives him great joy.  And so, Fathers are willing to sacrifice their own wants for their children.   

And yet, there is more to Fatherhood than making those sacrifices.  First, children need Fathers who are motivated by love in all that they do.  Truly selfless motivation is the key that transmits the love.  Sometimes, that motivation isn’t recognized for what it is until much later, like it was for Mrs. Dodd.  But, that’s OK, the important thing is that love is the motivation.     

Second, children need to see that their dad’s actions are based on a solid foundation.  That foundation should be values firmly based on belief in, faith in, God.  Because it is that kind of Faith that will awaken God’s spirit in your children.  Ultimately, parents have the primary responsibility for passing on Faith.  Not the school, not the Church, not the grandparents; but the parents.  Children see how you perceive and relate to God in your life and that speaks louder than anything we can teach them as a Church.  In particular, the father has a special place in the family.  Because, as St. Paul has said, the father is the “Head” of the family.  Children look to the father to provide leadership.  Fathers who lead are a stabilizing and centering influence in their children’s lives.  They know what’s right; they say what they mean; and what they say and do is consistent with the values they preach.   

Third, children need to know that their fathers are human.  All people make mistakes, but good fathers admit it when they make mistakes.  That means saying “I’m sorry” when you are wrong.  That teaches forgiveness and compassion, virtues the world desperately needs today.     

As I look out on all of you today, I see all kinds of families.  There are fathers and grandfathers and great grandfathers.  There are children and grandchildren and great grandchildren.  This is a good time to reflect on your Dad, living or dead, to recognize the acts of selflessness that your Dad made for you; to reflect on how you can be a better child, or a better Dad.   

During the American Revolution, a Frenchman of so-called “low parentage”   Named Pierre Beaumarchais played a key role in getting the French to help our revolution.  He was aware that others demeaned his family origins, but he had this to say:  “I can only reply that I never saw a man with whom I would exchange fathers”.  Do you feel that way about your Dad?   

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Proclaiming the Real Presence

May 25th, 2008

 May 25, 2008

Corpus Christi

Dt 8: 2-3, 14b-16a; 1 Cor 10: 16-17; John 6: 51-58 

Dc. Larry Brockman

Over 700 years ago, something strange happened near Krakow, Poland.   For 3 nights, a bright, pulsing flood of light was seen for miles shining out of a swamp near a small church.   Today, we wouldn’t think anything of it- just a floodlight.   But there were no floodlights in the 14th century, and the people were scared.   After 3 days of praying and fasting, the Bishop led a procession into the swamp. They found the source of the light. They found a monstrance with consecrated hosts in it. The monstrance had been stolen from the small church by thieves for its gold, but it was discarded when they found out it was not real gold.  It was a miracle attributed to the Eucharist.  So, the Bishop built the Church of Corpus Christi there- the feast we celebrate today. 

This is but one of a string of documented Eucharistic miracles recorded over 20 centuries.   Some of these miracles include actual physical evidence that the host or wine was turned to real flesh and real blood:  hosts that have begun to bleed; hosts that have turned into flesh;   and hosts that have been miraculously preserved in the midst of devastating fires.  Some of this evidence is on display in Italy today.  Some of you have visited these places and know that what I say is true.   But like some of the people who actually saw the miracles Jesus worked,  there is still doubt- doubt, skepticism, and cynicism about the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.

Now, in the wake of Pope Benedict’s visit to the United States in which he encouraged us to dialog with other Christians; and in this year of Evangelization, when we are encouraged to help others to embrace our faith, it is especially important for you to understand what it means to be a Catholic.  

You need that so that you can defend your faith, and spread it.   That’s what it means to evangelize.   You have heard it said that the Eucharist is the source and summit of our Christian Faith.  The Catechism puts it very well:  “In the most blessed sacrament of the Eucharist, the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ    And, therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained” (#1374).  The Real Presence in the Eucharist is one of the main areas that defines what it means to be a Catholic.  It’s one of those things that makes us Catholics so different from other Christians   because they have the Bible- the Word of God; but we have the Bible AND the Eucharist, and that makes a big difference.     

