Posts Tagged ‘Conversion of the heart’

Appearances Can be Deceiving

Thursday, September 19th, 2013

Thursday of the 24th Week in Ordinary Time

1 Tim 4: 12-16; Luke 7: 36-50

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

Things are not always what they appear.  And so, we should be very careful before we make judgments based on appearance.  Both of our readings make this point.

In the first reading, Timothy, who is a young disciple of St. Paul, writes this letter because some of the folks he evangelized have been influenced by older and self-proclaimed “wiser” teachers.  But these older teachers were Judaizers, meaning they were trying to convince the Gentiles that Christians must also follow all of the Mosaic dietary laws.  The problem with that, as St. Paul taught and passed on to the younger Timothy, was that it diluted the meaning of Christianity, a movement of the heart towards God.  The Judaizers preached mandatory compliance with the burdensome requirements of the traditional Mosaic Law above everything, thereby placing the emphasis on the completely wrong place, simply behaving so that you did not cross the line rather than moving your heart towards God.  These Judaizers tried to undermine Timothy by harping on his youth.  But things were not at all what they seemed.  Timothy, not the Judaizers, had it right.

There is a similar message in the Gospel.  The Pharisees, Simon in today’s Gospel story included, held themselves above the rest of mankind because they were experts in keeping the letter of the Mosaic Law.  But they didn’t understand what real conversion was.  They didn’t recognize that real conversion was not the ever increasing ability to conform in external behavior; but rather converting in internal attitude, a conversion of the heart.  And that conversion of the heart resulted in conformance with the spirit of the teachings of Jesus.  The sinful woman repented of her sinfulness by faith in what she heard Jesus preach.  She was so uplifted by that feeling in her heart that she was brimming full of love.  And as a consequence of her conversion of the heart, her belief in Jesus, and her resolve to sin no more, she was moved to show that love in the public display we hear about today.  This means she had already been forgiven by God before she performed this act of love and Faith!  When we look at it this way, it is easier to see how her Faith saved her.  So again, things were not what they seemed- the sinful woman had it right and the experts, the Pharisees, had it wrong.

This lesson is something all of us need to learn in today’s world because all of us are prone to be deceived by appearances.  Just what is it that we admire, what is it that we copy, and what is it we emulate?  Is it football, basketball and baseball athletes, “Dancing with the Stars” and “America’s Got Talent” entrants, celebrities and movie stars, and the Donald Trumps and Bill Gateses of the world?  Or is it the Mother Theresas, Padre Pios, and John Paul IIs?

We can ask a similar question a little closer to home.  Where is it that appearances may be deceiving us about the role models we should be following in our lives?  Chances are person may not display all of the glitter and charism of the popular people in our lives, but they may have it right, where the people we idolize don’t.  It may be an Aunt or a Grandparent or a Parent or a friend’s relative.

And so, I challenge all of you this morning to think about it.  Who is it that you know that you want to be like?  Don’t let appearances deceive you, but rather, look for someone who follows Jesus in their heart.

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A Blueprint for Conversion

Sunday, February 17th, 2013

First Sunday of Lent

Dt 26: 4-10; Rom 10: 8-13; Luke 4: 1-13

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

Lent is all about conversion, and conversion is a continual process.  It never ends, because God is always calling us to a more intimate relationship with Him.  And that means we have got to change.  As I listen to these scriptures,  I see a blueprint in them for the process of conversion.

The first step in our conversion is a change in our attitude- a conversion of the heart.  In the prime of our lives, we are focused on the things of this world- our careers, our spouses and families, our talents and our pleasures.  These things take up most of our time.  And when problems occur, whether they be financial, medical, relationships, or whatever, they really fill up our time and attention, don’t they?  During Lent, we are called upon to try to put all that aside, and reflect on the real meaning of Life and what God’s path through all the difficulties is.

In Paul’s reading, the emphasis is on professing faith on our lips, and then really believing in our hearts- faith first of all, that there is a God, that He sent Jesus to redeem us, and that the death and resurrection of Jesus are our means to salvation and everlasting life.  And this faith leads to knowledge that there is a higher purpose in life than life in this world.  That purpose is union with God and everlasting life in the Kingdom of God.  The path to that salvation involves a more intimate relationship with God- one in which he leads us, we don’t lead ourselves.  That is something that we need to be so convinced of that we believe it deep down in our hearts.  Paul is reminding us that Jesus has promised everlasting life for those who do have faith and do believe in their hearts.

Then, there is the reminder in the Old Testament about how God saved his chosen people and how these people felt an abiding sense of thanksgiving for that.  And in thanksgiving, they offered their best to the Lord- the first fruits of their labor.  So, we need to do the same-  We need to be so thankful that God saved us through Jesus His son that we will offer the first fruits of our labor as well.

What would that be?  Certainly not our animals or our harvest, because those are not the first fruits of our labor.  Rather, the first fruits of our labor are our talents and our time and our treasure.  In other words, our lives cannot be totally focused on ourselves.

Notice that the Gospel starts off with the phrase that Jesus was:  “Filled with the Holy Spirit”.  The good news is that each of us was instilled with the Holy Spirit by virtue of our Baptism and Confirmation.  And so, we just need to awaken that Spirit within us.  Lent is a way we do that- by reflecting on what it is that the Spirit of God is prompting us to do.  And it doesn’t have to be a sweeping change in our lives either.  It is just a matter of letting the Spirit take over so that God can carry our burdens, whatever they are, by having the spirit move us in God’s direction, not our own.  So, if your burden is a loved one who is ill; or an older relative; or children or a career- whatever, now is a good time to reflect on what God has in mind for you.  That’s what Jesus did when he went into the desert- he went there to reflect on how the Father wanted him to proceed with his life.  Filled with the Spirit, he was ready to reflect on how to do that.

