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Homily – April 24, 2016

Sunday, April 24th, 2016

Most religious communities treasure the accounts of the final days of their founders. It was during those last days of life the foundress or founder would leave her or his legacy to the community that meant so much to them. St. Paul of the Cross’ legacy to we Passionists was, ‘I place my trust in God. The Congregation is his; the lights he gave me for founding it were his. He will take care of its progress. My hope is in God.

When someone in the family dies the family comes together to say their last goodbyes and the dying person has the chance to do the same. It is an important time for all. In the Hebrew scriptures we read of the death of Isaac and his final words to his sons Esau and Jacob,’ Be loving of your brothers as a man loves himself, with each man seeking for his brother what is good for him….loving each other as themselves.’ We remember the great commandment of loving God with all our mind and heart and strength and loving our neighbour as ourselves.

In his farewell Jesus challenges his disciples to keep a new commandment, ‘love one another as I have loved you.’ In the past our neighbour was limited to the family members of the clan not to total strangers. Christ’s love is a universal love, no limits allowed. We are to be there in love for people we don’t know, men and women who are hungry, homeless, the naked, the sick and the imprisoned. These are the friends and neighbours and strangers who come into our lives sometimes at the most inconvenient of times challenging us to listen to their stories and love them with that same totality with which Christ loved us.

How did Christ love us? St. Paul tells us that Jesus did not consider his equality to the Father as something to be kept to himself. He emptied himself of his divinity and took on the fullness of our humanity and sharing in our humanity he took to himself the reality of a slave, an obedient slave, an obedience that brought him to his shameful painful death on the cross.

Paul tells us something we already know that can be times when a generous person will die for the sake of a friend – there is no greater love than to lay one’s life down for a friend – but what shows how great was Christ’s love for us is that while we were still sinners – still estranged from God – Christ died for us so that we could be one again with God.

Christ died for us knowing our sinfulness, knowing our selfishness, knowing how we exploit others for our own pleasure, knowing our propensity for violence toward others, knowing how we exclude other people from our lives. Knowing all these things about he was willing to die on the cross for us.

For Christ we were not tiny speck in the mass of humanity, he died for each of us as a person he loved – even unto death.

Love one another as I have loved you. Impossible! We are so caught up in our own little worlds, our needs, our wants we have so little time for others. That’s not always true. Think of the love you share with your spouse, think of the love you pour out on your children as you work through the struggles and stresses of marriage and parenthood. Think of the number of times you’ve been there for friends and neighbours, think of the many times you’ve been asked from this pulpit to be there through your generosity for men, women and children you will never know.

Love one another as I’ve loved you; accept one another as I accept with all your faults. Respect one another as you fight the good fight against racism, sexism, bigotry just as I respect you for how you were born, where you were born, when you were born.

We all know the difference between loving people and liking people. There a some people we will never like because of personality clashes and personal histories. To love people is to accept and respect them as they are knowing they are our brothers and sister, sons and daughters of God – loved by God with the same intensity with which God loves every one of us.

May we be graced every day to love others as we have been loved – totally, unconditionally.

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Homily – April 17, 2016

Saturday, April 16th, 2016

In our first reading we heard about the rejection of Paul and his companions by the leaders of the synagogue in Antioch. Paul responds by telling them they’ve had their chance to hear the good news of Jesus and that by refusing to listen, they were the losers. Paul would take his message to the Gentiles.

The Gentiles were non Jewish people and were considered as of less value to those who saw themselves as the people of God. Gentiles were shunned by Jews and any Jew who socialized with them was considered to be in danger of being contaminated by pagan ways. But the Gentiles were good men and women who lived their lives according to their own lights and beliefs.

Who are the gentiles of today? Who are the people who need to hear the good news that they are important to God, acceptable to God, loved by God and their lives would be different if God was important to them. Today’s Gentiles could be unchurched men and women, friends we know who may have come from a catholic or non- catholic family background but were only exposed to a primitive form of religious education. Or they are people we’ve called ‘recovering Catholics’, good men and women who were raised in a very strict family or experienced an unbending parish life, good people who were never encouraged to think for themselves but to do what they were told, good people who won’t go back to the old ways and mind sets. Today’s Gentiles are successful career oriented young people who are living the good life but are totally un interested in God or the things of God. Then there are men and women who lived in good parishes and went to catholic schools but now are totally indifferent to life in the church. We have good people totally scandalize by the sexual crimes of priests and the cover-up or denial of bishops and want nothing to do with the church. These are all good people.

On this Sunday we are asked to pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life. It’s no secret we have a shortage of vocations in our archdiocese and in every diocese in Canada. At different times I’ve asked young men in the parish if they ever thought of becoming a priest. They look at me as if I was out of my mind. Personally I’m happy to be a priest, always have been, because my priesthood has been blessed and supported by good people like you.

