Come and See

Gospel: Matthew 4: 18-22

When Jesus invited others to be his disciples, there was not an extensive reading list, schedule of lectures, or elaborate courses or programs.  It was a simple invitation: come and see, follow me.  And so we are invited to follow Jesus, to see and observe what he does and how he does it, and then to go out into the world and do the same in our lives.  

What do we see as we follow Jesus?  We find him healing all sorts of people.  Some of those are scandalous to us; we try to prevent him, but he always rebukes us.  We then see him liberating people from demons and from whatever else holds people bound.  Again, some of these astonish us and we wish he had not helped that particular person.  Finally, he feeds others and sits at table fellowship with many people - tax collectors, prostitutes, Pharisees, scribes.  These too cause us scandal in many cases, but as always Jesus ignores us.  

But now, he asks us to go out and do what he does.  He now commands us to go and heal others, liberate others from bondage, and to feed others and sit with others at table - without discrimination, just as he did.  We too will hear objections from those who find this scandalous, and like Jesus we must ignore those objections so that all may be healed, all may be liberated, all may be fed - that all may be one. 

The Kingdom is Near

Gospel: Luke 21: 29-33

We are tired of hearing about the coming of this kingdom.  For two thousand years we keep hearing that it is coming, that it is here, and it never comes.  That's because we have interpreted it wrongly all this time.  We continually imagine it to be an external worldly kingdom, and it is not.  It is a kingdom that exists within the heart of every person, one built for each one of us by God.  

That is why Jesus says that we should not fear, that the kingdom is near.  It is near - it is in our midst, it is within each one of us now as we speak.   This kingdom is already built; it only has to be realized within each one of us, to be shown to others by the deeds we perform - deeds of love and mercy, care and compassion.  

Each and every human being is created in the image and likeness of God.  Each person is another Christ, a temple of the Holy Spirit.  There is no person for which these statements are not true.  The kingdom exists within each person.  We have only to realize it and to manifest its existence to others by deeds of loving kindness and mercy.  Awaiting an external kingdom will forever disappoint us; cultivating the kingdom within and sharing it with others is forever satisfying.  

Love Amid the Ruins

Gospel: Luke 21: 20-28

Throughout this section of the gospel, the writer is vividly describing the destruction of Jerusalem and the subsequent events of the Christian community that took place thereafter: expulsion from the synagogue and persecution by the Romans.  In the midst of these calamities the Christian community were convinced those were the end times and that Jesus would be returning imminently.  Needless to say, such was not the case.

But amidst the calamities of their day and the false expectations they held, a calm, soft voice of the Lord can be heard: "Do not be afraid, I am with you.  Do not look for my second coming, for I have already come.  I am in your midst.  I am present within you.  I am in the person of the poor and needy.  Yes, I am in even your enemies.  Love them all.  Show mercy, forgiveness, and love.  The mission has not changed. Follow my example."

Our focus must always be on this soft, silent voice in the midst of the ruins.  Time and again we make the mistake of the early community of the church and perseverate on the end times, or we fret about the calamities of our times.  Like the storm and earthquake, God is not there.  God is the soft voice amid the gentle breeze that is in the midst of the ruins.  It is the voice of assurance, of presence, of love amid these ruins. 

Don't Worry

Gospel: Luke 21: 12-19

When Luke wrote this Gospel, persecution was a real fact of life for the small community of Christians.  After the fall of Jerusalem, the split between Christians and Jews became complete.  Christians could no longer assert that they were a sect within Judaism.  This meant they now had to pay tribute to Caesar as a deity, something they were not willing to do, and so punishments and persecution ensued.  

In spite of all this danger, the message in response was always the same: do not worry, and in fact rejoice in being persecuted.  Christians were never encouraged to entrust themselves to political leaders or ideologies, nor seek refuge in the strong man for societal protection.  Instead, the Christian is to put their trust in the Lord and to accept whatever comes in a spirit of joy.  

