Category: Sermon

Choosing Love ~ Bishop Gregory Godsey

It is easy for us as clergy and religious to become entangled in putting on a show for those who follow us. It is easy to take advantage of those who look up to us as spiritual guides. And if it is easy for us to fall prey to those feelings and behaviors, imagine the struggle our Lord had.

Here was Jesus, a man like us in all things but sin, who also had the fullness of the Godhead within him. While he was 100% man, he was also 100% God! He could speak a word and the whole of creation would cease to exist. He could stretch out his hand and thousands of Angels would have sprung to his aid. Yet, as today’s readings tell us, he did not call on that power to save himself.

Saint Paul reminds us that Jesus did not view equality with God as something to be grasped. He instead emptied himself, become humble to the will of the Father and became man to save us from our sins. Jesus knew that his path would ultimately lead to the cross. However, he did not allow fear or ego to keep him from that painful moment. He suffered the most painful, most horrifying death imaginable in order that we would not have to spend an eternity in punishment for our sins.

Humility was but one trait that led Christ to follow the path laid out for him. Love also led him to the cross and kept him there despite the pain and despite the suffering. His love for mankind, his love for those who would ultimately reject his saving grace, kept him on the cross. And that love is seen in the tender moment when Jesus says to the Good Thief that he will see him again in Paradise. You see, the thief was there because of his transgressions and he was aware that he was paying for his sins. But he also saw that Jesus was not guilty of any sin. He saw that love for humanity had led him to this moment and the thief wanted that kind of love. And in that moment, he found it. Jesus, suffering and in agony, showed the thief compassion, maybe for the first time in the thief’s life! And the thief was given the grace of a holy death, freed from his sins and looking on the Savior of the world.

Oh that we would find such grace and love in our final suffering! Oh that we could approach each moment of our lives with humility and love!

As the Lenten season draws to a close, we will celebrate Jesus’ last supper, his crucifixion and his resurrection. But before we do, let us ask God the Father to grant us the grace of a humble and holy death. Let us pray that His Son, Jesus Christ, will direct our hearts and actions to show the love he had on the cross to everyone we meet. And let us ask God the Holy Spirit to form us in the humility that Christ practiced when he came to this earth to save us.

By doing so, we will find ourselves transformed into mirrors of Christ and Him crucified for the entire world to see.

God Bless.

 

A Humble Servant.

While watching the news and reflecting on the election of the new Pope, I cannot help but be struck with curiosity about a picture of the newest Papal leader washing someone’s feet. At  first I thought this was a recent photograph, but it seems this occurred many years ago. So who is this new leader of the Roman Catholic Church? It seems he is a humble man whose promotion has sparked hope among many individuals and groups who did not feel they had a voice within the Catholic Church in years past

Francis, the first Jesuit pope and first non-European since the Middle Ages, decided to call himself Francis after St. Francis of Assisi, the humble friar who dedicated his life to helping the poor.  On his first day on the job, Pope Francis not only returned to the Vatican-owned residence to pick up his luggage and pay the bill himself, he thanked every worker there, each by name. The new pontiff brings a common touch. The son of middle-class Italian immigrants, he denied himself the luxuries that previous cardinals in Buenos Aires enjoyed. He lived in a simple apartment, often rode the bus to work, cooked his own meals and regularly visited the slums that ring Argentina’s capital.

As Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, he showed compassion for the victims of HIV-AIDS and in 2001, visited a hospice to kiss and wash the feet of 12 AIDS patients. In 2008, he also washed the feet of 12 recovering drug addicts at a rehabilitation center in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

It is these vivid images of humility and service which remind me of the Bible reading for today:

John 12:1-8

12:1 Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 12:2 There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. 12:3 Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 12:4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, 12:5 “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?” 12:6 (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) 12:7 Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. 12:8 You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”

The new Pope, in his humble actions as the new leader of an often troubled Church, reminds me of Mary. Though she was considered no one special, and her introduction is far less publicized than the election of Pope Francis, her role in the recognition of Jesus, as Savior, is no less crucial to our salvation.

Introducing Mary, Extravagant Anointer of Jesus 

Today, Mary is the one whose role it is to introduce Jesus, our special guest. Who is she, the introducer? She is the sister of Martha and Lazarus. We read this John text with Luke 10:38-42 in our minds. There we are told that Jesus stopped “at a certain village” (Bethany?) and was served a meal in the home of two sisters, Martha and Mary. Martha bustled around serving in a worried, distracted manner. Mary sat at his feet listening to what he was saying. Jesus praises Mary for choosing “the better part which will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:42).

