The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus that is offered for us today from the Gospel of Luke 16:19-31 is well worth the read. Jesus challenges us through parables such as these. For the people of his time, those who had wealth and status in society did so, for the most part it was believed, because they were blessed by God. When the rich man and the beggar, Lazarus, die, I am sure Jesus paused to allow his listeners to imagine what would happen to these two men. Many would not have predicted what happened next.

Lazarus was taken up “by angels to the bosom of Abraham” (Lk 16:22). The rich man found himself suffering from the torment of flames, such that he was parched, begging just for a drop of water from Lazarus (cf. Lk 16:23-24). Abraham, the model of faith and father of Judaism, was not sitting with the rich man, who must have always been seated at the highest places in his day, but now that seat, at the bosom of Abraham, was offered to Lazarus. There was no hope at this moment for the rich man to cross over because of the wide chasm that separated them. An ironic subtlety was afoot as well in Jesus’ telling of the parable to the Pharisees. Lazarus the poor beggar is named, where as the rich man is not.

How does the rich man come to this hopeless state of suffering and separation? This is the life he lived prior to his death. He walked over or by Lazarus day after day not giving him even a second look. Lazarus would have been grateful even for the mere scraps that fell from the rich man’s table, just as the rich man now sought just a drop of water from the finger of Lazarus. The rich man committed the root offense from which sprouts much of our sin; he failed to bother, to care, to love his brother, to will his good.

Jesus’ parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, echoes very closely Matthew 25:40, “whatever you did for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.” How we treat others matters. Failing to care, to reach out to those in need around is sinful. We, like those who first heard this parable, experience time and again, a wicked mind storm that swirls with reasons that attempts to justify why we do not reach out to help others. They are not valid for a follower of Jesus. We are invited to give and to love joyfully.

This Lent, may we start to care by starting small. The first step is to be aware of those who are in need. This can be in our own home! Second, when we see someone in need and we feel the wind and the waves of our mind surging with reasons of why not to help, call on Jesus to calm the storm of our minds. Third, may we take a breath and stop. Let our eyes adjust so we can see the person before us as a sister or a brother with dignity, value, and worth. Everyone wants to belong, to be a part of, to be loved. Finally, in that moment, seek the guidance of Jesus, allow him to work through us so that we may be present and allow God to happen.

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Photo credit: Christy McKee from her visit to the Keys in 2011

Link for the Mass readings for Thursday, March 21, 2019: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/032119.cfm

Look at me, serve me, I want, are attitudes and dispositions that tempt us to varying degrees. Fame, honor, power, prestige may be another way of making the same point, which is that we often have a hyper focus on self and self promotion. Social media offers more of a platform to fuel this temptation. If we think this is something new with the advent of modern technology, we can look at today’s reading from the writer of Matthew to see that we have been operating from this posture for a very long time.

Jesus, for the third time, was attempting to prepare his disciples for his passion. He said: “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day” (Mt 20:18-19).

The response of the mother of James and John (the two brothers make the request themselves in the Gospel of Mark) is actually not that surprising if we spend any time with people. She disregards what Jesus just mentioned about his imminent death and requests that when Jesus assumes his seat of power that her two sons will be given the prestigious place of sitting to his right and left. James and John will be Jesus’ number one and number two (This request has echoed up to this day in the most recent university/celebrity parent scandal!). Not to be outdone, the other disciples are indignant and I am sure quite the scene ensued!

Jesus shares directly with the brothers that to give them a place at his right and left “is for those for whom it has been prepared for my Father” (Mt 20:23). He addresses them all by letting them know that the preeminent place in his kingdom, whoever is to be first, is the one who serves his brother and sister.

Jesus is encouraging us this Lent to resist the temptations of power, honor, seeking praise for ourselves, and/or seeking to be front and center. He is also guiding us to contemplate about: the subtle ways in which we believe that participating in certain activities are beneath us, the slight prejudices which we allow to guide us such that we feel we are better than others, why we don’t associate with certain people because we consider them as other, and/or believing that someone owes us.

From this honest assessment, we can then adjust our perspective and follow the lead of Jesus by seeking out opportunities to give of our time, talent, and treasure, to serve our brothers and sisters. What talents and gifts has Jesus given us and how can we put them into use to help others? Can we treat each person we interact with today with respect, such that, we act in ways that honor the dignity of each person? We can make an extra effort to be more patient, understanding, and present to others, especially with those who in the past we have kept at arm’s length.

We can take the suggestion of Pope Francis to heart: “Yet I would also hope that, even in our daily encounters with those who beg for our assistance, we would see such requests as coming from God himself.” In this way we can live as Jesus who came, “not to be served but to serve” (Mt 20:28).

