Deacon Steve's Homily: Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome - A holy church – a holy people

Deacon Steve's Homily - A holy church – a holy people

Today we celebrate the feast of the dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome.

You may be wondering  - 'why do we celebrate this building?'

Before I answer that, let's look at the history of the feast and of the building.

This feast has been celebrated since the 12th century.

It's not often that we celebrate this feast on a Sunday because it’s always celebrated on November 9th.

When November 9th is on a Sunday, it takes precedence and is celebrated throughout the world.

Some of you may have toured this beautiful basilica while on vacation or pilgrimage to Rome.

It's a beautiful and sacred building that has a fascinating history.

Some facts:

The emperor Constantine, who legalized Christianity, gave the palace and its lands to the church in 311.

It is also known as the Basilica of St. John Lateran.

The basilica is built next to the palace of the Laterani family, which is how St.

John seemingly got a surname.

There really isn't a person named John Lateran.

The basilica celebrates both St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist.

It is also dedicated to Christ our Savior.

It's full official title is “The Archbasilica of the Most Holy Savior and Saints John the Baptist and the Evangelist at the Lateran.”

Did you know that the Lateran Basilica is the cathedral church of the bishop of Rome?

It's the pope's cathedral, not St. Peter's as many people assume.

A church council was first held at the Lateran in 313.

Over the years, the Lateran has been damaged by earthquakes, attacked and ransacked by Vandals, and destroyed by fire twice.

After each of these incidents, the Lateran was rebuilt and refurbished.

The Lateran basilica is considered the mother church of all Catholic churches

around the world.

So what we are really celebrating is not the building but our identity as a worldwide church and our union with the Church of Rome.

Remember, we are Roman Catholic and the word 'catholic' means universal.  

Today is a day to remind ourselves that we are part of something much bigger than our own parish.

Last weekend’s celebrations of All Saints and All Souls reminded us that our family extends through time.

Today's feast reminds us that we extend geographically around the world .

My friends, we are all connected, centered around Christ and the successor of St. Peter, the Pope.

We are truly a universal church.   

This brings to mind some masses that I attended in different countries and among different cultures.

I have been to mass in Vienna where the mass was celebrated in German.

I have been to mass in Mexico where the mass was celebrated in Spanish.

Once I attended a Vietnamese mass in Anaheim CA.  The mass was celebrated in Vietnamese and the church was filled to capacity.

At each of these masses, I couldn’t understand the other languages, but I knew the order of the mass and I didn’t feel out of place.

Although I was an outsider, I felt as though I was part of their community, and I was.

Yes, we were different and spoke different languages, but we shared our faith in Jesus Christ and the Roman Catholic Church.

Worshiping and praying together in this common brotherhood and sisterhood was awesome.

I loved the experience and I love the fact that we are a universal church.

Knowing that despite all of our differences, the universal Church brings us together as the Body of Christ here on earth.       

Like many of you, I also love visiting different church buildings, the old and the new.  

I remember the mass at St. Stephensdom in Vienna which was built in the 12^th c.

What a sight it was to behold!

The architecture, the stained glass, the statues, and the altar all give me a sense of God’s presence in a special way.  

The many churches that all of us have seen are sacred and holy places.

These beautiful buildings are gathering places for the faithful to worship God and to encounter Christ in sacrament, in prayer, and in each other.

But they are just buildings - for 'Church' is really the people.

The great spiritual writer, Fr. Henri Nouwen had this to say about Church:

"The Church is the people of God.  The Latin word for "church," ecclesia, comes from the Greek ek, which means "out," and kaleo, which means "to call."  The Church is the people of God called out of slavery to freedom, sin to salvation, despair to hope, darkness to light, an existence centered on death to an existence focused on life.  When we think of Church we have to think of a body of people, travelling together.  We have to envision women, men, and children of all ages, races, and societies supporting one another on their long and often tiresome journeys to their final home."

My friends, church is all of us here at SSFC and all of the faithful around the world.

That’s wonderful knowing that we are church and that we are all on a journey connected through Jesus Christ.

Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians reminds us that we Christians are sacred and holy.

“You are God’s building.

Do you not know that you are the temple of God,
and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
… for the temple of God, which you are, is holy.”

And it is the holiness and sacredness of the gathered faithful that makes the church ‘buildings’ holy and sacred places.

This feast day reminds us that we are called to be a holy people who gather together in community, here and around the world, to worship God and to live the gospel message.

In a few minutes, as we approach the altar to receive our Lord in Holy Communion, let's ask for God's grace to help us become a more holy people and make this space a more holy space.

May we strive for that each and every day.     God bless!

Feast of the Dedication of St. John Lateran Basilica - Water's flowing from temple nourishes & heals

Good morning!  This is normally the 32^nd Sunday of Ordinary Time just before the end of the Church year, but since today is November 9^th, we are celebrating the Feast of the Dedication of St. John Lateran Basilica in Rome.  This is the Cathedral Church of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope.   Most people think of St. Peter’s Basilica as the seat of the Pope since it’s located in the Vatican where he lives, but it is actually St. John Lateran.  St. John Lateran is the oldest Church in Rome dating back to the early 4^th century when the Emperor Constantine issued a decree permitting the practice of the Christian faith.    Before that time there weren’t any public churches.   People came together secretly to worship God and celebrate the Eucharist by hiding in homes and the catacombs.  The church was the assembly of the Christian faithful during these times and the people who did worship together risked their life in doing so.   After Constantine legalized the practice of the Christian religion, he had St. John Lateran built.   From the time it was built through the next 1000 years this was the place where the pope resided.  Since the early 18^th Century the Church has celebrated this feast day celebrating this special church.

Why are we be celebrating a feast for a Church?    St. John Lateran being the oldest and first church building has a special place in the life of the Church. It’s the seat of bishop of Rome and it’s the mother Church of where all of our churches

throughout the world flow.   The image from the prophet Ezekiel of the water flowing from the temple emptying out into the sea and making it fresh is a good image connecting St. John Lateran with all the churches throughout the world. In Ezekiel’s prophecy the water flows upon Arabah, which is the area of the Dead Sea.  The water in the Dead Sea has seven times more salt in it than normal seawater and nothing can live in it.  But in the prophecy water from the temple makes the water of the Dead Sea fresh.   It’s so fresh that it provides trees on the banks of the river to produce fruit for food and leaves for medicine every month of the year.  This water from the temple is a life-giving source that nourishes and heals. The reading from prophet Ezekiel was written at a time when the people of Israel where in exile in Babylon and they were longing for their temple which had been destroyed.   They longed to return to their homeland and the Temple where God dwelled.  The Temple restored and refreshed their soul to be in the dwelling place of God. 

 This prophecy is fulfilled in the rebuilding of the temple, through the coming of Jesus.  Jesus told us the temple would be destroyed and raised up in the days.    Jesus changed the paradigm of the temple as a place in a single location to be in the presence of God to being in a relationship with a person anywhere in the world.   Our church here at Ss. Francis and Clare and in all the Catholic churches throughout the world, provide us with the ability to be in relationship with Christ in Word and Sacrament. 

The image of the fresh water and trees with leaves never fading and bearing fruit reminds me of places I’ve gone on vacation that refresh and restore me.    When we’re worn and weary from work, school, or the trials of life we yearn for a place to restore us from our burdens and refresh us to give a new outlook on things.  So we may seek out an escape to a beach or lake, with the warm sun, and lots of lush plants and trees to relax and refresh.   Anyone need a place like that now?  This does wonders to restore us temporarily, but does it truly restore our soul and allow us to rest in God? Whenever I go on vacation I also always make sure there is a church nearby as well, because my relationship with Jesus is what I need to nourish and heal my soul.  There’s usually a church almost anywhere you can go, made possible through the seat of Catholic Church in Rome, St. John Lateran, The mother church where all others flow from. 

