Condemning and Dismissing Those "On the Fringe,” the Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time–Year C

My Sisters and Brothers:

    In today’s Gospel, Jesus has a very specific message about how we are to regard ourselves, and how we are to treat other people.  He reminds us we are called to be “humble,” and we must have profound respect for others–especially the “lowly” among us.  Jesus says: “Humble yourself the more, the greater you are, and you will find favor with God . . . for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted . . . 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” (see Luke 14:1, 7-14).  As followers of the Lord Jesus, we are called to treat every other human being with absolute respect.  This means that we must be willing to look beyond our differences and to actually treat others with tolerance, love, forgiveness, patience and genuine respect.  But how difficult this is to do!

     The message of our Christian faith clearly teaches us that all people, no matter who or “what” they are, have the same dignity and are equal in the eyes of our God.  With this in mind, we need only to remember the words of St. Paul who said “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (see Galatians 3:28).  And so, as we reflect on today’s Gospel, we might then ask ourselves “who are the marginalized of society, or that’s to say the ‘humble’ and/or ‘the lowly’ among us today?”  It seems to me this question is very poignantly highlighted in our own time and place.

     In this day and age, it seems to me our society is becoming more “polarized,” and now many have become very intolerant of those who are accused of being part of differing political, religious and secular “camps.”  Isn’t it true that many are quick to condemn and dismiss as “on the fringe” those with whom they might not agree over the important questions of our time.  We need only to tune into current political news to see this dynamic displayed in all of its closed-minded and uncharitable fury!  And unfortunately, “church politics” seems not to have escaped from this scourge that taints our communal and civil discourse. 

     It has bothered me greatly that people I know and love have decided to cut off, shun, ostracize, and “de-friend” others with whom they disagree over the important questions of our time.  The command to respect others, invoked by Jesus in today’s Gospel, challenges us to take an opposite approach.  We are actually called to “embrace” and to “invite to the banquet” even those with whom we might have profound differences.

     With this in mind, we might consider the “lowly” among us to be those who simply have divergent opinions, alternative political persuasions, “unorthodox” spiritual perspectives and/or radical or “fringe” views on this or that question.  In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us that from the perspective of our own “humility,” even these people can and must be treated with utmost respect and love.  These are the very people, today’s metaphorical “poor, crippled, lame, and blind,” whom we are called to invite to the “banquet of God’s love.”   How difficult this is to do, but how necessary it is, for those of us who follow the Lord Jesus!  

     My friends, as we strive to live in peace and harmony with others, may we encourage each other with this important message of our faith!  And may we always show profound respect for each and every person who comes our way!
                   
Praise God!  Friar Timothy

 

     Find me on Facebook by clicking on the following link: http://www.facebook.com/frayteo

Strive to Enter through the Narrow Gate, the Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time–Year C

My Sisters and Brothers:

    In our Gospel today, Jesus warned his listeners “to strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many . . . will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough” (see Luke 13:24).  We must remember this warning was part of a robust criticism Jesus had for some of leaders of the faith community of his time, particularly the scribes and the Pharisees, who claimed to follow the law of God perfectly, but who did so only by their external appearances.  In contrast to them, Jesus reminded those who truly desired to follow him that entrance into God’s kingdom would require complete dedication and genuine effort; there could be no “lukewarm” responses, and certainly no outright rejection of his message.

    Within this passage, Jesus also clearly proclaimed, in addition to those who should have merited automatic entrance into the kingdom (i.e., the Chosen People), the door would also be open to people of every land and nation.  This is made clear by his proclamation that “people will come from the east and the west and from the north and the south and will recline at table in the kingdom of God . . . for behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last” (see Luke 13: 29-30).  And so it wasn’t simply one set of people, or one community of faith, that would be welcomed into God’s Kingdom, but all human beings would be heirs to this promise!  But even so, and keeping in mind Jesus’ criticism of those scribes and Pharisees, we understand he placed certain limits on his proclamation about the universality of God’s Kingdom.

  

    As we reflect on today’s scriptures, and Jesus’ warning about “the narrow gate,” we might want to think about our own contemporary “religious” perspectives and experiences.  In our own time, and in our own lives, has it become just as easy for us to be like those scribes and Pharisees of old, those very so-called “religious people” Jesus had criticized?  Like them, have we surrounded ourselves with all the trappings of religion, and then made false facades for ourselves with those things?  Have we too risked squandering the inheritance of future glory otherwise promised to us by our God?  Like those scribes and Pharisees, have the external aspects of our “religious” devotion, and our pride, enabled us to hide from the true responsibilities we have as people of faith?  Or instead, do we have the determination and the strength to follow the demands of our faith with all of our hearts, minds and souls?  Such questions may enable us to examine our consciences, and they may motivate us to make important self-reflections as we continuously ponder the authenticity of our faith commitments.

