Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Lectionary: 255
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Someone asked me this morning, “How can we get God to make this virus go away?” I’m sure that is a question in the hearts of many right now. It is natural to want relief from a painful situation. But it is “super-natural” to endure the cross, and to trust in God’s providence to bring light out of every darkness. The short answer is this: the sooner we accept the hardships of this pandemic, the sooner its curse will be lifted. Now, this is not to say that we should seek out suffering, or desire sickness. Rather, it is to say that when we embrace our crosses in faith, we begin to see the greater picture, and how God uses everything to bring us to spiritual maturity.
We are in the final two weeks of Lent, known as “Passiontide,” when we focus all the more on the cross of Jesus. Jesus was not looking forward to the pain of the cross, but He did desire the salvation which would come through it. The night before He was crucified, He prayed to His Father, essentially asking Him, “Father, I greatly desire to avoid the terrible suffering of the cross, and if there’s any other way to save the world, then let’s do that! Nevertheless, Father, let your will be done.” The next day, Jesus took up the cross, and then suffered and died for us. The result was the forgiveness of the sins of the world, which are washed away in His blood, and atoned for by the laying down of His life. There would be no resurrection, no Easter, without Good Friday.
Most of you know that in my personal spirituality I am very much a Carmelite, following the teachings of St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila. Both of them had to face the pain and anguish of “dark nights” of the spirit. St. John of the Cross was accused of heresy during the Spanish Inquisition, and was locked in a small closet, in complete darkness, for nine months. He prayed day after day to God to speak to him, or to appear to him, to tell him what to do. He was trying to make sense out of a situation wherein he was unable to see with either his eyes or his mind or soul. Weeks went by, and he prayed, “Lord, show me what this is all about! Surely in my suffering there is some meaning!” But there was only silence and darkness. The more John struggled against the darkness, the more it gained a hold on his soul.
One day, John had an insight from God: he had been asking to see God’s face, or to hear God’s voice, or to know the divine essence. He came to a new awakening when he realized, “What I’ve been asking for, God has been giving me!” For he realized that God cannot be seen with the eyes, or heard with the ear, or grasped by the mind. God is beyond such limitations, and can only be experienced by faith, hope, and love. John says that when he embraced the darkness and the silence as God, it was no longer dark for him. John was filled with great joy, because he stopped trying to escape his situation. In faith, he embraced it, and this was at the end of nine months. At that time, he was released from his imprisonment and exonerated by the Inquisition. John said these nine months were like being born again.
Both the Old Testament and Gospel readings today teach us that death is never far away from us at any moment. The current pandemic has made us all them more aware of death’s presence. We don’t like to think about death, as we find it depressing and frightening. Yet here is the irony: we can never truly appreciate and experience the gift of life if we do not acknowledge the nearness of death. Death is always a possibility at any moment, and no matter how old we live on earth, death will come to us eventually. This doesn’t mean we should be reckless with life, but that we should cherish it all the more. Such wisdom helps us to be more compassionate toward others, and to recognize that all life is a gift which only God can give, and only God can redeem.
May this Passiontide help us to appreciate all the more the gift of Jesus’ life on the cross for us, for by His death He has destroyed death. And, may this pandemic help us to grow in compassion and appreciation for the life of all.
Fr. Guy
Optional Memorial Saint Francis of Paola, hermit
Lectionary: 546
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Today is the optional feast of St. Francis of Paola. Francis was born in the middle ages in Italy. His parents were unable to have children, so they made special prayers to St. Francis of Assisi, asking for the gift of a child. When their son was born, they named him in honor of St. Francis. But as the boy grew, he developed a serious illness in his eyes. Again, his parents turned to St. Francis of Assisi, promising if he would heal their son, they would send him to a Franciscan friary to learn the way of St. Francis. They also made a pilgrimage to Assisi, and their little son was healed.
When Francis grew up, he became a Franciscan hermit, meaning, he lived a life of isolation, prayer, and penance. In fact, besides the three vows required of Religious Life: poverty, chastity, and obedience, Francis added a fourth one. This fourth vow was one of observing a lifelong Lenten diet, free of all meat and animal products. Today, we would call him a vegan. For several years, Francis lived in a cave near the seashore. But when some young men expressed the desire to follow his way of life, Francis built a small monastery.
As time went on, more men, and even women, wanted to live like Francis. Eventually, he was granted permission by the Pope to establish an official Religious Order. Francis wanted to be called the Hermits of St. Francis. But the Pope gave them the title of “Minims,” which means “the least of all.” This was because Francis of Paola considered himself the most insignificant servant of God, desiring only to live a humble life of prayer and penance on behalf of the whole Church.
When we think about the austerities of Lent, especially during our time of “sheltering at home,” we might ask St. Francis of Paola to pray for us. After all, he chose to spend his entire life as if it were Lent, living in isolation. And, Francis didn’t even have the internet!
There are many miracles and healings associated with St. Francis of Paola, even the raising of children from the dead. He also is said to have cured victims of the plague. Yet another reason for invoke the prayers of Francis at this time! Francis believed above all in two things: humility, and non-violence. He loved all life, even the lives of animals. There were two animals in particular he loved: a trout, which lived in the monastery pond, and a little lamb.
