11th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle A - June 18, 2023

 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Cycle A

June 18, 2023 – 5pm

Our Lady of Grace Parish, Parkton 

 

Relativism

 

Pope Francis, and before him, Pope Benedict XVI have often talked about the problem of relativism.

 

They see a tendency, especially in our Western world, to hold nothing as absolute. They say that many people have come to think that nothing is for certain. 

 

This tendency toward relativism is taking place in an atmosphere of great individualism, where I see myself as an individual person as absolutely primary. My goals and my desires are seen as the most important thing.

 

The dictionary defines relativism in this way. It is “the viewpoint that what is true or false or good or bad depends only on persons and circumstances.”

 

And so, I alone, by myself can determine what is right or wrong for me. Our Popes are pointing out the problems with this mindset. 

 

Now, it is true that all religions and all persons of good will have aspects of the truth. But not everything depends on what I think or what I feel, with no reference to any basis or norm beyond myself.

 

Our Catholic tradition holds that there are some absolutes, some things that are certain and definite. We see some of these absolutes in today’s readings and I want to highlight them for us.  

 

Absolutes 

 

For starters, we believe that God is love and that God loves humanity. In our second reading, Saint Paul says, “God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

 

The idea is that God has this unconditional love for us. This is an absolute.

 

And then, we Catholics and all baptized Christians believe that Jesus is the Son of God. Once again, in our second reading, Saint Paul says, “We were reconciled to God through the death of his Son.”

 

The idea is that the divine presence, the Almighty God has emerged in our world in the person of Jesus of Nazareth and forged a oneness between God and us. This is also an absolute.

 

Next, we believe that we are to live out of this new relationship with God.  We call this relationship God’s covenant with us.

 

In our first reading, the Lord God says, “If you hearken to my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my special possession.”  This means that we need to carefully form our conscience, our inner compass of right and wrong, of good and bad, and then live out of this.

 

We form our conscience from two primary sources: 1) the Scripture, which is the inspired Word of God, and 2) the Church, which tries to apply this Word down through the centuries. Forming our conscience in this way and living out of this covenant relationship with God is also an absolute.

 

And finally, we are to live with a care for human life. In our gospel passage, Jesus sends the apostles out to “cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers and drive out demons.”  

 

Scripture scholars tell us that we are to interpret this on both a physical and a spiritual level. So, for example, “curing the sick” means caring for those who are physically ill, and it also means providing emotional and spiritual support to those burdened with their responsibilities in life. 

 

“Driving out demons” means helping those who are caught in a physical addiction to alcohol or drugs, and it also means praying out, praying out the spiritual demons that can possess us, like racism or sexual permissiveness. Living with this care for human life is also an absolute.

 

Conclusion

 

There are other absolutes.

 

These are the ones I see in today’s readings. They are opposed to a mindset of complete relativism where what I think or feel is all that counts.

 

And, very importantly, these absolutes are not restraints holding us back and they are not hurdles to jump through to get to heaven. Instead, these absolutes or certainties free us, they free us to live with direction and purpose, and they lead us to become whole and holy persons.

Solemnity of the Holy Trinity, Cycle A - June 4, 2023

 Solemnity of the Holy Trinity

Cycle A

June 4, 2023 – 5pm, 8:30 and 11am  

Our Lady of Grace Parish, Parkton 

 

Spiritual Genetic Code 

 

I don’t often watch TV crime shows, but I know that we sometimes see perpetrators identified by their DNA that is left at the crime scene.  

 

I think that our police in real-life solve some cases in this way. As we know, DNA is our genetic code.  

 

It is the genetic instruction that identifies us as human beings and as unique, individual persons. I got thinking about this as I reflected on today’s celebration of the Holy Trinity.  

 

We believe that we are made in the image and likeness of God. So, I am thinking that we must also have kind of a spiritual DNA.

