Daily Gospel Reflections

April 3, 2021 - Holy Saturday

Mark 16:1-7

Waiting and Hoping

Today is Holy Saturday, one day after Jesus’ crucifixion and death on Good Friday and one day before Easter Sunday, Jesus’ Resurrection.

We are caught in this awkward in-between time. Between the sorrow and pain of Good Friday and the sheer joy and happiness of Easter Sunday. And yet if you think about it, that is exactly what life is about – moments of pain and sorrow and moments of happiness and joy. And if you really reflect on it, you would realize that most of our entire life is Holy Saturday moments, not Good Fridays or Easter Sundays! Yes there are days of pain and days of happiness. But most of our days are perfectly normal, average days, days not full of intense emotion, days spent in-between sorrow and joy, days spent in waiting or anticipation.

But given our present circumstance of isolation and separation, of staying at home and stay 6 feet apart, those “normal” days can also be filled with anxiety and fear, worry and stress. So, as Christians, let’s just take the time to remember all that has happened during Holy Week, all that we believe in as Christians!

One of Jesus’ hand-picked Apostles betrayed and sold Him out – and yet Sunday is still coming

3 of His Apostles couldn’t even stay awake and ran away when the guards came, and yet Sunday is coming.

Jesus is arrested, convicted of blasphemy, and put in a jail cell, and yet Sunday is coming.

He was condemned, whipped, jeered at and crowned with thorns, and Sunday is still coming

He was forced to carry his own cross, nailed to it and hung there for hours, and Sunday is still coming.

He died on that cross and was buried in secret in a borrowed tomb, and yet Sunday is coming.

Good Friday brought us sadness and grief but tomorrow Easter Sunday brings us joy and salvation! We are all in this in-between time as Christians and as human beings dealing with the virus. Even in moment of sadness, and worry and stress, we still have FAITH! Even in the midst of this time of isolation and separation, we still have HOPE!

I wanted to share this with you. I found this online and I think it speaks to us as Christians and as human beings longing for the joy of Easter

Yes there is fear, yes there is isolation.

Yes there is panic-buying, yes, there is sickness, yes, there is even death.

But they say that, in Wuhan China, after so many years of noise, you can hear the birds sing again. They say that, after just a few weeks of quiet, the sky is no longer thick with fumes, but blue and clear

They say that in the streets of Assisi, people are singing to each other across empty squares, keeping their door open so that those who are alone may hear the sounds of family around them

They say that a hotel in Ireland is offering free meals and delivery to the homebound

Today a young woman is busy spreading flyers with her phone number on it throughout the neighborhood so that the elderly might have someone to call and talk to.

Today churches, synagogues, mosques and temples are preparing to welcome and shelter the homeless, the sick and the weary

All over the world, people are slowing down and reflecting. All over the world, people are looking at their neighbors in a new way. All over the world, people are waking to a new reality, to how big we really are, to how little control we really have, to what really matters, to love.

So we pray and we remember that

Yes there is fear, but there doesn’t have to be hate

Yes there is isolation, but there doesn’t have to be loneliness

Yes there is panic-buying, but there doesn’t have to be meanness

Yes there is sickness, but there doesn’t have to be disease of the soul

Yes there is even death, but there can always be a rebirth of love and faith

Wake up to the choices you make as to how to live NOW!

TODAY – take a breath, LISTEN – behind the factory noises of your panic, the birds are singing again, the sky is clearing, Spring is coming and we are always encompassed by love.

Open the windows of your soul and, though you may not be able to touch across the empty square, SING. All over the world people are slowing down and reflecting.

Be Well! Be Safe! And Keep Hoping! Keep Believing! Easter Sunday is Coming!

April 2, 2021 - Good Friday

John 18:1 – 19:42

The Sign of the Cross

What was the first prayer you learned growing up? Our Father? Hail Mary? Grace? Now I lay me down to sleep?

The Sign of the Cross!!!! Too often we don’t think of it as only an intro to prayer, not a prayer itself! But it is! A simple sign of our faith, our belief: in God, in the Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit!! It is a verbal reminder of our belief in God .

But the Sign of the Cross can also be something more. We come today to the end of the Season of Lent. It is a perfect time to reflect back on those 40 days and determine how well we observed the 3 practices of prayer, fasting and almsgiving!

Consider the visual aspect of the Sign of the Cross– we touch our head, our gut, and our shoulders!

Head – our thoughts! We are called to turn our thoughts to God, to pray to Him, to talk to Our Father OFTEN just as Jesus encouraged us to do.

Gut – our humanity, what we share with Jesus, our physical nature. But sometimes we focus too much on our physical needs – food, looking good, exercise, our self – all good but too often we overdo it – we end up thinking more of ourselves, OUR needs and not those of others. So during Lent, God called us to reflect on our spiritual self and not so much our physical. He called us to fast – to give up something we THINK we really need, something we believe we just can’t do without – that daily piece of pie or cookies, the hours we spend in front of the TV or the game system, to remember that, in the end, what matters is our soul!

Shoulders – we have all been filled with the Holy Spirit in Baptism and especially in Confirmation where we are given the strength to not only practice our faith but to witness to our faith in our actions with others. We are called to REACH OUT OUR HANDS to those in need, TO SHOULDER THEIR NEEDS, to give of ourselves to others. That is what we mean by almsgiving – sometimes it’s donating to a worthy cause, sometimes it’s contributing to a clothing drive or a food drive. Sometimes it’s simply giving our time – to listen when someone needs to talk, to comfort when someone is hurting.

But especially for today, when we observe Jesus’ crucifixion and death, when He gave up His life in atonement for our sins, the Sign of the Cross is a visual reminder of the Cross itself! That Cross! It is a reminder of the suffering and death of our brother Jesus! Even after enduring a crown of thorns, a painful lashing with a whip, and a long path to Golgotha carrying a cross of at least 50 pounds, He was nailed to a cross and died a horrible, shameful, painful death. It was a public execution; He endured not only unbearable pain and agony, but also the taunts and jeers of the people gathered around the cross. It was a slow agonizing death, where muscles were stretched and the condemned was left gasping for a breath of air. The Cross – a symbol of execution and condemnation!

But if that is all we believe about the cross, we are missing something! It is not just about pain and suffering and death. It is not just about shame and cruelty. It is first and foremost the sign of God’s love! That is how much God loves us! That is how much Jesus loves us. That He would willingly give Himself up to all that pain and suffering and death because He loves us! It really isn’t a sign of shame; it’s a symbol of LOVE!

And that is what we celebrate today – not merely Jesus’ sacrifice, not just the pain and death He endured, but the LOVE He has for each and every one of us, a love that we share in and return every time we PRAY, every time we GIVE UP the unnecessary things in life and focus on what’s really important, every time we help out someone in need.

And every time we do all of that IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. Amen.

April 1, 2021 - Holy Thursday

John 13:1-15

Celebration of the Last Supper

Growing up, we always had a lot of big family dinners – birthdays, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter Sunday. Gatherings that one single table could never accommodate. So the adults ate at the dining room table and all the kids ate in the kitchen. Kids table / adults table – I’m guessing all of you had something similar. And all that time, I had this desire to MOVE UP – to graduate to the adult table. I think in the back of my mind I thought the food would be better, that the menu would be somehow different. Not so much!

I think most of us had the same experience with First Communion. All that time beforehand, we just couldn’t wait til the day of our First Communion. We were so excited to not just attend Mass but receive Communion, the Eucharist, to not just gather around the table of the Lord, but share in the meal!

Anticipation – that deep down excitement about getting fed or receiving Communion. We all have felt it. However the Gospel today reminds us it’s not just about receiving; it’s about giving. It’s not just about being served; it’s also about serving. Jesus and the Apostles are gathered together for their celebration of the Passover. In the middle of the meal, the Last Supper, Jesus gets up and washes the feet of His disciples. He performs the role of a servant, not a master, not a teacher, but a lowly servant and he reminds the apostles they must do the same. It is a reminder to us all that it is in giving that we receive!

We all know this is a most unusual Holy Thursday, we know that our Easter dinner will be different this year. There will be a smaller crowd and probably a smaller menu. Chances are there will be no need for a kids table. One Table, One Meal. As children, we may not have been very involved in the prep and serving of the meal; we probably thought the food just magically appeared. Our only job was to eat. Even as an adult, there are plenty of times where I avoided going into the kitchen and I just left the prep to Ginger, her mom and Jaime. At best, I probably set the table. Don’t let that happen this year.

In this time of separation from our extended family, we have an opportunity to do more, to make our family meal not just about the food but about the family, not just about what we are getting but what we can give. To join together and literally serve each other. So why not split up the dishes! Let each of us prepare 1 dish so that, when the table is set, each of us has made a contribution and each of us has something to give!

Whether we gather around a dinner table or we gather around an altar, whether we gather to feed our body or feed our souls, we gather TOGETHER! On this day, Jesus gave us the gift of Himself in the Eucharist. Let us all thank Him with the gift of ourselves, in serving Him by being of service to each other.

March 31, 2021 - Wednesday of Holy Week

Isaiah 50:4-9

A Wise Man Once Said…..

The Sovereign LORD has given me his words of wisdom,

so that I know how to comfort the weary.

Morning by morning he wakens me

and opens my understanding to his will.

The Sovereign LORD has spoken to me,

and I have listened.

I have not rebelled or turned away.

I thought today we could switch things up and reflect a bit on the first reading from Isaiah. The key word here is WISDOM! It is the one of what is called the Servant Songs in Isaiah and offers a foreshadowing of Jesus in its verses. It reflects on a Servant who not only hears but speaks the Word of God and shares His words of Wisdom! He hears the Word and welcomes it; he does not shy away from it or reject it. It speaks of a man who is both teacher and student, one who spreads the Wisdom of God but remains open to growth in the Spirit and in wisdom.

Through the Sacrament of Confirmation, the Spirit has showered upon us all the Gift of Wisdom and Understanding. But the Gospel reminds us today that wisdom is not just hearing and speaking the Word of God. Too often, we mistake knowledge for wisdom. But there is a real difference. I always remind people that knowledge is knowing that tomatoes are a fruit, NOT a vegetable! And Wisdom? Wisdom is NOT putting tomatoes in a fruit salad!

That example is a clear reminder that it is not enough to just speak wisely! We are also called to act wisely! Judas in today’s Gospel has problems in both respects. He speaks to the Jewish leaders and offers to hand Jesus over to them for judgment. He not only speaks unwisely; he acts without wisdom as he seeks an opportunity to betray Jesus. While he has heard the words of Jesus countless times, he has failed to entrust them into his heart and his life. That is a difficult task for each and every one of us.