On one occasion, the priest who offered Mass for the friars (Francis was never ordained a priest) noticed the fat, delicious-looking trout in the pond. He caught the trout, took it home, and cooked it in a frying pan. When Francis realized where his trout had gone, he sent some friars to retrieve it. The priest became angry, and threw the trout out the window; because it was cooked, it broke into pieces. Francis simply placed the pieces in the pond, said a prayer, and the trout came back to life.
Another story tells of how some laborers, who were working near the monastery, became hungry. They found Francis’ lamb, cooked it, and ate it. When Francis found out, he asked them where the fleece and bones were, and they answered they had tossed them into their brick kiln. Frances said a prayer, and called to his little lamb by name. The lamb came out, alive and happy. These are fun little stories about Francis, but they remind us that those who are closest to Christ are able to continue the works of Christ. And, through a life of penance and prayer, they come to have power over life and death.
May Lent help us to grow closer to Christ, and to be transformed by Him. And, St. Francis of Paola, pray for us!
Peace,
Fr. Guy
Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Lectionary: 253
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When Nebuchadnezzar ordered the three companions of Daniel to be burned to death in the fiery furnace, he did not say, “April Fools! I was just kidding!” In fact, Nebuchadnezzar was furious, because Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to worship the idols of Babylon. So, he ordered the furnace to be heated seven times hotter than normal. Still, the young men refused to worship false gods, and placed their faith in the God of Israel, saying, “Whether we live or die, we will worship no false gods.” Then, the three men were put into the furnace.
King Nebuchadnezzar expected the three to be burned up instantly, but when he looked into the furnace, he saw they were walking around unharmed by the flames. As he looked, he also saw a fourth man with them, who, according to the king, looked like a “Son of God.” In the Old Testament, this description might well describe an angel. Or, looking back through the lens of the New Testament, we might consider that this fourth man was a manifestation of Jesus, coming ahead of time to save the three faithful young men. In any case, this account reminds us that God will never abandon us, even in our hour of greatest trial or need. If we trust in Him as Lord of both life, and death, then we have nothing to fear. As St. Paul once said, “Whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.” (Romans 14:8)
Jesus came to set us free. But when He said this to the Jews, they became indignant, saying, “We have never been slaves of anyone! We are descendants of Abraham!” We might respond the same way, wondering, “What do I need to be free of? I am a free person. I am a slave of no one and no thing.” Our current quarantine has temporarily removed many of our freedoms, but nonetheless, we are American citizens. So, from what does Jesus free us?
Certainly Jesus frees us from our sins. In fact, the Greek word for “forgiveness” in the New Testament literally means, “to set free.” And, because Jesus forgives our sins, He thereby frees us from the curse of death. But Lent is a time of recognizing the many other things which enslave us. These are the things which have power over us without our even realizing it. In fact, we willingly give power to some of these things, and desire them to rule over us.
What are these things? For some, it is pleasure, and there are many kinds of pleasure. The pleasures which enslave us are those things in life we feel we just can’t live without, and we will do anything for another experience of that particular pleasure. Among such things may be food, and that is why Lent is a time of fasting, so that we are not mastered by our appetite. Some people are mastered by a habit, or by substance abuse. Other people are mastered by their quest for money, or power, or fame. Many people are enslaved by fear and anxiety. And many others are enslaved by lies, as they live in an artificial world, allowing themselves to be deceived rather than face reality, which they consider too painful.
Whatever these things are, if we give our freedom over to them, we are in essence worshiping false gods. Jesus wants us to be free to know and to love God, for only by such freedom are we truly and fully alive. When Jesus was fasting for forty days in the desert, the devil tempted Him with worldly power and glory. To this Jesus replied, “You shall worship the Lord you God, and serve Him alone.” For to serve God alone is to be truly free, and God calls us not only to come home to Him in Heaven, but through Jesus, invites us to sit on His Throne and reign with Him forever! There is no greater freedom than that!
May we continue to use this season of Lent to recognize the idols which enslave us, and turn to Jesus, that He may set us free.
Peace,
Fr. Guy
Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Lectionary: 252
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Years ago, I heard a story about an American contractor who was working to rebuild Japan after World War II. After returning to the United States, he invited a Japanese man, whom he had befriended, to come visit him. On the way home from picking up his friend at the airport, the American stopped by his parish Church, and explained to the Japanese man, “I’m a Catholic, and every day at this time, I spend a few moments praying in Church.”
The Japanese man had never been inside a Catholic Church before, and as he entered, he was amazed at the beautiful windows, the high vaulted ceiling, the elaborate statues, and all the religious images. But then he looked above the altar, and noticed the crucifix. Now, we Catholics are accustomed to seeing the crucifix, but image seeing it for the first time, especially if you were not a Catholic. The Japanese man was horrified at this life-sized depiction of a man nailed to a cross and dying a horrible death. He declared, “That is the most horrible thing I have ever seen! Why is it here in this spiritual place, among such beauty?”
