If I were a rich man

Yesterday, Jesus brought his good friend Lazarus back to life. A miracle of love and compassion and a demonstration of God’s almighty power and authority. Today I want to talk about another Lazarus, a beggar whose body was covered with sores. A man who was so helpless that he couldn’t even chase away the street dogs pestering him by licking his sores.  Tired, helpless and giving up on life.

He had no food and he was hungry not knowing when his next meal would come. His prayer was that he could just catch the crumbs dropped on the floor from the rich man’s table. In those days, there were no knives, forks and manners were somewhat different by today’s standards.

Food was eaten with the hands and, in very wealthy houses, the hands were cleansed by wiping them on chunks of bread and many times the dirty bread was just thrown to the ground.

And there was Lazarus, a poor man with no strength, just waiting at the rich man’s doorpost for a small piece of bread. It never came. And the rich man showed no mercy, no love, no compassion. And meal after meal, the rich man satisfied his appetite, while the beggar got nothing. Yes, every day God gave this rich man a Lazarus to feed, and every day, the rich man looked the other way.

The beggar died and the angels carried him to heaven. God does take care of the poor. “This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.” 

Every day, but today more than ever, God gives us some type of a Lazarus. Someone or a situation to show our love for the least among us. Day after day he puts a Lazarus in our life, the homebound, the unemployed, the sick, the tireless worker, those keeping food on our shelves and those aiding the dying.

Yes, there is a Lazarus somewhere in our life and there may be many in what we are experiencing today. Just as God gave the rich man the opportunity to show mercy to Lazarus, God is given us that same opportunity. A willingness out of love to share our good will, not to horde our goods; to be considerate of our neighbor and to make someone feel somewhat human again. That’s how we will be judged.

What sin did the rich man actually commit? What did he do wrong that gave him eternal hell? It was what he didn’t do, he didn’t notice Lazarus. No, he was so engrossed in his own comfort, his own pleasures, satisfying his own appetites. We see that today. For many it is a “for me only world”.

There are, and will be Lazarus’ today, who also have choices, and he chose to bear his condition with patience and trust in God, and for that he was rewarded. Yes, Lazarus was the Rich man’s ticket into heaven and day after day he refused to help with his pain and so entered eternity in misery. And as the story goes, that rich man became the beggar from hell, while Lazarus entered into heaven with the Lord.

We must always remember what Jesus has said, “whatever you do to the least of my brothers, that you do unto me”. Check in on someone today. Remember, some of our closest friends can be so proud, and yet need us.

Bound and waddled

Well, this isn’t the first time in my life that I’ve been part of a quarantine. Many years ago, as a small child, I came down with a contagious disease called scarlet fever, and the city’s Board of Health plastered a huge “quarantine” sign on the front door and our entire family was in isolation.  Back then we had deliveries and the milkman was so frightened he left the milk bottles about twenty feet from the house, and probably didn’t take a breath either hurrying back to his truck.

 Friends and relatives would leave food and necessities at the front door, knock and run away. Finally, a few weeks later, the doctor gave us the all clear sign and life returned to normal, and the quarantine message removed.

Many of us are not living in complete isolation, although we may be experiencing cabin fever. But life is definitely different. We just want to “come out” of this tomb we are living in.

And yes, that brings me to today’s Gospel, to the tomb of Lazarus; to the incredible story of Jesus and his friend and the power of his divine nature.

Yes, Lazarus his friend was dead and the pain that must have been in the human heart of Jesus was recorded for us, “Jesus wept”. The shortest verse in all of Scripture showing the human side and compassion of Jesus. “Lazarus, come out”.

Sometimes I think of the lighter side of this and can only imagine Lazarus, like a mummy, tied at the hands and the feet and a veil wrapped around his face. Suddenly, he hears his voice being called, “Lazarus come out”. He can barely walk, probably taking small waddling baby steps and blinded by the veil, attempting to make his way to the light at entrance of the tomb. Maybe, too, wondering what that stench is in that room.

But then I begin to reflect and think of how much Lazarus is like some people we may know - Dead to God and bound by sin. And yet, Like Lazarus, each of us is loved by Jesus, in ways we can’t imagine.

