"Life's Not Fair. Is God Fair?" - God's Gifts To Us

This week's commentary is a message of God's incredible love. There is an uplifting story at the end. There is commentary after the 1st reading only.

Reading 1
Ez 18:25-28

Thus says the LORD:
You say, "The LORD's way is not fair!"
Hear now, house of Israel:
Is it my way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair?
When someone virtuous turns away from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies,
it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die.
But if he turns from the wickedness he has committed,
he does what is right and just,
he shall preserve his life;
since he has turned away from all the sins that he has committed,
he shall surely live, he shall not die.

In this reading, God is talking about death. It's clear that he is not talking about mortal death, because regular mortal death is something that happens to everyone. Eternal death relates to heaven and hell. Regarding THIS subject, people 2000 years ago and people today complain that there is a heaven and hell. Whether we like it or not, heaven and hell both exist. Most people believe in heaven, but less people believe in hell.

Here virtue is discussed. But what is virtue? Virtue is an habitual and firm disposition to do the good.1 In other words, virtue is a natural inclination to do good. This is God's gift to us.

The first reading talks about how a man turns away from virtue and then dies. Where does virtue come from? Virtue comes from God. God gives us 3 virtues as a grace to us and for his glory. They are faith, hope, and charity. These cannot be earned, they are given to us by God and we have the choice to use these gifts, or to refuse and destroy them.

Charity


God has instilled in us charity. Charity is the inclination towards “loving God above all other things for God’s sake and our neighbor as ourselves for love of God”. Some people think that we humans are evolved from apes and that we developed purely out of chance. Evolutionists assert that we are just a masses of cells moving around the planet. If I am just a mass of cells, then why do I feel like I should be nice to everyone? Why do I feel bad when I mistreat people? Why do I feel bad when I mistreat myself? The answer is that God has instilled in me (and you) the inclination towards loving God above all other things for God's sake and my neighbor as myself for love of God. That's why we feel remorse and envy, whereas ladybugs cannot. Sometimes we act charitably towards others. In those tiny moments of charity, we are given a glimpse of how God loves. Charity is one God-given virtue that "someone turns away from" in the first reading. God gives us the gift of charity, and we often reject it, or refuse to use it.

Hope

God has also given us the virtue of hope. Through hope, we desire the Kingdom of Heaven and eternal life as our happiness and we put our trust in Christ.2 Hope sustains us because hoping and trusting in God does not result in disappointment.4 God keeps his promises. Hoping in God gives us joy even when we are suffering difficulties. It's just like a man who loves his family immensely. He can still smile after a terrible day at work. Hope is a precious gift from God.

Every person wants hope. When asking someone how they are doing, have you ever heard them say, "same old crap, it's just a different day"? We all need hope and we all want something to hope in. God has already infused this hope in us at baptism. Shall we waste it, or use it? Another important note: our hope is nourished through prayer. Just like the wife who misses her husband- her hope is nourished when she hears his voice over the phone. Her hope is restored even though she misses him. We must pray if want something to hope in. If that prayer is to God we have something even better: some-ONE to hope in. He doesn't disappoint. Hope is a gift from God.

Faith

God has given us the natural inclination to "believe in everything that he has said and revealed to us, and everything that Holy Church proposes for our belief."3 You can see this in children. They have not yet sinned against their faith, so they believe everything that their loving parents tell them. Sooner or later, the parents (unlike God)are not 100% truthful to their children, so the children have difficulty believing. We all have faith until we sin against it. Adolf Hitler and Josef Stalin had faith, until they sinned against it. Just like everything else in life, God gives us the choice to refuse him so that we can also have the choice to choose him willingly. Just like charity and hope, every person wants faith. Everyone wants to believe in something. That may explain why most people in the world believe in God even though they have never seen him. It seems illogical to believe in something you can't see. Yet,the reason why we have faith is that God wrote that desire in our hearts because he loves us. God completes that desire to know him when he gives us faith at baptism. Faith is a tremendous gift because if God did not give us faith, we would never know him- and how tragic would that be? Most people believe in the God they cannot see because he gave us that desires to kno him as a gift to us.

The Reason For the Gifts

These virtues God has given us. 2nd Peter 1:4 says, "he has bestowed on us the precious and very great promises, so that through them you may come to share in the divine nature". So, through baptism, God has given us faith, hope, and charity, so that we can be and love like him. Think of Jesus on the cross. He has been abandoned by his friends, he is humiliated by spectators. He has nails in his hands and feet. But, because Jesus has faith, he believes that God will offer salvation to all of God's lowly people, so Jesus remains on the cross. Jesus has perfect faith. Because Jesus has hope, he knows that heaven is just around the corner, so he suffers without complaint even though it hurts like crazy. Because Jesus has charity,he thinks only of forgiving the people who had tortured him as well as the thief next to him.

Jesus is a very good person. We love him and we wish that we could be more like him. Isn't that what all of our heroes are made of? Our heroes are often men and women who sacrifice of themselves for the benefit of the less fortunate or for the sake of goodness even though the world hates and kills them for it. And so, God wants us to share in his great love and to be just like him. He gives us hope, faith, and charity that is necessary. In this reading, the Lord says, "When someone virtuous turns away from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies,it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die." We know very well that God has given us everything. He has given us faith, hope, and charity. If we refuse these things, we will surely die. Because they come from Jesus "the vine", the branches cannot survive without the vine. So if we sin against our faith and refuse God's virtues, not only will we die, but we will choose an eternity in hell with the same God who offers us life eternal.

How to Practice Virtue

We musn't be afraid to hear this. We must take courage. Is God not telling us what he desires for us through his gifts? His gifts tell us that he desires each one of us to be in heaven with him.

* Faith- In order to keep it, we must not sin against it. If we have sinned against our faith (we always do), we must quit that sin and go to confession.

* Hope- In order to maintain our hope, we must pray. Praying 30 seconds before each meal is not enough. If prayer time was listed on your phone bill, would God be the most contacted person? Or would it be your boyfriend, or best friend? Would Jesus even be ON your phone bill? We must pray constantly and God will nourish the hope he has already given us.

* Charity- In order to persevere in charity, we must be loving to our enemies. That means we have to love people who hate us and we even have be loving towards people who ANNOY the heck out of us (especially those people). Jesus loved those hard-headed annoying apostles, so he wants us to do the same.

Real Life

Since I left missionary work, I've been looking for a job. I believed from the beginning that God would find a job that HE wanted for me. I believed that God would give me a sign when the right job came along. As decision time approached, I prayed even more for God's help especially in making a decision. I made the decision about which job to take just recently. This past week, I had interviewed with a lady. She sent me an email a day later which said,"Something interesting happened after I dropped you off [at airport]. I kept thinking about this would work out so I started working on straightening out some really old files which are pertinent to [the job]. In the card I sent you something that I found in those files."

This morning, I received her card in the mail. Inside was a greeting card with 3 napkins inside. On these napkins was my name in bronze-colored embossing. For some reason, in the file cabinet related to the job, she found 3 napkins with my name on them right after the interview. She wrote in her card, "I hope Chicago*[she knew I had an interview with another company the same week] is pleasant. But, I really hope and pray that Detroit*[the city where her company is] is calling you." I smiled when I saw this and then I went to my bedroom.

