Fourth Sunday of Advent
This holiday season, there was one sales-pitch that got under my skin. It went something like this: “Get more Christmas this Christmas,” or as some even said, “Get more Christmas for less.” Some stores invited people to begin their shopping early and begin paying in installments so that when Christmas arrived they would have more Christmas. I hate, abhor, detest, despise, loathe statements like these. It is great sales pitch, but don’t call it Christmas. As it is, St. Nicholas has been stolen from us and gimmicked into the mascot of free market. And now “How the Grinch stole Christmas,” looks like a real possibility. I get this very bad sense that Christmas very soon will go the Santa way. Part of the blame lies on us. Many Christians have succumbed hook, line, and sinker to the lure of a bargain Christmas. But the reality is this – you cannot get more Christmas for less. Christmas is about God becoming one of us, God coming to dwell among us, God taking birth in every human heart. If Christmas must happen then we need more than a bargain.
Third Sunday of Advent
There is an irony we have to contend with. Almost always, the most important things are the least reflect upon. Hope, for example; it is not every day that we reflect upon hope. Yet, think about it! Hope is to every human person what breath is to life. These days when I visit my parents in India, returning back to ministry in Dayton is a gut-wrenching experience. I am not sure how I actually walk out of my home leaving my aging parents behind. But I do so in the HOPE that I will see my parents again. In fact, HOPE is the ONLY reason I am able to leave. This week the world buried Nelson Mandela. He spent twenty-five years in prison for standing up for equality. How does a person not lose his or her mind after being confined in a cell for twenty-five years? This week was the first anniversary of the children killed by the gunman in Newtown. How can these people move on? I think the answer is HOPE. For that matter, if you have ever been in a crisis – cancer, tumors, surgeries, accidents, divorce, and death – what is the only thing that sustains you? The HOPE that tomorrow will be better than today! Hope… Hope is to us what breath is to life. A pregnant mother hopes that the baby inside her is well; a young man or woman hopes that someday he or she will be married; a student hopes that he or she will pass the exam; a poor person hopes that tomorrow he or she will be a little less poor; even a dying person hopes that the other side is better. Hope… without hope there is no reason to go on.
Second Sunday of Advent
Watching America from above while landing in Chicago last night really brought the sharp contrast between how America prepares for Christmas and how India prepares for Christmas. And I found myself caught right in the middle. As the airplane gradually descended over Chicago, I could see the many Christmas lights and the glitter that goes with it. In India, Advent is rather somber, almost equaling Lent. This is a time for abstinence, novenas and heightened religious devotions. Christmas decorations will only be up between the twenty-third and twenty-fourth of Dec. The day before I left, my dad mom and I had our Christmas meal. Our neighbors got a whiff of the food and asked us if we not observing our advent obligations. Of course I found my way out of the sticky situation saying that since I was a priest in America, I was not bound by the local customs. I am sorry folks, but just like Adam blamed eve for eating the fruit of the garden, I blamed it on America.
First Sunday of Advent
News from the Black Friday sales this year was the worst we have ever heard. There were shootings, stabbings, robberies, pepper sprays, and serious injuries. A Brazilian tourist, Luis Figueiro, who witnessed the mobs at the Macy’s store in New York remarked, "This is madness.” We do not know whether those in the news are Christians or mere deal seekers, but I am sure that, like me, most of you agree with the Brazilian tourist that, “This is madness.” For me, this madness is not the only problem. I also wish this shopping frenzy was somehow not associated with Christmas. I wish Black Friday happened sometime in the summer. I am sad that the birth of Christ, which symbolizes self-giving, humility, sacrifice and love, has been forever tainted by this commercial madness. The appropriation of Saint Nicholas by the business interest is tragic. I wish we got an opportunity to celebrate Christmas independent of what it has come to mean commercially.
Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
Does the gospel reading chosen for such a majestic feast strike you as unusual? Why would the church choose the most shameful moments of Christ’s life as the gospel reading for the Solemnity of Christ the King? When we celebrate anniversaries, birthdays, and events connected with our loved ones, don’t we normally focus on the positive? The gospel says about Jesus that the rulers sneered at him, the soldiers jeered at him, and one of the criminals reviled him, saying “Are you not the Christ?” To a certain extent, this criminal is justified in his question. How could this man sharing the fate of criminals be God? The plaque above his head said, “This is the King of the Jews.” How could a man hanging from a cross be a king? This man groaning with pain – how could he be “the Christ?” Why could the Church not have chosen a reading that showcases Christ’s splendor?
Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
My hope is that in some ways you have been keeping abreast of the devastation created by super-storm Haiyan. I have heard numerous heart-breaking conversations over the media. It is hard to imagine the devastation and tragedy. There is something I am struggling with. On the one hand, millions of people who survived the storm are now facing death because of hunger, thirst and disease; on the other hand, for us, the holidays are approaching. If you are not ready yet, the high-pitched TV commercials will soon enough get you there. On the one hand I see unimaginable misery, and on the other hand I see superficial, profit-obsessed commercial glitter. The misery and the fake glitter do not seem to be adding up for me. I do believe in hope, but sometimes, just sometimes it is good for the rest of humanity not go on with business as usual unless those who are left behind have caught up with us. But I do not think that is what is going to happen.
Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
I just concluded the ten-week discipleship training seminar at the parish. Fourty-four people began this journey and fourty-two people completed it. The primary reading for this seminar was Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s book, The Cost of Discipleship. Bonhoeffer lived in Nazi Germany and was put to death in a concentration camp. This is very dense book to comprehend but his main contribution is the idea of ‘cheap grace’ and ‘costly grace.’ Cheap grace, according to Bonhoeffer is, “the preaching of forgiveness without repentance, baptism without church discipline, communion without confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.” Costly grace is grace for which a price has to be paid. “It is the call of Jesus at which the disciples leaves his nets and follows him.” Costly grace is when the disciple realizes the price that has been paid for his or her redemption – the cross of Jesus Christ. Today’s readings are all about cheap and costly grace.
Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
Recently, there has been stunning news about extra-terrestrial discoveries. Scientists are telling us that in the last few years they have discovered expoplanets. Exoplanets, or alien planets, are those planets that exist outside of our Solar System but have their own stars like we have ours. So far, scientists have discovered 1,028 confirmed exoplanets. The reason for beginning my homily this way is to impress upon you a sense of perspective. From the perspective of recent discoveries, the earth is like a speck of dust. And in relation to the magnitude of planet earth, each of us is speck of dust. So really, human beings are specks within a speck. Yet, inside us is a whole world, a universe, a cosmos. How the vastness of the universe somehow connects with the world within us – this is a fascinating thought.
Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
What do you think of a $20,000 bathtub, built-in closets costing nearly $500,000, a $35,000 conference table, a $1.1 million in landscaped garden, a fitness room larger an apartment, and a personal chapel? What do you think of a $40+ million home renovation? And what if I told you that these were the expenses of the Bishop of Limburg, Germany? Bishop Tebartz-van Elst, now also known as the “Bishop of Bling,” was shown the door by Pope Francis this week. In complete contrast is today’s Psalm response: “The Lord hears the cry of the poor.”
Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
I wonder if I would be too wrong if I said that that there are many people among you who have long standing petitions before God, and for reasons beyond our understanding, they are still unanswered. Often Monica is presented as an example of persistent prayer. She prayed for her son Augustine for twenty years. Not only did he have a change of heart but rather Augustine became a saint. My mother has been praying for my brother for over twenty-five years. Her only prayer is that he returns back to the church. Not only is her desire unfulfilled, but the possibility of his return at present looks more remote than ever. My mother says to me that this is God’s way of keeping us close to God. I am not convinced about my mother’s rationale but my mother faith is stronger than mine. I am not sure how you explain your unanswered prayers but I hope your faith is as strong as my mother’s faith.
Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
I used this anecdote sometime back, so pardon me if this is a repetition for you. I often read the daily cartoon Pearls before Swine. The main characters in this cartoon are the rat, the pig, the goat and crocodiles. In one of the clips the goat asks the pig, “Do you have any religious beliefs? …Things you know in your heart are true?” The pig answered, “Just Nachofication.” The goat asks, “What is Nachofication?” The pig replies, “The belief that everything tastes better with melted cheese.” The goat looks disgusted as he turns around and exclaims, “I was hoping for something deeper than the church of cheese.” Our life is more than food, sports, and the daily drudgery of life, is it not? Meaning, purpose, character, a vision and goal in life, faith, relationship… these are the things that add flavor to life, is it not?
Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
News media both secular and Catholic have been abuzz with news about Pope Francis’s recent interview. The Jesuit editor of the America magazine published this interview and Father Matt Malone suggests that Pope Francis personally reviewed the article and approved its publication. To say the least, both the Catholic and secular world are still trying to comprehend implications of his statements. The statements that got most attention were: "We cannot insist only on issues related to abortion, gay marriage and the use of contraceptive methods.” “The church's pastoral ministry cannot be obsessed with the transmission of a disjointed multitude of doctrines to be imposed insistently." "We have to find a new balance; otherwise even the moral edifice of the church is likely to fall like a house of cards, losing the freshness and fragrance of the Gospel.”
Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Let me begin this homily where the gospel reading begins: “Tax collectors and sinners were drawing near to listen to Jesus but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain….” Because we have three parables that immediately get our attention, we tend to often ignore the setting for these parables. I myself have often glanced over the context. As I read just this line again and again, my eyes began to fill up. God, who is all holy and all good walked the face of the earth in the person of Jesus. Against all our natural instinct about who would be in Jesus’ inner circle Luke tells us the tax collectors and sinners were drawn to Jesus.
Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Just for a moment, in your mind I want to leave this church. Think of the ordinary peasants and shepherds of first Century Palestine. They reeled under two burdens: the burden of political slavery and the burden of Pharisaical Judaism which demanded meticulous and almost slavish following of the Law. Suddenly, like a breath of fresh air, there was a new man everybody was talking about – Jesus. He has been saying and doing some stupendous and revolutionary things. He was teaching people to call God, “Abba”; Even on a Sabbath, he was miraculously healing people; he hung out with sinners; on one occasion when he was invited to the house of a Pharisee, he told his disciples to take the lowest positions because those who exalt themselves would be humbled and those who humbled themselves would be exalted. Because of his teachings King Herod was looking to kill him and even some religious leaders were beginning to become uncomfortable. But, perhaps because people could not ignore his authority or they thought he could be the messiah who would bring them liberation, or simply because they wanted a favor of him, crowds were following him. I want you to imagine that you are one among the crowd. Suddenly, he turns around and says, ““If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” And then after a couple of parables he says again, “In the same way, everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot follow me.”
Luke did not record the reactions of the people and he does not tell us how the day ended for Jesus. But what would your reaction be? Would you still follow? would you go home to think about it? Would you renounce all your possessions?
Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
This past Thursday I presided over yet another tragic and challenging funeral. Our parishioners Mary and Bill Griffith were burying their 31 year old son. Kent Griffith worked at Wal-Mart and died most unexpectedly. An unsuspected blood clot did him in. This was one special funeral. Kent’s parents chose to speak at Kent’s funeral. I would like to read a few lines from their reflection. Bill read, “I am nervous, scared, and confused as I know many of you are also. However please know that we are not alone.” After honoring Kent in the most realistic and honest way, Bill went on the talk about faith: “A tragedy like this questions your faith and your beliefs. My Grandma Walch was such a person of faith. She never missed church in fact usually arrived almost an hour early often times transporting her sisters to and fro. She would kneel by her bed each night and pray despite how long she worked on the farm that day. I wish I was more like her. I want to think that I am a person of faith but often times it is only when it is convenient for me. It is much like the words of the Dierks Bentley song "A Better Believer" in which he sings about his blessings but takes them for granted. Kent is helping me become a better believer already.”
Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
The last time these reading were read in church, my third practical implication generated a lot of good conversation. So I want to begin my homily with some of these questions that I raised then. If you had the opportunity to decide what heaven would be like, what would you do? Who will make it into your heaven? Would only Catholics make it to your heaven? If you have a child or a brother or a sister or parents who is not Catholic would they make it? Would a just and upright Hindu, Buddhist, Jew or Muslim make it? Will an addict Catholic make it? Will a Catholic murderer who has since repented and is on death row make it? Will a Catholic illegal immigrant working hard to pay for his mother’s cancer treatment back at home make it? Will your pet make it? Will your pet make it over non-believer?
Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
One of the greatest stories of martyrdom in the early church is the story of St. Perpetua. She was merely 22 years old when she became a Christian. Consequently, she was incarcerated for her faith and put into prison along with her nursing baby. While in prison, she got the chance to write her testimony. In it she talks about her father’s visit to the prison. For his sake and for the sake of the baby he pleaded with her to renounce Christ. She writes, “…my father liked to vex me with his words and continually strove to hurt my faith because of his love: Father, said I, Do you see (for example) this vessel lying, a pitcher or whatsoever it may be? And he said, I see it. And I said to him, Can it be called by any other name than that which it is? And he answered, No. So can I call myself nought other than that which I am, a Christian.” On March 7, 203, Perpetua was attained martyrdom when she was thrown to the beasts and killed.
Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Most of you know about my trip home last month to take care of my father. You also know that the doctors advised him against any intervention because his heart was too diseased. Being so far away from home makes it a little difficult for both my parents and I. When I returned from India, I made it a point to make a conscious surrender of this situation to God. But I underestimated my anxiety and the other night it played out in a dream. I dreamt that my mother and I were at the hospital and on the way to the doctor’s chamber my dad collapsed and died. I woke up with tears rolling down my cheeks and thanked God that this was just a nightmare. So I sat down again, and made another conscious surrender of the situation to God. I know that God has it all worked out but sometimes as a human person I struggle to live life from God’s perspective.
Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
New research suggests that “evolution does not favor selfish people.” It is hard to believe that scholars do research about these things but yesterday, BBC reported in its headline news that “selfish traits were not favored by evolution.” This challenges a previous theory which suggested it was preferable to put yourself first for survival. This earlier research used a model of the prisoner's dilemma game. Two suspects who are interrogated in separate prison cells have to decide whether or not to inform on each other. Each prisoner was offered a deal for freedom if they inform on the other (defection), putting their opponent in jail for six months. If they kept silent (cooperation), they would both get a prison sentence of three months. Obviously, putting themselves first, they informed on each other. But the new research says that what was missing in the old research was communication between the two prisoners. On the contrary, when prisoners talked to each other, the new research suggests, the prisoners did not tell on each other but rather both agree to take on the punishment and remain silent. Research suggests that this behavior of cooperation is typical in the rest of nature (not with regard to the prison situation but that species cooperate even if it means taking a less desirable position). Researchers say that evolution works in favor on cooperation because otherwise nature would head into extinction.
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
I am certain you have heard about the child who when she first prayed the “Our Father,” said “Our Father who art in heaven, how do you know my name?” Or, the child who prayed, “Our Father in heaven, ‘Howard’ be thy name!” Or, the child that said, “Lead us not into ‘Penn Station.’” Or even the woman who cried out, “Deliver us from e-mail.”
But humor aside, on Thursday I was with two year old Reagan who has been diagnosed with a malignant tumor in her brain. Her parents, her family, friends and I gathered around her to pray for her healing. Like Abraham in today’s first reading, we put everything we had into our prayer. There was not one tearless prayer that we offered.