Why thoughts matter

Matthew 13: 1-23 (15th Sunday of Ordinary Time, year A)

When I was younger I thought that anyone who talked to themselves was crazy. In recent years I've come to realize that I am one of these crazy people! Now, I don’t talk to myself out loud - at least not very often. I am more aware, however, that during the day there is a constant conversation going on in my mind. I am pretty sure (and I hope!) that I am not the only one who does this.

During the day we all have an ongoing dialogue with ourselves on the level of our thoughts. Quite simply, we talk to ourselves! For example, try to remember the last time you were stuck in heavy traffic. Did you just sit there passively, not thinking anything at all? No, your thoughts certainly started racing. Stuck in traffic again! Oh no, I am going to be late for my appointment! If only these other people knew how to drive this wouldn't be a problem! Why doesn't the government build some decent roads so that we can get around the city easier?! I wonder what I will have for dinner? We do this all the time. In response to what we are experiencing during the day we “talk” to ourselves in a dialogue of thoughts.

These thoughts are like seeds that can grow to produce fruit that is either good or bad. The Gospel that we heard today about the sower and the seeds is constantly being played out in our minds. Many of these thoughts have been planted by Jesus and lead us closer to God. These thoughts, which we can call “good” thoughts, were sown by Christ in different ways. Maybe it was something we heard from our parents, learned during catechism, read in the Bible or heard during Mass. Other thoughts that we mull over do not come from Jesus and lead us further away from God. These thoughts, which we can call “bad”, were sown in our hearts by our own wounded human nature, the devil, or the media.  Both good and bad thoughts tend to grow and produce fruit. Imagine for example, that someone says something offensive to you. If this happened you would probably feel hurt and your mind would soon be bustling with an internal dialogue of thoughts. Bad thoughts might grow in the following way. What he said hurt my feelings. He doesn't like me. He is always saying things to hurt me. He is a bad person. I hate that person. I want to get even!  Before you know it, the bad thoughts have grown to produce bad fruits: a lack of peace, aggression and condemnation. On the other hand, in the same scenario good thoughts might grow in the following way. Yes, what he said hurt me but he is probably having a bad day. I also can sometimes say hurtful things when I am upset. Let me try to forgive him and pray that God blesses Him. Maybe later in the day I can go out of my way to be kind to that person. These good thoughts quickly grow and produce good fruits: understanding, peace, forgiveness and kindness. Thoughts are like seeds that can grow and produce good or bad fruit.

It is surprising how quickly good thoughts can be choked out by bad ones. In the Gospel, Jesus emphasizes how easily and quickly His word can be silenced in our hearts because of the growth of thorns. For example, a couple weeks ago I travelled to Tijuana, Mexico to attend the priestly ordination of my two friends. After the ordination, the three of us travelled from Mexico into San Diego in order to drop off one of my friends at the airport. It turned out being one of the most eventful border crossings of my life. After waiting in line for close to 2 hours, the border crossing guard greeted us warmly and asked for our passports. After looking at the passports, which were from Canada, Panama and Colombia, it didn't take long for the guard to determine that we were going through secondary inspection. There, more guards asked us to get out of the car and led us into a containment area enclosed by a chain linked fenced. Here we sat on a bench - three priests all in clerical attire -  while a dog searched the van inside and out.  As soon as we sat down, the other people who were waiting saw us and began looking at each other with smiles on their faces. They were probably wondering what these three priests had gotten up to! Eventually the search was completed and we were sent on our way. During this whole border-crossing experience, many thoughts entered my mind. I wish I could say that my thoughts were all in accord with the Gospel, thoughts like I trust God will take care of me or thank God for this opportunity to experience a particular struggle that many less fortunate people go through everyday. Though these thoughts did cross my mind, they were quickly choked out by bad ones: what happens if we miss the flight? What happens if there is a misunderstanding and I get arrested? These other people waiting here must think I am some sort of criminal! These bad thoughts grew and produced all kind of bad fruit: anxiety, frustration and anger. I was surprised how quickly good thoughts can be choked out by bad thoughts.

Fortunately there are practical steps that we can take to ensure that the thoughts which lead us closer to God are able to grow above those that lead us from Him. We can ensure that we are fertile soil for the good seeds that bring us closer to Jesus. Now, if you thought I was crazy when I said that we all talk to ourselves, you’ll find this suggestion ridiculous. My advice is this: when we are aware that our bad thoughts are growing, we need to argue with ourselves! Imagine that you fail at something, perhaps it is at work or school. When this happens our thoughts can often be quite bad. I am such I screw up; I am no good. Why do I even bother trying? Why would anyone want to associate with me? When we find our thoughts going in this direction, we can argue with ourselves, countering these bad thoughts with thoughts more in line with the Gospel. Sure, I made a mistake, but its not the end of the world. I can do many other things well, for example (remind yourself of your particular talent here!). I am good; God does not make junk. When we try to argue with ourselves in this way we find that our thoughts that lead us away from the truth about who God is and how He has created us are kept in check and do not grow too large. These bad thoughts are also not allowed to produce bad fruits. The good thoughts are able to grow and produce good fruits. We are better able to maintain a sense of peace and calm.

