September 30, 2007

Lounging on our couches vs Fighting the good fight of faith

Posted in Homilies at 9:00 am

Twenty-sixth Sunday, Year C, September 30th, 2007

I have here in my hands, disguised in a brown paper covering, the most dangerous book in the world and the greatest threat to religious freedom in Canada – that’s according to judges in our country, both provincial and Supreme Court judges, who consider it so dangerous that today’s children must be protected from the contents of this book.

I will ask someone to please read a sample from this book from the page I have marked.
“I, the LORD, am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery. You shall not have other gods besides me.
You shall not take the name of the LORD, your God, in vain.
Take care to keep holy the sabbath day .
Honor your father and your mother.
You shall not kill.”
Do you recognize those words and know the book? Yes, it’s the Bible: the first five commandments from Deuteronomy 5:6-17

Since 1990, the reading of this Book and its commandments have been illegal in public schools in Ontario. For generations up until 1990, the Ontario government actually mandated “recitations of the Lord’s Prayer and Scripture readings during opening religious exercises in the public schools for all students except those who were exempted by their parents” (Against Judicial Activism by Rory Leishman, p. 167).

Yes, it wasn’t until 1990 that Christianity was officially banned and eradicated from public schools. But did anyone stand up and protest? It seems that, in the words of Amos from today’s first reading, people were too busy “lounging on their couches,” (6:4) and unwilling to “fight the good fight of the faith” (1 Tim 6:12).
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees freedom of religion in section 2. Yet our unelected, activist judges have twisted “freedom of religion” into “freedom from religion,” and they have decided to take upon themselves the authority of Parliament by creating new laws, in this case, a law banning Christianity from public schools, claiming that prayers and commandments from the world’s “most dangerous book” violate the freedom of religion of minorities who do not share the Christian faith.

(Obviously, if the school were overwhelmingly Jewish, Muslim, or simply non-Christian it would be wrong to impose the Christian faith on them. But I remember reading about a public school that was 100% Mennonite. With the stroke of a pen, their Christian curriculum became illegal. Surely this was not the intention of those who originally framed the Charter of Rights and Freedoms – to ban Christianity)

Why am I bringing this up? Politics and religion is a timely topic with an Ontario election coming up, and religion is on the agenda because of John Tory’s promise of public funding for all religious schools. Simultaneously, more and more people are waking up to the treats to Catholic education in Ontario. It goes without saying that we as Catholics must work and pray for the promotion of publicly funded Catholic schools in our province. Not only do these schools teach the truth about God and humanity, they also happen to produce good citizens which is a benefit to our whole society.

The Catholic Church also officially supports public funding for other religious schools. The Ontario bishops have written that, “Our commitment to the best education for all students impels us to respect and support the wishes of parents in other faith communities for religious education in the public school system” (Press release at www.occb.on.ca).

Beneath this limited election issue, however, we find a deeper culture war. Some people in the Church and in our society are just starting to wake up to the aggressive forces of secularism and militant atheism that are attempting to squeeze out all signs of God and religion in public life, including publicly funded Catholic schools . . . just starting to wake up . . . my question to you is: where have you been for the past 30 years?

Have you any idea what has been happening in our country since the “sexual revolution” of the 60′s – an increase in contraception and marital infidelity, no fault divorce, marriage and family breakdown, an epidemic of depression, the first step in the decriminalization of abortion in 1969, and now 100 000 abortions per year in Canada, and the slow and stead eradication of Christianity and Catholicism from public life in our country. Where have you been?

I might also ask: what kind of Christian and Catholic are you? They say that the Emperor Nero fiddled while Rome burned. Have we, in the words of the prophet Amos, been “lounging on our couches,” “drinking wine” and “singing idle songs” while the country commits moral and spiritual suicide? We need to start standing up and “fighting the good fight of faith” in the words of Paul to Timothy!

We must wake up to the fact that we are in the middle of a culture war between good and evil, between a culture of life and a culture of death – between whatever promotes the dignity of the human person, marriage, family, the Catholic education of our children vs. whatever is opposed to the dignity of the human person, marriage, family, and the Catholic education of our children. All these issues are interconnected. To be pro-life is also to promote Catholic education based on the Bible and the teachings of the Church. To promote Catholic education is also to be pro-life.

