A recent story in The Michigan Catholic described the pilgrimage Archbishop Allen Vigneron and the auxiliary bishops of the Detroit archdiocese will be making to Rome in a few weeks. The central part of that trip, known as an ad limina visit, includes an audience for the bishops with the pope, at which they will provide him with a report on what has been taking place in the diocese over the last several years, along with future plans.
It is, in effect, something of a State of the Archdiocese report.
The story went on to say the archbishop is hoping the faithful of the diocese will be able to play a role in the trip by providing their prayers, intentions, letters and photos through a web page that has been set up on the archdiocese website, www.aodonline.org.
The archbishop is hoping to provide a Spiritual Bouquet to the Holy Father.
In doing so, the story says, the people of the archdiocese, along with the bishops and archbishop, will be able to participate virtually, and will be showing their unity with the global Catholic Church.
The good news in this initiative is that – even as we rightly look to our bishops for leadership and example – we, too, can take an active role in the mission, message and ministry of Jesus Christ through our prayerful participation.
Indeed, the time is surely right.
“This is the time of fulfillment,” Jesus says in today’s gospel from St. Mark. Speaking nominally to Simon and Andrew, but in reality to each and every one of us in our own way, he says:
“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Jan. 15, 2012 – Living – and Dying - Together
Death is almost always difficult to embrace; accidental death in the prime of life perhaps more so. And multiple deaths in the same family perhaps most of all.
So the recent story from Detroit’s east side may have seemed especially tragic and difficult to understand.
According to The Detroit News, a couple in their 40s had just finished a shopping trip at a mall earlier this month and were sitting in their car in the parking lot when the driver of another car lost control, crossed a curb and crashed into them.
The Harper Woods couple, married for 23 years, was pronounced dead on arrival at Detroit Receiving Hospital.
The 43-year-old woman was a lunchroom aide in Grosse Pointe, and also cared for several nieces and nephews, according to the story. Her husband was a pharmacy student.
The story said the woman’s mother took consolation in the fact that the couple died at the same time, since they were always together.
“I feel good about that,” the woman’s mother said. “That’s the way they lived.”
Indeed, perhaps there is more truth to that statement than we know. The story also briefly mentioned that the wife had been suffering from ovarian cancer and was undergoing chemotherapy, but that the treatment was not having the intended effect.
So perhaps the good news in this story is that God spared the wife – and her husband – extended pain and suffering and brought them home to Him, together.
“The Lord is for the body,” St. Paul writes in today’s second reading. “God raised the Lord and will also raise us by his power.”
Jan. 8, 2012 – Layaway Love
As the Christmas season draws to a close on this Feast of the Epiphany, it would be fitting to share one more holiday shopping-related story, because it’s a nice one.
A recent story in The Detroit News reported on a national trend that appears to have started right here in Michigan.
In a number of instances, mostly in Kmart stores, strangers paid the layaway bills of others. Much of this philanthropy was anonymous, some was not.
In one instance, according to The News, a young father with three children was standing in a layaway line when a woman simply stepped up to the counter and said she was going to pay the bill. She proceeded to settle the accounts of about 50 other people, then distributed $50 bills on her way out of the store.
In another instance, a woman whose Kmart bill was anonymously paid for her turned around and used the money she had budgeted out of her paycheck-to-paycheck budget to pay the layaway bill of someone else in need of assistance.
Commenting on the remarkable generosity of one such Good Samaritan, one retail worker said, “It was like an angel fell out of the sky and appeared in our store.”
Indeed, perhaps one – or several – did.
The good news, even in the midst of economic difficulty, is that people have a remarkable ability to look beyond themselves and help others.
And to bring to life Isaiah’s message of abundance in today’s first reading:
“Then you shall be radiant at what you see, your heart shall throb and overflow, for the … wealth of nations shall be brought to you.”
Jan. 1, 2012 – A Bowl of Perspective
Happy New Year!
The first day of the calendar year, for many people, is more than the celebration of a new beginning; it’s a football feast day, with one college bowl game after another creating a smorgasbord of gridiron action.
But in many ways, the most satisfying football game was already played two weeks ago. That’s the day that the Wayne State University Warriors squared off against the Pittsburg State (Kansas) Gorillas in the Division II college football championship game.
Wayne State lost, but it’s almost irrelevant. The real story of the day, at least in the eyes of many observers, was that Wayne State – which had never before even won a playoff game – was in the championship game at all, after scoring four improbable victories during the previous month.
That, and the fact that, just days prior to the game, police finally caught up with and arrested an alleged suspect in the shooting death of a Wayne State football player last summer.
That murder, of course, hit the team especially hard. And, it would appear from a distance, seemingly brought them together in a very special way this season.
“We’re a real big family,” one of the players told The Detroit Free Press.
It demonstrates, yet again, that God has a way of showing his graciousness and love even in – or maybe especially in the face of – the most difficult or tragic circumstances.
“The Lord bless you and keep you,” we hear in today’s first reading from the Book of Numbers. “The Lord let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace!”
Dec. 25, 2011 – A Street Corner Christmas
Commuters in the Roseville / Fraser area have come to anticipate the crèche that’s placed every year on a prominent corner off Utica Road. It’s a beautiful and gentle reminder – as all nativity scenes are – of the peace and salvation the birth of Jesus brought to the world some 2,000 years ago.
This year, however, it’s hard not to notice the large sign posted right next to the crèche, advertising the availability of the lot for sale or lease. It is, in every sense of the phrase, a sign of the times, reminding everyone of the soft real estate market and its impact on the community.
Indeed, if the crèche is a spiritual hug, those ubiquitous real estate signs – reminders of the pain and suffering this area have endured for several years now – are a figurative slap in the face by the cold hand of reality.
The good news, of course, is that the message of the nativity is profoundly more lasting and significant than the fleeting messages of a city, state, country or world in pain.
“’Do not be afraid,’” St. Luke quotes the angel in the Christmas gospel heard at Midnight Mass. “’For behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all people.
“’For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord.’
“And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: ‘Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.’”
Christmas has indeed arrived, in every corner of the world!
Dec. 18, 2011 – Faith While Waiting
Sometimes, the waiting is the hardest part.
That was the sentiment behind a famous song of the same name. It’s also the way many of us feel as we enter this final week of Advent. Children know the angst especially well; so close and yet seemingly so far.
But even in the midst of our waiting, we’re also called to have patience, and to have faith that the event for which we are waiting, the celebration of the birth of the Lord, will make the wait seem insignificant in hindsight .