How can you make that difference evident in our society?   First, you need to understand that it is a mystery; then you need to believe in that mystery; and finally you need to live like that mystery has meaning.  That’s one way you can fulfill your role as an evangelizer.

Did you know that the root meaning of the word “Sacrament” is “mystery”?   Yes, that is what the Eucharist is- a sacrament, which is by definition, a mystery.  In this modernistic era that we live in, that is a hard pill for people to swallow.   We are taught that natural processes are the only things that really can be.   Everything has an explanation- we just have to study it long enough to unravel the explanation.  And so, society tells us that miracles and mysteries can be solved by science. And yet, as scientists have found, the ultimate explanations that explain the mysteries they solve- like DNA chains in Biology or the origin of the Big Bang-   Lead to another layer of yet unsolved mysteries.  So they keep plugging along in an endless chain of discovery. But consider this: If a mystery is solved, it is no longer a mystery.  The Eucharist simply is, and always will be, a mystery.  That’s why it is a Sacrament. 

Second, you have to believe in the mystery of the Eucharist.  Believing means accepting things in your heart that you cannot explain- it’s what we call our faith.  Faith is believing in things without proof.  I can think of no better reason to believe in the real presence then the fact that Jesus told us so.  No less than 6 SIX times in just seven verses, Jesus says that his flesh is real food and his blood is real drink in today’s Gospel.  How does this miracle happen, the Real Presence in the Eucharist?   It happens at consecration during Mass,   When the Priest acts in the name of Jesus Christ to do, in remembrance of what Jesus did at the Last Supper.  Jesus said “This is my body”, and “This is my blood”.  He didn’t say it was a symbol; the Eucharist is not a symbol- that is too shallow.  It is the actual incarnation of God become man, Jesus.  And it is there for all of us over all time, not just for those who knew him 2000 years ago.  It is food from heaven, a food just as real as the manna talked about in the first reading.  We can see and feel and taste it.  That’s what we need, not something symbolic of a spiritual presence; but rather, a real presence physically that brings with it spiritual gifts which we call God’s grace.  Grace is what we all need to live out our call to be like Jesus.  Instead of nourishment in a conventional earthly sense for our bodies, like the manna of the Old Testament, it is a nourishment of our whole selves- if you believe, really believe in the power of the Eucharist.  

There are many ways you can demonstrate you really believe.  One way is reverence- a reverence that broadcasts a proper attitude- little things like proper dress, respectful silence, and attention when you receive.  A second way is joyful participation- participating in the singing and procession, and participation in perpetual adoration.  It’s that participation that Paul addresses when he asks the rhetorical questions in the second reading.  And a third way is consistent testimony with conviction to all who ask you about your faith.  All of you have the opportunity to do that- to give testimony.  Instead of a smile and silence, tell them you believe and why.  Jesus tells us that all are saved who believe in him and don’t deny him.   As a Catholic, you have a special gift among Christians. You have Jesus with you each time you receive the Eucharist.  Don’t deny Him, proclaim Him as a member of the Body of Christ.  

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Evangelization

May 4th, 2008

  May 4, 2008

Ascension

Acts 1: 1-11; Eph 1: 17-23; Math 28: 16-20 

Dc. Larry Brockman

A year of Evangelization- That’s what Bishop Wenski has declared as the theme For our Diocesan 40th Anniversary celebration.  Are you ready, Or are you going to miss that train? That train comes Thursday, May 8th and continues on Through Saturday evening, May 10th At the Orange County Convention Center When the Diocese is hosting a Festival of Faith. You probably have seen the TV and billboard adds; And maybe you looked at the brochure sent to all of you in the mail.  It describes all the events- performances by Adult and Children’s Choirs, top notch speakers on a variety of Faith topics, and magnificent Liturgies- one for the opening; one celebrating Marriage, and one celebrating the Youth.  There are plenty of Parish and organization displays to inform you on what’s going on in ministry.  But what does it all mean- this emphasis on Faith and Evangelizing, and why participate?

