When smart people talk about these very complicated things, there’s a temptation to turn it into a competition.  For most, but not all theological questions, there are “right answers.”  Theologians have studied and prayed about many of these questions for hundreds or even thousands of years, and people who study theology learn these “right answers.”  And in some similar discussions that I’ve been involved with, it seems almost like a game of Jeopardy, except the answers don’t have to be in the form of a question.

But this was a different kind of discussion.  Good questions were asked and many of the “right answers” were given, but there was very little “theological testosterone” in the room.  One of the people asked a question about whether Mary was the ultimate human person.  As Father Paul was sharing his insights with us, I could see that Miguel was anxious to say something.  I wondered if he was going to strut some of his “seminary book-learning.”  I was impressed that while he shared some important ideas with us, those ideas came equally from his head and from his heart.  Miguel didn’t see this as a quiz show.  He had obviously thought deeply (in his head) about the Virgin Mary and her relationship with Jesus, but this understanding had also touched his heart, and affected his own relationship with Jesus and Mary.

And, in fact, that was the difference between the discussion that night, and so many similar discussions I’ve had in the past – the understanding that theology – the study of God and his interaction with us – must be more than a mental exercise.  It cannot be limited to our heads, but must be shared with our hearts.

Last Sunday Father Paul talked to us about the story of the Good Samaritan.  He told us that when Jesus asked the lawyer what the law said he had to do to inherit eternal life, the lawyer gave the right answer: “Love God and love your neighbour.”  The lawyer knew that answer in his head.  And then Jesus told the parable: how a priest and a Levite walked right past one of their neighbours who was beaten almost to death, lying on the side of the road.  They knew all about the instruction to love God and neighbour.  It went back to the Book of Deuteronomy – part of their scriptures.  But they also knew that the law said that if they came in contact with blood, they would become ritually unclean, and the man on the side of the road was badly beaten.  He might have even been dead, and they would become unclean if they touched a corpse.  So they listened to their heads rather than their hearts – they passed by the injured man without offering any assistance.  And we know that the Samaritan, who wasn’t operating from his head, acted with a much more profound understanding of this fundamental Jewish law than these two Jewish religious leaders.  The Samaritan acted from his heart.

As you know, this was one of the most important themes of Jesus’ public ministry.  He was constantly criticizing the Scribes and Pharisees as hypocrites, because they held the Law in their heads, and observed it scrupulously, but had no understanding of the purpose of the Law in their hearts.  And this should not have been a big stretch for them.  You remember in last week’s reading from Deuteronomy, God spoke to the people about the Law through Moses, and said: “It is not too hard for you, nor is it too far away…it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe.”  Even in the Old Testament, God was telling his people to make the connection between head and heart – in fact, he was telling them that these laws were already written in their hearts – they just had to be aware of something that was already there.

And today we see the same sort of contrast between head and heart in the story of Martha and Mary.  Martha was operating from her head.  She took her job as hostess very seriously.  When you have guests in your house, there are certain things that need to be done – it’s like an unwritten law.  And Martha got angry when Mary didn’t help with the things that Martha thought were important.  Mary was obviously operating from the heart.  Sitting at the feet of Jesus, Mary probably made Jesus feel more welcome in their house than Martha did with her chasing about, and Mary definitely gained more from the presence of Jesus in their house than Martha did.  That’s why Jesus said to Martha: “Mary has chosen the better part.”  We’re used to hearing Jesus beat up on the Scribes and Pharisees for operating only from the head, but in today’s gospel, we hear that regular people are also in danger of missing the message.

Each weekend, Father Paul, Father Andrew, and I talk to you about God, often in the person of Jesus.  Father J and Deacon Roger will be joining the team soon.  And we often say things that you’ve heard many times before.  I wonder how many of these ideas – these truths of our faith – make it from your head to your heart.  In fact, if you’re like me, your attention sometimes wanders, and these things never even make it to your head!

I’d like you to do something this week.  I’m giving you some homework.  So get out a pen and a piece of paper if you have one.  I’m going to read five statements of our faith – things that you’ve heard very often – and I want you to spend some time each day this week with one of those statements – taking it from your head and giving it a resting place in your heart.  They’ll also be on the parish website if you miss them.  Remember, you only have to choose one – but you have to choose one.

First: “God is Love.”  We hear this all the time, and none of us would disagree with the statement, but what will it feel like to fix that statement in our hearts.  So that’s number one.

Second: “Jesus died for my sins.”  Again, we know this in our head, but what does it mean to us when it becomes part of our heart.

Third: “Jesus is the vine, we are the branches.  I am a branch.”  Feel that in your heart.

Fourth: “Seek not the things of this world, but the things of heaven.”

And last: “I am a child of God.”

You might remember that when Father Paul does baptisms during Mass, you always hear him telling the parents that they must bring up their children to know God, not just know about God.  You can know about God in your head, but to know God involves both the head and the heart.  That’s the challenge that I’m giving you today.  Good luck.  You don’t know how important this is.  After all, you don’t want to miss the gates of heaven by 18 inches (the distance from your head to your heart).

]]> http://www.trinitycatholic.net/?feed=rss2&p=612 0 http://www.trinitycatholic.net/?p=592 http://www.trinitycatholic.net/?p=592#comments Mon, 05 Jul 2010 17:50:23 +0000 admin http://www.trinitycatholic.net/?p=592 When I was a kid, especially in the summer, I would get up in the morning and get dressed, and before I went outside to play, I would cram my pants pockets full of the really important stuff that I would need for the day: a couple of small stones, a pocket knife, my yoyo, a few marbles, a handkerchief, a wad of heavy string, and maybe a slingshot.

I think many of us still do that. I’m sure some of you have seen women strolling through the shops with purses the size of a small suitcase. They’re carrying make-up, a wallet, cell phone, toiletries, Kleenex (no hankies), a checkbook, bottle of water, a snack, keys (funny, I never carried keys when I was a kid).

