Deacon Wadas Homily January 21/22, 2012     Click here for a printable PDF version

It was for 70 plus years that Christians in the Soviet Union suffered persecution. Thousands of churches were closed, controlled or converted to other than religious uses. Then suddenly change transformed the spiritual climate of the Marxist country almost faster than the news media could cover it. I remember an article in the USA Today that reported that the Russian Orthodox Church has requested 20 million Bibles for the Soviet Union’s 60 – 100 million Christians. A study had been authorized to develop a value system to replace the ousted god of Marxism. The basis of the study was to be the 10 Commandments.

The atheist Madalyn O’Hare who promoted the removal of prayer from schools in the U.S. was at a Moscow book fair trying to sell her book at the time and she was by passed as multitudes lined up for Christian and Jewish literature. Change is wonderful! Especially when it happens to someone else.

What about change that might affect us?

Fact: One-fourth of the children in the United States live below the poverty level. What economic or educational changes would we be willing to undergo to alter that tragic figure?

Fact: Racial discrimination still lingers in the workplace and in our neighborhoods. What deep seated attitudes are we willing to acknowledge and discard in order to be a part of the solution to this ancient social ailment?

Yes, change is wonderful, but it is more difficult when we need to change.

All three of today’s readings seem to shout, "CHANGE!"

Unfortunately, the large fish associated with Jonah has become the star of the account. We focus on it and fail to see Jonah’s resistance to changing his prejudice. He knows the Ninevites are sinners. He believes they are unworthy of God’s message and mercy. His mind is made up. He doesn’t want to be a part of change.

Paul calls for change now because the world is changing rapidly. Any reliance on what is not of God is to be changed. Security is to rest solely with God.

In the Gospel Jesus appears in Galilee shortly after John is arrested. At this sad time in His life He preaches change. People are to change their lives and believe in the Good News. Some changes are dramatic. He even calls some to change their life work to follow Him.

Change! Change! Change! It echoes through the Scriptures.

And yet change is not a simple process.

----- Change is challenging. It requires a new look at old issues.

----- Change is exhausting. Effort is demanded to weed out old habits and plant new ones.

----- Change is threatening. There are those who will oppose us in our attempts to change.

----- Change is painful. Change may mean leaving behind ideas, behaviors, and maybe even people who have been close to us for a long time.

----- Change is humiliating. In order to change we will have to sacrifice comfortable old ideas.

Despite all these seemingly negative aspects, change is the way of reform to which Jesus points us if we are to believe the Good News. Change has many positive qualities that outweigh the negative.

----- Change stimulates us to become the individuals God has created us to be. Change is no companion to complacency.

----- While change requires much effort, the continued exercising of the process of change will build up our endurance.

----- Growth implies pain. As in any physical exercise, we experience some pain as we stretch and reach for new goals in our spiritual lives.

----- While change is humiliating, we come to realize that humility is essential to the Christian life.

Where life exists, change is inevitable. So make a friend of it!

a) Most change is seen as a loss. If we stop to be concerned about what we have given up and concentrate on what is being added to our life, we are well on the way to a deeper faith in the Good News.

b) Change becomes a friend that accompanies us on our daily journey, a journey that brings us closer to God.

c) Change is not to be sought for its own sake, but for leading us to believe the Gospel.

In a few moments we will say our "Amen" to an amazing change --- that of the transformation of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus. Our "Amen" acknowledges our willingness to allow the transforming Spirit of Jesus to enter into our lives and reform them, in other words to change us.

**********************************************************************************************************************************

Deacon Wadas Homily November 20, 2011     Click here for a printable PDF version

Each year, on the last Sunday of the Church calendar, we celebrate Christ the King, a day on which we are called to reflect on what it means for us to consider our Savior as our King. Kingship, of course, doesn’t mean only one thing and therefore can’t really be over simplified. It has many sides and meanings, many aspects and dimensions. And the idea of kingship itself has somewhat changed over the years, especially in the last century when many countries abandoned their monarchies. Yet, we don’t have to pull a definition of "king" out of the air. We have been provided each year with particular readings as our lens, that help us reflect on a given aspect of our belief of Jesus as our King.

Today we are asked to consider the image of Jesus sitting on His throne, with all His angels at His side. And as He sits there in all His glory, this King has only one thing on His mind --- judging the living and the dead. It’s interesting to note that when many of us say that phrase in the creed, we do it without giving it much thought. But when we hear it said in another context, we can often get a chill, as we contemplate our own mortality and take an account of our lives. Most of us probably don’t like the idea of being judged and maybe even have some difficulty reconciling a Last Judgment with a GOD Who is Love. Yet this has been a teaching of the Church since its beginning, and seems to be a logical consequence of our freedom. If we are free to choose GOD, we must be free to reject Him. If we are free to receive His grace, we must be free to sort of hold it at bay. If we are free to dine at the Banquet in Heaven, we must be free to reject the invitation. Freedom, which is likely one of our most precious gifts, and one which conforms us to the GOD who fashioned us, in His own likeness, is a gift which we can always misuse. We only have to consider the story of Adam and Eve and the Fall to realize that.

While I imagine that most of us approach the idea of GOD judging us with some trepidation, my guess is that the more we reflect upon it, the more we are able to be at peace with it.

The reason is simple.

Most of us haven’t done too many terrible things. Most of us are not murderers.

Most of us don’t go through life trying to inflict pain and misery on others.

And we don’t wake up every morning asking ourselves, "I wonder what helpless person I can rip-off today?" the truth is, our failings [for the most part] hurt people in small ways, in ways that likely don’t severely damage our relationship with GOD.

And so I imagine that many of us are confident enough of GOD’s love and mercy, and confident enough, of our conduct in this life, to NOT really feel that we have too much to worry about.

Then we get a Gospel passage such as the one we heard proclaimed, the story about the Son of Man separating the sheep from the goats. The first half isn’t the problem. Do good things and good things will happen, that seems to be the message --- not that we are able to earn our way into Heaven. That’s not possible. However, the good that we do does provide some evidence of our openness to GOD’s grace, some outward evidence that we are responding to the GOD dwelling within us and that we are trying to take our discipleship seriously. When we measure ourselves this way, most of us probably measure up to some degree that is reasonable.

It’s the second half that is the problem --- because when we measure ourselves against this standard, many of us [myself included] fall far short. I know that I can often be a little like those in the story asking, "When did I see you hungry, thirsty, naked, ill, or in prison and not help you?" You see there is a part of me that can very easily see the merit in the good things that I do, but also part of me that has a hard time seeing the sinfulness of the things I don’t do. The "sins of omission" that Sr. Cunegunda taught me as a child. Why --- I even include it as part of my Act of Contrition.

I clearly understand the value of doing good things, but don’t assign the same opposite value when thinking about the missed opportunities in my life. The times when GOD presents me with an opportunity to make a difference [even a small one] and I choose to look the other way.

The fact that I don’t see "sins of commission" and "sins of omission’ in the same way, probably means that I am failing most in my spiritual life in the things I am not doing. And so maybe today is a wake-up call that I need, that blast of cold air that will sober me up to the deepest realities of who I am as a child of GOD and as a disciple of Jesus.

It’s as if GOD is trying to tell us today, "Don’t kid yourselves, doing a few good things does not mean that you are living as I created you to be [and died for you to be.] Being "fully human" and "fully alive" is much more than that. I want more for you, and the world needs more from you. Are you willing to give Me everything you have, everything I have given you?"

Today another Church year comes to a close. It provides us with the perfect opportunity to look back over the past 12 months and examine not only the good and bad we have done but especially the opportunities that passed us by.

Who needed me this past year, yet didn’t receive the love that they longed for and deserved?

Who in my life was sad or lonely, yet got no comfort from me?

Who in my life hungered for a little attention and affirmation, yet instead received indifference, apathy and disregard?

Who cried out to anyone who would listen only to have their pleas fall on deaf ears?

Who stood in plain view of me, in need of so many things --- and yet whom I treated as practically invisible?

We cannot underestimate the seriousness of helping when a opportunity presents itself. Today’s readings make that perfectly clear. But we should also never underestimate GOD’s great love and mercy – a love that knows no bounds and the infinite mercy that our GOD is willing to shower upon us every time we stumble, every time we fail, every time we sin.

