St. Mary, St. Bernadette, & St. Genevieve

In 2008, Jen Fulwiller, a mother and professional writer, was having a holiday freak-out moment, about not being able to get everything done in life. She had a book called A Mother’s Rule of Life, written by a fellow mother with children. The book cited the typical schedule for the Mother Teresa’s order, the Missionaries of Charity. Here is their typical daily Schedule:

4:30-5:00 Rise and get cleaned up
5:00-6:30 Prayers and Mass
6:30-8:00 Breakfast and cleanup
8:00-12:30 Work for the poor
12:30-2:30 Lunch and rest
2:30-3:00 Spiritual reading and meditation
3:00-3:15 Tea break
3:15-4:30 Eucharistic Adoration
4:30-7:30 Work for the poor
7:30-9:00 Dinner, clean up, recreation with fellow sisters
9:00-9:45 Night prayers
9:45 Bedtime

A few things immediately jumped out at Jen from reading this schedule. First, she was surprised that the main goal of the Order, working for the poor, only took place between 8:00 – 12:30 and 4:30 – 7:30; she assumed it was longer. The second thing was how long they allowed for meals and cleanup. Next, how much time they devoted to prayer, and how early they went to bed. And the final thing she noticed was the simplicity, the overall focus on prayer and working for the poor.

It is said the Missionaries of Charity love and adore Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament … and love and serve Him in the poorest of the poor. Indeed this is how their day. Before their morning encounter with Christ in the poor, they encounter Him in the Mass. Before their afternoon encounter with Christ in the poor….they encounter Him in Eucharistic Adoration.

St. Paul, in his 2^ndReading, describes the end of time, when finally, God will be “all in all.” It is a moment when every soul, that has ever existed, will realize how they encountered God throughout their lives, and how they responded to that presence. This is what we call the ‘universal judgment’ – a great revealing. And with this great revealing, we will discover who the blessed, and the cursed, really are.

Even though there is great focus to the life of a Missionary of Charity, it is still a demanding vocation. It is not always easy to be attentive to the Lord ---- when Mass is at 6 am; it is not always easy to see Christ in the poor ---- when they are being disruptive during a meal and have to be asked to leave for the day.

But even though our bodies tire, our attention lags, and our patience gets frayed, this is the real dynamic of human history, leading to a conclusion: the moment when I can see Christ in you, you can see Christ in me, without interruption. At this moment, at long last, God will be ‘all in all.’

Given our human weakness, it will take – until the 2^ndcoming – for this to occur. Until that moment, we ask for the grace to be attentive to the presence of the Lord, for those in material need, and those in spiritual need.

On a practical basis, what may help in this regard, is hindsight: our examination of conscience, at the end of day. Or as American Jesuit writer George Aschenbrener calls it, our ‘examination of consciousness’. In a simplified version, here are two questions that we can ask ourselves, at the end of our day: 1. Where was God today? 2. How did I respond?

Every time we practice this prayer, we have a mini-version of the 2^ndComing. When all will be revealed, and there will be no doubt, that Christ is King.



        
 

         One of the interesting things I noticed during the spring lockdown was the slight uptick in parishioners seeking to secure burials rights at the cemetery.
         I didn’t detect any fear, however, as they made these plans. Rather, since mortality was in the news, they were conforming themselves to the reality of existence…the fact that earthly existence will some day come to an end.
         Today’s Liturgy of the Word seems strange. In some readings it seems fearis a good thing. In the First Reading, we hear that “the woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.” The Responsorial Psalm proclaims “[B]lessed are those who fear the Lord.” But in the Gospel, fear seems like a bad thing. So which is it?
         I think there are actually two different types of fear, and we need to distinguish between them. The first is fear of the Lord; the other is fear of not being in control.
         First, the fear of the Lord. This type of fear is actually a gift. It’s a gift of the Holy Spirit, that we received in seed form at our baptisms, and was activated at our Confirmation. Fear of the Lord is that which ensures our awe and reverence before the Lord. And with awe and reverence before the Lord, we can do something that we wouldn’t have dreamed possible – we can work together with God, with His grace. This is the situation of the first two servants in the Gospel parable. They put their talents to work, and God’s grace gives them increase. The talents were never theirs to begin with, nor was the growth solely a product of the servants’ labor. Fear of the Lord helps recognize this fact.
          But then there’s a different type of fear. The final servant in the Gospel parable claims that he buried the talent out of fear of his master, who was demanding. However, the eminent theologian, Fr. Hans von Balthasar, doesn’t take this fictional servant at his word. He doesn’t think the servant was actually afraid of the master. Rather, what the servant feared, was not being able to use the talent for himself...the fear of losing control. The servant buried it, so that after the Master gave him a reprimand and went back on vacation, he would get out of the servant’s hair. And then, the servant would go dig it back up, and use it for himself.
         It’s strange to say that fear is actually a gift. But as we see from the Gospel, fear of the Lordis actually a liberating experience. It opens up new possibilities and new vistas // for those who recognize that talents are given to them // and not simply their own creation. They recognize that these talents are developed in conjunction with the Lord. They recognize that these talents are given to them, for the benefit of others.
         In this Eucharist, we give thanks // for this most unusual gift.
 

