October 28, 2018 — Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

JER 31:7-9; PS 126:1-6; HEB 5:1-6; MK 10:46-52

“Following Jesus is the work of a lifetime. At every step forward, one is challenged to go further in accepting and loving God’s will. Being a disciple is not just something else to do, alongside many other things suitable for Christians; it is a total way of life and requires continuing conversion” (Stewardship, A Disciple’s Response).What a challenge we have set before us as Disciples of Christ and Christian Stewards.

Today’s readings give us encouragement and strength to “keep on keeping on” in our stewardship way of life, starting with our First Reading, from Jeremiah. “Thus says, the Lord: Shout with joy for Jacob, exult at the head of the nations; proclaim your praise and say: The Lord has delivered his people… I will console them and guide them… For I am a father to Israel.” We know the story of our redemption has a happy ending. In the end, God wins! And that means we, His disciples, “win,” too. It’s easy to become discouraged when we look at the world around us, perhaps even when we look at the difficulties within our own parish and families. But we know that Jesus has already conquered death and that God’s fatherly love will triumph in the end. Clinging to this truth keeps us moving forward in our ministries and marriages, parenting, our work lives and friendships.

The Second Reading, from Hebrews, offers another pep talk, reminding us again as in last week’s reading, that in Jesus we have a high priest who offers sacrifices for our sins (the sacrifice of His own life) and who is eternally faithful to us. As Christian stewards we are called to devote a regular portion of our time to God in prayer. But perhaps we find it intimidating to find the right words when approaching this great High Priest, our perfect and all-holy God.

Today’s Gospel shows us we don’t really need to have our “act together” before we can spend time with God in prayer. In this passage from Mark, we see that Bartimaeus received a powerful answer to prayer at a very low point in his life. There he sat, begging at the side of the road in a rather undignified manner. His posture wasn’t exactly reverent, and his prayer wasn’t eloquent, just a desperate, “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.” But it was a sincere cry from his heart. And Jesus, though surrounded by a sizable crowd, heard it, and called for Bartimaeus to come to Him. Folks from the crowd called to Bartimaeus, “Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you.” And right there on the spot, Bartimaeus experienced a profound moment of personal encounter with our Lord and the healing of his vision he desired.

How simple it is to encounter Jesus! All we must do is reach out to Him in prayer and we can be assured that He will hear us and call us to Himself. So, let’s all take courage this week knowing that Jesus is calling us right now to spend time with Him just as we are, in all our weakness and brokenness. Tell Him, the great High Priest, what your needs are and then, like Bartimaeus, follow Him, and keep on keeping on in this stewardship way of life. It’s a life with the ultimate happy ending.

October 21, 2018 — Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

IS 53:10-1; PS 33: 3-5, 18-19, 20, 22; HEB 4:14-16; MK 10:35-45 or MK 10: 42-45

Our readings today are wonderfully consoling and wildly challenging. If we take them to heart, they just might change our lives. For they should call us to profound gratitude for all that God has done for us and inspire us to live lives of thanksgiving and obedience in response to His overwhelming love and mercy.

The First Reading, from Isaiah, reminds us just how much our Father in Heaven loves us and wants us to be with Him in Heaven — so much that He was “pleased” to allow His Son to be “crushed in infirmity” for our sake and to give His very life as an offering for our sins. “Through his suffering, my servant shall justify many, and their guilt he shall bear.” What profound love this is that Jesus took on our sins, laying down His life to save us. How can I remain indifferent to such love?

The Second Reading, from the letter to the Hebrews, gives further insight into this deep love that our Father, through His son, Jesus Christ has shown us. Such love that Jesus took on flesh to experience all the weakness and frailty of life on this earth — all except for sin. Jesus endured all this so that we could feel close to Him, so that we would not hesitate to approach Him and embrace Him as our own Brother. “For we do not have a high priest who us unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin. So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.” Not only did He come to save us through His suffering, He came to stand with us in our own suffering, offering mercy and help whenever we call upon Him. How can I offer Him my thanks for such love?