When I got there, I was filled with this incredible feeling of warm and perfect love. I believe that God was reminding me which job he wanted me to take. But this feeling would not go away and I started to get emotional. Even though I know God loves me, I kept wandering "why do you love me so much Lord?" So I dropped to my knees in tears and told God, "I love you, I love you, I love you. Thank you, thank you, thank you." I thought of Jesus asking Peter if he loved Jesus. Then I thought of the 3 napkins in the letter. I thought of faith, hope, and charity, and I thought of the 3 napkins. I thought of God's incredible faithfulness. Not only did he want to communicate to ME which job to take, he wanted to communicate it to my future boss as well! When this happened, I saw in my mind God (with a white beard) embracing me. I felt as though God was hugging me. I felt as though I was in his presence. Before his immense glory and love, I felt very, very small and I wondered: "Why does he love us so much?" If you ever wondered if God cares about your job, he does. He cares about everything you do. God loves us!



*This picture was taken on 9-27-08. These are not the true city names.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14

R. (6a) Remember your mercies, O Lord.
Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior.
R. Remember your mercies, O Lord.
Remember that your compassion, O LORD,
and your love are from of old.
The sins of my youth and my frailties remember not;
in your kindness remember me,
because of your goodness, O LORD.
R. Remember your mercies, O Lord.
Good and upright is the LORD;
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
and teaches the humble his way.
R. Remember your mercies, O Lord.

Reading II
Phil 2:1-11 or 2:1-5

Brothers and sisters:
If there is any encouragement in Christ,
any solace in love,
any participation in the Spirit,
any compassion and mercy,
complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love,
united in heart, thinking one thing.
Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory;
rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves,
each looking out not for his own interests,
but also for those of others.

Have in you the same attitude
that is also in Christ Jesus,
Who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and found human in appearance,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
which is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Gospel
Mt 21:28-32

Jesus said to the chief priests and elders of the people:
"What is your opinion?
A man had two sons.
He came to the first and said,
'Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.'
He said in reply, 'I will not, '
but afterwards changed his mind and went.
The man came to the other son and gave the same order.
He said in reply, 'Yes, sir, ‘but did not go.
Which of the two did his father's will?"
They answered, "The first."
Jesus said to them, "Amen, I say to you,
tax collectors and prostitutes
are entering the kingdom of God before you.
When John came to you in the way of righteousness,
you did not believe him;
but tax collectors and prostitutes did.
Yet even when you saw that,
you did not later change your minds and believe him."

1- CCC 1803
2- CCC 1817
3- CCC 1814
4- Romans 5:5

Answering the Call and Getting Paid- God's Call For Us

This week, the stock market had it's biggest daily drop since the September 11th attacks. Some people are even afraid of an extended recession also known as a depression. This week's Gospel talks about the employer who unlike the stock market, always pays up. That employer is God.

This week’s readings are about how God calls us. The 1st reading describes what we are called to do. The Gospel, talks about how, when, and by whom we are called. Finally, the 2nd reading, tells us how to respond to the call properly. This picture also reminds me of the face we often make when God tells us that we have to STOP sinning.

Reading 1
Is 55:6-9

Seek the LORD while he may be found,
call him while he is near.
Let the scoundrel forsake his way,
and the wicked his thoughts;
let him turn to the LORD for mercy;
to our God, who is generous in forgiving.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD.
As high as the heavens are above the earth,
so high are my ways above your ways
and my thoughts above your thoughts.

God Calls

Isaih says that God calls us to forsake our wicked ways and to turn to the Lord. Quite simply, that is the fundamental command that God gives us. That is the fundamental call of all Christians. Jesus said “if you love me, you will keep my commandments.” So many Christians, especially those who want to take their faith up a level are asking, “what does God want me to do?” More fundamentaly important than any charitable work, is God’s demand that we keep the commandments. Immediately after speaking the fundamental mission of the believer, Isaih talks about forgiveness. Why is that? Why is forgiveness such an important part of God's call to us?


Why does lack of forgiveness prevent us from answering God’s call? First of all, does God not ask us in his central prayer to forgive us as we forgive those who trespass against us? Forgiveness is an indispensable party of daily, Christian life. Lack of forgiveness, is a not just a speed bump, but an impenetrable WALL between us and God. We can't answer God's call if we don't forgive because lack of forgiveness shows mistrust in God. How can we have a relationship with God if we don't trust him? We can't!

In the Lord’s prayer, we are told to forgive those who trespass against us. That includes forgiving OURSELVES! When we sin, we sin against God and we sin against ourselves. Our sin makes us afraid and angry. WE become angry towards ourselves and God. We fear ourselves and we fear God. Forgiveness allows us to rely on God’s mercy as Isaih says in the first reading. Forgiveness frees us of the anger and fear that sin creates. Isaih goes on to say that God’s ways are much greater than ours. His mercy and forgiveness is much greater than ours. We have serious difficulty forgiving ourselves and others. God’s mercy is so great that we can call on him for help. Once we take that step, we are well prepared to accept God’s call. We put our trust in the Lord and we give up our unnecessary baggage (unforgiveness).

God calls us to to turn away from sinfulness, and towards him. He asks us to forgive ourselves and others as we rely on the mercy of God. If we don’t do this, we cannot answer God’s call to us. Now let's look at the call from God.

Gospel
Mt 20:1-16a

Jesus told his disciples this parable:
“The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner
who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard.
After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage,
he sent them into his vineyard.
Going out about nine o’clock,
the landowner saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
and he said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard,
and I will give you what is just.’
So they went off.
And he went out again around noon,
and around three o’clock, and did likewise.
Going out about five o’clock,
the landowner found others standing around, and said to them,
‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’
They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.’
He said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard.’
When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman,
‘Summon the laborers and give them their pay,
beginning with the last and ending with the first.’
When those who had started about five o’clock came,
each received the usual daily wage.
So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more,
but each of them also got the usual wage.
And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying,
‘These last ones worked only one hour,
and you have made them equal to us,
who bore the day’s burden and the heat.’
He said to one of them in reply,
‘My friend, I am not cheating you.
Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage?
Take what is yours and go.
What if I wish to give this last one the same as you?
Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money?
Are you envious because I am generous?’
Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

The Gift of Salvation

This gospel is about how God offers salvation to all. Jesus uses this parable to teach this important lesson about God. Those people who the landowner calls are those standing in the streets. These people are probably not the most powerful people in the city. These are the people who are desperate and perhaps the less desired workers. It is not that these workers are great that they are offered wages. It is because of the landowner’s generosity. Just like the landowner, God calls and offers wages (salvation) to everyone. Salvation is free of charge- even to lowly sinners like ourselves.

So God calls everyone at different times in their lives. Some people have been living holy lives since birth and there are some who answer God’s call late in life. All are recipients of God’s same generous salvation . That is an important message in this parable. Equal wages in this gospel reminds us that we are not saved by God because we have done anything to earn it. We all get salvation (the same wage) because God offers it to us because of his generosity.

Some of the workers complain because they thought they would get more. This is very similar to the Gospel account in Luke 9:46 where the disciples are arguing over which one of them was the greatest. Jesus says, “the one who is least among all of you is the one who is the greatest." It takes real humility to admit that all we have comes from God and the salvation and forgiveness we have received from God comes free of charge. So, no matter how good our behavior is, and when God calls us, we are not better than anyone else.

