Don't let your possession, possess you. Put Christ first in your life! Homily, 2018

What must I do to inherit eternal life? That’s the question the man asked Jesus in the Gospel today.   Jesus’ responded very directly: Sell all you have and give to the poor and then follow me.  Did that answer make any of you a little uncomfortable? It did make me feel a bit uncomfortable.  I’ve been blessed with a nice house, cars, and money saved up for retirement and college for my son.   Is Jesus asking us to give up all that we have in order to follow him?

The man in the story was very sincere in his question to Jesus.  He diligently followed the commandments from a young age. Jesus sensed his sincerity and lovingly invited him to be one of his disciples by giving up all that had.  Jesus knew man lacked one thing: making Jesus the top priority in his life.  The man’s possessions were his highest priority.  Jesus wanted him to be free of them, so he could inherit eternal life.  Unfortunately, the man’s possessions were too important, and he went away sad.  His possessions, possessed him.

Do we need to take Jesus words literally?   Do we need to sell all we have and give to the poor?   Some of us may be called to that, but for most, we have to consider the responsibilities we for our families.  We need to earn a living and own some things for our families well-being and also dedicate some resources to help the poor.   Some of us may own businesses and need resources to provide goods, services, and employment that helps others. If we’ve been blessed with abundant resources it’s ok, as long as have the wisdom to put some of them to good use to help others.  So having possessions can be a good thing, as long as they don’t possess us. But we need to ask: are there things in our lives that possess us that keep us from following Jesus?  

Our possessions can make it very hard to enter the kingdom of God if they’re first priority in our life.   We can become too reliant on our own resources and feel like we don’t need to depend on God.  If we’re always trying to keep up with Joneses: getting a bigger house, buying a new car, or wearing the latest fashions and we can lose focus on what’s most important: our relationship with God. Our “possessions” can become our “god” and we can be possessed by them.

Jesus tells us that it’s hard to enter the kingdom of God for those who have wealth.   How hard is it? It would easier for a camel to enter through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter God’s kingdom.   Wow.  This that sounds impossible to do.  I guess none of us will make it into God’s kingdom if we have to rely on our own capabilities.   But Jesus tells us that, “with God all things are possible”.  He’s telling us that if we put God first in our life, IT WILL be possible to enter God’s kingdom. 

The only way we will be able to do this is through God’s grace.  There’s not anything we can do on our own to inherit eternal life.  It’s a gift that only God can give.  We can accept this gift, but we can also reject it. By having a relationship with Jesus and it will open us up to the gift of God’s grace.   

One way to follow Jesus is to simplify our lives.  We have too many distractions in our busy lives. We have a model to follow in living a simpler life and putting God first through our patron St. Francis.  St. Francis lived a life of wealth and luxury in his younger days, but was called to authentically live out the Gospel, by giving up all he had to follow Jesus.    He publicly gave up all of his wealth, family, and even his clothing to show his reliance on God. This allowed him to focus on living out the Gospel, in prayer, worship, and seeing God in his brothers and sisters that he served. Eight centuries later his way of life in living the Gospel continues through thousands of Franciscan religious and laypersons following his simple way of life. 

If we give up what possesses us and follow Jesus what will we get?   We will receive a hundred times more now in this present age: houses and brother and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to come.   How so? Through our brothers and sisters in Christ, which is all of you here. Through all the churches, schools, hospitals, and charitable ministries throughout the world spreading God’s love.

Jesus added that persecutions are to be expected as well.  We see this in our culture today.  In living as a Christians, we may be being mocked for our beliefs at work or school. For some it could be more serious, such as the many refugees leaving their homes in the Middle East.  But through these trials we need to remember that we’ll receive eternal life in the age to come.

So as we continue, think about what’s possessing you from making Jesus first in your life. Are there things, activities, or habits that come before our relationship with Christ?  If so, why not make a commitment to change.   Don’t walk away sad like the man in the Gospel. Pray for God’s grace to help.   Reach out to your brothers and sisters in Christ and ask them for support.  If Christ is first in your life, help others to do the same.    As we continue the Mass lets offer thanks to God for grace we receive through the Eucharist to help put Christ first in our life.

           

Get connected to Jesus, 23rd Sunday of Ordinary time, Cycle B

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(The homily starts off by Deacon Ron putting on headphones and walking to the front of the altar while staring at my phone)

This is what I see many people doing as I start my morning workout at the downtown YMCA. It seems like almost everyone is wearing headphones connected to their phone or tablet listening to something.  I suspect it’s either music, a sports show, or the daily news.   On some days I’ll go out for lunch and walk along canal and see a similar scene. On a rare occasion I’ll see people talking to one another, which is a refreshing site. 

