Pentecost, Year C
May 27, 2007

The Power of Pentecost

Every year, our church celebrates three great feasts. Can anyone name them? The first is in December and commemorates the birth of Jesus – Christmas! The second is in the spring and celebrates the resurrection of Jesus – Easter. And the third? The feast of the Holy Spirit: Pentecost!

To understand Pentecost, I want you to repeat one word: POWER. Say it again: POWER. Pentecost is a celebration of God’s power, working in us and working in the world.

Is power good or bad? How many think it is good? How many think it is bad? How many think it depends? This first slide shows a nuclear power plant. Good or bad? Right – good, because it generates electricity. The next slide shows a nuclear bomb exploding – good or bad? Right – bad! It kills and destroys people and cities. Power can be good or bad, depending on how it is used.

This next slide shows good power and bad power – guns, violence, gangs, the bad power; and peace, hope, unity, love, the good power. In the letter to the Romans, Saint Paul tells us: “I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship. Do not conform yourselves to this age, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.” (Romans 12:1-2, NAB) God challenges us to live His way, under His power and control and guidance, and not according to the world. We are living sacrifices, offering ourselves in service to the Lord. We are to discern – seek out, search for – God’s will and purpose for our lives.

We hear about the first Christian Pentecost in today’s first reading, Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 2. I say “Christian Pentecost,” because the feast of Pentecost really was a Jewish holiday that dates back long before the time of Jesus. But on this first Christian Pentecost, the apostles are huddled together on the Jewish feast of Pentecost, afraid after their leader, Jesus, has been killed and, now, has ascended into heaven and has left them in charge of watching the shop. When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim. – Acts 2:1-4 (NAB)

This Christian Pentecost is about God’s power to change our lives. Let’s look at some of the common symbols used to represent Pentecost for Christians:

• Wind. John’s gospel tells us, The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. -- John 3:8 (NAB) God cannot be confined to a bottle! I remember a funny story of a little boy who asked his mom, “Is God in our house?” She said, “Yes.” The little boy persisted: “Is God in this room?” Mom again replied, “Yes.” The little boy was holding a glass of milk and asked his mom for a third time: “Is God in this glass of milk?” Mom again said, “Yes!” With that – whap! The boy cupped his hand over the glass and said gleefully, “Gottcha!” Unfortunately, I lot of people think they can control and limit God in almost that same way. But God is like the wind – He will not be confined or limited or controlled.

• Fire. Another symbol of God’s power. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. – Matthew 3:11 (NAB) Fire reminds us that we are to be fervent and on fire for God, open to allowing God to really change and transform us. I remember a funny story of a couple, married 50 years, who every night for their entire married life, followed the exact same boring routine of watching television together at night. He sat in his chair. She sat in her chair. They began with black and white TV, then moved to color TV, then to cable and satellite – but it still was the very exact same routine, night after night, for 50 years. Then one day, the husband suggested to his wife, “Tomorrow, let’s do something different.” Her eyes lit up. She thought: Maybe a second honeymoon to Hawaii; maybe a moonlit stroll on the beach or a fancy, candlelight dinner. “What do you have in mind?” she asked. “Tomorrow,” he said, “let’s switch chairs.” We Catholics are sometimes like that couple – we’re too set in our ways, God’s frozen chosen, comfortable with our routines – but our comfort zone blocks us from growing and maturing and experiencing the fullness of what God has planned for us.

• The dove: Symbol of peace. Inner peace and outer peace. First, God wants to give us inner stillness. This doesn’t mean a life without problems. But God will give us the inner strength and inner calm to make it through the storms of life. And second, outer peace. God sends us into the world to be peace makers and to extend His kingdom of love, not war and violence and hatred. Jesus said to them, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.” – John 20:21-22 (NAB)

• This next symbol is a birthday cake. Anyone know why? Because Pentecost is the birthday of the church. It’s when the timid disciples suddenly received power and courage from the Spirit of God to go out and become missionaries and to start the spread of the church throughout the world. It’s when the disciples began living out the last words of Jesus to them at the end of Matthew’s gospel, Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit… And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age." – Matthew 28:19-20 (NAB)

• Finally, the image of a courtroom, of lawyers. The Spirit is our Advocate, our Defender, our Defense Attorney, interceding for us and connecting us to the Father in heaven. In John’s gospel, Jesus talks about the Spirit living in Him and connecting Him to His Father in heaven: Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works. – John 14:10 (NAB) But the same Spirit of God that dwelt in Jesus also dwells in us!

Page Two on your handout: Pentecost reverses Babel. Remember in the Old Testament when people tried to build a tower reaching into the heavens, a tower to touch God. But God confused their speech, made them speak different languages. Pentecost is the reversal of Babel. Here’s how:

1. At Babel human beings decided to build a tower to God by their own effort. At Pentecost. God decides to build a bridge to us by sending the Holy Spirit.
2. Babel was noisy confusion. Pentecost is a chorus of mutual understanding.
3. Babel divided the human family into different races and nationalities. Pentecost brings all peoples together and reunifies them into one universal family.

Finally, and most importantly for us, Pentecost is about God giving us power for our own lives, here and now, in the 21st century. In our second reading today, Paul tells us in his letter to the Romans: Brothers and sisters: Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the spirit, if only the Spirit of God dwells in you.… Those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God…– Romans 8:8-9, 14 (NAB)

That’s great news! We are children of God! We walk by faith. Someone once told me that faith – F.A.I.T.H. – stands for “Fantastic Adventure in Trusting Him.” Life in the Spirit is a fantastic adventure – God energizing our life with energy and joy – and it is based on trusting God, not ourselves.

Two secrets for experiencing God’s power in our lives: First, let God LEAD. Where? At home, in your marriage, with your kids. At work or school. At play. Here at church. And out in the community and in the world. In other words, in all and every arena of your life!

Last week, on the Feast of the Ascension, Deacon Wayne preached about how too many times, we allow ourselves to look up at the dark clouds of gloom that cause rain to fall on our lives, instead of out at the many blessings and the many opportunities that God is giving to us. Often, what causes us to feel so much pressure and stress and anxiety is that we are trying to be in control of everything, so that the weight of the world is on our shoulders and is weighing us down – instead of living in faith, in the power of the Spirit, allowing God to carry our burdens and turning over control to the Lord. When God is in control, that frees and liberates us!