Now, that we know that God saves us for free, what is he calling us to do?

Reading II
Phil 1:20c-24, 27a

Brothers and sisters:
Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.
For to me life is Christ, and death is gain.
If I go on living in the flesh,
that means fruitful labor for me.
And I do not know which I shall choose.
I am caught between the two.
I long to depart this life and be with Christ,
for that is far better.
Yet that I remain in the flesh
is more necessary for your benefit.

Only, conduct yourselves in a way worthy of the gospel of Christ.

How to Answer the Call

Paul says that to answer his call is to “conduct yourselves in a way worthy of the Gospel of Christ” or to do what God (the landowner) says. So God is asking us to answer his call by obeying his commandments. In Matthew 5:19, Jesus says that : whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven. God's calling as described in this week's readings is very simple. We need to follow the commandments. We have to love God, and each other- that is our calling.


The Point
· God is calling ALL of us to turn away from sin, and turn to the Lord
· It is impossible to turn to the Lord without first asking God forgiveness and forgiving others as well as ourselves. Forgiveness shows that we believe and trust in God’s mercy
· In God’s call, he offers to save us. He does so free of charge. No one who receives God’s forgiveness and help is greater than another.
· God calls us to obey his commandments.

Real Life

This week, I was talking to my mom and she told me that she had been going to church for 30 years and never really had faith in God. That didn't really surprise me. I have been concerned about my mom for a long time now. I don't think she's ever been to confession and this has been a big concern of mine for a long time. After all, what will happen to her soul if she does not reconcile with God before her death? She is my mom, and I want her to go to heaven!

On Sunday, she listened to a priest talking on television about the faith, and she felt her eyes being opened to God. She asked me and my dad some fundamental questions about the faith and said that she was very happy and finally felt like she was understanding God better.

I was so happy because I had been praying fervently for her for the last year, and yesterday, she took a big step towards God and towards heaven without anyone forcing God down her throat. It’s true that God does call some people at “the end of the day” but, we must persist in prayer until the end our lives and even after we die. We must ask God to help us trust in him and turn to he “who is generous and forgiving”.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 145:2-3, 8-9, 17-18

R. (18a) The Lord is near to all who call upon him.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the LORD and highly to be praised;
his greatness is unsearchable.
R. The Lord is near to all who call upon him.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. The Lord is near to all who call upon him.
The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
R. The Lord is near to all who call upon him.

Jesus Eats His Wheaties

If Jesus was alive today, which breakfast cereal would he eat? Personally, my favorite is Capn’ Crunch. Few people like original Cap’n Crunch but I find those sweet scrumptious morsels even more desirable than my favorite meat Spam. On a serious note, I think Jesus DID eat breakfast. The 2nd reading this week hints at how Jesus is a lot like us. There is commentary following the 2nd Reading and the rest of the readings are at the bottom.

Reading II
Phil 2:6-11

Brothers and sisters:
Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and found human in appearance,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to death,
even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

God Assumes Humanity

Jesus was God. God created everything on Earth. He created everything for man. He created mountains for us to see. He created animals as a gift to us. He created man and woman as a gift to each other. He made life possible for each one of us. He knew the risks involved in making a creature that could think on its own. God knew that his creature could even grow to hate his Creator. Yet our God is a loving God. He has given us everything even though we have done nothing to deserve it. He has given us life.

Now God knew that we had screwed up the world and we were drenched in terrible sin. So he decided to come to Earth to rescue us from this sin. This same God that created the Earth “emptied himself” and “humbled himself” by becoming human. Why is it an act of humility to go from having unlimited power to being human?

In Genesis, it says that whatever God said, came true. His word is so powerful, that all he has to do is say something and it happens. God is more powerful than we can imagine. Yet when God became human, he took on the vulnerability, frailty and weakness of humanity. He was born an infant. As an adult, he probably ate breakfast. Can we even fathom how ridiculous it is for God to eat breakfast? Why should he have to eat breakfast or drink water? After all, he is God!

Jesus’ Humanity

I would compare God becoming human to me becoming an ant. I don’t want to be an ant. I don’t want to eat what ants eat, and I don’t want to die easily like ants do. Like you or I becoming and ant, God assumed every bit of humanity including its limitations. Humanity restricted God even though Jesus was God. In Luke 2:52 it says that Jesus “advanced in wisdom”. That means that he got smarter. So just like you and me, he was well……. Not as smart when he was a toddler compared to adulthood. Most likely, he was drooling on his clothes and chewing on his mother’s new shoes as well! In Mark 6:38, Jesus asks “how many loaves do you have? Go and see”. Our Catholic faith tells us that Jesus’ human knowledge was true human knowledge and thus “could not be unlimited”(CCC 472) We should also keep in mind that because Jesus was begotten of the Father, he was the only human ever that knew the Father completely. Jesus remained God and human at the same time out of his own free will. He accepted all restrictions of humanity.

But don’t be scared of this teaching, because you have believed in Jesus’ true humanity ever since your baptism. As Christians, we MUST believe that Jesus was fully human! Otherwise, his death was not real and so it would be meaningless and fruitless. As it is, Jesus’ death was as real as ours is because he was as human as we are. And so, his suffering was real suffering, his human fear in Gethsemani was real human fear, and his death was a real human death with real human blood. He cried real human tears at Lazarus’ death. We should keep this in mind when we feel as though God does not understand us. We should remember in our times of suffering that God knows precisely what it means to suffer greatly. His willingness to become human is a display of his greatness and just how much he loves us.

In this reading, Paul says that he “humbled himself”. If we think of Jesus as a toddler and we picture Jesus eating breakfast and shedding real tears, and CRYING in an itchy manger, it is very easy to understand that when the same God who made Heaven and Earth took on this silly, vulnerable, weak humanity, he truly “humbled himself”. God knew that it was necessary to become human. He did it because he loves us. And so with all of our hearts, minds, and souls we should “exalt him.” At the name of Jesus, our knees should bend and we should be reverent at this most holy name of the God who so loved the world that he gave his only Son.

This Week

This week is called the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. When Jesus died on the cross, he paid the price for sin and he made himself an offering for our salvation. Without the cross, we would be doomed. With the cross we are saved. During this feast, we must keep in mind that WE are responsible for Jesus’ death on the cross. Without our terrible sins, the crucifixion would have been unnecessary. Those men who crucified Jesus did not understand as we understand that Jesus is Lord. Yet, we do know who he is. So when WE sin, we hammer the nails into Jesus’ hands and we whip him across his back again and again. For those present at the crucifixion, Jesus said, “forgive them Father for they know not what they do.” Yes, Jesus killers didn’t fully know what they were doing or who they were killing. However, we don’t have the same excuse. It seems to me that we DO know what we are doing when we sin, and we DO know WHO we are hurting. And, so the sin we see everyday should fill us with absolute disgust. We should vow now to never again willingly lay violent hands on Jesus.


The Point

· God lowered himself when he became human for our sake
· God shows us how much he loves us by becoming a lowly human
· With each of our sins, we crucify Jesus again by refusing to love him back.

Real Life



Reading 1
Nm 21:4b-9

With their patience worn out by the journey,
the people complained against God and Moses,
“Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in this desert,
where there is no food or water?
We are disgusted with this wretched food!”