There are several accounts of women who anointed Jesus in the gospels. There is the “sinful woman” in Luke 7:36-50 who crashes a dinner at the home of one of the Pharisees. She brings an alabaster jar of ointment and anoints Jesus’ feet with ointment, tears, and kisses. Mark 14:3-9 and Matthew 26:6-13 tell the identical story of an unnamed woman who brings an alabaster jar of very expensive ointment and pours the ointment on Jesus’ head as he dines at the home of Simon the leper in Bethany. Both the accounts in Mark and Matthew, like this one, are sandwiched between the plotting of Jesus’ enemies to kill him (Mark 14:1-2) and Judas Iscariot leaving the dinner to go to the chief priests to betray Jesus (Mark 14:10-11).

Who is this Mary who introduces Jesus in John 12? She is Mary, the sister of Lazarus. The meal is held at the home of Lazarus whom John specifies was the man Jesus had raised from the dead (John 12:1). She has sat at his feet and now anoints his feet. She hasn’t misunderstood his title or misread his résumé. She knows exactly who he is and the kind of honor he is due. He deserves an act of extravagant holiness. The smell of perfume amid the stench of betrayal, jealousy, and looming violence. A sweet moment of stillness amid a gathering storm. An outpouring of homage amid the onslaught of hatred.

Will the new Pope continue with a humble heart, just like Mary, and let his actions honor our Holy Father?  No one but Him who guides us, truly knows. But if by choosing to begin his Papal legacy with actions that mirror, and honor, our Heavenly Father, then I hope this will be a wiser, more honest and humble, leader for the Roman Catholic church, and for Catholics worldwide.

THE PRIESTHOOD by REV. WILHELM STOCKUMS, D.D. ~ A Review by Fr. Terry Elkington

The Priesthood  by The Rev. Wilhelm Stockums, D.D. was  very informative.  As a former Roman Catholic and now a progressive Catholic I have had the great opportunity to explore, learn and examine the basic principals of the priesthood.  While this book is written specifically for the male Roman Catholic, there is much wisdom in its pages, and anyone who is considering the priesthood in the ISM should certainly read it.

“What is the Catholic priesthood?” Stockums asks.  He then answers his own question:   The Catholic priesthood is that institution which is absolutely necessary for Christianity. The Catholic priesthood is absolutely necessary for the Church. Without it there would be no Christianity left on earth. Remove the priesthood and you remove the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist from the world. Without the priesthood you remove the sacrifice of the Mass, Holy Communion, the sacrament of anointing of the Sick, and the sacrament of reconciliation so needed by a sinful world. Remove the priesthood and you take away the divinely assured teaching of God’s revealed Truth from the universe. In a word, without the priesthood, Christianity would be a memory but no longer a reality. It would cease to exist on earth.

Rev. Stockums reveals how the priest has a special kind of service to the faithful as the preacher of the Word, as the one who celebrates the sacraments and also, perhaps in a more hidden way, in his day-to-day actions: the quiet way he lives his own Christian life, for example, by being kind, loving and charitable. In all this he serves the faithful, and so serves God and the Church by being a servant leader. We see that role of service clearly when we consider that priests in the Catholic Church are first ordained as deacons. The word deacon, as most of us know, comes from the Greek word diakonos, which means “servant.” Service is a key element of priesthood.

Becoming a Catholic priest is a serious decision. Rev. Stockums gives us a general background on preparation:   Pray about your vocation. Take any feelings or advice that have led you to consider the priesthood and give them to God, then wait patiently and openly for a response.  Realize that everyone has a vocation and if a person is truly open to theirs, God will reveal it to him or her.

As one of the most recently ordained members of the priesthood of the OCACNA, I feel humbled by the task of expressing my understanding of the priest today. I have thus far been privileged to work with and learn from other priests in my area. At the foundation and source of a priest’s life and ministry is his grounding in personal prayer. I remember a priest who once said to me, not long after my ordination, that you need two balancing factors in your life – prayer and close friends .He said that you could remain a priest without friends, but you might go insane. On the other hand though, without prayer you will not survive as a priest!
We are called upon to pray often, at various occasions, and usually with little or no time to prepare. Such ability should flow naturally, confidently and sincerely from a priest’s own prayer life. With a heartfelt desire to deepen in relationship with Christ through prayer, a priest is then better equipped to pray with and for people, particularly the sick and dying. I have found I am better equipped to celebrate the sacraments with passion and solemnity, guide people in their spiritual lives, and foster communities of faith, fellowship and fidelity. The priest’s prayer life must have at its centre the Scriptures and an intimacy with the Lord. All of which Rev. Stockums explains as the essential keystone to a priest’s life and work, he then is able to fulfil two other dimensions of his role. As a person of private prayer, the priest is then able to lead others in their lives of prayer and discernment. A priest is called to be open to the Spirit of God, and help others discern the movement of this Spirit in their lives.
So many people in our society are yearning for something deeper, something real and true, something authentic and transformative. Rev.Stockums touches on the fact that we are surrounded by a world that values what we can achieve and experience here and now, with greed and self-interest at its heart.
However his book allows me to understand what I as a priest represents and embodies a way of life and view of the world that is counter-cultural, Christ centered and a life-giving challenge to relativism, individualism, secularism and materialism. Not only does he lead others by the example of his life and the energy of his preaching, but he walks with them in their life’s journey, accompanying their highs and lows.

