26 August 2007

23rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year C (2004)

01/09/07 21:47

Ordinary 23-C (2004)

Last week in Indio and this week in Coachella, a new school year begins and our kids are heading back to school. Our readings today offer us a wonderful way to get this new school year off to a good start spiritually, as well. Our readings invite us to ask ourselves three questions: Where am I, spiritually? Where do I want to be? And how am I going to reach that goal?

How many folks here consider themselves followers of Jesus? Raise your hands if you consider yourself a follower of God! Practically every hand went up! If I conducted that same sort of survey in Wal Mart or at the Swap Mart, most people would say, “Yeah, I believe in God. I’m a Christian. I’m a follower of God.”

But let’s be brutally honest today – many people SAY they are followers of Jesus, but far fewer ACTUALLY follow Jesus. There is a huge disconnect between our words and our actions.

Take marriage. I know many couples who said on their wedding day, “I promise to love you and cherish you, in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, all the days of my life.” But I also know many couples who have not kept their word, who have been unfaithful in their marriages or who do not show real love and respect toward their spouse.

Take a young couple, boyfriend, girlfriend, madly in love. He tells her, “I love you! I’ll climb the highest mountain for you. I’ll swim across the ocean for you. I’ll even die for you!” Words. But are they real?

Maybe you’ve heard the joke of the small town community of farmers who were praying for rain because of a drought. They asked the priest to celebrate a special Mass to ask God for rain. But on the day of the Mass, the priest looked out on the crowd and suddenly canceled the Mass. He said they didn’t have faith that God could make it rain. The people begged him to celebrate the Mass. But finally, the priest said to the people, “If you really believed God could work a miracle and make it rain, why didn’t you bring umbrellas or wear rain coats?”

It’s easy to say we believe. It’s much harder to be a real follower and disciple of Jesus. But today, we’re going to look at how to become a real disciple and follower of Jesus. On your handouts, it says, “Count the Cost of Following Jesus. “That’s what we are going to do today. And the first step says that to follow Jesus costs – how much? Right! It costs everything -- and nothing! Let me explain.

Everything in the world costs something. A new car costs money. Marriage requires dedication and commitment and love. Parenting costs time with our kids. Going to school requires study. Playing a sport requires practice. Losing weight requires self-discipline and perseverance. A boyfriend or girlfriend requires energy, patience and – yes! – money, too!

I have with me a football. Anyone like to own this football? Let me invite one of our kids up here to help me. Would you like this football? But the price tag says it costs $10. Now we just happen to have an envelope full of money. Would you open that envelope and count out the money and see if we can buy the football. Count -- $1, $2 … [the envelope has $9 in it in $1 bills]. We’re short by just $1 – so, unfortunately, you can’t buy the football.

God’s gift to us is a lot more valuable than a $10 football. God gives us life. God gives us the air we breathe. God gives us our families, our jobs, our homes and cars, our gifts and talents. Everything comes from God. It is so valuable that we can’t earn it or afford it or buy it. We always come up short. But the good news is that God gives it to us for free. For example, would you like this football? Then it is yours! I give it to you. It is a free gift. But the gift is useless unless we use it. So following God costs us, in one sense, nothing. But in another sense, it costs us everything, because God wants us to give him our heart and our complete, 100 percent loyalty.

Juan Carlos Ortiz is a preacher in South America. He wrote a book entitled “Disciple.” In that book, he tells the story of a merchant who is willing to sell a priceless pearl.

A man comes up and asks, “How much is that pearl?”
The merchant says, “Very, very expensive.”

“Can I buy it?”
“Of course. Everyone can buy it.”
“Well, how much?”
“Everything you have.”
The man makes up his mind. He’ll buy it. The merchant asks, “How much do you have?”
The man replied, “I have $10,000 in the bank.”
“Good,” says the merchant. “Now what else do you have?”
“That’s all! That’s all I have.”
“What about in your wallet?”
“O, yeah.” He counts out about $50 or $60 and gives it to the merchant.
The merchant asks, “What else do you have?” But the man replies, “That’s it.”
“What about your house?” – “O, yeah. I have a house.”
“Then I get the house, too!”
“You mean I have to live in my camper?”
“You have a camper. Then I get that, too.”
“I’ll have to sleep in my car!”
“You have a car?”
“Two of them.”
“Then they are both mine. What else?”
“What more do you want? My money, my house, my camper, my cars – that’s everything!”
“Are you alone in the world?”  “No, I have a wife and two kids.”  “Then, they too are mine,” says the merchant. Suddenly, the merchant exclaims, “I forgot one very important item. You, yourself, too! Everything becomes mine – wife, children, house, money, cars – and you, too! But listen – I will let you use all these things for the time being. But don’t forget that they are mine. And whenever I need any of them, you must give them up, because I am the owner.”