Here I have a pro-life bear (mention children’s liturgy) from an organization called “One More Soul.” On the front is a segment of Michelangelo’s “Creation of Man” – we see the finger of God touching the finger of Adam to give him life – a reminder that each human soul is created in the image of God. On the paw of the bear are two golden feet – the exact size of the feet of a 10 week old child in the womb – small enough to fit on the face of a penny, but definitely human.

The Bible, and the baby this bear represents, are also connected. For those who honour and receive “the most dangerous book in the world” as the Word of God also honour and receive children as gifts from God from the moment of conception. And those who throw out the Bible are often the same ones who throw out unborn children into the garbage – those judges who say, “well, we can’t have the most dangerous book in the world anymore in public schools.” (throw Bible in garbage) (And all the Christians in the land were lounging on their couches). And in 1988 other judges said, “well, we can’t have a law protecting unborn children because we as a society have decided that we don’t want children anymore; we’re going to throw one in four babies in the garbage.” (throw bear in garbage). (And all the Christians in the land were lounging on their couches).

Have you ever noticed that the Bible can’t talk and defend itself, “Please don’t hurt me; please don’t throw me out. I only want to tell you about God’s love . . . “ So Christians and Catholics have to stand up for the truth of the Bible and the Church in public life in today’s secular world.

Neither can unborn children talk and defend their rights; nor can they march for their rights, as women once marched for the right to vote, as black people in the USA once marched for equal rights. Unborn children can’t speak up for themselves saying, “Please don’t hurt me; please don’t throw me out. I only want your love.” We have to get up from lounging on our couches and stand up for the rights of these children.

One wonders what excuses the rich man in the Gospel would have tried to use with God, once he was condemned for his selfishness in letting Lazarus die of hunger: “I didn’t know what was happening at my gate! I didn’t know that Lazarus was there starving to death!”? I’ve heard reports of German townspeople during WWII who lived beside Concentration Camps where Jews were being murdered by the thousands. Some of them said, “We didn’t know what was happening . . . “ . . . Is our generation going to use the same pitiful excuse when God asks us why we let 100 000 children a year be murdered through abortion? “We didn’t know what was happening” or “we didn’t know that they were really human children”? Do you think God is going to buy that excuse?

It is time that we get up from lounging on our couches and fight the good fight of faith, to stand up for the rights of God to be heard in today’s secular world through the Bible and the teachings of the Church; to stand up and defend
the right to life of the unborn, to stand up and defend the right of a Catholic education for our children, and so on.

I hope many of you will attend Life Chain today from 2-3 p.m. right here in Russell at the corner of Castor and Concession. I know not everyone can attend, and many of you will be busy being pro-life by simply being together with your family on a Sunday afternoon. But we specifically moved this event from Orleans to Russell so that more of us could attend from our parish.

In all things, we must avoid the extremes of complacency and despair. The people in the time of Amos were complacent. Most of them did not listen to the prophet’s warning to repent, so most of them lost everything – their jobs, their homes, their belongings, and their homeland, as they were taken into exile to Assyria. On the other hand, we must never despair, for the culture of life will triumph over the culture of death, because “the gates of hell shall not prevail against the Church,” for she is founded, sustained and continually nourished and strengthened by Christ, who is present in the Eucharist, Christ the Son of God, the conqueror of sin and death and hell.

September 23, 2007

Kateri Tekakwitha One Step at a Time

Posted in Homilies at 9:00 am

Twenty-fifth Sunday, Year C, September 23rd, 2007

OK, Alex, for my next Jeopardy category, I will take Canadian Saints for $200. Who am I?
1) My mother was a Catholic but my father was an unbeliever, as was most of my extended family
2) My most characteristic virtue is my purity, and I have obtained this gift for many souls who have asked for my intercession
3) After my death, God worked so many miracles through me that I became known as the “Guardian of Canada”
4) I was born in 1656, baptized at age 20, died 4 years later, and was buried in Kahnawake, near Montreal, where my tomb is still located.
5) I am also known as the “lily of the Mohawks”

Who am I?
Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha!

Why have I chosen to talk about Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha this week? Because each year at this time I like to preach about the Canadian Martyrs, whose banner hangs behind me, and whose feast day is September 26th. It is said that “the blood of martyrs is the seed of Christians” and the blood of the Canadian martyrs produced this beautiful flower, the lily of the Mohawks (specifically these martyrs – St. Isaac Joques, St. Rene Goupil, and St. Jean de Lalande who gave their lives for Christ in Mohawk territory in present day Auriesville, NY)

Though politically correct revisionist historians may disagree, the fact is Kateri was raised in a culture of death, a pagan society that accepted sexual immorality and marital infidelity as normal, a culture of violence, war and torture. But Christ came to redeem her people, as he did our own ancestors. Christ came to bring a new culture of life through the first Catholic missionaries and martyrs.