And guys, we’re not immune. I got a new truck a couple months ago, and I was amazed at how many storage compartments there were. The people who make trucks understand that we have lots of stuff.

In today’s gospel, Jesus sends 70 of his disciples out on a mission – a mission to spread his teachings. And they would be gone for more than just a day – more than a shopping trip to the mall – more than a drive to the worksite. And what did he tell them? “Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals.” How were they supposed to survive without their stuff? What was Jesus telling them? He was saying: “Trust in me. Don’t trust in your stuff – trust in me.”

And they had a reason to trust Jesus. They had been following him, and learning from him. Jesus had nurtured them. We hear about that kind of nurturing in the first reading. Isaiah was describing the Jewish people, who were anticipating the restoration of Jerusalem after it had been destroyed and their temple abused by invading populations. They talked about their relationship to Jerusalem like the intimate relationship between a mother and a child. And then they extended that metaphor to their relationship with God. It’s funny, we usually think about God in male terms: “God the Father,” but isn’t it a wonderful image to think of God cradling us like a mother cradles and nurses her child.

But children don’t stay in their mother’s arms forever. Jesus had nurtured his disciples. He had shown gentleness and love, and now he was sending them out – but with no stuff. He said: “Go from this safe place – go prepare things for me. Teach the people as I taught you. Cure people as I cured you. Oh, and by the way, lots of people will hate you. You will be like lambs among the wolves.”

So what’s the message for us? I think you know what it is. Jesus is calling each of us to be one of those 70 disciples. Now our first response might be: “I’m not like those 70 people.” You might think those 70 disciples were people like Father Paul – highly trained and actually ordained to do this work. Well no, they weren’t. The apostles might have been like that, but these were lay people – people like you.

Your next rationalization might go something like this: “But Jesus probably gave them some kind of special blessing.” Well, yes, he probably did. And he gave each of us a special blessing at our baptism, and strengthened that blessing when we were confirmed, and he renews that blessing each time we receive his body and blood in the Eucharist. And with each of those blessings we are called to be like the 70 disciples.

So what’s stopping us? Well, one of the things stopping us is our stuff. Jesus told his disciples to leave everything behind as an act of total trust and surrender, but by leaving these things behind, they also would have no possessions to worry about. Our lives tend to be centered around collecting stuff, working hard so that we can afford stuff, and occupying our time with our stuff.

Now, for the most part, our stuff is not evil, and working so that we can afford things is not a sin, and using and enjoying materials things is not wrong – but all of these things can be. And I think the key relates to something Father Paul spoke to us about last week. You remember that he talked about addiction. He gave a specific example of addiction to Facebook – a social networking site. Some of you might have read the 12 signs that you are addicted to Facebook that Miguel posted on the parish website. Social networking is not wrong, in fact, Facebook allows people who are physically separated to share experiences with their friends. But as you read the “12 signs” you can understand that social networking can be taken to the level of addiction. Just like an occasional drink is not a problem, but alcoholism is so terribly destructive.

As Father Paul told us last week, the difference is about freedom. We are free when we collect and use our stuff. We lose that freedom when we become addicted – when we allow our things to control us. The 70 disciples were so excited about the many wonderful things that they accomplished in Jesus’ name. They would not have been able to do those wonderful things if they had spent the whole time setting up and taking down tents, or shopping at the local markets, gossiping at the town gate or drinking wine into the wee hours. Just like we can’t spread the message of Jesus that we hear about each weekend, if we’re addicted to things like Facebook, alcohol, television, or anything else that monopolizes our time and minds.

Now I’m not suggesting that you all empty your pockets and purses, leave your credit cards behind and wander from town to town, preaching. We don’t all have that calling. But by the grace of God, given to us in the sacraments, we are all called to a relationship with him – and because we are Catholics – that relationship with God must extend to our families, our neighbours, our co-workers. We preach by the lives we live, by the way we treat the people we meet, by the things we tolerate in our lives and by the things that we refuse to tolerate, and by our generosity to those who have less stuff than we have.

The 70 disciples were nurtured, loved, and blessed by Jesus, and then sent out to preach and to work wonders. We are no different. It’s our turn.

Enjoy and I hope this helps each one of you find our Lord and establish a real relationship with Him.

12 Signs it is Time to Quit Facebook
Last month, Quit Facebook Day was celebrated — a day that saw over 34,500 Facebook users quitting the social networking site amidst concerns over privacy. Not exactly the biggest dent in the website’s 450 million members, but a valiant effort from its founders nonetheless. However, there are also those users who need to quit for many more reasons than privacy. Those that can’t go an hour without updating their status or commenting on a photo — more commonly known as Facebook addicts. We’ve listed 12 of the most common signs of Facebook addiction over the following pages. If you tick on one or two of these, you’re probably just as addicted to Facebook as the next person. If you find you’re nodding along to most of the list, perhaps it’s time to take a step away from the monitor.

1. You’ve ever written ‘First!’
We’re not sure where the idea came from that you get special kudos for commenting on something first, but just for the record — you don’t. In fact, doing it repeatedly is more likely to get you booted off your friends’ lists quicker than you can say, well, “first.”

2. You’ve created a separate account for your baby/cat/favourite plant
Let’s break this down — if you create an account for someone, or something, that can’t actually use it, you’re going to be the one updating it.
It’ll start innocently enough. A couple of status updates here and there “in character.” Maybe a few wall posts. But then before you know it, you’ll be having full blown conversations with yourself between your real and fake profiles. That’s the first sign of madness these days, don’t you know?

3. You haven’t seen your husband/wife/significant other recently
See that person you’re listed as in a relationship with on Facebook? Well they also exist away from the computer too, remember? Facebook was recently found to be a factor in one in five divorces, and we’re sure the figures are even higher for relationship break-ups. If you’ve not seen your other half in a while, you might want to make sure they aren’t filing the divorce papers and packing their bags while you’re busy updating your status.