Too often, people mistakenly think that to really follow the Lord faithfully, you need to come to church every day, pray at all times, be on your knees and – quite frankly – living a boring life. Wrong! Allowing the Spirit to lead our lives means changing our attitude more than changing our activities. We still go to work – but we dedicate our work to the Lord and trust God to provide for our necessities. We play sports – but our attitude is one that honors God. We dedicate our marriages and our children to the Lord, and honor the Lord in our household by creating homes of prayer. The Lord is in control of our lives, not us!

Second: Stay plugged in to God’s power. With so much busyness in our lives, it’s easy to get distracted and disconnected from the Lord. On the screen is the image of a gas pump. Nowadays, with the high price of gas, it’s tough filling up the car, right? But we do it nonetheless, because without gas, our car isn’t going anywhere. Likewise, we fill ourselves up physically and emotionally and intellectually – we eat, we exercise, we read, we take time to rest and to do fun activities. But do we feed ourselves spiritually? It can’t just be once in a while, or when we can squeeze it in and get around to it. We need to feed ourselves spiritually on a regular basis, or our spiritual life will begin to wither and fade. It may cost us, just like keeping our cars running requires an expenditure of money, but it is worth it.

Here’s how – four simple steps (repeat after me): STOP. BE QUIET. CONNECT. GO.

STOP. Slow down. Refill the tank. Recharge the battery. Rejuvenate. Refocus – don’t keep going down the same dead-end street, but reevaluate your priorities. Maybe drop some things that aren’t so important, to free up time for God and family and things that are more important in life.

BE QUIET. We live in a noisy world. Go, go, go, talk, talk, talk. The radio is on. The TV is blaring. Cell phones are ringing. Get quiet – even if it is just for two minutes a day – so that you can hear the still quiet, silent voice of God. Listen to where God is leading you!

CONNECT. We never grow or mature spiritually, all by ourselves. We need the help of others. That’s why Jesus founded the church. It’s our spiritual family, our brothers and sisters, here to help us, and we to help them. So make sure you are connected to the power source of God, through prayer and time with God, and through time with other Christians, maybe in a Bible Study Group or Small Faith Community or Prayer Group of some sort. I’m from Kentucky and I love the joke about the Kentuckian who lived out in the woods and bought a brand new gas powered saw to cut wood. After a few days, he returned the new saw to the store and said, “This thing is no good. It doesn’t work. My old hand saw was faster at cutting wood. I want my money back.” The store owner looked at the gas powered saw, but couldn’t see anything wrong with it. He pulled on the starter cord, and the gas powered saw roared to life. But the Kentuckian jumped back in shock and asked, “What’s that noise?” If we are disconnected spiritually, we will not have the strength and power of the Spirit at our side!

GO. This is maybe the hardest step. After we’ve stopped or slowed down, after we’ve been quiet and listened, after we’ve connected with the Lord and with other Christians – it’s time to obey. Go, do what God tells you to do, in faith, with joy and excitement, in the power of the Spirit.

This last slide, before we conclude in prayer, says, “Don’t be stupid.” Remember Forest Gump? “Stupid is as stupid does.” Lots of people are living foolishly, because they are depending on themselves alone, instead of trusting in God. They are allowing the noisy falsehoods of the world to lead them, not the voice of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, and now allowing the power of God’s Spirit to really control their lives.

I love movies, as you know, and last week, the following preview was being shown – Note: Children – do NOT try this at home! – [show clip from upcoming movie, “Hot Rod,” about a failed attempt to jump over a car on a motorcycle]. Really stupid, right?

Don’t be stupid. Don’t be foolish. Live on God’s power – the power of the Holy Spirit.

Let’s conclude with the following prayer litany:

ALL: I am on fire – with the fire of the Holy Spirit, who lives inside of me.

CHILDREN: I promise to live as a child filled with the Holy Spirit by respecting and loving my parents and my brothers and sisters. I will try to live in peace with everyone.

TEENS: I promise to invite the power of the Holy Spirit to invade my heart and to transform my mind, to help me NOT be conformed to the pattern of this world. With the help of the Spirit, I will always seek to care for my body because it is God’s Temple, to exercise my mind by showing dedication to my schoolwork and my studies, and to care for my soul by praying and seeking to know God.

PARENTS: I promise to create space in my home and in my life for God, in order to help my children know and love God through my good and faithful example. I will seek to understand my children, talk to them and hug them and show them my love and affection. With the help of the Spirit, I will seek to be patient, so that I can love my children unconditionally and not demean them or lead them to lose hope. I AM ON FIRE . . .

ALL: When God sends forth the Spirit amazing things happen: barriers are broken, communities are formed, opposites are reconciled, unity is established, disease is cured, addiction is broken, cities are renewed, races are reconciled, hope is established, people are blessed, and church happens. Today the Spirit of God is present here in this church. Wake us up, Lord, with the fire of your Spirit. We no longer want to live without your power, your force in our lives. We no longer want to miss your blessings. Rid us of being cold or lukewarm. Help us to serve with our gifts and talents, which we have received by your Spirit. Help us become flaming sacrifices of love and service on your altar. Plant your Spirit firmly in our hearts.

CONCLUDING SONG

Father, I adore you. Lay my life before you. How I love you.
Jesus, I adore you. Lay my life before you. How I love you.
Spirit, I adore you. Lay my life before you. How I love you.

6th Sunday of Easter, Year C
May 13, 2007

What the World Needs Now… (Part 2)

Last week, on Tuesday at the Youth Mass and at the children’s Masses last Sunday, I began my homily with this phrase: “What the World Needs Now Is…” Can anyone finish the sentence? Right! Love.

When I was a teenager, these were the words to a popular song. [Play the beginning of the song] How many have heard those words? And they are true, aren’t they? We live in a world of war and violence, hatred and fear. The world really needs more love!

Today, we celebrate Mother’s Day, which is a celebration of love. Where do children learn about love? Right! -- at home, from their moms (and from their dads)! This is not a religious holiday. Back in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson declared that the second Sunday of May every year would be dedicated to the honor of mothers. But religious holiday or not, us priests would get lynched if we didn’t at least mention it, and that’s because our mothers are so very important to us, and because they really are our first teachers about love.

I heard a humorous story about a young man who told his mom, “I have great news! I’m going to get married!” Mom said fine, but she wanted to meet the young bride first. So the next day, the young man brought three women to his house for his mom to meet. He told his mom off to the side, “One of these is my bride-to-be. See if you can tell which one it is.” Mom invited the three young women into her living room and talked with them for almost an hour. Then she came out to look for her son and told him, “I know which one it is. It’s the one sitting on the left, right?” The young man, astounded at his mother’s discernment abilities, told her, “Why, that’s exactly right – but how did you know?” The mother explained, “O, it was really simple. She was the only one I didn’t like.”

