Going to Hoboken in a hand basket (26th Sunday in Ordinary Time)

Today's gospel annoys me, and it should annoy you as well. I mean, we go to all that trouble to learn the commandments so we can live by the rules, avoid going to hell and hopefully getting into heaven, then WHAM! along comes Jesus with this parable.

Lazarus, a poor man, dies and goes to heaven; the rich man---who has no name and therefore no identity--dies and is buried. Lazarus finds himself cradled in the bosom of Abraham, which is a great place to be cradled. The rich man finds himself in a place of torment, so we can assume if it's not hell it's at least some place in north Jersey. Probably near Bayonne or Elizabeth. Maybe Newark.

Anyway, that's not the disturbing part, unless you happen to be visiting us today from New Jersey, in which case I apologize, but don't blame me, I didn't write the gospel. Take it up with Luke should you be lucky enough one day to find yourself in the bosom of Abraham and not in that "place of torment." Trust me, it's an improvement.

But I digress. What is really disturbing about today's gospel is that Luke does not tell us WHY the rich man ended up in hell. It doesn't mention any mortal sin he may have committed to suffer eternal torment. It doesn't even say he intentionally ignored Lazarus lying outside his door. He was rich and he enjoyed his things and presumably he enjoyed his life. What's wrong with that? Apparently something.
Surely the gospel doesn't mean to imply that all rich people are headed toward hell.

At the beginning of Mass, we confess to God and one another that we have sinned in our thoughts, in our words, in what we have done---and what we have failed to do. A sin of omission! When we do not do good, we commit a sin! Missing Mass is the most obvious. But we also have the obligation to love one another, to forgive one another, to help one another. And when we do not do these things, we, like the rich man, run the risk of winding up in Hoboken. (Sorry! I meant hell!)

But there is another annoying part in today's gospel. What did Lazarus do to merit going to heaven? Did he pray a lot? Did he go to church? Luke doesn't tell us. Does Lazarus go to heaven just because he's poor? Put another way, do poor people automatically go to heaven?

We know poor people can be as greedy, rude, and selfish like the rest of us. So what makes Lazarus special? The answer is in his name. A name, especially in the Bible, gives us a clue about a person's character and role in life. Lazarus is the English form of the Hebrew name Eleazer. It means, "God is my help." Lazarus trusted God alone, in spite of all hardships, poverty and hunger. And God rewarded that trust. The dogs that came to lick Lazarus' wounds are a poor person's health care.

Some in this church today are like Lazarus. Perhaps they lost their jobs or their health is not good. Maybe they are sad or depressed. Today's gospel calls them to put their trust in God alone. And the rich man is given no name, not just because he has no identity, but so that each of us can put ourselves in his place and examine our lives by gospel values and not just enjoy life. We must be concerned about the poor people around us. God may be helping them through us.

[Here's proof God has a sense of humor. On my way driving on the local streets to church today, I spotted a poor, old woman sitting on the curb. I thought , "God, I have no time to stop and help that poor person. I have to get to church so I can tell parishioners to help poor people!"]

If we ignore the cry of the poor, if we refuse to do good, we runs the risk of ending up someplace much worse than Hoboken.    

Interreligious bake-off! (Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time)

I have a recipe for the best cake in the world. This cake is so delicious, you'll never want any other. One taste and you'll be in heaven. This recipe is better than any cake recipe anyone else has ever known. And it's free!

Do you detect anything missing in what I just said? I can stand up here and brag all I want on how good this recipe is, but the only way to convince you I have the recipe for the most excellent cake EVER, is for me to actually bake that cake and let you taste it for yourselves. Of course, it's always easier--and safer--just talking about it than actually baking it. After all, anybody can talk. And I might fail.

