Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time_B - Following the Rules: Easier Said Than Done_082921

Deacon Tom Writes,

“Following the Rules: Easier Said Than Done”

Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

Question. How many laws are necessary to help us lead dignified, well ordered, and morally responsible lives? 

Answer. Not many!

In today’s first reading we hear Moses instruct the Israelites to follow the laws and statutes that God has given to them. According to Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, one of the greatest medieval Jewish scholars, there were 613 mitzvot (commandments). Of these commandments 248 were positive – thou shall commandments and 365 were negative – thou shall not. These commandments stated the obvious in some cases such as: 1) to know that G-d exists; 10) to imitate his good and upright ways; 27) not to stand idly by when a human life is in danger. There were also some interesting commandments such as: 159) not to slaughter an animal and its young on the same day, or 364) not to work with beasts of different species, yoked together. There were commandments for every facet of daily life and they were intended to help the people live together in peace and harmony. But that ideal was never realized.

By the time Jesus comes along, we can understand his compassion for those who were suffering from the burden of so many unnecessary “statutes and decrees”. In the hours he spent in prayer Jesus must have been amazed that so many "additions" to the law had been place upon the peoples shoulders.  And so, as he performed his ministry, Jesus teaches his disciples the sure fire way to live fully in the context of the Mosaic Law without getting caught up in all the nitty-gritty.  You are familiar, I have no doubt, with this profound teaching: "Love God with all your heart, mind, and strength; and, love your neighbor as yourself”. 

So, when Jesus is challenged by some Pharisees about washing his hands before eating, he calls them what they are, “hypocrites”. Jesus knows that this notion of ritualistic purity is a diversion from doing the real work that God calls us to do. In fact, a lot of the work God calls us to do is pretty dirty, if not totally ritualistically unclean. Working with the homeless or in prison or with the people who frequent our soup kitchens, the lepers of our day, may get your hands dirty but such activity is sure to open your eyes to a level of poverty and personal degradation many poor men, women, and children experience each and every day. There is a large contingency of our brothers and sisters today for whom eating off of dirty plates is the least of their problems. Newsflash… Jesus is not worried about us eating from dirty dishes! The filth Jesus wants to alert and cleans us from is that which comes from within – our hard heartedness, our deafness to the needs and concerns of others, our self-centeredness, our out of control desires, our lusting for what’s not ours. So again, how many commandments do we need to save us from ourselves? Ten? Seventeen? Do we decide which number is right for us – just like the Serta sleep bed, or are we going to listen to what the teacher has to say…and take up our cross and follow him by loving God and placing ourselves in the service of one another?

God didn’t bring us into creation to have us get caught up in the minutia. Nor did Jesus die on the cross to defend any prevailing legalistic way of life. We do need rules to guide us and govern our lives. For that reason Jesus gave us some simple ones to live by. If we want to live happy and fulfilling lives, we must see in ourselves and in each other the dignity that God has given to us. We must come to recognize that God dwells in each and every one of us. And, we must realize that we come to know, love, and serve him by knowing, loving, and serving one another. We don’t need a lot of rules to live a good life. Rather we must, in the words of St. James, “Be doers of the word and not hearers only” following Jesus’ example by Loving God and each other.

Last Sunday we heard that many of Jesus disciples departed from him because his teaching was too difficult. The truth is that ALL Jesus's teachings are difficult. It is difficult for us to be doers of the word.  Now, perhaps more than ever before, it's time to put our faith into practice and show our love for God and one another by putting aside our own likes and dislikes and act like the Children of God that we are and unite with one another in our common purpose of putting an end to this devastating virus. 

Enjoy the day!
Deacon Tom

Photo Credit : Newseum, Washington, D.C.

Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time_B - Decide..Whom You Will Serve _082221

                                       

Deacon Tom Writes,

“Decide...Whom You Will Serve”

Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

“If it is displeasing to you to serve the LORD, decide today whom you will serve.” (Jos 24:15).  Joshua poses this demanding question to all the Israelites gathered at Shechem many years after they had entered the Promised Land. The people responded,  “We will serve the Lord, our God, and will listen to his voice.” (Jos 24:24) Today as we listen to this scripture passage, we are asked the same question, Who do we serve? It is a question that demands our attention.

No generation has had an easy time answering this question. Life has always been hard. Finding God in the midst of all that life presents challenges all of us and eludes even those who strive to do so. Who is God? What is my relationship with God? What is my purpose in life? What does the Almighty ask of me so that I can answer this question honestly and with resolve? These thoughtful questions are ones people have been asking throughout the ages; questions, perhaps, we have been asking ourselves too over the course of our spiritual journey.  

I find it helpful to reflect on a passage from St. John’s gospel to get a better understanding on “how to” serve God in the way that God desires. It is the passage where Jesus washed the feet of his disciples and when he has finished, he asked them, “Do you realize what I have done for you?” Not certain how they, the apostles, should respond, Jesus continues… “I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do”. (John 13:15)

Jesus, ever the teacher, gives us throughout his ministry a very simple example of how we are to serve the Lord, Our God… by placing ourselves at the service of one another. That’s the true measure of our loyalty to God ways. St. Paul gives us some further guidance when he instructs the Corinthians, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ”. (1COR 11:1)  Imitation is a powerful human motivator. We grow up wanting to be like  the athlete or musician we admire or dress according to the fashions of the day. We even decorate our homes according to the latest episode of HGTV. Our  physical lives are very much influenced by those around us. The point Paul makes is that there is a spiritual side of this reality also that is Christocentric. 

This question about deciding whom we should serve is so very important today. There are many activities competing for our time, our attention, money, and loyalty. We seem to be on a merry-go-round that never ends... busy from morning to night...fully engaged in a world of technological advances that fill every waking hour of the day that leaves very little time for crucial activities such as spending quality family time together, engaging in meaningful reflection, finding time for solitude and reflection…and uncovering the deeper meaning of our lives as God intended. 

Scripture asks us today to decide, “Whom we will serve”. May God’s grace direct our lives so that we may live them to the fullest  under his watchful care. 

Enjoy the day!
Deacon Tom

Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary_B - A Place Prepared By God_081521

Deacon Tom Writes,

“A Place Prepared By God”

Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Year B

As we celebrate the joyful occasion of Mary’s Assumption into heaven, what is referred to as the Dormition of the Mother of God in the Eastern Orthodox Church, our first reading depicts anything but a festive occasion. The image there is frightful; a dragon waits to devour her newborn infant. How diabolical! But God has other plans; the woman escapes to a safe place that God has prepared for her.

We focus our attention today on the life of Mary. Her humble spirit and her willingness to embrace and do God’s Will makes her a model for us to follow. You would think that God would have given the Mother of his Son an easy path to walk in this life, wouldn’t you? But with the slightest bit of reflection we know that is not the case. The ridicule and tongue wagging that she must have had to endure as she carried the Son of God in her womb; how she trusted that God would touch Joseph’s heart so that he would know that Almighty God was the real Father of her child. What courage it took for both Mary and Joseph to flee their homeland for fear that King Herod would harm the babe. An incredible story, unbelievable really, except through the eyes of faith. Through the eyes of faith we come to know that Mary’s faith and trust in God never failed and he will never fail us either! 

I had the good fortune to visit the Holy Land and during my visit I was able to walk on the Via Dolorosa, the Way of the Cross. You may recall that the Fourth Station is, “Jesus Meets His Mother”. As I looked around and saw the narrow street, the hustle and bustle of the crowd, my senses were on overload as I realized that I was standing somewhere near where this event took place. I realized more than ever before the reality that God did not spare his own mother this most painful and sorrowful experience that any of us can ever have in this life – seeing our loved ones suffer. No, Mary was not placed on the yellow brick road of life. Yet no matter the sorrows and sufferings she endured, she remained faithful. And that is why she is the most fitting and perfect role model that we can ever imitate in this life. And that is why, when the course of her earthly life had come to an end, God raised her body and soul into heaven glory (Assumption) to be welcomed into a very special place prepared by God, a place close to her Son where there is room for all who remain faithful to him through all life’s challenges, worries, and sufferings.

