22 July 2007
Homilies | 26 August 2007 | 15 July 2007
19th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year C (2004)
28/07/07 17:55
Ordinary 19-C (August 8, 2004)

At the top of your handout today, it says, “Life is Hard, but God is Good.” We’re going to look at that statement today. And we’re going to break it down into two parts.

The first part of the phrase: “Life is Hard” – how many would agree with that statement? Most of us! All we have to do is watch the evening news and we hear about tragedies and hardships all around. This is a simple statement of reality.

Last week, I heard the story of two stupid gringos who went down to Mexico to start a new business, and learned firsthand that life is hard. They went to Mexico to start a bungee jumping business. Bungee jumping is when you build a tall tower, tie an elastic cord to your ankle, then jump and bounce up and down like a yo yo. These two entrepreneurial gringos, once they got their tower built, decided to try it out. One waited at the top of the tower. The other tied the elastic cord around his ankle and jumped. On his first rebound, as he bounced upward toward his partner who was waiting at the top of the tower, he came up with a bloody knot on his head. On the second rebound, he had a black eye. On the third rebound, his ear was a huge bloody welt. On the fourth bounce, as he approached his gringo partner standing on the top of the tower, he belted out in a loud voice, “What is a piñata?”

Here at the parish, we become aware almost everyday of the harsh reality that life is hard. Last week, a young man from our parish who had just graduated from high school, who played in the band and was a very popular kid, suddenly died of cancer. Two weeks ago, another young man in our parish, 19 years old, was shot and killed. This morning, I just learned that a very active member of our Knights of Columbus – who was just in his 50s – keeled over the other day and died of a heart attack. Next week, we have the funeral of two small children who were killed in a car crash.

But now look at the second part of the statement: “God is good.” This is not so much a statement of reality, but rather, a statement of faith. In the midst of life’s hardships, do we give up, do we despair or curse God or become bitter and angry? Or do we hold on with the grip of faith and believe – even in the midst of tragedy and difficulty – that God is good? This is one of the deep philosophical and religious questions of all time: How do we reconcile a belief in a good God and the existence of evil and pain and suffering? Many years ago, a Jewish rabbi who lost his son to a childhood disease wrote a book with a very moving title: “Why bad things happen to good people?” Most of us have probably asked that very same question at some point in our lives.

In our second reading today, from the Letter to the Hebrews, we hear: “What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see.” (Heb 11:1)

A writer, Marshall Shelley, suffered a lot of pain and loss and tragedy in his life, especially the loss of his two children, who both died at a young age from childhood illnesses. He once was asked how he could continue to believe and have faith in God, despite these tragedies. Here is how he responded: “As a writer, I love to read books, especially novels. But every time I start to read a new novel, I start out confused. I need to learn the names of the all the many new characters, and I have to navigate the many twists and turns in the plot. But I continue reading to the end, because I believe and trust that the author knows the end of the story and will tie all the characters and all the plot twists and turns into a conclusion that makes sense and is worth the effort for me to persevere and to keep reading.” He goes on to explain that life is like a novel, and we are in Chapter 1 or Chapter 2 or maybe Chapter 3 – but the story is not yet finished, it keeps going on and on, and God is like the author who knows the end of the story, even though we don’t, and is controlling how the plot unfolds.

Faith. It is a journey, like reading a book. We don’t know the punch line yet. We don’t know exactly how the story is going to end. But we trust that the author – God – has a happy ending awaiting us.

In our gospel today, Jesus gives us five pointers to help us navigate on this journey of faith. The first pointer: Do not be afraid. Jesus begins today’s gospel by saying, “Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32).

How may of us get afraid from time to time? Most of us! We lock our doors, install security systems in our homes, lock the Club around the steering wheel of our car. I read last week of a man who spent all this money on the latest, fanciest home security system, then went on vacation. When he came back, he found thieves had broken into his house and stolen everything – including his fancy and expensive new home alarm system!

There is no real security, except when we trust and have faith in God. Invest in God’s security system, not the security systems offered to us by the world.

Last week, I rented and watched the movie, “Bowling for Columbine.” It looks at the shootings a few years ago by some students at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, and it asks the question: Why is there so much gun violence in the United States? In the movie, it shows a camera crew visiting Canada, where, unlike in the U.S., there is much less gun violence, even though Canada is a nation of hunters and people in Canada own even more guns, per capita, than here in the U.S. In Windsor, Canada, for example – which is a city of about 400,000 people, right across the river from Detroit, one of the murder capitals of the U.S. – police reported only one murder over the last six or seven years! But one thing is vastly different: In Canada -- people are not afraid!

How many here lock your doors at home? The director of this film found that people in Canada are not afraid, so they don’t even lock their doors. He took the film crew along to Toronto, a city of about four million people, and went apartment to apartment and house to house, checking to see if doors were open – and they were! People even in one of Canada’s largest cities are not afraid. They leave their doors open!

Fear is the tool of the devil. Jesus does not want us to live in fear. Faith frees us from living in fear. Did you know that back in the 1800s, when Thomas Edison invented electricity, they installed electricity in the White House. But the president at the time was so afraid of the new invention that he refused to even go near to the electric switches on the wall. He preferred to live in darkness, to live in fear. The first lights came on in the White House only when the servants would pass by and turn the light switches on or off! But another U.S. president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, at the start of the World War II, spoke wise and memorable words to the American people when he said: “The only thing we have to fear is – fear itself.”