As Kateri grew up, the grace of God worked silently in her soul, gradually drawing her to the “Prayer,” as Christianity was called among the Mohawks. She was baptized and later moved from her home in what is today upstate New York, to the first native Christian village of Canada, near present day Montreal. The Jesuit priests were amazed at the fervour of the first Christians of Canada – husbands, wives, mothers, fathers – entire families – and compared their zeal to that of the first Christian community in the Acts of the Apostles.

Kateri was drawn by the irresistible attractiveness of Christ. The sufferings he endured for humanity inspired her and other converts to perform such extraordinary penances, such as scourgings and plunging themselves into the river in mid-winter, that the French missionaries had to order them to stop and moderate their penances. The holiness of Christ inspired in Kateri perfect purity and chastity in a society that was enslaved by the sins of the flesh. The life and Resurrection of Christ inspired her to live the Mass, to sanctify the Sabbath day, with 8am Eucharist, 10 am Rosary, a 1pm meeting of the Confraternity of the Holy Family and afternoon Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament – all in the wooden chapel of the village.

In one sense, Kateri progressed in holiness by leaps and bounds, and attained remarkable sanctity in just 4 years between her baptism and death. In another sense, like all the saints she teaches us this secret about holiness . . . (I have another prop, but I’m afraid by using it I will be caving in to our media culture and people’s desire to be entertained rather than simply listen to the Word of God with faith and devotion . . . OK, I will use the prop for the children . . . and at least people will remember one point in this homily!) . . . What does this running shoe teach us about the secret of holiness? . . . We attain holiness one step at a time. Kateri Tekakwitha achieved sanctity one step at a time through the little things of everyday life. As we heard in today’s Gospel, we must be “faithful in a very little” if we want God to entrust us with the “true riches” of eternal life (Lk 16: 10-11 ).

Kateri, who was orphaned at an early age, eagerly served her aunt and uncle in daily life in the bark longhouse, helping with cooking and cleaning, with sewing and mending clothes, planting and harvesting the corn and squash in the fields, gathering firewood – all the while praying as she went.
One step at a time. Today, I believe that is how we are going to attain holiness – those who are married, single, widowed, or consecrated men and women. One step at a time.

When people go on pilgrimage, for instance, to St. James Compostello in Spain, how can they possibly walk 800 km? How did JP and Joyce Vincelette of our parish do it? One step at a time. How did Evelyn Bedard of our parish walk 886 km from Windsor to Ottawa to raise money for cancer research? One step at a time. How did a group of young people walk 5 500 km this summer, from Vancouver to Quebec, to raise awareness of the pro-life cause? One step at a time. How will we ever reach the new Jerusalem, the city of God, the kingdom of heaven? One step at a time.

I know that some of you tend to lose heart because of your sins and weaknesses; you commit the same sins over and over again and don’t seem to be making progress. Do not be discouraged! You are beautiful and God loves you more than you can imagine! Persevere in your vocation (which for most of you is marriage); persevere every day in love, in prayer. Continue to go to Confession and receive Holy Communion as much as possible. One step at a time. You too can be a saint.

But on days when we’re down, what can put a bounce in our step, or wheels on our heels? And when we’re huffing and puffing uphill and the cross is cutting into our shoulder, what vision on the horizon will capture our imagination and inspire us to persevere, to “run the race” that is set before us (Heb 12:1) ?

For one thing, each generation, each individual, must re-discover the irresistible attraction of Christ, who is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb 13:8). More than ever, I’m convinced that we need to walk together, hand in hand, to help each other on the path of holiness. Kateri found such a help in Mary Theresa, her close spiritual friend; they confided to each other their most intimate thoughts, carefully avoided the village gossip, spoke continually of God, and spurred each other on to greater holiness.

We need to walk together with a common vision that will capture our imagination. What can it be for this generation? I’m not sure. For some people of deep faith, it is enough to be faithful in the little things, knowing that God can be glorified in every day life in raising a family. Others are inspired by serving the poor and working in the missions. Others join a movement – civil rights, pro-life. TVO recently aired the first part of the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. (Part II is Sunday at 7:00 p.m.). Part I ended with the massive civil rights march on Washington and Martin’s famous speech “I have a dream.”

