Tag: Catholic Deacon

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What’s in My Way?

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Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time Mass Readings

First Reading: Wisdom 9:13-18
Responsorial: Psalm 90:3-6, 12-14, 17
Second Reading: Philemon 9:10, 12-17
Gospel: Luke 14:25-33

Hate your parents? Hate your own life? Carry your cross? What is Jesus talking about?

Jesus is not saying that to follow him you must hate your family. In today’s Gospel (Luke 14:25-33), Jesus knows that the crowd that is traveling with him are not all disciples – not yet, anyway. Some were on the fence while others were just curious to see what he would do next. Jesus knew just how far each person was willing to go.

Does that sound familiar? How far are we willing to go? What obstacles prevent us from discipleship – from drawing closer to Jesus? I remember when my family first moved to central Texas. I walked into the sacristy to help set up for mass, but first I wanted to introduce my family to the priest. We had a retired priest who would help our pastor cover the weekend masses. Now he was quite a character. He was a vet of World War II the Korean War, serving in the army in one and the navy in the other. Now, his experiences gave him a colorful vocabulary, if you catch my meaning.

After I introduced my family to him, he asked me if I was discerning to becoming a deacon. I told I couldn’t because my children were so young. He shook his head and yelled, “That’s BS!” only he used the actual words. The next thing he said cut me to the core. He said, “Don’t use your family as an excuse!”

Was I using my family as an excuse? I think that’s the point of Jesus’ first parable. He is not saying we need to hate our families, but he is saying that we can make all sorts of excuses which keep us from living as disciples.

You see, what could hold us back might not only be the comforts of home, but sin or a grudge or a lack of trust. Maybe we are so caught up in something sinful that we think we are not worthy. Or maybe we relish in some grudge that we just can’t let go of. I know that might sound odd, but I’m sure I’m not the only one whose heard someone say, “remember that time when you did whatever?” Then you find out that “whatever” is something that happened ten, twenty, thirty or forty years ago. Many people talk the talk, like forgive and forget, but they can’t walk the walk. They cling to old hurts and grudges like some sort of security blanket.

I think the theme is excuses. I suspect there are many different kinds of excuses we are willing to make, like “I’m too busy”, “I don’t have time”, “I don’t have extra money”, “I’m too old”, “I can’t get over what she did or he said.” All of these sorts of excuses are obstacles that block our path and prevent us from being the disciples we are meant to be. Whether it’s worldly goods, or relationships, sin or grudges, if we’re not willing to detach from these things and repent, we may not be able to commit to discipleship. Letting go and moving on – these are the costs of discipleship.

Whether it’s these readings or another scripture reading, do get the feeling sometimes that Jesus is trying to shine a light on something in your life? I encourage you to reflect on that even if it’s only for a few minutes. It could be something Jesus is trying to point out to help you in your journey. And that leads us to our homework today.

Homework! After listen to the readings and receiving the Eucharist, I encourage you to reflect on the following two questions this week.

  1. First, does anything in today’s readings stand out to you? What is it and why?
  2. Are you holding on to a grudge or some past hurt that you’ve refused to revisit and let go of?

I think that if we do our homework, if we are willing to acknowledge the obstacles in our life, acknowledge them and let them go, we will be able to grow in our discipleship with Jesus Christ. Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! +Amen!

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The True Self

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First Reading: Sirach 3:17-18, 20, 28-29
Responsorial: Psalm 68:4-5, 6-7, 10-11
Second Reading: Hebrews 12:18-19, 22-24A
Gospel: Luke 14:1, 7-14

Happy first day of September! In today’s Gospel, Luke 14:1, 7-14, Jesus tells the parable of those invited to a wedding feast. He was not giving them, and he is not giving us an etiquette lesson. Rather, the message he is trying to give us speaks to a great spiritual truth. We’ll get to that in a minute, but first, he describes the guests as jockeying for better places at the table. Listen to what he says.

“When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline at table in the place of honor. A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him, and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say, ‘Give your place to this man,’ and then you would proceed with embarrassment to take the lowest place,” (Luke 14:8-9).

What’s one way we can describe the person who assumed they should have the best spot at the table? I think we can say that person was suffering delusions of grandeur! But we shouldn’t smile, shake our head at this poor fellow and go on about our lives. Remember, Jesus is having dinner with a Pharisee and was observing how all the other guests were jockeying for position at the table. Jesus is saying to them, and to us that we shouldn’t have pride of place.

It is certainly true that in our culture today, many people are preoccupied with position or status – “what will people think?” “how will we be viewed by others?” or “what’s in it for me?”. We can create this idea about how important we are or we worry about how we’re perceived by others. These layers we build up or this idea or image we have is what the spiritual masters call the false self.

Now the false self is not inherently bad. Psychologically speaking, we might at times needs this false self or costume to get going – to get motivated – to do things we think are completely impossible, like speaking in public. But this false self can obscure our vision. We might become so attached to the costume that we lose sight of who we really are – or become trapped by worrying about what others think of us. It’s like being stuck in your early teen years always worrying that something you do or say might make everyone laugh at you in the most humiliating way.