Do not be afraid. And secondly, dare to risk. No risk, no gain – and that is especially true spiritually. Bungee jumping requires a risk. Parachuting out of an airplane requires some risk. Riding a roller coaster requires some risk. I’m not necessarily recommending any of those activities – but unless we take a risk, we will never experience the thrill. Jesus urges us to be risk takers in our faith – not just sit on the sidelines, watching as life passes us by, but not getting fully engaged, fully involved. Faith requires some risk of leaving our comfort zones and venturing out of our little circle of friends to bring the good news of Jesus to others, through our words and through our actions. In the gospel today, Jesus tells his disciples: “See your belongs and give alms. Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven that no thief can reach nor moth destroy. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.” (Luke 12:32-34)

A story is told about the Apostle Thomas, who was a risk taker. After Jesus’ death and resurrection, tradition tells us that Thomas became a missionary in India. There, according to legend, the king befriended him. The king asked Thomas to build him a huge new palace, and every week, the king would give Thomas money for the construction of the new palace. After many months and years, the king asked Thomas to show him the new palace. But Thomas explained, “Your majesty, the palace I am building you is in heaven. There you will see it, but not now. For the money that you have been giving to me, I have given to the poor. That is your palace.” Gutsy, right! A risk taker! Because he had faith in God.

Jesus’ third pointer in today’s gospel: Be prepared. That’s the Boy Scout motto! Jesus says, “Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.” (Luke 12:35)

Any procrastinators here? If you still have Christmas lights up on your home, you are a procrastinator! I heard that there is even a club for procrastinators. It now has 6,000 members, but they say another 30,000 people plan to join. Experts are saying that we can expect a major earthquake here in southern California at any time now – but how many of us have really taken special measures to get prepared?

I’m a procrastinator. I admit it. I put off things until the deadline looms, until a crisis is about to happen. I suspect most of us are like that at times. But not always. I read last week of an army artillery instructor who said there was a big difference between young soldiers in his classes in 1958 and in 1965. In the 1958 class, the soldiers would often fall asleep in his class. But in 1965, they were alert and on the edge of their seats, paying attention. Why the difference? In 1958, we were not at war. There was no urgency in learning about artillery. But in 1965, these young men knew that in a few months, they would be heading to Vietnam, and their lives might depend on whether they were alert and prepared and paying attention.

I remember when I first went to Mexico to learn Spanish. Most the students at the language school where I attended were just partying away the day. They learned very little Spanish. They were just trying to earn a few college credits, but soon would be heading back to their university studies in the United States. But I was different. I worked night and day to perfect my Spanish. And do you know why? Not because I was more responsible. It was because after language school, I knew I was being assigned to work a year in a parish in Mexico, where I would have to speak Spanish in order to survive!

Last week, I read about a men’s Bible study group. One of the men said to the others, “I hope I don’t die suddenly. I want to have time to straighten out some of my relationships.” One of his buddies in the Bible study group responded with a challenge: “Why not do it now? Why wait? If it is worth doing, it is worth doing now!”

That’s what Jesus is saying to us. Spiritually, don’t procrastinate. Don’t wait. Don’t postpone and put it off. Follow me now, wholeheartedly – not tomorrow, because none of us is promised tomorrow. Jesus wants us to be alert and awake and ready and prepared now – not falling asleep on the job.

And so, Jesus’ fourth faith pointer to us this morning is this: Heed God’s warning.

Our God is not a marshmallow God – soft, mushy, lovey dovey. Here, Jesus speaks some tough words of warning. And that is meant for our own good. It’s like a parent who disciplines and punishes a child – not because parents relish punishing their children, but because sometimes it is necessary for the long range good of the child.

In our gospel today, Jesus says: “That servant who knew his master's will but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will shall be beaten severely; and the servant who was ignorant of his master's will but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating shall be beaten only lightly. Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.” -- Luke 12:47-48

Now we really need to read this passage carefully. Jesus says that some servants will be beaten severely, but others will be beaten only lightly. Why the difference? What Jesus is saying is that he is not expecting the impossible from us. He understands our weaknesses, our human frailties. Those servants who through ignorance disobey God will be punished only lightly. But when we consciously, purposefully choose to turn our back on God, to enter into open rebellion – then we face harsh consequences.

Much will be required when we have been given much – and God truly has given all of us a superabundance of riches and blessings. Simply living in this country, with its many riches, means we have a special duty and responsibility to share of our riches with others who are poor and less fortunate in the world. If we fail to share, we risk the wrath and anger of God.

I especially tell parents that you have a sacred privilege – but more than a privilege, it is a sacred duty and responsibility – to share faith with your children, to guide and nurture them in the ways of God, the ways that will help them into eternity. But it is so sad that so many parents in our society today completely neglect to tend to the spiritual needs of their children – that get so busy on the treadmill of working for more and more money, and they neglect the more important spiritual things that will benefit their children until beyond even the end of time.

I’ve added another verse from the Bible on your handouts, from the Old Testament, from the book of the prophet Ezekiel. It says: “Do you think, asks the Sovereign Lord, that I like to see wicked people die? Of course not! I only want them to turn from their wicked ways and live.” -- Ezekiel 18:23 (NLT) God’s warnings are for our good, not because God relishes punishment and wrath and vengeance.

And that brings us to the fifth and final pointer to help us on our faith journey, the heart of the good news: Expect and embrace God’s blessings: “Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival. Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself, have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them.” -- Luke 12:36-37 (NAB)

This is truly a very odd statement in the Bible, completely upside down from what one would expect. It says that God wants to throw a feast and serve us, the servants! It affirms what Jesus said at the start of today’s gospel – “your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.” Instead of being servants, God sees us as friends, as his family and his children – and he wants to give us the keys to the house and the car and to everything he owns. He is giving us the inheritance!

