Feast of Pentecost, Cycle B - May 19, 2024

 Feast of Pentecost – C 

May 19, 2024

Our Lady of Grace Parish, Parkton 

 

Three Images

 

On this feast of Pentecost, I want to offer you three images that may help us to appreciate who the Holy Spirit is.

 

The Spirit: Brick and Mortar

 

Let’s begin with this church building, Our Lady of Grace church, and other buildings that are made of brick.

 

We call them brick buildings even though they are really brick and mortar. The mortar is soft and wet when it is applied, but when it dries, it hardens and is far less visible than the brick.

 

The mortar ties the bricks to one another and to the foundation. It transforms a pallet of bricks into this solid church building.

 

Now the Holy Spirit is something like this strong but not very visible mortar. The Spirit binds us to God the Father and Jesus the Son.

 

In this way, the Spirit is our strength and security against the many insecurities of life. Each one of us looks for some security, some firm grounding that we can rely on and build our lives on.

 

This is really the Holy Spirit acting within us. And when we feel insecure, it is again the Spirit moving us to seek our security in the Father and the Son.  

 

The Spirit: Quilt and Thread

 

So, brick and mortar, and then the second image is a patchwork quilt and thread.

 

A patchwork quilt can begin with many scraps of cloth. It can be made of material with different patterns and colors and fabrics.

 

But thread is a key component. Thread is barely visible to the eye, but it holds the diverse pieces of cloth together and makes them into a quilt.

 

Once again, the Holy Spirit is something like this barely visible thread. The Spirit sews or binds us to one another.

 

Saint Paul in today’s second reading compares us to the parts of a human body and says that we are all made one body through the Holy Spirit. This is why deep down, we all want to belong and feel some bond with others. 

 

This is really the Spirit acting within us. And when we feel unwanted or cut off from others, it is again the Spirit moving us to seek this oneness.

 

The Spirit: Flute and Breath

 

And the third image I offer today is a flute and breath.

 

A flute is basically a metal or wooden tube. Some holes are drilled into it at strategic points.

 

And that’s all it is until a musician breathes into it. The breath or air makes music, and the metal tube becomes a beautiful musical instrument.

 

Once again, the Holy Spirit is something like this breath or air that flows through the tube. Today’s gospel says that Jesus breathes upon the disciples and in that, gives them the Holy Spirit.

 

With the Spirit moving through them, the disciples are now empowered to continue the work of Jesus. This is why deep down, we all want to do good things in our lives.  

 

This is really the Spirit acting or breathing within us. And when we feel restless or when our conscience is bothering us, it is again the Spirit moving us to do what is right and good. 

 

Conclusion

 

I hope these three images are helpful.

 

Think about this: what is your favorite image? Is it: 

 

1) The unnoticed mortar that binds the bricks to the foundation and to one another and makes them into a strong building and is something like the Holy Spirit – binding us firmly to God the Father and to Jesus the Son.

 

Or: 

 

2) The barely visible thread that holds together pieces of cloth to make them into a quilt and is also something like the Holy Spirit – binding us to one another and making us one.

 

Or:

 

3) The invisible breath that flows through a flute and makes beautiful music and is also something like the Holy Spirit – moving us to do good for God and for one another.

 

My favorite is the brick and mortar. What is yours?

 

Whatever it is, be aware of it and be intentional about living out of it.   

The Ascension of the Lord, Cycle B - May 12, 2024

 The Ascension of the Lord– B 

May 12, 2024                       8:30 and 11am 

Our Lady of Grace Parish, Parkton

 

Worker Looking Up and Down

 

Some years ago, a construction worker in Baltimore had a piece of equipment fall down on him.

 

This young guy survived, but both of his arms and legs were broken. He was laid up for months recovering.

 

Eventually, he went back to work, and he resolved to be very careful. Whenever any object was being passed overhead anywhere near him, he would keep his eyes on it so he could jump out of the way if he had to.

 

One day he was watching very carefully as a piece of steel was being passed above fairly close to him. And as he watched, he fell into an eight-inch hole and broke his leg.