Interestingly, at this year’s March for Life in Ottawa in May, Fr. Frank Pavone of Priests for Life USA spoke about the March for Life in Washington. One of Martin Luther King’s family members was marching with him and he asked her, “does this remind you of the civil rights movement?” She replied, “Fr. Frank, this is the civil rights movement.” I find it extremely sad that some of the same people who would have marched for equal rights for blacks in the 1963 are not interested in marching for the right to life of unborn children in 2007. I only mention this in passing because next Sunday is LifeChain and I’m hoping that many of you will attend this pro-life witness right here in Russell!

I’m not sure why the pro-life movement has not captured the imagination of more people in this generation. But I’m convinced that as we walk together, hand in hand, one step at a time, to help each other on the path of holiness, leading to the city of God, we must also be willing to march together to witness to the sanctity of life in today’s culture of death. Kateri Tekakwitha lived in a culture of death and widespread sexual immorality, but she bore witness to Christ and to life, in part by her perfect purity and chastity. She was drawn by the irresistible attractiveness of Christ, and the entire village of Kahnawake was inspired by a common vision of the Christian life that captured their imagination and drew them onward and upward to the heavenly Jerusalem.

The blood of the martyrs has indeed produced an abundant harvest of Christians among the Mohawks and other native tribes of Canada. Their blood was also shed for our generation; it has not dried up and disappeared, but can still bear fruit in modern Canadian saints of all types – married, single, widowed, consecrated men and women. Just as the blood of Christ which we receive in the Eucharist has power to save and sanctify us today, so the blood of the martyrs, and the prayers of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, united to the sacrifice of Christ, can help us 21st century Canadians to be holy as God as holy (one step at a time!).

Reference: Kateri Tekahkwitha by Henri Bechard, S.J. (Kahnawake, Quebec: Kateri Center, 1994)

September 16, 2007

The Good Life

Posted in Homilies at 9:00 am

Homily for the Tweny-fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time

September 16, 2007

I’m going to touch on each of today’s readings briefly, and I would encourage you crack open your bibles later and read the larger passages, especially around the first reading, and the story of David, which can be found in the second book of Samuel. These are great stories of God’s mercy – and His justice.

It’s pretty easy to see that one theme common to all today’s readings is forgiveness. God relents in His punishment of the Israelites for their idolatry. In the Psalm, David asks to cleansed from sin. St. Paul speaks of receiving God’s mercy, and of course in the parable of the prodigal son, the father welcomes home his wayward son.

Yet, there is another aspect of these readings for us to consider – the desire for “the good life”. First, let’s look at the Israelites. They had been saved from the cruel slavery they had suffered in Egypt. When they were without water, or without food, the Lord had provided for them. He was faithfully leading them to the land He promised them. He had given them a pretty good life, and was bringing them to an even better one. Was that good enough for them? When Moses stayed a little too long on the mountain, they became restless. So, they thought they could make another god, created from the precious metal of their jewellery, and that this god could somehow lead them out of the desert, to a better life. Their golden idol, of course, was no substitute for the one true God.

Psalm 51 expresses David’s remorse over the sins he committed in order to get what he wanted in life, regardless of the cost to others, or to himself. He desired Bathsheba, and crafted an evil plot in order to have her. He thought that would be the good life – only to find the ultimate cost of his sin more than he imagined.

Paul’s story is a little different. He persecuted the early Christians because he thought that was the right thing to do, not out of any personal desire. The Lord showed him the way to the true good life – we’ll get back to that shortly.

This brings us to the Gospel. It was virtually unheard of back then for a father to give a son his share of his inheritance early, especially while the father is still not just alive, but apparently quite healthy. And to the younger son, no less. Why didn’t the father just tell the son he would have to wait? What could have motivated him? Was he foolish? Did he have trust in the son? Regardless of the reason, the son was given his share of the property.

The son could have used his resources wisely. Maybe bought some land, started his own enterprise, got married and had a family. But, that was not what he had in mind. No, he wanted to live the good life. He squandered what his father had given him. Drinking, feasting, disreputable companions – he lived well, for a while. Then, his resources depleted and hard times falling on the place he was in, the good life disappeared.

