3rd Sunday of Lent, Cycle B - March 3, 2024

 3rd Sunday of Lent – Cycle B

March 3, 2024 – 5pm 

Our Lady of Grace Parish, Parkton      

 

Anger

 

So, a question: do you ever get angry? 

 

I admit that I feel angry at times. I don’t think I have to share what or whom I get angry at, but at times I do feel angry.

 

And probably we all feel angry at times. Today I want to share a few thoughts about this.

 

It is probably obvious that today’s gospel where Jesus is angry at the hypocrisy of some people leads me to this topic.

 

What to Do with Our Anger?

 

The first thing I want to say is that anger is a universal human emotion.

 

I was taught in my younger years that anger was bad and that I should confess it in confession. I have come to understand that anger in itself is not a bad thing.

 

Like other human emotions, it is in us and is just part of our humanity. The issue is not whether we feel angry.

 

The issue is what we do with our anger. The trick is that the actions or words that can flow from it need, to some extent, to be controlled.

 

From my reading, I am seeing three steps that are a process for dealing with our anger as God wants us to deal with it. These three steps all begin with the letter R: 1) Restrain, 2) Reframe, and 3) Respond.  

 

1.  Restrain 

 

First, we are to restrain our anger.

 

This doesn’t mean that we try to deny it or suppress it. We are not to pretend that we aren’t angry.

 

The Book of Proverbs in the Old Testament says this. “Fools vent their anger, but the wise quietly hold it back” (Proverbs 29:11).

 

So, we don’t just let it all hang out. We don’t instantly get in the face of the person who triggers us.

 

As the old saying goes, we count to ten.  We first restrain our anger to try to deal with it in God’s way.

 

2.  Reframe 

 

Then, second, we often need to reframe our anger.

 

This action really flows from the restraining. The Letter of Saint James in the New Testament says this: “You must all be slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires” (James 1:19-20).

 

The idea is that we look inside ourselves before lashing out at the other person. We get in touch with what we are really angry about.

 

For example, am I angry because someone cut me off in traffic, or am I really angry because I have been feeling generally disrespected? Again, are you angry because your husband or wife was late, or are you really angry because you feel unimportant and have felt taken for granted? 

 

So, let’s go inside and get in touch with ourselves and our anger before we do anything else. This is what it means to reframe our anger to try to deal with it in God’s way.

 

3.   Respond

 

And then, third, we respond. 

 

So, on the one hand, we don’t bottle up our anger because it will fester and eventually just boil over. And, on the other hand, we don’t just react.

 

Reacting means that we instantly say or do something without reflecting about what we are going to say or do. Responding means that we act out of our deeper inner values and beliefs. 

 

So, we get in touch with all that is within us and then express ourselves and our anger in a constructive way. Saint Paul even says: “Now is the time to get rid of anger” (Colossians 3:8).    

 

We pick a time for expressing ourselves that looks workable for us and the other person, and we are mindful of how we say what we are going to say. This is what it means to respond and try to deal with anger in God’s way.

 

Conclusion

 

So, there is more that could be said; I have not said everything that can be said about anger.

 

Let’s just end with this. Anger is a human emotion that is okay but is often challenging to deal with. I think these three R words can at least help us to deal with anger in a God-like or Christ-like way: 1) Restrain, 2) Reframe, and 3) Respond.

  

 

 

Father Michael Schleupner

 

 

1st Sunday of Lent, Cycle B - February 18, 2024

 1st Sunday of Lent – B 

February 18, 2024 – 5pm 

Our Lady of Grace Parish, Parkton 

 

Normandy and Forces of Evil

 

About ten years ago, I was on a parish trip to France. 

 

One day we visited the Normandy coast. This, as you know, is where D-Day took place in World War II – eighty years ago. 

 

We went to Omaha Beach – part of the beach front where 6,000 Allied ships dropped off thousands and thousands of soldiers for the invasion of Europe. We stood on the top of the Nazi Sea Wall and could just imagine the terrible carnage that took place. 

