Following the Way

Gospel: Luke 9: 46-50

Disciples of Jesus, then as now, are continually obsessed with their own power and status in the kingdom which they equate with a worldly kingdom.  Throughout the Gospels they repeatedly seek to restrict access to Jesus and his healing work.  They are ever distrustful of those not of their company who do good deeds in the name of Jesus.  This model of religion is just another version of other institutions on Main Street.  There seems little point in following this path.

Time and again Jesus rebukes the disciples for their excluding others from access to him and the kingdom.  He repeatedly has to chide them for their constant arguing over who is most important and powerful, and he has to show them time and again that his church and God are far bigger than their narrow vision and practice.   Jesus does this in who he seeks to heal and in the example of humble service to others he shows in every single encounter.

In putting before us a child, Jesus presents to us a person with no status and no rights in his society, and very little in our own.  In commanding us to welcome a child, our hospitality then has no bounds and should exclude no one.  In commanding us to be like a child - to have no status or power before others - we are to imitate the Lord Jesus in his own rejection of power and titles in being a humble servant to those in need in our world.  This is the much better Way.

A Bigger Tent

Gospel: Mark 9: 38-48

An all too familiar scenario: people are being healed and delivered from maladies by people working in the name of Jesus.  What is our reaction? Is it: A. - to rejoice in the healing and deliverance of the person, or B. - to complain that those doing the healing and delivering do not belong to our community?  The disciples in today's story choose option A, naturally, and with equal lack of surprise Jesus rebukes them for their narrow vision.

We have seen the disciples repeatedly attempt to narrow access to Jesus for only those they deem worthy, rejecting women, foreigners, children, the unclean.  And while Jesus appeals to God for people to work in the vineyard, we find the disciples narrowing that category to a small number of select people that only they deem part of their club - further limiting those who will find healing, deliverance, and nourishment.  All of this sounds very familiar to us today...

As always, we have the choice to be like the disciples who wish to create a very small church of the frozen chosen who will minister only to a small select group of the worthy.  Or we can be like Jesus who provided healing, liberation, and nourishment to all without qualification, inviting many to participate in such ministry in his name.  The Church, and God, are always bigger than we think. 

In Our Own Image

Gospel: Luke 9: 43-45

Time and again in the Gospels Jesus tells his disciples that he will be handed over to people who will put him to death, but that he will rise again.  Time and again the disciples either ignore or refuse to accept this message.  They do not even want to ask Jesus a question about it because they really do not want to know about it or even think about it.  They prefer the image of Jesus they have created in their own image and likeness.  

We, like the disciples, prefer to think of Jesus as the warrior king, even though Jesus has firmly rejected both the title and image.  But that's a kingdom we prefer because there we can imagine ourselves on royal thrones with power over others.  This is much better than the Suffering Servant Messiah Jesus embraces, one where we have to humbly work and serve others - serve all people as Jesus did, one where we have to accept the possibility of persecution and death as well.  

But Jesus is who he is, and we are what we are.  The task of the disciple is to conform oneself to what the Master is, not to reshape the Master into our own image and likeness and preferences.  The kingdom of God is a bench at a table with others, not a throne.  It is a washing basin, not a scepter. It is a walking stick and sandals, not a royal carriage.   

What's Most Important

Gospel: Luke 9: 18-22

Throughout the Gospels Jesus tells his disciples not to tell anyone that he is the Messiah.  Naturally, the disciples ignore this instruction and make the movement more about that proclamation than anything else.  We might well wonder why Jesus instructed his disciples in this way, and there are two good explanations for his instruction.

The first is that the idea of the Messiah, then as now, is always misunderstood and abused.  It is seen as a political ideology where religion wields power over a nation, where Jesus is a political ruler who is about establishing theocracies and his followers jockeying for positions of power themselves.  But Jesus came as the Suffering Servant, rejecting definitively any notions of a political Messiah. He came to set an example for us to follow - to live lives of mercy and love - and that will transform the world.