In punishment the LORD sent among the people saraph serpents,
which bit the people so that many of them died.
Then the people came to Moses and said,
“We have sinned in complaining against the LORD and you.
Pray the LORD to take the serpents from us.”
So Moses prayed for the people, and the LORD said to Moses,
“Make a saraph and mount it on a pole,
and if any who have been bitten look at it, they will live.”
Moses accordingly made a bronze serpent and mounted it on a pole,
and whenever anyone who had been bitten by a serpent
looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 78:1bc-2, 34-35, 36-37, 38

R. (see 7b) Do not forget the works of the Lord!
Hearken, my people, to my teaching;
incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
I will open my mouth in a parable,
I will utter mysteries from of old.
R. Do not forget the works of the Lord!
While he slew them they sought him
and inquired after God again,
Remembering that God was their rock
and the Most High God, their redeemer.
R. Do not forget the works of the Lord!
But they flattered him with their mouths
and lied to him with their tongues,
Though their hearts were not steadfast toward him,
nor were they faithful to his covenant.
R. Do not forget the works of the Lord!
But he, being merciful, forgave their sin
and destroyed them not;
Often he turned back his anger
and let none of his wrath be roused.
R. Do not forget the works of the Lord!

Gospel
Jn 3:13-17

Jesus said to Nicodemus:
“No one has gone up to heaven
except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.
And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him.

Jesus Says "Lay the Smack Down!"

I knew this guy named Mister G. He was telling me an old war story once. He said that he was somewhere in the Pacific when he and a fellow soldier saw a young local girl. Mister G’s friend, grabbed the girl, and raped her right in front of Mister G. Mister G said that the whole thing was awful. I was only about 13 when I heard this story, but I remember thinking “why didn’t you stop this guy?”. Mister G said he didn’t stop the guy because he was his superior officer.

This is an ugly story, yet it very clearly expresses the message in this week’s Gospel- we are supposed to stand up for what is right. Commentary is after the Gospel.

Reading 1
Ez 33:7-9

Thus says the LORD:
You, son of man, I have appointed watchman for the house of Israel;
when you hear me say anything, you shall warn them for me.
If I tell the wicked, “O wicked one, you shall surely die, ”
and you do not speak out to dissuade the wicked from his way,
the wicked shall die for his guilt,
but I will hold you responsible for his death.
But if you warn the wicked,
trying to turn him from his way,
and he refuses to turn from his way,
he shall die for his guilt,
but you shall save yourself.

Reading II
Rom 13:8-10

Brothers and sisters:
Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another;
for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery;
you shall not kill; you shall not steal; you shall not covet, ”
and whatever other commandment there may be,
are summed up in this saying, namely,
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Love does no evil to the neighbor;
hence, love is the fulfillment of the law.

Gospel
Mt 18:15-20

Jesus said to his disciples:
“If your brother sins against you,
go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.
If he listens to you, you have won over your brother.
If he does not listen,
take one or two others along with you,
so that ‘every fact may be established
on the testimony of two or three witnesses.’
If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church.
If he refuses to listen even to the church,
then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.
Amen, I say to you,
whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Again, amen, I say to you,
if two of you agree on earth
about anything for which they are to pray,
it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father.
For where two or three are gathered together in my name,
there am I in the midst of them.”


Take Courage and Criticize

Both the 1st reading and the Gospel encourage us to criticize and discourage sin. In the first reading, Ezekiel is told that he is the "watchman for the house of Israel." But as we read in context of the entire Bible (as we always should) we can see in this week's readings that God is not just talking to Ezekiel. He is making the same demand of all of us Christians. In the Gospel reading, Jesus said, "if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault." And so, God wants all of us to take courage and reprimand others when they sin. Does that mean that every time someone makes a mistake, we should criticize them? No.

What's Worth Criticizing

This week's Gospel is telling us what sort of things are worth criticizing. Popular magazines suggest that we should criticize each others clothes (best dressed vs. worst dressed). The same popular opinion suggests that men be criticized for not making enough money, and that women should be criticized for their physical appearance. But in this week's readings, God is telling us what is truly worth criticizing- sin. For instance, in the 1st reading, God tells Ezekiel to turn (dissuade) the wicked from his way- in other words, tell him to stop sinning. In the Gospel, Jesus says that if "your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault." The 2nd reading says the same: "love does no evil (sin) to the neighbor. So Jesus gives us permission to point out sinful ways. It is sin that God is so concerned with that he wants us to point out sinfulness so as to discourage it.

In Romans 1:32 Paul is talking about sin when he says, "they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them." In that passage, he is saying that not only is it wrong to sin, but is very wrong to give approval to those who sin. And why doesn't God want us to sin? Because it separates us from loving union with God. We Catholics believe that if we persist in mortal (serious) sin without repenting until death, we permanently and irreversibly abandon God and choose an eternity in hell. God does not want that! He wants loving union between us! Just look at communion, confession, and marriage as examples of how God desires loving union!

The Way to Criticize

God even gives us practical means to criticize each other for our sins. Just look at 1st Corinthians 13:4-6 where Paul describes love:

"Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, (love) is not pompous, it is not inflated,

it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury,

it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth."

So let's say I am criticizing my brother's alcohol abuse. Do I realize that this is a sin which hurts my brother, God, and others? Am I patient and kind with my brother when I criticize? Am I inflated when I brag about my own sobriety and self-control? Am I rude? Do I criticize my brother in front of others in order to make myself look better (own interests)? Am I quick-tempered when I find my brother drunk? Am I happy that my brother is a drunk and I am a success in comparison (rejoiceful over wrongdoing)?


I once heard a story of a lady who visited St. Padre Pio in the confessional and he chased her out of the confessional. She returned later and asked Padre why he had chased her out. He said, "I saw your 2 sons in hell because of your permissive parenting!" Yes, not only do the things we do and say have the potential to send others to hell, but what we DON'T say can end in our loved ones suffering for eternity. We have opportunities everyday to discourage people from sin, and yet we pass up those chances because we care more about getting along with others temporarily than we do about the eternal destination of our loved ones. We must take courage discourage people from sinning!

The Only Way

Matthew 7:3-5 talks about removing the wooden beam out of your eye before trying to remove the splinter from your brother's eye. The point of this passage is not that we should never criticize. Rather, it ends with "remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother's eye." In other words it's okay to help your brother out by criticizing his sinfulness, but it is impossible if YOU don't stop sinning first. So it's impossible to tell our friends to be chaste when we are sleeping with our boyfriends/girlfriends. It's impossible to teach our children charity when we ourselves are not charitable. It is difficult or impossible to stop our friends from sinning when we are completely addicted to our own sins. We have to quit our sins.

Real Life

A little more than a month ago, my sister and I met a homeless man outside of church. He stopped me and asked me to pray for him. I was a little bit surprised because homeless people don't usually ask for prayers. "What do you want to pray for?" I asked. His name is Sean and he told me that his sister and his mom had died and their deaths had "messed up his mind". So we prayed and then my sister and I bought him lunch. We also prayed again for him and told him that God loved him. He wept for at least a few minutes after the prayer.

Last week, I had lunch with Sean and it was my first time seeing him since my sister and I bought him lunch. He is from Rocky Mount, NC and he is 36 years old. He likes to fish. Again, I saw him outside of Church. As soon as I sat down next to him outside of the church, he started crying and he told me that he had been "going through some things" and that he didn't know why he had to suffer so much. He also told me that he seriously considered suicide just 3 days before. I asked him if he wanted to have lunch, and he said yes. As soon as he sat in my car, he said, "I apologize for how I smell". I said nothing.

