SPEAK YOUR TRUTH

I’ve noticed a pattern of behavior in my career as a small group trainer. When going around a group to do a check-in session, I will more often hear people describe their current hardships for several minutes and then finish their check-in with “but, other than that, I’m ok.”

We’re all, most likely, guilty of doing this at one time or another. In one sentence, we rationalize, accommodate, and negate all of our previous experiences with the simple phrase, “but I’m ok.”

What does “ok” even mean anyway? Does “ok” mean, we stuff the feelings associated with all the negative things for just a few minutes to get through it, but in reality, the stress of everything shows up in other ways; like eating, shopping, alcohol, anger, or drugs? Maybe “ok” means, we acknowledge all the difficulties going on in our life, but we also acknowledge there are some pretty good things; like good health, satisfying relationships, and a good friend.

Whatever “ok” means, speak your truth. If something is difficult, sit with the difficulty, acknowledge it by name, and describe it. Iyanla Vanzant is quoted saying, “The truth will set you free, but you have to endure the labor pains of birthing it.”[1]

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego not only knew their truth, they spoke it clearly to the King knowing full well the consequences to such a bold stance, “we will not serve your god or worship the golden statue” (Dn 3:18). In the Gospel, Jesus argues with the religious leaders as he claims his the truth of his identity as the Son of God with true authority to set others free and they will look to kill him for this truth.

As we move closer to Holy Week, while we are reflecting on the truth of our faith journey, we might also face consequences—including marginalization and conflict—if we remain true to our calling as Christians. What is the truth we need to confidently and lovingly speak? More importantly, how can we be patient through the process of birthing the truth of our faith?

As we approach the Sacraments in these last days of Lent and look forward to the Easter glory to come, let us consider, “What is going right with our faith life and what could be going more right?”  This truth will set us free.

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[1]   Psychology Today, “The Truth Will Set You Free.  Being honest about life’s hardships and using what’s working to fix what’s not.” By Rubin Khoddam.  Posted August 20, 2014.

DO YOU WANT TO SEE JESUS?

Last September we put out the call for men who were interested in inquiring about the permanent diaconate.  In December we conducted 5 diaconate information sessions around the diocese.  The exciting thing is that 77 men, most with their wives attended the sessions.  The challenge and somewhat disheartening for me was that approximately 25% of the men, when they did their introductions, professed they felt they’d had a calling many years prior, but put off the calling.  They confessed that they resisted or “put off” the call for three main reasons; they were just starting a career, they had children, and that when the shared their heart’s stirring with a priest or deacon, they were counseled to wait.  Wait until your children are grown, wait until you are good and stable at work, or near retirement.

I believe that a man who hears the call to service; priest, deacon, consecrated life, and lay ministry, it is a request, “Sir, I wish to see Jesus.”  In the Gospel we hear of the Greeks request to see Jesus. When Philip told Jesus, Jesus responds by telling once again about his own death and resurrection: “The hour has come for the Son of Mas to be glorified…unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains just a grain of wheat.” (Jn 12:24) He is setting his mind to the single task of obedience to his Father will, the passion he must endure.

What makes the advice to wait so disheartening for me, these men are now 62 years of age and older. The long-standing policy of the diocese has been to ordain before the completion of the man’s 65th birth date. Discerning things of God with human logic can be very disappointing.

Reconciling this longstanding cultural mindset, that a man must hold off God’s call until…, matched with the unique charism of the restored permanent diaconate, to live the Gospel “in the world” within and beyond the walls of the parish is very challenging. There is no doubt of challenges of balancing the rigors of diaconate formation, full-time jobs, and young families; balancing the demands of the deacon’s ministry of Word, Liturgy, and Charity with full-time work and family responsibilities.

Jesus tells us in today’s Gospel, whoever serves me must wait until it’s convenient for you, and then I’ll will be you. NO!!!! Its “Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be.” (Jn 12:26) He clearly warns us, “Whoever loves his life loses it.” The challenge seems daunting, almost impossible for humans, but “for God all things are possible.” (Mt 19:26; Mk 10:27) Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane prays to his heavenly Father, “Abba, Father, all things are possible to you. Take this cup away from me, but not what I will but what you will.” (Mk 14:36) He “learned obedience from what he suffered, and when he was made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.” (Heb 5:8-9) He died that we might live to the full, not put him off until it’s convenient.

Brothers, we have a tremendous responsibility to God’s Holy Church. None of us are getting any younger and the world, more than ever, needs well-formed men and families within its midst to be a light that draws all back to God. They are out there, living the life of diakonia, in their everyday ordinary lives. We are the elders, we must first and foremost must be in deep relationship with our Lord and Savior, so that we can see with his eyes and hear with his heart. To plant discipleship seeds, water the young plants, and to till the soil removing the weeds that would choke the young discerner from clearly hearing God’s call.

