Pope Francis, the Canaanite woman, and Bernie Stowe

This week, Pope Francis visited South Korea.  The papal ride from the airport to the city was broadcast live, showing images of the pope in a small, dark gray compact Kia escorted front and back by dozens of luxury SUVs and police motorbikes.    A journalism student in Korea commented:  “He climbed into a tiny car like a cat going for a small cozy space.  It’s humbling and at the same time respectful."  The Pope certainly shows us what humility is all about.

Today’s Gospel of the Canaanite women who asked Jesus to heal her daughter is a story of faith and humility.  The woman shows her humility when she says:  “Have pity on me Lord, Son of David.”  She remains persistent when Jesus tells her that he was only sent to the people of Israel.   

 

I wonder what we would have done if we were in the shoes of the Canaanite woman.  We might have given up when the disciples tried to send us away.  And we certainly would have been insulted when Jesus told us that he was sent to Israel, not to us.  Would we still have the faith, the persistence, and the humility to continue to press Jesus by saying:  “Lord, help me”?  And then when Jesus says that it isn’t right to take the food of the children and give it to the dogs, surely this would have caused us to give up on this Jesus.

But the Canaanite woman continued to persist and Jesus rewarded her by healing her daughter.  Are we willing to do the same?  Or do we give up when our initial prayers aren’t answered?  Do we have too much pride to ask Jesus again and again when we need help?

A week ago, on Friday, I went to the Reds game.  After the game, they recognized the members of the Reds hall of fame who were there for the induction ceremony.  It was interesting and a little humbling to watch these men, formerly great baseball players, walk onto the field.  Two of them, Lee May and Jim O’Toole, walked with canes.  Dave Parker looked weak due to his Parkinson’s.  Several others limped as they took their positions on the field.  I can remember all of these men when they played during their prime.  I remember them as great athletes and it was difficult to see them getting old.

Then they honored Bernie Stowe who was the equipment manager during the years when all of these guys played.  They showed a short video about Bernie and his sixty seven years as equipment manager.  As equipment manager, Bernie made sure that the player’s uniforms were clean and that they had all of the things necessary, such as bats and gloves, to play baseball.  Effectively, he was in the background serving the players so that they could look good in the limelight.  When he was introduced, all of the players came up to Bernie and welcomed him.  Jonny Bench was crying. 

Very seldom does someone who is in the background serving others get recognized.  I commend the Reds for doing this.  I don’t know Bernie Stowe, but, based upon his job, serving others, I would expect him to be a humble man who didn’t want to draw attention to himself.  In fact, he seemed rather embarrassed when he was honored.  For me, it was a lesson in humility.   Most of us can’t expect to be recognized for our humility in this life.  But, at judgment time, God will surely take note of our humility or lack thereof.

A strong faith requires humility.  But, our pride stands in the way.  We have to let go and let God.  We have to decide that He is in control and consult him on our key day to day decisions.   That is, we seek his guidance in all things.  As Jesus told us, we need to have the faith of little children to enter the kingdom of heaven.  We need to find humility like that of Bernie Stowe,  the Canaanite woman, and Pope Francis.

Humility seems to be rare today in our world of selfies and reality TV.  We want to think that we have all the answers.  And especially as men, we want to believe that we can handle anything that the world throws at us. 

Now, this is a good ideal for us, but it just isn’t realistic.  The devil has too many tricks up his sleeve for us.  And he knows all of our weaknesses.  It may be pride, or power, or sex, or money or some combination of the above.  And he’ll tempt us at our lowest moment.  Then he’ll try to convince us, just like he did Jesus, that we’ll be better off if we follow him and that no one will know and no one will be hurt.  We’ve all been there.

When I have a tough decision to make, do I turn to the Lord for guidance?  And do I listen for His advice or do I tell Him what I want to have happen?

When I have done something wrong, do I admit that I have done wrong or do I rationalize my behavior?  And, then, do I confess my sins to a priest?   

Do I follow the teachings of Jesus’ Church?  Do I follow all of them or just some? 

These questions reflect a continual battle in each of us of humility versus pride.  If we can humbly submit to Christ and say “Lord, help me” like the Canaanite woman, our faith will be vibrant and our eternal happiness secure. 

