A Stark Choice

Today the readings really do present us a stark choice.  Both the first reading and the psalm remind us of the contrast of those who live according to their own whims and those of others versus those that live according to the Will of God.  The latter are vibrant and verdant, bearing fruit and having deep roots.  The former barren and dead, a waste, like chaff blown in the wind.  A stark choice indeed, but one that is also well hidden from the eyes of many who claim themselves to be their own master and are confirmed in their self centered choice by others who have made the same choice. This is clearly seen in the parable Jesus tells of the Rich Man and Poor Lazarus.  All the while he was enjoying himself devouring sumptuous meals and dressing in fine clothing the Rich Man never thought of God nor his fellow man.  Meanwhile Lazarus would  be licked by the dogs, but men, society, totally ignored him.  He could depend only on God.  God was his only hope for he had been abandoned by men.  In the end Lazarus went to Heaven because of his hope in God.  Not because he was poor.  The rich man went to Hell because he abandoned God while reveling or better yet wallowing in what God had created.  Being rich does not gain one eternal life.  Power does not gain one eternal life.  Nor does beauty, fame, or any of the other things that people are caught up chasing in this world.  There is a stark choice everyone is called to make in this life.  Pursue your own wants and desires in a selfish, and egotistical way spurred on by the culture of death and its many proponents, or pursue virtue and holiness according to the teaching of Christ and His Bride the Church which is in fact the Will of God our Father. In the end the Rich Man wants his brothers to be told about what awaits them.  He wants Lazarus to tell them by returning from the dead. For they like him refused to listen to their own culture and religion that comes from the Law and the Prophets.  Abrahams response is frightening   ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.’  Why frightening?  Jesus is telling this parable.  He will suffer and die and rise again knowing that some will not listen to the Good News.  What great love He has for us.  Paying the cost even for those who would not listen, who will not listen.  The choice is stark.  We are free to chose now.  We may not recognize how sweet the yoke of obedience is now.  We may not realize how vibrent and joyful a life of faith really is to those who live it.  But their will be a day, when we die or at the end of time, when the veil will be lifted and we will expeience our just reward. We will reap what we have sown.  Selfishness and pride are hard things to shake,  Obedience and virtue are hard things to practise.  Lent calls us to turn form the former and diligently practice the latter.  The disciplines of Lent show us the way.  The choice is ours as stark as it is.

Must Good Be Repaid With Evil?

Must good be repaid with evil? This is the question at the heart of Jeremiah's prayer in the first reading today. The answer we all know is no good does not have to be repaid with evil. We also all know that good is very often times repaid with evil. Jesus reveals this very clearly as He tells the Apostles that He will be mocked, scourged, and crucified by the Gentiles after the Chief Priests and the Scribes condemn Him and hand Him over to the Romans. He who looked upon all and loved them, will be looked upon and mocked. He who touched so many, so gently and healed them, will have His flesh torn with the violent scourge of the lash. He who is the fount of Life, the well spring of Salvation, will be beaten nearly to death then revived to suffer the most grueling and humiliating execution the ancient world could offer. So yes Good is often repaid with Evil. In the midst of our own sufferings we are often left wondering or even complaining like Jeremiah "Must good be repaid with evil?". Our Lord's example is very different. It is Jesus whom we are called to imitate. He does not selfishly cry out.  He instead is selfless.  At His arrest He heals Malchus the High Priest's servant.  At His trial before the High Priest and at His condemnation before Pilate He remains silent instead of refuting the lies sworn against Him and manifesting His Authority which would have condemned the Human Race.  On the Way of the Cross He tells the Women of Jerusalem not to pray for Him but for themselves and their children.  Hanging on the Cross He forgives and grants eternal life to St. Dismus, the Good Thief.  He gives Mary His Beloved Mother to all humanity to be our own Mother.  Even in the confirmation of His Death at the end of a lance he heals the Centurian by the blood and water that gushed forth as a fount of Mercy upon St. Longinius. Prior to His death Jesus says " It is finished".  He has completed the Father's Holy Will.  He who taught us to pray the Our Father, THY WILL BE DONE, has indeed allowed it to be done by wicked and evil men.  All for our sake.  All because of the Father's Love of us.  He was not preoccupied with the evil that He was being repaid with unless it would turn His executioners to the Truth, as He questioned those who interogated Him before the High Priest, or in His dialogue with Pilate.  So we should imitate Him even as we are repaid evil for the good we do.  We should not harbor resentment nor ill will against those who hurt us.  Instead we should examine our own conscience when we are hurt.  We should examine our own motivations in doing the good that we do.  Is it to be rewarded by those whom are the beneficiaries of our good works, or is to do the Father's Will?  To Love as He Loves.  To serve as He serves.  This is in fact a very sore point for many.  Many refuse this invitation to walk with Jesus this way of selflessness and suffering thinking they do not deserve to be treated so badly.  Jesus Did Not Deserve to be Mocked, Scourged, and Crucified. But He offered all of it up, even His very Life to the Father for Love of you and me.  In order to complete the Father's Will.  Our Salvation.  The least we could do then is repent this Lent and Believe the Good News even if we cannot totally let go of the hurt and resentment we feel towards those who have repaid us evil for the good we have done.      

