tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53976907360976721032024-03-13T15:50:02.133-05:00Offer It UpFr. James Kubicki, S.J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434627331803662489noreply@blogger.comBlogger524125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397690736097672103.post-60116157851200526032021-05-30T15:47:00.000-05:002021-05-30T15:47:11.674-05:00Made in the Image of the Trinity<p> Homily for Trinity Sunday 2021</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Throughout history people have believed in many deities,
numerous gods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Jewish people were
unique.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God revealed Himself to them as
one and only.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We see that in today’s
first reading from the Book of Deuteronomy, Chapter 4: “you must know now, and
fix in your heart, that the LORD is God in the heavens above and on the earth
below, and that there is no other.” This one God is the Creator.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But God is not a clock-maker-god, as many
people known as Deists thought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God did
not simply create, wind creation up, and then step back, putting creation on a
shelf and no longer caring about creation or being involved in it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">No, God is not simply a creator but a Father who cares about
and for creation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God is intimately
involved in creation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God does not
ignore or reject creation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this
sense, God is for us, not against us.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">God is so involved in creation that when sin led to its
alienation, God did not destroy creation but entered into it more deeply.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God took flesh and, in that way, became
“Emmanuel,” or “God-with-us.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Through
His Incarnation and Birth, God became one with creation to the point of even
suffering the death that all flesh must undergo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But His death was not the end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rather, it was a new beginning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He rose from the dead and promised, as we
hear in today’s Gospel, the last verse of Matthew: “behold, I am with you
always.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">God is with us always in the Most Blessed Sacrament, a
mystery which we will celebrate next Sunday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But even that was not enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At
Pentecost, the feast we celebrated last Sunday, the Holy Spirit came into the
world and entered into all the baptized, making them, as we hear in our second
reading from Paul’s Letter to the Romans, true “children of God.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Paul teaches elsewhere, we are “temples of
the Spirit.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now God dwells within us.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This is the great mystery of the Christian faith that we
remember and celebrate today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God is <u>for</u>
us, <u>with</u> us, and <u>within</u> us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is the mystery of the One and Three: One God and Three Divine
Persons.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Unfortunately, we tend to hear the word “mystery” and think
of something that can be “solved.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we
get enough clues we will get to the “bottom” of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The mysteries of our faith are very
different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We will never get to the
bottom of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are not problems
that are to be solved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are
realities into which we can only go deeper and grow in appreciation but, on
this side of eternity, never fully understand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They require humility and a sense of child-like wonder, rather than a
“prove-it-to-me” attitude.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is
faith, rather than proof.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It requires
accepting the revelation of One who loves us more than any human being can,
rather than scientific analysis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Believing, rather than fully “seeing” or understanding.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Now all this may seem very esoteric or abstract and,
perhaps, impractical.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But our belief
that God is One and God is Three, that God is a Communion of Love and not an
assembly of isolated individuals, has profound and very practical implications
for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In the first chapter of the first book of the Bible,
Genesis, we read: “God created man in his image, in the divine image he created
him; male and female he created them” (1: 27).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In other words, human beings are made in the image of the Trinity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are made to be a “communion of love”
rather than an assembly of isolated individuals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are made to be one without losing our
distinct personalities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Lakota have a saying with which they end their prayers:
“Mitakuye Oyasin” or “All My Relatives.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In other words, as human beings we are all related and connected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are not disconnected individuals but a
family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are all God’s children, made
in the image of the Creator who is One and Three.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This Communion of One and Three is the meaning of Love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is why St. John can write in his First
Letter that “God is Love.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God’s very
nature as One and Three is Love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Now we humans made in the image of Love itself need to be
true to our nature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are made by Love
and for love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is who we are and what
we do.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Years ago, the author Malcolm Boyd wrote that the beginning
of love or charity is, very simply, two words: “No Them.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the Unity of the Trinity there is
Diversity, but there is no “Them.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
is only “We” or “Us.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We live in such a divided and polarized Church, nation, and
world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We see other people as “Them” and
not “Us.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our celebration today reminds
us that this is not what it means to be made in the image of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For a true child of God, there is only “Us,”
never “Them.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>Fr. James Kubicki, S.J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434627331803662489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397690736097672103.post-22182430074126469522020-10-11T11:59:00.007-05:002020-10-11T11:59:56.776-05:00What is Justice?<p>Homily for the 27<sup>th</sup> Sunday Ordinary Time, Cycle A -- October 4, 2020<br />Broomtree Retreat Center, Irene, South Dakota</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>In our second reading (Philippians 4: 6-9), St. Paul writes:
“Have no anxiety at all.” Yet today
there is so much anxiety in our world. It
accompanies Covid, the election, the state of our nation, and the state of the
world. How can we not be anxious!?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Paul goes on to tell us how.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He writes: “but in everything, by prayer and petition, with
thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then that peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your
hearts and minds in Christ.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When anxious and negative thoughts come our way, Paul says
we should pray.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We should petition God
and bring to mind those things for which we are thankful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In other words, we are to replace the
negative with the positive.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Elsewhere (2 Corinthians 10: 5), Paul tells us to bring
every thought captive to Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Today, in our reading from Philippians, Paul writes:
“whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if
there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In other words, fill your mind with good
things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not T.V., not 24/7 news, not blogs
and social media, but things that are “worthy of praise.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And the most “true,” most “honorable,” most “just,” most
“pure,” most “lovely,” most “gracious,” most “excellent,” and most “worthy of
praise,” – what, or rather Who, is that?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>God. Fill your mind with Godly things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Replace the things that make you anxious with what draws you closer to
God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is not escapism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God is the goal and end of our lives and we
want nothing to draw us away from God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In a world filled with injustices, God is the most “just.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God’s way is the way of justice.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In many of the recent demonstrations you can see signs that
read: “No Justice, No Peace.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At times
those words seem like a threat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet they
are true.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There is a similar phrase that over the years appeared frequently
on signs and in brochures and on bumper stickers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It comes from Pope St. Paul VI: “If you want
peace, work for justice.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Some years ago I was preaching about this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My congregation was a group of Jesuit
scholastics (seminarians).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After quoting
Pope Paul, I asked: “And if you want justice, work for …?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were befuddled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One offered a circular answer, “Peace!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“No,” I said, “if you want justice then you
have to work for faith.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I reminded them
that our 32<sup>nd</sup> General Congregation in 1975 declared that the Jesuit
mission today is “the service of faith, of which the promotion of justice is an
absolute requirement.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">What is “justice?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Justice is defined as giving to others what is their due.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Given human dignity, what is due to
others?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First of all life, the most
basic right of every human being.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What
follows from this, then, is all that sustains life: food, shelter, health care,
protection from violence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are
basic human rights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are required by
justice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Church has taught that with rights come
responsibilities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have a
responsibility to care for our own life and the lives of others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are required to give to others what is
their due, what human dignity demands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But what is the ground, the basis, the foundation for this
responsibility to act justly, to give to others their due?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is the basis for justice? <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Giving God His due.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And what is God’s due?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What do we
owe God?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Everything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Our first reading (Isaiah 5: 1-7) speaks of Israel, God’s
People, as a vineyard that belongs to God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In the gospel (Matthew 21: 33-43), Jesus tells a parable that picks up
on the theme of God’s People as a vineyard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He promises a New Israel, the kingdom of God to which all people are
invited.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">No human being is his or her own creation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no self-made person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our life and the health and talents that have
allowed us to continue in existence and to acquire all that we possess—these
are not our own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are gifts from God
to whom we owe everything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There is no peace without justice, and there is no justice
without God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We cannot create a more
just world on our own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Justice, without
the most basic justice of giving God what is due to the Creator, has no
foundation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Such justice is incomplete
and is built on sand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Those who signed our nation’s Declaration of Independence
understood this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They wrote: “We hold
these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are
endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights….”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Declaration of Independence is actually a
declaration of dependence: dependence on God who “created” humanity and
“endowed” it with its rights. We are creatures who are given dignity and
rights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Without the Creator there is absolutely no basis for human
dignity and rights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without the Creator,
the basis for justice is power.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Justice
becomes a matter of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“might makes
right.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Popular opinion determines what
is just or unjust.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The challenge is to see and to treat others justly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That means seeing the human dignity of all
people and giving them that which is their due.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It means seeing others as made in the image and likeness of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the Christian, it means seeing others as
precious because Jesus shed His Precious Blood for them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even those who hate us or whom we consider our
enemies.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This is so important to Jesus that He sends His own Mother
from time to time to tell us to pray.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At
Lourdes and Fatima and Champion, Wisconsin, Mary appeared with a message of
peace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She called on us to pray for the
conversion of sinners, including ourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Only when the world is converted, when God and the children of God, our
brothers and sisters in the human race, are given what is due to them, only
then will there be peace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>Fr. James Kubicki, S.J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434627331803662489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397690736097672103.post-4348842997830798392019-09-08T14:45:00.001-05:002019-09-08T14:45:28.723-05:00Does Jesus Really Want Us to Hate?Is Jesus serious? In today's Gospel (23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C: Luke 14: 25-33) he is quoted as saying "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." I thought Jesus followed the 10 Commandments, one of which is "Honor your father and your mother." I thought Jesus said to love our neighbor and even our enemies. What's this about hating others in order to follow him? How are we to understand this?<br />
<br />
Not everything Jesus said is to be taken literally. For example, in the Sermon on the Mount according to Matthew chapter 5, Jesus said that if our right eye causes us to sin, we should pluck it out and if our right hand leads to sin we should cut it off. His point is that it is more important to be in a right relationship with God and other people than it is to have two eyes and two hands. Jesus was exaggerating in order to make this point and the people of his time knew it. They didn't stop following him over this "hard saying" the way they did when he taught about the Eucharist in John 6 where he did indeed want to be taken literally.<br />