Through the Church, wherever we are at, either at home or traveling, we can get that nourishment and healing every week by worshiping with the Body of Christ. Thank the Lord for the ability to do this every week, or even every day, by having sacred places set aside to worship and participates in the sacraments of the Church.   In our Catholic tradition our churches are sacred spaces set apart from the world, to provide an environment to experience the presence of God.   The nourishment comes from hearing the Word of God to feed our hearts and soul and give us a fresh perspective from the challenges in the world.  It also comes from being fed by the Eucharist, and Christ becoming part of us.  We are healed through the penitential rite in the Mass or if needed through the sacraments of reconciliation or anointing of the sick.    

So today we thank God for the gift of the Church of St. John Lateran Basilica, the seat of the bishop or Rome.  Through this mother Church we have a church that we can be nourished and healed on a weekly basis.  So please make it a priority to be in the presence of Body of Christ through or churches to be restored and refreshed.  May God bless you.

Reflection on Fr. Vince's Homily for the Wedding Feast and wearing the proper garment, Week 28 cycle, A

Father Vince preached on those invited to the wedding feast and wearing the wedding

garment.  I really liked the historical perspective that he gave us in regards to the customs at the time of Jesus and that a wedding garment was provided to the invited guests.   To arrive without the proper garment would be either an insult to host of the wedding for not wearing the garment provided.   The wedding guest who did not wear the proper garment was judged unworthy to attend and expelled. 

Father Vince showed us some choices of garments to wear, some looking good, and some not so good.  He related this to the white garment we received at baptism, which is the symbol of being incorporated into the Christian community.   Our actions in the way we live our lives in loving God and our neighbor will reflect in what type of wedding garment we show up with.   If we are loving, patient, and kind we’ll be properly clothed, but if we act contrary we’ll be unprepared with the proper attire. We may be invited to the wedding feast, but we may be asked to leave.    This is a reminder that there will be a final judgment and we need to be prepared to show that we lived as Christians in our acts of love.

This was a good analogy and food for thought to be loving and kind as we go about our week so we can show we are clothed with the garment of Christ’s love.  May your week be blessed!

Deacon Ron's Homily, Homily and video on Respect Life , Ordinary Time, Week 27 – Cycle A

In the today’s parable we hear about the vineyard owner has put great care into cultivating the land, planting the vines, and protecting the vineyard only to be disappointed when his vineyards aren’t fruitful. The owner of the vineyard in the parable represents God.   Just as the vineyard owner was disappointed in the lack of produce, God is disappointed when man’s ways are not fruitful and don’t respect human life.

This month of October is set aside by the bishops of the United States as Respect Life Month (click for video from USCCB) , a time to reflect on life issues and to pray for and promote greater respect for all human life. This year’s theme is “Each of us is a masterpiece of God’s creation,” and is adapted from Pope Francis’ Day for Life from last year.  Pope Francis, who has captivated the world with his humility and compassion, shows through his actions that “even the weakest and most vulnerable, the sick, the old, the unborn and the poor, are masterpieces of God’s creation, made in his own image, destined to live forever, and deserving of the utmost reverence and respect We want to live in society that supports the protection of human rights at all phases of life. Yet many of those who are weak and vulnerable are neglected and forgotten about. There are forces in the culture that don’t value human life and look at things only from a cost perspective and efficiency. 

An example of this are the many children pre-diagnosed as having Downs Syndrome, who are never given the chance to live outside their mother’s wombs. This week I heard a story from a mom about her thriving 9 year-old adopted son with Downs Syndrome. She considers it a miracle for him to be alive.  Her son was born at 25 weeks, just barely viable to live outside the mothers’ womb, and spent 15 weeks in the hospital before coming home.  The medical expense for the stay was a half million dollars. Just two days before he was born the birth mother sought an abortion thinking it to be her only option to the situation.  Through the grace of God she chose to give her baby up for adoption. It’s amazing that in two days the child’s life went from being of no value, to being of an immense importance. The child should have same rights before he was born as well as after.