Each year, the church reenacts our salvation journey from the expectation of our Redeemer- Advent through the birth of God-made-Man- Christmas; into the Lenten period of Penance and Fasting; culminating in Holy Week, and the Death and Resurrection of Jesus.  This is followed by the joyful Resurrection of Jesus- Easter; and finally, the period after arrival of the Holy Spirit- Pentecost, a period in which we are reminded how we are to orient our lives to the will of God.  These Church seasons are structured so we don’t forget the story of our salvation in the humdrum of our lives.  And so we remember our baptismal promise to evangelize.  Evangelization means we spread our Faith, the Good News of Jesus Christ in word and deed.  That is God’s will for all of us, that we spread the good news of Christianity by our example.

As we come to the close of the Easter Season, we are at a high point in that church cycle. We are still experiencing the incredible joy that comes with knowing that we have been saved, and will experience Eternal Life- IF, if we follow Jesus and his commandments.

Today’s Gospel says it very clearly: “Go, therefore and make disciples of all nations”.  That’s you- the Apostles are told to make disciples of you; and then Jesus says: “Teaching them to observe all that I commanded you, and behold, I am with you always”.  So, each of you is made a disciple, an evangelizer, at Baptism.  But have you followed through on that promise?

You know, it’s ironic, but all of us are very much like the Apostles.  We have two hang ups in Evangelizing.  First, there is doubt.  Today’s Gospel tells us that  “When they saw him, they worshiped him, but they doubted”.  Imagine that.  These are people who actually saw the horrors of the crucifixion and then the unbelievable Resurrection.  But the Gospel says that even they still doubted.  Likewise, even though we say we believe, we still hold back from full belief- perhaps a lack of belief in the real presence; or a lack in trust that God will provide for us in difficult times; and maybe we lack belief that we can evangelize. 

Second, we keep looking for some other purpose in life besides fulfilling our Baptismal promise.  In the reading from Acts, Jesus tells his Apostles that they will soon be Baptized with God’s spirit.  That will give them the strength to speak of the Kingdom of God, and evangelize.  But right after telling them this, what do the Apostles ask him?  They ask Him if he is going to restore Israel now.  As if restoration of the earthly kingdom is the kingdom of God.

They just didn’t get it.  They didn’t understand their call to live their life according to Jesus Commandments with the help of the Holy Spirit.  How about you?  Is your focus is on how you want things to be, or is it on living according to Jesus Commandments and living God’s will for you?

In just a week we will celebrate Pentecost.  Pentecost symbolizes the arrival of God’s Spirit, the Holy Spirit, into our lives.  Paul talks about the gift of the spirit this morning.  It is a spirit of wisdom and revelation.  That’s what you need to hear the real call of God in your lives- a spirit of wisdom and revelation; a spirit of discernment of God’s will for you.  How appropriate that Pentecost caps off our Festival of Faith because this week, in the festival, you have a great opportunity.  First, you have an opportunity to evangelize just by being there, because that tells the world that our Catholic community is alive and well and committed.  But also you have an opportunity to see what is going on- to see how others are putting their faith into action.  And you have an opportunity to pray on what God’s will is for you.  Then, next Sunday, on Pentecost, the spirit of God will be there to give you the wisdom and power to renew your faith and commitment to His will.

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Being an Evangelizer

April 27th, 2008

  April 27, 2008

Sixth Sunday of Easter

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

Presented 4/24/08 at Westminster Tower

Dc. Larry Brockman

Did you know that all of you share something in common with Phillip?  You see, Phillip was evangelizing the Samaritans.  That’s what the first reading was all about.  And, by virtue of your Baptism, you, too, are all called to be Evangelizers.  That means you are all called to bring people to the Faith just like Phillip. 

