Dinner With Sinners - Recipe For Reflection

Gospel	Mark 2:13-17

Your light must shine in the sight of men

Jesus went out to the shore of the lake, and all the people came to him, and he taught them. As he was walking on he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus, sitting by the customs house, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him.

  When Jesus was at dinner in his house, a number of tax collectors and sinners were also sitting at the table with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many of them among his followers. When the scribes of the Pharisee party saw him eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ When Jesus heard this he said to them, ‘It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. I did not come to call the virtuous, but sinners.’

I think it is human nature for us to assume a part in any story that we are reading and to inject ourselves into it. This makes it more exciting and more memorable.  In our Gospel reading today we have a couple of points of view we can assume. 

 First of all, we can assume the character of Levi, soon to become Matthew, and we can be amazed that this man, this Jesus, a holy man, is in my house!  He has called me to be one of His followers.  But, how can this be?  I am a tax collector and all my friends are on the fringe of society, surely He must know this! 

We can take as our character the Pharisee.  We look on with wonder. We shake our heads and wonder how this man, this so-called Messiah sit with these people?  Sinners, every one of them!  If He were holy, then He would know what kind of people He was associating with and turn His back on them. 

In real life the rest of us, I dare say, will pick the part of Levi who accepts the ministry offered to him, gives up his job, which paid quite well, and chose to follow Jesus.  But, look at how our life really is.  It is much more likely that we would be on the side of the Scribes and Pharisees and we would have joined in the gossip-like critical review of the host, guests, and of Jesus.  

We and by we I include me, have to take stock of ourselves and remember that this passage as written applies to our lives here in the twenty-first century.  We have to take seriously our role as sinners at the table. The funny thing is, the Scribes and Pharisees that were criticizing  Jesus' choice of dining companions, would have fit very well and would be comfortable at the table with Levi and his sinful friends.  For it may be surprising to some, but sin is still in the world, it has not departed from our modern life, it just wears different disguises and uses a charming and soft calming voice that says, "you are the exception" or "surely that does not apply to me" or "just once won't hurt."  

Come join Jesus, Levi, his friends and me at the table.  There is a seat with your name on it. 

In your busy life remember the Poor Souls in Purgatory.  

Only God Can Forgive Sins - Is Confession Effective or are We Just Kidding Ourselves?

Gospel	Mark 2:1-12

The Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins

When Jesus returned to Capernaum, word went round that he was back; and so many people collected that there was no room left, even in front of the door. He was preaching the word to them when some people came bringing him a paralytic carried by four men, but as the crowd made it impossible to get the man to him, they stripped the roof over the place where Jesus was; and when they had made an opening, they lowered the stretcher on which the paralytic lay. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, ‘My child, your sins are forgiven.’ Now some scribes were sitting there, and they thought to themselves, ‘How can this man talk like that? He is blaspheming. Who can forgive sins but God?’ Jesus, inwardly aware that this was what they were thinking, said to them, ‘Why do you have these thoughts in your hearts? Which of these is easier: to say to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven” or to say, “Get up, pick up your stretcher and walk”? But to prove to you that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,’ – he turned to the paralytic – ‘I order you: get up, pick up your stretcher, and go off home.’ And the man got up, picked up his stretcher at once and walked out in front of everyone, so that they were all astounded and praised God saying, ‘We have never seen anything like this.’

I think that besides the Real Presence in the Eucharist that the Sacrament of Reconciliation or Penance or Confession, whichever you choose to call it, distinguishes Catholics from all of the other denominations.  We Catholics have a direct access point to the mercy of God.  Like it or not, no other denomination has this facility whereby we receive the assurance that our sins against God, His Church, and man are forgiven.  Whoa! Hold on there cowboy - we confess to a priest and HE forgives sins - that dear sir is blasphemy!  Only God can forgive sins!  

Calm down and take a chill pill if you have to.  You are one-hundred percent correct when you say "only God can forgive sins." I agree with you. We may strike our brother a sharp blow in the face and thus offend him, but by doing so we break the commandments and offend God as well.  