We see him, we worship, but we doubt

Last week we heard Jesus tell the apostles that he will not leave them orphaned and that the Father will send an Advocate.  Next week, the feast of Pentecost, the Advocate comes upon them in the form of tongues of fire.  Then, they begin to speak in different tongues and go boldly out to proclaim the faith.   This week, the feast of Jesus’ Ascension into heaven, Jesus tells the Apostles to make disciples of all nations and that he will be with them till the end of time.  The Gospel tells us “they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted.”

Doesn’t that describe us?  We see him, we worship, but we doubt?

Several weeks’ ago, as I was driving to the men’s faith sharing meeting, I was listening to Open Line on Sacred Heart Radio.   A caller said that several of his closest friends had fallen away from their faith because of controversial teachings of the Church.  He wanted to know if there was something that he could say to them to help them return to the faith. 

I thought, “I can’t wait to hear the answer, since I too have struggled in this area.  I would like to share the joy, excitement, and knowledge that I have on these teachings with others.”  The moderator passed the call to Tim Staples, who replied.  “I think that the problem that your friends and many others in the church are experiencing is due to the fact that they don’t believe that the Catholic Church is really the body of Christ.  Then, he referred to our second reading today which tells us:  “The God of our Lord Jesus Christ has put all things beneath Jesus’ feet and gave him as head of all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.”  Then, Tim said: “So, St Paul tells us here that Jesus is the head of the Church, which is the body of Christ.  We must ask those who struggle with these teachings if they were to stand before Jesus himself and hear him proclaim them, would they still disagree with them?”   Then, he said:  “Jesus’ church, his mystical body on earth, led by the men he himself chose has proclaimed these teachings continuously for the past 2000 years.   Is it surprising to us that our culture rejects these teachings?  And which are we going to follow, Jesus and his church or our culture?”

That answer really struck home for me.  I have discussed these issues with many people, especially over the past few years since I have become a deacon.  And I have to admit that my efforts have normally fallen short in trying to eloquently present the relevant facts. 

Then, I went to the men’s faith sharing meeting and the topic selected by the person leading the group was: “The Godly man is faithful.”  On the video, the speaker began by saying:  “The Godly man is faithful to the teachings of Jesus’ church.”  He gave a scripture reading from Luke chapter 10: “He who hears you hears me and he who rejects you rejects me, and he who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”  Jesus was speaking to the apostles and to their successors, our bishops today, telling them that they were speaking in his name.  

Two times in the space of thirty minutes I heard the message to be faithful to the teachings of the Body of Christ, his Church.  This was not a coincidence.  I really got the message.  The body of Christ on earth, the Catholic Church, has since the time of Jesus and will till the end of time speak for Jesus in its teachings on faith and morals. 

Why do we find this teaching about the Church as the Body of Christ so hard to believe?  Why do we worship Him but continue to have doubts?   

We have doubts because we don’t fully embrace and utilize the graces that are available to us.  We can receive the Eucharist, the body and blood of Christ, daily.  We can go to the sacrament of Reconciliation on any Saturday and free ourselves from the burden of sin.  When we doubt, do we turn to the sacraments to strengthen our faith or do we just turn away?

We also have doubts because most of us have grown up with a natural tendency to question authority.  Since the early sixties, we have lived during a time when we have often been let down by our government leaders, our business leaders, and even our church leaders.  This has fostered an inherent tendency to question any and all authority.  Can we trust that our Church is led by the Holy Spirit when we witness the sins of some Church leaders? 

We also have doubts due to the counter-cultural teachings of the Church.  It is easier for us to follow the crowd, to go with the flow, to embrace the popular “values” of our culture and not to create waves.  In this area, we just have to look at what Jesus did.  Jesus certainly didn’t follow his culture and was constantly creating waves.  Do we have the courage to follow him today?

And, we have our natural tendency to choose the wrong thing, to pick evil over good.  We can relate to St Paul who said:  “For I do not do the good I want but the evil I do not want is what I do.”  And the devil is a master at getting us to choose the wrong thing.  Have we formed our conscience?  Do we understand what the Church teaches and why it teaches it?