Enjoy the Day!

Deacon Tom 

Image credit: The Death of the Virgin - Painting by Bartolomeo Vivarini: wikidata.org

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time_B - Taste and See_080821

Deacon Tom Writes,

“Taste and See”

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

Today’s Responsorial Psalm encourages us to “Taste and see the goodness of the Lord”. Is this just a nice little expression, or is the psalmist serious? Can we really “taste and see” God’s goodness? I’m willing to bet that if you are reading this article, you probably have a number of such experiences where God’s presence is so real you can sense it. As we listen to John’s gospel about the multiplication of the loaves and the bread of life discourse over a number of weeks this summer, we Catholics have this quintessential teaching that Christ makes himself present to us in the Eucharist, body, blood, sou, and divinity, what is referred to as “the Real Presence”. We really can taste and see God’s presence and experience him within our being. How remarkable is this! Yet, sadly, I fear that our minds are on other matters as we come forward to receive Christ fully present in the Eucharist. It’s understandable... I get it! People are busy; they have their minds cluttered with things to do, places to go; they have problems at work, at home, with the in-laws, with their kids. O Lord, are we distracted!!!

I recall one of the early lessons in my life, one about problem solving. It goes like this, “The first step in solving a problem is recognizing that you have one”. It sounds simple, doesn’t it? And, you’re right; it is, at first glance. Yet, it is clear that many people we know (or ourselves, perhaps) aren’t dealing with their problems because they refuse to recognize them. And a likely reason is because they don’t know where to turn; they are clueless as to where to find help. 

The psalmist today tells us where we can find help for the difficulties we face. Here at the table of the Lord is where we find the solution to many of life’s challenges and difficulties. For if we are able to center our lives around this physically, emotionally, and spiritually complete meal, we will have the strength, courage, and mindset that will allow us to face our problems and find solutions to them. 

The reason for this is simple: once we get our relationship with the Son of God on proper footing, we will then in turn be able to get all of our relationships on a solid basis also. Once the Eucharist becomes our staple meal, and the indwelling of the Spirit is effectuated in us, we are able to confront our problems with a new strength and awareness that leads us to new solutions; enables us, “to be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ”. 

These few words from today’s readings provide immense insight into God’s overwhelming love for us. His desire is for our complete happiness and for our fulfilling our destiny of being one with him forever. The Eucharist truly allows us to taste and see the goodness of the Lord. With our eyes wide open by this sacred meal we are able to see God’s goodness in the many kind acts we see around us…in the beauty of the next flower you see or the next full moon. Look into the eyes of a child or a young woman planning her wedding. Look in the mirror! The psalmist tells us to stop for a moment and take in the goodness of the Lord that surrounds us…. Don’t miss out on it! If we do, it’s because, like Martha perhaps, our hearts and minds are in the wrong place and so we miss out on God’s presence in everything and everyone around us. 

What does God’s goodness taste like? It tastes like the feeling you get when someone says “I love you” or “your forgiven” or when you wake up energized and refreshed from a good night’s sleep and are greeted by the sunrise. God’s goodness lingers within us and moves us in a way that only grace can or like that special person in your life who can get your spirit to soar.  

We taste and see the goodness of the Lord most clearly, of course, in the Eucharist and in the community that gathers to receive it, food for the hungry and sight for sore eyes.  

Enjoy the day!
Deacon Tom 

 Image Credit:  https://myocn.net/made-known-in-the-breaking-of-the-bread/