4. You take pictures of yourself. Are you guilty of posing in front of your webcam? Or have ever taken a photo of yourself in the mirror just to use as your profile picture? This is a sign of S.V.B. — seriously vain behaviour, a condition contracted from extended use of Facebook. We’d say the best course of treatment is to go out with your mates, take your camera and enjoy flicking through the photos afterwards. We’d wager there’ll be plenty of cracking snaps to use as your profile picture, and no doubt great memories captured at the same time.

5. You check Facebook on vacation. The sun is shining, you’re on an exotic beach somewhere and you’ve forked out your hard-earned cash to get away from it all. Why then, pray tell, would you be checking Facebook? This is addiction at its most devastating — not only will you miss out on chunks of your holiday with your face in your phone or computer, but when the roaming charges land on your next bill, you’ll need to take out a loan to pay them off.

6. You speak to your best friend more often on Facebook than in real life.
Previously you’d pick up your phone if you wanted to tell your friends something, or maybe drop them a text message to meet for a chat. If you’ve found you’re now talking to them more on Facebook than in real life, do your friendship a favour, close down the chat box and grab a coffee together.

7. You’d forget your friends’ birthdays if it wasn’t for Facebook reminders
Remember before the days of Facebook, when you wrote birthdays, important dates and events in a calendar or diary? If Facebook now runs your social life, telling you when to say “happy birthday” and when you’re going where, you could run into a pickle when you can’t access it for some reason. We’re not sure how popular you’ll be when you forget your mom’s birthday because Facebook goes down for maintenance.

8. Your mood depends on how many ‘friends’ you’ve added to your account. Let’s get one thing straight — the number of Facebook friends you have is not directly proportionate to your popularity in the real world. In fact there’s plenty of evidence to suggest it may well be the opposite. If you’re finding yourself getting upset that you haven’t had a friend request in a few hours, or that your next door neighbor has more Facebook friends than you, it’s probably time to move away from the keyboard and get some face-to-face time with your real-life friends.

9. You’ve taken out a loan to cover your Farmville/Fish World/Mafia habit.
If you’ve been hooked in to playing one of these Facebook games, not only will you have no doubt flooded your friends’ feeds with news that you just bought a new fish/sheep/gun, but you’ve probably spent a fair bit of dough on it in the process. If your bank balance is starting to see the effects of your addiction, you might want to think about reining it in a bit, and spending your cash on something away from your computer, in the real world.

10. You’ve ever updated your status while sitting on the loo
There are some things that can just wait, and one of those is status updating. If you’ve ever found yourself coming up with something you just have to share with the world while sitting on the loo, put the phone down and wait until you’re back at your computer. Of course, if you’ve taken your computer with you, well then that’s a whole different level of addiction you need to address…

11. You’ve started over sharing. Hey, depressed guy! Facebook isn’t your agony aunt, okay? You shouldn’t be broadcasting how horrible your break-up was or how much you still love your ex on your profile. Nobody really wants to read it. And we’d bet that includes your ex, too. Of course there is the other end of the scale — are you one of those couples who feel the need to express their love for each other at every possible opportunity? It might have been cute the first five times you did it, now it’s just annoying.

12. When you’re out, you’re wondering what’s happening on Facebook
It should go without saying — when you’re with your friends, your mind should not be on Facebook. So if you’re finding yourself getting a nervous tic when you’ve been away from Facebook for more than a few hours, it’s definitely time for a break. You can rest in the knowledge that all the news, comments and photos will be there when you get home, and you’ll have plenty of material from the time with your mates to update your status with.

Sitting in front of me was a young couple with a little baby – couldn’t have been more than about six weeks old – beautiful blue eyes and a wonderful, toothless smile. And I thought about the things that happen in our lives that change us from the wide-eyed innocence we’re born with to the people we are today.

We begin like this perfect vase [shows vase], and we’re protected – at least to a certain extent [puts vase in protective envelope]. And then,

…we don’t get that birthday present that we really wanted [smashes vase with hammer, breaking the vase],

…or we’re bullied at school [smashes vase again],

…or we fail a very important test that would have helped us get into university [smash],

…or we drink too much one night and make a very serious mistake [smash],

…or our husband leaves us for another woman [smash],

…or someone we love very much dies [smash].

What’s happened to that perfect vase? It’s broken! So we try to fix it ourselves [tries to fit broken pieces of the vase together].

“My parents are just losers. They don’t know how to buy good presents for kids.”

“That test was not fair. I didn’t know they were going to ask questions like that. It’s not my fault that I failed.”

“Just wait ‘till my ex-husband starts living with that new woman. He’ll find out just how good he had it with me.”

We try to repair our own brokenness, but what do we have? Is our vase perfect again?

In today’s Gospel, we meet some broken people – some who know they’re broken, and some who don’t. Jesus was eating at the home of one of the Pharisees. The Pharisees were the religious leaders of the time, and they were obsessed about showing the people that they followed the Law – including the many dietary laws and the laws related to ritual purity. And they looked down their noses at anyone who didn’t follow the Law the way they did.

So in comes this woman with a jar of expensive ointment. She is not just a sinner – but she is a public sinner – everyone in town knew she was a sinner. And she knew she was a sinner. She didn’t come to Jesus and say: “I had no choice – I had to do those things – It’s not my fault.” She wasn’t trying to repair her own vase. She sat at the feet of Jesus, weeping, washing his feet with her tears, and drying them with her hair. She understood her brokenness, and turned to Jesus, who clearly saw her sins, and yet offered forgiveness: “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

And the Pharisees complained! “This man is supposed to be a prophet. Doesn’t he know that by just touching this woman, he is becoming unclean?” What an amazing contrast! The woman who clearly understands who she is in her broken human nature, and the Pharisees who had built up these walls of “The Law,” to give themselves and others the illusion of wholeness.

