Keeping God at a Safe Distance--Why do We Prefer That?

   At times a very powerful message in the Scriptures gets obscured simply because there are so many other powerful messages to be found there.  This Sunday's Gospel text is a good example of that.

   In His farewell discourse he tells his disciples, "I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live in you. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you." (John 14:18-20)

   Unfortunately, it seems to me, most Christians tend to see God as "the man upstairs" or a God who is out there someplace.  They may believe that God loves them. Perhaps they pray often, but they do not realize not only that God is close to them, but that God desires to be united with them, not only in the next life, but now.

  The Church, over the next few weeks, will be celebrating what I like to call the fruits of Christ's Resurrection--His return to the Father, the sending of the Holy Spirit  and finally the mystery of the Trinity.  Everyone who recites the Creed on Sunday believes that Jesus ascended to the Father, that He sent the Holy Spirit on Pentecost and that He is one with the Father and the Spirit (Trinity).  The problem is that most think of the first two as wonderful things that happened to Jesus and the Trinity as some unexplainable doctrine that we go along with but that we don't understand.  The truth is that all of us participate in these wonderful mysteries.  Jesus return to the Father allows the Spirit to come to us.  Through Baptism and Confirmation the Holy Spirit dwells in us.  In Baptism we are joined to the Body of Christ and we renew that reality every time that we celebrate the Eucharist. Jesus words then are so true. He is in the Father and they are in us.  The Trinity is not just a doctrine but a deep gift of love into which we are drawn.

   The picture that I chose at the top of this page shows the Coronation of Mary.  She is surrounded by the Father and the Son with the dove above them representing the Spirit.  Imagine the rest of us Christians in that picture along with her.

    That's just too good to be true for so many.  It's easier to keep God at arm's length. When we do that religion becomes a game in which we try to keep rules so that we can go to heaven.  What Jesus wants of us is to be caught up in the great mystery of union with Him.  When that happens we will be transformed more and more into the image of Christ and know that eternal life begins even now in this life.  That is one of the underlying messages of John's Gospel. 

   Why do we resist this deeper understanding of our faith?  Because we have to surrender. Love demands a response of love, a giving over of ourselves to God so that we can be transformed. When this happens on a large scale people will stop wondering why they have to go to Mass on Sunday, or making shallow statements about not needing Church to be a good person.  The truth is that we don't need the Church to be good. We need Church to be holy, to be transformed. When we're willing to do that we wouldn't think of not celebrating the Eucharist or not taking advantage of any opportunity to grow closer to Christ.


  

  

Time For Reflection

  This will be one of those occasional blog entries that gives readers a glimpse into my life.

   Because the ministry I am in is unique I get asked a variety of questions about it.  One is, "Doesn't all the travel tire you out?" The answer to that is, "At times, yes, but I still love the work that I do."  On the other hand when I am at home for a few weeks, as is usually the case in January and May, I am often asked, "What do you do with all that time on your hands?  There are a variety of answers to that one but the short version is, " I take care of body and soul."

   Let's look at the "body" part of it first.  While as a diabetic I make sure that exercise, usually in the form of walking, is part of my routine, when I am home I can walk longer, take bike rides and visit the local YMCA for some more vigorous exercise.  The other dimension of body care deals with the fact that at my age I don't have a doctor, instead I have doctors.  During my down time I need to catch up on checkups, necessary tests, etc, all part of keeping me alive and well.

  The "soul" part of things likewise has several dimensions.  While I certainly keep my prayer life going when I'm on the road, time at home means getting back into the rhythm of community Mass and prayers and having more quality time with the Lord on my own as well.  Without that preaching would get dry and dull rather quickly.  There is likewise the need for spiritual reading and study.  All of that is the fuel that keeps the engine going in my friar life and in my ministry.

   For both body and soul, especially during the spring and summer, I enjoy heading out to one of the gulf beaches in the evening.  I have to be careful of getting too much sun during the day so sitting on the beach, reading and watching for the sunset provides me with several enjoyable evenings.

   The weeks ahead will see my participating in my province's provincial chapter in early June.  This is an important meeting where we elect leadership and decide on key policies for our province.  It is also a great time to connect with friars that I haven's seen for a while.  After that I will again participate on the mission trip to Honduras with Christ the King parish in Little Rock, AR, a wonderful experience with dedicated people that I hope to keep as part of my life for the foreseeable future, in other words until I am too old to do it any more.

Where's Tom? A reflection for Mercy Sunday

Thomas touching the wounds of Christ

            

        The Gospel text for the Second Sunday of Easter (John 20:19-31) is rich with  meaning. I wonder though if the question has ever been raised as to why Thomas doubted.  Was he simply week, or is there another explanation ? I believe that
Sunday's First Reading (Acts 2:42-47)  though not related at all to the story of Thomas, provides an answer to that question.  That text tells us that the community was one in celebrating the breaking of the bread and in sharing all things in common.  Community life is a key element of Christianity.  I believe that Thomas doubted simply because he was apart from the community.  He wasn't there to witness the wonderful action of Jesus who broke through walls to be present to disciples gathered in fear.  Who wouldn't be skeptical when told that story?