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Photo: My classmate Deacon Henry and me during our ordination. Prostration during the rite symbolizes our unworthiness for the office to be assumed and our dependence upon God and the prayers of the Christian community.

Link for the Mass readings for Wednesday, March 20, 2019: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/032019.cfm

Who do we want to be? It is so easy to get caught up in being busy, taking care of children, the home, school assignments, work, as well as a myriad of other activities that each of us, experiencing our unique vocation in life, can add to the list. These can all be good things, but we can lose ourselves in our busyness and responsibilities such that we slip into a state of survival mode or merely existing. We can fall into the trap of being defined by what we do instead of who we are and who God is calling us to be.

God has a plan for us with the end result being eternal communion with his Father in heaven. Living a life of holiness and becoming saints is then our call. We need to remind ourselves of this from time to time, by assessing where we are now, and listening to the guidance of God.

Our Gospel account from Matthew today gives us an opportunity to see this holiness in action. Joseph, has become aware that Mary, his betrothed, is with child and he is not the Father. Joseph, “a righteous man” follows the law, but is “unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly” (Mt 1:19). Joseph’s life of righteousness pulls him to follow the law, yet he shows that discernment in matters of the dignity of the person is just as important. Joseph not only was unwilling to make Mary into a public spectacle, was also unwilling to allow the possibility of her to be stoned to death.

Joseph pondered the idea of divorcing her quietly. Before he made his final decision, Joseph slept on the matter, which is often a good course of action when weighing such a heavy issue. How many times do we rush into decisions only to regret them later? Joseph receives God’s direction through the angel of the Lord in a dream.

When Joseph arises in the morning, he does not dig in his heels feeling he knows best and return to his original decision, he does not let fear or anxiety about the possible scenarios that could play out in his mind regarding what others may say or think sway him, nor do the possible and real difficulties he can envision deter him. Joseph trusts God. With confidence and assurance of who he is and what God calls him to do, Joseph acts on the guidance he has received.

St. Joseph is a model for us. When faced with decisions to make, we need to remember who we are, whose we are, and who we are called to be. We are children of God, and that means we belong to God, a God who loves and cares for us. He has a plan for each of our lives. Every decision and action is a step in fulfilling that plan.

When we are discerning, no matter how large or small the decision, we are invited to gather information, look at the reasonable options available to us, all the while, continuing to seek God’s guidance. God will guide us through many means and ways such as a thought, a family member or friend sharing an insight at an opportune time, as well as through our dreams. Joseph followed these steps and God granted him not only the guidance he sought, but the support to fulfill the commission he received. We can be assured that God will do the same as we seek his direction too.

St. Joseph, pray for us!

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Painting: “The Dream of St Joseph” by Anton Raphael Mengs about 1774

Link for the Mass readings for Tuesday, March 19, 2019: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/031919.cfm

Polarization, division, and finger pointing seem to be the order of the day on the national level. Unfortunately, it is taking a firmer hold at the community and familial level as well. Instead of looking for someone to blame for the cause of this situation, we need to look in the mirror and honestly assess how we are contributing to division instead of seeking to uphold the motto of the United States of America – E Pluribus Unum – Out of Many One; or instead of upholding the motto of our faith – “That they may all be one” (John 17:21).

We need to take a step back, take a breath, and examine our conscience and honestly acknowledge how we are contributing to divisiveness and polarization in our own thoughts, words, and actions. Then we will be in a better position to act instead of react. We can disagree and offer different points of view, seek different approaches to solve problems, but we can do so with an openness to work together when we begin by respecting the dignity of the person we encounter.

A beginning place for us this Lent can be to understand and put into practice what Jesus said in the opening of today’s Gospel:

“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (Lk 6:36)

Mercy, from the Hebrew word chesed, meaning to show tender compassion, can help us to turn the momentum away from disunity and polarization toward respecting the gift of our diversity while at the same time embracing our unity.  Fr. James Keenan, S.J. defines mercy as the willingness to enter into the chaos of another. Instead of imposing our point of view on another, mercy is the willingness to accompany, to come to know, and make an effort to understand another.

Instead of prejudging someone, mercy is a willingness to hear first and assess thoughtfully what has been said, even when the message conveyed is heated, derogatory, and inflammatory. There may be some truth in the maelstrom of what has been spewed.
Jesus also guides us to stop judging and condemning each other. We are limited by our own finite natures as it is. We are not God and are not capable of fully reading another person.