In our current time, we have many people, of all ages, seeking what they think is the good life. And materially, life in 21st century Canada is pretty good. By comparison with the rest of the world, and most of previous history, we are quite comfortable. But, we seem to be dissatisfied, and that translates into wanting more, and we don’t always look in the right places for that “more”. Our young people are the target of a marketing driven culture which would have been unfathomable even thirty years ago. Desire is created for what claims to be the good life – fast cars, attractive companions, partying, the newest gadgets, the latest video games. We have advertising aimed at middle aged and older people, trying to convince us that the good life means retiring early, virile, and rich – especially if we use certain products. In between, we have parents struggling to give their children the good life by running them around to every possible activity so they don’t miss out on a single thing. Faith and I didn’t have to do too much of that, and I don’t know how some of the younger parents in our parish manage it. Perhaps, life would be better if we could make it less frantic.

So, we all want to have the good life, and those with children want them to enjoy the good life, too. God has blessed many of us with material comforts, and there is absolutely nothing wrong in enjoying those gifts. But, that should not be the good life we seek and treasure – just to live comfortably. What then is the good life that will bring true happiness? What is the good life that really matters?

God sent His son to redeem us. Jesus died on the cross so that we may have eternal life. But, Jesus didn’t just come to earth, and live for 33 years or so, with the sole goal of being crucified. Yes, by His cross and His resurrection he redeemed us. He also spent His time teaching us, and showing us, the way to the Father, the way to Heaven. Might the good life be found in living according to His teachings, in developing our relationship with God? Getting back to Saint Paul, he found the good life in proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ. He went from persecuting to being persecuted, had no permanent home, and was eventually martyred – but he led the good life.

In my last homily, I spoke about being rebellious as a youth. Part of that rebelliousness was founded in an idealism that wanted to change the world for the better. That idealism was very prevalent among young people then. Today, cynicism seems to have replaced idealism in many people. But, there is still need for a certain amount of realistic idealism, of hope for the future. And we see a renewal in many of our young people, who are embracing their faith rather than rejecting it, and living that faith daily. Our lives are good when we are good. We don’t need to search very far for the way to the good life, the path is very close to us, in the bible, in our Catholic faith, and especially here at Mass and in the Eucharist. It doesn’t stop with ourselves, or our family and close friends. Living the good life according to our faith also involves our interactions with our community and the world. That might mean helping the marginalised – and sometimes, the marginalised are not just the poor, or the homeless, or the sick, but could also be people you know who are spiritually impoverished. The way you live your life could be a catalyst for someone else to discover what might be missing in their own. What a great thing it would be to know that your example helped someone else find God in his or her life.

We can begin to live the good life at any age, young or old. For young people in particular, you can do great things in your life, with God’s help. Like the father of the prodigal son, He has given you great wealth and resources. It is up to you, as it is for all of us, to use His gifts wisely. Greatness does not necessarily mean something that makes the headlines or the evening news. It could simply be living in a manner counter to the current culture of materialism and hedonism. It may mean working every day, accepting responsibility, marrying and raising a family, and recognising how God is working alongside you, and through you.

Like He did the Israelites, David, and Paul, God is always willing to forgive our failings if we are repentant. He understands that none of us will be perfect as long as we walk this earth, which is why He gave us the sacrament of Reconciliation. But we should strive to do our best, so that when we die, God can say to each of us, “Welcome home, my child, for you have lived the good life”.

September 9, 2007

Put Everything on the Altar of Sacrifice

Posted in Homilies at 9:00 am

Twenty-third Sunday, Year C, September 9th, 2007

“Jesus, you’re out of your mind! You want us to hate our closest relations, our own life, to carry the cross and give up all our possessions, in order to be a disciple? Then who would want to follow you and be a Christian? You are asking the impossible!”

Isn’t this the normal human reaction to the words of Jesus in today’s Gospel? In essence, Jesus is asking us to put everything on the altar of sacrifice. Why would we want to do this? What’s in it for us?

First of all, we have to deal with his words about “hating” our closest relations. Jesus is not speaking literally, but very seriously. He is talking about sacrifice and detachment. In another place he says, “Anyone who loves father or mother, son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Mt 10:37). It is another version of the great commandment to love God with all our heart and soul and strength, and to be detached from all created things, from other people, and from our own selves.

