7th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle A - February 19, 2023

 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Cycle A

February 19, 2023      5pm 

Our Lady of Grace Parish, Parkton 

 

Love and Pray for Enemies 

 

So, we are to love and pray for Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, and maybe others.

 

I think we would call these countries our enemies, enemies of the United States. And we are to love and pray for these countries not just in the abstract, but personally – for their leaders and their people.

 

We are to lift them up to God in prayer. And in prayer, we are also to try to deal with our feelings of hostility toward them. 

 

And we are to do the same thing in our personal lives with those whom we see as enemies, people who don’t like us or are offensive toward us. We are to love and pray for them too.

 

The Teaching 

 

As if that isn’t enough, Jesus tells us to offer no resistance to one who is evil.

 

He uses three examples. The first is that if someone smacks you in the face, don’t smack back. 

 

Instead, turn and let the person smack you on the other side of your face too. Oh really?

 

The second example is if someone steals your sweater, offer him your cap too. Oh really? 

 

And the third example is that if a Roman soldier requires you to carry his equipment for one mile – and the Roman law allowed this at that time – then offer to carry it an extra mile. Again, really?

 

To go back to where his lesson started, Jesus says to offer no resistance to the evil one. I have to say that there is some exaggeration here to make a point.

 

It’s something like Jesus’ exaggeration when he says to pluck out your eye or cut off your arm if it’s a source of sin. He doesn’t really want us to do that.

 

But he is making the absolute point that we are to do whatever possible to avoid sin and follow his way. I think something similar is going on here.

 

Jesus is not saying: don’t protect yourself. And he is not saying: be a doormat.

 

But he is saying: realize that just returning evil for evil does not resolve the problem. In fact, it will continue the spiral of evil.

 

So, we need to explore ways of connecting with those who harm us. We need to explore common ground and try non-violent, peace-making solutions to differences.

 

In the long run, this will be the only way to resolve things. And that is why Jesus even tells us, to go back to where I began, to love and pray for our enemies.

 

The Result 

 

Jesus concludes by telling us the result of our trying to do this.

 

He says: “We will be children of our heavenly Father, who makes his sun rise on the bad and good.” In other words, we as God’s children will grow to become more and more like God himself, in whose image we are made.

 

This will be the way to become more God-like persons. That’s my take on today’s challenging teaching. 

 

6th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle A - February 12, 2023

 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Cycle A

February 12, 2023      8:30 and 11am 

Our Lady of Grace Parish, Parkton 

 

Faith as Relationship 

 

This past week, the more I looked at today’s gospel, the more just one word came to me, the word relationship.

 

The reason is this. Basically, we can look at faith in one of two ways. 

 

One way is to see faith as a list of doctrines that we believe and of commandments that we obey. The other way is to see faith as a relationship.

 

No question, faith includes doctrines – our understanding of who God is, as in our Profession of Faith here at Mass. And faith also includes commandments – like the Ten Commandments.

 

But underneath all of this, theologians today hold that faith is a relationship. It is fundamentally and primarily a relationship with God. 

 

Jesus and Relationship

 

God, especially through Jesus, initiates this relationship. And I see three components in this.

 

First, God wants to be with us. 

 

Jesus tells is that he is with us always, until the end of time. He remains with us through the Holy Spirit who abides within us.

 

Second, God speaks with us. 

 

The entire Bible is God talking to us and God does this especially through Jesus. In fact, Jesus continues to talk with us every time we read or listen to the gospel.

 

And third, God cares for us and loves us.

 

The Scripture tells us that God is love – it’s that simple. Jesus repeatedly shows his care and love for people and continues to care for us and love us in many ways, including right here in the Eucharist. 

 

So, 1) Jesus is with us, 2) Jesus speaks to us, and 3) Jesus loves us. That’s God’s side of the relationship.

 

And now, we are to respond by choosing 1) to be with Jesus, 2) to speak to him in our prayer, and 3) to love him by the way we live. This last way is where today’s gospel comes in. 

 

Jesus gives us three examples of what it means to love him by living up to our side of the relationship. He is very clear that he doesn’t want us to see faith as just obeying commandments.

 

Instead, Jesus wants us to put our heart into it all and live out the spirit of the commandments. This will be doing our part of loving Jesus in this relationship.

 

We and Relationship 

 

So, in his first example, Jesus wants us to be peaceable persons. He reminds us of the commandment not to kill anyone. 

 

But he tells us not even to act out of a destructive anger. He wants us to get inside ourselves at the real cause of external violence – at the vengeance or hostility that can lie within us. 

