A Regular Joe: September 2018

Sunday, September 30, 2018

CUT IT OFF

[1]The week prior to the NFL season opener is called the cut-down week. Meaning NFL teams had loads of decisions to make to pare their rosters down from 90 to 53 players. The “position battles” to figure out who will start Week 1 have largely been settled by this time, barring an injury in practice. Owners and coaches had to make the decision which players they felt would be contributors. They looked at each position group to pick the two or three guys they felt deserved an opportunity, and the players understand just how important this opportunity is for them to get out there and show their best. Players unable or unwilling to give their best, or are a distraction to the team effort were cut. Some players cut were long-time veterans, some who thought they’re position was secure based on who they are.

In our readings today, we find both Joshua and John are objecting to those who were prophesying and driving out demons who were outside the parameters of their team. For Joshua, since Eldad and Medad were not present with the group, that a portion of Moses’ spirit was shared, they are viewed with jealousy, suggesting the belief that they should not be prophesying as this belongs to Moses and the select group present. John too, in his youthful enthusiasm seems to want to limit the circle of intimacy around Jesus. His motivation will be revealed later in the Gospel of Mark, when he will confess the aspirations of his heart, along with his brother requesting, “Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right hand and the other to your left.” (Mk 10:38) Much like the players who thought their positions were secure because of who they were, yet cut from the team, John must have been stunned by the accurate aim of Jesus, who insinuated that for the health of his body, the Church, it might be suitable for John, the one who aspired to be Jesus’ right hand, be cut off. And the same would apply to those who aspire to be the eye of the Church, or the foot of the body of Christ.

Today’s Gospel is the neatest example of Jesus’ explicit teaching about what it means to form the body of the Church. To the degree that should one member of the body—hand, foot, eye—separate his or her function from the rest of the body, it disables the body. Said another way to say this is, if one member of the body sins, the whole body is affected. Moses’ and Jesus’ response to their young disciples, calls our attention to see the action of God’s Spirit. “Would that all the people of the Lord were prophets!” (Nm 11:29) As Christians baptized in the Trinitarian Rite (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) we are baptized priest, prophet and king. We have a responsibility to proclaim the good news of the Gospel, to be models of virtue in our everyday lives. The same self-giving virtue that Jesus modeled, even offering himself unto death, death on the cross. Jesus in his response to his disciple expands Moses’ response as he says, “For whoever is not against us is for us” (Mk 9:40) whether friend, foe, or us.

If someone does good rather than evil, manifesting the values of Jesus, see God’s Spirit there. Rash judgment or over-reaction, like that of the disciples, often blinds us to models of virtue, especially when someone doesn’t fit our expectations. Think about the picture of Muslims in the Middle East, who surrounded Christian churches to protect them. Think about the people who hid our Jewish sisters and brothers in an attempt to save them from the Holocaust. Think about the first responders from all faiths and no faith, who entered crumbling buildings on 9/11. These people embodied the ways of Jesus, whatever their faith, culture, or way of life. They manifested the Spirit of God, as Eldad and Medad did. They are with us, even if they are not members of our “camp.”

Inclusiveness, not exclusiveness, is the mark of Jesus’ followers.

If only all people of faith would clearly manifest the Spirit! If only more people were willing to be surprised by God’s presence in the world! St. James reminds us, we are called to respond to the cries of the least, the last, and the lost, to be as concerned for others as we are for ourselves. All too often, self-centeredness, dividing who’s in and who’s out too hastily, fear of change, or habitual sin can fill our hearts. Full, there is no room to see God anywhere. Make room. We must cut off whatever takes God’s place in our lives. Pluck out whatever distracts our ability to see God’s Spirit at work. Emptied, we must turn to God for eyes that see the Spirit, especially where we least expect.[2]

“For whoever is not against us is for us.”

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

ROAD TRIP

When Judy and I took our first road trip vacation together we had very different philosophies on planning the trip. I’m a bit more of an explorer that often likes to fly wherever the wind blows. I see an interesting path or road and I’m ready to blaze a new trail. Judy on the other hand is very structured. You plan for everything, EVERYTHING! Our first road trip was very interesting and challenging for me. She planned the packing for every possible situation that might occur, drive times were planned, hotels were booked along the planned route. When we reached a destination, activities had been planned in advance. Who, when, where and what were carefully choreographed. Then while we were in South Carolina heading North, I saw an interesting sign pointing to a less traveled road and my longing to be free disrupted the well-planned vacation. Trust me, I said, we’ll have a great time being free of the schedule.

“Jesus summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, ... Take nothing for the journey” (Lk 9:1-3). Trust in God’s providential care can be a challenge for many of us. Yet this is exactly what Jesus expecting and wanted his disciples to experience when sending them out to heal and preach. He was also sending them out so they could learn, experience and rely on God for all of their needs.

