Women and Jesus

Good morning! We give thanks for the wonderful air-conditioning that allows us to celebrate Mass in comfort during this oppressive heat. Let us spare a thought and say a prayer for the millions of people who lost power during the recent storms. I suppose you could use that as an excuse to skip Mass, but as one pastor put it: "If you think this is hot, remember there is no air conditioning in hell."

One of the aims of my homily today is to give you something to help you stay cool.

The gospel today from Mark 5:21-43 gives us the opportunity to think about the role and equality of women in our country and world. So much of our attitude is culturally determined.

For all our progress in the United States, women still only earn about .82 cents on the dollar compared to male counterparts doing the same work. Women only received the right to vote in this country in 1920, less than 100 years ago.

In Korea, back in the day, if a member of the aristocracy failed to produce a male heir, there was the practice of kidnapping a desirable woman from a neighboring village to be used as a sort of surrogate mother (ssi-ba-ji 씨 받이) and, after she was impregnated and gave birth to a son, to send her back to her family, minus the child.

Our own attitudes in the west have taken a millennium to change. These were initially articulated by none other than St. Thomas Aquinas in the Thirteenth Century. His theology and philosophy continue to influence church thinking today. In his treatise (De Gener. ii, 3) he states that "the female is a misbegotten male." He believed all children start out as male and then for some something goes wrong and a female develops. Of course, modern science has proven the exact opposite. We know we all start out as female and then (something goes wrong?) and some of us come out male. And we also know that it is the male who determines the gender of the children. How many women were "put away" (a la Catherine of Aragon) for not producing males?

Of course this attitude is very ancient. There is a prayer in orthodox Judaism that men pray daily in which they praise and thank God, "for creating me human and not an animal, a Jew and not a Gentile, a free man and not a slave, and a man not a woman."

Rabbi Jesus of Nazareth would surely have known and perhaps even recited this prayer. But let's look at how he lived and how he related to women.

He was not afraid to associate with them, even going so far as to have a theological conversation with a single (?) Samaritan woman. Wealthy women helped finance the disciples' ministry. The wife of Pontius Pilate interceded on Jesus' behalf. He often visited the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus in Bethany. And Mary Magdalene, with whom Jesus had a very close relationship, was the very first to encounter the Risen Lord.

In today's gospel, Jairus, a synagogue leader, implores Rabbi Jesus to come quickly for his 12-year-old daughter is near death. And Jesus goes. On the way a huge crowd presses in on Jesus. Among them is a women who has suffered from a hemorrhage for 12 years. She secretly reaches out and touches Jesus' garment—and is immediately healed.

Some wonderful things are going on in this episode. First, the plight of the woman. The gospel tells us she had spent all her money on doctors and had not gotten better. Worse, worse even than being sick, is that her hemorrhage rendered her ritually unclean. For twelve years she did not dare enter a synagogue, let alone the Temple. She was not only a woman, but an unclean woman. An outcast among outcasts! No wonder she approached Rabbi Jesus in secret.

Something else mysterious and wonderful happens. Jesus is apparently unaware of her and her plight, but "he knew power had gone out from him." When he spun around to ask "Who touched me?" the disciples are incredulous. "What, are you kidding? Look how this crowd is pressing in on you! How can you ask such a question? EVERYBODY is touching you!"

Jesus looks around until he finds the woman, now healed and made whole. She comes forward "in fear and trembling." Why? Well for one, she willingly broke the law! The Law forbad a woman with a flow of blood to touch someone who is clean. If that happened, it rendered the healthy person also unclean. But in Jesus case, the opposite happened. She was healed. Jesus didn't do this to embarrass her but to correct her mistaken idea that his cloak had magically healed her. Then he bestows on her a wonderful title, "Daughter," he said, "Your faith has made you well."

Meanwhile word arrives that during this interruption and delay, Jairus' daughter had died. "Why disturb the rabbi any further?" But Jesus insists they continue to the house and that Jairus should have faith. When they get there, there is a great commotion. In traditional Korea this is called "Gok ha da 곡 하다" or wailing. The Irish call in "keaning".

Jesus tells them to be quiet because the girl is not dead, but sleeping. And they laugh in his face. He puts them out and takes just three disciples and the girl's parents. Jesus takes her hand and says in Aramaic, "Talitha, kum!" (Little girl, arise!). The girl comes back from the dead and Jesus caps this miracle with a wonderfully human and tender request: "Give her something to eat."

These stories in the gospel are enough to challenge our impression of what it means to be a woman. On top of this, the Church adds the extra mystery that, when God became human, yes he came as a man, but he was born of the Virgin Mary and without any help from a man.

Treating girls and women with not just respect but as true equals, because Jesus did and because we call him Lord, is about the coolest thing we can do.

Cleansing our own temple (Third Sunday of Lent, Year B)

Imagine the shock a priest would feel if he went over to retrieve the Blessed Sacrament from the Tabernacle only to find the ciborium crowded by other things: an iPhone, a bank book, a peanutbutter sandwich, a bottle of aspirin and a bottle of beer!

None of these things is bad; they're just in the wrong place, a place reserved for the Body of Christ alone.

Today's gospel (John 2:13-25) shows Jesus getting very angry when he visited the Temple. The Court of the Gentiles, the only place where nonJews could pray within the Temple, had been turned into a marketplace for worshipers to exchange "unclean" money for kosher currency and purchase animals for sacrifice! Bartering, deceit, swindling and exploitation profaned the Temple. Jesus' righteous indignation was not just about zeal for God's house but also on behalf of us Gentiles: "My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations." (Mark 11:17) The market, however necessary, did not belong in that sacred place because it made it impossible for the Gentiles to pray there.

St. Paul reminds us that we form the living temple of God's presence. This Third Sunday in Lent invites us to open up the tabernacle of our hearts, made for Christ alone, and see whatever things, however good, are crowding out our love of God. Modern technology and toys, financial matters, food, health and social activities are good--- in their place. It's a question of priorities.

Do our preoccupations with worldly matters not only distract us from God but also contaminate our relationships with others? Does the way we relate to others make it difficult for them to pray? Do our words or actions not only drive people away from the church but away from God?

Lent invites us to examine and re-order our lives anew. What really matter? What's most important? Lent is the time for spiritual spring cleaning of our hearts.

Into the wilderness (First Sunday of Lent, Year B)

How are your Lenten sacrifices going? Did you forget to give something up? Or like me, did you try to give up all meat and food from animals and only make it to Thursday? Did you forget to fast or did you eat meat last Wednesday or Friday? Well, the good news is I don't think you'll burn forever in hell. At least not for that. The bad news is that you have no excuse. You can begin Lent today. Today's readings show us how.

In the days of Noah and the Great Flood, God set a rainbow in the sky to remind us of his promise to save us from destruction. Whenever we see a rainbow, we remember God's promise.

In the days of Jesus, God set a cross on a hill to remind us of his promise to save us from the power of sin and death. When we see a cross, we remember God has kept his promise.

Lent helps us remember the God who never forgets us.

Mark's gospel today is short and to the point. Unlike the gospels of Luke and Matthew, there is no dramatic confrontation and dialogue between Jesus and Satan. In fact, Mark doesn't even say that Jesus fasted.