Finally, it is human nature to justify our behavior.  Sometimes, even after we find out that something we did was wrong, we still defend our action.  Should we trust Jesus’ church or our own instinct?

We all have difficulties.  We are all sinners.  Some church teachings are complicated and many haven’t been explained well.   These are clearly difficult times for men and women of faith.  Do not be afraid!   Seek the truth! Embrace his mystical body, his Church!  Find the peace and joy of following Jesus!  Then, someday soon, like Jesus, we will joyously ascend to heaven to meet the Father.   

Helen Ziegler- rest in peace

For about forty years Kathleen and I went to her brother’s house, to Will and Helen’s, for thanksgiving dinner.  Initially, we weren’t even engaged.  But, eventually, we got married and began to bring our children, then their spouses and then the grandchildren.   These dinners became a tradition in the family and we used to say that if you brought a girlfriend or boyfriend to Thanksgiving dinner at Will and Helen’s then you had to marry them.  We only missed a few Thanksgiving dinners during this time; several when I was in the service and once when we decided to go skiing instead.  And the year when we went skiing, we all decided that we should have gone to Will and Helen’s because we missed being with the family.

These dinners were happy events.  After all, we say Happy Thanksgiving.  The Latin word for blessed in today’s Gospel, beatitudo, can also be translated as ‘happy’.   So, Jesus is telling us nine different ways to be happy.  He says: “Happy are the poor in spirit, happy are those who mourn, happy are the meek, happy are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, happy are the merciful, happy are the pure in heart, happy are the peacemakers, happy are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, and happy are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely in my account.”

Some of these ways to be happy are not what we would expect.  To understand this teaching of Jesus, these beatitudes, we need to better understand what happiness is.  Today, many associate happiness with “having a good time” that is, pleasure or comfort.  But, long term happiness is spiritual and moral and not emotional and pleasurable.   The saints in heaven are supremely happy, because they’re with God, the source of all happiness.  Happiness, then, is joyful, flowing from the life of God.  The one thing we all desire is joy.  Jesus tells us in the beatitudes how to find true joy and happiness.    

Now, a funeral mass might seem like a strange place to talk about joy and happiness.  But, if we truly believe in eternal life with Jesus in heaven, then this is the perfect setting to speak of happiness. Death for those who are following Jesus isn’t meant to be a sad event.  Instead, it is a transition from the trials and suffering of this life to eternal joy with Jesus in heaven.

Happiness in heaven is what we all are striving for, but we might not realize it.  We might look for happiness in the things of this world, like money or power or pleasure or honor.  But, eventually, even if we achieve some of these things, we come to realize that they only satisfy us for a short time and then we look for more.  Ultimately, we are looking for the joy which only God can offer us.

In his apostolic letter, Pope Francis recently wrote:  “The joy of the gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness. … With Christ, joy is constantly born anew.  The salvation which God offers us is the work of his mercy. God, by his sheer grace, draws us to himself and makes us one with him.”

I’ve known Helen for over forty years.  And to me, she always seemed to be happy.  I know that she had trials in her life, as we all do, but she endured these trials gracefully and maintained a joyful disposition.   She let God lead her as she persevered through the difficulties of life.  Our first reading from the book of Proverbs described the ideal wife by saying:  “She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs at the days to come.  She opens her mouth in wisdom, and on her tongue is kindly counsel.  Her children rise up and praise her.  Her husband, too, extols her.”  That was Helen.

Several weeks ago, my wife and I visited Helen in the nursing home and then in the hospital.  It was obvious that her days were numbered.  Where we once were praying for her to recover; now we prayed that her suffering would end soon.  Last Saturday, her trials and suffering came to an end.   She lived a long life and now has transitioned from the trials of this life to eternal life.   

All of us are dying.  For some, death will come in days or months.  For most, it will be many years.  We all will take this journey from life through death to everlasting life or everlasting death.   Even Jesus, the Son of God, made this journey.  Out of love for us, he came to earth just like us and died like we all must die.  Jesus death and resurrection provide hope and consolation to all of us.  He has shown us the way to everlasting life.  And through him, we obtain everlasting life.