By our baptism we are all members of the priesthood of all believers. Priests preach the good news of Jesus Christ who died on the cross to restore us to the life and love of God. Every one of us is to witness to the truth of God’s love for all by how we live out our own faith. As one saying goes ‘we may be the only bible people will ever read ‘ or as St. Francis is supposed to have said, ‘ preach the gospel at all times and if necessary use words.’ We are all meant to draw other people to God and Jesus by the way we live our own Catholic Christian faith, by what we say, by what we do, by the way we relate to others.

We are to make our faith authentic; believable to others by the way we live this Mass outside these walls. We make our faith convictions attractive to others when in our social life or places of work we refuse to tolerate expressions of bigotry, misogyny, racism or homophobia. We make our faith authentic when we get involved in the struggles of the poor, the hungry, the homeless, the beaten down men, women and children of Toronto.

Could we imagine that can follow the example of Paul and Barnabas and reach out to the Gentiles in our lives and through the simple, unpretentious living of our lives lure them back to a vital relationship with Christ in the family of our church?

Think about it.

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Homily – April 10, 2016

Saturday, April 9th, 2016

We can just imagine the guilt that plagued Peter after he denied Jesus three times, one time swearing with an oath that he did not Jesus. Peter promised he would die with Jesus but never deny him. He was totally ashamed of himself. Jesus has called him a rock but he knew Peter was more like quick sand yet he wanted to build his church on this mistake making being he named Peter. Even when the risen Christ showed himself to the apostles after his resurrection we can imagine Peter couldn’t look Jesus in the eye he was so ashamed of himself.

In today’s gospel we heard of another of Jesus’ appearances to the apostles. Peter was a fisherman and he had a family to feed and so, for all the excitement in his life, he had to get back to work. Peter and his companions labored all night but still their nets were empty. Jesus calls to them from the shore and directs them to the other side of the boat and that’s what gave such a great catch.

Peter jumps into the water to quickly wade to shore and greet Jesus who has prepared them a breakfast of fish and bread. Jesus is about give Peter another chance asking him the simple question, ‘do you love me’? But he asks the same question three times to erase Peter’s three denials with his ‘yes Lord I love you, you know I love you.’ Each time Jesus tells Peter he is to demonstrate that love by service: “Feed my sheep, my lambs.” Wishing to show us how we demonstrate our love for him, Christ the Lord made it plain that it is by our concern and care for others.. Peter’s place in Christ’s community was made firm with the commands ‘feed by lambs, feed my sheep.’ Christ restores a humbled but forgiven Peter to his place as rock and shepherd.

Now we come to that part of today’s gospel that has a lot to say about many of us here. ‘When you were younger you used to fasten your belt and go wherever you wished. But when you grow old you will stretch out your hands and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.’

I think this is a great description of old age. When we were young we had so much independence, we went where we wanted to go and did what we wanted to do. Not so much anymore. At this stage in our lives, whether we like it or not, we stretch out our hands, and let others bind them and take us where we rather would not go.

At one time or another it will be our time to let go. It won’t be easy, we may be resentful that we’ve come to this and resist it all as long as we can. Hopefully we won’t let ourselves become bitter and resentful toward those who are concerned about our well being. We might be tempted to feel we are unappreciated, we’re taking up space, we’re a burden, we’re disposal, like worn out slippers.

These feelings can be real but they are not true. Let’s face it, the time will come when we are asked to hand over the keys to our car and lose our freedom of mobility. We may have to give up the home in which we raised our families and move into a retirement home taking with us a few mementos of our past. We may have to use a cane of a walker. My doctor wants me to use a cane and I told him I don’t want to use one. He asked me, ‘why not’ and I told him, ‘I’m too proud’ and he asked me. ‘And what is it that comes before the fall?’ We may have to get stronger glasses or those hearing aids that never seem to work. Isn’t maddening when we can’t remember the name of someone we’ve known for years? I try not to panic at this, eventually it will come to me.

All these limitations are the reality of our lives and they are hard to accept. We can make our own lives miserable and the lives of those who love us difficult if we refuse to admit it is our time to stretch out our hands and let those who love us bind them knowing they will do the best for us.

That time came for Peter when his hands were bound and he was led away to be crucified as was the Christ he denied, the Christ who forgave him.

As we continue to celebrate this Mass together may we pray for ourselves and for each other that when our time comes we willing stretch out our hands into the hands of the man who stilled the water, the Christ from Galilee knowing in our hearts we are in good.