By the way, that is a theme of our whole Diocese this year- Evangelizing.  There’s a Diocessan festival in works at OCCC from May 8 to May 10.  Thousands are expected to attend, and the theme is our need to Evangelize.

Now I know many of you think that evangelizing is for someone else.  “Certainly not me!” you think, “What can I do”?  “I am not going to bring thousands of Samaritans to the Faith”.  Well, take a closer look at what Peter has to say in the second reading.  Peter is talking about evangelizing, too.  First, Peter says that you should always be ready to give an explanation of your hope.  Hope- let’s look at the hope part.  All of us that are here at this Service- we are here because we have hope.  We believe that Jesus is risen from the dead, and that he went to the Father, and that he is coming back to take us to the Father with him- if we love him by keeping His commandments.  We all have that hope, right?   

Next, Peter says that when we give an explanation of our hope- that means we do it; we are not silent.  Then we do are to do it out of our conviction with gentleness and reverence.  All of us can do that, no matter what our status is- young or old; healthy or not; married or single; whatever.  It does take courage, and we’ll get to that.  Because Peter goes on to say that you may have to suffer- suffer because of your testimony to your faith and hope.  And that just goes to show that the world hasn’t changed much in the last 2000 years.  Because people now, just as people then, have to suffer when they tell an inconvenient truth or they stand up for their belief.  Peter’s contemporaries were put to death by the Roman emperor.  Fortunately, most of us here won’t have to suffer that way.  But, when you are called upon to defend your hope and your faith, you may have to suffer in other ways- or to make a sacrifice.  It can be as simple as making a commitment to attend Mass or this Communion Service- that can sometimes involve a sacrifice; or living with a disability or an illness.  If you bear those circumstances with dignity and maintain your Christian faith and hope throughout, then you are evangelizing others.  You see, people are watching how you behave in difficulties.  So, you can be evangelizing them whether you know it or not.  Of course, when you stand up to people who challenge you, just as the people of Peter’s time you are also evangelizing.  It can be things like defending the right to life; defending marriage; the Eucharist; the trinity; and that Jesus really is God and became man.  All of you have discussions with others about your faith like this.  And when you defend your faith, with gentleness and reverence, you are evangelizing.   

As I mentioned, you can do it, but it does take courage- courage to bear pain; courage to say or do the right thing, courage to be gentle and reverent.  Where can we get the kind of courage we need?  Well, all things are possible if we are filled with the Spirit.  In the Gospel, Jesus tells his disciples that he will send the Spirit, the advocate.  We know that the Spirit is real; and has power to work through us.  Look at the story of Phillip again.  One man, so filled with the Spirit, that he cast out many devils; one man who converted the Samaritans, a people who were considered hopeless by the Jews at that time.  Yes, indeed, the Spirit of God is the source of the courage and wisdom we need.  And, He is just a prayer away. 

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Faith

March 27th, 2008

March 30, 2008

Second Sunday of Easter

Acts 2: 42-47; 1 Peter 1: 3-9; Jn 20: 19-31

Presented at Westminster Tower 3/27/08

Dc. Larry Brockman

I want to ask you a simple question.  Do you believe that the sun will go down tonight?  Well do you?  (Pause for response)  Yes, of course you do.  But you know something-   You don’t actually “believe it”,  Rather, you know it-  you know it.  It’s a sure thing, isn’t it?  You have seen it, over and over, so you say you “believe it”; but your experience has shown it to be so, and what you really mean is that you know it. 

Indeed, there is a big difference between “knowing” and “believing”.  Believing involves an act of faith.  It means accepting something you can’t prove.  It means accepting something you don’t know as a fact; something you accept as a fact- without hard evidence, without proof.  Like the fact that there is a God; like the fact that Jesus is God become man;  Like the fact that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah;  Like the fact that Jesus Christ died and rose from the dead; and like the fact that you receive the body and blood of Jesus at Communion.  These are all things that you have to believe, they are not things that you “know”.   