<br />
This is why it's very important to have the Church with the guarantee of the Holy Spirit for an authentic interpretation of Scripture rather than the many individual interpretations that arise if we depend on just ourselves.<br />
<br />
When Jesus speaks of "hate" in today's Gospel he is saying that if we love another person or a thing <u>more than</u> we love God we have become idolaters. We have made that person or possession an idol in our lives and thus more important than our relationship with God. We should hate the idolatry that we are so prone to and commit ourselves to loving God above all.<br />
<br />
When Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment he said: "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind" (Matthew 22: 37). Notice, he said to love God totally and above all else. What follows from that, though, is that if we love God, we will also love what God loves--his other human children. Thus what flows from loving God totally and above all is love of neighbor. This love is an "ordered love." In other words, we don't love others more than we love God. We don't "idolize" them. We love them "in the Lord." We love them because God loves them and we love them as God loves them--unselfishly, sacrificially, willing to even show the "tough love" that desires their ultimate good--salvation.<br />
<br />
Jesus also speaks about the importance of planning. He wants us to make sure that we have our priorities right so that we make good choices. There are shelves of books about being successful in business and they include clever slogans like "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail." It's important to plan our lives, our use of time, in such a way that we are loving God above all and our neighbors as God loves them.<br />
<br />
That is true wisdom, the subject of our first reading from the book of Wisdom (9: 13-18). Wisdom is not technical knowledge, nor the accumulation of facts and data. Computers may have lots of that but they don't have wisdom. You can know how a GPS or smart phone works, but if you don't know the name of the destination to which you want to go, you will not get there. Wisdom is about knowing the purpose of our lives and where we are headed. We're created not just for life on earth but life forever with God and neighbor in heaven. The Holy Spirit is the source of wisdom. The Spirit knows the purpose of human life and knows our destination. The Spirit is that voice which speaks in our conscience, telling us when we have taken a wrong turn and need to adjust in order to get back on track. The Spirit is not only the power that guides us on this journey through life but also the energy that moves us toward eternal life.<br />
<br />
Finally, in today's second reading from St. Paul's Letter to Philemon, we see a concrete example of having the right priorities. Paul is in prison and is writing to a fellow Christian, Philemon, about a runaway slave named Onesimus. Paul met this slave of Philemon's in prison. He catechized and baptized him. Onesimus is about to be let out of prison and Paul encourages him to return to his owner. His letter encourages Philemon to receive Onesimus back not so much as a slave who had broken the law by running away, but as a brother in Christ. Paul is basically telling him: If you love God you will love Onesimus and treat him with charity. <br />
<br />
So, back to the original question: does Jesus really want us to hate others? No. But he wants us to really love them. That doesn't mean treating them as something they are not. It doesn't mean making them an idol or treating them as a god that is more important to us than the Living God, Creator of all. Nor does it mean hurting them. As followers of Jesus we are to love God above all and to love our neighbor as God loves them. That means loving them with a love that is willing to sacrifice everything for their good, just as the Son of God did when he took upon himself the punishment for sins that was due to humanity and died on the cross.Fr. James Kubicki, S.J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434627331803662489noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397690736097672103.post-73820434012455258512019-09-01T14:04:00.001-05:002019-09-01T14:04:07.387-05:00What is Real Humility?The first reading for the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C, from Sirach chapter 3 and the Gospel from Luke chapter 14 are about humility. <br />
<br />
Do you have friends or family members who have a hard time accepting a compliment? When you praise the delicious meal they have served they say, "Oh, it was nothing." I'm tempted to respond, "You're right. It really was pretty mediocre. I've had a lot better." <br />
<br />
Why do some people reject compliments or deny them? The reason is called "false humility." It's false because it denies the truth of the goodness that's being recognized and praised. It's false because it's often motivated by a desire to receive more attention and praise.<br />
<br />
But what about the parable Jesus tells in today's Gospel? In it he recommends taking the lowest or worst seat at a banquet so that the host will come along and seat you in a better place and "you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table." Isn't that "false humility?"<br />
<br />
The key to understanding all this is to ask about one's motivation. <br />
<br />
True humility is honest. It's truthful, not false. And the ultimate truth is that we are nothing. There is no "self-made person." We didn't create ourselves nor did we endow ourselves with the talents we use to do things that gain us recognition and praise. All that we are and have is ultimately a gift from God. <br />
<br />
We are nothing and we are great. We are great because we are important to God. We are so precious to God that the Son of God shed his Precious Blood "that speaks more eloquently than that of Abel" (see the second reading). The blood of Abel, the Bible's first murder victim, called for justice, for vengeance. The Blood of Jesus calls for mercy. It says to each human being: "You are precious to me. Precious enough to die for. I would rather die than to live without you." <br />
<br />
Because Jesus underwent what he called a "baptism"--his suffering and death--we are freed from sin and death. We are saved and baptized into God's family. We are joined to the Body of Christ. Now, as God's beloved daughters and sons, we share in the same relationship with God the Father that Jesus has. The Father loves us with the same infinite love with which he loves his only begotten Son.<br />
<br />
This is what makes us great. Not our looks. Not physical beauty. Not what we do or accomplish. Not the awards we win. Not our wealth or power. Not what others think of us or say about us. <br />
<br />
False humility is motivated by insecurity. We wonder, "Am I really good. Am I really lovable?" Seeking praise from others tries to answer those questions in the affirmative. But we can't depend on what others say or think about us for our sense of self-worth. Human praise disappears like the sound of the words. Physical beauty does not last. Success comes and goes. <br />
<br />
Our true self-worth is much deeper and secure. It comes from a daily and prayerful awareness that I will always be precious to God, that I am a beloved son or daughter from whom God will never take away his love. It's been said, there is nothing you can do to make God love you less. Nor is there anything you can do to make God love you more. God's love for us is infinite and there is no more or less when it comes to infinity. <br />
<br />
True humility can admit: I am not perfect. I am weak. I am not God, but I am beloved by God.<br />
<br />
Ultimately true humility leads to gratitude. With it I can say: "I am nothing, but God has done great things for me. I am great in God's eyes so I don't need to prove anything to anyone." True humility can accept compliments and give the glory to God. <br />
<br />
That's what the Blessed Virgin Mary did. According to Luke chapter 1, when Mary went to visit her kinswoman Elizabeth she was greeted with: "Most blessed are you among women." Mary accepted the praise and gave all credit and glory to God, saying, "Behold, from now on will all ages called me blessed. The Mighty One has done great things for me." <br />
<br />
God has looked on all of us in our lowliness, our nothingness, and has done great things for us. Fr. James Kubicki, S.J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434627331803662489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397690736097672103.post-27020323766954589612019-06-09T16:44:00.000-05:002019-06-09T16:44:18.627-05:00Pentecost HomilyLast evening and today I celebrated four Masses in South Dakota prairie towns--Faith, Red Owl, and Mud Butte. These places are served by a Polish priest who is part of the Rapid City Diocese and who went back home to visit his family. He has quite a trek every weekend. He lives in Faith and on Saturdays he drives over 60 miles to Red Owl for 4 PM Mass and then on Sundays he drives 40 miles to Mud Butte for 10 AM Mass. Here's the homily I preached:<br />
<br />
I want to begin with a question, but you're going to have to listen closely to it. Do you have any "thems." You know, as in "us" and "them." <br />
<br />
In the late 1960's when I was in high school, I was given a little reflection book by Malcolm Boyd entitled "Are You Running With Me Jesus?" One reflection went like this: "The definition of charity: No Them."<br />
<br />
Our first reading (Acts 2: 1-11), the story of Pentecost, shows how diverse "Jews and converts to Judaism" from all over heard about "the mighty acts of God" in their own language as the apostles, uneducated Galileans, preached the good new of Jesus Christ to them. The Holy Spirit had performed a miracle that brought about unity in the midst of the diversity of many languages. All were able to hear and understand the Gospel. All were included.<br />
<br />
In the second reading from chapter 12 of St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, we hear that all--"whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons"--are chosen to be part of the Body of Christ. No one is excluded. The Church has no "them." <br />
<br />
This is God's plan for humanity--a unity amidst diversity. Humanity is made in the image and likeness of God. God, as we will reflect upon more in next week's feast of the Most Holy Trinity, is a mystery of One and Three. God is Three Persons and One God. There is diversity in the Divine Nature and unity. Thus humanity, made in this image, is meant to be diverse but one. We are not created to be the same or to be isolated individuals. We are made to be a communion of persons. In God there is no "them," only "us." <br />
<br />
This unity amidst diversity is the work of the Holy Spirit, the bond of Love between the Father and the Son. The Spirit unites us to God and to one another, making us one. No "them."<br />
<br />
In the Gospel (John 20: 19-23) Jesus said that the Father sent him. He was sent to reconcile humanity to God and with one another. <br />
<br />
The word "reconcile" comes from a Latin word which means "to make friends again." Where sin separates us from God and one another, causing a break in our friendship, Jesus came to restore friendship. Friends do not see each other as "them." <br />
<br />
As members of the Body of Christ we are now sent by him and empowered by the Holy Spirit to continue his work. The apostles and those ordained after them continue this work through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. However, all the baptized are sent to bring about reconciliation. We do that by forgiving one another, by works of mercy, and by our penance. The idea of penitential prayers and acts is to balance out the wrong in the world with good, to repair the damage of sin. <br />
<br />
But what about the last line of the gospel: "whose sins you retain are retained?" What sins are retained? <br />
<br />
It takes two to reconcile. People may hurt you and you go to them to tell them that you forgive them. But if they look at you and say, "I didn't do that; I didn't say that" or if they minimize the hurt by saying "Hey, that was nothing; get over it," then reconciliation has not taken place. The hurt, the sin, has been retained. You were ready to forgive but they were not ready to receive your forgiveness.<br />
<br />
There may be instances where reconciliation doesn't happen because people do not admit their sin or excuse it. They are not able to receive mercy. Neither God nor we can force them to accept it without their realizing they need it and want it. <br />
<br />
Our responsibility is not to impose reconciliation on others. It cannot be forced. However, we must always be ready to forgive, to make sure there is no obstacle in our hearts to reconciliation--no resentment, no bitterness. In other words, we must never see others as "them." We must pray for their conversion so that they will see their need for mercy and receive it. God wants everyone to be reconciled--to be friends of God and one another. <br />
<br />
In the end, in heaven there will be no "them." There will only be "us"--humanity reconciled in the Body of Christ. Fr. James Kubicki, S.J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434627331803662489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397690736097672103.post-29424275874794991922019-06-02T15:53:00.000-05:002019-06-02T15:53:28.639-05:00Union with God and One AnotherI am at St. Nicholas church in Valentine, Nebraska this weekend. All of Nebraska celebrated last Thursday as a holyday of obligation, the feast of the Ascension. So today we are celebrating the 7th Sunday of Easter. Here's my homily:<br />
<br />
Imagine: at the Last Supper Jesus thought of you and prayed for you. That's what today's Gospel (John 17: 20-26) tells us. It says: "Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed, saying: 'Holy Father, I pray not only for them [the apostles], but also for those who will believe in me through their word...'"<br />
And what was Jesus' prayer for us? "That they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me."<br />
<br />
These are Jesus' last words to his apostles, his farewell address, before going to his death. Jesus prayed that they and we might be one with him and one with each other.<br />
<br />
That makes sense. If, as the first book of the Bible Genesis says, we are made in the image and likeness of God, then we are made not to be isolated individuals. Rather, reflecting the loving communion that is the divine nature, we are made for communion. We are created for union with God and the communion of saints.<br />
<br />
And this communion is essential to evangelization, to spreading the good news of God's love. Jesus said that the world will believe that Christianity is true when it sees Christians in loving union with one another, a union that is grounded in their union with God.<br />
<br />
What makes this union possible? First of all, the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is the bond of love between the Father and the Son. This is the mystery of the Holy Trinity which we will celebrate in two weeks. Next week we will celebrate Pentecost, recalling the day when the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles and the Blessed Virgin Mary gathered in prayer in the upper room. The Spirit came with great power in the form of tongues of fire. It was the fire of love that united those who received that outpouring of the Spirit. Those who saw the effects of the Spirit were amazed to hear the apostles preaching the good news and to understand them, even though they came from diverse countries and spoke and understood diverse languages.<br />
<br />
The Spirit brought them together. The people understood the preaching because the apostles spoke a universal language, the language of love.<br />
<br />
Love usually involves feelings, but it is more than an emotion or sentiment. It is ultimately an act of the will in which one desires the ultimate good of the other person no matter how one feels about him or her. We see this in the First Reading (Acts 7: 55-60), the story of St. Stephen's martyrdom.<br />
<br />
I don't know how Stephen felt about the people who stoned him to death, but I would suspect he didn't like them. Yet, he loved them. How do we know this? Because he prayed for them, saying "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." He prayed for their salvation, not their condemnation. He prayed that they would experience God's mercy and be converted.<br />
<br />
This was a powerful prayer for their conversion that was joined to Stephen's sacrificial suffering. And it had a great effect on one of those present--Saul. Stephen's prayer was a channel for God's mercy to one day reach into Saul's hear. It led to a conversion.<br />
<br />
Do you remember that conversion? Saul was on the road to Damascus intending to round up Christians and bring them back to Jerusalem in chains to be imprisoned and tried. He encountered a blinding vision of the risen and ascended Christ on that road. And what did Jesus say to him? "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" He didn't say, "Why are you persecuting my Church?" Nor did he say, "Why are you persecuting my followers?" He asked "Why are you persecuting ME?" He was confirming a teaching that he gave in a parable that we find in Matthew 25: whatever we do or do not do for or to one another, we do or do not do for or to Christ himself. Jesus was teaching Saul that we and Jesus are one. He is the Head and we are the Body. We are in union with Jesus and one another just as the parts of a physical body form a one flesh union.<br />
<br />
And that brings us to the second way that we enter into union with God and one another--through the Holy Eucharist, a mystery that we will be celebrating three weeks from today, after we have celebrated Pentecost and the feast of the Most Holy Trinity.<br />
<br />
See how it all fits together, these three feasts? We have the mystery of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit to whom Jesus was referring when he said in today's Gospel: "Righteous Father, ... I made known to them your name and I will make it known, that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them." The Holy Spirit is, as we said, the love between the Father and the Son. The Spirit reveals to us the mystery of God, Three in One, the Holy Trinity in whose image we are made. And in addition to the Holy Spirit bringing us into union with God and one another, there is the Holy Eucharist which brings about a one flesh union with Jesus, God-made-flesh, and communion in the Body of Christ, the Church.<br />
