Frank Sinatra and the very small cramped life of Dives

+ J. M. J. +

Homily for the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

Our readings today present us with a rather unflattering portrait of the soul uninterested, unconcerned with God. In our first reading, the words of the Prophet Amos are directed against leaders of his time who would not listen to God’s word. They are:

… complacent…. Lying upon beds of ivory, stretched comfortably on their couches…. Improvising to the music of the harp, like David, they devise their own accompaniment. They drink wine from bowls and anoint themselves with the best oils.

None of these things are inherently sinful… to rest, to play music, to drink wine, to use fine oil… but with an attitude of complacency, self-absorption, self-satisfaction, such a life can lead one to live in very small quarters, in the cramped space of one’s own pleasure and comfort. These leaders of Israel should have been the first to hear God’s word, the first to seek virtue and faith, the first to provide witness to the truth. Can we hold up this mirror to our own minds and hearts? Can we recognize that we too might well fall prey to such a cramped and self-focused existence?


We see this expanded in our dramatic Gospel of the rich man and Lazarus. One word for rich in Latin is dives, and so often the rich man is given this word as a name, Dives, Rich. Notice that he is not described as a hardened public sinner. In other places Jesus speaks very strongly against overt sin, but that is not His principle concern in telling this parable. We don’t know how Dives acquired his wealth… perhaps he worked long and hard. We are not told that he mistreated and abused other people harshly. What we are told is that he lived very well, very comfortably, that he dined well, sumptuously, and that even the scraps from his table were rich and nourishing. Notice that we’re not even told that he ever mistreated Lazarus If Lazarus was there at the door, perhaps he even received a handout from time to time. I honestly wonder if Dives even know Lazarus was there. It seems that with his fine clothes and his fine food he had plenty to occupy his attention.

Like those early leaders who ignored the Prophet Amos, Dives is self-absorbed, self-satisfied. It is not so much that he has consciously chosen to reject God, or God’s law, or God’s poor. It is not so much that he has even consciously chosen to neglect Lazarus. Rather, he marches to the beat of his own drum, his own comfort, his own convenience. Again, can we hold this up as a mirror? Can we see ourselves in Dives? Can we recognize how little energy and attention we often give to God, how negligible our openness to God may be? Inasmuch as we live in a world obsessed with comfort and health and possessions, perhaps we are in even greater danger! Maybe Dives doesn’t hold a candle to our own vulnerability to the trap of self-absorption! If I look within mine own heart I recognize how often this description fits my own thoughts and actions, and maybe you can recognize yourself there to!

The people hearing Jesus may well have been shocked at Dives’ fate… he finds himself in torment, in the land of the dead. Jewish understanding tended to see wealth as a clear sign of blessing from God, and yet this rich man has ended up cut off, in torment.  This is where a lust for comfort leads… this is where placing things at the center of our lives will take us… to the land of the dead, to emptiness, even to misery. The land of the dead that Jesus describes is not quite Hell… and we don’t actually know exactly why Dives is there. But if God had come knocking before Dives died, he probably wouldn’t even have answered the door!

It is hard for us to hear this challenge, and yet God calls. Do we seek our own comfort, our own way, our own schedule and plans above all else? Perhaps you’ve heard it said before, (one popular preacher, maybe the first, Fr. Larry Richards in his book) but Frank Sinatra’s song, “My Way,” is a pretty good guess at the theme song of hell! The leaders of Israel did it their way, and all Israel was taken captive into exile. Dives lived life his way, and ended up in torment. If we lead our lives by our own measure, rather than by God’s, we face the very real possibility of bitter emptiness both in this life and the next.




 (The man has an amazing voice, I don't know much about his personal life, but the lyrics lead straight away from God!)

In the parable, Dives cries out on behalf of himself, as well as his five brothers. In the face of his own death, he realizes how empty his life had been. Dives cries out for at least a messenger to be sent. But Abraham, representing the just, those who heard God’s voice and responded, Abraham tells us exactly what happened when God came Himself, when Jesus came:

If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.

So, we who have gathered here for Mass hear this challenge, this invitation, to look in the mirror. If we recognize this trap of self-absorption, of self-sufficiency, we are invited to choose a different path… to choose God, to choose God’s truth, God’s law, God’s path. This involves listening, this involves waiting upon the Lord, this involves walking paths at times that we might never have imagined. However much sacrifice may be involved, though, choosing God’s way means choosing joy, and peace, and truth, even in the midst of struggle.