In another story a woman from Oregon, who had been in remission from lung cancer, had a recurrence of the cancer. Her doctor prescribed a drug that would increase her chance of being alive in one year by 45%, but the state medical plan denied it as being to expensive for her prognosis.  The state was willing to offer full coverage for her assisted suicide.

Many people are faced with issues like these that cause great anxiety.  How are we to make decisions that support life? St. Paul tells us to offer prayers to make our requests known to God and we’ll receive peace to guard our hearts and minds.    We may still have our problems, but we have the peace of knowing God is there with us.  We can also turn to the Church to help us discern what to do. Our priests, deacons, and lay ministers can help us to determine what to do based on the truth of Church teachings and direct us to resources to help.

How are we to respond to a culture that promotes ways contrary to respecting the dignity of life?    We can do so by learning about church teaching and supporting ministries that promote a culture of life.  One way is to get involved in the 40 Days forLife Prayer campaign at the Planned Parenthood facility at 86^th St. and Georgetown Road with our parish on Saturdays from 11 am - 3pm through November 2.   Joining in this peaceful prayer vigil will show woman in crisis pregnancies that they are care for and loved. 

The Gabriel Project in our parish supports women throughout their pregnancy and after the child’s birth.  You can get involved today by supporting the baby shower drive after Mass in the Narthex. Saint Elizabeth Coleman pregnancy and adoption services, is an archdiocesan ministry, providing support and counseling to women before and after the child is born.  If you or someone you know has been affected by an abortion, they need our love and support, and the healing mercy of the Church.  The Project Rachel Ministry is available to help those struggling with pain and grief from the loss of their child.

The sick, the aged, and the imprisoned are often forgotten about, but we have ministries to outreach to them as well. Visiting people who are sick or homebound can help keep them connected with the parish community. Those who are imprisoned still need spiritual care. Each Friday visits are made to the Johnson County Catholic Jail by deacons a lay people.  We also have parish members who bring Christ prisons through the Kairos Prison Ministry.

How can we influence our society to support a culture of life?  By becoming engaged in our political process to influence our lawmakers.   The Indiana Catholic Conference makes it easy to stay informed on legislation that effect life issues and to contact your representative. You can sign up to stay informed by signing up on the Indiana Catholic Conference web site.

God’s desires all of us all to be fruitful and have respect for all life from conception to natural death.   Please do all you can to support and share with others our Church’s teaching that all human life is of immense value.  Get involved and support life-affirming ministries, not only this month, but also all year. Last, please pray for our culture and the respect of life, and may God’s peace be with you.

Deacon Steve's Homily - Respect Life - 27th Sunday Ordinary – A

On this first Sunday in October, we are celebrating Respect Life Sunday.

In fact, the month of October is Respect Life month. 

The 40 days for Life Campaign is underway across our country and around the world.

Our parish is active in this campaign.

Later we will hear from our parishioner (Bob Siefker or Christina Lopez) about the Gabriel Project, another Respect Life project that we participate in.

Your help and your prayers for both of these efforts are greatly appreciated.

I thought today would be a good day to talk about the Church’s understanding of ‘life’ issues and how we can live it out in our modern world.

The Gift of Life (Donum Vitae) 1987 (Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith)

‘From the moment of conception, the life of every human being is to be respected in an absolute way because man is the only creature on earth that God has "wished for himself"[16] and the spiritual soul of each man is "immediately created" by God;[17] his whole being bears the image of the Creator. Human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves "the creative action of God"[18] and it remains forever in a special relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end.[19] God alone is the Lord of life from its beginning until its end: no one can, in any circumstance, claim for himself the right to destroy directly an innocent human being.[20]’

As I reflected on this statement, I thought about our current culture, specifically about  abortion and euthanasia.

Both of these are at the forefront of the ‘Right to Life’ campaign, and rightfully so.

We have an obligation to protect the most defenseless in our society – the unborn and the elderly.

Saint John Paul II called our current culture a ‘culture of death’.

But we know that our God is not a ‘God of death’ but a ‘God of life’.

One of the early church fathers, Irenaeus of Lyons had this to say: 

‘The glory of God is the human person fully alive.'