So we went to Chic-fil-a. Sean told me with tears in his eyes that last night, a man saw Sean sleeping on a bench and pulled out a gun and told Sean that the park was his. Sean said he was scared. Just a couple days prior, Sean was sleeping in the same park when I group of young people urinated in a cup and then poured it on Sean. He did nothing in response but leave the area. I noticed that Sean was skinnier since I last saw him and I asked him why. He told me that he saw a doctor who told him that he has sickle-cell anemia. I later realized that this incurable disease causes extreme fatigue, and pain particularly in the joints. Sean became sad after the diagnosis and ate less.

Sean showed me a wound he had on his hand. He told me that he received the wound while sleeping under a bridge. He told me that the sleeping under the bridge was terrible because there are animals like rats and snakes that live there and he was all wet from the rain. He said, "thats no way for a person to live."

The whole time that Sean told me these stories, he did so with much humility and he did not feel sorry for himself. Rather, he felt it was bad that a person should suffer the way he did. He told me that he didn't kill himself because that was the coward's way out.

Later that night, after I dropped Sean off downtown near the church, I had dinner with my Mom. I was thinking about Sean and felt terrible that I was eating this gourmet meal while he slept under a bridge and literally ate from the garbage can. I was distracted and was playing with my food. My mom asked where I had been earlier and I told her I was with Sean (she had heard about him before). Then she asked me where Sean sleeps. I pictured this nice man sleeping under a bridge and I started crying big time when I told my mom where Sean slept. Truly, I felt like my heart was broken thinking about Sean. We are talking about someone I know who sleeps under a bridge! Sean is a nice guy. He doesn't deserve that!

I felt like sharing this story because I realized that these homeless people I see on the streets have names. They are people. They need help. Sean is on a waiting list to receive housing and if you want to help him out, please contact me. People with sickle cell anemia have a life expectancy of 42 years and Sean is 36.


Sean King

God loves us!


Responsorial Psalm
Ps 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9

R. (8) If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD;
let us acclaim the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us joyfully sing psalms to him.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Come, let us bow down in worship;
let us kneel before the LORD who made us.
For he is our God,
and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides.
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Oh, that today you would hear his voice:
“Harden not your hearts as at Meribah,
as in the day of Massah in the desert,
Where your fathers tempted me;
they tested me though they had seen my works.”
R. If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

The Way to Heaven- For August 31, 2008

I had a crush on this girl once before and she was at my house. She was from Eastern Europe and she was a Muslim. I was infatuated with her. I had left my Bible on a table. So before she came over, I flipped the Bible upside down so as to hide the cover. I was thinking that she might like me less if she saw a Bible. I also knew that I might engage in sinful activities with her and I didn't want the Bible around to remind me of my wrongdoing.

What a HORRIBLE sin! What a capital insult to God! Paul said not be be ashamed of the Gospel. Could I have expressed my shame of the Gospel in a more real way?

This story is similar to Peter's denial of Jesus, which we will discuss this week. If you want to know what is at the heart of Christian living, please read on. There is commentary following the Gospel and the other readings are at the end.


Reading II
Rom 12:1-2

I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God,
to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice,
holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship.
Do not conform yourselves to this age
but be transformed by the renewal of your mind,
that you may discern what is the will of God,
what is good and pleasing and perfect.

Gospel
Mt 16:21-27

Jesus began to show his disciples
that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly
from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised.
Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him,
“God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.”
He turned and said to Peter,
“Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me.
You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”

Then Jesus said to his disciples,
“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world
and forfeit his life?
Or what can one give in exchange for his life?
For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory,
and then he will repay all according to his conduct.”

Denial

Since the Gospel talks about denying ourselves, let's take a look at the classic story of Peter's denial of Jesus in Matthew 26:69-75.

Peter denies knowing Jesus to the point of cursing and swearing. Well, let’s imagine for a moment what it would be like to have your best friend arrested for a heresy against the church (a crime that would bring death). We are talking about the Church that you love and that you have given yourself to. What would that do to your reputation if everybody knew that you were best friends with a foul, blasphemous heretic- a man who according to the local priests was so horrible that he deserved to die? Yet in your heart, you are CERTAIN that this man is no heretic. He is the Son of the living God. He is God himself. You are certain of it. This was Peter's situation.

Now someone asks you, “hey, aren’t you friends with that heretic who just got arrested?" Uhhhhhhh………….. So here we are- Peter had an important decision to make. Would he “deny himself and take up his cross” (suffer embarrassment and persecution), or deny Jesus (God)?

In the second reading, Paul suggests us "to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice". Sacrifice means to surrender or give up for the sake of something else. Paul equates sacrifice with not acting like (conforming) to the current times. He also suggests (indirectly) that if we DON'T conform ourselves to the current times, we will be able to discern the will of God. In other words, the people of "this age" do not like to sacrifice themselves, nor do they know the will of God. The inability to sacrifice makes it difficult or impossible to know the will of God.

Now Peter had a major decision to make. Should he suffer extreme embarrassment and perhaps outcasting by the local Church, or should he "offer himself (his reputation) as a sacrifice holy and pleasing to God" as Paul says?

This is the decision we make every day. Do we deny ourselves, or do we deny Jesus? Do we sacrifice something that we want, or do we do whatever is popular? Jesus offers the answer in the Gospel. Here is what decision time looks like today:

Work and Money- The boss tells you to exaggerate or to lie for the financial benefit of the company and yourself. Do you deny yourself by losing the money and support of your boss, or do you deny Jesus by doing what is unethical?

Sexual Temptation- Do you deny yourself pleasure and remain chaste, or do you deny Jesus by giving in to temptation?

Telling the Truth- If you tell the truth, you will be embarrassed, but if you lie, you will be impressive to others. Do you deny yourself by speaking the embarrassing truth, or do you deny Jesus by lying and looking good to others?

Difficult People- A difficult person says something that annoys you. Do you sacrifice yourself and just put up with this person, or do you deny Jesus by fighting back?

Being a follower of Jesus is challenging. Every day we are left to decide between serving ourselves and serving God. Jesus loves us and he makes the following promise: "the Son of man will repay all according to his conduct"- that is, God will give you what your actions deserve. For people who "conform to this age" that is bad news. For those who've denied themselves for Jesus, these words are a promise of an eternity of joy. We must act accordingly.

Gospel

This gospel continues right after last week's where Peter was praised for being the only man who recognized Jesus. Peter knew that Jesus was God. Peter knew that Jesus was king of the Jews. Peter loved Jesus and he figured that it made no sense for the King to die. So he says, "God forbid!" But Jesus tells Peter that he is not "thinking as God does" (sacrifice yourself), but as human beings do (conform to this age). The 2nd reading describes the essence of our Christian lives and the mission of Jesus. We are not to conform to this age, but rather we are to offer ourselves as a sacrifice to God. Before Pentecost, Peter and the other apostles had difficulty understanding this. If they had understood this, they would not have run away when Jesus was captured. Again, it is suggested by Paul in the 2nd reading that without sacrificing, it is hard to see (discern) the will of God. That is why Jesus uses the powerful words "get behind me SATAN! You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” Peter wanted Jesus to NOT sacrifice himself. Running away from sacrifice is to avoid the Christian life and mission- "to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice" as Paul says. Jesus is the perfect picture of how to live the real Christian life. He offers his body "as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God." He also does not conform to this age.

