Sunday, February 26, 2017

Ayune de preocuparse esta Cuaresma

          Gracias por todos los que oraron por mí la semana pasada mientras yo estaba en retiro. Fue una semana refrescante (y que habría pensado que me hubiera gustado el clima de 70 grados en el medio oeste en febrero?). ¡Oremos los unos a los otros mientras entramos en esta santa temporada de Cuaresma el miércoles!

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Homilía: 8º Domingo en el Tiempo Ordinario – Ciclo A
          Hoy seguimos leyendo el Sermón de la Montaña de Jesús y escuchamos la enseñanza de Jesús de que debemos elegir a quién serviremos: Dios o el mundo—porque, nos enseña, si intentamos servir a ambos, no serviremos ni a uno ni a otro bien.
          Luego nos recuerda por qué debemos elegir servir a Dios, en lugar del mundo. Servir al mundo, Jesús enseña, no nos gana nada. Esto es porque Dios ya está dispuesto a darnos todo lo que necesitamos. Por lo tanto, si elegimos a Dios, obtenemos lo mejor de ambos: ganamos la satisfacción de haber escogido lo mejor sin sufrir ninguna pérdida real en el mundo por no haberlo seguido.
          Y si esta lógica no es suficiente, Jesús continúa para demostrar cómo Dios ya ha demostrado que seguirá hasta el final. Mira el resto de la creación, él dice: mira cómo las aves no trabajan en la tierra para traer comida, pero todos ellos tienen el alimento que necesitan; y ver cómo las flores del campo no tejen hilo fino, sin embargo, todos ellos se visten de colores majestuosos. ¿Por qué, pues, Dios no haría lo mismo por ustedes, pregunta Jesús, que son de un orden superior (y, por lo tanto, más importante) que el resto de la creación?
          Más aún, en la primera lectura del libro de Isaías, se nos proporciona otro ejemplo de esto. Allí, Isaías asegura al pueblo israelita, que está languideciendo en el exilio en Babilonia, que Dios no los ha abandonado. El mensaje de Dios que les transmite es que Dios es más amoroso que una madre para su criatura. Y así, al igual que ninguna madre, que está en su sano juicio, deliberadamente abandonaría a su bebé, así también Dios no los ha abandonado. Y sólo para asegurarse de que la gente entiende esto, Dios inspira a Isaías para asegurarlos aún más allá de este ejemplo. Él dice: "Incluso si [una madre] se olvida [de su criatura]", en otras palabras, "aunque algo tan aborrecible y tan impensable suceda, creando así alguna duda en sus corazones, no duden porque" “nunca te olvidaré".
          Una y otra vez, mis hermanos y hermanas, Dios ha probado la verdad de estas palabras que él habló a través del profeta Isaías y que Jesús enseñó en el Sermón de la Montaña. Incluso para los mártires, a quienes parecía que Dios había abandonado tan completamente que sus enemigos tendrían la oportunidad de matarlos, les proporcionó fe y coraje, lo que más necesitaban en aquel tiempo de prueba. Piensen en los cristianos coptos asesinados en Egipto hace un par de años. Estos hombres estaban buscando "primero el reino de Dios y su justicia" y Dios les proveyó fe y coraje para que fueran firmes incluso cuando todos (en este mundo, al menos) parecían perdidos para ellos. Debido a esto, han ganado todo, ya que ahora gozan de descanso eterno en el reino de Dios: esa misma cosa por la cual fervientemente buscaron.
