Ash Wednesday: all projects have a deadline

Deadlines and due dates are an inescapable part of being a student. There is always an upcoming test on this day. There is forever an essay due on that day. When I was a student I lived deadline to deadline. I would check my calendar regularly in order to remind myself of what exam I should be studying for or which project I should be working on. Though deadlines could add stress to my life, in hindsight they helped me. Due dates ensured that I actually worker hard to learn new material and skills. Left to myself, I tend to procrastinate and fill my time doing things that that are easier and more enjoyable. Due dates were a blessing because they gave me incentive to work on something more difficult. In the end, this helped me to learn and become better.

Ash Wednesday plays the same role in our life as followers of Jesus as deadlines do in the lives of students. One of two phrases can be said when ashes are put on our heads:

1. Repent and believe in the Gospel.
2. Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.

As Christians, we all students. The first phrase, "repent and believe in the Gospel", reminds us that we are working on a project of vital importance: our very self. We are trying to improve ourselves by changing the way we think and act so that we think and act more like Jesus. Our project is to transform ourselves to become more like Christ.  The second phrase, "remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return", makes us aware that this project is not something that is open-ended. It has a set due date: the day that we die. There are no extensions; after we die we can no longer repent. Though thinking about our future death can seem a little depressing, it should ultimately help us to live better in the present. Just as remembering the date of an exam urges us to study harder, remembering that we will one day die should motivate us to make changes in our life.

Ash Wednesday is a gift. We remember that we are one year closer to the due date of our greatest assignment and asses how we are doing on it. Often we give up things for lent: chocolate, social media or television. This can be a very helpful practice. In addition to this, I suggest we do something practical. Our lives are full of different relationships, with God, family, friends and coworkers. Today look at your life and see if there is one relationship that you would like to improve. Perhaps you would like to spend more time with Jesus in prayer. Maybe you want to be more attentive and a better listener for your spouse. Or perhaps you want to be more forgiving and patient with a coworker or classmate. Choose one relationship and focus on improving it this lent. Let this be our homework that will help us fulfill our most important project: becoming more like Jesus. Remember, we do not have forever. Each year the deadline to complete this project draws closer.

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!