Jesus knew that His followers would not be able to live anything remotely like a sinless life.  He knew all too well that we would fail because it was built into us so He gave the Apostles the power to forgive sin.  He said, "Whatever you loose on earth is loosened in heaven and whatever you hold bound on earth is bound in heaven."  With these words, he instituted the Sacrament of Confession.  But, surely God will forgive sins if we but ask Him without some fancy ceremony and words of an ordinary human being.  Well, God is not bound by what we think he should be bound by.  He makes the rules and His rules are always wise.  He knows how that we need to confess our sins to one another and has chosen our priest and this sacrament as the way we are to obtain forgiveness.  

But you said that only God can forgive sins and you are having us speak to a mere man, what gives?   The priest is acting Persona Christi, and when you confess, you are actually confessing not to a priest but to Christ Himself through your priest and you receive the forgiveness of sins from Jesus and His Church for every sin we commit hurts the bond that holds us to Jesus and to the Church. 

Confession is a forgotten sacrament.  When I was a boy, Saturday afternoon would find many Catholics in church standing in line waiting to confess.  Today, not so much.  One of two things is happening here.  First, perhaps we are not sinning anymore.  Now, do you really think that this is likely?  Or second, we are not recognizing the sins we commit and sin has a hold in our lives that we have chosen to blind ourselves to.  Which do you think it is?  I believe it is the later.  We have blinded ourselves and have convinced ourselves that sin is something other people do and remember me and the Lord, well we talk every night and I ask for His forgiveness.  It is fine to ask for the forgiveness of the Lord in your daily prayer but we must remember that Jesus wants us to hold ourselves accountable and to access His forgiveness through the Sacrament of confession.  Think about it.  Make it a point to go this weekend.  

We Share Humanity With Christ

Thank You, Jesus. 

First reading	Hebrews 2:14-18 ©

He took to himself descent from Abraham

Since all the children share the same blood and flesh, Christ too shared equally in it, so that by his death he could take away all the power of the devil, who had power over death, and set free all those who had been held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death. For it was not the angels that he took to himself; he took to himself descent from Abraham. It was essential that he should in this way become completely like his brothers so that he could be a compassionate and trustworthy high priest of God’s religion, able to atone for human sins. That is because he has himself been through temptation he is able to help others who are tempted.

We all share the human condition with Jesus.  He was born, lived a day to day life, worked in the hot sun, tried to keep warm at night, loved his mother and father, cried when Joseph, his earthly father passed away, felt the pain of separation when He started working outside of his home and finally felt the overwhelming sadness of betrayal and underwent the horrible pains of a criminals death although He was an innocent lamb. In our lives, we will experience everything that Jesus did. He came to show us how to live, how to work, how to love one another and how to trust God and finally how to die. 

But Jesus did not stop with death.  Had he stopped at that point He would have proven Himself to be just another prophet and not the Messiah that was hoped for.  When death claimed Him and the devil laughed at the foolishness of the Cross, Jesus played His trump card, He destroyed death and made it our fate to be resurrected as He was and to live forever with Him, and the Father and the Holy Spirit in heaven. 

As you go about your day, think of all the wonderful things Jesus has done for you and of all of the possibilities He has opened for you by being born, living, dying, and rising.  The future for you is bright.  Nothing can stop you from fulfilling your destiny as a Child of God.  

 

Speaking With Authority - You Can Do It Too!

Gospel	Mark 1:21-28

Unlike the scribes, he taught them with authority

Jesus and his disciples went as far as Capernaum, and as soon as the Sabbath came he went to the synagogue and began to teach. And his teaching made a deep impression on them because, unlike the scribes, he taught them with authority.

  In their synagogue just then there was a man possessed by an unclean spirit and it shouted, ‘What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God.’ But Jesus said sharply, ‘Be quiet! Come out of him!’ And the unclean spirit threw the man into convulsions and with a loud cry went out of him. The people were so astonished that they started asking each other what it all meant. ‘Here is a teaching that is new’ they said ‘and with authority behind it: he gives orders even to unclean spirits and they obey him.’ And his reputation rapidly spread everywhere, through all the surrounding Galilean countryside.