Waiting. With patience.
A recent story in the Detroit Free Press took the patience angle when describing massive changes slated for the railroad between Pontiac and Chicago. There are many great upgrades to come, we are promised. But in the meantime, “the quickest way to get some of the work done is to let the construction crews take over the railroad for days at a time,” according to an Amtrak spokesman. “I’m not sure if that is going to happen in Michigan. We’ll certainly ask for passenger patience.”
Waiting. With patience.
And waiting. With faith.
Meanwhile, we are reminded in today’s gospel from St. Luke that Mary, the virgin from Nazareth betrothed to Joseph, was asked to have patience and faith as she waited for the appointed time for the birth of the savior. Nine months in which it would be easy to give in to fright and fear.
Instead, her response: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”
Christmas is just seven days away. How is the waiting going for us?
Dec. 11, 2011 – The Missal and Christmas Spirit
It’s been two weeks since we welcomed the new Roman Missal, and, by most accounts, the transition has begun smoothly.
Notwithstanding a few “And also with you” slipups where we actually mean to say, “And with your spirit,” we’re off to a strong start.
Of course, you wouldn’t necessarily know that from the tone of the media.
Generally speaking, they don’t miss the opportunity to point out conflict – however real or fabricated it may be. One story, in particular, used the occasion of these new and wonderful liturgical enhancements to give voice to those who are less than enthusiastic about the changes.
The story, which ran in the Detroit Free Press, described a handful of the adjustments, accompanied by quotes from a few Catholics who have issues with the changes themselves and the way in which they came about.
Healthy debate, borne of conscience, is fine, to be sure. And it’s the media’s job to report on such matters.
But it’s important to keep in mind that, just as John testifies to the coming Lord in today’s gospel, so, too, are we called to prepare the way with our actions, our attitudes, and our general dispositions.
Today’s second reading, from St. Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians, is helpful here:
“Rejoice always,” he writes. “Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.
“Do not quench the Spirit.”
Christmas is just two weeks away. As it relates to the changes in Mass or to the changes elsewhere in our lives, are we quenching the spirit or rejoicing in it?
Dec. 4, 2011 – Ready, Set, Go!
The holiday music started on the radio earlier than ever this year, even before Halloween.
“Black Friday” sales started on Thanksgiving Day instead of early the morning after.
Everywhere we go, retailers, restaurants and others with a vested interest in the commercial side of the holiday are pushing us to hurry, to spend, to consume the material things that will, surely, make this the Best Christmas Ever!
The Church, by contrast, calls us to something else this Advent season. Something infinitely more profound.
“A voice cries out,” we hear in today’s first reading from Isaiah. “In the desert prepare the way of the Lord. Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!”
And how do we do that?
If the siren call of the retail establishment is at odds with your own priorities of faith and family, resist it. Buy one less piece of bling and make one more donation to a shelter. Instead of speeding up, slow down.
We’re reminded how little time we have; 21 shopping days until Christmas, after all!
But let us bear in mind that time is also one of the most sincere gifts we can offer to God, who is waiting patiently.
“With the Lord one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like one day,” St. Peter says in the second reading. “The Lord does not delay his promise, as some regard ‘delay,’ but he is patient with you.”
Is it possible that, in our relationship with the Lord, we are the cause of the delay, because of all the commotion?
Christmas is just three weeks away. Are you ready?
Nov. 27, 2011 – Ready for Anything
On this, the first Sunday of Advent, we are again reminded about the importance of being prepared for what is to come.
“Be watchful,” Jesus tells his disciples in today’s gospel passage from St. Matthew. “Be alert! You do not know when the time will come.”
He’s referring, of course, to the importance of being watchful, alert and ready for the day on which we will meet the Lord. There is, of course, nothing in the world more important than that.
As a parallel, consider the situation in Detroit, outlined by Mayor Dave Bing in a recent address.
The city, he explained, is in a financial crisis, and faces a $45 million deficit by April. In his address, he proposed several steps to help stanch the bleeding, including an end to furloughs, a 10 percent wage cut for city workers, a 10 percent increase in health care contributions, pension reforms, reductions in overtime and additional layoffs, along with increased taxes on corporations and payment of a pledged amount of money from the state.
“The reality we’re facing is simple,” Bing said in his address. “If we continue down the same path, we will lose the ability to control our own destiny.”
Important stuff, to be sure. And a perfect practical example for what we all need to do in a spiritual sense, as well.
Namely, taking steps to ensure our spiritual well-being. Proactively fixing what’s broken in our lives so that, when “the time” inevitably does come, we’ve done everything necessary to be ready to enter the kingdom of heaven.
Advent is a perfect time to get started. Are you ready?
Nov. 20, 2011 – A Touchdown for Jesus
There’s a tendency, in our football-crazy society, to glorify gridiron heroes for their talents on the field. Their ability to overcome adversity and win games feeds our appetite for drama, action and athletic achievement.
There’s nothing wrong, of course, with appreciating the accomplishments of gifted players, as long as we maintain perspective.
Which is why a recent story in the Detroit Free Press was as refreshing as it was surprising. A profile of Michigan State Spartan quarterback Kirk Cousins detailed a trip he took back to his hometown of Holland earlier this fall, during which he stopped at his alma mater, Holland Christian. According to the story, Cousins credited his faith with bringing him back to the school, helping him to again feel the strength of his foundation.
Later in the same story, Cousins described his involvement in a Christian campus group.
“I’m excited to be able to have that platform and hopefully have a lot of people who haven’t heard about Jesus Christ before, or didn’t grow up in the church, or didn’t grow up with faith, to hear a little bit about it, and hopefully be stirred to pursue their faith a little further and grow in it,” Cousins told the Free Press.
“We’ll see what happens.”
And what happens has nothing to do with the outcome of the Big 10 season or the Rose Bowl and everything to do with the outcome of people’s lives.
For someone who airs out the football with such grandeur, Cousins would appear to be incredibly well grounded, and mindful of St. Paul’s message in today’s second reading:
“…In Christ shall all be brought to life.”
Nov. 13, 2011 –Like a Thief
Nobody wants to be victimized, obviously. Nobody wants to lose their property to an identity thief.
But that’s precisely what happens hundreds if not thousands of times every single day in this country, as increasingly clever crooks figure out ever more creative ways of cheating people out of what is theirs.