Mark doesn't say the Holy Spirit lead Jesus into the desert; he says the Holy Spirit DROVE Jesus into the desert. The goal is the same: to prepare for his life and mission Jesus must confront Satan and overcome temptation.

There are two main characters in the story: Jesus and Satan. There are two groups of extras: wild beasts and angels. And the stage is the wilderness. Only in the wilderness and only by confronting evil can Jesus discover the purpose of his life and the will of God.

And isn't that what we all want to know? What is the purpose of my life? What is the will of God for me?

To find out, we only need to do what Jesus did: enter the wilderness.

Guess what? The wilderness is inside you. The beasts and the angels are inside you. Satan and Jesus are inside you.

You enter the wilderness precisely by giving up things up during Lent, things that distract you, entertain you, amuse you or confuse you.

We don't give up things just to make ourselves miserable for 40 days. We pretend we have sinned so we can pretend we are sorry and after 40 days we can pretend we are forgiven and then at Easter we can pretend to be happy again. Then we wonder why our religion and our life seem like a pretense. Nor should we give up things to try to control God and get what we want and make God do what we want. And the worst reason to give up things is to make ourselves feel pious and holier and better than other people.

No, we fast and we abstain and we give things up during Lent in order to enter into the wilderness of our soul. There we will encounter wild beasts: our fears, our bad memories, our anger, our hatred, our sins. There we will be comforted by angels: love, fond memories, joy, laughter, hope. There we will face temptations: pride, guilt, revenge, self delusion.

There too we will encounter both Jesus and Satan. We learn to distinguish the voice of Satan from the voice of Jesus. Satan says, "You are worthless. You are nothing. Even God cannot save you. Give up." The voice of Jesus says, "I love you. I gave my life for you. You're worth it."

The temptations we face are the same Jesus faced. Feel sorry for yourself. Think only of yourself. Forget your humanity. Seize power. Use people. Betray God. Who would it hurt?

Every sin we commit comes from these temptations.

Satan wants us to forget who Jesus is and to forget who we are and to forget what God has done for us.

You, each of you, are precious children of God, made in God's image and likeness and NOTHING you can do can change or destroy that. Sin makes us forget this.

It's when we forget who we are that evil takes over our lives.

We do not fast and give things up for Lent to earn God's love; we fast and give things up to remind ourselves how much God loves us.

This Lent give up the things, the attitudes, the language that disguise who you are. Give up the diversions that drown out the voice of God in your heart. Give up the habits that distort the image of God in which you were made.

Then you will discover the purpose of your life; then you will know the will of God.

27th Sunday in Ordinary time (Will we also lose the vineyard?)

There was a man who decided, after studying world religions, that he wanted to visit a Catholic church during Mass. He wanted to see for himself a community at prayer who honestly believed that Christ was in their midst. He said, of all the religions, Catholicism offered the most amazing thing: the Body of Christ.

So he asked his Catholic friend if they could go to Mass together, and his friend was delighted to be able to share his faith. So one Sunday morning they went to church. On the way the friend explained about the different parts of the Mass: how we stand to pray and show respect, how we sit to listen, how we bow or genuflect before the Tabernacle, and how we kneel to worship. Sometimes the priest blesses the congregation with holy water. Sometimes the priest uses incense to remind us we are in the very presence of God.

The man understood only baptized Catholics in a state of grace could receive Communion. He couldn't wait to see how this effected the people who actually received the Body of Christ. That day, the men were in luck! The choir sang beautifully, and the priest gave a homily filled with Baeisms.

After Mass, over coffee and bagels, the friend eagerly waited to hear the man's reaction to attending his first ever Catholic Mass.

"So how was it?" he asked.

"Meh. OK," the man replied.

"OK? Just OK?" The friend had thought everything had been perfect. "What was wrong?"

So the man explained, "The problem wasn't what the church teaches; the problem wasn't how the truths of Catholicism were presented; the problem was the people."

The product may be perfect. The packaging may be beautiful. But if the purpose is lost, why bother?

What's the use of saying the Mass is the center and most important thing in a Catholic's life, what's the point in proclaiming Jesus is present in the Blessed Sacrament if the people don't believe it?

The friend was crushed, but asked, "How do you know we don't believe it?"

The man answered, "In church today I just looked around at how people act and how they dress. Looks like some are going to the beach or a ball game and others to a night club. Hardly anybody sang, except the choir. So that made what should be musical prayer into simply a performance. Some people were talking with their friends all during Mass and even in the Communion line. I saw a few texting. And one lady even answered her cell phone. But the worst part was after Mass, they didn't look to me like people who just were fed and changed by the Word of God.

"If you guys don't believe you have received the Body of Christ, why should I?"

Although these two men remained friends, the man never went back to a Catholic church again.

Does that story make you as uncomfortable as it makes me? Hits a little bit too close to home. Now we feel how the Jews must have felt in today's gospel reading when Jesus told them the parable of the vineyard.

"The kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a people who will produce its fruits."

It's not enough just to belong. It's not even enough just to believe. We must also be active.

Do you know what the Mass is? Do you believe what the Mass is? Do your actions during Mass show you are focusing all your attention on God? Do any of those things that man saw at Mass apply to you?

But here's the kicker. You can dress to the nines, you can sing your heart out, you can kneel and stand and shout "Amen!" and you can believe from the very bottom of your soul that you are receiving the Body of Christ, but if you go out those doors, if your life and words and actions don't reflect your belief, your wasting your time.

And worse. You're wasting God's time. If God did not hesitate to take his vineyard away from the Jews, God's Chosen People, and give it to us, what's to stop him from taking it away from us and giving it to another people who will produce the fruits of the kingdom? People of peace whose lives have changed for the better, who forgive their enemies, who help the poor, who refuse to gossip, who defend the oppressed, who do not deceive or exploit or cheat one another?

Jesus doesn't want fans, he wants followers.

Christianity is not a spectator sport; it's full contact participation.

God doesn't want you to practice reading the Gospel, but to put the Gospel you read into practice.

Now I will be honest with you. You here are about the most inspiring community of Catholics I know. In here. Of course you can improve. We all can. Now, if you could only take what you believe in here, out into the world out there, we might succeed not only in helping God save our Church, but helping God save our world.

Our cool treasure (Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A)

Satan called. He wants his weather back.

In recent days, I've heard people say, "It's hotter than hell." Of course, I've heard others say they don't believe in hell. Clearly these people have never been to Gillette, Wyoming... or Newark, N.J.

When I was in Taegu as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the 1970s, it was very hot in the summer. I would go into the courtyard (마당) at night and pour a bucket of water over my head. By the time I went indoors I was sweating again. Or when I was a priest in Masan in the 1980s, it was so hot and humid the host would melt to the paten and I had to pry it off with my fingers. It was so soft I couldn't hold it up except with two hands. Now THAT was hotter than hell.

Hell is not so much a place, as a situation. You could be in the most beautiful place on earth, Honolulu, let's say, but if you are surrounded by people you dislike and who dislike you; people who know all your faults and sins and look down on you and ridicule you; then you'd be in hell.