As followers of Jesus, it is important that we be aware of the internal dialogue that is always happening in our mind. Our thoughts are very important because they affect the way we feel and how we act. We need to “evangelize” our bad thoughts so that our thoughts can become more and more in line with the way that Jesus would want us to think. When next you realize that bad thoughts are growing in your mind try to argue with yourself. You will probably find that it gives you more peace and happiness in your life. You will probably discover that its not that crazy after all!

Why work?

Matthew 11:25-30 (14th Sunday OT, year A)

I hate to dampen everyone’s mood, but today I want to discuss a subject that is not a favorite of many: work! Whether it is a job or simply chores around the house, work is part of each of our lives. The Gospel of today, in which Jesus speaks about burdens and yokes, points to the subject of work. It is a good opportunity for us to consider the purpose and meaning of work in our lives as Christians.

© Sailko / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-3.0

A Light Yoke, an Easy Burden

Jesus’ promise to give us a light yoke is incredibly appealing. Often we do not view work in a positive light - we see it as a heavy yoke. When I am driving, I enjoy looking at bumper stickers. Recently I came across the following bumper stickers, all work related:

I HAD a life... but my work ate it.

I owe, I owe, its off to work I go.

I'm in no hurry... I'm on my way to work.

Work is that annoying time when I am not fishing.

Hard work never killed anyone, but why take the chance?

Beneath their humor, these bumper stickers reveal how we view the reality of work. Our job and other work can often seem like a necessary evil or something that we need to do to get on with our “real” life. At many times we feel heavily burdened by our work. In the Gospel Jesus tells us that in place of our difficult yoke He will give us yoke that is easy and a burden that is light. This is a very attractive offer.

Giving Work a Deeper Meaning

How is it that Jesus will give us a light yoke? Jesus is not saying that He will remove work from our lives so that we can spend our lives fishing or on the beach! Jesus is also not telling us that we should all quit our jobs so that we can spend all our time directly serving the poor and sick. This is the call for some, but not for all. Jesus is telling us that He will lighten our yoke and ease our burden by helping us to infuse the work that we are currently doing with greater meaning and purpose. It is not enough that we work simply to get a paycheck. If we only ever see work as a necessary evil, it will always weigh us down. One book which had a great impact on me is Man’s Search for Meaning, by Viktor Frankl who was a psychologist and holocaust survivor. This book is a reflection on his time in a Nazi concentration camp. While observing the other captives, all of whom were subjected to the same brutality, Frankl wondered why some would fight each day to survive while others would lose the will to live and soon die. He concluded that those who were able to cope best throughout their sufferings were those who had the greatest sense of meaning in their lives. Those who were living for someone they loved or for some cause, were those who survived. Those without a strong sense of meaning in their lives soon gave up. Though the hardships of our work cannot begin to compare to what Frankl and others suffered, the principle holds. If we cannot perceive a deep meaning and purpose in our work, then it will be nothing other than a heavy burden. If, on the other hand, we are able to see a deep meaning in our work, then our yoke becomes lighter. It is in this way that Jesus can transform our work, making it an easier burden.

Meaning #1: Work as Co-creation

In order to help us give deeper meaning to our work, we first need to realize that work is a good thing because it is one way in which we are made in the image of God. Let me ask you a question. Do you think that Adam and Eve were meant to work from the beginning or did they have to work because of fall? In fact, Adam and Eve were always meant to work. After the fall we learn that work becomes much more difficult, but work was always a part of the plan. It is precisely since we are made in the image of God that work is an integral part of our lives. Through work, we become co-creators with God. Regardless of how simple or routine our work is, we have all probably experienced this creative aspect of work.  When we are able to make something new we are co-creating with God. When we use our ingenuity to find some new, better way of doing things we are co-creating with God. Being co-creators gives our life great meaning and satisfaction. Now, since the fall, work has also become a burdensome, repetitive and tiring exercise. It remains however a good thing. It is not a necessary evil. One way we can lighten the burden of our work is to remind ourselves that work allows us to imitate God. When we remember to use our gifts to be creative work becomes more satisfying; our yoke becomes lighter.

Meaning #2: Work Continues Jesus’ Mission of Love

In order to infuse our work with even deeper meaning, we need to remember that work in one important way in which we spread Jesus’ love, mercy and compassion to other people. I once visited a chapel that had a very unique crucifix. On this crucifix, the body of Christ had no arms. At first I thought that the crucifix was very old and that that the arms had somehow fallen off over time. When I looked closer, I saw that crucifix was made this way in order to make an important point: Jesus has no arms in this world except ours! Work is one way in which we get to be the arms of Christ. At work we are in contact with so many different people. When we stop and think about it, we realize that each of these individuals is carrying their own burdens and difficulties. If we are attentive to the needs of whoever the specific person is in front of us, we can really communicate to them the love of Jesus. Perhaps it is simply a matter of serving them well. Maybe we can greet them kindly with a smile. When we do this, we imitate Jesus who was “meek and humble of heart”. Work is not just about doing something. Work is about being something: the love of Jesus. When we are aware of this profound meaning of work, our own burden becomes less difficult. Our yoke is lighter when we realize that work in an important way in which we are the arms of Christ, bringing love, mercy and compassion to others.