The psalmist asks for two things “put falsehood and lying far from me” and “provide me only with the food I need” (Prv 30:7-8). To experience the freedom of a trusting relationship, I am a firm believer in that we all would be far better off if truth and need are our focus. How much better would our relationships be with our brothers and sisters be, at home, at work, even in church if we put falsehood and lying far from us? How much better would our health be if we consumed only what we need? How much better would the world be if we all consumed only what was needed? Trusting in God’s care, the earth does produce enough to feed all his children, it is the distribution that causes the imbalance.

Trust completely in God, “Add nothing to his words, lest he reprove you, and you will be exposed as a deceiver.” (Prv 30:6) We are incapable to care for ourselves, strive as we may to be perfect like our Heavenly Father is perfect, we all carrying the burdensome baggage of our sinfulness and we can do nothing to save ourselves. We only trust in Jesus’ promise of his Father’s love, compassion, forgiveness, and mercy. The promise that He would always be with us.

The proof of this great love, rests here at the table of sacrifice. Each time we worship and approach this table, we become full participants in Jesus’ self-offering. Where he willingly endured suffering, he willingly took on the sin of the world, so that we would trust His Father to free us from our brokenness and draw all his children back to himself.

Sunday, September 23, 2018

WELCOME THE CHILD

[1]A baby changes everything — especially for a child who is used to getting mom and dad’s full attention. Introducing and raising siblings when each child expects to be center stage is one of the trickiest balancing acts a parent can pull off.

There is a story of a family who was bringing home their new born baby, when they got home they were greeted at the door by the baby’s 4-year-old brother who said, “I want to talk to my baby brother—alone.” This somewhat surprised the parents. But they let the 4-year-old in the nursery with the brother and they shut the door…but they put their ears to the door as they wondered what he was going to say. Looking into the crib the 4-year-old said: “Quick! Tell me who made you! Tell me where you came from! I’m beginning to forget.”

Do you remember those magical years where a child has not moved into that linear, left brain consciousness yet? It is an age where everything is still an enchanted universe… where it is still possible to believe in what you do not see. It is an age where one does not judge…one does not exclude…one does not care about race, creed, color, sexual orientation nor care about power, prestige or possessions. It is the age where it seems everything coheres and yet… we all seem to unlearn it in a way… we simply forget.

In today’s gospel we find Jesus taking the Twelve away from the crowd to speak to them of his pending Passion, Death and Resurrection. Not surprisingly, the Twelve have no idea what he is talking about and choose not to question him or at the very least do not want to discuss it.[2] Instead, we find the Twelve arguing about status, rank, and standing!

The disciples were arguing who was the greatest. The tax collectors were reaping their wealth and the Pharisees were determining who was in and who was out—all themes that are repeated today over 2,000 years later. Like the Twelve, we usually want to be on top, but Jesus calls us to be happy on the bottom. We want to be the boss, but he wants us to be the servant. We want to be grown-up and admired, but he tells us to be like children. We want to achieve a lot, but he says we need to receive a lot. We often want to determine who is worthy—but he says that all are called to this table. Indeed, it does seem that we continue to forget where we came from, who we were created to be, and what Jesus calls us to do.

In the book of James, we are introduced to the root of wickedness: “jealousy and selfish ambition.” (Jam 3:16) James draws upon the Wisdom traditions to contrast the earthy ways with those of the wise, which are “from above.” (Jam 3:17) Jesus upsets the Twelve’s expectations exhorting that the leader is the one among them who is “the servant of all.” (Mk 9:35) Saint John Paul II in his last Consistory issued a strong warning to the newly elected cardinals that their mission should be not to pursue careerism but to serve society’s most vulnerable, if need be, to the limit of martyrdom.

Jesus punctuates his teaching by taking a child (one without legal standing or status in the both Jewish and Greco-Roman society) and charges the disciples, “Whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me” (Mk 9:37) and I believe this is why Jesus brings forth a child so many times![3] “Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Mt 19:14; Mk 10:14; Lk 18:16)

The “child” in today’s reading cannot model the kind of service Jesus is challenging the Twelve and us to model. To be “last of all” (Mk 9:35) is to be in the service of the “child.” This “child” represents all those who possess no social status or legal rights within society. This “child” is the immigrant and refugee seeking a better life for their family, hope for a better future. This “child” represents the most vulnerable people in our community and of society.