           Forty-seven years ago a teenaged punk stood in front of this altar and received the Rite of Confirmation. That former teenager stands before you today as an ordained Deacon in our Church. I thank Father Luke for the invitation to be with you today in this small “homecoming”. Before we delve into today’s readings I wanted to spend a few minutes speaking with you about my spiritual journey and how I came to be an ordained permanent Deacon. Like many of you, I am a cradle Catholic and received a normal Catholic upbringing. I served as an altar server in my original home town of Woodstock and then briefly here in Middlebury prior to my confirmation after my family relocated in 1972.
            Shortly after my confirmation I left my faith, which is unfortunately a fate that befalls many of our young folk even today. I joined the Navy and got married and life was pretty good for a sinner, but something was missing. After a few years I came back to the faith, at first attending Mass regularly which evolved into sporadic attendance. I more or less kept drifting in this fashion for many years, eventually divorcing and re-marrying and divorcing again. When I met my third (and final) wife, Karoline, we did everything as backwards as two Catholics can- we lived together and started having kids; then we got married in a civil ceremony; then we finally got married in the Church. We had wanted to get married in the Church, but knew that my pervious marriages were an impediment to this. We finally landed in Enosburg Falls and my attendance at Mass started to increase because Karoline insisted on it. When our fifth son was baptized we had our marriage blessed in the Church.
            My father passed away in 2007 and I started to feel a gentle urge to be more involved in the Church. I became a lector and increased my involvement with the Knights of Columbus. Much prayer ensued and I started to feel called to become a permanent Deacon. I enrolled in the Lay Apostolate Formation program which is a pre-requisite to being accepted as a Deacon Candidate. Although the Diaconate was put on hold in the Diocese for a number of years I continued my involvement with the Church. I realized that if my vocation was a true one that no power on earth could prevent it, other than myself and if it wasn’t a true one no power on earth would make it happen. The program was re-started by Bishop Coyne and I was accepted as an Aspirant in 2017. I was ordained this year on September 26^th. After looking back on my life I can hardly believe it because I had led such a sinful life. But that’s the beauty of our faith- we are all sinners and yet the Lord forgives us and uses us for His greater glory. He calls each of us to live a life of faith and service.
            Our gospel reading today gives us an example of what at first looks like un-Christian like behavior. The wise virgins have extra oil and they won’t share it with the foolish virgins. But that isn’t the point of the parable and the oil represents something that cannot be shared. In Jesus’ day marriages would take place in two stages. The first stage was the betrothal where the groom and his father in law to be agreed on the basic terms of dowry and such. The second stage took place a year later when the contract was finalized. It is this second stage where the parable takes place- the virgins, who are part of the wedding party, are waiting for the bridegroom to finish hammering out the final details in order for the wedding feast to begin. So what does this have to do with us?
            Remember, Jesus is comparing this story to heaven and if we look at it from that perspective it can make a bit of sense. When we die we no longer have the ability to influence where we end up- we are going to heaven, or we are going to hell. We have either stored up the “oil” that we need to go to heaven or we have not, with the “oil” representing the virtues and faith that we need to enter heaven. These are not things that can be shared with others. It is good to keep in mind the words of St Basil- “If we turn away from evil out of fear of punishment, we are in the position of slaves. If we pursue the entitlement of wages,…we resemble mercenaries. Finally if we obey for the sake of the good itself and out of love for Him who commands…we are in the position of children.” We must do everything that we do, not because we are told to, but because we love God and want to please Him above everything else.
            God is calling each of us by name, for a specific task. What is the Lord calling you to do? In my case, it turns out to be an ordained Deacon, but it isn’t always something that big. It could be as simple as a calling to become a better husband, or a better wife, a better neighbor, or a better son or daughter. In short, to become a better Christian. Sometimes we are afraid of asking the question because we are afraid of the answer. But remember that if the Lord calls you to do something then He will provide the graces that you need in order to perform the task that you are being called to do. If we always strive to do His will in our lives then surely we will have sufficient oil on hand as we await the bridegroom.
             When the time comes will you have the oil that you need to await the bridegroom?