The second reason follows from the first.  Christianity is not about proclaiming Jesus as Messiah.  It is about following a way of life in imitation of the Lord - a way of loving service and mercy to the world.  It is a way of healing, liberating, and nourishing people in desperate need of these things.  It is a life of humble service, not of slogans and messaging.  That way of life is the far more important thing.

Idle Curiosity?

Gospel: Luke 9: 7-9

Herod is curious about Jesus, but in what way? He wants to see Jesus, but not enough to leave his palace and meet him.  When Jesus is finally brought to him, Herod wants to see a spectacle - some miracle Jesus could perform in order to entertain him.  But Jesus would not even speak to him, so Herod casts him aside out of boredom and disinterest.  This curiosity is one of shallow self-interest in seeking entertainment and affirmation.  If such is not obtained, Jesus is cast aside and put to death within us.

Is our interest in Jesus like that of Herod? How much of our faith life is seeking to be entertained, amused, and having our egos massaged! We seek Jesus not out of authentic faith and love, but for our own purposes and self-interest.  We create caricatures of Jesus that look remarkably like ourselves, a Jesus that challenges us in no way at all, but one who merely affirms all our preferences and biases.  

Instead of Herod's curiosity, there is the curiosity of Zacchaeus.  He climbed a tree to see Jesus. He welcomed Jesus into his house when asked to do so. The hospitality and fellowship meal transforms Zacchaeus into a disciple of love who invites others to encounter the Lord at the table and find transformation of their lives in the encounter.  Today is a good day for climbing a tree. 

The Mission of Healing

Gospel: Luke 9: 1-6

Jesus sends out his first followers to bring healing and deliverance to those who are sick and in the grips of what binds them.  From the very beginning of the Church, the care of the sick has been the primary one - the healing of people in both body and spirit.  Her people began houses and hospitals in care of the sick; her ministers went to bring sacramental and pastoral care for the sick.  To this very day, the care of the sick is our primary mission in the Church.

There are many ways people can be involved in this work.  Health care professionals (doctors, nurses, etc.) are ministers of the body. Bringing communion to the sick is a vital ministry of many parishes.  Volunteering to visit the sick, being their companions, reading to them, and the like, are also ways of ministering to the sick.  Providing pastoral care to health care professionals is also an essential ministry of health care that is often overlooked.  

Today there is a desperate need for people to help in these ministries, and to initiate new and creative ministries to the sick and to health care professionals.  Today is a day for us to reflect on how we might be involved in such ministry, how our parishes can be about this fundamental and primary mission of the Church in our world today. 

Who is my Brother?

Gospel: Luke 8: 19-21

The ancient world was obsessed with ancestry, lineage, and family ties.  Family is indeed important for our socialization and development as people.  But there are many who do not have a family: slaves, orphans, widows, refugees, and migrants to name just a few.  Some families turn out to be abusive and unhealthy.  And in terms of religion, what of those who do not belong to the chosen race, the chosen people of God? How can they have access to God with such a limiting concept?

Jesus, however, provides an entirely different model of family, one in which all people have access.  It is not based on ancestry or race.  It is based entirely on our desire and effort to do the will of God - to live a life of mercy and love extended to all people.  In this model, all in some way belong to the family of God where everyone is brother and sister to one another, and where God is Father of all.   It is a place where the Prodigal and the ungrateful older son always have a place in the Father's house.

So, as religion continues to cling to narrow concepts of belonging and where exclusion is a more pressing concern than inclusion, the call of Jesus remains as our ideal to follow.  As religions struggle to figure out why it is in such decline, the model of Jesus remains as a blueprint for renewal and transformation - where mercy and loving service are the standard and lights to guide our way to God's kingdom.

Lighting Consultation

Gospel: Luke 8: 16-18

The advice Jesus gives on where to put lamps in one's house is fairly obvious.  If we want the room to be illuminated for all to see and move about with ease, placing light such that it makes the entire room lit is self-evident.  People do not put lamps under their sofas or tables, and they make sure the light is not too dim so that enough light is provided for everyone in the room.