Last week, I came across these words of wisdom, source unknown, from 2nd graders, who were asked to answer the questions about their mothers. The first question was this: “Why did God Make Mothers?” Here were some of their answers:

1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

Next question: How did God make mothers?

1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my Mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

Next question: What ingredients are mothers made of?

1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?

1. We're related.
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me.

What kind of little girl was your mom?

1. My mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.

What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?

1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your Mom marry your dad?

1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mom eats alot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that Mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

What does your Mom do in her spare time?

1. Mothers don't do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your Mom perfect?

1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your Mom, what would it be?

1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.
2. I'd make my Mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it and not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on her back of her head.

Watch this following short film clip about mothers – about what our mother’s taught us. [Show film clip]

Now look on the screen. What is showing? Right, a magnet. I read a story last week about a school teacher who was teaching the children in her science class about magnetism. The next day, she surprised them with a quiz. It consisted of just one question: “My name has six letters in it, begins with an “M” and I pick up things – what am I?” Many of the kids, instead of answering “M-A-G-N-E-T,” wrote instead, “M-O-T-H-E-R.” But let’s move beyond Mother’s Day and continue our discussion about love.

God wants our life to be magnetic – Spirit-filled, contagious, attractive like a magnet. Last week, on Friday, we celebrated another big event in our parish – Confirmation of our teens. The bishop was here and confirmed 89 of our young people. And I must say, I was really impressed with our kids. They obviously learned from their great mothers and fathers! These kids were so enthusiastic about following God! Let’s ask some of our Confirmation kids to stand. Let’s give them a big applause! And are there any kids from last year’s Confirmation? You, too, please stand! Give them applause – you’ve persevered, you’re still here, loving God with that magnetic enthusiasm and excitement that only comes when we have a life-energizing relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. A few weeks ago, our Confirmation teens were on a retreat up in the mountains, and they made the following video. Watch their enthusiasm! [Show video]

There are all kinds of love – family love, friendship love, romantic love – but the most important is agape love, which is the love that Jesus taught us. It’s unconditional, no strings attached. It’s the love that goes beyond just our family and friends and reaches out to the weak, the hurting, the poor, the marginalized, and even to our enemies. That’s the kind of love Jesus wants us to enjoy.

Our gospel gives us three simple lessons today. First: Love requires obedience. “Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever loves me will keep my word.’ ” (John 14:23, NAB) Let me illustrate. I’ve asked one of our kids to come up and help me. [Invite child forward] Does your mom love you? How does she show you that she loves you? [Answers: She cooks, cleans, hugs and kisses me, washes my clothes, takes care of me when I am sick, etc.] Do you love your mom? How do you show your mom that you love her? [house chores, homework, hugs, a Mother’s Day card or gift, etc.] You see, love – if it’s just a word – is meaningless and empty. We show love through our actions. And it’s the same with God. Love requires obedience.

Second: Love never fails. It’s the strongest force in the world. It can move entire nations. In our gospel today, Jesus tells us that we are never alone. “The Advocate, the holy Spirit that the Father will send in my mane – he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.” (John 14:26, NAB) That’s what our teens experienced at Confirmation – God’s power, God’s Spirit, like a magnet, transforming and strengthening them.

Third: Love produces contentment and joy and peace. Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.” (John 14:27, NAB) Notice: This is not a promise that life will be easy-street if you follow God. Life will have its struggles and difficulties – but God will give you peace -- a deep, inner sense of joy and contentment – when you love Him and follow Him and are obedient to Him. When you let him transform and magnetize your life.

A final image: A mom watering a plant. Love needs to be watered and nurtured if it is to grow strong. That’s what parents do. They water and nurture love in their children. And hopefully, they are watering and nurturing more than a selfish, egotistical type of love just for family and friends, but rather, Jesus’ agape love for all people. Someone once wrote these powerful words of advice to parents:

If a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn.
If a child lives with hostility, he learns to fight.
If a child lives with ridicule, he learns to be shy.
If a child lives with shame, he learns to feel guilty.
If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient.
If a child lives with encouragement, he learns confidence.
If a child lives with praise, he learns to appreciate.
If a child lives with fairness, he learns justice.
If a child lives with security, he learns to have faith.
If a child lives with approval, he learns to like himself.
If a child lives with acceptance and friendship, he learns to find love in the world.

Anyone here ever heard of the K.I.S.S. Principle? “Keep It Simple, Stupid.” Growing in love isn’t complicated. It’s like watering a plant, little by little, but persistently, each day. That’s also how our love for God grows. On your handout are some simple questions and some simple, first steps, baby steps, to help your love grow for God and for other people:

• Do I miss Mass frequently? Commit to attending every Sunday.
• Do I forget to pray at home? Start praying before meals or with your kids at bedtime.
• Do I attend Mass but never get involved in a ministry? Plug in to a ministry you enjoy! We have hundreds! (children, teens, adults, elderly, sick, music, liturgy, justice, office, maintenance, retreats…)
• Do I need to learn more about my faith? Join a Bible study group!
• Would a retreat do me good? Attend a mini-retreat or a weekend retreats?
• Teens: Bored with church? Come to Tuesday Youth Night at 6:30 p.m. or help on Sundays with the Children’s Church at 9 a.m., 11 a.m. or 1 p.m.
• Am I grumpy and stressed out? Smile more… give more hugs!
• Too much family stress? Take time out with your spouse. Spend special time with your family. Make a special date with each of your kids!
• Do you get angry when caught in traffic? Listen to some Christian music or a Christian tape. Pray for the other poor schmucks who are also trapped in traffic with you.

Little things. On your screen is the image of a man, running on a treadmill, but going nowhere. Sometimes, that is what happens to us. We are going, going, going, running, running, running, but we are going nowhere. Slow down. Focus on the most important things – God, family, relationships, people. Take some baby steps in the right direction. Start to water the plant. See if God won’t send His Spirit to electrify and magnetize your life.

One final video clip – which, again, I used last week at the Youth and Children’s Masses – Austin Powers, playing Doctor Evil, and his son, Scott. [Show clip] Is there any love in this family? Clearly, no! Do you want a family like this? Definitely, no! So one final small step in watering that plant and allowing God’s love to grow – please, everyone, stand! Smile at someone next to you. Give someone near you a hug or handshake. Show the world that we are a family that loves! God bless!