Believe it or not, we are getting close to 400 days along this path of Scriptural reflection. I hope that from time to time you have found these homilies a source of comfort and encouragement. This has been a long journey and I am blessed that you have traveled this path along with me. So it seems to me that it’s about time for me to practice what I preach and humbly put wise words into wise actions.

So for the next 2 weeks I will be taking a break to catch my breath and recharge the spiritual batteries. During that time, I will still share and re-post daily reflections from last Easter. However they will be posted a bit later in the morning, as opposed to the crack of dawn.

Great Spirit, help me appreciate the role you have given me. Let my senses be sharp to hear Your voice. Keep my mind clean so that I may do the things You would have me do. Aho!

March 29, 2021 - Monday of Holy Week

John 12:1-11

We Gather Together (revisited)

There is a lot going on in today’s Gospel reading – Mary anointing Jesus’ feet in anticipation of His crucifixion and death, Judas complaining about money being wasted, the chief priests plotting to kill not only Jesus but Lazarus as well.

But let’s focus on one simple thing – Jesus gathers with Mary, Martha, Lazarus and others for dinner. In the midst of all the stress and turmoil He experienced in Jerusalem, Jesus takes the time to share a meal with His friends. Knowing that things will come to an awful climax in just a few days, Jesus reminds us all of the importance of sharing a simple meal with friends and family.

Consider where we were one year ago, separated from friends and family, unable to share that simple family meal! That sudden absence of such opportunities brings us to a painful realization of how often we take family gatherings for granted. And it is only when it is taken away that we truly appreciate its value. For the first time in over a year, we are actually planning to host a family brunch on Easter! And we are realizing that it doesn’t matter how much time we spend on cleaning the house, planning the menu, and setting the table. What matters is the opportunity to share a meal with loved ones, to be with loved ones.

That certainly must have been true today for Jesus. Do you think it mattered to Him what they were eating? Unlike Judas, the details weren’t important at all! It was being with friends one last time before He faces the suffering and crucifixion a few days later. One last supper, as it were, with dear friends.

The same can be said for Mass and the Sacraments; when we were suddenly separated from the table of the Lord. It was then, unfortunately, that we truly came to appreciate its impact and effect on our lives, on our spiritual life. We didn’t attend Palm Sunday Mass last year. We didn’t receive Holy Communion in our hands, and we didn’t return home with palm branches blessed by the pastor. But we did yesterday! Did it feel any different? Did you feel any different? Did you focus on the little details of the Mass – what songs were sung, what prayers were said? Or did we instead appreciate the big picture! We did gather together as the family of God for the Sacred Meal! We did share our faith and the Word of God! Through it all, God is still with us. The Spirit is still within us! Jesus still touches us with His words and actions. And we still have the opportunity every day to share that Spirit with our family as we gather together, even for a simple meal.

March 28, 2021 - Palm Sunday

Mark 11:1-10

I Love A Parade / Procession

Even though I hate large crowds, I do love a good parade! Whether it’s the Northwest Side St. Patrick’s Parade or the Electric Light Parade at Disney World, a Memorial Day Parade up in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, or it’s way back in the 1970’s watching from the Lawrence Avenue overpass as Pope John Paul II travelled down the Kennedy, they are all wonderful joyful experiences. They are a riot of light and movement and music, marching bands and colorful floats. They bring smiles to our faces and warmth to our hearts.

But it doesn’t last! In the end, we are quite simply spectators, bystanders! We gather together, we watch, and then we go back home! It is just a momentary speck of time and then life resumes and we quickly forget about it. That’s life on the sidelines, life where the action revolves around us but doesn’t involve us.

But there are also some precious moments where we are a part of the action, an active participant in the parade or procession. For Ginger and myself, that included praying the Stations of the Cross in the streets of Jerusalem, following in the footsteps of Jesus along the Via Dolorosa. Or it was being a part of the Rosary Procession around the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth. In those moments, we were no longer bystanders; we were participants! And that changed everything! There were moments along the Stations where you could see people in the street agitated that we were blocking their way, people shaking their heads and muttering under their breath and plenty of others moving quickly past us, looking straight ahead and seemingly ignoring us and treating us as if we were invisible. It was uncomfortable at times but it caused me to reflect on Jesus’ own journey with the cross – how some people jeered and shouted in anger. They spit on Him or shook their heads in disgust. And others shed tears and anguish over the sight of this beaten and scourged Savior as He travelled to Golgotha.

And it reminded me of today’s Gospel - just a few days before the events of Good Friday when Jesus rode into Jerusalem amid shouts of joy and Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Such a study in contrasts – those two very different processions – Palm Sunday and Good Friday - from joy to sadness in a matter of days!

The Prophet Zechariah says” Behold your king is coming, a just savior is he, humble, and riding on a donkey.” And then just a few days from now, we hear the words of Pilate “Behold your king.” Quite a different crowd in that scene, demanding that Jesus be crucified!

Early in our deacon formation, we studied Ignatian Contemplation, where as we meditate and pray over a Gospel reading, we allowed ourselves to enter the scene and, in the process of reflection, we ask ourselves who are you in the scene!

Consider that as we read and reflect on today’s Gospel! Where are you? Who are you? Are you one of those bystanders who just came to see this Jesus, stayed for a moment and then returned home, unchanged and unmoved? Are we part of the crowd that welcomed Him into Jerusalem with shouts of joy? Are we the crowd that mocked Him on the way to Calvary? Are we the crowd that said “We have no king but Caesar.”

Or are we walking with Jesus? Do we celebrate with Him the joy of God’s blessings in our lives? Do we suffer along with Him as He falls under the weight of the cross? Are we one of His disciples accompanying Him along this earthly journey? Are we just a spectator, a simple onlooker from the sidelines? Or are we an active participant, a follower of Christ not only by our words, but by our actions, by our life? Can we all agree that being a Christian is NOT a spectator event!

March 27, 2021 - 5th Saturday of Lent

John 11:45-56

Can’t We All Just Get Along? (revisited)

Let’s face it – at times, we all get aggravated with each other. And especially when we are going through this period of “close quarters”, it is so much easier and more frequent that we bicker and argue and get on each other’s nerves. We know what irritates our little brother/sister and yet we do it anyway. I knew exactly what buttons to push to send my sister, for instance, over the edge and all my siblings knew exactly what to do to set me off. Was it messy? Did we get in trouble? Of course! And yet we did it anyway!

But it’s something quite different to actually band together to deliberately plot against someone. We all know what it’s like to be ganged-up-on, to be picked on not by a single person but by a whole group of people. That is what’s happening in today’s Gospel. The chief priests, Caiaphas, the Pharisees and the entire Sanhedrin have had enough of verbally sparring with Jesus. They meet together, they plot together to have Him arrested and eventually put to death. They decide that it is better than one man suffers and dies rather than all the people. It’s hard to tell if the Jewish leaders are really all that concerned about the people or just themselves and their social standing. Either way they decide to dump all their fears, their anger and insecurities onto one person – Jesus.

It’s called scapegoating – placing all our sins and weaknesses on a single person and making them pay for our faults. It’s called looking out for myself, worrying only about my own comfort and well-being.

So let’s not let ourselves get to that point. Even though, over the past 12 months, our nerves are a bit frayed, our concerns about the future are raw and our fears are heightened, can’t we all just get along? Can’t we all just put aside the selfish attitudes and bullying and let Jesus be at work in our lives! May we be ever open to the Spirit and God’s constant call to love one another!

March 26, 2021 - 5th Friday of Lent

John 10:31-42

One of Those Days

Jesus did not have a good day! The Jews and Pharisees continue to debate (argue) with Him. They remain stubborn and unconvinced that He is anything but a troublemaker and a blasphemer. They refuse to really listen to His words. They become so upset that they pick up stones to stone Him to death. Through it all, Jesus remains calm and tries to ‘reason’ with them. But nothing works. In the end, they try to arrest Him and He flees out of the city.

You have to imagine how frustrated and heart-sick He must be – they just won’t listen and believe! They want Him dead and He knows that time is coming very soon. So He retreats out of the city to a familiar place, to the place where John baptized, where Jesus was baptized, where His public life and mission really began. You have to imagine that, in some ways, this was a quiet place, a place to calm one’s fears and worries. It could have been a place to set the troubles of the world aside and re-charge one’s spirit and soul.

I think we all have a place like that, a go-to place when we have one of ‘those’ days! For me, it was always the rocks along Lake Michigan right outside Madonna Della Strada Chapel at Loyola University. Whether it was when I was an undergrad or when I was working in the Registrar’s Office; that was the place to go. And the weather didn’t matter; it could be calm and peaceful or it could be stormy with the waves crashing over the rocks. It was my calming place where I could lay out the cares of my life, take a deep breath and then return to the world!

The events of His arrest, scourging and crucifixion and death are only days away. Jesus knows things will get a lot worse than a simple disagreement with some Jews, much worse. So He goes off and takes the time to prepare Himself for what is to come.

Maybe it’s a physical place, maybe it’s a favorite room or park, maybe it’s anywhere that gives us a moment of peace and quiet. Wherever and whatever it is, God provides us all with the strength and the courage and the quiet resolve to face whatever life throws at us.

Great Spirit, help me today to see the world through Your eyes!

March 25, 2021 - Feast of the Annunciation

Luke 1:26-38

A Leap of Faith

There was a town suffering through a severe drought, months and months of no rain. Their crops were all dead and dying; their wells were drying up. They were at their wits end. So they decided to pray for rain. They all gathered in the town square for the prayer service. Every single one of the townspeople showed up. But only one of them, a little boy, showed up with an umbrella!!

Now that is faith, real faith! He didn’t just believe; he acted on that belief! That is one way to look at today’s Feast Day! We celebrate today the Feast of the Annunciation! Mary had every reason not to believe such incredible news from the Angel Gabriel, news that went far beyond any human logic or reasoning.

And yet Mary said YES! She expressed her faith in words: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to Your Will”! But this was not merely a simple OK, not a string of syllables. This was Mary placing herself completely in the hands of the Lord. This was Mary committing herself to action, to a life of service to God. Do with me what You will! That is real faith, faith in words and in action.

May we continue to grow in faith to reflect the words of today’s responsorial Psalm! Here I am Lord; I come to do Your will!

March 24, 2021 - 5th Wednesday of Lent

Daniel 3:14-20, 91-92, 95

Out of the Frying Pan and…

Let’s switch things up today and take a look at the First Reading from the Book of Daniel. And yes I do have an ulterior motive; it reflects one of my all-time favorite Bible trivia questions. What were the names of the three men in the fiery furnace? No peeking and extra points for correct spelling!