 

In other words, God must have implanted within us certain elements that make us like him. And that means that these elements are indicators or even evidence of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

 

God the Father

 

For example, isn’t it true that in some way we want to give life to something or someone other than ourselves? 

 

Last Sunday we had a baptism of a baby at the 11 o’clock Mass, and you could just see that mother and father bursting with joy at the new life they have brought into the world. Don’t all of us want to give life to someone, maybe to a person who feels very down and lifeless?

 

Don’t many of us enjoy seeing seeds or little plants sprout into life with veggies or flowers in our gardens? Don’t auto mechanics feel a sense of accomplishment by bringing a broken-down engine back to life for the owners of the car? 

 

My point is that we have this hunger to give life in some way. I suggest that this is part of our spiritual genetic code.

 

And I believe that this hunger for giving life is an indicator of the One who is the author or creator of all life. It is evidence of God the Father.

 

God the Son

 

And then, isn’t it true that we all want to be loved and to love?

 

For example, don’t we look for affirmation from those who are close to us? And, on the other hand, don’t we feel good when we have helped someone in need or given a gift to someone special?

 

The idea is that within us there is this hunger to love and to be loved. I suggest that this is also part of our spiritual genetic code.

 

This is why the words in today’s gospel really get our attention: “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son…” And in another passage, the Scripture goes so far as to say: “God is love” itself.

 

So, I believe that our hunger to love and to be loved is also an indicator of God. It is evidence of God the Son.  

 

God the Holy Spirit

 

And finally, isn’t it true that we often want to be with others?

 

If a husband and wife are apart because one of them is travelling, don’t they try to be “with” each other through a text or phone call? When we go to an O’s game, don’t we usually invite someone to go with us?

 

Don’t we keep photos around the house of our loved ones? Don’t we enjoy sharing a nice dinner with others?

 

The idea is that deep down within us there is this hunger for relationship. I suggest that this is also part of our spiritual genetic code.

 

And I believe that this hunger to be with others is an indicator of God within us and drawing us to relationship. It is evidence of God the Holy Spirit.

 

Conclusion

 

So, maybe this can be a way of approaching the Holy Trinity!

 

Maybe we have a spiritual genetic code, something like our physical genetic code. And maybe these deep down, built-in hungers 1) for giving life, 2) for loving and being loved, and 3) for relationship with others – maybe these hungers are indicators and even evidence of God – God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Feast of Pentecost, Cycle A - May 28, 2023

 Feast of Pentecost

Cycle C

May 28, 2023 – 5pm, 8:30 and 11am  

            Our Lady of Grace Parish, Parkton

 

Good or Bad News 

 

When I was a child, my parents would sometimes take us to downtown Baltimore, and I remember seeing some street preachers.

 

These preachers were trying to convert people to Jesus. They would shout out and denounce everyone’s sinfulness and threaten damnation if people didn’t listen.

 

This is my earliest recollection of what is called evangelization. By the way, Pope Francis talks about evangelization in his message for today’s Feast of Pentecost. 

 

The word evangelization comes directly from the Latin word that means gospel or good news. So, evangelization means that we bring the gospel or good news of Jesus to the world around us.

 

As I look back, I wasn’t hearing much good news from those street preachers. They were scary, and it felt like bad news. 

 

Naming Grace 

 

I have come across another, and I think much better approach for bringing the good news to people here in the twenty-first century.

 

Some of our theologians hold that evangelization is first about naming grace – naming grace.It is not about bringing God to people, as if God were not already there.

 

Instead, when we evangelize, we first name or point out how God is already present. This is what Saint Paul is getting at in our second reading when he says that there are lots of differences among us but the same God at work.

 

So, we are to look at life with the eyes of faith and help each other see life as touched by God. We are to look at the human and the everyday and name the grace that is already there. 

 

Examples of Naming Grace

 

For example, a child is born. We are happy for the parents, and we stand with them in awe of this new life from God.

 

Or our teens and young adults spend a week at a work camp in Appalachia helping to repair a family’s home. And we affirm them and see God working in their giving of themselves in that way.

