The image and likeness of God

 Homily: 27^th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle B

         As human persons, we all know love in some way, and we know that love always involves at least two things: someone who loves and an object being loved.  Further, I would guess that most of us can tell the difference between the superficial love we have of things, such as coffee, chocolate, or a delicious steak, and the love that we have for other people.  I would even venture to say that those of us who think of ourselves as “pet lovers” would still be able to distinguish between the love that we have for our cats, dogs, or birds and the love that we have for our wives, our husbands, our children, and our close friends.  We recognize that the deepest, most authentic love is something that is shared equally, and that even the most loyal dog or loving cat, or even the most decadent slice of chocolate cheesecake, cannot return our love to us as equally as we can give it.

         Throughout the centuries, many theologians have come to the realization that for God to be perfect, he must be love, because there is nothing more perfect than love.  And that for God to be love, fully and completely within himself, there must be a plurality of persons within the one, singular Godhead.  If there wasn’t, God would have to go outside of himself in order to love, which would mean that at best he would be someone who loves, but that he couldn’t be love itself.  But God is love in himself, as Saint John reveals to us.  What this means then is that God somehow must be more than one person; otherwise he couldn’t be love in himself.  Still further, for love to be perfect it must be shared between persons who are equal to each other.  Therefore, since God is perfect, the persons who are somehow within the one Godhead must both be perfect, otherwise the love that is God would be incomplete, which is impossible, because he is perfect.  Confused yet?  So am I.  Let’s see if we can bring this closer to home.

         When my friend Jennifer loves her husband Doug, she does so “perfectly” (inasmuch as she can, since none of us can really do anything perfectly).  This is because the love between two people who are married is a love between equals, a man and a woman, a husband and a wife; that is, two persons.  Because Doug and Jennifer are equal, Doug can completely receive the perfect love that Jennifer gives and he can return his own perfect love to Jennifer, which she can receive completely.  Now when Doug loves his cat, he does so “imperfectly”.  This is because love, in order to be perfect, must be shared by equals.  Obviously Doug and his cat are not equals.  This doesn’t make Doug’s love for his cat any less real, but it does make his love less than perfect, because the cat cannot fully receive Doug’s love—that is, he can’t know it for what it is—and he certainly cannot return to Doug his own love, at least not in the way that we understand love.

         This understanding that perfect love can only be shared between equals is reinforced in our reading from the book of Genesis where it tells us that, after God created Adam, he sought to create a companion for him, but that none of the animals were suitable, because none were equal to him.  When God created Eve, though, he took a part of Adam so that Eve would be “bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh”: in other words, so that she would be his equal.  All of this is to say simply that love, in its most deep and authentic form, is between persons: that is, between equals.  Yet, there is still something missing.

         Let’s continue by stating something that we might think is pretty obvious: that if God is perfect love within himself, he must be supremely happy.  Just as Doug and Jennifer know that with their perfect married love, they need nothing else in this world to be happy (besides God, of course), so God, because he is perfect love within himself, needs nothing else to be happy.  Did you hear that?  God needs nothing else to be happy, not even us.  Even if God hadn’t created anything, he would still be perfectly happy in the perfect love that he is in himself.  Sounds kind of selfish, doesn’t it?  Well, rest assured, it is.  Love between two people that is closed off from being shared with others is selfish; in a sense, the couple is “hoarding” the delight of their love all for themselves.  For love to be perfect, and if it is to be the highest level of happiness that one can experience, there must be an openness to being shared.  In other words, the perfect happiness that results from perfect love would not be possible if a) the two were not open to sharing that happiness with a third and b) if there wasn’t a third person with whom to share it.  This sharing is what certain theologians have called, “fellowship.”  And just as the two who love must be equal in order for love to be perfect, the third, in order to fully share in the delight, that is, the fellowship, of the two, must also be equal to them.

         Doug and Jennifer were having difficulty conceiving a child.  This was a great burden for them because their married love literally ached for there to be a third person, equal to them, who could fully participate in the happiness of their love.  After a while, they decided to get a puppy.  They knew that the puppy could never participate fully in their delight, but their desire that there be fellowship in their family was so great that they were willing to compromise with an incomplete fellowship until God’s will granted them the grace of a more perfect fellowship by having a child (which he did, three times!).  For God, however, this isn’t a problem.  We know that he is perfect love.  And so we know that he is a plurality of equal persons in himself.  And, thanks to the work of various theologians, we know that this plurality of persons must be three: the One who loves, the One who is loved, and the Fellowship of their love; that is, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

         I know that this has been a lot to take, but there is one last thing that needs to be said.  There is good reason why the example of Doug and Jennifer works here, because the very nature of a family, formed by the marriage of a man and a woman, is itself an image of the God.  And it is in the differences, differences which are complementary, between a man and a woman that makes possible this image.  Just as the differences between the Father and the Son complement each other and make possible the outpouring of love that literally begets the Holy Spirit (a begetting that would not be possible if it were “the Father and the Father” or “the Son and the Son”), so too the differences between men and women complement each other to make possible the outpouring of love that begets, that is, co-creates with God, a child, a person equal in dignity that delights in the fellowship of love with his or her mother and father.  Anything else, quite frankly, is false: it’s artificially creating something God never intended.  Can co-equal love exist outside marriage?  Sure.  But it cannot be marriage, and therefore an image of God, if the possibility of total self-giving, to the point of the natural creation of another, does not exist.  To think otherwise is to fall victim to original sin: that is, believing that we can have it our way, instead of adhering to the wisdom with which God created the world.

         Friends, we live in a society whose members have been working to redefine marriage and family for over a generation.  The result is that countless young people today have little to no experience of marriage and family as God intended it to be.  One of the critical consequences of this change is that we’ve lost our sense of what it truly means to be created in the image and likeness of God: that is, to become a plurality of persons in which perfect love is given and received, and whose delight spills over into fellowship with a third.