The Detroit Free Press reported recently on an identity theft ring in which four men didn’t actually steal credit cards. Instead, they added themselves to the accounts as authorized users, enabling them to charge without raising an eyebrow – at least initially – large screen televisions, high-end kitchen equipment, children’s clothing, shoes and other assorted merchandise.
According to the story, authorities spotted the scheme earlier this year, after almost $82,000 in damages. The initial arrest took place at the Roseville J.C. Penney store.
And so we learn another lesson about the importance of being vigilant. In this case, vigilant against crime.
But today’s second reading from St. Paul reminds us to be vigilant in a positive way, too, because, lest we forget, “the day of the Lord will come like a thief at night.”
That’s nothing to fear in that, though, any more than there is in Jesus’ gospel parable today of the wealthy man and his expectations of his servants. The lesson, of course, is that God has expectations of us, too. Expectations that we use our talents for his greater glory.
To live in the light.
“We are not of the night or of darkness,” St. Paul says. “Therefore, let us not sleep as the rest do, but let us stay alert and sober.”
And vigilant.
Nov. 6, 2011 –Surprises on the Journey
As we travel down the road of life, we never know for sure just what lies ahead.
Consider, first, the scene a few weeks ago on I-696 near Orchard Lake Road:
“There are hundreds and hundreds of these pumpkins,” a motorist told a local radio station. “There’s three lanes that are just covered with smashed pumpkins.”
The website CBSDetroit.com reported that the lost load of pumpkins from a truck stretched for about the length of a football field, and “were getting smashed down to absolutely nothing.”
There was, thankfully, no immediate report of any injuries from the incident, which took place during the morning rush hour.
But imagine the surprise of the motorists that passed through the scene, especially in the immediate aftermath of the accident.
Indeed, on the road and in our daily pilgrimage, we never know for sure what’s coming. Consider that, on the same day, there was a horrible traffic fatality on Gratiot in Roseville, when a person crossing the road in a motorized wheelchair was struck and killed by a motorist who must have been extremely surprised.
“He said he didn’t know what happened,” the witness told The Detroit News about the driver of the car. “Said the guy came out of nowhere. The driver of the car was devastated.”
All of which is a good reminder that we would be wise to live our lives always mindful that unexpected obstacles could appear in our path at any time. Not frightened or anxious, mind you. Just aware.
“Stay awake,” Jesus says in today’s gospel from St. Matthew, “for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
Oct. 30, 2011 – Food for the Hungry
Now this is a very nice story!
Both the Detroit Free Press and The Detroit News ran stories recently about a new program through which local restaurants and caterers will prepare and serve lunch one time every year at five soup kitchens in Pontiac and Detroit.
At the time of the announcement, 52 generous food providers had signed up for the program, which is expected to serve more than 12,000 people over the course of any given year. Participants ranged from award-winning white tablecloth establishments to neighborhood burger joints, along with hospitals, caterers and even a culinary arts school program.
The local organizer of the initiative said recruiting restaurants, caterers and others was not particularly difficult to do.
“It’s hard to say no to, because it’s such a wonderful thing and people were readily available to do it,” she said.
Meanwhile, the national founder of the initiative, a Detroit native and former maître d’ at a local restaurant, said his hope is that Detroit’s program will serve as a model to eventually take the program nationwide, spreading love and sustenance in cities across the country.
It’s a program that surely would find favor with Jesus, who provided the original and best model for offering food to those in need of it.
The key, of course, is being comfortable with the idea of extending oneself as a servant to others. In doing so, we fulfill precisely what Jesus speaks of in today’s gospel from St. Matthew.
“The greatest among you must be your servant,” he says. “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
Oct. 23, 2011 – Christian Soldiers
The photograph from Egypt in the paper a couple weeks ago was striking. In the middle of a huge melee of angry protestors, a man was holding a large wooden cross, to which was attached a note of some kind. Given the angle of the picture and the foreign writing, the message on the note was undecipherable.
But the message of the moment, clearly conveyed, was one of intensifying distrust between Christians, Muslims and Egyptian security forces.
Indeed, the wire service story, which appeared in The Detroit News, explained that there is “intensifying mistrust between Christians and Muslims at a time when the ruling military council has not protected churches and other institutions from attacks by radical Islamists.”
Scenes like these involving all types of religions and ethnic groups play out today – and have played out for hundreds of years – in spots around the world. They share in common not only a lack of trust, but a lack of mutual respect and, ultimately, a lack of love among the participants.
If only they all could take to heart the words of Jesus in today’s gospel from St. Matthew:
“You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind,” Jesus says. “This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Clearly, the participants in these and other deadly clashes around the world struggle with both directives. And while our day-to-day struggles carry none of the high drama of those in Egypt, we are nevertheless called to the same high degree of love.
How do we answer?
Oct. 16, 2011 – Repay to God
“Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar,” Jesus instructs in today’s gospel.
That’s simple to understand and easy to put into practice. We pay our taxes to the government and, even if we complain about it, understand there’s not a whole lot that’s going to change about the arrangement.
But what happens when what we pay to Caesar is egregiously misspent? The role of Caesar recently was played by Wayne County, which, in a highly publicized incident, was discovered to be paying $200,000 in severance to an executive leaving by choice! In order to take an even more lucrative position at the airport!
The outcry rang around the county, throughout the metro area and, probably, across the state. How could a county struggling to maintain services, and asking its rank and file employees for pay concessions, justify this?
Even after it was announced the money was being returned and an “internal review” was promised, The Detroit News published an editorial suggesting that the initial severance policy is “just bad management.”
So, having paid to Caesar what is Caesar’s what’s an irate taxpayer to do?
The key lies in the well-known second half of Jesus’ instruction: “And (repay) to God what belongs to God.”
In this context, that means repaying to God – and all of his children involved – a disposition informed by both realism AND love.
By all means, citizens should demand accountability from the governments to which we pay taxes. At the same time, though, we should do so with the greater good in mind, and not just hateful anger toward public officials, no matter how much we might disapprove of their actions.
Oct. 9, 2011 –Housing Outlook
The news on the local real estate front was, in a pleasant change of fortune, good. The Detroit Free Press recently reported that home prices in Metro Detroit were up 1.2% through July of this year, bucking the national trend, which showed a 4.1% decrease in housing prices.
Indeed, the only other metro area that showed any price appreciation in an authoritative report for July was Washington, D.C.
It’s a local slice of sunshine in a generally cloudy forecast.
That being said, it makes sense to not start popping the champagne corks just yet.