You see, the problem is, our Muslim neighbors across the street say they have the best recipe. What's more, they claim it came directly from God. The Buddhists up the block insist their cake is out of this world. The Jews, of course, gave us the original recipe but we perfected it with a special, all-important ingedient. Now Protestants contend we Catholics have distorted the recipe by using way too much sugar and frosting and we Catholics think their cake is only half-baked.

We could go on and on arguing whose recipe is the best, but there is only one way to prove it: bake the cake. Taste it. Offer it to others. Then let the world decide.

This analogy would be funny were it not for the wars that have been fought and are being fought even as we gather in prayer today, wars over whose religion is the true religion, whose way of life is best, whose understanding of God is correct.

How ironic that we profess belief in a God of compassion and forgiveness; ironic because centuries ago Catholics slaughtered Muslims in the battle for Jerusalem, and Catholics killed Eastern Orthodox Christians in the siege of Constantinople and Catholics butchered Protestants in France and Spain---all in the name of the God of compassion. To be sure, over the centuries Muslims and Protestants have killed their share of Catholics.

Whose to blame? There's plenty of blame to go around. Most religions have blood on their hands. So, is there something wrong with the recipe? Perhaps the ingredients aren't right? Or is the baker to blame? Some people became so discouraged, disappointed or disgusted with all the sins committed in the name of God and religion that they have given up on baking altogether. We call them atheists.

This Book of the Gospels we carry in solemn procession at the beginning of Mass, this Book we enthrone upon the altar, this Book from which we proclaim the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, this is our recipe for nothing less than eternal life. But it is only as good, and useful, and effective as our willingness to follow it and live by its instructions. Believe, Repent, Forgive, Love.

Believe in Jesus. Repent your sins. Forgive others. And love! Love God and love your neighbor as you love yourself; love one another; love your enemies. Leave out any one of these and your faith will be incomplete. Your faith will be incomplete because your life is incomplete.

Today's gospel underscores the great mystery of God's forgiveness. God does not sit passively in some far away heaven until we decide to return. God actively waits and worries and watches the distant horizon for any sign we have come to our senses. God runs out to meet us halfway.

Forgiveness is actually the main ingredient of our recipe. Jesus gave the last drop of his blood on the cross to make God's forgiveness available, not just to us but to everyone. Who are we then to deny forgiveness to others?

As the Parable of the Good Samaritan points out, it doesn't matter why we return to the Father. God doesn't care to listen to our lame excuses for why we came back, God is just happy to have us back home. And those of us who never left, who never strayed, who never sinned, who are we to pout like the older brother when God is merciful to sinners? Trust me, the day will come when you too will stand in need of forgiveness.

Nine years ago the world watched in horror as a few misguided Muslims slammed airplanes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Since then, some misguided Christians concluded there must be something evil about the Quran for it to produce such evil men. Last week the world watched in horror as some misguided Christians threatened to burn the Muslim holy book. Wouldn't it be just as wrong to conclude there must be something wrong with the Bible for it to produce such idiots? Is there something wrong with our Bible if it produced the Crusades, the Inquisition, and the recent sex abuse scandals? Would burning the Bible solve the problem?

But is the problem with the Book, or with the bakers?

I've read translations of parts of the Quran. Some of it is very beautiful. Some of it is very violent. The same thing can be said of the Old Testament. Now, the Quran does mention Jesus and accepts him as a holy prophet sent by God. It says he was born of the Virgin Mary and even rose from the dead and returned to God. So far so good.

But the Quran explicitly denies Jesus is the Son of God or that he was crucified or that his death on the cross brought salvation to the world. Of course Muslims deny this. If they didn't, they'd be Christians.

The question isn't why Muslims don't believe in Jesus as the Son of God; the question is what difference does it make to those of us who do?

We cannot confess Jesus is Lord, then not follow his example.
We cannot believe Jesus died for our sins, but then stubbornly refuse to forgive others.
We cannot call ourselves Christian, but then ignore Jesus' commandments.

Believe. Repent. Forgive. Love.

Anything less is a recipe for disaster.