On the other hand, you could be in a totally miserable place (insert your favorite New Jersey city here), but if you are with people you love, who also love you; people who know your faults and weaknesses but love you anyway, then you'd be in heaven.

I have traveled to more than 25 countries, but there is one country where the people truly seemed happy even through they were very poor. Tanzanians are always smiling, even though they don't have iPads...or even iPhones. Many don't even have electricity. Yet they are happy.

I asked a missioner to Tanzania why this was so. He explained that family is more important to them than possessions; and poverty doesn't mean having fewer things than your neighbor, but rather having nothing to show hospitality to a guest. Tanzanians will kill their last chicken in order to make a meal for a visitor and it would be highly insulting for someone to refuse this hospitality. What a missioner would do is accept the meal, and then the next day send over a couple of chicks or eggs in gratitude.

Today we have the parables of the treasure hidden in a field, which a man discovers and reburies, then goes out and sells everything he has in order to buy that field. Does the owner know there is a treasure in his field before he sells it? Wouldn't it be sad and tragic and stupid of the man to realize there is treasure but sell his land anyway because he doesn't appreciate the treasure he has?

What about us? Do we appreciate the treasure we have in our Catholic religion? The treasure of the Eucharist? What would we do to save and protect this treasure?

You all have heard the story of the time I fell into the outhouse (변소) in Korea. Well, when I was in the Peace Corps, one of my friends accidentally dropped his wallet in the outhouse. How much did he value his money, and credit cards and drivers license? Was he willing to put up with a lot of **** to get back what he valued?

Now, in recent years our religion has fallen into a rather disgusting situation. Catholicism's credibility and reputation have been seriously soiled. But inside this is our greatest treasure: the Eucharist. It enables us to live the Gospel and to see Christ in one another. It has the power to turn hell into heaven.

So if you get discouraged or disheartened by the present state of the Church, remember Christ remains with us and gives us the strength to make our world a better place.

When people criticize the Church or make fun of the Church and make your life hell because of the Church, hold your head high and do not be afraid to defend or practice your faith. After all, it's cool to be Catholic.

We become the Body of Christ (Feast of Corpus Christi)

There is a funny radio commercial for Netflix. I wonder if you've heard it. The announcer of an apparent gameshow asks the contestant, "If you are what you eat, what am I?" The man replies, "Pasta puttanesca." The answer sounds funny enough to make you laugh, even if you don't know the original meaning of puttanesca, which I can't tell you here. Google it. Let's just say it's pasta covered in a spicy tomato sauce of olives, capers, artichoke hearts and anchovies; and it's origin is even spicier.

Today's feast of Corpus Christi, or the Body and Blood of Christ gives us an opportunity to not only think about our understanding of the Eucharist, but our relationship to food in general.

Did you ever wonder why the Church requires us to fast from eating an hour before receiving holy communion? Of course, back when I was in high school, the rule was no food after midnight before receiving communion. Maybe the church fathers shortened the time because all the noise from the gurgling stomachs was drowning out the choir. The problem was, if you went to a later Mass, you thought even less about the meaning of the Eucharist then you did about food and wishing the priest would hurry up and finish so you could go eat breakfast.

Breakfast. Break fast.

I don't think the rule about fasting before receiving communion is just about respect for the presence of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, but also it is about getting our attention to focus on just what it is we are actually eating, what happens to it after we digest it, and then what happens to us.

You are what you eat. If you eat healthy food, you will be healthy. If you eat junk food...? But I don't think if you eat fast food, you'll become fast. However, if we eat the Body of Christ, it becomes us. Or rather, we become it. That's why we call it communion.

As the song says, "This bread that we share is the Body of Christ, this cup of Blessing, his blood. We who come to this table bring all our wounds to be healed.
When we love one another as Christ has loved us, we become God's daughters and sons. We become for each other the bread, the cup, the presence of Christ revealed."

Too often well-meaning Catholics think communion is just about them and Jesus, that their duty as a Christians ends with them presenting themselves free from sin before the priest so they can then receive communion and go back to their pews, go back to their homes and go back to their lives...undisturbed and unchanged

Communion is both the end and beginning of our life of faith. It's not just a reward for being good, it also gives us the spiritual power we need to be better so we can go out into the world and make it a better place by giving witness to the gospel of Christ with our lives.

The Eucharist binds us to Christ but it also binds us to one another. If I eat the Body of Christ and you eat the Body of Christ, Christ dwells in us and we in him, then you and I are more than brothers and sisters in Christ. We are one in Christ.

If we bow before the Blessed Sacrament, ought we not also bow reverently to one another? If we refuse to recognize the presence of Christ in one another, we insult Our Lord as much as the person who takes the host and throws it on the ground and steps on it.

Our Lord could have taken a flower or a rock and said, "From now on, this is my body and when you see this flower or rock, think of me."

But he didn't. He chose bread, food to be broken, shared and eaten as his everlasting memorial.

The people of the world hunger for the bread of life and too often we fill them with cream puffs and doughnuts. Junk theology is just as harmful as junk food.

Yes, the church desperately needs priests to give believers the bread of life.

But the world even more desperately needs Christians, like you, to put into practice the gospel of our Lord.

We are not rocks, hard and unbreakable; we are not flowers, to look pretty for a day and then fade away. We are the Body of Christ, to give ourselves for the life of the world.

End of the World FAIL

I am happy to announce the world did not end yesterday. At least, not for us. Of course, for the millions of individuals who actually died yesterday, through tornadoes, earthquakes, floods and other natural disasters, or through war, accidents or diseases, their personal world did indeed come to an end. We can only hope and pray they were prepared to meet their God.

For me, my personal world came to an end a week ago Friday when I traveled to Guilin, China. As I got off the bus in a pouring rain, with my umbrella in one hand and my suitcase in the other, I was suddenly surrounded by a group of three pickpockets. I pushed them away twice. When I got to my hotel, I was relieved to see I still had my passport, my wallet and my airplane ticket. It was only the next day when I realized they had successfully liberated my iPhone. *sigh*

This incident could have put a damper on the rest of the trip, except I concentrated on what I still had and not on what I had lost. (My Precioussss!)

My visit to Korea reminded me to appreciate what is really important.

This was my first trip back since 1999 and many things have changed. Buddhist monks, for example, no longer wear 고무신 (rubber shoes). No, now they wear Adidas sneakers. In the past I noticed the fashion in Korea was about six months ahead of the States. If that's the case, men here should prepare to be wearing shiny neckties that sparkle like glitter on Christmas trees. Of course, six months from now will be Christmas, so that should work out just fine.

But it was while riding Seoul's wonderful subway system that I realized how much things have changed. In fact, for the first time since going to Korea in 1971 I felt like an outsider again.

Riding on the subway, I realized I was now the oldest one there. Actually I had become the 할아버지 (grandfather) that people give their seat to. But that didn't bother me.

I was usually the only foreigner in the subway car. But that didn't bother me either.

No, the only thing that bothered me was looking around and seeing I was the only person in the entire subway who didn't have a smart phone. That bothered me.

But once I got back down to Masan to visit the people from the parish I started there in 1981, they reminded me what is really important and what really matters: faith and family and friendship. And there's no iPhone app for that.

