TRYING TO FIT IN

[1]There’s often a gap between what we want to be and what we think the world things we should be. Psychologist William James said, “A man has as many social selves as there are distinct groups of persons about whose opinion he cares. He generally shows a different side of himself to each of these different groups.”

Many spend their lives trying to fit in. Always wanting to please people, to make our parents proud, and to receive the approval form everyone and anyone—family, friends, teachers, partners, pastors, and bosses. All to gain the emotional benefits of fitting in.

So, without even realizing it, we change ourselves, our desires, sometimes even our opinions to fit into whatever mold is required at the given moment. But if we’re constantly trying to prove our worth to people, it may be true we’ve already forgotten our value.[2]

Eleazer know who he was, the man’s very name identifies the source of his strength: Eli (my god) azar (helper): “My God is my helper.” His unwillingness to agree to the plan offered by some of his acquaintances (pretending to eat some of the unlawful ritual meal to save his life) demonstrates both his faithfulness to God and his religious concern for the youth of his community. For 90 years, Eleazar lived an honorable life of integrity and was highly respected by the youth of his day—until he refused to compromise to save his life. Then many young people reviled him as he fell from revered elder to a foolish old man.[3]

We have a similar situation when Jesus calls “Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay ar your house.” (Lk 19:5) And the people begin to grumble, saying, “He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner.” (Lk 19:7) Jesus wasn’t trying to fit in, he was fulfilling the mission of his Heavenly Father. “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost.” (Lk 19:10)

This is the mission we were baptized into. To seek out the lost, the forsaken, those left out on the fringe of society and the Church. We are to live our Christian values in our everyday lives, that frankly, will often not make us the most popular people and even thought to be foolish.

The demand to fit in, the willingness to bend morality and faith is an ever-present temptation in our society. The pork society uses to tempt us is the pork of worrying what others will think of us if we done simply go along with the crowd, separating faith form daily life, surrendering the very core of who we know ourselves to be. But as Eleazar knew and Jesus models, some values are more important than life itself.

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[1] Scripture (NABRE), Wisdom 13:1-19; Luke 19:26-37.

[2] Tinybudda.com, “Stop Trying to Fit In and Start Embracing Your True Self” by Jess Stuart.

[3] Weekday HomilyHelps, Exegessi by Sr. Diane Bergant, CSA PhD, Homily Suggestion by Timothy J. Cronin.

VIGILANT FOR END TIMES

[1]It’s been a rough week for me. We recently buried three good men from different times in my life. Each who loved God, were family men, and dedicated to service to country and community. Shortly after the last funeral, I hosted a family Zoom session to discuss the to care of our aging parents. I’ve had to watch from afar as my siblings experience the many stages of stress knowing the end time is nearer as they care for mom and dad. All this has helped me put into perspective this weekend’s scripture readings as we come to the end of another liturgical year.

Today’s first reading reminds us what will happen on that day: you know the last day, the end of the world as we know it. When we hear these words, each of us must examine ourselves to see what they mean to us. They may fill us with fear, but they should also fill us with hope. As I converse with those who walk with the aging and the dying, there are a couple of dominant emotions. The first emotion is often fear. The caretakers want their loved one to survive, to cheat death, to recover, because they just can’t imagine themselves living without them and they’ll spare no expense to achieve this end. The other emotion is pure hope. Where the caretaker’s love, loves them through the aging process and when the end time is near they provide the assurance that everything will be alright. And there’s a great peace in that.

The Gospel tells us, “Of the day or hour, no one knows,” (Mk 13:32) when “heaven and earth will pass away.” (Mk 13:31) It reminds us while we won’t know when Christ will return, it also encourages us to be vigilant. Maybe it’s hard to envision the end, our Lord does describe some of its elements. He tells his disciples: after the tribulation there will be darkness (Mk 13:24). I believe we each will experience this, as individuals, as our earthly life comes to an end. Jesus not only encourages us to be vigilant but to persevere because in the tribulation, he will be close, right at our “gate.”

So, let us be vigilant in contemplating the end times, because a little healthy concern keeps us on our toes, but let’s also be full of hope because even though there’ll be these final battles, Jesus has already won the war.

Pope Benedict XVI made this point powerfully in his 2007 encyclical, Spe salvi, speaking of the great Christian virtue of hope. Pope Benedict calls the final judgment a “place of hope,” a “setting for learning and practicing hope.” Here's how he explains it: “From the earliest times, the prospect of the Judgement has influenced Christians in their daily living as a criterion by which to order their present life, as a summons to their conscience, and at the same time as hope in God's justice. Faith in Christ has never looked merely backwards or merely upwards, but always also forward to the hour of justice that the Lord repeatedly proclaimed. This looking ahead has given Christianity its importance for the present moment.” (Spe salvi, #41)

The fact that we know Jesus is coming again, to set all things right, makes a huge difference in how we look at ourselves and the world around us - if we let it.