Jesus taught with authority and He impressed his listeners. What made His teaching different from others? What made it more impressive than the teachings of the dozens of learned rabbis that took to the pulpit and taught the word of God?  The people were used to hearing sermons that sounded like this: "Rabbi A says this, while Rabbi B says this and I say thus and so forth."  When Jesus spoke he did not rest his case on the backs of the rabbis, but rather he taught using the words, "I say..."  He made it personal and because He was the Son of God, the Messiah, he did not have to rely on anyone to validate His words or His teachings. He backed His teaching up with action, in this case removing demons from a possessed man.  This impressed the crowd even more than the words of Christ. 

We too can teach with authority.  We can study the Word of God until we are able to recite it backward and forwards.  The words of Jesus, of course, can be captivating in and of themselves can burn their way into the souls of others.  But what will really drive the point home will be how you conduct yourself.  If you say. "Forgive" and yet you carry a grudge, people will say that you are two-faced and the word you gave them will have a harder time to take root in their souls.  But if you say, "Forgive" and really do forgive or if you say, "Love" and show yourself to be a person of love, or if you say "Hope" and you are a person that has infinite hope in Jesus, well, then your words will be memorable and they will take root and you will have helped a person to find his or her way to Jesus and you will have made a difference that will last an eternity.

Please remember the poor souls in Purgatory this day.  Remember that tomorrow you might be among their number.  Many in Purgatory have no one to pray for them because they come from the Protestant tradition who rejects the existence of Purgatory and so their relatives and friends who might be there have no one at all to pray for them.  Please step up and fill the void. 

A Little Bit of Water Can Go A Long Way

Second reading	Acts 10:34-38

God had anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit

Peter addressed Cornelius and his household: ‘The truth I have now come to realize’ he said ‘is that God does not have favorites, but that anybody of any nationality who fears God and does what is right is acceptable to him.

  ‘It is true, God sent his word to the people of Israel, and it was to them that the good news of peace was brought by Jesus Christ – but Jesus Christ is Lord of all men. You must have heard about the recent happenings in Judaea; about Jesus of Nazareth and how he began in Galilee after John had been preaching baptism. God had anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and because God was with him, Jesus went about doing good and curing all who had fallen into the power of the devil.’

Gospel
Luke 3:15-16,21-22

'Someone is coming who will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire'

A feeling of expectancy had grown among the people, who were beginning to think that John might be the Christ, so John declared before them all, ‘I baptize you with water, but someone is coming, someone who is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to undo the strap of his sandals; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. Now when all the people had been baptized and while Jesus after his own baptism was at prayer, heaven opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily shape, like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; my favor rests on you.’

It is kind of interesting that scientists say that there is not one drop of water less or more on this earth since it was formed.  How can this be?  We all know of places where droughts have hit and the water is surely gone from there.  Well, the scientists say that the water is not gone, it is just moved from one place or another. Water can power great machines to generate electricity and it can quench our thirst on a desperately hot day and in great quantities, it can reduce cities, towns, and villages into ruin.  Water can also be your first step to heaven.

Let's go back in time specifically to February 14, 1953.  What things of interest happened on this day?  Well, there was a partial eclipse of the sun on this day, Duke beat Michigan in basketball 117 to 102, and oh, I was baptized on this Saturday which my research reveals was a bit chilly here in Chicago at 37 degrees and it was very windy.  But it was unlikely that I felt any of that chill as I was carried into Our Lady of Vilnius Church and there I was officially baptized.  This ceremony would not have taken place in this day and age because I actually was baptized shortly after I was born because I was almost two months premature.  I was supposed to be a Christmas Baby - born on December 25, 1952, but I was in a hurry and was born on November 3, 1952, and yes that makes me a Baby Boomer and an old duffer!  Today the Church would say that the emergency Baptism performed at Michael Reese Hospital was good enough and an official ceremony was not required.  But, I do celebrate the February date as the date I was welcomed into the Church because that was the date, my Godparents, my Uncle John, and Aunt Aggie spoke up for me and rejected Satan, sin, and evil.  Although my official entrance to the Church was on November 3, 1952, I like the fact that I was formally Baptized on St. Valentines Day, I think it is kind of cool. 