Work will never be free from difficulties. At times in will be routine and very burdensome. However, the more we are able to realize and live the deeper meaning of work, the lighter our burden. Perhaps we need to make up some new bumper stickers:

Work is how I imitate God’s act of creation.

Work is where I am the arms of Christ.

Admittedly, these bumper stickers are not as funny as the other ones. However, if we remember these messages, and try to live them, we can experience in our life the promise of Jesus that He will give us a lighter yoke.

LEGO-me

I have my own LEGO character!

Take a look at the pictures a parishioner showed me of her boys' LEGO creations. First, they made a LEGO version of me.  I was both amused and flattered - "LEGO Fr. Nick" has a sweet head of hair!

LEGO Fr. Nick

Then, they had me celebrate Mass for a LEGO congregation. For those who may be wondering, the chalices are from the Indiana Jones set.

"The Lord be with you."

"And with your spirit."

I am hoping that LEGO Fr. Nick's Mass makes it into the sequel to The LEGO Movie.

(Thanks for the pictures Andrea!)

The Real Presence: dealing with doubt

John 6:51-58 (Corpus Christi, year A)

Christ with the Host, Paolo da San Leocadio, 1520

When I was living in Rome, one of my favorite events to attend was the annual Corpus Christi procession. Every year this begins with the Pope celebrating Mass at the famous basilica of St. John Lateran. After Mass, the Pope places a consecrated host inside a monstrance and leads a crowd of several thousands in procession through the streets of Rome to the nearby basilica Santa Maria Maggiore. There everyone spends some moments in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Now, if you had no knowledge of Catholic tradition and belief, the event would seem very strange. You might ask, quite understandably, why people were adoring what looks like a piece of bread. If you were to ask why we did this, we’d reply it is because we believe that this bread is not bread but that it is really, truly, substantially Jesus. This belief in the Real Presence would no doubt leave you confused and doubtful. This reaction is not uncommon, both among Catholics and non-Catholics.

In fact, the feast of Corpus Christi came about because of doubt in the Real Presence. Back in the year 1263 a German priest was travelling to Rome on pilgrimage. Along the way, he stopped in the small, Italian city of Bolsena to celebrate Mass. During his pilgrimage, this priest was experiencing a crisis of faith. He was struggling to believe in the Real Presence. While he was celebrating Mass, something extraordinary happened. At the moment of consecration the host began to drip blood onto the piece of linen, called a corporal, that sat upon the altar. Shocked, the priest went to visit Pope Urban IV who was staying in the nearby city of Orvieto. After an investigation, the Pope ordered that the host, along with the corporal be displayed in the Cathedral of Orvieto for veneration. You can still see them there today. Soon after this event, Pope Urban instituted the feast of Corpus Christi, in honor of the Body and Blood of Jesus. He even commissioned St. Thomas Aquinas to write the prayers for this special feast, one that came about because of doubts that a priest had in the real presence.

Today it seems that many Catholics do not believe in the Real Presence. In 2013, a survey of American Catholics (I assume the numbers would be similar for Canadians) found that approximately 40% of American Catholics do not believe in the Real Presence. That is, they do not believe that at the consecration during Mass, the bread and wine really become the Body and Blood of Jesus and are not just mere symbols. That only six out of ten Catholics believe in the Real Presence is hardly encouraging. When you look closer at the study, however, some interesting facts emerge. This study explains that half of American Catholics do not know that the Church teaches the Real Presence. Looking closer we see that 17% of Catholics do not know that the Church teaches the Real Presence, but believe in it nonetheless. On the other hand, 33% do not know that the Church teaches the real presence and do not believe in it. Most interesting of all, of those who actually know that the Church teaches the Real Presence, a mere 4% do not believe in it. From this study, we can draw an important lesson. Though four in ten Catholics do not believe in the Real Presence, the vast majority of these people are ignorant of Church teaching. This study then tells us that lack of belief in Real Presence is more a problem of lack of proper religious education rather than doubt.

The Catholic Church has always taught the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. The reason the Church has always taught that the Eucharist is no mere symbol but that Jesus is really present in the Eucharist is simply: Jesus has told us so. He does this clearly in the Gospel of today, taken from John, chapter 6. As many of you know, in John’s account of the Last Supper, he has makes no mention of Jesus instituting the Eucharist. This is no accident; John’s discussion of the Eucharist happens in chapter 6. This chapter begins with Jesus feeding a multitude through the multiplication of loaves. Later in the chapter, Jesus discusses the significance of what He has done. He explains that though He has given them bread in this miracle, He will give them something better. Jesus explains that He will give Himself as bread in two ways.