Which brings us back to the end of the world, which didn't happen yesterday. Surely none of you fell for that nonsense, right? If you did, you might want to consider signing up for a remedial 교리 (catechism) class. Jesus himself said that no one knew the day or the hour, not the angels in heaven, not even he. Only God the Father knows. And Jesus warned against false prophets who would arise with all kinds of predictions to mislead people.

Jesus says in today's gospel, "Do not let your hearts be troubled." Our religion is based on faith, not on fear. Any religion based on fear is not worth believing. Any government or political party that uses fear to control people is not worth supporting. And a life based on fear is not worth living.

When I visited Korea I saw a people who live not by fear but by faith. I saw a vibrant faith lived by a dynamic people, who've overcome poverty and hardship over the years. And they convinced me that now, more than ever, the Church in Korea needs Missioners.

As you know, Korea is the only country in the history of Christianity that brought the faith to itself without foreign missionaries. So what do I mean when I say the Church in Korea needs Missioners?

Korea doesn't need Missioners to spread the Catholic church in Korea. The Church in Korea is strong. Rather, the Church needs Korean Missioners to bring the Gospel of Christ to the world, a world torn by fear and fanaticism, a world ruled and ruined by greed and violence. Such a world deserves to end, and quickly.

Each of you in your own way have the power, indeed the duty to share your faith with the rest of the world, starting right here and right now. The old world is ending--every day--and a new world of faith and family and friendship is being born, with or without an iPhone.

Palms of Passion

These palms serve as a reminder that Jesus is Lord. That Jesus is our Lord. Jesus is the center of our life. Not the government. Not money. Not power or fame or popularity. Not even religion.

We follow a crucified savior. We believe in a crucified God. We confess a crucified Lord.

God became low so that we might be raised up.

God became one of us in order to live with us, be like us and die for us.

And for what?

So that we might live no longer for ourselves but for God.

And how do we do that? How do we live for God?

By loving our neighbor as ourself.

By praying for our enemies.

By forgiving others and by asking for forgiveness.

By giving food to the hungry and liberty to captives.

By realizing the least among us is our brother and sister.

By starting each day with praise and ending each evening with gratitude.

By living life to the fullest each day.

By picking up our cross every day.

We follow Jesus even though we know he is going to the cross, because we know that to live and love and die with Christ means everlasting life.

It's tempting! (First Sunday of Lent, Year A)

So, how are your Lenten sacrifices coming along? Did they last longer than your New Year's resolutions? Did you already forget and eat meat last Friday? Well, guess what? We still have six weeks to go. It's never too late to start and if you fail you can start over again. That applies to a lot of things in our life of faith. If you fail, start over. If you want to live a better life, today is the time to start.

Remember, our sacrifices during Lent are not supposed to make us miserable for 40 days so we can feel happy when the torture is finally over. For too many people, Lent is the time we pretend to feel sorry for our sins so we can pretend to be forgiven. We pretend Jesus really died so we can pretend he really rose from the dead. What a terrible waste, to go through our short time on earth pretending.

But death is very real. And life is very real. And so is love. And forgiveness. And mercy. The true purpose of giving things up for Lent is so we can be mindful of each moment. We can do some spring cleaning of our souls and focus in on what is real, and important, and right.

On this first Sunday of Lent we join Jesus in the desert. No distractions. No music. No texting. No email. No Facebook. No food. No busyness. We stand alone with our thoughts, with our fears, with our doubts.

Today's reading from Matthew's gospel tells us the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the desert precisely so he could be tempted by the devil. What's going on?

Just before he went into the desert to have a smack-down with Satan, Jesus was baptized in the Jordan river by John. At that time, Jesus received a profound insight into his own identity and mission: He was the Son of God sent into the world to save sinners.

That's pretty heady stuff. And if he is not prepared, could be very dangerous. So the Spirit leads Jesus into the wilderness to test him, to prepare him for the most important work any human has ever undertaken.

The gospel story says that after 40 days, Jesus was hungry. Ya think? Now, before the über logical or scientific people among us question whether after 40 days of fasting Jesus wouldn't be hungry, he'd be dead, let me point out that in biblical terms, 40 is short-hand for "lotsa." So, in other words, the Israelites spent lots a years wandering in the desert. And after his resurrection, Jesus spent lotsa time teaching the apostles. So here, Jesus fasted for lots of days. It's like the Korea expression 만 as in 만국기. It's not literally ten thousand flags but lots of flags.

The point is, he was very hungry. And so the tempter approaches with a modest proposal. "So, Joshua (Jesus' name in Hebrew), you had an intense revelation back there at the Jordan river. Son of God, huh? So why be hungry. If you really are who you think you are, why not use your power and change this rock into bread? That shouldn't be too difficult, IF you are God's Son. Besides, who would know? At best, it will relieve your hunger. At worst, if you fail, if you can't change a stone into bread, you can call off this charade and go home and get married to a nice Jewish girl before you get yourself into some real trouble. Here. Do it now."

Jesus was hungry. Jesus was tempted. But Jesus knew who he was and why he was born. He knew to be true to his mission and to be true to his identity, the awesome power of God that flowed through him had to be used for others, not for himself. He came to live---and die---for others. And although Jesus was very hungry, he knew that bread could fill your belly but it could not fill your soul. It cannot satisfy our deeper hunger for meaning and purpose in life. So Jesus responds, "One does not live on bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." Round one
Goes to Jesus.

So the devil takes Jesus to Jerusalem and makes him stand way up at the highest point of the Temple and says, "Okay, Josh, what about this Messiah business? Ya know, tradition says the Messiah will appear at the Temple. Look at the crowd gathering below. They're all watching you, wondering if you are going to jump. Go ahead. Just one more step and then, the Scripture says 'the angels will bear you up on their hands lest you dash your foot against a stone.' Won't that be a sight! Everyone will acknowledge you as the Messiah as you float gently to the ground."

Again, Jesus refuses to use his power for himself. He resists this temptation to put God to the test, even though the devil himself quotes the Scripture to tempt him. Jesus 2 - Devil 0

The third temptation is the most insidious and powerful: nothing less than all the kingdoms and empires of the world. All Jesus has to do is bow down to Satan and he can have literally all the power in the world. But Jesus recognizes this for what it is: idolatry. He rejects Satan. Jesus Game, Set, Match.

Idolatry is the worst sin in the Bible. Idolatry does not only break the first commandment, it's at the root of every sin because it makes something else more important than God.
How many dictators and tyrants and politicians sell their souls to the devil to grab and hang on to power?

Normally when we think of temptations, we think of vices. We think of walking along 42nd Street and 8th Avenue at 2:00 a.m., or taking a weekend trip to Las Vegas.

But notice Jesus' temptations are not something outwardly bad. Turning a stone into bread, performing a magic stunt, gaining world domination by a simple gesture, who would these hurt? What Satan wants Jesus to do is betray his identity as the Son of God, betray his mission to give his life for others and betray his relationship with the Father. And for what? Self gratification.