Do you remember what it was like before Covid started? What issues you were dealing with? What life stresses were you focused on way back in February 2020? And then when Covid did it, did those problems suddenly disappear? Or did it feel like today’s reading – out of the frying pan and into the fire? Did everything just move to a whole different level of pain and hurt?

With a great deal of cautious hope, we seem to be close to coming out of the furnace. And to be honest, you have survived! Probably a bit worse for wear but you have survived! Have the experience changed you? Are you any better/worse spiritually?

We all went through an experience where all the familiar trappings of our religion were denied – no visits to the church, no Mass, no prayer services, no confession or Benediction or Novenas, no simple quiet prayer kneeling in the pew. All of that was gone! So what was left? Just you and God, that’s it! In the quiet and solitude of your home and heart, all we had left was prayer and your faith! Has your faith grown this past year? Has your prayer life developed positively? Have you spiritually moved closer to God? Stripped down to the simple basics of conversation with the Divine, has your relationship with God gotten stronger?

Those 3 men went into the furnace already believing in God, already trusting in Him. And yet their faith grew even stronger in the midst of the flames. They came out of the experience with a deeper faith and a stronger commitment to the Lord! What about us? Is our faith any stronger? Is our prayer life more focused and frequent? Has the flame of our faith grown brighter?

Answer: Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego.

March 23, 2021 - 5th Tuesday of Lent

John 8: 21-30

Lifting Up

So how’s your Lent going? Has your prayer been more frequent or more focused? Has fasting been a hardship or a blessing? Have you been more aware of and more responsive to the needs of others? Have you grown in your spiritual life and in your relationship with the Lord? Or has the world brought you down and you ended up taking a few steps backward? Or maybe you just stalled out and hit a brick wall, wandering off the path? Or maybe we are just slacking, as we find the Lenten Season grinding us down.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus makes a clear statement of His divinity. When asked who He was, He replied “I AM”, a direct connection to God as the burning bush I AM WHO I AM! But He also reflects on what is to come – His crucifixion and death! He talks about being ‘lifted up’, an obvious reference to Him being ‘lifted up’ on a cross so that we may have eternal life.

Next week begins Holy Week and Lenten time is quickly running out! We have barely a week to go before the events of the Triduum. Maybe it’s time for us to ‘life up’ our game! In one way or another, we are all struggling; we are all finding the practices of prayer, fasting and almsgiving anything but easy. So how about one last, concentrated, focused push toward Easter!

And maybe one final thought – we know this journey is difficult and from time to time we all falter and give up hope. We feel abandoned and deserted. But Jesus reminds us: “The one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone”. We are not alone!

March 22, 2021 - 5th Monday of Lent

John 8: 1-11

Forgive Me, Father

Back when our daughter was in 6th Grade, I remember she was so excited about going to a grade school dance. So we dropped her off that Friday night and then picked her up a few hours later. End of story! Well, not exactly!

About a week later, she comes into the living room and tells us –I need to talk to you; I have to tell you something and you won’t like it. Uh oh, this is not good! So she proceeds to tell us this story. You know that dance I went to last week; well it was just for 7th and 8th graders. Yeah, ok! Well, I’m only a 6th grader. I knew that ahead of time. So I lied to you and I lied to get into the dance. I kept waiting for more but that was it. She was so upset about being dishonest; and for a good week, she let it eat her up inside until she had to tell us. Was she apologetic and remorseful? Absolutely! Did we punish her? Absolutely not! What punishment could we have possibly given her that she hadn’t already given to herself!

This wasn’t just about repentance, reconciliation and forgiveness. This was also about compassion. And that is what the story of Jesus and the woman caught in adultery presents to us today. Just look at Jesus’ words! He doesn’t condemn her; He doesn’t yell at her or berate her. He doesn’t even judge her! He speaks with compassion and love, helps her to her feet and tells her, quite simply to go and sin no more – change your life!

And that is our lifelong challenge – not just to forgive but to do it with compassion and love! None of us is without sin; all of us are in need of forgiveness and compassion.

Great Spirit, show me today how to forgive without judging, how to love without measure!

March 21, 2021 - 5th Sunday of Lent

John 12:20-33

Orange “Crushed”

A few years ago, we were over at our daughter’s house, helping our son-in-law and grandsons rake up all the leaves in the front yard. It’s a very large space and we were filling large plastic bags left and right. As we were nearing the end of the job, I glanced at my right hand and noticed that my ring was missing, gone, disappeared!

This was a high school class ring, not my own, but my dad’s from 1939. It was handed down to me right after my dad passed away. I never even knew he had a class ring but ever since that day I have worn it proudly and lovingly! So to suddenly find it missing left me in panic! We had easily 6 or 7 huge bags filled with leaves and we tore into them frantically trying to find it. I admit that, at one point, I stepped back in tears, convinced it was lost forever. It was terrifying and I lost hope, if only for a moment! But the search continued and we did eventually find the ring. Whew!

I am sure we have all had a similar experience of losing something precious. Whether we found it or not, those initial moments were filled with panic and dread. We go into a rollercoaster of emotions and actions - frenzied looking everywhere, at times losing hope and simply giving up. And if we are lucky, there is an incredible sense of relief and joy if it is found!

Truth be told, we have all had moments that were even worse! Moments when we lost, not some item or precious possession, but we lost ourselves! Moments when we felt completely broken, crushed by the weight of the world and all its stresses and worries! Moments when we lost hope and lost faith! Certainly in these past 12 months of Covid, those moments have occurred all too frequently! Maybe we lost loved ones without even the chance to say goodbye. Maybe in our isolation and confinement to our homes, we felt abandoned and lost. Maybe without the ability to work or play or simply live a normal life, we lost our sense of self and purpose. Maybe we lost hope; maybe we lost ourselves!

Maybe we feel exactly like that grain of wheat in today’s Gospel – tossed to the ground, crushed and broken! Lifeless! Seemingly lifeless! We just need to remember that Jesus knows what we are going through! He understands what we are feeling! He shares with us that same worry and concern! We hear it in His words today. I am troubled! He knows what is to come in just a matter of days – betrayal, loss, despair, agony, doubt and fear, arrest and scourging, crucifixion and death. He knows His hour is coming and He deliberately compares His own death with that of a grain of wheat that falls to the earth.

But Jesus also reminds us that it is only, when that simple grain of wheat is crushed and dies, that it produces fruit! He reminds us that that simple bit of grain doesn’t just die; it is transformed! It doesn’t just fall to the ground; it produces new life! He reminds us that this ‘moment of trouble’ will give way to glorification, that it will lead to resurrection and new life! And so it is for us! No matter what we are going through, no matter if we feel crushed and abandoned, lifeless and troubled – there is still hope! There is still promise of new life! “Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves me.”

Lord we pray today to not lose hope, to not lose faith! We pray for the courage and strength to follow You, to die to self so that we can produce fruit for others!

A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me.

Cast me not out from your presence, and your Holy Spirit take not from me.

Give me back the joy of your salvation, and a willing spirit sustain in me.

Lord, grace us with the gift of letting go of all that prevents us from bearing fruit. May your Spirit continue to move within us and work through us so that we may live more fully in You. Amen.

March 20, 2021 - 4th Saturday of Lent

John 7:40-53

The “Awful” Truth

Remember when you were little and someone told you something you just didn’t want to hear? Maybe a best friend decided you were no longer friends! Maybe your parents were handing out your punishment for breaking that glass or for ignoring countless ‘requests’ to clean your room. Or maybe they couldn’t get you that one toy you hoped for as a birthday present. That awful truth or that hard lesson that you just refused to listen to! So you covered your ears with your hands and mumbled some nonsense syllables to keep out those honest and truthful words.

It seems as if that is exactly what is happening in today’s Gospel. The crowd of people get it! Jesus is a Prophet, the Christ! Even the guards hear Jesus’ words and believe; as a result, they are reluctant to arrest him. But the Pharisees? Except for Nicodemus, they refuse to listen. They argue over where Jesus is from. They call the crowd “accursed” and dismiss their belief! They reject Nicodemus as he tries to give Jesus a fair hearing. In the end, the Pharisees retreat to their homes to hide away. They hide away from the awful truth and stop up their ears to the truth of Jesus and His mission. In some way, they hope that Jesus will just go away.

And what about us? Are there times when we just don’t want to hear the awful truth? Are there times when we don’t want to face our failings and mis-steps? Are there times when we would rather hide inside of ourselves and shut the world out? Shut the Word out? What is our reaction to the Word of God? Does it make us fearful or deaf or blind? Or does it transform us, change our lives and our spirit? Is the Truth really all that ‘awful’?

March 19, 2021 - Solemnity of St. Joseph

Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24a

Loyal, Brave and True

My favorite movie at the moment (I’ve only watched it 5 times so far) is Mulan, a live-action Disney film about a father’s love and devotion to his young daughter and her sacrifice to save her family’s honor. She disguises herself as a man to take her father’s place in the Emperor’s army in order to defeat an enemy. She steals off in the night and takes with her the armor and sword of her father. Etched on the sword are 3 words: Loyal, Brave and True! It is a tale of love and sacrifice.

Those virtues are the key theme throughout the film. Mulan is loyal (faithful) to her family and her father. She is brave (courageous), fierce and gifted with the sword. But she is also dishonest in disguising herself (not true). In the end, the battle is won only after she reveals herself. And the film ends with a scene of atonement, repentance and forgiveness with her father. She is gifted by the Emperor with a new sword. The same 3 values are etched on it: Loyal, Brave and True. But on the other side, a new virtue has been added: Devotion to Family!

I can’t help thinking of St. Joseph today on his feast day and how those same virtues are a clear reflection of his life as foster father of our Savior and husband of Mary. His constant and abiding Faith in God (Loyal) and his willingness to do His Will. His Courage (Brave) to face the unknown in bringing Mary into his home as his wife and leading the family into Egypt to save Jesus’ life. And his honesty (True) in being a righteous man, being honest with himself (humility) as he raises Jesus to adulthood in wisdom and grace. And, of course, devotion to his family! His willingness to be a husband and a father in spite of all the hardships they faced!

St. Joseph - a carpenter, a husband, a father, and a faithful believer in God. A man who lived a life of humility and service, of courage and trust and obedience. A man who hears the Word of God and acts on it. A truly righteous man.

St. Joseph, Patron and Protector of the Catholic Church, pray for us!

March 18, 2021 - 4th Thursday of Lent

John 5:31-47

A “Valued Life”

I miss my St. Kateri community. I miss my native brothers and sisters. I miss crowding ourselves into the chapel on a Sunday morning for Mass. And I miss our community potluck meal afterwards.