Easter 6-c 2004

I heard a story the other day about the devil knocking on heaven’s door to talk to Saint Peter. He suggested a soccer competition – heaven’s team versus hell’s team. Saint Peter agreed, but reminded that devil that all the best soccer players and coaches were in heaven. The devil replied, “That’s OK. We have all the referees here.”

Joking aside, life can seem like a competition, or even full out open warfare, between heaven and hell, between the forces of good and God and the forces of Satan and evil. And it’s easy to get discouraged.

We were reminded of that in a graphic way over the last few weeks. Look with me on the TV screen for a moment, or at the photos on your handout. These are a few of the horrific images that have bombarded our sensibilities, reminding us that evil is alive and well. The first picture is of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. The next picture is the sadistic shot of el Queda terrorists as they prepare to behead an American prisoner, Nick Berg. The last two photos are of the horrible abuse of Iraqi prisoners by American soldiers at Abu Ghraib prison in Bagdad.

What are we to make of these horrible images? Is evil winning the day? And what does it mean when our gospel tells us, “Do not let your hearts be troubled”? How can our hearts NOT be troubled?

Our readings today offer us God’s guidance. Let’s begin with today’s second reading, from the Book of Revelation. We need to remember that the Jews of the first century experienced their own “9-11” in the year 70 A.D., when the Romans came and completely destroyed the Jerusalem Temple. On the TV screen is a picture of that Temple. It was magnificent, and it was the centerpiece of Jewish worship and Jewish religion. It was considered to be the very house of God, and was one of the wonders of the ancient world.

The Book of Revelation was written AFTER the Jewish 9-11 – after the Temple has been destroyed. Notice what the writer says: I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God almighty and the Lamb. The city had no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gave it light, and its lamp was the Lamb. – Revelation 21:22-23

What the writer of the Book of Revelation is trying to tell us is that God is our Temple, that God gives light to our world and to our lives through His Son, Jesus, the Lamb. Revelation gives us a glimpse of heaven, of what lies ahead. And it also instructs us on how to find God’s peace here and now – not in Temples of stone and mortar made by human hands, but by trusting in the Lamb who died for us and has been raised from the dead.

Today, there are many spiritual “wars” going on. On the world level, terrorism, war, violence, starvation, hunger, poverty, the A.I.D.S. epidemic that is ravishing the continent of Africa. The list goes on and on. Does anyone here have a son or daughter, brother or sister or other relative in Iraq, in the military? That is a source of worry and anxiety, I am sure!

And on the personal level, we face our own battles and obstacles – maybe a divorce or an illness, or anger or maybe we can’t find a job. All of these things can rob us of a sense of peace.

Our readings today first want to remind us that God wants us to experience peace. That’s why Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you.” I think we really need to let that message sink deep into us, so we can really start to believe it. “Peace I leave with you.” Let’s all repeat those words of Jesus –

Do you believe those words?

Secondly, the Bible instructs us on HOW to experience God’s peace. In our gospel today, Jesus tells us, “My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. – John 14:27

Real peace is different from what the world offers us. The world’s peace is based on the use of power and force. Our armies will impose peace through their might. But God’s peace is based on surrender and submission, on trusting God and letting God control our lives.

The world tells us we will find peace through things like fame, riches, beauty, popularity, hard work, pleasure, getting a good education, or maybe escaping from the world through drugs or alcohol. But the world’s so-called peace is a lie. The only real peace is in God.
Have you ever known people who just seemed to always be at peace with themselves and the world, no matter what fires were burning all around them? They just seemed to have this deep sense that God was with them. Last week, I was reading about a man who – when asked how he was doing – would always reply, “I’m still breathing.” At first, it seems that his response was just a curt and cutesy brush-off, but it wasn’t. “I’m still breathing” meant he was grateful to God for giving him each day’s new breath, and that he wasn’t going to let bills or kids or life’s other preoccupations distract him from what was most important – simply living in the moment, enjoying life fully. Last week, two friends of mine lost their jobs. If I were in their shoes, I would be in a panic. But they weren’t. In fact, both of them told me, with a deep sense of inner tranquility, “God will provide. All will be well.” Even in the worst of tragedies, God tells us, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. All will be well.”

On your sheet are five concrete guideposts for discovering God’s true peace in life. We’ll look through each one briefly. In your mind, maybe place a mental checkmark next to any of these that you think you need to work on.

The first is obedience. In our gospel today, Jesus says, "Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. – Juan 14:23

So much of life’s pain is the result of us disobeyed God. We want to be in control of our own life. We don’t want to let God in to run our lives. But then, we are mad at God later when things fall apart. There are so many examples of this. We marry someone for the wrong reasons, then wonder why we and our families are miserable. Or we drown ourselves in work or drinking or gambling and wonder why life is not going the way we would like. It’s like choosing to smoke, then wondering why later we end up with lung cancer.

Of course, none of us is perfect, and we all make mistakes. But obedience isn’t about being perfect. It’s about an attitude – are we trying to follow God, or are we not? I want to say this in the strongest way possible, because it needs to be said, but we don’t like to hear it: It is IMPOSSIBLE – COMPLETELY, UTTERLY, TOTALLY IMPOSSIBLE to find ultimate real genuine peace and contentment in life if we are living in open rebellion and disobedience to God. That’s why Jesus said so often, CHANGE! REPENT!

I’ve known many people who really don’t want to change their unhealthy and disobedient lifestyle. They might pay lip service to following God, but they don’t really mean it. They’re moderately happy with things the way they are, and they really aren’t interested in finding something better. They think that following God will mean giving up forbidden pleasures that they really don’t want to give up. They think being obedient to God will be hard and will make them miserable. If anyone here is like that, sitting on the fence and not ready to make the changes God wants you to make, I want to tell you some Good News right now. Once you turn your heart and life over to God, it’s NOT that you now need to give up all the sinful pleasures and gut it out but feel this deep pain. No! God works a heart transplant in you – he takes away the very desire for those unhealthy sins and habits. You no longer want to live a life of sin. It isn’t even pleasurable anymore. That’s the peace that God gives us. We are freed from slavery to sin – really free. And that’s how God gives us the gift of inner peace.