         As we as the Church in the United States enter this “Respect Life” month, let us remember and defend the inherent dignity of the family—man, woman, and their children: for, in doing so, we will not be able to forget, nor fail to defend, the inherent dignity of each person, from his creation in his mother’s womb until his final, natural breath, and at every point in between.  When we do, we will honor and glorify God in his creation, which includes each of us.  And so, as we approach this altar of thanksgiving today, let us thank God for this great gift; and let us renew our commitment to living as and defending his image in the world.

Given in Spanish at Our Lady of the Lakes Parish: Monticello, IN

October 6^th, 2024

La imagen y semajanza de Dios

 Homilía: 27º Domingo en el Tiempo Ordinario – Ciclo B

         Como seres humanos, todos conocemos el amor de alguna manera, y sabemos que el amor siempre implica al menos dos cosas: alguien que ama y un objeto amado. Además, supongo que la mayoría de nosotros podemos distinguir entre el amor superficial que sentimos por cosas, como el café, el chocolate o un delicioso bistec, y el amor que sentimos por otras personas. Incluso me aventuraría a decir que aquellos de nosotros que nos consideramos “amantes de las mascotas” aún podríamos distinguir entre el amor que sentimos por nuestros gatos, perros o pájaros y el amor que sentimos por nuestros conjugues, nuestros hijos y nuestros amigos cercanos. Reconocemos que el amor más profundo y auténtico es algo que se comparte por igual, y que incluso el perro más fiel o el gato más cariñoso, o incluso la porción más decadente de tarta de chocolate, no pueden devolvernos nuestro amor con la misma igualdad con la que nosotros podemos dárselo.

         A lo largo de los siglos, muchos teólogos han llegado a la conclusión de que para que Dios sea perfecto, debe ser amor, porque no hay nada más perfecto que el amor. Y que para que Dios sea amor, plena y completamente en sí mismo, debe haber una pluralidad de personas dentro de la única y singular Deidad. Si no la hubiera, Dios tendría que salir de sí mismo para amar, lo que significaría que, en el mejor de los casos, sería alguien que ama, pero que no podría ser el amor mismo. Pero Dios es amor en sí mismo, como nos revela san Juan. Lo que esto significa, entonces, es que Dios de alguna manera debe ser más de una persona; de lo contrario, no podría ser amor en sí mismo. Más aún, para que el amor sea perfecto, debe ser compartido entre personas que sean iguales entre sí. Por lo tanto, dado que Dios es perfecto, las personas que están de alguna manera dentro de la única Deidad deben ser ambas perfectas, de lo contrario, el amor que es Dios sería incompleto, lo cual es imposible, porque él es perfecto. ¿Todavía confundido? Yo también lo estoy. Veamos si podemos llevar esto más cerca de casa.

         Cuando mi amiga Jennifer ama a su marido Doug, lo hace “perfectamente” (en la medida en que puede, ya que ninguno de nosotros puede hacer nada realmente perfecto). Esto se debe a que el amor entre dos personas que están casadas es un amor entre iguales, un hombre y una mujer, un marido y una esposa; es decir, dos personas. Como Doug y Jennifer son iguales, Doug puede recibir completamente el amor perfecto que Jennifer da y puede devolverle su propio amor perfecto a Jennifer, que puede recibirlo completamente. A lo contrario, cuando Doug ama a su gato, lo hace “imperfectamente”. Esto se debe a que el amor, para ser perfecto, debe ser compartido por iguales. Obviamente, Doug y su gato no son iguales. Esto no hace que el amor de Doug por su gato sea menos real, pero sí hace que su amor sea menos que perfecto, porque el gato no puede recibir completamente el amor de Doug (es decir, no puede conocerlo por lo que es) y ciertamente no puede devolverle a Doug su propio amor, al menos no en la forma en que entendemos el amor.

         Esta comprensión de que el amor perfecto sólo puede ser compartido entre iguales se refuerza en nuestra lectura del libro del Génesis, donde se nos dice que, después de crear a Adán, Dios trató de crear una compañera para él, pero que ninguno de los animales era adecuado, porque ninguno era igual a él. Sin embargo, cuando Dios creó a Eva, tomó una parte de Adán para que Eva fuera “hueso de sus huesos y carne de su carne”: en otras palabras, para que fuera su igual. Todo esto viene a decir simplemente que el amor, en su forma más profunda y auténtica, es entre personas: es decir, entre iguales. Sin embargo, todavía falta algo.

         Continuemos afirmando algo que podríamos pensar que es bastante obvio: que si Dios es amor perfecto en sí mismo, debe ser supremamente feliz. Así como Doug y Jennifer saben que, con su amor matrimonial perfecto, no necesitan nada más en este mundo para ser felices (además de Dios, por supuesto), así también Dios, porque él es amor perfecto en sí mismo, no necesita nada más para ser feliz. ¿Escucharon eso? Dios no necesita nada más para ser feliz, ni siquiera a nosotros. Incluso si Dios no hubiera creado nada, seguiría siendo perfectamente feliz en el amor perfecto que él es en sí mismo. Suena un poco egoísta, ¿no? Bueno, estén seguros de que lo es. El amor entre dos personas que está cerrado a ser compartido con otros es egoísta; en cierto sentido, la pareja está “acaparando” el deleite de su amor solo para sí mismos. Para que el amor sea perfecto, y para que sea el nivel más alto de felicidad que uno puede experimentar, debe haber una apertura a ser compartido. En otras palabras, la felicidad perfecta que resulta del amor perfecto no sería posible si a) los dos no estuvieran abiertos a compartir esa felicidad con un tercero y b) si no hubiera una tercera persona con quien compartirla. Este compartir es lo que algunos teólogos han llamado “comunión”. Y así como los dos que se aman deben ser iguales para que el amor sea perfecto, el tercero, para poder compartir plenamente el deleite, es decir, la comunión, de los dos, también debe ser igual a ellos.

