Just a thought...or two

FEBRUARY 12, 2012

The story of the healing of the leper is not just a story of physical healing...it is just as much the story of a man restored to his community. Many ancient peoples believed that physical sickness was a sign of sin and disfavor of the gods. And there would be a need for divine appeasement for sin. A price had to be paid for trespasses against a powerful god. A payment needed to be handed over if a god's wrath were to be avoided and atonement was to be achieved. Sacrificing something of value; grain, wine, oil, meat, was a way to buy yourself forgiveness. The fate of the leper, in the first reading, was the most visual example of what sin did to a person making him or her unfit for the presence of God and unworthy to participate in a community dedicated to being the "holy people of God". The uncleanness of leprosy was worn plain sight. If health was a blessing from God, it followed that sickness was a sign of God's disfavor. Until that mark disappeared from your body, the whole community shunned you...you ceased to be part of the community...you were sent away...it was as if you were dead to them.

We'd like to think we're more civilized now, that we don't insist that our modern lepers just cover themselves up and go away. Regretfully the homeless, the mentally ill, the undocumented and unemployed that fall through the tears in our social fabric, are all still there tempting us to see them as unfit for our society and possibly for God's. We still mix sin and suffering together in our minds and presume with Job's "friends" they have somehow called down all this misery on themselves.

Jesus never approached an outcast with any kind of moral assessment. He saw the mark of suffering, and he willed it—not the person—to disappear. Jesus put forgiveness in a new light...forgiveness is not bought by some "sin offering"...it is freely given! Given out of love! The healing of the leper is a story of Jesus' desire that we be returned to wholeness and return to the community...the community of God's children. If we are disciples of Jesus are we not called to do the same...to be agents of healing in the midst of a broken world? Who are the "lepers" in our society today? How can I help them be restored to health...to be restored to a proper place in our community? "Do this in memory of me..."

God's blessings,
Fr. Tim

FEBRUARY 5, 2012

Have you ever had "one of those days"...or maybe one of those weeks...or months...or years? Those are the times that seem endless, when our pain is all we can feel...when grief seems to eat away at our soul...when worry or apprehension consume us. In times like these we cannot see beyond our suffering, we cannot think or plan for another day. They are horrible days when all seems lost and life is painful. In the first reading today, Job tells his friends that it has been "one of those days". Job has been beaten down and life is miserable. If you have ever been there, you know exactly what he means and understand his pain.

But is this what we came to hear in today in our Liturgy? Our sufferings and emotional turmoil, and those of our sisters and brothers, like Job's are not to be dismissed. Perhaps some questions have no answers...perhaps Job's story is meant to comfort us. While we may find some solace in identifying with the proverbial suffering of Job, we are also challenged to remember his strength and faith, his belief in God's goodness and love for each one of us. If we keep faith with God, as Job did, we may find great comfort in some of the other readings for today.

St Paul also speaks about vulnerability and suffering...he knows from experience that there can be real strength in vulnerability (literally the ability to expose one's self to being wounded), because it is only in such exposure that it possible for us to be embraced and be healed. The invulnerable person seeks protection within a suit of armor...they attempt to become impervious and untouchable but in doing so they close themselves off to love...to being touched...to being healed. Paul knows that he must take risks, because he is called to proclaim the gospel and witness to the risen Christ. This will not always be accepted nor will it be easy. But Paul's vulnerability ultimately proves to be his strength.

As so often happens, the gospel reading takes something from, and adds something to the first two readings. Struck by Jesus' healing power, Peter begins thinking big...he wants Jesus to become a celebrity, a "superstar"! But Jesus has other, more modest... more Godly, ideas. He will spend himself in service of the Reign of God...for Jesus it is not about "him"! He will undergo torture and ultimately...the cross...rather than sensationalism and celebrity.

What can we take from this to sustain us? We can take to heart God's promise of ultimate salvation...after the examples of Job and Paul. In the end, God's love for us always triumphs! This in no way excuses suffering caused human malice or greed, or down plays any human suffering. We can try to proceed like Jesus, who was faithfully and obedient to the will of his abba...for the good of all God's people. We can remember to keep faith, and remember that although faith is God's gift, it is ours for the asking, particularly when we are struggling. And if, by God's grace, we are already at ease and at peace today, we might pray for those who are not - and perhaps for ourselves, against the day when we will need all the patience and fortitude of Job.