The second and third guidepost: We find God’s peace through trust in God, and through following God’s guidance and direction. Jesus wants us to not worry about our future. He’s in control. The future is his problem, not ours. That’s a huge load off our shoulders! And he will steer us and guide us. All we need to do is listen. In our gospel today, Jesus tells us: "I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name--he will teach you everything and remind you of all that (I) told you. -- John 14:25-26

The fourth guidepost is passion and enthusiasm for God. Some people are passionate about all the wrong things – stupid, silly things life a sports team or a hobby. I like sports and I like hobbies, but life does not revolve around sports or a hobby. In this valley, there are lots of people who are passionate about golf. Nothing wrong with golf, mind you – but it is not the most important thing in life! God placed each of us on this earth for a purpose, for a reason. We have certain gifts and talents. If we do not use what God has given us and if we do not complete the mission on earth that God has designed for us, then our lives will – in the end – feel wasted and empty, and we will not find real peace. Let’s read the verse on your handout from Isaiah: You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, whose thoughts are fixed on you! – Isaiah 26:3

The final guidepost for finding God’s peace is to develop margin, or balance in your life. We talked about this a bit last week, but it is so important that I think it bears repeating. We need space in life for God. We can’t always be on the treadmill, running and running but going nowhere. Just like pages in books and magazines have margins around the edges so that they are readable and pleasing to the eye – the words and letters and sentences don’t go out to the very last edge of the page – our lives also need margin, space, balance so that we can pray, we can be quiet with God, we can take time with our family. In today’s society, margin and balance are rapidly disappearing in people’s lives. The result is stress, which is the opposite of peace. Look at the verse on your sheet from Psalm 127: It is senseless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, fearing you will starve to death; for God wants his loved ones to get their proper rest. – Psalm 127:2

The bottom line: God wants what is best for us. God wants us to experience real freedom, real inner peace, real fullness of life. True peace is an inner attitude or disposition, a “philosophy” of life that says I will choose to trust in God instead of to worry and fret. Jesus means it when it says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.”

Easter 4-C (May 2, 2004)

Today, this fourth Sunday of Easter, traditionally is know as Good Shepherd Sunday, because the readings always talk about Jesus as the Good Shepherd. But two problems confront us in 21st century America in terms of sheep and shepherds.

First, we don’t really understand the meaning and the symbol of sheep and shepherds, because we don’t have too many sheep or shepherds around in our everyday lives. Anyone here know a shepherd? I remember a funny story of a teenager from Germany who moved to the United States, and the teacher at her school asked the students to write an essay about their ancestry and roots. This young girl began her essay, “I come from a long line of German shepherds…”

Second, we think of sheep as docile, stupid, smelly, dirty animals – and so, who wants to be thought of as a sheep?

Nonetheless, it is good to stick with the images that are given to us by God in the Bible, even if they are images from bygone centuries and not the images we would normally use today. So please look with me on your handouts, where it says, “Attention, All Sheep! Beware of Wolves!” Today, I would like us to look at two things: First, God’s plan and vision for us; and secondly, some of the “wolves” and the obstacles that can block us from fulfilling God’s plan and vision.

How many would agree with the statement that nothing great happens without passion? Teams win the NBA championship because they are passionate about winning. Scientists discover cures for diseases because they are passionate about their research. Musicians attain excellence because they are passionate about singing or playing an instrument.

But how many would also agree that a lot of people in the world today – maybe even some of us, from time to time – lack passion? Life is on autopilot – without any zip. We’re existing, not living – running on a treadmill and getting nowhere. A lot of people are dead even before they are dead, if you know what I mean. Spiritually, we see this all the time right after Easter – churches are full during Holy Week and Easter Sunday itself, but then, in the weeks that follow, attendance wanes.

Our readings today tell us that God’s plan and vision for us is that we will experience a life of vitality and vibrancy and energy. God wants us to enjoy life, not just endure it. Now this doesn’t mean that there won’t be pain and suffering and trials and tribulations along the way – for the Christian life is not easy, and it often involves embracing the cross. But even in the midst of that pain and suffering and those trials and tribulations, God can give us inner strength, inner peace, inner joy – a supernatural energy that will give our lives zip.

Let’s look first at our gospel, from John, Chapter 10. Let’s read these first two verses on your handout together [Preacher should focus on boldfaced parts of the text]:

A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly. – John 10:10

My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life,
and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. – John 10:27-28

And let’s also read the next verse, from our second reading, from the Book of Revelation, which also talks of Jesus as the one who was the sacrificial lamb who died on our behalf, but now is the shepherd who leads us:

The one who sits on the throne will shelter them. They will not hunger or thirst anymore, nor will the sun or any heat strike them. For the Lamb who is in the center of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to springs of life-giving water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." – Rev. 7:15-17

One final verse from Revelation tells us that this good news of a life with zip and vitality is something God wants for everyone – from every nation, every people. It is not limited to just a few:

I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue.—Revelation 7:9

In fact, this universality is what we saw in our first reading from Acts of the Apostles – where the message of Jesus is starting to be shared with the gentiles, not just the Jews.

On your sheet is a question: Is Our Vision of God big enough? Do we really see life from God’s perspective, that God has the power to help us experience new life, that God has the power to help us transform our world and to build God’s kingdom of peace and justice, that God has the power to right the wrongs, that God has the power to help us overcome our own pain and difficulties – and that God uses us for his purpose? Do we have a vision of God that is big enough to include all peoples, all races, all nations – not just people like ourselves?

But on your sheet, it says next, “Beware of Wolves!” There are wolves out there that would convince us to be passive, to not take a stand when we see a wrong being committed, to not believe in a deep enough way that God really loves us with a passion and that God really loves other people – ALL other people – and that God really loves the world. Those wolves would try to rob us of our passion, our enthusiasm, our energy. Those wolves would rather have us living on autopilot, existing but not really living.

In our first reading from Acts, it says: The word of the Lord continued to spread through the whole region. The Jews, however, … stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their territory…. The disciples were filled with joy and the holy Spirit. – Acts 13:49-52

That last line particularly struck me. The apostles were being persecuted, expelled, beaten, spit upon, threatened with jail – yet they are filled with joy and the Holy Spirit. The wolves are attacking, yet these disciples are not overcome! And it is because they have the joy of God in their hearts that overcomes all sadness, all suffering. They are passionate about what they are doing. And this passion comes from God, from the Holy Spirit. They are not depending just on their own strength, their own energy, their own power. They are depending on God’s power.

Do we wake up in the morning and say, “Good morning, Lord!” – or do we wake up and say, “Good Lord, it’s morning”? Do we believe that we too can experience this same strength and energy and power from God in our own lives? Do we believe that God is so passionately in love with us that God wants to fill our lives to overflowing with passion, too?