And God wants each and every human being to live and to have a ‘full life’ in right relationship with Him.

We believe that all of us are children of God, made in God’s image and likeness, and therefore all people deserve the utmost dignity and respect.

Who are all people?

People who live in our homes, our neighborhoods, our cities, our states, our country, and around the world.

People who have different color skin, who speak different languages, who profess different beliefs.

People who believe in God and people who do not.

People who are heterosexual and people who are homosexual. 

All people means every person on the face of the earth.  <pause>

So if abortion and euthanasia are the bookends that are contrary to life, what about those ‘in between’ issues? 

In 1983, the late Cardinal Bernardin, a champion for pro-life issues had this to say: 

“The case for a consistent ethic of life – one that stands for the protection of the right to life and the promotion of the rights, which enhances life from womb to tomb…is both a complex and demanding tradition.”

He goes on to say: “Therefore, not just the unborn, not just the poor, not just the hungry, not just the homeless, not just the war-torn, not just the undocumented, not just the medically uninsured, not just condemned prisoners, not just the environment, and not just future generations, but all of the above deserve our care. Everyone’s life and dignity needs to be fully protected and respected.”

Let’s think about those issues and remind ourselves that all human life is sacred.

So I invite all of us to ponder these questions: 

Do I respect all people including the unborn and the elderly?

Do I respect the poor and those living on the margins of society?

Do I respect all people of different nationalities and religions?

Do I respect all people who are living on death row?

Which begs the question – ‘how do I really feel about capital punishment?’

Do I respect and love my enemies?

And, do I respect myself?

These are tough questions to ponder especially in today’s world.

Today’s world where war and violence are everyday occurrences.

Where hatred seems to dominate, where peace is only a word.

At times it seems so hopeless, doesn't it?

But we know that nothing is impossible for God.

For our God is a God of life, a God of love, and a God of peace.

In our second reading, we just heard Paul's message to the Philippians:

Have no anxiety at all, but in everything,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
make your requests known to God.
Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding
will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

To us this message is timeless and is all about our Christian faith and the power of prayer.

Respecting life and loving all people is a way of life that has been written on our hearts by God our Creator. 

Jesus came to show us that way of life.

Let’s begin to transform this world, one person at a time, beginning with ourselves.

Let’s ask for the grace to show us those areas in our lives where we fall short of living the Christian way.

For those times where we fail to love our neighbor and we knowingly or unknowingly disrespect life, let’s approach our merciful God and ask his forgiveness.

May we ask our Lord ‘to increase our faith’ so that we can respect all.

God bless you all! 

Deacon Steve's Homily - Love is wanting the absolute best for others - 23rd Sunday Ordinary – A

Today’s readings are all about love.

Paul says in his letter to the Romans:

You shall love your neighbor as yourself."  Love does no evil to the neighbor; hence, love is the fulfillment of the law.

You may know that I really enjoy listening to children’s responses to certain questions.

Not too long ago a group of children were asked about love and marriage.

Here are a few of their responses:

"Love is like an avalanche where you have to run for your life." -- John, age 9

If falling in love is anything like learning how to spell, I don't want to do it. It takes too long." -- Glenn, age 7

"I think you're supposed to get shot with an arrow or something, but the rest of it isn't supposed to be so painful." -- Manuel, age 8

"Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good too." -- Greg, age 8

"Once I'm done with kindergarten, I'm going to find me a wife." -- Tom, age 5

"I'm not rushing into being in love. I'm finding fourth grade hard enough." -- Regina, age 10

Love is a word that we hear practically every day.

It’s probably the one word in our English language that can have the broadest of meanings.

The children’s responses that I just read certainly point that out. 

We only have one word to describe the many different types of ‘love’.

Today I presided at the wedding of a couple whose love for each other was evident in their sacramental commitment to each other.

Theirs is the love between a husband and wife.

Love can also be the love that a parent has for a child. 

It can be the love that a child has for a parent. 

It can be the love between brothers and sisters and perhaps ‘best’ friends. 

And of course it can be used to describe romantic love.