Whoever Humbles Himself Will Be Exalted

You have but one Father in heaven. You have but one master, the Christ. Perhaps it has always been so but now more than ever it seems that modern man, and yes modern woman are absolutely opposed to humbling themselves to anyone or anything. There is no greater opinion than their own. There is no other point of view other than their own. They dismiss anything that they do not understand. There is no greater cause than what they want for themselves and their own family. Whoever humbles himself will be exalted. Humility is sorely lacking in today's society. No matter how ignorant one is, their opinion is unquestionable. Such is the state of the modern world. Relativism Rules! If we do not humble ourselves we will never come to know the Master. If we never come to know the Master then we can never know our Father. Thus our stomaches become our Master. Thus the Makers and Marketers of diversion become our Master: NFL, American Idol, Audie, Chevy, Dancing with the Stars, Zumba, Oprah, Disney, Discovery, NASCAR, Budweiser, and Grey Goose, and you can name thousands more that come right into the comfort of your living room and computer screen ready to enslave you. Yet so many bow down in homage to these Masters ignorantly thinking they are in control of their own lives. Blind to the slavery they are enduring. Offered Eternal Life and Happiness they recoil in disgust. To give up their freely chosen slavery to humbly submit to the Master, the Christ and follow the teachings of His Bride, the Church is heresy to the religion of relativism. Is it any wonder that the Church offers us the Disciplines of Lent. They are humbling. Giving away our hard earned money is humbling. Not eating what we want when we want as we want is humbling. Kneling down to pray is humbling. This is the only way to come to know the master. This is the only way to the Father. Whoever humbles himself will be exalted Exalted by the Father. Exalted by the Master the Christ who was raised up on our account.

Voices

Last week in the Gospel we heard the voice of the the Devil say to Jesus "if you are the Son of God...." seeking to tempt Him. This week we hear the voice of God the Father. The voice of the Living God "This is my Chosen Son,Listen to Him" comes forth from the cloud and darkness that are His raiment. Think for a moment about this stark contrast between these two voices. The Devil's voice no matter how strong or forceful or persistant last week is at last weak. Weak in the face of the Truth of the Father's Love. Weak and impotent are the tactics of the Adversary when faced with the power, authority, and force of Love Itself. Rapped in a cloud as with a robe the Father speaks to us. He speaks to us through His only begotten Son robed in flesh our great High Priest. We are to listen to Him. How little do we understand Love. We must begin to listen again to the Lover of our souls. The Adversary is pushy and persistant, demanding an audience, demanding attention but his voice is impotent, his power an illusion. The psalm today tells us the Truth. The Lord is our Refuge. Even amidst the strongest of temtations, and the greatest of trials we need to listen to Jesus who is our light and our salvation. This is the will of our Father, the Living God, the One God who speaks with such great Power and Authority because He speaks in Love. The endless Love He has for you and me His little children.