That’s how it is when we are under the ownership of Jesus Christ. To follow Jesus costs everything, while at the same time, it is a free gift that costs nothing.

Kids, turn to your brothers and sisters or to your parents – and parents, turn to your kids, or couples, turn to your spouses. Everyone turn toward someone and say, “I hate you!”

Now some of you may have wanted to say that for a long time! You probably never thought you’d get to say it in church! I heard a story of a young lady who put an ad in the newspaper that said, “Brother for sale.” Countless callers wanted to buy her baby brother and turn him into their personal slave. It turned out she was trying to sell a Brother typewriter, not her real blood brother!

Look what Jesus says in our gospel today. Let’s read it together: “If anyone comes to me without HATING his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.”

Tough words, right? Now don’t panic. The Bible, in other places, tells us to love others as ourselves. The word here that is translated “hate” really isn’t the same as our word for “hate.” In the Greek, the word here doesn’t mean to harbor anger and bitterness and revenge against our family. It really means to “make of lesser importance” or “turn back from.” In other words, even though our families are important, they must be of lesser importance than our relationship with God, if we are to be true followers of Jesus.

Let’s read on: “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” Jesus is saying these words as he heads toward Jerusalem and knows that he will be killed on a cross. But his disciples continue to follow him because they think he (and they) are on the road to fame and riches. They want to be healed and to be strengthened and to become popular – but they are not thinking of the cross or of dying. So Jesus here is trying to wake them up! “Following me,” he tells them, “is not just a party or a good time. It means the cross and maybe even dying yourselves!”

How many people today go to church for all the wrong reasons? To make their spouse or their parents happy. Because it’s the right thing to do. Custom or habit. Or we want God to work some magic in our lives. Jesus says we should come because we love him, and we are so dedicated and so sold out that we are willing to put our very lives on the line, in order to be named one of his followers and disciples.

The third verse on your handout, from today’s gospel, Jesus says, “Anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.” If we are to be true followers and disciples of Jesus, then everything we have belongs to God, not to us.

Lots of people try to play games with God. I’ve seen people on the freeway, a rosary wrapped around the front mirror of their car, but a Playboy sticker on the back of their car. Talk about two completely conflicting sets of values! We can’t have it both ways!

Donald Trump, the millionaire, once spoke at an inner city school. He offered to buy every kid in the school a new pair of sneakers. But one boy raised his hand and asked Mr. Trump, “If you really care about us, why don’t you give us all scholarships for college?” Great question. But you see, sneakers cost a lot less than scholarships. Often, we don’t really want to let go of our riches.

But there are exceptions. A lady named Eleanor Boyer, age 73, won the $8.5 million state lottery in New Jersey – and gave it all to charity.

Maybe you’ve heard of Gale Sayers, the famous professional football player for the Chicago Bears back in the 1960s. He would always wear a medal around his neck that said, “I am No. 3.” Why? Because, it would explain to people, God comes first; then others; then, me. Gospel values.

On your handout, it says, “True Disciples pay the price out of love.” If we love God, really do, then we will be willing to give him our hearts and our lives and everything we have. If we don’t really love God, then we won’t. It’s as simple as that.

On your handout is a saying from Jesus that follows immediately after our gospel today. It says, “Salt is good: but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; they throw it away. Let anyone with ears to hear listen!” God wants to wake us up spiritually as we begin this new school year, so that we can hear, so that we can be true disciples of Jesus and really become salt that gives flavor and changes our world.

Mother Teresa once said, “I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world. “

Our second reading today gives us an example of the demands of discipleship. St. Paul is writing a letter to a man named Philemon. This is one of the shortest books in the entire Bible, and we only come upon it at Mass once every three years. Let’s all so the name together: PHILEMON. Once again: PHILEMON.

Philemon is a Christian. He also owns slaves. One of his slaves, Onesimus, has run away. Now Onesimus also has become a Christian and he runs to Paul, asking for a favor. “Please write to my master, asking him not to punish me for running away.” So Paul writes to Philemon, the owner of Onesimus: “I, Paul, an old man, and now also a prisoner for Christ Jesus, urge you on behalf of my child Onesimus… I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you… I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that the good you do might not be forced but voluntary.”