The American proceeded to explain who that was upon the cross, and why He was there. He said, “That man on the cross is the Son of God, who came into the world to take the suffering and death of each person upon Himself. He died on the cross so we can live with God in Heaven forever.” The Japanese man took another long look at the cross, nodded his head in approval, and said, “That is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen!”
We can look upon on the cross in one of two ways: either as a horrible curse, or as the most beautiful blessing. For in truth, it is both. The cross is the punishment due for our sins; it is God’s justice. It is also the remedy for our sins; it is God’s mercy. For the cross to be accepted as mercy, we must first realize the destructive quality of our sins, and our need for forgiveness. Without the cross of mercy, our destiny is eternal separation from God in hell. Lent helps us to see our need for mercy, so we may reach out to the cross as our hope of salvation.
If we are stubborn in our sins, and refuse to see a need to change our lives by God’s grace, then the cross is a terrible burden. With this attitude, we look upon the Christian life of discipleship as a drudgery and a curse. We then begin to think God is unfair for imposing the cross upon us. Why can’t we have a good relationship with Jesus without the cross? That is what St. Peter wanted: he was always trying to dissuade Jesus from the cross. Sadly, it led to Peter denying Jesus when Jesus needed him the most.
The current pandemic has people asking, “Is this a punishment from God?” Like the cross, we can look upon the Corona virus either as a curse, or as a blessing. If we think of it as a curse, sent from God, then we become like the Pharisees, pointing fingers, and attempting to assign blame. This view causes us to live in fear. But if we look upon this pandemic as God calling out to us to grow in His grace, and in love for Him and in mercy toward others, then it is a subtle blessing. While the cross of Jesus was painful, it also brought about our atonement with God. So, this time of pandemic is an opportunity for walking with God more closely, and allowing Jesus to transform our lives.
Our first reading tells of the children of Israel defying God. As a result, poisonous serpents were sent to bite them. As a remedy, God instructed Moses to make a bronze serpent and to place it high upon a pole. Whoever looked at it in faith would be saved from the poison. This was a way God used the poison as the remedy. Likewise, Jesus took the curse of our sins upon Himself, and was lifted high upon the cross. All who look to Him in faith will be saved. Again, the curse becomes the cure. So, may we allow God to use this time of crisis to enable us to live life to its fullest.
Peace,
Fr. Guy
Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Lectionary: 251
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We have entered the portion of Lent known as “Passiontide,” which began yesterday with the observance of the fifth Sunday of Lent. “Passiontide” refers to the Passion (the suffering) of our Lord Jesus Christ. These final two weeks of Lent are a time to walk even more closely with Jesus, as He takes up His cross for our salvation.
As we think of deliberately walking more closely with Jesus, let us remember that it is Jesus who first walks more closely with us. While we are often forgetful of Jesus, He never stops thinking of us. In fact, Jesus is present to us always, even when we are wandering far from Him. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who calls His sheep by name, and always seeks and finds the lost. Jesus stands with us in our times of greatest need, and He is our Advocate before the Father in Heaven, making the case for our salvation.
It is an old custom in the Catholic Church to use purple or red cloths to cover the crucifix, statues, and icons during Passiontide. Why? This is a way of showing deeper sorrow for our sins, and of recognizing the gravity of what is to come on Good Friday. The covering of these images reminds us of the very distraught words of Mary Magdalene, “They have taken my Lord away, and I don’t know where to find Him!” It also reminds us of the tearing of the Temple veil at the moment Jesus died on the cross. The Temple veil covered the Holy of Holies, God’s dwelling on earth with His people, from the rest of the Temple area. It was a large and heavy curtain, which reminded God’s people of the separation between them and Himself due to the curse of sin and death. At the moment Jesus died, the veil was mysteriously torn in two, from top to bottom. This tearing symbolized that sin and death, which separate us from God, have been destroyed. Now, through Jesus, we have access to God’s dwelling: not on earth, but in Heaven! Nothing stands between us and God.
Our readings today present Jesus as our Advocate with the Father. In the Old Testament reading, Daniel is a Christ-figure, as he comes to the defense of Susanna, who has been wrongfully accused and is facing death. Our Gospel reading tells of Jesus standing up for the woman who was caught in adultery. Likewise, Jesus stands with us in our great need, as our defender. This does not mean that Jesus excuses our sins. Instead, He washes us clean, and then commands us, “Now go, and sin no more.” Jesus removes sin (the veil) which separates us from God, and gives us access to the Sanctuary in Heaven.
The Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D., about forty years after the resurrection of Jesus. As a result, the Jews could no longer offer sacrifices to God upon the altar. Instead, they turned their focus to the synagogues, which are places for reading and proclaiming the Scriptures. In these times of quarantine, our “Temple” where the Sacrifice of the Mass is offered, is off limits. So, like the Jews, the faithful must turn all the more to finding God in the Scriptures. It is my hope that families are reading the Bible at home every day. The Bible is God’s very long love letter to us, and it tells so many wonderful stories of how God has been there for His people throughout history. The Bible also tells us about Jesus, and His teachings. And, because the Bible is God’s living Word, whenever it is read, God is speaking at that moment.