          O, tal vez, una imagen menos sangrienta sería la historia de Jorge Muller, un hombre que dirigía un orfanato y refugio para desamparados por completo en la oración. Jorge nunca pidió fondos. Más bien, se puso a trabajar para el reino de Dios al comprometer estas obras de misericordia y confió en que Dios proveería el resto. En varias ocasiones, ya era casi la hora de cenar y no había comida ni dinero para comprar comida. Jorge no se preocuparía; más bien, él simplemente oraría y confiaría en que Dios proveería. Cada vez, sin falta, alguien venía a la casa con comida. Dios nunca falló en satisfacer sus necesidades, porque él no dejó de buscar primero el reino de Dios y su justicia. Mis hermanos y hermanas, Dios no dejará de hacer lo mismo por nosotros, si realmente le estamos sirviendo.
          Por lo tanto, debemos mirar nuestras vidas y preguntarnos: "¿Qué revelan mis acciones cotidianas acerca de quién estoy sirviendo?" Ninguno de nosotros, estoy seguro, encontrará que estamos perfectamente ordenados a buscar primero a Dios y su reino. Por lo tanto, este mensaje llega a nosotros en un momento perfecto. Esto es porque la Cuaresma comienza esta semana y es la oportunidad, a través de la oración, el ayuno y la limosna, de apartarse de servir al mundo (y de preocuparse por las necesidades materiales de nuestros cuerpos) y volver a servir a Dios y ser administradores de los misterios de Dios confiados a nosotros. En otras palabras, es la oportunidad de volver a parecer como cristianos una vez más.
          Quizás, para algunos de ustedes, esto tiene que ver con chocolate o bebidas azucaradas; y si es así, entonces bien: comprometerse a alejarse de esas cosas y regresar a Dios. Pero si somos honestos con nosotros mismos, generalmente tiene que ver con algo más profundo: es decir, una tendencia más profunda a no confiar en Dios. Tal vez un ejemplo: en lugar de usar el domingo como un día para terminar las tareas adicionales o hacer recados (como limpiar la casa, cortar la yarda o ir de compras), ¿por qué no honrarlo por lo que es, un día de descanso para adorar El Señor y pasar tiempo en comunión con los demás: familia o amigos cercanos y parientes?
          Dejar esas "obras" es un acto de confianza que el Señor le ayudará a cumplir con esas cosas cuando sea el momento adecuado. Al mismo tiempo, estará "buscando primero el reino de Dios y su justicia", un acto, Jesús nos asegura, que Dios no dejará de recompensar. ¡Además, es el día de la Resurrección! ¿Qué más de nuestra propia creación podemos añadir a este día para hacerlo aún mejor de lo que es? Si usted no ve que la respuesta a esta pregunta es "nada", entonces ¡usted tiene mucho trabajo para hacer esta Cuaresma!
          Y así, ayunemos de la preocupación, esta Cuaresma, y asumir una mayor confianza—mientras ayudamos a otros a hacerlo también—y lo que vamos a ver es lo que nuestra fe nos dice que sea verdad: que sólo Dios es verdaderamente fiel, y que confiar en el mundo o en nuestras propias capacidades sólo nos dejará decepcionados. Así sorprendidos por la gracia (como seremos), tendremos una fe más fuerte; y seremos testigos de la fidelidad de Dios en todas partes. Más aún, estaremos dispuestos a recibir aún mayores cosas en el día final, cuando se haga plenamente conocida la recompensa preparada para los fieles: la recompensa de la perfecta comunión que experimentamos aquí bajo los signos sacramentales en esta Santa Eucaristía.
Dado en la parroquia de Todos los Santos: Logansport, IN