 

The poor guy! Try as he did to be careful, he got injured again. 

 

Looking Up and Down in Scripture 

 

That story helps us to appreciate a message in today’s celebration of the Ascension of Jesus.

 

In the first reading, Jesus has been taken up in a cloud and removed from the apostles’ sight. The apostles are gazing up at the sky, and two men dressed in white appear to them.

 

They ask, “Why are you standing here looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken from you into heaven will return.”

 

The point is that just gazing up at the sky does not fulfill Jesus’ calling to do his work in the world. Something like the construction worker, the apostles are missing what is right in front of them on the earth. 

 

Our Looking Up 

 

Now, our looking up at the sky is actually a good thing to do.

 

The beauty of a sunny day or a starry night can lift our spirit to God. It’s something like praying before a crucifix.

 

Or it’s like gazing at the bread and wine as they are consecrated into the body and blood of Jesus here at Mass. It’s like receiving Communion – which some of our children are doing for the first time this weekend.

 

Looking at our God in praise and awe is an important thing to do. But we also have to do something else. 

 

Our Looking Down 

 

We also have to be looking down at what’s right before us.

 

Jesus in the gospel reminds us to do this. He wants us to be about his work right here on earth, and he uses some interesting images to describe this.

 

First, Jesus says that we are to use his name to expel demons.

 

Well, for sure, we are not to use God’s name in vain or Jesus’ name as an expletive. But we are to use his name in prayer, as he taught us to pray that “his kingdom come, and his will be done on earth.”

 

Then, Jesus says that we are to speak entirely new languages.

 

This probably won’t mean that we suddenly become fluent in Russian or Chinese or whatever. But the language we are to speak will be one of civility and respect, regardless of how others may speak.

 

Jesus says that we will be able to handle serpents and drink deadly poisons.

 

This is clearly one of those instances of hyperbole or exaggeration in the gospels, and it is not to be taken literally. What Jesus means is that if we stay centered on him, we will be able to live in the world without becoming part of any hateful or life-injuring ways.  

 

And finally, Jesus says that the sick upon whom we lay our hands will recover.

 

We all know that sometimes we do not physically recover. But Jesus is saying that the presence and prayer of one another is powerful in bringing us at least spiritual strength and healing when we are sick. 

 

Conclusion

 

So, the image of the construction worker in Baltimore reminds us of the twofold call of Jesus as he ascends into heaven.

 

Look up at the sky and look down to the earth – both. Stay rooted in God and also do God’s work here and now.  

 

 

4th Sunday of Easter, Cycle B - April 21, 2024

 4th Sunday of Easter – B 

April 21, 2024

Our Lady of Grace Parish, Parkton

 

The New York Times

 

Not long ago, I read an article that had been in the Metropolitan Diary column of The New York Times.

 

I think this column appears in The Times every Wednesday. The Metropolitan Diary contains stories or anecdotes sent in by readers about their life experience in New York.

 

Well, this one person wrote about losing his wallet on the subway. A young man named Paul found the wallet, returned it, and refused to accept any reward.

 

Apparently, when Paul returned the wallet to the owner, he had his nine-month-old son Malachy with him. So, the owner of the wallet decided to write a letter to Paul’s little son Malachy and here is what he writes.

 

Malachy’s Dad

 

“Dear Malachy,

 

“I wanted to tell you why we met, because your father probably thinks his kindness was not worthy of a boast. But seeing the love that surrounds you, I think you deserve to know what I know of your father, Paul.

 

“We were fellow travelers on the subway at 34^th Street, separated by moments. As I sped along, your father stopped.

 

“He stopped long enough to find my wallet. Its return to me was priceless.

 

“Your father went a lot further than the person who had stopped to pick it up and place it on a railing. Paul took the time to find its rightful owner.

 

“He correctly concluded that the transit tickets and business cards in the wallet would reveal my place of work. He would not take a reward.

 

“In a city of millions, your father Paul became a singularly important person. It is what each of us should strive to do – perform a kind act for each other.

 

“Your father was willing to make sure a simple wallet made it home. Just think about what he would do to make sure that you, someone he loves immeasurably, will always make it home safe too.”