Whereas the 1st Reading and Gospel clearly reject the false path of self-absorption, in our 2nd Reading, St. Paul advises St. Timothy, a young bishop, of the path he should walk, and it is good advice for us… it is a path very different from the one rejected by Amos and by Christ:

But you, man of God, pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. Compete well for the faith. Lay hold of eternal life, to which you were called when you made the noble confession in the presence of many witnesses.

This is a very different path… not a path focused on comfort and complacency, but a path oriented toward God, and open to His grace. It is a difficult path. It is often an unpopular path. It is often a surprising path… but it is the way of Christ, the way of God, the way of peace.




Jesus Himself models this for us perfectly, entrusting Himself into the Father’s hands… entrusting Himself into our hands. He shows us the way, gives us the example, and offers us the grace to follow. May we receive our Lord Jesus now with joy, with hope, willing to follow Him wherever He leads.

+ A. M. D. G. +

Is Jesus at the center, or is that center empty? (Or, why you should read the Pope's interview!)

 + J. M. J. +

Homily Outline for the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

In our second reading, St. Paul continues to give clear instructions and words of encouragement to Timothy, a young bishop who is taking on new challenges and new responsibilities. He asks for prayers for everyone, especially for those in authority. He continues, drawing Timothy attention right to the heart of the Gospel:

This is good and pleasing to God our savior, who wills everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth. For there is one God. There is also one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as ransom for all.

At the heart of St. Timothy’s ministry, at the heart of Paul’s words to him, at the heart of our own Christian faith are these convictions, these truths:

1. God is our Savior, and He desires that everyone be saved, that every single person would come to know the fullness of truth.
2. What is that truth? There is one God, and there is one mediator, Jesus Christ, who died for all.

This is the core of Paul’s exhortation to Timothy, the core of the Gospel, the core of the truth that we are called to live and speak and teach. If this is true, it must be the foundation of our lives. If this is true, it is not the case that worldly success or worldly possessions, or the good opinion of others are the most important, even as they are not necessarily bad. Because God desires that every person be saved, because He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to accomplish this work, everything else changes before this awesome truth!

Many of you have heard accounts and discussions of Pope Francis’ recent interview. In August he worked with a journalist in Rome, Fr. Antonio Spadaro. Fr. Spadaro is a Jesuit priest, and the editor of an important Jesuit journal. This interview has now been released simultaneously around the world in many different languages, and it hit the press this past week. It is about 14 pages long, and Pope Francis addresses many different topics. From this long discussion, the media has extracted any number of short sound bites, drawing all kinds of exciting conclusions, some of them bizarre, some of them confusing. And yet, in God’s providence, it seems to me that the core of Pope Francis’ message is very much related to St. Paul’s message to St. Timothy.

At the very beginning of the interview, Fr. Spadaro asks Pope Francis, “Who is Jorge Maria Bergoglio?”, using the Pope’s baptismal name. After thinking about it, the Pope answered very simply, “I am a sinner.” Like St. Paul, Pope Francis is acutely aware of his own need for a Savior, for help in the midst of his own weakness.

The interview ranges on over many topics, and then Pope Francis speaks of the Church as a “field hospital after battle,” a place where each person’s mortal wounds must be healed. With deep feeling he speaks of the wounds that the Gospel can heal, and the way that each of us is called to be healed, and to help heal others. He speaks of the great grace of confession as part of this process. He says, “We need to proclaim the Gospel on every street corner, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing, even with our preaching, every kind of disease and wound.” He goes on later, “The proposal of the Gospel must be more simple, profound, radiant. It is from this proposition that the moral consequences flow.”

Much of the reporting has launched off Pope Francis’ call to put the preaching of Christ first, before the Church’s moral teaching. It is from Jesus that the power and grace to live rightly comes. It is from Jesus that healing and help comes to each one of us in our own sins, in our own wounds, whatever they may be. Pope Francis affirms, clearly, the Church’s moral teaching, but he reminds us that this challenging way of life laid out by Christ and communicated to us by the Church is only possible with Christ. Jesus Himself speaks this clearly time and time again, "I came not to abolish but to fulfill the law," "Keep the commandments."  And yet, it is possible for the moral law to become separated from the proclamation of Jesus Christ.  It is possible for people to hear the dos and don'ts, but not to hear of Jesus Christ and Him Crucified.  And this is where the Pope's invitation and challenge comes in.  With Christ, holiness is possible. Without Christ, it is not.