The Father of Revelation

"How much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him." We hear these words in the Gospel today Mt7:7-12. It is amazing how our Lord Jesus is constantly revealing the Father and His Love throughout the Gospel. I wonder if we really are listening. Often times those who seek to dismiss religion and Catholicism in particular claim that our God is of our own making. A necissary pacifier for the weak minded. Although this claim is totally absurd, what is true is that we (believers/Catholics)are often caught up in applying to God: motivations, feelings, and thoughts which are simply of our own making. For instance God is punishing me, or God is angry at me, God couldn't really love me, or forgive what I have done. These and many more claims are false, pure and simple. Not only are they false but they are complete and utter lies. Born of doubts, fears, worries and anxieties that quite simply come from the Devil. These thoughts can in fact be sinful. They deny the Truth. They deny the reavealer of the Truth, that is Jesus. They deny the Truth of the Father who is eager to give good things to those who ask of Him. Cultivating these thoughts are an extreme form of self-pity. They are not from the Holy Spirit, and they do not lead to a good examination of conscience, nor to contrition for our sins. Often they are born of false not TRUE Humility. They are Jansenistic and Heretical. They must be renounced, rejected, and rebuked every time they rear their ugly heads. They have no merit and no place among the children of God, the Father who seeks to give good things to those who ask of Him. Listen again to the prayer of Esther in the first reading. Listen again to the Psalm 138 describing the Love god has for His people. See the Father that Jesus reveals and abandon all your worries, ills, shame, guilt, fears, hurts, wounds, sins, weaknesses, your very self to His Loving Mercy. Ask Him for Mercy. Ask Him for strength. Do not be afraid any longer. He is your Father. He knows all about you. He Loves You!

Who Knows?

"Who knows, God may relent and forgive, and withhold his blazing wrath,so that we shall not perish.” These are the words of the King of Ninevah as he called for a day of repentance in the first reading today. Notice he says "Who Knows". We know. The Church knows. In Christ Jesus we know that God is Merciful. We know in Christ Jesus that God loves us. We belong to Him. We are His beloved children. We must repent. We must turn away from sin. We are called to believe in the Gospel. We are not left wondering. We are not orphans. We do not say "who knows". We know! We know.! His Mercy and His Love endure forever.

Forgiveness

Often times people are totally unaware of their need to forgive. When told they need to forgive a person, the first reaction of many is bewilderment. Then they usually ask why. Then they explain that they are not mad or angry at the person. Forgiveness and anger are connected in the minds of many. One does not have to be angry at someone in order to forgive them. Neither does one have to be mad at someone nor be harboring a grudge. Forgiveness is mentioned in the Our Father today by Jesus and then He goes further in explaining the need to forgive. He speaks about forgiving others trespasses and transgressions that we may be forgiven. In other words not forgiving or holding someones trespasses or transgressions against them is an impediment to our own freedom. Perhaps that is why in the Our Father forgiveness preceeds not being led into temptation and deliverance from evil. When we forgive we are free. When we forgive we are free to be led by Jesus in the way of peace. Lack of forgiveness leads us into temptation. How? We feel justified in holding against someone their trespasses or transgressions. Its seems reasonable to do so. However all that is reasonable is not necessarily right. In reality our lack of forgiveness is an act of selfrightousness. Every sin begins in selfrightousness. Holding on to a lack of forgiveness leads us into other temptations because we insist we are right in order to justify ourselves. Thus we can justify just about any sin we commit. Forgiveness and forgiving is a true deliverance from evil. Deliverance from the evil of selfrightousness, and self-justification. Forgiving then is a form of ongoing conversion. It is not about being mad or angry in a certain moment and then no longer being mad at someone. It is about not holding anything against anyone. Thus we all have many to forgive. Many who are known to us and many who are not. This Lent let us pray the Our Father humbly asking that He truely help us to forgive and not hold anything against anyone no matter how reasonable it seems to do so. Thus we will know pardon and true peace.