    Surely all of us, because we have embraced the Christian faith, believe we will be among the chosen.  We believe we are already counted among all those who have “come from the east and the west and from the north and the south.”  And we have confidence we will have the strength to be able to enter “through the narrow gate” and to be saved!  Even so, let’s not forget Jesus’ warning–lest we someday find ourselves “left outside” like those unfaithful scribes and the Pharisees, while we see others entering and enjoying the richness of the Kingdom of God, the heavenly banquet. 

     My friends, let’s live in hope that when we approach the heavenly gate, we will enter easily and will be welcomed to the table prepared for us in the Kingdom of God!

                   

Praise God!  Friar Timothy

 

     Find me on Facebook by clicking on the following link: http://www.facebook.com/frayteo

Two never born; two never died . . .

 

August 20, 2016

I just visited a parishioner at Hopkins, and as I was departing and walking down the hallway towards the elevator, I heard a woman calling towards me "hey, Mr. Reverend, hey, Mr. Reverend . . . ".   I turned around and encountered a very sweet looking elderly lady who then said to me "because you're a monk (I was wearing the Franciscan habit--the "monk" thing is a common misperception), and you are a man of the cloth, I have a riddle for you!"  

Inside, I was cast into a mild panic, as I prayed the "riddle" wouldn't be impossible for me to solve (you know, that whole "man of the cloth" thing -- I wouldn't want to scandalize anyone by not having enough knowledge to answer a religious riddle!).  She then said: "In the Old Testament, there were two people who were never born, and two others who never died.  Who were they?"   

I immediately thought to myself "the Blessed Virgin Mary never died and was assumed into heaven," (it was fresh in my mind we had celebrated the feast of the Assumption in the Roman Catholic Church just five days earlier) but I was sure she likely belonged to a "Sola Scriptura" Protestant church and most likely wouldn't agree with that answer!  Fortunately, and with much relief, I immediately responded "Adam and Eve were never born, Enoch and Elijah never died."   And then, grinning from ear to ear, she proclaimed: "I knew you would know!"

Whew, . . . I'm glad I passed today's test! 

But it's only because, in a recent Bible study at St. Ann Church, we had a discussion about this very theme.  It's now clearer than ever to me that it pays to keep up on your Bible trivia!  Praise God! 

Before continuing on to visiting my parishioner, I parted company with the woman with a smile and a warm handshake.  We agreed to pray for one another!  God is good! 

--See Genesis 5:24 and Second Kings 2:11 for the references about Enoch and Elijah.

Sinking into the Mud at the Bottom of a Pit, the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time–Year C

"Jeremiah thrown into a cistern for prophesizing the ruin of Jerusalem"
an engraving from European School, 17th century.

My Sisters and Brothers:

Can you imagine what it would be like to have enemies who would throw you into a deep, dark pit, and then leave you there all the way at the bottom, and sinking into the mud?  What a perilous predicament that would be!  This isn’t a very pleasant thought, but according to our first reading today, this is exactly the fate that had befallen Jeremiah the Prophet (see Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10).  As a servant of God, he had warned the people about the consequences of their unfaithfulness, and it had angered them greatly.  In retaliation, they punished him in this most dreadful way–most likely hoping he would then experience an agonizing death by thirst, starvation and/or hypothermia.  Although unpleasant and somewhat extraordinary, I find Jeremiah’s plight, and the idea of “sinking into the mud at the bottom of a pit,” a good reference point as we reflect on today’s scriptures.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus warns his followers they will not necessarily be safe from harm if they are faithful to their calling.  In fact, Jesus promises exactly the opposite!  He told his followers “I have come to set the earth on fire . . . not to establish peace on the earth . . . but rather to create division” (cf., Luke 12: 49a, 51).  He told them households would be divided . . . fathers against sons, mothers against daughters, etc.  In other words, the presence of Jesus, and faithfulness to him, would surely lead to divisions, difficulties and perhaps even persecutions and sufferings.  Very much like Jeremiah, Christians who would dare to give testimony to God by their word and example, and consequently who would potentially expose the unfaithfulness of others, likely would be put to the test, and they would probably suffer because of it.  Good Christians might even have opponents and enemies within their own families, and such divisions would likely be the source of great anguish and pain.  I believe this is what Jesus meant by setting the earth on fire, by not establishing peace, and by creating divisions.  And all of that is certainly and symbolically akin to suffering the fate of “sinking into the mud at the bottom of a pit.”  But who wants to do that?

 

Today’s message invites us to look beyond any “sinking in the mud” we might be required to do as people of faith.  Even though difficulties and suffering apparently are part of the Christian calling, we are also encouraged never to lose heart.  In the end, God will prevail and his people will experience that victory with him.  I believe these ideas are behind the words found in today’s Letter to the Hebrews.  The author wrote: “let us rid ourselves of every burden that clings to us, let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus who for the sake of the joy that lay before him, endured the cross; let us consider how he endured such opposition, and let us not grow weary and lose heart” (cf., Hebrews 12:1-4).