Our first reading and Gospel today call us to make good use of our worldly possessions, our money, our time, our talents. We must place them at the service of God rather than worshiping them. We must chose God rather than mammon. There are many kinds of poverty around us, material, physical, spiritual. Every kind of poverty can only be resolved in a full and lasting way by the proclamation of God who came to save us, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Our Holy Father is calling us to hear this call, to receive this truth, and to bring it to others.

As at each Mass, having heard of Jesus Christ, having heard His teaching, we come now to encounter Him on this altar. May we receive the Lord’s body and blood now and thus be empowered, healed, and invigorated to proclaim Him to our wounded world.

+  +  +   +  +  +  +

PLEASE read the full interview if you're interested!  PLEASE read the full interview before opining enthusiastically, in whatever direction, about what the Pope is saying!

A Big Heart Open to God: the exclusive interview with Pope Francis

+ A. M. D. G. +

May we not have come to God's House in vain!

+ J. M. J. +

Homily for the 100th Anniversary of the Consecration of Immaculate Conception Church
(Readings from the Common for the Dedication of a Church: 

Ezekiel 47: 1-2, 8-9, 12; Psalm 122; 1 Corinthians 3: 9c-11, 16-17; Luke 19:1-10)

Original St. Joseph Church

“Wonderful are you, O God in your holy place.” With these words of the Entrance Antiphon we began our Mass today. It is wonderful to be here with all of you in this holy place of God, our Immaculate Conception Church. 100 years ago to the day, on Sept. 1, 1913, Bishop Eis, the fourth bishop of our diocese, consecrated this new church to the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Masses had been celebrated in Wakefield for some 25

St. Joseph Church after the 1909 fire

years or more before that day, and the previous parish church dedicated to St. Joseph had served for 18 years before it burned in 1909. For four years the parish labored to rebuild, and 100 years ago today their efforts were consecrated and blessed! For 100 years this building has been a house of God, a school of prayer, and the beating heart of the Catholic community in Wakefield.

Immaculate Conception Church, consecrated 1913

The Anniversary of the Dedication of a Church is always a solemn feast day for a parish community, all the more when it is the centennial. The Church gives us special readings and prayers for our feast, and the Church considers this annual celebration so important that it actually takes the place of our normal Sunday readings and prayers when it falls on Sunday. We express our joy and gratitude in our use of all liturgical solemnity and beauty!

In our first reading the prophet Ezekiel has a beautiful vision

Bishop Eis

of the temple in Jerusalem… sweet fresh water is flowing from the temple into the desert land. Wherever that good water flows it brings health, fruitfulness, healing, and abundant harvests. Even the Dead See is made fresh and filled with life. The people of Israel went up the Jerusalem Temple because within was found the Ark of the Covenant which contained the tablets upon which God gave Moses the Ten Commandments. Even more important, they went up to the temple because they knew that God was present there in a special way!

In our Gospel, God comes to dwell in another house… not the temple this time, but the house of a rich man named Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus was a tax collector, and so he was hated. Zacchaeus was a very short man, and so he was mocked. Nonetheless, in his heart their burned a desire to see Jesus, a curiousity about this man of whom he had heard so much. So he takes the rather unusual step of climbing a tree to see over the crowd! Jesus sees him there, and even more importantly, he sees the desire and openness in Zacchaeus’ heart. Jesus sees that Zacchaeus is ready to receive him, to welcome him, to hear his voice. With Jesus in his home, Zacchaeus commits himself to a whole new way of life, to healing and reconciliation.