The last thing we are going to do this morning is look at eight wolves – eight passion busters that can rob us of a sense of God’s energy and power. I need eight kids to help me – each is going to get a balloon. [Have kids grab a balloon and sit up front. After each Passion Buster is explained, pop one balloon]

First, we look at two emotional passion busters:

1. An Unclear purpose. We live life more by default than by design. We’re just drifting. Does that rob us of energy and enthusiasm? You bet! So let’s pop that balloon!
2. Second, an unbalanced schedule. This is a really important passion buster, a real wolf in sheep’s clothing. We’re too busy. We’re stressed out and always on the run. Anyone here relate to that one? It can even happen in church. At Mini-Retreat 101, I always tell my version of the little ditty, “Mary had a little lamb, it would’ve been a sheep, but then it joined its local church and died from lack of sleep.” Spiritual burnout, even when we are doing good ministry! Or greed – we are working, working, working, double shifts and triple shifts and two and three jobs, but not because we absolutely have to, but because we are trying to keep up with the Jone’s, or we’ve bought into the American myth of materialism that tells us we need to have this and we need to have that. Or insecurity – our self-esteem and our self worth is all tied in to a sense that we need to work, work, work. Is this a passion buster? Do we need to pop this balloon?

Next are two relational passion busters.

1. Number 3: Unresolved conflict. We’re angry, bitter at someone, jealous or unable to forgive. But all that negative energy saps us, and doesn’t affect the other person. To forgive someone is not to admit that they were right and you were wrong. It’s not to allow someone to continue to mistreat you. But it is letting go of the anger so that anger does not control you. It is turning it over to God and moving on with your life. Do we need to bust that passion buster?
2. Number 4: An unsupported lifestyle. This is another really important one. We are so busy in our lives that we don’t have quality time with other people, so they can support us spiritually. But we need that support. That’s why in this church and at the Valley Missionary Program, we so strongly encourage people to join a small faith community or, for our teens, to join a youth group. We need the support of others, spiritually – and Sunday morning alone won’t cut it. I’ve seen this happen so often – the first sign of spiritual unhealthiness, when people stop coming to church and stop staying involved. They go adrift spiritually. It’s like a hot coal in a fire – but when you take that hot coal out of the fireplace and set it aside all by itself, the flame goes out. Or in prison, what is the worst type of punishment, short of the death penalty? Solitary confinement. We are not meant to journey through life alone, spiritually. So let’s bust that passion buster, shall we?

Now, finally, we have four spiritual passion busters:

1. Fifth, an unexamined life. We’ve already talked about that. Existing, not living. Not slowing down enough to ask the really deep questions: Why am I here on this earth? What is God’s purpose for me, and am I doing my best to fulfill that purpose? Shall we bust this one?
2. Next, the undernourished soul. We don’t feed enough spiritually. I always tell people, If you only ate one meal a week, what would happen to you? You’d be very hungry and probably starve to death. One spiritual meal a week on Sunday is not enough. We need to be praying each day and reading God’s Word in the Bible and growing spiritually through small faith communities or classes or retreats or mini-retreats or spiritual reading or listening to Christian music – lots of ways. Shall we bust this passion buster?
3. Number 7 is unapplied truth. This is a very important one. Too often – and I think we Catholics are really guilty of this – we listen, but we don’t do. We’re like sponges soaking it in on Sunday morning, but nothing we learn here is of any value whatsoever, unless we put it into action and into practice. Adelai Stevenson, a famous politician who ran for President back in the 1940s, said: “I live in a sea of words, where the nouns and adjectives flow, where the verbs speak of actions that never take place and the sentences just come and go.” How sad! Shall we bust this passion buster?
4. Finally, Unexpressed Faith. Part of doing is passing on what we’ve learned. Invite someone to church with you on Sunday. Use this little handout not just as garbage at the bottom of the bird cage, but to engage someone in a conversation about God. “This is what we talked about on Sunday!” In the Holy Land, there are two bodies of water – the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. The Sea of Galilee is teeming with life because it has a stream that feeds it constantly, and it is constantly letting water out at the other end, because its water pours out into the Jordan River. But the Dead Sea is just as its name implies – dead – because it only has the Jordan River flowing into it, but nothing that leaves it. Spiritually, if all we are doing is taking in, but not giving out, our lives are dead, spiritually.

Let me conclude with a story. Last week, I was at a stewardship conference, where I heard this story. Stewardship simply means that we are thankful for God for all that He has given us, and out of that gratefulness, we are generous in giving back of our time and talent and treasure. It is a way of life, a spiritually. So this man in Africa had been learning about stewardship. He was a fisherman, and he came to the parish priest and said, “Here is my fish – this is my offering to the church this week.” The priest was amazed and grateful, and said to the man, “This must mean you caught ten fish this week, and this fish represents your ten percent.” “No,” said the man, “This is the first fish I caught. Now I am going to go out and try to catch the other nine.”

Would you say this man was passionate for God? He gave the very first fish, before he had even caught any others. He trusted in God and was no doubt filled with God’s joy and God’s energy.

God is passionate about us and loves us and wants what is best for us. Are we equally as passionate about him?

In the Midst of Confusion and Doubt… Faith!

One day, a teacher was explaining evolution to her students. The teacher asked a little boy, Tommy: “Do you see the tree outside?” Tommy replied, “Yes.” The teacher asked, “Tommy, do you see the grass outside?” Again, Tommy replied, “Yes.” The teacher then said, “Tommy, go outside and look up and see if you can see the sky.” The boy did as he was told, returned a few minutes later and told the teacher, “Yes, I saw the sky.” Then the teacher asked, “Tommy, did you see God up there?” “No,” Tommy replied. The teacher then explained, “That’s my point, class. We can’t see God because he isn’t there. He possibly doesn’t exist.”

A 6-year-old girl was sitting in the classroom, listening to all this. She asked the teacher for permission to ask Tommy some questions, and the teacher said OK. She asked the boy, “Tommy, do you see the tree outside?” Tommy replied, “Yes.” The girl asked, “Tommy, do you see the grass outside?” Again, Tommy replied, “Yes.” The little girl asked, “Tommy, do you see the sky?” The boy replied, “Yes!” The little girl asked, “Tommy, do you see the teacher?” Tommy answered, “Yes.” The girl asked, “Do you see her brain?” Tommy replied, “No.” The girl concluded, “According to what we learned in school today, she possibly may not even have one!”