         Doug y Jennifer tenían dificultades para concebir un hijo. Esto era una gran carga para ellos porque su amor conyugal literalmente dolía que hubiera una tercera persona, igual a ellos, que pudiera participar plenamente en la felicidad de su amor. Después de un tiempo, decidieron tener un perrito. Sabían que el perrito nunca podría participar plenamente en su deleite, pero su deseo de que hubiera comunión en su familia era tan grande que estaban dispuestos a transigir con una comunión incompleta hasta que la voluntad de Dios les concediera la gracia de una comunión más perfecta al tener un hijo (¡lo cual hizo, tres veces!). Para Dios, sin embargo, esto no es un problema. Sabemos que él es amor perfecto. Y por lo tanto sabemos que él es una pluralidad de personas iguales en sí mismo. Y, gracias al trabajo de varios teólogos, sabemos que esta pluralidad de personas deben ser tres: el que ama, el que es amado y la Comunidad de su amor; es decir, el Padre, el Hijo y el Espíritu Santo.

         Sé que esto ha sido mucho para asimilar, pero hay una última cosa que es necesario decir. Hay una buena razón por la que el ejemplo de Doug y Jennifer funciona aquí, porque la naturaleza misma de una familia, formada por el matrimonio de un hombre y una mujer, es en sí misma una imagen de Dios. Y es en las diferencias, diferencias que son complementarias, entre un hombre y una mujer que hace posible esta imagen. Así como las diferencias entre el Padre y el Hijo se complementan entre sí y hacen posible la efusión de amor que literalmente engendra al Espíritu Santo (un engendramiento que no sería posible si fuera “el Padre y el Padre” o “el Hijo y el Hijo”), así también las diferencias entre hombres y mujeres se complementan entre sí para hacer posible la efusión de amor que engendra, es decir, co-crea con Dios, un hijo, una persona igual en dignidad que se deleita en la comunión de amor con su madre y padre. Cualquier otra cosa, francamente, es falsa: es crear artificialmente algo que Dios nunca quiso. ¿Puede existir un amor co-igual fuera del matrimonio? Por supuesto. Pero no puede haber matrimonio, y por tanto imagen de Dios, si no existe la posibilidad de una donación total, hasta la creación natural de otro. Pensar de otro modo es caer en el pecado original, es decir, creer que podemos hacer las cosas a nuestra manera, en lugar de adherirnos a la sabiduría con la que Dios creó el mundo.

         Hermanos y hermanas, vivimos en una sociedad cuyos miembros han estado trabajando para redefinir el matrimonio y la familia durante más de una generación. El resultado es que hoy en día innumerables jóvenes tienen poca o ninguna experiencia del matrimonio y la familia tal como Dios quiso que fueran. Una de las consecuencias críticas de este cambio es que hemos perdido nuestro sentido de lo que realmente significa ser creados a imagen y semejanza de Dios: es decir, llegar a ser una pluralidad de personas en las que se da y se recibe un amor perfecto, y cuyo deleite se desborda en la comunión con un tercero.

         Al entrar en este mes del “Respeto a la Vida”, como Iglesia en los Estados Unidos, recordemos y defendamos la dignidad inherente de la familia: el hombre, la mujer y sus hijos; porque, al hacerlo, no podremos olvidar ni dejar de defender la dignidad inherente de cada persona, desde su creación en el vientre de su madre hasta su último aliento natural, y en cada punto intermedio. Cuando lo hagamos, honraremos y glorificaremos a Dios en su creación, que nos incluye a cada uno de nosotros. Por eso, al acercarnos hoy a este altar de acción de gracias, agradezcamos a Dios por este gran don; y renovemos nuestro compromiso de vivir a su imagen y defenderla en el mundo.

Dado en la parroquia de Nuestra Señora de los Lagos: Monticello, IN

6 de octubre, 2024

La grandeza es servir

 Homilía: 25º Domingo en el Tiempo Ordinario – Ciclo B

         Hermanos, las Sagradas Escrituras de hoy nos ofrecen muchos temas enriquecedores para la reflexión y, sin duda, no podré abarcarlos todos en una sola homilía. Sin embargo, voy a empezar con algo que está oculto “bajo la superficie” de los Evangelios, como preparación para lo que espero que podamos sacar de la Misa de hoy: y aquí está.

         En los Evangelios queda claro que Jesús es un maestro y hacedor de milagros. La mayor parte de lo que se nos cuenta en los Evangelios son relatos de sus enseñanzas y sus milagros. Como maestro, tendemos a ver a Jesús sólo como alguien que nos enseña moralidad: es decir, un maestro de lo que está correcto y de lo que está mal. Lo que a menudo no reconocemos es que Jesús también es un maestro de cómo deben ser las cosas. La lectura del Evangelio de hoy nos da un ejemplo de ello.

         Allí, en el camino a Cafarnaúm, Jesús vuelve a explicar a sus discípulos lo que le va a suceder: que “va a ser entregado en manos de los hombres; le darán muerte, y tres días después de muerto, resucitará”. Esta es la segunda vez que Jesús les explica esto (la primera vez la escuchamos la semana pasada). Pero sus discípulos estaban tan convencidos de que el Mesías sería un gran rey mundano que no podían entender esta enseñanza: pensaban que debía ser algún oscuro dicho filosófico sobre cómo llegaría al poder que no tenía ningún sentido para ellos. Por lo tanto, los discípulos no hicieron ninguna pregunta. En cambio, demostraron su falta de comprensión debatiendo quién obtendría puestos prominentes de autoridad en el reino de Jesús.

         Lo que quizá resulte sorprendente es que Jesús no reprende a sus discípulos por pensar de esa manera. Él entiende que es parte de nuestra naturaleza humana esforzarnos por tener éxito—es decir, hacer algo que marque una diferencia positiva en el mundo y lograr grandes cosas—y por eso no los reprende por esperar poder lograrlo. Más bien, corrige su manera de pensar. Les enseña que tener éxito—es decir, ser grande—no consiste en alcanzar fama, fortuna, poder o popularidad, sino en servir a los demás y a sus logros, en lugar de a los propios. En su discusión en el camino, los discípulos discutían por sí mismos: cada uno defendía por qué debía tener el lugar de prominencia en el reino de Jesús. La corrección de Jesús les enseña que no deberían haber discutido eso en absoluto o, si lo hicieron, que deberían haber discutido por otro, en lugar de por sí mismos.