May Passiontide be a time of turning our hearts all the more to Jesus, our great Advocate, whose death gives us full access to God and to eternal life. And, having endured the cross with Jesus, may the eyes of our hearts come to see Him clearly, unveiled, as we declare as one Church: “He is risen! He is risen indeed!”
Peace,
Fr. Guy
Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent
Lectionary: 249
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We each have our own ideas about Jesus, and our own expectations of Him. We believe in a Jesus of our own making, and often that Jesus is like a vending machine: we put in our money, select the number, and what we expect comes out. This is true whether we have a harsh, judgmental Jesus, or a sugar-coated, overly friendly Jesus. We create an image of Jesus in our minds, and we expect Him to behave in a particular way. And, when He doesn’t, we become confused, frightened, or even angry, and sometimes, we reject Him.
Jesus refuses to dance to our tune. It is not Jesus who should conform to our will, but rather, we are called to conform to His. Lent is a time for challenging our ideas about Jesus, so that we might let go of the false ones we have created, and embrace the truth about Him. But this is uncomfortable, so we normally end up rejecting the true Jesus for the one of our own making.
The Jews were having difficulty accepting Jesus as the Christ (that is, the Messiah) because He did not meet their expectations. And, His teachings were challenging them to rethink their beliefs. It was easier for them to kill Jesus than to embrace His call to walk more closely in the light of truth. It is also easy for us to condemn the Jews for rejecting Jesus, without realizing that we are, in some way, doing the same thing. We may call ourselves disciples of Jesus, but are we really? A disciple is a student, and one who is always learning from the Master. Let’s look at how we might be guilty of rejecting the Jesus of reality for the Jesus of our imagination.
Some people have a tremendous fear of Jesus, as if He were a cruel and exacting judge. They imagine Jesus watching their every move, and writing down their every fault. When bad things happen, they think Jesus is punishing them directly, and they live in fear of death, when they will stand before Him to be judged. Such people have rejected the Jesus of mercy, who desires our salvation more than we ourselves do.
Other people imagine a Jesus who is nothing more than a friendly mascot, who passes judgment on no one. For such people, nothing is a sin. Although, perhaps for them the greatest sin is actually believing and pointing out that there truly is a difference between right and wrong. They have created a Jesus who is so merciful that no one will be condemned on the Day of Judgment. These folks have rejected the Jesus who hung upon a cross so that sins might be forgiven: they reject Christ crucified. For if there is no difference between right or wrong, then Jesus was truly foolish for dying in such a way.
Some people reject Jesus by living a purely secular life. While they may attend Mass, and may think of themselves as Catholic, their lives are really not lived in God’s grace. Being Catholic is one of the “many” things they do in life, but is not at the heart of who they are. Still others reject Jesus by refusing to love their neighbor. And, most of us reject Jesus by excusing ourselves from following those teachings which are most difficult for us.
But Jesus never asks from us anything for which He has not first provided the grace. If Jesus calls us to greater holiness, then we may be certain He has already provided the grace we need in abundance. All that is necessary is to say, “Here I am, Lord. Please, make of me what you will!” Lent is a time to take up the cross of discipleship. Notice in the word “disciple” the root word “discipline.” Any great attainment in life requires discipline and dedication. How much more so for the attainment of holiness and eternal life with God!
May Lent help us to be aware of the subtle ways we reject Jesus, that we may embrace Him all the more. And, may we set aside our own ideas of Jesus, and follow His way of truth. May His peace be always in our hearts!
Fr. Guy
Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent
Lectionary: 248
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I have been teaching Tae Kwon Do in our St. Joan of Arc after-school program for thirteen years. Sometimes people ask me, “Which students are the most difficult to teach?” While every individual brings their own challenges, as well as natural talents, to Tae Kwon Do, each group presents common challenges to learning. Beginners are difficult to teach because they have no foundation to build upon: they must learn how to stand, and how to move. Some learn faster than others. But, laying the foundation is often difficult, because everything is new.
When Tae Kwon Do students reach the middle-belt levels, they have developed good basic skills, and they feel they are doing well. But then they complain because the basics are no longer good enough; now they are required to learn even more skills, and to sharpen what they’ve already learned. This level of students have developed a sense of complacency, and they are hesitant to move on. Many students drop out at this level. Happy with what they’ve learned, they are hesitant to grow to a higher level.
Black belt students often are the most difficult to teach, because they think they already know it all. Having attained this level, they sometimes resent correction, or the introduction of even higher challenges. Also, black belts are often unwilling to admit their sloppiness, or that they’ve been practicing a technique wrongly. The early stages of black belt are where many get stuck, and due to their stubbornness, they never advance to the level of master.
Why am I talking about Tae Kwon Do today? It is because these same challenges are found in our spiritual growth. Lent is a time to grow spiritually to ever new levels in our likeness to Jesus Christ. For those just awakening to the spiritual life, or for those who may suddenly decide to take it seriously, there is both blessing and difficulty. The blessing is that most beginners are zealous, and eager to learn. The difficulty is there is little or no foundation on which to build. Everything is new and must be learned. If the basics are not grasped, then the entire foundation will be weak, as well as all that is built upon it. Hard word and persistence in spiritual exercise is required at this level.