Even more than Job, and Paul, Jesus knew what it was to suffer. When we struggle through such pain and suffering, remembering the suffering of Jesus, the very "Son of God" can give us encouragement. When have I felt like Job? How did I survive...did I rely on God? Am I able to open my heat to the suffering of my sisters and brothers? And how does the Gospel call me to respond? Just a thought...or two...

God's blessings,
Fr. Tim

JANUARY 29, 2012

The readings for today speak of false prophets and unclean spirits and show us the power of "The Word of God". In the first reading God promises to send prophets who will speak his word to the people of Israel...but wanes of false prophets. In the Gospel an unclean spirit cries out and recognizes Jesus as "the Holy One of God!" Interestingly the man who was healed is almost peripheral to the story, he demonstrates no faith in Jesus, and is never mentioned again...he appears more to be a vehicle through which the true identity of Jesus Christ is announced. Astonishingly this identity is announced by an unclean spirit! And all of this takes place in the midst of a sacred space...presumably a place in which the faith filled and the pious gather...not a place one would expect to encounter an unclean spirit...let alone an "unclean spirit" who announces the identity of Jesus! It is all a bit perplexing...on one hand we see the power of Jesus to heal...we hear Jesus' true identity announced but it is announced by the enemy of truth...the enemy of the Reign of God which Jesus is announcing!

What voices do we listen to? The ones that lull us into complacency and comfort us...or the ones that confront us and challenge us...challenge us to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In a world so desperately in need of healing from war, greed and injustice...in a world torn apart by ethnic and racial divides...in a world where some feast on fine foods while others, just outside their gates, starve...in a world where women and children are routinely sold into slavery...we are in desperate need of hearing "the Word of God" and acting on it!

Each of us, thorough Baptism, has been called to be a prophet...and to lead a prophetic life. Not only by what we say but by what we do and what we choose not to do. There are many who claim to be prophets...but we are warned to be on guard against false prophets who come in the name of God but clearly do not speak for God...rather they speak for themselves and their own agendas. How can we distinguish these voices from the authentic voices inspired by God? The Gospel of Jesus Christ holds the answer...we need to hold up the voices of the prophets to the Gospel and if they do not reflect the core message of the Gospel...then we should not listen...we should not follow, for those voices will lead us away from being true disciples of Jesus Christ.

There is so much "noise" in the world...so many distractions in our daily lives that we often don't hear the word of God coming to us in and through the people, places and ordinary events of our lives. Can we see the face of Christ in faces of strangers and aliens in need? Can we hear to call of God to speak out on behalf of those suffering human indignities when we see it on the evening news or read about in the newspaper? As unlikely prophets as they may seem...is the "Occupy Movement" representing "truth speaking to power"? When was the last time I was prophetic in what I said or did? Where do I listen for God in my life...where do I hear God speaking to me? What could I do to make my life more prophetic...proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ in word and action?

God's blessings,
Fr. Tim

JANUARY 22, 2012

Today's readings are all very interesting in that they seem to contrast the world as it is and the world as God dreams it to be. God keeps calling prophets to speak the dream...prophets like Jonah...prophets like Martin Luther King Jr. Jonah heard what the dream was but wasn't willing to live the dream...at least not at first. Paul heard the dream preached and not only refused to believe the dream but actually worked against it...at first. In the Gospel, John the Baptist preached the dream...preached the coming of one who would make the dream a reality.

What I find so interesting is that Jesus is calling people to not just believe the dream but to live the dream! Jesus calls these "new" disciples to action....to leave behind all they knew...to leave behind their livelihoods and their way of life in order to live a new life...to live God's dream for the world. Action is the key...simply believing in the dream isn't enough!

Jesus comes to Galilee to proclaim God's dream with urgency...he preaches it with an intense need for an immediate response. In Mark's Gospel the first disciples were enthusiastic...they left their nets...they left their families...but we need not be intimated by their noble actions ...they soon struggle to stay the course...just like us! The "take away" is that Jesus calls us not to just "buy into" the dream, but to live the dream! And the readings tell us that even when we fail to "live the dream"...God always gives us another chance! With God there is always another chance!