26 de febrero, 2017

Fast from worry this Lent

          Thank you for all who prayed for me last week while I was on retreat.  It was a refreshing week (and who would have thought that I would have enjoyed 70 degree weather in the Midwest in February?).  Let's pray for each other as we enter into this holy season of Lent on Wednesday!


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Homily: 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle A
          Today, we continue to read from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and we hear Jesus’ teaching that we must choose whom we will serve: God or the world—because, he teaches, if we try to serve both, we’ll end up serving neither well.
          Then he goes on to remind us about why we ought to choose to serve God, instead of the world.  Serving the world, Jesus teaches, gains us nothing.  This is because God is already disposed to provide us with everything that we need.  Thus, if we choose God, we get the best of both: we gain the satisfaction of having chosen the better thing while also suffering no real loss in the world for not having pursued it.
          And if this logic isn’t enough, Jesus goes on to demonstrate how God has already proven that he will follow through.  Look at the rest of creation, he says: look at how the birds do not toil on the earth to bring forth food, yet all of them have the food they need; and look at how the flowers of the field do not spin fine thread, yet all of them are clothed in majestic colors.  Why, therefore, would God fail to do the same for you, Jesus asks, who are of a higher order (and, therefore, more important) than the rest of creation?
          Still further, in the first reading from the book of Isaiah, we are provided with another example of this.  There, Isaiah assures the Israelite people, who are languishing in exile in Babylon, that God has not abandoned them.  The message from God that he relays to them is that God is more loving than a mother for her infant child.  And so, just as much as no mother, who is in her right mind, would purposely abandon her infant child, so, too, God has not abandoned them.  And just to be sure that the people understand this, God inspires Isaiah to assure them even beyond this example.  He says, “Even if [a mother] forget [her child]”, in other words, “even if something so abhorrent and so unthinkable would happen, thus creating some doubt in your hearts, do not doubt because” “[God] will never forget you”.
          Time and again, my brothers and sisters, God has proven the truth of these words that he spoke through the prophet Isaiah and that Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount.  Even for the martyrs, whom it seemed God had abandoned so completely that their enemies would have the opportunity to put them to death, he supplied faith and courage, that which they most needed in that time of trial.  Just think of the Coptic Christians murdered in Egypt a couple of years ago.  These men were “seeking the kingdom of God first and his righteousness” and God provided them with faith and courage so that they would be steadfast even when all (in this world, at least) seemed lost to them.  Because of this, they have gained everything, as they now enjoy eternal rest in God’s kingdom: that very thing for which they fervently sought.
          Or, perhaps, a less-bloody image would be the story of George Muller, a man who ran an orphanage and homeless shelter completely on prayer.  George never asked for funds.  Rather, he set himself to work for God’s kingdom by engaging these works of mercy and trusted that God would provide the rest.  On several occasions, it was almost time for dinner and there was no food nor any money to buy food.  George would not worry; rather, he would simply pray and trust that God would provide.  Every time, without fail, someone would come to the house with food.  God never failed to meet his needs, because he did not fail to seek God’s kingdom first and his righteousness.  My brothers and sisters, God will not fail to do the same for us, if we are truly serving him.
          Therefore, we must look at our lives and ask: “What do my daily actions reveal about who I am serving?”  None of us, I'm sure, will find that we are perfectly ordered to seeking God first and his kingdom.  Thus, this message comes to us at a perfect time.  This is because Lent begins this week and it is the opportunity, through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, to turn away from serving the world (and about worrying about the material needs of our bodies) and turn to serve God and to be stewards of the mysteries of God entrusted to us.  In other words, it is the opportunity to look more like Christians once again.
          Perhaps, for some of you, this has to do with chocolate or sugary drinks; and if so then fine: commit yourself to turn away from those things and back to God.  But if we're honest with ourselves, it usually has to do with something deeper: that is, a deeper seeded tendency not to trust in God.  Perhaps an example: instead of using Sunday as a day to finish up extra chores or run errands (like cleaning the house, mowing the yard, or going grocery shopping), why not honor it for what it is—a day of rest to worship the Lord and to spend time in communion with others: either family, or close friends and relatives.  Leaving off those "works" is an act of trust that the Lord will help you to take care of them when the time is right.  At the same time, you will be "seeking the kingdom of God first and his righteousness", an act, Jesus assures us, that God will not fail to reward.  Besides, it's the day of the Resurrection!  What more of our own making could we add to this day to make it even better than it is?  If you don't see that the answer to this question is “nothing”, then you DO have a lot of work to do this Lent!
          And so, let's fast from worry, this Lent, and take on greater trust—while helping others to do so, too—and what we will come to see is that which our faith tells us to be true: that only God is truly faithful, and that trusting in the world or our own capacities will only leave us disappointed.  Thus surprised by grace (as we will be), we will have a stronger faith; and we will be witnesses to God's faithfulness everywhere.  Further still, we will make ourselves ready to receive even greater things on the final day, when the reward prepared for those who have been faithful is made fully known: the reward of perfect communion that we experience here under sacramental signs in this Holy Eucharist.

Given at All Saints Parish: Logansport, IN – February 25th& 26th, 2017

Sunday, February 19, 2017

Meekness as power

          Thank you to all who continue to read these and thanks be to God who inspires and provides for any good that is contained within them.  I'm posting this even before I preach it this week because I am leaving for retreat immediately after Masses this Sunday.  Please pray for me!  Know of my prayers for you.

