Worrywart? Listen to Jesus' message.

MT 6:24-34

Have you ever seen pictures of people tightrope walking? Recently I saw an old picture of someone walking a tightrope across Niagara Falls. I became anxious just looking at the picture. If it were me, I don’t know how I could ever do something like this. I would be so worried of falling I probably could not take one step and would just freeze in my tracks. How do tightrope walkers conquer their anxiety and fear? When I looked closely at the picture, I discovered the tightrope walker’s trick: they keep their eyes focused straight ahead towards their destination. When they focus on what is most important - their destination - they are able to continue walking in spite of their worries.

Though not as dramatic as the tightrope walker, we all - myself included - struggle with fear and anxiety. I am what you would call a worrywart. I tend to get anxious very easily and worry about all kinds of things: tasks I need to do, health and the future. In fact, I tend to become anxious if I am not worrying - it makes me wonder if I have forgotten something that I need to be doing! Often, well-intentioned people will want to ease the burden of anxiety that I feel. Their advice? Often it boils down to this: just stop worrying! Though I appreciate their thoughtfulness, this is hardly helpful. Today’s gospel is especially appealing for me because Jesus is advising not to worry. Jesus’ words, however, are not just well-intentioned fluff. He gives us both reasons and a method for coping with worry in our lives. This is an extremely important teaching as we all struggle with fear and worry.

Jesus it not promising to remove all the challenges from our lives that cause us anxiety. This point reminds me of a conversation I had years ago with another seminarian. We were talking about a challenging exam that we both had to take the next day. I had just explained to my friend that though I had been studying for some time, I worried if I would be able to learn everything in time. I explained that I intended to stay up late that night to prepare. My friend had a different strategy. He explained that he had basically given up studying and would go to bed early that night. If God really wanted him to learn the material He would infuse it into his mind while He slept. When I heard this I thought to myself, “good luck with that”! Jesus never said that He would remove all difficulties and challenges from our lives. We need to plan, be organized and work hard. As Mother Teresa would often say:

Pray like everything depends on God, work like everything depends on you.

Jesus does not claim to remove all fear and anxiety from our existence. In fact, feeling a certain degree of worry can be helpful as it spurs us on to do what we need to get done.  What Jesus does promise us in the gospel is that if we follow Him, our fear and anxiety should never become so large that it paralyzes us or becomes overwhelming. The tightrope walker will always have fear and worry when they are performing, however, they must ensure that it doesn't stop them in their tracks.   Jesus never promised us a carefree life.

If God is our master and we are working to build up His Kingdom, then we should never worry too much, because God will surely take care of us. At the beginning of the Gospel, Jesus explains that we are always serving one of two masters: God or mammon.

• Serving mammon means that our main concerns are about getting more and more things for ourselves. We worry about things like getting the best and latest smartphone or car. We are anxious about exceeding at work so that we can gain more power, prestige and influence.
• Serving God means committing ourselves to build up His kingdom by following the commandments and the Jesus’ teaching from the Sermon on the Mount. In our relationships, we strive to model the love, compassion and mercy of God. We are anxious about how we can be of service to other people: family, coworkers and the needy.

Here’s the point. If, and only if, we have chosen to focus on serving God and His kingdom, we can be sure God will take care of us. If God takes such good care of His creation, then surely He will take care of those who are working to build His kingdom. This knowledge should be a remedy against excessive stress in our life. We become like the tightrope walker. We will experience struggles and difficulties, but if we keep looking ahead, focused on God’s kingdom, then we should know that we will cross to the other side unharmed. We just need to focus on serving God and we can know He will take care of us. If, on the other hand, we have chosen to serve mammon, then we have no such guarantee. If all we are focused on ourselves and getting more stuff, then we have good reason to be anxious. When God is our master and we are focused on building His kingdom we should never worry too much because He will take care of us.

It become easier to live with reduced anxiety when we remind ourselves of how God has taken care of us in the past. It is so much easier to trust that God will take care of us in the future when we remind ourselves of the times He has taken care of us in the past. You have probably noticed that a lot of the Old Testament recounts the history of Israel. This happens in the psalms and in the so-called “historical books” such as the Book of Kings or Chronicles. The striking thing about these historical books is that they are not history as we talk about it today. It is not like a book about World War II, where the author tries to remain completely objective. Rather, in the Bible, Israel looks back at its history in order to see how God was active in it. Time and time again they found that when they turned from God they got into trouble. On the other hand, when they followed God’s plans, when He was their master, He always took care of them. Israel remembered and celebrated this fact so that they could look ahead to the future with great hope, trusting in God. We need to read our own history the same way. Can you identify moments in your past in which the challenges seemed overwhelming yet somehow God carried you through it, often in an unexpected way? When we remind ourselves of these moments it becomes easier to trust that God will take care of us in the future. This helps us to live with less anxiety and fear.