How many would agree with the statement: “Our Faith is often under attack today”? Now, maybe, this is nothing really new. Especially in spring time, especially just before Easter, it seems like some new attack is launched every year at this time against Christianity. This year, it was the sensationalistic show on the Discovery Channel about how archeologists supposedly had discovered to burial tomb of Jesus and his family. Thus, they said, the resurrection is a lie. Jesus’ bones have been found. Right? Wrong! All the real experts, including Jewish experts, discounted the supposed discovery as a giant hoax.

There are a couple of books out now, on the New York Times bestseller list, that attack religion. One is entitled “The God Delusion,” by a renowned scientist, Richard Dawkins. For him, all religion and all faith is just a myth, a big lie. The other book is by an atheist named Sam Harris, entitled “The End of Faith.” He argues that religion is at the root of all the world’s problems – war, violence, torture, poverty, injustice – and needs to be destroyed for the sake of humankind’s future. Dawkins argues that 90 percent of Americans believe in God, but only 40 percent of scientists believe in God. More astonishingly, he notes that only 7 percent of the nation’s top scientists believe in God! If that is true – and it probably is! – then no wonder our kids leave for college and come back, rejecting God and faith!

So how do we respond? Today’s gospel, the story of good ‘ol doubting Thomas, is for us! In fact, I want to argue that this story was purposely placed in the Bible to help those of us who live after Jesus; those of us who cannot see the risen Jesus in person, physically; so that we might have faith and believe. You see, we are Thomas! Read with me what Jesus says to Thomas – and to us: "Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed." (John 20:29)

Today, let’s look at this phenomenon called doubt.

First, repeat after me: It is not a sin to doubt. We are created to be curious and to ask questions. It’s part of our human nature. If you have kids, you know this! “Mommy, why is the sky blue?” “Daddy, how do airplanes fly?” My favorite – “Mommy, daddy, where did I come from?” I remember a story about some parents who really wrestled with how to answer that question. They started to explain the birds and the bees as best they could to their little boy, but after a while, he got bored and said to them, “I don’t need that big, long, complicated explanation – my friend Johnny told me he was from Mexico, and I just wanted to know where I came from!”

When I was a little boy, I wanted to know how many legs were on a caterpillar. One day, my mom got tired of me asking, so she said, “Bruce, just go count them!” I caught me this caterpillar, turned it on its back, and spent the good part of an entire afternoon trying to count the legs of the caterpillar. Did you know that it is very hard to count the legs of a caterpillar! They are so tiny, and they are always moving. This caterpillar didn’t want to sit still! But my parents still laugh at the result – I want around door to door, telling all the neighbors my discovery, that caterpillars have … you guessed it! – I came up with an odd number, 29 legs!

Thomas had questions. He told the other disciples, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe." (John 20:25) Can anyone here relate to Thomas? I can! I’m the kind of person who needs to see to believe. I’m a born skeptic. People talk to me about UFOs, or the Loch Ness Monster, or Mary appearing on a tortilla, or strange noises at night because their house is haunted by ghosts – and I roll my eyes and say, “I’ll believe it when I see it, and not one second before!”

There is an anonymous saying: “The dangerous person is not the one who doubts, but the one who does not care.” I’ve always loved that saying. In our gospel today, Jesus didn’t criticize Thomas for his doubting and questioning. In fact, the Bible tells us that Jesus went out of his way to make a second appearance, just for Thomas’ benefit – and for ours! God is not afraid of our questions or of our doubts.

How do we respond to doubts? First, we need to understand where our doubts come from. On your handouts, I’ve listed six sources of doubt:

1. From our upbringing and our society. Many folks grow up in homes where God is simply not a part of the equation. Their parents never practiced any religion, so they grow up without any experience or knowledge of God. And, as we noted earlier, our society is becoming more and more antagonistic toward God and religion and faith. Atheism is in the air we breathe today – maybe not explicitly, but subtly and just hidden under the surface, on TV and in music and in the media.

2. Our age in life. Many of us go through a rebellious stage in life. This often happens in the teen years, but not always. Parents who are active in church start to pull their hair out when their kids become teens and say they don’t want to go to church, because they don’t believe in God. Parents, a word of advice: Calm down! It’s usually just a stage – our teens are trying to assert their independence and individuality. They reject what mom and dad say and believe – it’s a normal part of growing up. So if mom and dad say the sky is blue, the teenager says that it is red. If mom and dad say jump, the teenager will sit.

3. Laziness. Some people just are born lazy and don’t want to put the work into finding out if life has a meaning or a purpose, and if there is a God or not. They just don’t care.

4. Insecurity. Sometimes we doubt because we are insecure and unsure about our beliefs and convictions.

5. Our hurts and sufferings. Sometimes, we are just mad at God because of the pain we are in. We shake our fist at God and say, “God, you don’t exist, or this would not be happening to me!” But I want to add here that, sometimes, our pain and suffering actually drives us toward God, rather than away from God, for it is our faith that can give us strength and comfort when we are hurting.

6. Finally, we sometimes doubt and have questions simply because we are curious, and we genuinely are searching for answers to life’s deepest questions. That’s how God made us. Searching and questioning are good things.

So… there are some good ways and some bad ways to respond to doubt. First, the bad ways. Number One – and parents are often guilty of this, when their kids ask questions and the parents don’t know the answer – is to say, “Don’t ask questions! Just accept what I tell you and what the Bible says, end of discussion!” Parents: Never say this to your kids! It’s a good thing that they are questioning! Encourage them to search and find answers.

The second bad way to deal with doubt is what I call “stupid Christianity.” Christian fundamentalists are often guilty of this. They don’t use their brains. They try to create this irrational way of looking at the world that makes no sense to any thinking, educated person. They treat the Bible literally, as a science book -- so God created the world in a literal six days, and there were no dinosaurs because they aren’t mentioned in the Bible, and all the laws of physics and chemistry and biology and the theory of evolution are just a bunch of lies foisted on us by atheists, if they disagree with what the Bible says. Hogwash! Science and religion are not enemies. But the Bible was never meant to be a science book! Some of our kids hear only this brand of “stupid Christianity,” and when they go off to college and learn about history and science, they see that this type of anti-intellectual Christianity makes no logical sense. But instead of learning about God in a more enlightened and informed way, they reject God altogether. Really, they are just rejected this brand of stupid Christianity – but they don’t know it, because they think all Christians are unsophisticated, uneducated country bumpkins.