 

              When you’re the queen of a royal family, you’d think you’d have it all in life. But for St. Elizabeth of Portugal, that wasn’t the case. Born into royalty herself, she was betrothed to King Denis of Portugal at age 13. As she matured, she discovered that one of the gifts that God gave her, was that of being a peacemaker. She was a Peacemaker within her own family of birth. She would make peace with her husband Denis, who repeatedly fathered other children, whom she welcomed into her own family. Elizabeth brokered peace between her husband and their own son Alfonso. And finally, at the end of her life, she brokered peace between Alfonso and a grandson. Negotiating all of these family dynamics – was not about her projecting an image – from which she could take satisfaction. No, any satisfaction was knowing that God’s beatitude could work through her.
         Our first reading comes from the Book of Revelation. As we’ve heard, Revelation is a collection of visions experienced by a disciple named John. These visions are God’s way of giving a glimpse of the future, but not only that, they are a way for God to speak to present cirucmstances of believers.
         Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati was born at the turn of the century to a prominent Italian family. His father was a newspaper publisher and senator, and hoped that Pier Giorgio would follow in his footsteps. Instead, his son showed a great interest in the faith, serving the poor, and the outdoors. His parents feared he might become a priest. Instead, Frassati was attracted to mining, as he saw it as the best place to help spread the faith. This was what he was studying at university, until he became ill serving the poor during an epidemic. For Bl. Pier Giorgio, fulfillment wasn’t going to come through fulfilling his parents’ wishes. Rather, it was going to come through fulfilling God's wishes.
         In that 1st Reading, the writer John sees a vision of a multitude of people. This multitude is from every nation, race, people, and tongue. They cry out: “Salvation comes from our God who is seated on the throne,and from the Lamb.” These holy ones aren’t holy first because of what they’ve done. Rather, they are holy, because of where they acknowledge salvation coming from.
         St. Gianna Beretta Molla was born in Italy. After earning degrees in medicine and surgery, from the University of Pavia in 1949, she opened a medical clinic in Mesero (near Magenta) in 1950. While working in the field of medicine - which she considered a "mission" and practiced as such - she increased her generous service to Catholic Action, a movement which put faith into action. She married, and had four children, before her untimely death. Rather than seeing ‘job / spouse / child’ as achievements, St. Gianna saw them as gifts, and could enjoy them as such. Her dignity didn’t come from where she went to school and worked – her dignity came from God.
         Once again, in our first reading, we hear the multitude using that word ‘salvation’. What exactly is salvation? The Catechism defines it as “the forgiveness of sins and restoration of friendship with God, which can be done by God alone.” The misery of sin is not just spiritual, however. In its various forms – material deprivation, unjust oppression, physical and psychological illness and death – human misery is the obvious sign of frailty and our need for salvation. This misery elicted the compassion of Christ the Savior, who willingly took it upon himself, and identified himself with the least of his brethren.
         St. Oscar Romero was Archbishop of San Salvador in the late 1970’s, as El Salvador convulsed in political violence. As we know, Romero found himself in a difficult position. The country was torn between leftist rebels, popular movements, business interests, unions, the police, the military, and right-wing death squads. But he would not allow the Church to be silenced or co-opted by any of them. Rather, Romero maintained the ability of the Church to evaluate all of the situations in the light of the Gospel. As he would write, there is a chance for mutual enrichment: what Christian faith can do in the service of the world, and how the Christian faith is enriched as it receives back from the world // a reflection of what it cultivated.
         On this All Saints Day, we give thanks for the saints that God has given us:
         St. Elizabeth of Portugal, who tells us:salvation is not having a picture-perfect family.
         Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati, who tells us: salvation is not from worldly success which           pleases our family.
         St. Gianna Molla, who tells us: salvation is not from our university and our job.
         St. Oscar Romero, who tell us: salvation is not from politics
         “They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne,
and from the Lamb.”