And so even though Jesus actually promises us we will face difficulties, and the burdens we carry at times may be heavy, we must never become so discouraged as to believe there are no escapes from the present struggles.  We need not fear the expected fate of those who literally and/or figuratively find themselves “sinking into the mud at the bottom of a pit.”  Even Jeremiah was eventually pulled out of the mud and the pit, and he was saved–and because of his faithfulness, we believe he now enjoys the fullness of joy with God forever in heaven.  Certainly our faith promises us the same destiny as the prophet! 

And so my friends, let’s have an eternal perspective, and let’s be confident that our God will always lift our present burdens, will save us from today’s difficulties, and will someday give us the future glory of heaven.  With this in mind, and in spite of whatever predicaments come our way, may we never grow weary and lose heart!

Praise God!  Friar Timothy

 

     Find me on Facebook by clicking on the following link: http://www.facebook.com/frayteo

Let's Be Ready to Meet the Lord "Face to Face," the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time–Year C

My Aunt +Mary Margaret Winterling Bergeron (d. August 10, 2000)

My Sisters and Brothers:  

  

Jesus warns us in today’s Gospel that we “must be prepared, for at an hour we do not expect, the Son of Man will come” (see Luke 12:40). While this passage actually challenges us to be ready for that moment when Jesus will “come again in Glory,” I believe it also teaches us something about how we ought to be ready for our own personal deaths, and those of others we know and love. Like the coming of Jesus in Glory, the passing-away of any one of us might occur today or tomorrow, and it might catch us by surprise. In both cases, we believe and hope we will see the Lord “face to face.”

When I contemplate the passing from this life to the next, I often think about the surprising death of my very dear Aunt Mary Margaret. She passed-away very suddenly and unexpectedly a few years ago (on August 10, 2000), when she was just fifty-two years old. I will never forget that late night phone call from my mom (my aunt's sister) informing me of the terrible news.  At the time of her death, I was living in Costa Rica, and so the long-distance-away I was from my home and family compounded my immediate angst and sorrow as I listened to my mom's distressed voice on that phone call.  In my heartache at that moment, I pleaded with God: “How’s it possible that a person who seemed to have good health, had just begun a promising new business venture, was a very loving mother and grandmother, and who was in the ‘prime of her life,’ could have been taken so suddenly?” My aunt’s unforeseen death caused tremendous grief for all who loved her, including me.

Most likely, all of us have had similar experiences when dealing with the unexpected deaths of friends and loved ones. Such moments can be very difficult, and sometimes they may even cause us to doubt our faith, but we would probably agree that it’s because of that very faith that we are given the strength not to lose hope, and to look beyond the darkness of such moments!

Jesus tells us that we “must be prepared.” With this in mind, isn’t it true we can be very consoled by our faith when we know our loved ones who have died were “ready to meet the Lord?” Death would even be more difficult to bear if we couldn’t be sure our loved ones were right with God before they departed us.

I know my Aunt Mary Margaret lived an exemplary Christian life; I have no doubt she was certainly ready to meet the Lord “face to face” when she passed from this life to the next. No doubt, you can think of your own deceased loved ones for whom you can have this same confidence. And it’s probably true for all of us that the passing-away of such people challenges us to do some self-reflection. We should then think about our readiness to embrace the Lord of Glory at a moment when we ourselves least expect it. In response to the Gospel, and as people of faith, we must always strive to be prepared!

Jesus tells us today: “Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival” (see Luke 12:37a). And so, are we ready and waiting, and not distracted by the problems of the moment, or the temptations of this life? Do we live each moment of our Christian lives as those who are prepared to accept the Lord when he comes? Do we have confidence that when the Lord comes, he will greet us as his own and that he will lead us to the joys of eternal life? 

Let's encourage each other to be ready for the coming of Jesus in Glory! As he warns us to “be prepared” for that day, so let us also be ready for our own personal deaths, and those of our friends and loved ones. May we always keep our faith-based hope that when we pass from this life to the next, we will all enjoy the fullness of life and the Glory of God forever!

My friends, we don’t know if these things will occur today or tomorrow, and we may even find ourselves surprised when they happen, but let’s pray that each one of us will always be prepared and ready!  

And let's continue to pray for our loved ones who have passed from this life to the next.  May they find eternal rest and peace!  This I will always do for the repose of the soul of my dear Aunt +Mary Margaret, and for so many other family and friends who have died, but who have blessed me with their presence in my own life! 

Praise God!  Friar Timothy

 

     Find me on Facebook by clicking on the following link: http://www.facebook.com/frayteo