Regardless of what is happening in our world, the mission of the Christian is always the same.  We are to extend love and mercy to all in the world.  We are to provide healing, liberation, and nourishment to all in need of these things in body and soul.  The response to persecution is not whining, nor seeking power and influence in the world.  It is to trust and to continue the work of love and mercy. 

Fading Beauty

Gospel: Luke 21: 5-11

People marveled at the beauty and opulence of the Temple, but it is destroyed and gone.  People have marveled over the beauty of church buildings, many of which are gone too.  Their external beauty was impressive, but failed to bring any nourishment and substantial food to its people.  A fig tree full of leaves is a beautiful thing to behold, but if it is full of beautiful leaves it means the tree has no fruit, nothing to feed and nourish others.  Such is the case very often with the opulence of religions.  

What genuinely feeds and nourishes people from religion are works of love and mercy: healing, liberating, nourishing; feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, sheltering the homeless, visiting the sick and imprisoned, welcoming the immigrant and refugee.  All these things nourish body and soul of both giver and recipient.  All of these things honor the true temple of God, the human person, the love for whom is our only command from God.  

The external beauty of religion is impressive, but how often is it like the beauty of Jezebel or Delilah, a beauty that leads us astray, one that is merely superficial but leaves us barren.  Such beauty will fade and die away, but the beauty of love and mercy produce fruit endlessly that nourishes and sustains all people wherever they are. 

Wrong Temple

Gospel: Luke 21: 1-4

This scene of the poor widow in the Temple takes place in the court of women.  Thus, those who are wealthy putting large sums in the donation coffers are women married to wealthy men or widows themselves who are well off or well-provided by others in their life.  The Temple had many receptacles for the reception of donations, but apparently no capacity to provide for poor widows in need.  

Man-made temples are supposed to assist and help human beings who are temples made by God to be his dwelling place in the world.  When man-made temples become ends in themselves and not a means to help others, they become a cancer and a harm.  They are like the barren fig tree that produces no fruit for others.  It only has beautiful leaves, an outward show, but no substance.

Today's reading is a reminder of the fact that religion pure and undefiled before God involves the care of widows and orphans - the showing of love and mercy to the most vulnerable and marginalized in our society.  Our offerings for the care of the living temple of God - human beings - is the goal of those who gather in man-made temples.  Those temples will have life and fruit to the extent that they care for the living temples of God on earth. 

If You Say So

Gospel: John 18: 33-37

How eager we are to give Jesus a title he shunned and ran away from time and again throughout his life.  How ironic that we should create images of Christ as king with scepter and sword, war horse and battle armor - for one whose hands were occupied with towel and basin to wash the feet of others, whose mount was a donkey, and whose crown was made of thorns.  

In today's Gospel reading we find Jesus and Pilate discoursing on this very topic.  Jesus has been accused of being a king, an accusation that brings with it a death sentence.  But Jesus has created no armies, built no castles or fortresses, and has established no court of earthly rule.  Jesus states that his one and only mission was to testify to the truth, a subject on which Pilate and all other worldly rulers are decidedly agnostic.  

Today's unfortunate feast carries with it a warning.  Our image of Jesus as king may resemble more of Barabbas than Jesus, and we may find ourselves pledging allegiance to Caesar with Pilate and the chief priests.  The antidote is simple: we take up towel and basin to wash the feet of others, to provide healing to those who are ill, deliverance from those in bondage of sin and demons, and nourishment of body and soul to all who are hungry.   

Finding Relevance

Gospel: Luke 20: 27-40

Today's Gospel passage has as its topic an issue that has little relevance or meaning for us today.  Jesus and his adversaries are arguing about the resurrection of the body, something we take for granted today in Christian theology.  The argumentation seems obscure and we can't quite understand what all the fuss is about.  But while we might not derive any meaning from the topic, we can learn something from Jesus in his approach to others.