What this is saying is that faith is not just us having in faith in God – but that God has faith in us! God believes in us and trusts that we will do the right things, make the right choices, be the hands and feet of God in the world who build up God’s kingdom. Life may be hard – but God is good! All we have to do is, in faith, expect and accept and embrace this trust that God has in us!

Anyone here like to go camping? I was almost tempted this morning to put up a pup tent, right here next to the altar. Camping is fun. We get to be outdoors in nature, building a campfire, telling stories, roasting marshmallows. But after a week of camping, isn’t it just wonderful to get back home and take a nice, hot shower and go to sleep on a soft bed and enjoy the comforts and modern conveniences of home? Think of life and our faith journey here on earth as “going camping.” But our real home is still ahead, in heaven with God. God has created us for marvelous, wonderful things, if we have eyes of faith. God has made us for eternity!

There’s a book out entitled “Life Spans, or How Long Things Last,” by Frank Kendig and Richard Hutton. How long do you think a shoe of a pro basketball player lasts? Just two months! How about a hockey stick used in pro-hockey games? Just two games. How about a soldier’s boot? In peacetime, 15 months. And in wartime, just three months. What’s the life span of a beer can thrown alongside the road? Eighty years! That’s why it’s not good to pollute! And how about us – how long do we last? Those without faith say 65, 70, 80 years or so, on average. But God says we last for eternity!

Look at the second to the last statement on your handout: Faith frees us from -- what? Right! Slavery!

In our first reading, from the book of Wisdom, it talks about the Passover: “The night of the Passover was known beforehand to our fathers, that with sure knowledge of the oaths in which they put their faith, they might have courage.” (Wisdom 18:6)

Passover is a celebration of faith and of freedom. It’s the annual celebration of the Jewish people who remember how God freed the people of Israel from their slavery in Egypt under Pharaoh and led them into the Promised Land. Jesus celebrated Passover at the Last Supper and offered himself as the sacrificial lamb to die for our sins so that we could experience spiritual freedom. Passover is a symbolic remembrance of God’s faithfulness so that we can take heart and be encouraged – that we can hold fast to our faith, willing and able to face life’s hardships with bravery and courage. Do not be afraid. Dare to take risks. Be prepared. Heed God’s warnings. Expect and embrace God’s promises of blessing.

Lots of people, unfortunately, walk without faith. The American writer, Henry David Thoreau, said, “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” Sad, but probably true. You see, God invites us to make a choice – freedom or slavery, faith or despair, belief or unbelief. It is up to us.

Nobody can compel faith. Nobody can make someone else believe. We can say, “Life is hard” and choose to leave it at that. Then all we have is “eat, drink and be merry” -- enjoy life while you can and live just for yourself – why bother to get involved in helping others or trying to make the world a better place – instead, just live for pleasure, just live selfishly and recklessly – for “life is hard, “ but there is nothing else. Reality, harsh and cold.

Or, with faith, we can proclaim, “True, life is hard -- but also, God is good.” Then we embrace God’s goodness and God’s purpose for our lives and God’s plan for our eternity. We dare to proclaim to all the world that life is not meaningless, that we are loved and created for eternity, that God has faith in us and we have faith in God!

If you saw the movie with Robin Williams, “Dead Poet’s Society,” there is a powerful scene where Robin Williams, as a teacher, show the students a black and white photo on the wall from the 1920s of young kids about to graduate from the school. They are smiling. Robin Williams tells his students, “Those teenagers were just like you – full of hopes and dreams for their future. But that was long ago, and now they are all dead. Seize the day,” he tells them. “Carpe Deum. Don’t waste your life. Don’t waste the opportunities and chances that God is giving to you.”

There’s a science fiction novel entitled “The Man who Lost Himself.” In the novel, he comes face to face with his twin double – except that his twin double is 20 years older. Look in the mirror at yourself and ask: Where will I be in 20 or 30 years? What do I want my life to be like? And start making it happen, now.

Finally, on your sheet, I’ve listed some faith heroes – simple, ordinary people like ourselves, but who embrace faith and made a difference because of it. And we can do the same.

Abraham and Sara. They are the heroes mentioned in our second reading – simple shepherds and farmers, but who listened to God and, in the Old Testament, with faith, decided to believe in God and follow God’s leading. God made life hard for them at first. They had to leave family and homeland and security and riches and become wanderers and nomads. But eventually, they were given the Promised Land and became the father and mother of a great nation, the people of Israel – because they trusted and walked in faith.

Franz Jagenstatter. You probably never heard of him. He was an Austrian peasant during World War II, married with two children, active as a sacristan in his church, young in his 20s when he was drafted into Adolph Hitler’s evil army. He refused to join and participate in evil. The Nazis beheaded him. He was willing to risk his life and die for his faith, an ordinary hero, a follower of God.

Peter Benenson. He founded Amnesty International, the largest organization in the world that fights against torture and in defense of human rights. He was just a lawyer sitting in England, reading the newspaper, when he came across the story of some students in Portugal who were imprisoned simply for their beliefs. That sparked him to take action, to begin a letter writing campaign in defense of the human rights of these young men. In faith, daring to take a risk, thus began Amnesty International.

Eduardo Delacruz. You’ve probably never heard of him. I saw his name in the newspaper just two days ago. He’s a New York City policeman. But when his superiors ordered him to arrest a homeless man who was asleep in a parking garage, but not breaking any laws, he refused to follow orders. He said, “Instead of arresting this man, who has committed no crime, let’s take him to a homeless shelter.” His superior officer said the homeless were trash, riff raff, cluttering the streets and needed to be rounded up and thrown in jail. Delacruz said, as a Christian, he believed all people, whether homeless or not, were children of God. Delacruz may lose his job, but because of faith, he refused to just follow the crowd. He decided instead to do what is right and to follow God.