Notice the last phrase: “I do not want to do anything without your consent, so that the good you do might not be forced but voluntary.” You see, Jesus wants us to follow him voluntarily, out of love – not out of compulsion or guilt or fear.

Turn your handouts over. In this same letter to Philemon, Paul writes: “I am writing to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.” Paul trusts Philemon to do the right thing, and even more. Jesus has the same faith in us – that we will also choose the right path, do the right thing, make our faith real, not just superficial.

Real disciples of Jesus don’t just go to Mass on Sunday as spectators. They are busy serving others – singing in the choir, teaching children in catechism, helping at retreats, participating in Bible study groups or small faith communities, giving of TIME, TALENT AND TREASURE by tithing faithfully every week, witnessing for Jesus to their children and spouses and neighbors and co-workers. Following Jesus is work – but rewarding, joyful work!

Last night, our new Coachella children’s football team came to Mass. I asked them, “Why do you play football?” To win? Because it’s exciting and fun? Because you love the sport? But playing football costs – it costs money for uniforms and trophies and equipment. It costs time at practice and at games. It costs talent – we need to learn how to play in order to win games. Shouldn’t we have this same sort of love and enthusiasm for God, for being a part of God’s team?

The last thing on your handout says, “Measuring Our Discipleship.” This is a self-evaluation. In your mind, give yourself a grade – A, B, C, D or F. This isn’t to make any of us feel guilty. It’s to help us get back on track if we’ve drifted, spiritually – to give us a goal and a roadmap spiritually for the coming year.

1. True Disciples Love God Above All Else

_____ Do I go to Mass regularly and partake of the sacraments?
_____ Do I pray and read the Bible regularly?
_____ Am I growing spiritually? How? (Reading, Mediation, Retreats, Small Faith Community…)

2. True Disciples Love Others As They Love Themselves

_____ Do I give of my TIME, serving others in church, in other ministries, in my family and at work?
_____ Do I give of my TALENT by using my gifts in service to others?
_____ Do I give of my TREASURE by weekly, faithfully tithing to church and other charitable causes?
_____ Do I show and share my faith with others through my words, deeds and example?

Let’s close with the prayer written at the end of your sheet, which is a prayer to let God truly take control of our lives. That’s the only way to be a true disciple of Jesus. This is a prayer about us and Jesus riding a bicycle built for two:

At first, I sat in the front, and Jesus in the rear. I couldn’t see him but I knew he was there. I could feel his help when the road got steep. Then one day, Jesus changed seats with me. Suddenly everything went topsy-turvy. When Jesus took over, the ride got wild. I could hardly hold on! “This is madness!” I cried out. But Jesus just smiled and said, “Pedal.” So I learned to shut up and pedal, and trust my bike companion. O, there are still times I get scared and I am ready to give up. But then, Jesus turns around, touches my hand, smiles and says, “Pedal!”

22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year C (2007)

01/09/07 21:46

22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time
September 2, 2007

The Secret of True Greatness

Let’s begin today with a short film clip for the kids, from the Muppet’s movie, “Treasure Island.” As you watch the clip, kids, I want you to tell me what lesson this scene from the movie is trying to teach us. [Show clip, from 1:26 in film, sword fight between Kermit the frog and pirate, defending Miss Piggy – but Kermit’s sword prowess goes to his head as he shows off to impress the others, until he loses the sword] What is this clip teaching us? Right! The danger of becoming too prideful, to puffed up with ourselves, showing off instead of just doing what we should be doing.

Today, we are going to look at what the Bible says is the secret of true greatness. Read with me from our first reading today, from the Book of Sirach: Humble yourself the more, the greater you are, and you will find favor with God. For great is the power of God; by the humble he is glorified. (Sirach 3:19-20)

The secret to true greatness is to learn to be humble. But instead, how often do we allow our pride and our ego to control our actions? How many of us here find humility difficult?

