A celebration at St Francis De Sales

Today, I was on the altar as a deacon for the 9 and 11 o'clock masses at St Francis De Sales.  The celebrant for these masses, Father Joe Dygert, was a recently-ordained priest (in 2011) from the diocese of Colorado Springs.  Father Joe graduated from St Francis De Sales grade school in 1995.  He returned to celebrate his first mass at St Francis since his family moved to Colorado Springs in 1996.  Father Benedict, a missionary priest from Tansania, gave the homily.  Father Benedict commented on today's Gospel in which Jesus tells the disciples:  " A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house." 

This modern day prophet, Father Joe Dygert, was greeted with enthusiasm and joy at his native place, Lebanon, Ohio.  We rejoice and take pride in the faith of this young priest.  We pray that his vocation to the priesthood will continue to bring him joy and peace and that he will continue to touch the lives of many as he did today.

Joe Dygert attended St Francis De Sales grade school with several of my youngest children.  He is two years' older than my fifth child, Ann and two years older that my fourth child, Mike.  I knew his family well when they were parishioners at St Francis De Sales.  Joe's mother, Christy, started Eucharistic adoration at St Francis De Sales.  I remember them as a strong, loving, faith-filled family.  Today, I rejoice with the other members of St Francis that one of our grade school alumni came home to inspire us and to share his faith with us.     

Listening to prophets

The first reading from the prophet Amos reflects a time when the Kingdom of Israel was divided into two:  Israel in the North and Judah in the south with Jeroboam II was the King of the Northern Kingdom.  Jeroboam was a wicked king and worshipped idols.  Amos came from the Southern kingdom of Judah to warn the people of the consequences of Jeroboam’s actions.  He says:  “Jeroboam shall die by the sword and Israel shall surely be exiled from its land.”  This prophecy proved to be true about forty years later when the people of Israel were exiled.  But Amaziah, who was the king’s priest, didn’t appreciate Amos or his prophecies.  He said to Amos:  “Off with you, visionary, flee to the land of Judah!”  In other words, he told him to go home and mind his own business.  But Amos stood his ground.  He said:  “I am not a professional prophet.  I was just an ordinary farmer.  It was God who called me and sent me to give you this message, whether you decide to listen or not.”

Often people in authority don’t appreciate it when others predict negative consequences from their actions.  We see this in our country today as our bishops tell our nation’s leaders the consequences of their contraception mandate.  Our bishops have said that this violates the religious freedom of the church.  They have said if this mandate stands, then Catholic charities, hospitals and schools will have to choose between following their conscience and continuing to operate. 

When you consider that the Catholic Church is the second largest provider of charitable and hospital services, with the government being the largest, this should cause our leaders to rethink their mandate.  Is providing free contraceptives and abortion-inducing drugs so important that it is worth forcing some of these agencies to close?   For me, observing this is like watching a train wreck about to happen.  I pray that our nation’s leaders will see the folly of their actions and will change this mandate.  I suspect that many don’t realize how important this issue is to our church.  Based upon all that I have read, I firmly believe that our bishops will not budge on this issue.  And for this I am very proud of them.  Hopefully, our nation’s leaders will reject the advice and influence of Planned Parenthood and others who support this flawed policy and will listen to the voice of reason as provided by our bishops.

I wonder if any of us are being called, like Amos was, to speak out on this issue.  We may say that we aren’t trained speakers or medical doctors or in positions of power.  But if God calls us to speak out against this evil, then we, like Amos, must do our part.  Whether others listen to our message or not is up to them.

I pray that all of us will take some action, however small it may seem to be, against this evil government mandate.  This may involve writing letters, speaking to our friends and neighbors, talking to our politicians, walking the picket line or even just praying.  Like Amos, we may not be able to change our nation’s flawed decision.  But, as a citizen and a Christian, we will have done God’s will.       

Religious freedom

As we hear in tonight’s reading from the prophet Ezekiel, we are responsible for the behavior of our neighbors.  If we see our neighbor doing something which is evil, we must tell him or her that this action is evil.  If we neglect to tell him, we assume some responsibility for his behavior.  However, we cannot judge the person who exhibits an evil behavior, because we don’t know their motive.  Only God can judge people.  The old adage applies:  hate the sin, love the sinner.