Joseph Darby. He’s a sergeant in the U.S. military. He’s the one who blew the whistle on the abuse of prisoners by American soldiers at Abu Graib Prison in Iraq. He had faith. He was following his conscience. He decided to take a risk and do what was right, not what was safe or popular.

Simply, ordinary people like you and me – but heroes, because of their faith.

The choice is ours – follow the crowd, blend in, be spectators, do nothing, believe that life is hard, and leave it at that. Or: choose freedom over slavery by following Christ, by embracing the journey of faith. It means not being afraid. It means being willing to take risks. It means being prepared. It means heeding God’s warning. It means expecting and embracing God’s blessings. It means acknowledging that, yes, life often is hard – but also, proclaiming to all the world, that in the midst of life’s difficulties, there is more to the story than just that, much more – for God is in charge, God is still writing the story, God has faith in us and is using us, and truly, even though life is hard, God is good!
18th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year C (2004)
28/07/07 17:53
Ordinary 18-C (August 1, 2004)

On your handout, I’ve listed the seven deadly sins. Let’s read them together: Pride, envy, anger, greed, gluttony, laziness (sloth), lust. Which of these does Jesus speak more about than all the others? Which do you think is the most serious?

They are all serious, of course. But Jesus speaks more about Greed than any of the others on the list. Which sin? Jesus knew that greed can enslave us and even kill us. On your handout, it says: “Full Barns, Empty Souls” – and that is the problem of our times, isn’t it? “When Is Enough really Enough?” and “How We Can Experience True Riches,” not the false tinseltown artificial riches sold to us on TV or in Las Vegas?

One of the sad things is that people don’t want to hear about this problem. I heard last week about a church that offered a series of classes on the seven deadly sins – one talk on each of the different deadly sins. Can anyone guess which talk drew the SMALLEST crowd of attendees? Right – the talk on greed. Most of us think it’s the OTHER PERSON who is greedy, not me! But greed is like a virus and quietly sneaks up on us and invades our lives, almost without us even being aware of it.

I was reading just last week about a study. People were interviewed and asked what they would be willing to do for $10 million. The answers are surprising – or maybe not so surprising, but certainly sad -- 25 percent would abandon their families, 23 percent would engage in prostitution for a week, and 16 percent would give up their citizenship! Greed – it is all around. Just read the newspapers or watch the evening TV news – stories like the Enron scandal or Martha Stewart abound!

You may remember the joke about a young man, racing his car along the cliffs next to the ocean, when he lost control and the car went over a cliff. Luckily he was able to jump out of the car right before it crashed, but he was badly hurt. “My car, my car!” he moaned when the police and ambulance personnel arrived. “My new Porshe! My new Porshe.” But the paramedics said to the young man, “You have much worst problems than the loss of your car! When you crashed, you lost one of your arms, and it is bleeding right at this very moment.” The young man looked toward his missing arm and starting moaning, “My Rolex! My Rolex!”

I’ve brought with me two buckets. Pretend that these buckets represent our barns. In the first bucket, I’ve brought some items that represent the materialism of our world. Now one of our children has agreed to come up here and help me. [Invite child or teen to come forward and pull out items from the bucket]

Let’s look inside – car keys, wallet, credit card, remote control, CDs and DVDs, after shave (for the girlfriends).

Now let’s look at the second bucket, which represents what God wants us to fill our lives with. [Hand second bucket to youth]

Which is heavier? [Second bucket]

The world tells us that if we have all those things in the first bucket, we will be happy. But it is a lie. None of those material things can buy us happiness. God is the only one who can really fill up our barns with happiness and joy and purpose and meaning in life. In this second bucket, I have some candy – M & M’s – and these represent what makes our lives good and sweet and happy.

[To child or teen] What would happen if I fed you all these M & Ms? Right! You’d soon have a major stomach ache! That’s what happens spiritually to our souls when we become greedy and try to hoard things for ourselves. But now let’s suppose instead of eating all the M & M’s, you decided to share them and pass them around to others! Would that make you feel better about yourself? The great antidote to greed is generosity! Right now, if you want an M & M, hold up your hand, and our young volunteer here is going to practice generosity rather than greed by giving everyone one of the pieces of candy (which you can eat later, after Mass, if you wish].

On your handout, I’ve listed three levels of existence. All of us are at one of these three levels. The first is the level of existence. We’re just barely trying to survive. Many millions of people – especially in Africa and in other Third World nations – are trapped at this level of existence, where they are just trying to exist and survive, just trying to have enough food to keep from starving to death. In this country, most of us are NOT at this level!

The second level is that of success. We have the basic necessities taken care of. We have lots of options open to us – what kind of car to drive, what kind of food to eat, what kind of clothing to wear and TV to watch and music to listen to. That’s where I think most Americans are today.

But the third level is where God wants us to be – the level of significance. God doesn’t want us just existing, barely surviving, dirt poor; but God also doesn’t want us selfishly focused on ourselves and our own material needs. God wants our lives to have real meaning and purpose and significance, and that can only come when we truly start to follow him with all of our heart, soul, mind and being – when we are truly in a living relationship with him.

Unfortunately, the world offers us many false “temples” where we can worship the god of greed and selfishness: the malls, Wal Mart, sports stadiums, the swap mart, the casinos, or watching TV or surfing the internet. All these things have replaced God and church in the lives of many – maybe even most – people in our country today. God is on the sidelines, but these are the places where we really want to be.

