23 August 2014

Authenticity

 "To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” 
Ralph Waldo Emerson





Homily for the Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time
24 August 2014

I must be honest: I’m chuckling a little on the inside. You see, I had the opportunity on Saturday morning to have breakfast with one of my classmates from the Diocese of Erie. In the course of our conversation, the topic of today’s Gospel came up. He mentioned that he felt that we always seem to be hearing this particular Gospel passage.

And I had to agree with him.

This does seem to be one of the Gospel passages that we hear most frequently. Perhaps that’s because it’s one of the stories from the Gospels that we know so well.

. . . OR . . .

Perhaps it’s because it gives us a question that sits quietly in our discerning hearts.

In our Gospel today, Jesus proposes the question to His disciples: “Who do you say that I am?” I would have no doubt that we who have gathered would echo Peter’s reply of “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Yet while echoing the response of our first pope is good, is it OUR authentic response?

As Catholics, we say a lot of things; we use a lot of words: Our rituals and liturgies are filled with prayers and statements and songs that keep our mouths moving. However, the words we pray or sing or recite mean absolutely NOTHING if they are not words authentically coming from our hearts.

THEY. MEAN. NOTHING. NOTHING. If these words are not authentic to our heart and the person God has created us to be.

And so, if we cannot be completely authentic in our prayer, rituals and / or liturgies, how can we be authentic in answering that question which sits quietly in our hearts? How can authentically respond to Jesus asking us Who do we say that He is?

My brothers and sisters, if we’re simply going through the motions of our faith, it’s time to wake up. If we’re simply regurgitating responses and answers to age-old questions because it’s what we learned, then we need to snap out of the trance we’re in. If we’re simply repeating the answers of a man who died two millennia ago, then we do not really understand the question.

Recognizing the question posed by Jesus, we have to acknowledge that to live an authentic life of faith is to live within that authentic relationship with our God and with one another.  Hearing the quietly-posed question of “Who do you say I am?” is more than just acknowledging an inquiry given to us by God. Rather, we must see this age-old question being posed in four different usages:

First, God asking us “Who do you say I am?”;

Second, our response to God asking Him, “Who do you say I am?”;

Third, our neighbor asking us, “Who do you say I am?”; and

Finally, our response to our neighbor, asking them, “Who do you say I am?”

But the harsh reality is this: If we’re not completely authentic in our asking of and answer to our God, our neighbor or ourselves, then we need to take a step back and see if the intent of this question in our hearts is truly being asked in true authenticity.

Our God wants nothing more than for us to have an authentic relationship with Him and with our neighbor. This is the foundation of the commandment to love our God and our neighbor with our entire being. Authentic relationships are the basis of a Godly society.

Yet, our society is completely inauthentic: Everything around us screams “Be true to who you are in the moment.” We very rarely hear, “Be true to the you who God has created you to be. Be true to your life-long vocation and journey.”

In his article, Six Obstacles to Catholic Authenticity, Randy Hain gives us the following as those items which completely entering into authentic relationships with our God, our neighbor, and ourselves:


  • There could be a lack of self-awareness.  Do we even know that there is a problem?
  • Fear of people not liking the real us.  Fear of not fitting in.   Fear of being judged.  Fear of persecution for our religious beliefs.  Fear of not moving up the career ladder if we don’t fit the right corporate mold.
  • Lack of confidence in our opinions.  Lack of faith in our convictions.  Lack of courage to defend the truth.  Lack of knowledge about our faith.
  • Attachment to an income level and lifestyle that requires unhealthy compromises.
  • Conforming to society’s march towards political correctness, universal tolerance and acceptance of things which are in direct conflict with our faith, values and principles.
  • Relaxing our standards because it easier to go along with the crowd than take a stand.

Are any of these holding you back from being an authentic Catholic? Are any of these holding you back from authentically answering the quiet question sitting in your heart? Are any of these holding you back from truly embracing the call to be a son or daughter of God?

To be honest, I struggle with all of these in my life.

And because I struggle with these, I know that you must as well.

But there is a way for us to cease the struggle: Be true to the you who God has created you to be. Be true to your life-long vocation and journey.

Yes, this Gospel seems to be one that we hear many times. Perhaps that’s because it’s one of the stories from the Gospels that we know so well. . . . OR . . . Perhaps it’s because it gives us a question that sits quietly in our discerning hearts.