Love is often used to describe how much a person likes certain things.

We all know that Fr. Vince loves to go fishing (or catching as he likes to say).

Fr. Dave loves the Chicago Cubs.

Deacon Ron loves to golf; of course he is an excellent golfer. 

I would love golf, too, if I golfed as well as him.

And you probably know that I would say that I love chocolate and ice cream and sports.  

As we know, love can have many different meanings to all of us.

We hear so much today about love.

Is love a feeling, is it an attraction, is it chemistry, or what?  

Love can certainly be manifested in the ways I mentioned, but the real definition of love is that you want the absolute best for someone. 

As followers of Christ, we are told throughout the Gospels to love our enemies, aren’t we?

To emphasize the importance of love Paul says:        

“Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.”

So, we as committed Christians should want the absolute best for everyone, even those we don’t particularly like.

We may not like them, but we are called to love them and want the absolute best for them.

And what is the absolute best? 

The absolute best for anyone is having eternal life in God’s heavenly kingdom. 

<pause>

Jesus showed us all that loving someone can require personal sacrifice:

A sacrifice of time, more prayer, money or the sacrifice of just being present when you would rather be somewhere else.

We don’t have to look any further than the cross itself for what true love is.

Jesus was willing to suffer and die on the cross because he wanted the absolute best for all of us.

<Pause>

My friends, love is more than sentimental feelings.  Remember, its wanting the absolute best for others.

Sometimes true love means correcting someone when they are doing something that is destructive or harmful to themself.

Parents don’t we correct our children when they do something dangerous?

When they first begin crawling and they reach for the electrical outlet we correct them, don’t we?

Or, when they are a bit older and they begin to play with fire don’t we correct them?

Of course we do because we don’t want them to be harmed.  <Pause>

Our readings remind us of the importance of warning and correcting those who we love when they are neglecting their relationship with God and living contrary to God’s laws.

In our first reading God tells the prophet Ezekiel:

“You, son of man, I have appointed watchman for the house of Israel;

when you hear me say anything, you shall warn them for me.”

God held Ezekiel responsible for the spiritual well-being of a nation.

In our Gospel reading from Matthew, Jesus addresses something that we don’t like to talk about - the issue of sin and correction.

Jesus gives us a blueprint of how to love others when they sin and are in need of correction.

This is not easy; in fact, most of us shy away from this to avoid any confrontation or accusation of being nosy or intolerant.

We need to remember that Jesus showed us that true love is sacrificial.

He always put the needs of others first, no matter how painful it was going to be for him.

Well if we really do love the person that’s in need of correction then we want the absolute best for them. 

If that’s the case, then we need to reach out to that person in an honest and loving way and do our best to draw him or her closer to Christ.

My friends, this week let’s remember that true ‘love’ means to want the absolute best for others, especially those we are closest to.

God wants that for us – that’s why Jesus suffered, died, and rose from the dead – so that all of us can have the absolute best -  eternal life.

In a few minutes we will approach the altar to receive our Lord in Holy Communion.

Let’s pray that God will give us the strength and the courage to ‘love’ as Jesus taught.    

God bless you all!

Correcting your brother with love through prayer & forgiveness - Homily, Week Ordinary Time, Week 23 – Cycle A

Good morning. This is the time of the year when many of our young adults have gone off to college for the first time.  For many of them it’s a brand new experience of being away from home, living on their own, and making their own choices.  Unfortunately this is a time they choose to do things that are contrary to Mom and Dad’s rules and God’s law.  This brought me back to my days as a freshman at Purdue University and the constant reminder of the consequences of making sinful choices: Brother Max. Did anyone else get to experience Brother Max?   He was a street preacher who’d set up in the middle of campus and shout out scripture and eternal damnation to those living in sinful ways.  He would engage in heated debates with students, many of them doing so just for entertainment.  He was quite a spectacle. Brother Max was like the watchman in Ezekiel, and felt it his obligation to “dissuade the wicked from his way”, but it wasn’t very effective.  I believe that many of the students he was trying to save did not have a relationship with Christ, so his words were just noise.  He had mainly a one-way conversation that did not attempt to build a relationship with the students.