I believe there are many reasons that these false gods have taken over our hearts and minds and lives. Much of it is greed. But also, that’s what the culture preaches, over and over, to our kids, everywhere they turn. We’re saturated in a consumerist and materialistic environment. Our kids are told by the television that they need designer clothes and expensive Nike sneakers to fit in and be popular with the other kids; that we need Nintendos and Game Boys and Sega Genesis and TVs and VCRs and DVD players and computers; that we need to drive fancy cars and live in houses with swimming pools and dress like movie stars in order to be happy. We need plastic surgery so we can look beautiful and young, not old and wrinkly.

Many of us also live in fear – we always want to have enough, and a cushion of protection against any possible future calamity. More than anything else, we strive for security in our lives. But let me tell you a secret: We’ll never find peace and security unless we first trust in God. God is the best security protection plan available.

God wants to transform our culture, not allow the culture to shape and transform us! But unfortunately, the opposite is happening in many places in our society.

When we succumb to the materialistic values of our capitalistic society, there are some bad results. Four of those are listed on your handout:

1. Greed blinds us. We do things we ordinarily would not do. Look at drug addicts who steal and even kill, just to support their habit. Last week, I read about a story of a man who stole a pile of gold coins from a store, but the police where right outside, attending to other business. They immediately arrested him, of course. But one of the policemen asked him, “Why did you decide to rob that store in bright daylight, and right in front of us?” The thief replied that the so wanted that gold that it blinded him to looking around to see who was watching as he stole from the store.
2. Greed messes up relationships. Look at the story in our gospel of the two brothers who are fighting over their inheritance. Greed can split families and lead to all sorts of anger, bitterness, resentment, anger.
3. Greed leads to frustration and resignation. We keep trying to accumulate more and more, but we never are happy. So we become frustrated, and even apathetic and resigned to the fact that we are never going to be rich, we’re never going to win the lottery, we’re never going to be happy. But of course, all of that is a big lie from Satan. God tells us that we don’t need material wealth to be happy.

Look at the verse on your handout from the book of Ecclesiastes, from our first reading today. This is one of the most pessimistic verses in all the Bible: “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” That’s the attitude of hopelessness and despair and pessimism and negativity that comes when we place all our trust in worldly goods and possessions – things that cannot and will not last/

There is a fourth and final tragic consequence to greed and materialism: Death. How many of us ever think of death? Probably not very often. Yet it is a daily reality of life. Look up on the TV screen for a moment. We’re going to watch a clip from the movie “Indiana Jones.” Notice the consequences of greed. [Show clip]

All of us are going to die, but the real question Jesus asks of us is this: How are we going to die? As fools or as wise people?

We play games with God. I heard a story of a guy who went in to work and his boss asked him, “Do you believe in life after death?” “Sure,” he replied. The boss then said, “Wonderful – because last week, when you took off from work to attend your grandmother’s funeral – well, she came in for a visit here yesterday.”

I’ve told the story of the man who was near death, so he asked his wife to place all their money into a box and put the box in the window sill of the attic, so that when he died, he could grab the box of money and possessions and take it with him to heaven on his ascent upward. He died, and the widow went to see if the money and material possessions were still there in the attic. Sure enough, they were still there. She then muttered to herself, “I knew I should have put that box in the basement instead of the attic!”

I’ve also told the joke of the Boy Scout, the scientist, and the priest who were in a small plane together, when the pilot suddenly came back and said, “We have a mechanical problem. See you later!” He then jumped out of the plane with a parachute. Looking around, the three passengers found two parachutes left. The scientist grabbed one and said, “I’m the smartest man in the world! The world can’t afford to lose me!” With that, he jumped out of the plane. The priest then said to the teenager, “I’m old. I’ve lived my life. But you still have your entire life ahead of you. So take the last parachute and save yourself.” But the boy replied to the priest, “Don’t worry, Father. The smartest man in the world just jumped out of the plane with my backpack!”

Look on your handout, what Jesus says to the man who was trying to cheat death and store all his possessions in barns: [Read Luke 12:20-21 – “Fool!”]

This man was not dishonest or corrupt or lazy or a blatant criminal or sinner. He was an ordinary Joe. But Jesus calls him a fool because he forgot what was most important – God. He was greedy and put money and material things before his faith in God. Notice how often the man keeps repeating: Me, me, me, I, I, I. He was blind to others and to eternity because greed had made it impossible to look at anything else but himself.

Leo Tolstoy wrote a novel about greed, about a man who was greedy for more and more and more land. One day, he heard about a great deal – for 1,000 rubles, he could have all the land he wanted. But there was a catch. He could only have the land if first he walked the perimeter of the land and returned to his starting point within 24 hours. He set out walking at one minute past midnight. The more he walked, the more land he wanted, so he walked further and further, faster and faster. As night fell, he realized it was a long way back to his starting point, so he started running. He pushed himself until, with just two minutes to spare, he arrived back at his starting point, exhausted. As he crossed the finish line, he fell to the ground – and died.

The comedian Jack Benny used to perform a skit in which a bandit held him up and demanded, “Your money or your life!” But Jack Benny would just stand there, forcing the bandit to repeat, “Your money or your life.” Again, Jack Benny just stood there. Finally, the bandit demanded, “What are you waiting for?” and Jack Benny replied, “I’m thinking, I’m thinking!”