“This could go kaboom all of a sudden,” a local residential appraiser said. “It depends on how many foreclosures cut into the sales data.”
Foreclosures – the bane of troubled property owners everywhere. Even the owners of the landmark Riverfront Towers in Detroit are reported to be facing foreclosure after a $55 million mortgage default.
There’s nothing good and nothing easy about foreclosure, to be sure. But perhaps the last few years of constant attention to the matter have helped provide some perspective for those living through these trials. Perhaps they understand there can be light on the other side.
As St. Paul says in today’s second reading: “I know how to live in humble circumstances; I know also how to live with abundance. In every circumstance and in all things I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry, of living in abundance and of being in need. I can do all things in him who strengthens me.
The bottom line:
“My God will fully supply whatever you need, in accord with his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”
Oct. 2, 2011 – Harvest Time Tweets
“The kingdom of heaven,” Jesus says in today’s gospel, will be “given to a people that will produce its fruit.”
And what does that mean? St. Paul provides a great explanation in the second reading:
“Whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
That’s what we’re all called to do as we work to bring about God’s kingdom.
It means, for example, finding ways to reach out to the poor and homeless among us, those struggling for their very existence in difficult circumstances that many of us would scarcely understand, let alone tolerate.
It means, for example, finding ways to bring justice to others in our day-to-day activities, even activities as seemingly innocent as texting, tweeting and posting on Facebook.
A recent story in the Detroit Free Press reported on a poll released by the Associated Press and MTV, which found, among other disturbing trends, that 71% of the 14-to-24-year-old survey respondents said racial and sexual slurs are “much more common in text messages, e-mails and tweets than in person or in public” and more than half said they see people “being mean to others” on social networking sites.”
What would Jesus do if he had a smart phone in his hand?
No doubt, he’d use it as a tool to promote love, peace and justice by urging those with nothing good to say … to say nothing. Or to say something positive, instead.
We’re called to do the same. Even if it’s just 140 characters at a time!
Sept. 25, 2011 – Ultimate Test
One can’t help but wonder, in reading a few recent Macomb County stories, what ultimately will become of two sets of alleged criminals. Not “ultimately” as in, “will they be found guilty and serve jail time,” but “ultimately” as in, “what will be the final judgment rendered by God?”
In one story, a group of three men – ages 18 and 19 – were arraigned for armed robbery in New Baltimore for robbing a woman after she got off a bus on Gratiot.
In the other story, reported the same day in The Detroit News, police were seeking four suspects who robbed a Roseville tobacco store of several thousands of dollars in money and cigarettes. The suspects are reported to have pointed a gun on the store clerk and bound with duct tape the clerk and a customer who entered the store.
These are just two of thousands of incidents that take place everywhere, every day of the year. And, for what it’s worth, neither one involved loss of life, which is a blessing for everyone involved.
But it’s incidents like these that make one wonder how God views those responsible.
Today’s first reading, from the book of Ezekiel, offers what is perhaps a clue: “When someone virtuous turns away from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies, it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die,” the reading says.
But perhaps more important is the flip side of the same reading, which offers hope even to those who make extremely bad choices:
If one “turns from the wickedness he has committed,” Ezekiel says, “he does what is right and just, (and) he shall preserve his life.”
Sept. 18, 2011 – Last Shall Be First
A two-part feature story in one of the local newspapers recently profiled the plight of Michigan residents who have been unemployed for more than six months.
Included were people who were living with loved ones or relying on them to help make ends meet; who can’t find any employment because they are “overqualified;” and who had exhausted all 99 weeks of their unemployment benefits.
It was a sad series of stories, made all the more sad because the so-called Great Recession is supposed to have ended months ago, and yet hundreds of thousands of people continue to struggle in what is either a jobless recovery period or the throes of a double-dip recession.
The good news behind this story is twofold: First, there is the fact that, indeed, there are friends, family members, neighbors, community groups, churches and others who are – in whatever capacity they are able – offering assistance to those suffering in this very difficult economic environment.
Perhaps more important is that even those suffering most in these difficult times will ultimately find peace and contentment with God. A local church is currently displaying a message on its front lawn which says, in effect, that God doesn’t promise a smooth journey, just a safe landing.
Jesus puts it slightly differently in today’s gospel from St. Matthew. In a slightly different context – but in a fitting message nonetheless – he says, “The last will be first, and the first will be last.”
Those who are suffering must surely feel that they currently are last, at least in earthly terms. May they remember that they are now and ultimately will be first in God’s eyes.
Sept. 11, 2011 – Ultimate Forgiveness
Ten years ago today, our country was attacked by terrorists. Everyone of a certain age remembers the fear and shock that accompanied the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the other plane that crashed in Pennsylvania.
In recent days we’ve seen the retrospective coverage of those horrible events. And along with the coverage, for many people, has come a rekindling of the fires of anger; a profound feeling of, perhaps, hatred for the perpetrators of the attacks, the death of Osama bin Laden notwithstanding.
And yet, today’s readings call us to a different response. They clearly and eloquently call us to forgiveness.
“Could anyone nourish anger against another and expect healing from the Lord?” the first reading from the Book of Sirach asks. “Forgive your neighbor’s injustice; then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven.”
It seems almost impossible; to truly forgive those who would perpetrate such evil against us. For inspiration we might reflect on the forgiveness offered by Blessed Pope John Paul II toward the man who attempted to murder him. That forgiveness was so loving, so … Christlike.
It is, after all, what Jesus asks of us in the gospel: We must forgive our neighbor “seventy-seven times,” he tells Peter. And he goes on to tell of the king who forgave his servant’s debt, only to have the servant refuse to do the same for another. The servant, Jesus says, was handed over for judgment.
“So will my heavenly father do to you, unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart.”
On this anniversary of 9/11, few circumstances in our collective experience offer such a profound opportunity for forgiveness.
Sept. 4, 2011 – Shot in the Dark
A 10-month-old baby was shot and injured in a drive-by shooting a few weeks ago in Roseville, in a story widely reported by several local media outlets.
What, we might well wonder, could possibly have been in the mind of the assailant, whom police reported fired a high-caliber handgun through the picture window of the child’s home. According to reports, the baby was asleep with his mother on the couch when the shots were fired, and he sustained a wound to his forehead.
At the time of this writing, the child was in critical condition but was expected to survive.
Senseless. Unfortunate. Wrong.