1. In the first way, Jesus becomes bread in a symbolic way. In the Old Testament, wisdom from God was seen as bread (see Proverbs 9:15). This is the bread that gives true life. Jesus explains that He is the wisdom of God; He is the bread that gives true life.
2. In the second way, Jesus literally gives us Himself under the appearance of bread in the Eucharist, which is truly and really His Body and Blood. We just read this in the Gospel of Today. Here Jesus is no longer speaking symbolically. We know this for a few reasons, here are two. First, the verb for “to eat” changes. The greek verb “trogein” is used. This verb is crassly material, meaning “to gnaw”. This serves to emphasize that Jesus will truly give Himself for us to eat. Secondly, it was clear that those Jesus spoke to realized He was speaking literally. For Jews the idea of drinking the blood of an animal, let alone of a human, was repugnant. Throughout the chapter people are becoming more and more hostile to what Jesus is saying. Ultimately most left Him because of this teaching. Jesus could have stopped and said “listen, I am only speaking symbolically!” He could have kept most of His followers by making this clarification, but He didn't.

The Catholic Church teaches that the Eucharist is not some mere symbol. The Church teaches that Jesus is really, truly present in the Eucharist because He has told us so.

There are some simple ways that we can strengthen our faith in these words of Christ.  Recently, Pope Francis said something which I found striking:

Every Sunday we go to Mass, we celebrate the Eucharist together and the Eucharist is like the ‘burning bush’ in which the Trinity humbly dwells and communicates itself.

After reading this, I thought, “how did Moses acknowledge that he was in the presence of God?” He took off his sandals. Because having a body is integral to what it means to be human, we must express our beliefs with gestures. Moses took of his sandals because he believed he was in God’s presence. As Catholics, we have a rich tradition of gestures associated with the Eucharist. These gestures and the way that we act when in the presence of the Eucharist both express our faith and strengthen it. For example, we kneel during the consecration not to take a rest, but to adore Jesus who is really present in the Eucharist. When we enter or leave a Church we genuflect to the tabernacle. In the Middle Ages, when someone entered the presence of a king they would genuflect. Genuflecting toward the tabernacle reminds us that Jesus - the King of kings - is really present there in the Eucharist. Doing these simple gestures like kneeling and genuflecting both expresses and strengthens our faith in Jesus’ teaching that He is truly, really present in the Eucharist.

Today on Corpus Christi we give thanks to Jesus that in His great love for us He has given us in the Eucharist the greatest gift of all, the gift of His very self. The Eucharist is no longer bread. It is not a mere symbol. It is really Jesus. This has never been an easy teaching to accept. We believe in the Real Presence because of the word of Jesus. We believe it because He has told us so. Let us remember that kneeling and genuflecting are not part of some “Catholic Aerobics routine” but are rather powerful, simple ways to strengthen our faith in Jesus’ teaching.

A Problem of Perspective

John 3:16-18 (Trinity Sunday, year A)

Once a group of adventurers were making their way through a dense jungle. In order to make any progress, they had to cut their way through the vegetation with machetes. It was hard, slow work. Eventually, on member of the group had the great idea to climb a tree in order to get a better view and check on their progress. Climbing the tree, he looked out and to his great surprise found that the group was making their way towards a giant cliff. He called down to his friends in an attempt to warn them that they were going the wrong way. The rest of the group would not listen to him. They kept silencing him saying, “we’re making good progress, come down from the tree and help us!” In our life, we can be like this group making our way through the jungle. We feel that we are making good progress. We go through our daily grind and can be satisfied just to soldier on. We rarely check, however, to see if we are even going in the right direction on our journey. Perhaps we are headed for a cliff. Today, Trinity Sunday, is a great chance for us to climb the tree and see which way we are headed. Today is an opportunity to put our lives in perspective and answer some important questions: where have I come from? Where am I going?

The answer to the question, “where have we come from?” is simple: the Trinity. That is our origin. The Trinity both the most important and perplexing Christina belief. A helpful way to consider the Trinity is to start with what is perhaps the most important definition of God: God is love (1 John 3:16). This says much more than simply God is “loving”, something many religions would agree with. In order for God to be love, there must exist within God a community involving a lover, a beloved and the love they share between them. This corresponds to the Persons in the Trinity: Father (lover), Son (beloved) and Holy Spirit (love they share). The communion of love they share is so perfect that they are one in substance. They remain, however, three different Persons, differentiated only by the relationships they have with one another. The Trinity has existed eternally in a state of perfection, before anything was ever created. An important question to consider is “why did the Trinity create”? Was God lacking in anything? We can discover the answer by considering that definition once again: God is love. An elderly priest once told me a story. He said that after his sister got married, she and her husband very much wanted to have a child but were encountering difficulties. They told the priest, “please pray that we can have a child because the love that we share between us is so great that we need to share it with someone”. Likewise, God created out of an overabundance of love and goodness. We have come from the perfect love of the God, who from all eternity has existed in community.