Ultimately though,we are one man not a messiah, with personal limitations, growing responsibilities and challenges. Sometimes amidst the stress and demands of ministry, a priest’s focus or energy for prayer or pastoring may waiver. Rev. Stockums engages us in his own experience, with a life that requires a conscientious balancing between the ‘doing’ and ‘being’ of pastoral ministry.

From the simple calling by God, through personal and spiritual development this book as outlined by Rev. Stockums, approaches the priesthood with a positive embrace.  I found some of the antiquated Latin references to be somewhat of a struggle, but as I continued to read the definitions became clear. By all means write down these phrases and attempt to learn them in the modern sense. In closing the purpose of “The Priesthood” is to not only make us think of the priesthood, but to appreciate and love the journey we are taking as ministers of God. I think sharing ones thoughts on this book from different points of views can only shed light on our diverse community.

 

Got Bucks??? ~ Fr. Terry Elkington

Hear this, all you peoples;
listen, all who live in this world,
2 both low and high,
rich and poor alike:
3 My mouth will speak words of wisdom;
the meditation of my heart will give you understanding.
4 I will turn my ear to a proverb;
with the harp I will expound my riddle:

5 Why should I fear when evil days come,
when wicked deceivers surround me—
6 those who trust in their wealth
and boast of their great riches?
7 No one can redeem the life of another
or give to God a ransom for them—
8 the ransom for a life is costly,
no payment is ever enough—
9 so that they should live on forever
and not see decay.
10 For all can see that the wise die,
that the foolish and the senseless also perish,
leaving their wealth to others.
11 Their tombs will remain their houses[b] forever,
their dwellings for endless generations,
though they had[c] named lands after themselves.

12 People, despite their wealth, do not endure;
they are like the beasts that perish.

13 This is the fate of those who trust in themselves,
and of their followers, who approve their sayings.[d]
14 They are like sheep and are destined to die;
death will be their shepherd
(but the upright will prevail over them in the morning).
Their forms will decay in the grave,
far from their princely mansions.
15 But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead;
he will surely take me to himself.
16 Do not be overawed when others grow rich,
when the splendor of their houses increases;
17 for they will take nothing with them when they die,
their splendor will not descend with them.
18 Though while they live they count themselves blessed—
and people praise you when you prosper—
19 they will join those who have gone before them,
who will never again see the light of life.

20 People who have wealth but lack understanding   are like the beasts that perish.

In reflecting on Psalm 49, We must look within ourselves and realize that wealth won’t last: How should we think about the wealth of the wicked i.e. banks and money lenders of all types?  Should their power and prosperity cause us to worry? Yes absolutely! How should we feel when we have great abundance or lack of resources? Should these circumstances cause us to be either confident or afraid? This psalm answers these questions by reminding us that wealth won’t last. Wisdom teaches us that our financial situations are never an appropriate cause of fear or self-reliance. Let us look at Psalm 49’s clear-headed recognition that wealth won’t last.

Psalm 49:1-4 Explains that the following instructions carry wisdom for absolutely everyone—“both low and high, rich and poor alike”

(Psalm 49:2). The relevance of this psalm’s instruction about wealth is significant. It indicates that everyone needs to be taught how to view wealth wisely. “All who live in this world” (Psalm 49:1) are susceptible to temptation in this area. Money is the leading contender against faith in God!

Psalm 49:5- These passages ask, “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?”

Wealth may give us a false sense of immortality, but in the end it cannot save us from death. The ultimate futility of worldly wealth is worthless in the day of wrath. Turning our attention from this world to the next, we must realize that as a part of God’s creation, material resources such as money and wealth are good and not evil in themselves. Wealth has a limited capacity to insulate us from many of life’s dangers and difficulties. We should not despise wealth or deny its practical utility, but we must recognize how incredibly limited worldly wealth is from an eternal perspective (Psalm 49:7-9). Wealth is transient. Cars rust. Houses fall apart. Bank accounts dwindle. Sooner or later it all disappears.