In the Gospel Reading, from Mark, Jesus tells us in His own words how we can thank Him and how our lives can reflect greatness in His eyes — we can imitate Him. He tells us “whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Our God has ransomed our lives. In truth, this “ransom” means our lives are not our own but belong to God. We must do what He asks us to do with them. And He has told us clearly what to do — serve others in love as we have been served in love by Him.

This is why service for the Christian Steward is not an add-on to our already busy lives. It is our life.

Over the course of the next week, take these readings to heart. Reflect on the remarkable love God has shown for you. Then look carefully at your daily life. Is it an imitation of the servant-love of your Brother and Savior? What changes do you need to make, perhaps just in attitude, or perhaps to the trajectory of your life as a whole, to live in grateful service to the One who loves you so?

October 14, 2018 — Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

WIS 7:7-11; PS 90:12-17; HEB 4:12-13; MK 10:17-30 or MK 10:17-27

Part of the beauty of stewardship spirituality is its simplicity and practicality. It can be summed up in the brief phrase, “All I have is a gift from God and I must make a grateful return to Him for all He has given me.” In making this return, we consider three areas that cover the primary aspects of daily life — Time, Talent, and Treasure.

So simple that even our youngest parishioners can grasp the concept.

But simple does not necessarily mean easy. And simple does not mean shallow.

Today’s readings invite us to look into the truth of what a stewardship way of life is all about. These readings also reveal how this spirituality and way of life require the commitment of our whole being to God. It is anything but easy or shallow. But it is indeed the way to lasting intimacy with God and the path to eternal salvation. It points us to seek after higher things — the wisdom of God and Heaven itself.

Our First Reading speaks of the value of wisdom. “I prayed, and prudence was given me; I pleaded, and the spirit of wisdom came to me.” We are told that God’s wisdom is more precious than any earthly riches or power and that when we possess this gift of wisdom — of seeing things and life as God sees them — we possess “all good things” and “countless riches.”

Our Second Reading, from the Letter to the Hebrews, shows us a way to obtain such wisdom — it is available to us right in the Scriptures. “Indeed the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.”

The Scriptures are the living Word of God. Every time we approach them in a spirit of prayer, they will speak to us. A passage that we ponder one week can take on entirely new meaning for us in another week. It is God’s living message and it has the power to speak to each of us personally based on our needs at a given moment. It is so simple! God’s wisdom is right there for us. All we need to do is commit some daily Time to seeking it.

The Gospel Reading from Mark is one of the better known passages in the Gospel — the story of the rich young man who went away sad after rejecting Jesus’ wisdom on how to obtain eternal salvation. This passage reminds us that while a stewardship way of life may be simple to understand, it is not easy to live out. In response to the man’s question on what he must do to obtain salvation, Jesus tells him to keep the commandments. The man replies that he has always done this much. But he suspects (rightly) that there is more to being a disciple of Jesus than just following the external rules. Jesus lovingly confirms this, telling him, “Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”

We are called to be so much more than rule-followers; we are called to be Christ followers. A stewardship way of life asks us to look at three simple, practical areas — Time, Talent, and Treasure. But it asks us to commit to them from the depths of our being. Only then can we truly be free to follow Christ. Only then do we obtain the countless riches of God’s wisdom and a path to eternal life.

October 7, 2018 —Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

GN 2: 18-24; PS 128: 1-6; HEB 2: 9-11; MK 10:2-12 or MK 10: 2-16

Today’s readings give us a wonderful refresher on the Biblical origins of the Sacrament of Marriage, going all the way back to the second chapter of Genesis in our First Reading. Adam’s delighted reaction to Eve, his bride, is ancient praise of this beautiful sacrament. ”This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called ‘woman,’ for out of ‘her man’ this one has been taken.” The passage goes on, “That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one flesh.”

In our Gospel Reading, taken from St. Mark, we see the Pharisees questioning Jesus about the meaning and permanency of marriage. Jesus responds by going back to the origins we just recalled, reminding them, “From the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate.”