Today is Divine Mercy Sunday.  Each year, the second Sunday of Easter is designated as Divine Mercy Sunday.  Peter talks about Divine Mercy in the second reading.  Peter says, and I quote:  “Blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”.  There are two key things that Peter said: he talks about God’s great mercy, and he talks about the new birth to a living hope we all receive through the resurrection.  Now the mercy part of Peter’s statement is very important.  You can’t earn everlasting life through your own efforts.  No, it is a gift from God-   And that is the essence of the great mercy Peter is talking about.  God freely gives us that gift.  He gives us that gift out of his Mercy alone.  But, only if you believe- believe that he is the one God, that Jesus is God and man; that Jesus was his Messiah; that Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead, and that his life after that resurrection will be shared with all of us, and indeed, is already being shared with all of us through the Eucharis.  That is the living hope that you all receive through the resurrection- if you believe.   

We are told two stories today about faith and belief:  First, the story of Thomas.  If your honest, then you know that there is a little bit of the doubting Thomas in all of you.  Each year the Church goes through Advent, Christmas, Lent, Holy Week, and Easter celebrations to remind us of the essentials of our Faith.  But do we really believe them?  Do you really believe them?  Most of us would rather have the kind of proof that Thomas said he wanted, because most of us only want to accept what we know.  The real challenge you have as Christians, though, is to believe without seeing, just as Christ tells Thomas.   

The other story is the one from Acts.  This is a story about the early Christians.  These people actually believed.  Most of them were not eye witnesses themselves, no.  But, they believed on the strength of the teaching of the Apostles.  Just as you are called to believe on the strength of the teaching of the Apostles recorded in the Scriptures and handed on in the teachings of the Church.  These people experienced the awe and joy of the Easter promise.  They waited in joyful expectation of the second coming of the Lord, because they actually believed in that promise.   

The Easter season is a time for all of you to abandon your need to know that Jesus was resurrected, and embrace your faith in the fact that Jesus was raised from the dead.  It is also a time to reflect on the Divine Mercy of God.  Because no matter what you have done- no matter how great your sin and whatever hold it might have on you, all you need do to merit that gift of Divine mercy is to ask for God’s forgiveness, and believe in him.  Know that in just a few minutes, you can experience the living hope of the resurrected Jesus when you go to Communion.   

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Fear Not the Kingdom of God

March 9th, 2008

March 9, 2008

Fifth Sunday of Lent

Jn 11: 1-45

Westminster Tower

Dc. Larry Brockman

I’d like to start by thanking Chaplains Jane and Erin for inviting me.  I have found that this wonderful organization is the embodiment of what it means to be ecumenical.  They strive to do their utmost to encourage all the residents in their own individual faith experiences.   And yet, these Chapel services build that special sense of unity amongst all the faiths by sharing what’s common among us-  the living Word of God.    

Can you put yourself into the shoes of Lazarus?  My wife had a heart valve replaced six years ago.  She experienced one of those “near death experiences”.  Although she tries, she can’t quite communicate in words what she experienced.  But I can see in her eyes that it was something very special.  She talks about experiencing unbelievable joy.  And then, she was told that she was going back.  And I also know that she has not been the same.  No, she has a much deeper faith, and God and his will for her matter much more now than ever before.  I believe Lazarus had the same feeling.  Let me explain: 

In the culture of Jesus time,  It was generally believed that the soul left the body after 3 days.  So, by waiting as long as Jesus did, 4 days, nobody could claim that Lazarus had not died.  The Pharisees were, well, totally blown away.  And that explains why Jesus waited as long as he did.  It wasn’t because he didn’t know what would happen; and it wasn’t because he was insensitive to Martha and Mary.  No, it was because he wanted this incident to be clearly understood as a miracle; one that would give glory to God.  And He wanted to show them that he was who he said he was- The Son of God. 