For these very reasons, Jesus warns us not to store up treasures on earth, but in heaven.  Please remember “It’s not just because wealth might be lost; it’s because wealth will always be lost” Either it leaves us while we live, or we leave it when we die. No exceptions. Whether we are rich or poor, God can demand our lives of us at any moment. When that happens, the money we have will be of no use, but righteousness expressed by the right use of wealth will endure forever. (Psalm 49:16-20)  In closing when we see how our minds have been reoriented according to this “eternal perspective”, we will find wealth to be far less impressive and important.

Ashes and Dirty Faces

Fine, powdery, dark gray and black ashes, smudged onto our foreheads in the shape of a cross, for all the world to imagine what we’ve been doing, looking like we bumped our heads while cleaning out the fireplace, and forgot to wash that part of our faces…

Just a few ashes…symbolizing more than most of us realize as we go through the motions of Ash Wednesday.  What do we say to people who ask us the obvious question:  What IS that on your head?  Why do you have black stuff on your face?

Why WILL we participate in this strange custom this evening?  What DOES it mean?  The spiritual practice of applying ashes on oneself as a sign of sincere repentance goes back thousands of years. Frequently in the days of the Old and the New Testament, when someone had sinned, he clothed his body with sackcloth and covered himself with ashes. [Jer. 6:26]  The sacramental that we are observing today arises from that custom, the spiritual practice of observing public penitence.  Church history tells us that the liturgical practice of applying ashes on one’s forehead during the Lenten Season goes back as far as the eighth century. This was accompanied by different forms of fasting, prayer, sacrifices, charity towards others, etc… The writings of St. Leo, around 461 A.D., tell us that during the Lenten Season, he exhorted the faithful to abstain from certain food to fulfill with their fasts the Apostolic institution of forty days.  In the days of the Old Testament, many tore their clothing as a sign of repentance.

Today, we use the ashes as a reminder of who we are.  The Bible tells us

that we came from the dust and to the dust we shall return.  The first

human was formed out of the dust of the earth by God and then God breathed

life into that dust.  That is a powerful image.  One that is meant to

remind us that without the breath or Spirit of God moving in us, we are

just like these ashes: lifeless – worthless.

The ashes that many of us will wear tonight are meant to be for us symbols of our repentance and signs that we truly seek to follow in God’s path.

The people in the Biblical stories probably put the ashes on top of their

heads – so why do we, instead of putting these ashes on our heads, put them

in the sign of the cross on our foreheads?

We do so because it is a reminder of how we are sealed for Christ.  In most

churches when a baby is baptized the minister or priest uses oil to mark

the child with the sign of the cross.  The mark of the cross is a mark of ownership.  These ashes tonight remind us that we are Christ’s – that he died so that we might live.  These may be just a few ashes but they mean a lot.  They are a symbol of our need for God.  We are nothing but dust and ashes apart from God.

But what about Lent itself?  What is it?  Why do we have this season?  Most of us were taught that the lengthy period of Lent was one of penitence and fasting, a time provided for those who were separated from the church by their sins, so they could be reconciled by acts of penitence and forgiveness.

For most of us, Lent is the time of sometimes painful self-examination, during which we scrutinize our habits, our spiritual practice, and our very lives – hoping to make ourselves better, trying to make ourselves worthy of the love of God.  We “step up” our prayer, fasting, and self-denial in order to remove worldly distractions from our lives. And we take on Bible study, classes, and service projects in order to add meaning and depth to our existence.  For some children, Lent means no sweets, for teenagers, less time on Facebook. For adults, it may be consuming less meat or alcohol, or attending that Lenten course offered by the Church.

However we go about it, the goal is pretty much the same: Lent makes us ready for Easter. Quite simply put, we are better able to appreciate Resurrection joys come Easter Day by enduring these Lenten disciplines now.

The Old Testament Lessons, the Psalm appointed for today, and today’s Gospel Reading all tell us the “how” and “why” of Lent.  But then, there is Paul.  Saint Paul tells is, right off the bat, in the very first verse of the Epistle for today, to “BE RECONCILED TO GOD.”  Nowhere does he say, “Observe a Holy Lent, THEN be reconciled to God.”  Not after enduring a forty-day fast. Not after lengthy Bible study. Not even after prayer, but now, here, today: Be reconciled to God.  Paul not only invites us to be reconciled to God, he actually beseeches us. That is, he pleads, implores, presses, begs, and demands. “We beseech you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. … Now is the acceptable time, now is the day of salvation.”

If we but recognize this, if we are but reconciled to our God NOW, and THEN work toward our Lenten goals of fasting, of prayer, and of penitence, if we seek to discipline ourselves during Lent, and make those disciplines into daily habits, we will not only most assuredly have the Holy Lent we all desire, but will come to live a more holy life in general.  And isn’t that, really, what Lent is all about in the first place?  Amen.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall!