For the Jews there was one temple, but for us a Christians there are many! Jesus dwells in each heart where He is welcomed, and He dwells in each family home where He is honored. Jesus comes to stay with us Eucharistically in every consecrated church and chapel. When our parish church here was consecrated 100 years ago by the bishop, a successor to the apostles, it was set aside and dedicated for holy purposes alone. The church is not an all purpose room, it is not simply a community hall… it is the dwelling place of God in our midst. There is a steeple pointing to heaven, there is a cross reminding us of Calvary, there is a bell which calls us to prayer. As we enter, we bless ourselves with the holy water that reminds us of our baptism. When we enter our pew, we genuflect as we recognize and honor Jesus present in the tabernacle. Our vigil lamp burns brightly day and night as a sign of that presence. All of these signs teach us and help us to remember that God is uniquely present here, under the appearance of bread, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity.

Our parish church, then, is a holy place, a godly place, a place of grace, a place of conversion. However… the church building, with all of its dignity and worth, is not an end in itself. Jesus didn’t come to build churches, but He did come to build the Church. We are the living stones, laid upon the foundation of Christ and His apostles. We are the living stones, held in place by Christ who is the cornerstone, the capstone, the keystone. This building is of no avail if we do not enter. Christ is present here, but He will be present in our community, in our homes, in our offices, and in our hearts if we welcome Him, and if we bring Him with us. St. Paul tells us, “Brothers and sisters: You are God’s building…. Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” We come to this temple to be renewed as God’s dwelling places. We receive the Lord’s Body and Blood, and Christ dwells in us. There is always the temptation to compartmentalize our lives and our hearts… one attitude, one way of being and speaking at church, and another at home, another at the office, and so forth. It is always good to come to church, in our weakness, in our brokenness. It is truly a hospital for sinners, and I am with you in need of God’s tender care. We are always welcome here whatever we have done. But we must not come here merely as custom, we must not leave here as we have come. Jesus goes to Zacchaeus house, and people are surprised because Zacchaeus is a sinner. But notice that once Jesus has arrived, things begin to change!

I began with Ezekiel’s image of the water flowing out from the temple… this is an image of God’s grace, an image of God’s people. If we are to truly appreciate the gift of our parish church, we must respond to the grace we are offered here, we must struggle with God’s help to receive the healing and conversion He desires for us. We must imitate Zacchaeus’ zeal, and joy, and urgency to receive the Lord and to act on His word. Without this the gift of God is offered, but it is not received.

On this great feast of the dedication of our church, our hearts are filled with joy, and gratitude, and many holy memories. We have come rejoicing to the house of God, and rightly so. May we not have come in vain today, may we leave here once again changed and empowered and more converted to Christ. May we not leave here empty-handed… may we not leave here leaving Jesus behind in the tabernacle, rather may we leave here with Jesus in our hearts, and in our minds, and on our lips, in everything that we do, and in everything that we say. In this temple of God, may we become temples of God, and may God dwell in us, and may we become holy!

Holy Name event, 1940

Fr. Bracket on the day of his first Mass, with Fr. Drengacz

Fr. Bracket's First Mass

The interior of I.C. before more recent renovations

+ A. M. D. G. +

How to get some glory... (I reveal my Olympic aspirations!)

+ J. M. J. +

Homily Outline for the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time,Year C

In our Gospel, at first glance Jesus seems to be giving some canny advice on how to get ahead… if you choose a lower spot than you may well deserve, the host may bring you up higher, increasing your honor. This is clearly better than being pushed lower by over-reaching. It is pleasant to be honored, especially when there is an audience. It is unpleasant to be demoted, especially in front of a crowd.

One place in our world where we see a lot of glory, but also the public consequences of failure, is in sports. When I was in middle-school and high-school, I remember watching the summer and winter Olympic Games with considerable interest. I liked to see who got the most medals; I liked to follow U.S. athletes in various events. I’m not sure exactly how old I was, but there was even a period where I imagined myself as an Olympic athlete! I had a plan…even though I was in a lot better shape back then, it wasn’t because I thought I had enormous athletic gifts! I noticed there were some events that weren’t enormously popular, and where the competitors were essentially unknown. I noticed that in some of these events the U.S. competitors often seemed to be weak, rarely winning medals. Here was my big chance! I imagined that if I mastered one of these lesser known sports, there would be less competition, and I could go to the Olympic games, even if no fame resulted! That was my big plan… to be on the U.S. fencing team, or the horse-jumping team, or the badminton team! I’m not saying any of these are easy… but I thought I might have a shot! Perhaps each of us here has at one time or another imagined acquiring glory or fame, the admiration of our peers. Perhaps some of you have experienced this! Notice that Jesus doesn’t tell His listeners to eschew or reject honor… quite the contrary, He’s giving them a strategy to acquire it! The same pattern is present in our first reading from the Book of Sirach… we are invited to live humbly, but also told that this will result in being loved and finding favor with God.

