“Do We Own Our ‘Things,’ or Do They Own Us?”, the Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time–Year C

My Sisters and Brothers: 
   
     In today’s second reading St. Paul exhorts the faithful “to think of what is above, and not of what is on earth” (see Colossians 3:2). In fact, all of our Scriptures today speak loudly on this theme. In “the Parable of the Rich Fool” found in today’s Gospel, we are taught by Jesus not to place excessive values on fleeting material possessions (see Luke 12:13-21). The parable clearly illustrates that after this life the “things” we have amassed cannot go with us. And in a similar vein, the first reading reminds us that after our deaths, the fruits of our labors are usually left to others who themselves hadn’t toiled for them (see Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:21-23). As we reflect on these ideas, we are challenged to adopt “other worldly perspectives,” even as we live and breathe in our present and very earthly lives.

     So how do we live our present lives and at the same time have “other worldly perspectives?” It’s surely true that very few people are called to take strict vows of “poverty” and to live their lives as hermits separated from others and detached from all worldly concerns. The fact is that most people are very dependent on their material possessions, and on the money they need to flourish as members of families and social communities. And who among us hasn’t at one time or another worried about how to pay the next bill–this is certainly part our reality! So most would agree that it is good for people to be stress-free, productive members of society, and the recipients of many blessings, including those of a material nature! Who would fault those who hope for “things” that would enrich their lives, for the good fortune of economic success, and freedom from financial worries? And isn’t it true that the most economically successful among us are usually congratulated and admired by others, even by those who are the most devout Christians? And so the question remains: how is it possible to be “other worldly,” and firmly grounded in this life at the same time? And how do we as followers of the Lord Jesus strike a balance between the two?
 
     We might consider that Jesus’ teaching really has little to do with those material “things” themselves. If this is the case, then I think, “worldliness” might actually have more to do with the attitudes and convictions people hold in their hearts about “things,” and how they might be unnecessarily driven to accumulate them. This being said, we might ask ourselves the following question: “Do we own our ‘things,’ or do they own us?” If we live for “things,” and the complimentary esteem we receive from others because of them, then our perspectives may never be able to see beyond the limited worldly plain upon which they might be found. Of course, each person must discern and understand his or her own attitudes and convictions about these “things,” and I think it’s obvious that every person’s situation is unique (what’s good for one, might not be good for another). And so, this discernment is a lifetime challenge and is required of all who seek to have “other worldly perspectives” in the way they live their lives in the here and now!

     Jesus admonishes us to “take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions” (see Luke 12:15). As we contemplate this teaching, each one of us must look into our own hearts, and we must ask ourselves if we value material “things” more than those that are spiritual. As we reflect on this, and our ability to adopt “other worldly perspectives,” may we encourage each other with the message of today’s Scriptures!

Praise God!  Friar Timothy

 

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Our Father in Heaven - - He’s Got This!, the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time–Year C

My Sisters and Brothers:    

Our readings this week have something to teach us about the need to pray with confidence, and the importance of persevering in it as people of faith. This said, isn’t it true we may at times find ourselves somewhat conflicted about the usefulness of our prayers? We may find it easy to pray when doing so gives us peace and consolation, and when we sense our prayers are being heard and answered by the Father. But how about when the opposite seems to be much truer, and our prayers fail to console us, and when they seem to go unanswered?

As faith-filled people we may hesitate to admit it, but at times we may be tempted to doubt that God is actually listening to our prayers. Perhaps this was the very reason the disciples in today’s Gospel reading asked Jesus to teach them how to pray (see Luke 11:1-13). They pleaded with him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.”

Jesus responded to their request by teaching them the words to the “Our Father.” And then, parabolically citing a man who persistently begged for bread at midnight from his neighbor, he taught them about the need to be persistent when pleading for God’s attention. Jesus concluded his teaching with an emphasis on the metaphorical need “to ask, to seek and to knock” when praying to the Father. 

Even though Jesus encouraged his disciples to pray, isn’t it true that we still may sometimes find it difficult to do so with confidence? It’s sad to say, but I think some of the awful news we hear every day may compound our hopelessness; current events, and our sense of powerlessness over them, may lead us to believe that our prayers on behalf of them are not being answered. How about the reality of terrorism, conflicts between nations, wars, political unrest, racial disharmony, civil tensions, gun violence, poverty, homelessness, drug and alcohol abuse, and countless other problems “out there” that never end? How about the tragedies of death, illness, financial ruin, addictions, broken relationships, the lack of charity, and all kinds of other difficulties in our personal lives that seem to find us time and again?  Isn’t it true that all of these issues may cause us great inner conflict, and may lead us to lose our confidence in the power of our prayers on behalf of them? And yet we are challenged always to persevere, to continue to pray and to keep our hope that God will answer.