That's exactly what Satan wants us to do: betray our identities as children of God, betray our mission to live the gospel in all we say and do, and betray our relationship to God in order to gain earthly power. All for self gratification. And that's why it's important to give things up during Lent, so we can see more clearly how Satan tempts us every in many ways to forget who we are and why we are here. Coffee, chocolates, deserts, all good in themselves but also means of self gratification. We no longer enjoy these things, we need these things for our own happiness and sense of self worth

Satisfying our need for stuff, our desire for fame or popularity, our hunger for unlimited power or influence. It's all tempting. How many people give into these temptations every day? How many people lose their souls every day? Not only is the road to hell paved with good intentions, we walk down that road with baby steps, little betrayals and mindless, insensitive words and actions. We gather for Mass to ask God to help us resist temptation and to show our love and loyalty to the one who refused to turn a rock into bread, but who, instead, gave his life for us, turned bread into his body for us, that we might live, for God and for one another..

Making room for God (Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A)

What do you think about rules? Probably what you feel about rules will differ if you’re a parent or a child. Now, this homily is directed to the parents, so you students don’t have to listen or pay attention. In other words, act normal.

As a general rule, children and teenagers don’t like rules, and the older they get the more they like to test the limits--of the rules and of their parents’ patience. Some parents love to make rules but don’t like to enforce them, in which case the rule quickly becomes ineffective. Other parents get way too much pleasure in punishing the least infraction of a rule just to remind you who’s boss, in which case the rules become oppressive.

Usually there comes a time when a parent makes a rule such as: “Don’t go out after 10” or “Don’t go see that movie” or “Don’t hang out with those students” and when asked why, the answer of frustrated and stressed-out parents is “Because I said so.” Sometimes they add, “As long as you live under my roof, you’ll obey my rules.”

There are problems with this approach. For one, the child starts counting the years, months, weeks and days until they are on their own. And when they do ultimately get a taste of freedom they sometimes get into serious trouble.

Another problem is, in the eyes of the child the parent becomes a bully if not a tyrant. And if you’ve been following the new these past weeks, you realize tyrants usually end badly.

There are different reasons for making rules. The first is for the child’s safety. “Don’t go across the street by yourself” or “always cross at the corner.” The second is for the child’s heath and development. “Get to bed early!” and “Eat your vegetables!” and “Don’t smoke inside the house!” (Okay, I made that up to see who’s paying attention.”

[I do have to share an incident when I was in the sixth grade. In those days they had these “toy” cigarettes: a hollow paper roll with red aluminum foil on one end that looked like it was lit. When you blew on it, a puff of flour came out that looked like smoke. So one day I wanted to see my mother’s reaction to me smoking so I walked in while she was talking with my aunts. She saw me puffing away and said, “Get out of here before you burn a hole in the rug.” I was devastated. I thought she cared more about the rug than she did my health! In the tenth grade I asked my parents if I could smoke. They asked why I wanted to smoke and I said because my friends smoke. My mother said that wasn’t a good enough reason and asked me to wait until I was a senior and if I wanted to start smoking then, I could. Of course, by then, all my smoking friends had emphysema and lung cancer. Not true! I’m seeing who’s paying attention! No, by then peer pressure had lost its hold on me so I never did smoke cigarettes.]

Where was I? Oh yes, and the third reason we make rules is for the child’s character development, to teach them right and wrong, and that our actions, good and bad, have consequences. Share your toys, apologize when you do wrong, help people in trouble.

Rules have reasons, but the day comes when the child grows up and is on his or her own. The parents can only hope and pray that some of the rules of childhood have lead to positive habits as the children become adults.

The same is true of religion. We have Moses and the commandments to guide us and train us to make good decisions, much like the training wheels when learning to ride a bicycle.

St. Paul then removes the training wheels by telling us eternal life is not about obeying laws but by believing in Christ.

Then Christ comes along in today’s gospel and says it not enough just to say we believe, we must act on our faith. We must live like Christians.

This week is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. This is the time to pause and take a hard look at our life. Are we living our beliefs, or do we take our religion off when we get home and put it in the closet until next Sunday?

Have you heard the popular story about the professor who went to class with a large glass jar filled with golf balls? He asked the students if the jar was filled and all agreed it was. Then he poured in some gravel and it filled in all the empty space. Again he asked if it was filled and they said yes. Next he poured in sand but by this time the students were not so quick to answer. Lastly, when it seemed nothing more could be added, he poured n two cups of coffee.

The point of the story is, had he started with the coffee or the sand that would be the end of it. Nothing more could fill the jar. Our lives are sometimes like that. Too often we fill our hearts and minds and lives with little things that do not really matter, and then we have no room for the important stuff.

Lent is a time to empty our jars and start anew. Give up coffee, or alcohol or smoking (things which ultimately do us harm), give up TV or listening to music on your iPod nonstop, things that prevent our minds from resting and thinking, give up all the things which may not be bad in themselves but which we do without thinking. We go through each day of our life on automatic pilot. Never thinking, never really enjoying, never really living. Mindfulness and detachment are our goals in the coming 40 days. Learn to love silence and empty space.

Do acts of kindness for others, help the poor, visit the sick, console those who mourn.

Empty yourself this Lent so that we can refill our souls with nothing less than God.

Ultimately, religion is not about keeping rules but by cultivating a relationship with no one less than Jesus Christ.

Seventh Sunday (Year A) Loving that S.O.B.

“Love your enemies.” With these three simple words Jesus succeeds in discouraging, if not alienating all of his followers, including me and I would guess, including all of you. I mean, seriously. LOVE your enemies? I don’t want to love them, I want to destroy them. I want to get even, or at best, see them suffer. A lot. OK, maybe I don’t want them to burn in hell forever, but maybe get a little singed in Purgatory for a few million years.
 
Let’s face it, revenge seems so sweet, so satisfying. That’s why we love going to the movies and seeing the bad guys get caught and punished.
 
It may come as a surprise to you that I do have enemies. And it may come as an even greater surprise to learn that the man I consider my enemy is another priest. We live in the same house. (Didn't Jesus say our enemies will be those of our own household?)
 
He made it quite clear on several occasions he doesn’t care for my dog, he doesn’t like my singing and he doesn’t care for me. To be fair, it’s not just me. He doesn’t get along with a lot of people and he is notorious for insulting just about everybody, making sarcastic remarks and for generally making life miserable for those around him.
 
So how am I to love such a person? I can go out of my way to avoid him. I can stop obsessing about clever comments to cut him down the next time we meet. Or I can stop speaking to him altogether. I can keep my mouth shut when others mention what a nasty old man he is. All of that is nice, but not of that is love.
 
Jesus demands I do more. I must pray for him….and that means more than praying that God will take him real soon.
 
I must pray that God remove from my heart all ill will and negative thoughts regarding this man. I have to actively pray for his good. I have to forgive him.
 
And I know from experience that this is impossible, at least for me. But God can do the impossible and it’s God’s job to forgive, so when I pray I am honest with God and I say, Lord, I know you commanded me to love my enemies but I find it impossible to love that S.O.B., so I am asking you to let me love and forgive him through you. Most of all, remove from my heart all negative feelings and evil desires for revenge.
 
Well, about a year ago, that man asked to see me and I thought, dear God, please don’t let me punch him. He wanted to see me because he said it came to his attention that he hasn’t always treated me with Christian charity and wanted to ask for my forgiveness.
 
I didn’t say, “I’ll think about it.” I didn’t form a committee to discuss his request. I said, “Of course I forgive you.”
 