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Homily: 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle A
          In today’s First Reading we’re reminded of God’s command that we must strive to be holy as he is holy and that an essential characteristic of holiness is a heart that does not harbor anger within it.
          The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines anger as “An emotion which is not in itself wrong, but which, when it is not controlled by reason or hardens into resentment and hate, becomes one of the seven capital sins.”  Now each of the seven capital sins is a mortal sin; and a mortal sin is a sin that definitively severs our bond with God; and severing our bond with God is like a space station astronaut who goes out for a spacewalk and then cuts off his tether from the station: it is an act that means certain death.  Anger, therefore, that hardens into resentment and hate, not only hurts the person who is the object of our resentment and hate, but it also means certain spiritual death for us.  In other words, it’s a situation in which everyone loses.  Meekness, however, is a powerful remedy for the negative effects of anger.
          Although it is often portrayed as a weakness, meekness is actually a very powerful characteristic to possess.  This is because it involves a very virtuous effort not to strike, or even to dislike, the one who’s struck you, and effort that requires a very powerful discipline over the will.  We all know that true power is to be in control of powerful forces.  Since the human will is a powerful force that can bring great flourishing of life as well as widespread destruction and death, to have great discipline over one’s will is to have great power.  On the contrary, to be able to be provoked into action is actually to give your power to someone else.  Thus meekness, the virtue to resist provocation to resentment and hatred, is not a weakness, but rather a strength.  Genocide survivor Immaculée Ilibagiza is a great example of the power of meekness.
          Immaculee was born in a small village in Rwanda, Africa. In 1994, when she was home on spring break, the president of Rwanda, who was of the Hutu tribe, was assassinated.  The Hutus assumed that it was a member of Tutsi tribe who had committed the crime and, in a vengeful fit of anger, took up arms against the Tutsis, to which Immaculée’s family belonged.  This response was widespread and armed Hutu men went from house to house, killing every Tutsi they found.
          Immaculée fled to the local pastor’s house; and, to avoid being murdered, she had to hide in a 3-foot x 4-foot bathroom for 91 days with seven other women.  As she endured this, she felt anger and resentment beginning to destroy her heart and so she started praying the rosary.  “I said the Lord's Prayer hundreds of times, hoping to forgive the killers who were murdering all around me”, she wrote.  “It was no use: every time I got to the part asking God to ‘forgive those who trespass against us,’ my mouth went dry. I couldn't say the words because I didn't truly embrace the feeling behind them. My inability to forgive”, she wrote, “caused me even greater pain than the anguish I felt in being separated from my family, and it was worse than the physical torment of being constantly hunted.”  When she finally left that bathroom, she learned that all her family, with the exception of one brother studying abroad, had been murdered. In total, one million people had been massacred.
          After the genocide, Immaculée was led to the man, now in prison, who had murdered her mother and her brother.  This man had been one of her neighbors and the prison staff was prepared to kill him on her behalf.  She remembered how often she had imagined killing the Hutus who had done so much evil while she hid in that bathroom.  Despite all that she had suffered, however, when confronted with her family’s murderer, she simply said, “I forgive you,” and walked away.  Through her prayer she developed the virtue of meekness, in which she found the power to overcome her anger and resentment (and thus to preserve God’s grace within her) while demonstrating the power of God’s merciful love to someone who desperately needed to encounter it.
          When it comes to meekness, however, it is truly Our Lord who has set the standard for us.  Time and again in the Old Testament, God’s loving kindness was rejected by the Israelite people.  At times, he corrected them by letting them suffer—like when the serpents attacked them in the desert or when he allowed them to be driven into exile by the Babylonians—but he never allowed his anger to turn into resentment and hatred, thus demonstrating his superior power.
          Then, when God took on human skin and walked among us, he suffered an equal number of insults, yet remained meek: not allowing the anger he most assuredly felt to seep into his heart and lead him to hatred.  Rather, in his meekness, he was led to the crucifixion—a perfectly innocent man, murdered because of our hatred—and thus demonstrated the power of being meek: for by allowing himself to be murdered—even though it was in his power to avoid it—he accomplished what no man (or even mankind as a whole) could have ever accomplished on his own: the redemption of mankind from sin.
          And so Jesus, knowing well the command that he himself gave to Moses that the people must strive to be holy as he is holy, teaches his disciples that, in order for their righteousness to exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees, they must live meekness in its fullness and forgive, even when they have suffered injustice, submitting themselves to even greater injustices.  And why?  Because he wants a Church full of wimps who can’t defend themselves?  No!  Of course not!  Rather, he teaches us to “turn the other cheek” because he knows that, in doing so, we will keep anger (righteous as it may be) from seeping into our hearts and, thus, turning into hatred, which not only separates us from one another, but which also separates us from God and his saving grace.
          My brothers and sisters, in today’s on-edge, thin-skinned, and irritable society, the command to “turn the other cheek” is a tall order and it’s not something that we can accomplish overnight.  But it is something that we can accomplish; and we can begin today.  The best way that I have found to accomplish it is to contemplate Christ crucified whenever anger strikes.  None of us have been mistreated as badly as he was.  And so, when we contemplate how he was able not only to bear those injustices, but also to forgive those who hurt him, we begin to see that it is possible for us to overcome our anger before it becomes resentment and hatred; and, thus, to choose the path of grace: the path by which we become perfect, just as our heavenly Father is perfect.
          As we not only contemplate, but also encounter the great sacrifice of Christ here at this altar, let us ask for the grace to be meek, as our Lord is meek, so that our holiness might increase and become a light of hope that draws all those around us to be united with us in God’s heavenly kingdom.