We need to ask with wisdom, do you want to see Jesus? And when they give an indication of the slightest inkling of inquiry we must accompany them and discern with them.

We need to tell them, challenge them. If you want to see Jesus, pay attention to his Death and Resurrection. If you want to see Jesus, look to see where the Gospel is being proclaimed around you in lives of servanthood. If you want to see Jesus, look to lives of servanthood. If you want to see Jesus, you don’t look to the stuff, you look to servanthood. Always look at the lives of servanthood all around you—if you want to see Jesus.[1]

Let us be the example of obedience, of humility, of servanthood and let His will be done. 

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[1] Sick, and You Care For Me. © 2014.  “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” By Rev. David A. Davis.

LET THE SON SHINE!

This sermon was written by Mark Fry, a Diocese of Orlando diaconate candidate, revised for use by Deacon Joe Gassman.

We have blackout curtains in our bedroom to make it really easy to sleep in on the weekends, I really wish I could sleep in on the weekdays more often. Why the blackout curtains, because it blocks out any chance of the light disrupting my desire to extend my sleep habit. It makes it really easy to forget all the chores around the house that need to be done and helps me focus on sleeping. I can waste the whole morning if the room stays dark.

One day our curtain rod broke. The next morning, the blinds were no match for the rising sun. The light of the sun and the warmth of its’ rays disturbed my desire to continue sleeping. I found myself up and could not believe how much I got done before lunch! Once we got a new curtain rod and curtain reinstalled, I found myself right back to sleeping away the mornings. Were the curtains my problem or is it my unwillingness to let the sun light shine in.

Our Gospel reading today reminds me of the following saying “Each of us brings light into a room. Some when we enter, some when we leave.”

The light, “the shekinah”, the divine presence had left the Israelites because of their ever-increasing transgressions and infidelities. They preferred the cold, spiritless and emptiness of the pagan gods and the carnal pleasures of other nations to the warmth, freedom and spirit-filled grace of the one true God. They’d forgotten Moses’ warning as they prepared to enter into the Promised Land. “Take care and be earnestly on your guard not to forget the things which your own eyes have seen, nor let them slip from your memory as long as you live but teach them to your children and to your children's children” (Dt 4:9). Their forgetfulness led to the Babylonian exile and the unimaginable destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. Yet in God’s infinite compassion and mercy, the Lord inspired King Cyrus of Persia to release the Israelites to return and rebuild Jerusalem and the temple! And the Lord’s chosen people lived happily ever after, right? 

This amnesia of who God is and what God has done for the Israelites was once again prevalent in the time Jesus. Time and time again we read in the scripture about Jesus chastising the Pharisees and Sadducees for the hardness of their hearts and the soul crushing weight of the Law. In their zeal to uphold the Law, their traditions in reality became blackout curtains covering their hearts in such a darkness, they couldn’t even recognize the Son of God, Jesus, the true light of the world in their midst.

In our Gospel reading Jesus is continuing to teach Nicodemus, who sought Jesus out under cover of darkness. Jesus reminds him of the story of how “Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” Jesus shares with Nicodemus the heart of God’s Law, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish.” “That the light came into the world, but people preferred…” their blackout curtains.

So, the question seems to be, which do we prefer? The darkness of Blackout curtains, where we are blinded to God’s great compassion and merciful love or are we open to letting the Son’s light shine on and through us, a light that draws all people to the Father?

As baptized Christians we were claimed by Jesus as his “Light shines through the darkness for the upright; gracious, compassionate, and righteous” (Ps 112:4). Lent is a season of self-reflection, reconsideration, repentance, and renewal. A time to climb out of the darkness to the light. To cleans and purify ourselves, so that we can put on the light of Christ! Better yet, “BE” the light of Christ, especially for those who are shrouded in the darkness of this world, for those who have forgotten or were not properly catechized in the Lord’s precepts or feel unworthy to receive the Lord’s compassion, unfathomable mercy, and great love for all His children.

Our Church membership is not merely a passive status. It is a profound and fundamental commitment to live a life that reflects the life and light of Jesus. A life full of the light of love, wisdom, holiness, prayerfulness, compassion, generosity, humility and obedience. Jesus is asking us to draw back our blackout curtains, wake up and get to the task at hand, evangelizing in our everyday lives. When we do this, then we cannot help but bring our light into any room we enter and when we leave the light remaining can no longer be overpowered by the darkness.