MASS IS MORE THAN A HABIT

This week we are celebrating Catholic Schools Week and what better than also celebrating the patron saint of youth, boys, and editors, St. John Bosco. He is hailed as one of the greatest teachers of his time. He viewed education as the means to help Christian youth find their place in corporate society. He was the master of classroom management, good discipline rooted in liberty, and a strong Catholic identity. For St. Bosco, interpersonal relationships were his primary approach when reaching children. When it came to teaching and life in general he would say, “If one is to do good, he must have a little courage, be ready for sacrifice, deal affably with all and never slight anybody.”

Many in Nazareth were astonished by the teaching of Mary and Joseph’s boy, Jesus. People could hardly believe the amazing stories about this Nazareth native. Yet their familiarity with him and his family brings forth the question, “where did this man get all this” (Mk 6:2) Isn’t he Mary’s boy, the son of Joseph the carpenter? It’s this human familiarity with Jesus that blocked their ability to see beyond the miracles so that he “was not able to perform any mighty deed there” (Mk 6:5). Leaving Jesus “amazed at their lack of faith.” (Mk 6:6)

One of the most powerful teaching tool for faith and life is the witness of our life. As I reflected on this scripture, this question came to mind, have we become so familiar with the routine of the Mass, that it has become the prophet in his own homeland? In other words, has Mass attendance become just something we have to do, a chore, especially when it comes to getting the family to Sunday Mass or to participate in the sacramental life (baptism, first communion, confirmation) that is our unique tradition and blessing?

The Constitution on Sacred Liturgy (SC 14) states, “Mother Church earnestly desires that all the faithful should be led to a full, conscious, and active participation in liturgical celebrations which is demanded by the very nature of the liturgy, and to which the Christian people, …have a right and obligation by reason of their baptism.

In the restoration and promotion of the sacred liturgy the full and active participation by all the people is the aim to be considered before all else, for it is the primary and indispensable source from which the faithful are to derive the true Christian spirit”.

In your daily & week preparation for Mass let us be the greatest teacher, in word & deed, in sharing the sacred language, the mystery & marvels of our liturgical celebrations. To be the witness to all it means to being in relationship and receiving Jesus, body and blood, soul and divinity into our daily lives with the joyful hope of our future salvation.

DO YOU WANT TO BE A FARMER?

My first job I worked for a bean farmer in Western, NY. I started in the Spring, so it was planting season. It was my job to load the hoppers of the planter when the operator signaled me. The planter had six hoppers, I had to rip the bag open, lift the 25 lb. bag of seed dumping one bag into each hopper. What made it more challenging is the hoppers were shoulder high.  At the beginning I had a lot of spillage and occasionally, as the day wore on, I would eventually drop an entire bag on the ground.   Today's parable is very real for me because of the hours I spent waiting for the hoppers to run out.   Time to contemplate where the seeds had fallen, especially as I picked them up off the hard packed truck path, so that they could be planted in the fertile soil.  In due season, I got to operate the tractors that cultivated and harvested the fruits of our seasonal labor.

The key word in Jesus’ parable is Hear! (Mk 4:3, 9) this word frames the parable. In the Semitic idiom, to really hear is to obey; the word enters in through the ears and then goes down to the heart, the primary organ of hearing, and we are changed.

Because this is such a well known parable, we know the seed is “the Word”.  So in essence we who share the Word are the farmers and all the hearers of the Word are “seeded” with it.  Their response depends on the state of their heart (the primary organ of hearing), the soil.  Often preachers will focus on "the soil" (the receiver) of the Word.  Let's consider the parable from the farmers (sowers) point of view.   

For some time our faith community has been sowing seeds in our adult and teen catechumens & confirmandi.  I believe how we sow the seeds makes a difference. When confirmation is just something to be done because it’s "that time" the seeds become vulnerable and the birds can easily snatch the seed away.  If the sower’s own faith is shallow or overly intellectualized, their planting may take root but will be challenged to develop the needed roots to survive the scorching sun. And when the sower’s behavior does not match their words the Word may be accepted and grow but the preoccupations and distractions of the world, especially in times of persecution, may choke the plant hindering the Words effectiveness to produce fruit.

Francis de Sales took seriously the words of Christ, “Learn of me for I am meek and humble of heart.” As he said himself, it took him 20 years to conquer his quick temper, but no one ever suspected he had such a problem, so overflowing with good nature and kindness was his usual manner of acting. His perennial meekness and sunny disposition won for him the title of “Gentleman Saint.”