Then there are those who are somewhat advanced in their spiritual life, but have become complacent and happy with the way things are. Why? Because they don’t want to be challenged. They have a “good enough” attitude which prevents them from advancing. And there are those “spiritual” black belts, who have journeyed far in God’s grace, but have become conceited. They think they have already arrived, and have nothing more to learn. In fact, they are actually afraid that Jesus will challenge them to something which will make them feel like beginners all over again. But that is the nature of spiritual growth! Each new level is a new beginning. I usually tell my first level black belt students, “Now you can begin to learn Tae Kwon Do.” They are usually deflated, because they think they have “graduated.” Each great accomplishment is only the beginning of working toward the next level of perfection.
Today’s first reading, from the book of Wisdom, is very prophetic, as it speaks so clearly of the rejection of Jesus by Israel’s spiritual leaders. They do not like Jesus, because His way of life challenges their own. Rather than striving to become more holy themselves, they seek to pull Jesus down, and to do away with Him. May we never develop such an attitude! Instead, let us be good, humble, dedicated disciples of Jesus, learning from Him day by day, and never in this world thinking that we have “arrived.” There is always more to learn, and always room for growth. Come, Lord Jesus, and teach us!
Fr. Guy
Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent
Lectionary: 247
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I always find our first reading for today somewhat humorous. God complains to Moses, saying “Your people” are getting out of control! In response, Moses seems to say, “They are not my people. They are the people YOU brought out of Egypt!” Neither God nor Moses wants to claim the Israelites at the moment, because of their disobedience, stubbornness, and sin. Nonetheless, God is putting Moses to the test, to see if he will intercede for the people, and ask God to show mercy.
Moses is a forerunner of Jesus Christ, or we might say, a Christ figure. Moses was to point forward to the fullness of redemption which would come one day, not only for Israel, but for all the world, through Jesus. God tests Moses by saying, “Let me destroy these people, and I will make of you and your descendants a great nation.” Moses, however, does what God hoped he would do: he says, “No, Lord! Remember your promise to Abraham, to make of his descendants a great nation. Far be it from you, Lord, to forget your covenant promise!” God was pleased with Moses, and spared the Israelites. Eventually, God would lead them to the Promised Land, just as He had promised Abraham He would do.
When the time was right, Jesus Christ came into our world, and stood between us and the punishment which was rightfully ours, due to our sins. There is no greater intercessor on our behalf than Jesus. While Moses seemed to argue with God over whose people the Israelites were, Jesus did not do so. Instead, Jesus said, by His becoming human, “They are mine, and I will take responsibility for their sins.” This is the whole message of Holy Week, which we soon will celebrate as the Church of Jesus Christ.
While Jesus takes responsibility for our sins, He does not make excuses for them. Jesus calls us to repent, that is, to turn back to the way of God and to holiness. Nothing unclean or impure can inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who are washed completely in the grace of God through Jesus Christ will inherit eternal life. If we play the game of excusing ourselves from sin, and taking no steps to put sin away from us, then we are presuming upon God’s grace, and that is the most serious of sins.
What is true repentance? It means we recognize our sins for what they are, that we use God grace to put them out of our lives, and that we firmly intend to use all our strength to avoid sinning in the future. This is called a “purpose of amendment,” meaning, we intend with God’s help to avoid the sin, and whatever leads us into it, and that we desire to grow in the holiness of Jesus Christ. Jesus is not ashamed of us when we struggle with sin, but His grace does us no good if we take it for granted.
And, just as Jesus claims us as His own, in spite of our faults, so we are called to be patient with one another. Again, this does not mean making excuses for others. We, in charity, are to call and challenge one another to conversion and to holiness: not in a judgmental way, but as humble servants who show the way by our own example. So let us continue our Lenten journey, following Jesus, as His faithful people, to the cross of Good Friday, and to the Resurrection to eternal life in the Promised Land of Heaven.
Fr. Guy
Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
Lectionary: 545
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Merry Christmas! –in nine months. Today we celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation, when the Angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she was chosen to be the mother of the world’s Savior. While Mary had questions about how this would happen, and what she needed to do, she believed in the power of God to make it so. Her answer to the angel was, “Yes! I am God’s maidservant: let it be done to me just as you have said.” With Mary’s consent, the Son of God entered into her womb, and nine months later, would be born and given the name “Jesus,” which means, “God Saves.”
It is almost ironic that in the midst of Lent, as we prepare for the death of Jesus on Good Friday, we should take a day out to celebrate His birth. Christmas is a time of joy, which makes us think of things true, beautiful, and good. Our St. Joan of Arc school children have been focusing this year on truth, beauty, and goodness in each of their subjects. Why? Because these things help us to lift up our hearts and minds to God, the Source of all that is true, beautiful, and good.
In our modern world, we have become too focused on the mere function of things, of their usefulness. We live in a world of disposable goods, which are tossed out after their use. This mindset is even being applied to human persons. We tend to measure a person’s value based upon their usefulness, and their productivity. And, if they come to be seen as less productive, or if their needs outweigh their ability to contribute, we think of them as useless or obsolete.