In beginning the conversation the Sadducees reference a scripture passage that has no connection at all to the issue of resurrection.  We are perplexed by this line of argumentation and the hypothetical they pose.  It makes little sense to us.  In response, Jesus cites a scripture passage that does in fact address the issue of the resurrection.  It is a familiar passage, and the line of reasoning Jesus employs makes sense to his audience.  Jesus was able to meet them in their need and where they were at with relevant content.

In our dealings with other people, it is important for us to meet people where they are at and to meet their need with relevance.  The controversies of the past are not those of the present.  We must listen with humility to what is being said and to respond with love and content that will prove meaningful and helpful to others.  

Overturning Tables

Gospel: Luke 19: 41-44

Everyone loves the story of Jesus overturning tables.  They can use it to justify whatever cause to which they are attached and defend whatever tactics they wish to take.  Whether one is a social justice warrior or culture warrior, this Gospel is misused by one and all alike in order to justify whatever political ideology is paying for the interpretation.  

The Temple building is a symbol for the temple God created - the temple of the human person.  Like this man-made temple, we human beings sell ourselves for our own self-interest.  Our bodies have ceased to become temples where God is honored and served. It is no longer a place where deeds of mercy and love are extended to all, where care of the poor and marginalized are our main concern.  Like the man-made temple, we have become ends in ourselves for our own profit and gain, not a place that leads others to God and care for others.  

Jesus indeed used this action to confront injustice, but that injustice in the social realm is but an outward manifestation of the injustice that exists within each one of us as the true temples of God.  So, before overturning tables in the public square, let us first be open to the Lord overturning tables within our own hearts and lives to confront the injustice within. 

The Road to Peace

Gospel: Luke 19: 41-44

Jesus weeps over Jerusalem, for they like so many fail to see the road to peace.  When we conceive of the kingdom of God in political, earthly terms we inevitably choose the wide road of violence and war.  When the kingdom of God is seen politically, we look at human beings as transactional agents who are either useful to my cause and side or useless and an enemy.  And unlike Jesus who saw enemies as people to be loved, we see them only as objects to be destroyed.  

But such a view always leads to our ruin, as it did for Jerusalem so it is for us.  For if other people can be seen in transactional objectivizing terms then so can we.  To debase other human beings is to debase ourselves as well.  This political path never leads to peace; it can only lead to endless conflict and war to our destruction.

The path of peace is the path of the cross, the path where we endure violence done against us and never wield it against another.  It is one where the kingdom of God is within us, unharmed and untouched by the violence done to the body, where the only one to be conquered is ourselves, and once that is achieved we have everlasting peace and union with God and others.  Let Christ not weep over us like he did for Jerusalem.   

A Warning for Us

Gospel: Luke 19: 11-28

Jesus and the disciples are approaching Jerusalem.  The disciples are convinced that this is the moment Jesus takes power, restores the monarchy of old, makes Israel great again, and installs them into positions of power.  Jesus is aware of their thoughts and expectations, so he tells them a parable that they think confirms everything they believe, but in fact it does just the opposite.

The only temple, the only kingdom God ever built is the human heart.  It is there God wishes to dwell and have domain.  When we decide, however, that this is not the kingdom we want - when we prefer an earthly kingdom with all the power and influence that Jesus rejected time and again - then the kingdom within us is taken away and it seeks another place in which to dwell.  And like the Jerusalem of Jesus' day it falls to ruin, never to return to its former glory.

This parable is indeed a warning, but to those claiming to be disciples.  The kingdom of God is not a worldly realm of power and influence.  Jesus rejected all that in the desert at the very beginning of the Gospel.  The kingdom of God is within each one of us, built by God for this very purpose.  This interior kingdom cannot coexist with notions of a political one on earth.  To choose the earthly one is to crucify Christ again; to choose the authentic one is to be crucified with him. 

Standing Up to the Crowd

Gospel: Luke 19: 1-10

Yesterday we saw the leaders of the crowd push others to oppose Jesus in healing Bartimaeus.  Today, the Gospel writer notes that everyone - the crowd and the disciples - oppose Jesus' intention to dine at Zacchaeus' house.  Jesus makes this declaration to Zacchaeus with no preconditions at all.  He saw the effort Zacchaeus made in looking for him and that was enough.  

