Sunday, October 30, 2016

Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

"You love all things that are and loathe nothing that you have made." None of us is ever truly lost. We wander through swamps and deserts. We deserve the warnings and rebukings that come our way. But not a single one of us is ever so deplorable as to find themselves abandoned by our Parent. Each and every being on this planet is a beloved child of our one God. May this truth pierce your heart and soul in these final days of our presidential contest, that you too might loathe as your Creator loathes.

Sunday, October 23, 2016

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

"The Lord hears the cry of the poor." But do we? Do we truly listen to them, or are we too busy turning them into objects for the fulfillment of our own needs and desires? The poor are not here to provide us with wisdom or opportunities for self-improvement. Such endeavors might allow us to feel better about our privilege, but let us never confuse them with justice. Life is a cosmic lottery. Some of us win, and some of us lose. One way or another, our Parent will take care of the latter. The rest of us have some choices to make: Will we recognize our good fortune? Will we freely and generously share that bounty with our neighbors? Will we humble ourselves before our family, or must God do it for us?

Sunday, October 16, 2016

Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Have we not remained faithful? Have we not been persistent? So where is our speedy justice? Where is our divine assistance? Despondency is easy when life is viewed through the eyes of the world. But we are called to see things through the truth of love. And from that vantage point, grace surrounds us: in the form of enemies ripe for transformation into friends; in the form of siblings standing shoulder to shoulder with us in solidarity; in the form of nature reminding us that our family is much bigger than a tribe of talking monkeys; in countless forms of wonder and beauty we can barely comprehend but who leave their marks on our hearts and souls. This is the help our Parent provides. And while it might not satisfy worldly demands or desires, it does guard what matters most, now and forever.

Sunday, October 9, 2016

Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

"Master! Have pity on us!" One way or another, we Americans are soon to get the president we dearly deserve. Pride. Greed. Envy. Anger. Lust. Gluttony. Sloth. We created a culture that revels in each of the seven deadly sins. And in just about a month, we shall reap what we have sown. We are unclean: our nation, our leaders, ourselves. Will we wallow in that muck; gleefully, mournfully, apathetically? Or will we be bold enough to reject false deities and to cry out to our Parent for healing? And if cleansing comes, can we remain faithful, or must we return to the delusion of the saving power of politics? Yes, let us "sing to the LORD a new song", for we are in desperate need of their "wondrous deeds".

Sunday, October 2, 2016

Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

"Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and clamorous discord." Yes, the more things change, the more they stay the same. As long as we are human, we will give birth to ruin and misery. Sometimes, this is the product of greed and envy. But oftentimes, it is the result of a lack of patience in our Parent's vision; for in our rashness to help the kingdom along, we inevitably replace God's plan with one of our own. We are neither masters, nor builders, but merely servants, and unprofitable ones at that. And therein lies our greatest freedom: our Parent does not expect us to end evil and suffering; that is their work, not ours. No, our obligation is to love our siblings as best we can, no more, no less; and then to trust God to do wonderful things with that love. That is a faith that sings joyfully. That is a faith that moves mountains in hardened hearts. That is a faith that brings forth eternal life.