This utilitarian approach leaves out the inherent goodness in all things God has made. When God created the world, He looked upon all He had made and declared, “It is good!” All that God has made has an essential goodness within it. Likewise, everything God has made points us to a higher truth, for all things direct us back to God, their source. And what makes things beautiful? Isn’t what is considered beautiful a personal opinion? Let’s look at the expression, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” This doesn’t mean that there is no objective beauty in the world. It means two things: first, as human beings, made in God’s image, we collectively feel a sense of awe when we behold something naturally and essentially beautiful, like a glowing sunset, or an eagle in flight. Second, it means that there is essential beauty in the human person who is able to recognize beauty in God’s creation. In other words, as human persons, we possess truth, beauty, and goodness in ourselves.
The Incarnation (the becoming flesh) of God’s Son magnifies our inherent goodness by joining our human nature to His own divine nature. The fact that Jesus came to give His life for us shows that each and every human life has a dignity, and a value so great that the Son of God was willing to die a horrible death on a cross to redeem us all. So what do we learn from this? We learn to take a step back, and to look at things as they are, instead of measuring their value based on whether or not we find them useful to ourselves. During our time of “sheltering at home,” we can do the following: go outside, and take a breath of fresh air. Look up at the sky, as if you’ve never seen it before. Listen to the songs of the birds (who, by the way, have no clue there is a pandemic, and are simply going about their life as God created them to do). Look at a tree branch, feel its texture. Look at the world through fresh eyes. Look at your own hand: what an amazing creation of God! Take a fresh look at your children, or your spouse, and see how awesome a human being truly is.
The birth of Jesus makes us think of truth, beauty, and goodness… and His coming death makes us realize how precious life itself is. During these days of “retreat,” let us open our hearts to God’s plan, as Mary did. Then, being filled with the life of Jesus, we will find a deep and endless joy, and we can wish everyone, from the bottom of our hearts, Merry Christmas!
Fr. Guy
Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent
Lectionary: 245
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Our sense of vision is extremely limited. I like to remind people that none of us has ever seen our own face. All we have seen of ourselves is a reflection in a mirror, or a photographic image. Also, we can only see what is in front of us. At any moment, things are happening on both sides of us, and behind us. There are things too far away for us to see, and things far too small. And, there are things going on inside of us which our eyes cannot see.
Not only is our physical vision limited, but our mental vision is limited as well. Although the mind can see things which are not present, through memory and imagination, and can grasp abstract concepts, nonetheless, our minds are also very limited in their ability to comprehend. Yet, we live most of our lives within the confines of a universe we have created within our own minds. Our delusions are often shared by those closest to us, those who think as we do, and on a larger scale, by others in society who also define the universe by the limitedness of their minds.
Basically, we tend to think small about everything. We even project our own limitations onto God. But God is not limited by our weakness, or by our smallness. This is why St. John of the Cross was fond of saying that, to know God, we must “go out of ourselves.” This in no way means that we should try to escape our bodies, or try to lift our minds to some imaginary astral plane. What John meant was that we all, in some way, try to fit God into a box, and that box is the limitedness of our own understanding. John of the Cross would say that God does not want to be squeezed into the confines of our smallness. Instead, God says, “Come out and play in my world! For my world is without boundaries!” How do we do this?
It is impossible to overcome our own smallness by our natural abilities, for these in themselves are limited. John of the Cross says we must use the supernatural faculties of faith, hope, and love. Faith accepts the truth of God and His presence without seeing it with the eyes or the mind. Hope touches that which is eternal and boundless while here in the midst of time and space. And love, which is the divine essence, simply makes a gift of one’s life to God who gives His life to us completely in Jesus Christ.
But in spite of God’s grace, and the gifts of faith, hope, and love, we often give the wrong answers to God when He calls to us. Our answers do not match the divine questions. For example, in today’s Gospel reading, Jesus asks the sick man at the pool of Bethesda, “Do you want to be well?” Instead of answering simply “yes” or “no,” the man replies by stating the nature of his problem. He says, “When the pool is stirred, I have no one to put me into it.” But that is not what Jesus asked him. Although the greatest answer (Jesus Christ) was standing before him, the man did not see the greater healing Jesus offered. Instead, the man only went back to his problem. His sight was limited.
So, Jesus commanded him to take up his mat, to be healed, and to go his way. Immediately, the man was cured. It is tragically funny that the Jews rebuked the man for carrying his mat on the Sabbath, and that they wanted to punish Jesus for curing on the Sabbath. Their sight, too, was limited by their distorted understanding of God’s laws. They had put God in a box.
Do we have God in a box? Are we measuring God by our own limitations? Here is an equation: small God = small faith; big God = big faith. If we have God in a box, then we are worshiping an idol of our own making. St. Anselm once said, “God is that than which nothing greater can be conceived.” As our idea of God is, so are we. Through the supernatural faculties of faith, hope, and love, may we go beyond our own limitations to play in God’s world.