May we bear our trials and suffering with grace and perseverance as Helen did even during her final days. May all of us here and especially Will, Greg, Dan, and Rob find hope and courage during this difficult time.  And, through the love of our merciful and forgiving God, may we experience true joy and happiness in this life and in eternal life.    

He leadeth me - a homily given at the Presentation Ministries Retreat

Recently I read He leadeth me by Father Walter Ciszek.  Father Ciszek was an American Jesuit priest who felt a strong calling to serve the people of Russia in the late 1930’s.  After ordination, Father Ciszek was assigned to a small parish in Poland.  From Poland, he went into Russia with a logging crew.  When the authorities found out that he was a priest, he was arrested and spent twenty three years in Soviet prisons and labor camps.  They convicted him of being a Vatican spy and, on many occasions, threatened to kill him. Father Ciszek struggled with his faith and wondered why he went to Russia where it was often nearly impossible for him to minister as a priest.  Eventually, he came to realize that he was led to the Soviet prisons and labor camps by the Lord for a reason and that he should serve as best he could under very difficult circumstances.  Father Ciszek couldn’t control the people who were placed in his path.  But he could minister to those he did meet.

While in prison, Father Ciszek said:  “I grew firm in my conviction that whatever happened in my life was nothing else than a reflection of God’s will for me. And he would protect me.”  Father Ciszek ministered to those he met who were willing to listen.  He persevered in spite of the attempts of the authorities to silence him.  He planted seeds but normally wasn’t able to see the results of his efforts.

All of us have roles to play in salvation history.  John the Baptist’s role was an important one, to announce the coming of the Lord.  As we hear in today’s Gospel, he was beheaded by Herod because of his role.  Father Ciszek also had a role in bringing the faith to the Russian prison camps and Siberian towns.  He fanned the flame of faith in a barren time and place. 

Our role might not require the complete commitment of John the Baptist or the continual sacrifice of Father Ciszek.  But, our faith is very important to those the Lord puts into our path.  Our primary role in salvation history might be limited to evangelizing our friends, our family, and our co-workers. For some of them, we might be the only Christian witness that they hear.  We are to bloom where we are planted.

I’d like to tell you a story about a couple in our parish, I’ll call them Amy and Jim, who are living their lay vocation.  A few years ago, Amy attended a Christ Renews His Parish or CRHP weekend here at St Francis de Sales.  Amy was touched by the witnesses she heard on the weekend and resolved to develop a closer relationship with Christ. 

Jim saw the impact the weekend had on Amy and agreed to attend the next men’s weekend.  After the weekend, Jim, who was normally pretty quiet, witnessed to his friends about Christ.  He and Amy also had many serious discussions about living their faith.  There was one area of their faith where they continued to struggle, the issue of having additional children.  Jim and Amy had three children and each one had medical problems after birth.  After the third child, they had decided that they shouldn’t have additional children and Jim had a vasectomy. 

Now, after attending CRHP and finding a closer relationship with the Lord, they became aware of the church teaching against contraception.  They prayed about what they should do and discussed the issue with Father Rob and me.  Since Jim’s business was struggling, they really couldn’t afford the cost to get the vasectomy reversed.

After much prayer, they decided to have faith and to trust in the Lord.  They got a new credit card with no interest for several months.  Jim had his vasectomy reversed and put the cost on the credit card.  Jim’s business picked up and in several months, they were able to pay off the credit card.  When Jim wrote the check, Amy asked him if he realized what day it was. It was Father’s day.

Several months later, Jim was on a CRHP giving team with me and gave the witness on Father’s Loving Care.  During his witness he told this story.  At the end of his witness, he told us that Amy was pregnant.  I was so touched by the faith and trust of this young couple that I almost cried.

After the baby was born, they asked me to baptize her.  I call her a CRHP baby.  The baby hasn’t had any of the health issues that their other children had after birth.  It has been a joy to the family and to many of us in the parish.  Amy and Jim are witnesses to all of us at St Francis of the power of living your lay vocation.  Jim is on the current CRHP giving team and will be giving this witness once again.

When I look out at the congregation at our Sunday masses, I see couples like Jim and Amy who are living their lay vocation.  I see families large and small who are coming to church every Sunday and are doing their best to be Christ in this community.  I hear the crying babies, who are the future of our church.  They give me hope for our Church and for our nation. 