Now, Zacchaeus finds himself opposed by everyone, standing before the Lord who wants to dine with him.  Like the Lord, Zacchaeus ignores the crowd and speaks only to Jesus.  He makes a response to love: he pledges to make restitution for his sins and to care for the poor in his community.  This does not make Zacchaeus worthy for the Lord to enter - the Lord was coming anyway! It was his response to God's love in his life. 

The Lord comes to each one of us in the same way.  He announces to us that he intends to enter our house.  The crowd and disciples will oppose this, but like Zacchaeus I must ignore the crowd and the disciples, and to focus entirely on the Lord Jesus.  My response to love must be like that of Zacchaeus - to show love and mercy to the poor and marginalized, for that is what we are called to do, called to imitate the Lord himself in his work on earth. 

Leaders of the Crowd

Gospel: Luke 18: 35-43

In Luke's version of the healing of the blind Bartimaeus, it is noted with significance that those in the lead of the crowd were determined to prevent Jesus from healing him.  It is worthy of reflection for us to consider whether our leaders both secular and religious have the common good at heart, have the care and healing of all as their main interest or not.  It is very often the case that those in power do not at all have such concern but act as these leaders do in this story.

But Jesus never listens to the din of the crowd, and he is not swayed by the words of the influential and powerful unless they ask him to help another person.  But it is Jesus' concern for the need of others and not the words of the influential that determine his course of action in each and every case.  And so Bartimaeus is healed, and so are we.

It is our task to pattern our lives on the example of Jesus.  We cannot be swayed by the din of the crowd or the pressures of the influential and powerful.  Our only concern always has to be the care of souls - the healing, liberation, and nourishing of of all people in need of care and mercy.  It is only when we see and listen clearly that we can follow Jesus on the way. 

Any Day Now

Gospel: Mark 13: 24-32

The New Testament teaches one thing clearly and consistently throughout its pages - from this Gospel text through Paul and on to Revelation - and it is that Jesus was coming in that generation's time.  From this fact we can deduce two things.  The first is that those who claim some notion of Christian culture or theory of state are full of bunk, for no such thing exists or was expected in the Christian scriptures.  

The second deduction is that the New Testament was clearly wrong on this idea of Jesus' coming, just as every preacher since claiming the end times has been wrong.  It is a topic that receives far too much attention because it blinds us to the reality of God being present in our midst now in the present moment, present now in every person I encounter, present now in every event of my life.  We have come to neglect the presence of God in the now for some future presence unknown to all.

The fundamental message and mission of Jesus is to live a life of mercy and love extended to all, especially to the poor and marginalized.  It is not to perseverate on end times.  If we fear the end times it is perhaps because we have failed to live this life of mercy to which we are called.  If we do live this life of mercy, we have nothing to fear at any time, for God is present to us now and at all times. 

Prayer is Hope

Gospel: Luke 18: 1-8

There are moments in our individual lives when the struggles we face and the difficulties we endure seem so overwhelming that we find ourselves near despair.  We find ourselves burdened by our own imperfections; our desire to do and be better fail time and again.  But we remember the stories of the man born blind, the woman with a blood loss, the man at the pool, the demoniac - all who struggled for so long and finally found healing in the person of Jesus.  These stories give us hope for ourselves.

There are times as a community of people when we encounter great forces of evil that threaten so many. We find ourselves close to despair at the enormity of the evil we face in the world.  But we remember the parables of Jesus: the mustard seed, the vineyard, the fig tree. No authentic good comes overnight. It takes time and perseverance.  It begins with the planting of some good deed which stands as a witness against the evil all around us.  We light a candle rather than curse the darkness.