         Así, al enseñar a sus discípulos que no deben competir por posiciones de poder para sí mismos, Jesús les está enseñando tanto un principio de moralidad—es decir, “lo que deben hacer frente a lo que no deben hacer”—como la manera en que se supone que deben ser las cosas. Es decir, que los más grandes en el reino de Dios no son aquellos que adquieren poder para sí mismos, sino más bien aquellos que eligen olvidarse de sí mismos y así convertirse en servidores de otros. El ejemplo que utiliza deja claro hasta dónde Jesús pretende llevar esta enseñanza. En la cultura de la época, un niño no era alguien a quien los varones adultos debían servir. Pero Jesús enseña que, cuando eligen servir incluso a un niño, disfrutarán de la presencia del Mesías; y no solo del Mesías, sino también del Padre en el cielo, que envió al Mesías. Para los discípulos de Jesús, no se podía imaginar nada más grande.

         Jesús claramente quiere que sus discípulos alcancen la grandeza. Al enseñarles cómo es la verdadera grandeza, les está permitiendo alcanzarla. ///

         Una de las cosas que me ha impresionado de esta comunidad de San José es el testimonio que dan de servirse mutuamente. Mi observación es limitada, por supuesto, pero aun así he observado cómo se preocupan unos por otros en sus necesidades. Espero que esto también se repita en sus lugares de trabajo y que intenten trabajar honestamente y bien por el bien de la empresa y de sus compañeros de trabajo, no solo por su propio beneficio. Espero que esto también se repita en sus hogares, aunque sospecho que a veces este es el lugar más difícil para poner en práctica este modelo de servicio.

         Sin embargo, esto parece contradictorio, ¿no? A primera vista, parecería que servir a los demás en casa sería lo más fácil de hacer. Se trata de las personas con las que estamos más cerca—tanto física como emocionalmente—y por eso debería ser fácil elegir servirles, ¿no es así? Bueno, por muchas razones que no puedo mencionar aquí, no lo es. Más bien, es en nuestros hogares donde nuestra tendencia natural al egoísmo se manifiesta con mayor facilidad. Por lo tanto, es también en nuestros hogares donde se encuentra la mayor oportunidad de superar estas tendencias.

         Santa Teresa de Calcuta dijo una vez: “Si quieres cambiar el mundo, vuelve a casa y ama a tu familia”. Respondía a la afirmación de muchos de que, para mejorar el mundo, era necesario viajar a lugares lejanos como Calcuta para mejorar la vida de las personas pobres que vivían allí. Su afirmación era una enseñanza: no es necesario viajar para lograr una mejora significativa en el mundo, sino que basta con quedarse en casa y centrarse en amar a la familia para mejorar el mundo.

         Hermanos, ¡Dios quiere que seamos grandes! Y quiere que seamos grandes en la verdadera medida de la grandeza: siendo aquellos que, como Jesús, se olvidan de sí mismos para servir a los demás. Por eso nos ha dado a cada uno de nosotros una familia. Sí, Dios nos ha puesto en nuestras familias porque quiere enseñarnos a amar mediante el servicio. Y la familia es el mejor lugar para enseñarnos a amar mediante el servicio ¡porque a menudo es el lugar más difícil para hacerlo! ¿Verdad? Dios conoce nuestras tendencias naturales y por eso sabe lo difícil que es para nosotros trascender nuestro egoísmo en nuestras familias. Dios también sabe que, si podemos aprender a convertirnos en servidores amorosos de los miembros de nuestras familias, podemos convertirnos en servidores amorosos de cualquier persona. En otras palabras, Dios sabe que, si gradualmente aprendemos a pensar en los demás antes que en nosotros mismos dentro de las paredes de nuestros hogares, se convertirá en una segunda naturaleza hacerlo fuera de esas paredes. ///

         Por eso, como Jesús enseñó a sus discípulos hace casi dos mil años, nos enseña hoy: “Si alguno quiere ser el primero, que sea el último de todos y el servidor de todos”. Al llevar estas palabras con nosotros esta semana, examinemos nuestra vida familiar para identificar dónde aún reina el egoísmo y busquemos las formas en que podemos transformar ese egoísmo en servicio. Tal vez una resolución para ser más pacientes con tu esposo/esposa, tu hermano/hermana, tu hijo/hija. Tal vez una oferta para ayudar con una tarea que normalmente hace otro miembro de la familia o para limpiar un desorden que no hiciste tú. Sea lo que sea, haz algo concreto para que sepas que lo estás haciendo. Luego, ora por la gracia de llevarlo a cabo.

         Hermanos y hermanas, mientras Jesús renueva su compromiso con nosotros en esta Misa de hoy, renovemos nuestro compromiso con él y pidámosle que nos ayude, a partir de hoy, a perseguir la grandeza como Él nos ha enseñado, para así prepararnos para la gloria que nos espera en el cielo.

Dado en la parroquia de San Jose: Rochester, IN – 22 de septiembre, 2024

Greatness is to serve

 Homily: 25^th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle B

         Friends, our Scriptures today provide us with many rich topics for reflection and I certainly won’t be able to cover them all in one homily.  I am going to start, however, with something that’s hidden “under the surface” of the Gospels to prepare for the thing that I hope we’ll be able to carry away from the Mass today: and here it is.

         It’s clear throughout the Gospels that Jesus is a teacher and a miracle worker.  The majority of what is recorded for us in the Gospels are accounts of his teaching and his miracles.  As a teacher, we tend only to see Jesus as one who teaches us morality: that is, a teacher of what is right and of what is wrong.  What we often fail to recognize is that Jesus is also a teacher of the way things are supposed to be.  Our Gospel reading today gives us an example of this.