[Use any of these stories, as you see fit]

• Last week, I read about a woman who wore a T-shirt that proclaimed, “I am my husband’s wife because he deserves the very best!” Now, there’s pride – in herself!
• I heard another story about a husband, crying at work to a friend because his wife had gone to a fortune teller, who looked in a mirror and told the woman that her second husband was someone who was handsome, strong, wise and charming. “I understand your frustration,” a co-worker told the weeping husband. “Yeah,” said the husband, “I never knew my wife had been married before!”
• There’s a joke about a couple who attended a fancy party with the intelligentsia of the town, everyone trying to impress everyone else with how smart they were. One woman talked about how she loved the music of Mozart. This couple was listening, and the wife blurted out in a loud voice for all to hear: “I love Mozart, too! Just this morning, I saw Mozart take the No. 6 bus to downtown.” The husband, thoroughly embarrassed, grabbed his wife by the arm and they fled the party. In the car, the wife apologized to her husband and said to him, “Honey, I can see you are really angry with me!” “You bet I am!” he said. “Any fool knows that the No. 6 bus doesn’t go downtown!”
• Pride is everywhere. There’s a story about three politicians who went to heaven. God greeted them. To the first politician, God said, “You can sit on my right.” To the second politician, God said, “You can sit on my left.” But before God could get the next word in, the third politician blurted out, “Lord, excuse me, but I think you’re in my seat.”

Kids: I need your help again. I want you to meet a friend of mine. His name is Tony. Tony is very small but very, very strong. He’s also very humble. He never says a thing, but Tony is always there, ready to help in a jam. Tony lives in the back of my car! Do you want to meet Tony? [Pull out a car jack] How many of you have ever had a flat tire? That’s when a car jack really comes in handy. It is there to serve. But it never gets any praise or even any notice otherwise. As Christians, we are to be a bit like Tony the car jack – workers for God, but in the background, not drawing all the attention to ourselves, because the attention goes to God.

Which of you kids is tallest? I want to line up all the kids, tallest to shortest, then I want to give out a prize. First: Here’s a prize to the tallest kid. [Give a candy bar to the tallest kid] Next prize goes to the strongest kid. Who do you think that is? [Give another candy bar to the same kid] Now, who do you think is the fastest kid? [Give another candy bar to the same kid] The world rewards the tallest, fastest, strongest, most beautiful, most handsome, richest, most famous. But Jesus tells us: The first shall be last and the last shall be first. So I want to play God for a moment, and reverse things. [Take the candy bars from the first kid and give it to all the shorter kids in the line behind him] You see, God wants us to learn to be humble, not full of pride.

• Have you ever heard of Billy Graham, the famous evangelist. He once told a story about being on an airplane, and in one of the seats in front of him was an obnoxious man, drinking too much and making all kinds of noise. The stewardess finally went up to the man and said, “Sir, please calm down. Don’t you realize that the famous preacher Billy Graham is sitting on this very same plane, two rows behind you?” The man instantly straightened up, went back to Billy Graham, shook his hand and said, “Sir, I attended one of your rallies 15 years ago, and it completely changed my life!” Billy Graham learned some humility that day!
• Another story is told by Don Shula, who was coach of the Miami Dolphins football team. He and his family were in a small town in Maine on vacation. It rained one day, so they decided to go to the movies. As he, his wife and their five kids entered the theater, the four people in the theater who were already there, waiting for the film to start, began applauding. Don Shula was a bit taken aback and asked them, “Way up here in Maine, how did you know who I was?” They replied, “We don’t have any idea who you are! But the owner of the theater said that the movie would be canceled if at least four more people didn’t show up to watch it!” Again, humble pie!

Jesus is our model for humility. Let’s look at what the Bible says:

• In Matthew 11:29 (NAB): I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your selves.
• In Mark 10:45: For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. Remember: Jesus is the one who washed the feet of his disciples and told them that a Master is never, ever above the servants.
• What about us? Jesus taught, in the Beatitudes, Matthew 5:5 (NAB): Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.
• Paul teaches us, in his Letter to the Philippians 2:5-8 (NAB): Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.

In our gospel today, Jesus tells a story, a parable, about a banquet. The story has two parts and two lessons:

• Lesson One is about humility: "When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline at table in the place of honor… Rather, when you are invited, go and take the lowest place… For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted." (Luke 14:8-11)

• Lesson Two is about generosity: Then he said to the host who invited him, "When you hold a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors, in case they may invite you back and you have repayment. Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous." (Luke 14:12-14)

I remember once reading a humorous tale about a rich man who sent his sons to live in poor village for a month so that they would learn to appreciate all their blessings. They returned ecstatic and told their father: “We learned that we have one dog, but they have four; we have a swimming pool, but they have an entire river; we have lights outside on the patio at night, but they have thousands of stars; we own a piece of property in the city, but they have farmland that goes on and on forever; we have servants, but they serve one another; we buy food at a store, but they get fresh food everyday from their own farms and gardens; we have security guards to protect us, but they have friends who look out for them. Thanks, dad, for teaching us how poor we are!”