I think that I miss that simple meal the most; it speaks volumes to me about the community and about the values that should define our lives. I said a ‘simple’ meal but actually it’s more of a constant miracle. Jody, our director, provides the main course. And that’s it! All the rest – sides, salads, pasta, dessert, bread and drinks - all of that is left to the community. Bring something to share! We never know how many people will come! We never know what they will bring! Ginger always calls it a “loaves and fishes” event! Somehow, some way there is not only enough for everyone; there is always enough left over for people to take home.

But there is more to the meal than just food. We always start with prayer – giving thanks to the Creator! We offer a ‘spirit plate’ containing a bit of each food to pray over and then gift that food back to the earth. And when it’s time to eat, we make a line in the kitchen to fill our plates. Aah, but not so fast! We don’t serve ourselves first. The elders never get in line; they never get their own food. They stay seated and we serve them first, out of love and respect.

That ‘simple’ meal tells me all I need to know about this community and about their values, values that extend well beyond the meal. They are lived-out values called the Seven Grandfather Teachings! They are: Honesty, Truth, Humility, Love, Wisdom, Courage, and Respect. I see them lived out in this simple community meal and in daily life. They define us, shape us, guide us.

In the Gospel today, Jesus talks a lot about His relationship with God as well as our own. “How can you believe, when you accept praise from one another and do not seek the praise that comes from the only God?” It challenges me to reflect on these 7 Teachings and to realize that they are not just values to shape my relationship with others. They are also life paths to guide me in my relationship with my Creator! I do so miss my Kateri community! But their values remain with me and I hope those values continue to lead me to a deeper connection with my neighbors and with my Creator!

March 17, 2021 - 4th Wednesday of Lent

John 5:17-30

I Am My Father’s Son

I know I have shared quite a few stories about my Dad over the past year, probably repeated myself more than once as well. But some things are worth repeating.

From an early age, I worked in his country store and I learned to stock shelves, pump gas, cut grass, burn trash and give change for a $20 bill. Dad told me the last time we talked how he regretted we didn’t have much time together, that the store took so much time that we didn’t have as many moments together as other fathers and sons. I reminded him that, because of the store, I got to see him each and every day, more often than most other sons, and that I got to work alongside him. And then there were the endless games of softball on Sundays, quick trips over to the store to get something mom needed, and also to grab some ice cream, and the early morning runs to Washington for supplies for the store which always included a big breakfast at the diner on the way home. And there was also his utter refusal to go anywhere without his hat, some toothpicks, cough drops and a little spiral notebook, his ability to turn any car ride into an historical tour of Charles County, and the countless walks in the woods, sometimes returning with some rather oddly shaped Christmas trees!!

What did I learn from him? Kindness, generosity, charity especially to those in need, forgiveness, selflessness, strength in times of crisis, courage to face a new day, compassion for those suffering a loss, a willingness to sacrifice, humility, love and so much more. Hopefully I still honor him by patterning my life on the lessons he taught me. I hope I am becoming my father’s son!

We hear about sons and fathers in today’s Gospel. “Amen, amen, I say to you, the Son cannot do anything on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for what he does, the Son will do also. For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything that he himself does.”

So just a simple question today. Is God the Father at work in us? Does our Father’s love for us show forth clearly in our actions, in our words and in our intentions? Are we our Father’s child?

March 16, 2021 - 4th Tuesday of Lent

John 5:1-16

Timing is Everything?

Back when my wife Ginger would commute downtown to work, she would always pass by the same homeless person as she got off the expressway. Too often backed-up traffic prevented her from digging through her purse to find something to give them. So she made a plan. From that time on, she kept a ziploc bag filled with granola bars and some other goodies and kept it close to her in the car for ready access whenever the need arose. She knew that charity shouldn’t depend on timing or convenience. It isn’t a simple 9-5 activity!

This is not the first time Jesus has gotten into trouble with the Jewish leaders for healing on the Sabbath. The Pharisees is today’s Gospel just don’t get it! All they are concerned with is the letter of the Law and not the needs of the poor and the sick. They end up putting limits on charitable works and would rather let the paralytic suffer one more day rather than be cured.

How often have we looked on caring for others as a matter of convenience or timing? Our convenience! When we have the time! Turn the situation around for a moment. Have you ever had a flat tire or car trouble and no one stopped to help? Have you ever fallen down and everyone just kept walking by?

Are we so caught up in our own little world that we have no time for others in need? The Sabbath was given to us by God and yes we should keep it sacred. What better way to love God than to love our suffering neighbor. Maybe it’s as simple as visiting/calling a sick friend or leaving a bag of groceries on the doorstep of someone who can’t shop for themselves. Timing really is everything but it’s timing.

March 15, 2021 - 4th Monday of Lent

John 4:43-54

The Long and Winding Road!

One year ago yesterday, the world came to a screeching halt. Churches shut their doors! Masses, Baptisms, weddings and funerals were cancelled! Youth ministry, faith formation classes, schools and businesses closed! We were all sheltering in place at home, venturing out only when absolutely necessary. And when we did leave the safety of our home, we were masked, we sanitized our hands before, during and after, and we kept our 6 foot distance. Grocery store lines were long and the shelves were empty.

One year ago today, March 15, 2020, I posted my first on-line daily Gospel reflection. And here we are today, 365 Gospel homilies later! Safe to say, I had no idea how these daily musings would be received much less whether they would resonate with a world so stressed and so fearful of the future, a time filled with loss and separation. I offer you my blessings and thanks for joining me on this spiritual journey. I give thanks to the Spirit for His constant guidance and inspiration. And the journey continues.

Speaking of journeys, a royal official in today’s Gospel has traveled from his home in Capernaum to find Jesus in Cana. He makes this journey to ask Jesus to come back to Capernaum to heal his dying son. It is a distance of 20 miles from Cana to Capernaum, roughly a 2-day trip by foot. Imagine all the fears and stress he must have gone through on that long trek. All the worries about his son’s health, the anguish of leaving him and the very real fear of losing him to his illness! Sound familiar? Loss, separation, fear, stress, worry?

And yet he makes the trip! What in the world would possess him to leave home, to make that long trip? Faith! Faith that he would find Jesus! Faith that he could convince Jesus to come back with him to Capernaum! Faith that Jesus could/would cure his son! And in the end, FAITH in Jesus’ words – go, your son will live! Imagine that return journey, filled not only with faith in Jesus but with hope for a cure and love for his son! Imagine the joy when he returns home!

Unlike the official, our pandemic journey continues. But we are seeing glimmers of hope. All we need is faith! All we need is to believe in our Father, to believe in our miracle-worker Jesus, to hope for healing of mind and body and to believe that we travel this long and winding road in the company of our Savior!

Wisdom of God, be with me, always at work in me!

March 14, 2021 - 4th Sunday of Lent

John 9:1-41

Can’t See the Forest for the Trees

One evening, the whole family went out to dinner at a local restaurant. Everyone got a menu, even the youngest, Aimee, who was 6 years old. Since the conversation was an ‘adult’ one, Aimee sat there feeling ignored. When the waitress took their orders, she came to Aimee last.

“And, what would you like to eat, young lady?” she asked. Aimee answered, “I will have a hamburger, French fries and a large coke”.

“No”, said her mother. “She will have a small salad with low fat dressing, baked chicken, carrots and boiled rice”. “And milk to drink”, chimed in her father.

The waitress looked at Aimee and asked, “Would you like catsup or mustard on your hamburger”? She said, “Catsup with some fried onions on top please. Oh, and put a very small piece of lettuce on top to please my parents. Thank you very much”. Her parents sat there stunned!

As the waitress walked away to place the order, Aimee turned toward her family and said, “You know what? She thinks I’m real”.

You have to feel for little Aimee; she must have felt completely invisible. The world kept revolving and yet it was like she wasn’t even there! Of course, for her, that was just one meal!

For the blind man in today’s Gospel, that is what he had to deal with his entire life. Ever since he was born blind, he was shunned, ignored, treated as an outcast and a sinner all his life. Cut off from any social contact, he must have felt completely alone, completely invisible! Until Jesus came into his life!

And after Jesus cures him, after his eyes are opened, he immediately spreads the Word – this man is from God, He is a prophet! In spite of the Pharisees’ attempts to convince him otherwise, despite their attempts to deny he was ever blind, the man persists in his faith in Jesus as the Promised One, even to the point of debating with the elders! Consider the effect that Jesus has on him! That ‘former’ blind man is transformed! He believes Jesus is the Christ and he has the strength and courage to stand up to the Pharisees and scribes.

The one person in the story who truly ‘sees’ Jesus is the man born blind. And it’s the Pharisees who are truly blind! They focus only on the externals and not the heart of the Law. They remain blind to the miracle, blind to the power of God, blind to the needs and hardships of those around them.

How often must the Pharisees have walked past the blind man day in and day out and treated him like he was invisible, ignored his pleas for a few coins or a crust of bread? How often were they so focused on themselves that they blinded themselves to the suffering of the marginalized and the powerless right in front of their eyes.

How often can we say that about ourselves? How often do we see what we want to see and not what we need to see? We are all, in some ways, blind like the Pharisees; we miss the big picture!

We stare straight ahead at a stoplight or when we are walking down the street, all to avoid eye contact with someone looking for a handout. We turn a blind eye to a neighbor struggling to shovel snow off his sidewalk or to someone weighed down with grocery bags, or to someone sitting at a park bench quietly crying in sadness and despair.

Like the Pharisees, we can get so caught up in arguments and issues that we think are so important and we miss all opportunities for us to do good as well as appreciate the beauty that the Creator has bestowed on us – like a rainbow, the gift of family time, the gentle smile of a child, the touch of a loving hand, building a snowman with the grandkids or sharing a simple cup of coffee with a dear friend.

Open your eyes today. See the wonders of the Creator that are all around you and show your gratitude by being a miracle to others! That is our challenge –to recognize the presence of the Creator in our lives, to see, not merely with human eyes, but with eyes of faith and trust, to be filled.

March 13, 2021 - 3rd Saturday of Lent

Luke 18:9-14

Let Us Pray!

The Pharisee and the Tax Collector! Two very different individuals – one an elite and highly regarded member of Jewish society, a religious leader. The other – reviled and hated, looked on as a collaborator with the Romans, someone who cheats and steals from the people.