We were created in order to be in a relationship with the Trinity. This is the purpose of our existence. This idea is illustrated in a very interesting way in one of the most famous artistic representations of the Trinity, an icon by Andrei Rublev. In this icon, the Persons of the Trinity are seated at a table. The Father is seated to the left, the Son in the back and the Holy Spirit to the right. It is an image of loving communion and perfect happiness. If you have seen the icon, however, you will realize that there is an empty seat at the table, directly in the front. With this, Rublev sends the message that this place at the table is meant to be taken by each one of us. We have been created by the Trinity so that we could share in their communion of love. This relationship defines who we are as a human being. There is a space for us at the table with the Trinity.

This wonderful plan was destroyed by sin. Sin separates us from God, because it is the opposite of love. It prevents us from entering into this communion of love with the Trinity. Sometimes we fail to realize how serious and destructive sin is. That it destroys something so beautiful. If you have ever visited St. Peter’s Basilica, you will no doubt have noticed that a large crowd usually gathers in a spot in the back of the Church, just to the right, when you enter the Basilica. People gather there to catch a glimpse of Michelangelo’s Pieta. This statue, which depicts Mary cradling the dead body of her Son, is among the most beautiful and priceless works of art in the world. If you have ever viewed it, you also know that there is a large plexiglass screen separating visitors from the masterpiece. This was not always the case. In 1972, a man attacked the statue with a hammer. Before visitors constrained him, he was able to strike the statute more than ten times, breaking off Mary’s nose and arm. Though the statue was repaired, it was never quite the same. In the wake of this attack, people could not comprehend how someone could deface a work of such beauty and goodness. This event is a apt analogy for sin and should help us better comprehend the its severity. Sin destroys something infinitely more good and beautiful than the Pieta: our loving relationship with the Trinity.

Jesus’ mission was to allow us to enter into communion with the Trinity once again. The Gospel of today contained what is among the most famous passages of the New Testament, John 3:16. You have probably seen people holding posters at sporting events with this passage on it: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” The Trinity created us out of love. The Father sent His Son to save us out of love. Let’s return back to the story about people hiking through the jungle. By His passion, death and resurrection, Jesus has cut path for us through the jungle and back to the heart of the Trinity. He has allowed us to enter once again into a relationship with God, this is the destination of our life. Jesus has cleared this path and opened it to all as a free gift. Our salvation, however, is not automatic. As we heard in the Gospel, we have to walk down the path laid out by Jesus. We need to trust Him, believe in Him and live a life in conformity with the Gospel. It is important to ask ourselves: are we following the path laid out by Jesus that leads us into communion with the Trinity in this life and the next? Or, are there areas in our life, certain behaviours or attitudes, that are bringing us towards a cliff? Out of love, Jesus came so that we would once again be able to live in a loving relationship with the Trinity.

Because life is busy, it is easy to get caught up in our day to day commitments and lose sight of the ultimate destination in our life. We get stuck in the jungle, hacking with our machete, and easily lose our way. Trinity Sunday is meant to give us perspective. We often make the sign of the cross. It is such a simple and powerful prayer. Often, however, we don’t pay attention to what we are doing. Whenever we make the sign of the cross, let it be an opportunity to consciously remember that we have come from the love of the Trinity and are meant to return back to this loving communion. Knowing from where we’ve come and to where we are going should determine how we live and the choices we make.

Be Not Afraid!

John 20:19-23 (Pentecost, year A)

"Creative Commons Apostles receive the gift of tongues (Acts 2)"is licensed under CC0 1.0

One of my heroes is St. John Paul II. This man, who was Pope during most of the time that I was alive, helped inspire me to follow Jesus more closely and to become a priest. The most important message that I received from Pope John Paul II can be summarized in the short speech that he gave immediately after he was was elected Pope. If you haven’t seen the footage, I suggest you check it out on YouTube. Walking to the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica right after his election, Pope John Paul II addressed the many thousands gathered below in the square with a simple, powerful message: “Do not be afraid!”

The reality is that fear often prevents us from fully engaging in society in order to carry out the mission Jesus has given us. Like the disciples in the Gospel of today, we lock ourselves away from the world out of fear. For the disciples, their fear was of the Jewish authorities. Today, we can often be afraid to even let people know that we are Catholic. We are timid to discuss our faith with others. We are hesitant to offer our opinions on some matters because we do not want to be judged or drawn into arguments. Recently the Catholic Church has taken a beating in the court of public opinion. Many of these wounds are self-inflicted. Because of the terrible actions of some of its members - the sexual abuse scandal is a notable example - the reputation of the Church is greatly tarnished. Many people no longer care to listen to what the Church has to say, arguing that is a backward and outdated institution. Some, like Richard Dawkins, appear on television arguing that the Catholic Church is among the greatest forces of evil in the world. Certainly, there are many who admire and support the Church. That said, we have all probably felt a certain shyness of fear to even admit to others that we are Catholics. Like the disciples in the Gospel of today, we are unable to do the mission Jesus has entrusted to us because we lock ourselves away from society out of fear.

