A Generous God! Why?

Many years ago, there was a man who lived a life of thievery, and in those days, a thief, once caught was tried and usually convicted to die. Yes, he was given the death penalty. Back then, a criminal’s death, was slow and torturous, usually lasting for hours of severe pain.

 But, shortly before his last breath, he said a prayer, ironically to the man who was dying next to him, also convicted to die. He said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom”.

 It was a plea of mercy, a plea of forgiveness. It was a plea from a man who recognized how wrong he lived his life.

 Yes, being tied with ropes and hanging from a tree for hours, exhausted and searching for every breath can be a time to look back on your life. It was on this last day of his journey he asked for forgiveness.

 “Amen I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise”. For all who seek his mercy, it is there. For all who pray for his mercy, and believe in that mercy, it will be given.  For all those who say, “Jesus I trust in you”, live in that loving mercy.

 Our Gospel reading today presents a very strange parable, startling at least, for it shows how easily the graciousness of God can very easily be mistaken for injustice.

 I work all day and receive an agreed wage.  Others work an hour and receive the same agreed upon wage. Am I jealous? Being human, I could be.

 I live my whole life, seventy or eighty years, serving God and with God’s mercy receive heaven when I die. Am I happy? The happiest I’ll ever be.

 Others live a life devoted to all the pleasures the world can offer, up until their death, and just prior to their death see their misdeeds and plead for forgiveness with true contrition, just like the Good Thief.

 Yes, Mercy is granted to that person and heaven for eternity becomes their new home. Should we be jealous?

 Not if we listen to the powerful words from our Responsorial Psalm, “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him”.

 We are all either working in God’s vineyard from the very beginning of our Christian life, or standing around idle somewhere in the world.

 But maybe then through the prayer of others a window of opportunity presents itself to us who are a distance away and God asks us to come work in his vineyard. It may be in the noontime of our life, or at the very end.  

 But, the sooner we enter and work in God’s vineyard we begin to strengthen our character, build on our Christian foundation, live by God’s commandments and be filled with His grace.

 It is then we understand and live by the values that most pleases God. It is then that we live out our Baptismal promises of always being a member of his body and sharing his Word to all we meet.

 It is only then, as soldiers in God’s army we can go and make disciples of all nations, building up God’s kingdom. It is then that we can be the one who presents that window of opportunity to those who are idle, are in the world, far away from his vineyard.

 Yes, we through the help of God we can build up his Church, by igniting the spark in lost souls.

 We are the instrument that allows others to seek the Lord, right now, while he may be found. For many we may be their last hope to call upon the Lord while he is near. For who knows what tomorrow may bring.

 Jesus said to Saint Faustina “Tell all people, that I am love and Mercy itself.” “I desire to pour them out upon human souls. Oh, what pain they cause me when they do not want to accept me”.

 His mercy if for everyone, even for those who are taking their last breath and have never worked in God’s vineyard

 From Scripture God tells us, “The favors of the Lord are never exhausted, his mercies never come to an end”.

 I’m sure many of us have more than one very close relative or friend who has strayed away and so far from God’s vineyard. And we pray every day for their conversion.

 And as time goes on, they seem no closer than before we started to pray. But, with our persistence in prayer on their death bed they ask for a priest, seeking forgiveness of their sins.

 And on that day, on their death bed, a priest brings one of God’s lost souls into his vineyard. On that day, we are not jealous for their entrance into heaven even though they worked only an hour in his vineyard.

 We are filled with tears of joy. A conversion. We knocked and a door was open. Yes, we pray for ourselves, that we stay the course, but we have an obligation to pray for the conversion of all sinners; those who are close and those who may be strange to us.

 And if just one lost soul seeks God’s mercy due to our prayers, St. James tells us “That whoever brings a sinner back from error of his way, will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

 Like the Good thief, taking his last breath, the Lord is near to all who call upon Him. He is right by their side. And like the Good Thief, our Lord is saying to that very soul, he has forgiven them.