Given at All Saints Parish: Logansport, IN – February 19th, 2017

Sunday, February 12, 2017

Discipleship from the heart

Homily: 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle A
          Today we continue hearing from what is, for sure, the greatest sermon ever given: Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.  While in the last two weeks, we’ve been given passages that focus on one central theme, today we seem to have been given a bunch of different lessons.  Each one of these lessons, it seems, could be expanded into an entire book.  And so, we better get started… ready?
          Even though Jesus does hit us with a lot of heavy punches that seem to be coming from all sides, there is, nonetheless, a common theme.  The core of them all, I believe, is that true discipleship is in the heart: not in merely outward appearances.
          Firstly, however, we must acknowledge that our exterior behavior must follow God's will.  This is exactly what Jesus means when he says, “Do not think I have come to abolish the law…”  If he did, that would give us a false freedom: a freedom from morality which, because of our human nature—a nature that is moral at its core—simply doesn’t exist.  What Jesus is trying to tell us, however, is that exterior behavior, that is, appearances alone, are not enough.  For a true, faithful citizen of God's Kingdom, rather, the attitudes and desires of the heart must also be in harmony with God's plan for our lives.  This, therefore, is what Jesus means when he says: “I have come… to fulfill the law…” that is, to bring the Old Testament Law to its fulfillment both in the exterior and the interior of mankind.
          Now, friendship with God (which is precisely the thing that Jesus offers to us) requires a union of hearts.  And we know, because it is written elsewhere in the Bible, that God “wills all men to be saved”—which means that he desires that the hearts of all men will be united with each other in his heart.  And so, if this is true, how can our friendship with God be complete when we harbor resentment or contempt towards some people, or tarnish their good name by spreading rumors about them or speaking ill of them?  And how can I live in intimacy with a God who loves every man and woman as a father loves his children, when in my heart I desire to use some of them only as an object of pleasure and self-indulgence?  And how can I be a true friend of God, when I make promises that I don't intend to keep?  While other people may be satisfied with merely exterior appearances—a kind of “I’m okay, you’re okay” attitude—God is interested in the complete package: and so Christ teaches us to look not just at the exterior, but all the way into our hearts, as well.
          Here’s the thing: If we live our faith superficially, looking like a Christian on the outside only, our lives will never have the meaning or the power that they are meant to have.  Rather, we will end up just following the latest trends and fashions, never really having the stability or making the progress in life that Jesus wants us to.  But if we live our faith from the inside out, that is, keeping Christ alive in our hearts, we will be people who set the trends, not just follow them.  Strange as this may sound, it's kind of like the difference between a thermometer and a thermostat.
          You see, a thermometer merely tells what the temperature is in a particular area.  If your thermometer reads seventy degrees and you place that thermometer in a room that is currently eighty degrees, then it won’t be long before the thermometer reads eighty degrees.  This is because thermometers change according to its environment.
          The thermostat, however, does just the contrary.  Instead of changing in accord with its environment, it acts to change the environment in accord with a setting that was given to it by an outside power.  Instead of adjusting to the room temperature, it adjusts the room temperature.  Thus, if the thermostat is set at seventy degrees and the room is eighty degrees, the thermostat will influence the heating or air conditioning systems so that the temperature of the room will gradually change to conform to whatever the thermostat is reading.  The room, therefore, not the thermostat will become seventy degrees.  Thermometers passively reflect what’s around them; thermostats actively affect what’s around them.
          If our hearts are truly Christian, that is, if they are filled with knowledge of God and with his grace, then we will be like thermostats and the world around us will change to match up with God’s will for human flourishing.  But if our faith only goes skin deep, that is, if we are only going through the motions of friendship with Christ, then we'll just be like thermometers, and the Gospel will have no effect and our communities will continue to splinter and divide.
          (Ron and Helen Russow example: “Perfect example of Christians being thermostats is on the front page of this weekend’s paper… Ron and Helen gave a beautiful testimony to what love really is and how prayer and sacrifice are integral to it.  Many people who struggle to know what real love looks like will read that and begin to seek it out in their lives.  This is what it means to be a thermostat!)
          Thankfully, Jesus is very practical about what can corrupt our hearts and turn them into thermometers instead of thermostats.  He identifies anger, lust, and dishonesty as hidden viruses capable of damaging, and even destroying, our integrity, our souls!  And all of us, if we are being honest, must admit that we struggle with temptation in each of these areas.  And so what are we to do?  Are we simply doomed?  I mean, when Jesus looks at our hearts, does he look away in disgust?  No, of course not!  Rather, he comes with the medicine of his grace to cure us.   We have to give him the chance to give it to us, however, and today's First Reading tells us how:
          "If you choose," the Book of Sirach tells us, "you can keep the commandments; they will save you."  My brothers and sisters, every day of our lives, we remain free to choose the thoughts and actions to which we will commit: either godly ones, or selfish ones.  And so, when a lustful thought flashes through our minds, we don't have to accept it; rather, we can reject it and turn to Jesus and Mary instead.  And when selfish anger boils up in our hearts, we don't have to let it rule our lives; rather, we can turn to Christ on the cross and learn from him how to turn the other cheek.  And when we are tempted to get ahead by compromising the truth, we can hold our tongues and cling to Sirach's promise: that "Before man are life and death, good and evil, whichever he chooses shall be given him."
          Friends, Jesus wants us to choose life, a fulfilling life here on earth and eternal life with him in Heaven, by choosing to reject temptation and to follow him.  During this Mass, he will give us the grace we need to make that choice, every day.  And so, let’s thank him for that; and then let’s go forth from here to put his grace to good use.
Given at All Saints Parish: Logansport, IN – February 11th & 12th, 2016

Sunday, February 5, 2017

No sea mortal; sea sal y luz.