Today, our religious freedom is under attack from the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services’ contraceptive mandate.  This mandate requires that virtually all organizations pay for contraceptives, sterilizations and abortion-inducing drugs in their health insurance.  The only exceptions are those religious organizations which employ and serve those of the same faith.  This mandate directly challenges our Church’s long standing opposition to contraception and abortion.  Many charities, hospitals, and universities will be forced to either violate their conscience or to likely close their doors if this mandate isn’t changed. 

This is an issue of religious freedom.  The question simply is: ”Does our government have a right to mandate a religious organization to take an action which is directly against its long established beliefs?  As a religious people, we have a responsibility to speak out and warn someone when they are doing something evil.  Also, as a religious people, we cannot participate in evil by paying for it or in some other way encouraging it.  For, if we do this, we clearly assume some responsibility for that evil.  

The contraceptive mandate reminds me of an issue which our nation faced during prior wars regarding young men who were drafted.  That issue involved the right of those who were morally opposed to the war; known as conscientious objectors, to refuse military service.  While it certainly was in the best interest of the country to have all young men available for the draft, our nation decided, in the interest of religious freedom, to allow those who were morally opposed to war to provide some service to the country which was not related to the war. 

While this may not be the best analogy, because providing free contraceptives certainly cannot be seen as important to our nation as winning a just war, it does illustrate that our nation has always realized the importance of following one’s conscience.  In fact, while I was in the Air Force during the Vietnam War, they emphasized to us that we must not follow an order which our conscience told us was not moral.  However, they were also quick to tell us that we must be willing to accept the consequences of not following that order. 

Recently, we celebrated the feast of St. John the Baptist.  John’s courage in upholding the truth about marriage, and his subsequent beheading as a result, challenges us in a time when it is not popular to speak the truth or live by the truth. Both he and St. Thomas More remind us that just because certain behavior is enshrined in the law of the land does not mean that is morally right. St. John the Baptist and St Thomas More, pray for our country, for our Church, and for each of us that we properly form and bravely follow our conscience.

Pentecost; tongues of fire; a strong driving wind; frightened men gaining the courage and the power to speak boldly; the people were astounded and amazed!  Wow! 

Who is this Holy Spirit that filled the apostles with such power on Pentecost?  Where do we find the driving wind and the tongues of fire in our world?  How can we harness this power to transform our lives and our world as the apostles did after Pentecost?

The Holy Spirit is alive and well in our world and in our parish.  On our Christ Renews His Parish or CRHP weekend last month, through the power of the Holy Spirit, several men had life changing experiences.    

After the weekend, Jerry, a member of our parish, wrote:  “On Saturday night, I was telling Jim about my crazy experiences with religion. How growing up I had been to about every type of Protestant service you can think of – from Anglican to Pentecostal tent revivals. I never knew Catholicism until I got married. Oh, I had studied its history and studied about the Reformation and the spawning of the protestant churches, but I hadn’t experienced it in action.  Now, after 31 years of sitting on the sidelines observing, I’ve decided it’s time to get in the game.”

John, who came with his friend Scott all the way from Morristown Tennessee, wrote: “The Lord touched us in a very special way, and thanks to all of you we experienced the power of the Holy Spirit. Through all of you we saw the Lord working.   Scott and I would be humbled to be part of the next group of witnesses. While we live in Morristown and it is a long distance, if we have faith and allow the Holy Spirit to do his work, he will help us find a way.  With your help and with the Holy Spirit, we hope to bring CRHP to our parish in Morristown.”

How do we experience the Holy Spirit working in our lives?  Have we ever witnessed the power of the Holy Spirit like these men did on their CRHP weekend?  If you haven’t met the Holy Spirit, you don’t know what you are missing.  And if you have experienced this but have lost the fire of your faith, it is time to get it back.  All of us have opportunities to experience the power of the Holy Spirit many times in our lives.  It may be at an adoration hour, mass, a baptism or a first communion, a death of someone close to us or even listening to a homily.  At these times, we can develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Through the Holy Spirit, our faith can move from our head to our heart.  And then, we won’t just know about Jesus, we will feel him in our heart.  And the Holy Spirit is yearning to touch each of us in a special way.  He wants to impact our day to day decisions which shape who we are.  He wants to guide us and to influence everything about our lives.   For, if the Holy Spirit isn’t guiding us, the devil is more than willing to take over.