Jesus understands the human heart, that this “perishable body weighs down the soul, and this earthly tent burdens the thoughtful mind” in the words of the first reading (Wisdom 9:15). He knows that many people cannot lift up their hearts in sacrifice to the Lord (in the Eucharist and in daily life) and many people cannot enter the kingdom of heaven because of idolatry – they love so many things more than God, and their love for their parents, spouse, children is so weighed down by attachment, by selfishness.

“OK, let me see: give up all our possessions, and our whole live, carry our cross and follow you. Jesus, please remind us: what is so attractive about being a Christian? What’s in it for me?”

Well, in another scripture, Jesus promises, “everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more, and will inherit eternal life” (Mt 19:29).

Perhaps a story will help. This is a tale about attachment to the land, but we can apply its lesson to any kind of attachment.
There was an old farmer in Navan who loved the land and the soil with a deep and beautiful intensity. He had a red farmhouse on the hill, that looked out the green corn, the golden wheat, and the tree-lined brook in the distance. When he knew he was about to die, he asked one of his sons to lay him down one more time on his beloved earth, and just before he died, he reached down by his side and clutched some earth in his hands.

He died and appeared before the gates of heaven. God the Father came out to meet him and said, “You’ve made many sacrifices to live as a faithful Catholic, and you’ve kept the great commandment. Enter into the joy of the kingdom.” But as the old man took a step forward, God said, “Oh, I’m sorry, but you must first let go of the soil.” “Never!” said the old man, stepping back, “Never!” So God walked away sad, leaving the man at the gates.

Several thousand years passed and the old man continually refused to let go of the soil. Then one day, God sent the old mans’s granddaughter out to greet him and she said, “Oh, granddaddy, we miss you so much. Please come inside with me.” The old man nodded, and she helped him up, and as they moved toward the gates, his gnarled fingers would no longer stay clenched in a fist, so that the soil sifted out between them until his hand was empty. He then entered heaven, and the first thing he saw was a red farmhouse on the hill, the green corn, the golden wheat, and the tree-lined brook in the distance.

(Based on “The Isle of Crete” in A World of Stories by William Bausch, p. 236-7)

Whenever we are selfishly attached to land or houses, father, mother, brother, sister, spouse, children, or even our own life, we are clutching a handful of sand when God wants to give us the kingdom.

So do not be afraid to put everything on the altar of sacrifice. This is one way we can live the Mass. As I mentioned two weeks ago, this is the theme I have proposed for this pastoral year – to live the Mass. And one way we can do that is by putting everything on the altar of sacrifice. Everything you place there will be returned to you a hundred times more.

When we place bread and wine on the altar as a symbol of all our spiritual sacrifices and our earthly lives, they are returned to us as gifts from God – the gift of God himself – giving us eternal life. When we lay down our lives on the altar and willingly accept death, we receive our lives back, glorified a hundred, a thousand times, in the resurrection of the dead. (And by the way, please do not be afraid to personally bring the gifts to the altar when the ushers ask you to bring up the bread and wine that we place on the altar of sacrifice)

If we are clutching a handful of sand, let us put it on the altar of sacrifice. (Put small bowl of sand on altar) If some of you are going through a difficult time right now, carrying a cross that seems much too heavy, and you have dragged it all the way from Embrun or Limoges, then lay it down on the altar of sacrifice, and in return, Christ will give you supernatural strength, as his Body feeds your heart and his Blood fills your veins. (Place small crucifix on altar).

With the exception of sin, we can put almost anything on the altar of sacrifice. If George Bush can cry in the White House, as a recent biography relates (and let me assure you that priests cry too) then surely we can cry in God’s house, and mingle the water of our tears with the wine that we put on the altar of sacrifice.

And please do not put a mask on the altar of sacrifice. Some people think that when they come to the Church door, they have to put on a mask. (Editorial note: Put on fake smile and through clenched teeth say, ‘how are you?’ ‘Fine, fine.’) You can leave your mask at the door and bring your heart to the altar of sacrifice.

In the Mass, immediately after the priest presents to God the sacrifice of the bread and wine, he bows low and recites this prayer in silence: “humbled in spirit and contrite of heart, may we be received by you, O Lord: and may our sacrifice be so offered this day in your sight as to be pleasing to you, O Lord God.” (Latin: “In spiritu humilitatis et in animo contrito suscipiamur a te, Domine: et sic fiat sacrificium nostrum in conspectu tuo hodie, ut placeat tibi, Domine Deus”).
This is a quote from the Book of Daniel when the Jews were in exile and had no temple in which to offer sacrifice; so instead of thousands of fat lambs, they offered the sacrifice of their heart, their spirit and their trust in God (3: 39-40).