“Mirror , Mirror on the wall, who’s the Fairest of them all?” We all remember this line from that favorite fairy tale, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. Who is speaking such eloquent words? As we all know, the evil Queen, who wishes to be the fairest in the land.  As her daily habit, she consults her magic mirror, to reaffirm her beauty and charm. And being an enchanted mirror, it wisely tells her what she wants to hear. That is til someone more fair enters the kingdom, and we all know how the story ends. How many of us wish for just such a magic mirror, one which would show us at our most beautiful. Even on days when we aren’t feeling so pretty, or seem to be stressing over a perceived physical flaw that only we can see.

So what do we do? Well women put on makeup, style their hair, and wear their prettiest dress. Men, take great pains over their facial hair, to shave or not, bring out that tired suit, and of course a tie which must match. All this, serves to clothe us in an armor of acceptance, and allows us to face yet another day. We even plaster a smile on our face, while inside we are crying, dying just a little bit from the pressure of trying to fit in, to appear normal.

As described in Exodus 34:29-35, Moses did this very same thing. 34:29 Moses came down from Mount Sinai. As he came down from the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant in his hand, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. 34:30 When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his face was shining, and they were afraid to come near him. 34:31 But Moses called to them; and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses spoke with them. 34:32 Afterward all the Israelites came near, and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. 34:33 When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face; 34:34 but whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he would take the veil off, until he came out; and when he came out, and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, 34:35 the Israelites would see the face of Moses, that the skin of his face was shining; and Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with him.

Why did Moses feel the need to wear a veil? Surely it was not to hide the affect our Lord had on his countinence, his face shining as if a beacon in the darkness. Maybe he felt others would judge him, that  they would be scared of the change which was clearly in evidence. I can most certainly relate to this, feeling as if others are judging my outer self. Afraid that what hides behind the veil, even if it is good, would cause others to dislike or reject me. But as Moses did, and which we all must do, take off that veil, be our true selves. Our faith will then shine, and God sees us as who we really are. There is no need to be afraid or fear rejection in His presence.

2 Corinthians 3:16-18, 4:1-2 3:16 but when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 3:18 And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit. 4:1 Therefore, since it is by God’s mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart. 4:2 We have renounced the shameful things that one hides; we refuse to practice cunning or to falsify God’s word; but by the open statement of the truth we commend ourselves to the conscience of everyone in the sight of God.

We have learned to remove our veil, our false faces we present to the world, and let the evidence of God’s love shine plainly on our faces. So let’s look in that mirror again, but this time it’s not enchanted. Just an everyday bathroom mirror, and as you stare at this person whom you have lived with all your life, how do you see her now? Is your face veiled, to hide who you really are, a daughter of Christ? Can you remove your cloth armor (the veil), step out the front door, and face the world as an authentic person? Making no excuses, being someone who loves and accepts herself, warts, tattoos, piercings, cellulite, and wrinkles included, because of that blessed shining love only a Father can give to his favorite children. Can you be YOU!?

My Grace is sufficient~ by Fr. Bryan Wolf

“… a thorn was given to me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, but he said to me; “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” So I will boast all the more gladly of my weakness, so that the power of Christ may live within me.”   2 Corinthians 12:7-9

Recently I have begun to counsel an old friend who I have not seen in more than fifteen years.  An ex-marine and disabled police officer, he came to me a victim of drug addiction.  At first I was taken aback.  This man, I thought, had the world in his pockets last I knew.  Though we had grown apart, as the winds of life blow us- I had heard stories of how his world had spun out of control.  I failed to believe that a man with his character, credentials and training, would fall victim to drug use. I silently thought of him often, but knew not where the winds had blown him.

Contrary to the opinion of some, the internet brought us together again.  Truly, God does work his wonder his mysteries to perform and moves his Spirit through cyberspace.  When we spoke for the first time, I heard the tragic story of how the abuse prescription pain medications led to his disability from police work.  That the cycle of abuse grew and spread to the use of more serious illegal and illicit drugs; costing him his wife and children as they abandoned  him. Surrendering himself to a dependency so strong, that disability pension checks began to go to drug pushers and not his landlord.  Now evicted, he lives in his car with his dog.

Through direct deductions from his pension disability, he continues to provide for the financial support of his children. Evidence exists that this former Marine and police officer fights his demons, attending when he can meetings of Narcotics Anonymous. He musters pride and a broken smile in this assertion, but it fades quickly when he confesses that his battles are not always won.  He sadly admits to sometimes attending meetings, just for the free coffee and muffin they provide.  I am humbled that he turns to me for encouragement.

We are all addicts to one vice or another.  I am the world’s greatest procrastinator and find myself doing simple things when I know more challenging and difficult tasks remain to be done.  I confess to having more credit cards then my income allows.  A family member struggles daily with the curse of familial alcoholism.