 

        What was a time in your life – that was a moment of both difficulty and joy?
         One clear example is childbirth. Another example is parenting. Another example is achieving a goal after difficult work.
         For the church in Thessalonika, to whom our 2^ndReading is addressed, Paul notes that they’ve just experienced affliction and joy – at the same time. And that experience – was receiving God’s word. Receiving communication from the living God.
         The reason that it was difficult, is that in having received that Word, they began the process of turning away from the idols that society proposed to them. This was both personally difficult, and even more socially difficult. It was socially difficult, because other people took offense at a perceived lack of respect.
         But even with these challenges – there was joy. And the joy came from an outside source – the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit of the living God. The people could perceive that God was living and working and operating in their very midst. And over time, the people in Thessalonika realized that they were being rescued – rescued from slavery to idols….idols that society told them were gods, but in fact were not.
         This experience of being rescued – is what God wants his people to remember in the 1^stReading. They were just rescued from cruel and hard slavery in Egypt. Now that they are in the Promised Land, God gives them a way to live, and be a people. That ‘way of being a people’// is to recall how they were once aliens in a foreign land -- when they were the weak, mistreated by the powerful.
         The Israelites have to keep that memory alive – not to stoke resentment against the Egyptians - but rather, that they don’t end up doing // the same exact thing // to their immigrants, widows, orphans, and poor.
         Even after having gone through a liberating experience, believers in the living God will still be affected by the power of idols. So in the Gospel, Jesus gives us a very practical counter-measure: the love commandment (love of God and neighbor). When we examine our consciences, using the love commandment, God’s Spirit helps us ferret out where idols are trying to reclaim us. They turn us in ourselves. And by doing so, idols regain their power.
         Just as God gave the Israelites the commandments and Passover as a reminder of their liberation, so too does God give us the Eucharist as a reminder of our liberation. And yet we ask: why is Mass so repetitious? The same, every Sunday? The reason Mass seemsrepetitious // is because our capability of falling prey to idols // is repetitious.
         Pope Francis, in his exhortation The Joy of the Gospel identifies some of the idols which prevent a communal commitment: a financial system which rules rather than serves, and moral relativism. But what gives joy are new relationships made possible by Christ. And indeed: this is the way that God is constantly unifying his people, through His son.
         For the idols God has saved us from, we give thanks in this Eucharist. 
 

         What are your goals in life?

         What is your mission in life?

         In our 1^stReading, we hear the great story about Cyrus, the King of Persia, modern-day Iran. Persia’s great rival, Babylon, used to be the superpower of the known world. But now they were weakening, and Cyrus saw an opportunity, and launched an invasion.
As king, I suspect Cyrus had some personal goals: to exercise his power well, to extend his Kingdom’s reach, and (hopefully) to serve his people. These goals likely came from himself, his family upbringing, and his culture.
         But Cyrus’ mission in life, on the other hand, did not come from himself…or his family…or his culture. His mission came from somewhere else, or better, from someone else. Because when Cyrus conquered Babylon, he allowed a seemingly insignificant group of exiles return home, and give them the money to rebuild their temple. That people was Israel. Cyrus’ mission, as he would come to learn in hindsight, was to be an instrument of God’s salvation and mercy to his special people.
         In the 2^ndReading, we hear from the earliest piece of the New Testament, Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians. Paul, as we’ve gotten to know him, certainly had big personal goals. He wanted to be the best: the most zealous, the smartest, the most hard-working member of his people and faith.
         But then God came into his life one day, and slowly began to reveal to Paul // something more // than his personal goals. That something more was his mission. His mission – to share his personal story of God having mercy on him, and to share the larger story of God wanting to have mercy on the whole world.
         Paul was not in control of this mission. He would go where the Spirit would lead him. He couldn’t have predicted that he would end up in Greece, where this letter was addressed. But that is where God wanted him. That was Paul’s mission field.
         Having a mission doesn’t mean one’s personal goals are irrelvant. Paul’s goals were now to be put to use for mission. And in doing so, Paul realized that the source of his drive, and his smarts, wasn’t simply himself. It was God.
         In our Gospel, at the time of Jesus, there were four major political factions: the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Zealots, the Herodians. Each faction had their own outlook, and their own goals. In this passage, the Pharisees to box Jesus in, with a question that has religious and political consequences. In many ways, it was a question that tried to steer Jesus away from His mission: a mission to reveal God’s mercy // not only to the people of Israel, but to the whole world.
         Needless to say, not much has changed since the Gospel. Political party activists will gladly tell Christians what their mission is. Of course, thatmission will be selective about what parts of the Word of God are employed, and which get left out.
         You and I have been given a mission.