So as we honestly examine our faithfulness [or the lack of] over the past year, let us be sure to sincerely and humbly ask for GOD’s forgiveness, believe that it is so, and pledge to make whatever changes need to be made in order to conform our lives more perfectly to that of our Christ the King.

**************************************************************************************************************

Deacon Wadas Homily August 21, 2011     Click here for a printable PDF version

The next time you are looking for a good book to read, go to the library. But don’t go to the adult section of the library. Go to the children’s section. There you’ll find a book written by Susan Balika and Craig Boldman. I won’t tell you the title of the book because that would give my story away.

The book is about a little boy, whom we’ll call Bobby.

Bobby tells us about his four best friends.

First, there’s Jimmy. Jimmy and Bobby go on imaginary trips to the moon. But sometimes Jimmy visits his grandmother and leaves Bobby all alone. This makes Bobby very sad.

Second, there’s Jamie. Jamie and Bobby used to color pictures and tape them on the refrigerator door for everyone to see. But recently Jamie moved and Bobby misses her very much.

Third, there’s David, David and Bobby spend hours together building houses out of wooden blocks. There’s only one problem. Sometimes they fight and David goes home leaving Bobby all alone.

Finally, there’s Bobby’s best friend. This friend never leaves him. He never moves to a different city. He never gets mad and goes home. He always stays at Bobby’s side. For example, in summer they lie on the grass together and discuss where clouds come from. In winter they slide down hills together on a sled in the crunchy white snow.

By now you are probably wondering who Bobby’s special friend is. To learn who it is, you have to turn to the last page in the book. There you will find a picture of Bobby’s special friend. It’s Jesus. The book ends with Bobby asking the question of the reader: "Do you know my special friend, Jesus?"

I like that story because it leaves the reader with the same important question that Jesus leaves His hearers with in today’s Gospel: "Who do you say that I am?"

Bobby answered Jesus’ question by saying: "You are my special friend. You never leave me. You never move to another city. You never get mad and go home, even when I do something wrong. You stay at my side no matter what happens. You are always there to help me."

This brings us back to the important question that Bobby asks at the end of the book: "Do you know my special friend, Jesus?" It leaves us with the important question that Jesus asks us in today’s Gospel: "Who do you say that I am?"

If we have trouble answering Bobby’s question or if we have trouble answering Jesus’ question then maybe Jesus is speaking to us in a special way in today’s Scripture readings.

Maybe He’s inviting us to get to know Him better. Maybe He’s inviting us to get better acquainted with Him. Maybe He’s inviting us to enter into a special friendship with Him.

When we want to get to know someone better, when we want to enter into a special relationship with someone we arrange to meet that person. We schedule specific times and specific places to be with him or her. Well, the same procedure holds if we want to get to know Jesus better. We arrange to meet and talk with Him on a regular basis. We schedule specific times and places to be with Him.

We call these meetings daily prayer.

Daily prayer is simply taking time out of our schedule on a regular basis to meet with Jesus and get to know Him better. It is simply setting up a priority where we set aside some time each day to become better acquainted with Jesus.

In his book Hungry for GOD, Ralph Martin writes:

"A real estate man I know gets up early in the morning to pray; an aerospace engineer prays and reads the Scripture on his lunch hour; a production manager of a computing firm prays after his children are in bed at night."

Martin goes on to say that the demands of modern life are such that if we don’t have a schedule for prayer we probably won’t pray. When something becomes important to us, we don’t leave it to chance. We schedule it right into our day.

The same is true if we want to get to know Jesus better. Unless there is a commitment to fixed times of prayer, we probably won’t pray. That is just the way we humans are made.

This brings us back to the original question that Bobby asked us at the end of the book. "Do you know my special friend, Jesus?" if our answer to Bobby’s question is "Not as much as I would like to know Him." Then just maybe Jesus is speaking to us today through the Scripture Readings.

Maybe He is inviting us to take time out of our busy schedule to meet Him on a daily basis to get to know Him better.

Maybe He is inviting us to begin spending a few minutes each evening reviewing our day with Him and asking Him want He thinks of it.

Maybe He is inviting us to begin spending a few minutes each evening speaking to Him about our hopes, our dreams, our doubts, and our problems.

Maybe He is inviting us to begin a practice of meeting with Him daily in prayer.

Maybe He is inviting us to discover what little Bobby discovered.

Maybe He is inviting us to discover that He is indeed "our special friend," just waiting to enrich our lives in ways that we never dreamed to be possible.

******************************************************************************************

Deacon Wadas Homily July 24, 2011  Click here for a printable PDF version

When I was cleaning out some old magazines, I came across a story about teenagers who belong to a Santa Clara Swimming Club. Every morning, they get up at 5:30 and hurry through the chilly air to an outdoor pool. There they swim for two solid hours. After a shower and a quick bite to eat, they hurry off to school. After school, they return to the pool to swim for two more hours. At 5 P.M. they hurry home, hit the school books, eat a late supper and fall into bed exhausted. The next morning, the alarm rings and they start the whole thing all over again.

When asked why she follows such a disciplined schedule, one girl said, "My only goal is to make the Olympic Team. If going to parties hurts that, then why go? There is no such thing as too much work. The more miles I swim, the better. Sacrifice is the thing."

Had Jesus lived now, rather than 30 A.D. Today’s Gospel might have been very different. Rather than talk about a pearl merchant who sacrificed all to buy a dream pearl or a farmer who sold all to buy a field with a treasure in it. Jesus might have talked about a Santa Clara swimmer who sacrificed all to make the Olympic Team. Why? What connection is there between a pearl merchant, a treasure seeker and a Santa Clara swimmer? What do these three people have in common?

One thing they have in common is their total commitment to a dream. All three are willing to sacrifice everything for a goal that they have set for themselves. In the case of the pearl merchant, it is to obtain the perfect pearl. For the treasure seeker, it is to obtain a rare treasure. And in the case of the swimmer, it is to make the Olympic Team.

This leads us to the point Jesus wishes to make for us in today’s Gospel. The point is this --- Citizenship in the City of GOD involves total commitment on our part. We cannot pursue it as we do a part time job. We cannot work at it as we do a hobby. We must give ourselves to it 100%. We must make it a top priority in our lives.

Being a Christian is like being a pearl merchant.
Being a Christian is like being a treasure seeker.
Being a Christian is like being a Santa Clara swimmer.

It involves total dedication and commitment. But there is one big difference between a Christian and the other three. St. Paul refers to it in the Letter to the Corinthians, "Every athlete in training has disciplined himself for a crown that will not last, but we do it for one that will last forever."

That is the difference, the pearl, the treasure and the Olympic medal are all perishable. At the moment of death there is only one thing that counts – it is not whether in life we acquired a prize pearl, a rare treasure or a gold medal. The only thing that will matter is what we have become in the process of trying to seek the pearl, acquire the treasure or win the medal.

Back in the 50’s when I was still in high school, we had just celebrated Mass in preparation for our school’s participation in the Pennsylvania State Basketball Tournament. During the homily,

Msgr. Losniecki said that 10 years from now the important thing about our basketball season will not be whether or not we have become the state champs. The important thing will be what we became in the process of trying to win the title.

Did we become better human beings?
Did we become more loving?
Did we become more loyal to one another?
Did we become more committed?
Did we grow?

That afternoon at a pep rally the coach got up and said, "Msgr this morning said something at Mass that is bothering me. I wonder what I have helped you become in the process of trying to put together a winning season.

Did you become better human beings?
Did you become more loving?
Did you become more loyal to one another?
Did you become more committed?
Did you grow as a person?

If you did, then regardless of what we do in the State Tournament, we are already a success. If you did not, then we have failed GOD, we have failed our school and we have failed one another.

I hope to GOD we have not failed.
I pray to God we have not failed."

Today’s Gospel makes this terribly important point --- Nothing in the world may take priority over GOD’s Kingdom and our pursuit of it.
Today’s Gospel tells us that what counts when we die is not what we have acquired in life but what we have become.

Did we learn to love one another?
Did we learn to forgive one another?
Did we learn to help the poor and needy?
Did we learn to encourage the fainthearted?
Did we walk the second mile?
Did we welcome the alien?
Did we turn the other cheek?
Did we learn to become more committed and loyal to GOD and one another?

I hope to GOD we have.
I pray to GOD we have.

Because if we haven’t we have failed GOD, we have failed our family and our friends. And we have failed ourselves.