God's dream is for a world without poverty and suffering...without war and conquest...without winners and losers...without racism and hatred...a world where the dignity of every person is valued and protected...from the moment of conception to their entry into eternity. What can I do to "live" God's dream for the world? What changes would I have to make in my life to live God's dream? Who would I have to love...who would I have to care for...to make God's dream for the world a reality? Being a disciple of Jesus Christ requires action...not just belief! Just a thought...or two...

God's blessings,
Fr. Tim

JANUARY 15, 2012

We now find ourselves in the liturgical season known as "Ordinary Time". All of the sounds, sights and magic of Advent and Christmas behind us...Ordinary Time...the time in between the major liturgical seasons of our religious lives. Who among us would want to be referred to as "ordinary"? We live in a society that craves being special, unique and anything but ordinary. We ink, pierce and train our bodies to stand out...we drive fancy cars, live in unique homes, strive for the corner office...we spend our lives trying to be anything but ordinary...anything but average.

And yet it is in the very ordinary realities of our lives that we encounter God. One of the great lies of human history is that God is only found in extraordinary events...the parting of the Red Sea or miracle cures. The truth is that God is to be found in the most mundane events of our everyday lives! A fisherman mending his nets...a woman going to the well to get water...a tax collector going about his business...ordinary events of their daily lives. It is precisely in the midst of these "ordinary daily events" that God breaks in and calls these people to, not to the ordinary...but to greatness...an "ordinary greatness"! You and I are called by God...every day...in the most "ordinary" events, places and people of our lives! How will we respond?

I have come to believe that God is relentless in calling me to greatness...in the midst of the ordinary. And so the question is how will I respond? How will you respond? The call is to be agents of change...agents of justice and peace...agents of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But there is so much background noise...so many distractions...success, uniqueness, keeping up with the "Jones'"...fitting in...that we can't hear Jesus calling us to "ordinary greatness"! If we would only take the time to listen, to look! We could hear the call...if we would only listen closely, look expecting to see the "presence" of the God in the ordinary places, people and events of our lives... then we could see, hear and feel the presence of God in the ordinary, the spectacular, amazingly ordinary realties of our daily lives!

The truth is that we are far from ordinary....we have been called and chosen by Jesus Christ...to be a witness to God's love for every "ordinary" person...in extraordinary ways! What can "I" do to listen more deeply to what God is calling me to in my life? Am I willing to take time, each day, to listen to and look for God in the ordinary realties of my life? How would that change the routines of my daily life? Just a Thought...or Two...

God's blessings,
Fr. Tim

JANUARY 8, 2012

"I just came to be surprised." These are the words of a young boy who ran out to meet one of my Spiritan brothers after landing his small plane on a bumpy dirt runway in Eastern Tanzania. Fr. Pat responded by asking the young boy "are you surprised?" And the boy responded... "I am in awe."

As I read Fr. Pat's Christmas letter describing this encounter I could not help but think of the magi arriving at Bethlehem...they had come to be surprised and left "in awe" at what they encountered. What a wonderful "stance" to take toward the world...expecting to be surprised...surprised by life...surprised by God! How different would my life be if "I just came to be surprised"... everyday? What would happen if each day I were to open my heart and my life to being surprised by God's presence in the ordinary events and people of my daily life?

In order for the magi to make the journey they made they had to be open to being surprised...they didn't even know the final destination, they didn't know exactly what they would encounter when they finally arrived wherever they journey took them. The lesson of the magi is one of wonder and awe at God's love for each one of us. "For God so loved the world" that God became human, one like us, in Jesus...and Jesus was willing to suffer and die on the cross to prove how deeply we are loved by God and to pour forth that love and forgiveness upon the face of the earth. Now if that doesn't inspire awe and wonder...than I doubt anything will.

Do I look to be surprised by God through the people and ordinary events and of my daily life? Am I open to being awed by God's unconditional love for me, or do I expect less? When is the last time that I was surprised by God? Just a Thought...or Two...