Approximately one third of the deaths in our nation today occur in the womb.  Our nation doesn’t support its families and is confused even about what marriage is.  We must pray that our nation doesn’t completely reject God, like Russia did in Father Ciszek’s time.  But, we have hope because of the young families, like Jim and Amy, in our communities today.  These families are raising godly children.  Unlike my generation, which brought us free love, no-fault divorce, and the collapse of the family, this generation, these families, are leading us back to Christ and his Church.  I pray that all of you, and especially the young mothers and fathers who are with us today, will live your lay vocation. Christ is counting on you to build His kingdom on earth.

I will make you fishers of men

In the sixteenth century, Francis de Sales, whose feast day was Friday, was sent to minister in the Chablis province of France.  Francis had only been a priest for two years.  He found himself in an area where the Catholic faith was almost non-existent with only about one hundred Catholics in a population of 25,000.  There were hundreds of desecrated Catholic churches and the area was under the influence of Calvinism. 

Even Francis’ father didn’t support his efforts to convert the people of Chablis.  But, Francis, with his cousin, walked ten miles each morning to the capital city.  They brought the sacraments to the few Catholics there and put tracts explaining the faith under the doors of non-Catholics.  At night, they headed home for their lives would have been in danger if they stayed overnight.  They survived assassination attempts, attacks by wolves, and harsh winters.

After two years, their efforts were apparently failing. Typically, Francis was preaching to only four or five people.  But, he didn’t give up.   He was planting seeds.

After four years, the converts began to come.  First there were one or two, then ten or twenty.  Eventually thousands came back to the church.  This story of the faith and perseverance of Francis De Sales wasn’t the result of legislation or government action.  It is a story of the apostolic work of one man who was driven by the love of God.  He went into the deep with joy and the people responded.   

            In today’s Gospel, four fishermen, James, John, Andrew and Simon, who is later called Peter, meet Jesus.  Jesus said to them: “Come after me and I will make you fishers of men.” Their response is immediate; they left their nets and followed Jesus.  These fishermen trusted the one extending the invitation enough to put their lives entirely in his hands without hesitating.
          When Peter, Andrew, James and John, got up that day to go fishing, as they always did, it may have felt like an “ordinary day.” But on this day Jesus broke their routine and offered them an invitation that would change their lives and reach all the way down to ours. Jesus asks them to leave everything and follow him.  They answered the call and became fishers of men.  This wasn’t easy for them.  Andrew, James, and Peter ran away when they saw Jesus arrested.  Peter denied him three times. Clearly, it was difficult for them to see Jesus arrested and later crucified.  But, after the Holy Spirit descended upon them at Pentecost, all four followed their call.  Peter became head of Christ’s kingdom on earth, His Church.  He healed the sick and converted thousands.  Three of the four eventually were martyred for their faith. 

How does this apply to us?  Surely, we cannot be expected to convert thousands like Francis de Sales or to heal the sick like Peter did.  If the Lord asked us to drop everything, we might have some questions: “How will we follow you? Where are we going? How long will it take? How will we support ourselves?” So, what is the Lord asking us to do?

Most of us are to bloom where we are planted.  We are to minister to our families, our friends, and our co-workers.  In fact, we might be the only Christian witness that some of them ever hear.  And because they know us, they are likely to listen to us if they can see the impact of Christ in our lives.

We have so much to do as the body of Christ. Like in the time of Francis de Sales, our world is confused and many have drifted away from Christ.  Change is needed to transform our culture, but this change will not begin with government action.  Instead, the change will begin in the family, and then in the local communities with men and women living Christ-like lives.  Christ wants us to show our family and our community the joy of someone driven by the love of God.  Christ wants us to model compassion, forgiveness and a passion for righting the world’s wrongs. 

Christ is calling each of us to follow him, just like he called Peter, Andrew, James, John, Francis de Sales, and countless others through the centuries.  The Creator of the universe asks us to give him a hand in building his everlasting Kingdom.