In any case, the question of “Who do you say I am?” will only be answered when we stop living lives of inauthenticity and “going along with the crowd,” and accept the struggle to live the authentic and relational lives that God calls us to.

Encountering our God in Word and Sacrament this day, may our response in faith be authentic as we do echo the words of Saint Peter: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”


                              

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Enjoy the journey . . .

22 August 2014

2014 Patzun Mission Reflection



Well, I guess it’s about time that I reflected a little on my most recent mission trip to Patzún, Guatemala.

This being the third time I have visited the country, nothing was too shocking or completely unexpected from a travel standpoint. But, from the missionary standpoint, there’s (hopefully) always something new, shocking and unexpected. (And, yes, I did experience this.)

While I was down there, my primary job was to celebrate Mass and to be the sacramental minister when those moments arose. However, I did assist in the physical side of the mission work, and spent a little time playing with the children in the orphanage and at the school.

The “big job” for the week was painting. The group I was with –from Saint Bernard Parish in Mount Lebanon – ended up painting walls in both locations: For the school, it was part of the outside wall which protected the property; for the orphanage, it was the inside of the medical clinic. When the sisters asked us to paint, I had to laugh since I had painted the same wall at the school two years ago. (Although, I must admit, it did need some freshening up.) And while the task may have seemed insignificant in some ways, that little bit of help was an enormous act of charity on our part.

You see, some people, when going on mission trips, think that they need to completely change the world for the people that they serve. Not so. Mission work – and especially Christian mission work – is basic evangelization: Bringing Jesus Christ and His Gospel to the people one encounters. Yes, there is the physical labor, and that is important, but it’s not the only definition of what constitutes a mission trip. When people become frustrated because “there’s nothing to do” or that they “seem to be doing so little”, they forget that the primary mission of the mission trip is to be among the people that they are serving, and so to bring the joy of the Gospel to those people (whether they be Christians already or not).

It always fascinates me to watch people’s expressions and emotions as they move through the passing of time on a mission trip. The new, shocking and unexpected grasp them in different ways. But it does the same to me, as well. Here are the top experiences in the three categories from this recent visit to Patzún:

New: The people РI guess that the people of this mission trip (the missionaries, the sisters, and the students) were, in some ways, all new to me. It was a new and different group that I travelled with, with people I did not know. There were new sisters at both locations who I had the opportunity to meet (while reconnecting with some familiar faces), which is always a fun time. There were new students at the school and the orphanage that were not there previously. To me, this was and is a blessing, for it reminds me that the work is never really finished. (But I should note that there were some familiar faces in the town, people I remember from not just two years ago, but from my first trip to Patz̼n in 2006. In some ways they seemed timeless, although almost a decade has passed.)

Shocking: The number of “firsts” on this trip – Although this was my third visit to Patzún, there were a number of “firsts” that I had never experienced there. Among these were: seeing a horse being ridden through town; seeing fireworks in the town; first trip to Antigua and climbing the Hill of the Cross (along with a horse and buggy ride); stopping along the side of the road so that Sister could obtain some chickens; seeing a funeral procession (two actually) along a stretch of busy highway; seeing the young students at the school put on an end-of-year show, which got their parents (and grandparents [and us!]) involved, too; the first time I was asked to counsel a student at the school; and experiencing (seeing) death (see below). This is just a small list of things that come to mind as “firsts” on this particular mission trip.

Unexpected: Experiencing (seeing) death – On our way back to Patzún from Antigua,  we passed the scene of an accident. There was a young man lying face down on the road. Though I’m not exactly sure of what happened, I’ve been guessing that it had to deal with a motorcycle.( A lot of people ride motorcycles in Guatemala, and some of them ride too fast with no helmet. With the roads in this particular area steep due to the mountains, and seeing how they curve a lot, I’m assuming that the young man lost control somehow.) Seeing this made the ride back a little more somber and introspective. We, of course, prayed for the deceased (and his family and friends). The van was essentially silent for the rest of the night. Though I deal with death on a regular basis, even I was a little uneasy seeing this image. It was completely unexpected; it was completely shocking. But it gave us the opportunity to see the (possible) normality of what riding those roads mean – even if it was under the grimmest of circumstances.