Fr. Guy
Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent
Lectionary: 244
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When I was in the seminary, we were expected to observe a “grand silence” from 7 p.m. until after Mass in the morning. It was expected that we each be in our rooms either praying or studying. There was to be no gathering for fun or conversation, and certainly no watching of television (we didn’t have internet in those days). Our doors were to be closed, but unlocked, so that the dean of men could open them anytime, to make sure we were observing silence.
Our entire world, it seems, is being forced to observe a “grand silence.” If we think of it as a loss of our freedoms and privileges, then it feels to us as something imposed upon us against our will. But what if we accept it as a way to observe a holy Lent? What if we accept it as an unexpected gift? Silence, and being somewhat quarantined, is not always such a bad thing. In fact, isn’t this what people seek out when they go on a retreat? We have a parishioner at St. Joan of Arc, Kate Lee, who is becoming a cloistered Carmelite Sister in Minnesota. “Cloistered” means she will rarely, if ever, for the rest of her life, leave the convent property. She is willingly giving herself to a life of prayer, penance, and silence as an offering for the good of the whole Church. I know she is praying for us right now, so let’s remember her in our prayers as well.
In our grand silence, we come face to face with our fears and anxieties, because we no longer enjoy the usual distractions from them. We become more aware of our emotions, and of our good and bad personality traits. This is all part of the experience of a grand silence. We also may feel claustrophobic, and we just want to know what will come next, and how long the silence will last. We want to know the beginning from the end. Ah! But here is the secret! If we settle down, and embrace the silence as a way God is making Himself present to us, then we find a deeper and more profound answer. By resting in God, we find both the beginning and the end, and we no longer see a distinction between life and death. We are in the hand of God, and it will all be okay in the end. The grand silence forms us in faith.
In our Gospel reading, a royal official begs Jesus to come in person to heal his son, who is very ill and near death. Jesus refuses to go in person, saying, “Unless you see signs and miracles you will not believe.” Instead, Jesus tells the man to go home, and that his son will live. The man returned home to find his son’s health completely restored, and he and his entire household became believers. Part of the grand silence is also an entering into darkness, where we cannot see what is coming, or how things will work out. But faith enables us to see in the darkness. While faith may not enable us to see the specifics of God’s plan, it does allow us to see the Lord Himself, and if our eyes remain on Him, then all will be well.
Let us be comforted in the promise of God to His people in our first reading: “I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; the things of the past shall not be remembered or come to mind. Instead, there shall always be rejoicing and happiness in what I create; for I create Jerusalem to be a joy and its people to be a delight; I will rejoice in Jerusalem and exult in my people. No longer shall the sound of weeping be heard there, or the sound of crying.”
May the Lord of life, healing, and resurrection, give you peace as together we embrace this grand silence.
Fr. Guy
Saturday of the Third Week of Lent
Lectionary: 242
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Let’s look once again at the first reading, from Hosea, where it says, “Come, let us return to the Lord, it is he who has rent, but he will heal us; he has struck us, but he will bind our wounds. He will revive us after two days; on the third day he will raise us up, to live in his presence.” Lent is a time of turning our hearts and minds, in fact, the entirety of our lives, back to God. To repent means to turn back. Sometimes it is only through suffering that we come to realize how far we have strayed from God, and come to see clearly our need to return to Him for mercy.
Where do we find this mercy? At the cross of Jesus. In His mercy, that is, His love for us, Jesus gave us His life through the agony of the cross. When we acknowledge our need for God’s mercy, then we pass with Jesus through suffering to the resurrection to new life. This doesn’t mean a return to the old, or a “getting back to normal.” It means a new perspective on life, and what God calls us to share in for eternity. Mercy is the power to move forward, not backward.
One of the most ancient prayers of our Church is known simply as “the Jesus Prayer.” It is often prayed on Rosary beads, but may be prayed without them. The words are, “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.” The prayer may be softly and slowly repeated again and again, until the heart rests in God. This is a way we dispose ourselves for mercy. And the mercy we ask for in this prayer is more than just the forgiveness of sins: it is begging God to enlighten our hearts and minds to see the true nature of life, and to become what He created and calls us to be.
God’s mercy is offered constantly, but so often we cannot receive it because we are not open to it. We are too busy telling God what to give us, and when to give it, and how it is to be given. This applies even to how we demand mercy from God: we want it our way. But God’s mercy cannot be received that way. It can only be received by a humble heart which has surrendered completely to the way of God. The heart of Jesus, from which mercy is poured out, was a heart completely humble and loving, and accepting of God’s will. Mercy must be received in the same way it is given.
In today’s Gospel, two men went into the Temple to pray (obviously it was not closed due to the Corona virus!). The Pharisee was confident in his own holiness, and thanked God that he was better than others. His prayer was not accepted, because his heart was stubborn and blinded by his own sense of righteousness. The tax collector stood in the corner, with his head bowed, simply praying, “Have mercy on me, a sinner.” He was forgiven, because his heart was humble and receptive to God’s mercy.
As we continue our Lenten journey to the cross on Good Friday, let us never hesitate to call out to God for mercy; but let us be sure we are not demanding it in our own way. Instead, may we simply open our hearts and say to God, “Make of me what you will.” Then, the mercy of God will grow within us, and we will become a source of mercy to others.