To welcome this “child” is indeed to welcome Jesus and the God he professes.[4]

Wednesday, September 19, 2018

CATCH-22

The term “Catch-22” comes from the title of Joseph Heller's 1961 novel. In the story, “Catch-22” was a rule followed by army doctors in the Second World War. If a frightened pilot tried to avoid a dangerous mission by claiming he was “insane”, this was seen as healthy and the doctor would diagnose him as “sane” and eligible to fly. In contrast, any pilot who actually wanted to fly was marked as “insane” and would not be allowed to do so. So “Catch 22” was the perfect example of an illogical rule which made everyone unhappy.[1]

Nothing seems to please many people, in Jesus’ time either, as they refused to accept the Lord’s invitation to new life. Comparing his contemporaries to children at play, Jesus makes the point that they are like children playing a dirge. John the Baptist called people to lament their sins. He lived a life of fasting and austerity, challenging people to change their ways. But people refused to accept his invitation and considered him mad. Jesus, on the other hand, invites people to join in a wedding feast, to dance in celebration of the Lord’s presence among them. But people likewise refuse to accept the invitation, dismissing Jesus as a glutton, a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners. In the final verses, Jesus points out that some children are disenchanted yet others value the wisdom of God. What is the wisdom of God? LOVE.

Our English word love is better understood in Greek as “self-giving,” this is the meaning Paul emphasizes. It is worth substituting “self-giving” in this reading. “[Self-giving] is patient, [self-giving] is kind. It is not jealous, [self-giving] is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests…” (1 Cor 13:4-5) This is when Paul’s meaning shines. Self-giving is a way to define God. When we hear “God is love,” we understand that Jesus showed us the way to the Father through self-giving. While reflecting on this I came across a timely Facebook post that said, “The hardest command we have from Jesus – and one of the most revolutionary – is love your enemies.”

The Church is an instrument of self-giving that becomes Christ for the world through its actions in the world. Just as a husband and wife witness God’s love by their own self-giving, we as the Church, the bride of Christ, are called to be a living sign, a sacrament, of the same self-giving the bride groom, Jesus, is for us. This brand of self-giving means, giving all that we have and all of who we are, expecting nothing in return. God is love (self-giving). Let us bring all we have and are to this offering, this gift of love (of self-giving) let it transform us so when we return to the world we can share God’s greatest and eternal gift, LOVE.

[1] BLOOMSBURY INTERNATIONAL, Idiom of the Week “A Catch-22 Situation”, created on May 20,2015.

Wednesday, September 5, 2018

A LOYAL RESPONSE

I was given an article from “The Wall Street Journal” entitled “A Crisis—But Not of Faith” publish in the Saturday/Sunday edition (September 1-2, 2018). One of the points made in the article was, “Catholics aren’t—or shouldn’t be—at Mass on Sunday because they admire the pope of the day, or their local bishop, or their pastor. Catholics come to Mass on Sunday to hear what we believe to be the Word of God in Scripture and to enter into what we believe to be communion with God because of Jesus Christ.” While the crisis of the scandal is in the forefront at the moment, upon reflection I believe the crisis is deeper. This year many priests were reassigned for the good of the diocese and this disappointed and in some cases enraged congregations. Some feeling as if the bishop was punishing them. Their loyalty to their pastor/priest seemed to feed their dissatisfaction.

Loyalty is a double-edged sword. It can bite the hand that feeds it very easily. Because those who are loyal to you can also be your biggest critics when you disappoint them. Their reaction can be far more vocal and vicious than that of just an ordinary customer or parishioner. To the rabidly loyal person, even the smallest injustice or perceived slight, can take on enormous proportions. Loyal followers are often demanding followers, sometimes in a reasonable way and sometimes in a way beyond all reason.[1]

Paul is challenging the Corinthian community: whose jealousies and rivalries over their loyalty on who they follow. “Are you not of the flesh, and walking according to the manner of man? Whenever someone says, "I belong to Paul," and another, "I belong to Apollos," are you not merely men?” (1 Cor 3:3-4) They reveal their immaturity both in their self-knowledge and of the judgments about their apostles. They tend to evaluate their leaders by the criteria of human wisdom and to exaggerate their importance.

Paul describes the community as infants in Christ; still unable to eat solid food, for they are still caught up in the flesh. “The flesh” connotes all things not of the spirit: rivalries, divisions, an unforgiving spirit, and everything causing scandal.

Paul presents the roles of himself and Apollos as complimentary, humbly acknowledging they are simply agents of God and warns not overestimate their role in the spiritual life. In other words, don’t confuse the agent for the primary person in the relationship, God.

From the beginning of time, humans have experienced significant challenges in our relationship with God, within and between nations, within our secular and faith communities, between each other, and even within ourselves. Let’s face it, we are weak and sinful human beings. The only one who can save us is God, this relationship exists because Jesus freely offered to take on our weakness and show us the path to salvation by placing our loyalties in the one true God. In his model of true leadership, a key element, essential to Jesus’ life was taking time to be alone and pray. Such self-care while ministering to others is a timeless lesson.