Despite all this, there was one great opportunity to connect with the saints. And while I would generally be talking about the celebration of the Mass, this chance came when we spent time at the tomb of Santo Hermano Pedro (Saint Peter of Saint Joseph Betancur), a Seventeenth-Century saint who is considered the “Saint Francis of Assisi of the Americas” for the work he did for the poor, including founding hospitals, schools and an oratory. His was of life attracted followers, and the women eventually became a religious order. He was beatified in 1980 and canonized in 2002, both by Saint John Paul II. (You can read more about him here.) I hope to find his writings in English eventually. (They were in Spanish at the book store.) I’m always excited when I have the chance to learn about a new saint – and this was no exception.

I really did enjoy my time in Patzún. I do miss the sisters, the children, and the people of that town. I hope to return again soon, and to continue the mission.











Enjoy the journey . . .

20 August 2014

Mission Prayer

I composed the following while in Guatemala on my most recent mission trip.

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Lord,

You continue to call me to serve You -
          in my homeland and abroad.

As I continue to serve Your people during this time,
          allow me to see You in the midst of them -
                    in their lives -
                    in their faces -
                    in their eyes.

Help me to be Your loving presence to them,
          that they may know Your glory -
          not just eventually in the Kingdom,
          but here and now on the Earth.

Allow this experience of being "missionary"
(in a land that is not my own)
continue to instill in me an opportunity
to allow my heart to grow, to be like Yours,
so that spreading the Gospel,
not only through word, but by my actions as well,
I may continue to be the servant You have called me to be.

O Lord, I am not worthy to be here.
          I am not worthy to be serving Your people.

However, my faith in You causes me to be here.
          My faith in You urges me to see You in the other.
          My faith in You beckons me to know You
                    beyond the borders of my confined world.

I have once again stepped off the cliff,
          not knowing where I'll land or how long the fall is.

But that's okay.

I know that You'll catch me.

I know that You will keep me safe.

And as I step off that cliff once again into the unknown
          uncertainty of mission work,
I realize that that I ultimately have nothing to fear or
           worry about;
I have nothing that should truly scare me.

Yes, there are moments of doubt.

Yes, there are moments of uncertainty.

And, yes, there are moments of fear.

Nevertheless, as the Psalmist says:
          "You are my Shepherd, I shall not be afraid."

And as Saint Faustina reminds us about You,
          our trust in Your Divine Mercy continues to uphold
                    us, especially as we come to understand what
                    it means to say: "I trust in You."

And so, Good Shepherd, I trust in You.

I trust that Your Mercy will guide me.

I trust that Your Arms will uphold me.

I trust that Your Heart will protect me.

I trust that Your Love will give me solace.

I trust that Your Presence will be my everylasting
          companion on the journey.

As I look forward to understanding what it means to serve
           You, no matter where I may be, I ask that You
           continue to send me the wisdom of the Holy Spirit,
           so that I may not only deepen my trust in You, but 
           that I may have that open heart to say "Yes" to
           whatever - and wherever - You're calling me to.

And now, on this beautiful day -
          a day that we celebrate the glory of 
                    Your Resurrection - 
          we recognize that this is the day that You have made.

We rejoice and are glad!

I rejoice and am glad for what You have given to me.

I rejoice in the relationship that I have with You
          and Your Body.

I trust in Your will for me.

I trust that, as I continue to be "missionary", 
          I will help others to see You,
          and to bring Your loving and living presence
                     to all that I meet.

Good Shepherd, send me into the pastures in the world
          to smell like the sheep.
Send me out so that, following Your model and example,
          I may shepherd others to Your Most Sacred Heart.
Send me out, so that I may help others to trust in You.

I walk off the cliff to fall in love with You more deeply.

I lead others off the cliff, not to send them to their deaths,
          but to help them trust in You more.

Good Shepherd, I trust in You.

Amen.

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Enjoy the journey . . .

16 August 2014

Christian Hospitality



Homily for the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
17 August 2014

        My friends, Jesus just did something scandalous.

        He welcomed a Gentile to the table of the Father.

        He welcomed someone outside of His circle of believers to know of the mercy of God because of her faith.

        Jesus welcomed this woman to know God’s mercy because, somewhere in her life, she heard His invitation to experience the love of the living God.