          En este Día Mundial de la Vida Consagrada, ¡oremos por las personas consagradas! Son testigos hermosos de la instrucción de Jesús de ser sal y luz en el mundo. Si desea obtener más información sobre las comunidades de personas consagradas que viven y / o trabajan en nuestra diócesis o cerca de ella, haga clic aquí para ir a la versión en inglés de este post donde incluyo enlaces a varias comunidades.

¡Que Dios elija a muchos de nuestros jóvenes para que sigan el camino de la vida consagrada!

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Homilía: 5º Domingo en el Tiempo Ordinario – Ciclo A
          Hoy Jesús usa las metáforas de la sal y la luz cuando enseña a sus discípulos acerca de cómo ellos deben estar en el mundo. Para nosotros no puedo imaginar que haya muchas metáforas mejores que él podría haber usado. Esto es porque, si pensamos un poco, cada uno de nosotros podría nombrar los beneficios de la sal y la luz. La sal acentúa el sabor de las cosas: en otras palabras, toma cualquier sabor que una cosa tiene y lo hace más audaz. La luz, por supuesto, funciona para extender el día: en otras palabras, es algo que vence la oscuridad.
          Jesús usa estas metáforas de la sal y la luz para enseñar a sus discípulos sobre el efecto que deben tener en el mundo. Al usar estas metáforas, les está enseñando que deben acentuar el mundo, dando la luz al bien del mundo y haciendo que se destaque para que otros puedan disfrutar de su sabor; y deben brillar en medio de la oscuridad, iluminando el camino para los demás y, por lo tanto, eliminando los peligros inherentes en tratar de hacer un camino a través de la oscuridad. De esta manera, Jesús demuestra que la falta de sabor y la oscuridad del mundo no es el plan de Dios para el mundo; sino que Dios quiere que el mundo sea audaz y brillante.
          Hoy en día, la Iglesia celebra el Día Mundial de la Vida Consagrada—un día para celebrar los hombres y mujeres de las comunidades religiosas en todo el mundo que se han consagrado a Dios ya su servicio en la Iglesia a través de los votos de pobreza, castidad y obediencia—que es apropiado, ya que, de una manera particular, las personas consagradas son verdaderamente sal y luz para nuestro mundo.
          Las personas consagradas, porque han respondido a un llamado particular de Dios, han dado un paso lejos del mundo "ordinario" para dedicarse de una manera única al discipulado. Debido a esto, son a menudo la sal "híper-concentrado" y la luz "súper-brillante" en el mundo. En otras palabras, las personas consagradas viven la alegría del Evangelio de una manera vibrante, de tal manera que muchos se sienten inspirados por ellos a vivir la alegría del Evangelio en sus propias vidas. Así, como la sal, acentúan todo lo que está a su alrededor y, como la luz, brillan en medio de la oscuridad.
          Un ejemplo conmovedor de cómo las personas consagradas inspiran a otros es la Hermana Dominicana María Alphonsa, que nació con el nombre Rosa Hawthorn. Rosa era la hija del famoso escritor estadounidense Nathaniel Hawthorn. Su educación de la fe estaba en la iglesia unitaria, pero cuando el trabajo de Nathaniel llevó la familia a Europa, Rose fue expuesta a la iglesia católica. Ella y su familia quedaron impresionados por la belleza y la grandeza de la arquitectura y el arte de la iglesia y la riqueza de la cultura católica, pero fueron rechazados por la manera mediocre que los católicos parecían vivir sus vidas. Con el tiempo, sin embargo, se convirtió al catolicismo. Allí se encontró por primera vez y quedó profundamente impresionada por las mujeres católicas que vivían una vida de fe vibrante. Éstas eran monjas católicas: mujeres que se habían consagrado completamente a Dios.