Hearing is something that’s so important in our lives.  It’s essential for interacting with our surroundings and being in relationship with others.   It allows us to enjoy the beauty of music & lyrics so we can sign along with our favorite songs.  It’s the primary way we learn when we’re very young so we can learn to speak.  It would be very difficult to do most of the things we do in life without the ability to hear.  God has given us the gift of hearing and it’s something we can be truly grateful for. 

Unfortunately, today much of what we hear in the world is noise that deafens us to God.  We have too many distractions: music, news, sports, and entertainment that constantly consumes our time.  Sadly, some of the noise are the negative things within the Church and it can be discouraging.  This makes it very difficult to be open to the most important thing to hear, the word of God, through Jesus, the one restores us and gives us everlasting life.

Today we heard about Jesus’ healing of the deaf man in district of the Decapolis.   This was a region of ten cities that were mainly in Gentile territory.  Jesus goes into this area to proclaim the Kingdom of God to those who have yet to hear of it. This was a sign of Jesus coming to save all people, even those who are far from God.  The people bring the deaf man to Jesus, but he doesn’t perform the healing amongst the crowd. Jesus took the deaf man away by himself.  He wanted to be in relationship with the man who needed healing.   He didn’t want heal just for show to the other people. We’re told that Jesus touched the man’s ears and tongue and groaned Ephphatha, which meant be opened! The healing was immediate and the man could hear and his speech impediment was also gone. He could not only hear, but could now clearly proclaim the good news of what Jesus did for him.  We’re only able to proclaim what we are able to hear well.

Most of us here today have received the healing grace of baptism that restored the imperfection of original sin, so we could become children of God.   Through Christ, we’re being perfected through our relationship with him.   This was made possible through the Rite of Baptism. In this rite after the Baptism with water, the Ephphatha prayer is prayed by the priest or deacon. They touch the ears and mouth and prayer the following:  The Lord Jesus made the deaf to hear and the dumb to speak.  May he soon touch your hearts to receive his word, and your mouth to proclaim his faith, to the praise and glory of God the Father.   We’ve received the same gift as the deaf man to hear and proclaim the Good news of Jesus Christ!

So how can we be open to the word of God and proclaim it?  By being in relationship with Jesus just like the deaf man was.  This requires taking some time away from the noise and distractions of life and spending it with Jesus.  We first need to be absorbed in the Word of God so we can proclaim it.  The more we hear it the better we’ll be at sharing it with others.   Coming to Mass weekly is essential for this.  At Mass we have the opportunity to hear the word of God in the readings, psalms, and Gospel. We also have the rich prayers of the liturgy, especially the Eucharistic prayers.  The hymns that we sing also help to support the readings and season we’re in, and add to the hearing of God’s word.

Each week we can also listen to God’s word prior to coming to Mass.  This can really help the Mass become more rich and alive.  There are plenty of resources in print or online that provide the weekly readings and reflections on them.  Two that I really enjoy listening to are podcasts of the Sunday readings and a homily by Bishop Robert Barron through his Word on Fire ministry.  I really like Bishop Baron’s homilies as he has a unique way of relating Jesus to today’s culture. I’ll listen to these multiple times while driving to work, exercising, or working in yard.  It really helps stay connected to Jesus throughout the week. There is also the Opening the Word video reflection on the weekly readings that’s another good resource.  It’s on the opening screen of the parish’s Formed subscription that you can access online. Sharing the readings together with a small group, your spouse, or family can also be helpful to hear God’s word.  Finally, it’s always good to plan some quiet time in prayer to connect with Jesus and get away from the noise that distracts us from him. 

The last few weeks have been a bit of a challenge with the negative news about the Church.  It can be discouraging and take the focus away from what’s most important: hearing the Good News that Jesus proclaims.  To help with this I’ve relied a lot on the Blessed Mother’s intercession. Praying the mysteries of rosary has really helped me to focus on Jesus.    Also keeping the Blessed Mother’s last words in the Gospel of John, “Do whatever he tells you,” has helped me to listen much more attentively to the words of Jesus, and gives me the hope to proclaim the good news they bring.  So this week I hope you can disconnect from the noise in the world and get connected to hearing the word of Jesus so you can proclaim the Good News.