The Holy Spirit has influenced my life many times.  Some of these had a big impact on me and some were very small.  I’m sure that there have been many times when he has influenced my life and I didn’t even realize it.  Recently, I made plans to vacation in Gatlinburg Tennessee shortly after the CRHP weekend.  At the time, I didn’t know that several men who would attend that weekend would come from Morristown Tennessee, about an hour from Gatlinburg.   A little over a week ago, I met with John and Scott in Tennessee who are on fire with the Holy Spirit.  Now, they are members of our giving team and are making plans to start CHRP at St Patrick’s in Morristown next year.  It’s amazing how the Holy Spirit works.  Some people call these coincidences but I consider them to be God-incidences; the Holy Spirit working in my life.   

So now, I ask all of you to reflect over the next few minutes on the message that you are hearing in your heart.   Is the Holy Spirit calling you to pray more often?  Is he asking you to evangelize others or maybe just to be a friend by helping others?  Is he calling you to the sacrament of reconciliation where you can wipe the slate clean?  Is he telling you to have a heart to heart talk with someone you love; your parent, your child, or your spouse.  Or is he just asking you to rest in the peace and joy of Christ’s love?  Whatever your message is, make sure that it comes from the Holy Spirit and then embrace it.  Do not be afraid.  Few of us will experience a strong wind or tongues of fire. 

Let us pray.  Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in us the fire of your love.  Send forth your Spirit and we shall be created and You shall renew the face of the earth.  Amen.    

Can you blame Thomas?

Can you blame Thomas?  How could he accept what the apostles were telling him?  Some things, like a person rising from the dead, are just too incredible to believe.  No one expected Jesus to rise from the dead and there was no good reason to believe that he had.  So, when the other apostles exclaimed, “We have seen the Lord!” it was just too much for Thomas to believe.  Now, Thomas is asking for proof that Jesus rose from the dead.  He tells the other apostles that he won’t believe unless he sees the wounds of Jesus and puts his hand into his side.  What about us?  How much proof do we need?  Must we see Jesus face to face in order to believe? 

We can all relate to Thomas.  We have all met people who are on fire with the love of the Lord.  Sometimes the more they witness to us about his love, the more skeptical we become.  Many find it difficult to believe based upon another person’s faith.  And, if this person tells stories of incredible miracles, we may be even less likely to believe. 

In the eyes of the world, believing in the resurrection of Jesus is naïve, and maybe even silly.  Many are indifferent and lukewarm in their faith today.  They may or may not go to church on Sunday.  They are familiar with the story of the resurrection but haven’t quite bought into it.  Their faith often doesn’t have a significant impact on their day-to-day actions.  It isn’t that they don’t believe in God; it’s just that this belief isn’t strong enough to impact their behavior, especially when their faith is telling them one thing and the world just the opposite.  The current debate on contraception is a great example of this.  Our church tells us that it is immoral; our society tells us that it’s OK, and our government tells us that it is so important that it is a basic right.  Where do we find the truth?  How does our faith lead us to the truth in important matters such as this? 

A friend of mine commented to me that he thought it would have been easier to have faith in Jesus time than it is now.  He said that he believed his faith would have been stronger if he had walked with Jesus.  Common sense would seem to suggest that it would be easier to believe if we could have seen the risen Jesus and talked to his disciples.  But for us, believing is not a matter of physical observation but of realizing spiritual truth.  And, unlike the Apostles, we have the benefit of the New Testament, the Catechism, and two thousand years of Church teachings.  The apostles didn’t have any of this.  At times, they struggled with believing that Jesus is the Son of God.  They had a lot to learn about the risen Jesus and faced many heresies.  And yet, by faith, in spite of persistent doubts, they converted their followers to Christianity at an amazing rate.

Our faith is built upon the faith of the apostles.  It is built upon Thomas, the doubter, who comes face to face with Christ and makes his act of faith when he says:  “My Lord and my God!” It is dependent upon that faith being passed down by people of faith in communities just like ours.  Fortunately, our faith journey isn’t a solitary one.  We have the wisdom of many others to light our path. 