Paul too offers a timeless lesson on true leadership: Those who lead well, point beyond themselves to higher values for the common good. Church leaders are servants of God. Our leadership goal is helping the community grow and prosper in holiness. Further, leaders must foster leadership abilities of others, creating a ripple effect, discipleship for the ongoing growth of the community. Yet, let us be mindful, we are only human, we will mess up. Will a disproportionate loyalty to the agent distract us from the primary person in our faith relationship?

[1] Raving. https://www.ravingconsulting.com/2014/09/loyalty-a-double-edged-sword/ Posted on September 25, 2014 by Amy Ponce

Monday, September 3, 2018

WALK THE TALK

[1]There is a story that while the Japanese were attacking Pearl Harbor, some American service members ran to the armory to get weapons so they could fire back. They were met by the the quartermaster. The quartermaster was responsible for the proper inventory and procedures to check out and in the weapons and ammunition. So the quartermaster refused to let the service members take the weapons demanding: “Where are your requisition slips?” They said, “We don’t have any. The Japanese are bombing us!” The quartermaster said, “I don’t care who’s bombing us. Nobody takes anything out of here without a requisition slip.” They eventually had to overpower the quartermaster to get the weapons. While the quartermaster was very conscientious in his duty, in this situation he may has been a bit too rigid.

There is a similar ongoing debate in the Gospel reading today concerning the purity laws in the Israelite tradition. The Pharisees and some scribes from Jerusalem point out that Jesus’ disciples do not “follow the tradition of the elders” (Mk 7:5) when it comes to practices of purity. Jesus chides the Pharisees, who were more concerned with interpreting the Law than living its purpose: to take on the mind and heart of God. They gave God lip service, but not lived service.

Let’s talk about tradition. The author of Deuteronomy, emphasizes the privilege of the Hebrew people, chosen by God from among all peoples to enter into an unprecedented friendship. Moses calls the people together to remind them, “Now, Israel, hear the statutes and decrees which I am teaching you to observe, that you may live … (here’s the kicker) … you shall not add to what I command you nor subtract from it.” (Dt 4:1-2)

The problem with the Pharisees, they were pious men who took God seriously. So seriously that they tried to spell out, in exact detail, what each of God’s commandments entailed. For example, the third commandment says, “Remember to keep holy the sabbath day.” (Ex 20:8) Thus journeys were forbidden on the Sabbath. They defined how many steps added up to a journey? Hunting was also forbidden on the Sabbath. So was it all right to swat a fly? The laws were originally meant to preserve the spirit of obedience to God’s will, but Jesus saw that the letter of the law was killing the spirit.[2]

Positions of authority, secular or religious, are more than a prize to be won or a place to ascend to, they come with responsibility and accountability. Whether it is the President of the U.S. or the Pope, a CEO or Pastor, a school teacher or volunteer minister, these leadership roles demand embracing responsibility and being accountable to and for the greater good and care of the community. When there is distance between leaders and followers, between the rule makers and those subject to the rule, crisis management most always ends badly, often someone ends up dead. The death can be literally, like Jesus on the cross, or some other form of psychological or social death. The trappings of authority, positions of power, is they can facilitate the expectation of privileges which in turn can lead to abuses of positional authority. Often these privileges can lead to the perception that they protect leaders from acknowledging accountability. It’s easy to make ourselves exempt from the expectations and standards of all the “regular” folk when we are in charge. Leaders must model ALL the behaviors expected of others. The Army often uses a saying that goes something like this, you must “talk the walk, and walk the talk.” Personal exemption is unjust.

Deuteronomy places obedience to God’s commandments in the context of a relationship of love. In a love relationship, we want the best for the other, even to the sacrifice of our own needs & desires. Couple this with the exhortation in the Letter of James, whose tone echoes that of Israel’s prophets: true faith must be expressed in deeds. From baptism we are called to put God’s word into practice rather than just hearing it. True devotion, fulfilling one’s duty to God, is best expressed in the care of others, especially those in need and opposing the forces of evil.

Pope Francis’ 2017 Palm Sunday homily called us to show Jesus through our deeds, he said: “He [Jesus] is present in our many brothers and sister who today endure suffering like his own: they suffer from slave labor, from family tragedies, from diseases … from wars and terrorism, from interests that are armed and ready to strike. Women and men [boys & girls] who are cheated, violated in their dignity, discarded … Jesus is in them, in each of them, and, with marred features and broken voice, he asks to be looked in the eye, to be acknowledged, to be loved.”[3]

Jesus reminds us that we should respect the law, but not be rigid. The Ten Commandments are meant to be guides, not chains. As he says in another place, “The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.” (Mk 2:27) When we obey God in this spirit, his commands become a source of genuine truth and life. As we process to receive in communion let our Amen mean, I will walk the talk.