When we follow Jesus, we are all like the tightrope walker. We all face challenges and risks that can scare us and fill us with anxiety. It is imperative that we keep our eyes forward and do not look down. We need to remember that if we keep our eyes on God’s Kingdom, if God is our master and we are concerned to build His kingdom, He will take care of us and we need not be paralyzed by stress. Today let us strengthen our trust in God’s constant care for us. Do this simple exercise. Try to remember one moment in your life in which you are aware that God really took care of you. Call to mind this moment and give thanks for it. God has cared for you in the past, He is caring for you now and will take care of you in the future. “Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself”.

Euromaidan and loving our enemies

MT 5:38-48

I usually avoid talking about political and civil conflicts, particularly in homilies. Frankly, I usually do not know enough about what is happening so I don't want to sound more foolish than I normally do. Also, there is always a risk of oversimplifying a complex situation, labeling one side as good and the other as bad. Today I am going to make an exception. In the past week, events in Ukraine have caught the world’s attention. As many of you will know, since November there have been mass, anti-government protests. At times the government has brutally responded to the protests with violence. Though most protesters have been peaceful, some have chosen to respond with more violence. As a result, approximately 100 protesters and 15 officers have been killed. Many hundreds have been wounded.

Source: Lystopad

There are a two reasons why I want to talk about the conflict in Ukraine today:

1. In today’s gospel, Jesus speaks to us about conflicts and how we should respond to our enemy. He stresses the importance of responding to injustice and violence in a non-violent way. Jesus also gives us the difficult teaching that we should love our enemy and pray for them. Today’s gospel obviously sheds a lot of light on what is happening in Ukraine. In fact, it has been very interesting to notice that the Church, both Catholic and Orthodox, has played an important role in trying to mediate the conflict. The Church, including bishops and priests, have stood alongside protesters against a government which seems to have real problems needing to be fixed. While doing this, however, the Church has stressed the need of the protesters to behave in a non-violent way and even to love their enemy in the conflict. They are challenging both sides to follow Jesus’ teaching in the gospel.
2. By looking at the more extreme case in the Ukraine and how Jesus’ teaching applies there, I hope that we can learn how best to proceed in the smaller conflicts of life that we find ourselves. We all have “enemies”, people who have hurt us and against whom we harbor some hard feelings.

Source: Mstyslav Chernov/Unframe/http://www.unframe.com/

First, we need to realize that responding to aggression or injustice with non-violence takes a lot of courage and strength. In the back of our mind we associate Jesus' command to turn the other cheek with weakness and passivity. If someone hurts us, we usually want to retaliate and hurt them back, to take “an eye for an eye”. We can think that fighting back is the stronger thing to do.  Recently I was struck by a picture (see it here) I saw from the protests in the Ukraine. This picture showed a priest who was also a protester. His face and physique are impressive - he looks like he would be at home in an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie. He wears an expression that is at the same time resolute and exhausted. He looked battle-worn. He carries a gas mask and a ski mask to protect himself from teargas. With his right hand he carries a large metal shield. In his left hand he carries a crucifix. When I saw this picture I thought, “that is what non-violent resistance looks like”. Turning the other cheek does not mean that we let ourselves be doormats. This priests was standing up against injustice courageously. He was not responding with violence, either physical or verbal. His presence sent a clear message: what the government is doing is wrong and will not be tolerated; we might have to suffer, but we will not back down. Acting this way takes great courage and strength.

Non-violent resistance is effective because it unmasks evil, letting people see the injustice for what it is. Have you ever tried investigating the genesis and history of a particular way? It can be extremely difficult to put your finger on the cause of the conflict and see who actually started it. A new injustice is usually just a response to an old one. A new war is usually just a continuation of an old war. Ultimately, violence breeds more violence. As Gandhi famously said, “an eye for an eye only makes the world go blind”. It seems that the protesters in Ukraine are having success. Their cause has caught the attention of the world and as a result the government has begun to meet their demands. Why have they succeeded? I think it is the peaceful protests which have made the difference. If the protesters were all violent, then their cause would not have been taken seriously. What caught the world’s attention was the brutal way in which the government responded to the protests. When the government started to open fire on unarmed civilians the world took notice and thought, maybe there is something to the claims of the protesters. Maybe the government is in fact corrupt and oppressive. The non-violent resistance unmasked the injustice and evil that was there, putting it on display for all to see, thereby provoking a national and international outcry.