The problem with our hearts is not that we desire glory and honor and love! This is the Buddhist analysis of the world’s brokenness… suffering is caused by desire, and so by eliminating desire, suffering too must end. This is not at all the teaching of Christ… much suffering results when we attempt to fulfill our desire in false ways, but Christ is not the end of all desire, but the fulfillment of all that our hearts long for!

In our psalm we see the fruit of encountering God… the just rejoice and exult, they sing. God gives us a home, He leads us from imprisonment to prosperity, and we are filled and restored with a bountiful inheritance.

The glory that God desires to give us is beautiful and mysteriously depicted in our second reading from the Letter to the Hebrews:

…you have approached Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and countless angels in festal gathering, and the assembly of the firstborn enrolled in heaven, and God the judge of all, and the spirits of the just made perfect, and Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and the sprinkled blood that speaks more eloquently than that of Abel.

We are called to glory, and this gift is offered to us in Christ. We are called to be instruments of God’s grace so that all whom we meet might also be called to glory! While it is true that we seek glory in false ways, I also think that very often we settle for much less than God offers us, very often we resign ourselves to far, far less than we are promised. C.S. Lewis has a beautiful essay titled “The Weight of Glory,” and as I have read and reread it over the years, one of his final statements always strikes me to the heart:

It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations. It is in light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations--these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit--immortal horrors or everlasting splendors.

There are no mere mortals…each of us is created by God for eternal glory. With each choice we make we cooperate with that infinite gift, or we move closer to rejecting it definitively.

In this light, we see the true value of humility. The gift we are offered by God, the gift that corresponds to the desires of our hearts, indeed the only gift that will truly satisfy us, is eternal life, to be with God in perfect joy and beauty. As long as we are trying to grasp for ourselves the things that we think will satisfy us, we are unable to receive this gift. We are like guests at a party trying to finagle a higher place, and finding that our efforts have brought us to shame. If we try to grasp what is too sublime for us, that which is beyond our own all-too-limited strength, we end up empty-handed. But if we acknowledge our weakness and need, if we wait upon the Lord, if we respond to His will and promptings, then we begin to walk to the festal gathering and assembly of the firstborn enrolled in heaven. There is that within us which points beyond us… the desires of our hearts point beyond the things of this mortal world to eternal life. God longs to give us this gift and to fill us beyond our full imagining. May we humble ourselves and thus be exalted!

We prepare now to receive this foretaste of heaven, these firstfruits of Christ’s victory on Calvary. In a few minutes, as we all together gaze upon the Lord’s Body and Bood, we will say with one voice, “Lord I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.” None of us earns the gift of God Himself, nor can we earn eternal glory. But God offers us these gifts. May we approach this altar now with humble hearts, may we open the door of our hearts to receive that which we could never acquire on our own.

+ A. M. D. G. +

 

Who walks the path to eternal life?

+ J. M. J. +

Homily Outline for the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Who will be saved? Will I go to heaven? These questions rise up in our hearts, especially in the face of death or sickness. They rise up in our globalized world as we interact with people from a wide variety of backgrounds. They rise up as we encounter people with different beliefs, or those who profess no belief at all. In our popular culture, there is a widespread conclusion: pretty much everyone will go to heaven because God is love. We’re all going to a better place! Perhaps we make exceptions for the occasional mass murderer or terrorist, but by and large, it seems to me that we assume heaven.

There are points of truth in this position, but it certainly doesn’t correspond fully to the teaching of Christ, the witness of Scripture, the teaching of the Church. It doesn’t even correspond to our deepest desire for justice. Our readings this Sunday challenge us with the profound mystery that God calls and loves all people, and yet He is also a God of justice.

The people of Israel, from Abraham on down, understood that God had called them, but they often forgot that He had called them so as to bless all nations. Many times they were in conflict with their neighbors, but even in the midst of struggle, the voice of God kept reminding them, and us, that He has a plan to save all nations. God speaks through the prophet Isaiah in our first reading:

I come to gather nations of every language; they shall come and see my glory….they shall proclaim my glory among the nations. They shall bring all your brothers and sisters from all the nations as an offering to the LORD….