May the Lord give us the commitment of a Santa Clara swimmer who works tirelessly to get on the Olympic Team.
May He give us the commitment of the treasure seeker, who sold everything he had to buy the field.
And may the Lord give us the commitment of the merchant who spent his whole life in search of the perfect pearl.
If they are willing to sacrifice so much for a prize that will perish --- how much more ought we be willing to sacrifice for a prize that will last forever.

**********************************************************************************************

Deacon Wadas Homily Feb 20, 2011

Today’s Readings are challenging us to stretch ourselves to our Christian limits, to try the impossible, and to walk a mile in the other person’s shoes.

As a Korean War veteran I would like to share a story about radical, forgiving love. During the Korean War, a South Korean Christian was arrested by the Communists and ordered to be shot. When the young Communist leader learned that the prisoner was in charge of an orphanage, caring for small children, he decided to spare him and kill the civilian’s son. He took the 19 y/o son and shot him in front of his father.

Later, the fortunes of war changed and the same young Communist leader was captured by the U.N. Forces, was tried, and condemned to death. Before the sentence could be carried out, the Christian whose son had been killed by him, came and pleaded for the life of the killer. He declared that this Communist was young, he really didn’t know what he was doing. The Christian said, "Give him to me and I will work with him."

The U.N. Forces granted the request and the father took the murderer of his boy into his own home and cared for him. Today that young man, formerly a Communist, is a Catholic priest. This is the power of forgiving love that can only be described as radical and impossible love which perhaps only a few have achieved.

And then when we look at the Crucifix, what do you think about? Some of us probably think about the suffering Jesus endured at the hands of the Romans. Others among us might wonder how something so unjust could have happened. A few of us might try to imagine what was going through Jesus’ mind in His last few hours. More than a few of us would probably feel a great deal of humility and gratitude as we reflected on Jesus Who did this for you and me, and reconciling the whole world to the Father. And if we took the time to look at the Crucifix long enough, we would

eventually start thinking of the Resurrection, our Lord’s triumph over sin and death and the hope that each of us will live forever in the loving arms of God. For the Christian, the cross always points to the first Easter morning. For me, as I wonder about this profound mystery, I can’t help but be amazed by the power of love.

The "Power of Love." It can sound sort of trite --- however it is anything but. The Power of Love. For that is really what is on display as we look at the Crucifix and contemplate the Lord’s saving act on our behalf. His courage, perseverance, fidelity to the Father, His forgiving heart --- all that can be summed up by the word "love." I am thinking of that passage from the 1st Letter of John, "God is love, and whoever remains in love, remains in God and God in him."

Jesus did one thing during His time on Earth --- LOVE --- continually and generously, without counting the cost. And He invites you and me to do the same: "But I say to you, love your enemies…"

And that’s where it gets a little tricky. Not that we don’t want to love. The reality is, at times it’s one of the easiest things we ever do. Think about romantic love; the love two people feel for one another in those early stages of a relationship [sometimes we call it "puppy love"]. That kind of love seems to take no effort at all. When we are in that stage, we do just about anything for the other person without batting an eye. In fact, there’s nothing that brings us more joy then to be there for our girlfriend or boyfriend. Love, difficult? Not during those times.

If only that would last. But we know from experience that almost always those sorts of feelings begin to wane as real life responsibilities and decision-making begin to creep in, then the loving part is not so easy. Our love begins to get tested in ways that it hadn’t before. Some relationships survive that necessary transition and others do not. What we thought was unconditional love on our part, was nothing of the sort. Sometimes

relationships take more than we think we are able to give. Loving may be easy for us some of the time, but usually it’s the most challenging thing we are ever asked to do.

And so we take the easier way out, by choosing not to love when things get tough, when our buttons get pushed, when our hearts get bruised, or when our hopes get dashed. As a result, if someone hurts us, we hurt them back. If they take something of ours, we take something of theirs. If they gossip about us, we gossip about them. If they caused us grief or heartache, or disappointment, we look for ways to do the same. We seem to continually answer evil with evil and expect evil to go away. And all we are left with is evil times two.

Do we really believe in the "power of love."

Believing in the power of love takes faith. Believing that the greatest power ever unleashed on the world was only made possible by the unwillingness of Jesus to answer violence with violence, hate with hate, that takes a great deal of hope and trust in what is possible. In faith, we believe that love doesn’t eliminate evil, it renders it powerless and not just for Jesus, not just for a few, but for all who are willing to place no limits on where, when or whom they will love.

I hope you are not sitting there thinking that I am somewhere in La-La Land, someone who is not grounded in reality. Yet, believing that goodness doesn’t have the power to transform the world that is an illusion, that is a lie. Believing that we can treat others as they treat us and expect the world to change, or them to change, is what guarantees that many behaviors and attitudes will simply get perpetuated from person to person, from generation to generation. We can’t expect the world to change if we ourselves are unwilling to.

The greatest impact we can have on the world is likely to occur precisely when we choose to love during those times when we least want to, when it feels nearly impossible, those times when we just can’t wait to get even. Thank goodness our God doesn’t treat us that way. Is it too much for Him to ask of us?

Love has no limits. We only need to look at the Crucifix to realize that truth. But the power of love also has no limits --- the ability to transform, the ability to reconcile, the ability to heal wounds, the ability to change hearts --- you name it. It’s all possible because of the power to love. And it is only limited by our unwillingness, our reluctance, our hardened hearts --- you name it.

Today each of us is being asked if we still believe in that power, not sometimes but always; if we are willing to choose to love in the most difficult of circumstances, thereby doing our part to help bring about a world as God created it to be.

Jesus showed us what is possible when we love unconditionally. Does He have our attention? Are we really buying what He is selling? Can we truly love our enemies?

I hope and pray that I can. I hope and pray that this faith community can.

Let’s all pray that it become a reality.

******************************************************************************			

Deacon Wadas Homily Dec 26 2010

Two stories.

The first --- A man realizes a family member is in danger. At risk to his own safety and comfort, he makes a lengthy and dangerous trip to make sure nothing happens. He waits until the danger has passed before returning to his former home. His motive was, wanting to do right by his family.

The second story --- a 73 year old man has been estranged from a 75 year old family member for years. When he finds out that the family member is ill. He makes a long and potentially dangerous trip to reconcile with him, even though he himself is not well. His motive was exactly the same, he simply wanted to do the right thing by his family.

The 1st story we know well. At least we should, since we just heard it proclaimed from the Gospel of Matthew. Sometimes it’s called "The Flight to Egypt," it has often been depicted in art. I don’t think that we realize just how dramatic this story is. Let’s think about it for a moment. Jesus had just been born, maybe just a few days or a few weeks prior. And what does Joseph do when he hears that his foster Son might be in danger? He picks up and makes a very long journey in order to protect Him. Now remember, travel in those days was immensely difficult. There weren’t always good roads to walk on. Nor were there always animals to ride. And on top of that there was always danger of being robbed, injured or killed by strangers along the way. To do what Joseph and Mary did on behalf of their Son required a great deal of courage and trust.

The 2nd story is one you may or may not have heard of. It is a true story, and was made into a movie in 1999 [called "The Straight Story"]. In this story, Alvin Straight travels from Laurens, Iowa to Mt. Zion, Wisconsin in the hope of making up with his brother after years of no contact. They had had some sort of falling out some years before. While that seems like a nice story, it doesn’t seem that remarkable. I did leave out a small detail. You see, Alvin didn’t have a driver’s license, and so he chose to travel those several hundred miles driving a lawn mower. This elderly sick man climbed aboard a riding mower and painstakingly made his way, mile by mile, week by week, until he reached his brother [who didn’t even know he was coming]. And of course, Alvin had no idea how his meeting with his brother would turn out. He simply wanted to make things right. And like Joseph and Mary, this trip also took a tremendous amount of courage and trust.

Today we are celebrating the feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. And we are invited to look to the Holy Family for strength, guidance and inspiration. There is much we can learn from the love and fidelity that they showed each other in the few stories we know from Scripture. The Holy Family may be one of a kind, but that doesn’t mean we have nothing in common with them --- the struggles, the uncertainties, the joys and the sorrows. We may have more in common with them than we think. But today, on this Sunday, we are asked to look at the Holy Family through this particular story, one in which they go to great lengths to protect Jesus.