 And we praise God for prayers answered when we realize that every Good Thief, every sinner, anointed by a priest, whose sins are forgiven, may be hearing the precious and eternal words of Jesus, “Today you will be with me in Paradise”. We do have a very generous God.

 

 

 

Heaven is like bacon or is bacon like heaven

 It’s large puffy white clouds. It has the smell of lavender, or the fresh scent of clothes hanging in the day time sun. You can see forever. You are with all your love ones. These are some of the answers I get when I ask kids, “What is heaven like”.

I suppose I look at it a bit differently. It’s when everything just seems to be working the way it should, the body, the mind, and the spirit. And a true taste of heaven is family. Just this past summer, my wife and I went camping with some of our children and grandchildren.  It was the first time in over twenty years and we went hard core; in a tent, on an air mattress, and in a sleeping bag.

But, what a beautiful experience, to wake up to the smell of fresh coffee brewing on a camp fire. It doesn’t get any better than that. That is, until the aroma of hickory cured bacon fills the entire camp ground as it sizzles on that same open fire. I know not all will agree, but to me “That moment was a taste of heaven”

And, I really believe God gives us those moments, blessings from heaven, to help us reflect on his generosity.  And, to thank him for all the wonderful gifts he provides.

Just this very day is another gift from our Lord. It is this very day that Jesus tells us. "You must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect". Yes, every day is a gift to be used wisely, to prepare and to be thankful.

God gives us all an allotted time on this earth, a definite time in which we are to achieve His divine plan for our souls.

No, we don’t know when Jesus will come, so we live each day in hope. As St. Paul has said “if we hope for what we do not see we wait with endurance”.

What will heaven be like? Who really knows? But, I’ll bet it’s worth living for.

Do whatever He tells you

 Think back to all the weddings you have ever attended and I’m sure more than one stands out because something unusual happened at the Church or the reception.

 At a wedding, things can go wrong?  The cute and adorable ring bearer, refuses to come down the aisle, and just stands at the back of the church.  At the reception, the bride accidentally throws the bouquet of flowers into the ceiling fan.

 Then there’s the toast by the best man, who begins with, “I really haven’t prepared anything to say and I don’t like speaking in front of people” and twenty minutes later is still talking.

 Then there was a wedding where the grandmother of the bride became very sick and couldn’t attend the ceremony, but asked a special favor since she couldn’t be there.

 She, said, could someone read from Scripture, 1 John 4:18 which beautifully says: “There is no fear in love; instead perfect love drives out fear.”

 Unfortunately, instead of 1 John 4:18, they quoted from John 4:18, without the 1 at the wedding: “For you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband.”

 Yes, Things can go wrong at a wedding. And at Cana something went wrong at this wedding Jesus and His Mother attended.

 They ran out of wine, and in that culture to run out of wine was considered a sign of disrespect.

 Mary is the first to notice, and says to Jesus, “They’ve run out of wine.” What follows next are two statements that can sum up this entire Gospel, that can probably sum up all of Scripture.  

 Jesus says, “My hour has not yet come.” And, Mary responds with the wisest words ever spoken. “Do whatever he tells you,” she tells the servants.

 But, God the Father, through the voice and heart of Mary, makes this the very hour. She knows through the power of the Holy Spirit; her Son has the answer. The Hour has truly arrived.

 In all things we do, we must hear our Mother’s words, “Do whatever he tells you”.

 And what He tells us is on every page of Scripture, words we must absorb and live, for He tells us, “whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. 

 Our Blessed mother’s heart went out to the poor young couple and she interceded for them, not to the servants but to Jesus. She does the same for us.

 The interesting thing is she was not discouraged by Jesus’ response, nor did she repeat her request.  She simply tells the servants to do whatever He tells you.

 Through Mary, the servants followed Jesus’ command.  Not a moment of doubt, not a protest – they simply obey. 

 Mary, our Blessed Mother needs to be in our life, bringing us to Jesus and helping us as we battle Satan on our journey.  And just as the servants obeyed, we too must promptly obey and do whatever Jesus tells us.