Last weekend, our faith was on display for all to see.   On Friday, many of us reverenced the cross in front of the altar.  I watched in awe as you came two by two to demonstrate your unity with the sufferings of Jesus.  You were young, barely able to walk, old, struggling to kneel down to kiss the cross, teenagers trying to look cool, and mothers and fathers carrying children.  At the Saturday vigil, the catechumens and their sponsors filled this area as they came into the church after months of preparation.  On Easter Sunday at the 11 o’clock mass, our congregation overflowed into the gathering area and even onto the sidewalk outside.  We can easily imagine Jesus smiling as he watched all of this.  In spite of doubts due to the persistent attacks of the evil one, the faith of our community continues to grow.

If we look for proof, we’ll never find it.  If we have faith, we have all the proof we need.  During the desert times when we’re struggling with our faith, we struggle to see God in anything.  But, on those occasions when our faith is strong, we see God even in the little things of our lives. 

We’ll never have all the proof we’d like to have.  And that’s OK.  That’s what faith is all about.  And we won’t see Jesus face to face until we are with him in the heavenly kingdom.  Like Thomas in the upper room, we have doubts.  St Paul told the Romans:  “The victory that conquers the world is our faith.  And the victor over the world is the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.”  Today, we give thanks for the patience and mercy of Jesus on this Divine Mercy Sunday.  And we give thanks for the faith of our community , for those who recently joined us at the Easter vigil, and for our shepherd leading us on this faith journey.  For, through the faith of others, we see a glimpse of the Risen Lord.  Thanks be to God.  His mercy endures forever.  

Embrace your cross

Viktor Frankl, a prominent Jewish neurologist and psychologist, was invited to emigrate from Vienna to the US in 1941.  His parents were overjoyed but Viktor hesitated.  He wondered if he could leave his parents in Vienna where they would likely be sent to a concentration camp.  Should he work on his research and write his books?  Or should he concentrate on his duties as a child, and do whatever he could to protect his parents?

Then, Victor found a piece of marble lying on a table at his house.  This marble was from the site where the National Socialists had burned down the largest Viennese synagogue.  His father had taken the piece home because it was a part of the tablets on which the Ten Commandments were inscribed.  One gilded Hebrew letter was inscribed on this broken piece of marble.  The letter stood for the commandment “Honor your father and your mother.”  Then, Viktor knew that he must stay with his parents in Vienna.

Jesus knew perfectly well what was awaiting him.  As the Son of God, he knew of his upcoming suffering and death.  As a man who is like us in every way except sin, Jesus was troubled.  He realized that this painful death was his destiny.  The cross was awaiting him.  He was about to give glory to his Father through a humiliating and excruciating death.  And, knowing what was coming made his task even more difficult.  Jesus had to choose the cross.  He needed to be obedient to the will of his Father even unto death.  Jesus told his disciples the kind of death that he would die.  He told them that he would be lifted up and would draw everyone to him.  His disciples could feel his anguish and pain but they didn’t have a clue what he was talking about.  Jesus would go into this difficult time without the support of his closest friends.  They would betray him, deny him, and most would just abandon him.  Jesus knew all of this and yet he chose the cross.

Because he honored his parents and stayed in Vienna, Viktor Frankl spent over two and a half years in Nazi concentration camps. While he was interred, his wife, his mother, and his father all died in concentration camps.  He suffered unbelievable cruelty and stared death in the face many times.  Viktor found out first-hand what suffering was all about.   Viktor tells us:  “The way in which a man accepts his fate and all the suffering it entails, the way in which he takes up his cross, gives him ample opportunity – even under the most difficult circumstances – to add a deeper meaning to his life.  He may remain brave, dignified and unselfish.  Or in the bitter fight for self-preservation, he may forget his human dignity and become no more than an animal.”

As the Son of God, Jesus was not spared from suffering.  St Paul tells us that Jesus found obedience through suffering.   There is a Greek proverb:  “Sufferings are lessons.”  Jesus, in his human nature, learned from his experiences.  He chose to obey, even unto death, atoning for Adam and Eve’s sin of disobedience.  Jesus knew what obedience was, but he learned obedience in practice through his passion and death.

Probably none of us will ever experience suffering which can approach that of Jesus or Viktor Frankl.  But, during our lives, all of us have the opportunity, and the need, on many occasions, to carry our cross.  It may be the cross of raising children, dealing with the loss of a job, financial problems, elderly parents,  sickness, marital difficulties, or something else.  Whatever our cross is, we can either run from it or embrace it.  When we embrace our cross, we find obedience to the Father’s will through our suffering.  And, mysteriously, we find hope.   Through the cross, we follow Jesus and serve others.  Through the cross, we die to ourselves and gain everlasting life.  Through the cross, we turn away from our secular culture and we embrace our loving God and our neighbor.