This miracle was powerful- it moved and it touched many people.  And so, the Pharisees were frightened at the number of people Jesus had touched.  Ironically, the Pharisees fulfilled the parable in Luke’s gospel about another Lazarus.  This other departed Lazarus is told that:  “If they do not believe Moses and the Prophets; then neither would they be convinced if someone is raised from the dead”.  Indeed, the raising of Lazarus simply hardened the Pharisees; it didn’t convince them.  And they went away plotting to kill both Jesus- and Lazarus.     

Now it’s possible that one or so of you may have had a “near death experience” like my wife.  And you may have had the same kinds of feelings.  Because most of the people who have had the experience have one of two consistent paths to talk about- either stepping into the light, and incredible joy; or stepping into the darkness, and fear.  If so, you understand what Lazarus felt- rising, and stepping into the light with Jesus at the end of the tunnel!  And yet, I’ll bet that most of you have not had such an experience.  But, most of you have gone through a faith conversion.  You’ve accepted Christ as your savior, and you have been “born again”.  That brought you a feeling of indescribable joy.  And, you don’t want to go back.  There’s no happy return to that previous life.  Yes, all of you experience a resurrection of a kind, when you accept Jesus, and turn away from death to sin.   

But, there’s much more to the Lazarus story than that.  Because it also prefigures Christ’s Resurrection; a Resurrection to everlasting life.  In fact there are many parallels between the raising of Lazarus and the rising of Jesus.  First, there are mourning Mary’s in both stories-  Lazarus sister in this story, and the Mother of God in Jesus’ story.  The mourning Mary’s tell us something about faith.  In fact, both Martha and Mary showed great faith when they both independently said:  “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”  Yet, it was limited faith- limited faith.  They understood that the body would be resurrected on the last day.  But they did not understand that only death brings resurrection to everlasting life,  And so, the death of Lazarus brings tears.   

In fact, the Bible says “And Jesus wept” (The shortest verse in the Bible).  Some say it was a natural human emotion from losing someone who was close to him.  Perhaps, but there’s another view.  You see, the death of Lazarus, and the whole scene surrounding Martha and Mary- the town, the Jews, the crowd, the whole scene- was a clear and unmistakable sign of the power of Satan.  The power to bring chaos between various factions and to cause physical death.  That could surely have caused Jesus to weep.  And raising Lazarus would show the Glory of God in the face of that evil;  Just as the raising of Jesus showed that Glory of God on Easter Sunday.   

Second, both were buried in a cave for three days.  I have already talked about what that meant to the Jews at the time- a perceived separation of the soul from the body, the certainty of death.  Then there’s the similarity in the burial clothes.  Both were wrapped head to foot and anointed.  But there is a difference, too.  Lazarus was raised with the burial clothes still on, symbolizing the fact that he was returning to physical life.  But Jesus clothes were carefully rolled up and left behind, symbolizing the new, everlasting life to which we are called.   

Lastly, the apostle Thomas is given a cynical role in each story.  His faith is found lacking in both stories- faith in the first case that Jesus can return to Judea lest he be captured by his enemies; and faith in the second case that Jesus was risen at all.  It would seem to us that Thomas, and indeed the other apostles were hard headed because over and over Jesus had foretold his story.  “I will suffer and die and be resurrected on the third day; I am the Resurrection and the Life, whoever believes in me will be saved”.  And yet they just didn’t get it.   

But do we get it either?  Do we understand what life and death are all about?  Have we really listened to what these Resurrection stories are telling us?  Be honest- the idea of death, certain that it is, is frightening, something that we don’t want to think about.  We don’t want to hear that we are going to suffer; and that we are going to die, even if we hear that we will be resurrected to everlasting life.  Because, most of all, we are afraid of death.   