Now when I talk about brokenness and remind you that each of us is broken to some extent, I worry that some of you might leave church today hanging your heads and being depressed – thinking about all the difficulties you’ve faced in your lives. But brokenness is part of the human condition. It’s something we all share. We can look at disappointments, and challenges, and tragedies that have happened in our lives like the changes we see in our faces as we age. Some refer to them as “wrinkles” while others call them “character lines.” I think it’s a wonderful distinction.

So how do we deal with our brokenness – our wrinkles – our character lines? I can’t see any of us jumping for joy when bad things happen to us – when we make bad decisions, but we can have hope – and our hope is Jesus – Jesus, who accepted the tears of the woman who was a public sinner – Jesus, who didn’t come for those whose vase is perfect and unmarked, but who came for people like you and me – chipped and cracked.

In the second reading today, St. Paul told us how he dealt with his brokenness. Although Paul was one of our greatest saints, his vase was badly broken. He spoke often in his letters of his past, when he persecuted the Church of Christ. In the reading today, he admitted that when he was a Pharisee, he was a hypocrite. And later, after his conversion he was beaten, imprisoned, shipwrecked and ridiculed. And he didn’t say what we sometimes say when we try to protect or repair ourselves: “Those people are just stupid. It’s not my fault. They’ll eventually know I was right all along.” No, none of that. He said: “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me.” “…no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me.” “I no longer have to say or do things to make me feel better about myself when the world throws me a curve – it is Christ who lives in me. It is Christ who makes me whole.”

Last week, on the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, Father Paul spoke to the children receiving their First Communion. He reminded them of the importance of coming to Mass regularly and receiving the Body and Blood of Christ. We know that even though we only receive the consecrated host, we still receive the Body and Blood of Christ. And as we eat this heavenly food and as we are fed by the Word of God, we can become more like St. Paul – no longer living for ourselves, but living for – and in – Christ. We can become whole through our relationship with Jesus.

I’m going to leave the broken vase here for you to see. And I would ask that, at the Offertory, when you put your money in the collection basket, you also offer your brokenness to Jesus. You can have confidence that he will accept your brokenness and give you love in return. And when you come up for Communion, look again at the broken vase and know Jesus comes to you in your brokenness. Have faith, go in peace – it is Christ who lives in you.

            I think many of us know a young person who’s changed significantly after they start dating a special person.  It seems that it’s usually the guy whose lifestyle changes for the better because of a new relationship.  They “settle down.”  Their priorities change.

            The first reading today speaks about a special time in the early Church.  Paul and Barnabas had been very successful in preaching the Gospel of Jesus to the Gentiles (people who were not Jews).  That’s important, because in those early days, people thought that Christianity was a part of the Jewish religion, and some people felt that the Gentiles who accepted Jesus into their lives should observe all of the Jewish laws – even some of the laws that Jesus preached against. 

            Paul and Barnabas had seen the transformation that the Holy Spirit had worked among the Gentiles.  And the question they posed to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem was this: “What sorts of behaviours are required of the Gentiles who accept Jesus into their lives?”  They were especially concerned about whether the men had to be circumcised.  But the discussion related to all of the Gentiles – men and women.  Paul’s thoughts on this were clear.  You remember that he told the Galatians: “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.”  These Gentiles had entered into a new relationship with Jesus and a relationship with the other believers who were forming the early Church.  They had a new identity.

            After a long debate in Jerusalem, Peter said this: “God, who knows the human heart, testified to [the Gentiles] by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us; and in cleansing their hearts by faith he has made no distinction between them and us.”  And so they sent a letter to the new Christians listing a few simple practices that, they thought, would be helpful.

            Peter and the others were saying that our relationship with God should be based not on laws, but on faith and love.  Last week Father Andrew began his homily with the question: “How do we identify ourselves as Christians?”  And he went on to answer the question by saying that it is love that identifies us as Christians. 

            And today, Jesus continues to speak about love.  He invites us into an amazing relationship with him and his Father.  “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”  Jesus isn’t saying: “Do what I tell you and I’ll pat you on the head and smile at you.”  He’s talking about entering into a much deeper relationship – he and the Father will make their home with us.  He is talking about an intimate relationship that’s hard to describe.

            Today is Mother’s Day.  It might be helpful to think about the relationship between a mother and a child.  This is also a relationship that’s hard to describe, especially in the early months of a child’s life.  It’s sometimes difficult to talk or think about one without the other, and in fact, it takes a long time before the baby even realizes that it’s a separate being from its mother.  Another example of this kind of relationship might be the married couples who are perfectly at ease with each other and always connected to one another – whether they’re physically together or not. 

            This is the kind of love that Jesus is talking about – a love so strong that it’s hard to tell where we stop and Jesus starts.  It’s similar to the love between a husband and a wife – between a mother and child – and yet it goes far beyond even these sacred relationships.

            You know how, when you’re getting ready to leave someone, you always say something like: “I’ll see you again,” or “See ya’ soon,” or maybe you even arrange your next meeting before you leave.  It’s like you don’t want to separate without some concrete assurance that you’ll see each other again.  Today’s Gospel comes from a part of John’s Gospel called the “Farewell Discourses,” so Jesus was saying goodbye to his closest friends before the crucifixion.  And he kind of did what we do when we say goodbye to a friend.  He knew the apostles would be upset when he was gone, so he said that the Father would send the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit would remind them of all the things Jesus said to them.

            But it’s not like the Holy Spirit would tell them: “Remember that Jesus said, blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth,” or “remember when he turned water into wine?”  No, not like that.  The Holy Spirit would remind them of the relationship they had with Jesus.  And these memories would fill them with love – and this love would make them want to be better people.  And it should be like that for us.  Our relationship with Jesus should fill us with love – it should make us want to be better people.  And Jesus promised that when we do that – when we keep his word – he and the Father will make their home with us – they will be so close to us that the relationship will be obvious to everyone.  This is what Father Andrew was getting at when he asked: “How do we identify ourselves as Christians?”  It will be obvious.