Today, perhaps more than at any other time in Christianity, marriage and family life are under attack. It is vital that we have a proper understanding of the Church’s beautiful and solid teachings in these areas, which as we see in today’s readings, go back to Genesis itself. We call this type of knowledge, “Formation” and it is one of the pillars of a stewardship way of life. A good formation in the faith not only strengthens us in our own walk with the Lord, it allows us to pass on this knowledge to others who are thirsting to know the truth about the human person, and arms us to defend our beliefs when necessary.

These readings also invite us to reflect on the reality that we are to be good stewards of the vocation that the Lord has entrusted to us. If I am married, do I recognize that my spouse and my marriage are a gift from God that must be nourished, developed and tended? This brings to mind the stewardship aspect of “Time.” After time spent with God, my next priority of time should be for my spouse. Do I realize that at the end of my life I will have to give an account to God for how I cared for the gift of my spouse and marriage? Do I make the time to pray regularly for and with my spouse? Do I understand that my marriage and family are meant to reflect the love of the Trinity itself? What a dignified calling this us! The gift of my marriage and family are meant not just for myspouse and my kids. My marriage and family are meant to be a blessing to all those I come into contact with.

This week, look around at all those married couples in the parish, particularly those married for many decades. These couples are a gift to the entire parish and should be commended for their faithfulness to each other and to their sacramental vows. They have much wisdom to offer. Reach out to them. Ask them to share their best piece of advice, whatever your particular vocation. Pick up the Catechism of the Catholic Churchand read what the Church has to say about marriage and family life. Our brothers and sisters need the strength of our formation and witness to be a light to them in a darkened world.

September 30, 2018 —Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

NM 11: 25-29; PS 19: 8, 10, 12-14; JAS 5:1-6; MK 9:38-43,45,47-48

Sometimes stewardship messages are sprinkled subtly within the Sunday readings; other times they hit us like a Mack truck. This week’s readings contain a bit of both.

The “Mack truck” message is contained in the second reading, once again from the letter of St. James. He gives a chilling description of the outcome of a life based on materialism and pleasure-seeking. “Come now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending miseries. Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have become moth-eaten, your gold and silver have corroded, and that corrosion will be a testimony against you; it will devour your flesh like a fire.” St. James is not condemning people for having wealth. His harsh words are for those who acquire wealth and luxuries as if these things are the ultimate purpose in life. He makes it vividly clear what will happen to the material possessions and the owners of these possessions at the end of their lives.

When we hold onto possessions too tightly, they come to possess us. The “stuff” can easily become the focus of our energy and attention. Attachment to material things slowly and steadily corrupts.

In the Gospel today, Jesus is anything but subtle about the need to detach from everything that keeps us from loving Him. “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off… If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off… And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.”

The urgency of our need to detach from all that is not God, is clear. The spiritual discipline of tithing can help us with this. Tithing leads us to let go of unhealthy attachment to material things and leads us to attach instead to God, relying on Him as our true source of security. We come to understand that all that we have is a gift from our loving Father and we use it to bless others and glorify HIm. What wonderful freedom there is in living this way! Amazingly, we actually enjoy material gifts, and all other gifts, moreas a result because we realize where they really came from are using them as God intended.

Also, in today’s Gospel Jesus warns, “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck.” Whether we are aware of it or not, we are always serving as a witness of our Catholic faith and an example of Catholic living in modern society. We have a serious obligation to examine our lives to see if the example we give in the use our gifts leads others to Christ… or away from Him.

Lastly, in the Gospel, the disciples of Jesus complain that “outsiders” are preaching the Good News and Jesus essentially responds, “Good for them!” Again we must examine our lives. Do we in this parish have an attitude of openness to others? Do we welcome all, even those who are not the “insiders” here, to join us in sharing the Good News of the Gospel?

What powerful challenges we have before us this week. Let’s pray for each other as we set out to embrace them.

September 23, 2018 —Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

WIS 2:12, 17-26; PS543-6 and 8; JAS 3:16-4:3; MK 9:30-37

This week’s readings shed further light on the contrast between the worldly wisdom that Jesus rebuked in Peter last week, and the wisdom of God, modeled perfectly for us by Christ. They teach us that living as Christian stewards requires us to swim against the tide of our me-first culture and stake out a path for our lives that may be quite different from of that of our neighbors, friends or co-workers.