 

We walked through the German artillery bunkers. But what moved me most was walking through the American Cemetery. 

 

There are 9,500 crosses or Stars of David over the remains of each dead American soldier. By the end of the Normandy campaign, there were 425,000 Allied and German troops killed, wounded, or missing.  

 

As I stood in that cemetery, I felt keenly aware of the great force of evil that the world was caught up in at that time. I felt very aware of the forces of evil that are much bigger than we are as individuals.

 

Lent and These Forces 

 

Maybe all of us have had this awareness of forces bigger than ourselves.

 

There are these powers in the world that just seem to swirl around us and maybe catch us up in them. Sometimes, we can be unaware of all of this, but then comes the Season of Lent.

 

Lent makes us aware that much of life is a complicated dance between good and evil, between light and darkness. Much of life is a conflict: between charity, justice, and peacefulness, on the one side, and then, self-absorption, injustice, and hostility, on the other side.  

 

Jesus and These Forces

 

Today’s gospel tells us that Jesus goes into the desert and wrestles with these forces of darkness.  

 

Jesus confronts the same choices that we confront. 

 

Ø Jesus chooses Faith in the Father in the face of temptation to believe in something else.

Ø He chooses a trusting Hope in the face of darkness.  

Ø And he chooses sacrificial acts of Love in the face of insult and rejection.

 

We and These Forces

 

The Season of Lent reminds us that we also must make choices in the face of the conflicting forces around us.

 

Jesus calls us to choose Faith. Sometimes we may question or doubt. 

 

But Jesus calls us to believe in the Almighty One and to be anchored here. He wants us to be in relationship with God through the Eucharist and to make sure we participate in this. 

 

And he also wants us to make time for personal prayer.  Jesus calls us to share this Faith with one other person today.

 

And then Jesus calls us to choose Hope. On a personal level, maybe we feel unjustly treated at work or unfairly talked about by others.

 

On a global level, there are major problems, like the two wars preoccupying us right now or the violence in our own country. But with all of this, the power of Hope lies not in what is around us but in what is within us.

 

The power of Hope lies in God’s constant presence within. Jesus calls us to share this Hope with one other person today.

 

And then Jesus calls us to choose Love. There is much demonization today of those who are different from us or who disagree with us.

 

And there is a lack of sensitivity to the life of the unborn and the life of children without proper food or health care. But with all of this, the power of Love flows from the One who is Love itself.  

 

This power of Love leads us to find common ground with other persons and to be open to the common good of our country and of our world. Jesus calls us to share this Love with one other person today.   

 

Conclusion

 

So, there are forces bigger than us and we have choices to make.

 

Lent makes us aware of this and makes us aware that our choices shape who we are as persons.  They have etern

6th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle B - February 11, 2024

 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle B

February 11, 2024     8:30 and 11am  

Our Lady of Grace Parish, Parkton 

 

The First Two Steps 

 

Probably most of us know something about Twelve-Step programs.

 

These programs are very helpful in dealing with alcoholism or addiction to other substances and behaviors. Today’s gospel about the healing of the leper has led me to recall the first two steps of a Twelve-Step program.

 

Step One – We admit that we are powerless – and that’s the key word – powerless over alcohol or whatever the habit or addiction is. And Step Two – We admit our need for a Higher Power, a Power greater than ourselves to restore us.       

 

The Leper’s Two Steps 

 

In today’s gospel, the leper knows that he is powerless. There is nothing he can do about his physical disease.

 

It was disfiguring and repulsive, and there was no known cure. And because of this, this man is declared “unclean.”

 

He has to dress in shabby clothes and live alone, staying away from anyone else. And he even has to shout out “Unclean” to warn anyone who would come near him.

 

He is also ostracized from the temple or synagogue. The leprosy is seen as making him unclean even to God.

 

So, imagine how he feels: lonely, abandoned, unworthy, worthless, unwanted. That was his situation, and he knows that he is powerless to do anything about it. 

 

So, that’s step one: admitting powerlessness. But then, this leper admits his need for a Higher Power.