It is through the gift of the Holy Spirit that Jesus transforms us completely. Without Jesus, we would forever be locked away. The Gospel of today is the Evangelist John’s depiction of Pentecost. In this, Jesus breathes on the disciples and says “receive the gift of the Holy Spirit”. This act of breathing is very significant. It reminds us of of the account of the creation on the first man in which God brought the man to life by breathing into his nostrils. Similarly, by giving us the gift of the Holy Spirit, Jesus gives His followers new life. Here are two manifestations of this new life:

1. Jesus forms us into a community, the Church. Pentecost is usually considered the Birthday of the Church. Because of the Holy Spirit, we are united into one family from every nation and language. As we saw in the first reading, the disciples went and spoke every language. This is still a reality today.
2. Jesus sends us out on a mission. After giving them the gift of the Holy Spirit, Jesus tells His disciples, “as the Father sent me, now I send you”. The Church is meant to continue Jesus’ mission of reconciling the world to God. To do this the disciples must unlock the doors and go boldly into society.

By giving us the gift of the Holy Spirit, Jesus gives us a new life.

The Holy Spirit gives each of us gifts that are meant to be used in the service of Jesus’ mission and of others. In the second reading, we heard St. Paul describe the Church as a body. A body is made of many parts which are all connected to each other and important to the proper functioning of the body. Likewise, as members of the Church we are part of one body. We are all connected to each other and serve a common mission: as Jesus was sent by the Father, so He sends us. Each of us have been given different gifts. We are not meant to keep these gifts to ourselves. They are meant to be used to carry out this common mission. In addition to Pentecost, today is also Stewardship Sunday. We are reminded today that we are meant to use all our gifts - our time, talents and treasure - in the service of others and the mission Jesus has given us. As the saying goes, “use it or lose it”! We cannot bring these gifts with us after we die! Or, as Pope Francis is found of saying, “there are no pockets in a burial shroud”. God has all given us time, talents and treasure that are meant for the service of others.

The Holy Spirit gives us the courage to fearlessly use our gifts to help further the mission that Jesus has given us. From the first reading, we see that after the apostles received the Holy Spirit, the went out and courageously witnessed to Jesus. Sometimes we think that we are not good, talented or knowledgeable enough to do the mission Jesus gives us. The truth is that we aren't and neither were the disciples. We are weak, but the Holy Spirit will work through us. When Pope Benedict was elected, he explained that he felt afraid and that he was not up to the task. He said, however, that he took comfort from the “fact that the Lord knows how to work and to act even with insufficient instruments”. For me, an inspiring example of someone using fearlessly using their gifts to further Jesus’ mission is a young Italian religious sister named Sister Cristina. Recently she won the Italian version of “The Voice”, a singing competition. Competing in her religious habit and openly speaking about her faith, she has been a vibrant, compelling witness to Jesus Christ. As one of the heavily tatoo-ed judges named J-Ax remarked when he first heard her sing, "If I had met you during the Mass when I was a child, now I would be Pope. I would surely have attended all of the functions." To this, Sister Christina responded, “well, you have met me now”. The Holy Spirit gives us the courage to overcome our fears and use our gifts to serve others and bring them closer to Jesus.

Pentecost is a day of hope. It is a day to be proud to be called by Jesus to be part of the Church and given a mission. We all have a vital role to play. No one is insignificant or unimportant. Let us not lock ourselves away due to fear. Today let us consciously pray that the Holy Spirit will fill us with the courage to to participate in Jesus’ mission. On Pentecost more than any other day those words of Pope John Paul II should echo deep within our hearts: “be not afraid”!

Boredom is not an option for a Christian

Matthew 28:16-20 (Ascension, year A)

source: commons.wikimedia.org,  Fat Les, RanZag

Without a doubt, my favorite television show is Sherlock. This is an updated take on the story of Sherlock Holmes set in modern day London. Each episode shows the adventures of the amazing and talented detective. If you have seen this show, or even read any of the original stories, you probably noticed something interesting. When Sherlock Holmes is engaged in a mystery, he is a whirlwind of activity. He is completely focused on his mission and fully alive. At those times when Sherlock has no mission, however, he becomes a different person entirely. Without a case, he sinks rapidly into boredom. He becomes despondent and lacks direction completely.

Similar to Sherlock, many of us today are often bored and lacking in vigor because we have no sense of mission in our lives. It seems that this boredom tends to manifest itself in two main ways which I will call “busy bored” and “lifeless bored”. Being “busy bored” is very common, I know I often fall into this category myself. Many times we are running around doing many things. There doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day. How, you ask, could someone who is busy be bored? Boredom sets in because underneath all the business we can feel a general unease and disquiet because we lack a unified goal and direction in our life. We work hard, but what are we working for? We do many things, but why ultimately do we do them? To avoid facing these questions we can just throw ourselves into more activity. These questions struck me pretty hard when I was studying engineering at university. I worked hard and I enjoyed my studies - at least most of the time! Within all my busy-ness, however, a kind of boredom and uneasiness sunk in. What was the ultimate purpose of all this work? I often thought, “there must be more to life than this”. I lacked a sense of mission. The second kind of boredom, “lifeless bored” is what Sherlock suffers from when he is without a case. If you have ever read the books, you will know that when he becomes bored, Sherlock begins to take drugs as an escape from the boredom. Similarly, many people in our culture get into some harmful and questionable activities in order to escape their boredom: drinking, drugs, gossip and prying into other people’s lives, and throwing whole days away playing video games. In our country we are blessed with so many opportunities and resources yet we are often bored. Like Sherlock, for so many of us our lives lack vigour and excitement because we lack a sense of purpose.