            I’d like you to do something today.  Maybe on your way home from church – maybe at the supper table – maybe when you’re saying your evening prayers – maybe by yourself, maybe with someone close to you.  Ask yourself: “How am I different because of my relationship with Jesus?”  “What do I do differently?”  “How do I feel differently because of my relationship with Jesus?”  “How do I deal differently with people and situations in my life (good and bad) because of my relationship with Jesus?”

            You may find this easy, or it might be difficult.  You may be disappointed that your relationship with Jesus doesn’t seem to affect you very much outside the four walls of our church.  Or you may find that your relationship with Jesus is so much a part of your being, that it affects everything you do.

            Today Jesus is offering us a relationship that’s beyond our imaginations.  He holds this out to us as a free gift – we only need to accept it.  And if we accept it, Jesus and the Father will come to live with us – become an intimate part of who we are.  That’s as good as it gets.

It might be helpful to have an example.  I don’t know how many of you watch the old westerns.  I used to enjoy them a lot.  There was a simplicity that we just don’t see any more.  So, I want to introduce three people to you: Dirty Pete is a lazy no-account good for nuthin’ (I think you know what that means).  Mr. Clampett is a wealthy landowner.  And Judge Gallows distributes justice in this small town in the old west.  As our scene begins, Mr. Clampett was riding his horse on his ranch when he came across Dirty Pete, who was stealing some of his cattle.

Mr. Clampett:     Dirty Pete!  Is that you tryin’ to steal my prize cattle?

Dirty Pete: Well no Mr. Clampett – I was just – ah – well – I was just ah – borrowin’ ‘em?

Mr. Clampett:     Bad enough that you’re trying to steal my cattle – don’t you go makin’ it worse by lyin’ too!  You know the law around these parts – when a man catches someone stealing his cattle, he’s allowed to shoot ‘im – no questions asked.  And that’s just what I’m fixin’ to do to you.

Dirty Pete: Please Mr. Clampett – I know I don’t deserve it, but I’m beggin’ fer mercy.  I know you got every right ta shoot me, but please?

Mr. Clampett:     Yer right – I ain’t got no reason not ta shoot ya, but I won’t.  I’m gonna take ya in ta Judge Gallows, and he’ll give ya a fair trial.

Dirty Pete: Thank ya sir – like I said – I don’t deserve no mercy, and I’m much obliged.

So Dirty Pete and Mr. Clampett rode into town and went to see Judge Gallows.  Half the town came to see the trial – it was held in the local saloon.  Mr. Clampett told his story, and then the Judge questioned Dirty Pete.  Several of the townsfolk spoke about Dirty Pete – I guess you’d call them “character witnesses,” but none of them had anything good to say about Dirty Pete.  Finally, the Judge spoke:

Judge Gallows:   Dirty Pete – you was caught red-handed with Mr. Clampett’s cattle.  Now you know what the law says ‘bout cattle-rustlin’ – cattle rustlers gotta hang!  And yer gonna hang – tomorra’ – at high noon.

Mr. Clampett:     Yer honor, I’d like ta say somethin’ if I can.

Judge Gallows:   OK, you got a right.

Mr. Clampett:     Well I know Dirty Pete ain’t never done an honest day’s work in his life, and I caught him dead to rights stealin’ my cattle.  An’ I know he should hang.  But I’m gonna ask ya not ta hang ‘im.  I think maybe he learnt his lesson.  I think he’s sorry for what he done, and he ain’t gonna do it again.  In fact, I’m even gonna give him a job on my ranch.  I think I kin make an honest person outa him.

Judge Gallows:   Mr. Clampett – in all my years on the bench – I ain’t never seen no better example of mercy.  Dirty Pete did you wrong – an’ most folks would be happy ta see him swing.  But I’ll do like ya said.  He’s yers.

I think we should thank Dirty Pete, Mr. Clampett, and Judge Gallows.

Now I don’t think we can learn much about English grammar from this story, but let’s see what we can learn from these three people about mercy.  Dirty Pete was a sinner – like us.  And like us, he didn’t deserve mercy – none of us deserves mercy.  If we deserve anything, we deserve justice – and Judge Gallows knew all about that.  He knew the law, and he knew what the law required.  But Mr. Clampett went way beyond the law, beyond justice – he extended mercy.

If we look at what Mr. Clampett did, it involved a couple of things.  It involved forgiveness.  It involved charity.  It involved compassion.  It involved kindness.  And it involved humility.  A proud Mr. Clampett would have said: “No one does that to a Clampett.  And I’ll make sure no one else ever does!”  But that’s not what he did.  Forgiveness, charity, compassion, kindness, humility.

The Gospel today presents us with a very moving story.  We tend to think of the apostles as being very brave people who went to their death because of their belief in Jesus – and indeed, they did.  But as we heard last week, when it came to crunch time – when their leader and friend was being led away to be tortured and killed, they ran and hid.  We know that his mother was with him, some of the women followed him to Calvary, and a special disciple was there – but where were the apostles.

And now, after his death, three days in the tomb, and his glorious Resurrection, he comes to face the apostles – these close friends who deserted him.  I know what I would have said to these fair-weather friends, but what were Jesus’ first words?  “Peace be with you.”  Not: “You cowards.”  Not: “Where the heck were you guys when I was bleeding to death?”  “Peace be with you.”  Jesus was not interested in justice on the evening when he rose from the dead – he was filled with forgiveness, charity, compassion, kindness, and humility.  He was filled with mercy.

And he showed a special mercy to Thomas.  Thomas obviously didn’t believe the other apostles when they told him that Jesus had risen from the dead.  And when Jesus appeared again, a week later, he extended his hands and his side to Thomas – he extended his mercy.

And Thomas’ story is very important for us.  We haven’t walked and talked and eaten with Jesus the way the apostles did.   We didn’t see him after he rose from the dead and before he ascended.  So we are called – like Thomas was called – to believe in what we have not seen.  Can we do that?