 

He dares to approach Jesus. He sees God acting in some way in Jesus. 

 

So, he says to Jesus, “If you wish, you can make me clean.” “If you wish” – so he believes that Jesus has the power, the higher power, and can heal him of this awful disease and its effects.

 

And, of course, Jesus does not hesitate. In fact, he even touches the man as he says, “I do will it. Be made clean.”

 

Amazingly, Jesus himself is not made unclean by touching the man – that’s what the religious law stated. Instead, it is the man who is made clean by Jesus and his touch and power.

 

Our Two Steps 

 

Now, I wonder if all of us are in some way in the postion of this leper and need to take these two steps.

 

First, we need to admit our powerlessness. This isn’t easy because most of us naturally like to have power.

 

We want to have the power to live independently and take care of ourselves. But there usually comes a point when we realize that ultimately, we are not in control and we are powerless.

 

Maybe it is a personal sickness or the death of a loved one or the break-up of a relationship. Or maybe it is a habit, not necessarily an addiction to a substance, but maybe a bad temper or over-eating or sexual infidelity or being unable to forgive someone. 

 

We come to admit that we cannot manage this. We admit that we are spiritually powerless.

 

Ultimately, in the long run, this will be true of all of us. So, the sooner we admit our spiritual powerlessness, the better. 

 

And that takes us to the second step. We turn to our Higher Power. 

 

This means God, Jesus. We also say, “If you wish, you can make me clean.” 

 

Only God, only Jesus can do this for us. Only God, only Jesus can make us whole and healthy spiritually.

 

So, we approach Jesus in the Penitential Prayer at the beginning of Mass or in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. In Reconciliation or confession, there is something transforming in saying that I am powerless over something and then hearing the words of absolution.

 

In effect, it is Jesus saying, “I do will it. Be made clean.” And we leave feeling refreshed, renewed, and empowered. 

 

And again, before we receive Eucharist here at Mass, we say, “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.” Well, the Lord has said the word.

 

Words like “I call you my friends” or “Come to me, all you who are burdened, and I will refresh you.” God has spoken the word, and now we are worthy.

 

We are made clean. And we are empowered by the Eucharist. 

 

Conclusion

 

So, the story of the leper is one of admitting his powerlessness and seeking a Higher Power, God, Jesus.

 

It is also our story. Jesus will respond to us just as he does to the leper.

5th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle B - February 4, 2024

 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle B

February 4, 2024   5pm, 8:30 and 11am  

Our Lady of Grace Parish, Parkton 

 

Respect

 

Today I want to talk about respect. One word – respect. 

 

The Word Respect

 

Our English word respect – like many of our words – is derived from Latin. 

 

It is made up of two Latin words: 

1)    First, the word re (spelled R-E) which means back, as in going back;

2)    and second, the Latin word specere (spelled S-P-E-C-E-R-E), a verb that means to look at. 

 

And so, our word respect literally means to look back at, or to take a second look. From this, the word has come to mean to treat someone with value and dignity. 

 

The connection between the original meaning – to look back at – and the developed meaning of the word is clear. If we don’t just take a quick look, but if we look back and take a second look, then we are valuing others. 

 

As a result, we are much more likely to act out of that – to treat them with value and dignity. And, of course, we are much more likely to avoid behavior or words that would injure others.

 

Why am I so focused on this today? Because I see respect as the virtue or trait that is underneath what happens in the first part of today’s gospel.     

 

Jesus Respects Women

 

Jesus goes into Peter’s house.

 

Peter’s mother-in-law is sick in bed with a fever. I have to wonder if it was something like the flu.

 

At any rate, and here’s the key point, Jesus goes right up to this woman and takes her by the hand. Now to us, that may not sound like a big deal, but it was in Jesus’ day.

 

In those days, men were forbidden to talk with or touch any woman other than their wife. They couldn’t even shake hands with a woman.

 

It’s important to know that this prohibition did not exist out of respect for women. Instead, it existed out of disrespect for them.