We all desire to be part of some great mission. This desire is a part of our DNA. Think about this for a moment.  Who is one living person who you greatly admire for all the good that he or she does in the world? Try to picture this person in your mind. Now, imagine that one day this person contacted you to arrange a meeting. At this meeting, this individual presented to you a bold new plan for changing the world in some positive way. This mission is going to be very challenging and will encounter much resistance. Next, this person you admire surprises you by telling you that they have been watching you for some time and think that you have what it takes to be part of this mission. They offer you a once in a lifetime opportunity to be a member of a team that will be working to bring about real change in the world. If this happened to you, how would you feel? Excited and full of energy? Nervous and afraid? Special and worthwhile? Certainly, we would have strong feelings and this is for just a human being! How would you feel if it was Jesus, someone you admire above all? Maybe it seems unbelievable that He would personally choose us in this way. Each and every one of us desires to be part of some great quest or undertaking.

In reality, Jesus does send us out on the greatest mission. This mission involves nothing less than the transformation of the world. Today we celebrate the Ascension of Jesus when Jesus returns to His Father. He has not, however, left us idle. Jesus hands on to His followers the mission that He Himself initiated in what is often called the great commission:

“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”

In a word, the great commission calls us to evangelize. Recently, Pope Francis released an incredible document called the Joy of the Gospel in which he strongly reminds us all of this mission. He explains that all followers of Jesus, all disciples, must be missionary disciples. Each of us is meant to go and spread the good news that God has reconciled the world to Himself through the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He is our salvation. Pope Francis reminds us that we need to be explicit with this message. We need to draw all people to a relationship with Jesus because in this the human heart finds its deepest joy. There is also a clear social dimension to evangelization. As Pope Francis said: “Mission is at once passion for Jesus and passion for His people”. We are called to impact society, in particular, we must care for the poor. All of us are called to participate in this radical mission, whether we are married, priests, religious or single. Whatever our “day job” is, our ultimate job is to make disciples of all nations and build up the Kingdom of God. Jesus send us out on the greatest and most challenging mission imaginable.

We need to ensure that we personally accept this mission of Jesus. As Catholics, we unfortunately can go our whole lives without embracing this commission of Jesus. When this happens, we end up serving the predominant mission of our society: getting by, keeping busy and trying to live a good life. Personally, I went for a long time without ever really embracing the mission Jesus has given us. I finally did this when I had the opportunity to attend World Youth Day in Cologne at the end of my time in university. I remember clearly the prayer vigil during at which Pope Benedict addressed a crowd of over one million young people late into the night. That evening, he challenged the youth to embrace the radical mission that Jesus has left us all: to go and make disciples of all nations and change the world in doing so. He invited us to be part of a revolution of holiness, which is the only kind of revolution that can bring about true change in the world. That night I felt as though the Pope was speaking straight to me and I wanted more than anything to be part of this mission. In my heart, I embraced this mission from Jesus. I think the World Youth Days have been one of the most transformative series of events in the recent history of the Church. At them countless individuals - both young and old - have personally accepted Jesus’ mission. It is impossible to forget images from the most recent World Youth Day in Brazil where Pope Francis addressed 2 million young people gathered at Copacabana beach with the image of Christ the Redeemer in the background. There again, the Pope echoed the the great commission: go and make disciples of all nations! It is crucial that we personally accept this invitation.

Whenever I watch the show Sherlock, it is sad to see Sherlock Holmes when he is bored. It seems like such a waste of talent. If we are honest, we must admit with sadness that the Church is filled with far too many bored Catholics. This is an incredible waste. We have been given an incredible mission that gives purpose and energy to our lives. Today ask yourself a simply question: have I personally accepted this mission from Jesus? We need to realize that if we are bored as Catholics, we are doing something terribly wrong!

King of the Ring

John 14:15-21 (6th week of Easter, year A)

This past weekend, many youth from the parish participated in an awesome retreat called The King of the Ring. During this retreat, boxing was used as a powerful metaphor for our life as Christians. This metaphor is very accurate. Following Jesus means that we will often have to fight against various opponents. Like a boxer we are also surrounded by a great many people. Some are on our side, cheering for us and giving us advice. At the same time, it is difficult to hear these voices because there are also some in the crowd who are cheering for our opponents. They also try to give us bad advice in an attempt to have us make a false move or give up. Being a Christian is much like being a boxer fighting in a ring.