 

Touched by the Good Shepherd

 

Whether he was conscious of it or not, Paul – the finder of the wallet – Paul was expressing the care of Jesus the Good Shepherd.

 

Today, when he calls himself the Good Shepherd, Jesus says, “I know my sheep and my sheep know me.” In other words, Jesus has and wants a personal relationship with each one of us.

 

In a similar way, in a city of millions, Paul treated the owner of the lost wallet as a person who could have been inconvenienced, upset, and victimized by this loss. Paul personalized the wallet.

 

He looked beyond the wallet and saw the owner. Paul cared for that owner, whom he did not even know, as a special and worthy person.

 

And then, he was moved by that to do something. Today Jesus says that, as the Good Shepherd, he “lays down his life for his sheep.”  

 

In fact, Jesus uses this expression five times in today’s short passage – just eight verses. So, this must be important, central to who Jesus is as the Good Shepherd.

 

We know that Jesus literally “lays down his life for his sheep.” In a less literal but similar way, this man Paul went out of his way to return the lost wallet.  

 

He probably changed his plans and inconvenienced himself by an hour or so to take the time to return the wallet to its owner. In a real-life, everyday way, he “lays down his life” to help this person. 

 

The Obvious Conclusion

 

The conclusion for us is obvious.

 

We are to allow ourselves to be touched by Jesus the Good Shepherd and then be the Good Shepherd for one another. We are not to live like the hired hand whom Jesus describes, concerned only for ourselves and what’s in it for me.

 

Instead, we are to see others, each person, as possessing the value of a child of God. And we are to find our long-term fulfillment in knowing and doing what Jesus says today about the Good Shepherd.

 

In “laying down” our lives for one another, we will someday also “take up” our lives again, as Jesus also says today – the Easter promise.  And as we do this, just think of the difference that can be made in New York or Parkton or our country or our world if we live as that man Paul did in returning the lost wallet.   

3rd Sunday of Easter, Cycle B - April 14, 2024

 3rd Sunday of Easter – B  

April 14, 2024           8:30 and 11am

Our Lady of Grace Parish, Parkton 

 

The Disciples Feelings

 

The setting of the gospel that we just heard is probably just days or a week after Jesus’ death and resurrection.

 

The disciples seem to be feeling afraid, confused, and empty. We can pick up these feelings in a number of passages that we hear in these weeks after Easter.

 

So, in today’s gospel, the disciples feel afraid. 

 

It says, “They were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost.” Last week, we heard that they had locked the doors of the place where they were because they were afraid.

 

They also seem to feel confused.

 

Again, today’s gospel says that they are “incredulous” – they can’t believe that they are seeing the risen Jesus. Other passages tell us that they just do not understand what is happening.

 

And then the disciples also seem to feel empty.

 

They have looked into Jesus’ tomb and found it empty. And they seem to realize that the tomb is a mirror of themselves because they feel empty, alone, and without purpose. 

 

Our Feelings 

 

Now, I am thinking that at times, we have feelings similar to what the first disciples had.

 

We are probably afraid at times. Our fear may be about a doctor’s report or about having enough money for the future.

 

Like the early disciples, we probably also feel confused at times. We may wonder if we have chosen the right path in life, or we may question whether God really hears our prayers.

 

And we probably also feel empty at times. We can feel alone and without purpose, and we can have these feelings whether we are in high school or in our senior years of life. 

 

What to Do? 

 

The question is: what can we do with these feelings?

 

The early disciples turn to three sources of strength to deal with their feelings, and we can do the same. These three sources of strength are: 1) the Community, 2) the Word, and 3) the Eucharist.  

 

First, the disciples gather together as a community.

 

The gospels are clear that they are frequently together in these days and weeks after Jesus’ death. In fact, it is their sense of community that gives them some calm even with their fear.

 

That leads me to remember the tragic day of 9-11, twenty-three years ago, when I was pastor of Saint Francis de Sales Parish in Harford County, and we quickly put together a service of prayer for that evening and the church was full. That was a significant experience of being together as a community when we all had some degree of fear. 