I’d like to think that Alvin Straight’s story is an unusual one. And in regard to his mode of transportation, it certainly is. But unfortunately, his estrangement from his brother is not. We know all too well that family life can be difficult. Some of that has to do with the fact that most of our family relationships do not arise through our own choices. We choose our friends, but not usually our family members. Marriage is an obvious exception. Yet, marriage and parent-child relationships have their own unique challenges. Needless to say, maintaining healthy family relationships through the complexities and the uncertainties of life can be a near impossibility.

And so, families often become fractured. Resentment and grudges can build up over time. Small problems become big problems. Innocuous comments get perceived as deliberate barbs. Innocent oversights become intentional slights. Behavior seen as favoritism opens deep wounds, and uneven responsibilities drive wedges between people. And before you know it, relationships that once were healthy, loving and strong, become weak, fragile or even nonexistent.

And the distance between family members grows. And so what are we to do about it? What can this holy day teach us? What can the Holy Family show us? That’s where this Gospel story and that of the Straight brothers become so important. And if we use the flight to Egypt as our lens, one thing becomes very clear. No distance is too far and no trip too dangerous to do right by our families --- to provide safety for someone who needs our protection, to care for someone who is having trouble caring for themselves, to encourage those who have lost heart, to forgive those who have wronged us, or to reconcile with those from whom we have drifted apart. And this does not depend on what the other person does or how they respond to our efforts. That is out of our control. But the decision to go the extra mile, to cross whatever desert needs to be crossed, is ours and ours alone --- yours and mine.

Of course, this distance that needs to be traveled, this chasm that often needs to be crossed, this journey that needs to be taken is most often an emotional and spiritual one, requiring that we step out in faith just as Joseph, Mary and Alvin Straight did --- filled with courage and hope --- trusting that doing right by one another is always the right thing to do, the important thing to do, the holy thing to do.

Where is the brokenness in our families? Which relationships are having the most difficulties? Which are suffering under the greatest strain? Which are going to require that you travel the furthest? Which will require you to love the most, the deepest, unconditionally?

Today, let’s believe deep in our hearts that healing our family relationships is truly possible. And we ask for the prayers of Mary and Joseph this day, that we may follow their example, and that of Alvin Straight, and journey in faith to make things right, day after day, no matter how long it takes or how far we must travel.

 

Deacon Wadas' Homily of August 22, 2010

There are four little words in the English language that no one wants to hear either when they are dating or married. In fact, I’d bet that most men and women in relationships simply dread them. And the reason is very simple --- they usually signal that something bad is going to happen. And when we hear them, our hearts just sink. You know what those four words are:

"We need to talk."

Am I right? Aren’t those the words that strike fear in our hearts? After all, they are usually followed by a break-up of some sort --- someone either about to end a relationship completely, or needing more space, or wanting to see other people. It is my experience, that not much good comes about after those words are spoken. And this is because they usually catch the person off-guard. He or she is often completely surprised. "I didn’t even know there was a problem," we often think to ourselves.

"I didn’t even know there was a problem." Many of us probably have felt that way one time or another. But think for a moment --- how is that possible? How is it that one person in a relationship can be convinced that things are going badly and the other person feel that things are totally fine? How can two intelligent people be on completely different wavelengths, have significantly different assessments of the same situation? My guess is that, when that happens, when someone doesn’t see the break-up coming, the person on the receiving end just hasn’t been paying close enough attention, has grown complacent in the relationship. And as we all know, that simply always ends badly.

That same sort of complacency can not only tear down romantic bonds, but also our friendships, our families, and most importantly, as we just heard proclaimed in the Gospel from Luke, our relationship with GOD. Someone asks Jesus, "Lord, will only a few people be saved?" He responds,

"Strive to enter through the narrow gate."

It’s funny how people from two thousand years ago are so similar to us today. That truly amazes me. When that person in the story asked Jesus the question --- "Lord will only a few people be saved?" he or she probably wasn’t asking because of a concern for the well-being of others, or even out of a kind of odd curiosity. My gut feeling is that the person most likely just wanted to know something that, quite honestly, most of us would want to know. "What are my odds?" Or put a few other ways, "How much attention should I give this? How much work should I put into it? Is this something I should be worried about?’

And Jesus refused to play the game. After all, he’s more than wise enough to know that sometimes our spiritual life can be a slippery slope. Complacency can yield some pretty unhealthy results. For example, as soon as we are sure that everything’s right with GOD, we can be pretty sure it isn’t. And when we are convinced that nothing in us needs to change, we couldn’t be more wrong. When we are focused on how others are leading their lives, while not paying attention to our own, we can be certain that we have wandered off the path. And when we’ve stopped wondering how to draw closer to GOD, there is no doubt that we have already started to drift away. And so Jesus, who is always loving us and watching out for us, tells us.

"Strive to enter the narrow gate."

There’s a real danger in misinterpreting these words. It can be a very easy thing to do. And if we are not careful, we may see our life with GOD as something we have to earn. In faith, we believe that nothing could be further from the truth. Life with GOD for all eternity has been won for us by Jesus. And our rising to new life in Him is purely a gift. For that, we are eternally grateful, because in our heart of hearts we know that we don’t deserve it.

Therefore, when we hear the Lord Jesus affirming "strive" to enter the narrow gate, it might be helpful to also think of some other words such as attentiveness, intentionality, cooperation, steadfastness, and an undivided heart --- for as we are well aware, GOD won’t force it to happen, nor will it happen by accident. GOD always respects our freedom. And so receiving the gift is, to a great extent, up to us. We need to remain vigilant and alert, have our eyes fixed firmly on Jesus, knowing that spiritually there is no safer place to be.

And we don’t do this to prove something to GOD, or to pass some kind of test. Nor is our spiritual life a task that has to be accomplished. We do it --- strive to enter the narrow gate --- to allow us to be transformed, to enable us to be empowered by GOD to begin truly living as He created us to be and died for us to be. Our "striving" is what opens our hearts and minds to all that GOD is offering --- a life with, for and in Him. In fact, our ability to strive is a gift in itself, one which makes sure we are not growing complacent or taking anything for granted.

And so. "Lord, will only a few people be saved?" seems to me to be a misguided question, for it suggests that each of us should simply be concerned with doing the minimum in our spiritual lives. GOD, however, is a GOD of abundance, ONE Who wants the fullness of life for each of us. He knows what is possible for us and all those we touch. And He never wants us to set our sights too low, never wants us to be less than we are called to be.

And so, let’s pledge to always keep striving in our spiritual lives, to keep asking the big questions, to never take a break from our journey of faith and to continually enter deeper into these sacred mysteries. And let us start by simply bringing all of our needs, wants, and concerns to prayer this day, trusting that GOD, unlike us, doesn’t fear those same four little words. "GOD, we need to talk."

********************************************************

Deacon Wadas Homily - June 13/14, 2009

I imagine that most, if not all of us, remember our First Holy Communion. You do, don’t you?

For me, it was a special day, May 14, 1944, I was in the 4th grade, it was a day filled with great anticipation, joy and of course, gifts and a "family reunion type party." Our Pastor had arranged for all in that class to have breakfast with him for the next two weeks. Yes, we had breakfast with the pastor if we received Holy Communion at daily Mass before school. Well, by the second Wednesday, I was the only one, and by then it was a Danish and coffee. So it is not surprising, that the very next day after my First Holy Communion I couldn’t wait to go back and get my "Second Holy Communion." And that is exactly how we, meaning most Catholics, talked about it. Holy Communion was something we received by coming up in line at the appropriate time. It was something we could count --- "I went to Communion X number of times this year." Hopefully the "X" in that statement for most of us was a high number.

As I grew older, the Church began referring to the Sacrament more and more as "Eucharist," a word meaning "thanksgiving." And that term is often used to describe both, Sacred Liturgy as a whole, and in a particular, the Body and Blood of the Lord – the Blessed Sacrament. Why the change? Apparently, the Church, in its wisdom, decided that "Eucharist" was a more accurate and traditional way of articulating what the faithful were expected to be doing each and every Sunday, in churches and other holy places around the world. We gather as a people of faith to simply give thanks.

And that makes sense to me. After all, everything is a gift from GOD. And nothing is a greater gift than the gift of GOD’s very self to us – in His teachings, in His shepherding, in His sacrifice on Calvary, and on this altar. And we can never repay GOD for His generosity, nor did we deserve it in the first place. So we are left with only being able to do one thing --- give thanks --- be a Eucharistic people --- with grateful and humble hearts.