You may want to put a heart full of love and thanksgiving on the altar of sacrifice. Or you may put a broken heart on this altar. I know I have done that many times. (Let us place this flower on the altar as a symbol of our heart)

Jesus is demanding that we be detached from everyone and place everything on the altar of sacrifice. In answer to the question, “what’s in it for me?” Jesus has promised eternal life. He also promised that we would be rewarded “a hundred times more” even in this life. One of the more immediate rewards of sacrifice and detachment is trust in God and inner peace.

How many people here would like to be free of useless fear, anxiety, worry, stress? We live in the “age of anxiety” in which we all desperately yearn for that peace that comes from trusting in God. Sometimes it’s nice to daydream about what might distinguish our parish in the diocese or the country . . . hmm . . .. Maybe the Blessed Virgin Mary would appear to a few innocent children in our parish like at LaSalette in 1846, Banneaux and Beauraing, Belgium in 1932-33. Actually, the miracle for which I hope and pray is that all of us, as children of God, will come to trust in God and to entrust our whole lives through Jesus to the Father.

In fact, one of the purposes of consecrating or entrusting our parish to the Immaculate Heart of Mary our Mother, and of having first Saturday Masses, praying for the conversion of sinners – is that all of us will come to trust in God our Father, who holds us in the palm of His hand, who guards us as the pupil of His eye, who hides us in the shadow of His wings. Jesus himself encourages us to trust in God the Father, saying, “do not worry about your life. Your heavenly Father knows what you need before you ask . . . seek first His kingdom, and everything else will be given to you” (Mt 6:8, Lk 12:29-31). Put your whole life on the altar of sacrifice and you will receive back a hundred times more in this life, and in the world to come, eternal life.

September 2, 2007

All who humble themselves will be exalted

Posted in Homilies at 9:00 am

Twenty-second Sunday, Year C, September 2nd, 2007

(Reading Bulletin) . . . “Sometimes I read the bulletin during the homily if I don’t finish it before Mass. It looks like everything’s just fine in the parish. . . what a relief . . . another year that I can avoid getting involved in the parish. Oh, no, that ‘Gifts and Services’ campaign is in two weeks – the Church looking for new volunteers. When the call goes out . . . I’ll sit in the middle of the crowd and slouch really low . . .

Yes, my friends, it’s September and we’re back to school, back to work, (back to Church for some); it’s the beginning of a new pastoral year in the Church and as always we need volunteers. I want to begin by thanking all our volunteers, all those who are so generous with their time and talents. Some of you amaze me with your energy and enthusiasm: you work all week; you have a family, and still you find time for God and your parish. Thank you. You are an inspiring example to me.

But other people who never volunteer say things like, “Well, Father, like the Gospel today says, ‘those who exalt themselves will be humbled’ (Lk 14:11). I don’t want to exalt myself by being in front of people as an usher, reader or Eucharistic minister. I would rather humble myself by sitting in the back pew.”

I don’t know if that’s so much humility but fear, or laziness. And fear I can understand. I remember the first week of my first year at the Seminary. I saw another seminarian confidently saunter to the lectern to proclaim the first reading. And I was momentarily terrified by the thought that one day I will have to do that – read in front of all these men studying to be priests! I can’t do that! There’s no way – I can’t do that! . . . Now where would I be today if I had given in to my fears? . . . True humility will help us overcome all our fears. Humility does not say, “I can’t do that!” True humility says, “Lord, I can’t do this without your help.” Please don’t let fear prevent you from being a reader, usher, Eucharistic minister, or another kind of volunteer in the Church.

Another reason people do not get involved in parish life is busy-ness. They just don’t have the time, and they’re afraid (fear again!) of being over-burdened and trapped in a commitment. BEWARE! BEWARE! The Church is going to trap you in a commitment you can never escape! Your purgatory will be to serve on parish council until the end of time! Bah ha ha! (evil laugh). Come on, do you think the Church is really like that? There are lots of little ways that you can get involved without being over-burdened or trapped in a commitment.