When we follow Jesus, we will have to fight to love God and keep His commandments. This is the challenge that Jesus gives us in the gospel of today. Though we all need to love God more, in a real way, we all do love God. Though we all are need to follow God’s commandments better, we all are trying to live and love as Jesus did. It would be wonderful of this was an easy thing to do. It would be great if being a Christian could be all rainbows and unicorns all the time, but it isn’t. Trying to follow the commandments is a struggle against various opponents. First, we fight against ourselves. None of us is perfect. We are broken and selfish human beings. Though we often know the right way to act, it can be very difficult to do so. As Jesus said, “the Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak” (Mt 26:41). Second, we sometimes battle against other people. Conflicts can arise simply because of misunderstandings. Sometimes because of their own woundedness, people will try to hurt us, often to make themselves feel better. Regardless of the reason, these blows hurt. Finally, we fight Satan. The devil is real and will do all he can to keep us from loving God and keeping His commandments. As the saying goes: the struggle is real. This, however, should not surprise us. Jesus Himself was a fighter. He fought for all that was good, true and beautiful. He fought for the weak. He fought to reunite us with God our Father. It should come as no surprise that if we want to follow in Jesus’ footsteps and keep God’s commandments, we will also have to struggle.

In this fight, many voices will try to prevent us from winning. As a boxer in the ring, you are surrounded by a great crowd who all cry out. Many of these voices try to prevent you from loving God and following His commandments. For an activity on the retreat, I had the opportunity to talk with a few youth about this Gospel, in order to brainstorm ideas for this homily. They focused on the fact that in our life as Christians we encounter many voices that hold us back. Some of these voices take the form of negative peer pressure from our friends. Some of these voices we perceive as coming from those closest to us, our own family. Some of these voices come from within our own head. Here is a selection of some of the things the youth heard these voices saying.

You need to get good grades at school. If you don’t you are a failure. Don’t go to Mass today. You are too busy with school and work. If you want to fit in, you need to go to this party where there will be drugs and alcohol. You’re not good enough. You’re not pretty enough. You’re not smart enough. Nobody really likes you.

The youth also described how these voices made them feel. Anxious. Alone. Weighed down. Defeated. In our struggle to love God and follow His commandments, many voices try to prevent us from winning.

In this fight, the Holy Spirit is in our corner, ensuring us of victory. While on retreat, the youth talked about the numerous people that each of us have in our corners like our parents and good friends. Though Jesus does not fight our fights for us, as He explains in the Gospel of today, He has given us the Holy Spirit, who is the strongest support that we have. The Holy Spirit is like like the trainer that each boxer has in his or her corner. The trainer advises the boxer and gives encouragement. The trainer is the most important voice of all to listen to. Jesus calls the Holy Spirit the Paraclete. The word Paraclete means a number of things such as advocate, counsellor and consoler. In contrast to all the negative voices they hear, the youth explained that the Holy Spirit will say things like this to us.

You are beautiful, good, and God’s beloved son or daughter. You are never alone no matter how lonely you feel. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t succeed at first. Try your best. Life is a journey. God has a great plan for you. Respect and take care of yourself by not giving into the pressure to drink and do drugs. No matter how bad things seem, they will get better. Don’t loose hope.

The youth also described how it made them feel knowing that they had they Holy Spirit in their corner supporting them. Hope. Cared for. Trust. Peace. Loved. The Holy Spirit is the greatest gift from Jesus, He is our greatest support in our battle as followers of Jesus.

In order to ensure ourselves of victory, we need to take some practical steps to ensure that we are able to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit. Our lives are very busy and noisy. Here are two practical things we can do to ensure that the voice of the Paraclete is not drowned out:

1. Actively seek silence and solitude in order to listen to the Holy Spirit. In a boxing ring, the boxer cannot normally hear the trainer over the noise from the crowd. For this reason, in between rounds, the boxer goes into the corner to be with and listen to the trainer. Likewise the voice of the Holy Spirit is a quiet one. In order to hear what He is saying to us, we need to choose some time each day to be in silence and solitude. Turn off your phone, music and computer. Give the Holy Spirit a chance to be heard. Start with five minutes.
2. Keep a journal of the good things that the Holy Spirit says to you. You can do this during your time of silence and solitude! We have all at times heard the Holy Spirit’s voice of encouragement and love. Sometimes it is in something we read, sometimes through the voice of a friend or other times when in prayer. Unfortunately we tend to forget quickly these good and encouraging things. We focus on the negative voices. To combat this tendency, it can be very powerful to write down in a book the truth the Holy Spirit shows you. Write down all the things you love about yourself. Your talents and good qualities. What makes you a good friend. The values you want to live by. Often write down the blessings that happen in the day. Simple things like a nice conversation with a friend or the time you were able to show kindness to someone. Keep all this in a journal and refer to it often, especially when you are down and feel like giving up.

Our life as followers of Jesus is a battle. Loving God and keeping His commandments is not easy, but it is a something truly worth fighting for. Never give up, especially when you are knocked to the ground. Jesus has given us the Holy Spirit to help and console us. Today chose to take some steps to ensure you can hear His voice above the crowd. Decide to spend some few minutes each day in silence and solitude to write in a journal all the good and encouraging things that the Holy Spirit has to say to you. With the Paraclete by our side, victory is assured!