We can do that, can’t we? It sounds so easy. "GOD, thank You." Why it even rolls off our tongue so effortlessly. But when I really think about it, something doesn’t fit for me, and I begin to wonder. "Are saying "thanks" and giving thanks the same thing? Is being grateful more than just saying the words?

Something tells me that it is. And now it doesn’t sound so easy. How does someone truly give thanks to the Lord for all He has done for us, particularly in the gift of Himself in this Holy Sacrament? What does it mean to celebrate Eucharist in the fullest sense of the word? How do we show GOD that we are genuinely thankful?

Think for a moment:

Someone loans us money during a tough time. Is a "thank you" enough, or should we do all we can to make sure we use the money responsibly?

Someone gets us a job at his or her place of business. Is a "thank you" enough, or should we strive to ensure that we are never anything but the best of employees?

Jesus died so that we might have life. Is a "thank you" enough?

Well, yes and no. Yes, if we feel that we want to "repay" GOD. That is simply not possible. Our small acts of kindness cannot measure up to GOD’s infinite sacrifice. They just can’t. And so in that sense a sincere "thank you" is probably the best we can do. Things between GOD and us will never be even.

But that misses the point. You see in the above examples, returning the favor is not to make things even or to settle the score or to keep us from feeling guilty. The acts of kindness described above are simply the natural responses of a grateful heart. A grateful heart is a responsive heart, a

heart of action, a heart of love. And in that sense, a simple "thank you" is not enough, not if it doesn’t motivate our hearts to respond to love with love.

There are many ways to show our thanks to a GOD Who has done so much for us. But when it comes to giving thanks to GOD for the gift of His Body and Blood, there seems to be one way that is the most appropriate. And it is this: communion. The most sincere way to show our thanks for what we experience each and every Sunday at this altar is to strive for the communion it represents. We are one family. We have one mission. We have one destiny. We have one Lord. Our relationships should reflect that reality. We come here as a community, not so that we can connect with GOD as individuals, but so that we may become what we eat as a family of faith. We eat the Body of Christ so that we may be the Body of Christ. We receive Communion so that we can be in communion. If we don’t honestly long for it and work toward it, can we really say we are thankful?

And so on this day we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, we acknowledge that both words have an important place in what we do here. Eucharist and Communion. We come to give thanks, and we show it by strengthening the bonds between us.

And so, while Communion and Eucharist are something and Someone we receive, they are more than that – they are who we are and who we continue to become. Recognizing the work we have to do in that regard leaves us in that holy place, that place where GOD can get to us and transform us into the people He calls us to be.

Where are we going to start?

Well, look around.

Who in this place do you pledge to reach out to?

With whom will you build a bridge.

Whose wound will you help heal?

Whose faults will you overlook?

Whose opinion will you consider?

Whose wrongs will you forgive?

Whose kindness will you accept?

Whose heart will you embrace?

Food for thought ….. Food for our souls.

Thank You GOD for both.

********************************************************************************

Deacon Wadas Homily on May 7, 2006

Why do we do what we do?

There is a story of a famous actor who was being honored at a banquet. A minister attending the function asked the actor if he would recite Psalm 23. The actor agrees but with one request, that the minister recite it after him. The minister agrees. The actor begins the psalm.

"The Lord is my shepherd. There is nothing I shall want…"

His voice is perfect, impressive. He holds the people completely spell bound. When he’s through reciting the psalm, the room bursts into spontaneous applause. As it dies down the elderly minister rises and begins that same psalm. His voice is not remarkable. He stumbles over some of the words. But when he finishes, there is not a dry eye in the room. The actor then stands up and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, I reached your eyes and ears, but this man reached your hearts. The difference is this: I know the psalm. He knows the Shepherd."

I don’t have to tell you the importance of listening to the voice of the Shepherd. You wouldn’t be here if you weren’t listening to His voice. The image of the shepherd and the flock is a beautiful one. We see it all over Scripture. It comforts us. I think, however, that part of the image falls a little short. When I think of sheep I think of the word "passive." Sheep have no responsibilities or expectations or anything. The sheep just receive orders and direction. That’s it. But think for a minute. What are the implications? If we are indeed to be followers of the Lord, then we are called to do what He does, to share His mission, to BE His hands, eyes and feet in the world. And that means that, not only are we part of the flock, but in our own way each of us is called to be shepherds.

That’s the part that is hardest to see. The Shepherd dwells in us so that we in turn can shepherd others. What a tremendous privilege that is! But it"s also a tremendous responsibility. Our GOD invites us to be part of His saving action in the world. We get to participate in one of the most exciting, adventurous, meaningful things we could ever do. We are asked to participate in the building up of GOD’s kingdom and in helping others encounter GOD in their lives. We are invited to cooperate with the hand of GOD in all that we do and all that we meet. GOD doesn’t need our help, but GOD certainly wants it, not for His edification and transformation, but for ours.

So, what does good shepherding look like? Have you ever seen the movie "Babe?" I first saw it about 10 years ago, and many times since. It’s a wonderful movie, if you haven’t seen it, you might try Movie Gallery. It happens to be about shepherding. I won’t go into the whole plot, but it’s basically about a little pig who, defying all odds and the disdain of many, becomes the best sheepdog. Yes, you hard that right. A pig becomes a sheepdog. The main gist of the movie is that Babe becomes the best sheepdog because what he does, he does out of love – pure, unconditional love. He shepherds the sheep in his care for no other reason. And so, not only is he by far the best in what he does, but he’s the happiest character in the film, because his life has real meaning and purpose. And this doesn’t mean that his life is easy. His life is one adventure after another – ups, downs, right turns, left turns, successes, failures – but always with a sense of peace and purpose.

You see, the other sheepdogs are good at what they do, but they always see themselves as "working" for the master. They do what they do out of obedience, but not out of love. The dogs do a good job, but loving is not a job, it’s a way of living. In today’s Gospel it is made perfectly clear that Jesus is not GOD’s hired hand. He is the loving, compassionate Shepherd, the One who will do anything for His sheep.

Well, what does good shepherding look like? It looks a little like Babe. But for many of us it looks a lot like our parents, moms and dads who day in and day out lay down their live for their children, who day in and day out deny themselves on our behalf, who day in and day out die to themselves so that we can have the best life possible – without counting the cost. And they do so not as hired hands, not as GOD’s employees, not as people on a payroll, but out of love. And for this we are eternally grateful.

So I guess that leaves us asking ourselves, as we listen to the voice of the Shepherd, as we accept the responsibility of shepherding others, why do I do what I do? And more importantly, who do I do it for?

Am I just a hired hand, ready to bolt at the first sign of trouble?

Am I just a hired hand carrying out my duties?

Or do I do what I do because I am madly in love with Jesus and GOD’s people?

These questions have no easy answers. But it’s important to keep asking them each and every day. For once we realize that true discipleship is not out of obligation, but out of love, our lives will never be the same. It will make all the difference in the world, because following the Lord is not a job … it’s an adventure.

---

From Deacon Wadas Homily, weekend of July 2-3, 2005

When we were, in diaconal training and studying homiletics, one of the principles that was stressed was that whenever you are preparing a homily you need the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other.

 

In the Bible, today’s Gospel we hear: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves.  For My yoke is easy and My burden light.”

 

Then on Wednesday we read the headlines:  “Priest’s Death Shocks Community:  Fr. Michael Labadie appears to have committed suicide.”  There it is the Bible and the newspaper.

 

When Jesus speaks of a lighter burden, He fully understands that life may feel like a burden to us, especially with those headlines.

 

It is during times such as these that our faith ceases to be academic and becomes personal and sustaining.  For it is only our faith in the unconditional, unbounded love and infinite mercy of Jesus that helps us to see through the dark glass of this past week.

 

Not only do we live with the pain of the loss but when someone close to us falls victim to suicide, and especially when that someone is a priest, we live with a lot of confusion.  There are so many questions, so much emotion that races through every fiber of our bodies:

 

 We ask WHY? [What really moved him to commit this desperate act?]

 

 There is GUILT [What might we have done?  Why didn’t we notice?];

 

There is MISUNDERSTANDING [This is the ultimate form of despair.”] 