In his first letter to Timothy, Paul tells us that the “love of money” is the root of all evil. Money in and of itself is not bad. But when we love money, when it becomes the top priority in our lives and squeezes out God, then it becomes an idol. (1 Timothy 6:10)

Jesus tells us, “Enter through the narrow gate.” (Matthew 6:13-14). “What does it profit a person to gain the whole world but to lose their soul?” Jesus asks (Matthew 6:26) Paul warns us of a day of judgment eventually (2 Corinthians 5:10)

Turn now to the back side of your handout. Our readings today offer us three antidotes to help us overcome greed.

1. Change our way of thinking. Paul in his letter to the Colossians says … (read Col. 3:1-2). Jesus tells us in the gospel… (read Luke 12:15). I remember a story of a man who often would go out to the lake and fish. He really enjoyed life. But one day, a rich man in a big limousine stopped and said to him, “I’ll hire you and you won’t have to laze around here anymore, day after day with nothing productive to do.” “Why should I do that?” asked the man. The rich man replied, “If you work hard, eventually you’ll make lots of money, maybe even own the company, drive in a limousine like mine, and be a real business success.” The man asked, “Why would I want that?” The rich man replied, “So that, once you have all that money, you can retire, relax, enjoy life, go fishing each day.” Replied the first man, “But that’s what I am doing now!”

2. Simplify our life. We don’t need all the toys and gadgets that clutter our lives. They just provide more stress, more things to worry about. We need alarms and security systems and extra insurance. We need to spend more time maintaining and repairing. But there is a cost. All that time we lose in taking care of “things” is time we could have used to be with our spouse or our kids. Jesus tells us: … [read Matthew 6:26, 33-34 about the birds]

3. Be generous. Nothing combats greed more than generosity. When we are truly generous, God repays us a hundredfold in contentment and happiness. In the Book of Acts, Luke reminds us of the words of Jesus: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35)

We are blessed, here in this country and here in this local community. None of us is starving or just on the verge of survival. And this has been a very generous community. Look at the box in the back of church today, full of back-to-school items to help needy kids who do not have parents but are in foster care. Look at the 10 percent we give away every week of our collection to help someone or some outreach in need. Look at our own tithing each week, and of our giving of time and talent.

When we are generous, our buckets won’t be full of material things that don’t buy real happiness, while our souls are empty. Rather, our souls and our buckets will be filled with the blessings of God. And then, on that day of judgment, Jesus will say to us, “Well done, my good and faithful servant. You who have been faithful in small things, come now, to your reward, which your Father has prepared for you from the very beginning of time.” (Matthew 25:21)

17th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year C (2007)
28/07/07 16:54

17th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year C
July 29, 2007

“Lord, Teach Us To Pray!”

I read last week a story of an elderly woman who entered church during the day to pray a rosary. She was all alone in the church except, unbeknownst to her, an electrician was in the attic of the church, making repairs. He looked down and saw the woman praying, but he was hidden in the rafters, so that she could not see him. He decided to play a small practical joke on her. He yelled out from on high, “I’m Jesus, the Son of God, and I am here to answer your prayers.” But the woman did not respond at all, and just kept praying in silence. The electrician, thinking the woman was perhaps a bit deaf, yelled out a bit louder, “I’m Jesus, the Son of God, here to answer your prayers.” Still no response from the woman. A third time, in an even louder voice, he bellowed out, “I’m Jesus, the Son of God, here to answer your prayers.” This time, the woman looked up and yelled out, “Son, please be quiet! I’m trying to talk to your mother!”

I heard another story about a wife who prayed fervently for the conversion of her business. Instead, the next day, the husband died. She then continued her pray: “Dear Lord, your are so great! You give me even more than I ask for!” (Wives – I suggest you NOT use this type of prayer on your husbands!)

In our gospel today, Jesus’ disciples ask him, “Lord, teach us to pray!” Today, we too are going to learn more about prayer and about praying.

First, a quick quiz: True or False:

God hears my cries.
God answers my prayers.
God forgives my sins.
God wants my happiness.
God watches over those who are poor.
God loves me unconditionally.
God loves my enemies.
God gives wonderful gifts to his children.
God deserves my praise and my thanks.

See, you already know a lot about prayer, because you answered all of those questions correctly. All those questions have to deal with our relationship with God, how God cares for us and loves us, and how we are asked to love God back in return. And that’s really what prayer is all about.

How many here pray? Here are a few quick statistics:

82 percent of adults in the United States pray at least once each week – 88 percent for women, 75 percent for men.

Each prayer lasts, on average, about 5 minutes.

21 percent of adults pray regularly with their family – 25 percent for Protestants, 13 percent for Catholics. Us Catholics need to work on this and pray more with our kids!

Couples who pray together regularly have much more successful marriages – the divorce rate is only 1 in every 1,000 marriages for such couples.

89 percent of African Americans pray regularly, but only 82 percent of Hispanics and only 80 percent of Anglos. Do you think there is some room for improvement?

Don’t answer this out loud, but give yourself, in your mind, a grade on your prayer life – A, B, C, D or F. Don’t tell the grade you gave yourself, but answer this: How many think there is room for improvement in your prayer life? You see, none of us is really an expert on this thing called prayer. We all need to work on it. So, Lord, teach us to pray!

Anyone here know what the most dangerous prayer is? I say “dangerous” in the sense that, if we say this prayer with sincerity of heart and really mean it, this prayer will change us profoundly. Here’s that prayer: “Lord, use me!” It’s “dangerous” in the sense that, if we really mean it, God will change us and God will use us and God will send us – and that can be a bit scary, because, if we’re honest, most the time we just want God to bless us, to give us what we want, but not to send us off to do something that is outside our comfort zone. But the prayer God wants from us is that prayer: “Lord, use me!”

Let’s look at what prayer is, and what prayer is not.