Peace,
Fr. Guy
Friday of the Third Week of Lent
Lectionary: 241
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It is a blessing that most of us grew up in a time of peace and prosperity. We still have those among us who endured the hardships of World War II, and their ability to pull together in hard times, and to win the victory over an evil empire, is why we call them the “Greatest Generation.”
Today’s first reading, like many Old Testament passages about calling to God in hard times, would ordinarily go ignored by most of us. But suddenly, in uncertain times of global pandemic, we begin to pay more attention to these ancient cries of God’s people. We may find ourselves calling out all the more these days in prayer to God, as we seek answers. Many people may wonder if this is a scourge from God on the world. While I do not believe it is, I do know that, in His providence, God will not let it go to waste. This is an opportunity, when we are cut off from our normal routines, to focus on what the season of Lent is truly about.
Sickness causes us to come face to face with our own mortality. Much of the time, we keep ourselves distracted by our busy daily schedules and activities. But all of these distractions prevent us from truly listening to God, and calling out to Him. In our modern world, we seem to turn more to science and technology to solve our problems. But now, these things appear powerless to stop the current epidemic. God invites us to call out to Him from the depths of our hearts, to turn to Him and to find mercy.
The word “mercy” is from the Latin word, “Misericordia,” which means, “a miserable heart.” But why would a heart be miserable? Some hearts are miserable because they have made bad decisions which lead to bad consequences. Or, a heart may be miserable over the suffering of others. And, a heart may be miserable because it is so much in love that it hurts. God’s heart is miserable because in sin, we turn away from Him. It is a heart suffering because we are suffering. And, God’s heart is miserable because it is bursting with love for us, which often goes unrequited. This heart, which became flesh to take away our sins, was pierced by a lance upon the cross.
In these times, when we cry out to God for healing and relief, let us be mindful of the pain and suffering of others, and not just our own. While science might not be able to help us right now, Jesus can. How? Because Jesus enters into our suffering, into our misery. That is the meaning of Lent, which leads us to the cross. Currently, science tells us to stay away from one another, and to practice “social distancing.” While we should follow this advice, let us remember that the human person needs human contact, and human love. This is why Jesus says the greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength; and to love our neighbor as ourselves.
Let us reach out to one another in safe and prudent ways, maintaining human contact and communication. And let us help carry the cross for one another, and pray for each other in these uncertain times. If we lift ourselves and one another up to God, then we mind His mercy…. His miserable heart which has already come down to us and entered into our suffering.
Peace,
Fr. Guy
Solemnity of Saint Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Lectionary: 543
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With the world-wide crisis caused by the Corona virus, we are living in uncertain times. Everyone wants answers about how long we will need to be self-quarantined, how long schools and businesses will be closed, and how long life will be on hold. I keep saying, it is like driving through thick fog, and not being able to see what is too far ahead. Right now, our ability to forecast the future is very limited. We are living day by day.
Today’s Solemnity of St. Joseph gives us hope, for although our own vision is limited, our great God knows the beginning from the end. Each morning He brings light out of darkness. And, He could even send His Son to die on a cross to bring about the world’s salvation. How can anything good come from the Son of God being rejected and nailed to a cross? Could there be any worse tragedy? But God said, “That’s no problem for me. I can do something with that!” Likewise, our current circumstances are not too difficult for God. If we trust in Him, He will bring good out of what seems to be only a crisis.
When the curse of sin and death first entered the world, God already had a plan: He would send His Son as the remedy. But God did not send Jesus immediately; Jesus would not be born for thousands of years. Nonetheless, God already began to set things in motion. He selected Abraham to be the great ancestor of our Lord Jesus, who would come through his bloodline. King David was also one of the great ancestors of Jesus. Although the kingship of David would one day end, the reign of His descendant, Jesus Christ, will last forever. And when it was time for Jesus to be born, God chose an earthly father for Him: St. Joseph. Joseph was obedient to God’s will, although he was not always sure how things would happen. Joseph, like David and Abraham, had limited vision into the future. All they could do was trust in God’s promise, and live by faith, one day at a time.
In regards to the faith of Abraham, our second reading says, “He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into being what does not exist. He believed, hoping against hope, that he would become the father of many nations, according to what was said, Thus shall your descendants be. That is why it was credited to him as righteousness.”
Faith means we cannot see the beginning from the end, but we trust that somehow, God has a plan, and will work out all things for our good. If He can bring salvation out of the horrible death of His Son on a cross, He can bring blessing out of any situation. This current epidemic will pass. In the meantime, as Christian, let us use this time at home for prayer, asking for an end the the virus, and praying for the sick, and for all people in need, especially those who have lost their jobs. St. Joseph, to escape Herod’s attempt to kill the baby Jesus, had to pack up and move to Egypt. There, he had to find work to support Mary and Jesus. St. Joseph is one that both Mary and Jesus would have gone to for support, encouragement, help, guidance, and love. If Joseph was good enough for Jesus and Mary, he can certainly help us in our time of need!
May God bless each of you in these uncertain times, and may we continue to grow in faith, like Abraham, David, and Joseph. St. Joseph, pray for us!
Peace,
Fr. Guy