The Pharisee offers God a prayer of thanksgiving, well, sort of! What is he thankful for? That he’s not like others, that he is better than everyone. He is blind to the needs of those around him and selfishly puts himself on a pedestal. The tax collector, on the other hand, can’t even raise his head to the heavens. His is a prayer of repentance, sorrow for his sins and failings. The Pharisee thanks the Lord that he is not greedy or dishonest like others; and yet, that is exactly what he is. The tax collector, the one everyone assumes to be dishonest, greedy and uncaring, is honest with himself and with God. He asks only for mercy for the wrongs he has committed. Jesus contrasts the humility of the tax collector with the pride of the Pharisee.

Truth be told, there are moments in our lives when we are not that far from the attitude of both of those men. None of us are completely either/or. There are times when we pray to God in sorrow and repentance for our failings. And there are times when we are closer to the attitude of the Pharisee.

May our prayers of repentance be sincere and our thanksgiving self-less! May these remaining weeks of Lent be an opportunity to continue to humbly acknowledge our blessings from the Creator, identify our faults, and pray for His grace and mercy.

I'm fine, yeah I'm fine oh I'm fine, hey I'm fine but I'm not

I'm broken

And when it's out of control I say it's under control but it's not

And you know it

I don't know why it's so hard to admit it

When being honest is the only way to fix it

There's no failure, no fall

There's no sin you don't already know

So let the truth be told

Can I really stand here unashamed

Knowin' that you love for me won't change?

Oh God if that's really true

Then let the truth be told

Matthew West - Truth Be Told (lyrics)

March 12, 2021 - 3rd Friday of Lent

Mark 12:28-34

Almost There

Were you ever one of ‘those’ kids? You know, the kids sitting in the back of their parents car on their way to vacation. Maybe it was Disney World or Wisconsin Dells. Wherever you were headed, there came a point (or a number of points) where you asked: “Are we there yet?” And if you were really lucky, you heard those magic words. Almost! Almost There! What a great feeling that was! What joy and anticipation! What wonders to look forward to!

That must be something like what the scribe in today’s Gospel felt. The reading starts off with the scribe asking Jesus a question. Uh oh, we know where this is going! Jesus is going to teach him a harsh lesson; this is not going to go well. But quite the reverse happens.

The scribe asks Jesus what is the greatest commandment. You think this must be a trick question. There are actually 613 laws in the Torah. How to choose! And Jesus responds not with 1 but 2 commandments – love God and love your neighbor! What’s remarkable is the scribe’s response. “Well said, teacher. You are right.” He agrees with Jesus and he compliments Him for his answer. Imagine that! He even expands his compliment by saying that love of God and neighbor is more important than any burnt offerings and sacrifices. Think about that! More important than everything that happens in the Temple!

Jesus then actually returns the compliment. You are not far from the Kingdom of God! Wow! The Kingdom! Heaven! You are almost there! Imagine the scribe’s reaction!

The question for us today? How close are we to the Kingdom? Do we love God? Do we love our neighbor? Are we almost there? What is holding us back? What do we still need to draw closer to the Kingdom?

Great Spirit, help me today to stay centered on the Kingdom!

March 11, 2021 - 3rd Thursday of Lent

Luke 11:14-23

Are You With Me?

Are you with me? It feels like a rallying cry to the crowds in Les Miserables! Or maybe it’s the whispered words of an older brother as he plots in secret with his siblings to raid the cookie jar! But in today’s Gospel, Jesus expressed similar words to the crowds – you are either with me or against me! It’s a challenge to choose a side, a question of faith or denial!

We all know from experience that we sometimes falter in our response! Sometimes we don’t always listen to God. We don’t always follow His commands! We act selfishly and decide to cater to the whims of the world or our own desires. The very act of Jesus driving out the demon from the mute is an announcement that the Kingdom is here, right here, right now. And it’s time for the people to choose – with me or not!

But this is not a once in a lifetime offer! Jesus asks us this question every day. In His love and compassion, the offer is constant and reassuring! Do we answer Him? How? Do we ignore Him? Notice that there is no half-baked, in-between answer available. It is plain and simple, either-or! Yes or No! Are you with Me?

One side thought! Have you ever noticed that this is the same question we ask Jesus when we are hit hard with the cares and worries of the world, when we face loss or disease or separation or doubt. Even when we seem to be floating on a sea of troubles! Are you there? Are you with me, Jesus? And His answer? A resounding, constant, and loving YES!

March 10, 2021 - 3rd Wednesday of Lent

Matthew 5:17-19

Teach The Children Well!

“Thank you for being a good teacher to all of us. You made a difference to us and I wanted you to know that. You certainly had the patience of Job dealing with all of us!”

A former student of mine, almost 30 years ago, sent me this message a few weeks ago. It is a heartwarming and humbling reminder that somehow some way you really do make a difference. Many times you go through life without even realizing the effect you have on others by just being yourself, by simple acts of kindness and comforting words. We all have an amazing effect on those around us, whether we acknowledge it or not.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks not only about the permanency of the Law but also about our responsibility to teach the commandments to others,, not just by our words but by our actions. Whether you accept it or not, we are all teachers! We know from experience how much children learn from watching us! They really do listen intently to our words and they remember our actions. Daddy, why didn’t you stop at the stop sign? Why did you give that man some money?

Jesus did not come to abolish the Law. He came to fulfill it with the law of love, with the Beatitudes, with the commandment to feed, to clothe, to shelter those in need! He came so that we might obey the commandments and teach them daily by our words and our actions. He came so that we might love God and love our neighbor as ourselves. Let us today teach our children well!

March 9, 2021 - 3rd Tuesday of Lent

Matthew 18:21-35

It’s Just A Number

There is nothing more central in the Gospel than forgiveness and being forgiven. But, in the end, it really has nothing to do with numbers. Whether it’s 7 or 70 or 7 times 70, as today’s Gospel relates, it doesn’t matter! If you don’t really mean it, then it’s worthless.

The master forgives after he is moved with compassion! The very last line of the Gospel is “unless you forgive your brother from your heart.” You can offer the words hundreds of times but, if it doesn’t come from the heart, it is meaningless.

When your child breaks your favorite vase and you see the tears in their eyes when they say sorry, can’t you just tell they truly are contrite? Do they need to say it over and over? And when you hold them in your arms and say that it’s ok, and they see the love in your eyes, don’t they feel the forgiveness?

And then you move on; you move forward. True forgiveness, true sorrow, leads to reconciliation! The master forgave the debt and restored the servant to his former station. That is what we are called to today – to open our hearts, to look beyond the slights and hurts we have suffered at the hands of others. To be moved with compassion, just as we pray that others are moved with compassion when we stumble and fall. Whether it’s once or a hundred times! To be sorry from the heart! To forgive from the heart!

March 8, 2021 - 3rd Monday of Lent

Luke 4:24-30

Judge Me By My Size, Do You?

I have to admit this homily has been a real struggle. I keep shifting back and forth from talking about Yoda (from Star Wars) and Frodo the hobbit (from Lord of the Rings). Yes, I know, where the heck is he going with this?

In the end, let’s consider both characters! Frodo and Yoda are both very short in stature, generally quiet and unassuming, humble, selfless and perfectly content to stay at home. But life intervenes! They were dismissed, ignored, and mis-judged! They were overlooked and literally and figuratively looked down on as unimportant. And in spite of all the other larger-than-life characters in their stories, they are the real heroes! Yoda said “Judge me by my size, do you.” And it is said of Frodo “The time will come when hobbits will shape the fortunes of all.”

Especially for Frodo, his neighbors and townspeople can’t see him beyond their own experience. He is just Frodo, a Baggins. And yet he saves all of Middle Earth.

The people of Nazareth in today’s Gospel have the same problem. They are furious to hear Jesus preaching that they are a faithless lot and that a prophet (Himself) is never accepted in His own town. They become so enraged that they try to throw Him off the mountain rather than allow Him to say anymore!

The people of Nazareth have dismissed Jesus as unimportant; they see Him only as a carpenter’s son and are blind and dead to anything He may say or do. They have decided He will amount to nothing. It leaves us all with questions. Do we see and yet not believe? Do we hear and not understand? Do we at times try to throw Jesus out of our lives thinking we know better? Do we miss the greatness in others we consider undeserving of our attention?

A simple, humble carpenter’s son from a little backwater village! Never travelled all that far from home! Largely ignored and dismissed as a passing fancy! Selfless and compassionate! Misjudged and condemned to a miserable death on a cross. And yet He is the Savior of us all!

March 7, 2021 - 3rd Sunday of Lent

John 4:5-42

Bridging the Gap

Back at my family home in Southern Maryland, there is a bridge that I have absolutely hated ever since I was little. It is not a bridge for the weak of heart. It is narrow, only one lane in each direction, low railings and one mile long, one long mile over the Potomac River. My wife shares my concern; she will not drive over it; so it is left to me. It would be easy to just avoid it but it is the only bridge in our part of the state to travel from Maryland to Virginia. That means it is also the main truck route south! So imagine all the semi-trailers coming at you in a narrow confined space!

Of course, the bridge is not a destination in and of itself; it is merely part of the journey, literally bridging the gap between 2 locations! It marks a crossing over water from one state to another. Those 2 images – of water and of bridging the gap – play a key role in today’s Gospel!

Jesus comes to a town in Samaria looking for water to quench His thirst! Water is a very familiar theme to the Jews – of passing through it to a new destination, a rite of passage from one life to another. We see it in the Great Flood, passing from a world of sin to a world fresh and new. In the Red Sea, for the Hebrews passing from slavery to freedom. In the Jordan River, passing from the desert into the Promised Land. And even with John the Baptist, passing from sin to repentance. And certainly in our own Baptism, passing from original sin to becoming a child of God.

When Jesus meets the woman at the well, He has every reason to have nothing to do with her. She is a woman and Jews would never associate or talk to a woman in public. She is a Samaritan, a fallen-away Jew, and Jews would have nothing at all to do with Samaritans. And yet He did! He broke through society's barriers about whom to talk to and whom to avoid and He engaged her in conversation. He bridged that gap! He crossed society’s boundaries of judgment over gender, and culture and religion. He saw through her exterior and saw within what she truly was - a child of God. And the woman, through the eyes of faith, responded! She saw Jesus for who He truly is - the Messiah, the Son of God. And she changed! She believed!

Even when he was very little, our grandson Tyler would never dunk his head underwater. He would swim but never ever go under. We couldn’t understand it, at least not until we realized he needed glasses and couldn’t see clearly underwater.

So when the family went on vacation to Mexico a few years ago, we got Tyler a set of prescription goggles for swimming. It was transformative! Suddenly a whole new world opened up to him!

For the Samaritan woman at the well, her encounter with Jesus was certainly transformative, even life-changing!