 

He wants us to get hold of these feelings and live out of our peaceful relationship with him. He wants us to be peaceable persons. 

 

And then, Jesus wants us to be faithful persons. He reminds us of the commandment against adultery.

 

But he tells us not even to be lusting after someone who is not our wife or husband. Again, he wants us to get inside ourselves at the unchecked tendencies that can cause infidelity.

 

He wants us to live out of the faithful relationship that he has with us and give our best to one another in marriage. He wants us to be faithful persons.    

 

And finally in today’s passage, Jesus wants us to be truthful persons. He reminds us of the practice of his day of taking oaths as a way to assure the truth of what someone was saying.

 

But he tells us that this isn’t necessary. He says that this may lead to the practice that things said without an oath may not be true.

 

He wants us to live out of the relationship with him where he tells us the truth about himself and the heavenly Father and about ourselves and how we are to live. He wants us to be truthful persons. 

 

Conclusion

 

So, faith as relationship with God and with Jesus Christ.

 

That’s what I see as the basis for Jesus’ calling us to more – to live not just the literal wording, but the real spirit of the commandments. 

 

5th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle A - February 5, 2023

 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Cycle A

February 5, 2023        5pm 

Our Lady of Grace Parish, Parkton 

 

Salt in Food

 

I seldom add salt to food.

 

We all know what the medical profession says about limiting the amount of sodium in our diet. Most food needs some salt, but I rarely add more to what is already in it.

 

The exception is that every August, I find myself using the saltshaker. I enjoy a simple tomato sandwich: slices of vine-ripe tomato, mayonnaise on the bread, a slice of cheddar cheese, and definitely a dash of salt on the tomato.

 

The salt brings out the wonderful taste of the tomato. It just isn’t quite as good without the salt.

 

Those who like to cook tell me how important salt is. Just the right amount brings out the full flavor of the beef or green beans, but too much salt can ruin the taste.

 

We Are Salt

 

Our use of salt on food helps us to appreciate today’s gospel.

 

Jesus tells us that we are “the salt of the earth.” The idea is that we are to flavor and enhance the world.

 

Just as salt does for food, we are to bring out the best in those around us. So, parents are salt by teaching their children simple things like saying “Please” or “Thank you” or by helping them with a science project or something like that.  

 

Teachers and guidance counselors are salt by guiding young people into the extra-curriculars that will develop them well – like dance, music, soccer, basketball, whatever. We can be salt by listening carefully to a spouse or friend, helping them to clarify what their upset is all about, and then assisting them in figuring out how they might best express themselves.

 

As I say all of this, it is also important to remember that ordinary salt is something we seldom notice. We never say: “Wow, that salt really tastes good!”

 

Instead, we say: “That fried chicken was great!” If it is the right amount, the salt enhances and draws the best out of the food, but draws no attention to itself.

 

That is an important feature of salt. Jesus wants us to have this same feature.

 

We Are Light

 

Jesus also tells us that we are to be “the light of the world.”  

 

Well, we don’t sit and look at a light bulb, and we should not look directly at the sun. Instead, we look at what light illumines.

 

So, something like salt, as light we are not to be the center of attention. Instead, we are to light up what is beyond us and enable others to see certain things.

 

Maybe it is the light of faith itself when we try to share parts of our faith and faith practice with our children. Maybe it is the light of an insight, when we try to guide a young adult on a relationship issue. 

 

Maybe it is pointing out the light instead of cursing the darkness. Instead of just harping on the bad things in our society and world, we can highlight persons who give generously of their time for aging parents or for Habitat for Humanity and things like that.

 

Pope Francis once gave an interview to a journalist who is a non-believer, an agnostic. And the Pope never put him down for not believing.

 

Instead, he affirmed the good things this man is doing and said we meet and are one in doing good. That’s the Pope’s way to be light in today’s world, and it is a good example for us, maybe in dealing with a son or daughter or others who no longer practice their faith.

 

Conclusion

 

One more thought. Too much salt can ruin food and too much light can blind us. 

 

In trying to be salt and light for others, we need to be careful. Pushing too much by being too much salt or too much light can hurt relationships and just push others away from what we would like them to have.     

 

So, with that caution, Jesus uses some simple images to describe how he wants us to be his disciples. Both salt and light focus beyond themselves, not on themselves.

 

And both are very positive in the way they act. Helpful images and lessons for us today!