 

and if we are believers there is considerable religious anxiety [How does GOD treat such a person?  What’s to be his eternal destiny?]   Feelings abound:  sadness, loss, guilt and anger.  There is so much to process and we cannot do or settle everything at once.  Part of the mystery of suffering is the need to be patient with our pain and with our perplexity.  True healing will come in time.

 

What needs to be said about suicide?

 

 First of all, it is a disease, something that in most cases takes a person out of life against his will.  It is the emotional equivalent of cancer, or a stroke or a heart attack.

 

 Second, those who remain should not spend undo time and energy second-guessing as to how we might have failed Fr. Labadie. 

 

Suicide is an illness and as with a purely physical disease, we can love someone and still not be able to save them from physical death.  GOD, too, loved Fr. Labadie and like us could not interfere with his freedom.

 

As for any religious anxiety any of us might have, well let me say that we shouldn’t worry too much about how GOD meets a suicide victim on the other side.  GOD judges the “victim of suicide” with the same standard that GOD judges all of us --- the standard of unbounded love that was made visible for us on the cross.  GOD’s love, unlike ours, goes through locked doors, descends into hell, and breathes out “Peace” where we can’t.

The circumstances, which moved Fr. Labadie to end his life, cannot be fully known to any of us.  There is always a curtain of mystery to our behavior that keeps us from even sharing with our dearest friends.

 

I believe that MOST “victims of suicide” awake on the other side to find Christ standing inside their locked doors, inside their heart of chaos, breathing out peace and very gently saying “Peace be with you!”

 

I can now hear the comments of some who object.  There will always be objectors and objections.  They say: “You are making light of suicide.

 

Suicide is the ultimate act of despair and MUST always be named as such.”

 

They are correct, if suicide is a despairing act within which one kills oneself.  But in most suicides, this is not the case because there is a huge distinction between – “falling victim to suicide” and “killing oneself” as in the Hemlock Society.  They are not the same.

 

In suicide, a person through illness of whatever sort, is taken out of life against his will.  So I prefer to use the word victim – a victim of suicide. We know that in almost every case the victim of suicide has problems precisely because he may have been too sensitive, too wounded, too raw, and too bruised to possess the necessary emotional attitude needed to absorb life’s many blows.

 

It is very important for us who may have some religious anxiety still, I tell, you again – Jesus encounters us with love.  This is not just some pious words of a preacher or even comforting sentiment of the Church that is expressed in the Catechism.  We know this in faith because we have the very words and the ministry of Jesus as our foundation.  Jesus words are true and life giving. In the Gospel of John, Jesus tells us, “All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me; no one who comes to me will I ever reject.”

 

Notice that Jesus says He accepts everything and everyone given to Him by the Father.  In Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist and Holy Orders, Fr. Michael Labadie was given to Jesus by the Father.  We must never lose sight of this reality in faith:  He is a child of GOD, redeemed by Jesus and sealed by the Spirit.  He forever remains one who is precious to Jesus. 

  

None of us can put a limit on the ways in which Jesus’ love is at work in the most troubled of souls or the confused of minds. Jesus never rejects us. 

 

He answers every prayer; opens every door; and patiently waits for us  after all our rambling days are done.  It is right for us to pray for the Labadie Family in this time of mourning, it is right for us to pray that Fr. Labadie’s pain is over.  His tears are no more.  He is at peace.

From Deacon Wadas's homily Dec 26, 2004:

Many of us enjoy the CBS show “60 Minutes” and we enjoy Andy Rooney.  In one of his little essays at the end of the show Andy Rooney talked about a house that has become a home.

 

Our home, our family homes are places of trials and triumphs, tears and laughter, love and sometimes birth and death. No wonder the ancient Romans put up a shrine to their household gods; this place is holy.  But what were Andy’s thoughts on the subject?  He said he was irritated when people sometimes sitting in their own home, talk of its increase or decrease in value.  They mean value on the real estate market, but he thinks this leaves out everything that matters.  He adds, “Our house is not an investment.  It is not a hastily erected shelter in which we spend the night before we rise in the morning to forge on farther west to locate another campsite at dusk.  Our house is a home, we live there, it is an anchor, it is a place we go when we don’t feel like going anyplace.”  He looks around his house and notices the crayon marks still on the wall in a room once a bedroom.  He says, “they been there since the twins were four, when they made them, nice to have that reminder now.  Brian’s marbles are still in the bottom drawer of the dresser.  Sure he’s out of college, but what if he comes home and wants to play marbles again?”  Andy concludes, “When anyone asks me how much I think our house is worth, I just smile.  They couldn’t buy what that house means to me for all the money in both local banks.”

 

When GOD decided to come to us, GOD did it in a family context.

  

This is a time of deep pessimism and rampant cynicism about marriage and the family.  So it is very important for us as a Christian community, to affirm the value of the family; when we do that there is no need to worry about family values.  We need to do all we can to strengthen the family.  Morally, as a people, we are only intact as our families.  But we have been allowing our families to disintegrate, perhaps without even realizing it.  We’re very busy; and often-about good things, but this does not relieve us from the responsibility to take time to BE family.

There are mothers and fathers who are physically there all the time but not really there at all.  It is a certain quality of caring and of being involved that must be there to sustain the family when those inevitable problems and crises come.

 

Raphael’s painting, The Holy Family,” has a way of propelling one right back into the Gospel where one finds that Jesus, Mary and Joseph are not living in a plastic, superficial family situation.  Rather we see them in all the realism, all the humanity, all the pressure, as well as all of the joy of a real, earthly family situation.

 

As a Christian community, it is critically important for us to affirm, in every possible way the value of marriage and family as GOD’s great gifts.  But this is not the only way GOD’s grace works.  Sometimes GOD finds other ways.  There are persons who live alone.  There are persons who have not had an immediate family for years and years.  So as Christians, not only do we affirm the value of the immediate family, but we also affirm the Church as family.  When we say “YES” to Jesus Christ, at our baptism, we are born into a family and never again are we alone.  Never!  We

 

feel one another’s hurts.  We feel one another’s joy.  We are fully present to one another. It was Vatican Council II that said, “The cry of one person in the Church is the cry of the whole Church.”  And so to those who do not have the experience of immediate family:  we say:  “You are loved!  You do have a family!  The family is here!”

 

The Church is heavily peopled with married couples who have children, but we must remember it also includes the non-married, the formally married, the remarried, the not yet married and those who have no intention of getting married.  The Church includes people who are saints and people who are sinners, people whose children are gone or yet to come, children without parents and parents without children.

 

                     Small as a peanut

                     Big as a giant

                     We’re all the same size

                     When we turn off the light.

 

                     Rich as a sultan

                     Poor as a mite

                     We’re all worth the same

                     When we turn off the light.

 

                     Red, black or orange

                     Yellow or white

                     We all look the same

                     When we turn off the light.

 

                     So maybe the way

                     To make everything right

                     Is for GOD to just reach out

                     And turn off the light.

                                  [Where the Sidewalk Ends]

 

Now GOD did just the opposite!  GOD reached out and turned on the light, Jesus, the Light of the World, the Light of love and mercy, and hope and peace.

 

A woman whose husband died six months ago, sat down to write a Christmas card to a close friend.  This is what she said: “Some say to me, ‘This first Christmas without your husband will be hard for you!’  It will be, of course.  But without Christmas, my life would be impossible.”

 

At the time of her husband’s death, that woman thought that GOD had turned out the light.  But then came the Christmas message to remind her that GOD reached out and turned on the light for all time and for all people.  And so Christmas came, yesterday, to remind us all that Christ our Light has come into the world!  Love is born and life is possible.  Where ever and when ever 2 or 3 meet in friendship and affection; in love, GOD is present.  Yes it is as simple as that and just as sublime.

Whether we are married or not, in this place we are family.  We should enjoy each other, as well as enter into relationships of concern, compassion, and interest in the other person.  These are just some of the ways we will become family; a Holy Family, and find GOD in this place.

---

(prayer from homily 7/25/04)

Now, into the keeping of GOD, I put
All doings of today.
All disappointments, hindrances, forgotten things, and negligence.
All gladness and beauty, love, delight, and achievement.
All that people have done for me,
All that I have done for them, my work and my prayers.
And I commit all the people whom I love,
to His shepherding,
to His healing  and restoring,
to His calling and making.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

---

 

 

From Deacon Wadas' Homily of Mar 28 2004

 

Commonly we think of religion as a good thing, a positive influence that helps people do a better job of living.  And certainly this is often the case.  For example there is no way to understand the life of Jesus apart from His religion.  He had the kind of faith in GOD that made Him strong in adversity, enabled Him to love without being loved in return, and sustained Him with a hope that not even the cross could destroy.