<br />
Now the challenge is to live this oneness with God and God's other children. This is what Jesus prayed for at the Last Supper. There are so many divisions among Christians. There is so much conflict in the world. The answer to Jesus' prayer begins here, with you, with me. Like Stephen we are called to pray for our enemies, those who have hurt us. We are called to let go of resentments and pray that there may be healing in our relationships. And we are to pray for those people in other parts of the world who hate us and want to see our destruction. We pray for their conversion, that they may come to know the love of God, receive that love, and be brought into union with God and us. We pray for their ultimate salvation..<br />
<br />
This was so important to Jesus that in his final words to his apostles, before going to his suffering and death, he made this his prayer. It is so important to him that from time to time he sends his own Mother to beg us to pray for the conversion of sinners. Only when the prayer of Jesus is realized in us, in the Church, and in the world will there be peace.Fr. James Kubicki, S.J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434627331803662489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397690736097672103.post-16503105303545297232019-01-27T15:15:00.000-06:002019-01-27T15:15:53.093-06:00B.I.B.L.E.In today's first reading at Mass (from the Book of Nehemiah, chapter 8) the Israelites gather to listen to Nehemiah proclaim the Word of God. They hear God's Law, the way that God showed them to live so that they would be safe and prosper. What was their reaction when they heard the Word proclaimed? They break into tears. Why? They grieve because they realize that they had not followed God's Law and the result was disastrous. God's Law gave them directions but they ignored the directions and lost their way.<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
How do Nehemiah and Ezra respond? They say, "Do not be sad, and do not weep." They tell them to celebrate: "Do not be saddened this day, for rejoicing in the Lord must be your strength." Basically they are being told: "Don't look back. Don't dwell on the past, nor on your failures. Learn from your mistakes but don't dwell on them. Be joyful because now you know better. You can make a fresh start." </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Every Sunday God's Word is proclaimed in the Church. In fact, every day we have an opportunity to hear or read God's Word. But do we listen? The statistics say "no." In 2008 the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) took a survey of U.S. Catholic adults. The good news is that when asked if they had a Bible in their home 87% answered "yes." The bad news is that when asked how often they read that Bible in the past year 32% answered "never" and 31% answered "a few times." Apparently their Bibles were heirlooms in which to record significant family events and then to sit on a shelf gathering dust. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Another, informal survey found that the average Christian, including those who described themselves as "Bible-based" Christians, spent more time in one evening watching T.V. than the rest of the week reading the Bible. In other words, if one watched 3 hours of television on any given night, 3 hours or less were spent during the entire week reading God's Word. What does that say about what is forming the minds, the hearts, the attitudes and values of the average Christian? </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We need to hear God's Word as much as the people of Nehemiah's time did. I have a CD that was created with music from the Great Jubilee Year 2000 World Youth Day. It's called "One" and it includes a song written by Steven Delopoulos and John Philippidis called "Basic Instructions." The "basic instructions" are found in the Bible which can be said to stand for "Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth." The Bible--God's Word, God's Law--is our guide book for how to live in a way that leads to the Kingdom God has prepared for humanity from the beginning. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The Bible is not the sort of book that one can say, "I've read it several times. I know what's in it. I know the story and how it ends. There's nothing new there for me." The Bible is unlike any other book. We do not read the Bible for information nor for entertainment. We prayerfully read the Bible for "formation"--to have our minds and hearts formed by the "living Word" (see Hebrews 4: 12).</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
With today's technology there are new and convenient ways to make Scripture more a part of our lives. I have an app on my phone that can be found at www.downloadjesus.com. I also receive two daily email messages that briefly reflect on the Mass readings. One is from a group called "Presentation Ministries" ( https://www.presentationministries.com/obob/obob.asp ) and the other is from Bishop Robert Barron ( https://dailycatholicgospel.com/sign-up-daily-gospel ). </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But the Eucharistic celebration is a special time and place where Jesus is alive, speaking to us through the Scriptures. Then, having our hearts set ablaze by the Word present in the Scriptures, Jesus opens our eyes to His special presence in the second part of our celebration, the breaking of the bread (see Luke 24: 30-32). The Word becomes flesh on our altars. The bread and wine are transformed into Christ's Body and Blood. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In this way today's Gospel (Luke 1: 1-4; 4: 14-21) is fulfilled. Jesus proclaimed a passage from the prophet Isaiah and announced "Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing." It's as though Jesus is saying: "Today you are not only hearing the Word of God you can see that Word in the flesh. You can see the one about whom Isaiah was speaking. You can see this Word standing in front of you accomplishing what was described." </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
At Baptism we were joined to the Body of Christ. This was not a mere enrollment into a human organization. A divine and organic union took place. And when we receive the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, His very flesh, in Holy Communion, that baptismal union is nourished and strengthened. We are not individuals alienated from one another. We are, in the words of the second reading (1 Corinthians 12: 12-30) parts of One Body, the Body of Christ. We belong to one another. We need one another. We cannot exist apart from one another and our Head, Jesus. We are one and a sign to the world that unity and the peace that follows from it are possible. Only sin separates us from the Body, from Christ and one another. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Hearing this Word that God speaks to us today and seeing this Word made flesh and joining Himself to us, we go forth to fulfill the Word as Jesus did. We go and live the Word that is spoken, seen, and received. We hear God say to us through Nehemiah "Do not be sad." Do not look back. Do not live in the past regretting and resenting. Be joyful. Live in the present and be God's Word in the lives of others, one day at a time. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Fr. James Kubicki, S.J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434627331803662489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397690736097672103.post-1321966749646866732018-11-11T16:00:00.001-06:002018-11-12T13:58:00.927-06:00Giving All with LoveI became an uncle at the ripe age of seven and so I wasn't much older than my nieces and nephews. Sometimes when I played with them and had a toy of theirs, they would grab for it even if their own hands were filled with toys. They had to let go of one in order to have the one they wanted, the one that I had.<br />
<br />
I thought of that in the light of today's Mass readings which teach us that it is only the empty hand that can receive. Or as the Peace Prayer attributed to St. Francis of Assisi goes: "It is in giving that we receive."<br />
<br />
Our first reading (1 Kings 17: 10-16) tells the story of how a non-Jewish widow helped the great prophet of Israel, Elijah. She was dirt poor. She had only a hungry child and a little oil and flour. There was no "safety net" in her society. A terrible drought had ravaged the land. She was about to prepare a final meal when Elijah came along and asked her for water and food. Something about the prophet moved her to give away part of her food. She could have held on to it, not shared, and then, it would indeed have been her last meal. But her charity to the wandering Jewish prophet opened the way for God's power to perform a miracle. The jug of oil did not run dry and the jar of flour did not go empty for an entire year.<br />
<br />
In the gospel (Mark 12: 38-44) we see another widow. We see her in contrast to religious leaders and wealthy people who make a show of putting large amounts of money into the temple treasury. Ashamed of how little she has to give, she tries to put two small coins into the treasury hoping no one will notice her meager offering. But Jesus notices and praises her. The others gave vast sums from their surplus, from what they could afford to give and not experience any threat to their lifestyle. She gave sacrificially, from what she could not afford to give. They gave for show, to win the attention and admiration of the crowd. She gave for one simple reason--for love of God.<br />
<br />
Perhaps Jesus saw in her a reflection of himself.<br />
<br />
Like her, Jesus did not hold back. He gave all. He gave his very life, sacrificing it on a cross. And he continues to give all.<br />
<br />
Every celebration of Mass makes present that total offering of Jesus on the cross. As the second reading (Hebrews 9: 24-28) says, he gave "once for all." He does not need to die again and again. But in a mysterious and miraculous way he makes that "once for all" offering of himself present in every celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. And after making this offering present to us, he gives himself totally to us--body and blood, soul and divinity--in Holy Communion. He holds nothing back but gives himself totally to each one who receives him in the Eucharist. This gift of himself, which we receive with open hands and hearts, gives us the ability to love as he loved.<br />
<br />
How can we give all to God? Let me make a few practical suggestions.<br />
<br />
First, at every Mass, as the bread and wine are placed on the altar and then lifted up as the Body and Blood of Christ, we place ourselves on the altar and join ourselves to Jesus' perfect offering of himself to the Father. It is important to be aware of this, to consciously unite ourselves to Jesus' offering as he is lifted up and makes his total, self-sacrificing offering of himself present to us. It's also important to have an intention for which we are praying as we join our offering to that of Jesus.<br />
<br />
Second, we are called to live, in our daily lives, the offering we make with Jesus at Mass. This is where a Daily or Morning Offering Prayer can help us. It can be as simple as waking up and, before getting out of bed, thanking God for another day and offering that day to God. We can tell God in our own words that we want to offer every thought, word, and deed of the day; every breath and beat of our hearts; every prayer, work, joy, and suffering of the day in union with his total offering on the cross and at Mass. Then, during the day, especially when we encounter something challenging and difficult, something frustrating and painful, something we would rather not have to face or do, we can renew the offering, telling God that we are going to do this thing we have to do out of love for God and neighbor, as an act of love and for the salvation of every human soul.<br />
<br />
Those things that we offer to God may seem very small in comparison to great acts of love for God, like martyrdom. They may seem very insignificant. But remember the two widows. The widow of Zarephath offered the little she had and her charity led to a miracle. And Jesus said the widow in the temple gave the most because she gave her all out of love. What matters to Jesus is not the amount, but the love that motivates the giving.Fr. James Kubicki, S.J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434627331803662489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397690736097672103.post-52445745750237461842018-11-04T15:05:00.000-06:002018-11-04T15:05:11.491-06:00A Spiritual View of Anorexia Nervosa<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f9CwKjCVa1c/W99c-3QBozI/AAAAAAAAC58/IZUTyUVj2m4qb4sAeMiEA0Rbhm4Hc6VGgCLcBGAs/s1600/Little%2BGirl%2BCrying%2Bbook%2Bcover.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="293" data-original-width="196" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f9CwKjCVa1c/W99c-3QBozI/AAAAAAAAC58/IZUTyUVj2m4qb4sAeMiEA0Rbhm4Hc6VGgCLcBGAs/s400/Little%2BGirl%2BCrying%2Bbook%2Bcover.webp" width="267" /></a></div>
When I was given a copy of the book "Little Girl Crying" by Belinda Rose I was intimidated. Not by the subject: anorexia nervosa and how the author came to complete healing through prayer. I was intimidated by its length. I wondered how I could squeeze in the time for this large book in the midst of my busy life. I can honestly report that finding time was not a problem. This book reads like a thriller but instead of "who done it?" the question in this fast-paced account of the causes and the struggle of anorexia is "how will she ever come out of it?" In the course of 450 pages I came to a better understanding of anorexia and more. Let me highlight three other lessons that can be learned by reading "Little Girl Crying."<br />
<br />
First, the struggle with anorexia nervosa is a paradigm for all human struggle. Deep down, in every human being, there is a hunger, a hunger to be loved, a longing to know that one is lovable. Human loves can satisfy that hunger for a while but they do not ultimately fulfill us, for, as St. Augustine wrote: "You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you." We are made with a hunger for an infinite love that no finite, human love can satisfy. Only God's love can because God is an infinite love by nature. Until the author discovered this truth through contemplative prayer she continued a self-destructive cycle of binge eating and purging, always convinced that she was fat and unlovable even at 70 lbs.! Whatever one does or does not do to fill the hunger for God will fail unless God is the object of one's desire. <br />
<br />
Secondly, I was reminded of another book, "Legacy of the Heart: The Spiritual Advantages of a Painful Childhood" by Wayne Muller. As a drought forces the roots of a tree to go deeper or the tree will die, so the struggles of childhood can lead one to sink deeper roots. Deeper into what? One's relationship with God, certainly, but also into one's relationships with others. Belinda Rose's struggles ultimately led her into deeper relationships with her three sons, her mother, and others who struggled with psychological illnesses. From deep pain can come, with God's saving grace, greater compassion and more joy, so much so that Rose can say, like many in 12 Step Recovery Programs, she is ultimately grateful for how her disease led her to these deeper relationships. <br />
<br />
Thirdly, one of the key elements of healing is forgiveness. Past hurts can leave one bitter. But bitter unforgiveness and resentment are the fuel that drives the engine of addictions and anorexia. When it is not dealt with, emotional hurt festers and grows, morphing into an anger which, for those who feel vulnerable and helpless, is turned in on itself. It's been said that resentment is like drinking from a bottle of poison and hoping that the person who hurt us will die. As she began to deal with the painful memories that stoked her disease, Rose developed empathy. A key moment came when she began to understand what led her father to hurt her as he had done. She learned the truth that "hurt people hurt people." She prayed and forgave and healed. In time she learned to imitate Jesus in his redemptive suffering. Jesus--totally innocent--was hurt and abused. He suffered terribly but offered his suffering as a powerful prayer to the Father and saved the world. Rose learned to use her sufferings for others as Jesus did. <br />
<br />
I highly recommend "Little Girl Crying" in order to understand anorexia nervosa and so much more. Its lessons are universal, for hurt and the need for healing--both individually and globally--are universal. Fr. James Kubicki, S.J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434627331803662489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397690736097672103.post-34114252445949430302018-10-21T15:12:00.001-05:002018-10-21T15:12:15.347-05:00"That These People May Live"Today's Gospel (Mark 10: 35-45) is preceded by Jesus' third prediction in Mark's Gospel about his impending suffering, death, and resurrection. What is the apostles' reaction? Confusion? Upset? No, they are only focused on themselves. James and John want seats on either side of Jesus when he comes into his reign. The others are jealous and angry at this request. <br />
<br />
How sad Jesus must have felt at all this. Yet, he uses this moment to teach the apostles and us about true greatness. It does not involve honor and power. It does not seek a position in which people look up to you. That is not the way of Jesus, nor is it the traditional Lakota way.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x4AVZdj49oM/W8zcftt7acI/AAAAAAAAC3g/Arn5mXRG2LcQo9cz7tjetM_BGw45khF7wCLcBGAs/s1600/Crazy%2BHorse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="327" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x4AVZdj49oM/W8zcftt7acI/AAAAAAAAC3g/Arn5mXRG2LcQo9cz7tjetM_BGw45khF7wCLcBGAs/s320/Crazy%2BHorse.jpg" width="209" /></a>Last night I finished reading a book about the great Lakota leader Crazy Horse--"The Journey of Crazy Horse" by Joseph Marshall III. Marshall emphasized the humility of Crazy Horse that led him to sacrifice himself for his people. He wrote: "He understood that what is accomplished in the name of and for the people belongs to the people." <br />