I heard a preacher recently who said something very interesting.  He said that the bible tells us, in various ways, not to be afraid, 365 times- once for every day of the year.  Think about that.  We are consistently told not to be afraid; to believe in Jesus; to go where he leads you; and to be not afraid.    As we go into the last couple of weeks of Lent, reflect on whether you truly get it.  Whatever your circumstances- young or old; healthy or not; suffering or not; you are where you are today by the Grace of a loving God.  And you can resolve to believe in Him and trust him.  Be not afraid.  And imagine that you are Lazarus walking out of that grave. 

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Seeing and Believing

February 28th, 2008

February 28, 2008

Fourth Sunday of Lent

1 Sam 16: 1, 6-7, 10-13; Eph 5: 8-14:

Jn 9: 1-41

Dc. Larry Brockman

The English Poet Ralph Hodgson once said:  “Some things have to be believed to be seen”.  Consider the Blind man in today’s Gospel.  Jesus gave the blind man two precious gifts:  First, he gave him physical sight.  This brought much joy to him-  finally, he was able to add color and texture and context to the sounds and words and touches that had been his only experience of the world since birth. 

It’s hard for all of us, sighted since birth, to appreciate what a gift that was.  Because we are blind ourselves to the fruits of that gift.  We take it for granted- the visual symphony of the sky and landscape; the subtle meanings expressed by body language; the look of love you receive from loved ones.  Imagine the joy this man felt when his eyes were opened.  But this man was given a second gift- spiritual sight.  He was given the gift of faith. 

The Pharisees and Priests of that time were much feared.  There was no secret to their opposition to Jesus.  The Gospel story makes that very clear.  It is also clear that the blind man’s parents feared the Pharisees.  They didn’t stand up to the Pharisees out of that fear.  But the Blind man recognized his second gift, and put it into practice.  First, he prostrated himself to Jesus, and worshiped him.  This man had been given faith- a conversion of the heart.  Then, he proved his faith by standing up to the powerful Pharisees despite any consequences.  Indeed, he knew that no matter what they did to him, they couldn’t take away the two gifts of sight that Jesus gave him.  He could physically see, yes; but he could also see spiritually.  He believed and so he could see. 

 Not so the Pharisees.  What was important to them were the laws of Moses- no working on the Sabbath; no healing on the Sabbath.  In other words, their lives were structured to occur within boundaries. And those strict boundaries are like a certain blindness.  They are blindness to change, to challenge, to growth; blindness to a vibrant, living light that leads to a richer understanding of God, one that leads to a personal relationship with Him and the joy and light at the end of that tunnel that goes with it.  They could not see the light beyond the darkness of their own blindness. 

When you think about it, all people, including the Pharisees, are given two gifts by God.  First, the gift of life itself, symbolized by physical sight in the Gospel.  But also, the gift of Spiritual life, symbolized by faith in God.  For us, that second gift is faith in Jesus Christ.  And along with that second gift of believing, comes the spiritual insight we need to develop a personal relationship with Jesus.  But, our first gift, the gift of life, tends to blind us to the spiritual gift.  The pleasures and cares of our first gift, life upstage the need for our spiritual sight.  And so, we are blind.  We want to be popular; we want to be successful; we want to be comfortable.  These things take up all of our time and efforts, so that we are blind to the second gift- blind to the importance of spiritual sight, because life here is not what life is all about. 

There are two things that you can do to pursue the second gift.  First, you must strengthen your faith.  No matter what happens to you physically and in a worldly sense, never falter in your faith in God- faith that God exists, that he loves you, and that he has the best in mind and in store for you.  Second, show that faith to others.  That confirms to God that your faith is not just in “fair weather”, but is lasting.  We are used to hearing stories about people who were martyred for their faith.  But that‘s just one way to show faith.  All of you that are here have been given the grace of a long life.  Your families and friends see in you a history that prefigures their own destiny.  You can demonstrate to them that your faith is strong and vibrant no matter what your age or condition.  That can do much in helping them to keep their faith.  Indeed, you can help them to understand that “Some things have to be believed to be seen”   

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Shortening the Distance Between Your Head and Your Heart

February 24th, 2008

  February 24, 2008

Third Sunday of Lent

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

Dc. Larry Brockman

“Shorten the distance between our heads and our hearts”.  That quote from a prayer by Pope John XXIII came to mind as I heard the gospel today.  You see, there are two kinds of thirsts in this world:  Horizontal thirsts, and vertical thirsts.   