         There, on the way to Capernaum, Jesus again explains to his disciples what is going to happen to him: that “he will be handed over to men and they will kill him, and three days after his death he will rise.”  This is the second time Jesus explains this to them (the first time we heard last week).  But his disciples were so convinced that the Messiah would be a great, worldly king that they couldn’t make sense of this teaching: thinking it must be some obscure philosophical saying about how he would come to power that didn’t make any sense to them.  Thus, the disciples didn’t ask any questions.  Instead, they demonstrated their lack of understanding by debating who would get prominent positions of authority in Jesus’ kingdom.

         What is, perhaps, surprising is that Jesus doesn’t rebuke his disciples for thinking this way.  He understands that it is part of our human nature to strive to be successful—that is, to do something that makes a positive difference in the world and to achieve great things—and so he doesn’t rebuke them for hoping that they can achieve it.  Rather, he corrects their thinking.  He teaches them that being successful—that is, being great—isn’t about achieving fame, fortune, power, or popularity, but rather that it is about serving others and their achievement, instead of one’s own.  In their discussion on the road, the disciples were arguing for themselves: each one arguing for why he should have the place of prominence in Jesus’ kingdom.  Jesus’ correction teaches them that they shouldn’t have been arguing that at all or, if they did, that they should have been arguing for another, instead of themselves.

         Thus, in teaching his disciples that they shouldn’t be jockeying for positions of power for themselves, Jesus is teaching them both a principle of morality—that is, “what they should do versus what they shouldn’t do”—as well as the way things are supposed to be.  Namely, that the greatest in God’s kingdom are not those that acquire power for themselves, but rather those who choose to forget themselves and so make themselves the servant of others.  The example he uses makes clear how far Jesus intends to take this teaching.  A child was not one to be served by adult males in the culture of the day.  But Jesus teaches that, when they choose to serve even a child, they will enjoy the presence of the Messiah; and not just the Messiah, but also the Father in heaven, who sent the Messiah.  For Jesus’ disciples, nothing greater could be imagined.

         Jesus clearly wants his disciples to achieve greatness.  In teaching them what true greatness looks like, he is enabling them to achieve it. ///

         One of the things that has impressed me about this community here at Saint Joseph’s is your witness to serving one another.  My observation is limited, of course, but nonetheless I have observed how you care for each other in your needs.  I expect that this carries over into your workplaces, as well, and that you try to work honestly and well for the good of the business and your coworkers, not solely for your own gain.  Hopefully this also carries over into your homes, though I suspect that sometimes this is the hardest place to put this model of service into practice.

         This is counterintuitive, though, right?  On the surface, it would seem that serving one another at home would be the easiest to do.  These are the people to whom we are closest—both physically and emotionally—and so it should be easy to choose to serve them, right?  Well, for many reasons that I cannot review here, it isn’t.  Rather, it is in our homes where our natural tendency to selfishness most easily manifests itself.  Therefore, it is also in our homes where the greatest opportunity to overcome these tendencies lies.

         Saint Theresa of Calcutta once said, “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.”  She was responding to the claim that many were making that, in order to improve the world, they needed to travel to far-off places like Calcutta to improve the lives of the poor people who lived there.  Her statement was a teaching that one does not need to travel to make a significant improvement in the world.  Rather, one need only stay home and focus on loving his/her family in order to make the world better.

         Friends, God wants us to be great!  And he wants us to be great in the true measure of greatness: by being those who, like Jesus, forget themselves in order to serve others.  This is why he has given each of us to a family.  Yes, God has placed us in our families because he wants to teach us how to love through service.  And the family is the best place to teach us how to love through service because it is often the hardest place to do it!  Am I right?  God knows our natural tendencies and so he knows how difficult it is for us to transcend our selfishness in our families.  God also knows that, if we can learn to become loving servants of the members of our families, we can become loving servants of anyone.  In other words, God knows that, if we gradually learn to think about others before ourselves inside the walls of our homes, it will become second nature to do so outside those walls. ///

         Therefore, as Jesus taught his disciples nearly two-thousand years ago, so he teaches us today: “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.”  As we take these words with us into this week, let us examine our home lives to identify where selfishness still reigns and seek the ways that we can transform that selfishness into service.  Perhaps a resolution to be more patient with your husband/wife, your brother/sister, your son/daughter.  Perhaps an offer to help with a chore that another family member normally does or to clean up a mess that you didn’t make.  Whatever it is, make it something concrete so that you know that you are doing it!  Then, pray for the grace to follow through.

         Brothers and sisters, as Jesus renews his commitment to us in this Mass today, let us renew our commitment to him, and ask him to help us, starting today, to pursue greatness as he has taught us so as to prepare ourselves for the glory that awaits us in heaven.

Given in Spanish at St. Joseph Parish: Rochester, IN – September 22^nd, 2024

Share the triumph by entering the battle

 Homily: 24^th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle B

         In late July, I was blessed to be able to participate in the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis.  Did anyone else here participate in it?  Of course, we all know that, for the last two years, we have been participating in a National Eucharistic Revival, in which we are all being called to revive our faith, specifically through our devotion to the Mass—which is the “source and summit” of our faith—as well as our belief in and devotion to the Real Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.  The National Congress was meant to be the “capstone” of the first two years of the revival, directed towards reviving faith in our parishes and across our dioceses.

         Now, in this third year, we are sent out as missionary apostles; and the particular call for each of us is an initiative called “Walk with One”, in which we are each called to identify one person in our lives whom God is calling us to befriend in a deeper way and to walk with that person in order to help him/her to discover (or rediscover) God’s offer of friendship and communion in the Church, especially through the Eucharist.  During the Congress, we were reminded that there are 70 million Catholics in the United States.  Realistically, many of that number are in need of someone to walk with them back to the Eucharist.  But just imagine if, at the end of this year, each of those 70 million “walked with one”… Catholics worshiping God in the Eucharist and serving Him through good works in their families and communities would be nearly half of the U.S.’s population!  All it will take is each of us choosing to walk with one over this next year…

         Okay, that’s not exactly what I was called to talk to you about today, but I’m so excited that our nation’s bishops are united around this initiative and about the revival that it can bring about that I want to make sure everyone hears about it!  Since a good majority of you were not able to participate in the Congress, I wanted to share with you some of my experience, because I believe it connects with our readings from scripture today. ///

         In the days/weeks leading up to the Congress, I didn’t know what to expect.  How would the days go?  What would the “vibe” be like?  Would it just feel like a convention, or would there be a true spiritual aspect to it?  When I arrived in downtown Indianapolis the first afternoon, I was immediately blown away.  It was immediately obvious that the organizers went “all out” for this event.  Outside of the convention center were huge signs and window wraps that everyone could see from the street with phrases like, “Revival Begins Here” and “As in Heaven, so in Indy”.  Inside the convention center, the huge meeting halls were converted into spaces where Mass would be celebrated, confessions would be heard, and presentations would bring insight and renewal to the nearly 60 thousand people who would attend.  And I hadn’t even been next door to the Lucas Oil Stadium (where the Indianapolis Colts play), which had also been converted into a sanctuary for Mass and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament each morning and night.