<br />
This is the spirit behind the Sun Dance, the great Lakota ceremony in which people make offerings of their flesh or a pierced so that the people may live. They offer themselves and their flesh for the good of the tribe. <br />
<br />
Jesus did this so that all people may live. He sacrificed his flesh so that all people would be freed from sin on their earthly journey and freed from death when it ended. <br />
<br />
Jesus humbled himself. He--the Son of God, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity--emptied himself of glory, position, and power and came among us as a weak one. As the second reading (Hebrews 4: 14-16) says, he was a compassionate high priest, able "to sympathize with our weaknesses" because he "has been similarly tested in every way" that we are. He knows the struggle. <br />
<br />
In the end, he sacrificed himself on the cross. In the words of the Gospel, he gave "his life as a ransom for many." He took our place, freeing us from slavery to sin and to death.<br />
<br />
Our first reading (Isaiah 53: 10-11) comes from the fourth "Suffering Servant Song" in which the prophet predicts the Passion of God's Son. A few verses earlier, Isaiah wrote that the Servant of God would be "pierced for our offenses." He offered his flesh that all people may live.<br />
<br />
Every celebration of Holy Mass makes this sacrifice present. Jesus, the Head, renews his perfect offering and invites us, the Body, to offer ourselves with him that "these people"--those present, family and friends, national and ethnic groups, and even our enemies--may live.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CnmEnVKEeYs/W8zbammSH3I/AAAAAAAAC3U/y3pAcwHgAHIJPTaPOzd90BFiZOczIlwXwCLcBGAs/s1600/Gilroy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="539" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CnmEnVKEeYs/W8zbammSH3I/AAAAAAAAC3U/y3pAcwHgAHIJPTaPOzd90BFiZOczIlwXwCLcBGAs/s320/Gilroy.jpg" width="237" /></a>On October 29 we will remember the first anniversary of the death of a good man who offered himself for others. Fr. Bob Gilroy, S.J., was born in 1959. After college he worked in a school for the blind. He went back to school, earned a degree in art therapy, and then entered the Jesuits. For ten years, at one time or another, he served the Lakota people at <a href="http://www.sfmission.org/">St. Francis Mission on the Rosebud</a> and at the Sioux Spiritual Center where I worked with him. He was a hospital chaplain, a spiritual director, and instructor in art therapy. Like Jesus, he was a compassionate priest because he shared in people's weakness. He suffered childhood diabetes, many resulting health problems, and a kidney transplant. Throughout, he kept his smile and distinctive laugh. <br />
<br />
In closing, let me share with you a poem that he wrote to accompany one of his paintings. In its simplicity it reminds me of the lyrics of Lakota songs:<br />
<br />
<b>Christ is everything.</b><br />
<b>Stay close to him.</b><br />
<b>There is nothing else to do. </b>Fr. James Kubicki, S.J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434627331803662489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397690736097672103.post-82315412977991757182018-09-30T16:52:00.001-05:002018-09-30T16:52:31.512-05:00Your Choice: Gehenna or To Be With Jesus Forever?In the Gospel at Mass today (26th Sunday, Ordinary Time, Cycle B) from the 9th chapter of Mark, Jesus mentions "Gehenna" three times. What's this "Gehenna?" It's an actual place. Before the Israelites arrived in the Promised Land, other peoples had used this valley outside of Jerusalem as a place to offer child sacrifices to their idols. The Jews considered it such an unholy and unclean place that it was good for only one thing--burning garbage.<br />
<br />
Jesus used "Gehenna" 11 times in the Gospels as an image for hell. <br />
<br />
Hell is not something you hear about much. It does show up as an expression of anger or hatred. We use it to condemn our enemies or someone who has done a particularly heinous crime: "I hope they rot in hell!" <br />
<br />
For many it's hard to reconcile hell with a good, all-powerful, and infinitely loving God. How could God send anyone to hell?<br />
<br />
God doesn't. People choose it. <br />
<br />
The "Catechism of the Catholic Church" says that the "state of definitive self-exclusion from communion with God and the blessed is called 'hell'" (#1033). <br />
<br />
And Pope St. John Paul II said that hell "is not a punishment imposed externally by God" because "God is the infinitely good and merciful Father" who "can only desire the salvation of the beings He created" (General Audience, July 28, 1999). God can only will or want our good. But God cannot force that ultimate good of heaven upon us. Love must be free. God cannot force people into heaven. They must freely choose to go. And if they choose not to go, then there must be another option for them. <br />
<br />
There are some things that are simply incompatible with heaven. There is no room for the jealousy that we see Joshua exhibiting in our first reading (Numbers 11: 25-29). Nor is there room for the injustice and greed that James talks about in the second reading (James 5: 1-6). There is no room for sin in heaven. <br />
<br />
Professor and author Peter Kreeft, who teaches at Boston College, has a shocking remark about this. In his book "Heaven: The Heart's Deepest Longing," he says that "God does not forgive sins." Then he goes on to explain that God "forgives sinners and destroys sins" (186). That makes sense. God loves sinners and hates sin. God sees how much sin damages our relationship with him and with one another. It hurts and damages our very selves and leads to all kinds of misery. So God wants to free people of their sins and throw them into the garbage dump of the cosmos--hell. <br />
<br />
I grew up fearing God, that God would send me to hell. I thought that if I were running to church for Saturday afternoon confession in order to get rid of a moral sin and got hit by a car I would hit the greasy shoot to hell. <br />
<br />
I have a different idea now. It seems more and more clear that death is a process rather than a moment. We see this from near death experiences in which people have, for all practical purposes, died; their brain waves have stopped as well as their hearts. And they somehow return to tell stories of an experience of a life beyond this life. <br />
<br />
I believe that no matter who we are and what we believe we all meet Jesus face to face as we die. And he asks us one question: "Do you want to be with me forever?" We might hesitate, feeling shame and unworthiness for our sins. But Jesus presses on, asking us again, "Yes, I know, but do you want to be with me forever?" Or we might ask if we can be with him on our terms, holding on to something that has no place in heaven. Jesus will tell us we can't bring that in; we have to let go.<br />
<br />
This is so important to Jesus that in today's Gospel he tells us that if we're holding on to something sinful, it would be better to cut off our hand so that it and the sin we cling to do not prevent us from entering his Kingdom. Or if we hold on to sin with our eyes, we should pluck them out because that sin does not belong in heaven. It's garbage that needs to be thrown away.<br />
<br />
We might wonder: how could anyone say "no" to Jesus' invitation? I think of how people can hold on to bitter resentments. I can imagine people answering "yes" but then, as they cross the threshold of heaven they see someone who has hurt them terribly or an enemy. "What's he doing here?" Jesus answers: "He admitted he had done wrong and asked for my forgiveness and I forgave him." And the response could be: "Well, you may have forgiven him for what he did to me but I will never forgive him. I would rather rot in hell than to spend one minute much less eternity with him." <br />
<br />
We are here on earth for one thing: to learn how to live in heaven. In heaven there is no selfishness, no lustful using other people for one's pleasure. There is no greed and injustice, no envy or deceit. There is no racism and hatred. There is no unforgiveness. <br />
<br />
We have to let go of those things here. We need to throw out the garbage, lest we end up clinging to it in the cosmic garbage dump that Jesus called Gehenna. We don't want anything to stand in the way of answering immediately and whole-heartedly "YES!" when Jesus asks us "Do you want to be with me forever." Fr. James Kubicki, S.J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434627331803662489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397690736097672103.post-7081230105840199642018-09-16T20:22:00.002-05:002018-09-16T20:22:53.402-05:00Tom Burnett's OfferingIn the Gospel at Mass today (Mark 8: 27-35) Jesus asks his disciples what people are thinking and saying about him. "Who do people say I am?" People think he is the reincarnation of John the Baptist or Elijah or another of the prophets of old. Then Jesus asks, "but who do you say that I am?" Peter gets it right. Having spent some time with Jesus, he can rely on his own experience and not on what others say about him. He answers correctly: "You are the Christ." You are the Anointed One of God, the Messiah.<br />
<br />
But then Peter gets it wrong. As Jesus teaches the disciples that "the Son of Man must suffer greatly, and be rejected by" the leaders, "and be killed, and rise after three days," Peter "rebukes" Jesus. This must never happen to you! Jesus in turn "rebukes" Peter, calling him "Satan," the tempter who tries to prevent humanity from following God's will. <br />
<br />
Peter and the disciples think that the Messiah will exhibit great military might and overcome the oppression of the hated Roman occupying force. Jesus teaches that instead the Messiah will fulfill the prophecies of Isaiah, one of which we have in our first reading from chapter 50, in which the Anointed One of God will save through suffering. <br />
<br />
We too are called to know Jesus and not simply know about him. This knowledge comes from a personal relationship with him. How do we find that today, so many years after Jesus walked this earth with his disciples? First, we encounter Jesus in the Scriptures. There we not only read about Jesus but we meet him. He speaks to us. We encounter him in an intimate way in the Eucharist where Jesus renews his total offering of himself for our salvation and gives himself to us in a holy communion. And we encounter Jesus in the Church, the Body of Christ. We meet him in one another.<br />
<br />
We too are "anointed ones of God." At baptism we became part of the Messiah's Body, the Body of the Christ and we were anointed. We became "Christians" or anointed ones through the sacred chrism which we received. We are anointed as Jesus was and so we share in the work of the Messiah who came not to save Israel from the Romans but to save humanity from sin and from death. Being Christians does not mean that we will be free from suffering. Instead, through our own sufferings and daily crosses we will work with Jesus to free the world from sin. <br />
<br />
Last week we celebrated the anniversary of the events of September 11, 2001 when terrorists commandeered four planes. Three of them hit their targets--the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. One did not; because of the heroes on board it crashed in a field in Pennsylvania.<br />
<br />
Some years ago I spoke about these events at a retreat and after my talk a man named Vince came and<br />
told me that his college roommate was Tom Burnett, one of those heroes. When Vince went to the memorial service for Tom back in his hometown of Bloomington, MN, he thought at first that he had the wrong person. The man described by those who offered eulogies was someone who went to Mass every day. The "Tom Burnett" Vince remembered was someone who had drifted away from the practice of the faith. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3NtzIjlrqCo/W58AiZOPchI/AAAAAAAAC00/7C-Q2oqR4YcrWFSbRExJBftjvurx0fG9ACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_20141029_111330822_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="901" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3NtzIjlrqCo/W58AiZOPchI/AAAAAAAAC00/7C-Q2oqR4YcrWFSbRExJBftjvurx0fG9ACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_20141029_111330822_HDR.jpg" width="180" /></a>After the service Vince introduced himself to Tom's widow Deena and asked what had happened in the years since he had last seen Tom. Deena explained that Tom had returned to the practice of his faith. She said that several years before his death he had stopped coming home for lunch. His job, at a medical technology company in California, was close to where he lived and he used to come home for lunch. When he stopped coming home for lunch, Deena thought he was just putting in longer hours. Six months before his death he told Deena that he had been going to daily Mass at a local church. He explained that he felt God was calling him to do something but he didn't know what. He figured that if he went to Mass and prayed he would receive an answer. He had a growing sense that he was going to do something big that would impact a lot of people. And, Deena told Vince, he knew one more thing: it had something to do with the White House.<br />
<br />
You can just imagine this ordinary guy having a sense that God was calling him to something that he hadn't planned. And that it had something to do with the White House. Imagine him thinking: "I plans to go into politics, much less run for president. What's my life got to do with the White House?"<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LfEfbBfPUl0/W58Bwu9Y8TI/AAAAAAAAC1A/qhbs4bwfP3s2psqrRqNCu1gVdDgZiuf4gCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_20141029_112314199.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="901" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LfEfbBfPUl0/W58Bwu9Y8TI/AAAAAAAAC1A/qhbs4bwfP3s2psqrRqNCu1gVdDgZiuf4gCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_20141029_112314199.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
On September 11, 2001, thousands of feet above the earth, Tom Burnett knew what his life had to do with the White House. He knew where that plane was headed. He and the others acted, sacrificing themselves so that a greater tragedy would not occur. They couldn't get control of the plane but they were able to crash it in a field near Shanksville, PA.<br />
<br />
What Tom and the others did was heroic. <br />
<br />
As Christians we are all called to be heroic--to sacrifice ourselves, like the Messiah, like Tom, for the good of others. When children put aside their own desires to obey their parents, they are being heroic. When parents love their children in difficult circumstances, they're being heroic. When grandparents care for grandchildren because the parents are not there for them, they are heroes. When spouses care for their husbands and wives afflicted with Alzheimer's, they are loving heroically. <br />
<br />
Where do we get the understanding, the courage, and the strength to be heroes? Where Tom Burnett did. From the Word and Sacrament, from the encounter with Jesus, that is available every Sunday, in fact, every day. Fr. James Kubicki, S.J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434627331803662489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397690736097672103.post-41530245025713304612018-09-09T12:01:00.002-05:002018-09-09T12:01:44.481-05:00Listening Versus HearingIf you had to make a choice, would you rather be blind or deaf? I count among my Jesuit friends one who is blind and one who is deaf. Having lived with both of them at various times, I'm hard pressed to answer my own question.<br />
<br />
If you are blind you have less independence. You need others to help you get around. But often that leads to greater sympathy and help.<br />
<br />
If you are deaf you are able to get around and to be more independent but you are also more isolated. Communication can be a big problem. When I lived with a deaf man our community took turns mouthing the words of lectures and homilies and what was being said at large community meetings. And some people, because they had to make exaggerated lip movements in order to be understood, were too proud or impatient to do so. There is also a prejudice associated with people who are called "deaf and dumb." In the book and movie "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" there is a deaf man whom some refer to as "Dummy."<br />
<br />
In the Gospel at Mass today (Mark 7: 31-37), Jesus opens the ears and mouth of a man. He facilitates that man's ability to communicate--to hear and to speak. But there is a deeper meaning to what Jesus did and we see it in a short ceremony within the Baptismal rite. At one point the priest or deacon touches the ears and mouth of the one being baptized and says: "The Lord Jesus made the deaf to hear and the dumb speak. May he soon touch your ears to receive his Word and your mouth to proclaim his faith, to the praise and glory of God the Father." <br />
<br />
This little ceremony shows us that it is not enough to hear and to speak. We must listen and act.<br />
<br />
Recall last week's second reading from chapter 1 of the Letter of James: "Be doers of the word and not hearers only." <br />
<br />
In today's second reading from James (2: 1-5) we hear about the prejudices and judgments that people make between those who are rich and those who are poor, those who are well-dressed and those who have shabby clothes. We must not only "hear" the words of James. We must listen to them and respond, making sure that we do not treat our brothers and sisters, all of whom are made in God's image, differently based on their race, country of origin, or economic status.<br />
<br />