All people of goodwill would agree to that assessment. And yet, as we well know, we don’t live in a world populated only by people of goodwill.
Which is why today’s second reading from St. Paul is such a compelling and articulate reminder of the importance of loving our neighbors.
“You shall not kill,” he says within the context of listing several other sins we must avoid. And each of the commandments he lists “are summed up in this saying, namely, ‘you shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”
Perhaps if more of us did that, fewer babies would suffer gunshot wounds. Fewer mothers would see their children maimed and murdered, and all would live more peaceably. On that, presumably, we can all agree.
And it is, therefore, a petition for which we might mutually pray, because, as Jesus reminds us in the gospel, ”Amen, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly father.”
August 28, 2011 – A Beacon of Hope
St. Peter makes the mistake, in today’s gospel, of suggesting to Jesus that he should not allow himself to handed over to the authorities who will torture him and put him to death.
Jesus’ reply, of course, is to reprimand Peter and explain to him that he is “thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” He goes on to tell Peter and the others that, “whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.”
How good are each of us at doing precisely that?
A well-known member of the community who exuded that selfless love passed away recently. Eleanor Josaitis, the dynamic co-founder of Detroit’s Focus:HOPE, fell to cancer a few weeks ago. The accomplishments of Ms. Josaitis and the organization she helped to build were well-documented in the local media. The common denominator throughout the coverage was her tireless work on behalf of Detroit’s less fortunate.
Along with a loving family, that’s the true legacy she leaves behind. It’s the kind of legacy from which all of us can learn a lesson about how to “think as God does.”
St. Paul urges the Romans in today’s second reading to “offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship.
“Do not conform yourselves to this age,” he tells them, “but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.”
Ms. Josaitis has, no doubt, been reunited with her Focus:HOPE co-founder Fr. William Cunningham with God in heaven, where she is being rewarded for a life well lived.
August 21, 2011 – Recognizing Jesus
"Who do you say that I am?" Jesus asks his disciples in today's gospel from St. Matthew.
“You are the Christ," Peter aptly replies, "the Son of the living God."
And Jesus commends him for recognizing who he is, and points out to him that it is through the grace of God that the revelation has been made.
It brings up an interesting question for us. Do we know who Jesus is? Do we recognize him?
The Detroit News recently did a story recognizing some of the city's "unsung heroes," people who have made it their mission to help their neighbors and others in the community:
- A woman who works with troubled youth in Highland Park;
- A group that fights for the rights of ex-felons;
- An electrician who handed out 500 bags of groceries on the city's west side last year, no questions asked.
And so on.
“These are not the folks who get the headlines, who call press conferences," The News quoted Luther Keith, executive director of a coalition of community groups, as saying. "Detroit has hundreds and thousands of people like that."
And the city is blessed because of it.
Clearly, these people and many more just like them are the ones who strive to bring about the kingdom in whatever ways they can. To make a difference in Detroit; to make a difference for the people whose lives they touch. Much like Jesus did.
We all are called to touch the lives of others in whatever ways we are able. Through our kindness, through our acts of mercy.
In doing so, we, too, recognize who Jesus is, as well as our own share of the responsibility for his mission.
August 14, 2011 – Knights to Remember
The media reportedly widely, a couple weeks ago, on the announcement by the Archdiocese of Detroit that it had found a buyer for the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington, DC.
The buyer? None other than the Knights of Columbus, the worldwide Catholic fraternal organization, which announced its intention to use the facility as a shrine to the late pope, and to host "exhibits on his life, legacy and the Catholic heritage of North America," according to a statement released by Archbishop Allen Vigneron.
The interest of the Detroit archdiocese in the matter, of course, has been well documented through the years, since it was the church of Detroit that spearheaded the project and helped to finance it.
As the archbishop said in his statement, proceeds from the sale will help to stabilize archdiocesan finances and will end the thousands of dollars each month the archdiocese still spends on upkeep.
God bless the Knights for their vision. While it's probably not precisely the long-term outcome the church had in mind when the facility was first constructed, most would probably agree it's a great outcome nonetheless.
It’s also a lesson in persistence, as the archdiocese stayed the course after an earlier deal, with the Ann Arbor-based Dominican Sisters of Mary, fell through.
It’s that kind of faith and persistence that Jesus demonstrates through the Canaanite woman in today's gospel. The woman persisted in her effort to obtain Jesus' healing of her daughter, to the point of asking three times.
“O woman," he finally says. "Great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.”
August 7, 2011 – Stormy Seas
Living, as we do, near the Great Lakes, many of us have either experienced firsthand or heard boaters’ stories of treacherous weather that comes up seemingly out of nowhere.
We’ve all heard the story of the Edmund Fitzgerald, the massive freighter whose crew went to a watery grave during a November storm on Lake Superior. That’s one of scores of shipwrecks that create part of the lore of the lakes.
And just a couple weeks ago, in the annual Chicago-to-Mackinac yacht race – which precedes the even more familiar Port Huron to Mackinac race – two sailors lost their lives when a ferocious storm packing 60-plus mile per hour winds hit in the middle of the night.
Several websites contained links to a video taken by one of the sailors in the race, providing a glimpse of just how frightening the storm was.
With that in mind, it’s fairly easy for us to empathize with how the disciples must have felt in today’s gospel story.
“Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore, was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it,” St. Matthew writes. “During the fourth watch of the night, (Jesus) came toward them walking on the sea.
“When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified. ‘It is a ghost,’ they said, and they cried out in fear.“
They had a fear of the storm, to be sure. And a fear of “ghosts,” too. Not unlike the fears we face in our lives.
Jesus’ response: “Take courage,” he says. “Do not be afraid.”
There’s a lesson there for us, too, facing the stormy seas of our lives, to put our trust in the Lord.
July 31, 2011 – Fish Story
The Detroit Free Press did a series recently on the potential threat posed by Asian carp. Notwithstanding all the hubbub, opinions are mixed on just how extensive the threat is to other Great Lakes species.
Meanwhile, homeowners near Lake St. Clair have been anxious for years about potentially elevated levels of chemical contaminants and the threat they pose to fish and the rest of the food chain.
Fish are as fundamental to our way of life in this area as ...well, as fundamental as water. So we pay particularly close attention to stories involving them.
Fish were pretty important in Jesus' time, too, as a source of income for those who caught them and as a source of food and nourishment.
So today's gospel, in which Jesus multiplies the loaves and fish in order to feed the 5,000 people gathered to hear him, is particularly worthy of our attention.