Each one of us is responsible for keeping the light of Christ burning brightly so that we can be a light to those we meet.  Our light provides needed hope to a world which has been darkened by sin.  Let your light burn brightly for all to see.  It only takes a small amount of light to brighten a darkened room.  So, your light, small as it may be, is critical for our fallen world. 

What is holding me back from being the disciple God created me to be?  Am I trying to hang on to my boat, my nets, or my father?  God is my Creator and deserves my complete obedience. 

Someone has said that there is a thin line between fishing and standing on the shore looking like an idiot. Maybe it’s time we risk looking like an idiot for Christ’s sake. Let’s get on with our primary task—humbly reaching out and ministering to those in need.  Make a friend, be a friend, bring a friend to Christ.

A diamond or a lump of coal

Last Sunday, one of our parishioners asked me a question that many parents are asking today.  She asked:  “What do I say to my adult children when they ask me why we didn’t just let them choose their faith when they became adults?  That is a very good question for all of us parents.  Should we, as parents, pass our faith onto our children? 

As we read in the Acts of the Apostles, in the first century they baptized entire families.  Why did they baptize children when they were young before they were able to choose faith for themselves? 

Then, as now, the prince of evil, the devil, is a strong influence in the world.  If we are not raised in the faith of Jesus Christ and educated in that faith, we will likely fall for something else.  We are exposed to secularism, materialism, and consumerism as we are encouraged to do our own thing, to look out for number one, and if it feels good do it.  In short, we are constantly exposed to the lies of the evil one.  And he has a strong grip on our society today as he seduces many with his lies. 

As parents, we want what is best for our children.  And we want the best for them not just in this life but in the next one.  So, we give them the gift of baptism, a precious gem, a diamond when they are infants.  This makes them one of God’s adopted children, a member of His Church, and opens them to sanctifying grace.  But, our world doesn’t portray this gift as a diamond.  Instead, it is presented as a lump of coal.  And it is our job as parents to continually proclaim this faith, to shine this diamond, to encourage our children, and to help them see it as a priceless gift.  We do this by educating them in the faith, and by living our faith day in and day out. 

If we don’t live our faith, our children will see faith through the eyes of the world, that is, though the lies of the evil one.  They will see our faith presented as a burden, as a blight on society, in the worst possible way, now and throughout its history.  In short, our society will portray this precious gift not as a diamond, but as a lump of coal.

Faith can be a fleeting thing as we hear in today’s Gospel.  While in prison, John the Baptist sent his disciples to Jesus to ask: “are you the one who is to come.”  In other words, “are you the Messiah, the Savior, the one who Is to establish the kingdom of God in our land, or are we still waiting for someone else?”  Jesus didn’t reply by saying that he was the Messiah.  Instead, he pointed to his miracles as evidence.

John had lept with joy within his mother’s womb when Mary came to visit.  At Jesus baptism in the Jordan, John had pointed Jesus out as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.  Why is he asking: “are you the one who is to come?”

Perhaps John was feeling discouraged, locked up as he was, possibly contemplating his own execution.  John could have been asking in effect, “If you’ve come to ‘proclaim liberty to captives’, to set God’s people free, what am I doing here in prison?”  Was John discouraged, was he losing faith?  Or was he asking this question to strengthen the weak faith of his disciples.  We don’t know the answer to that question.  But as parents we can relate to John if he was trying to strengthen the faith of his disciples. 

As parents, how do we pass the faith, weak as it may be, onto our children?  Should we just let our children choose for themselves when they get older?  This clearly is a cop out.  This is avoiding our responsibility as parents.  Our primary responsibility as parents isn’t to raise great athletes, scholars, or outstanding businessmen or women.  Our primary responsibility as parents is to lead our children to heaven, to bring them to eternal life.  If we abdicate that responsibility, we have ignored our most important job.

What do we do as parents if our adult children stray from the faith?  We can follow the lead of St Monica, the mother of St Augustine.  When St Augustine turned away and ridiculed the faith of his holy mother, she didn’t attempt to argue with him.  Instead, she prayed him back into the faith by continually offering her prayers and sacrifices to bring him back.  And she also sought the help of others, especially St Ambrose. 