Here is a picture of the Church as it looks today.  It was closed many years ago by the Archdiocese of Chicago and is currently for sale.  It was built in 1906 to serve the Lithuanian Catholics enclave on the southwest side of Chicago. Some people lived their whole lives in this community and when it came time for their funeral, well, there was a funeral home right across the street. My grandparents on my mother's side were buried from OLV and through this funeral home. But I digress. 

The day I was Baptized (take your pick the date you prefer) marked my initiation into the Kingdom of God.  I became an adopted son of God and this ritual assured me that I would be welcomed into heaven.  Baptism removes the sin of Adam and Eve from our souls and with Confirmation makes us citizens of heaven.  So, the date of my Baptism is the date that is the most important one as it is the key to the rest of my life. 

Think about the day you were Baptized, celebrate it as if it was your spiritual birthday.

Doing The Hard Moves

Gospel	John 3:22-30

'He must grow greater and I must grow smaller: my joy is complete'

Jesus went with his disciples into the Judaean countryside and stayed with them there and baptized. At the same time, John was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, where there was plenty of water, and people were going there to be baptized. This was before John had been put in prison.

  Now some of John’s disciples had opened a discussion with a Jew about purification, so they went to John and said, ‘Rabbi, the man who was with you on the far side of the Jordan, the man to whom you bore witness, is baptizing now; and everyone is going to him.’

  John replied:

‘A man can lay claim

only to what is given him from heaven.

‘You yourselves can bear me out: I said: I myself am not the Christ; I am the one who has been sent in front of him.

‘The bride is only for the bridegroom;

and yet the bridegroom’s friend,

who stands there and listens,

is glad when he hears the bridegroom’s voice.

This same joy I feel, and now it is complete.

He must grow greater, I must grow smaller.’

It must have been hard for John to realize that his mission was at the end.  Yet, he was resigned to resigning and resigned to whatever fate God had in store for him.  After all, he worked his whole life as a servant of God, it would only be fitting that he ends up retiring when he knew the time was right.  He knew when he pointed to Jesus that the men who had worked with him for so long and who were so loyal would drop him in a Jerusalem minute.  Who needs a Baptist when you had a Messiah to follow?

John may have retired from the baptizing business but he still was a messenger of God, a prophet and he had to point out where others went wrong, quietly, serenely, without bringing too much attention to himself.  That is why he went to the home of Herod and quietly yelled at the top of his voice that Herod was a sinner and he and his wife were in an adulterous relationship as he was married to his brother's wife.  Both the king and his bride took the news very well.  The king for his part, to secure peace in his household and joy in his bedroom had John arrested and thrown into prison thinking that this would quiet the voice of the prophet and soothe the sensibilities of his blushing bride and he could get on with the job of being a despot king and she could quit whining about the Baptist.  The king had respect for the Baptist, not because he cared anything about God but because of the crowds that the old boy drew.  He did not want any sort of riot because of this man who ate locusts (a type of bean from the locust tree with a taste like  coco) and wild honey.  He wanted John to calm down and so he put him in what we would call a "time out."  Unfortunately, John's voice was not silenced by the accommodations afforded him in the palace dungeon.  John yelled day and night and kept suggesting that Herod's wife was nothing more than a lady of the evening in fine attire. This, of course, caused her to repent, well not really as we shall soon see. 