Humility: It’s a wonderful virtue. Let’s look at two final points:

• What is humility (and what it is not); and:
• How do we live humbly in our daily lives? This is where the rubber meets the road, where we get really practical.

First: What is humility? This is an important point, because lots of people have a false idea about humility. It is not putting ourselves down, allowing others to run all over us and mistreat us as a doormat. That’s what a lot of people think. Blessed are the meek – they’re just like mice, real quiet, real docile, never rock the boat, never make any noise. Is that what Jesus meant? No!

Humility is not demeaning or lowering yourself. God created you. Each of us is fearfully and wonderfully made, says the psalmist in the Bible. Jesus is not advocating low self esteem. But also, don’t put yourself on a pedestal and pretend to be God. Instead, use your life to give glory to God.

The word “humility” comes from the Latin word, “humus,” which means, “earth.” A humble person is a person who is rooted, earthy, knows who he or she is, and knows who God is. Ken Blanchard once wrote in Guideposts Magazine: "People with humility don't think less of themselves. They just think about themselves less."

And that leads us straight to our final but most important part: How do we live this life of humility?

First, be on guard against the devil’s two favorite tactics to pull you away from God: Distractions and Discouragement. The distractions, the temptations cause us to be prideful instead of humble. “I want this… I want that… I need…” The discouragements come when we feel hurt, let down, and we start to throw a pity party for ourselves. “I deserve this… I deserve that…”

A true life of humility will require taking some risks. It will require conquering some of our fears. It may require failing sometimes – but without failure, we do not grow.

Now, let’s get down to the real nitty gritty.

• How do we live a humble life in our marriages and in our families? Here are some very practical suggestions: (1) Admit your errors, mistakes, sins and imperfections; (2) ask forgiveness and don’t hold on to grudges and resentments; (3) if problems get too serious, seek professional guidance and counseling. So often, I hear from couples who are on the verge of divorce. Often, one is so stubborn and won’t admit to a problem, and refuses to seek counseling. “It’s all her fault, not mine… I don’t need help… We can fix these problems on our own.” Or one of the spouses is holding on to past hurts with fierce anger and resentment, and just won’t allow the past to lay in the past. Like a broken record, ‘round and ‘round they go, the rut growing deeper. All because of pride instead of humility.

• School starts for our kids day after tomorrow, on Tuesday. How do we live a humble life at school? Too often, our kids never raise their hands, never ask questions. They’re afraid they will look silly in front of their friends. They’re afraid the teacher will mock their question, that they’ll look stupid. So they struggle with a class, don’t understand the subject matter, but are too afraid to speak up, to ask questions, to get help from a teacher or friend or tutor. Pride over humility.

• Adults: How do we live humble lives at work? In the work world, it’s so often dog-eat-dog, everyone competing for the promotion or for the sale, everyone competing to score points with the boss, everyone clawing for a promotion. What are we doing to encourage and support and motivate our companions at work? Pride or humility?

• Finally: This is a big one. How do we live humble lives in the church and in our faith life with God? Here, I have lots of ideas and suggestions, some simple and some a bit more challenging. On the simple side: Do we guard our seat in church like a tiger, and make others who get to church after us crawl over our knees, or do we humbly slide down and let them take the empty seat on the end? Do we fight over a parking space closest to the door of the church, or do we park further away and walk a little bit extra, so that someone older or handicapped or who is running late can find a more convenient parking spot closer to the church entrance? This suggestion is really tough on me – do you invite the pastor over for dinner, because that looks impressive, or do you also invite maybe the custodian or a single mom struggling with kids? You’ve heard me say this over and over again – I’m beginning to sound like a broken record: Get involved in a small faith community, a bible study; go to the mini-retreats, 101, 201, 301, 401, 501; plug into a ministry and serve God and the church with your time and talent; tithe and be generous with your money. But how often do we let pride and fear block us? “I’m not ready… I’m afraid… I don’t know how… I don’t have time… What if the people in the Bible study group won’t accept me… I’m too busy… I’m not worthy enough...” The excuses go on and on. Satan tempting us. Pride winning out over humility. What about talking to others about our faith – our kids, a co-worker, a friend, a neighbor, a member of our family. “But what will they think? What will they say? Maybe they’ll ask me a hard question about my faith, and I won’t know the answer…” Maybe we’re just a “cultural Christian” – raised Catholic, but God is really not at the center of our life, and Jesus Christ is not leading our life and at the center of our heart. But we keep postponing making a commitment to the Lord: “Someday, but not today… I’m not ready… I still have lots of time.” Some adults haven’t made their sacraments – maybe they’re not baptized, or not married by church, or they don’t have their first communion or their confirmation – but they’re too embarrassed to let anyone know, so they do nothing. Pride versus humility.