Jesus comes to that well THIRSTY! But by the end of the story, it is the Samaritan woman who realizes that she is the one who was thirsty, that she was the one whose thirst was quenched, whose life was forever changed by Jesus’ presence in her life. She is transformed!! She not only heard the Word of God, she not only tasted the living water, but she became a disciple! She began to spread the Word to all of her friends and neighbors. All it took was a bit of courage and faith to bridge that gap.

How often do we allow today's society to tell us whom to talk to and whom to avoid? How often do we judge people just by what we see: their gender, their clothing, their culture? What will it take for us to see everyone with the eyes of faith, to see everyone as a brother or sister, a child of God?

That is our challenge – we have all been washed in the waters of Baptism, we have all heard the Word – that is just part of our journey of faith – we are also called to transform our lives, spread the Word, to live it out in our daily lives!

March 6, 2021 - 2nd Saturday of Lent

Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

Daddy Always Liked You Best

There’s an old Jewish story about two adult brothers, each of them a farmer. The older one was married with 10 children and the younger one was single and no kids. The younger one felt sorry for his older brother having to feed all those kids; so every night he would load up a bag of wheat from his barn and took it to his brother’s barn. And every night the older brother, worrying about his younger brother growing old and having no one to support him, would also load up a wagon with wheat and place it in his brother’s barn. Finally one night they met midway between their barns, realized what was happening, and they embraced!

That is certainly not the case in the story of the Prodigal Son. The older son harbors resentment and anger toward his brother for wasting his inheritance and his father for welcoming him back with open arms and a wondrous feast.

A simple case of sibling rivalry? A unique family situation? Maybe, maybe not! So I’m wondering – how many Christmases did you spend as a child counting presents? I mean literally counting your brothers’ and sisters’ presents to make sure they didn’t get more than you! Or maybe it was birthdays! Did they get a bigger cake or more guests or did the guests sing louder on their birthday? Sometimes, over the years, resentment and anger can build and build. And it can block and even destroy what should be a loving relationship.

That is what so obviously present in the Jewish story and so obviously missing with the Prodigal Son’s older brother – LOVE! Yes he is obedient and responsible but there is no bond of affection. He seems incredibly blind to it! He doesn’t recognize the abject repentance of a brother who realizes the error of his ways. He doesn’t recognize the outpouring of love and forgiveness of his father. He sees only in terms of himself – what he has done for his father and not what his father has done for him.

Too often we find ourselves in the same situation, holding in resentment or anger until it could harm or even destroy a relationship. But we always have the opportunity to heal the hurt, to repair the damage.

The one thing missing from the story is a happy ending! We never know if the older son joins the feast! We never know if he reunites with his father and brother. Maybe that’s deliberate! Maybe we are each left to end the story ourselves! Do we join the party? Do we embrace our Father and our Brother?

March 5, 2021 - 2nd Friday of Lent

Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46

Kill the Messenger?

Today’s Gospel parable is essentially a summary of salvation history for the Jews! The landowner (God) created this beautiful vineyard (the earth) and then put tenants in place to care for it (humanity). When He sent servants (prophets) to collect the harvest (their faith), the tenants abuse and even kill the servants (refuse to listen to the prophets). Finally He send His Son (Jesus) and they killed Him too – a prediction of Jesus’ coming passion and death.

While their response to the servants and the son are extreme, the message is clear! God continues to send us His messengers; He continues to call us to account, to see how well we have been tending the vineyard (keeping the faith). Are we listening? Did we hear the message?

The tenants in the parable give in to envy and resentment, to their worst faults. They think they know better and that they have no need for the landowner, His servants and even His Son. There are plenty of times in our lives when we fall into the same trap. I refuse to listen to the sound advice of others or the message of faith and trust we find in Scriptures! I know what’s best for me! I can do this on my own!

While none of us would go to the extreme violence of the tenants, we do know from experience how destructive and hurtful envy, jealousy and resentment can be. We read it in the news every day. Even in our own family, mom likes you best or you always get the better presents!

During the Season of Lent, God calls us all to pray, to fast, and to give charitably. But most importantly He calls us to reconciliation, to heal those relationships torn apart by jealousy or envy. Whether it’s a good friend, a family member or our God, we need to remind ourselves of the many gifts our Creator has bestowed on us and on others. Be thankful and grateful! Be faithful and forgiving!

March 4, 2021 - 2nd Thursday of Lent

Luke 16:19-31

If I Were A Rich Man…

When we first got married, we lived in a very tiny studio apartment. We used wooden nail kegs as chairs and a cable reel as our table. We made our own Christmas ornaments that first year and still have some of them to this day. We would spend some cold days at the Library because the apartment was too cold. Our one luxury was a sofa sleeper! Were we rich? By any economic standard, definitely not! Were we happy? Absolutely! Granted, we look back on that time with a touch of nostalgia but, all in all, we made do with what we had! We didn’t really focus on what we didn’t have or couldn’t afford! We just made good use of what we had!

The Rich Man in today’s Gospel just doesn’t get it! It’s not that Jesus is condemning everyone who is rich. I think it’s more about what are you doing with what you have! That rich man walks by Lazarus every day but he doesn’t really see him, doesn’t really respond to him in any neighborly way. He had a chance every single day to help him but, no, he ignored him and treated him with contempt. He put his faith and his heart into things of this world – money, possessions, fine clothes – and not on God.

God has granted each and every one of us gifts and talents. Maybe for some of us, that includes a comfortable lifestyle. In any case, God challenges us to make good use of what He has given us. He calls us to really see those around us who are in need and to respond! He calls us to be thankful for what we have and to truly see those in front of us who could benefit from our gifts and talents, to make “good use” of what we have!

Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, who hopes in the Lord!

March 3, 2021 - 2nd Wednesday of Lent

Matthew 20:17-28

Are Ya Listening?

Many years ago, when we were little, my brother, little sister and I would spend a lot of time playing in the woods behind our home. One day, my brother and I decided to play a trick on my sister. I climbed up a tree and, while I was up in the tree, my brother then led my sister away so her back was turned. I proceeded to quickly climb down the tree, lay on the ground, and screamed, making it look like I fell out of the tree. They quickly came running to my body and my brother asked my sister what they should do. She paused for a moment and then said “Let’s just leave him there, cover him up with leaves and leave him there.” Seriously? I immediately jumped up and chased her all the way back to the house. What can I say, we were kids!

But you have to wonder sometimes – how can you miss or completely ignore what is right in front of you! How can you be so blind or in such a state of denial that you are focused on something else?

That is what happens in today’s Gospel. Jesus has just revealed to His disciples that they are going up to Jerusalem where He will be arrested, condemned, mocked, tortured and crucified! No flowery language, no story, just the simple blunt words! You would think they would all be horrified, terrified. And yet the mother of James and John jumps in and asks for a favor for her sons. Can my sons have places of honor in Your kingdom? No signs of sadness at Jesus’ words, no attempt to talk Him out of going to Jerusalem. Blinded by ambition for her sons, she is in complete denial about the meaning of Jesus’ words. You have to wonder about Jesus’ reaction. Were you even listening? Did you hear what I said?

Such a situation, unfortunately, is not foreign to us. Most of us have seen something like this at work. Someone so intent on their own ambition and advancement that they stab others in the back in order to get that promotion or pay raise! So focused on themselves that they refuse to see what is right in front of them! So consumed with ambition, they lose sight of what’s really important.

It is up to Jesus to remind the mother and the disciples that His mission has nothing to do with power or thrones. It is a mission of service to others! It is dedication to a life of sacrifice and denial of self for the love of our neighbor!.

Great Spirit, help me today to treat everyone as if they were You!

March 2, 2021 - 2nd Tuesday of Lent

Matthew 23:1-12

Keeping Up Appearances

Almost exactly 6 years ago, my deacon-to-be classmates and myself gathered together to be fitted for our diaconal vestments. Putting on stoles and dalmatics for essentially the first time was a wonderful and exhilarating experience; there were a lot of smiles that day as well as a bit of parading around, at least at first. But there quickly came a sense of humility as reality began to sink in. We were barely 2 month away from ordination as Permanent Deacons and we were fully aware that it takes so much more than a fancy vestment to make a Deacon!

Unfortunately the Pharisees in today’s Gospel missed that point! They dress for appearances, the bigger the tassels the better, the easier to be seen and admired. Popularity and recognition are more important than service. Looking good rates higher than doing good. Humility is in short supply as they focus on outward appearances instead of what is in their hearts.

And that is the challenge for us today – keeping up appearances is ultimately shallow and unfulfilling. We live to love and serve God and our neighbor.

How we dress matters little! How fancy the clothes, how expensive they were! What really matters is what is going on inside, in our hearts, our soul! How we treat others! How we love our neighbors! How we serve others! How we reach out to those in need!

How we practice what we preach!

Great Spirit, help me to see life today through Your eyes!

March 1, 2021 - 2nd Monday of Lent

Luke 6:36-38

Mercy Me!

If there is one upside to the mess and stress of these last 11 months, it’s that I’ve been able to sharpen and increase my baking skills. Unfortunately my waist-line seems to have also proportionally increased as well; but that’s another story.

With some of my baked items, I’ve had to work with brown sugar. Invariably the recipe calls for me to pour it in, pack it down, and repeat as often as necessary until you get a really full cup of brown sugar. That results in a lot of brown sugar, way more than I could have imagined. You think you know how much you will use and then you get surprised at how much more there is when you keep packing it down.

That’s what today’s Gospel calls to mind when it talks about the mercy of God! We think we know what that means but our vision of mercy falls far short of God’s abundant mercy. He calls us to stop judging, to stop condemning; He calls us to forgive and be merciful. And we will receive the same in abundance!

A good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing,

will be poured into your lap.

For the measure with which you measure

will in return be measured out to you.”

Not a simple cup of mercy, but one packed down, filled and packed over and over again, more than we can possibly imagine! Filled to overflowing! That is His loving gift to us and His command – forgive and you will be forgiven, be merciful and you will receive mercy, in abundance!

February 28, 2021 - 2nd Sunday of Lent

Mark 8:2-10

Climb Every Mountain

Back in high school, the seminary where we lived and studied and prayed was essentially in the middle of nowhere, nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia. And right behind the seminary, about a mile away, was one particular mountain, Tobacco Row Mountain. For all of us, it represented a rite of passage, a coming of age event that tested your physical endurance and patience. On Saturday mornings, you would leave right after breakfast, hike to the mountain base, climb it, come back down and hike back to the seminary. And do it all without being late for 6pm dinner. It was not easy and many never met the challenge. For those of us who did, there was a sense of accomplishment and pride, not to mention that exhilarating view you got when you reached the summit – breathtaking! But you couldn’t stay long; you didn’t want to risk detention by being tardy to dinner.