St. Matthew notes that Jesus was "moved with pity" for the people in the crowd, and cured many of their sick before feeding them. And by the end of the meal, the gospel notes, they were all satisfied.
Jesus provides fish for us, too, figuratively speaking. In the form of wisdom, strength, courage, discernment and, above all, love.
We need only partake in the spiritual banquet he offers, and our lives will be blessed beyond measure, satisfying us and sending us forth with richer lives. Regardless of the challenges we confront and the worries we face.
Whether those worries are about invasive species, chemical contaminants, or the myriad other threats that we encounter every day.
All we have to say is, “Jesus, reel me in!”
July 24, 2011 – Eternal Investment
Most people understand the wisdom in giving something up now in exchange for something else that may be worth far more in the future. That’s the principle, after all, behind investments of all kinds.
The Detroit City Council announced recently that it is committing up to $250,000 out of the city’s water and sewerage department budget to investigate whether it would make sense to sue former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and others in order to possibly recoup tax dollars lost in the racketeering plot for which they were indicted last year.
According to a story in The Detroit Free Press, the city is hiring attorneys to conduct the investigation.
There’s no guarantee the investigation will show it’s worth pursuing a civil case.
And, even if such a case is warranted, there’s no guarantee the city would win.
And, even if the city won, there is no guarantee it would collect.
Contrast the uncertainty of that scenario with the parable Jesus shares in today’s gospel according to St. Matthew.
“The kingdom of heaven,” Jesus says, “is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.”
No uncertainty. No gamble.
Just the assurance that the investments we make now – in spiritual and corporal works of mercy, prayer, and acts of love and kindness – will absolutely enable us to reap our eternal reward with God in the kingdom of heaven.
It’s the kind of investment that’s about as close to a sure thing as we could ever hope for, here on Earth. Only it’s better. Infinitely better!
July 17, 2011 – Weeds Among Us
We go through our daily lives believing we know who we can trust and who we can't.
And nowhere is that truer than in our neighborhoods, where many years of residence create a feeling of comfort and familiarity with those who live around us.
But today's gospel from St. Matthew reminds us that, even though God created everyone to be good, there are nevertheless some among us who would have tendencies for evil.
“The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field," Jesus says. "While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off."
Sometimes the weeds in our fields are obvious and sometimes they are less so.
Take the 55-year-old Roseville man recently reported to police by his girlfriend after an incident of alleged domestic assault.
A Detroit News report indicates the man was high, and had a cache of weapons including "a shotgun, handguns, several hand grenades and pipe bombs." Police suspect the man "had developed some type of bunker mentality, leading him to believe he needed such an array of weapons," The News reported.
A disconcerting report, to be sure. But we also should consider the good news that exists between the lines even of a story like this.
First, we can thank God that no one was hurt in the episode.
Second, perhaps this incident will enable the man to get the help it appears he needs.
And finally, it reminds us of the importance of tending the fields of our own lives, and always reaching out to others with kindness.
July 10, 2011 – Sowing Seeds
A recent column in The Detroit News recounted details of a legal battle brewing in Auburn Hills between an organization that seeks to open an abortion clinic and those who oppose it.
The column described the stance of the local chief executive officer of the well-known national organization, indicating that she believes there is a need for such services. It also described, in a somewhat less-sympathetic way, the stance of the attorney fighting development of the facility.
And it described how owners of a neighboring hotel have reached out to the anti-abortion community to help fund the lawsuit being waged over whether such a facility is legal, given zoning restrictions in the area.
Battles like this – and on all manner of abortion-related topics – are being waged around the state and across the country, and will probably continue for some time.
How illustrative this story and others like it are, though, of Jesus’ parable of the sower in today’s gospel. In describing seeds being distributed, he observes, some fall on the path, only to be eaten by birds, some on rocky ground, where they have little soil and wither for lack of roots, some among thorns, where they are choked, and some on rich soil, where they produce fruit. Those seeds, he says, represent us, and what we do upon hearing the word of the kingdom.
This Auburn Hills story and others contain people who fall into each of those categories. Those who hear God’s word and turn away, fall away, or have it choked away. And those who hear and understand the word, and do something about it through their righteous actions.
Which ones are we?
July 3, 2011 – My Yoke is Easy
This isn’t particularly unusual, but there’s been no lack of bad news in the papers recently.
There was the guilty verdict in the fatal stabbing in Yale of a man who – along with his wife – had forbidden his daughter to see a particular young man. The young man is the one who, reportedly at the behest of the victim’s daughter, committed the crime.
There was the arrest of the teacher from a local high school who was accused of stealing more than $840,000…from her mother.
There was the beating death of a 17-year-old Warren boy by a dozen people. The victim, authorities believe, was just someone in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Add in the other crime victims, the ongoing economic struggles of the region, and more, and it’s understandable to wonder where, exactly, Jesus is. It’s understandable to wonder if God has simply given up on a human race that can’t seem to take his commandments to heart.
And yet, we know that’s not the case. We know – we believe – that the Lord is there to comfort us in this world and provide eternal life in the next.
It’s on us to keep the faith even in the midst of bad news, and to always seek the Lord, who is our comfort.
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest,” Jesus says in today’s gospel from St. Matthew. “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves.
“For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”
June 26, 2011 – Hall of Fame
Even as this exciting summer of Tiger baseball continues to unfold, another of the legends of the game passed away recently.
Jim Northrup – a key member of the 1968 championship team – joined Ernie Harwell and Sparky Anderson at the heavenly banquet. And according to a story in the Detroit Free Press, the priest who presided at the service noted that many didn’t know Northrup was a Catholic.
“He didn’t know it either,” the priest is reported to have quipped.
Nevertheless, the story went on to say, one of the main focal points of Northrup’s post-baseball life was his charitable work, including visiting orphanages to bring comfort and joy to children.
“He never turned down anybody’s offer to help,” one of his friends said at the service.
What a terrific and lasting legacy, every bit as important as – if not more important than – the two-run triple he hit in Game 7 of the 1968 World Series, helping carry the Tigers to victory.
And whether we’re professional baseball players or any number of less-glamorous professions or vocations, a legacy of giving is something each of us can strive to achieve. Helping us to find our way on the base path to that legacy, of course, is sharing regularly in the Eucharist.
“I am the living bread that came down from heaven,” Jesus says in today’s gospel from St. John. “Whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”
Sharing in the Eucharist. Living for others. The perfect way to make it to the real Hall of Fame with our heavenly father.