At communion time, we pray a prayer of humility. Let’s pray it now, with real meaning: “Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word, and I will be healed.” You see, in one sense, all of us are unworthy – but God loves us and has adopted us into his family and made us all worthy! That’s the Good News!

Let’s conclude with a verse from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles. This is how others saw Peter and John, two of Jesus’ closest disciples: Observing the boldness of Peter and John and perceiving them to be uneducated, ordinary men, they were amazed, and they recognized them as the companions of Jesus. (Acts 4:13, NAB).

The first disciples: Uneducated, ordinary people, just like us. But Jesus used them and gave them courage and boldness, because they were willing to take risks and because they did not allow fear to stop them. They were humble. They didn’t play God. Instead, they humbly allowed God to use them. May we do the same, so that God will use us; for that, my friends, is the secret to true greatness in the Kingdom of God.

21st Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year C (2007)

31/08/07 13:00

21 Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year C
August 26, 2007

Whatever Happened to Hell?

Joke 1: Older couple, not yet retired, from Ohio plan January vacation to sunny Florida. At last minute, business problems keep the wife at home an extra two days, but husband goes to Florida anyway. He e-mails his wife but accidentally mistypes the address and sends message to a woman in Pennsylvania whose husband had just died the week before. His e-mail read as follows: “Honey. Arrived safely. The good news is you’ll be joining me here in 2 days. The bad news is it is very hot here. But don’t worry. You’ll get used to it. Love, Your Husband.”

Joke 2: Guy dies, is waiting at Pearly Gates to enter heaven, when devil appears and convinces him to tour hell before making a decision to enter into heaven. “Hell is always misrepresented,” says the devil. “It’s not as bad as people think.” On the tour, everyone is having a big party in hell. The devil explains: “This is Monday in Hell. Monday is party day in hell.” The man is not convinced, so they continue the tour. Everyone is eating up a storm at an endless buffet of the finest foods. “Tuesday is buffet day in hell,” says the devil. Man is still not convinced, so they go on. Everyone in hell is playing golf, relaxing at the pool, etc. “Wednesday is golf and recreation day in hell,” says the devil. “OK,” says the man, “I’m convinced.” He goes with the devil into hell, only to discover everyone is burning up in terrible, painful fire. The man asks the devil, “What happened to the parties, the buffet, the golf and the swimming pool?” “Oh,” said the devil, “I forgot to tell you – you died on Thursday, which is “Telling a Lie” Day in hell!”

Hell is NOT a good place! But we never talk about it.

Last week in my small faith community, one of the members of my community asked me about this. “People are disobeying God and the Ten Commandments left and right, not going to church, not following God – and priests never talk about hell or consequences anymore. Why not?”

It was a good question. When I was in college, I remember going to the Catholic Church on campus and hating it, because the priest ONLY talked about hell and damnation, every single sermon, every single Sunday. Condemnation. Judgment. Fire. But maybe we’ve let the pendulum swing too far in the other direction – now we talk just about God’s love and mercy and forgiveness, and we neglect to talk about sin and consequences. Maybe we need to restore some balance to the equation.

There is a popular saying: “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” Anyone here ever heard that saying? We can be “good” people, not evil like Saddaam Hussein or Osama Bin Ladin, but still not on the road to heaven. “I intended to go to church… I meant to be generous with my money… I intended to volunteer at the soup kitchen… but I got too busy… I got distracted… I was too tired… I was too afraid.” Excuses, excuses. Good intentions are not enough.

Our second reading today, Hebrews 12:5: Disciple of the Lord. Anyone here a parent who has had to disciple a child? Why? Out of love. In a sense, maybe this homily is meant as a form of gentle discipline – to wake us up, to push us in the direction of God’s life, toward heaven and away from hell.