• Like Paul: to share the story of God’s mercy upon us
• Like Cyrus: to liberate the oppressed

           How do our personal goals line up with it?

Scott Weeman was born and raised in northeast Wisconsin, in a developing rural community, where he enjoyed involvement in sports and activities with his friends and family. After high school, he attend college in New York City, after being awarded a scholarship for debate.
At this point, his experience around drugs and alcohol started to spin out of control. After a series of events, he found himself in California, and age 26, seeking the mercy of the Lord. Scott attributes this re-version to a very strong Catholic community at St. Brigid’s Parish in San Diego. In addition, the experience shared in recovery groups like AA has guided his ownrecovery, one day at a time.

With this opportunity at a new way of life, Scott is passionate about bringing the Good News to people who struggle to find healing from addictions. Blending both the spiritual tools made available to him through addiction recovery, and the wisdom of the Catholic Church, he founded a nonprofit organization, Catholic in Recovery, to bring hope to those who struggle. He has also written a book “The Twelve Steps and the Sacraments.”

The great insight of 12-step programs is that the person realizes something isn’t right, and they can’t solve the situation on their own. They need two things outside themselves: a higher power, and a community who will be supportive. Being ‘supportive’ also means being honest with person, when they start to hide and equivocate. Scott Weeman is grateful for the charism of the 12-steps, but found that with his Catholic faith, more substance and detail can be added to the 12 steps, with the sacraments.

Paul, in our 2^ndReading, finds himself in prison again. As we’ve been hearing for the past couple of weeks, he has written a letter to the church in Philippi. Now at the end of the letter, he’s giving thanks for a gift they gave him. As you can imagine, ancient Roman prisons didn’t have a cafeteria, so prisoners were reliant on gifts from the outside to survive.
As Paul thanks them, he shares with them some hard-won wisdom:

“In every circumstance and in all things
I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry,
of living in abundance and of being in need. 
I can do all things in him who strengthens me.” 

“I can do all things - in him- who strengthens me.” The ‘in him’, of course, is in Christ. In His Body. And to be in His Body, means to be in his community of believers, nourished by the bloodstream of the sacraments. A community of believers which welcomes and supports, but supports by expressing the truth about the reality of things.

In our Gospel, Jesus gives us what seems to be a strange parable. The parable of a king, who invites people off the street to his Son’s banquet, but then kicks one of them out, for not wearing the proper attire. A commentator has wisely noted that with this parable, Jesus is more focused on making certain points, rather than having a coherent narrative. And the point made, with the man not wearing the wedding garment, is this: ‘all are welcome’ indeed, but when you step through the door, you need to need to acknowledge something. You need to acknowledge what the 1st Step says: “STEP 1:  “We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.” More broadly speaking – we admit that we are powerless over our addiction – to ourselves. And that we need a higher power, other people, and a searching inventory of our lives, to overcome it. Day by day.

The reason the person in the parable is silent – isn’t because he’s speechless about an absurd situation – being invited off the street, and now kicked out for some silly dress code rule, that he couldn’t fulfill. No – the parable implies that the person knows the minimum to enter and partake of the feast, but chooses not to. The king, with radical honesty, points this fact out. And until the guest can verbalize it himself, he will stay out, momentarily.

If the guest can acknowledge it, and put on the garment of truth, he can be welcomed with joy by the King, who grieves the momentary separation.

I can do all things in him who strengthens me.
In him – who is both God and neighbor.
 