And we must remember the message of St James in the second reading today.  We need patience.  We cannot expect this miracle to happen in our time.  It may take months or years for the Lord to rescue our children from the grips of the evil one.  In fact, we might not even witness it during our lifetime.  But, like John the Baptist and his disciples, we must cling to our faith as we rejoice and await the upcoming birth of our Savior.

So today, on this Gaudete or Rejoice Sunday, let us rejoice.  Let us rejoice for our own precious faith, for this beautiful diamond.  Let us rejoice for the faith of those in our community, and for the gift of family.  And let us rejoice for the miracles of Jesus, especially for the miracle of the Eucharist, as we await His birthday.

Humility

Today’s first reading takes us back to 850 BC in Syria.  Naaman was an Aramean general who had leprosy.  His slave girl, an Israelite, told her master about a prophet in Israel, Elisha, who would be able to cure his disease.  It must have taken a lot of humility and faith for this proud general to go into the territory of his enemy looking for Elisha.  When Naaman located him, Elisha wouldn’t even meet him.  He just told Naaman through a messenger to go and wash seven times in the Jordan River.  Naaman was angry and insulted.  He said:  “Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel?”  But, his servants persuaded him to follow the directions of the prophet.   Naaman went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan and his flesh was restored like that of a child.     

Naaman’s pride prevented him, at first, from following the directions of the prophet Elisha.  These directions didn’t make sense to him.  Why seven times?  Why the waters of the Jordan?  Why didn’t the prophet meet him, the great general, and heal him personally?

Doesn’t Naaman sound a lot like us?  We might say: “Why do I need to go to confession, I haven’t done anything that bad?  Why do I need to confess my sins to a priest, can’t I just tell the Lord about them in the silence of my heart?  Why do I need to go to Mass every Sunday, the Lord understands?  Why do I need to go the mass on Holy Days?   The list goes on and on.  Of course, we only object to those commandments and rules that we want to break. 

A wise man once said: “I only know two things for sure:  One, there is a God.  And two, it isn’t me.”  Most of us don’t have too much trouble with the first one.  As we look around us and see the order and the beauty of the world, it is easy for us to realize that there is a God who created us and made everything around us.  But the second statement is quite a bit more difficult.  For, once we acknowledge that we aren’t God; then we have to submit to the will of God, who is far superior to us.   And, sometimes, that God will ask us to do things that we don’t want to do and will tell us not to do some things that we enjoy.  Therein, lies the rub.

We have the most difficulty with God and his commandments when we have committed some sin that we don’t want to let go of.   Then, we’re not really free to follow God and to do his will.  Instead, we are trapped by the devil under the grip of our sin.  The best way to free ourselves from the grip of the devil, to let go of our sin, is to go to confession.  Then, like Naaman, we can be made clean, like little children.  We will have escaped from the snares of the devil and will be free to follow God.

Before the Saturday evening Mass, people wait in line for confession. They range from the young to the old. Their different manner of dress is a sign of their varied social conditions and backgrounds. Nevertheless, there they stand, waiting, a visible acknowledgment that they are sinners. No one gets first place, or goes to the back of the line because of their finances, place of birth, job, or academic degrees. Like the diverse lepers they are united by their shared need. Standing together in the line for Reconciliation, they humbly admit that they have sinned and are in need of forgiveness.  We do the same thing at the beginning of Mass as together we pray aloud, “Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy.”

The gospel today encourages us to voice our prayer as humbly as the lepers did: “Jesus, Master, have pity on us.” No need for pretense, excuses or false pride to block or alter the request. Bluntly put: “Have pity on us.” We are like the lepers, who did not pray as individuals alone, but as a group in need, “Have pity on us.” We pray for ourselves at today’s liturgy and we pray for those around us in the pews, as well as for the church and the world. “Have pity on us.”

Pope Francis has provided many examples of humility since his election earlier this year.  He recently said: “Let us always remain meek and humble, that we might defeat the empty promises and the hatred of the world.  The way of Christians is the way of Jesus.  If we want to be followers of Jesus, there is no other way.   We must remain sheep, because sheep are meek and humble, and when we are sheep we have a shepherd.”

I will close with a prayer for humility.
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire:
That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease. 
That others may be chosen and I set aside. 
That others may be praised and I unnoticed.
And that others may be preferred to me in everything. Amen