As disciples of Jesus Christ, our mission is to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ into the world. We do this with words, and we do this with our actions by ministering to those on the margins. If we’re always too focused on ourselves, then we will be blinded to what really matters. This is the spiritual truth that Jesus is trying to explain to us. When we drop all pretenses, we allow our true self to come through. Our true self can relate simply and directly to reality.

Like an innocent child, our true self will look to those in need and say with all honesty, “We should help them.” And of course, we help without any expectation of repayment. In today’s Gospel, Jesus says we should invite those who can never repay us. For example, when I minister to the needy, when I bring food or supplies to the homeless, when I minister to the orphan, when I visit the sick or the imprisoned, do I look for some sort of repayment? Of course not! Serving others is experiencing the God who is love. As Thomas Merton said, “Love is our true destiny. We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone. We find it with another.”

This is the true humility we hear in the First Reading from Sirach chapter 3. Drop all pretenses. Be humble and love and serve the Lord by loving and serving others.

Homework! I encourage you to reflect on the following two questions this week:

  1. First, what layers or costume do you adopt to protect yourself?
  2. Second, how would you describe your true self?

I think our homework this week will allow us to live more authentically as our true selves. Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! +Amen!

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The Narrow Path

a path through rock that narrows to a slim opening

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Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time Mass Readings

First Reading: Isaiah 66:18-21
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 117:1, 2
Second Reading: Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13
Gospel: Luke 13:22-30

“Lord, will only a few people be saved?” (Luke 13:23) Talk about insecurity!

Today’s first reading from Isaiah 66:18-21, and the Gospel reading from Luke 13:22-30, really speak to us about God’s infinite mercy for everyone.

But those who were walking with Jesus, witnessing all his works, presumably calling themselves his disciples, still lacked confidence that they would be saved. I don’t know anybody like that, do you?

Then Jesus says, “Strive to enter through the narrow door,” (Luke 13:24). Jesus isn’t talking about some strange gnostic or Calvinist idea of predestination. No! The Greek word that is used for “strive” is the word we get “agony” from, which in this case means strenuous athletic effort. This is much like the “agony” athletes go through – the effort, the energy, pain and dedication it takes to compete in the Olympics for example. Years of dedication and effort, and yet not all who try will make it to through the narrow gate of competition. Not all will make it to the Olympics. This is the way Jesus describes the path of the disciple.

But wait! There’s more!

Jesus goes on to say, “After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door, then will you stand outside knocking and saying, ‘Lord, open the door for us.’ He will say to you in reply, ‘I do not know where you are from.’ And you will say, ‘We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.’ Then he will say to you, ‘I do not know where you are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers!’ And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth…” (Luke 13:25-28).

Later, Jesus says that, “…people will come from the east and the west and from the north and the south…some who are last who will be first, and some who are first who will be last” (Luke 13:29-30), and the implication is that it might not be them. Now think about that…you’ve been walking with Jesus, but you find yourself outside and others you don’t even know will come from all parts of the world and they, they who did not personally walk with Jesus, might be allowed inside.

Whoa!

This is what should give all of us pause. It doesn’t matter whether you’re sitting in the pew on a regular basis, or you faithfully serve all the time, as clergy or a lay minister. Why? There is no salvation by association, and we can’t earn our way into heaven by going to church or serving the community.

What then does it take and why does Jesus call it the narrow gate?

I have to accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. What does it mean to accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior? It means I have to surrender. I accept that Jesus is the Lord of my life, and that I am not the lord of the manner. It’s not my life to live however I want to live whenever I want to live and doing whatever I want. My purpose isn’t to satisfy every one of my hedonistic or narcissistic desires. I have to acknowledge that God created me for a purpose, and that I need to discover and live that purpose as faithfully as possible.

Okay, so I accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and savior. Now what? Our responsorial psalm today reminds us that we need to, “Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.” That’s the response we make to Psalm 117.

As a disciple, I am called to go out into the world and share the Good News of Jesus Christ. I need to share the Good News with those who can’t come to church, don’t come to church or won’t come to church. That’s a big challenge. Look at what’s happening in the world all around us. Once again, we see the rise of nationalism, the rise of bigotry, of hatred, of racism. The world once again is ignoring the lessons paid for with the blood of our fathers and grandfathers who fought to end all wars. The world marches almost gleefully into darkness.

But we, the children of the light, are called to share the light of Jesus Christ with those cast in darkness. That takes great courage, but indeed that is the kind of person who will enter through the narrow gate – those who accept Jesus Christ and who aren’t afraid to spread the Good News about God’s infinite, unmerited, undeserved gift of mercy for all of His creation.

You can’t be born into salvation. Salvation isn’t limited to some racial or ethnic group. Salvation isn’t offered to those who work hard at being good people. Salvation is offered to those who accept the Lord’s invitation. All it takes is our free response.

Are you ready?

Homework! I encourage you to spend some time this week reflecting on the following questions.

  1. First, have I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior? Maybe I’ve been living like a Christian by default, either by birth, expectation or obligation? Or maybe I haven’t opened myself up to Jesus Christ.
  2. Second, have I surrendered by life to Jesus Christ? Or do I still have the arrogance to think it’s my way.

I think by doing our homework today, we can deepen our resolve as disciples of Jesus Christ and help bring the message of hope to a world that desperately needs to hear it. Do you got it? Do you get it? Good! May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit! +Amen!