The right way to deal with doubts is to read and study and ask questions. And to pray – honestly, sincerely, openly, letting the Lord lead you to answers. Our parish web page is great for this – it’s listed on your handout. Under a section on the web page entitled “Help Articles” are several interesting articles to help those with questions and doubts about God – “Finding God in the Questions,” “God: The Evidence,” and “The Pain of Death.” Also, for those who are interested in knowing about evolution and faith, I recommend a wonderful book by a renown biology professor at Brown University who also is an active, practicing Catholic, entitled “Finding Darwin’s God,” by Kenneth R. Miller.

Let me share of few of my thoughts on how I answer questions about God’s existence. I’ve written these on your handout, in the form of a short outline. These are a few things I might say to an atheist:

1. First: Nobody can prove – or disprove -- God’s existence, scientifically. We can only weigh evidence, some pro, some con. For me, the evidence for God outweighs the evidence against, but there are still, for me and for all of us, mysteries and unanswered questions.
2. Second: Atheism is just as much a religion as Christianity – it is based on unprovable presuppositions and assumptions and has its own “dogmas.” Nonbelievers often try to make atheism seem logical, scientific, irrefutable because it is “objective” – but that is simply not true. All belief systems rest on certain assumptions and require faith, including both Christianity and atheism.
3. Third: The atheists are not all wrong. I presume that most of them are sincere in their beliefs. And they make some good points. Sam Harris, for example, argues that religion is responsible for many bad things in society – fanaticism, intolerance, suicide bombings, the inquisition, the crusades, holy wars. I don’t disagree. But religion also is responsible for many good things – hospitals, orphanages, universities, outreach to the poor, the civil rights movement and the abolition of slavery, just to name a few.
4. Fourth: Theologian Hans Kung once asked, “Why is there something rather than nothing?” In other words, how do we explain the very existence of ourselves, capable of reflecting on our self existence, without believing in God? It is a very good question. It seems to me that without God, all of life would be a giant farce, a cosmic joke. There is no meaning or purpose to life if we are just accidental blobs of protoplasm, destined for extinction.
5. Fifth: Without God, there is no basis for morality – it’s just “survival of the fittest, baby!” Without God, there is no reason not to kill you, if you are in my way and if I can get by with it.
6. Finally: Last week, Newsweek magazine carried an interview about God between Rick Warren, a famous Protestant pastor, and Sam Harris, the atheist. I loved the last line in the article by Rick Warren: “I believe in both faith and reason. The more we learn about God, the more we understand how magnificent this universe is. There is no contradiction to it. When I look at history, Christianity has done far more good than bad. Altruism comes out of knowing there is more than this life, that there is a sovereign God, that I am not God. We’re both betting. He’s betting his life that he’s right. I’m betting my life that Jesus was not a liar. When we die, if he’s right, I’ve lost nothing. If I’m right, he’s lost everything. I’m not willing to make that gamble.” Way to go, Rick! Christians, 1, atheists, 0. It reminds me of graffiti on a bathroom wall. Someone had written, “God is dead – Nietzshe.” But later, someone else wrote, “Nietzhe is dead. – God.”

I want to conclude by looking at a few final verses. First, from Acts of the Apostles, which is our first reading today. Let’s read it together, out loud: “Many signs and wonders were done among the people at the hands of the apostles. They were all together in Solomon's portico. None of the others dared to join them, but the people esteemed them.” (Acts 5:12-13, NAB) That last line really struck me – where it says that, despite the many signs and wonders, most people just sat and watched. They admired the disciples from a distance, but they didn’t dare to join them.

There are three kinds of Christians: Casual Christians, Convenience Christians, and Committed Christians. The first two aren’t really Christians at all. Casual Christians are those who say they believe in God, but God is really just an afterthought in their lives. They were raised to believe in God. They go to church at Christmas and Easter. But God isn’t at the center of their lives. They’re just spectators, sitting on the sidelines. Their faith is really shallow, superficial. Convenience Christians are those who come running to church and to God when they need something – a crisis in their life, or they want to baptize a baby or to get married or for their child to make first communion. Real Christians are the committed, on fire Christians. They’re not perfect, by any means – none of us are! But they care! They’re like Thomas, maybe full of questions and doubts, but at least they are passionate about learning the truth.

Today, we’ve been talking about doubt, confusion. The antidote is faith – but not a shallow, superficial, casual faith; and not a faith of convenience. The only real faith that counts, and that will help us through our doubts and confusion, is the passionate faith of conviction and commitment. Which kind of faith do you have?

Let’s look at three final passages, and then we’ll end. First, a passage from the Gospel of John, where doubting Thomas makes another appearance. Jesus is talking with his disciples. The conversation occurs before Jesus’ death and resurrection, before Doubting Thomas’ encounter with the risen Lord that we heard in our gospel today. Here, Jesus tells them, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? … Where (I) am going you know the way." Thomas said to him, "Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” – John 14:1-2, 4-6 (NAB)

Did you catch it? Jesus tells us that he is the doorway – the path to truth and the life, the path to faith overcoming doubt and confusion. He does not want us to live lives of trouble and anxiety.

Next passage: from the end of our gospel today. “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of (his) disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written that you may (come to) believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name.” (John 20:30-31, NAB) Again, did you catch the same theme repeated? God wants us to experience abundance, fullness of life, in his name.

Finally, the wonderful, life-giving words of Jesus to his disciples -- and to Thomas, and to us -- in our gospel today: "Peace be with you…. Receive the holy Spirit.” (John 20:19, 22, NAB)

Do you want peace? Do you want abundant life? Then shuck the superficial fake Christianity of casual faith or convenience. Embrace the radical Christianity of commitment and conviction. The road away from doubt and confusion and toward faith is not so much up here, in our heads – though God wants us to use our brains and our intellects. It is down here, in the heart – not through scientific proofs or philosophical reasoning, but through a lived experience of Jesus, risen and alive in us and in our neighbors.

Where will you find answers to your doubts? Not just by sitting on your duff, reading a book. Better to roll up your sleeves, get involved, stop being a spectator. Then, through action, when we become DOERS of God’s Word, not just HEARERS – then the Risen Lord will reveal himself to us.

Let’s end with a video that speaks to us about being doers – a music video by a group called Nickelback, entitled “If Everyone Cared.” We used this video last week at the teen Mass. Watch it. Listen. Let it move you to become a person of action, a person who cares, a doer, a participant and not just a spectator – in this way, reaching out to the poor and to our neighbor, we experience the living Lord, and our God wipes away all tears… dispels and soothes our doubts and confusions… and gives our lives meaning and, best of all, peace.

[Show video]