         Immediately, the vibe was a spiritual one and one of communion.  People stood in line for two plus hours just to check in for the congress and receive their credentials, yet NO ONE was complaining!  As I walked along the line, I continually encountered people I knew and quickly realized that this was like one big Catholic family reunion.  It was amazing!  Each day, as the Congress progressed—with Masses, conferences, social time, and the plenary sessions of adoration and reflection in the big stadium each night—this feeling of communion only grew.  I was definitely being “revived”.

         The two most impressive moments for me, however (and, I’d argue, for anyone who was there), was the Eucharistic Procession through the streets of Indianapolis on Saturday and the concluding Mass on Sunday.  I want to highlight my impression of the procession for you today.

         Eucharistic processions, if you didn’t know, have regulations about how you “line up” for the procession, and it is this: Acolytes (i.e. altar servers, in this case the seminarians) are first, followed by the professed religious, then deacons, then priests, then bishops, then the Blessed Sacrament, which is followed by the laity.  The procession would follow a one mile route from the convention center to a park north of downtown.  I mention that because, when all of the persons whom I listed as lining up before the Blessed Sacrament were in line and ready to begin, we were already nearly a quarter mile along the route, and the Blessed Sacrament hadn’t moved yet!  And we weren’t “single-file”: we were eight across!  There were thousands of seminarians, religious, deacons, priests, and bishops!

         And so the laity could celebrate the procession, they were invited to line the streets along the route and then join the procession after it passed by.  Therefore, as we began our procession, there were thousands of people on both sides of the street… and even up in the upper levels of parking garages and the overhead crosswalks along the way… all pouring out their love to us and ready to greet our Lord and Savior in the Blessed Sacrament when he passed by.  It was truly a Palm Sunday moment!

         Then, when we arrived at the park for adoration and benediction, I looked around and could see residents in the apartment buildings on either side looking out their windows at the spectacle that we were.  It was all an ongoing experience of communion as the Body of Christ and, quite frankly, an experience of the triumphal victory of Christ over the world.  (Please look up “Eucharistic Procession at National Eucharistic Congress” on YouTube and watch some of the videos.  You’ll be amazed!)

         After the concluding Mass, in which we were all sent to “Walk with One” in the next year, we joyfully dispersed to our homes.  What did we find?  That all of the magic, joy, and communion that we experienced at the Congress did not change one thing about our daily lives.  We were changed, sure.  But we all returned to the daily work in our families and communities, just as we left them before coming to the Congress.  Why do I mention that?  Well, because I think that this points to Jesus’ teaching in Gospel today.

         There, Jesus puts his closest disciples to a test and Peter famously passes it.  “Who do people say that I am?”  “Who do you say that I am?”  “You are the Christ…” Peter says.  Good job, Peter!  Then, Peter seems to fall flat on his face when he rebukes Jesus for saying that he will be arrested and killed by the authorities.  “You are the Messiah, the King!  We will not allow such a thing to happen!”  Peter was thinking only of the triumph, but ignoring the path to it.  He wanted to stay on the mountain of Transfiguration without climbing the path to get there.

         Jesus’ rebuke of Peter’s rebuke teaches the important lesson: that the way to triumph is not to ride on the coattails of Jesus, who handles all of the suffering for us; but rather to follow Jesus in the way of battle against the forces of this world—that is, suffering difficulty for the sake of what is good and Godly in this world, otherwise known as “the cross”—so that we might become sharers in his triumph.  In my case (and the case of all those who participated in the Congress), I cannot exalt that I am a participant in the triumph of the Eucharistic Procession and then ignore the fact that I must still take up the daily work I have been given to build God’s kingdom here by living my vocation to its fullest: enduring especially all of the sufferings that inevitably come with it.

         To put it simply, Jesus’ triumph does not free us from the hard work and inevitable sufferings of discipleship in our daily lives.  Rather, it gives us power to endure faithfully (and even joyfully!) the hardships that come with it.  What Jesus showed in submitting himself to his Passion and Death, was the confidence in the Father’s providential care that Isaiah showed in our first reading: “I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; my face I did not shield from buffets and spitting.  The Lord God is my help, therefore I am not disgraced… See, the Lord God is my help…”  This is the same confidence that Jesus’ triumphal resurrection should inspire in us: that we can take up our crosses and follow him, because “the Lord God will be our help”, too. ///

         My brothers and sisters, each and every time we come here to celebrate Mass, we celebrate Jesus’ triumphal resurrection from the dead and the joyful fact that we are partakers in that victory by our baptism.  Let us allow that joy to permeate us today with confidence—confidence in the Father and his care for us—so that we are strengthened to live as disciples and to embrace the work we have been given to build God’s kingdom here: in particular, remembering to “Walk with One” as we celebrate this revival.  In doing so, we will be prepared for the unending joy that awaits us when Jesus returns to take us home to himself.