But Jesus is not talking about interior decorating.  He is talking about divine illumination within our lives.  It is here where the hiding of light is a common occurrence, for we do not want certain things known about us.  We want to give others the appearance of virtue and illumination without in fact being entirely so.  We fear the light and what it might reveal about us to others, though we rather enjoy the light when it reveals untoward things about others.

The divine light, however, is not there to shame us, but rather to dispel the darkness within us.  This light will reveal sin to us so that it may be removed and dispersed by the light.  Once the darkness is removed, we then become effective prisms through which the divine illumination shines so that others may be attracted to it.  

Two Different Tracks

Gospel: Mark 9: 30-37

Throughout the Gospels we continually find Jesus and the disciples on two completely different channels.  On more than one occasion Jesus attempts to tell them about his impending arrest by the religious and political leaders, his crucifixion, and resurrection.  The disciples, meanwhile, are focused on their own importance and power.  They see the kingdom of God in earthly terms and continually vie for positioning as leaders within such a worldly realm.

Similarly, we find Jesus reaching out to heal everyone without exclusion, while the disciples repeatedly seek to restrict access to Jesus.  Whether it is women or foreigners or children, the disciples find reasons to stop people from having access to Jesus.  Yet, in every instance Jesus rebukes the disciples and goes out of his way to heal, deliver, and nourish that person in need.  

The way of the cross is the way of service and care for all people without exclusion.  Just as Jesus suffered and died for all people, so too in his ministry of healing and feeding did he care for all people without exception.  That we fail to understand and accept the cross reflects in our continued refusal and failure to care for all people.  We continue to be on a different wavelength as Jesus.  Today is a day for retuning so that we are in sync with the Lord Jesus in all things.

 

The Lord's Table

Gospel: Matthew 9: 9-13

The religious leaders are shocked at Jesus for eating at a tax collector's table with all sorts of other horrid sinners.  How could Jesus possibly accept communion fellowship from such people? How could he possibly offer such to these deplorables?  In their understanding of things, one must be worthy and unclean to be present at the table with us.  If they were not, they had to make themselves clean through ritual actions they perform for themselves.  

Jesus, however, changes the dynamic and understanding.  It is God who comes among us who invites us to table fellowship and communion.  For it is only through the table fellowship and communion that transformation within us takes place.  It is only through God's invitation to the table offered to all that we can experience the transformation itself.  The meal is prepared for the sick and hungry, not for the hale and well-fed.  

Today's remembrance of the call of Matthew is a reminder of how God's economy works.  It is not based on merit or earning. It is based solely on generosity and invitation extended for all to a table fellowship and communion with God and with one another.  To invite another to the table is to say to them that I am in communion with you.  This is God's movement toward us, and it is how we are to be with others.   

Women in Jesus' Ministry

Gospel: Luke 8: 1-3

In today's Gospel portion we find women included explicitly among those going with Jesus in ministry from town to town throughout the region.  Such information surprises a male dominated mentality, who immediately go into apologetic mode to make some distinction that the women folk did things different and lesser than that of the men folk.  A reading of the Gospels suggests otherwise.

It was to Mary and Elizabeth that the message of Jesus' coming was entrusted and from whom the message went forth to others.  It was Simon's mother-in-law who provides us with the model of discipleship in receiving the healing of God and serving others in silence.  It was the Samaritan woman who was the first to bring an entire town the good news of Jesus. It was Martha who proclaimed the same creed as Peter at Lazarus' tomb, and it will be women who will be the first to witness Jesus' resurrection and proclaim it to others.

It is the message of these women that is worthy of our belief.  What is not worthy of belief is the idea that it is somehow God's will than gendered males be allowed to cast a perpetual shroud of disbelief in the Church and the Gospel itself because of their incessant scandals, cover-ups, and lies about such.  When we walk with Jesus and minister with Jesus together, as one whole family, will belief again be restored among people.   