Mountains! They are a familiar image throughout the Bible. In the Old Testament alone, mountains are mentioned over 500 times. They were considered places where you encountered the divine, where you were able to draw close to God

There was Mt. Ararat where Noah’s ark came to rest and where God made His first covenant.

Mt. Hebron where God makes His covenant with Abraham and where Moses encountered the Lord in the burning bush. Mt. Sinai where Moses met God, received Ten Commandments and his face shone white! Mt. Zion where Solomon built the Temple. The Mount of the Beatitudes on the shores of the Sea of Galilee where Jesus gave us the New Law! The Mount of Olives where Jesus often went to pray. And Mt. Tabor where today’s Gospel takes place!

Even today Mt. Tabor is a very high, extremely steep mountain. Climbing to the top is not a leisurely hike; at times you would using hands and feet to scale to the top. Even if you took a car, the drive is treacherous, windy, a switch-back road with no guard rails and barely enough room for 1 vehicle much less 2-way traffic. Speaking from experience, you are better off riding to the top with your eyes firmly shut! But the view from top – utterly breathtaking. And the church at the summit beautifully takes advantage of the vistas and you really do feel that much closer to the divine!

Peter, James and John certainly had to struggle to reach the top of Mt. Tabor; it was definitely not a walk in the park! And yet what they found at the summit brought such wonder and joy that they wanted to pitch tents and remain there with Jesus, Elijah and Moses. But the Transfiguration lasted only a little while and the Jesus led them back down the mountain, back to the real world. It serves as a foreshadowing of Jesus’ Resurrection but also a reminder of His suffering and death that awaits Him in Jerusalem. And a wake-up call to the Apostles that the future will be difficult and painful but the reward awaits them in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Like the Apostles, we all have mountains to climb……… we all struggle at times in life. Certainly these past 11 months have challenged us, at times caused us to doubt and despair, as we struggle to find a purpose for all that we are going through. It’s hard to see and appreciate the heavenly view at the top of the mountain when our minds are consumed with earthly concerns and worries.

But Scriptures remind us that our citizenship is in heaven, that these frail human bodies will be transformed into glorified bodies, like what Peter James and John see on the mountain top. Those 3 Apostles got a taste of heaven, a glimpse of what awaits us all. The Kingdom of Heaven! And so will we, if we only have the courage, the patience and the faith to climb the mountain!

February 27, 2021 - 1st Saturday of Lent

Matthew 5:43-48

Let Go, Let God!

Love your neighbor! Love everyone! Love your enemies! Sounds easy doesn’t it? Also sounds completely impossible! Treat everyone the same! Treat people the way you want to be treated! It all sounds wonderful until we add in that little word ‘enemy’. Why is that?

Is it just plain stubbornness? I’m not gonna stop hating you til you stop hating me! Almost sounds like the old Life cereal commercial. I’m not going to try it; you try it first! Admit it, we can all be stubborn, refusing to budge. But maybe it goes deeper than human pride. Maybe there is another step as we move toward love of others. And maybe that step is forgiveness.

In order to reach out in love, we also have to let go of perceived offenses, hurts from the past! That guy who cut us off in traffic! That family member who forgot your birthday! Even that friend who treated you like dirt, like you didn’t even exist! What if you turned it around? Haven’t we all done the same to others? Haven’t we all messed up and wanted to be forgiven?

It’s easy to love those who love you back! And the others? Well, not so much! But deep down, we all want to be loved, to be forgiven! Jesus is challenging us in the simplest and the most difficult terms imaginable – treat everyone the way you want to be treated! Love everyone! Forgive everyone! Just as you want to be treated and forgiven! Besides, look at Peter! He denied he even knew Jesus, not once but three times! Thomas refused to believe Jesus had risen from the dead. And yet Jesus welcomed them back as friends, as loved ones.

Let go of the stubbornness; be a bit more patient with yourself and others! Love each other! Forgive your enemies! And forgive yourselves!

February 26, 2021 - 1st Friday of Lent

Matthew 5:20-26

The Damage That Was Done

There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence. The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.

Finally the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper. The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.

The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, “You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won’t matter how many times you say I’m sorry, the wound is still there.”

Jesus, in today’s Gospel, really raises the stakes! It’s not just about avoiding evil. It’s not just about doing good. It’s also about repairing the damage, about mending fences; it’s about reconciliation.

We have all had the experience of carrying a grudge, hanging on to anger and resentment long after the deed was done. We get angry with someone and we end up making them pay for the rest of their life. Little slights evolve into major hurt either for ourselves or the other person. We don’t allow them to forget and we refuse to move on. In the end, we either can’t forgive them or ourselves. In every instance, we become ‘stuck’ and can’t move forward in life.

Some 30 years ago, I lost my best friend. All of a sudden there was no contact, nothing at all. Everything just stopped. To this day, I still don’t know what happened or even whose fault it was or what perceived slight occurred. I let it simmer and bother me for years and it was only a few years ago that I located my friend and reached out. I wrote a letter explaining that I wanted to repair the damage. I explained that I didn’t even remember what we fought about but, if it was in any way my fault, I was sorry and I apologize. I still have not heard back. Sometimes in our lives that happens. But I take some comfort in at least trying to reconcile. The rest is in their hands.

Jesus reminds us today that we must freely give and freely receive forgiveness. We cannot allow something in the past to define or mire us in the past! In this season of Lent, we are called to practices of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. May it also be a time of reconciliation, of mending fences and relationships, of forgiving ourselves and forgiving others!

February 25, 2021 - 1st Thursday of Lent

Matthew 7:7-12

Talk to Me

I wonder how many times, when we were younger, that our parents sat us down for a chat. “Let’s talk! Tell me what’s going on.” And how often have we have done the same with our own kids? Uncomfortable? Sure, but also a sincere attempt to get us to open up and grow our relationship! And that is what is happening in today’s Gospel.

“Ask and it will be given to you;

seek and you will find;

knock and the door will be opened to you.”

We know from experience we don’t always get what we ask for when we pray to God. He does work in mysterious ways, not always responding to us how we want or even when we want. But He does respond. And He does want us to keep knocking on His door.

And it’s not just about asking for something or making a prayer of petition. In simplest terms, God wants us to talk to Him, to have a conversation, to share with Him how we are managing with life! Prayer, quite simply, is conversation with the Creator! And it’s conversation that He welcomes and cherishes! Why? Because God doesn’t just want a chat; He wants a relationship with us! He wants us to develop a relationship with Him, to talk to Him, to confide in Him when life punches us in the gut and even when life fills us with joy.

Imagine that! God really does want to hear about our day! He really wants to have that ‘talk’. He has already said He would answer and listen to us! And all it takes is for us to ask, to look for Him, to knock on His door.

February 24, 2021 - 1st Wednesday of Lent

Luke 11: 29-32

Give Me A Sign

There are some pretty bleak words in today’s Gospel. People complaining to God – give me a sign! An evil generation! Condemnation and judgement! Nations rising up against another! It all seems rather hopeless! Signs are demanded and, when signs are given, they are ignored. It feels almost as if Jesus is speaking directly to us today and His words resonate with all that we are dealing with: political unrest, pandemic, hatred, racial unrest, anger and bitterness, selfishness and a lack of basic kindness. Is it any wonder sometimes that people are demanding a sign from above – show me things will get better! But that demand also displays a certain lack of faith in God, trust that He has a plan and we need a bit of patience and trust!

Maybe what we really need is to flip things around! What if it’s God saying those words! Give me a sign!! Show me that you still trust Me! Show Me a bit of faith and confidence! Show Me that you still believe! Are you still praying? Are you still looking out for your neighbors? Are you still noticing the good in the world and not being overwhelmed by the bad? Are you still hoping that today will be a better day? Do you still see Me and acknowledge My presence in your life? Do you take comfort in the words of Scripture? In the Gospel parables?

Are you still there? Do you still believe in Me? Do you still place your trust in Me? Do you still love Me?

February 23, 2021 - 1st Tuesday of Lent

Matthew 6:7-15

What’s In A Name?

In today’s Gospel, Jesus teaches the disciples and us how to pray. The Jews must have been aghast that Jesus would dare to address God in such intimate terms. Their word for God (YHWH) was so holy, so powerful, that it was never to be spoken aloud. It reflected a relationship between king and subject, between Creator and created, a relationship of reverence and adoration.

Jesus comes along as says to call God “Our Father”. In fact, the Hebrew word “abba” doesn’t mean father; it means ‘daddy’, a child’s word for their parent, a reflection of a very close relationship of love and affection between a child and their parent. All of a sudden, God is not suddenly far off and removed; He is right beside me, holding me in His arms, carrying me, protecting me, letting me ride piggy-back on His shoulders when I am tired.

Growing up, I usually called my dad “Father” as a sign of respect and obedience. Yes, I loved him. But it was only in later years as I matured that we segued to “dad” as our relationship grew stronger and more heart-felt. Just as our greetings shifted from a simple handshake to a hearty bear hug, so too our conversations became more personal and, dare I say, more spiritual.

Jesus reminds us today that Our Father is right beside us, closer than we realize. He loves us and cares for us, just like a father protects his children. He provides us with our daily bread. He shelters us from evil and temptation. He corrects us and forgives us when we go astray. He knows our needs before we even express them.

As we continue in this Lenten Season, let us take the time to talk with Our Father, to seek His counsel, His forgiveness and His comfort!

February 22, 2021 - Feast of the Chair of St. Peter

Matthew 16:13-19

A Chair Full of Memories

My grandfather (Pop Pop) was a master carpenter. Even though he passed away over 30 years ago, many of his family still have hand-crafted examples of his remarkable workmanship – china cabinets, book cases, hutches and dressers. One of the very last projects he completed before he died was to create 3 small simple chairs – one for each of his 3 great-grandchildren. Even today, that chair sits in our dining room. Looking at it, you would probably see just a simple basic child’s chair, a little worn but still sturdy and strong. As for me, I still feel his presence and that simple chair remains a constant reminder of his love and affection for his family and his amazing skill at carpentry.

Whether it’s Pop Pop’s chair or the chair that my dad sat at for family dinners, the same one that I now occupy in his place, chairs have a way of doing that - bringing back memories and emotions!