As Christian farmers we are sowers, sowers of what we have heard, called to plant and cultivate the Word in others, so they in turn may, not just hear the Word, but obey it and so become sowers themselves. How we hear and live can fertilize the soil in which the Word is sown.

HOW DOES THE WORLD SEE US?

[1]December was a busy month for the Diaconate office. Besides the normal seasonal liturgical calisthenics, we scheduled a team of deacons to conduct five diaconate information nights. Thanks to those of you who we're able to attend and engage with the inquirers.  One of the regular comments we heard during the introductions was something to this effect: “I heard/felt, what I believed, to be God's call earlier in my life but because of, you name it —  job, young kids, kids activities, someone told me to wait — ‘I pushed the calling aside’ figuring it wasn't my time.  Now that I've taken care of — you add the situation — ‘I feel’ it's my time.”

Do you hear it?  "I pushed the calling aside…," "I feel it’s my time…"  "I", where is God in these 'I's?  In our first reading we heard about God’s call of Samuel.  Did you catch Samuel's response?  “Here I am. You called me.” (1Sam 3:4, 5, 6, 8).  With the help of Eli, Samuel is given a better response, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” (1Sam 3:9).  What are you listening too?

I'm reading a book called Mid Life Celebration, rethink · reprioritize · recommit, by Joel Knoll.  It contains short reflections, this is a short excerpt for the one that caught my attention entitled, “There's a Quiet Movement Underway.” The movement is called authenticity.  We cherish it in others.  We long for it in ourselves.  But humans are afraid.  I am afraid.  You are afraid.  So, we all put up a good front.  You should never allow yourself to appear vulnerable or appear weak right?  Not a good career move.  So, we become someone we are not.  Unintentionally.  And this becomes a habit.  And this habit, over time, becomes what we think and do, without thinking.  Going through the motions.  We pollute our soul so slowly we never notice.  We become the person we set out to become.”  It's a vicious cycle where the voices in our head become muddled together.  Somehow the secular voices and callings of family, career goals & expectations, peers and friends drown out the soft whispers of God's voice and calling.

But that is all about those guys, right?  Not us, we're here, following God's calling.  We're the ones who've heard his voice and are convinced we're the ones who will be the deacons, right?!

As we leave the Christmas season to enter Ordinary Time we need to remember and ponder in our hearts the key characters of the season (Mary, Joseph, John the Baptist, and Jesus) who, like Samuel heard and responded to God's voice and call, fully and authentically.  We've spent the Advent and Christmas season marveling at their piety, courage and obedience to God's will and plan for our salvation.  We reflect on them and say, now there’s a role model to emulate.

Do people point at you and say, “behold, a follower of Christ”?  Do they follow you?  If they do, do you ask them why they're following you and invite them to follow Jesus more closely?

We are beginning to learn, from the Corinthians, that listening to God’s voice and following Jesus Christ means how we treat one another, care for ourselves, make decisions, and care for creation looks different than how we’d live without being members of his body.  Listening for God’s voice is a beginning, we also need to reflect on what we hear.  Then we need to respond by living differently because of what we’ve heard.

Listen - Reflect - Respond

The structure of the Mass is a reflection of this formula.  We hear the Word of God, reflect in the homily, receive food for the journey, and are dismissed to live differently on account of what we’ve heard and received.  Even more intimately, we are here because we’re listening for God’s affirming voice that we’ve been called to ordained ministry within His Church.  In five short months, some of our brothers will be fully vested as a deacon and kneeling before the Bishop who will hand you the book of the Gospels and say, “Receive the Gospel of Christ, whose herald you now are.  Believe what you read, teach what you believe, and practice what you teach.”

Listen - Reflect - Receive - Respond

According to St. Francis de Sales, we carry the Lord on our tongues, recounting his deeds and praising him.  We carry him in our hearts with tender love and affection.  But these two ways do not amount to much unless we carry the Lord in our arms by living the ways of God clearly and concretely.

Listen for God’s voice, contemplate what you hear, then share the fruits of your contemplation by living Jesus so clearly that others point to you and say, “Behold, a follower of Christ, the Lamb of God!”[2]

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[1] New American Bible, Saint Joseph Edition © 1986.  Scriptures:  1 Samuel 3:3b-10, 19; 1 Corinthians 6:13c-15a, 17-20; John 1:35-42.

[2] Living the Word, by Laurie Brink, OP and Paul Colloton, OSFS © 2017.  World Library Publicatoins, Franklin Park, IL