3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle A - January 22, 2023

 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Cycle A

January 22, 2023 – 5pm and 8:30am    

Our Lady of Grace Saint Parish, Parkton 

 

The Holocaust Museum: Lessons

 

Several years ago, I visited the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington. Probably many of you have been there. 

 

As you know, the Museum is a memorial especially to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust in the 1940s. This genocide by the Nazis killed 6 million Jews. 

 

The Holocaust eventually included others, like citizens of Poland and the Soviet Union, gypsies, homosexual and disabled persons, and others. The Nazis exterminated a total of 11 million people.  

 

As I slowly walked through the Museum, I found myself sad, almost overwhelmed. At times I became aware that I was just shaking my head “No!” in disbelief. 

 

Now, I am recalling this experience in view of the increasing number of anti-Semitic incidents in our country. Reports tell us that in the year 2021, there were 2,700 anti-Semitic incidents of harassment, assault, and vandalism. 

 

This was the highest annual number ever reported. It represents an increase of 34% over the prior year, 2020. 

 

I think about this in relation to today’s gospel. Jesus is the “great light” foretold by the prophets.

 

We, as disciples and persons of faith, are also to be a light in our world. One thing this must mean is that we are alert to things like anti-Semitism and that we ourselves do not participate in this.

 

We need to be a light in darkness. So, with this in mind, I have two reflections. 

 

1.    Words Are Powerful 

 

First, our words are powerful.

 

The words we speak and the words we write or text or email – these can be very powerful. We need to be very aware of this.

 

For example, have you ever said something and the moment it is out of your mouth, you wish you could take it back? Maybe in frustration, we said to a teenager: “You’re never going to amount to anything.”

 

Or to someone: “You’re a lazy waste of time!” Or: “You’re a good-for-nothing blankedy blank.”

 

Our words can help a person develop and grow. Or they can freeze a person right where they are and even send them backwards.

 

Our words can build up self-esteem and self-confidence. Or they can tear it down and injure someone for a lifetime.

 

Our words can give positive vision to a group or entire race of people. Or they can lead those same people into destructive ways.

 

So, I am suggesting, we have to pause, reflect, and go within ourselves before we speak. We have to get in touch with our true inner self and with God who is within us.

 

We have to consider the effects of our words for today and tomorrow and the future. And then, we have to decide what to say and when to say it and how to say it.

 

So, knowing that our words have such power is very important. We need to use our words in a thoughtful way.

 

2.    Negative Stereotypes Are Destructive 

 

My second reflection is related to the first and really flows from it.

 

Negative stereotyping is always destructive. And it is always wrong.

 

This is what happened in Nazi Germany and what caused the Holocaust. Thoughtless and hurtful words were applied to the Jews.  

 

These words and labels led to negative stereotyping. In that instance, we know the horrific results.

 

Some scholars tell us that negative stereotyping arises from the human temptation to scapegoat. We unfairly blame another person or an entire category of persons for our problems and that’s what scapegoating is.

 

So, we need to resist negative stereotyping of others. Today, it might be directed to Jews or to Hispanic immigrants, to women or to African Americans, to LGBTQ persons or to Muslims.

 

We need to have the inner strength not to participate in this. In fact, we need to label it as morally wrong.   

 

And in doing that, we will be a light to the world and really living our faith in Jesus Christ. We will be a light in darkness. 

 

And we will be doing this by resisting hateful words and negative stereotyping.  We will do this by respecting others as persons with feelings and needs and hopes much like our own. 

 

 

2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle A - January 15, 2023

 2^nd Sunday of Ordinary Time

Cycle A

January 15, 2023    11am

Bon Secours Retreat and Conference Center   

 

The Beloved Lamb

 

There is an old story about two men who were living in the same small town.

 

The one man was very rich and powerful; the other was very poor and powerless. The rich man owned so many sheep that he lost count of them, but the poor man had only one, tiny lamb.  

 

The poor man’s children loved this little lamb so much that they treated it like a member of the family. They played with it all day long and even brought it to the dinner table to share the little food they had to eat.  

 

Then one day an important visitor came to the rich man’s house for dinner.  The rich man wanted to serve a special meal, but he didn’t want to kill any of his own lambs to feed the guest.  

 

So, he had his servants go over to the poor man’s house, take that family’s only lamb, and slaughter it for dinner. Now, the prophet Nathan tells this story in the Old Testament.  

 

And, this story of the beloved lamb is one of the images that John the Baptist must have had in mind in today’s gospel. John points to Jesus and says, “There is the lamb of God.”