In his book God I have Issues, Fr. Mark Thibodeaux SJ reminds us that “In God’s eyes, addictions are avenues for salvation. They provide the impetus to finally surrender our lives to God.”  What a prophetic statement. For in our addiction we become a slave to the addiction, and our failings keep us shackled to it.  Only through the strength and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, can we hope to break those bonds and raise ourselves out of our despair.  As we are reminded in Scripture, “For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure”.  [2 Corinthians 4:17]

Life is considered by many as a “school for our souls”.  We must learn, through the grace and mercy of God, that we can overcome and endure those trials and pitfalls before us.  That by the grace of God, our weakness is transformed into strength. That these afflictions, no matter how overwhelming they seem at the time, are but temporary bumps in the road of our life’s journey.  We must surrender ourselves to the power and mercy of Christ, and not to our addictions.

Christ came to save us, but what if we came to save Christ?  We all know the inspirational poem Footprints in the Sand, where when out life is reviewed we see one set of footprints at the most difficult time when Jesus carried us through.  But what if it was our responsibility to carry Jesus?

I imagine rescuing Christ from the cross. Lowering his broken and bloodied body into my arms. “I will help you, my Lord. I will get you far from here and tend to your wounds”, I whisper to him.  As I carry Christ with me; I pass the drug dealers, the liquor store, the casino and all those other things that beckon for my momentary attention- a momentary pleasure. I slow. I stop. I consider.  Then, the weight of my Lord- the weight of my cross- is upon me.  “Move on” Christ whispers now to me, “you are stronger. You can carry me and I will carry you. Together we will make the journey.”

Most most beloved Jesus, I pray this promise to you. Do not leave me. Do not abandon me. For sometimes I am weak and I stumble. Be beside me and I cannot falter. Carry me and I shall carry you. Together we can overcome and together we can complete the journey.

Most merciful God, you ministered to all who came to you: Look now with compassion upon all who through addiction have lost their way and their faith. Restore unto them the assurance of your unfailing mercy and love.  Remove their tears and their fears, and grant them a renewed and refreshed spirit.  And make me an instrument of you help, mercy and charity.  In Christ’s name, Amen.

Powerless? Never!

In recent weeks, I have felt this sense of powerlessness, like my life is spiraling out of control.  It felt as if forces, dark forces I believe, had hold of my every day life and were trying to drive me insane with this deep hole of depression. Emotions were out of control, feelings of despair, sadness, confusion, and vague loss seemed to consume my thoughts on a daily basis.  This feeling of helplessness left me exhausted, and did not allow me to see what was really going on, until I could take a step back from my situation.  I am sure we all have felt just such a dark mire of emotions, whether from an actual life event, such as death, loss of job, sudden illness, etc.  Or maybe, like me, this vague sense of feeling helpless, powerless, did not have an external source, but instead was a by product of a soul who sought strength from within herself, when she should have looked up. As illustrated in Isaiah 43:1-7,  we are reminded that God created us, we are His, and He is always with us.

43:1 But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.
43:2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.
43:3 For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you.

43:4 Because you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you, I give people in return for you, nations in exchange for your life.
43:5 Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you;
43:6 I will say to the north, “Give them up,” and to the south, “Do not withhold; bring my sons from far away and my daughters from the end of the earth–
43:7 everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

“Do not fear, for I am with you” –

How easily it can be to forget, in our everyday rush,  this simple comfort from our Lord.  After spending weeks trying to find a solution to my problems, real or imagined, I came to this honest truth, and received comfort and peace.  Realizing I was not as powerless as I had thought, was a huge relief.  But also knowing that if a problem was too big for this Sister to handle, I only had to ask for guidance and encouragement from our mighty Savior. His power and strength know no bounds.

Psalm 29
29:1 Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
29:2 Ascribe to the LORD the glory of his name; worship the LORD in holy splendor.
29:3 The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD, over mighty waters.
29:4 The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.
29:5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
29:6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox.
29:7 The voice of the LORD flashes forth flames of fire.
29:8 The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
29:9 The voice of the LORD causes the oaks to whirl, and strips the forest bare; and in his temple all say, “Glory!”
29:10 The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD sits enthroned as king forever.
29:11 May the LORD give strength to his people! May the LORD bless his people with peace!

I read a post on the internet the other day that illustrates a key point here-“If God is your co-pilot, switch seats”.  This simple truth cautions us to aways keep in mind that, though God gives us power to handle things in life, we should never take this power for granted. Or worse yet, assume that WE are the source of this strength and power, and not our mighty Lord. For when one considers themself to be all powerful, and tries to control people and circumstances in their life or of those around them, then they have set them selves above God. In Luke 3:16,  John best describes why we should always be humbled before the Lord.

Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
3:15 As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah,
3:16 John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
3:17 His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
3:21 Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened,
3:22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

I have learned from these past few weeks to always trust in the Lord, seeking His guidance in all things.

Psalm 29:11

“May the LORD give strength to his people! May the LORD bless his people with peace!”

“Be Still, and know that I am God” Psalm 46:10

“Be still, and know that I am God” Psalm 46:10

It always seems as if there is something to do, someplace to go or someone to call.  A problem to resolve or an unexpected one developing.  I check the time, only to find time is running out.  Was I to be there already?  What was I to get? Did I mail that or completely forget to write it out to start with?  I am certain I recall  correctly but I could be mistaken, are you sure that is what I said I would do?  Is that today?!   I am not running out of things to do, only time to do them!

Wait!  I’m a priest!  Did I pray the Daily Office?  How close is it to 3pm?  I have the Chaplet of Divine Mercy to pray. Wait! Was that counseling session this afternoon?  Tonight?  Was I to call him, or was he to call me?  Did I say I would do that visitation before dinner or after?  I know I am definitely behind schedule, I’d better get out to the car and get going!

WOW!  What a beautiful sunset.  It is true, only God can paint a sunset. It feels good too, with an autumn chill finally setting into the air.  As hot as the summer had been, winter is just around the corner.  I can tell, the Canadian geese overhead have already begun their flight.  Is anything more incredible that these birds make this journey year after year and always end up home?  What a picture- the geese, the sky streaked with wispy clouds, the air smelling of smoke from a distant fireplace and that beautiful sunset.  Yes indeed, only God can paint a picture like this.

Wait, I find that time has slowed down.  So has my heart rate.  The words of my favorite passage come back to visit me, as they always do and usually when I need to be reminded of them the most.  “Be still, and know that I am God.” [Psalm 46:10)

I find my most spiritual moments- the strongest presence of God, when I am quiet.  Usually when I am surrounded by nature and the beauty of God’s creation.  God often speaks to me through nature. I am like Job. I hear His voice in a clap of thunder, in a crash of a wave upon the beach and in the roar of the wind as a storm approaches.  I also hear God in the whisper of that wind, as it beckons the kites to dance or in the cry of a seagull as it rides the wind above the beach.

God can be heard in the laughter of children, in the humming tune of a grandmother or in the blessing of a passing stranger on the street when someone has sneezed.  God can be heard in the trumpet of Taps at a soldiers funeral, in the chime of a church bell or in the heartfelt embrace of friends. God can be heard in the babbling brook, in the song of birds in spring, in the rustle of wind-blown autumn leaves or in the silence of a snowy winter night.

God speaks to us constantly. God speaks to us in many ways.  Through the songs of nature, an urgent plea to help and in the voices of our  friends.  God longs for us to listen.  God initiates the conversation.  God waits for us. All we have to do is listen.

“Be still, and know that I am God“.

Shepherds….

8And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  9And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

10And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  11For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

12And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.  13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

15And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.  16And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

17And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.  18And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

19But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.  20And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. Luke 2:8-20  King James Version (KJV)

After 2000 years of Christmas sermons, in hundreds of languages, in different countries throughout the world, and by way of innumerable faith traditions, is there anything new or original left to be said about Christmas, and what it means, that hasn’t been said before?   Perhaps not.  However, like re-reading that favorite book for the 17th time, or watching that favorite movie or television show for the 358th time, even when you know exactly what comes next, what the very next word is going to be, often we find a new meaning or a new slant on something that is as tried and true as Christmas itself.

 And so it is with me this year.  The Gospel reading for today  recalls the story of the angels bringing the news of Christ’s birth to the shepherds.  Now, we all know that story.  We’ve heard it many times over, and those of us who cherish “A Charlie Brown Christmas” will always, in some ways, hear Linus quoting from Luke, no matter who is reading that passage of the Bible to us.   We know the story.  We SEE the story in every Nativity scene we pass by.  There is almost always a shepherd near the manger carrying a lamb on his shoulders and another lamb or sheep to be seen somewhere hanging around.    It’s always seemed to me that the sheep and the shepherds were just THERE, minor players in a Christmas play, the “extras” assigned to the kids who didn’t quite measure up to the roles of Mary or Joseph;  they enter stage left, ooh and aah over the baby, and exit stage right, singing “Go tell it on the mountain”, singularly unimportant and taking secondary roles to the more illustrious wise men (who in reality weren’t there at all) and most definitely playing supporting roles to the Holy Family, or just standing around as so much scenery, contributing to the mood and filling up the bare spots in the Nativity scene.  I overheard a conversation recently that made me really think about the shepherds.  While visiting some friends, their cat jumped into the midst of the family crèche and knocked over the obligatory shepherd.  It was chipped.  The younger daughter of the family was somewhat distressed, and to make the little girl feel better, the mother said to her, “Don’t worry about it, Honey.  It’s just the shepherd.  He’s not all that important.”    I didn’t think much about it at the time, but when reading the Scripture appointed for today, it struck me.  Not all that important?  But weren’t they?  Who WERE these shepherds?  Why were they there in the first place?  Why did THEY get the news of Christ’s birth in such a spectacular way?  Who were they that they should be eyewitnesses of God’s glory and receive history’s greatest birth announcement?