June 19, 2011 – Life Saver Awards
The news is filled with stories of tragedy.
So it's refreshing when we read about people who do extraordinary things to help others. That was the case recently, when, on the same day, the Detroit Free Press reported, in two separate stories, on heroic acts by ordinary citizens that saved the lives of others.
In the first story, a 47-year-old man in Jackson lifted a minivan off another man when a jack collapsed and pinned the second man down.
The hero, according to news reports, is being nominated for a life-saving award.
In the second story, a 39-year-old man, who coincidentally lives outside Jackson, was driving home in the middle of the night when a truck caught fire on the freeway just in front of him. The driver of the truck was quickly engulfed in flames and standing in the center of the highway.
The hero jumped out of his vehicle and tackled the driver to the ground to help extinguish the flames, while the contents of the truck exploded around them.
"I feel I did what I had to do," the Samaritan was quoted as saying. "I didn't even think about it.” A short time later, the truck driver was in the hospital, receiving medical attention.
The good news is that people, when called to do something beyond the ordinary, can rise to the level of heroes.
“Mend your ways, encourage one another, agree with one another, live in peace," St. Paul says in today's second reading.
In doing so, we can earn the ultimate honor bestowed by Jesus, who, by his death and resurrection, created the original and everlasting life-saving award.
June 12, 2011 – Peace Be With You
We want to believe. We want to believe there can be safety and security in one’s own home, with one’s spouse. We want to believe that, when a police officer provides assistance, the person being assisted will be safe and secure with police protection.
And yet it doesn't always work out that way. In Southgate recently, a police officer, responding to a call of domestic violence, safely removed a woman from her home, and away from her husband.
So far, so good.
We want to believe, after all.
The officer proceeded to take the woman to a hotel several miles away, presumably to provide distance between the couple until things cooled down. And then, according to a report in The Macomb Daily, the officer himself allegedly assaulted the woman.
We need to believe. To whom can we turn?
Today’s gospel offers a clear place to turn – a safe haven in any storm, no matter how tumultuous. Jesus. And his spirit of consolation, manifest to us here on earth and ultimately in heaven.
“Peace be with you," Jesus says twice in the gospel, before bestowing on his disciples the gift of the Holy Spirit. What a true gift of peace and tranquility for those who do, indeed, believe!
And so there is and can be peace, even in the sometimes horrific events of day-to-day life. And in some way, shape or form, God always provides his spirit of blessing.
As St. Paul says in today's second reading: “To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit."
Amen. And thank you, Lord.
June 5, 2011 – Faith Amid Terror
It was a scene of utter destruction and profound sorrow.
It was also a scene of inspiration.
In the midst of the devastating tornadoes that roared through the heartland a couple weeks ago – and in the midst of well over 100 people dead – it was hard not to be heartbroken at the loss of life and the loss of property. Even though the events unfolded in Missouri, hundreds of miles away, it was difficult not to be moved by the cries of anguish arising from the victims.
It is not for us, though, Jesus tells his disciples in today’s gospel from St. Matthew, “to know the times or the seasons that the father has established by his own authority.”
Sometimes bad things happen. One video widely circulated on YouTube and other social media websites captured the terror of a group of people who sought refuge in a convenience store just as one of the tornadoes was touching down. The “video,” which actually was mostly an audio recording because it was so dark, clearly captured not only crying babies and screams of fright, but also several people letting friends or family members know that they loved them, and one woman repeatedly calling out to Jesus to protect her.
Yes, there was loss of life. Yes, there was despair.
But yes, there also was a definite sense of human perspective, and a clear understanding of life’s real priorities.
“Behold,” Jesus says at the conclusion of the gospel. “I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
Whenever that is to be. Our job, simply, is to keep the faith.
May 29, 2011 – Having His Commandments
Here's a nice change of pace. A heartwarming story in the paper two weeks ago reaffirmed there are good people in the world, people who quietly choose to do the right thing for others.
According to the Detroit Free Press, a Detroit man was essentially awaiting eviction from a west side home previously owned by his cancer-stricken mother, for whom he had been caring until her death a couple years ago.
A previous column in the paper, which had described the situation, brought, according to the writer, nearly 100 calls and emails with offers of help that ranged from financial assistance to legal help to the donation of moving services and temporary storage of the man's belongings. One person even offered the man a part time job.
That fundamental goodness in people is every bit as striking as – maybe more striking than – the bad things we read about on a daily basis.
“It's truly been a blessing,'' the man told the reporter. "With the help of God and so many beautiful people, something good is going to happen."
Whether all of the kind-hearted players in this story think about it this way or not – and it would appear at least one does – this goodness clearly is the work of God on earth. It's an expectation that has been set for us by Jesus, who reminded us, among his many lessons, to honor our parents and love our neighbors.
“Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me," he says in today's gospel. "And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.”
May 22, 2011 – A Thriving Church
The entire archdiocese celebrated a couple weeks ago when Archbishop Allen Vigneron ordained three priests as auxiliary bishops.
The three new bishops, José Arturo, Donald Hanchon, and Michael Byrnes, will help Archbishop Vigneron lead the 6-county, 1.4 million member Detroit archdiocese.
What a joyous occasion! What happy news! And most importantly, what a tangible manifestation of the gospel message. The Church of Jesus Christ is alive and thriving.
It's a mandate that comes from Jesus himself.
"Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do," Jesus says in today's gospel, "and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father.”
Indeed. That call to ministry is, in a real sense, the theme of the entire Easter season.
Today's first reading from the Acts of the Apostles recounts some of the earliest days of the priesthood. And St. Peter continues the exhortation in the second reading:
"You are 'a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own,'" Peter writes, "'so that you may announce the praises' of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." The new bishops, for their part, clearly understand.
"What we have to do," Bishop Hanchon told the Detroit Free Press on the day of the ceremony, "is bring the message of Jesus."
Added Bishop Byrnes: "I have a strong heart for reaching out in Detroit."
And from Bishop Cepeda, the youngest bishop in the U.S.: "I come with great hope, with great love, and great energy." His goal: "To proclaim the good news of light and hope."
May 15, 2011 – Jesus is the Gate
We all sin, to some extent, which is why we all need Jesus.
The extent of our sins, and the level to which those sins affect others, can vary widely, of course.