        And two thousand years later, He’s still inviting and welcoming others to know the love and mercy of God.

        We are among those to whom Jesus has extended that invitation.

        But here’s the thing: We have to do more than just except the invitation to know God’s love and mercy. We must extend the invitation, ourselves, to those in our lives. We, too, must invite and welcome others to come to know Jesus Christ.

        This is the heart of the New Evangelization, for Christian hospitality is at the very core of the invitation to know Jesus Christ and His Gospel.

        The great Catholic spiritual author Henri Nouwen once explained that: Hospitality means primarily the creation of free space where the stranger can enter and become a friend instead of an enemy. Hospitality is not to change people, but to offer them space where change can take place. It is not to bring men and women over to our side, but to offer freedom not disturbed by dividing lines.

        This is the mission of every Catholic parish. This is the mission of the Church. This is the mission of every person who follows the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is our mission, because it was – and still is! – the mission of Jesus Christ.

        However, hospitality will not simply happen because Jesus tells us to practice such a virtue. Hospitality will not simply happen because we happen to like what Pope Francis says. Hospitality will not simply happen because Bishop Zubik says it’s important for the Diocese, or Father Bob and I saying that it’s a priority for the parish.

        Hospitality – Christian hospitality – will only be practiced when that “creation of free space where the stranger can enter” is created in the heart of the Christian disciple. If we truly wish to be a community where love can dwell, then we must first experience the love of Christ ourselves, and graciously accept the invitation to come and learn from Him. Only then can we become individuals formed into a community mirrored after the image of Christ.

        Saint Benedict, in his Rule, reminds us that “all . . . should be received like Christ,” meaning that we should welcome all who pass through the doors in our life as if we were encountering Christ, Himself. This is a most difficult thing to do, for this means that we must leave behind all the prejudices, assumptions, judgments, gossip, phobias, fears and anything else that hardens our hearts to welcoming the Christ in the other while being Christ to the other.

        Thus, the invitation we extend to others must be one that we are willing to live out ourselves. It is a choice that we must make daily. It is a way of life that we must choose to live authentically every day. This in no way means that we will live it out perfectly, but, nevertheless, this means that we will attempt to live it out faithfully.

        This invitation is a call to conversion – for ourselves and others. The practice of hospitality, then, is to help others understand the errors in their ways, and assist them in conforming their lives to Christ’s.

        This invitation is a call to encounter Christ. The practice of hospitality, then, is to allow others to encounter Christ through us – as individuals and as a community – as we encounter Christ through them.

        This invitation is a call to witness God’s love and mercy in action. The practice of hospitality, then, is to put our faith in action as we minister to the needs of our brothers and sisters.

        This invitation is a call to gather the nations into the house of the Lord. The practice of hospitality, then, is to bring others to know the graciousness of our God through the celebration of our worship, becoming a place where prejudices, judgments and phobias cease; a place where we will truly worship God in Spirit and in Truth.

        This invitation is, then, an invitation to bring all into the fullness of Faith found in the Church – to be united with Christ and His Body through the reception of His Body and Blood. Our hospitality, then, must be the practice of spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the way we live our lives. Only through our unhindered practice of mercy and justice, free of prejudices and fear, will others come to know of the invitation from Christ for the conversion of their lives and the practice of hospitality which flows from the Heart of God.

        Because of her faith, Jesus entered into a grave scandal by welcoming the Canaanite woman into the circle of believers. But because of her faith, Jesus allows us to see this woman as the example of those who truly hear the invitation of Christ, seek Him out, and create that space where the stranger can enter and become a friend.

        Because of our faith, then, this place becomes that space where all are received as Christ, for it is here that the Heart of God is opened so that all may know the call to conversion, the call to witness our faith in action, the call to witness and encounter Christ, and the call to become one with the Lord.

        Christian hospitality is scandalous because it welcomes everyone to know the intimate love of God; to experience that Love without prejudice, without fear; to extend to others to live that same Love in the ecstatic union that we experience here, now, in Word and Sacrament. Christian hospitality is scandalous because it embodies the Good News that God calls all to worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. Christian hospitality is scandalous because Jesus, Himself, is scandalous, because He invites both saints and sinners to follow Him.



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Enjoy the journey . . .