What is hell? Not a pleasant place. Ever heard of the great classic book, Dante’s “Inferno”? It was a tour of heaven and hell, written by Dante. This is a recent movie equivalent. [Show clip of hell from movie What Dreams May Come with Robin Williams]

I suggest you read the book by CS Lewis, The Great Divorce. It’s an allegory, a parable about heaven and hell. In the book, God does not punish and send people to hell. Rather, people choose hell for themselves. They just don’t love God enough to want a relationship with Him. I really think that is the case. God is not sitting up on a cloud in heaven, counting our sins, waiting eagerly to pounce on us and send us to hell. God loves us. The Bible says God so loved the world that he sent his Son, Jesus, to die on a cross in order to rescue us. But God also gives us free will and we can reject Him. Sadly, lots of people do reject God – maybe not consciously, maybe not all at once, but little by little, through the accumulation of many small decisions, God just becomes more and more remote, small and smaller in our hearts and in our lives, until we just are strangers to the Lord, and he will then have to say to us, “Sorry, but I do not know who you are!”

Hell begins here on earth. Lots of people, through their wrong decisions, are living the consequences of those wrong decisions in their own self-made hell.

In our gospel, an interesting question: Lord, only a few people will be saved? Answer: we don’t know. That’s in God’s hands, not our ours. I remember years ago reading a little book entitled Playing with Fire: Do Nice People Really Go to Hell? By Jay Carty. It’s a really good question.

The good news in our gospel is that people from east and west, north and south, will be at table with the Lord in heaven. Heaven is open to everyone. It’s not an exclusive club. We may be surprised who we find there. Jesus says some who are first will be last, some who are last will be first.

Remember the story of the repentant thief on the cross at Jesus’ side. “Today, you will be with me in paradise.” It’s never too late to turn to the Lord.

Last week, a prisoner was executed in Texas. I read his last words. He asked forgiveness. He admitted his wrong. He said he had turned his life over to the Lord. He also forgave those who help on to bitterness and hatred and who were his executioners.

It’s never too late. But be careful and don’t wait and play with fire. Remember: There was a 2nd thief at Jesus’ side who did not repent. I remember a sad story – I don’t remember all the details – but it was about a guy who played with fire, who never followed God, despite the pleas of his brother, who was a very faithful follower of Jesus. But this guy would tell his brother, “When I’m about to die, then I will be like the repentant thief at Jesus’ side. Then I will turn my life over to the Lord, not before.” One day, this young man was riding his horse. The horse became startled and bucked and threw him to the ground. His last words were NOT, “Lord, I repent.” Nope. He had no time for that. His last words were, “You blankety-blank horse!”

Jesus tells us: “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.”

We live in a society where one of the catchwords is “tolerance.” Is that a good thing or bad? I think it is both. Surely we don’t want to return to the intolerance of the Middle Ages, where people were burned at the stake for their beliefs. But on the other hand, our children are being taught, in the name of tolerance, that anything goes, that there is no right or wrong, that it doesn’t matter what you believe or how you act. This is the wrong sense of “tolerance.”

Our actions and our choices and our decisions do have consequences. Here are some examples:

- Going to church or not. Think how this helps us spiritually, and sets a good example for our kids and our families. But think how this affects us and our kids negatively when we don’t make time for the Lord in our lives.

- Praying. At home, before we eat, etc.

- Honesty and integrity at work or school.

- Generosity toward those who are less fortunate.

- Kindness towards others.

Think of the other side of the coin, the consequences of living in sin:

- Sex outside marriage. That’s the norm on TV and in the movies, but it’s not God’s norm. Why? Because God just wants to pile on a bunch of rules and regulations to make our lives more difficult? No! God invented sex and sexuality. It’s a wonderful gift. But think of a river. Rivers are great for transportation and other things – unless they overflow their banks and flood our homes and property. Sex is wonderful in its proper context – permanent life commitment, marriage. But it can be like a flooding river that leaves its banks – when misused, there are emotional and spiritual hurts, even diseases and death, and especially, children get hurt when they are born into unstable homes where there is no real love or commitment.

- Divorce. Clearly, there are cases where there is no other better option – things like alcoholism, drugs, domestic violence, abuse, infidelities. But it should be the last option, not the first, in solving marital problems. In our society, it has become the easy first resort solution instead of a last resort decision.

- Abortion. But shouldn’t we worry about not inconveniencing the mother with another child? She wants to work? Or not inconveniencing a young, immature and irresponsible boyfriend and girlfriend who find themselves pregnant and “aren’t ready” for a baby? No. What about the baby itself? Doesn’t it have a say in whether to live or not?

- Gossip, criticism of others. Think of the negative consequences of a loose tongue that spreads false rumors about another person.

- Anger, revenge, resentment, bitterness. These attitudes have consequences – on us and on other people around us.