So he and I both felt better. For about a week. Then he started in again saying nasty things and making life miserable. Sometimes I think that even Mother Teresa would have strangled him. Then just last week I was in the dining room at Maryknoll and I must be honest, if I see him at a table I go sit someplace else (unless it’s Lent and I want to do penance by eating a meal with him.) But he came and sat with me. We exchanged greetings and ate our meal and although there was pleasant conversation with the other people at table, he didn’t join in. When it came time for coffee and desert, I got up and cleared away the dirty dishes. I asked if I could remove his and he said, “Why yes, much appreciated. That’s very kind of you.”
 
Someone once said, you do not destroy your enemy when you kill him. You destroy your enemy by making him your friend.
 
You do not love your enemy because of who he is; you love him because of who you are.
 
And you are who you are because of who God is. And God is love. And God is perfect. And if we are to be sons and daughters of God, as followers of Jesus, we must struggle every day to love everyday perfectly.
 
No, it’s not easy. In fact, it’s impossible. But if a crucified carpenter can rise from the dead, then all things are possible by the power of that same spirit which raised Christ from the dead. And that Spirit is in all of you.

A change of heart for Valentine's Day (The Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time)

You have no idea how often I've heard people say they've either stopped coming to church or they come but they don't "get anything out of it." My question to them is, "Well, what did you put into it?" And what exactly did you expect to get from the Mass?

If you expect nothing, that's probably what you will get. If you expect to be mildly entertained, especially during this homily, you'll most likely be mildly disappointed. Did you expect Jesus to hear and answer your prayers? Now, that may or may not happen. It depends on you.

How did you prepare for Mass today? Did you stumble out of bed at the last minute, throw on some clothes and rush out the door? Did you sit silently in your car because you had an argument with your parents, siblings or spouse? Did you curse the driver in the car ahead of you who got the last parking space?

Perhaps a more important question is: why did you come to Mass today? To meet friends? To get your parents to shut up about coming to Church? To fulfill your Sunday obligation? To avoid committing a mortal sin which would result in your going straight to hell (although deep down you really don't believe that---but why take a chance)?

Or rather did you come with a grateful heart to show God your appreciation for the blessings you received? Did you come because you really need God's help with a major crisis you are facing or for just enough strength to get you through another day or week? Did you come because you want God to do something for you or because you are ready to do something for God?

Before the proclamation of the gospel at each Mass we make three signs of the cross that God may open our minds, open our lips and open our hearts. Are you ready to receive God's message? To proclaim God's message? To believe God's message? In other words, are you ready to let the living word of God into your life so that it can transform you?

Again I ask, how did you prepare for Mass today and what did you expect to happen?

Which of you would come into the church carrying a bag of garbage? Imagine if someone actually did that! Worse, what if, at the offertory, that person came up to the altar to offer the bag of trash? And at communion time, that person came forward again, this time to add the Eucharist to the bag of trash. What a waste! What a sacrilege! But isn't that exactly what we do if we come to Mass with a heart filled with hatred, anger, jealousy, resentment, lust and greed?

In today's gospel, Jesus says, "If you find yourself offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has anything against you, leave your gift and go first and be reconciled with them and then come back and offer your gift."

If you want a life-changing experience at Mass, you've got to do your homework. Swallow your pride. Put your ego aside. Go to the one you have offended. Apologize. Make amends. Be reconciled to one another. In other words, die! Die to yourself so that Christ might live in you.

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day. This means a card and maybe chocolate and flowers for your spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend or best friend. The classic symbol of love on Valentine's Day is a heart with an arrow through it. Did you ever think about that?

We have images of a chubby Cupid shooting his arrows by which we are smitten with our love for someone. But it's an arrow that pierces and hurts and wounds. Love hurts.

And from his place on the cross, Jesus looks down on you and says, "You're telling me?!"

While we appreciate your monetary offering at Mass, today let us also offer Jesus our hearts, however broken or wounded or fearful they may be. Let us let go of our grudges and not dwell on past hurts. Love casts out all fear. Let the love of Christ conquer your hearts and heal your hurts and cast out your fear.

In a few moments when you receive the Body of Christ and say "Amen", say it boldly and with confidence. Be prepared to return to your seat, to return to your home, to return to your family and friends as a changed person, new person ready to live a new life in Christ who now lives in you.

The person you were when who came into Mass today will not be the same person as the one who leaves.

Bethlehem or bust (Fourth Sunday of Advent)

Joseph and Mary had such wonderful dreams and plans for the future. Following Jewish custom, they would be engaged for one year before living together as husband and wife. Then one day their dreams came crashing down because of two terrible facts: Mary was pregnant and it's wasn't Joseph's baby.

Joseph was filled with so many conflicting emotions and thoughts. Doubt, anger, hurt, resentment, confusion, betrayal, sadness and fear. Fear of what his family and friends would say when they found out. Fear of being thought a fool. Fear of being judged by religious leaders. Fear he had trusted and loved the wrong woman. But most of all, fear of what would happen to Mary when people found out. The Law of the Lord was clear. Such women must be stoned to death.

How many sleepless night did Joseph spend, tossing and turning, tortured by these thoughts and awful possibilities? Then he made up his mind to divorce her secretly so as not to expose her to the Law.

It was at this point that the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child within her is conceived by the Holy Spirit."

Joseph rose from his sleep and took Mary as his wife and the rest, as they say, is history.

As we prepare to celebrate Christ's birth, consider there are people in our church today whose dreams have been shattered and whose future is in doubt. Some of you may be angry, hurt, resentful, confused, sad and filled with fear. The gospel message for you today is the same as to Joseph and the same as to Mary, "Do not be afraid." You are exactly where God wants you to be and no matter what happens, God will be with you.

Do not be afraid of losing your job. Do not be afraid of losing your health. Do not be afraid of losing your life. God will be with you. This is the message of Christmas. This is the hope born in a manger in Bethlehem.

I have never been to Bethlehem, but I hope to go there someday. My friend and colleague, Father Joe Fedora, lives and works in Peru, in South America. He sent me a Christmas message two weeks with the good news. He said:

"Guess what? I´m going to Bethlehem and I´m planning on spending lots of time there! I’m traveling light; I can’t afford to be weighed down by things I won’t need. One carry-on should do it. Getting there shouldn’t be a problem; I’ve been there before and, besides, I’ve lots of angels and stars showing me the way. Once I arrive, I’m going to take off my shoes and maybe even kiss the ground. And then I´m off to the manger – the AIDS ward and soup kitchen and prison – to hang out with Jesus. I’m going to Bethlehem and don’t even have to leave Lima.
“When I was sick…
When I was hungry…
When I was in prison…”
(Mt.25:30-40)
Where will you be spending the Holidays?
May the angels and stars in your life show you the way to Bethlehem.
Merry Christmas!
Love, Joe

So as we prepare to celebrate Christmas and hope that all the parties and presents will take away whatever pain we may be feeling, remember Bethlehem is only a car, a bus or a subway ride away. A homeless shelter, an old folks home, a hospital. All these are the stable of Bethlehem because in all these Christ may be found.