Hospitality and Communion

Gospel: Luke 7: 36-50

The ancient practices of hospitality and communion are utterly lost and unknown to an age and culture of gated communities, stockade fences, and the maligning of migrants and immigrants.  We have come to define hospitality and communion as something the person in need must demonstrate worthiness, and only then is such grace bestowed upon those in need.  Otherwise, we remain in our fortresses and live in suspicion and disdain for the other.

By contrast, the Biblical concepts of hospitality and communion are acts of solidarity and communion on the part of the one giving hospitality and communion.  It is an act of humility, an invitation to be in communion with me without preconditions.  It is offered because the person has need of these graces, not because they demonstrate some arbitrary notion of worthiness.  It is an act of lifting up the person in need, providing them with dignity and worth.  

Jesus accepts the hospitality of the Pharisee, even though he is not treated well.  Jesus in turn extends hospitality to the woman who washes Jesus' feet.  She is allowed to touch him without precondition, regardless of the sins she has committed.  Jesus has come to extend solidarity and communion to the human race - to save, not condemn.  His church and his followers can do no less. 

Avoiding the Issue

Gospel: Luke 7: 31-35

The religious and political leaders of Jesus' day find fault with both him and John the Baptist, but their criticism is contradictory.  However, their stated criticisms in an attempt to dismiss John and Jesus are mere distractions from the real issue they have that goes unstated: they do not like the core message of repentance, and they resent the idea that they have anything for which to repent.  

This phenomenon exists among the rich and powerful of every age.  Rather than address the issue at hand and acknowledge the sins of the institution, an endless array of weak apologetic and strong distraction are created to level detraction against others while avoiding responsibility for themselves.  But Temples fall and empires crumble regardless.  The issue can only be avoided for so long.  

These powers of the world put John and Jesus to death, as if killing the messengers could eliminate the fact of their sins and the need for all to repent.  How often do we find ourselves in a similar posture? If we do, our remedy is to flee to the desert where our weaknesses will be laid bare, and where the cleansing waters of regeneration will make us clean once again.  

Care of Widows

Gospel: Luke 7: 11-17

In today's Gospel portion, Jesus is moved with compassion for a widow who has lost her only son.   Jesus knows the plight of widows - the need they have of support.  The loss of this son means this woman is utterly destitute and without support or legal protection.  Yes, the Law is supposed to require the community to care for widows, but the fact that Jesus intercedes so often for them indicates they are not.  He restores the life of this young man so that this woman might be provided for.  

In our own day we have groups of Christians equally indifferent to the plight of the vulnerable.  On the one hand, some Christians scoff at charity and insist on justice and social structures to meet these needs, ignoring the fact that such already exists here.  On the other hand, another group of Christians would blame the victim, suggesting the woman deserves what she gets because of sin. Neither group would lift a finger to help this woman.

Our task is to be like Jesus, not like Christians.  We are to provide for the needs of the vulnerable and downtrodden.  We are to extend mercy to all in need: to offer food and drink, to visit the sick and imprisoned, to shelter the homeless, to clothe the naked, to welcome the stranger, to care for widows and orphans.  This is religion pure and undefiled before God.

Refining our Motives

Gospel: Luke 7: 1-10

An influential government official approaches the local religious leaders with a request: he has an employee for whom he cares a great deal.  The employee is sick and the official wants him healed.  The religious leaders approach Jesus with the need, asking him to intervene because this government official has been generous to the local religious community, and these religious leaders would naturally like to see that generosity continue.  

Jesus goes to help the servant not for this motive, but because of genuine concern for this person.  Jesus also sees that this government official also has real concern for his servant.  Servants and employees are so often seen as replaceable and insignificant, but not this man.  He cares for his people.  Jesus sees what great faith and love this official has.  Jesus heals this servant and all is well.

