A Regular Joe

Friday, March 12, 2021

SILENCE

So, I need you to trust me this morning. Close your eyes and listen very carefully. Resist the temptation to open your eyes before I ask you to open them. Did you hear it? The silence? I willing to bet some of you, in that 30 seconds of silence, did a couple of things. Within the first 10 seconds or so, some of you minds exploded with: Where’s the deacon going with this? Then to, why isn’t he saying something? 15 seconds into the silence, some of you may have started organizing your agenda for the day, and a small percentage just dozed off and these are the ones who were the closest to God and to my point.

The Responsorial Psalm we repeated today, makes it perfectly clear what God is expecting: “I am the Lord your God: hear my voice.” (Ps 81:11 & 9a) To hear God’s voice, we must be silent.

In our first reading, Hosea is making an appeal to the people of Israel, calling for their repentance, calling them to listen to the voice of God, and telling them what God’s response will be if the do. “I will heal their defection, … I will love them freely; for my wrath is turned away from them.” (Hos 14:5) Alas, “O Israel, will you not hear me?” (Ps 81:8bc-9) The fullness of God’s love is found in the silence.

Our world no longer hears God because it is constantly speaking. It seems to be an unending monologue; a dictatorship of speech, a dictatorship of emphasis where nothing is left but an infected wound of mechanical words, without perspective, without truth, without foundation. Modern civilization does not know how to be quiet.[1]

How do we listen to God’s voice today? God speaks through the Scriptures, the voice of the Church, wise women and men, and in the depths and silence of our hearts. Hearing God’s voice is the first step and perhaps the hardest step, because it requires silence.

Romano Guardini, in his book The Lord writes: “The greatest things are accomplished in silence—not in the clamor and display of superficial eventfulness, but in the deep clarity of inner vision; in the almost imperceptible start of decision, in quiet overcoming and hidden sacrifice. Spiritual conception happens when the heart is quickened by love, and the free will stirs to action. The silent forces are the strong forces. Let us turn now to the stillest event of all, stillest because it came from the remoteness beyond the noise of any possible intrusion—from God.”

Jesus reduces the noise of Jewish laws into: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength, [and] your neighbor as yourself.” (Mk 12:30-31) Thus, the second step is to let the love of God in our hearts, a love that cannot be contained within, but overflows outward, to direct our actions in charity. All born in silence

Tuesday, March 9, 2021

PAID IN FULL

A certain married couple endlessly quarreled. One day when they weren’t quarrelling, the husband asked his wife, “Dear, how is it possible that after we quarrel each time, you are able to stay so calm and collected the next day? You don't seem to be angry or upset with me anymore. How is it you can remain so collected when I am so upset wanting to shout at you?” The wife says, “Easy! I just clean the toilet.” “What?” “Yes, I just clean the toilet.” “But how is cleaning the toilet able to keep you calm?” “Well, I clean the toilet using your toothbrush.”

Getting even seems to be such a natural instinct. We see it in children. I have two children and revenge occurred regularly. He took my book, so she would crumple up his homework … She took my toy, so he held her favorite toy for ransom. It was so common, so natural! Even when we grow up, things don't change much. Before I left for the Navy, I remember a piece of advice given to me while in the Navy, that went, “Don’t get mad, don’t even; get ahead.” We want to take revenge when someone slanders us; when someone back stabs us; or someone despises us. Then, depending on the degree of the hurt, we tend to hang on to it, forever, until we feel repaid in full. It's funny when it's in kids, it's funny when its trivial things, it's not so funny when things are serious and get out of hand.[1]

In the omitted verses from today’s reading (Dn 3:26-33) Azariah confesses that Israel has sinned and now experiences proper punishment. Today’s verses pick up with his prayer asking God not to punish Israel forever, that he and his companions be received as an acceptable sacrifice, and he asks God to save them and so glorify God’s name.[2] God forgives and saves.

So, it’s very natural, for Peter to ask, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often will must forgive him?” (Mt 18:21) In his human thinking he wanted to know, what's the extent? What's the limit? Surely there must be a limit! There must be some kind of a ceiling to these things because it can't just go on! Do I forgive “as many as seven times?”

Thank goodness God doesn’t treat us the way we often treat one another—especially when it comes to his forgiveness. In fact, each time we muster the courage to come him seeking forgiveness, God is delighted. He forgives our debt, a debt we cannot pay and He withholds not even a smidgen of His unfathomable mercy. God forgives and saves.

God sets us free, with the expectation that we do the same for those who have offended us. To live as we pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” (Mt 6:12) As we move to the Liturgy of the Eucharist, I encourage you to listen anew to every word prayed, watching every movement. Allow yourself to enter into this drama of life and salvation. For this is the price, PAID IN FULL, for us and our salvation.

[1] Gospel Light Christian Church. “How Shall I Forgive” posted August 18, 2019.

[2] Weekday HomilyHelps. Exegesis by Terrance Callan, PhD.

Friday, March 5, 2021

GOD’S FAVORITE

Sibling relationships are complex and influenced by a variety of factors including genetics, life events, gender, parental relationships, and experiences outside of the family. Parental favoritism is often cited as a source of adult sibling rivalry.[1] Showing favoritism is not a new issue in relationships. History tends to repeat itself, from generation to generation, and yet the pattern of life continues as showing favoritism is not a new issue in relationships.

“Israel loved Joseph best of all his sons” (Gn 37:3) and his brothers, due to extreme jealousy, betrayed Joseph. The plan starts with: “kill him” to “throw him into a cistern” to let’s make something on the plan and “sell him”. History repeats itself again, in the Jewish family, in the Parable of the Tenants Jesus invites his opponents to open their hearts and serve the kingdom of heaven. But the tenants refuse to cooperate with God’s plan. They mistreat and kill the landowner’s servants and his son. They’ve deluded themselves into thinking, having done so, they can claim the vineyard for themselves.

Jesus asked his opponents, “What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?” (Mt 21:40), As they figure out who they represent in the parable, their motivation, much like Joseph’s brothers, reveals why they wanted Jesus arrested, why they would eventually abuse him, and why they will kill Jesus. Why, because they could not put aside their misguided agendas, their defense of “the Law” as they see it, and choosing to serve their own needs and desires instead of accepting God’s invitation to serve His kingdom.

There’s a reminder here for us. What is our motivation for action? Maybe we find ourselves acting in the same ways as we attempt to cling to possessions, power, to save face or a favored status? St. John Chrysostom wrote: “For what good is it if we abstain from birds and fish, if we devour our brothers and sisters?” Even the good deeds we do, if motivated and done for self-satisfaction, can fall short of accepting the invitation to build up the kingdom of God. Christian and human relationships are complex and influenced by a variety of factors including life & faith experiences, values, traditions, and so on… There are just so many ways we can, intentionally or unintentionally, mistreat, abuse, and kill each other; physically, mentally and spiritually.

Lent is a moment of grace, a promise of hope, it’s a time to examine ourselves and our motivation for action seriously. The Eucharist always reveals to us the good fruit produced by one act of total self-giving. This perpetual feast is motivated by God’s “ardent desire of being always with us which induced Him to perform this continual miracle, the abridgment of all miracles by which His immense love put Him in a state of being no longer able to be separated from us.”[2]

We are now the tenants leasing the vineyard, for a time. We are entrusted to tend to this vineyard, to produce good fruit, and who “will give [God] the produce at the proper times.” (Mt 21:41) This is the vision of the kingdom, where we are all God’s favorite.

[1] Verywellmind, “How to Handle the Stress of Adult Sibling Rivalry” by Elizabeth Scott, MS, May 6, 2020.