We celebrate today the Chair of St. Peter, quite unusual really, a feast day for an object and not a person. But this chair means so much more! Literally the Latin word for chair is “cathedra”, where we get the word for cathedral, the church of a bishop. So what we are celebrating today is not so much a physical chair as the symbol of the Pope’s authority – the Chair of St. Peter in the Vatican. It stands as a symbol not of power but of the ministry and care of the Shepherd of Rome! And it is a reminder of the unity of the entire Church under our pastor Pope Francis!

February 21, 2021 - 1st Sunday of Lent

Mark 1:12-15

A Blank Sheet

As most of my former students can attest, my exams and tests were never what you would call normal! I was always looking for a slightly skewed approach that would challenge them to think creatively and re-present the class material in a unique way. So when we gathered for a test on Buddhism, I tried not to disappoint! I handed out a simple blank sheet of paper and gave them this one ‘simple’ direction. Create a poster with the following theme: Everything You Need to Know about Buddhism.

What followed was 45 minutes filled with a furious scribbling of pens, pencils and markers. Most used the entire time period and completely filled their paper with a variety of words and drawings, of terms and symbols related to Buddhism. And all of them completely missed the point! Buddhism has absolutely nothing to do with “knowing”. You can’t actually teach Buddhism; you have to experience it! It’s about living it. It’s about knowing nothing! So what would have been the A+ answer? If they turned in a completely blank sheet of paper! And NO, nobody got it! Oh well! Sometimes a blank slate is a good thing! Sometimes brevity beats long-windedness! And that is what we see in today’s Gospel.

We read the story of Jesus in the desert. But it’s not the story we are used to. Where is the devil? Where are the 3 temptations? Where is Jesus standing on the top of the Temple? Where are the angels ministering to Jesus? What we get from Mark is barely 2 sentences and that’s it!

“The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert, and he remained in the desert for forty days,

tempted by Satan. He was among wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him.”

In spite of that brief story, there are still 2 details worth considering: the number 40 and the desert.

If you think about it, 40 comes up a lot in the Bible: 40 days and nights of rain with Noah, 40 years of wandering in the desert for the Israelites after leaving Egypt, Moses spending 40 days on Mt. Sinai before receiving the Ten Commandments, Jonah warning the people of Nineveh that they have 40 days to repent before God destroys the city, 40 days between Easter Sunday and Ascension Thursday, and, today, Jesus spending 40 days in the desert.

For the Jews, 40 always symbolized a time of transition, a point of passing from one experience to another. Passing from a life of slavery in Egypt to a life of freedom in the Promised Land, passing from a world of sin to a new world with Noah, and Jesus moving from a private life to His public life of preaching and healing. And for us in this season of Lent, moving from 40 days of reflection and repentance to the joy of Easter! A time of transition and a time of change!

And the 2nd detail – the desert

The desert, for the Jews, was a place of trial and testing, a place where the unnecessary elements of one’s life was burned away. It was a place that tested one’s courage and faith. For the faithless, it was a place where one felt forsaken by God, in doubt about what God intended for them, a period of darkness of the soul and abandonment by God.

But for the faithful, it was a place of spiritual cleansing, a place to strip away dependency on material things and focus on one’s relationship with the Creator. A place of prayer, a place to draw closer to God!

That is why so many mystics retreated to the desert in the early Church and why John the Baptist lived such an ascetic life of prayer and fasting in the hills around Qumran in the Judean Desert to before his mission of baptism and repentance of sins. So it’s not that surprising that Jesus goes off into the desert to fast, to pray to His Father and to prepare for His public ministry.

As we continue on this 40 day journey, will it truly be a journey of transition. Will we be any different at the end of 40 days than we were at the beginning? Will we experience any change in our spiritual life at all?

Will we give ourselves the chance to have that desert experience? We all need that time to step aside from all the comforts and luxuries of life, to get back to basics in a sense, and give ourselves the time to revisit and reconnect with our Creator. Will we experience a sort of spiritual cleansing? A chance to get down to basics, to realize what is necessary in our lives and what needs to be discarded.

I pray that these 40 days of Lent provide us all with the opportunity for some positive changes in our life and that we all have a desert experience, to step aside from a life of comfort and everyday life, to cleanse ourselves of unnecessary distractions and to be more focused on our Creator and on our relationship with Him. To start with that blank sheet of paper!

February 20, 2021 - Saturday After Ash Wednesday

Luke 5:27-32

Heal Me!

It’s impossible for me to read today’s Gospel (Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do) and not immediately think about the words of Pope Francis:

“The thing the church needs most today is the ability to heal wounds and to warm the hearts of the faithful; it needs nearness, proximity. I see the church as a field hospital after battle. It is useless to ask a seriously injured person if he has high cholesterol and about the level of his blood sugars! You have to heal his wounds. Then we can talk about everything else. Heal the wounds, heal the wounds. ... And you have to start from the ground up.

“A Big Heart Open to God,” America magazine Sept. 19, 2013.

Just a simple thought today! Aren’t we all sinners? Aren’t we all sick in some way and in need of healing. And for someone who is injured and is suffering, doesn’t the healing need to be on a personal level? When we are sick, don’t we try to sit down one on one with our physician and seek healing and counsel? How much more so then that, when we are sick with worry and in need of forgiveness, we need to encounter God on a personal level!

May this Lenten season of prayer, fasting and almsgiving be an opportunity for us to encounter the Lord and feel His healing touch!

February 19, 2021 - Friday After Ash Wednesday

Matthew 9:14-15

I Give Up!

Back when I was a high school Junior in the seminary, I learned to play bridge and it became an obsession. With 3 of my best friends, we played every chance we could! So it felt appropriate, when Lent rolled around, that we bond together and, as a group, we gave up bridge for Lent. It was painful! So as soon as midnight Easter Vigil services were over, we raced down to the rec room and proceeded to revisit our passion after 40 days of ‘fasting’. We played non-stop for 12 hours!

So what really happened? Yes, it was a painful experience and yes we suffered. But at the end of Lent, what really changed? We went right back to what we were doing beforehand! Did it matter? Did we change at all? Did we grow at all?

There must be more about fasting, about giving up something, than just the pain and sacrifice! Shouldn’t there be a change in the person, something that lasts beyond 40 days? Shouldn’t it be more than just to develop an appreciation of whatever it was we gave up?

Maybe it’s about giving up something I ‘think’ is important and then realizing it isn’t! Maybe it’s about learning what things, what habits, I need to permanently let go of! And maybe we fast in order to become a better person, better neighbor, better child of God, more loving and more forgiving! Maybe fasting is about increasing our spiritual health and losing many of the earthly distractions that make us feel comfortable.

Today’s Gospel speaks about fasting but Jesus links it with the joy of a wedding feast. Maybe that’s it. Maybe it’s about letting go and giving up, of sacrifice and a bit of pain, but only in anticipation of the joy to come! What meaning can Lent really have without the joy of Easter!

February 18, 2021 - Thursday After Ash Wednesday

Luke 9:22-25

Choose!

We all have our crosses to bear! Some are health-related; some deal with family or job issues! We all carry a number of crosses or burdens daily. Many of them we never asked for; honestly, many of them we complain about on a daily basis. Some days our crosses are heavier than others. Some days we stumble from their weight and feel like giving up. And some days we feel like we are carrying multiple crosses. Some days they make us angry, resentful, confused and exhausted. Some days we get impatient or resigned!

What Jesus is reminding us in today’s Gospel is that, if we want to follow Him, if we want to be His disciple, we must take up the cross! We must CHOOSE to take up the cross daily! We must be willing to accept the burden as we journey toward eternal life. Will that be easy? Of course not! We will trip and fall some days! We will sometimes feel overwhelmed by the weight! We will sometimes feel like giving up. But remember that on the way to Golgotha, even Jesus was not alone. Simon of Cyrene helped to carry His cross.

And so too we need to remember that we are not alone. Jesus is there to help us and encourage us. So over the course of these next six weeks or so, let us take the time to make a deliberate choice. Take up the cross! Accept the burden! Pray for strength and courage when we fall! And know that Jesus is there to help us back on our feet and to walk beside us always!

February 17, 2021 - Ash Wednesday

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

Stop Lights!

Years ago I was driving around with my two (little at the time) grandsons! And as I’m driving, I see an opportunity to teach them a bit about driving and cars and traffic. So as we are going! along, I ask them to point out to me a traffic light! And they did. And then I asked them – so what does RED mean? Nate, my youngest, piped up – that means STOP! Good! Then what does GREEN mean? Tyler, my olderst, answers – that means GO! So then what does YELLOW mean? Nate immediately jumps in – YELLOW mean GO FASTER! I guess I needed to rethink my driving skills much less respect how much kids pay attention to things!

Ash Wednesday – and so it begins, our Lenten journey, 40 days where we spiritually travel with Jesus to Jerusalem, to Calvary, and to the Cross. Along the road, today’s Gospel reminds us to focus on 3 spiritual disciplines – prayer, fasting and almsgiving!

And believe it or not, I think a stop light provides us a simple example of how to make this Lenten journey.

YELLOW – in spite of what Nate said, yellow reminds us to slow down! We all lead busy lives; we all need to tap the brakes a bit and not rush so much! And that is what prayer is all about – slowing down our hectic lives and making time for our prayer life, to talk to God and to listen to Him. Lent is about deepening our prayer life!

RED – STOP! Lent is a time for us to step back and consciously stop some of the things we normally do! Give something up! Let something go! Stop some of the habits and activities we think are so important, so vital and realize that they aren’t as critical as we thought. Think of it as a kind of spiritual spring cleaning – stopping some of the habits that prevent us from drawing closer to God. Lent is about Fasting – stopping! letting go!

GREEN – GO! Do something! Lent is not just about giving up or fasting. We are called to be active, to move, to go outside ourselves! Give to others! That is what almsgiving is all about. Stepping outside of our comfort zone and moving forward in our spiritual life.

Let’s be clear though! We should be following these spiritual exercises all the time. During Lent we are called to deepen these practices. To pray more! To let go more! To give more! And in the process, we deepen and enrich our relationships!

In prayer, we deepen our relationship with God

In fasting, we deepen our relationship with ourselves

And in almsgiving, we deepen our relationship with others!

For many of us, ashes on our forehead has been a visible sign of our Lenten journey and our Christian faith. This year, for most of us, out of concern for Covid, ashes will be sprinkled on the top of our heads. The visible sign of the cross is not present. How then will anyone recognize us as Christian? How will anyone appreciate that we treasure our Faith? Perhaps this year we have the opportunity to show our Faith by our words and our actions! To live out our Christian beliefs, to be a visible sign of God’s command to love God and love our neighbor.

And that is what Lent is all about – our need to stop, slow down and move forward! To not just profess our faith but live it out in our daily lives.