Joyful Hearts

Deacon Tom writes

“Joyful Hearts”

Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

Both Moses and St. Luke give us some insight about a serious sin that we all experience from time to time. It is the sin of envy. We hear today how Moses responds to a complaint brought to him by two of his tribesmen.  What bothered them was that several others of their group were prophesying even though they had not been there when they received the “spirit. Moses sensed a spirit of envy or jealousy was at work with those who lodged the complaint. Instead of chastising the two who complained he, in turn, complained to them saying, “Would that all the people of the LORD were prophets! Would that the LORD might bestow his spirit on them all!"

In a similar way, the Apostles see that someone not in their group is casting out demons and report that to Jesus.  Jesus wisely cautions his disciples “Do not prevent him.” Jesus knows that any good work done in His name will produce good fruit.

Very often our fragile human nature shows itself in the ugliest of ways. In these two incidents from Sacred Scripture we notice how one group of individuals is offended because others appear to have gotten something that they did not deserve:  in the first reading the Spirit came to rest on the men who left camp and so were not present for the imposition of the spirit; in the gospel a stranger was casting out demons without being an Apostle. Envy is at work in both these events. Each time one group feels that they have been cheated, perhaps, like someone else taking away some of the privilege that was reserved for them alone. Do we really believe the Spirit is that limited or range bound?

Our sequential, linear minds constantly seek to put God in a box. We want to control God. We want Him to be predictable and to be fair; fair, that is, as we perceive fair to be. But God is above all our thinking and even above our wildest imagination. God’s ways are simply beyond us and we need to grow into that realization.

God is at work all around us, in all faiths, in all peoples, in all circumstances. God’s Spirit works in the hearts of the faithful everywhere. God is the reality through which we live, and move, and have our being. It is not jealousy that should fill our hearts, but rather a deep sense of awe at the wonders God is unfolding minute-by-minute, day-by-day all around us. Even in those who look, act, believe, and worship differently than we do. And that should fill our hearts with Joy.

Enjoy the day!

Deacon Tom

The Obnoxious One

Deacon Tom Writes

“The Obnoxious One”

Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

The world we live in today is not very much different than the world that Jesus lived in when it comes to our human nature. Scripture documents one particularly dark aspect of our human nature: we victimize the innocent; we persecute the just. The Book of Wisdom fashions an image for us that reveals the epic struggle that has persisted for all time, that of good versus evil. When good is manifested in human form, it is deemed to be obnoxious to the wicked because it stands in its way, exposes it for what it is, and reveals its vile nature and, therefore, it must be destroyed. So it has been throughout time and its saga has filled the journals of history. And, least we forget, Jesus is at the center of this classic struggle, the obnoxious one who sides with the victim, the vanquished.

This is the struggle we face throughout our lifetime expressed by St. Paul in his letter to the Ephesians. It is a constant battle between good and evil, between those who seek the transcendent values of truth, goodness, and beauty and those who are unrestrained in their pursuit of temporal power, privilege, and control. “For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens”. Eph 6:12 St. Paul makes it perfectly clear the “powers” we are up against.

Fascinating, then, is the question that St. James asks, “Where do the wars and where do the conflicts among you come from?” The answer to this question lies within us. It is our insatiable passions; our self-absorbed desires, our need to be first, our attitudes that we are better than others, our belief that I deserve more or they deserve less, that stir within us so that we “war” within ourselves. We witness a daily display of greed, egomania, and envy in our twenty-minute nightly newscast (ten minutes of commercials telling us to buy more stuff). You get the point.

Where does this end? If the parables of Jesus hold true, we are headed toward a bad ending. There are too many victims and too few “obnoxious ones” taking their blows while standing boldly for truth, justice, goodness, and mercy; who work to end the victim making; who sacrifice so others can enjoy the dignity that God has bestowed on all His children; who speak out against the evils of our time.

Jesus often uses the caveat , “For those who have eyes...” Are we able to open our eyes and see how the desires of the human heart are out of control? Isn’t it time to begin asking how are we going to solve these problems? Instead of pointing the finger and blaming others, isn’t it time to stop and reflect how we have ALL had some role to play in the problems our world is facing today? If so, recall Einstein’s famous words to the effect that no problem can be solved those who created it. We are not able to solve the problems we face because we are the ones who created them in the first place.