         There was a member of the Newman Club – a Catholic student at Middlebury College, who came to mind as I prayed with these readings.
         The student was a child of immigrants, and was the first of the family to attend college.
         As we were talking about the Newman Mass one day, the student said: “For all the blessings that I have received in life, how can I not go to Mass to give thanks?” “For all the blessings that I have received in life, how can I not go to Mass to give thanks?”
         This student also gave generous hours of volunteer service to people in the community, and the migrant workers on the farms.
         In our Gospel, Jesus again presents a parable involving a vineyard. But this time, it is not hourly employees who work the vineyard. It is tenant farmers. In 1^stCentury Palestine, tenant farmers would agree with the landowner for a certain percentage of the fruit that the owner would receive. We could say that it was the ‘rent’.
         Here, the tenant farmers will enjoy a much greater share of the harvest. Why is it – that the tenant farmers in this parable - can’t even offer even a percentage – to the person who owns the land? Perhaps it is the desire for the infinite– placed in our souls – which gets distorted in the desire to possess – possess material - more and more of it.
         For the tenant farmers in the parable – that desire to possess more and morebecomes so distorted – that they think by killing the son, they will somehow to come inherit the vineyard, which would have been an absurdity.
         The Pew Research Center released a new report entitled “US Teens Take After Their Parents Religiously, Attend Services Together and Enjoy Family Rituals.”Of parents who said religion is “very important” in their life: 45% of their teens answered the same, and 41% of the teens said religion was “somewhat important” to them.
         However, in households where parents say religion is not important to them, their teenagers are far more likely to hold the same religious priorities. 82% of their teenage children agreed with the parents – mirroring the families where it is important.
         Why was religion not important to these parents? One can make an inference from the report – because it is also reported that Catholic parents are very focused on whether their teenager goes to college, and that they become financially successful. Of course, it is possible for a parent to be very religious and desire success for their children. They are not exclusive.
But it is also easy to see, for parents to whom God is less important…that another god takes His place. The ‘more and more’ tendency – becomes more pronounced, where someone cannot even give a percentage of their time and talent // to God and neighbor. Hence, no fruit is born, to use the language of the parable.
         In the 2^ndReading, we’ve been hearing from Paul’s letter to the Philipians. There have been some disagreements within the community, some external pressure from outside forces. So Paul tells them:

Have no anxiety at all, but in everything,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
make your requests known to God.

In that great desire we have for peace….in the desire we have for simple basic needs to be met…we can certainly ask God for these things. But Paul adds something: he says, make those prayers…with thanksgiving. Perhaps because the spirit of thanksgivingdoes two things: (1) it tempers our inordinate desires, and (2) gives perspective to our anxieties.
         For our Newman Student…the student realized much had been received in life already. The student could - with thanksgiving - offer a share of it back to God at Mass on the weekend, and to the community on the weekday.
 

          Last Easter, I spoke about the 2010 film “Of Gods and Men”. The story of the Cistercian monks of Tibehirine in Algeria, living in harmony with their Muslim villagers, during the civil war of the 1990’s. During the war, Islamic insurgents threatened the lives of all foreigners. For the Cistercian monks, many born in France, this included them.
         Knowing of their precarious state, the prior of the monastery, Fr. Christian de Cherge, wrote a letter in 1994. This letter was to be opened only if he was killed.
         Towards the end of his letter, he thanks God, and his family and friends. And then he thanks someone else – whom he calls “his last-minute friend.” Here is what Christian, now beatified with his fellow martyrs, wrote:

And also you, my last-minute friend, who will not have known what you were doing:
Yes, I want this THANK YOU and this GOODBYE to be a "GOD-BLESS" for you, too,
because in God's face I see yours.
May we meet again as happy thieves in Paradise, if it please God, the Father of us both.
AMEN !   INCHALLAH !  