Horizontal thirsts are for the things around us.  They are driven by our heads.  You thirst for food, drink, companionship, money, and all the things of this world because your head tells you that you want or need them.  They are things you need to survive; things that give you pleasure; things that put you in control.  Implicit in the search for them is your own will. 

Before the exile, the Israelis had food and water, and they had security.  What they lacked was freedom, the ability to worship their God and to choose their own destiny.  They saw the need to pursue the second kind of thirsts.  These are the “vertical thirsts”; the things of the heart, things that truly lift spirits.  Vertical thirsts are for life’s higher meaning.  The Israeli’s were slaves, and had no hope for a future.  They prayed for freedom, for meaning to life; they prayed for salvation from slavery.  And because they put their trust in the Lord; God answered their call; God delivered them from the Egyptians in the Exodus.  They followed his commands, and did as he commanded them through Moses.  But soon after their deliverance they forgot how important God and God’s will was.  As they traveled through the desert, they craved water, food, and security.  They held back when God nudged them on their way.  They hardened their hearts toward the Lord, grumbling against the Lord and Moses.  They even dreamed to be back in Egypt where they had food and water and security.  They did not trust in the Lord to provide for them.  Their priorities became messed up.  The Israelis had shifted from the Lord’s will as the priority to their own will, the will to be comfortable.   

Consider now the woman at the well in the Gospel.  Most people went to get water from the well early in the morning, before the heat of the day or late in the day, after the hot sun was gone.  We find this woman going in the middle of the day- perhaps because she wanted to avoid others, and the scandal of her situation.  She had gone through 5 husbands, and was living with someone else- a sixth man.  She thirsted for happiness, and tried to find it in companionship.  Yet, clearly, the companionship she chose did not make her happy.  Indeed, we find that she is not a happy woman at all.  From the conversation she had with Jesus, she is anxious for the “living water” that would give her eternal life- still hoping to find the magic worldly solution to happiness.  Again, her priorities were messed up.  Indeed, the worldly solution to happiness is an illusion- the illusion that the longings of our hearts can be satisfied with earthly treasures.   

However, Jesus has another view.  The things your head tells you you’ve got to have; when these are your primary focus, then your priorities are not straight.  They are not what will make you happy.  The things of the heart are what really make you happy.  These are the spiritual water and food that Jesus speaks about.  Note that when the disciples returned from the market with food, Jesus tells them that He already has food to eat.  He tells them that “My food is to do the will of the Father”.  Jesus makes his top priority striving to follow God’s plan in his life knowing that if He does that, God will provide all else.    Likewise, all of you need to follow God’s will for you and not the illusion of worldly happiness. 

And what is that- God’s will for you?  It is a reflection of God’s attitude towards all of us.  God loved us by sending His own Son to suffer and die for us.  As St. Paul says, through that act of love, we have all been justified,  God loves all of us that much.  So, God’s will for you is that you love one another, as He loves us.  That means that you care as much about the needs of the people around you, both spiritual and material, as you do about your own needs.  You do that by speaking well of others; thinking well of others; and acting on behalf of others in their needs.   

Lent is that special time of the Church year when you are all called to reflect on life, reflect on your relationship with God, and reflect on your priorities in life.  Are you buying into the illusion of happiness through the things of the world, through horizontal thirsts motivated by your own will?  Are things and comforts what is driving you?  Or is your priority doing God’s will, by spreading your love in your families and relationships with others?  In other words, are you shortening the distance between your head and your heart? 

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