   Let's take a look at what happens.  They are huddled out of fear of the Jews.  (Just an aside--the word Jews in John's Gospel may never be construed as a basis for antisemitism because it does not refer to all Jews, but rather the leaders or temple authorities.  After all Jesus and the disciples were Jews themselves.)   Jesus breaks through the walls of fear as I mentioned above.  He then sets in  motion what I call the great tsunami of mercy and compassion.  Those disciples may not have been filled with joy right away.  Why?  Because they had all bailed out on him on Holy Thursday evening.  But what does Jesus do?  Does He chastise them?  No.  He breathes on them and sends the Spirit upon them giving them the power to forgive sins in His name.  By this very action he is telling them that they are forgiven.  He is showing mercy to them but telling them to share that mercy with others.  This is why I use the image of the tsunami.  The tsunami is not just a big wave like we might see off the coast of California or Hawaii.  It is also a long wave, pushing water along for miles.  That is why it is so destructive.  Jesus' tsunami of mercy is not destructive.  it is a life-giving wave that lifts up and renews everything in its path.

    Thomas had missed out on this.  He's incredulous when he hears about it, but he returns a week later and he too is not chastised but invited to touch the wounds which are the source of this great gift of mercy.

    What then are we to learn from this.  I think that there are several lessons.

   1.  It is difficult to maintain faith when we are cut off from the community, the Church because it is in and through that community that mercy, love compassion and grace are dispensed.  Don't get me wrong. I'm not denying that God can and does act on the lives of individuals outside of that community, but rather that when we are isolated we are so often blinded to God's presence.  In the community which touch the wounds of Christ when we encounter the suffering of our brothers and sisters and when we then see how the Lord forgives sin and heals suffering.

   2.  In our Catholic tradition the conferral of the power to forgive sin is the basis for our belief that this ministry is exercised in  a special way by priests in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  I pray that we can continue to renew the use of this Sacrament and the manner in which it is celebrated.  In my own experience as both a priest and penitent this Sacrament, when used properly is a great way to encounter the merciful and compassionate Christ.

  3.  Let us never forget that the great tsunami of mercy is passed on not only through the sacramental dispensing of mercy but also when you and I become more merciful people, not only forgiving those who have wronged us but also being more merciful towards those with differences, towards those we disagree with, etc.  This is a point that Pope Francis models so well for us.  He is not changing Church teaching on various matters but telling us that mercy, rather than harshness, is the best way to draw other to Christ.

   4.  The million dollar question then is, "Are we conduits of mercy who let the love and compassion of Christ flow through us?  Or, are we constantly building sea walls that stop the flow?  We know that we can't stop it, but if we try it will flow around us and leave us behind.

     Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy.

Holy Week--A Week of Memory

     

A number of years ago, at one of the rare times in which Holy Week and Passover did not come together, I had the privilege of being invited to share one of the nights of Passover in  Jewish home.  To say the least it was quite an honor for me and they likewise were delighted to have a Catholic priest at their table.  One of the key moments of the night comes when the youngest child asks the oldest family member, in the case the grandfather, "Why is this night different from any other night?"  I was told that often the answer is read from a script, but with this family the grandfather gave an impassioned and heartfelt rendition of the story of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt and into freedom. He then explained that this is a time to remember that great event, not to remember in the sense of looking back, but to remember in the sense of allowing the freedom given to his people by God back then to come alive in their hearts today. He said that the Passover was not just an event that took place thousands of years ago, but one that continually takes place today.

       I went home after that wonderful evening and pondered the meaning of what I had just experienced in terms of our Christian Passover, the celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus, our Passover from death to life.  Jesus, of course, was celebrating the Seder, Passover, with his disciples on Holy Thursday evening.  On that special night He gave new meaning to Passover and gave us the gift of the Eucharist.  "Do this in memory of Me.", he said after offering the bread and wine as His Body and Blood.  Memory.  He did not mean to think back to the Last Supper and recall what He did, as many Christians unfortunately see this event, rather he meant that what He did on that night and the Redemption He gained for us on the next few days should come alive in us every time we celebrate the Eucharist.  That is the fuller meaning of our belief in the Real Presence.  Not only is Jesus truly present, we are also drawn into the whole reality of His saving death and resurrection.  It comes alive in us again.

   As we go into Holy Week I would suggest that the entire week is a time of remembrance, not just of recollection, but of allowing those great saving events of love and forgiveness to some alive anew in us today.  Part of that special remembering is the discipline of allowing each movement from Palm Sunday to Easter to come alive.  Such remembrance is a challenge.  It means not only to we allow ourselves to experience the faith and love of those who stayed with Jesus at the foot of the cross, but also to admit that there is a bit of Peter's denial and Judas' betrayal in all of us.  Only in that way can we experience the love that Jesus showed when He washed the disciples feet and appeared to them after He rose from the dead.

   A Blessed Holy Week to everyone and may the joy of the Paschal Mystery come alive in your hearts.