We are in desperate need for solutions to the difficult problems we face today, but they won’t come from government or business leaders. The solutions to the problems we face individually and as a society can only be found in the search for a wisdom that comes from a much higher source, the wisdom from above, the wisdom St. James says is, “pure, peaceable, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without inconsistency or insincerity”. A wisdom that the world does not know, a wisdom that empowers us to become “obnoxious” and enables us to, deny our self, pick up our cross and follow Jesus.

If it is the world that shapes our desires, than naturally we will want more of what the world has to offer. If, on the other hand, our desires are for the things of God, He will be our help. He will provide all that we need to make things right in our lives, for He alone can give us wisdom from above.

Enjoy the day!

Deacon Tom

Artwork: Christ Of Maryknoll_Lentz.jpg

Better Choices - Better Results

Deacon Tom Writes,

“Better Choices - Better Results”

Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

This past Tuesday was the seventeenth anniversary of the World Trade Center tragedy. How the world has changed, and, sadly, not for the better! Why is that? There is a saying that goes like this, “If you always do what you always have done, you will always get what you’ve already got”. So, if we keep eating the cheesecake, we won’t be happy when we step on the scale! Makes perfect sense, doesn’t it.

 Therefore, when it comes to understanding and solving the problems in our world, our communities, our families, we need a different mindset than fighting fire with fire, or punching back harder when someone strikes us. We need a higher level of thinking to find real solutions. Einstein, genius that he was, said it this way, “Problems cannot be solved with the same mind set that created them”. The problems of our world, our communities, and our families are our problems. We have no one to blame but ourselves for the bitter results of our poor choices. Real solutions to any problem that ails us demand that we pursue alternate and elevated way of thinking as Einstein so eloquently noted.

For us who center our faith in Christ, today’s gospel gives us insight into finding a solution to any problem we face, large or small. Jesus tells Peter, “You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do”. Our thinking remains base, seeking only what is best for ourselves. Fueled by desires that are too often primitive and self-centered, we fight with one another to obtain more for ourselves at the expense of others. That’s true for individuals, communities, and nations as well. Have you been to a budget meeting lately? There isn’t enough to go around, or so the elected officials lead you to believe.

The essence of Jesus teaching is Love. Love God, and love your neighbor as yourself. Simple, yet this is the challenge of a lifetime. Love as Jesus loved: selflessly, unconditionally, without ulterior motive or even a desire to be loved in return. Love that forgives all injuries, infidelities, idolatries.  It is called agape, where Jesus empties Himself because of His complete and total love of God and love for us. This is the way God, Abba, thinks, acts, and IS. 

Change the way we think, act, and approach our problem from our way to God’s ways and we will find not only the solution to our problems but those of our families, our communities, and our world.

Enjoy the day!

Deacon Tom

The Secret To Success

Deacon Tom Writes

“The Secret To Success”

Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

Jesus has a remarkable encounter with a deaf man as He traveled the countryside of the Decapolis. Petitioned by the man’s friends, Jesus cures him. “Be Opened!” Jesus says two simple words to the deaf man and he is able to hear. His life changed in an instant. There is newness to the world he has been living in but not fully participating in. He is complete, made whole, reunited to his community from which he was isolated somewhat, and ready, perhaps, to begin life anew.

There are many events recorded in scripture that demonstrate Jesus had power over the natural world. He changed water into wine, walked on water, calmed the sea. But Jesus’ greatest power lies in His power to heal as we read in today’s gospel when He uses that power to set this man free from the loneliness and isolation that his deafness caused.

The words we hear in the gospel today are powerful, “Be opened”. They challenge us to look into our lives and find those attitudes and behaviors that stand in contrast to the openness to which God calls us. Are we “Open” to forgive someone who has hurt us? Are we “Open” to letting go of resentments? Are we willing to change our behavior and stop gossiping, or thinking that we are better than others? 

Be Opened! Not just our ears, but our minds and attitudes also. We are living in a fast-paced, media fueled, 280 character twitter tweets, relationship challenged world and we can’t help but wonder if, when we speak, is anybody listening?” Is anyone open to what we are saying when we speak about God’s love for each person; that we are made in God’s image and likeness; that we infused with great dignity, and our destiny is to share forever in the divine presence?