 

Second, the early disciples consistently listen to the Word of God. 

 

In today’s gospel and in many of these Easter passages, Jesus is explaining the Scriptures to them. The Word of God helps them to deal with their confusion. 

 

For us, the Word opens up a fuller and fuller insight into who God is and what our relationship with God is to be like. It brings us some direction when we feel confused.   

 

And third, the early disciples consistently share the Eucharist. 

 

The gospel says that they recognize Jesus in the breaking of the bread – that was their expression for this sacrament. The Eucharist fills their spiritual emptiness.

 

For us, the Eucharist helps us even physically to feel the presence and closeness of Jesus. It assures us that we are not alone and, in that way, fills the spiritual emptiness that we can feel. 

 

Conclusion 

 

So, we bring 1) our fear to a faith community.

 

We bring 2) our confusion to God’s Word and we bring 3) our emptiness to the Eucharist. If we tap these three sources, our faith and we ourselves will be strengthened.

 

And, of course, we find all three sources of strength – 1) Community, 2) Word, and 3) Eucharist – we find all three right here at Mass. This is why the Lord’s Day is one of God’s commandments and why Sunday Mass is so central to our Catholic Christian tradition. 

 

 

 

 

 

2nd Sunday of Easter, Cycle B - April 7, 2024

 2^nd Sunday of Easter – B  

April 7, 2024             5pm

Our Lady of Grace Parish, Parkton 

 

The Risen Christ 

 

What does the risen Christ say to us? And how are we to respond?

 

In today’s gospel, Saint John tells us that the risen Christ appears twice to the disciples when they were gathered together. The passage has several messages. 

 

“Peace be with you”

 

Notice the first thing that Jesus says is: “Peace be with you.”

 

The passage tells us that the disciples were afraid. I will come back to that in a minute.

 

My guess is that many of them were also feeling guilty. They had pretty much abandoned Jesus in his suffering and dying. 

 

So, Jesus addresses their fear and guilt and wants them to be at peace. Think about that.

 

He does not even mention what they had done. There is no recrimination, no judgment, no condemnation. 

 

Jesus simply takes them where they are and re-starts the relationship. He wants them and us to be to be at peace within ourselves and with him, and this peace is foundational for what follows. 

 

Fear of the Jews

 

We see this as we now go back now to the disciples’ fear.

 

Saint John tells us that “the doors were locked…for fear of the Jews.” We have to carefully understand a couple things here.

 

First, there was tension between the Jewish people in general and this breakaway group following Jesus. So, John mentions the fear that the disciples had in this context. 

 

Also, and here is a key point, the “peace” that Jesus wants for the disciples is not just an inner thing. Instead, it is to affect every dimension of their lives, including their relationship with all Jews.

 

The result is that we cannot use the tension with the Jews or the fear of the Jews that we hear about in John’s Gospel as a basis for anti-Semitism. In fact, we cannot use it to justify prejudice toward persons of any other religious tradition.

 

We are to accept the peace that Jesus offers us. And we are to live out of that peace in all of our relationships.     

 

Forgive

 

And then, with that peace, the Risen Christ commissions the disciples to be ministers of forgiveness.

 

Notice the wording he uses. “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” 

 

Interesting wording! Jesus doesn’t say in the second part “whose sins you don’t forgive are not forgiven,” but he says “whose sins you retain are retained.”

 

When we “retain” the sins or offenses of another, we make them hold onto their sins or offenses and we ourselves are still holding on. This is burdensome for others and for us.

 

It freezes the other person and doesn’t set them free to grow and move on. And it freezes us and keeps us from moving out of feelings of hurt and vengeance.

 

So, Jesus doesn’t intend the retaining of sins to be an alternative to forgiving. Instead, he sees this as the unfortunate result of not forgiving.

 

“My Lord and my God”

 

The last thing in this passage that I want to note is Thomas.

 

Thomas struggles with believing in the risen Christ. He wants to see and even touch the wounds in Jesus’ hands and feet.