 There was a miracle at Cana, the water was made wine.  But, a more beautiful miracle is performed every day on our altars; a little bread and wine are changed into the Body and Blood of Christ, His Soul and Divinity and given to us as nourishment for our souls.

 And St. Peter says it so well, “I have tasted the sweetness of the Lord”.

 Jesus tells us “come to me all who are burdened”, and our Blessed mother tells us, “Do whatever He tells you”. “Come to me all who are hungry, are thirsty, who are weary”. Come to the table of plenty, and I will give you rest.

 God wants nothing more than for our journey on this earth to lead us to him. For some it will, for others it may not.

 Heaven depends on our true love for God, and so he tells us, “If you love me, keep my commandments”.

 In our life, like a wedding, there are so many things that can go wrong. And in our life, Mary our Mother’s heart is always ready to help, for she loves us all.

 We need to reach out to her, asking her to intercede for us, to talk to Jesus in our behalf.

 Who better to help than the one who gave birth to Love Himself? Let Her words inspire you and take them to heart. See the compassion, see the face of Mary with all her love looking at you and saying, “Do whatever he tells you.”

 

Forgive and find the freedom

Every word we read in Scripture is truth and Jesus tells us “the truth will set you free”. In today’s Gospel there is a question presented to Jesus from Peter. He wants to know how often should we forgive someone? Is there a limit? Is seven times enough?

And Jesus’ answer may have astonished his listeners back then, as well as today. But His answer is truth. Seventy times seven He says. Without forgiveness, we become prisoners ourselves, holding on to the hurt and the emotions. Forgiveness is never easy, and Jesus knows that. He knows we are human with feelings and that we have a tendency to hold on to all emotions; those that bring joy, sadness and even revenge and hate.

What Jesus is telling us is in the power of forgiveness is freedom. When we forgive, God forgives us. We pray often that He forgives us our sins as we forgive those who have sinned against us. That is the Lord’s prayer that holds many of the truths of our Christian faith, and it is that truth that will set us free. Let us pray for each other that God gives us the strength and the grace to carry out His will of forgiveness.

The Miracle Doctor

 

Remember the old saying, “Is there a doctor in the house”? It’s usually said by someone after seeing another person become ill or in an accident. And, I’m sure we all can agree, doctors rarely make house calls any longer.

 But in many of our readings in Scripture, Jesus is the doctor in the house and one who makes house calls. And the most powerful doctor you’ll ever find.

 The Gospels can be full of surprises and in one particular Gospel it is a demon, possessing the body of a man, who reveals who Jesus is to us and he says, “I know who you are, you are the Holy One from God”. It is a demon who understands the almighty power of Jesus. And our Lord responds with authority, “Quiet, come out of him. The Doctor is at work, the healing is beginning, the man is saved.

 We need to examine how we personally look at Jesus and his power. The doctor of our soul. His power can save our lives?  His power can heal us.  With this power, we will feel the love and the embrace of the one who forgives us. And with that forgiveness, a new life begins.

 Yes, evil is here in this world and uncleaned spirits roam the earth. We are in the thick of a battle called spiritual warfare, but we must believe that God is more powerful than any evil. And, it is He, who has the power to heal any soul that calls out to him.

And what a gift he has given us, the Holy Spirit. It is the gifts of the Holy Spirit that help us to see and understand the evil that has penetrated our American society. It is those gifts that help us see through the many false teachings of the Church by people with an agenda

Call on the true doctor. He thrives on house calls, so invite Jesus to make your heart his home. Make Jesus your spiritual doctor.

 

Do you want to get well?

It happens so often in life. No matter how careful, or what preventive measures we take, we can still get sick. And when we do, we look for the cure, be it from a doctor, or some kind of medicine or prayer. Yes, sometimes even a miracle

 We see that in one of the Gospels. The man born crippled, lay at the healing waters at the pool of Bethesda, but was unable to reach to waters for healing because of his condition.