And when you find Christ, or rather, once Christ finds you, you'll no longer be weighed down by fear. Do not be afraid to take Joseph, and Mary and Jesus into your hearts and into your homes. Do not be afraid. God is with you.

Myth Conceptions (Second Sunday of Advent, Year A)

Last week I spoke a little about the true meaning of the word "myth" and I want to go deeper into this today. As I mentioned, "myth" in popular usage is one step away from "fairy tale." But in a religious or sociological context, myths give our lives meaning and help us develop common goals based upon shared visions or dreams.

Even secular society needs and uses myths. The lofty words of our Declaration of Independence, stripped of myth language, would be basically "England, Get out!"

Instead, we read and recall with pride these patriotic phrases: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal and that they are endowed by the Creator with certain unalienable rights and among these rights are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

But this is pure myth! It is not evident that all men are created equal, as anyone who watches the evening news or drives through a poor neighborhood can attest. And while we wish our rights are "unalienable", we hear of people being deprived of their rights every day. And being created presupposes a Creator who endows us with these rights. The myth being since God granted these to humans, no person--let alone government---has the right to deprive people of them. Pure myth!

None of the above is scientific or provable, or it can be argued, even logical! But these secular myths resonate in our hearts and inspire us to strive and struggle to do and be better until such a vision is realized on this earth.

And we people of faith have access to a vast treasury of myths from which to draw inspiration and meaning. Take, for example, these beautiful words in our first reading from the prophet Isaiah 11:1-10

On that day, a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,
and from his roots a bud shall blossom.
The spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him:
a spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
a spirit of counsel and of strength,
a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD,
and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD.

Not by appearance shall he judge,
nor by hearsay shall he decide,
but he shall judge the poor with justice,
and decide aright for the land’s afflicted.

He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.
Justice shall be the band around his waist,
and faithfulness a belt upon his hips.

Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the kid;
the calf and the young lion shall browse together,
with a little child to guide them.

The cow and the bear shall be neighbors,
together their young shall rest;
the lion shall eat hay like the ox.

The baby shall play by the cobra’s den,
and the child lay his hand on the adder’s lair.

There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain;
for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD,
as water covers the sea.

On that day, the root of Jesse,
set up as a signal for the nations,
the Gentiles shall seek out,
for his dwelling shall be glorious.

These words still resonate within our hearts and give humans inspiration even after 2,700 years! They speak of a future toward which we can all aspire. Yes, the wolf and the lamb living peacefully together is surely a myth in its noblest sense, and one that humankind would be infinitely poorer without.

The promise and coming of the Messiah, along with the Exodus from Egypt, are powerful myths that have sustained the Jewish people for millennia. Indeed, without these myths to hold them together, they would never have survived the loss of Temple, monarchy, land and freedom. Their myths gave them their identity so they would never forget who they are or why they are here no matter what people did to them.

And we too celebrate our rich treasury of myths surrounding the birth of the one we hail as the Messiah, not just for the Jews but for people everywhere in the world. Advent is our season of waiting so we can enter into the spirit of our Jewish brothers and sisters to anticipate that no matter what happens to us or to our world we hold onto this promise from God for a better tomorrow.

It took 200 years for our country to realize its promise that all men and women are created equal. And it has taken us 2,000 years to live out the promises of Christ in the gospel. We have come far but we have so much more work to do. But thank God for our sacred myths that give us here on earth the visions of a heaven toward which to strive.

And so in answer to our atheist neighbors we say, "Of course, we KNOW it's a myth and that's exactly why we celebrate!" May the light of our holy myths dispel your darkness!

The true "War on Christmas" (First Sunday of Advent, Year A)

There is a billboard just outside the Jersey entrance to the Lincoln tunnel that is getting a lot of attention. It shows the three wise men following a star and the words: "You KNOW it's a myth. This season, celebrate reason."

This billboard and others like it were erected by a group calling itself Atheist Americans. It has several people upset and others all worked up. Certain radio personalities see this as more proof that there is an orchestrated "War on Christmas."

The odd thing is, both groups are right. The story of the wise men visiting the Christ Child is a myth. But a myth is not a made-up fairy tale. A myth, in theological terms, is a special story that gives meaning and purpose to people's lives. Myths may be based on historical facts or not. That is secondary to the meaning the story gives.

Myths use poetic or symbolic language to convey deeper truths that cannot be expressed in purely scientific terms. If I tell you "I am very sad" that may be scientifically accurate, but saying "My heart is broken" is closer to the truth, although no x-ray will show a literally broken heart.

Atheists claim there is no scientific proof for the existence of God. But what scientific proof is there for the existence of love? Or forgiveness? Or mercy? We know these exist because we experience them; we feel them; they fill our hearts with hope. Such it also is with God.

The Christmas story celebrates all these things in human flesh. The story of the three wise men teaches that love, forgiveness and mercy are intended for all people and everyone can find them, if they seek them with open hearts. And if you don't believe in that, you are truly a sad person who deserves our pity more than our anger.

But then, what of the so-called Christians who are convinced there is a so-called War on Christmas? These well-meaning but misguided souls are right, but for the wrong reasons. An atheistic billboard is not an attack on Christmas. Stores putting up signs that say "Happy Holidays" is not a war on Christmas. The government forbidding a Nativity set on federal property is not an attack on Christmas.

If anything, atheistic billboards and the government should remind us of just how precious the freedom of religion is and how it needs protection.

No, the real war on Christmas is going on every day when shoppers knock each other down and trample people to get at the bargains. The real war on Christmas is when we are so busy decorating our homes and going to parties and wrapping last minute gifts we don't have time to listen to friends who feel alone, or sick or depressed. The real war on Christmas happens when we stop acting like Christians.

And so we come to the First Sunday of Advent, a time of waiting and warning. If there's one thing Americans hate doing and do very poorly is wait. We want immediate action and instant gratification. But Advent reminds us somethings cannot be rushed, no matter how much you want them right away, like the birth of a baby.

And the gospel gives us a warning not to become too attached to this present world, because it can and will all change in an instant. Lighting the first Advent candle will not make the daylight return, but it will help dispel the growing darkness until it does.

Sometimes, as people of faith, the only thing we can do is wait. And watch. And pray. We pray for atheists, that they may soon see the true light. And we pray for believers, that their eyes do not become too accustomed to the darkness.

And we wait with open hearts for the day when the world once again gives birth to love, forgiveness and mercy. Two thousand years ago a Child was born and our world forever changed. May the light from that "myth" guide our lives and the lives of all men and women everywhere until the end of time.

Reporting for duty! The Feast of Christ the King (Nov. 21, 2010)

There was once a king who ruled a large kingdom with justice, peace and prosperity. Many men proudly served their king as loyal and brave knights. One knight, Sir Dexter, was the bravest of all. He set out to defend the kingdom. When he did not return for several months, the king became worried. Finally after more than a year's absence, Sir Dexter returned. On foot. His horse was dead. His suit of armor was all dented. His lance was broken. He had two black eyes. And his head, arms and legs were covered with bruises.

"Sir Dexter!" the king exclaimed. "What in God's name happened to you?"

"Your majesty," the knight said after catching his breath. "I am back from doing battle with your enemies all along your western border."