          De esa inspiración, Rosa decidió dedicarse más completamente a Dios. Con ese fin, ella realizó estudios en enfermería y abrió un hospital para atender a pacientes con cáncer terminal. Eventualmente, ella misma se consagraría completamente a Dios como hermana dominicana y fundada su propia congregación de hermanas dominicanas. Hoy en día, estas hermanas dominicanas siguen haciendo el trabajo de su fundadora y siguen siendo sal y luz en el mundo.
          ¡Espero que este ejemplo fue suficiente para ver que necesitamos ver más personas consagradas en la Iglesia! Para verlos, por supuesto, necesitamos tener más personas consagradas en la Iglesia. Para tenerlos, cada uno de nosotros debe asumir la responsabilidad de invitar a los jóvenes a considerar la vida consagrada. Eso significa que los padres, abuelos, tías, tíos, maestros, entrenadores y, por supuesto, los líderes espirituales, tienen que ser intencionales para hablar con los jóvenes en sus vidas acerca de considerar la vida consagrada. Más aún, todos tenemos que trabajar juntos como parroquia para proporcionar oportunidades a nuestros jóvenes para experimentar la vida consagrada, haciendo visitas a conventos, priores y monasterios. Y tenemos que comprometernos a apoyar financieramente a nuestros jóvenes que desean explorar la vida consagrada, ayudándoles a pagar las deudas que puedan tener si les impidan entrar en una comunidad.
          En realidad, sin embargo, la mejor manera de asegurar que los jóvenes consideran la vida consagrada es al vivir una vida católica sana y equilibrada: de tal manera que nuestros jóvenes experimentan la fe como una cultura que se viva y no como una carga unida a vida. Esto significa que hacemos cosas como orar juntos como una familia, ir a conferencias juntas, hacer cosas sagradas en vacaciones (como visitar basílicas y catedrales en los lugares que estamos visitando), y servir juntos en nuestra comunidad.
          Aún más simple: ¿qué pasa si guardamos revistas en la casa que hablan de la vida y la fe católica y qué si participamos en eventos de "la cultura católica", como la Coronación de María en mayo y la Adoración Eucarística? Me gusta carros hoy porque leía las revistas de carros de mi papá y mi papá me llevaría a los eventos de la "cultura de los carros" como exposiciones de carros. Imagínese si hubiera encontrado una revista que tenía artículos sobre felices católicos—sobre todo las personas consagradas—e imagino si yo había pasado una cantidad de tiempo igual en las exposiciones de carros como lo hice haciendo el servicio entre otros católicos. Mientras nos esforzamos por construir una cultura católica alrededor de nuestros jóvenes, ellos abrirán sus corazones para oír cuando Dios los llama a la Vida consagrada.
          Mis hermanos y hermanas, las personas consagradas son sal y luz en este mundo. No tenemos que ser consagrados como ellos para ser iguales, pero necesitamos ser sal y luz en nuestras propias vidas. Y así este es su tarea esta semana: si ha sido llamado a hacer grandes cosas (como consagrar su vida a Dios a través de los votos de pobreza, castidad y obediencia), ¡muy bien! Comience hoy a hacerlas y usted será sal y luz en el mundo. Si no está llamado a hacer grandes cosas, ¡está bien, también! Comienza a hacer las cosas pequeñas de tu vida con gran amor y usted también será sal y luz en el mundo. Más de nada, sin embargo, ¡no hagas nada! ¡Nada es cómodo, pero mortal! No sea mortal; sea sal y luz.
          Inspirados por la gracia que recibimos de esta Eucaristía y el ejemplo de las personas consagradas en todo el mundo, que seamos movidos a usar las cosas ordinarias de nuestras vidas para acentuar y brillar la luz en el mundo que nos rodea, para que los que nos rodean vean nuestras buenas obras y glorifican a nuestro Padre en el cielo.
Dado en la parroquia de Todos los Santos: Logansport, IN