 

Or our nurses and doctors work long hours to care for the sick in our hospitals and urgent care centers. And we thank them and see the healing action of God working through them. 

 

Or we see a couple celebrating their fiftieth or first anniversary of marriage. And we celebrate with them and see the enduring love of God in them.

 

So, we affirm and celebrate those who are at the center of these experiences. We name the grace, the grace of God.

 

And we name this grace as acting in and through others regardless of where they are with faith. That, I believe, must be the first step of evangelization in this century and culture. 

 

Naming Jesus

 

And then, after naming the grace, we can proceed to the next step: naming Jesus and extending an invitation to follow his way.

 

Notice, in both steps, we are positive. We are not like the street preachers I remember as a child and some preachers I hear and hear about today whom I find to be very negative.  

 

We are not condemning or labeling others as in mortal sin. We are not threatening others with damnation and manipulating them with fear.

 

Instead, we are positive, first naming the grace that is already present and then naming Jesus. And we name the way of Jesus in a way that is appropriate – often just by the example of our lives or maybe by inviting someone to a Sunset Social or Holy Grounds here at the parish or maybe by sharing with another a booklet that we have found inspiring.

 

Notice: that’s what the first disciples do in our first reading today. They speak, they communicate in ways that others could listen to and receive.  

 

And notice: there can be no force or coercion or guilt trip here. There is simply and powerfully a naming of Jesus with an appropriate kind of invitation. 

 

This, I am so convinced, is the way to evangelize today – the way to proclaim the good news in our century and culture. Name the grace that is already there and then name Jesus with an appropriate kind of invitation.

 

That is how the first Pentecost happened and succeeded. And that’s how it can happen again today. 

 

 

The Ascension of the Lord, Cycle A - May 21, 2023

 The Ascension of the Lord

Cycle A

May 21, 2023     5pm  

Our Lady of Grace Parish, Parkton 

 

Balance 

 

One of the things that I remember from my high school days was the emphasis on balance.

 

The Sulpician priests at Saint Charles High School really emphasized the idea of being a balanced person. The balance that they promoted included a number of elements.

 

They pushed us to work hard at our studies, to participate in some sport or get some kind of physical exercise, to pray every day, and to keep a sense of humor. They guided us to think before we did something and not to get swept away by our emotions. 

 

So, one of the main parts of our formation in those high school years was balance. The dictionary defines balance as the “stability produced by an even distribution of weight on each side.” 

 

That seems like a pretty good definition for a physical object – like this ambo or lectern or even for our own body. But for us as persons, maybe we would define balance as the well-being that comes from giving appropriate attention to each dimension of our lives.     

 

Balance in Scripture

 

I see this theme of balance in today’s Scripture passages. 

 

In the first reading, the disciples experience Jesus ascending into the heavens and going back to the Father.  They are standing there, looking up at the skies.

 

Then, two men dressed in white appear. They ask: “Why are you guys just standing there looking up at the sky?”  

 

Then, in the gospel, Jesus tells the disciples, in effect, to get to work – to spread his word to the entire world. Well, when we take these two passages together, I think we see a spiritual balance being proposed. 

 

The disciples are standing there and looking up for a while and this seems appropriate. And it is also appropriate for us at times to do this.

 

At the same time, the disciples and we must get back to everyday life. This is where we live out our faith, and that is what Jesus is telling the disciples to do in today’s gospel.  

 

Lack of Balance 

 

So, a balance of looking up, as the disciples are doing in the first reading, and of looking around us, as Jesus calls them to do in the gospel. 

 

If we think that following Jesus just means looking up, if we think that coming to Mass and going to confession and praying privately is all there is to being a disciple, we will lack balance. Our faith will become narrow and maybe even self-focused.

 

We may be neglecting others. We will not be heeding Jesus’ commission to bring his word to the world around us.

 

On the other hand, if we are looking around all the time, if we are always busy and on the go, we might lose our moorings. We might lose our sense of God and sense of direction.  