 

In the first reading today, and like the persistent man cited in today’s Gospel, Abraham models a type of perseverance in prayer when over and over again he pleads to the Lord on behalf of the innocent people of Sodom (see Genesis 18:20-32). He says “see how I am presuming to speak to my Lord, though I am but dust and ashes” and “let not my Lord grow impatient if I go on,” and further “please, let not my Lord grow angry if I speak up this last time.” Even though Abraham may have been conflicted about whether or not to persevere with his pleading, it is because he did that the Lord eventually answered his pleas. And this is exactly what Jesus promised when he told his disciples “to ask, to seek and to knock” when praying to the Father.

And so my friends, let us not be discouraged by all those issues “out there,” and those within our own personal lives that might otherwise take away our trust and faith in God. Let’s be confident that our loving Father is always in control, and that he always gives us the hope to endure whatever difficulties may come our way. May we always persevere with the need to pray with confidence, and may we never doubt the eternal goodness and care of Our Father in Heaven. 

God’s got this!

Praise God!  Friar Timothy

 

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The "Hospitality of God," the Eucharist, and the Christian Life, the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time–Year C

My Sisters and Brothers:

   

The readings this Sunday have something to teach us about how people of faith can practice “Godly hospitality.” In today’s first reading we hear that Abraham offered hospitality to three travelers who passed by as he was resting by a tree (see Genesis 18:1-10a). The gospel recounts a moment when Jesus went to the home of his friends Martha and Mary and there was received with great hospitality and respect (see Luke 10:38-42). This has given me much to contemplate! Surely these Biblical figures did what they did because they completely desired to imitate the very “hospitality of God.”  Whether we ourselves are hospitable in grand or small ways, I believe we must strive to show the same “Godly hospitality” as they did by the way we receive others into our lives! 

As I thought about this idea of the “hospitality of God,” the first word to come to my mind was “Eucharist.” Isn’t it true that from a Roman Catholic perspective, there isn’t a better place on earth to experience the “hospitality of God” than during the celebration of the Holy Mass! We believe when we gather as a community for this liturgy, we are actually “guests” of our Divine host! Gathered together in church, we have been invited through the doors and given benches upon which to rest; the Good News is shared with us, and we are invited to the Lord’s Table (i.e., the altar) where we share in the gift of the Eucharist, the Heavenly Feast. In the liturgy of the Mass, “the work of God” is accomplished right in our midst, and this inspires and strengthens us to go forth from the celebration and to invite others to experience the same. This “hospitality of God” demands our emulation!

 

As I further contemplated this idea of the “hospitality of God,” and it’s emulation in our day-to-day lives, I recalled lessons taught to me during my first year of religious life, when I was young Franciscan novice. My classmates and I were taught that “hospitality has always been an essential hallmark of the Franciscan Order.” Actually, more than just “taught,” this principle was “driven home” to us by both Friar Romuald, our Novice Master, and by the older friars with whom we lived. There was no doubt, by the way our many visitors were treated, they embraced this Franciscan principle of hospitality with both enthusiasm and dedication. Our friary was the constant recipient of guests from near and far, and all were treated exactly as a sign at the entrance to the friary with a Polish proverb that read: "Gość w domu Bóg w domu!," translated “A Guest in the House is God in the House!” For the many years that I have now been a Franciscan friar, I have seen this value of hospitality put in to practice by the friars with whom I have lived, and by those who have received me in their friaries in diverse places throughout the world (from throughout the United States, to West Africa, to various places in Europe and throughout Central America). I have been blessed. 

But to the point, isn’t hospitality an essential hallmark of the Christian life in general? It can’t be just Franciscans who claim the “hallmark of hospitably,” but rather can’t it be said it’s required of all people of faith? And again, and as Roman Catholics, might we say that any expression of our “Godly hospitality” is truly an extension and emulation of what we celebrate together in the Holy Mass? As people of faith, and as beneficiaries of the Sacred Liturgy, I believe we have experienced the “hospitality of God,” and this great gift must inspire us to action on behalf of others!

Abraham’s hospitality was great; he fed his visitors, provided them with a place to rest, and treated them as if they were his own friends. Martha busied herself in the kitchen, probably preparing a meal and doing what most people do when they desire to entertain guests well. Mary remained seated at the feet of Jesus, and gave him great attention as she listened to his words and what he had to say. I believe each of them in their own way truly imitated the very “hospitality of God.”

My friends, as Eucharistic people who desire to emulate the very “work of God,” may we practice “Godly hospitality” toward all who come our way! Let's encourage each other with this teaching! 

Praise God!  Friar Timothy

 

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The Good Samaritan and the "New Order," the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time–Year C

My Sisters and Brothers:   

We may wish to be very critical of both the priest and the Levite who had passed by the man left for dead on the side of the road in the Parable of the Good Samaritan (see Luke 10:25-37). To us, they certainly seem to have been pitiless, selfish, and very callous toward the needs of the man who had been beaten, robbed, and nearly killed. But it’s important to note that Jesus was speaking to a “scholar of the law,” and such a person would have understood that the priest and the Levite did exactly what they were supposed to do!