In most cases we do not know another’s struggles, anxieties, fears, traumas, and experiences. When encountering one another we need to resist the knee jerk reaction, and listen first, allow someone to vent without taking offense, and without seeking a way to “fix” them or the problem.

Jesus also reminds us to forgive. As God forgives us we also are invited to forgive others, to let go of grudges. Not to do so means allowing the poison injected into us to spread instead of seeking the healing antidote of forgiveness. The one who has wounded us has walked away and if we are not willing to forgive we continue to do harm to ourselves as we allow that wound to fester.

It is much easier to stay in our shell or bubble. We feel protected and safe so no one can hurt us, but that is not the posture Jesus would have us assume, for we are focused on our self. Staying in our bubble suffocates us, stunts our growth, and limits our potential as human beings created in the image and likeness of God. Jesus calls us, not to cave in upon ourselves, but to go out from ourselves, to be agents of love and mercy.

Each day we have a choice. We can with withdraw and remain indifferent seeking to protect ourselves; we can choose to promote disunity and polarization, or we can seek to be merciful. We can follow the lead of Jesus so to be more willing to encounter others as they are and accompany them. We can resist the temptation to judge and condemn, but instead seek to understand and listen. We can be willing to forgive, to heal, and to lead others to forgiveness. Let us choose today to be merciful just as our heavenly Father is merciful.

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Image: Painting of Divine Mercy by Robert Skemp, 1982

Link for Mass readings for Monday, March 17, 2019: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/031819.cfm

Our life can be an experience both of desolation and consolation. There is an ebb and flow where we suffer from trials and also celebrate joys. The key to living a life of faith is to see God in both experiences. Jesus today provides an opportunity for Peter, James, and John, the inner circle of the Twelve, to experience an expression of his divinity for: While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white (Lk 9:29). Jesus revealed his divine nature to his disciples in a powerful display to prepare them for the Passion that he was about to endure. The experience is also a foreshadowing of his Resurrection.

Jesus invites us to experience the Transfiguration, the Passion, and the Resurrection in our own lives. We can miss a transfigured moment, when we assume a posture of pride, not acknowledging God’s leading by believing we achieved or arrived at our present station in life on our merits alone. We can experience moments of transfiguration when we acknowledge that God breaks into our lives at that moment when we needed him the most and recognize the assistance he has given us, and/or when he has revealed to us the path and direction we were to take. The natural response is to offer prayers of thanksgiving, recognizing that we don’t go it alone, that God and those he sends to help us are a tremendous support.

Jesus is also present in our desolations. Many of us run from our suffering, we are afraid of the Cross. But it is through the cross that we come to experience the Resurrection. We may not be aware, but when we run away from our suffering, we are running away from Jesus who awaits us with arms wide open to embrace us in our suffering; to comfort us, heal us, and transform us. But to embrace Jesus, we need to be willing to embrace our suffering.

The older I get, the crucifix becomes more and more a consolation for me; this icon of Jesus, his body broken emptied out for us on the cross. It represents how he entered the full range of our human condition, he assumed our sin, our anxiety, fear, and selfishness, and transformed the worst of our fallen nature through his love such that we are redeemed. The crucifix is not a sign of despair, but of hope and transfiguration, for it reminds us that no matter what we go through, what trial that we may be in the midst of at this very moment, Jesus has experienced it, and is now, and will be present with us.

Looking and meditating upon Jesus on the Cross has provided me moments of transfiguration, granting me the courage that I did not have to face various conflicts, challenges and trials so to grow and mature as Jesus calls me to. As he looks down from the cross he continues to love me despite my sin, my weakness, and failures, and is willing to lead and accompany me through the ups and downs of my life, so that I too may be not only renewed but transformed.

Jesus invites us to spend some time with him today, to immerse ourselves in his ever-present love. Here is a picture for us to meditate on. May we spend some time looking at Jesus while he looks at us. Receive the love of Jesus the Christ, who conquered death on the Cross, transfigured death into life, so that we may transormed to love ourselves and others, into and through our times of consolations and desolations.
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Photo: Crucifix in main sanctuary of Our Lady of Florida Spiritual Retreat Center, Palm Beach Gardens, FL.

Link for the Mass readings for Sunday, March 17, 2019: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/031719.cfm

“You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father” (Mt 5:43-45). With these words, Jesus continues to raise the bar of discipleship and outlines what the pursuit of love truly is.

For many people, as Bob Dylan wrote and Joan Baez has sung, “love is just a four letter word.” The love that Jesus calls us to is not romantic or mere emotional love, though this is healthy in that when we have feelings of infatuation we are drawn out from ourselves to another, but this kind of love has no depth and is based on physical or emotional attraction, and if it is to be real it must mature to the level of friendship.