The king was confused and said, "But I don't have any enemies on the western border."

The knight replied. "Well, you do now."

Today we celebrate the solemnity of Christ the King. It is the last Sunday of our liturgical year and the goal towards which every Sunday of the year points. Indeed, for people of the Christian faith, the kingship of Christ is the ultimate goal of human history and of the entire universe.

We believe that on the Last Day, a trumpet shall sound and all the dead shall be raised and brought before Christ, our God and king, to be judged. And like Sir Dexter in the opening story, we will appear with all our bruises and battle scars before Christ who will judge us not so much by how many Masses we attended or rosaries we said or how well we understood the Bible. Rather, our lives will be judged on whether, by our words and actions, we made people friends or enemies of God's kingdom. Did we draw people to God or drive them from God? Did we show by our actions that love is stronger than hate, that forgiveness is mightier than hurt, that mercy is more powerful than revenge? Or did we imitate the ways of the world?

When Jesus stood before Pontius Pilate and announced, "My kingdom is not of this world," he didn't just mean his kingdom does not have geographical borders, but rather that the values of the kingdom of God are not things this world respects or recognizes. The weapons used by defenders of God's kingdom are not those used by defenders of this world.

In the kingdom of God, you do not destroy an enemy by hating, much less by killing him or her. That just succeeds in making more enemies. Our weapons are humility, and truth, and honesty and service.

On the other hand, we cannot long use the weapons of this world: exploitation, cheating, deception, lying and violence without becoming like this world. If we become like this world, we cannot expect the kingdom of God to advance in our hearts, much less on this earth.

The Romans nailed Jesus to a cross not just to punish him but to warn us, his followers, of what will happen to any who dare oppose the empire by following Christ. And above his head they hung a sign with the initials I.N.R.I. (Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews).


Today we boldly lift high the cross of Christ as a warning to empires: your power is finished, your reign has ended, your days are numbered. The final victory is Christ's. Yet the spiritual war continues.

The battle is not waged on some distant border against a distant foe. The spiritual warfare in which we are engaged goes on everyday in the battlefield of our own hearts and minds and souls.

On this great feast of Christ the King, let us redouble our efforts to do good and avoid evil. If we have bad habits, let us renew our resolve to break them. If we have sins, let us repent and confess them. Let us show everyone we meet how great our God is. Let us make friends for God while we can.

And let us look to that day when we will all stand before the throne of God as allies of Christ on earth. And if the king says, "I didn't know I had any allies on earth," we can proudly claim, "You do now."

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.

Flipped over Flipped---a movie review

I begrudgingly attended the preview showing for the new Rob Reiner film Flipped (opening Friday, August 27, 2010), thoroughly expecting to roll my eyes for 90 minutes of saccharine, prepubescent puppy love.

Was I pleasantly surprised! This film drew me in and won me over by reawakening memories and emotions long dormant or at least dulled by the sensory overload of modern living.

The story harkens back to the late 1950s, when life was certainly simpler yet paradoxically deeper. By contrast, life these days seems way more complicated yet oddly superficial.

"Back in the day" people communicated by actually talking face to face with one another, or else showed disapproval by refusing to talk at all. This was long before the Internet, email and yes, even this most magnificent iPad, reduced our social interaction to a series of LOLs and :)s, if not WTFs.

Against this backdrop of life before cell phones, familiar (albeit all too rare nowadays) human feelings bubble to the surface: shyness, infatuation, hurt, courage, honesty and integrity shine out without the aid of mind-numbing FX and CGI.

When was the last time you saw a movie that both entertained you and made you think? No 3D, no IMAX, no gratuitous nudity, no vulgarities, no sex scenes, no drugs, no violence---just superb acting bringing a well-written and delightful script to life. If there is any downside to the movie, it's in the realization that over the past 50 years we somehow have lost the centrality of family. People still face the very same situations raised in the movie, only now our problems are compounded by isolation and self-imposed exile from one another.

Not coincidentally, I'm sure, the mothers in the two families are the catalysts for change. A family meal and a basket lunch provide pivotal moments for the characters to break through barriers and break down walls.

Coming against Sty Stalone's blockbuster The Expendables (which I also enjoyed, btw, for its adventure genre: mindless mayhem) with nonstop explosions, chase scenes and bloody violence, the low-key Flipped will not rake in the big bucks, but by contrast it will leave the audience rather than the filmmaker enriched.

Of women and Earth (Feast of the Assumption, Aug. 15)

As a doctrine articulated by the Church as dogma, the Assumption of Mary, that is, after her death she was assumed body and soul into heaven, is only 70 years old. But the belief that, like her Son, Mary now lives in eternal glory goes back to the time of the apostles.

Last June I had the opportunity to visit the ruins of Ephesus in Turkey and see the place where local tradition maintains our Blessed Mother spent the last years of her life under the care of St. John, the Beloved Disciple. An ancient story told by Orthodox Christians is that as Mary lay dying, the remaining Apostles were drawn to her side. Only Thomas was late---as usual. After he arrived, John brought him to see her tomb but when they opened it, her body was gone.

From this arose the Orthodox feast of the Dormition (or sleep) of Mary, a phrase alluded to in the second reading where St. Paul refers to "those who have fallen asleep in Christ."

Since those early days, Christians gathered in Ephesus every August 15 to celebrate Mary's bodily assumption into heaven. And it was in Ephesus that the first Christian church was built and dedicated Mary. And it was at that church the Council of Ephesus met in 431 and declared Mary to be the "Theotokos", the Bearer or God, or as we say in the West, the Mother of God.

It is regrettable that Catholic devotion to the Virgin Mary is misunderstood by many Protestants and remains a source of division. Although the tradition is old, the feast of the Assumption has an important message for people today.

If we believe that at this very moment the body of the Virgin Mary has been glorified and that she lives in heaven with her Son, we are compelled to respect women and the Earth. After all, it was through these that the savior came into the world and it was from these that every cell of Jesus' body came.

There was nothing wrong with a woman bearing the Son of God; there was nothing wrong with that same woman entering heaven as a woman.

How can we glorify a woman in heaven and ignore the plight of women on earth? How can we advocate for the rights of women in our society yet we deny them rights in the Church? Respect for women must start with us here.

The Vatican has determined that women cannot be ordained. This strikes me as odd, since more than any male priest, Mary can point to Jesus and say, "This is my body; this is my blood." If a woman can produce the body of Christ physically, why can't a woman produce it sacramentally? The argument that women cannot be ordained because none was present at the Last Supper, taken to its conclusion, means women have no right to receive communion either.

But women face larger problems then this. Health care, education, employment, domestic violence, human trafficking and exploitation all threaten the women of the world on a daily basis.

The Earth, too, continues to suffer abuse and pollution. Do we take the Assumption of Mary into heaven seriously? Then let us honor, protect and advocate on behalf of women and the Earth today.

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(Note: After delivering this homily at St. Paul Chong Ha-Sang Korean Catholic church last Sunday, I attended a meeting of the parish building committee. On the blueprints for the new center, I noticed there were fewer toilets for women then for men. They promised to correct this oversight. The women of the parish will be greatly relieved. [insert groan] Sometimes advocating for women can be something very practical and down to earth! ~ FB)