It is no different for us, and those we may know, as Jesus wept over Lazarus, he weeps over our sufferings and calls us by name to come out of our own tombs of darkness and unbelief. “Untie him and let him go”. He weeps until we are free and back in his flock.

Yes, there was power that day, a miracle in the tomb. And we know Jesus cried, became troubled and he was extremely upset.  He prayed to our Heavenly Father, and the dead man came out. The crowd was in awe. “Untie him”. Untie this man bound in sin. Lazarus, our very image, is free to live his life, grateful he came back from the dead. 

There were no words exchanged between Jesus and Lazarus, but I can imagine there was much said between the hearts of these two friends. They both went into their inner room, and their souls joined as they stood there both reflecting on that moment.

We are in a quarantine, some in isolation. We may be bound, or overburdened with hardships and sufferings. It is a time when we can go deep into our own inner room and converse with God. Praying to be untied, unwrapped from what is keeping us from truly experiencing God.  

Yes, Jesus weeps for every soul who struggles, for every person who battles the forces of this world. And he protects those who seek his help, “God’s faithfulness is a protecting shield”. Be closer to him than ever before, for “All who call upon me I will answer”. He is the light and wants our veil removed to see his true light. So he calls us by name and tells us, “Come out”.

A Lent we will never forget

As time came closer for his Passion, Jesus told the Pharisees that he is going away. He will be leaving them. He even insinuated that when he does leave them, at some point, they will realize what they have missed.  It is then, too, they will realize something great slipped through their hands.

In our own lives, we know God certainly does work in mysterious ways. God provides us so many opportunities, sends us signs, talks to our hearts, and we ignore them and they don’t return. 

That for God, there is no time. As Peter said, “that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day”. But, for us on this earth, life and time are limited.  We only have so much time on this earth to make our decision to follow Jesus and none of us know how limited that time may be.

For every opportunity God sends our way, we must seize the moment. Every day, God askes us to draw closer to him, to renew our promises, to strengthen our determination. It is on these very opportunities that we ignore, we will be judged.  We didn’t seize the moment to renew our relationship with God, to die to self, and place our trust in him.

And it is through prayer that we fortify our faith, opening our ears to the voice of God. It is through prayer that we exercise our God given gift of our free will and worship him and give his thanks

It is lent, and a lent we will never forget. For many of us, it may truly be that opportunity God is sending our way, an opportunity not to ignore. It is a lent to listen to the voice of God. To put our soul in order, to straighten out our path. It is a time to reflect on where we want our spiritual life to lead us.

Don’t let this opportunity, something great, slip through your hands and when it is too late, realize what you have missed.

Bring it to the shores

“Follow Me”! Gentle, yet powerful words from Jesus. Gentle, but so strong are these two words that maybe they were even a command. At the very least, an invitation, “Follow Me”.

When I was in the service in Ft. Benning Ga, there was a very moving and inspiring statue on the grounds of Ft. Benning simply known as the “Follow Me” statue, a Memorial, depicting an infantry soldier charging forward and gesturing for others to follow.

“I am the Infantry!  Follow me”, it says. A motto instilled in the mind of every soldier.  And to follow takes courage, and those who have ever been in or prepared for combat have an appreciation of the meaning of courage.

To follow into the unknown, into any battle takes courage, and our journey in life to heaven places us in a battlefield every day of our lives. For many, today is a war.
The physical suffering we experience in life, the mental torture, and the spiritual combat of fighting for our life against satan and the forces of evil. These are our crosses, these are our battles, and, in spite of all these hardships, Jesus tells us to “take up your cross and follow me.”

“Follow Me”, Jesus said. It is not a suggestion, no, it is a command to follow Jesus into life’s battles and there we will find our strength, for he assures us, “I am with you always, even to the end of time”.
Yes, it takes courage to follow, soldiers have lost their lives on the battlefields; shed their blood for you and me.
“Follow me”, a motto for every Christian, is our key to heaven.  “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me”. He will never leave us alone

With courage, and through the power and grace of God, we become like that statue, charging forward, reaching out and gesturing for others to follow.
Our world may be in turmoil, and our lives being tossed on the rough seas of life. But there is an invitation to leave that world behind and to come to the shore for refuge.  It is at that shoreline we are rescued.
And when they brought their boats to shore, the apostles left everything and they followed him.