You are what you eat - Homily for week 20 of Ordinary Time, Cycle B

You are what you eat.   Does this quote sound familiar? It was popular in the 70’s & 80’s to reinforce eating the right foods.  The food pyramid was developed to go along with the phrase to help us understand what food led to good overall health.   The pyramid base was the healthy food and the unhealthy food, that stuff that tasted the best, was the teeny part of the top of the pyramid.  A lot of effort was spent in education and marketing this concept. Which of the foods do you think most of us ate? I know I ate to many at the top of pyramid.  Some new models now make it easier to eat better, as my dietician daughter Nicole has shown me, helping me to eat healthier and hopefully live longer. Although these food models may help in living longer, they don’t help to live forever.  Only the Eucharist can do that.

Over the last four weeks we’ve been reading from John Chapter 6.  We’ve been given the opportunity to feast on the Wisdom of the eternal God so we can grow in understanding of the life giving food of the Eucharist. It began with the miracle of the five loaves and two fish were Jesus fed thousands of people.  After this miracle people seek out Jesus for more food.   He tells them not to seek that food that perishes, but to seek food that endures for eternal life.   

In our first reading from Proverbs the stage is set for God’s invitation to the Eucharistic feast.  We hear of Wisdom providing a sumptuous feast where all are invited, including the simple and those who lack understanding, so they can advance in understanding.  St.  Paul encourages the Ephesians not continue in ignorance, but to try to understand the will of the Lord.  He describes the Eucharistic liturgy filled with the Spirit, along with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, always giving thanks for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. In coming together in the Eucharist, we can grow in understanding of this great gift feeding on Jesus in Word & Sacrament.

In John’s Gospel Jesus proclaims that: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven.  Whoever eats this bread will live forever, and the bread I give is my flesh for the life of the world.”   The Jews questioned Jesus about this, “How can this man give us flesh to eat?”  Think about how shocking sounded to the first century Jews. Jews were forbidden from eating animal flesh containing blood. He was also telling them to eat human flesh.  The original Greek word used to describe eating was not the normal way of eating a meal, but to eat as animals did, gnawing on munching.  This must have been repulsive to the Jews.

The Jew response provided Jesus an opportunity to restate his meaning.  But instead he reinforces what he just said: “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life”, “my flesh is true food”, and “This is the bread come down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread lives forever”.  He was not speaking in symbols or metaphors.   He was telling them to really eat and drink his flesh and blood to have eternal life.

We have the hindsight that the Jews didn’t: Jesus was speaking of the bread and wine of t

he Eucharistic meal mysteriously transformed into his flesh and blood.  We also know of the resurrected Jesus, who rose from the dead after offering his life as a sacrifice for us on the Cross. As true food and true drink the Eucharist nourishes us so we can grow spiritually.  Jesus also tells us: “Whoever eats my flesh and drink my blood remains in me and I in him.” Through the Sacrament of the Eucharist He remains in us and we remain in him, so our mortal bodies can become immortal.  Jesus became like us in flesh, so we could become like God in him.  It enables us to partake in the life of the Trinity. We affirm this reality each time we hear the priest conclude the Eucharistic prayer:

Through him, with him, and in him, O God Almighty Father, in unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours for ever and ever.  

Our response is the Great Amen where we affirm our belief that the Eucharist is truly Jesus’ flesh and blood that gives us eternal life.  Think about this each time you respond Amen at Mass.

These words were hard for the Jews to believe. Next week we’ll hear that many of his disciples left him after this.    It’s still hard for many people today to believe in this reality.  We know there are many Christian and even some Catholics who struggle with this belief.  If we keep the words of Proverbs in mind it may help: Those invited to the feast are the simple and those lacking understanding.  If we just simply listen to the words of Jesus, the Word of Wisdom, and believe that they are true, then we can have eternal life.   I’d strongly encourage to take time and read the entire content of John chapter 6 and be open to what he is saying.

By consuming the Eucharist, we receive grace and are transformed to grow in holiness and love to become one with Christ. As we become one with Christ, we are united with the body of Christ, and can transform the world. A great example of a person transformed by the Eucharist was St. Mother Theresa of Calcutta.  We know of her great love of the poor, which flowed from the power of the Eucharist. Consider her words: If we truly understand the Eucharist, if we make the Eucharist the central focus of our lives, if we feed our lives with the Eucharist, we will not find it difficult to discover Christ, to love him, and to serve him in the poor. If we feed on Jesus’ Word consuming them in our hearts, we can grow to understand he meant what he said: His flesh and blood truly gives us eternal life. By consuming the Eucharist, we can become what we eat.