In practical terms, what does living with this clear awareness of the end really mean? What does it mean to “be vigilant,” or, as today’s Psalm puts it, to “set the Lord ever before” (Ps 16:8) us so that we will not be “disturbed?”

First, it means making our personal relationship with God a true priority through daily prayer, ongoing study of His word, our faith, and frequent reception of the sacraments. This is what we can call keeping a healthy “God-life.”

Second, it means loving one another. Starting with self and our family. This love then splits into our relationships within the parish and into the community. If we still are not sure what this looks like, feels like? Look no further than the cross, the ultimate model of self-giving love. Allow yourself to enter fully into His passion, death and resurrection; trusting and hoping in the grace of this Eucharistic we are about to enter into. Jesus died not only for those of us who are here today, but for all of God’s children. This is the table of plenty!

Third, it means following Christ’s example in our daily lives. Jesus was honest, merciful, courageous, gentle, patient, forgiving, humble, pure, faithful… Every single day he gives us the opportunity and the choice to learn be to witnesses of his love and mercy, getting our souls ready for the great adventure of heaven.

As I remember my friends who passed, their love of God, family, and community and as I continue to walk with my family in loving our parents into their heavenly reward, I recall the prophet Daniel’s words, “the wise shall shine brightly…, and those who lead the many to justice shall be like the stars in heaven.” Let’s promise to do our part to put this knowledge, of the end times as a “place of hope” to work by living a determined life of love and service to glorify the Lord by our lives.

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[1] New American Bible, Daniel 12:1-3; Hebrews 10:11-14, 18; Mark 13:24-32

UNITY

[1]I’m not sure you are familiar with the series of movies entitled, “The Mighty Ducks” (1992) or maybe our group might better relate to the “Bad News Bears” (1976). Both story lines start with an adult who was recruited, or sentenced to community service, to coach a bunch of misfit kids who were shunned by the more competitive teams, parents, and coaches. I had the pleasure of coaching this type of team while stationed in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Don’t get me wrong, the players were good kids, from solid military families, but in Hawaii, sports were a ticket off the island and the players, parents, and especially coaches take winning very seriously. In this coaching experience I discovered the key to success for any team is “unity”. A unity born out of respect for the dignity of self and the other.

Josaphat, an Eastern Rite bishop, is held up as a martyr to church unity because he died trying to bring part of the Orthodox Church into union with Rome. In 1054, a schism took place that stemmed from the Roman Empire being divided into East and West, and so, as society goes so does the Church with the Eastern Church in Constantinople and the Western Church in Rome. Trouble between the two was brewing for centuries because of cultural, political, and theological differences. Millions of Orthodox Christians didn’t agree with any decision to return to communion with the Catholic Church and both sides tried to resolve this disagreement with words and with violence. Martyrs were made on both sides.

Josaphat was a voice of Christian peace in this dissent.[2] By synods, catechetical instruction, reform of the clergy, and personal example, Josaphat made ground in winning the greater part of the Orthodox to the reunion. Alas, despite all his work and respect garnered, the Orthodox separatists found fertile ground to set up their own rival bishops. It must have hurt Josaphat to see the people he had served so faithfully divided when the King of Poland declared Josaphat the only legitimate archbishop. His former diocese of Vitebsk turned completely against union with Rome. In 1623, Josaphat decided to return to Vitebsk (vē′tĭpsk) in an attempt to calm the troubles himself, completely aware of the danger but said, "If I am counted worthy of martyrdom, then I am not afraid to die."

As usual violence had the opposite affect from its intent. Regret and horror at how far the violence had gone and the loss of their archbishop swung public opinion to unity with the Catholic Church in Rome.

The essence of this story should be quite familiar to us, even if it’s the first time we’ve heard it. It is reflection of our society today. Our country is divided, virtually equally, whether you review political polls or elections, and as society goes so does the Church. The Church is equally divided, and many have fallen into the same trap of using violent words and actions, some have even weaponized the sacraments. You cannot legislate moral conduct this our contrary to the Gospel message of invitation into God’s love.

Our model for communicating our values is the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus. A model of self-giving love. The model we communicate at the Eucharistic feast is an invitation for a broken divided community and world. Jesus’ message is one of respectful dialog that invites all God’s children into unity; one body, one spirit, the one bread of life.

Hears the good news, the Mighty Ducks, the Bad News Bears, and the Pearl Harbor Rams all became champion teams. How because of the emphasis on respect for each other, the fruit of this respect is unity of effort and a respect for the dignity of their opponents, even when they weren’t treated with the same respect. For me, this is what is meant when the Church sends us forth from Mass with the charge, “Go in Peace, Glorifying the Lord by your Life.”

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[1] Scripture (NABRE), Wisdom 13:1-9; Luke 17:26-37.

[2] Catholic Online, St. Josaphat of Polotsk