Given at St. Mary Nativity Parish: Joliet, IL – September 15^th, 2024

Cada Domingo es un Dia del Trabajo

 Homilía: 22º Domingo en el Tiempo Ordinario – Ciclo B

         Mañana celebramos el Día del Trabajo aquí en los Estados Unidos. Si no saben de esta festividad, les aseguro que no es un día para trabajar, sino para descansar del trabajo. Es un día importante para los ciudadanos de este país porque es el día en que reconocemos colectivamente las contribuciones que hicieron los trabajadores para construir nuestro país. De particular importancia, aquí en el Medio Oeste, es el reconocimiento de que la mayoría de esos trabajadores eran inmigrantes: nuestros abuelos y bisabuelos que vinieron de países de Europa occidental para establecerse aquí y construyeron estos pueblos donde sus familias vivirían por generaciones futuras. Por lo tanto, también es un día para que reconozcamos las contribuciones de la ola moderna de inmigrantes de México, América Central y Asia cuyo trabajo, en parte, continúa sosteniendo y haciendo crecer estos pueblos, aquí y en todo el país. Sí, este fin de semana, nos tomamos un día de descanso para celebrar la prosperidad que es fruto de nuestro trabajo. ///

         Mientras pensaba en lo que el Día del Trabajo significaba para todos nosotros, también se me ocurrió que la idea de “un día libre de trabajo” es también una idea muy católica. Como católicos, honramos el trabajo como una actividad humana que añade dignidad a la persona humana. A través de nuestro trabajo, damos testimonio de la verdad de que fuimos creados a “imagen de Dios” al participar de la creatividad de Dios: cosechando los frutos de la tierra y proporcionando los bienes y servicios que promueven el florecimiento humano. Al hacerlo, alabamos a Dios por producir mucho fruto de los dones que Él nos ha dado.

         Como católicos, también reconocemos nuestra necesidad de buscar descanso de nuestro trabajo. Dios mismo nos dio el ejemplo del descanso que debemos buscar cuando descansó el séptimo día después de completar la obra de la creación. Y así, este ritmo de trabajo y descanso se convirtió en una parte integral de la experiencia humana. Este descanso “sabático”, como se lo llama en la Sagrada Escritura, tiene múltiples propósitos: porque no solo es una oportunidad para brindar descanso a nuestros cuerpos, sino que también es 1) un recordatorio del descanso original que disfrutaron nuestros primeros padres en el jardín del Edén, así como 2) un anticipo del descanso eterno que esperamos disfrutar en el reino de Dios.

         Pero, quizás de manera más inmediata, es un recordatorio de nuestra necesidad de hacer una pausa en nuestros esfuerzos humanos para reconocer a Dios, por quien todo nuestro trabajo es posible, y así darle gracias. En el Catecismo de la Iglesia Católica se afirma: “Durante el domingo y las otras fiestas de precepto, los fieles se abstendrán de entregarse a trabajos o actividades que impidan el culto debido a Dios, la alegría propia del día del Señor, la práctica de las obras de misericordia, el descanso necesario del espíritu y del cuerpo” (CIC 2185). También nos recuerda que “Los cristianos que disponen de tiempo de descanso deben acordarse de sus hermanos que tienen las mismas necesidades y los mismos derechos y no pueden descansar a causa de la pobreza y la miseria” (CIC 2186), que es la situación que deben soportar muchos que viven en los pueblos de este condado. Finalmente, se afirma que “Las necesidades familiares o una gran utilidad social constituyen excusas legítimas respecto al precepto del descanso dominical”, pero que “los fieles deben cuidar de que legítimas excusas no introduzcan hábitos perjudiciales a la religión, a la vida de familia y a la salud” (CIC 2185). Y todo esto es para recordarnos, como Cristo nos ha dicho en otros lugares de los Evangelios, que “el sábado fue hecho para el hombre, no el hombre para el sábado”. ///

         En el Evangelio de hoy, Jesús amonesta a los fariseos por olvidar este principio. Habían olvidado que “la Ley fue creada para el hombre y no el hombre para la Ley”. Hay que reconocer que los fariseos se esforzaban por lograr la autenticidad en su práctica religiosa (una virtud que describí en la homilía de la semana pasada). Habían escuchado bien las palabras de Moisés cuando dijo: “observar cuidadosamente lo que estoy enseñando a observar”. Sin embargo, al centrarse en los preceptos de la Ley, perdieron de vista el verdadero propósito de la Ley: que era ayudarlos a crecer en sabiduría y virtud, y recordarles el favor que Dios les había mostrado. La Ley, por lo tanto, no se ocupaba de mantener limpios los vasos, sino más bien de mantener limpios a quienes los usaban. La purificación de los vasos debía ser un símbolo—un signo visible de una realidad invisible—de la purificación del corazón que uno deseaba obtener. Esto es lo que Jesús les recuerda: que de nada sirve la purificación de los vasos y el lavado de las manos si en su corazón albergan malos pensamientos, odios, celos, malicia y engaño. Dios dio la Ley a los israelitas para invitarlos a vivir como hijos de Dios y para enseñarles cómo hacerlo. Lamentablemente, muchos de ellos se dejaron convertir en siervos de la Ley en lugar de hijos e hijas de Dios.

         Por supuesto, esta misma lección se aplica a nosotros. En verdad, el trabajo pesado es el resultado del pecado. Cuando nuestros primeros padres, Adán y Eva, fueron expulsados ​​del Jardín del Edén, Dios les prometió que cosecharían el fruto de la tierra con “el sudor de su frente”, es decir, con su pesado trabajo. Pero incluso este efecto negativo del pecado fue redimido por Cristo. Y ahora podemos decir que “el trabajo fue creado para nosotros”, es decir, para nuestro beneficio, y que “no fuimos creados para el trabajo”. Por lo tanto, es bueno que reservemos un día para despedirnos de nuestras labores y disfrutar de sus frutos. Sin embargo, para los creyentes, esto debería ser más que un solo día al año. Más bien, deberíamos considerar cada domingo como “día del trabajo” y así dejar de lado nuestro pesado trabajo para estar libres para dar la alabanza a Dios que le debemos, para conectarnos intencionalmente con nuestras familias y otros seres queridos, y para servir a los necesitados que nos rodean.