In Christ’s day, shepherds stood on the bottom rung of the Palestinian social ladder. They shared the same unenviable status as tax collectors and dung sweepers. Only Luke mentions them.  When the twelve tribes of Israel migrated to Egypt, they encountered a lifestyle foreign to them. The Egyptians were agriculturalists. As farmers, they despised shepherding because sheep and goats meant death to crops. Battles between farmers and shepherds are as old as they are fierce. The first murder in history erupted from a farmer’s resentment of a shepherd.  Smug religious leaders maintained a strict caste system at the expense of shepherds and other common folk. Shepherds were officially labeled “sinners”—a technical term for a class of despised people.

Into this social context of religious snobbery and class prejudice, God’s Son stepped forth. How surprising and significant that God the Father handpicked lowly, unpretentious shepherds to be the first to hear the joyous news: “It’s a boy, and He’s the Messiah!”  What an affront to the religious leaders who were so conspicuously absent from the divine mailing list.  Even from birth, Christ moved among the lowly.  It was the sinners, not the self-righteous, He came to save.  So is it  really all that surprising that the first announcement of Christ’s birth was to the lowly shepherds on Bethlehem’s hillsides?

Consider the events leading up to Christ’s birth.   Mary was barely 15.  Christ was born to an unwed mother, Mary, a servant girl; Mary the young woman who delivered while only betrothed to Joseph.  He was born in a stable, a cave!   A holy God being born to a couple no different than immigrants, far from home and in a strange city, in a place where animals were kept.  A couple who couldn’t even find a place to stay, turned out of every inn!  It’s all too bizarre.

Yet this is the God we experience.  This is our claim;  This is the meaning of his very name: Immanuel, meaning “God with us” — with us not just in nice times, but most especially in the times of our lives when we are in the caves, and stables of our lives, when we are turned out of the places we’d like to be, when we are at the lowest of low points, when we are out in the dark, and in the cold like the shepherds.

Our God, the God who comes to us in the person of Jesus Christ, is the God of the oppressed, the repressed, the depressed; the God of the sad, the grieving, the sorrowful; the God of the lonely, the lowly, the poor, the God of the Shepherds; the God of the despised, the destitute, the dejected. Our God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God who stood with the enslaved Hebrews in Egypt, who led them out of Egypt to a promised land of freedom.  Our God is the God of widows and orphans and stranded travelers. Our God is the God who doesn’t stay neat and tidy and spotless, but comes and stands beside us in our times of deepest need, who comes among us as the child in the dirty manger and the God of the shepherds on the hillside.  The God we’re speaking of dares to join the unsuccessful, the failures, the dispossessed, and the downtrodden;  the God of the Shepherds.

Wherever there is suffering, our God is there. He stands with Zacchaeus, the despised tax collector, and with Bartimaeus, the blind beggar. He is with us when we face cancer, chemotherapy, and radiation treatments. He is with us when we face amputations, operations, loneliness, the loss of a loved one, or even death itself.  The God of the manger and the Shepherd is Immanuel, God with us. At our deepest times of loss and need, in the dirtiest and most embarrassing parts of our lives, God is with us, His rod and His staff, they comfort us.  It is God who glues us back together when we become, like that figure in my friends’ Nativity scene, chipped, flawed, and much less than perfect.

And it is up to us, to demonstrate the love of God, the God of the lowly, the downtrodden, to the world.  We, like the shepherds in the Christmas story, are to be the ones who are to proclaim the good news “which shall be to all people” to all the people of the world.   It is our responsibility as Christians to be the instruments through which God can work in this world.  As was  most famously stated more than four centuries ago by Saint Theresa of Avila:

Christ has no body but yours,
no hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks with compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now but yours, no hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks with compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.

 My very favorite Christmas carol, “In the Bleak Midwinter,” includes the lines, “What, then, shall I bring him, empty as I am? If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb. If I were a wise man I would do my part.  What can I give Him?  I can give Him my heart.”

Won’t you, this Christmas, give Him your heart?  Won’t you, like the shepherds in the children’s plays of the Christmas story, be one to “go tell it on the mountain, over the fields and everywhere” that Jesus Christ is born?  Amen.