Because of their sacred duties within the Temple in Jerusalem, and because of the religious laws by which they were obligated, the priest and the Levite were required to remain “ritually pure.” It was therefore their solemn and absolute responsibility to avoid being in the presence of dead bodies; for all they knew the man who had been robbed was already dead, and so in order to remain faithful to the law, they simply “passed by on the opposite side.” It very well may have pained them to do so, but they had no choice. Anyone familiar with the religious laws at that time would have been completely sympathetic to the predicament of the priest and Levite.

The Samaritan, on the other hand, was not bound by any such religious restrictions, and fortunately was completely free to risk coming into contact with someone who had possibly died. And we all know the rest of the story. 

In the parable, Jesus cleverly affirmed the law, and the religious duties of priests and Levites of that time, but he also clearly signaled that he had come to bring a new way of thinking and of doing things. This of course was characteristic of the entire message and ministry of Jesus. He had come to establish a New Order, and this is precisely the point of the parable: the Old Order had passed away.

Jesus wasn’t specifically criticizing the individuals who were the priest and the Levite featured in the parable, after all they had simply followed their prescribed duties. No, in fact it was much, much deeper than that: Jesus wanted to indicate a complete and radical change from the old way of doing things; he had come to announce new and systemic changes to the religious laws, practices and even the beliefs of those who had come before him. This is precisely why Jesus was in constant conflict with the religious leaders of his time; this is why the Pharisees, the Scribes, the elders, and the teachers of the law were so critical of him, and why they ultimately had him put to death.

 

With the New Order of Jesus in mind, we can actually understand the reason for the following question and its answer in the parable: “Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers' victim? The scholar of the law answered, ‘The one who treated him with mercy.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise’” (see verses 36 and 37). The Samaritan was not encumbered by the Old Order, and therefore was free to act with mercy, and so in this case was able to embody the new way of thinking. This New Order was above the law, and it was characterized by compassion, forgiveness, kindness, patience, sympathy, tolerance, charity, benevolence, pity, etc., and all that mercy was able to engender in human hearts.

 

And so I believe the Parable of the Good Samaritan teaches us too that we must always guard against becoming enslaved to any possible old and outdated “religious laws” that risk trumping mercy.  Even today, and for us, I believe this New Order requires constant self-reflection and “updating” – both by individuals and by entire communities of faith. Jesus challenges us all to imitate the mercy of the Samaritan, and so he instructs us all as well to “go and do likewise.”

Praise God!  Friar Timothy

 

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Who Are the "Wolves" and What Do We Do?, the Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time–Year C

My Sisters and Brothers:   

According to today’s Gospel, Jesus sent the “seventy-two” out to the “harvest . . . like lambs among wolves” (see Luke 10:1-3). And he promised to be with them, and to give them all of the strength and courage they needed to accomplish their mission of preparing a way for the Lord. He promises the same for us!

As we contemplate the Gospel, and our calling to give testimony to the presence of Jesus in our own time, we may wonder who the “wolves” might be today. We may also contemplate what these “wolves” may threaten to do to us, and how we should treat them in return. Perhaps today’s “wolves” are those members of our own families who do not share our faith; or they are our relatives with whom we always seem to have problems; or they are the young people on the streets who seem to show respect to no one; or they landlords who do not properly maintain buildings and apartments and who charge high rents; or they are the store owners who overcharge for everything; or other people out there who really want to harm us, the drug dealers, criminals and thieves, etc.  The very challenging news today is that Jesus is sending us out to these very people in order bring them the message of the Gospel.

With this in mind, Jesus also commands us, as he did the seventy-two, “into whatever house you enter, first say, ‘peace to this household’ . . . if a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you” (see Luke 10:5-6). I love this image. Jesus says that an offer of peace should be given to those who are brought the Gospel. If such people to do not accept the peace, it will come back to the one who offered it. I believe this means we must offer peace to all of those we encounter who are in such desperate need of the Gospel’s message. This must be especially true of those types of modern day “wolves” whom I have mentioned above. Jesus promises us that if they do not accept our offering of peace, then we have done all that we can do, and the peace will continue to rest upon us.

The challenge in all of this is to keep that peace when the “wolves” insult us, persecute us, hurt and ridicule us. We must always be people of peace, and never seek revenge and/or retribution when the “wolves” reject us and/or attack us. But surely this will not always be easy, and at times may cause us great difficulties as we attempt to give witness to the peace of Jesus; we may even suffer for the sake of his Name.

This thought may even explain Saint Paul statement in today’s second reading that he bore “on his own body the marks of Jesus” (see Galatians 6:17). Some suggest these “marks” were the scars and bruises he endured because of the many times he had suffered due to his witness to Jesus Christ. Like him, we may have some of our own scars from difficult moments we have faced as Christians in this difficult world. But Jesus tells us that we must continue the struggle and our witness as his followers, and he makes it clear we must always do this as people of peace.

 

May each one of us embrace the call to prepare a way for the Lord, even among those “wolves” we meet in our daily lives! Let’s hope and pray that as we venture into the Lord’s harvest, we will always be people of peace, and more than a few of those “wolves” to whom we are sent will change their ways and become followers of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Praise God!  Friar Timothy

 

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