But Jesus wasn’t finished with his mercy.  He instructed the apostles to extend that mercy to all people who believed in him: “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them.”  When we receive the sacrament of Reconciliation, we receive this mercy.  We don’t deserve it – we receive it as a free gift of Jesus, who died so that our sins might be forgiven.

You remember how Mr. Clampett asked Judge Gallows not to hang Dirty Pete.  Well, imagine that instead of asking him not to hang Dirty Pete, Mr. Clampett had said: “I know there’s been a crime committed, and someone’s got to hang – well, let it be me instead of Dirty Pete.”  That’s what Jesus did – and that’s why we celebrate his Divine Mercy today.

While Jesus was dying for our salvation, he was also giving us an example of how we should treat others – not in strict adherence to the law, not an eye for an eye – but with forgiveness, charity, compassion, kindness, and humility – yes, with mercy.

“What is happening? Today there is a great silence over the earth, a great silence, and stillness, a great silence because the King sleeps; the earth was in terror and was still, because God slept in the flesh and raised up those who were sleeping from the ages. God has died in the flesh, and the underworld has trembled.

Truly he goes to seek out our first parent like a lost sheep; he wishes to visit those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. He goes to free the prisoner Adam and his fellow-prisoner Eve from their pains, he who is God, and Adam’s son.

The Lord goes in to them holding his victorious weapon, his cross. When Adam, the first created man, sees him, he strikes his breast in terror and calls out to all: ‘My Lord be with you all.’ And Christ in reply says to Adam: ‘And with your spirit.’ And grasping his hand he raises him up, saying: ‘Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light.

‘I am your God, who for your sake became your son, who for you and your descendants now speak and command with authority those in prison: Come forth, and those in darkness: Have light, and those who sleep: Rise.

‘I command you: Awake, sleeper, I have not made you to be held a prisoner in the underworld. Arise from the dead; I am the life of the dead. Arise, O man, work of my hands, arise, you who were fashioned in my image. Rise, let us go hence; for you in me and I in you, together we are one undivided person.

‘For you, I your God became your son; for you, I the Master took on your form; that of slave; for you, I who am above the heavens came on earth and under the earth; for you, man, I became as a man without help, free among the dead; for you, who left a garden, I was handed over to Jews from a garden and crucified in a garden.

‘Look at the spittle on my face, which I received because of you, in order to restore you to that first divine inbreathing at creation. See the blows on my cheeks, which I accepted in order to refashion your distorted form to my own image.

‘See the scourging of my back, which I accepted in order to disperse the load of your sins which was laid upon your back. See my hands nailed to the tree for a good purpose, for you, who stretched out your hand to the tree for an evil one.

`I slept on the cross and a sword pierced my side, for you, who slept in paradise and brought forth Eve from your side. My side healed the pain of your side; my sleep will release you from your sleep in Hades; my sword has checked the sword which was turned against you.

‘But arise, let us go hence. The enemy brought you out of the land of paradise; I will reinstate you, no longer in paradise, but on the throne of heaven. I denied you the tree of life, which was a figure, but now I myself am united to you, I who am life. I posted the cherubim to guard you as they would slaves; now I make the cherubim worship you as they would God.

“The cherubim throne has been prepared, the bearers are ready and waiting, the bridal chamber is in order, the food is provided, the everlasting houses and rooms are in readiness; the treasures of good things have been opened; the kingdom of heaven has been prepared before the ages.”

Today’s Gospel is not a parable – it recounts an actual event. Again, there were three actors: the woman who was caught in the act of adultery; the scribes and Pharisees who had judged her and were going to stone her to death; and Jesus, who refused to condemn her, but only loved unconditionally (you notice we don’t hear about the man who was caught in adultery). And I think each of us can see ourselves in these three: the sinner, the judge, and the one who loves. So what guidance can we take from these two stories?

At the end of November of last year, the news media was overwhelmed – and we were overwhelmed with a similar story. Tiger Woods, the famous golfer, was found to have committed adultery not once, but many times. And unlike the Gospel story, it was Tiger Woods (the man) who was condemned, while the women who were involved fought to get their time in front of the camera and were portrayed as innocent victims.

My purpose today is not to take sides and certainly not to defend Tiger Woods or anyone else involved in this affair: only to learn what we can about ourselves as we respond to our own sinfulness and the sinfulness of others.

The older son in the story of the Prodigal Son and the scribes and Pharisees in today’s Gospel were quick to judge the sinner. Last November and December there was no shortage of people voicing opinions about how terrible Tiger Woods was. Everyone had an opinion, and everyone was a judge. Did you have an opinion? Did you judge? Did you secretly feel good that someone as prominent and admired as Tiger Woods was not perfect – in fact, was a sinner – just like you – or maybe WORSE than you? Who gave you the right to judge him? Today in the Gospel, Jesus said: “Let anyone – anyone! – among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone.” Did any of us have the right to judge?

When Father Andrew spoke about the Prodigal Son, the first “R” was repentance. Repentance means to turn from sin and dedicate ourselves to changing our lives. We saw repentance very clearly in the Prodigal Son – he had spent all of his inheritance, was tending pigs in the fields, and was starving. He admitted that he had sinned against God and against his father. He resolved to change his life. So he repented. In today’s Gospel, the woman caught in adultery didn’t say much. I think if I were facing an angry group of men holding rocks who wanted to kill me, I also wouldn’t say much. But we have the feeling that when Jesus said simply: “Go your way, and from now on do not sin again,” she resolved to live differently. To truly repent, we have to admit that we’ve sinned and resolve to change.