 

St. Francis of Assisi had the same kind of religion.  His faith in GOD made him an instrument of peace.  It sent him to bring pardon where there was injury, hope where there was despair and joy where there was sadness.

 

Throughout history the greatest achievements of character have been inspired by religious faith.  It is also true that some of the more tragic examples of moral failure have been inspired by religious faith gone wrong.  We can certainly see how religion has gone wrong with Al Qaeda and the Taliban.

 

When religion is healthy and robust, it is a positive influence that enables people to do a better job of living.  But when religion gets sick, it then becomes a negative influence, belittling and downgrading human life.  Our Gospel today draws a comparison and shows a sharp contrast between these two kinds of religious faith.  It is a familiar story and we know it well.  The Scribes and the Pharisees brought to Jesus a woman guilty of adultery.  They remind him that according to the Law she should be executed by stoning, but they wanted to know what He would recommend.  His response took them, totally by surprise.  He simply said: “Let the one among you without sin be the 1^st to cast a stone at her.” 

 

Knowing they had been outsmarted, these self-righteous guardians of the public morality; one by one melted into the crowd and slipped away.  Then Jesus said to the woman: “Neither do I condemn you.  Go and sin no more.”

 

The irony behind this story is that both Jesus and the Pharisees were devoted to the same religion.  Today we would say that they belonged to the same church.  They read the same Scriptures, they believed in the same GOD.  How different the results;

One was cruel and the other was kind. 

One was scheming and deceitful; the other was open and honest.   One was eager to condemn, the other was eager to redeem.

 Both motivated by the same religion, the time honored faith of Abraham and Moses and the Prophets.  How could that be?  

 

Well there are warning signs of religion gone wrong.  Let us consider two, though there may be more.

 

One is that we become increasingly conscious of the sins of other people and decreasingly aware of our own sins.  Those Scribes and Pharisees who brought that woman to Jesus had convenient selective memories.  They certainly could recall what Moses had said about the sin of adultery, but had forgotten what the prophet Micah had written about the requirements of justice, mercy and humility before GOD.  They were indignantly aware of the woman’s sin of immorality; but were oblivious to their own sin of pride and arrogance.  That is a sign of a religion that has gotten sick.

 

Please understand I am not suggesting that we should be morally neutral or close our eyes to crime and corruption.  I am simply saying that we should never lose sight of the fact that we, also, are part of the problem.

 

Another sign is that we start caring more for rules than we de do for people. The Scribes and Pharisees had a point --- the woman had violated the 10 Commandments, the Law of the Land.   There was no question about her guilt.  And the Hebrew Scriptures do say some harsh things about dealing with women who commit adultery.  Jesus did not deny or dispute any of this.  Nevertheless, His first concern was for the woman.  It seems that in His scale of values, people were always more important than rules.

 

Maybe Moses did not see it that way, but Jesus did and He did not hesitate to say so.  Personally, I have no doubt that Jesus would apply that same principle to all the 10 Commandments.  Please understand that rules, laws and regulations are important.  No society can function without them, but they should always be interpreted, revised and enforced to the highest benefit of the people.  That is why they were written in the first place.  Whether one is preaching the Gospel, practicing law or practicing medicine, managing a business, or running a home --- remember people are more important than rules.  We don’t throw out the rules, but we apply them for the good of people.  To do so is a sure sign of a healthy religious faith.

 

We all know that it is a good idea to have a regular physical check-up.  Shouldn’t we from time to time have a spiritual check-up? 

 

Our religion can get pretty sick just as our bodies can, but it doesn’t have to stay that way.

 

Jesus is called “The Great Physician” --- being open and honest with Him could put your faith and mine on the road to recovery.

From Deacon Wadas' Homily of Oct 19, 2003

The Hound Dog

A century ago Francis Thompson penned a poem he called "The Hound of Heaven." He envisioned God as a great Hound who pursues us without rest through the days and years of our lives.

Author Mary Ashcroft also thinks that a dog is a marvelous metaphor for God. In her charming little book Dogspell, she reminds us that we human beings desperately want to be loved and welcomed. St. Augustine tells us that God put this need deep in our hearts and ultimately God alone can meet it. Ashcroft thinks dogs are a splendid metaphor for the way God goes about it.

As a child, Ashcroft read all the famous dog stories, Old Yeller, Sounder, Lassie Come Home. The mound of soggy Kleenex beside her bed grew. These dogs swam raging rivers and battled cougars to reach and rescue the child they loved. As an adult, she found that her own dog, Cluny, wants to be with her when she walks through the neighborhood, cleans the garage or drives for groceries. After her slightest absence, he tumbles down the stairs to greet her, He's a very big dog and yet there is nothing he would enjoy more than crawling into her lap. This canine behavior, Ashcroft believes, is a metaphor for the God story.

God was so immense he would not fit in our lives much less our laps; so God became a tiny baby. When he was grown, he loved nothing so much as walking with those he loved, eating with them, sleeping beside them beneath the stars, healing them when they were sick, comforting them when they were discouraged. Finally, he went readily to his death for them.

As we all know, metaphors are statements with a yes and no quality. Obviously, God is not a furry four-footed animal with a tail. But dogs do tell us much about God. Dogs are devoted to us whether we succeed or fail, whether we are rich or poor, young or old, sick or well. Their devotion is unconditioned, unreserved and endless. Telling us that, they give us reason to trust, to hope. We may stand powerless, naked, poor, our empty hands stretched out to the Lord. How does God react? God is so delighted to see us he can hardly stand it.

How can you help responding to someone who loves you like that?

---

(Homily March, 2002) 

About 10 years ago, a story came over CNN about a man residing in Greenville, 

S.C. who had died.  After his burial, a letter from the County Department of 

Human Resources arrived at his home.  The letter said in part: "Your food 

stamps will be stopped effective March 1992 because we received notice that 

you passed away.  You may reapply if there is a change in your circumstances."

Today in the Gospel - we hear of a man named Lazarus, residing in Bethany, 

who dies.  Jesus, Lazarus friend, received notice that he passed away.  Jesus 

arrives in Bethany and drastically changes Lazarus' circumstances.  After 

having said to Lazarus' sister Martha, "Your brother will rise again --- I am 

the resurrection and the life."  Jesus brings Lazarus back to life.

"I am the Resurrection and the Life."   On the 1st Easter Sunday those words 

came alive.  It was then that Jesus' followers realized that the Almighty GOD 

was present in the death of Jesus Christ in a way that conquered death.  Have 

we ever given that any thought?  Death our greatest enemy, is overcome once 

and for all.  The sign of this Resurrection power, which Jesus gave when He 

raised up Lazarus, is a reality in every one of our lives.

The process of moving from death to resurrection is going on in our lives 

this very moment, because ours is a resurrection faith. Because we have a 

resurrection faith, we know there is a new world coming: coming in joy; 

coming in peace; coming in love.  GOD's resurrection power is acting to build 

a new world in and around us.  Yes, this crazy, confused, mixed up, polluted, 

war-torn world.  This world --- oh how GOD loves it!

It's terribly hard to believe this on some days.  Just watching the 10 

o'clock News any night of the week is enough to make one ask, "Is there any 

hope at all?"

No one is taking the Gospel of Jesus Christ seriously until they really 

believe that GOD is working in this world to make all things new.  A new 

world is coming.  GOD is doing this and nothing will ultimately defeat GOD's 

purpose.  This is our resurrection hope.  This  is the certainty of our 

resurrection faith in Jesus Christ who says; "I am the Resurrection and the 

Life.  Whoever believes in Me, though they die, will live."  

A college newspaper offered a prize to the person who submitted the best 

definition of life.  The entries came pouring in - hundreds more than 

anticipated and by an overwhelming margin the definitions were negative.

"Life is a joke; that isn't funny."   "Life is a jail sentence, we get for 

the crime of being born."  "Life is a disease for which there is one cure, 

death."  Even Ted Turner gave a cynical definition on the Larry King Show one 

night.  "Life is a "B" Grade movie, you don't want to leave in the middle, 

but you don't want to see it again."