Our first reading comes from the Book of Wisdom, written about 50 years before the coming of Christ. It predicts the reaction some would have to our Savior’s life, saying that many would find His goodness and teachings “obnoxious” — particularly when He calls them out for their own violations of God’s ways. If we, as Christian stewards, are called to follow in the footsteps of our Savior, then we can expect this same type of reaction at times. Like Jesus, we are to respond with patience.

The second reading, once again from the letter of St. James, also details the contrast between human nature versus “wisdom from above.” When we give in to our natural inclinations to jealousy and selfish ambition, we can expect the negative consequences they bring — “disorder and every foul practice.” On a global scale we can expect (and indeed see) wars erupting due to selfishness and untamed greed.

In contrast, when we seek to live as Christ lived and think as He thinks, our minds and hearts will be pure. Our lives will become “peaceable, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruit.” What an inspiring way of life. Certainly worth the risk of being labeled “obnoxious” by some from time to time.

So how do we fight our tendency toward egotism and selfishness? How can we live not as the world advises but in the wisdom from above? What can we do to lead a Christ-like life?

Jesus shows us one way in today’s Gospel. “Taking a child, He placed it in their midst, and putting His arms around it, He said to them, ‘Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me.’”

In this context Christ is speaking not only of youngsters, but all “little ones,” those who are vulnerable or needy in any way — through poverty, physical or mental illness, advanced age, difficult family situations — the brothers and sisters St. Teresa of Calcutta would call “Jesus in distressing disguise.”

They are all around us if we open our eyes. Like Jesus, we can put our arms around the little ones in our community and channel some of our energy, ambition and talent towards them.

Giving the best of ourselves to these brothers and sisters may be a little messy at times. It may put us in situations that are far outside our comfort zones. Maybe our colleagues and neighbors will not understand our actions. We may even seem obnoxious to some folks. But in reaching out to little ones in Jesus’ name, it is Jesus Himself we are touching. And that is a most privileged way of life.

This week ask the Lord for the wisdom from above to notice the little ones in your neighborhood, community, or this parish and to show you concretely how you can reach out to them. Take at least one step. You will be stepping closer to Jesus Christ Himself.

September 16, 2018 — Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

IS 50:5-9A; PS 116:1-9; JAS 2:14-18; MK 8:27-35

Sometimes, the Sunday readings bring peace and consolation. Other times, they come as a swift kick in the pants. Today’s readings definitely fall in the latter category.

In the Gospel from St. Mark, Jesus begins to instruct the Apostles in what was ahead for Him – and for them if they wished to follow Him. “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it.”

Peter’s immediate reaction to Jesus’s words probably resonate with many, if not all of us, when we are faced with the prospect of self-denial. He pulls Jesus aside to try to talk him out of this craziness. In Peter’s worldly way of thinking, Jesus should not have to suffer (and for that matter, neither should Peter!).

But rather than agreeing with him or trying to soften His words, Jesus seems to double down on His message, rebuking Peter with this strong language: “Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” It seems Jesus meant exactly what He said earlier. What’s more, He was inviting Peter, and all of us, to join him in this way of life that is costly and self-sacrificing.

Why? Isn’t Jesus all about love? Of course He is. He islove. And Jesus shows us by His example that real love requires toughness as much as tenderness. Real faith in Him is displayed through actions, not words.

The second reading, from the letter of St. James, helps us to know that our faith and our love are real and not mere words. “If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,’ but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it: So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”

This passage makes it clear that faith and love are not alive in us until they are demonstrated through works. “Works” of any kind will involve some self-denial. Getting up early to serve at the soup kitchen on my day off requires sacrifice. Helping out in the CCD program when I could be catching up on work emails costs me. Praying in front of the abortion clinic may get me jeered at by passers-by. Making a sacrificial gift each week to the offertory means I have to give up some dinners out or the newest tech product.

But when I do these costly works and embrace the self-denial they require, I have the joy of knowing my faith and love are real. I attain the peace of soul that only comes from imitating Jesus’ way of life. By laying down my life for Him, I gain a life that is really worth living.