         Y es precisamente con este fin que nos reunimos en esta Eucaristía: porque aquí damos gloria a Dios por nuestra perseverancia en su gracia y también recordamos y renovamos nuestra comunión con él y con los demás, especialmente los más vulnerables entre nosotros, mientras esperamos el día en que él regresará para llevarnos a nuestro descanso eterno: a esa “día de trabajo” que nunca termina. ///

         Que el descanso que disfrutemos este fin de semana sea un recordatorio del descanso que anhelamos en el cielo, donde disfrutaremos los frutos no de nuestro trabajo, sino del de Cristo. Para aquellos que no podrán disfrutar del descanso este Día del Trabajo: que ustedes sientan el consuelo de nuestras oraciones y se fortalezcan en la esperanza de que ustedes también algún día conocerán el descanso perfecto de Dios.

Dado en la parroquia de San Jose: Rochester, IN – 1 de septiembre, 2024

Every Sunday is Labor Day

 Homily: 22^nd Sunday of Ordinary Time – Cycle B

         Tomorrow, we celebrate Labor Day here in the United States.  If you somehow don’t know about this holiday, let me assure you that it is not a day for labor, but rather it is a day to rest from labor.  It is a day important to citizens of this country because it is the day that we collectively acknowledge the contributions made by laborers in building up our country.  Of particular importance, here in the Midwest, is the acknowledgement that most of those laborers were immigrants: our grandparents and great-grandparents who came from western European countries to settle here and who built these towns where their families would live for generations to come.  It is also a day, therefore, for us to acknowledge the contributions of the modern wave of immigrants from Mexico, Central America, and Asia whose labor, in part, continues to sustain and grow these towns, here and throughout the country.  Yes, this weekend, we take a day of rest to celebrate the prosperity that is the fruit of our labor. ///

         As I was thinking about what Labor Day meant for all of us, it also occurred to me that the idea of “a day free from labor” is also a very Catholic idea.  As Catholics, we honor labor as a human activity that adds dignity to the human person.  Through our labor, we bear witness to the truth that we were created in “the image of God” as we share in God’s creativity: harvesting the fruits of the earth and providing those goods and services that advance human flourishing.  In doing so, we give praise to God by producing much fruit from the gifts he has given us.

         As Catholics, we also acknowledge our necessity to seek rest from our labor.  God himself modeled for us the rest we should seek as he rested on the seventh day after completing the work of creation.  And so this rhythm of work and rest became an integral part of the human experience.  This “Sabbath” rest, as it is called in Sacred Scripture, has multiple purposes: for it is not only an opportunity to provide rest for our bodies, but it is also 1) a reminder of the original rest that our first parents enjoyed in the garden of Eden as well as 2) a foretaste of the eternal rest that we hope to enjoy in God’s kingdom.

         Perhaps more immediately, however, it is a reminder of our need to take a break from our human endeavors to acknowledge God, through whom all of our labor is made possible, and thus to give him thanks.  In the Catechism of the Catholic Church it states: “On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are to refrain from engaging in work or activities that hinder the worship owed to God, the joy proper to the Lord’s Day, the performance of works of mercy, and the appropriate relaxation of mind and body.” (CCC 1285)  It also reminds us that “those Christians who have leisure should be mindful of their brethren who have the same needs and the same rights, yet cannot rest from work because of poverty and misery” (CCC 1286), which is the situation that many who live in this area must endure.  Finally, it states that “family needs or important social service can legitimately excuse from the obligation of Sunday rest” but that “the faithful should see to it that legitimate excuses do not lead to habits prejudicial to religion, family life, and health.” (CCC 1285)  And all of this is to remind us, as Christ has told us elsewhere in the Gospels, that “the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” ///

         In the Gospel reading today, Jesus admonishes the Pharisees for forgetting this principle.  They had forgotten that “the Law was created for man and not man for the Law.”  To their credit, the Pharisees were striving for authenticity in their religious practice (a virtue that I described in last week’s homily).  They had heard well the words of Moses when he said, “observe carefully what I am teaching you to observe.”  In focusing on the precepts of the Law, however, they lost sight of the Law’s true purpose: which was to help them to grow in wisdom and virtue, and to remind them of the favor God had shown to them.  The Law, therefore, was not concerned with keeping vessels clean, but rather with keeping those who used them clean.  The purifying of vessels was meant to be a symbol—a visible sign of an invisible reality—of the purification of heart that one wished to obtain.  This is what Jesus reminds them of: that the purification of vessels and washing of hands is of no gain if you harbor evil thoughts, hatred, jealousy, malice, and deceit in your hearts.  God gave the Israelites the Law to invite them to live as children of God and to teach them how to do it.  Unfortunately, many of them let themselves become servants of the Law instead of sons and daughters of God.

         Of course, this same lesson applies to us.  In truth, labor that is burdensome is the result of sin.  When our first parents, Adam and Eve, were driven from the Garden of Eden, God promised them that they would reap the fruit of the ground by “the sweat of their brow,” that is, by their burdensome labor.  But even this negative effect of sin was redeemed by Christ.  And so now we can say that “labor was created for us,” that is, for our benefit, and that “we were not created for labor.”  Thus, it is good that we reserve a day to take leave of our labors and relish in their fruits.  For believers, however, this should be more than just one day every year.  Rather, we ought to consider every Sunday as “labor day” and so leave off our burdensome work so as to be free to give the praise to God that we owe him, to connect intentionally with our families and other loved ones, and to serve those in need around us.

         And it is exactly towards this end that we gather in this Eucharist: for here we give praise to God for our perseverance in his grace and we also remember and renew our communion with him and with others, especially the most vulnerable among us, as we await the day that he will return to bring us to our eternal rest: to that “labor day” that never ends. ///

         May the rest we enjoy this weekend be a reminder of the rest we long for in heaven, where we will enjoy the fruits not of our labor, but that of Christ’s.  For those who will not enjoy rest this Labor Day: may you feel the consolation of our prayers and be strengthened in the hope that you, too, will one day know God’s perfect rest.

Given in Spanish at St. Joseph Parish: Rochester, IN – September 1^st, 2024