The bond of friendship and family go beyond mere attraction and are built through shared interests and experiences. Through sharing our lives with others, working through conflicts, trust is built, and relationships will hopefully grow and deepen. Jesus, though, is calling us to mature in our growth of loving even beyond friend or familial ties. If we love those who willingly love us in return, greet only our brothers and sisters, only those in our clique, group, tribe, or political party, what is the recompense or satisfaction in that? Agape, in Greek, loving without conditions, with little or no chance of mutual exchange, is what Jesus is calling us to strive for.

Many of us could not conceive of loving our enemy or someone who is persecuting us, because we have, at best only experienced doing no overt harm to others and loved our friends and family. But do we risk going outside of our group, our like minded safety net? Life is hard enough and it is often safer, we believe, not to take a risk. We continue to operate from a concept of love as an emotion or feeling, because it feels good, even though without something deeper this love does not last.

How can Jesus ask us to love an enemy or pray for someone who persecutes us? St. Thomas Aquinas can be of help. He defines the love that Jesus describes as willing the good of the other as other. We make an act of the will, a free choice to accept the person as they are, to see them, not from our limited finite perspective but as God sees them, as a person with dignity, created in his image and likeness. Can we pray for, embrace thoughts of support for, assume a posture of understanding, visualize positive interactions with, actively offer kind words, and resist reacting toward those who we consider as different than us? Can we resist judging and labeling others? Can we resist gossiping? Can we convict and hold accountable dehumanizing words and actions without condemning the person?

On our own we may not even conceive of the possibility, but we can be assured that if Jesus has asked us to strive for this height and depth of love, he will provide the means and support. We love others unconditionally by allowing Jesus to love others through us. We love one person at a time and strive to reach the summit of loving our enemy, our persecutor. Even if we fall short, how much better would our country and world be if we sought this as our goal? How many less terrorist attacks like the one on the two mosques in New Zealand might we have to endure? To counter divisiveness, darkness, and hatred, let us engage in an act of the will to love one another today.

“Pope Francis greets Sheik Ahmad el-Tayeb, grand imam of al-Azhar University, at a conference on international peace in Cairo April 28 (CNS photo/Paul Haring).” Photo accessed from: https://cnstopstories.com/2017/05/04/encounter-in-egypt-trip-highlights-one-of-popes-key-teachings/

Link for the Mass readings for Saturday, March 16, 2019: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/031619.cfm

Jesus calls us to be holy, each and every one of us. Our life is to be lived with the end goal being our ascent to heaven, to be in union with our Loving God and Father for all eternity, and to assist others to do the same. Jesus provides for us a concrete example of the heights to which we are called to reach: “You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, Raqa, will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna” (5:21-22). Jesus is building on the Torah, the Law or the Teachings, by helping us to realize that we can not only kill with weapons but also inflict dehumanizing damage with our words.

To resist this temptation of inflicting mortal wounds, we need to start participating in a deeper examination of conscience which gets to the roots of our own thoughts, words, and actions. If we are not able to discipline our thoughts, what will follow is undisciplined words, and then undisciplined actions, that can lead to entertaining and embracing the deadly sin of wrath. Wrath is unbridled anger that leads someone away from the capacity to think or behave in a rational manner, such that this individual would no longer acknowledge the dignity of the person they would inflict their wrath upon.

Jesus is helping us to see that we can be free of the temptation of wrath if we recognize the danger and destruction of unleashing words as weapons. He offers us the examples of calling someone, Raqa, meaning something along the lines of an air head or an idiot, and calling someone a fool. These words directed at another have no other cause than to demean, degrade, and belittle. This language, and worse, has no business coming out of the mouths of a disciple of Christ if we are serious about being one of his followers.

I remember a moment in sixth or seventh grade unleashing a derogatory word or two directed at a classmate, and almost instantly the way I felt after hearing myself say them. God gave me a graced moment to feel, contrition, actual sorrow, for the negativity and poison I had unleashed with my words. I remember making a commitment to myself not to speak that way toward another person going forward.

We need to be aware that words have the power to wound or to heal. If we are serious about following Jesus, then a wonderful practice this Lent can be to make a commitment to fast from gossip and from words that wound and divide and replace them with words that empower and unite. Even when we disagree with another’s point of view, we can do so by respecting the person.

May we also commit to going deeper and resisting negative or dehumanizing thoughts. Even when we have defensive musings, resulting from another’s disparaging tone, words, or actions, let us resist entertaining them and pray instead for the strength of the Holy Spirit to develop a mind and disposition that seeks rather to understand, to hold each other accountable with respect, and to love, to will the good of each other.