And in the first reading from Isaiah (35: 4-7) we hear the challenging words: "Be strong, fear not!" It's not enough to hear those words. We must listen to them, take them to heart, and live them. In other words, the best way that one can "proclaim his faith, to the praise and glory of God the Father," as the Baptismal rite prays, is to receive this Word of God, allow it to transform one, and then live the transformation one day at a time. Fr. James Kubicki, S.J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434627331803662489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397690736097672103.post-15196072821995286572018-09-02T08:14:00.001-05:002018-09-02T08:14:15.120-05:00"Be Doers of the Word"In the summer of 2006 I made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Our group of about 45 stayed in various hotels around Israel where every morning we enjoyed a fabulous breakfast buffet. One thing was invariably missing at those meals--bacon and ham and pork sausage. We were clearly in Jewish territory.<br />
<br />
In today's Gospel from Mark chapter 7 Jesus says that it is not the food we eat that makes us "unclean" but rather what we think and what we do--"evils [that] come from within and they defile." <br />
<br />
Jesus also confronted the purification rites of the Jewish religion. Eating a meal with "unwashed hands" was a not a matter of hygiene. At the time of Jesus it was a religious ritual by which people purified themselves of the "unclean" world before sitting down to share a meal with other believers. In going against this purification ritual Jesus was declaring that the Creator made the world "good." We find God not just in temples or churches but in the goodness and beauty of creation. <br />
<br />
Tomorrow we will celebrate Labor Day, the last holiday of the summer, a day on which we honor the dignity of human labor. It's a good time for us to remember that we give worship to God not only when we gather in church but in every moment of our lives. Our entire life, including our work and our recreation, is meant to give honor and glory to God. <br />
<br />
This is where our Second Reading from the first chapter of the Letter of James comes in. James writes: "All good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights...." Creation is a gift from God and shares in the goodness and holiness of the Giver. Human talents and skills are also gifts from God, given so that humanity can be good stewards of creation, caring for it and developing it for the good of the entire human family. When James writes "Be doers of the word and not hearers only," we can remember the word God spoke at the beginning--to labor together in caring for good creation. <br />
<br />
Thus we come to our First Reading from chapter 4 of the Book of Deuteronomy which speaks of obeying God's "statutes and decrees." These are God's commandments and not the human rituals regarding unclean foods and purification rites. God's Law goes deeper and affects our well-being on earth and in eternity. <br />
<br />
We are all familiar with the laws of nature. We do well to follow them, for if we don't, we end up hurting ourselves and others. <br />
<br />
For example, physical objects follow the law of gravity. It's built into their nature as physical creatures. Humans are physical creatures and need to follow this law or get hurt and even die. We are free not to follow it, to rebel against this law that restricts our freedom to launch ourselves off a high tower and flap our arms hoping to fly like a bird. God's law of gravity will still be in force. We won't so much break that law as break ourselves in thinking that we are above God's law and don't have to follow it. <br />
<br />
But we are more than physical creatures. We are more than bodies that need to follow the law of gravity for their own good. We are bodies with immortal souls. We are spiritual creatures. And just as there are physical laws built into our nature as physical beings, so there are spiritual laws built into us because we are spiritual beings. We are free not to follow those laws but if we rebel against them we end up hurting ourselves and others. Like physical laws, these spiritual laws are not arbitrary, nor are they imposed from on high to restrict our freedom. They are part of nature, part of the reality of who we are. <br />
<br />
Ultimately, Jesus summed up the spiritual laws of nature in one word--love. Love God and love your neighbor. It's not enough to hear this word from the Son of God who only wants our good. We must be "doers of the word" and put it into practice. Following the law of love means being true to our nature as creatures made in the image and likeness of God who is Love itself. If we do this then we will, as Deuteronomy says, "give evidence of [our] wisdom and intelligence." Fr. James Kubicki, S.J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434627331803662489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397690736097672103.post-57354799472352103102018-08-19T16:17:00.001-05:002018-08-19T16:17:41.758-05:00Latest Scandals: How Could This Happen?The following is the homily for the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B, which I gave this weekend. <br />
<br />
Bishop Robert Gruss has asked the priests and of his diocese (Rapid City, S.D.) to share with you a letter that he wrote to us in response to the latest round of scandals involving Cardinal McCarrick and the Pennsylvania grand jury report which was released this week. <br />
<br />
In his letter he quotes Cardinal DiNardo, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, who said that the abuse and the ignoring or hiding of it "have caused great harm to people's lives." Then Bishop Gruss agreed with the proposal of the Bishop of Albany, N.Y. that an independent panel of lay people should be created as "an important step forward in making lasting reforms in the Church in regard to the investigation of Bishops." <br />
<br />
He concluded his letter: "In the meantime, members of the Body of Christ are suffering. The Church is suffering. Let us all turn to prayer and sacrifice and ask the Lord Jesus, who gave his life for his Church, to lead her to holiness, true healing and conversion."<br />
<br />
I'm sure the question on everyone's minds these days is "How? How could priests and bishops do such things?"<br />
<br />
In 2012, in a video message to the Eucharistic Congress that was held in Ireland, Pope Benedict XVI asked a similar question. He asked: "How are we to explain the fact that people who regularly received the Lord's Body ... have offended in this way? It remains a mystery." <br />
<br />
Yes, it is the "mystery" of evil and sin. But I think our readings today can be used to reflect a bit more on this "mystery" of evil.<br />
<br />
Our first two readings (Proverbs 9: 1-6 and Ephesians 5: 15-20) speak of wisdom and foolishness. What is "wisdom?" It's not mere knowledge. Not facts and data. Computers can store vast amounts of data and facts--knowledge--but they do not have wisdom. Wisdom is more than technology. I'm reminded of something that the Archbishop of Philadelphia, who was once Bishop of Rapid City, wrote: "Fools with tools are still fools." <br />
<br />
Wisdom is something deeper that knowing a lot of information. It is a deeper knowledge. To have wisdom is to know the ultimate reason or purpose of a thing. It is to know the ultimate reason or purpose of life and to choose accordingly. <br />
<br />
Our purpose or end in life is to know, love, and serve God. It is, as Jesus said in response to a question about the greatest commandment, to love God and love our neighbor. The choices we make in fulfilling this purpose of life lead us ultimately to the Kingdom of Heaven. <br />
<br />
St. Ignatius of Loyola helps us understand wisdom in the "First Principle and Foundation" of his "Spiritual Exercises." It means holding on to whatever helps us fulfill our purpose and attain the goal for which God created us. And it means rejecting whatever hinders us from fulfilling our purpose and attaining our goal. <br />
<br />
Those who committed the sins and crimes that we are hearing about these days, or who ignored or covered them up, were fools. And by that I mean not simply stupid people who made mistakes. They were fools in a deeper sense. They did not keep both their own and the victims ultimate end in mind. They were fools who did not consider the brevity of earthly life and the eternity that follows it. <br />
<br />
Pope Benedict XVI, after asking how the scandalous and sinful crimes could have occurred and answering that it was a "mystery," went on to say: "Evidently their Christianity was no longer nourished by joyful encounter with Jesus Christ: it had become merely a matter of habit." <br />
<br />
In other words, they did not think of the sacrilege of celebrating Mass after what they had done, nor did they allow the transforming power of the Eucharist to change them. They were simply going through the motions of celebrating Mass with little or no attention to what they were doing.<br />
<br />
I think there are two important implications and challenges for us.<br />
<br />
First, be wise! This life will one day end. Choose well. Choose what leads to heaven and not what leads to that state of eternal alienation from God that we call hell. <br />
<br />
Second, pray the Mass. Don't let your celebration of Mass "become merely a matter of habit." It's not enough to simply be physically present at Mass, just as it's not enough for a lamp cord and plug to be physically in the presence of the outlet. In order for the power to reach the bulb and light it up, the cord needs to be plugged in. Just so, we need to "plug into" the transforming power of the Eucharist. We need to allow the power that transforms the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ to transform us. Fr. James Kubicki, S.J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434627331803662489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397690736097672103.post-44173111181565669932018-07-14T13:20:00.000-05:002018-07-14T13:20:29.179-05:00Feast of St. Kateri Tekakwitha<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-svq6haEKRs0/W0o7Q-xUWMI/AAAAAAAACsA/SNfDQRGgNGYcrNs55NusNwW9OhEH9G2eACLcBGAs/s1600/Kateri%2Bstatue%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-svq6haEKRs0/W0o7Q-xUWMI/AAAAAAAACsA/SNfDQRGgNGYcrNs55NusNwW9OhEH9G2eACLcBGAs/s320/Kateri%2Bstatue%2B1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
Today is the feast of the Native American saint, Kateri Tekakwitha. At St. Francis Mission we have an outdoor statue of her and this morning, at St. Thomas church in Mission, S.D. we celebrated Mass in her honor. Fr. Jacob Boddicker, S.J. serves this parish and here is the homily he gave. <br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
Feast of St. Kateri Tekakwitha<br />July 14th, 2018</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
Is. 6:1-8 Mt. 10:24-33</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
Today we celebrate the life and witness of St. Kateri Tekakwitha, the Lily of the Mohawks, and our sister in Jesus Christ. We see in her a beautiful testament to the truth that the Son of God came to save the people of all nations and to bring them together as one people, as brothers and sisters of our Father in Heaven.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
There are some who see her as a sign of the conflict between the Church and the native people of this country; some worry that she can be used as a symbol to convince native people to abandon their traditions and culture. But even from the time of her death she was always known as a Mohawk, as a daughter of her people; even in the earliest image we have of her, painted ten years after her death, she is wearing the beaded moccasins of her people.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
She kept much of the outward signs of her Mohawk heritage; but what of her Mohawk heart? Did she abandon the beliefs of her people in favor of Christianity? I would say no. Her conversion is not the conversion of a person who was convinced by an argument, but rather of someone who encountered the God in whom she already believed in an entirely new way: she came to know a God she could fall in love with, and realized that this same God already loved her more than she could ever have imagined. Kateri came to love God so much that her final words were, “Jesus, Mary, I love you.”</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
When she was four years old she lost her parents to smallpox, a disease that almost took her own life as well but instead left her scarred and mostly blind. Her uncle, the chief of a nearby clan, took her in and raised her. It wasn’t until she was nineteen that she was baptized, after years of her uncle forbidding her to study Christianity. Yet ever since she was eleven years old she was attracted to the faith; something about it spoke to her, and we might suspect that it had something to do with the scarred man on the wooden cross: a God that knew suffering and abandonment like she did.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kj3d2MaT2Zk/W0o75CPRG1I/AAAAAAAACsI/xTqPe_8asIMAZoSQAk45wZIDWn1zMun-wCLcBGAs/s1600/Kateri%2Bstatue%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kj3d2MaT2Zk/W0o75CPRG1I/AAAAAAAACsI/xTqPe_8asIMAZoSQAk45wZIDWn1zMun-wCLcBGAs/s320/Kateri%2Bstatue%2B2.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kateri watches over SFM dental clinic</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
Her family constantly pressured her to marry and to take on the traditional roles of a young Mohawk woman, but her heart wasn’t in it: she didn’t desire to marry, and this was before her conversion. A few years after her baptism, however, we see in her words the fruit of a relationship with God that had existed throughout her life, but had in recent years deepened and matured radically:</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
“I have deliberated enough. For a long time my decision on what I will do has been made. I have consecrated myself entirely to Jesus, son of Mary, I have chosen Him for husband and He alone will take me for wife.”</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">She had always worshipped God, at least as she had understood God. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">She understood her place as a creation of a Creator, a creature in a world that was made with a sacred order. Kateri could never have guessed that this Creator could also one day become the Father she had lost in her childhood, that He had a Son who could satisfy the deepest longings of her heart and understand her suffering and loneliness in a way no one on earth could: she could never have guessed that His own Mother—the Blessed Virgin—would become her Mother. In God she had found everything she desired in her heart of hearts; she came to see a God that not only was to be worshipped and thanked, but loved and served.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
This nearly-blind girl now saw God more clearly than she ever had, and with this new love filling her heart she began to live as a disciple of Jesus her Teacher, as a servant of her gentle Master. As Jesus demands of us in our Gospel today, she endeavored in all things to become more like Him, fearing not nothing in this world that might cause her harm or difficulty. She feared only what could kill her growing soul, what could turn her away from God, and so she lived a life of prayer and penance. The prayer practices of her people, such as piercing her flesh with thorns as a prayer sacrifice for those in need, or in thanksgiving to God for a favor she’d received, were not entirely abandoned, but given their fullest meaning. Even the meaning of her suffering was transformed as it drew her closer to Jesus who had suffered for her, the Jesus whose own Body, like hers, was covered in scars.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
Through her words and deeds Kateri spoke in the light what God had spoken to her in the private darkness of her heart: she became a light to her people, and even to the Jesuits in her village. When she realized that she could no longer live among her people, as their frustration with her had become too great, she fearlessly journeyed through the wilderness to Canada to live with other native Christians, knowing that just as a sparrow does not fall to the ground without our Father’s knowledge, she, too, was looked after: every strand of her dark hair was counted.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bl42itbM5r4/W0o8COWu96I/AAAAAAAACsM/g78caO3KiFol8WQf56Fy7imeTI2X6d6qgCLcBGAs/s1600/Kateri%2Bstatue%2B3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bl42itbM5r4/W0o8COWu96I/AAAAAAAACsM/g78caO3KiFol8WQf56Fy7imeTI2X6d6qgCLcBGAs/s320/Kateri%2Bstatue%2B3.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Base of the statue</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
Because she acknowledged Jesus before others we know that Jesus acknowledged her before our heavenly Father: she would not be a saint of the Church if it were otherwise. Now she beholds the angels swarming about the throne of God and joins in singing their prayer-song—“Holy, holy, holy, Lord of Hosts…”—a song which we sing or recite with her at every Mass.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
Kateri, the Mohawk girl who heard the call of God in her heart and said, “Here I am!” Kateri, who once covered her head with a blanket to hide her scars and now is more glorious than even the greatest angels because she is redeemed by the Son of God. Kateri, our blind sister who saw the path to God and invites us to follow her in the footsteps of Jesus. Kateri Tekakwitha: a daughter of her people, a daughter of God and of Mary, a daughter of the Catholic Church, our sister and our friend.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 6px;">
St. Kateri, pray for us.</div>
Fr. James Kubicki, S.J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434627331803662489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397690736097672103.post-53830006144528644832018-07-09T14:31:00.000-05:002018-07-09T14:31:15.673-05:00Finding God on a Golf CourseFor more than sixteen years, around the 4th of July, I've been going to a Jesuit vacation house near Waupaca, Wisconsin. Every day, unless it rains or our bodies need a break, a group of us plays golf. Recently I was on Relevant Radio and talked about finding God on vacation. We all need a vacation, <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-poZHR9s5V8E/W0O3rV8h1JI/AAAAAAAACrA/0py4svdjLgovY6L1amkOc36CeTMUm8UMACLcBGAs/s1600/Golf%2BWaupaca.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-poZHR9s5V8E/W0O3rV8h1JI/AAAAAAAACrA/0py4svdjLgovY6L1amkOc36CeTMUm8UMACLcBGAs/s320/Golf%2BWaupaca.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fr. Ed Mathie, S.J. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