It’s pretty hard to correct someone if you don’t have a relationship with them.

Jesus gives advice today on how the disciples are to correct a brother or sister who sins against them.  This would apply as well to those causing spiritual harm to themselves. The first step is to go to your brother or sister, and confidentially try to work it out between the two of you.   Jesus said to “tell him his fault between you and him alone”.  Jesus had a good sense of human nature, as we don’t always do this.  Too often we jump to conclusion that others have personally meant to hurt us and complain to others about the one who hurt us. This does not give the person a chance to rectify the situation. If we address the person who has hurt us with love, it gives them a chance to reconcile with us.  They may have been unaware of their fault, and willing to make things right. If we have a relationship with our brothers and sisters in Christ, we should be able to resolve our differences through forgiveness.  If we cannot resolve the issue one on one, Jesus provides a model through the Christian community, the Church, and only at last resort to go to the secular community.

Prayer is essential to resolving our differences. It’s good to first pray on the offenses to discern if it really needs addressing by asking for the Holy Spirit’s guidance. The Holy Spirit gives us patience, knowledge, understanding, and wisdom to help to discern what to do.   We need to discern if the sin is less serious or is it of grave matter, a mortal sin.

If it’s less serious it may be a matter of forgiving the other and not bringing the issue up at all. If it does need to be addressed, prayer is the best way to start the discussion. It helps bring down our defenses by calling on Jesus & the Holy Spirit to be present.   Once an agreement has been made to solve the situation, prayer is the way to go in peace. Jesus tells us, “If two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father.”

Forgiveness is key to heal a situation where we’ve been hurt by another’s sin.   Jesus tells us, “Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven”.  If we’ve been hurt, the damage has been done.  The offending party needs to do their best at repairing damage.  But sometimes this may not be possible.   If we don’t forgive and hold on to the feelings of hurt, it eats away at us, and causes us harm us.   Forgiving the offender us helps our own healing.

The offender needs healing as well.  They may have been forgiven by us, but may struggle with guilt of the harm they caused.  They need the mercy of Christ through the sacrament of reconciliation and to hear the healing words of the priest: “I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit”.   Our own forgiveness and the sacraments of the Church bring healing for both parties.

So returning to the story about Brother Max, how do you help those who are hurting others and themselves who don’t know Christ?  It’s hard to address the sins committed by others without having relationship with them.  So how do we go about doing that? By sharing our joy of knowing Christ with those who are in need, both physically and spiritually so we can build a relationship with them. This will take patience and understanding as those who don’t know Christ may be living a life contrary to God’s ways and hard for us to deal with.   How can we help them to encounter Christ? By showing them love as St. Paul calls us to do today.

What are some ways to show love?  By encountering others who don’t know Christ and building a relationship with them.  A colleague of mine was recently down at IU and saw a Dominican priest who was surrounded by students in the middle of campus.  The priest was just sitting on a bench next to a sign that read, “talk to a priest”. His approach was to use honey to attract students instead of the stings of Brother Max to

build a relationship with the students. Pope Francis washing the feet of the juvenile prison inmates on Good Friday service last year gave the youth of many faiths a personal encounter with Christ.   I’m able to bring Christ in Word and sacrament to men and woman by visiting them in Johnson County Jail and connecting them back to their faith communities. Our new food panty will serve a lot more people and that will be a great opportunity to share the joy of knowing Christ with many who may not know him.   By serving the clients at the pantry it shows them Christ’s love in meeting their physical needs, in praying with them, and inviting them to know Christ through our faith community.  By helping others develop a relationship with Christ, we can help them learn the ways of Christ and prevent them from hurting themselves and others.

So when we’re hurt by others in our Christian community or see others hurting themselves by their sins, follow Jesus’ model, and make sure to pray, and be forgiving.  Also when we encounter those who don’t know the way of Christ, make an effort to build a relationship with them in Christian love, so they can know how to live as God wills.  May God bless you.