First, I brought with me a bottle of aspirin. What is this used for? Right, when we have a headache. But otherwise, aspirin just sits on a shelf in the bathroom, unused. Some people think God is like an aspirin – turn to Him in prayer, but only when we have a spiritual headache, only when we need a favor. God is like our cosmic Santa Claus, ready to dispense whatever we ask, when we need it. And if God fails to grant our request, we pout and get mad. I also brought with me a wallet. Is it full or empty? [Show one of the children that it is empty. Hold it high in the air and pray, “Lord, please, please, my wallet is empty. Please fill it with a thousand dollars!”] Is that an authentic prayer? Of course not!

Jesus told his followers: "When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. (Matthew 6:5-8, NAB)

Prayer is not superstition. It’s not babbling a bunch of empty words without really even thinking about what the words mean. It is not trying to impress others like a hypocrite. It is not selfishly just asking God for things – give-me, give-me, give-me. I remember back in 1999, when I first moved to the Coachella Valley. There was a big earthquake here – and the following Sunday, church was packed. But a month later, life was back to normal. Or remember after September 11th. People flooded the churches then. But where are they now? We tend to run to God in times of crisis, but forget God when times are good.

Prayer is more like a radio. [Show radio] Right now, it is disconnected. Without prayer, our lives lack power, lack the electricity because we are disconnected from God. At this very moment, we are surrounded by radio waves, but without a radio that is plugged in, we cannot tune in to those radio waves. Prayer is like that radio, that connects us so that we can tune in to God. Or even better, prayer is like a pair of walkie talkies – because prayer is not just one way. It is a conversation, a dialogue, friends talking to friends. We do not just talk to God, we talk with God. Think of Abraham in our first reading, debating with God about if He would destroy Sodom and Gomorrah if there were 50 righteous people living in the city, or 40, or 30, or 20, or 10 – but there was a real dialogue, a real conversation, a real friendship between Abraham and the Lord. And that’s the same kind of relationship God wants with us!

Blaise Pascal, the 17th century French philosopher, said, “Prayer is one of the ways that God chooses to share His infinite power with us.” Mother Theresa of Calcutta once said, “When we pray, we are expanding our capacity to receive God.”

Philip Yancey, a popular modern Christian author, once wrote, “I’ve always had two main struggles in life. The first is why God doesn’t always do what I ask and what I want. The second is why I don’t always do what God asks and wants. And these two themes, these two questions converge in prayer.” It is here, at the intersection of our questions and doubts, and our weaknesses and our failings, that we learn to talk to God, to trust in Him, to pray.

Let’s look quickly at four key aspects about prayer:

First: We need to learn how to prayer. It is not automatic. None of us are born as experts. That’s why Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Lord, teach us to prayer.” That’s why Saint Paul says, in Romans, “We do not know how to pray as we ought.” (Romans 8:26, NAB) All of us are students, on a journey, on a fantastic adventure of learning how to connect more and more with our Lord!

Second: We must have the right attitude. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed: "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will." (Matthew 26:39, NAB) Note that Jesus spoke openly and honestly about the yearnings of his heart – “Let this cup pass away from me.” God wants us to also speak openly and honestly to him about our deepest yearnings and desires in our hearts. But the second part is all-important, because, ultimately, it is not about my will, but about God’s will for my life and God using me, not me using God – “not as I will, but as you will.” “Thy will be done,” we pray, “on earth as it is in heaven.”

Third: We must persevere in prayer. Saint Paul tells us in his letter to the Colossians, “Persevere in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.” (Colossians 4:2, NAB) Many people misunderstood why Jesus urged us to persevere in prayer. Perseverance is not for God’s sake, but for ours. Think about examples in our everyday life: For example, why we want our children to persevere in their studies, their homework – because perseverance develops self-discipline, so that we can be successful in life. We persevere in prayer so that we stay focused on what is most important in our life, our relationship with God, and not get distracted or sidetracked by the idols of the world.

In our gospel today, Jesus tells a parable about perseverance – but it is a story often misunderstood and misinterpreted. In the story, a man knocks on the door of his neighbor late at night, asking for bread to feed a friend who has unexpectedly arrived at his doorstep. But the neighbor is asleep and doesn’t want to get up. In the parable, Jesus urges us to persevere, to keep knocking – because, eventually, perseverance will pay off. The neighbor eventually will get up and get the bread, if not out of friendship, then at least because he is tired of our knocking and nagging and making lots of noise. The problem is that many people, when they interpret this parable, think of God as like the neighbor who doesn’t want to get up, who doesn’t want to answer our prayers – but if we just keep knocking, if we just keep nagging, then eventually we’ll get our way because God will get tired of us bothering him.

It’s at the end of the parable that we hear the correct interpretation: “What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the holy Spirit to those who ask him?" (Luke 11:11-13, NAB) Jesus’ point is that God is NOT like the neighbor who didn’t want to get up in the night. God isn’t even like human parents, who give good things to their children. God is better than all of them. God gives the very best to His children – to us. We just need to stay connected to him, and he will take us through our struggles, through our pains, through our sorrows and our joys, to fullness of life in all its abundance.

The final point is this: In prayer, we need to have correct expectations. You see, God doesn’t always give us what we ask, but God always gives us what we need. Sometimes, God answers “Yes” to our prayers. But sometimes, God answers “No,” just like a good parent tells a child “no” when the parent knows that what the child wants really isn’t good for the child. And sometimes, God answers “Later” or “Maybe.”

