Turning toward God, Not Away from Him

In today's first reading, Jeremiah 7: 23-28, the Lord says to us through the prophet: "Listen to my voice; then I will be your God and you shall be my people. Walk in all the ways that I command you, so that you may prosper. But they obeyed not, nor did they pay heed. They walked in the hardness of their evil hearts and turned their backs, not their faces, to me."

Have you, have I, have we turned our backs on the Lord and walked away from Him? Or do we turn our faces to the Lord and in faith walk with Him and toward Him?  In hope and in faith and in love, do we keep going forward no matter how difficult the journey might be? Or do we return to "the flesh pots of Egypt," to our whims, urges and impulses, walking away from doing what we know is right and choosing the easier path that makes no demands upon us? When challenged to go forward, do we say to people, either in word or action: "Leave me alone. I've done enough! I'm too tired. I'm too old! I'm too young!"

No matter what, God always walks along side us on the journey of faith, giving us the strength, the courage, and the wisdom we need to move forward!  Not only is God with us on our way to heaven, so, too, are all the saints, those who have gone before us and those here on earth making the journey with us to our eternal homes! And furthermore, the angels, especially our guardian angel, walks with us as well!

Lord, forgive us for the times when we have turned our backs to you and give us the strength to turn back to you again and again in faith, hope and love!

David and Goliath; Jesus and Satan

Today’s first reading presents us with the battle between David and Goliath, the Philistine.  Saul challenges David, saying, in effect: “Who do you think you are going against this Philistine. You are a mere youth while this guy has been a warrior since his youth. You cannot do what you plan to do. It will not work!”  David does not flinch.  “The Lord, who delivered me from the claws of the lion and the bear, will also keep me safe” from the claws of this Philistine.  Saul’s response: “Go! The Lord is with you.”

David approaches Goliath, taking with him his staff and five stones. With one of those stones he kills Goliath.  After cursing David, Goliath approaches David and says to him: “Come here to me, and I will leave your flesh for the birds of the air and the beasts of the field.”  David says to Goliath: “You come against me with sword and spear and scimitar, but I come against you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel that you have insulted. Today the Lord shall deliver you into my hand; I will strike your down and cut off your head….All this multitude, too, shall learn that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves. For the battle is the Lord’s and he shall deliver you into my hands.”

Pass forward to Holy Week.  In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus is approached by men armed with spears, chains and swords. Jesus, our Good Shepherd, is unafraid; the Father and the Spirit are with Him.  Jesus takes on Satan, the “Goliaths” in our lives, crushes Satan’s head, cuts it off, so to speak, so that his power over us is destroyed by Jesus’ death and resurrection.  By His five wounds, not five stones, we are saved.   As Jesus is dying, someone acclaims: “Truly, this is the Son of God!” To this very day, multitudes have come to believe in Jesus as the Savior of the world!

That is my belief! What is yours?

Being Sent and Empowered; Empowering Others

Today we celebrate the feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist. Each one of us also has a nativity.
To each one of us, as to John the Baptist, God says to us through the prophet Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you ” ( Jeremiah 1: 4-10, the first reading of the Vigil Mass for John the Baptist). Jeremiah responds to God: “Ah, Lord God, I know not how to speak; I am too young.” God comes back with: “Say not, ‘I am too young.’ To whomever I send you, you shall go; whatever I command you, you shall speak. Have no fear…I am with you to deliver you…Then the Lord extended his hand and touched my mouth, saying, ‘See, I place my words in your mouth! This is the day I set you over nations and over kingdoms to root up and to tear down, to destroy and to demolish, to build and to plant.” 

I just returned from a meeting at St. John’s University  in Collegeville, MN, where I was introduced  to YTM (Youth in Theology and Ministry), a two- year program for teenagers that includes two fourteen-day summer institutes at John’s University.   The summer program involves 1) theology courses, 2) a prayer component, 3) service projects and 4) a vocational discernment, leadership development and Catholic Social Teaching. Between summers the students return to their parish to complete their service-justice project in their own parishes.  

Three teens presented their project, one of whom was an Hispanic, 17-year-old woman who, on returning to her parish, presented a faith-development program for teens at risk: they had either been suspended from high school, were drop outs, had gotten in trouble with the law and, for all set purposes, were headed down a path that could have destroyed them. At the end of their faith formation, led by this YTM participant, were conducting classes for first communicants and doing a session for confirmants!

“Say not,’ I am too young.’ To whomever I send you, you shall go; whatever I command you, you shall speak. Have no fear…I am with you to deliver you” (Jeremiah 1: 4-10).

What is God saying to you? To whom is God sending you to "root up and to tear down, to destroy and to demolish, to build and to plant" (Jeremiah 1: 4-10). What in you and me needs to be rooted up, torn down, destroyed, demolished so our faith radiates God's presence in our lives? What do we need "to build and to plant" in our lives so that our discipleship inspires and helps others find Christ?

Co-conquers with the Lord

In today’s Gospel, John 16: 29-30,  the disciples proudly say to Jesus: “Now you are talking plainly, and not in any figure of speech.  Now we realize that you know everything and that you do not need to have anyone question you. Because of this we believe that you came from God.” And Jesus responds with something that today might sound like: “OH, yeah. In just a short period you will all scatter. You will even deny me and one of you will betray. Yes, when it gets hot in the kitchen you will all scram for ‘cooler’ ground and leave me to myself.”  As I reflected briefly on that passage, I couldn’t help but think of times when, in the excitement of some success or some celebratory event, I, too, loudly proclaimed my belief in Jesus. I was hype with excitement, unreserved  in my love for the Lord, willing to do anything to build up the kingdom. And then the storm came.  Where was my faith then? Why did my willingness to do anything for Jesus, no matter what the cost, wane, sag, decline?  Were there not times when I simply said: “I’ve had enough, Lord.” “I can’t take it anymore.” “It’s too hard, Lord.” “I’m too tired, too old” or “I’m too young, too ignorant, don’t have enough education.”  “I’m afraid I will fail, Lord. I won’t do well enough. I’m not good enough, strong enough, etc. etc. etc.!” At times like those have I forgotten that God is with me, lives in me, as He lived in Jesus. When I shy away from doing that which seems difficult have I not forgotten Jesus words at the end of this Gospel: “In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.” In Christ Jesus, you and I are conquerors of those excuses that want us to believe we are alone and incapable of that to which the Lord calls us as co-conquerors of this world’s evil and of Satan’s deceitful messages.