But what happened to him is precisely what will happen to you and me when we try to reflect on our lives.  Jesus was accosted by the temptations of the devil.  We hear about three of them.  First, there is the temptation to turn the stone into bread.  Ah, yes.  We would like God to give us exactly what we want when we want it.  We are constantly looking for the “bread” to fill our hunger, whatever it is.  But we don’t live by bread alone, and so whatever it is that we want explicitly may not be the answer to our prayer.  And perhaps, the solution you are hoping for is not the real solution to your problem.  So, we need first of all to trust that God will give us what we really need when we want it.

The second temptation is power and fame.  One thing that we constantly seek in our prayers, if you really think about it, is power; only the power we seek is control.  We want to be in control.  And the reality of life is that we are never really in control.  God is in control, and this is the message that Jesus sends back to the devil when he says:  “Worship the Lord your God alone”.

Lastly, we can sometimes just give up on a situation.  Like when we stuff a problem into the back of our consciousness, and don’t try to deal with it at all.  And yet life goes on; the problem doesn’t go away.  That’s like throwing ourselves down off a mountain top, just hoping that we will be somehow saved.  You see, no matter how much we “trust” in the Lord, we still have an obligation to be involved.  Otherwise, we are putting the Lord to a test.

Each year when Lent arrives, we usually give something up.  Rather than giving up ice cream or beer or candy or even TV this year, try giving up a little of your time.  Go into a desert- a quiet secluded place- and take the time, the time to embrace the Lenten Call to prayer and Conversion.

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God Wants a Conversion of Our Hearts

Sunday, September 25th, 2011

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Ez 18: 25-28; Phil 2: 1-5; Mt 21: 28-32

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

God is looking for a conversion of the heart!  That’s what it is all about to God- what is really in our hearts.  And one thing about a conversion of the heart that is so important is this: it needs to be constant; it needs to go on as long as we live.

   

First, we have Ezekiel’s example.  The Lord justifies one who, late in life, turns from his sins and begins to do what is right and just.  Why-  because he had a conversion of heart.  On the other hand, imagine someone who walks through life mostly doing good, but then, late in life, he wanders off in the wrong direction. Can it be that such a person was not committed all along?  He might be someone who goes through the motions in the ordinary things of life, but then, when the going gets tough, when the real test of his or her faith comes, this person abandons his faith, and falls into sin.  Now you might say, Does that really happen?  Are righteous people who make one final mistake abandoned by God?  But I think that it is the opposite that is the case.  There are those who associate with, but don’t really embrace righteousness.  And when they are tested, really tested about their commitment to the right thing, they walk away from it.  Let’s face it, we are tested all the time- it is a constant test that God gives us.  

 

Jesus gives an excellent example in the Gospel parable.  One son said no to his Father, but then had a change of heart.  Deep down, he knew what the right thing was to do- to obey the father.  His own desires were those of the flesh- laziness, his own agenda, pre-occupation with other things, and so he originally said no.  But his heart won the day, what God had written in his heart as the right thing to do, his conscience.  And so he did as the father bid.  Indeed, he spent that one day working in the father’s vineyard- but you know, I am sure that it was actually one of many.  The other son knew all the right things to say and do.  He had knowledge; he had opportunity; and he projected well.  But when the chips were down, he followed his own agenda and not what was written in his heart.  And you can be sure that it was not the only time he did not do what he said he would do.   

 

In today’s world, there are a lot of folks who fall victim to this second son’s way of thinking.  They make a commitment to do something, something that is the right thing to do that involves a sacrifice of their own time or agenda.  They might make that commitment to get off the hook, to relieve the pressure, because someone is pressuring them or some circumstance is nagging them; whatever.  It is a convenient at the moment to say yes.  But then, when the time actually comes to deliver, they don’t follow through.  These are the folks who have not had a conversion of the heart.  They are working their own agenda deep inside.  Oh, they have excuses for their behavior.  I forgot; something came up; I didn’t think you really needed me; and the like.  But deep down, it is a lack of commitment of the heart that holds them back.   

 

What is the solution?  Paul’s advice today seems right on the money.  We should all be of one mind- “with the same love, united in heart, thinking the one thing”.  And what is that one thing?  Doing the will of the Father.  Now the will of the Father takes some discernment.  But that discernment is not just what we think with our heads, but what we feel is in our hearts.

 

You know, as I get older, I tend to get just a little lazy.  My body tells me that I am too tired to do this or that, or too busy to interrupt my routine.  I might tell myself that my days for taking on the world have passed, it is time to take it easy.  I kind of felt that way yesterday when I was working in the yard.  I had all kinds of good things planned, but I got tired after four hours and had to quit. But really, I’m not talking about that kind of tired.  Rather, I am talking about things of the Spirit- something we feel deep down we need to do for someone else, or for us to grow spiritually.  And you know, we are never too old to grow spiritually.  So, sometimes my heart is nagging me when my body tells me that I would rather not- like the men’s Bible group I belong to that meets at 7 AM on Thursday.  It means I have to get up by 5:30 AM to get there in time and that’s in the middle of the night for me!  But this small group of men depends on each other to build their spirituality- to be of one mind and heart.  And so, they depend on me to be there.  And so, it is important to listen to my heart, and not my body,  because God is looking for a lasting conversion of the heart   

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