What are our motives in the life of religion? Do we use religion as a self-serving vehicle to advance our interests, or do we follow the Lord Jesus in selfless love as he exhibits in his life on earth? Today is a time to reflect on our motives and life in religion, on our care for others and our motives for doing so, on imitating the Lord Jesus in his actions and motivations.

Spiritual Overconfidence

Gospel: Mark 8: 27-35

Remember in school when the teacher asked a question and you had the right answer to the question? You received praise from the teacher in front of everyone, and you had confidence and great pride.  It was a great accomplishment and moment.  Sometimes that confidence became cockiness and overconfidence.  We thought we knew it all - we were infallible! There isn't a question whose answer we do not know.

But then came the very next question, and we blew it.  In fact, we got the answer so wrong that the teacher called us out on it in class.  We were so mortified and ashamed.  How could we have gone from such heights of brilliance to the very dregs of ignorance so quickly? Moments like this one lead to a great deal of soul searching and questioning within us.  

The essence of religion from the earliest times is the telling and retelling of the stories.  In every age of our lives we can learn something from the stories.  In every retelling of the story we find something new to give us wisdom for life.  Without humility we cannot learn. Without the openness to being taught we can never grow.  This is true for both individuals and communities of faith, for the prelate as well as the lay person.   

Not To Condemn

Gospel: John 3: 13-17

Given the overwhelming preference for Christians to condemn, we might find it surprising to learn today that in fact Jesus did not come to condemn the world but to save it.  Throughout his entire ministry, Jesus was about saving people through healing, liberation, and feeding.  In these actions there were no preconditions, and those who thought they were bouncers or gatekeepers to such encounters were each and every time rebuked.  

How small is our love and mercy compared with that of the Lord! We place so many limitations on who is worthy to receive our charity and our communion.  We continue to build ever more stringent worthiness machines to weed out those we deem unfit for the communion line or the charity portal.  Little wonder that politics is the determinate of the Gospel and not vice versa in our world today.

Today's feast is a reminder that the Lord Jesus died for the sake of all, that the words "Father, forgive them" applies to all and not just to me and my select few within my circle.  It is a reminder that the Church's mission is to all people, that all people in some sense belong to the Church - not because they think so but because we do.  

Country of the Blind

Gospel: Luke 6: 39-42

"In the country of the blind, the one-eyed man is king."  We human beings continually lift up people as imperfect as ourselves and make them beacons and guides.  Like shooting stars we gaze upon them, but just as quickly they lose their light, another false image we create for ourselves in our never ending quest for illumination, forgetting we have only One who provides us with illumination and One alone we should follow.

This quest for light may be likened to being outside in the dark of night.  No moon or stars illuminate the night, and we look feverishly for some light to guide us.  In our midst are fireflies whose brief bursts of light captivate us.  We chase them, follow them about in vain for some guidance amid the darkness.  But their light leads us nowhere and the darkness remains. 

But our task in the darkness is not to chase about for fleeting lights that lead nowhere.  Our task is to wait in calm and patience for the sun to rise, the light that will illuminate our entire world and make all things clear, the only light capable of such illumination.  Even in the darkest night we know that dawn will come, we know that God is present, and that God is love.  

Unlike the Original

Gospel: Luke 6: 27-38

Modern Christianity bears no likeness whatever to its original form.  Modern Christianity owes its origins to the Enlightenment and its ideas regarding self-interest and protection of one's property.  It is for this reason that the modern Christian scorns immigrants and refugees and supplies themselves with weaponry.  It is for this reason that everyone not exactly like oneself is regarded with suspicion and distrust, if not outright denounced and condemned.  

This modern progeny bears no likeness whatever to the model of Jesus and his teaching today in the Gospel portion.  Here, no self-interest whatsoever is involved.  We are to concern ourselves with the needs of others.  We are to love our enemies and do good to them.  We are to be detached from our possessions and share them freely with others.  