But there is another vision - a positive vision - a Gospel truth vision that 

provides direction, purpose and meaning for all our lives.  A vision that 

opens us to the experience of GOD's loving presence in our lives.  A vision 

that enables us to face any anxiety or fear with genuine hope in the Lord's 

promise to be with us always.

A medical doctor tells the story of a mother and her 5 yr. old son who is in 

the hospital dying of painful cancer.  One morning, before the mother arrived 

at the hospital.  A nurse heard the little boy saying, "I hear the bells! I 

hear the bells!  They're ringing!"  Over and over that morning the nurses and 

staff heard him.  When the mother arrived, she asked one of the nurses how 

her son was doing.  The nurse replied, "Oh, he's hallucinating.  It's 

probably the medication; he's not making sense.  He keeps saying that he 

hears bells."  Then the mother's face came alive with understanding and she 

shook her finger at the nurse and said; "You listen to me.  He's not 

hallucinating and he's not out of his head because of some medicine.  I told 

him weeks ago that when the pain in his chest got bad and it was hard to 

breathe, it meant he was going to leave us, it meant he was going to heaven, 

and when the pain got really bad, he was to look up to the corner of his 

room, towards heaven and listen for the bells of heaven because they were 

ringing for him."

With that, she marched down the hall, swept into her son's room, swooped him 

out of the bed and rocked him in her arms until the sounds of ringing bells 

were only quiet echoes, and he was gone.

The doctor went on to say, "You will never convince me that that woman in her 

gallant act of mothering did not leave the hospital a different place from 

what she found it."

Today, by raising Lazarus Jesus gives us a truly awesome bell ringer!  Life 

is stronger than death, and because of this Gospel truth, in GOD's own time 

this world of ours will be a different place from the one we found.

We can talk, talk, talk forever about the resurrection power of GOD working 

in the world and still miss the point if we fail to realize that to accept 

Jesus as the Resurrection and the Life is to accept simultaneously His call 

to action.  This does not mean that we are called to solve the world's 

problems all by ourselves. But it does mean that there is something GOD is 

depending on us to do.  There are limits to our resources, our strength, our 

money, our power but there is always something we can do through the 

resurrection power of GOD that lies deep within us.

The season of Lent is a time to take stock, see what resources we do have and 

to emphasize these instead of those we do not have.

I am only one; but I am one.

I cannot do everything, but I can do something.

What I can do I ought to do;

And what I ought to do, by the grace of GOD I will do. 

---

 

(Homily - Oct 7, 2001)

A Nation Mourns

The Prime Minister of Britain, Tony Blair, gave a very moving speech this past week, on October 2nd.  In it, he described his trip to New York in the wake of the collapse of the World Trade Towers.  There were dozens of British citizens killed in the tragic events of September 11th.  After the prayer service for the victims, Blair met with some of the British families who had missing family members.  He lovingly described the occasion as typically British, with tea and crumpets and a steady rain outside.  An elderly woman, who had lost a son, came up to him and said, "Why?  Why did this happen?"  Blair said, "At a time like that, you certainly do not feel like the most powerful man in the country."

Indeed, such unspeakable horror can leave us feeling powerless and helpless.  All we can do is what people of faith have done for centuries, come together and console one another with the assurances of faith. This is how people of faith have always dealt with such things.

Today we hear the apostles say to the Lord, "Increase our Faith."  One of the greatest challenges to our faith has been the question of suffering.  Something bad happens to us or to good people around us and we cry out to GOD why?

At 8:45 a.m., Tuesday morning on September 11th our world changed and so many questions confront us and so few answers are available.  Watching TV or listening to the radio, or reading the paper we have been struck by the questions:  Why did they do that? How can they have so little respect for life?  How can people be so evil?  Who is to blame?  Where is GOD?  What can I do?  Are we still in danger?

Questions are so hard to answer in tragic times.  But we ask questions nonetheless. In our 1st reading we see the prophet Habukkuk ask, "How long O Lord?  I cry for help but You do not listen.  I cry out to You VIOLENCE!  But You do not listen!  Why do You let me see ruin?  Why Must I look at misery?  Destruction and Violence are before me."  Does that sound so current?  What does the Lord GOD answer?  "The just one because of faith shall live."

If we were to take a tour through the Bible we would find that one book has a more disproportionate number of questions than any other.  That book is the Book of Job.  Job has over 330 questions in its 42 chapters.  Genesis has only 160, Matthew has around 180, and even the book of Psalms with its 150 chapters has only 160.

So why does the book of Job have so many questions?  There is a very simple reason.  It is because the book of Job deals with horrible tragedy.

Here is what happened.  Job is a righteous man.  Greater than all others.  Suddenly and without warning and for no other reason than his being blameless and upright, his family and business is wiped out.  In the middle of the business of everyday life, two rogue groups from Arabia and Mesopotamia conduct a raid taking away Job's livestock and putting his servants to the sword.  Then his family is lost in a freak accident when a mighty wind sweeps in from the desert, strikes the 4 corners of the house, collapses it and all are lost.

It was swift.  It was unwarranted.  It was unconscionable.  Our very large family, our very robust economy has been hit and hit hard.  In
many ways the events of that "Terrible Tuesday" are echoed in the story of Job.  Why is there such a similarity between the events of Job and the events of our life this past month.  It's because even though 4000 years separate the 2 events, life, and I mean the things that make life meaningful, have not changed at all.  Not even over 4 millennia.

 So what do we do?  We do what Job did when he learned of his loss.  We mourn.  He was silent when he received the 1st two reports that his business and livestock had been wiped out.  But when he received the news that his children were lost, he got up and tore his robe.  Then he fell on his knees and mourned:  "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will return."  In other words, everything that had meaning in his life was gone.  As he came into this world so Job felt he was leaving it: barren.

As the news poured in, we learned that people of 80 countries were lost:  moms, dads, husbands, wives, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.  The news has shown their faces and told their stories and the mourning rippled across the country.  We have mourned for every family lost, every family torn apart.  We weep for our nation not because it has been weakened.  It has not.  We mourn because of our loss.

Does mourning demoralize our people and paralyze our country?  No it does not.  It rather reveals our soul.

Now, after we feel that we have cried about as much as possible, we start asking more questions.  Why this lack of reverence for life and who is to blame?  The very scary thing about answering these questions is that in this situation the implications are so profound.  Our world is now SO SMALL!  And how we answer this involves the whole world.  We thought we were impervious to attack because of our two great barriers the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.  Those are no longer barriers, they have been breached and our protection is gone.  The Disney song is correct; IT IS A SMALL WORLD AFTER ALL.

I have heard Christians say who have good intentions that this was GOD's will and we need to have faith that something good will come out of this.

Well, they are wrong.

We cannot pin this on GOD.  We need to learn the lesson that as good and as great as America is, we do not have an exclusive and closed
relationship with GOD.  No one does.  There is a force in the world that is evil and that evil intruded on us that Tuesday through the hearts and minds of ruthless men.

Let's ask the obvious question.  Where was GOD that week?  Hear me now and I'll tell you where God has been.  God has been in the firefighters' suit.  GOD has been behind police badges.  GOD has been holding a scalpel and syringe.  GOD is near the heart of all who in the face of this tragedy love their neighbor and turn to GOD in repentance.  Those who see the ashes of the World Trade Towers, or the Pentagon or the field in Pennsylvania see what evil does and as a result turn to GOD not for answers but because in the end, tragedies teach us that we are mortal.  And as mortals it is only natural for us to ask questions.

What should we do?     We should mourn, but we should also rebuild and pray for the victims, the families and the perpetrators.
Who is to blame?  We have done nothing wrong to warrant such atrocities.  This is the work of the forces of evil.
Where is GOD?  GOD is here.  GOD will never forsake us!

The road of life was bright.
It stretched before my sight,
The Lord was at my side,
To be my friend and guide,
And so I started out.

But then the sky grew dark,
And the road grew steep and dark,
Rocks and ruts cut my feet,
My legs grew sore and weak,
I scarce could travel on.

I turned and cried,
"My Lord!
Why the pain?
Why the plight?
Why these ruts?
Why these rocks?
Why this darkness?
Where's the light?
I cannot carry on!"

The Lord replied,
"My child!
Why this fear?
Why this fright?
Where's your faith?
Where's your trust?
Love chose this road for you.
Just trust and travel on."

Take my hand precious Lord and lead me home.
Amen.

GOD bless America!  GOD bless the world!

---