 

We might be living on the surface and end up feeling very empty. We certainly will not be looking up and staying centered on Jesus.

 

A Holy Balance 

 

So, positively, we need to take time for looking up to God and Jesus.

 

We need time for Sunday Mass. It gives us a sense of God’s presence and some centeredness for our lives. 

 

It gives us strength for doing our jobs and all the everyday things of life. And it keeps fresh in our minds the big picture and the long-term vision of life.

 

At the same time, besides looking up, we also need to look around.  

 

We need to look around at our family and friends and neighbors and co-workers and classmates. We need to see how we are called to be there for them.

 

And we need to look around at people in need whom we will never know, maybe in Appalachia or Baltimore City or Central America. This keeps us glued to real life and to an authentic living of the gospel. 

 

Conclusion

 

So, balance or spiritual balance is important for a healthy and holy life.  

 

My high school faculty and mentors had a pretty good point – a point tucked into todays’ Scriptures. 

6th Sunday of Easter, Cycle A - May 14, 2023

 6th Sunday of Easter

Cycle A

May 14, 2023      5pm, 8:30 and 11am 

Our Lady of Grace Parish, Parkton 

 

Loneliness

 

Within the last two weeks, the Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued a report on loneliness. 

 

The report states that even before Covid, 50% of adults in our country admitted that they experienced some level of loneliness. A key statement in the report is that loneliness is not about the quantity, but rather about the quality of connections that we have.

 

I remember reading something on this about ten years ago. A university of Chicago study found that college freshmen are particularly lonely in their first quarter of school.

 

They have roommates and plenty of peers around them. But they don’t have a good quality of connections and the result is some degree of loneliness.

 

But now, back to the Surgeon General’s report. The findings are that we, in all age groups, are spending less time with each other in-person than we did two decades ago, and this is one of the factors for increased loneliness. 

 

Loneliness, or having poor connections with others, has harmful physical effects, like a higher risk for heart disease or stroke. It also has the effect of increased risk for dementia in our older population.

 

Loneliness causes anxiety and affects how we see others. We are likely to stop thinking that they have our interests in mind.

 

So, how are we to deal with loneliness? For us, the most important strategy in the report is that we cultivate a culture of connection – cultivate a culture of connection.

 

This means that we personally place high priority on our connection with others, especially in-person connections. And it means that our institutions, like our parish, cultivate a culture of connection in our programs and services.   

 

“I will not leave you orphans.”

 

I am focusing on this topic because in today’s gospel, Jesus addresses the very human issue of loneliness.

 

Jesus knows that he is about to return to the Father. He senses the apostles’ anxiety about being left alone, without him.

 

And so, Jesus says, “I will not leave you orphans. [You will realize that] I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you.”

 

So, Jesus promises to be with us. And then he eventually makes his presence concrete in two ways: 1) sacraments and 2) community.

       

1. Through Sacraments

 

First, our sacraments are visible, physical ways for Jesus to be with us.

 

We have the physical experience of Jesus’ presence through the water of baptism. We have a physical experience of the Holy Spirit through the anointing at Confirmation.

 

And then, here at Mass, the Eucharist is the supreme experience of God’s presence. In the Eucharistic Prayer, the priest prays Jesus’ words at the Last Supper over the bread and wine. 

 

These gifts become the means for Jesus to be with us. The result is that when we eat the consecrated bread, we have this intimate closeness with Jesus. 

 

We are drawn into the life of God and God lives within us. As Jesus says today, “you live in me and I live in you.”   

 

2. Through Community

 

And then the second way that Jesus remains with us is through community.

 

Jesus says, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there.” Sometimes we can be tempted to go it alone in life, to think that we do not need or should not need others.

 

It is so important not to fall into this. This attitude easily leads to isolation and loneliness.

 

Maybe this is why God’s action throughout the Bible is always directed to us as a people, as a community. Jesus draws the first disciples together as a community and makes this his primary way to be with us.