Jesus’ message to us today is simple:

FIRST: Don’t ignore today’s gospel. Choose the narrow door. This is serious business. Don’t take it lightly. We live in a society where the sin is complacency, laziness, tolerance in a bad sense where we think our actions really don’t matter, and that there are no consequences to our choices and decisions.

SECOND: Don’t use today’s gospel to bludgeon or criticize or judge others. God is in charge, not us. God is the judge. This is the sin of pride and arrogance – thinking we have the corner on truth. Worry about yourself, not others.

Story 1: A man came up to his pastor: “Pastor, last night, a tornado destroyed my home!” Replied the pastor: “My son, you must have committed a grievous sin to make the Lord mad at you, so he is punishing you.” The man replied: “Pastor, the tornado also destroyed your house!” “O,” said the pastor, “That means the ways of the Lord are beyond our understanding!”

Story 2: We like to play God. A group of scientists told the Lord one day, “We no longer need you. With our knowledge of biology and cloning, we can even create life.” God suggested a competition to see who could create life faster. The scientists agreed. “Ready, set, go!” said the Lord and the scientists reached down and grabbed a handful of dirt to begin the project of cloning a human being. But God stopped them in their tracks: “Wait!” he said. “Make your own dirt!”

Story 3: Revelation by Flannery O’Conner. Mrs. Turpin always is arrogantly judging and categorizing other people and looking down on them. Some are a different race or religion. Some are imbeciles and idiots. Some are what she calls lazy, poor “white trash.” She and her kind are the hard working, dependable, faithful people of the earth. She has a dream, a vision, huge revelation – a procession to heaven. In front: All the people she has judged. At the back: The good, righteous people like herself.

Notice: In our gospel, first shall be last and last shall be first – but even the first, now last, get in. Who will be saved? That is up to God. We just don’t know. Don’t judge!

So: What are some action steps for us, in light of today’s gospel?

Our responsorial psalm today says, “Go out to all the world and tell the good news.” Notice: Don’t condemn. Don’t judge. Don’t become self righteous and puffed up with pride. But do GO and tell about the Lord. Tell GOOD NEWS – God’s love, God’s salvation, God’s gift to us through his Son Jesus.

The goal is salvation: For ourselves, our family, our friends, our world. We ought to have a heart of love and compassion that breaks when we see others who are lost from God. Reach out to them, but in love.

How? Pray for them. Set a good example so that others will be inspired to follow the Lord. Speak and share about your faith – we cannot be timid about speaking out, but in love, not to force someone else to follow God or to shove our religion down their throat. Finally, invite (NOTE: invite is not to push or force) and CHALLENGE LOVINGLY (Challenge means to not be timid, but do it in love).

Story: Fisherman in Louisiana known for catching lots of fish, but nobody knew how he did it. One day, the game warden was able to convince this guy to let him go out fishing with him. Of course, he didn’t tell him that he was a game warden. Off they went, to a remote and hidden part of the lake, far from lots of other people. The fisherman pulled out a stick of dynamite, lit it, threw it into the lake and as it exploded, tons of dead fish floated to the top of the lake. The game warden identified himself and said, “That’s illegal what you just did. I’m going to report you!” But the fisherman just took another stick of dynamite, lit it, put it into the hand of the game warden and asked, “Are you going to fish, or not?”

The point of this story is that God has given us his dynamite, his power – the Good News which is the news about experiencing true love and true fullness of life. But what are we doing with this power, this dynamite that we’ve been given? Are we using it to fish for the Lord and to help others find salvation.

I recently read that there are three kinds of Christians: Tugboat Christians, the ones who really do all the work; sailboat Christians, those who let the winds blow them where it will, sometimes God’s wind but sometimes the false winds of the world; and raft Christians, not really Christians at all, just nominal twice a year Christians, floating in the waters but going nowhere, surrounded by the sharks of the world.

What kind of Christian are you? Enter through the narrow gate!

Let’s pray this prayer, part of the traditional rosary: “Dear Jesus: Save us from the fires of hell. Bring all souls to heaven, especially those most in need of your mercy. Amen.”

Finally, let’s end with heaven, not hell. That’s our destiny. That’s our goal. That’s why Jesus came, to save us. This is the image of heaven in the same movie with Robin Williams. Let’s watch this beautiful portrayal of heaven, much like CS Lewis’ vision of heaven in The Great Divorce – a place more real than reality itself, where everything is more solid, more vibrantly colorful, where heaven is always growing and expanding and we, too, are journeying higher and up and deeper in… [watch video clip]