 

It was a highly patriarchal and culture. Women had no rights and were seen as inferior – not to be talked with and certainly not to be touched.

 

So, a point that’s easy to miss here is that Jesus, right at the start of his ministry, is breaking a barrier. I mean, this is chapter one of Mark’s Gospel – Mark talking about the first things Jesus does in his ministry.

 

And here, Jesus breaks the gender barrier. He respects this woman as a person with dignity, as a person in need, and he wants to help her.

 

Apparently, Saint Mark is really out to make a point about this. I say that because at the end of his gospel, as Jesus ends his ministry, dying on the cross, Mark carefully notes the presence of women.

 

He points out that these women were followers or disciples of Jesus. So Mark’s entire Gospel is framed or bookended with Jesus showing respect for women.

 

Respect Women Today

 

Today, I think that Jesus would do the same thing and support the dignity and respectful treatment of women. 

 

He would speak out against verbal or emotional abuse, demeaning jokes, sexual harassment, and maybe even less pay for the same work and same competence.  I believe that Jesus would call out all of this as wrong.

 

He would want us to look back at, to take a second look, the meaning of the word respect. He would want us to be respectful in our attitudes, our words, our workplace policies, and our Church practice. 

 

So, yes, there is a spiritual and moral dimension here. There is quite a lesson in Jesus’ healing of Peter’s mother-in-law.

 

 

3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle B - January 21, 2024

 3^rd Sunday of Ordinary Time – Cycle B 

January 21, 2024     5pm 

Our Lady of Grace Parish, Parkton

 

“Repent” 

 

“This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” 

 

These are the first words that Jesus speaks in Mark’s Gospel. Like the other gospel writers, Mark is putting his memories in order as he writes his account of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.

 

Right before today’s verses, in chapter one of his gospel, he tells us that John the Baptist was preaching repentance. And here, he records Jesus saying: “Repent.”

 

So, repenting must be important. The question I want to think about with you is: what does it mean to repent?

 

I’ve been doing some reading and thinking about this and want to share two ideas. My focus is: what repenting is and what it is not.

 

God and Not Just Me

 

My first idea is that repenting doesn’t mean that we focus just on ourselves.

 

Instead, it means that we look first at Jesus and God’s love for us. I try to do this when I lead the Penitential Act at the beginning of Mass.

 

Almost always, I recommend that we entrust ourselves to the love of God. Then, only after that, do we bring to God some area of sin, some area where we need to grow in the way of Jesus.

 

And right after that, we again turn to God in the prayer of forgiveness that the priest offers. So, repentance is not just about me or us. 

 

When repentance begins and ends with God, we can much more easily remain assured that we are God’s beloved daughters and sons, no matter what we have done or failed to do. This is the basis of true gospel repentance. 

 

Centrality and Not Priority

 

The other idea I want to share, and this may surprise you, this idea is that repenting doesn’t mean making Jesus my priority.

 

Instead, it is about centrality – making Jesus central in my life. Here is what I mean. 

 

I recently read that the word priority is never used in the gospels. In everyday life, we almost must have priorities – for our family, our job, our health, and on it goes. 

 

But this word is never used in the gospels, and Jesus never tells us to make him our priority. And so, this may not be a good way to understand our relationship with God. 

 

For one thing, how much do we have to do for God or give to God to say that God is really our priority? That’s a tough question to answer. 

 

And beyond that, if we make God our number one priority, then is your husband or wife or family or friend number two or three or what? That doesn’t seem like a good idea to me. 

 

If we look at Jesus’ teachings and the way he called people to follow him, as in today’s gospel, the word centrality seems to be more accurate. He wants us to make him, to make God central in our lives. 

 

If I look upon it this way, then God or Jesus will be like a stone landing in a pond. It will have a rippling effect upon the whole pond. 

 

So, if I work at making Jesus central, then I will be letting him affect everything else in my life. My relationships, what I say to or about others and how I say it, even my inner attitudes. 