 

And so, when we connect with other persons of faith here at Mass, in faith sharing groups, in service programs, in conversations in the gathering space or over at Holy Grounds, when we do this, we are enlivened. And this happens because we are drawn out of ourselves – out of our aloneness or loneliness – and into community, into connection with one another.

 

Conclusion

 

So, Jesus addresses a troublesome human feeling – loneliness.

 

This is a significant issue today. And Jesus gives us some concrete help and direction for dealing with this. 

3rd Sunday, Cycle A - April 23, 2023

 3rd Sunday of Easter

Cycle A

April 23, 2023     5pm  

Our Lady of Grace Parish, Parkton 

 

Emmaus and Eucharist

 

Maybe we have never thought of it this way, but today’s gospel helps us to appreciate the Mass.  

 

There are five moments or steps in this Emmaus story, and we have these same moments or steps in the celebration of the Eucharist. Let’s take a look at these.

 

1. Loss

 

The first moment is what we can call loss.

 

The two disciples walking to Emmaus are talking about what has happened to Jesus. They have suffered a great loss, and they feel very disappointed.

 

I believe that in some way, we can all identify with their loss. The loss I am thinking of here is that at some times we lose the ways of God, or maybe we feel that God has left or abandoned us.

 

And so, usually right at the beginning of Mass, we express this loss when we say, “Lord, have mercy, Christ, have mercy, Lord, have mercy.” With these words, we confess our need for God’s assistance or forgiveness in dealing with this loss.

 

2. Presence

 

That admission of loss opens us to the second moment in our celebration of Mass, and this is presence – the presence of God in the Word.

 

Traditionally, we think of Jesus being present in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. But the Emmaus story tells us that Jesus is first present to the two disciples in the Word as he breaks open the Scriptures to them.  

 

The same thing happens here at Mass. The Eucharistic presence is first a presence of God in the Word.

 

God is present here – sometimes comforting us, maybe challenging us, and often motivating us. So, just as Jesus is present in opening up the Word on the way to Emmaus, he is also present here at Mass in the Word.

 

3. Invitation

 

Then, touched by this presence of Jesus, we come to the third moment in our celebration of Mass, and this is invitation.

 

The disciples on the road to Emmaus invite Jesus to stay with them. We also need to do that here at Mass.

 

I suggest we do this when we offer the Profession of Faith and when we bring the bread and wine to the altar. In the Profession of Faith, we affirm Jesus’ presence in the Word that we have heard.

 

And in the presentation of the bread and wine, we are saying that we want him to stay and that we even want more of his presence. These are our ways of inviting Jesus to be present.

 

4. Communion

 

That takes us to the fourth moment in our celebration of Mass, and this is Communion.

 

Jesus stays with the two disciples in Emmaus, but he reverses things and, in effect, he becomes their host at the meal. He does what he did at the Last Supper and gives himself to them in the bread and wine.

 

So, here at Mass, as soon as we invite Jesus to stay with us, he becomes our host and offers us the sacrament – the gift of Holy Communion. In fact, maybe this is why Jesus left the earth and returned to the Father.

 

Through Communion he can be even closer to us, so close to us that there is nothing between us. We have this intimate communion with him in the Eucharist and yet, this is not quite the end.

 

5. Mission

 

Communion leads to the fifth and last moment in our celebration of Mass, and this is mission.

 

The two disciples at Emmaus immediately go and tell the others about their experience with the risen Jesus. We are to do the same thing.

 

This is why we conclude Mass with words like, “Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.” So, the final moment in Eucharistic life is mission.

 

We are to bring the presence of Christ to the lost and broken spaces of human life. We are to live out of the light and hope of Easter.

 

Conclusion

 

So, I see this Emmaus story as rich!

 

It is a great teaching about the Eucharist! From 1) loss to 2) presence to 3) invitation to 4) communion to 5) mission – this is what the Mass is all about.