A lasting peace will only be possible if both sides are able to love their enemy. Often we think that it is impossible to love our enemy. We need to realize that love is not a feeling. It is impossible to have nice, warm thoughts about someone who has hurt you. Love is a choice. Love is willing the good for the other person. Loving your enemy means recognizing that are a human being, created and loved by God, and sincerely praying that God bless them and care for them. In the past few days since the protesters have begun making progress, I have noticed a disturbing trend: many are calling for revenge against the government. I read one interview with a man holding a baseball bat who explained what he would do to the president with that bat if he ever got a hold of him. Injustices have been committed, but how will the people of Ukraine proceed? If the protesters now seek revenge and retribution, they will only turn into oppressors themselves. There will be no peace. If they are able to follow the teaching of Jesus and love their enemies, see them as their brothers and sisters and forgive them, there is hope that a lasting peace can be found.

Source: Mstyslav Chernov/Unframe/http://www.unframe.com/photographers/102-mstyslav-chernov.html

In order to love our enemies and respond to injustices in a non-violent way, we need the help of Jesus. Jesus Himself was born into a world oppressed by the Romans. Some Jews were calling for a violent revolution. Many hoped that Jesus would be the man to lead such a revolt. Jesus chose the path of love, forgiveness and non-violence instead. He did not fight those who arrested Him. He forgave those who put Him to death. In the end, His strategy was victorious. He defeated sin and death, rising from the dead. The Roman Empire is long gone, while the community He founded continues to be a strong force transforming the world. In order to follow Jesus example, we will need His help, His grace. The priest in the picture, who was holding a crucifix in one hand, understood this. The Church leaders, who set up mobile “tent-chapels” where protesters could come and pray, understood this. On the cross Jesus taught us a great tip for how to love our enemies. Remember that He said, “forgive them for they do not know what they are doing”. Jesus made excuses for His enemies. It helps if we do the same. If someone hurts us, it is helpful to remind ourselves that they are probably hurting people themselves. Forgive them because they cannot help themselves, they do not know what they are doing. Loving our enemies and responding non-violently to injustices requires the help of Jesus.

Today let us pray for the people of Ukraine, that a peaceful resolution may be found to the conflict. Let us also look at a particular conflict that we are experiencing in our own life. Who has hurt us recently? Who is our enemy? Maybe a co-worker, boss, friend or family member. Remember that following Jesus’ teaching is the only thing that will bring lasting peace to our hearts and the conflict. Let us resist the urge to try to hurt them back by our words our action. Let us try to love and forgive them instead, perhaps by trying to see their own woundedness as Christ was able to do.  Jesus, help us to live this challenging but necessary call!

Commandments? Why bother?

Matthew 5:17-37

Are you watching the Olympics? I find the athletes inspiring. In order to chase a wonderfully challenging goal, they are willing to make so many sacrifices. They follow a strict regime of diet and exercise. Even if they do not win the gold medal, they continue to push themselves to be the best that they can be. This is what gives them joy and happiness. We can readily appreciate that Olympians need to follow demanding rules - or commandments - to succeed athletically. It is not as easy, however, for us to appreciate the need for us to follow rules and commandments in order to succeed as human beings. Today Jesus speaks in the gospel about the importance of the commandments in our life. Do we recognize this? Why must we follow the commandments?

Sometimes we have difficulty appreciating what role, if any, the commandments should have in our life as followers of Jesus. When it comes to the commandments, we can often fall into two opposite mentalities, both of which fail to recognize the true importance of commandments. 

• On the one hand, there is a certain way of thinking in the West that goes like this. Commandments? They are outdated. No one can say definitely that one way of acting is wrong for all people. Everything is relative. The Catholic Church is just full of rules. The only commandment in this way of thinking is “live and let live”. As long as you are not hurting anyone, you are acting fine. 
• On the other hand, some people, instead of dismissing commandments, focus overly on them. These people unconsciously think that God is like a schoolteacher in the sky who has given us a big exam in which the commandments are the test questions.  The most important thing in our spiritual life is not to break the commandments. Why should we not break the commandments? Because God told us not to. 