So we begin again with prayer.  To pray is to hope for a better world, to hope that one day I myself might be the best version of myself.  To pray is to dig the hole that will hold the seed of good that you will plant in the world, the good that will stand against the evil that besets us as individuals and communities.  For one day, the good that you plant will overcome the evil we face, and we remember it all began with that prayer, that hope, that hole we dug for a better world. 

Apocalyptic Relaxation

Gospel: Luke 17: 26-37

Jesus speaks of the end times, as do many parts and an entire book of the New Testament. We have been conditioned by false prophets and teachers to regard these passages with fear and dread.  This is a complete and total misreading of apocalyptic literature designed to get people to buy the books videos, and special candles of the false prophets who only seek to profit off the fear of others.  

Time and again Jesus tells us not to worry about the time, place, and events of the end times whatever they may be.  If we remain focused on our core mission: to provide love and mercy to others in the world by healing, liberating others from demons, and nourishing people then all shall be well.  This perfect love casts out all fear, united as we are to the God who is love itself.  

When the Roman Empire was falling, pagans blamed Christians for this demise.  St. Augustine wrote a lengthy book called The City of God in response.  It can be summarized in four words: Rome was never great.  The same is true for our country and every other one.  All that matters is the kingdom of God, which is not a physical place but a place of love and mercy that exists in the divine actions of love and mercy extended to others in the word.   

In Plain Sight

Gospel: Luke 17: 20-27

People ask Jesus when the kingdom of heaven will come.  His answer will be utterly unintelligible to them.  He talks about the kingdom in terms of natural, ordinary everyday items: mustard seeds, yeast, fishing nets, and the like.  These things make no sense to those who see the kingdom of God in purely political and military terms, who seek it in a powerful leader and military set to trample over others.  

So, when Jesus says that the kingdom is already here, their heads explode.  How can that be? The Roman are still in charge and our people are not.  They do not realize that God's kingdom is God's presence in the world, in the ordinary everyday things and doings of the world.  It is not at all a political kingdom.  God's presence and love are among us at all times and all places.  It is just for us to realize it and recognize it, to acknowledge it and allow that presence to permeate our lives.

Those who would reduce God's kingdom to the political are the great enemies of faith in all times and places.  That path only brings violence, coercion, and destruction to the world. It leads people to a loss of faith.  It is the great heresy.  Today we are reminded where the kingdom really exists in the world and where we can find it and rejoice in it.  

Giving Thanks

Gospel: Luke 17: 11-19

Human beings have two tendencies regarding giving thanks that are flawed.  The first is found in today's Gospel reading wherein most do not give thanks at all for the blessings bestowed upon them.  We tend to think that the universe owes us these things, that we are entitled to them.  Or we think that we somehow have earned or deserved them when in fact we do not.

The second tendency is giving thanks for that which we have taken and does not belong to us in the first place.  We give thanks for a bountiful land we claimed as our own and drove off those who did live on it.  That lend then became bountiful through coerced slave labor we took from other lands.  In all of this, there is not much really to give thanks for, and it only serves as a means of exalting ourselves for character traits that are not worth having.  

In the Catholic tradition thanksgiving is everyday.  It is the daily offering of the Eucharist - thanksgiving - in gratitude for creation, redemption, and sanctification by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  It is the daily recognition that all we have comes from God and belongs to God, that it is to be shared with all, and that even our meager cooperation with God in this work is due to his grace given to us.  

Our Place in This World

Gospel: Luke 17: 7-10

Jesus provides us with an example from the world in order to have us understand our place in the kingdom of God.  He does this because then, as now, many fight and argue over status and power in the name of God's kingdom.  But here Jesus reminds us that our status is that of a servant whose work is never done.  We are ever in the posture of serving those in need, those poor and marginalized due to the wars over power and status in the world.  

However, the servant in the world lived a harsh existence where they were often maltreated and disrespected.  They lacked any rights whatever in society.  In the kingdom of God, however, the yoke is easy and the burden light.  We are given refreshment and comfort by the Lord, for it is his example we follow.  He came to serve, not be served.  He lived entirely to heal those sick and diseased, deliver those in bondage by their demons, and nourish those hungry and thirsty.