 

John means, “There is God’s beloved lamb.” Like the one beloved lamb of that poor family, Jesus is God’s beloved Son and he is unjustly put to death.  

 

The Sacrificial Lamb 

 

Now besides this image of the beloved lamb, there is a second image that John must have had in mind.

 

This is the image of the lambs that were sacrificed everyday in the Temple in Jerusalem. These lambs were seen as sacrifices to atone for sin. 

 

So, John points to Jesus and says, “There is the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Jesus is like those sacrificial lambs because he sacrifices himself for our sins.

 

But, he is also unlike those lambs because, as John says today, he is “the lamb of God.”Jesus is the sacrifice that once and for all time brings us reconciliation with God.

 

The Victorious Lamb 

 

Finally, John probably also had a third image in mind.

 

The Book of Revelation pictures a victorious lamb. The author describes his vision of a lamb on a heavenly throne with people from all over the earth giving him honor.

 

So, John speaks of Jesus today as “the Lamb of God …the one who ranks ahead of me because he is before me.” John’s idea is that Jesus exists before John and before all of humanity.

 

Jesus is the Lamb of God who will even be triumphant obver death. This is why he now receives honor and praise as the victorious lamb.   

 

The Lamb of God for Us

 

So, John the Baptist has these three images in mind about Jesus.

 

Before we receive communion here at Mass, we sing three times: “Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.” It is helpful to remember these three images as we sing these acclamations.

 

First, we remember the image of the one beloved lamb of the poor family. And we express our love for Jesus as the beloved Son and Lamb of God.

 

Here we can also recall that we ourselves are also beloved. Each of us is a beloved daughter or son of God.  

 

Then we remember the image of the sacrificial lamb of the Temple. Here in the sacrifice of the Mass, we offer Jesus himself under the forms of bread and wine.

 

Here we can also recall that we are to be sacrificial. Our sacrifice is intentionally to give our daily lives to Christ by accepting him as our way. 

  

And finally, we remember the image of the victorious lamb in heaven. We do this when we say at the end of the Eucharistic Prayer: “Through him, with him, and in him, O God, almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, forever and ever.  Amen”

 

And as we do that, here we can also recall that we too have the promise and hope of heaven. That victory over death will also be ours through the victorious lamb.  

Feast of the Epiphany, Cycle A - January 8, 2023

 Feast of the Epiphany

 Cycle A

January 8, 2023          

Our Lady of Grace Parish, Parkton    5pm 

 

A Star

 

Today I am thinking that each of us has a star. 

 

What I mean is that each of us has something leading us either from inside ourselves or from outside ourselves toward some goal. Today’s gospel passage tells about the Magi following a star and that star is leading them to the newborn Christ.  

 

Recently, a single mom told me about her plans to go back to school to get her degree in social work. A high school senior told me about his plans for majoring in biology in college with the idea of eventually getting into the medical profession.  

 

They are both following a star that is leading them to use their God-given abilities. So, the question is: what is our star?  

 

And whatever our star is, will it in some way be like the star that the Magi are following? Will it in some way lead us to God or make God more present on this earth?

 

Journey

 

Now the Magi in today’s gospel are on a journey.

 

The passage says that they come from the East, maybe present-day Iran or Iraq. They have left their home and are on a journey.

 

This journey image is a good way for all of us to understand our lives. And this usually makes some demands on us.

 

It may mean that we uproot ad leave the home where we have been living. It may simply mean that we read or participate in a Bible study program as a way to come to a closer relationship with God. 

 

Seeing our lives as a journey is challenging, but also life-giving. So, the question is: what are the demands of the journey that we are on right now?

 

Hurdles

 

Notice also that the Magi have to deal with a hurdle on their journey.

 

Their hurdle is King Herod. Herod pretends to be interested in this newborn child, but the Magi sense that he has violence in mind. 

 

There will also be hurdles for us as we follow our star and make our journey. Maybe we will be tempted to give up when things get challenging and. 

 

Or maybe someone is trying to discourage us from following the star that we believe is right for us because we won’t make a lot of money doing that. So, the question is: what hurdles do we have on our journey? 

 

Giving

 

Then the gospel tells us that the Magi give gifts to the newborn Christ.

 

Maybe this is a good test of the star we are following and the journey we are on. Does it lead us to be giving?

 

Maybe our giving is simply taking good care of those in our family. Or maybe we can give some of our time to God’s work beyond our family.

 

Maybe we can bake casseroles for a soup kitchen or give time teaching religion to children. So, the question is: What are we giving to God on our journey?  