Now, all joking aside, our parish does need your help more than ever before. As you all know, Justin McKenna has been in a coma, then a semi-conscious state, since June 27th. The family is grateful for all your prayers, support, prepared meals, and so on. Understandably, Suzanne will remain by her son’s side, so for this fall at least she will not be working in the office, although she will be available for myself or the office volunteers to consult at any time by phone or email.

I am grateful for those people who have stepped forward to help in the office. I have also re-arranged my schedule so that I will have more time and energy for the parish. For this reason, I will not be going to the high school all day every Wednesday, though we will still have our Wednesday Masses in the school. I have also cancelled a proposed missionary trip to Honduras in October. For the past six years, I have taken one week of holiday to go on a mission trip, but this year, I am going to take that time to rest instead. It was a very difficult decision, but I . . . I don’t want to become seriously ill or have a nervous breakdown! And I realized that God doesn’t want to kill me! Isn’t that beautiful? Lord, you came that we might have life! (Jn ) You don’t want to kill me! Thank you!

So, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, you may have realized that more than ever, the continued vibrancy of our parish depends so much on you. I give you one concrete example. Last year, our Temporal Affairs counsel suggested that we could have an Oktoberfest social (Saturday, October 13th), and furthermore, that we could make it a fundraiser for a new carpet in the basement, which desperately needs to be replaced. I think it’s a great idea, and I fully support it! But guess what? I’m only one person. I know I’m a priest and I can celebrate the Eucharist, which is the heart of our parish, but I’m only 1 person.

So I propose a sub-committee for Oktoberfest. And if we have 5 people sign up by next Sunday, (there’s a sign up sheet in the foyer), we will go ahead with it; if not, we will cancel. So much of the life of our parish this year will depend on this: if we have the people, we’ll do it; if not, we will cancel, and accept it calmly as the will of God. Maybe we’re all too busy; maybe we all need to re-prioritize and re-direct our energies into essentials. If I can make one more plug for the Gifts and Services campaign in two weeks, we are also looking for two young couples to help with baptism prep, a commitment of only 2 or 3 meetings per year.

Out of necessity, I have spent much of this homily on the practical business of our need for volunteers in our parish, and I ask you to please pray and reflect in the next two weeks on how you might be able to humbly serve your brothers and sisters in Christ in this parish, so that in due time, God will exalt you. I would like to spend a few more minutes on this theme in today’s readings.

Now most of us are not so vain that we stroll into a wedding banquet or other social gathering and automatically sit down at the place of honour (Lk 14). Most of us are not so brazenly proud that we really think that we are the greatest priest or lawyer or teacher or manager in the whole wide world. But almost all of us tend to exalt ourselves in a subtle way, through unconscious pride and self-centeredness.

I see a trend in the younger generation, in this unconscious pride that says, “I want to be an astronaut and the first man on Mars! I want to be a great scientist and save the world from global warming! I want to be a doctor and discover the cure for cancer!” We get some idea, career or goal in our heads that we must achieve that demands all our allegiance, and the sacrifice of our time and energy, our body and blood.

What motivates us? It can be something noble, but it can also be perfectionism, or guilt, or the need to prove ourselves to others, to please others, and so on. Do we ever stop long enough to ask: is this good for me? Is this making me happy? Is this what God wants? Why am I doing this?”

“Why am I killing myself? God wants to humble me but He doesn’t want to kill me!” As I mentioned, I was recently reminded of this. For about two weeks in August, I was extremely and mysteriously fatigued and feeling unwell. I was taking on too much, and God was humbling me so that I would let go of some things and make those changes in my plans and schedule that I have explained.

All of us experience difficulties in life that humble us. Let us make good use of the moments that humble us, by stopping to pray and reflect, to learn what God wants to teach us. Remember: God will never humiliate us or shame us; He only wants to humble us in order to exalt us – not with worldly honours and riches, but with the dignity of His sons and daughters. He wants to exalt us over the demons of perfectionism, guilt, unworthiness, all the enemies of our souls that do try to kill us. God wants to exalt us all with the freedom, the inner peace, and the joy that comes from knowing that he loves us for who we are, and we don’t have to prove ourselves to him.

In the second Preface for Sundays in Ordinary Time, which I will be using today, we read that “Jesus humbled himself to be born of the Virgin.” Jesus humbled himself but was exalted in the Resurrection – the ultimate destiny and exaltation for each one of us. Jesus continues to humble himself hidden in the host, in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood, so that he can continue to give himself to us, to cast out demons, and to give us life and joy in abundance.