The above examples, show real world situations we face every day. The world says to us "God forbid!" if we want to pass up overtime pay to be with our families, the world says "God forbid!" to couples who sacrifice of themselves by having lots of children. The world says to us "God forbid!" to a night of prayer rather than hanging out with friends. Our teacher says “Whoever wishes to come after me must DENY HIMSELF, TAKE UP HIS CROSS, and follow me. Personally, I know some people who live this way, and they look strange to the world. Yet in their eyes, you can see that their destiny is heaven and they have an incredible peace knowing that God "will repay all according to his conduct.”

The Point

• Sacrificing our lives to God is a central part of Christian life
• Jesus came to offer himself as a sacrifice for us. Why do we refuse to imitate him?
• Every day, we choose to deny ourselves, or to deny Jesus. In the end all will be accounted for.
  
• Without sacrificing of ourselves, we will not be able to know what everyone Christian wants to know- the will of God.
  
• If our lives look like everyone else's in the world (conformity) it's unlikely we are aware or even concerned with God's will
• Denying ourselves is a powerful way to imitate Christ.

Real Life

By a sheer gift from God, I lived a poor, missionary life for the past year. Every day, it was impossible to have what I wanted. I wanted air conditioning and it was difficult to sleep. But, I didn't get my way. I wanted to watch sports, but there was no television- I didn't get my way. I wanted to do as I pleased- yet I could not leave the property without permission. I wanted to use the internet, there was none available at the ranch. I wanted to hang out with friends, but they lived 1500 miles away. I wanted to take a shower, but I could only take 2 per week. The first 3 weeks was very difficult for me.

Everyone knows what happens when you give a child everything he wants. Soon, he literally screams because he can't have what he wants. In every situation, he is looking to get what he wants. He becomes mean to others and self-centered. He is difficult to be around. He can be very annoying to his friends in school (if he has friends). He has difficulty appreciating things. He often complains. Everyone has met children like this who always get what they want.

If everyone understands this, then why do we give ourselves permission to do whatever we want when we become adults? Why do we give ourselves what we want all of the time? Have we forgotten what that does to people? The more we get our way, the more we WANT to get our way. It is a powerful cycle of greed and blindness to God's will. If we weren't obsessed with having our way all of the time, we might be able to understand the life of Christ and how to be like him.

Now, when I visited my family last Christmas (after 4 months of a lifestyle of sacrifice), I noticed something. I was so accustomed to NOT getting my way, that I no longer CARED about getting my way. I would listen to someone talk, and I could SEE THEM clearly. I was able to listen patiently and keep my mouth shut. Before, I would be talking to someone, and I saw them as an obstacle to my schedule, and my goals. Before living in the desert, I was constantly thinking about what I wanted to say while someone was talking and so I was a terrible listener. I wanted my way all of the time.

And so what happened to me after living months of sacrifice? I no longer wanted my way because I was so used to it. So when God asked me to do something inconvenient, like listen to an annoying conversation, or tell the embarrassing truth, all of a sudden it was easier because I was accustomed to doing things I didn't want to do- sacrifice. After all, who actually enjoys fasting? Who likes telling the embarrassing truth? Who likes to say "no" to beautiful girls when they want to sin with you? These are not my favorite things to do!

Maybe we should sacrifice just as we do during lent with our primary fast being a fast from sinning. Maybe if we stop ourselves from ordering the most expensive thing on the menu, watching our favorite TV program, buying the newest toy and instead give our time and resources to God, we will understand sacrifice better. If it becomes part of our everyday lives, we might even be able to respond properly when Jesus says "I am going to suffer and die". Instead of saying, "God forbid!", we might say, "okay, I understand why you are doing this. I'm coming with you. Let me deny myself, take up MY cross and follow you my Lord."

God loves us.

Reading 1
Jer 20:7-9

You duped me, O LORD, and I let myself be duped;
you were too strong for me, and you triumphed.
All the day I am an object of laughter;
everyone mocks me.

Whenever I speak, I must cry out,
violence and outrage is my message;
the word of the LORD has brought me
derision and reproach all the day.

I say to myself, I will not mention him,
I will speak in his name no more.
But then it becomes like fire burning in my heart,
imprisoned in my bones;
I grow weary holding it in, I cannot endure it.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9

R. (2b) My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
O God, you are my God whom I seek;
for you my flesh pines and my soul thirsts
like the earth, parched, lifeless and without water.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
Thus have I gazed toward you in the sanctuary
to see your power and your glory,
For your kindness is a greater good than life;
my lips shall glorify you.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
Thus will I bless you while I live;
lifting up my hands, I will call upon your name.
As with the riches of a banquet shall my soul be satisfied,
and with exultant lips my mouth shall praise you.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
You are my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I shout for joy.
My soul clings fast to you;
your right hand upholds me.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

Would the Real Pope Please Stand Up?

Excerpt from Pope Benedict XVI's homily

MASS FOR THE INAUGURATION OF THE PONTIFICATE OF POPE BENEDICT XVI

St. Peter's Square
Sunday, 24 April 2005

"How could 115 Bishops, from every culture and every country, discover the one on whom the Lord wished to confer the mission of binding and loosing? Once again, we knew that we were not alone, we knew that we were surrounded, led and guided by the friends of God. And now, at this moment, weak servant of God that I am, I must assume this enormous task, which truly exceeds all human capacity. How can I do this? How will I be able to do it? All of you, my dear friends, have just invoked the entire host of Saints, represented by some of the great names in the history of God’s dealings with mankind. In this way, I too can say with renewed conviction: I am not alone. I do not have to carry alone what in truth I could never carry alone. All the Saints of God are there to protect me, to sustain me and to carry me. And your prayers, my dear friends, your indulgence, your love, your faith and your hope accompany me."

Pope Benedict is.... AWESOME.

This week's Gospel, speaks of the beginning of Jesus' church. There is commentary following the Gospel only and the other readings are at the bottom. This week's commentary includes some new material and some excerpts from previous writings. This week's commentary is shorter, and Mass Excitement will probably be changing to a shorter format for the sake of readers.

Gospel
Mt 16:13-20

Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi and
he asked his disciples,
“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter said in reply,
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus said to him in reply,
“Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.
And so I say to you, you are Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my church,
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.
Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Then he strictly ordered his disciples
to tell no one that he was the Christ.

Peter and the Papacy

In Matthew 16: 13-20, Jesus named Peter "Rock". His original name was Simon. It's because Peter was the only person who recognized Jesus for who he was that Jesus said he would build his church on Peter and give Peter the keys to heaven. Every man suffers from a big ego. So, before Peter had a chance to toot his horn, Jesus told him that “Blessed are you Simon, Son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.”

In other words, “very good Simon, but you didn’t figure this out with that 3 pound brain of yours. Rather, my Father revealed it to you.” This revelation from God and Peter’s confession of Jesus’ identity is so important to Jesus that he says, “upon this rock I will build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven.”