When we are “Opened” to the Word of God, our lives change, just as the man in the gospel’s life was changed. We don’t know the details on what changed. We only know that everyone was told to keep silent about what happened. Yet, because of their astonishment, they just couldn’t keep this amazing occurrence to themselves. They had to spread the word. And those words did not fall upon deaf ears! Praise God!

God never disappoints. There is nothing in our lives that God can’t use to bring about the good if we turn to Him and trust in Him. That’s the deeper meaning of faith. That’s the “Openness” that God longs for so that He can fill us with every good thing in our time of need. Openness is our invitation to God to come into our lives and holds the secret to success in attaining a peaceful and joy filled spiritual life.

Enjoy the day!

Deacon Tom

Image credit: dave-burke.squarespace.com/storage/ephphatha.jpg

Following the Rules: Easier Said Than Done

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 recall a time when the Israelites were instructed 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 D-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 and 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.

Then Jesus enters the scene. It is easy to understand His compassion for His fellow Israelites who by that time were suffering from the burden of so many unnecessary “statues and decrees”.  In the hours He spent in prayer He must have asked, “How many commandments do we need to live wholesome, peaceful, and humble lives”? Jesus takes all these “statues and decrees” and reduces them to a single one with two equal parts… “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 AIDS clinics 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 hardheartedness, 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 get caught up in the minutia. Nor did Jesus die on the cross to defend prevailing legalistic way of Jewish life. We do need rules to guide us and govern our lives. And so 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. Paul, “Be doers of the word and not hearers only” following Jesus’ example by Loving God and each other.

Enjoy the day!

Deacon Tom

Photo Credit : Newseum, Washington, D.C.

Where's Your Loyalty

Deacon Tom Writes,

“Where’s Our Loyalty”

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 basically, “Where’s your loyalty.” And what is our response?

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 themselves 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 the greatest form of loyalty there is, seeking to imitate Jesus, our role model.

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. Our own individual choices we make in pursuit of happiness and the lure of the myriad of technological advances that fill every waking hour leave very little time for crucial activities such as spending quality family time together, engaging in meaningful reflection, finding time for solitude and reflection…

Scripture asks us today to decide, “Whom we will serve. May God’s grace lead us so we may come to know, love, and serve Him in this life in order to share eternal life with Him and in the life to come.

Enjoy the day!

Deacon Tom

Decision Time

Deacon Tom Writes,

“Decision Time.”

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

Not surprisingly, the Wisdom passage we read today gives us good, sound advice, a “word to the wise”, you might say. It tells us, “to forsake foolishness that you may live” and “to advance in the way of understanding”. Surely this is practical advice, yet easier said than done! St. Paul carries this theme even further in his letter to the Ephesians telling them, “to watch carefully how you live, not as foolish persons, but as wise, making the most of the opportunity, because the days are evil”.

Scripture often portrays this theme that there are two very different approaches to life. On one hand, we have the way of the wise and virtuous person who chooses to do what is right and just. The other is the way of the fool, whose life is anything but virtuous. The author of this wisdom passage encourages us to choose wisely and make the most of the opportunity we have been given. 

Wisdom, we are told, enables us to grow in understanding so that we make the most of every opportunity. What a thought! Choices lead to results that have good or bad outcomes. In other words, Wisdom holds the secret to the quality of our life. Good decisions, good outcomes, good life. Bad choices... we know too well, from our own experiences, perhaps, where that path leads, don’t we?

Many today complain that our world is troubled and they fear that it will get worse. We have problems, to be sure. But fear and worry will do little to change that. On the other hand, Wisdom invites us today to embrace her and follow her advice to make most of the opportunity that we have been given. What opportunity? The opportunity, “to live in a manner worthy of the calling you have received”. (Eph 4:1) Yes, we live in troubled times; yes, there are plenty of problems, so much divisiveness, and the lack of civility. How are we to respond? By relying on Wisdom to lead us through these troubled waters and direct our efforts so we can help make this world a better place and advance the Kingdom of God on earth.

Scripture proclaims a “word to the wise” today. May God give us the grace and the wisdom to listen.

Enjoy the day!

Deacon Tom