Don't be a couch potato Catholic!

Acts 2:1-11; John 20:19-23

Each of us probably knows someone who fits the description of a “couch potato”.  If you are like me, you have probably played the role of couch potato yourself at one time or another.  We all know the qualities of a coach potato: a little lazy, passive, no motivation, no desire to get out and accomplish some task.  The scary thing is, sometimes these characteristics can describe the way that we practice our faith.

There is a great risk that we become “coach potato Catholics”.  In a recent homily, Pope Francis warned of the dangers of becoming couch potato Catholic.  That was the term he used.  He explained that a couch potato Catholic is someone who is cozy in their faith, well-settled in their comfort zone.  Maybe they come to Mass each Sunday.  They might be well-mannered and follow all the rules.  But there is something missing: they lack a sense of mission.  The fact that they are Christian does not seem to influence other areas of their lives.  Those who know them may not even realize they are Christian.  Couch potato Catholics lack excitement, zeal, for their faith.  They are not drawing anyone closer to Jesus.  They are not drawing anyone closer to the Church.  They do not act as though Jesus has given them a mission to spread the good news.  There is a great risk that we, myself included, can become couch-potato Catholics.

The Holy Spirit is the antidote for Catholic Couch-potato-it is.  The Holy Spirit transforms Jesus’ followers from couch potatoes to zealous, mission-driven individuals.    Let us consider for a moment the most dramatic case-study: the apostles, the first followers of Jesus.  They underwent a remarkable change.  When Jesus was arrested and executed, they went into hiding.  They were afraid for their lives.  Some even denied they knew Jesus.  A short time later, the apostles re-appeared on the scene preaching the good news of Jesus Christ in the face of persecution and even death.  What caused this dramatic change?  Certainly they met the risen Christ.  This brought them joy and consolation.  It was not enough to send them on mission.  In the first reading we find the answer.  The apostles received the gift of the Holy Spirit.  It was the Holy Spirit that transformed the apostles into missionaries – individuals who draw other people closer to Jesus and the Church.  The Holy Spirit transforms Jesus’ followers from couch potatoes into zealous, mission-driven individuals.

Each one of us has been given the gift of the Holy Spirit who transforms us into zealous disciples.  At our baptism and later at our confirmation, each one of us received the gift of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is often described as fire.  That is why we wear red today.  Fire gives heat, energy, life, and dynamism.  Fire also purifies and transforms.  Sometimes the fire of the Holy Spirit can remain dormant in our life.  It’s like when you leave a camp-fire unattended for a long time.  When you come back the fire looks like it is out, but is you scrap away the ashes you will find some coals buried deep in the pile.  If you blow on the coals, they will burst into flame again.  We all must stir up the gift of the Holy Spirit in our life.  We do this by intentionally taking some time each day to pray, to ask the Holy Spirit to be more active in our lives.  It doesn’t have to be long.  If we were to take only five minutes each day regularly, our lives will change.  Each one of us has been given the gift of the Holy Spirit who transforms us into zealous disciples.

Just like the apostles, we too are to bring people closer to Jesus and the Church.  We are all, each one of us, called to be evangelists.  Now, I am not suggesting that we start going door to door, trying to pass out brochures.  I know how uncomfortable that would make us all.  There are simple ways that we can spread the good news that Jesus Christ died to save us with those we encounter each day.  For example, imagine that a co-worker shares with you that they are anxious because a member of their family is sick.  In addition to sympathizing with them, you could share that in moments like these you personally find it helpful to remember that there is a God who loves and cares for us.  You could then offer to pray for the sick person.  Or perhaps a friend is down on themselves because they feel that they are a failure and that nobody cares for them.  In this case you could remind your friend that they are precious to God, so much so that Jesus died personally for them, because He loves them.  Or maybe you meet someone who is new in town, or someone who is away from their family, who is looking for a community to call home.  Why not invite them to Mass or a Church event? Just like the apostles, we too are given a mission to bring people closer to Jesus and the Church.

Being a couch potato can be nice for a while.  It is relaxing and comfortable.  But ultimately it is boring.  Likewise, being a couch potato catholic, going through life without a sense of mission or zeal is ultimately a boring way to live our faith.  There are so many people here in Surrey who need to hear the good news of Jesus Christ.  They are longing to hear that God loves them, that they have a Saviour, and that they are made for eternity.  If you do not tell them who will?  Today, let us accept this mission anew.  During this Eucharist, let us pray intentionally to the Holy Spirit that He transform us into zealous, mission-driven Catholics.