The mission of the Lord is our mission; the example he sets is the one for us to follow.  We are not called to create centers of power, wealth, and influence.  We are called to serve the poor and marginalized.  This task is never complete on this earth, and we must never rest in the task of caring for and defending the weak and needy of this world. 

A Fitting Feast

Gospel: Matthew 25: 31-40

The Church provides us with a fitting saint day and Gospel which provides an apt contrast to the secular remembrance of the day.  For today we remember Martin of Tours, a man who renounced his military life and position in order to follow the Prince of Peace, to live a life of love and mercy dedicated to the care of others in imitation of the Lord.  

This way of life finds concrete expression in the only criterion Jesus ever provides of our final judgment before God: feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, sheltering the homeless, visiting the sick and imprisoned, welcoming the stranger.  This is the life to which we are called as followers of the Lord Jesus. It is our sole measure of judgment in the life to come.  

War does not provide for any of these things.  To the contrary, war creates such conditions and makes those that exist even worse.  War is the creator of widows and orphans, the great creator of poverty.  Today's feast and gospel call us to a rejection of war and violence in all its forms.  It calls us to dedicate ourselves to peacemaking by carrying out these works of mercy to those in need in our communities.   

A Glaring Indictment

Gospel: Mark 12: 38-44

Contrary to popular opinion, this Gospel text is not praise for the poor widow giving all she had to the Temple.  It is a text that serves as a prophetic indictment against the rich and the Temple for the fact that this widow is poor and without any means of support.  The Jewish law commands the community to care for widows, for the poor and vulnerable.  The prophets time and again came to reinforce this message as the core of Jewish life and mitzvah.  

Whenever religion is more interested in catering to the needs of the wealthy, the rich and powerful, it moves away from its core mission of care for the poor and vulnerable.  It is at such times that people move away from religion because it has failed in its task given to it by God.  It has put in its lot with injustice. People will give lots of money to support a lifeless building  but neglect the care of a human being with a soul and eternal destiny.  

This passage reminds us that the true temple again is the one built by God - the human person - and that our buildings are at best instruments of worship and at worst false idols we prefer to the care of the true temple which is care of other people.  We are reminded that true worship is care for the man attacked by robbers, not Temple worship, that our first priority as people of faith is care for the poor and vulnerable. 

The Cathedral Within

Gospel: Luke 19: 1-10

Today's readings remind us that today's feast is not really about the dedication of a particular building, but more about the temple God has built in the human heart.  It is the cathedral within wherein we offer true worship to God, a cathedral that is imperishable.  Buildings made of stone are impermanent and structures that lack a soul; they come and they go.  But the human heart has an eternal destiny and it is this structure that God built that is the true temple of God.

In today's Gospel story we find how to build and operate such a temple within.  Zacchaeus first repents of the sins he has committed against others.  Then, he dedicates himself to the care of the poor and needy in his community, offering his possessions and treasure for their benefit.  This is how we offer true worship in spirit and in truth to God: through repentance of our sins, and in a life dedicated to mercy and care for others in our world who need it.  

The buildings we erect and the liturgies we create are vicarious preparations for living this true worship within our hearts.  These buildings and rituals are not ends in themselves, but rather means to an end - means to building the cathedral within our hearts dedicated to the mercy and love of God in the care and love of others. 

The Scandal of Religion

Gospel: Luke 16: 1-8

Today's story of the unjust steward is a continuation of Jesus' teaching yesterday on mercy.  In the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the Prodigal Son we have the ideal of God's mercy that should inspire us to extend mercy to others in the same way that God has shown mercy on us.  Yet, we often find that religious people are some of the least merciful people we encounter.

So, Jesus gives us the example of this worldly steward.  He has no regard for religion at all.  He extends mercy to other creditors not out of any compassion for them, but because he knows he is about to get fired and is looking to curry favor with others so that they will take him into their employ.  The steward is showing mercy entirely out of self-interest.  His motives are in no way salutary, but Jesus uses his example to highlight the fact that religious people do not show mercy even out of reasons such as these.