but not a vacation from God who never takes a vacation from us. In talking about finding God while on vacation I thought about all the ways that I encounter God on the golf course.<br />
<br />
First, God is there in the beauty of Nature: the trees, the water, the sun, the bright blue skies the day after it rains, and the puffy clouds which my friends from Washington, DC tell me can't be found there. All creation reveals something of the Creator's beauty.<br />
<br />
Second, God is present in my friends whom I haven't seen in a year. In the time we have together--a chance to catch up on what we have been doing and to support one another, and in good-natured joking, and in the generosity we share allowing one another "gimme" putts (which one guy says are putts "within the circle of friends") or the inevitable "mulligans" (on the first tee and tenth, or travelling, or when one really needs one), and in the praise we have for one another's good shots--God is present supporting, joking, being generous and forgiving, and giving compliments.<br />
<br />
But I think the most important way that God is present to me on the golf course is in the lesson that I need for every shot. When I golf my temptation is to think that I can control the outcome: that if I just put a little more "oomph" into the shot or direct it, then I'll have a good shot. That never works. With every shot I try to practice the lesson of letting go of control, just taking an easy swing, and allowing the club to do the work. <br />
<br />
I need that lesson away from the golf course. I can't control the outcomes of my prayer, my work, my life. I can only take an easy "swing" and leave the outcome to God.<br />
<br />
Golf is another way that I practice the popular saying, "Let go. Let God."Fr. James Kubicki, S.J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434627331803662489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397690736097672103.post-27355794831078395412018-06-24T16:58:00.002-05:002018-06-24T20:18:20.935-05:00Happy Birthday, John!Usually the Church celebrates a feast on the death date of a saint. That is their "birthday" into heaven. But for three people we also celebrate their earthly births--Jesus (on Christmas Day), the Blessed Virgin Mary (on September 8, nine months after a celebration of her Immaculate Conception), and John the Baptist (today, June 24). Three months ago we celebrated the Annunciation when the Angel Gabriel told Mary that she would conceive and that her kinswoman Elizabeth was sixth months pregnant with a son, the one who has come to be known as St. John the Baptist.<br />
<br />
You and I celebrate the days on which we were born and we also, at the end of our lives, are remembered and prayed for by our friends and relatives. In between those dates--our birth and our death--we live our earthly lives. John the Baptist is a great example for how to live those days.<br />
<br />
What is the most important lesson that we can learn from John? Humility. In the second reading at Mass today (Acts 13: 22-26), in a speech of St. Paul, we hear how John told the many people who had come to follow him that he was not the Messiah, the Anointed One. In fact, he said, he was even lower than the Messiah's servant: "Behold, one is coming after me; I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet."<br />
<br />
Yet our first reading (Isaiah 49: 1-6), in words that the Church applies to John the Baptist, says that "it is too little for you to be my servant.... I will make you a light to the nations...." That sounds pretty glorious. However, light is humble. We don't turn a light on and then focus our attention on it. Light is not there to be stared at. It does not draw attention to itself. Rather, it humbly enlightens a place so that one can find one's way in the dark.<br />
<br />
We too are called to be light for others, not to draw attention to ourselves but to help others find their way through the darkness of the world.<br />
<br />
There is an expression: "to make a name for oneself." Those who try to make a name for themselves want to become famous so that many people will recognize their name. They want to draw attention to themselves.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FVAeDwTK904/WzAT6jzcmMI/AAAAAAAACn4/ZLsr5_NX5GUfQbNhgpn8H0uzSUc9n1blwCLcBGAs/s1600/Birth%2BJohn%2BBaptist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="821" data-original-width="580" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FVAeDwTK904/WzAT6jzcmMI/AAAAAAAACn4/ZLsr5_NX5GUfQbNhgpn8H0uzSUc9n1blwCLcBGAs/s320/Birth%2BJohn%2BBaptist.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
John the Baptist did not try to make a name for himself. He was given a name by God. He should have been called "Zechariah," after his father. But on the day of his circumcision, his parents made it clear that in obedience to God's will, which came to them through the Angel Gabriel, their son was to be named "John." It's a name that means "God is gracious." John's identity was to show the graciousness of God who sent the Son to live our life, suffer with and for us, and even share in our death so that we could share in his resurrection. John prepared the way for the One who embodied the graciousness of God, the goodness and generosity of God. John pointed to Jesus, the Incarnation of God's graciousness.<br />
<br />
You and I were also given a name by God. It wasn't the name our parents chose for us but the name that we received when we were baptized and joined to the Body of Christ. We were named "Christian." We became "other Christs." The name "Christ" means "Anointed One." At baptism we were anointed with the Sacred Chrism which is used to consecrate the altar and four walls of new churches, setting that space apart for the sacred purpose of worship. When I was ordained, the bishop anointed my hands with Sacred Chrism, consecrating them for the sacred purpose of offering worship to God. And when we were baptized and then confirmed, our foreheads were anointed with that same Sacred Chrism, consecrating each of us for the sacred purpose of offering worship to God.<br />
<br />
We do that when we celebrate Mass and offer the perfect worship, joining ourselves to the perfect offering of Jesus as he renews his greatest act of love for the Father and for us. But our worship doesn't end there. We go forth and continue our worship in our daily lives, offering every thought, word, and deed, every prayer, work, joy, and suffering to God as an act of love and for the salvation of souls. Our Daily Offering prayer helps us remember to offer the worship of daily life for which we have been anointed.<br />
<br />
Like John, we are now called to live up to our name--Christian. We are called to be true to the anointing and name that we received at baptism. We are called not to make a name for ourselves but to make the Name of Jesus known and glorified. For it is in this Name alone that the world has come to know salvation.Fr. James Kubicki, S.J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434627331803662489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397690736097672103.post-74214381827583087132018-06-17T11:47:00.001-05:002018-06-18T09:56:11.910-05:00Planting Seeds of Faith, Hope, and Love<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jbWG8cR5H-I/WyaQUq4rcPI/AAAAAAAACmQ/PN4j8QrgN28DtttilBkkUQRrPQAV5ngxwCLcBGAs/s1600/_MG_9563.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jbWG8cR5H-I/WyaQUq4rcPI/AAAAAAAACmQ/PN4j8QrgN28DtttilBkkUQRrPQAV5ngxwCLcBGAs/s320/_MG_9563.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At our grade school--Sapa Un Catholic Academy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It's over a year since my last post and 10 and a half months since I left the Apostleship of Prayer (the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network) to become director of St. Francis Mission Among the Lakota (www.sfmission.org). It feels as though I actually have three jobs--chief administrator, fund-raiser, pastor of the reservation--and as a result I haven't taken the time to blog. Plus, I wondered whether it was appropriate to use this blog which was so closely connected to the Apostleship of Prayer. However, those who make a daily offering and strive to live the spirituality of the AoP are always members. And I've had a lot to "offer up" this past year. That being said, I want to return to blogging and to begin with my homily for this weekend, the 10th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B.<br />
<br />
Last week I was in Omaha and I sure found Google Maps on my cell phone to be very helpful for getting around to see various people. But this app would have been no help at all if I didn't know the destinations. Without a destination there would be no directions on how to get there.<br />
<br />
Each of us has an internal GPS that tells us something about our destination. It's called "conscience." It's an innate sense of right and wrong that doesn't need to be taught. Just think of the following situation: A teacher tells his or her first graders that at the end of the day all the boys will get a chocolate bar and all the girls will have to stay after school. There would be an outcry: "That's not fair!" Who told them that it wasn't fair? Children have an innate sense of "fairness" that doesn't need to be taught. Of course, as time goes by this moral GPS or conscience needs further development, updates as it were, that help it grow and stay on track.<br />
<br />
This is where knowing our destination is essential. What's our goal or destination in life? In our second reading (2 Corinthians 5: 6-10), St. Paul writes about his and our "home," our true home. Earth is not our true home. Life on earth is a journey. Our true home or "haven" is heaven. We are here on earth to learn how to breathe the atmosphere of heaven, to get ready to go to our true home.<br />
<br />
But we don't go there alone. A good friend of mine, Deacon Pat Coy of Custer, South Dakota, says that when we enter the pearly gates Jesus will be there to ask us "How many did you bring with you?"<br />
<br />
In our Gospel (Mark 4: 26-34) Jesus presents another way of looking at this. He uses the image of farming. We are here on earth to scatter seeds--seeds of faith, hope, and love. We can till the soil and get rid of the weeds, but we cannot make those seeds grow. Only God can. Thus we do the best we can but leave the results to God. This is where faith and trust come into play.<br />
<br />
Pope Francis put it well in his Apostolic Exhortation "The Joy of the Gospel." He wrote in sections 278 and 279:<br />
<br />
<b>Let us believe the Gospel when it tells us that the kingdom of God is already present in this world and is growing, here and there, and in different ways: like the small seed which grows into a great tree.... Because we do not always see these seeds growing, we need an interior certainty, a conviction that God is able to act in every situation, even amid apparent setbacks.... This certainty ... involves knowing with certitude that all those who entrust themselves to God in love will bear good fruit, without claiming to know how, or where, or when. We may be sure that none of our acts of love will be lost, nor any of our acts of sincere concern for others. ... The Holy Spirit works as he wills, when he wills and where he wills; we entrust ourselves without pretending to see striking results. We know only that our commitment is necessary. Let us learn to rest in the tenderness of the arms of the Father amid our creative and generous commitment. Let us keep marching forward; let us give him everything, allowing him to make our efforts bear fruit in his good time. </b>Fr. James Kubicki, S.J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434627331803662489noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397690736097672103.post-79163983187355282542017-06-13T15:15:00.000-05:002017-06-13T15:15:47.311-05:00Transition<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pKEdjr5JRCE/WUBF_KjbZ8I/AAAAAAAAB_k/0bimt2LZ7Dw_OygRgF0CC6PhqvVVoTxegCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_20170613_104919155.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="901" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pKEdjr5JRCE/WUBF_KjbZ8I/AAAAAAAAB_k/0bimt2LZ7Dw_OygRgF0CC6PhqvVVoTxegCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_20170613_104919155.jpg" width="180" /></a>On the second Tuesday of every month, a group of volunteers come to the national offices of the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network to stuff envelopes with our monthly leaflets. Today a larger group than gathered. It was a chance to say farewell. <br /><br />On July 17 Fr. William Blazek, S.J. will become the new director of the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network in the U.S. and on July 29 I'll be moving to begin a new assignment. The last fourteen years have been filled with many blessings, one of which is the group of volunteers who came once a month to pray together, to get the monthly leaflets ready to send out around the country and even across the English-speaking world, and to have fun together. <br /><br />Everyone brought treats which we enjoyed after we celebrated Mass and before the work began. One person brought a beautiful farewell cake and seven year old Quinn entertained us with his violin. <br /><br />My blogging has been so sporadic lately because I find myself living in three worlds: current commitments, getting things ready for the new director, and getting ready to move and take over my new mission. What is it?<br /><br />Starting July 31 I will be the next director of St. Francis Mission on the Rosebud Reservation in western South Dakota. Though I've never lived and worked there, this is a ministry with which I am familiar. From 1977-80 I taught at Red Cloud Indian School on the Pine Ridge Reservation, just west of the Rosebud. From 1989-95 I worked at the Sioux Spiritual Center, a retreat house for Native people that served the five reservations that are part of the Rapid City Diocese. With Fr. John Hatcher, S.J., whose place I will be taking at St. Francis, we coordinated the deacon and lay ministry formation program of the diocese. And from 1995-9 I was the Wisconsin Province Assistant to the Provincial for Native Ministry. <br /><br />In 1886, shortly after the Lakota people were forced to live on reservations, Jesuits founded St. Francis Mission and began serving their pastoral, social, and educational needs. <a href="http://www.sfmission.org/">Here is the website for St. Francis</a>--an old mission that has become a new mission with its innovative programs. <br /><br />I hope to continue blogging and working with Catholic radio stations around the country. I'll also always continue to offer up each day, returning love for the great love Jesus has shown us and praying with and for the intentions of the Holy Father and of all Apostles of Prayer. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A1f4T4weVY0/WUBGYT_i5II/AAAAAAAAB_o/Oi76gi5s1Lo3jZ9A2tKznU6CNL_XwsjKQCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_20170613_094353520%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="901" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A1f4T4weVY0/WUBGYT_i5II/AAAAAAAAB_o/Oi76gi5s1Lo3jZ9A2tKznU6CNL_XwsjKQCEwYBhgL/s400/IMG_20170613_094353520%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Fr. James Kubicki, S.J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434627331803662489noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397690736097672103.post-5009481551300066182017-05-14T19:22:00.000-05:002017-05-14T19:23:56.187-05:00Doing Greater Works as We Climb<div class="MsoNormal">
In the Gospel for the Fifth Sunday of Easter, Cycle A (John
14: 1-12), we see Jesus at the Last Supper getting impatient with his
apostles. He has been with them for
several years. He is giving them his
final discourse and they clearly do not know him. In response to Philip who asks Jesus to show
them the Father, Jesus says: “Have I been with you for so long a time and you
still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you
not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?”<br />
<br />
Right before this Jesus had declared: “I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, then you will
also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”<br />
<br />
Jesus, fully divine, is the truth about who God is. God is love, a love that is willing to give
all for the good of humanity. Jesus, fully
human, is also the truth about what humanity is meant to be. Jesus is the way to live. Following Jesus and the trail to heaven that
he has blazed, we will come to the eternal life for which we were made.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aehnmKLFvls/WRjyWBWQSCI/AAAAAAAAB84/uTjvFnt7v1ANBncwkWcfq1ZdrHRLO4W4QCEw/s1600/mountain%2Bclimbing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aehnmKLFvls/WRjyWBWQSCI/AAAAAAAAB84/uTjvFnt7v1ANBncwkWcfq1ZdrHRLO4W4QCEw/s320/mountain%2Bclimbing.jpg" width="320" /></a>In his Ascension Day homily in 2013, Pope Francis compared Jesus to a
mountain-climbing guide: “In Christ, true God and true man, our humanity was taken to God. Christ opened the path to us. He is like a roped guide climbing a mountain who, on reaching the summit, pulls us up to him and leads us to God. If we entrust our life to him, if we let ourselves be guided by him, we are certain to be in safe hands, in the hands of our Savior, of our Advocate.”<br />
<br />
Jesus is not only ahead of us on our journey through life, having arrived at
life’s goal, he is with us. He is
present in the Eucharist. He is present
in his Body, in our brothers and sisters.<br />
<br />
This latter presence is what some of the early Christians missed. The first reading (Acts 6: 1-7) shows that
the early Church wasn’t always the idyllic picture of harmony that is painted
in earlier chapters of Acts (see 2: 42-47 and 4: 32-35). There was racism and division. The Greek-speaking Christians were being
neglected by the Jewish Christians. In
response, a new ministry developed to care for the poor. <br />
<br />
But without a change of heart that leads one to see in every person a brother
or sister in Christ, new ministries are not enough. A deeper vision of unity is required.<br />
<br />
The second reading (1 Peter 2: 4-9) provides that. The Church is a “spiritual house” that has
Jesus as its cornerstone. Members of the
Body of Christ are “living stones.” We
are “a holy priesthood,” “a royal priesthood.”