The king threw a banquet.  This is not a strange occurrence.  The wine, which was the best, even better than what we call Mad Dog 2020, was flowing like a biblical flood  and soon the king was feeling no pain and was in a very generous mood.  His wife sent her daughter, a girl of great beauty and low morals that Herod wanted to get to know, in the Biblical sense but even he had his limits and knew that would cause trouble between his wife and himself for some reason.  She was to dance for the king and to do so in such a manner as to raise his libido to staggering heights.  This she did.  In his stupor, the king delivered John the Baptist into his wife's hands.  He was so taken by the dance that raised his libido to such an extent that he drunkenly promised a reward to her, up to half of his kingdom. Salome went to her mother to see what she should ask for.  After all, the king had enough gold to choke the royal team of horses and several palaces filled with wonderful things and she could be rich beyond her wildest dreams. As they were talking, the wind carried the words of John from deep in the dungeon and Herodias heard the words "harlot" and "whore" and she looked at Salome and told her to ask for the head of the Baptist on a silver platter, she would brook no more insults from that dirty vagabond! 

Salome went back to the king and with a sweet voice she titillated and tempted him and then shockingly asked for the head of the Baptist on a silver platter.  He tried to talk her out of this insane request but she insisted and pointed out that Herod was a man of his word and should now fulfill his commitment to her.  She pointed out that the royal court had heard the promise and if he didn't fulfill it the word would get out that he was afraid of a desert preacher and he would be the laughing stock of the kingdom, turning himself into Jester Herod instead of King Herod.  Then she giggled and once again approached him and tried to use her body to convince him. He glared at her, which sent shivers up her spine and she retreated a few steps and asked him what he was going to do.  There was a frown on his face and with a heavy heart, he sent a guard to do what Salome wanted.  In due course, the head was presented on a silver platter.  The party atmosphere was gone and the king retired into seclusion for the day.  John's disciples came and claimed the body and buried John. 

This event seemed to stir Jesus into action.  He began, at least in a small way, to preach repentance and that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand which echoed the preaching of His late cousin.  

In our lives, we are sometimes called upon to do a work of mercy for the Lord.  When we do the work we must not fall into the trap that it was our power or genius that solved the issue, instead, we must credit all of the good we do to Jesus. Sometimes the way will be hard.  For example, Mother Teresa for the last FIFTY YEARS of her life could not feel the presence of God in her life, fifty years!  I have always felt that the Lord was near, even during those times that I embraced the darkness over the light and it was His presence, His friendship that called me back.  Mother did not have this assurance so what did she do?  She quit, right? Not at all, she continued her labors and cared for the poor, the suffering, the friendless.  Today, her friendship with God is great in heaven because even though she felt Him not, she knew that He was there and she carried on the work she had been given.  So must we.

Please remember the poor souls in Purgatory today,  

All Work and No Pray....

Gospel	Luke 5:12-16

'If you want to, you can cure me'

Jesus was in one of the towns when a man appeared, covered with leprosy. Seeing Jesus he fell on his face and implored him. ‘Sir,’ he said ‘if you want to, you can cure me.’ Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him and said, ‘Of course I want to! Be cured!’ And the leprosy left him at once. He ordered him to tell no one, ‘But go and show yourself to the priest and make the offering for your healing as Moses prescribed it, as evidence for them.’

  His reputation continued to grow, and large crowds would gather to hear him and to have their sickness cured, but he would always go off to some place where he could be alone and pray.

Everyone prays!  The fact is that every one of us, even the most faithful of atheists pray.  When the thunder is the loudest in our life, our cries to God are also the loudest.  This is just human nature. We know where to go for help. Isn't there an old saying that there are no atheists in foxholes?  We all know that God is "out there."  We all know. deep within ourselves that He will listen to us but when life is going good, who needs the help of a God?

God loves us very much. He is very polite and careful not to violate your privacy.  If you do not want Him, he will stay outside and because He still loves you in spite of your rejection, He will watch from afar, arm's length to be precise.   He will wait for us to give the slightest sign that we want Him or need Him and He will then take an active part in our lives again. 

The fact is, we should cultivate our relationship with God so that it is a two-way street.  God loves us so much that He wants to be involved in every facet of our lives.  He wants to share the ups and the downs, the pleasures, the pain, the joys, and all of the disappointments.  He wants to hear of your plans and wants to be a friend.  So consider speaking to God during the light of day when things are going right. When you have a decision to make, ask for His help in deciding what to do.  God loves you so much, won't you love Him a little bit too?

Remember the Poor Souls in Purgatory today.