 

Making Jesus central will have a positive effect without getting us into the trap of figuring out who is number one and who is number two. Making God central is part of the process of repenting. 

 

Conclusion

 

So, I believe that this way of understanding repentance or repenting is truer to the gospel. 

 

It is not heavy and burdensome. It does not lead us into unhealthy, inappropriate guilt about what we have done or, much less, into shame about who we are.

 

Instead, it starts with a good relationship with a loving God who holds us as beloved. And then, holding God as central moves us to let the way of Jesus influence more and more dimensions of our lives. 

 

That’s how I see repentance. I find this freeing and motivating and life-giving.

2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle B - January 14, 2024

 2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time – Cycle B 

January 14, 2024     8:30 and 11am

Our Lady of Grace Parish, Parkton

 

“What are you looking for?”

 

“What are you looking for?”

 

These are the first words that Jesus speaks in John’s Gospel. John, like the other gospel writers, is ordering his memories as he writes his account of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.

 

And the very first thing he records Jesus saying is: “What are you looking for?” This question must be important.

 

Jesus is asking this of two disciples of John the Baptist. But in truth, he is also asking this same question to each one of us: “What are you looking for?”

 

Our Earlier Answers

 

I think we answer this question in different ways at different times in our lives.

 

There are some authors who see our life as having two halves. In the first half or earlier years of our life, we answer the question one way.

 

For example, in our earlier years we may be looking for safety and security. Or to make the cut and be on the soccer team.

 

We may be looking to be invited to birthday parties of other children or be included in gatherings with our high school classmates. Or to get into the college we want to go to.

 

We may be looking to get married and have a family. Or to get a good job and get ourselves set financially. 

 

And, I hope, we may be looking to feel okay with God. To obey the commandments and feel assured that we will make it to heaven. 

 

All of these things are good and even important. They help to build a structure for our lives, and we all need that.

 

Our Later Answers 

 

But then, there comes a time in our lives when we answer Jesus’ question differently – let’s call this the second half of life. 

 

“What are you looking for?” And here, in these years, many of us may answer this question in a similar way. 

 

For example, here we are usually looking for some definitive meaning for our lives. What should I be doing or not doing?

 

Where can I turn to know what kind of person I should be? Am I working at becoming that kind of person? 

 

For this longing, the disciples in today’s gospel give us a clue. They address Jesus as “Rabbi” which means “Teacher.”  

 

He is the One with the wisdom and insight that really matters. He shows us what to do and the person we are to become. 

 

So, Jesus as “Rabbi” or “Teacher” satisfies our longing for a sense of purpose and direction. He helps us to answer the question: “What are you looking for?”

 

And then, most of us in these years are looking for hope. We want hope in the midst of physical or emotional suffering.

 

We want hope when we feel anxious about the future. We want hope when we are in darkness.

 

For this longing, the disciples today again give us a clue. They address Jesus as “Messiah” which is translated “Christ.”

 

There had been hope for a Messiah for centuries. So, the disciples are saying that Jesus himself is our hope.

 

This hope extends even to our own dying. So again, he helps us to answer the question: “What are you looking for?”      

 

And finally, in this half of life most of us are looking for the transcendent. We want to be in relationship with the God who created us.

 

We want to know something about God, who he is and what he is like. We want some sense that we are close to God and that he is with us on the journey of life.   

 

For this longing, John the Baptist today gives us a clue. He speaks of Jesus as “the Lamb of God.”

 

The Baptist is referring here to the Passover lamb that was eaten each year to remember God’s presence and saving action centuries ago.  But John now speaks of Jesus, a person, as the “Lamb, and even as the “Lamb of God.”

 

So, Jesus is God with us on the journey of life, close to us, and showing us what he, what God is like. And in that, again, he helps us to answer the question: “What are you looking for?”     

 

Conclusion

 

So, whatever stage of life I am in right now:

 

Know – know that Jesus asks each of us this question.

Try to feel – feel the urgency of this question. 

And act – act by making an intention to answer this for myself.

“What are you looking for?