5 de febrero, 2017

Don't be deadly; be salt and light

          On this World Day for Consecrated Life, let's pray for consecrated persons!  They are beautiful witnesses of Jesus' instruction to be salt and light in the world.  Here are some links to communities of consecrated persons living and/or working in our diocese (or close to it):

Sisters of Saint Francis of Perpetual Adoration: These sisters run Franciscan Health and also teach at Central Catholic High School in Lafayette

Poor Clare Sisters: These sisters have a cloistered monastery in Kokomo.  Their apostolate is one of prayer and sacrifice for the Church.

Dominican Friars of the Province of St. Albert the Great: These friars serve at St. Thomas Aquinas parish on Purdue's campus in West Lafayette.

Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia: These sisters teach at Our Lady of Mount Carmel School in Carmel and at St. Theodora Geurin High School in Noblesville.

Little Sisters of the Poor: These sisters run St. Augustine Home in Indianapolis, providing assisted living and nursing care for the elderly poor.

Franciscan Friars Minor: Friars who work in and around Fort Wayne who engage the culture in order to evangelize.

May God choose many of our young people to follow the path of consecrated life!

Also, please consider taking your family to the Indiana Holy Family Catholic Conference on February 25th!

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Homily: 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle A
          Today Jesus uses the metaphors of salt and light when teaching his disciples about how they are supposed to be in the world.  For us I can’t imagine that there are many better metaphors that he could have used.  This is because, if we think about it just a little, each of us could name the benefits of salt and light.  Salt enhances the flavor of things: in other words, it takes whatever flavor a thing has and makes it bolder.  Light, of course, functions to extend the day: in other words, it’s something that conquers darkness.
          Jesus uses these metaphors of salt and light to teach his disciples about the effect that they should have on the world.  In using these metaphors he is teaching them that they must enhance the world, bringing forth its goodness and making it stand out so that others might enjoy its flavor; and they must shine amidst darkness, illuminating the way for others and, thus, eliminating the dangers inherent in trying to make a way through the darkness.  In this way, Jesus demonstrates that the flavorlessness and darkness of the world is not God's plan for the world; but rather that God wants it to be bold and bright.
          Today, the Church celebrates the World Day for Consecrated Life—a day to celebrate the men and women of religious communities throughout the world who have consecrated themselves to God and to his service in the Church through vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience—which is fitting, since, in a particular way, consecrated persons are truly salt and light for our world.
          Consecrated persons, because they have responded to a particular call from God, have taken a step away from the “ordinary” world in order to dedicate themselves in a unique way to discipleship.  Because of this, they are often “hyper-concentrated” salt and “super-bright LED” lights in the world.  In other words, consecrated persons live the joy of the Gospel in a vibrant way, such that many are inspired by them to live the joy of the Gospel in their own lives.  Thus, like salt, they enhance all that is around them and, like light, they shine amidst darkness.
          One poignant example of how consecrated persons inspire others is Dominican Sister Mother Mary Alphonsa, who was born Rose Hawthorn.   Rose was the daughter of famous American writer Nathaniel Hawthorn.  Her faith upbringing was in the Unitarian church, but when Nathaniel’s work took the family to Europe, Rose was exposed to the “Roman Church”.  She and her family were impressed by the beauty and grandeur of the church architecture and the richness of the Catholic culture, but were turned off by the mediocre way that Catholics seemed to live their lives.  Eventually, however, she did convert to Catholicism.  There she first encountered and was deeply impressed by Catholic women who were living vibrant lives of faith.  These were Catholic nuns: women who had consecrated themselves completely to God.
          From that inspiration, Rose decided to dedicate herself more completely to God.  To that end, she pursued studies in nursing and opened a hospital to care for terminally ill cancer patients.  Eventually, she herself would consecrate herself completely to God as a Dominican sister and found her own congregation of Dominican sisters.  Today, the Hawthorn Dominicans continue to do the work of their foundress and continue to be salt and light in the world.
          Hopefully this example was enough to see that we need to see more consecrated persons in the Church!  In order to see them, of course, we need to have more consecrated persons in the Church.  In order to have them, every one of us needs to take responsibility for inviting young people to consider consecrated life.  That means parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, teachers, coaches, and, of course, spiritual leaders all need to be intentional about talking to the young people in their lives about considering the consecrated life.  Still more, we all need to work together as a parish to provide opportunities for our young people to experience consecrated life, by making visits to convents, priories, and monasteries.  And we need to commit ourselves to support our young people who wish to explore the consecrated life financially by helping them to pay off any debts that they may have that may prevent them from entering a community.
          Really, however, the greatest way to ensure that young people will consider consecrated life is by living a healthy and balanced Catholic life: in such a way that our young people experience the faith as a culture to be lived and not as a burden attached to life.  This means that we do things like praying together as a family, going to conferences together (like Holy Family Catholic Conference on the 25th), doing holy things on vacation (like visiting basilicas and cathedrals in the places in which we are visiting), and serving together in our community.
          Even more simple: what if we kept magazines around the house that talk about Catholic life and faith and what if we participated in "Catholic culture” events, like May Crowning and Eucharistic Adoration?  You know, I got into cars because I'd pick up my dad's car magazines and read about them and my dad would take me to "car culture" events like car shows and swap meets.  Imagine if I would have found a magazine that had articles about happy Catholics—especially consecrated persons—living joyful lives, and imagine if I had spent an equal amount of time at car shows as I did doing service among other Catholics?  As we strive to build a Catholic culture around our young people, they will open their hearts to hear when God calls them to the consecrated life.
          My brothers and sisters, consecrated persons are salt and light in this world.  We don't have to be consecrated like them to be the same, but we do need to be salt and light in our own lives.  And so your homework this week is this: if you have been called to do big things (like consecrate your life to God through the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience), great!  Start today to do them and you will be salt and light in the world.  If you’re not called to do big things, that’s fine!  Just begin to do the small things of your life with great love and you, too, will be salt and light in the world.  Whatever you do, however, don't do nothing!  Nothing is comfortable, but deadly!  Don’t be deadly; be salt and light.
          Inspired by the grace that we receive from this Eucharist and the example of consecrated persons throughout the world, may we be moved to use the ordinary things of our lives to enhance and shine light into the world around us, so that those around us will see our good deeds and glorify our Father in heaven.
Given at All Saints Parish: Logansport, IN – February 5th, 2017