 

Change

 

And finally, the gospel tells us that the Magi had to change their plans.

 

After seeing the child, they are warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, but to return home by another route. The insight here is that getting close to Jesus may also change us.

 

In fact, change and growth seem to be what the star and the journey are all about. For example, maybe we are being led to see things more from the perspective of those who are different from us.

 

The differences between the magi and the shepherds in the story of Christ’s birth lead me to think of this. So, the question is: How is our star or our journey calling us to change?

 

Conclusion

 

I guess what I am really saying is that this simple, little story of the Magi is really packed.

 

It is our story. It is the story of human life, especially of living life in relation to Jesus.    

 

The star, the journey, the hurdles, the giving, and the change – all the pieces of this story may reflect our life experience. They may lead us to some good reflection today.     

Christmas, Cycle A - December 25, 2022

 Christmas – A 

December 25, 2022    6pm 

Our Lady of Grace Parish, Parkton

 

Memories of a Child’s Christmas 

 

My earliest memory of Christmas goes back to when I was a very little boy. 

 

I’m thinking this is when I was three years old, and my brother Charlie was four. I remember my mother and father getting us to bed at the usual time on Christmas Eve. 

 

We were very excited because we knew that Santa Claus was going to come. In fact, the last thing we did with mom and dad before going up to bed was to leave a glass of milk and a couple of mom’s homemade chocolate cookies on the kitchen table.

 

Of course, that was for Santa. We knew he had a lot of work to do that night, and he would need a snack. 

 

Well, in some way, Charlie and I got to sleep even though we were so excited. I remember waking up early – I think about 7 o’clock on Christmas morning. 

 

We immediately went downstairs in our pajamas and wow! There it was! 

 

A Christmas tree fully decorated – there had been no tree when we went to bed. And there were presents underneath the tree. 

 

We quickly ran up the steps and ran into mom and dad’s bedroom and woke them up. They still seemed very sleepy, and I couldn’t understand why, but they got up and came downstairs, and we opened the presents. 

 

By the way, Santa had drunk the milk and eaten the cookies. That made us especially happy.

 

Some of the presents I remember from those early years were a three-wheel bike, toy cars and trucks, plastic building blocks (Legos were not out yet), and a game called Pick-up-Sticks.

 

And this Thanksgiving, I discovered that this game is still popular because my great-niece Megan has it. She and I played a game of it, and she won!

 

I remember that later on Christmas day, we visited my grandparents – both sets of grandparents- and had lots to eat! I still couldn’t figure out why mom and dad seemed so tired and were happy to get home and get to bed that night!

 

So, tonight I think back and reminisce. That was just my family’s, one family’s Christmas and it was over seventy years ago. 

 

Every family’s situation and every family’s Christmas customs are different and that’s fine. But, from my memories I see some good lessons for myself – and maybe you will find them good too.

 

Lesson 1: Support Those Who Do Good

 

For example, I feel called to do what I can to support those who are trying to do good for others. 

 

The milk and cookies we left for Santa Claus taught me that. So, schoolteachers and EMS staff, doctors and nurses, police officers and fire fighters, farmers and social workers – and on it goes. 

 

I want to let them know that I appreciate what they are doing. I want to give them some milk and cookies too. 

 

Lesson 2: Respect Parents

 

Another lesson that I learned from my early Christmas is that I respect parents. 

 

I learned this from what my own parents did for us, especially at Christmas when we were very young. You who are parents have a beautiful calling. 

 

And you also have a lot of responsibility. In my years as a priest, I have come to respect parents because of all you do for your families day in and day out. 

 

Lesson 3: Include Everyone 

 

And a third lesson that I have learned from that early experience of Christmas is to include everyone. 

 

Santa Claus went or goes to every home. Everyone counts and now we need to make sure that everyone gets taken care of.

 

I need to exclude no one from the circle of love and giving and caring. I need to include everyone.

 

Conclusion

 

Okay! The last thing I want to say may be obvious. 

 

Santa is doing the work of Jesus. In fact, Santa shows us what Christmas is all about. 

 

God loves us – God loves all of us, every person on this earth. And God loves us so much that he sent his Son here to make that very clear. 

 

That Son, Jesus, was born two thousand years ago in Bethlehem. Santa points us to Jesus, and the lessons that come from Santa are the lessons of Jesus.

 

That’s what my first Christmases remind me of this year. I hope this reminiscing has been as good for you as it has been for me. Merry Christmas!