God calls all nations to full communion with Himself. This may not have been fully embraced by the people of Israel, but the promise and invitation were there. Our psalm today is the shortest psalm, 117, and it sums up God’s universal call very clearly:

Praise the LORD all you nations; glorify him, all you peoples! For steadfast is his kindness toward us, and the fidelity of the LORD endures forever.

God in perfect faithfulness calls all nations, every one of us, every human person, to full communion with His love and mercy, both in this life and in the next.

How, then, does God choose to draw us into His kingdom? In loving us and desiring that we freely love Him, God has always worked through the men, women, and children that He Himself calls… He has always entrusted His message and Himself to us, in all our frailty and inconstancy. Jesus didn’t write a book, He founded the Church, a living community enlivened by the Holy Spirit that He called to teach His truth by word and deed. The Church is made up of us, and since we are often weak and sinful, it limps. The Church is enlivened by the Holy Spirit, so despite our weakness, and in the midst of our weakness, the Gospel continues to be proclaimed, even in our own time. The Church is a hospital for sinners, but the Divine Physician is at work!

When Jesus is asked in our Gospel, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?,” He answers obliquely, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.” This is not the only place where Jesus describes the path towards eternal life as the narrow way, the steep way, the difficult way. Sin is very much at work in our world, as is the Prince of Lies. Without the truth of the Gospel, and without regular access to the grace of the Sacraments, we all too easily live lives of desperation, of despair, weighed down by our own sins and the sins of others. This is not Jesus’ desire for us, but it is the consequence of choosing what is false and dark.

Many do not know Christ through no fault of their own… indeed many do not know Christ precisely because we who do know Him have not preached Him with authentic love and zeal. God is not capricious, God is full of mercy, and we know that He will judge each person according to what they have been able to know. No one is condemned simply because they are not Catholic or Christian… but the Scriptures tell us repeatedly that it is possible to reject God and His mercy. God does not force anyone to love Him, and He will not force anyone to receive His mercy when they come before His judgment seat. Alexander Solzhenitsyn says it very beautifully:

If only it were all so simple! If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being.

Hans Urs Von Balthasar asked, “Dare we hope that all men be saved?” We do hope that every man woman and child will be saved, but we don’t assume. And as we hope in God and in His infinite mercy, we also remember His justice, and the real freedom He has given us. While no one is condemned because of what they do not know, nonetheless it is possible for a person to reject God’s mercy. Look at how we so often struggle, we to whom the fullness of the Gospel and the Sacraments have been entrusted. Is it any wonder that many who have not been given such rich gifts also give into despair and depravity? A world where knowledge of Jesus Christ is growing more and more distant from ordinary people’s minds and hearts is not a happy world, it is not a joyful world, it is not a peaceful world. Our young people for whom there are now so few moral guidelines, and so many opportunities to get drawn into darkness… they are not happier as a result!

If we hear these words of Jesus, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough,” the Church does not invite us to look at others with disdain or judgment… quite the contrary. We are invited to examine our own hearts, asking whether WE have responded generously, whether we have striven for Christ. And when we see others who do not know the Lord and His Church, we are not invited to look upon them with judgment. We are invited to trust God’s mercy, but also to trust that God intends His mercy to be active through us. He has entrusted Himself to us so that we might share that Good News! He has poured out the Living Word of God upon us, He has placed His own Body and Blood in our hands and on our lips so that we might share Him! God doesn’t toy with us, He doesn’t play games with us, and He has REALLY made us free! There are real, eternal, consequences to our choices in this life.

As we gather at this altar, then, and as we hear this challenging invitation, we are invited to trust God, to seek Him, but never to presume on His mercy, rather to seek it, and to seek to become instruments of that mercy. We hear in the Letter to the Hebrews:

So strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees. Make straight paths for your feet, that what is lame may not be disjointed but healed

May we hear God’s call to conversion, to service, and to love. May we be healed and strengthened now by the most perfect gift and sacrifice of the Eucharist as we receive the Lord Jesus who died and rose to save us.

+ A. M. D. G +