The healing power

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

Today’s Gospel is no different. The man born crippled, lay at the healing waters at the pool of Bethesda, but was unable to reach to waters for healing.

Jesus asks if he wants to be well and 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? Did he believe that he would die a cripple?

Many of us find ourselves in the same boat, making excuses for putting God first, even giving up 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?" It deserved a simple answer. 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. 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 our present crisis. We realize we have gifts and resources we can share, to people losing hope. We become a people hearing and 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”. We, too, can through our charitable acts, be the one who is instrumental in helping another of God’s children walk away from hopelessness.

Saint Leo the Great once said, “If God is love, charity should know no limit, for God cannot be confined”.

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.

Are you thinking what I'm thinking

Have you ever noticed how beautiful and radiant young couples look when they are truly in love? It’s almost like you read their hearts just by looking at their faces. They radiate a love, a happiness that can, many times, be contagious to those around them.

And it is also true that our actions, our priorities, can reveal who we really are, what we believe in, and where our treasures lie.

Some people may be very quiet about their inner lives. Their sufferings, their heartaches, their concerns are hidden from the world but, yet, the love and peace of Christ still shines through for the whole world to see.

We have all heard the expression, “You are what you eat”. Yes, to be fit and healthy, we eat foods that will not just satisfy, but nourish and strengthen the body.

There is also another expression, “you become what you think about most”. And today, those thoughts can be downright depressing if we allow them to control our mind. Once a seed, negative or positive is planted in our mind, it can spread even unconsciously.  

 “I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore, my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure”. Ps 16:18-19

God has made us so beautifully. He made us as a unified person with bodies to express what is in our heart. And he wants to be the center of our thoughts expressing that love in our hearts. He, wants to be what we think about most.

Don’t let this world and its allurements steer you away from inner peace. Sometime today, take a moment and ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart with you, to go deep into your most inner thoughts to strengthen that bond between you and God. And it is that bond that will allow you to respond to others with a greater love in this, their time of need. Let our face radiate with the love of Jesus.

“You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand”. Ps 16:11

Moments of desperation

The nation even the world is, for the most part, in some form of isolation, a lockdown, quarantined from each other. The worlds businesses are closed, and, sadly, the Churches, too, have locked many of their doors. It is a time of desperation for some, and for others a solitude that cries with loneliness. Our homebound and residents in nursing homes experiencing a prison like environment, many confined to their room, a cell, with no visitors.

Our country has taken a hard hit, shattering our nose, our economy, our freedom of living and religious practices. For some, they were blindsided, for this hit came unexpectedly. For others, a mental depression overshadows faith and hope and trust.

One of the most famous and favorite Gospel passages for many people is the familiar John 3:16, We’ve seen it on banners, at football games, on roadside billboards, some even have it tattooed on their body, Jn 3:16.

And behind that beautiful verse of love are the words, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life”.

There comes a time in our life when we realize we have no other place to go, but to God. Today, is that time in our life. We need His help, we need His direction for we have failed finding that guidance, direction and compassion on our own. We were blinded by our own desires.

And it is in these moments, in desperation that many of us are somehow magnetically pulled towards our Lord. We were blind, but now we see.

The man born blind in today’s Gospel was healed, but interestingly enough was not able to just see, but was sent on a spiritual journey from simply saying, “I was healed”, to sometime later, referring to Jesus as a prophet, and finally saying and believing in those most beautiful words, “I do believe Lord”. His faith progressed step by step, and he worshipped our Lord.

That must be our spiritual journey. Today, no Church, but yet we pray. No, Eucharist, but yet spiritually fed by our desire to receive His Precious Body and Blood. God must come first in our lives.

Yes, we pray for all those helping our nation, working to help us survive. Yes, we pray, that many who have been blind to God will come to experience the true light of Christ. Prayer is, as many of us know, the only weapon to battle against adversity and the devil. We have never been through anything like this before.

Even though we are in this severe crisis, God has provided many of us with that window of opportunity to reflect, to take some time and think about  those words, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life”.

God is telling us to wake up. I want you to see!  It is in those precious moments, when we go deep into our hearts, when we tell Jesus, “I do believe”, then it is when we will hear those beautiful words from Jesus,

 “I love you”.

How much does God love us? St. Augustine tells us, “God loves each of us as if there was only one of us to love”