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Homily – April 3, 2016

Sunday, April 3rd, 2016

The first Sunday after Easter is Divine Mercy Sunday. This feast was instituted by Pope John Paul 2 and it is based on the private revelations of a Polish nun, St. Faustina. It is a feast that encourages us to open our own lives to divine mercy, a mercy expressed so beautifully by Isiah when he wrote to the unfaithful Israelites, ‘though your sins be as scarlet they shall be white as snow, though they be red as crimson they shall be white as wool.’ It is a feast that challenges us to show mercy to those who have in any way offended us.

Every time we celebrate the Eucharist we celebrate the divine mercy offered to all of us. We proclaim the death of the Lord, a death offered to the Father in order to reconcile us to God, making us one with God. Jesus taught us through different parables that we are to show to others the mercy and forgiveness God has shown us.

This feast of Divine Mercy challenges us to look into all our relationships – family – fellow workers – neighbours – and admit our unwillingness to forgive, admit our grudges and the animosities we have toward others and ask for the generosity to show to these people the mercy God has shown to us.

The main character in today’s gospel is the doubting Thomas, who refused to believe his friends tale that they have seen the Lord. We can speculate why Thomas was not with the other disciples when Jesus came to them. Like the other disciples who scattered in fear when Jesus was arrested he may have remained in hiding, not willing to take the risk of being associated with the others for fear of reprisals by the Temple authorities. It is good to remember that before he was the doubting Thomas he was the frightened and the hurt Thomas. Thomas may have thought he had made a fool of himself by believing in Jesus, and he was not going to be that vulnerable to let his heart be broken again.

When he returned to the group and heard the other apostles joyful news that they had seen the Lord he scoffed at them. He had to see for himself, ‘unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into that mark and put my hand into his opened side’ there’s no way I’m buying into your story. In scoffing Thomas was protecting himself against further heartbreak by turning his back on Jesus and all that Jesus meant to him.

Jesus came and broke through Thomas’ protective stance by inviting him to touch his wounds and see he was not a ghost. Jesus showed mercy to Thomas by being patient with him. He knew what was in Thomas’ heart, he knew his caution about trusting in him again and so he waited him out, he offered him the chance to touch his wounds of love.

So often the Divine Mercy is shown to us in that same patience of Jesus showed to Thomas as he lets us work things through our issues with others and graces us to see our need to be merciful and forgiving to others as he has been to us.

This resurrection story was told to honor men and women, who down through the ages have suffer persecution and ridicule and death for believing in Jesus, Jesus the crucified, Jesus the Risen. We have not seen yet we believe and by God’s grace we walk by faith and not by sight.

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Homily – March 27, 2016

Sunday, March 27th, 2016

In his first letter to the struggling Christian community in Corinth Paul wrote, “I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn received; that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures and that he was buried and that he was raised on the third day.”

This is the core of our Christian faith; Christ died for our sins, was buried and was raised from the dead. Our whole life as Christians is to be built of these realities. That’s why this same Paul encourages us to seek the things that are above not the things that are of earth. If we are blessed with earthly well-being, good health, a secure job, affordable housing, a stable family life, it is good to remember that in the total world population we are very blessed. But all these blessings we will one day leave behind. Whatever things we possess will be seen as trinkets, baubles that, in the long run mean nothing.

Seek the things that are above means we try to develop a close friendship with Jesus Christ. We just observed Good Friday and remembered the shameful death he died on the cross. By his wounds we are healed, by his dying and rising we are invited into a close, life giving friendship with him. That’s what the Christian life is all about, growing in that friendship. We grow in that friendship in and through our relationships with other people, especially those close to us, our spouses and our children. We deepen our relationship with Jesus Christ when we are accepting and respectful of men and women of different social backgrounds, different faiths, different races and different life styles. We grow in our oneness with Christ when we are conscious of and involved in seeking justice and fairness for people we don’t even know. As often as you do these things for others, family members, fellow workers, total strangers, we grow closer in our relationship to Jesus Christ. We deepen our relationship to Jesus Christ, the first born of all creation, when we become more aware of our kinship with all life forms enriching Mother Earth.

We are to grow to full maturity in Christ by seeking the things that are above, the endless life Christ gained for us by his passion, his death and his resurrection. We grow to full maturity in Christ by living in life giving, life enhancing, life healing relationships with all those men and women who come into our lives.

On Easter Sunday instead of reciting the Apostle’s Creed we renew our baptismal vows, vows spoken for us by our Godparents when we were baptized. Now we speak them for ourselves. When we were baptized we were born into God’s family as God’s daughters and sons. When we were baptized we began our personal friendship with Jesus Christ and began our lifetime journey to deepen that relationship. In renewing our baptismal vows may we be graced to know that Christ loves us, gave his life for us, and he is living at our side every day of life to enlighten, strengthen and free us so that we are able to seek the things that are above, the things that really matter, the things that will endure.

In renewing our relationship with Christ may we all be blessed with a holy and happy Easter season.

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