The modern Christian offers many figures to follow and emulate: pundits and politicians, prelates laden with fine vestiges.  But in no instance is the Lord Jesus ever offered as our model and guide, the only model and teacher God has actually given us to follow and imitate.  Today is the day to return again to the way Jesus provides, the way of selfless love and mercy.

Preferential Option

Gospel: Luke 6: 20-26

Today's Gospel portion highlights what is clear throughout the teaching of Jesus: that the poor have preference in the sight of God.  This message is also evident throughout the Old Testament, and the fact that it constantly needs repeating in every age is because the great heresy of every age is prosperity Gospel, the idea that God prefers the rich.  Jesus does heal rich people, but his primary mission is to the poor of Israel and to bring healing, liberation, and nourishment to them in body and soul.  

The great heresy has found a home in our times too in the denigration of the poor, immigrants, migrants, and refugees.  It is found in the preference given to affluent communities in church resources and token support our outright abandonment of poor communities in ministerial priorities.  City after city are rife with abandoned churches in urban areas, entire peoples neglected by churches chasing after the suburban dollar.

Today's Gospel portion will find concrete application later in the Gospel in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. The neglect of the poor will have consequences for the unnamed rich man, while the poor man with no status on earth has a name - Lazarus, which means "God has helped." God helps the poor; God prefers the poor.  We cannot claim to be godly people and do otherwise.   

Imagine If...

Gospel: Luke 6: 12-19

The Gospels make it quite clear that the call of the Twelve Apostles and sending them forth for mission that Jesus intrinsically connects that mission to healing, delivering people from what binds them, and nourishing them.  The twelve are the first to be called and sent for this mission, and then later all disciples are called to this mission.  To heal others, deliver them from what possesses them, and to feed others is the fundamental mission of the Church.

Imagine if the bishops of the Church were to regularly go to hospitals and nursing homes to anoint the sick.  Imagine if they regularly visited those in prison, feed others at soup kitchens, and sit with those struggling with addictions.  Imagine if bishops regularly celebrated the sacraments with their people, witnessing marriages, presiding at funerals, hearing confessions.  Perhaps these things should be the listening sessions of the Church and not those of high priced consulting firms.

If we are looking for a way of forming disciples, let this be the way.  If the pastors of the Church were to go out in this way ministering to the world, the people of God will follow them, and the world will be transformed by an outpouring of loving kindness and mercy that the Lord Jesus hoped might come forth from his disciples.

The Blindness of Bias

Gospel: Luke 6: 6-11

At first glance we find this Gospel story utterly fantastical and shocking.  How could anyone object to a good deed being performed for the good of another on the Sabbath in the synagogue? We can think of no good reason to take offense at such an action - and that is exactly the point.  But if we dig deeper we find ourselves engaged in similar behaviors in our own time and culture, and we are so blind to it we partake of it unawares.

In the blood sport of politics, the utter destruction of the opponent is now the goal.  We utter such venom in this arena that we are unwilling and unable to see any good in the other person who is opposed to you in this arena.  We hurl insults at others, using terms we do not even use correctly or even know what they really mean - socialist, communist, fascist - and everyone is Hitler.   But we partake of the sport as our preferred pundits tell us what to say and think on a daily basis.

Along the way we lose sight of the good that needs to be done and is being done in the world.  We lose sight of the fact that many people undertake good work, even those with whom we disagree.  Today is a day to recommit to that good work of healing, delivering others from what possesses them, and nourishing them as Jesus did.  Today is the day we leave behind the invective, and put on the love and mercy of God extended to all.

Don't Speak - Do

Gospel: Mark 7: 31-37

It is rather ironic that on the one hand Jesus heals a deaf mute, enabling him to speak, and on the other had he commands the man to say nothing to anyone about this miraculous event in his life.  The man ignores Jesus and we take his side, arguing that it's good evangelization and increases crowd size.  We even invent a theological theory to justify our ignoring Jesus - the Messianic secret, pretending Jesus didn't really mean what he said time and again in telling people not to broadcast these events.