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Photo: An uplifting conversation with Dr. Sixto and Elena Garcia, September 2013

Link for the Mass readings for Friday, March 15, 2019: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/031519.cfm

Jesus said to his disciples: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Mt 7:7). If taken in a purely secular, non religious or biblical sense, this teaching of Jesus from his Sermon on the Mount may not ring true. Some people have also left their faith behind because they have asked something of God and from their perspective they did not receive what they asked for.

To understand this verse we need to understand a few key points. One is that God is God and we are not. That means that we do not have the full scope and sequence of God’s infinite viewpoint. We can only see from our limited finite perspective. Our God, who is Good, will only give us that which is good for us. What we are asking for may appear to be good, but may not in fact be truly good, and/or in our best interest beyond the moment. If someone wants to say, well, I ought to be able to decide that! That means they have missed the first point, God is God and we are not.

Another point is one that I have learned from Bishop Robert Barron, and that is, “Your life is not about you.” We are created by God for a reason and a specific purpose. Our life is about fulfilling our role in God’s theodrama. We are not the director in the great play of life, God is, but we have a unique and significant part to play! What God requires of us, he will give us the means and support necessary to fulfill it. When we experience the forgiveness, love, and mercy of God, that is not for ourselves alone, but we are to receive these precious gifts and give them away!

A third point that can be helpful comes from C.S. Lewis: “I pray because I can’t help myself. I pray because I’m helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time, waking and sleeping. It doesn’t change God. It changes me.” If we pray to God to bend his will toward ours then we are going to come away from prayer frustrated time and again. Our time of prayer with God has to do with answering his invitation to spend time with him, being willing to participate with his plan, and then being willing to share what he has given us in his love to share with others. In this way, we become transformed by his love and his grace builds on our nature.

As we pray this Lent, let us approach our time of prayer with the proper orientation of recognizing that God is God and we are not, our life is not about us but about coming to understand and following the will of God, and acknowledging that our prayer does not change God, but our time of prayer does change and conform us to his will. When we approach prayer from these three points of reference, we can be confident that what we ask of God will be given to us, what we seek we will find, and when we knock, the door will be open to us.

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Photo: https://www.cathopic.com/dimitriconejo

Link for the Mass readings for Thursday, March 14, 2019: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/bible/matthew/7:7

There is something greater here. Something greater than the wisdom of Solomon and something greater than the preaching of Jonah. Following the way of Jesus is a faith we are called to live daily. This is not a part time vocation. We all have a unique gift in the dignity we have been conceived and born with. We have a unique way to express and live out our dignity. Unfortunately, what happens with most of us is that we are distracted, tempted, or misdirected as to what God would have us do each day. We are often unplugged from the very source of our existence.

As Jesus taught, often in his parables, the kingdom of Heaven on earth starts small, like a mustard seed, like yeast, and develops slowly when nurtured. Lent is a good time to slow down, step back, take a retreat even while in the midst of our everyday activities. We just need to insert some dedicated time to God each day so to better be able to acknowledge his presence in our activities.

If you are feeling a bit restless, on edge, or out of sync, I invite you to make some time to be still and breathe, this can be in the shower, when you have some breakfast, a morning walk, or sip of coffee or tea. During this time ask God for some guidance. We can ask him to help us see those areas that we need to repent from and let go of, those thoughts, words, and actions that keep us distracted, redirected, and off kilter as to who God is calling us to be. We can then confess to him and receive his forgiveness and reconciliation. From this place of healing we are in a better posture to listen to his guidance and direction and to share his blessings.

Jesus said in today’s Gospel that, “There is something greater here.” Christianity is not a secret sect. We are called to share the joy, the forgiveness, and reconciliation we experience from God with others. We can look for opportunities throughout this day to offer a smile, an encouraging word, to reach out to someone we have been meaning to connect with for awhile, in person or far away, and/or someone that we may sense just needs a listening ear. We can also react less by asking for God’s patience to be more understanding.

Lent can be a joyful time when we enter into the season with the intent to deepen our walk with the One who is wiser than Solomon and preached the message of Jonah which is repentance. With our hearts and minds turned back to and open to God, Lent will not so much be a drudgery to endure, but a joyful embrace of the opportunity for repentance, healing, sharing the joy, and building the kingdom of God!

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Photo: Morning stillness in the CN chapel as the day begins. “Lord, open my lips and my mouth shall declare your praise.”

Link for the Mass readings for Wednesday, March 13, 2019: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/031319.cfm