I have been a member of this parish for forty years.  I have come to know many of you.  I am aware of some of your crosses as some of you are aware of mine.  When I look out at all of you on Sunday, I don’t see pain and suffering as a result of these crosses.  Instead, I see hope, faith, love, and even joy.  I see many who lean on the cross of Christ and on each other as they persevere in carrying their cross.  I see a community of faith coming to mass and to the Eucharist for the grace of God which carries them through their tough times.    

As we approach Good Friday, we remember and give thanks for the cross of Jesus.  And we also give thanks for the cross which we carry.  Embrace that cross! Share it with others!  Help others with their cross!  Let our cross lead us to our resurrection.          

Our Church wrestles with evil

The Spirit drove Jesus into the desert for forty days.  It is there that he encountered Satan—Jesus did not avoid the devil or underestimate him, but he contended with him and wrestled with him. Jesus battled against evil. In that worst of places; in that harshest of environments; among wild beasts.  He was not spared from the human situation, from temptation, from struggle. He confronted it all.

Today, our Church finds itself in the desert wrestling with evil.  Our government has told our Church to include coverage in its health insurance for pills which either prevent conception or abort the newly-conceived human embryo.  In the interest of providing what it describes as women’s reproductive services, it is trying to force our Church into violating its conscience by paying for these drugs and thereby participating in this evil.  This issue has divided our Church and our nation by pitting those who are for religious liberty or support the teachings of our Church against those who support our governments’ definition of women’s health.  And the media and many of our nation’s politicians would have us believe that this is an issue about contraception and the extent to which these teachings are or are not being followed.  But it’s not.  This is about religious liberty and the mandate to follow one’s conscience, either as an individual or as an organization.

Our bishops, the shepherds of the Church, find themselves in the middle of this controversy.    They have courageously said that they will not comply with this mandate.  Can our Church stand strong as it is being attacked?  Will some Church leaders choose to go to jail rather than complying?  What impact will this issue have on Church attendance and financial support? 

And what about each of us?  We find ourselves in the middle of this mess.  Are we standing with our Church leaders in the desert? Do we believe that our government has the right to impose this mandate?  Or are we indifferent and simply don’t care one way or the other?

During his time in the desert, Jesus became more detached from the things of day-to-day living.  He was not intimidated by the devil.  His time in the desert was a time of fulfillment as he prepared for his mission and a time of separation from the culture of the world. 

When he emerged from the desert, Jesus proclaimed the good news by saying:  “The Kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent and believe in the gospel.”  He preached the kingdom of God to a world which was hungry for the truth.  Jesus began his public ministry by teaching, healing, and eventually dying on the cross.  His mission was a battle against the power of sin in the world.  By separating himself for forty days in the desert, He detached himself from the things of earth so that he could better proclaim the heavenly kingdom.  In the desert, Jesus met the devil and defeated him.  He saw the devil’s tricks and remained faithful to his Father’s will.  Jesus, with his death and resurrection, forever guaranteed his victory and his Church’s victory over the devil.   

When our Church emerges from this time of testing, it will be better able to minister to our broken world.   Our Church, and we as members, will always be foreigners in this secular world, for we are meant to be citizens of heaven. We are meant to contribute to our country in ways which don’t conflict with our loyalty to God.  Our loyalty to the teachings of Christ and His Church should always take priority over our loyalty to our country or to any political party.

Like the season of Lent, our current time of testing is a blessing for us and for our Church.  It encourages us to pray and to sacrifice not just for ourselves but for our Church and our nation.  Our response to this threat will shape the future for our children and our grandchildren.  Never before have we wondered what our country stands for as much as we do right now.  Do we stand for religious liberty, support of life, and concern for the poor?   Will this be marked as a moment in history when good men and women respond and redirect their nation toward God and His culture of life?  

Our response should include calls and letters to our government leaders.  But even more important is our response to our heavenly Father.  If ever there were a time to rattle the gates of heaven with our prayers, now is that time.  And there is no better time than this Lent to offer sacrifices to change the outcome of what is happening in our country.    We can each make a profound difference.