Through baptism we share in the priesthood of Jesus who replaced the old
animal and grain sacrifices before him with his one perfect offering of himself
on the cross. This offering is made
present every time we celebrate Mass. There
we offer the “spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God.” We offer ourselves with Christ for the
salvation of the world. Then we go forth
from Mass to live the “spiritual sacrifices” in our daily lives. <br />
<br />
This is the spirituality of offering that is at the heart of the Apostleship of
Prayer. We begin each day offering
ourselves—all our prayers, works, joys, and sufferings; all our thoughts,
words, and deeds; every breath and every heartbeat. This offering of our day to God with Jesus is
very important and can work wonders.<br />
<br />
Jesus promised this when he said in the Gospel: “Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones
that these, because I am going to the Father.”
<br />
<br />
Really? Do I believe that we can do
greater works than the ones Jesus did during his earthly life?<br />
<br />
Three events of the last one hundred years should convince us that our
faith-filled prayers can work wonders.
All three are connected with the Blessed Virgin Mary’s appearances at
Fatima, Portugal in 1917.<br />
<br />
First, there is <a href="https://apostlesofprayer.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-power-of-prayer.html">the story of Jesuit Father Hubert Schiffer about whom I wrote August6, 2016</a>. He and several other Jesuits,
living near the epicenter of the first atomic bomb, survived and lived for
several more decades. A Defense
Department expert could not find any physical reason for their survival. He concluded that a power greater than that
of an atomic bomb protected them from harm.
According to Father Schiffer, “we believe that we survived because we
were living the Message of Fatima. We lived and prayed the Rosary daily in that
home.”<br />
<br />
In 1989 the Berlin Wall came down and I’m convinced that prayer was behind its
destruction. See <a href="http://apostlesofprayer.blogspot.com/2016/10/faith-prayer-and-humility.html">my blog post of October 3, 2016</a> for a photo of a section of the wall that can be seen at Fatima.<br />
<br />
Lastly, on October 13, 1991, a movie about Fatima was shown on Soviet
television. The movie was repeated on
November 7, the anniversary of the Russian Revolution. On Christmas Day, the flag of the U.S.S.R. at
the Kremlin was lowered for the last time.
The Soviet Union broke apart and Communism ended its stranglehold on
that part of the world. Since then,
29,000 churches have been built or reopened, the number of monasteries has
grown from 15 to 788, the 500 theological seminaries are full, and the Russian
government spends over $100 million a year for the restoration of
churches. <br />
<br />
I believe these are miracles wrought by prayer.
<br />
<br />
But wars and conflicts continue. The
threat of nuclear war remains and has perhaps intensified. The Message of Fatima is as essential as ever—prayer
and sacrifice for the conversion of sinners.
When he visited Fatima a year after the assassination attempt in St.
Peter’s Square, Pope John Paul II said: “In the light of a mother’s love we
understand the whole message of the Lady of Fatima. The greatest obstacle to man’s
journey towards God is sin, perseverance in sin, and, finally denial of
God. The deliberate blotting out of God
from the world of human thought. The detachment from him of the whole of man’s
earthly activity. The rejection of God by man.
Can the Mother, who with all the power of her love nurtured in the Holy
Spirit, who desires everyone’s salvation, keep silence about what undermines
the very basis of their salvation? No,
she cannot.” <br />
<br />
Nor can we keep silence. We pray and we
offer our lives, one day at a time, for peace in the world and the salvation of
all.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Fr. James Kubicki, S.J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434627331803662489noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397690736097672103.post-21286614069735366992017-04-25T12:00:00.000-05:002017-04-25T12:02:58.838-05:00My Role in Divine Mercy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jD03kh30Lfk/WP9_pvjEd5I/AAAAAAAAB6o/urWJ412tL-snVX7DQxEprYPkswPCij7kwCLcB/s1600/Divine%2BMercy%2BIcon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jD03kh30Lfk/WP9_pvjEd5I/AAAAAAAAB6o/urWJ412tL-snVX7DQxEprYPkswPCij7kwCLcB/s320/Divine%2BMercy%2BIcon.jpg" width="255" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">In
the Gospel for Divine Mercy Sunday (John 20: 19-31), Jesus tells the apostles
gathered in the upper room: “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” What did the Father send Jesus to do? To take away the sins of the world. To reconcile humanity to God and with one
another.<br />
<br />
But Jesus does not only commission them to carry on his work. He empowers them
to do so. He breathes on them and says: “Receive
the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you
retain are retained.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">How
are sins retained? If God’s love and
mercy are infinite, how is it that some sins are not forgiven? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">In
his 1980 encyclical “Rich in Mercy,” Pope St. John Paul II wrote: “Mercy, as a
perfection of the infinite God, is also infinite. Also infinite therefore and
inexhaustible is the Father’s readiness to receive the prodigal children who
return to His home. Infinite are the readiness and power of forgiveness which
flow continually from the marvelous value of the sacrifice of the Son. No human sin can prevail over this power or
even limit it (#13).”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">There
is no limit that any human being can place on God’s mercy. Except for one. It’s the limit that arises from human freedom
and divine love. God cannot force his
merciful love upon anyone. He cannot
force anyone to love him, for this would not be love but violence. Thus, John Paul continues: “On the part of
man, only a lack of good will can limit it, a lack of readiness to be converted
and to repent, in other words persistence in obstinacy, opposing grace and
truth, especially in the face of the witness of the cross and resurrection of
Christ.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Reconciliation
is a two-way street. God is always ready
to forgive, but his mercy must be received and to receive it one must first recognize
the need for mercy, ask for it, and then receive it. God cannot force his love
and mercy upon anyone who does not want it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The
Church forgives sins through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. But the Holy Spirit, given to the entire
Church, is at work in the lives of each baptized Christian. We all play an essential role in helping
people receive mercy, in softening hard hearts. How?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">First,
we are to be holy, merciful, and loving.
As children of God, we are to be holy as God, who is Love and Mercy
itself, is holy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">On
one occasion when Jesus met St. Faustina, he revealed to her the greatest obstacles
to holiness. He said: #1488: “My child,
know that the greatest obstacles to holiness are discouragement and an
exaggerated anxiety. These will
deprive you of the ability to practice virtue.
All temptations united together ought not disturb your interior peace,
not even momentarily (Diary #1488).”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">How
do discouragement and anxiety prevent us from being virtuous? When we become discouraged—with ourselves,
others, or the world—we give up. We
think things will never get better and so we stop trying to be better. Change in the world begins with each one of
us and discouragement only encourages us to continue moving away from God. And anxiety leads us to focus on ourselves,
our own worries and problems, rather than keeping our focus on God. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The
antidote to discouragement and anxiety?
TRUST. This is the great message
that Jesus wanted us to know when he revealed that the greatest divine
attribute is mercy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">When
we place all our trust in Jesus, in his love and mercy, then we find an inner
peace which flows through us into the world.
Jesus told St. Faustina: “When a soul approaches Me with trust, I fill
it with such an abundance of graces that it cannot contain them within itself,
but radiates them to other souls (Diary #1074).”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">We
grow in holiness as we grow in union with Jesus, a union that is especially
fostered in the Holy Eucharist. One with
Jesus, we see other people as he sees them and we respond as he would respond. This is why St. Faustina, in words that echo
St. Paul (Galatians 2: 20), made the following prayer: “Most sweet Jesus, set on fire my love for You
and transform me into Yourself. Divinize
me that my deeds may be pleasing to You. May this be accomplished by the power
of the Holy Communion which I receive daily. Oh, how greatly I desire to be
wholly transformed into You, O Lord! (Diary #1288).”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">In
his homily for the canonization of St. Faustina, the first saint of the new
millennium, Pope John Paul II said: “Looking at him, being one with His Heart,
we are able to look with new eyes at our brothers and sisters, with an attitude
of unselfishness and solidarity, of generosity and forgiveness. All this is
mercy! The message of divine mercy is also implicitly a message about the value
of every human being. Each person is precious in God’s eyes; Christ gave His
life for each one.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Without
exclusion, Jesus, the Son of God, suffered and died for every human
person. He told St. Faustina: “My
daughter, write that the greater the misery of a soul, the greater its right to
My mercy; urge all souls to trust in the unfathomable abyss of My mercy,
because I want to save them all. On the cross, the fountain of My mercy was
opened wide by the lance for all souls—no one have I excluded! (Diary #1182).”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">When
we grow in union with Jesus, we share more and more the desires and concerns of
his Merciful and Sacred Heart. Moved as
his Heart is moved by sinful and suffering humanity, we pray and work for the
conversion of sinners. This is the work
of reconciliation that the Holy Spirit empowers all the baptized to do. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Praying
for the conversion of sinners gives great joy to the Heart of Jesus. He said: “Pray for souls that they be not
afraid to approach the tribunal of My Mercy. Do not grow weary of praying for
sinners (Diary #975).” And, “You always console Me when you pray for sinners.
The prayer most pleasing to Me is prayer for the conversion of sinners. Know, My daughter, that this prayer is always
heard and answered (Diary #1397).”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">This
is so important to Jesus that he sent his own Mother with the same
message. At both Lourdes and Fatima she
came asking us to pray and offer sacrifices for the conversion of sinners. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Do
you believe that your prayers and sacrifices make a difference? So often we are like St. Thomas who says he
won’t believe unless he sees. We don’t
believe that our prayers and sacrifices, our very lives, make much difference
unless we SEE results. We give up praying
because we do not SEE change in others and the world, or even in ourselves.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jesus
told St. Thomas: “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” Celebrating Divine Mercy as we do, we
declare: “Yes, Lord, I believe. I believe my life, with its prayers, works,
joys, and sufferings, offered daily to you for the salvation of souls does make
a difference. Jesus, I trust in
you! Jesus, I trust in your Holy Spirit
at work in and through me, bringing your mercy into the world.” </div>
Fr. James Kubicki, S.J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434627331803662489noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397690736097672103.post-17107127922678297482017-04-17T09:36:00.003-05:002017-04-17T09:36:59.953-05:00Easter Sunday Homily<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OIV--UX0iaY/WPTRyeJChqI/AAAAAAAAB4o/qOjFKh4He8c6-_nyH-v79RGe4Cc7nxE6QCEw/s1600/Empty%2BTomb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OIV--UX0iaY/WPTRyeJChqI/AAAAAAAAB4o/qOjFKh4He8c6-_nyH-v79RGe4Cc7nxE6QCEw/s1600/Empty%2BTomb.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Gospel for Easter Sunday (John 20: 1-9) offers a
contrast between Peter and “the other disciple whom Jesus loved,” traditionally identified as John. Both ran to the tomb of Jesus, peered into it, and saw “the burial cloths there,” but no sign of Jesus. Or rather, they did not see Jesus but they did see a sign that pointed to his resurrection. One saw the sign and that was all while the other saw the sign with the eyes of faith and believed that Jesus had risen from the dead.<br />
<br />
Peter saw the cloths and believed what Mary of Magdala had told him—“they have
taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him.” But why would anyone remove the corpse and
leave the burial cloths behind? Peter
saw but did not connect the dots.<br />
<br />
John, on the other hand, “saw and believed.”