Both these viewpoints fail to consider that the commandments might actually be there for our own good. We too can have difficulty appreciating the proper role and purpose of the commandments in our lives.

The commandments, in fact, exists to help promote our happiness and fulfillment as human beings. To understand this, let us look at an analogy. Those of you who own a car know that there are certain things you need to do to a car in order that it works well. For example, when the tank is empty you need to fill it with gasoline. If you fill the tank with something else, say milk for example, what will happen? Obviously the car is going to break down. How do we know how to care for the car so that it runs well, whether the issue be what to put in the tank, how to change the oil or how to check tire pressure? The answer is the user’s manual that we find in the glove compartment. Who writes the user’s manual? The manufacturer of the car. Since they made the car, they know how to best keep it running. Like the car, some things will help for us “run well” as human beings, some will not. Some behaviors will contribute to our fulfillment and happiness. Other behaviors will cause us to break-down. Like a car, we too have a user’s manual given to us by our owner: the commandments. God cares that we live happy and fulfilled lives. In giving us the commandments, God is saying to us, “please do not do this action, you will hurt yourself and others!” The commandments themselves are not the most important thing. Obtaining happiness and fulfillment with God in this life and the next is our ultimate goal or destination. The commandments are like the signposts which point us in the right direction and keep us on track. The commandments exist to help us live happy and fulfilling lives.  

Jesus reveals fully how to live well as human beings. We could say that Jesus has given us the definitive user’s manual for human happiness and fulfillment. He can do this because He is literally our manufacturer. Some of you may remember the book The Da Vinci Code. This incredibly popular book was later made into a movie starring Tom Hanks. Though this book is a work of fiction, it makes many controversial statements about Christianity and the Catholic Church which it tries to pass off as fact. As a result, many people have become confused or misled by the book. One of the main claims of the Da Vinci Code was that Jesus never claimed to be divine. It was only the Church that declared that Jesus was God at a council 300 years after the death of Jesus. Today’s gospel shows that this claim is nonsense.  We hear Jesus saying several times “you have heard it said … but I say to you”. For example, “you have heard it said you shall not commit adultery, but I say to you everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart”. This is extremely significant. Jewish teachers would only ever explain the laws and commandments, they would never make new ones. Where had the people of Israel “heard it said you shall not commit adultery”? They heard it in the ten commandments, which was given to them by God. Only God could give the commandments. In speaking in this way, Jesus is showing that He understands that He is divine. Sorry, Da Vinci Code. As God, the maker of us all, Jesus can give us the most up-to-date user’s manual. He shows us fully how to live a fulfilling life.

In the Gospel, Jesus shows us that true happiness comes when we address the roots of our sinful behavior. Gardeners will be familiar with this principle. When they see weeds growing in their garden, they are faced with two options. They can either rip off the weed above the ground or else they can go under the soil and rip of the weed at its root. If they take the first option, the weed will just keep growing back time and time again. Ripping the weed out at the root takes more effort but it is worth it because that weed will never grow back again. In the gospel, Jesus is inviting us to do the same. Sometimes sin only becomes an issue for us when we have broken one of the commandments. When this happens we repent, but if we do not go after the problem at its roots, the sin will keep coming back. This will ultimately keep us unhappy and unfulfilled. Jesus invites us to tackle our sins at the roots:

“You have heard that it was said … 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.

“You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery. But I say to you,

everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

We need to pay attention to the small things before it grows into something much more serious. We have a tendency to think or say things like “oh, what I did wasn't such a big deal, it's not like I killed someone” or “it was only a white lie”. Sometimes small actions or attitudes are signs that a fire is about to erupt. Jesus shows us that we will never find true happiness if all we do is try to put out the fires of our moral life. In order to be happy we need to address the roots of our sinful behavior.

To be successful, Olympic athletes need to pay attention to the small details of their life: what they eat is weighed to ensure proper nutrition, their training schedule is followed rigidly and their skills are analyzed to the finest detail. Athletes gladly pay attention to these details because they want to be the absolute best that they can be. Today Jesus invites us to do the same. Let us be the best we can be, the happiest we can be, the most fulfilled we can be, by choosing to pay attention to the details of our morals lives. We should not be scrupulous; we just need to remember that both good and bad behaviors start small. We need to encourage the good and eliminate the bad. Today, ask yourself a question: is there some behavior that you would like to rip out at the roots before it grows to seriously affect your happiness?