 

Jesus offers this opportunity but interestingly, Saint John doesn’t say that Thomas ever touches Jesus. He simply says that Thomas, through this encounter with Jesus, immediately comes to believe.

 

And Thomas utters the most profound and personal act of faith in all of Scripture: “My Lord and my God!” Thomas has come to faith through this encounter.

 

So, it is the encounter with the person of Jesus, the Risen Christ – that’s what counts! Today, we encounter Jesus by reading the gospels and making them a central part of our prayer life. 

 

And, of course, we encounter Jesus every time we receive Communion. In fact, I suggest that right after we receive Communion, as we are consuming the host, we silently pray the magnificent words of Thomas: “My Lord and my God.”

 

This may bring us to the same passionate faith that Thomas has. And it may help to open us to the peace that the Risen Christ wants for us. 

 

 

Easter Sunday, Cycle B - March 31, 2024

 Easter Sunday – B 

March 31, 2024       11am 

Our Lady of Grace Parish, Parkton

 

Our Town

 

When I was in high school, I remember reading the play Our Town.

 

Our Town was written by the American playwright Thornton Wilder, and it was required reading in our English class. The setting is a small town called Grovers Corners in New Hampshire in the 1930s.

 

The final act of the play is especially moving. The narrator walks through the town cemetery and tells the story of each person who is buried there.

 

When the narrator finishes all the stories, he walks to the front of the stage and looks directly at the audience. He pauses, and then he says this.

 

“Now there are some things we all know. We all know that something is eternal, and it ain’t the earth, and it ain’t the stars…

 

“Everybody knows in their bones that something is eternal, and that something has to do with human beings. There’s something way down deep that’s eternal about every human being.

 

“They’re waitin’. They’re waitin’ for something that they feel is comin’.

 

“Something important, and great. Aren’t they waitin’ for the eternal part in them to come out clear?”

 

The Eternal -- Resurrection

 

Well, the narrator in Our Town makes quite a point.

 

Deep down in our heart, something tells us that this life is not all there is. Deep down in our heart, something tells us that there is life beyond this earth.

 

Our Scripture readings this morning confirm this intuition of our hearts. Easter tells us that there is a resurrected life with God. 

 

Signals of Transcendence

 

Some theologians say that our life experiences give us hints of this and they call these hints “signals of transcendence.” 

 

Maybe we have never heard this expression before. It’s one of those lofty sounding expressions that has a very simple meaning.

 

A signal of transcendence is something in this life that puts us in touch with something beyond this life. It is something like the sound on my cell phone.

 

When the sound goes off and I hit the answer button, I can talk with the person calling me. The sound puts me in touch with the other person.

 

Well, a signal of transcendence is something in this life that tells us that there is a life beyond. It can be something right inside us, or something outside us that connects us with something beyond. 

 

Signals 

 

For example, I hope we all have some degree and even a high degree of happiness. We might have a loving family and friends, a good job, and a comfortable lifestyle.

 

And yet, even with all of this, isn’t it true that sometimes we still hunger for more and find ourselves saying if only we had this or if only he would be like that or if only we could do whatever? Even our experience of happiness leaves us hungering at times for something more.

 

I also imagine many of us have had the experience of seeing a newborn baby or of noticing the stars in the sky on a dark night or of being mesmerized by the power and rhythm of the ocean. These experiences can touch us deeply.

 

And don’t we sometimes find ourselves caught up in them to the point of wonder – wonder at what lies behind and beyond them? These experiences can leave us wondering – standing in awe!

 

And then there is simply this desire within us for life. We want to live, and we resist the thought that life may end with physical death.

 

Don’t we have to ask: where does this desire come from? Where does our desire for life and living and for more and more of it come from?

 

Conclusion

 

I see these experiences as signals of transcendence. 

 

They point to something beyond this life and tell us we are made for another world. And today, Easter confirms our intuition and experience.

 

The risen Christ tells us that death is a passage to another life.  He tells us that there is a resurrected life with God that will satisfy the deepest hunger and wildest wonder and most persistent desire in our human spirit.

 

They are my Easter thoughts this year. Happy Easter!