Those who are so dead set against loan forgiveness, pathways to citizenship for undocumented persons, and so loudly in favor of the death penalty are religious people.  The most unmerciful and least Biblical positions in our society are put forward by those claiming to follow the Lord Jesus.  Today is a day for us to reflect on what mercy means and how we might apply it in our individual lives and as a larger society of people.

The Chapter of Mercy

Gospel: Luke 15

This entire chapter of the Gospel highlights the mercy of God in three examples: a shepherd who seeks for a lost sheep; a woman who seeks for a lost coin; and a father who seeks for his lost son.  In each instance Jesus has the main character do the exact opposite of what human beings would ordinarily do.  A shepherd would not seek one lost lamb at risk of the rest; a woman would likely write off a lost coin; and an insulted father would likely disown an ungrateful son.  

But God is not like us at all.  Jesus highlights God's mercy in an almost hyperbolic way, and in giving us three examples he again provides a superlative nature of God's mercy.  For the number three in Jewish culture and language represents the superlative, the highest of highlights.  So, in giving three examples of God's mercy in examples that go against every human instinct and example, Jesus provides this theme of mercy as the most important and core belief we have about God.

At the same time, this teaching about God's mercy challenges our own behaviors and attitudes.  To what extent are we willing to extend mercy to others in our life? To what extent are we willing as a society to create pathways of mercy, restoration, and transformation for others in society? This chapter on mercy is an invitation to us to become more merciful and loving to others in our world. 

Giving Our All

Gospel: Luke 14: 25-33

The road to the kingdom of God is an arduous one.  The road from Jericho to Jerusalem - the road from earth to heaven - cannot be traveled with many possessions, for they will be taken from you and your reliance upon them will lead to your ruin.  The only way to succeed on the road is to walk together in fellowship with other pilgrims and with very few possessions.  We must give up all in order to travel the road.

At some point in life we come to realize that all things are transitory, impermanent, and passing.  Only one permanent entity exists in the universe - God and God's love.  Everything else is illusory and will pass away from us.  Any hopes we place in transitory things - our material possessions, our own internal attachments to self or our own ideas, power and influence - all of these are idols who will rob us along the way to the kingdom.

Religions have for all time have failed its members in giving themselves over to the powers of the world. In their pinching of incense to Caesar they think it will secure their future in the world, but in doing so they put Christ to death again and again - always in the sacrifice of millions of souls.  Authentic religion tells us to put away all such things - to walk with simplicity and trust in God alone to the kingdom of heaven.  

Unexpected Guests

Gospel: Luke 14: 15-24

In today's Gospel story, a king does something quite normal and expected: he invites the wealthy land owners to the palace for a feast.  Being rich and concerned with so many worldly things, the rich have no time for the king and his banquet.  They have property to manage, accounts to settle, money to make.  They have not the leisure to care for the soul or the poor.  So, they refuse the invitation to attend the royal banquet.

The king then does something quite surprising and unknown in worldly realms: he invites the poor and crippled to attend the feast.  They come because it is quite unexpected and rare.  They are grateful for the invitation, grateful for the meal and fellowship they so desperately need.  Their poverty and illness enable them to appreciate what is offered to them, so they come with great joy to this feast where for so long they have been unwelcome and, in the eyes of many, unworthy.

Today we must consider our situation first as one who is invited to the banquet - what is our response to the king going to be and why? Second, we must consider our position as one who is able to invite others to the banquet of the Eucharist.  Whom do we invite and whom do we refuse to invite because we think them unworthy, and why? 

Dinner Invitations

Luke 14: 12-14

How many of us would consider Jesus' teaching on dinner invitations for our own house, or our parish? That we can find so few examples in two thousand years of anyone inviting the poor and outcasts to dinner or to the Eucharistic table suggests yet another selective reading of the Gospel and insistence on obedience to the Lord.  Yet, the Gospel passage speaks even more to our reactions when certain people enter a room.