But he did mean it.  It is fundamental to discipleship.  The authentic disciple is Simon's mother-in-law: she is healed by Jesus; she utters not a word but instead gets up in order to serve others.  Discipleship and evangelization are not about testimonials or talking about what Jesus did in our life.  It is about giving thanks for God's mercy in our life and going out to serve others in mercy.  The testimonials and talking are not really about Jesus; they're about us.  Extending mercy is the way of Jesus.

The new fad in church world is forming disciples.  Churches will spend millions on books, videos, guest speakers - all by alleged experts on discipleship.  Save money, bypass the pyramid scheme, and just go out and serve other people in mercy: visit the sick and imprisoned, clothe and feed the poor, provide welcome to the immigrant and refugee.  Just get up and serve others in their need.   

Priority for the Poor

Gospel: Luke 6: 1-5

In the Law a certain portion of crops were set aside for the poor so that they may have adequate food.  The Law did not stipulate when the poor may access this food; thus, even on the Sabbath the poor could find food and pick it if needed.  The disciples themselves became poor in giving up everything to follow the Lord Jesus, and so in their hunger they accessed the food of the poor to meet their need in hunger.  This takes priority over the Sabbath law on work.

Jesus references the story of David who found himself in a place of dire need.  In that story, David accesses the showbread of the Temple, something only accessible by the priests, and he avails himself of this bread to feed himself and his starving men.   Here again, the priority of the hungry and poor takes priority over the laws of the Temple.

How many people go hungry spiritually because they are denied and deprived of the Eucharist? Does their hunger and need not take priority over the arbitrary laws we have set up regarding its access? How many people go hungry physically because we are more about the business of secondary matters than care for the poor? Today we might reflect on how we individually and in our communities can provide greater access to both spiritual and physical food to those hungry in spirit and body in our world.

Patchwork Spirituality

Gospel: Luke 5: 33-38

We go through so much of our life putting patches on things.  At rock bottom we feel that we are for the most part just fine the way we are and that we just need to patch a few holes here and there.  We are so attached to ourselves and our image of ourselves that we cling to what is old and try to keep it together with an array of patches.  We do this both as individuals and as communities of people.  

Eventually, however, we come to realize that there isn't much left of the old cloth, that we mostly have patches not united to anything.  But we would rather keep that than admit we need an entirely new garment - that we need a transformation of our whole selves into something new and vibrant.  Only when we accept this realization that we need an entirely new garment will we come to progress in the spiritual life - as individuals and communities.  

Consider: do we believe in the dignity of every human person? Yes, but in practice only for certain people.  Are we welcoming and care for all people? Yes, but only some of them.  Only when we are willing to be totally transformed and fully grafted into Christ will we be fully realized as disciples of the Lord, fully loving as he did.   

Fishing Spots

Gospel: Luke 5: 1-11

Anyone who fishes will tell you that location and timing are all important to the success of the fishing expedition.  Today's Gospel portion seems to reach the same conclusion.  The disciples toiled all night and had no success at all.  In morning Jesus suggests one more location for an attempt, one met with exasperation and fatigue.  But they try it, and lo and behold it worked! They caught more fish than they could handle.

So often in our lives we rely on our own efforts and grope around in the dark seeking success in our endeavors in the spiritual life.  More often than not this success is elusive and ephemeral.  But when we allow for the possibility of divine illumination to guide us, we find success beyond our imagination where previously there was failure.  

Today we may feel the fatigue and frustration Peter expressed.  But let us also have his openness to the Lord's suggestions placed before us in our spiritual work.  Let us be open to a new direction, a different time, and not be so stuck in our usual ways of doing things.  Then, we too might find success and our nets full from the bounty to which we were directed.   

Spiritual Selfishness

Gospel: Luke 4: 38-44

People in today's Gospel portion want Jesus to stay with them.  They even try to force him and prevent him from leaving.  They want Jesus all to themselves.  But Jesus insists on leaving, telling them that he must go to other towns and places to provide healing, deliverance, and nourishment to others just as he has done for them.  God is for all, not just for a select few.  