What does Jesus mean by, "the gates of hell shall not prevail against "my" church. First of all, Jesus is saying the church he builds on Peter is "my" church. Whatever Jesus says comes true and he says that gates of hell shall not prevail against his church. He is talking about the Catholic Church and the only Church that existed for the first 1500 years after Jesus' death. Jesus gave the keys to Peter. The “key” or “keys” is a symbol of authority in the first reading, and in Revelations 3:7. In this Gospel, the language explicitly says that Peter is given authority.

At first glance, it looks rather strange that Jesus would “give the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven” to Peter and allow him to “bind and loose” whatever he wishes just because he was the only person who knew Jesus’ identity. But, we should remember that Jesus is the greatest teacher of the faith ever because he is the only one who knows the Father COMPLETELY. Knowing who the Father is COMPLETELY is what makes Jesus such a good teacher. In a similar way, Peter was the first pope because he was the only one of the apostles who could recognize Jesus for who he was.

This has very important implications for us. We should listen to what Peter says. In John 21:2, it says “there are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written.”

Personally, I want to know what “other things” Jesus did. It just so happens that there were 11 apostles who knew Jesus well (11 because of Judas). Peter was the first pope, and the other apostles were the first bishops and priests of the church. If we read the Catechism, we’ll find the other knowledge that God has passed to his church through his best friends on Earth and through continuous divine revelation. Peter has a successor today united with the bishops at our service.

Protection From Harm

In Matthew 7:25, Jesus says, "The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock." This passage is very similar to the Gospel because it says the house did not collapse because of "rock". The Catholic Church is built on rock. Ultimately, we profess that we believe in one Holy, Apostolic, Catholic Church in the profession of faith. As Catholics, we must believe EVERYTHING that the church teaches. That's right, we cannot call ourselves Catholic unless we believe EVERYTHING that the Church teaches with zero exceptions. Year after year, and century after century, the church is assaulted with heresies, such as, "Jesus was not really human", "Jesus was not really God", "there is no such thing as hell". How do we know who to listen to? God is practical, and he gave us our church leaders to teach us what teachings are RIGHT and which are wrong. Jesus knew that "rain" would fall, "floods" would come, and "winds" would strike the house (our church) and yet it would not collapse. Because Jesus has built the church on Rock, " and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it".

The Church teaches us that the Pope is the leader of the church. If we reject the teaching of the Pope's authority, we reject the teaching authority of the Church which was established for our benefit in the first place. On the other hand, an acceptance of our pope is an acceptance of a gift that God wishes to give us- the successor of the Rock which God has built his church on- Pope Benedict the XVI.

The Point

• Unlike John the Baptist ("there has been none greater than John the Baptist") and EVERYONE else, God revealed to Peter who Jesus was, and so Jesus named him the first pope.
  
• The Catholic Church is Jesus' church and Jesus gave the authority to Peter (a sinner), and to his successor, now Pope Benedict XVI (also a sinner).

• Jesus taught many other things that were not written in the Bible and his best friends Peter and the bishops know him best, we must have faith in them and the teachings of our church
  


• If we reject the teaching of the Pope as the leader of our Church, we reject the teaching authority of the Church and therefore we reject the Church itself, which is built on the Rock that Jesus himself chose.
  

Real Life

When I lived as a missionary, I used to go to this pond on the Lord's ranch which some of you are familiar with. I LOVED going to this pond. It was my favorite place to pray. It is a little bit bigger than a football field and surrounded by flat desert with beautiful brown mountains not far away. There are always animals there including ducks and other birds, coyotes, and lots of rabbits. I liked the pond most of all because of how quiet and isolated it was. Because of the silence, lack of distraction, and holiness of the place, my prayer seemed great there. I felt as though I made leaps towards God in those times of prayer.










I no longer live there, so I can't go there to pray. About 2 weeks ago, I walked to a park near where I am staying (I live 1,700 miles from the Lord's Ranch pond) and I sat on a park bench. It was cloudy and the weather was around 80 degrees with a breeze. I closed my eyes in prayer and I pictured the pond at the Lord's Ranch. I pictured the ducks, and I imagined the tranquility with the mountains in the distance. Indeed, the park where I was was also very quiet and I felt that God was telling me this: "you like the peace and tranquility at that pond don't you? Stick with me, and i will give you peace and quiet wherever you go". It felt fantastic and I remembered that my peace comes not from a place, but from the God of heaven who wishes to speak to us.

God loves us. >>>>that's a video on the right



Reading 1
Is 22:19-23

Thus says the LORD to Shebna, master of the palace:
“I will thrust you from your office
and pull you down from your station.
On that day I will summon my servant
Eliakim, son of Hilkiah;
I will clothe him with your robe,
and gird him with your sash,
and give over to him your authority.
He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
and to the house of Judah.
I will place the key of the House of David on Eliakim’s shoulder;
when he opens, no one shall shut
when he shuts, no one shall open.
I will fix him like a peg in a sure spot,
to be a place of honor for his family.”

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 138:1-2, 2-3, 6, 8

R. (8bc) Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.
I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;
I will worship at your holy temple.
R. Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.
I will give thanks to your name,
because of your kindness and your truth:
When I called, you answered me;
you built up strength within me.
R. Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.
The LORD is exalted, yet the lowly he sees,
and the proud he knows from afar.
Your kindness, O LORD, endures forever;
forsake not the work of your hands.
R. Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.

Reading II
Rom 11:33-36

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!
How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways!
For who has known the mind of the Lord
or who has been his counselor?
Or who has given the Lord anything
that he may be repaid?
For from him and through him and for him are all things.
To him be glory forever. Amen.

"Olympic Gold" - Training by Prayer

Olympic Gold This week, the world is watching the finest athletes show the fruits of lifetimes of training and discipline. The hard work might culminate in glory on top of the medal stand or the agony of defeat. One Swedish weightlifter threw his medal away- leading spectators talking steroids and javellin throwers criticizing his throwing technique). For us normal folks, the Olympics means just another week of getting fatter on our couches and assuring our girlfriends that we are superior basketballers, soccer players, and water poloers* than those so-called Olympians. Also, the Olympics is a great time to show that democracy is better than communism by dominating the communists in the trampoline event (yes, that's an actual event). At the Olympics, China hopes to prove its emergence as a world superpower by conquering the most dangerous territory in the world- the badminton courts.

*(you owe me a 5-cent royalty for every time you use the word water poloer)

But seriously, this week's commentary will focus on a relatively unknown champion of prayer, the Canaanite woman. There is commentary following the Gospel. The other readings are at the end.


Gospel Mt 15:21-28 At that time, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out, “Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon.” But Jesus did not say a word in answer to her. Jesus’ disciples came and asked him, “Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us.” He said in reply, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But the woman came and did Jesus homage, saying, “Lord, help me.” He said in reply, “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.” Then Jesus said to her in reply, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And the woman’s daughter was healed from that hour.