I often use the example of two people, on the same day, each praying to God, but one asks for rain for his crops, the other asks sunshine for his picnic. Obviously, God can’t give both of them what they want at the same time! Or, since I’m a sports fan, I often think of Notre Dame football. I’m always praying for the Fighting Irish to win. But I also know that there are lots of USC fans who are praying for their team to win – and, obviously, both teams can’t win if they are playing against each other. Last week, I heard another joke – about a man in the woods who encountered a ferocious bear. He cried out to the Lord, “Save me from the bear!” To his relief, he opened his eyes and saw that the bear and stopped its attack and was paused on the ground in front of him. He cried out, “Lord, thank you for answering my prayer!” But then, the bear cried out at the man and said, “Please, quiet down. I’m trying to say grace before my meal.”

We are God’s children. God wants us to turn to Him with our struggles and our needs. We pray for those who are sick. We pray for healing. We pray for our marriages and our children. All of this is good. But in the end, we pray, “Lord, your will, not mine, be done,” and we pray, “Lord, use me, however you want, and I am open and willing to do your will, not mine.”

Read with me again the last line in the parable in today’s gospel: “What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the holy Spirit to those who ask him?" (Luke 11:11-13, NAB) Notice – and this is a very important, but often overlooked detail – Jesus doesn’t say that his Father will give you whatever you ask, if you just persevere. Rather, he says that the Father will give you the Holy Spirit. You see, God gives us not just what we ask for, but, even better, what we really need – His Power, His Spirit, His Life in us, so that we can live for Him and fulfill our true purpose and destiny for being on this earth, which is God’s purpose and plan for my life.

Let’s conclude with a few very practical points about prayer:

First: Prayer is more than just asking God for something. Those are called “Prayers of Petition.” But prayer also is praising God. Prayer also is thanking God. Prayer is also asking God for forgiveness and for strength to do His will.

Second: There are many styles of prayer, suited for different temperaments and different personalities and different circumstances, and none is better – nor worse – than another. There are prayers in a group, and prayers individually; there are prayers that are formal, like the Mass or like the rosary at a funeral, and there are prayers that are informal, in our own words and spontaneous. There are prayers that are meditative and contemplative, in silence or with gentle, background music; and there are prayers that are exuberant, charismatic, clapping and singing and praying in tongues. Any and all prayer makes God happy, if it is authentic and comes from our heart.

How can you make your personal prayer life better? Here are just a few simple suggestions:

1. Find one place where you find it easy to pray – away from distractions, away from interruptions. Maybe it’s in your car, or in your back yard, or in the bathroom. Maybe it’s taking a walk through a park. But find a space for prayer.
2. Find a time for prayer – a regular time, each day, where you can develop a rhythm. Perhaps it’s the morning, before everyone else in the family wakes up. Maybe it’s at night when the rest of the family has gone to sleep. Maybe it’s during a break at work, or after work, but before you go home.
3. Use the Bible. I recommend staring with the Book of Psalms, because these are prayers and hymns, beautifully written, that really speak from the depths of the heart.
4. Pray at home with your family, especially with your kids. Teach them to pray – not memorized words necessarily, but what is best is to teach them to pray in their own words, to just talk to God. Bless them in the morning and at night before they go to bed. Say prayers together as a family. Pray before each meal.
5. Say little prayers often, in the little pauses of each and every day – just a one word or one sentence thanksgiving or praise to the Lord. In this way, we practice the presence of God with us in each and every moment. I always remember Brother Lawrence, a simple cook who prayed as he worked in the kitchen and who was able to see and enjoy the presence of God in each and every person and in each and every moment of the day – because he was tuned in to God and to God’s frequency through prayer.
6. Don’t forget formal prayer – church each Sunday, at least, or, even better, daily Mass and daily Eucharist. You see, the Mass is prayer and we ought not to miss, because God feeds us at Mass with His Word and with the Eucharist.
7. To learn more about prayer, go to our parish website, www.soledad-coachella.org. We have resources in English and in Spanish on the web page about prayer and spirituality.
8. Finally, I want to urge you, starting today, to begin praying fervently for the success of our efforts to build a new church here in Coachella. You see, the opportunity to build a new church doesn’t come around very often, maybe only once every 30 or 40 or 50 years. It will take a lot of effort, a lot of work, a lot of energy and commitment on the part of all of us. It will require lots of sacrifice. But most of all, it will require lots and lots of prayer, and without prayer, it will not be successful. So join together, and as one family, all of us praying together, there is definitely God’s power when we are praying.


So: What is the most dangerous prayer of all? “Lord, use me.”

ENDING ONE:

Learn to pray that pray authentically, sincerely, from the heart – and it will become a prayer that will change and transform you, deeply and profoundly – so that you, in turn, can be used by God for the transformation of the world.

ENDING TWO:

And that’s really what Jesus was getting at when he taught his disciples how to pray by giving them a model prayer, the “Our Father” – not a bunch of empty words that we memorize and pray real fast without even thinking about what the words mean, but rather, a pray to God who is our loving Dad, our Father who wants to be in intimate and loving relationship and in dialogue with us, His children; a pray that God will use us – “Thy will be done;” that he will give us what we need for our spiritual journey – “Our daily bread,” which is his strength in us; and “forgiveness, as we forgive others” so that we can be reconciled to one another as family and as brothers and sisters;” and protection from all that is evil.

But for what end? You see, it is not about us. It is not about give-me, give-me, give-me. It’s about us connecting with the Lord, listening to Him, allowing Him to send us out on mission and to use us. For as he uses us, and as we open ourselves to Him and to His Spirit, that is how we find our true purpose in life, which is to live with God and for God – with God’s Life in us and propelling us into the world.

You see, real and authentic prayer will transform us – and through us, God will then use us for the transformation of the world.