After months of silence, Tiger Woods spoke to the press in early February. Again, there were many people who questioned his motivation and his sincerity – I was not among them. One of the things he did very clearly in his prepared statement was to admit that he had sinned and take responsibility for his actions. He said: “The issue involved here was my repeated irresponsible behaviour. I was unfaithful. I had affairs, I cheated. What I did is not acceptable. And I am the only person to blame. I stopped living by the core values that I was taught to believe in. I knew my actions were wrong, but I convinced myself that normal rules didn’t apply.”

Clearly, he was accepting blame for his sins. Do we do the same? How often do we say: “Well everyone else was doing it,” or “I had no choice,” “It would have been embarrassing to say no,” “It really wasn’t my fault.” We cannot repent until we are prepared to admit our sins and take responsibility for them.

Tiger also addressed another stumbling block to repentance. He said: “I felt that I had worked hard my entire life and deserved to enjoy all the temptations around me. I felt I was entitled…I was wrong. I was foolish. I don’t get to play by different rules. The same boundaries that apply to everyone apply to me.” The high school student might say: “I know the legal drinking age is 18, but I’m mature for my age, and I know how to handle alcohol. I’m different.” The salesman might understand that there’s a commandment about lying, but hey, Moses didn’t have to make a monthly sales quota – that rule doesn’t apply to me. The young couple choosing to become intimate before marriage might be aware of the rules, but convince themselves that the rules don’t apply: “After all, we’re in love.” No – we don’t get to play by different rules.

Father Andrew’s second “R” was reconciliation, and we saw how the Prodigal Son came back to apologize to his father and to beg forgiveness. “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.” I sometimes think that repentance – turning away from sin and resolving to change your life – is easier than reconciliation. With reconciliation, we confront the person or people we’ve sinned against and ask forgiveness, so that the relationship can be restored.

Tiger Woods spoke about the many people who had supported him over the years, and then said: “Now every one of you had good reason to be critical of me. I want to say to each of you, simply and directly, I am deeply sorry.” And he told us that his wife said: “My real apology will not come in the form of words. It will come from my behaviour over time.” And then he concluded by saying: “I ask you to find room in your heart to one day believe in me again.”

Are we able to do that? Can we say simply – “I’m sorry. I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but I’m asking for it with humility and sincerity?” Can we make ourselves this vulnerable to the people we’ve harmed – friends, people at work or at school, family members, our spouses?

The readings over the last two weeks have shown us that we are sinners – that’s not really news. They’ve spoken to us about how we should respond to the sinfulness of others –not by being judgemental, but by forgiving. They have also spoken to us about how we deal with our own sinfulness – through repentance and reconciliation. We’ve seen examples of how this happened 2,000 years ago, and how it happened a few months ago. And we should find great comfort and peace.

“Jesus straightened up and said to her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ She said, ‘No one, sir.’ And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.’”

In the Gospel story today we heard about the Transfiguration. Jesus took his closest apostles up a mountain and was transformed right in front of them. And he was talking to Moses and Elijah – people they’d heard about from the time they were little boys. And what did Peter say: “Master, it is good for us to be here.” Despite what must have been a scary experience, they knew there was something special about this place and this event. They wanted to be there, and they wanted to stay.

Remember that the apostles didn’t have a 9 to 5 job. They didn’t go home and sleep in their own beds every night. Remember the passage from Matthew’s Gospel, where a scribe came up to Jesus and said: “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” I think the apostles would have been happy for a Motel 6 some restaurant food.

Think about their reaction. “Let’s build a tent – heck, let’s build three tents. Let’s stay a while. It’s good for us to be here.” We need places like that – places where we feel comfortable, places where we feel safe, especially when things are difficult.

In the first reading, we heard God talking to Abram (before God changed his name to Abraham). And what was Abram asking God for? He wanted a child, but he also wanted land. He wanted a place that he could call home. And God said that he would give him land. But it was important enough that Abram asked God, almost challenged God: “O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess [this land]?” And then we hear the eerie description of how God sealed his covenant with Abram, with a flaming torch mysteriously passing between the animals that were cut in two and lying on the ground. And then God said to Abram: “To your descendants I give this land…” They would have a home.

St. Paul was also taking to the Philippians about their home, but this was a different kind of home. He was encouraging them to be faithful to the teachings they heard from him, so they would have an eternal home. And after criticizing people who worried only about earthly things (I love it when he says: “Their god is the belly.”), he says to them: “But our citizenship is in heaven.” So it’s there that we will ultimately be at home. He knew the Philippians were having difficulties when they followed his teachings, and encouraged them to support one another. “Stand firm,” he said. And when he spoke of citizenship, he was recognizing them as a community – a unified group of worshipers.

I’m sure many of you saw Joannie Rochette skate for her bronze medal on Thursday night. I don’t know about you, but there were no dry eyes in our house. This young woman whose mother had died just days earlier performed magnificently, especially under the circumstances. But did you hear in her interview afterward – just a short interview – the person from CTV asked her about what it had been like practicing over the last couple of days. She said that she actually felt good being on the ice. She was in a place that felt comfortable. She could focus on the sport she knew and loved, and she was surrounded by friends – supported by her friends – the community of skaters.

When Deacon Michael Schumacher spoke to us during our Lenten mission, he talked about our parish as a community, and we often use the term “our parish family.” When you come to Mass on the weekend, do you say to yourself: “It is good for me to be here?” You should! When the apostles witnessed the Transfiguration of Jesus, they knew they were seeing something amazing, and the Gospel gives us the impression that they were almost in a trance as they watched. Some people call it the “trance figuration” when they try to describe it from the perspective of Peter, James, and John. Well, we see something equally amazing every time we come to Mass. We see simple bread and wine become the body and blood of Jesus. But we also have that experience of community – of family. The kind of experience that made the apostles want to build tents, and stay a while.

My job has taken me away from home for a couple of weekends recently. I’ve attended Mass in a church in Austin, Texas, and a beautiful little church just outside of Miami, Florida. And it was great being at Mass. I’m always a bit amazed that wherever I go, the Mass is familiar, and that’s comforting. But I also realized when I attended Mass in these other places that I really missed you guys, and I missed Father Paul, and I missed Miguel. We have something wonderful here. Something that should make us all build a tent and stay a while.