The Source of Evil

The Canaanite woman (Canaanite) shows her faith immediately when she names the cause of her problem- a demon. A couple of months ago, I wrote that sin is what we should fear.³ It is not the devil that we should fear because he is no match for God. It is our COOPERATION with the devil that we should fear. Ultimately, he cannot force us into hell without our consent. But, knowing that this world is ruled by the devil and that "he is author and instigator of all evils"¹ IS important. It is important because many of us think that we are enemies of each other. I used to go to abortion clinics to pray, thinking that the abortion doctors were our enemies. I soon realized that they are VICTIMS. They have been deceived by the Father of Lies and are in need of our prayers. And that goes along with Jesus' command to "love our enemies". The Canaanite knew what afflicted her daughter. She could have blamed her husband, her physician, or the beef salesman at the marketplace. Instead of naming them as enemies, she knew that "our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens.²

^{3 http://massexcitement.blogspot.com/search/label/fear}

Enemies

This is a very important distinction because we Christians have difficulties with people all of the time. If we think that our brothers and sisters are our enemies, we will treat them accordingly. In some cases, we end up killing our brothers and sisters because we see them as enemies. Another reason why it is important to identify the enemy is so that we can defend ourselves against him on our way to heaven. Jesus calls the devil the Father of Lies. The devil's first words to Eve were lies which ultimately lead to her death and and the death of billions of humans through sin. How can knowing this information help us in our relationship with God? Our relationship with God depends on what we do. He has already died on the cross for us and will always love us to the maximum. During this life, we can choose how to react to God's love and this will determine the quality of our relationship with him. We love him back by following his commandments. The devil wants us to spend an eternity in hell with him. His game plan is to tell us not to believe what God says. Here is why it important to recognize the devil and his works in this life, and here is how we can recognize his lies:

Recognizing Lies Easily

If someone (always a victim of the devil's lies) tells us to do something that is against Jesus teachings and against the Church's teachings, we can recognize it as a lie and an attempt of the devil to send us to hell. Some saints have been known to be masters of discerning whether something is coming from the devil or from God and here is a simple and powerful way to tell where something is coming from. When people tell us that :

• we don't have to attend church
• we can get divorced if we want
• it's okay to have pre-maritial sex as long as you love the person
• you don't have to pray in order to know God
• it's okay to hoard our wealth rather than share it

We can recognize immediately that these are lies spun by the devil and thus we can quietly and confidently ignore these lies. God wants us to know his enemy and how he operates. The Canaanite knew this. Another important thing to note is that this conversation she had with Jesus was a prayer. Isn't that what prayer is- a conversation with God? And so who does the Canaanite run to when her daughter is in trouble? She asks not her friends, doctors, or WebMD to help, but rather she goes straight to God with her concern. We should learn from this and seek God in prayer when we need help. Let's look at modern-day prayer

Praying Today

For almost all of my life, I prayed before some meals and sometimes at night for 30 seconds. This prayer had very little effect on my relationship with God and I never felt like it made us any closer. We are reminded in this Gospel that prayer is a conversation with a person- Jesus (and the Father, Holy Spirit - God). Now what if I started calling my best friend for 30 seconds every other day and before some meals for 30 seconds? What would happen to our relationship? It would dwindle down to nothing just like the people we send Christmas cards to once a year without talking to them. My friend would get pissed if I rarely spoke to him and for only 60 seconds at a time maximum. God wants MORE than a pretend relationship like this.

Dry Prayers

What if every time my friend came over to my house I picked up a book off the shelf and started reading it to him? He would probably get annoyed and it would not be as a good as actual conversation. This is what it sounds like to God when we recite prayers like the "bless us oh Lord for these thy gifts...." and "our father who art in heaven..." without even thinking about God. These prayers in themselves are good and I pray them myself routinely. But these prayers are not enough. God is a person. He wants a relationship. We have to spend TIME talking to him just like any other friend. When I started to pray at length to God, I found that it got better and better. So did our relationship. It reminds me of playing the violin. After I play for 30 minutes straight, it gets easier and easier and soon I am in rhythm. Not much later, I get on fire with the violin and it sounds great! The same goes for prayer. If we want to know God, we have to talk to him at length. Just like with any relationship, we have to work hard like the best Olympians- not like couch potatoes.

The Point

• All evil originates from the Devil. He is our enemy- not our brothers and sisters
• We should pray for our Earthly enemies. They are victims of the devil's lies.
• EVERYTHING we hear that is against Jesus and the Church's teachings (they are the same) is a lie. We shouldn't do what liars tell us to do
• Praying for 60 seconds per day is not enough
• God is a person. We have to work at our relationship with him and spend time talking to him
• formal prayers are not enough for a relationship with God. God desires sincere conversation with him.
• 8 hours of prayer a day is not necessary, but prayer often improves as the conversations get longer.

Real Life

During the last 11 months, I spent a lot of time visiting jail inmates and the poor. Every time we participated in these ministries, we prayed a long exorcism prayer to St. Michael asking for protection against the devil and his angels. This prayer was recommended by Pope John Paul II. The man who suggested this prayer during our ministries was very aware of the devil's hatred of the ministries we participated in. Anyhow, we missionaries were constantly aware of the enemy and said prayers against him. A few months ago, I was doing my regular jail visit in Juarez. When we entered the secured area near the cells, we heard the VERY loud screaming of a young lady in custody. She was wrestling very frantically with some cops and screaming "release me, release me!!!!!!" Even after they put her on the ground by herself, she continued to scream and scream. This was very unusual. Not long afterwards one person in our group was preaching to the inmates when suddenly, I saw some people carry out one of the inmates by his hands and feet as he yelled and struggled. At that point, it seemed clear that the devil was very upset with our presence that day. This type of thing (the nature and quantity of screaming and carrying a guy out of the cell) was very unusual. Soon after the man was carried out, we prayed right outside of the cells and asked the inmates to join us in a prayer out loud. I felt grace and soon I was weeping. I noticed that many of the inmates were weeping which was unusual. God was doing something great for all of us on that day. When one of the missionaries laid hands on the inmates, they started staggering, as though they were about to faint and they all cried. I think the devil was mad that we were there that day because God had plans to deliver tremendous graces. Actually, that day, we were short-handed for the first time in my memory. Perhaps God wanted to remind us to rely on him and would provide us with the help we needed. Just this past week, my mom lost her purse and she was very upset. She started crying so, I pulled out my copy of the exorcism prayer almost immediately after I prayed it, she found the purse.

God Loves Us!

Click here to view and print the prayer http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Rhodes/3543/exorcism.htm

Pope JP 2 recommends the prayer
http://www.tldm.org/News6/exorcism.htm

1- CCC 2854
2- Ephesians 6:12
3- http://massexcitement.blogspot.com/search/label/fearr

Reading 1 Is 56:1, 6-7 Thus says the LORD: Observe what is right, do what is just; for my salvation is about to come, my justice, about to be revealed. The foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, ministering to him, loving the name of the LORD, and becoming his servants— all who keep the sabbath free from profanation and hold to my covenant, them I will bring to my holy mountain and make joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be acceptable on my altar, for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8 R. (4) O God, let all the nations praise you! May God have pity on us and bless us; may he let his face shine upon us. So may your way be known upon earth; among all nations, your salvation. R. O God, let all the nations praise you! May the nations be glad and exult because you rule the peoples in equity; the nations on the earth you guide. R. O God, let all the nations praise you! May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you! May God bless us, and may all the ends of the earth fear him! R. O God, let all the nations praise you!

Reading II Rom 11:13-15, 29-32 Brothers and sisters: I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I glory in my ministry in order to make my race jealous and thus save some of them. For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable. Just as you once disobeyed God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, so they have now disobeyed in order that, by virtue of the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy. For God delivered all to disobedience, that he might have mercy upon all.