God's blessings,
Fr. Tim

JANUARY 1, 2012

Why does New Year's Day hold such a special place for us? Perhaps it is because we live in a society that has mutually agreed upon markers for the measurement of time and human progress. New Years tends to get us thinking about our lives, past, present and future. While self-reflection is critically important for personal and spiritual growth we need to guard against getting stuck in the past. Now is the time; now is always the time, if we understand the awesome present tense of the "I AM" God who self-revealed to Moses on Mont Sinai. It is this God...the God of the present who blesses today because today is where we always find ourselves and it is in the here and now that we discover the presence of God in midst of our daily lives. Today is most important because it is pregnant with possibility. Yesterday's gone; tomorrow is not yet. Today is the only day in which I can choose to make a difference in the world and in the lives of others. Today is the day I have...what I choose to do or choose not to do today, speaks of who and what I am, and what I hold dear in life.

As we reflect on our lives, our relationships, on where we have been and where we are heading...let us do so in the context of our discipleship of Jesus Christ. Just as Mary pondered in her heart the events of Christmas...let each one of us take time to ponder our present circumstances in our hearts, seeking understanding of where we stand and to where we are being called by our God. And on this day of prayer for world peace...let us all take a few minutes to join others around the world to pray for peace! May our God bless you and keep you, may God's face shine upon you and may God be gracious to you.

God's blessings,
Fr. Tim

DECEMBER 25, 2011

Certain images inspire awe and wonder. They're powerful beyond the simple contents of the scene. In the nativity scene we have such an image: a serene new mother, a concerned father, and a vulnerable newborn child. Beleaguered travelers, forced to take refuge in a stable, and the child is lain in a manger -- a food trough. The rude surroundings leave the new family barely protected from the elements, open to any and all who come their way. And yet it inspires wonder and awe!

I believe that the purpose of wonder is to open our hearts. It's to help us to see that there is more to life than we have come to expect. It tells us that coursing through human life there are elements of the divine. The manger scene is both an invitation and a promise. The invitation is to leave our pursuit of wordly things behind and instead enter into the Mystery. To be as vulnerable as this child and these parents. To be as open as these shepherds and as generous of heart as these kings. To praise like the angels and pay attention like the townspeople. The resulting promise is that we will meet God. We will discover not only that Jesus is God, but that we too share in God's life -- not only in the afterlife, but right here and right now.

And so here's my invitation to you in days to come. It's an invitation I will take up myself. It's an invitation to us to open our hearts to the wonder of this Christmas moment. Let us all say a prayer of gratitude for the gift of love that God has for each and everyone of us...just as we are! Let us not squander this moment of wonder. May it instead impel us to reach out to those who are suffering...to the stranger and alien...to follow ever more closely in the footsteps of this child who we know as the Christ!

I pray you have a "wonder-filled" Christmas and come to know how deeply you are loved by God...just as you are.

God's blessings,
Fr. Tim

DECEMBER 18, 2011

This is the time of year when it seems that everyone sings of peace on earth and good will toward all! Pope Paul VI proclaimed that if we want peace we need to work for justice. In this season of dreams of peace and good will...we are called to work for justice! Advent is a strange season...a season of hopes and dreams...a season of promises fulfilled and of promises yet to be fulfilled...a season of the Reign of God which is bursting forth and at the same time not yet fully here. Advent is counter cultural on so many levels...in a season when it seems the whole world begins to spin ever faster we are called to slow down...to spend time in prayer and reflection...to spend time thinking about the deeper realities of our Christian lives.

In today's Gospel...in a male dominated world where women were treated as property a young girl breaks free from the bonds of obscurity and insignificance and becomes the heroine. A young girl named Mary said "yes" to an impossible proposition..."yes" to what must have seemed totally absurd. Imagine yourself in Mary's place...a heavenly visitor telling you that God her/himself, The Creator of all things...visible and invisible...was "asking" her to be the mother of God's very self! The whole idea that God would choose to become human, one like us, and enter into our world as a vulnerable and innocent child is almost too much to comprehend. And yet she said "yes"...and her yes changed the world...forever!

To this very day...right now...her yes is still changing the world because the Risen Christ is in our midst! Because of her yes we can profess "we are the Body of Christ!" And as the Body of Christ we are called to live as Christ commanded us to...to love one another, to shelter the homeless, to feed the hungry and to welcome the stranger...to work for justice. What better way can there be for us to prepare for the coming of the Messiah!

What is God calling me to say "yes" to? Am I willing to risk, like Mary, and say "yes" to God not knowing where it will lead me...just trusting that God will walk with me on the journey?

God's blessings,
Fr. Tim