“Do you want to be well” Jesus asks the man. A question where you would expect a yes or a no. But the man responds by saying how difficult it is to get to the pool. 

Was that an excuse? Was he, after all these years, just giving up? Was hope fading quickly? Did he believe that he would die a cripple?

Many of us find ourselves in the same boat, making excuses for why God isn’t first in our lives. Giving up our prayer life and losing hope, allowing our surroundings and circumstances to be our master.  But God will always ask us “do you want to be well”

Of all the people at the pool that day, Jesus singles out this hopeless man. Where there was doubt, he awakens hope by asking the man a simple yet searching question "Do you want to be well?" 

But, the man, in his heart said yes, but the excuses poured out as to why he was not well. And Jesus, reading his heart, said "rise, take up your mat and walk!"

Like the crippled man, God knows our heart and will not force our hand against our will.  He reads our heart, not our excuses.

And on that day, that hopeless man was healed, and just like that man, of all the people in the world today, Jesus is speaking to you and to me, as if it were you and I alone in this vast world.

If we have but a spark of hope, if we say yes in our heart, Jesus will ignite that spark to a flame of love. He will heal our doubt and we will begin to “walk by faith and not by sight”.

It is through that faith that we truly see the world as it is. We become aware of the needs of those around us, especially in those who need those healing waters.

We realize we have gifts and resources we can share to people losing hope. We become a people of hearing and of acting upon God’s charitable words, “Whatever you do for the least of my brethren, that you do unto me”.

Jesus never touched that crippled man at the pool that day, the man who lost hope. He just said, “rise, take up your mat and walk”.

Through our charitable acts, We, too, can be the one who is instrumental in helping another of God’s children walk away from hopelessness.

We can do all things through faith, which brings us hope to enable us to love those in need. Saint Leo the Great once said, “If God is love, charity should know no limit, for God cannot be confined”.

Corporal works of mercy, charity, sharing our talents, and walking in this world the way Jesus walked on this earth builds upon our foundation of faith hope and charity.

Purity of mind and deed, living our lives truly desiring to be a saint will inspire us to be the working miracle, and a possible cure for depression and hopelessness in others.  Bringing those to the waters to be healed.

And our hearts will cry with love when we can say the same words that Jesus said to the man he healed after seeing him sometime later.

 “Look you are well”. It is our faith and our love for God and neighbor that really has the healing power by lifting our prayer to God.

There is an old proverb that says, “Where There is Hope There is Faith Where There is Faith Miracles Happen”

  

Beware of the wolf

 

There is a verse in the Gospel of John that Jesus directs to the Pharisees. He tells them, “you belong to your father the devil and you willingly carry out your father’s desires. “

 And Jesus continues by telling them that the devil was a murderer from the beginning and when the devil tells a lie he speaks in character because he is a liar and the father of lies.

 We live in a world today that is comprised of truths and also full of lies. And for many it becomes a battle, a spiritual battle decerning what is truth and what is false. Many have surrendered, believing in the lies of the world.

 The devil has many earthly laborers disguised as spiritual in character, claiming false truths and yet denying the foundation of our Christian moral beliefs. The devil has friends in high places of authority.

 And the devil and his army, as Jesus himself as said, “those dressed in sheep’s clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves”, are winning the battles of this world. But we know who wins in the end.

 So, the warfare continues and we who are reading this know that we are children of God and we continue to overcome the devil, because as John tells us in his letter, “because greater is He who is in you than he who is the world.

 Go into your inner room and speak face to face to the one who died for our sins; one who loves us and shepherds us away from the worldly pleasures and false beliefs of our times.

 Yes, go into your inner room and close the door, resting under his wings, not fearing those whose voice is strong, but whose gospel is false. Jesus is our strength who fights each battle with us.

 Jesus, we are here, right now, in your home. Listen to our petitions and guide us and our country to feel your loving presence, free our nation and the many people from the hold of Satan. Give us peace.

Amen