The season of Lent is a difficult time. We make our own lives difficult with the things we give up and the extra things that we do during Lent. And Lent also reminds us of our sinfulness, the responsibility that each of us has for the crucifixion. And in a couple of weeks we’ll confront our role in these events in a dramatic way when we hear the reading of the Passion on Palm Sunday and on Good Friday.

It’s these times that should bring us together as a community. Our parish, this church, should be a place where we feel safe – at home – despite the challenges that the world gives us or the challenges we give ourselves.

We are a family, and it is good for us to be here.

In today’s Gospel, we hear Luke’s version of the Sermon on the Mount. In fact, this one is on a plain, not a mountain. I think most of us are more familiar with Matthew’s version. In Matthew’s version we only hear about people being blessed. Matthew is a bit like the parent who only focuses on the positive. In Luke’s version, Jesus also talks about the sorts of people who are blessed – the poor, the hungry, those who weep and those who are hated because they believe in Jesus. But we also hear the other side. We hear that we’ll be in trouble if we receive all of our good things here on earth.

Now when Jesus says “blessed are the poor,” we know that he isn’t saying that if we have money we’re going to hell. He’s saying that if we have money because we’ve cheated people, or if we have money and refuse to share with the poor – then we’re in trouble. It’s OK to have enough food so that we’re not hungry, but if we don’t share with people who don’t have enough food, we’re in trouble. The other danger that Jesus was warning the people about was the same thing Jeremiah was talking about in the first reading. Jeremiah said: “Cursed is the one who trusts in mere mortals…Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.” When we focus only on ourselves and on our own needs we’re in danger of compromising our relationship with God.

We’ve seen an amazing worldwide outpouring of money and food following the earthquake in Haiti. And we, as a parish, have also contributed generously. We were able to make ourselves poorer and make ourselves more hungry, so that the very poor and the very hungry could have more of what they needed, in a time of great need.

And we’ve also done this without an emergency (as we think of emergencies) by our involvement in Jamaica. I think one of the wonderful things about our work in Jamaica has been the opportunity it has given us to respond directly to the words that Jesus spoke to us today. And I am very proud that so many of you have taken the opportunity to get involved – to feed the hungry, protect the orphans, educate our adopted children so they’ll be better prepared to succeed in the world. So now I’m sounding like the proud parent whose child has just scored the winning goal, who danced brilliantly at the school recital, who starred in the school play and brought the house down.

But what about the other side – what about the woes that we heard in Luke’s Gospel today. You know, it’s easier for me to tell you what wonderful work you’re doing in Jamaica and how generously you responded to the appeal for Haiti, because I can see these things. I wouldn’t think about criticizing those who haven’t responded because – I don’t know your situations or your ability to give, or the other ways you generously share your time, your talents, and your resources. But when Jesus says “woe to you…” he’s telling each of us that we have to seriously consider how we respond to those who have less than we do.

You see, it’s not a coincidence that Jesus talked about the poor and the rich, the hungry and the satisfied, those who weep and those who laugh. He talked about them side-by-side because that’s our world. Those who have much live in the same world and often side-by-side with those who have little. So the Gospel is really a call for justice. Justice is more than the bad guys going to jail and the innocent being protected by the police. Jesus’ call to justice in today’s Gospel tells us that there should be more to our lives than our desires to fill our basic human needs: physical comfort, food, even friendship.

In 1986 the US Bishops said the following, and it applies equally to Canada: “All of us must examine our way of living in light of the needs of the poor. Christian faith and the norms of justice impose distinct limits on what we consume and how we view material goods. The great wealth of the United States can easily blind us to the poverty that exists in this nation and the destitution of hundreds of millions of people in other parts of the world. Americans are challenged today as never before to develop the inner freedom to resist the temptation constantly to seek more.”

The new season of Survivor started this last week. I don’t watch it very much, but I understand the basic idea, and I think it relates to today’s readings. The basic premise on Survivor is that: “The only way I can get ahead is by “doing in” someone else. And the only time I’m gonna help someone else is when it helps me.” When Jeremiah said: “Cursed is the one who trusts in mere mortals and makes mere flesh their strength,” he was telling us that we have to get past our basic human selfishness. Rather, we have to trust in God. We have to operate at a higher level. Our primary focus should no longer be satisfying our own needs at the expense of everyone else. Woe to those who have become rich at the expense of the poor. Woe to those who have full stomachs at the expense of those who are hungry.

Think about the person who “has everything.” Aren’t they tempted to let their possessions define who they are? Instead of love, they choose something more tangible: cars, snowmobiles, fancy clothes or just power. The idea running through all the beatitudes is this: you are blessed if you don’t cram yourself full: full of food, drink, pride, drugs, sex, every kind of wealth – things – stuff. Instead, blessed are you if you stay empty, if you become a spacious home for God, for other people. If we want to love and be loved we need to have an empty space at the center of who we are: a space for others.

Mae West once said: “I’ve been poor, and I’ve been rich. Believe me, rich is better.” What is “blessed” about being poor or hungry? Why would Jesus say this? What poor person would believe it? What starving person would thank God for their situation? I don’t think Jesus was telling us that we should all become poor and starve ourselves. By speaking about the rich and the poor side-by-side, he was encouraging us to empty ourselves – open up the inner space to accept him into our lives.

He was also saying that those who make real sacrifices for other people, especially people in need – will be truly blessed. But he doesn’t leave it there – he warns us. And woe to us if we become so fixed on ourselves that we ignore other people or treat people unfairly or take advantage of other people for our benefit.

In today’s Gospel, in one of his most important teachings, Jesus has shown us the way to a truly successful life on earth – and an eternal life in heaven. And he’s also warned us about what will happen if we ignore him and focus only on ourselves. We must choose.