The Ascension ensures we become adult Christians

Acts 1:1-11; Luke 24:46-53

As I prepared to this, my first homily, I was reminded of one of my first experiences preaching.  A couple years ago I used to go help at a soup kitchen run by the Missionaries of Charity Sisters.  Each week before serving food, a different volunteer would read the gospel of the day and give a short reflection or homily.  Eventually my turn came.  The sister in charge pulled me aside, told me that next week I would be giving the reflection, and, she stressed, “make it short and sweet”.  That week I struggled with what I could say, how I could keep it “short and sweet”. I asked God for help, but no inspiration was coming.  Eventually the big day came and I gave my reflection.  Afterwards, the sister came to me with a very sweet smile and said, “well brother, it was short … the sweetness will come with time”.  Today, I guarantee neither the shortness of sweetness of this homily!!  But, this story points to a common experience that we all have, though in different ways and circumstances.

Each of us lives through moments when Jesus can seem so far away.  At times it can really seem like Jesus is not there to help us.  This problem is a very good one to consider today as we celebrate the Ascension, when Jesus, after having been with his followers for 40 days after the resurrection, left them and returned to His Father.  We could ask: “would it not have been better if Jesus has not ascended?” Imagine if Jesus were still here, living physically among us.  Instead of struggling to think what I should say in my reflection at the soup kitchen, I could just email Jesus and ask him what He would like me to say.  Or if you are a student in grade twelve there would be no need to stress about what you should do when you graduate.  You could just message Jesus and get guidance.  When loved ones suffer, you would not need to wonder why God would allow this to happen.  Jesus would just be a phone call away.  Governments would not need to debate over which programs would be best for society.  They could just visit Jesus and He could end the debate.  Would it not have been better if Jesus had not ascended?  But He did and so we all live through moments when He seems absent from our lives.

The relationship between a mother and her child can help us understand why Jesus ascended into heaven.  The way a mother cares for her child helps us to appreciate the necessity of the Ascension.  Today we honor our mothers and celebrate their self-less love.  Though a mother would do anything to help their child in a time of need, we know that in many situations a mother will stand back and seem to do nothing because it is what is best for the child.  For example, when a child is doing homework a mother will assist and encourage the child.  But, the mother cannot do the homework for the child.  A mother may need to watch as their child struggles to get an assignment done.  This is because the child needs to do the work themselves, so they can learn and develop.  Mothers often behave this way for the good of her child.  They “ascend” as it were away from the children, allowing them to solve their own problems.  If she didn’t, the children would never grow and mature.  This aspect of how a mother loves her child can help us better understand why Jesus would ascend in to heaven and seemingly remain distant during our times of struggle.

After the resurrection Jesus Christ needed to return back to heaven so that we could grow into adult Christians.  If Jesus had remained always physically among us, we could never grow into the men and women that God wants us to be.  Jesus came to earth for two reasons: to save us from sin and death and to transform us into the image of Himself.  To help us become more like Him, Jesus taught the disciples by word and example what it meant to live a good, loving life.  But Jesus’ mission of forming us into His own image was not completed with His death and Resurrection.  To do this, Jesus needed to ascend.  Just as we saw in the relationship between a mother and her child, Jesus needed to pull back, to allow us to struggle through our own difficulties, to put into practice what He had taught us, to help us to grow.  If Jesus had stayed physically present with us, taking away all our difficulties whenever they arose, our spiritual growth would have been forever stunted.  It was for our own good and out of love that He returned to heaven.

Jesus has not abandoned us but has given us His Spirit, His greatest gift.  The Holy Spirit is always with us, gently transforming us to become more and more like Jesus.  When we read the bible the Holy Spirit has a personal message to speak to us.  In our conscience the Holy Spirit guides us, helping us to act rightly.  When we take the time to pray, the Holy Spirit guides and comforts us.  The Holy Spirit will speak to us through our friends and fellow Christians when we seek their help.  The Holy Spirit gives us many tools and opportunity for growth but we are not forced to use them.  Often we do not make us of these tools during times of difficulty.  Because of this, these experiences are crushing rather than opportunities for growth.  It is so important that during times of difficulty we both recognize that it is a time for growth and make use of the tools that the Holy Spirit gives us to make us grow more like Christ: sacraments, Scriptures and prayer.  Jesus has left us the Holy Spirit so that we can be transformed to become more like Him.

Any kind of growth takes time.  This is especially true with spiritual growth.  However, if during times of struggle we faithfully use the tools the Holy Spirit has given us, we will gradually grow more loving, more and more Christ-like.  To borrow a phrase from the sister from the soup kitchen, in our lives too, the “sweetness will come with time”.  Today let us each try to identify one area in our life where we feel that Jesus is absent.  Let us trust that this experience is an opportunity for growth and choose to use one specific spiritual tool to aid our growth.