Consider: a star professional football player enters the narthex to attend Mass.  Whispers fly about the nave, and people talk about this event all day.  We then advertise celebrity faith participation in order to obtain worldly prestige, influence, and wealth.  Now consider: a poor, raggedy African American enters the narthex to attend Mass.  Whispers of a different kind begin: keep an eye on him, he could be dangerous or he may ask for money.  Everyone keeps their distance and he is not welcomed in any way.

These scenarios happen every weekend.  We are enamored of the celebrity Christian, and we demean the poor Christian week after week.  Today's Gospel challenges us to reflect on our attitudes, to repent of them, and to regard every human being as a person and not a means to power, influence, and wealth.   

Not Far Now

Gospel: Mark 12: 28-34

The man answered the question correctly: to love God and neighbor is the way to eternal life.  That is the essence of the entire law.  But Jesus then says to him: You are not far from the kingdom of God.  He is not there yet because there is an infinite gap from knowing the right answer and living the right answer.  It is not enough to know that we must love God and neighbor; we must actually do so in concrete actions of love and mercy in the world.  

But there is another meaning to Jesus' cryptic words.  Recall the context of this encounter.  We have made our way from Jericho to Jerusalem where we will witness the week of ultimate love for humankind.  Jesus will give himself up freely to die in order to redeem us, to give us an example to follow of love.  It is a road we must all experience, a love we too must show for others.  Are we able to walk this final journey with the Lord?

The entire Christian life is lived on this road between Jerusalem and Jericho.  It is where the Samaritan encounters the man accosted by robbers - the place where we must decide to act as the Samaritan did or to act as the priest and Levite.  It is where we must decide whether to go to Jerusalem as Jesus did, to accept the cross and all it contains.  It is the road of love. 

Dare We Hope?

Gospel: Matthew 25: 31-46

Today's feast day leads us to consider and have hope that all souls may find eternal life with God one day.  The first source of hope is found in the Gospel text of the sheep and goats.  The criteria for salvation is not membership in a particular race or religion.  It is based solely on love and care for the poor and marginalized in this world.  In caring for them we care for Christ, even if we are unaware of that fact, as was the case in the Gospel story.  

Our second source of hope in salvation for all lies in our belief in Purgatory, a place of purification on the way to heaven.  The catechism speaks of sins forgiven in the next life, and about prayers offered for the dead that they may be delivered from their sins.  Again, one need not belong to a particular race or religion to enter Purgatory, and one may pray for anyone in having sin forgiven by God.  If anyone can enter Purgatory, and Purgatory is a place of purification where eternal life is assured, then anyone can gain eternal life in this way too.

This hope for all souls is not that all will definitively attain eternal life, but that all have the possibility of attaining it in this life and in the life to come.  It is a recognition of the fact that all people belong to the Church in one way or another, which is another way of saying that the Church has the responsibility to care for all people. 

Becoming Saints Ourselves

Gospel: Matthew 5: 1-13

Today's feast invites us to reflect on what we must do to become saints ourselves, and for centuries the Church has given us the answer in providing us with this Gospel text for the feast: the Beatitudes.  We must be poor in spirit, pure of heart, meek, thirsting for justice, a maker of peace, and joyful in suffering persecution.  These are the qualities Jesus himself exhibits throughout his life, the values he emphasizes throughout his teaching and encounters with others.

If these are the traits of sanctity, why do we hear so little of them? Why is modern Christianity so obsessed with the commandments and so neglectful of the Beatitudes? Jesus made clear time and again that the commandments cannot lead to perfection, yet we erect monuments to them and not to that which does make us perfect in the Beatitudes.  

So, today's feast is a day to reflect on how we can be more poor and simple in our lifestyle; how we can show mercy to others in concrete ways; how me might act more justly and fairly with others; how we might be more meek and pure of heart; how we might be peacemakers in a violent world; how to live joy in the midst of persecutions.