       This “last-minute friend”, whom he addresses, is his would-be killer.
       Can you imagine….he is thanking / and hoping to be in heaven / with the person who will do violence to him.
         It’s just as shocking – as the thought of moral reprobates and traitors – walking into the Kingdom of Heaven. This shock was felt by the chief priests and elders in today’s Gospel, upon hearing those words from Jesus – that prostitutes and tax collectors would enter the Kingdom of Heaven before they would.
         But wait a minute – don’t ‘good people’ get into heaven?
         In our 2^ndReading, Paul is addressing the perennial question about factions, which can be present any time people get together. These factions have developed in the church in Phillipi. So he begs them, to unify around something. And that something is ‘the attitude of Jesus’. The attitude, which focuses on do His Father’s will, even if it meant the cost of humiliation.
Doing the Father’s Will – became the most important thing for Jesus, and Paul hopes that the factions in Philipi can rally around that same desire. Because doing the Father’s will is for the best– for individuals andthe community.
         When life is all about ‘my will’, we become imprisoned in ourselves, and finding unity with others becomes more difficult. Now in time, we’ll meet up with other people who share a similar will. But now we have factions – this group wants this, this group wants that. But what if all groups – were trying to figure out what Godwants? God’s will isn’t always clear, and this isn’t an easy project – but it’s still a more worthwhile project // than each individual living ‘my truth’.
         For Bl. Christian, if it is God’s will that he meets his murderer in Paradise, he will rejoice. Bl. Christian also has a merciful attitude toward his killer, because he presumes that he was trying to follow the will of God (albeit gravely mistaken and wrong). At least that much - out of grave evil - is good.
         Here’s a fun little spiritual exercise for your weekend:

· think about someone you intensely dislike
· imagine yourself having died, and now you are being purified in Purgatory, in preparation for Heaven
· imagine that other person walking into the Kingdom of Heaven, before you
· imagine yourself, shouting out at the top of your voice, ‘that’s not fair!’, just like the 1^stReading says…
· now imagine yourself hearing God respond: when it was clear to you, did you carry out my will?

        Even the attempt to discern and live God’s will can start to free us…as individuals…as communities.

      Amen. Inchallah.

         I’ve seen some interesting t-shirts and sweatshirts, with some colorful phrases, expressing the thought that 2020 is not the best year ever. For as much as people want 2020 to be over, commentators are cautioning people to not expect a return to ‘the way things were before’, and that not even the appearance of an approved vaccine / means that everything can go back to normal.
         The people of Israel, in our 1^stReading, have that strange ‘in-between’ feeling, that we share now. They’ve been in exile, in a foreign country, for 70 years already. It’s not ideal, but many of the young have gotten used to it. So when there is talk of ‘when we get to go back home’, or ‘when we get to rebuild’ – there’s a bit of an indifferent attitude by some people – because for them, living in exile is all – they -  know.
         So God sends Isaiah, to get them to be attentive, to their upcoming liberation. They need to be attentive, and perceptive, because God is going to act in a way, that they’re not expecting. It won’t be a way that God has acted in the past – great floods, or military victories. No, their liberation will come about – [PAUSE] – through a foreigner. A pagan. Cyrus, the King of Persia, who will conquer Babylon, and let the Jews return to Israel.
         When People of God get back home - something else unexpected will happen. They’re not going to behave religiously, in the same way. They’re not going to have the same religious goals, which were very inward focused. When they go back home, they now have to focus on how God’s light is going to shine through them, to gather other nations to them. It doesn’t mean that their entire Jewish religious heritage is up for grabs – their rituals will return. But the reasonfor doing it – will have a different focus – outside of themselves.
         In our 2^ndReading, Paul finds himself confined – confined like many people across the globe feel. Paul is confined because he is in prison. But for this stint in jail – his life is on the line. He might receive the death penalty, for all his preaching.
         Yet he is at joy and peace.
         Paul is ready to accept either sentence. Yes, he has his preferences - he’d prefer to be with Christ in heaven, but if God wants him to stay to keep working, he’ll do it. Whatever the outcome, Paul knows three things will happen:

· God will bring good out of it,
· God will be glorified,
· and God’s Word will not be chained – it will keep be shared.

         For this kind of attitude, we would say Paul has a spirit of ‘detachment’. He is not indifferent – he is detached. Detached from what he desires, while confident that God’s greater purposes will be served. How can a Christian arrive at this blessed state – this statement of detachment? Paul does it – as one sees from the start of his letter – by being thankful for what God has done in his life. If God can change a know-it-all like himself, He can transform anything.
         Paul’s greatest transformation, was his religious outlook. He was very much in the mode of ‘if I do X, then I’ve earned Y’. This is the mode of thinking that Jesus challenges in our Gospel today, where he encourages his listeners to be mindful of the graces they received as gift, and that God desires that others share inthe same graces as well.
        Has God invited us to the Eucharist to ‘get’ something, and fill a need?
        Or has he invited us to the Eucharist, to be transformed into Himself…so that we can fill someone else’s need?
         2021 will certainly be different.