But how often do we seek to keep God just for ourselves.  How often do we not want to share these gifts of healing, deliverance, and nourishment with others.  We say we want to share Jesus with others, but in reality we are only trying to get people to be just like ourselves, forcing a caricature of Jesus on to others, but not who Jesus really is.  

If we are about sharing Jesus with others, then we have to let him go and be with others.  Better still, we can be like Simon's mother-in-law and become Jesus for others, getting up and serving others as she did - being people who heal, liberate, and nourish others in the world as Jesus did.  So, if we want to be disciples, don't sign up for the pre-packaged course on discipleship.  Just go out and be a source of healing, liberation, and nourishment in the world.

Amid the Congregation

Gospel: Luke 4: 31-37

Jesus heals a man possessed by an unclean spirit in the midst of a religious congregation.  This man and his condition was not unknown to those in this sacred body, and yet prior to this moment this religious assembly was unable or unwilling to help this poor man be freed from what possessed him.  In fact, everyone in the assembly was shocked that Jesus cast out this spirit and helped the man.  They had grown accustomed and comfortable with this man and the evil that gripped him.

How often are our own religious congregations like this one? How many are we unwilling or unable to help because we have grown accustomed and accepted this evil that grips people? Churches abound in every town and city.  They sit next to payday loan shops and drug houses.  They are friends with banks and corporations who exploit people. They cozy up to politicians and personalities who demean the poor, immigrants and refugees, and who put the innocent to death by a variety of means.

What would our reaction be if Jesus came in the midst of our congregation and freed someone from one of these many ills?  Would we have the same indignation as what Jesus encountered in this Gospel scene? If churches are not about the business of freeing people from these ills, then what are we about?  If we are not about this liberation, then it is perhaps better that church buildings be shuttered and sold. 

Home Coming

Gospel: Luke 4: 16-30

We human beings do not like facts that contradict our dominant narrative, especially when that narrative is favorable to ourselves.  The idea of God having a chosen people is a favorable one to those who count themselves in that chosen class; not so much for those who are shunned and excluded from being chosen.  This, of course, begs the question as to whether we invented the idea of chosen people as a way of excluding others or whether it really was from God.

Jesus gives us an answer to that dilemma in today's Gospel.  He returns to his native town in a grand homecoming and expectation.  He uses the occasion to remind them that God loves everyone, and he uses stories from the tradition to highlight that fact.  This caused such a violent reaction in his home town that they even wanted to kill him.  

Why is it people have such violence against the idea of God loving everyone with equal ardor? We see this negative reaction to the idea in our present times as well.  If people of religion find the idea so offensive, they cannot wonder then that few and fewer people want to belong to a club where exclusion and hatred of the other is central to the creed and where its members express that hatred freely.   

Deep Cleaning

Gospel: Mark 7: 1-8, 14-15, 21-23

There was once a man named Joe.  He was retired and spent all his days at church.  He attended Mass daily, helped the nuns in the convent with chores and odd jobs, attended novenas, and placed flowers at the altar every week.  He was the kindest, nicest man you could know.  Everyone loved seeing Joe as his smile animated every room and made people feel good.

One day Joe needed a ride home from church.  This became an opportunity to get to know Joe a little better.  Joe grew up in a poor Croatian family of blue collar workers.  He was a retired tradesman.  When asked if he was ever married, Joe grew angry and bitter.  He uttered such invective against his former wife, vowing that he would never, ever forgive her for what she did to him.  

Religion is not about the outer appearance of ourselves.  It is about what we cultivate in our hearts and souls.  So much of our religious life is outward insincerity.  The cure for this is to live a life of forgiveness and mercy - to seek forgiveness and to extend forgiveness to others.  That is the real heart of our faith.  Everything else is outward show.  If we cannot seek forgiveness and give forgiveness to others, none of the rest matters.