The cloths pointed to the fact that the dead body of Jesus had not been
removed but that Jesus had risen from the dead as he had promised. <br />
<br />
Peter sees from a purely physical perspective, without faith. John sees with the eyes of faith. <br />
<br />
We too walk by faith and not by sight.
We see signs of the resurrection, but do we believe? <u>Really</u> believe that Jesus is alive and
is present and at work among us and through us?
<br />
<br />
Paul wrote that our “life is hidden with Christ in God” (second reading,
Colossians 3: 1-4). Just as Christ, who
at this point in the Gospel who has not yet appeared to the apostles in his
risen glory, so the full glory of the new life we have in baptism is
hidden. Yet there are signs of this new
life already present in us. What are
they?<br />
<br />
In the first reading (Acts 10: 34a, 37-43), Peter says that “God anointed Jesus
of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power. He went about doing good and
healing all those oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.” The Holy Spirit and the power to do good and
heal those burdened by evil in our world—these are the signs.<br />
<br />
In baptism we were anointed with the Holy Spirit and empowered to continue the
work of Jesus. We do good in our lives
and bring healing to those wounded by sin.
In the renewal of our baptismal promises we reject the devil and his
works and profess our faith in God and the new life we were given when we were
joined to the Body of Christ. But we
need faith to believe, really believe, that we, joined to the Risen Christ,
have the power to do good and avoid evil.
We need faith to believe that in the midst of the world’s darkness, the
light of Christ shines through us. <br />
<br />
In “The Joy of the Gospel” Pope Francis wrote about faith in Christ’s resurrection:
<br />
<br />
<b>Christ’s resurrection is not an event of
the past; it contains a vital power which has permeated this world. Where all
seems to be dead, signs of the resurrection suddenly spring up. Often it seems
that God does not exist: all around us we see persistent injustice, evil,
indifference and cruelty. But it is also true that in the midst of darkness
something new always springs to life and sooner or later produces fruit.
However dark things are, goodness always re-emerges and spreads. Each day in
our world beauty is born anew, it rises transformed through the storms of
history (#276).</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Do I really believe this?
How can I believe this when the daily news presents a picture of death
rather than new life and beauty? This is
where faith enters. Faith does not
remove the struggle. It requires
surrender—to see the signs of death, like the burial cloths, and to believe
that this death is not the end. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pope Francis continues: <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Faith also means
believing in God, believing that he truly loves us, that he is alive, that he
is mysteriously capable of intervening, that he does not abandon us and that he
brings good out of evil by his power and his infinite creativity.</b> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Good out of evil!?”
Yes. We can believe this because
God took the worst thing that humanity could do—nailing the Son of God to a
cross—and brought about the greatest good—forgiveness of sins and the salvation
of the world. If God can do that, God
can do anything. And so Pope Francis challenges
us:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Let us believe the
Gospel when it tells us that the kingdom of God is already present in this
world and is growing, here and there, and in different ways: like the small
seed which grows into a great tree. Christ’s resurrection everywhere calls
forth seeds of that new world; even if they are cut back, they grow again, for
the resurrection is already secretly woven into the fabric of this history, for
Jesus did not rise in vain (#278).</b> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We do not want to simply see, as Peter did, and hold fast to
faithless theories. We want to see and believe as John did. This faith in the power of Christ’s
resurrection at work in the world through me and through you leads us to live
the new life we’ve been given. It
empowers us to be light in the darkness, to reject evil and to do good. In that way we answer the challenge that Pope
Francis presents at the end of this particular section of his exhortation: <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>May we never remain
on the sidelines of this march of living hope!<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Fr. James Kubicki, S.J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434627331803662489noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397690736097672103.post-74492492244883270402017-03-22T10:54:00.000-05:002017-03-22T10:54:42.426-05:00God's Thirst<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SkTQwfSgBQM/WNKdtPfNmeI/AAAAAAAAB00/qszjfDYbDSgQ44iI0lqDbhqh2T_E0htkwCLcB/s1600/Samaritan%2BWoman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SkTQwfSgBQM/WNKdtPfNmeI/AAAAAAAAB00/qszjfDYbDSgQ44iI0lqDbhqh2T_E0htkwCLcB/s320/Samaritan%2BWoman.jpg" width="267" /></a>In the story of Jesus’ encounter with a Samaritan woman
(John 4: 4-42), Jesus is thirsty and says to the woman who has come to fetch water from a well, “Give me a drink.” As their conversation progresses it becomes clear that Jesus wants more than a drink of water to quench his physical thirst. He has a deeper thirst.<br />
<br />
He talks to her about “living water,” which she mistakes for “running water,”
an aqueduct, perhaps, that she thinks Jesus can make in order to provide her
with water at home so she won’t have to carry water every day from the well.
But the “living water” that Jesus is talking about is the water of Baptism
which will give her the Holy Spirit and eternal life. The deepest desire of Jesus is for her to
know him and his love which will open her up to receiving the Spirit who gives
true and eternal life. <br />
<br />
In his <a href="http://w2.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/messages/lent/documents/hf_ben-xvi_mes_20061121_lent-2007.html">2007 Message for Lent</a>, Pope Benedict reflected upon the thirst of
Jesus. He wrote: “On the cross, it is God Himself who begs the
love of His creature: He is thirsty for the love of every one of us. … The
response the Lord ardently desires of us is above all that we welcome His love
and allow ourselves to be drawn to Him.”
<br />
<br />
The Son of God loved us so much that he died to save us. This love is not conditional. He did not die for those who deserved or had
earned his love. As St. Paul put it:
“God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for
us” (Romans 5: 8). In fact, he even died
praying that the Father’s mercy would come upon those who were killing them:
“Father, forgive them, they know not what they do” (Luke 23: 34). In the words of the contemporary Christian
song <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-R1ZlnzeW8">“To Ever Live Without Me” by Jody McBrayer</a>: “You would rather die than to
ever live without me.” <br />
<br />
This is God’s thirst: to give each of us his infinite love and to receive us
and our love so that we might be one with him forever. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Fr. James Kubicki, S.J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434627331803662489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397690736097672103.post-48376476435603890482017-02-28T11:27:00.002-06:002017-02-28T11:27:53.368-06:00What?! Me Worry?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-29wAUMQhzAc/WLWygN4VuhI/AAAAAAAABxQ/Rq4HG_0joi0KCM2vgmetFPWXaqoPVHLwwCEw/s1600/Sunset%2Bover%2BLake%2BSuperior.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-29wAUMQhzAc/WLWygN4VuhI/AAAAAAAABxQ/Rq4HG_0joi0KCM2vgmetFPWXaqoPVHLwwCEw/s320/Sunset%2Bover%2BLake%2BSuperior.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the summer of 1969, I and a Jesuit priest and five of my high school classmates
embarked on a great adventure. Every
summer Fr. John Eagan, S.J. led a group of six Marquette High Juniors-about-to-become-Seniors
on a two-week camping trip around the shores of Lake Superior. <br />
<br />
After a restless night of anticipation, we headed North. Fr. Eagan drove the
station wagon. Two students sat next to him in the front and three in the back
seat. One got to lay down in the back of
the wagon behind all the equipment. We
came to think of him as the lucky one and we took turns in that spot. For as soon as we hit the highway, Fr. Eagan
pulled out a rosary and invited us to pray.
We rolled our eyes, thinking this wasn’t looking like it was going to be the fun trip
we thought it would be. <br />
<br />
Two weeks later, when it was my turn to have the choice spot in the back where
you didn’t have to pray the rosary, I declined and offered to sit up
front. Somehow I had come to enjoy
praying the rosary every day as we drove.<br />
<br />
I returned from the trip feeling like a new person. The rosary, the beauty of God’s creation, the sense of community, Mass along the shores of Lake Superior at sunset—all of these worked together to get me past a difficult year.<br />
<br />
I’d always done well in school and much of my self-worth was tied to my
grades. But in Junior Year I took
Trigonometry and Chemistry and my grades went down. With my grades went my self-image which also
took a beating as I argued with my parents over curfew and the use of the
car. And why is it that just before
Homecoming a big zit appears on an adolescent boy’s forehead turning him into a
cyclops? <br />
<br />
That summer camping trip helped me turn a corner. I began Senior Year feeling a lot better
about myself. A seed had been
planted. I thought that perhaps I would
enjoy doing for others what Fr. John Eagan had done for me. Maybe I should become a Jesuit priest like
him.<br />
<br />
But at seventeen, with my whole life ahead of me, I thought: “There’s plenty of
time for that. I want to see the world
first.” So I went to Dominican College
in Racine, Wisconsin. I know: “See the world from Racine!?” OK. I
wanted to experience more of life before going into the Jesuits. <br />
<br />
Before going off to college, I and a good friend from the previous summer’s
camping trip decided, for old time’s sake, to do it again. We took off, knowing that we would cross
paths with Fr. Eagan and a group of six guys from the class behind us. We camped near them and around the campfire
one night we made fun of one of those Juniors. Bill was an athletic kid, a cross-country
runner, but during the day when we came to streams and had to cross by walking
on logs, Bill got down and crawled across.
<br />
<br />
The trip ended and I went off to college.
In September Fr. Eagan called and asked me to pray for Bill. He’d been
diagnosed with a brain tumor. In
November I went to his funeral. Seeing him
laid out in the coffin turned the heat up on my vocation discernment. I decided
not to delay doing what deep in my heart I felt called to do. I visited the Jesuit novitiate, applied, was
accepted, and entered the Jesuits after one year of college at the age of
nineteen. <br />
<br />
The thought of our mortality—that we do not have forever—gives perspective to
life. Every Ash Wednesday we are reminded
that we are dust, that our life on earth is not forever. We begin Lent asking whether we are on the
right track. <br />
<br />
A lot changed for me during those camping trips and what followed. But one thing hasn’t changed—worry. On our way back from that first camping trip
we gave out awards for the best swimmer, diver, cook, etc. The award I received was “Worry Wart of 1969.” Throughout the trip I planned for the worst
and asked questions: “What if it’s raining, how can we set up camp and cook?
What if it’s dark? What if we run out of
repellent or lotion? What if, what if…?<br />
<br />
When I told Fr. Eagan that I was going to apply to the Jesuits he challenged me
about the worry. He said that if I
became a Jesuit my path, my future would be a great unknown. I would have to let go of worry and be
flexible. I couldn’t prepare for every
eventuality. <br />
<br />
That has certainly been true. I entered
the Society of Jesus to teach in an urban, Jesuit, college-prep school like the
one I’d gone to. I’ve never done
that. And if I’d known then about what I
would face in my forty-five years as a Jesuit, I would have been too afraid to
apply. But I’m glad I did. I would not have grown or become the person I
am today without all those things I would have worried about. <br />
<br />
Worry saps our energy and leads to stress that takes a toll on our physical,
emotional, and spiritual health. Worry
borrows tomorrow’s possible problems and crams them into today. As Jesus said, “Sufficient for a day is its
own evil” (Matt. 6: 34). <br />
<br />
Worry fosters a negative attitude. We
see the world through dark glasses as we prepare for the worst. Such preparation can become a self-fulfilling
prophecy.<br />
<br />
Worry was the “original temptation.”
Prior to the Original Sin, our ancestral parents worried about whether
they could really trust God. Maybe God
wasn’t telling them the whole story. Maybe
God wouldn’t be there for them. Wouldn’t
it be better to get control? There is a
saying: “If you worry, why pray? And if you pray, why worry?” When we worry we try to be in control, to be
gods. So what’s the point of praying if
you are trying to be God? When we pray
we put our trust in God and not in ourselves, so there’s no point in worrying
and trying to be in control of everything.<br />
<br />
Since worry is a temptation, it comes from the devil who wants to get us
anxious. The devil disturbs our peace so
that we take our focus off God and put it on ourselves. When we worry we listen to the devil and not
to God.<br />
<br />
You might ask: “So Father, why do you still worry?” <br />
<br />
I think worry is inevitable, just as temptation in general is. Temptations challenge us to exercise. Virtues are “spiritual muscles” that require
nourishment (prayer and the sacraments) and exercise (fighting
temptation). When worry comes my way I
know I have a choice. I can obsess or I
can exercise by practicing its opposite—trust or faith. This is where I find certain slogans from
Twelve Step Recover programs helpful: “Let go and let God;” “One day at a time;”
“This too shall pass.” I also use the
prayer that Jesus told St. Faustina to put on the image of Divine Mercy. I take a deep breath and pray “Jesus,”
holding this “name above every name” (Phil. 2: 9) in my heart and in my lungs
as long as I can. Then I breathe out my
worries with “I trust in you.” <br />
<br />
Ultimately trust involves believing in the words of Isaiah 49: 15: “Can a
mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even
should she forget, I will never forget you.”
God loves each one of us with a deep maternal love.<br />
<br />
St. Teresa of Kolkata once said: “People
say that God will never give you more than you can handle.” Then she added: “I just wish God didn’t trust
me so much.” <br />
<br />
Yes, God trusts us. God allows
temptations so that we can grow. God
wants us to grow in the trust that will bring freedom and peace. Though loving parents are tempted protect
their children from all pain and suffering, the world is not free of
those. Painful challenges are part of
life. Some decisions lead to suffering
from which children learn important lessons about consequences. God, loving us like a parent, does not
protect us from challenges and consequences.
God trusts us more than we trust ourselves. Through painful challenges we grow
stronger. Through suffering we learn
empathy. <br />
<br />
Easier said (or in this case written) than done. I pray that I remember the words I’ve written
the next time I start worrying….</div>
Fr. James Kubicki, S.J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434627331803662489noreply@blogger.com0