Consider the news item from Waterford a couple weeks ago in which a donation jar to benefit victims of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami was stolen from a convenience store counter. According to a story in the Detroit Free Press, the alleged perpetrator asked the clerk to get an item that was in a back storage room. When the clerk returned, the perpetrator – and the donation jar – were gone.
Or consider the news item from Novi recently in which a waitress was accused of stealing credit card information from restaurant customers, then using that information to establish additional accounts in their names. A story on ClickonDetroit.com reported that the woman was found with 57 credit cards in her vehicle when she was trying to enter Canada from Port Huron at the Blue Water Bridge.
Two of many examples, both involving theft, both sure to spark debate about the degree of seriousness.
But that part of the debate, at least, is irrelevant.
Because we all sin, to some extent, and Jesus is there to save us all.
“Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep,” Jesus says in today’s gospel. “All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.
“ I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.”
May 8, 2011 – The Path to Christ
It's a discouraging story, to say the least.
Archdiocese officials have issued a warning to parishes that a man presenting himself as a priest and dressed in clothing similar to that worn by clergy has been attempting to steal money from offertory collections. According to a story in the Detroit Free Press, another man also has been identified as trying to perpetrate the same crime.
And then, on Easter, immediately following one of the most joyful liturgical celebrations of the year, a man stole thousands of dollars from a church in Wyandotte after finding a bank bag in a hallway behind the church, where the pastor was cleaning up.
How sad. To steal money that, at least in some measure, would have been used to help those in need. To steal money from the Church, whose mission is to help others by manifesting the love of Christ.
In the face of such an unfortunate story, it may be difficult to see where the risen Lord is; how he fits in.
The Good News is, he's right there in the midst of it all, ready to forgive the thief – or thieves – and looking for opportunities for them, and all of us, to see him more clearly.
Just as two of Jesus' disciples encountered him on the road to Emmaus, and recognized him fully in the breaking of the bread, so, too, are we urged to recognize Jesus wherever we can along the roads of our lives.
As St. Peter quotes David in today's first reading: "You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence."
May 1, 2011 – Journey to Joy
"You rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy," St. Peter writes in today's second reading, "as you attain the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls."
That, of course, is the grand vision of what each and every one of us hopes to attain sometime in the future. In the here and now, however, things aren't always quite so smooth.
In the here and now, things frequently don't work out as planned, even something as simple as a prepaid funeral for something as inevitable as death.
A recent story in The Daily Tribune reported on the owners of a Roseville funeral home who allegedly accepted prepayment for funeral expenses and then used the funds to finance a lifestyle that included, according to the story, vacations and luxury cars.
For the alleged victims and their families, there now is considerable uncertainty about what will happen when it comes time to make use of the services for which they paid good money in good faith.
Perhaps they will somehow be made whole; perhaps not. Surely they will face much concern until the matter is resolved.
It's precisely that kind of angst and worry that our eventual life with the Lord will relieve. But in the meantime, not so much.
All we can do is keep the faith.
"Now for a little while you may have to suffer through various trials," St. Peter writes in the same passage, "so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ."
April 24, 2011 – A New Beginning
“Do not be afraid! I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified,” the angel says in today’s gospel. “He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said … Go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and he is going before you to Galilee.’”
What a wonderful proclamation, changing, as it did, the course of history by bringing salvation to mankind and offering every single one of us a proverbial “second chance.”
The events of that Easter morning, of course, continue to make a profound difference in the world, especially for those who choose to apply the lessons to their own lives.
At the iconic Bronner’s Christmas store in Frankenmuth last Christmas Day, a group of vandals created havoc and caused extensive damage to the store’s property in the early hours.
Once apprehended, the vandals’ story took shape. College students. Middle class. Lives of promise. But they made a bad choice, and now face consequences of conscience, if not law, that will last throughout their lives.
When their day in court finally came, Company President Wayne Bronner, who might understandably have taken the ordeal personally, chose instead to forgive the young perpetrators.
“We are Christians,” Bronner said, which gives us “an obligation not to hold a grudge and to give forgiveness where forgiveness is due.”
To offer another chance, in other words.
The profound lessons of that first Easter – lessons of forgiveness and salvation – clearly were visible here for all to see, displayed even more proudly than the acres of Christmas ornaments that adorn Bronner’s store.
That’s the good news of the Resurrection. Amen! Alleluia!
April 17, 2011 – On Trial
The president of the student body at the University of Michigan filed a lawsuit recently against a former assistant state attorney general. In the suit, the student seeks $25,000 in damages, claiming the official not only stalked him, but also defamed him with allegations that he is a Nazi, a member of the Ku Klux Klan and more.
According to a recent story in the Detroit Free Press, the student’s lawyer says the suit is less about money than it is an attempt to set the record straight.
How this very sensational story ultimately plays out remains to be seen, and of course there are two sides to every story. Assuming the allegations made by the official against the student are false, though, the legal action seems understandable. How many of us would stand pat while our name and reputation are assaulted, especially in public forums and on the Internet?
All of which makes it that much more amazing when we hear and reflect on the trial, passion and death of Jesus, as recounted in today’s gospel.
In the very familiar Palm Sunday narrative, we hear how false witnesses testify against Jesus. How he not only is lied about, wrongfully accused and sentenced to death, but also brutally beaten and crucified.
The good news is that, in Jesus’ case, the lies, torture and murder were allowed to run their course for a much greater purpose. It is in Jesus’ passion, after all, that each of us can come to a greater understanding of the depth of his love for us.
And it is in his crucifixion that we come to a profound understanding of our salvation.
April 10, 2011 – We Will Rise Again?
The news sent shock waves through the local community:
Detroit lost 25% of its population in the last 10 years. One in four people. A proud city that at one time was home to more than 1.8 million now has an official population of 714,000, according to the U.S. Census. A metropolis that once was the fourth largest city in the nation now is ranked 18th, below Columbus, Ohio and just ahead of Memphis, Tennessee.
If there were ever an argument to be made that an American city is dying – or maybe already has died – the census data released last month made a compelling one.
There are many things in life that people may believe they should give up on. An imploding Detroit is one such example. But so, too, might be the hope of employment after months or years of unemployment. The hoped-for return of a loved one to the Church after many years away. The hope of a rekindled relationship where all signs point to permanent estrangement. And perhaps most of all, the hope that a recently departed loved one truly will live on in heaven.
But lest we forget, Jesus came precisely to provide that hope.
Before raising Lazarus from the dead in today’s gospel, Jesus asks, “Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?”
Maybe Detroit will – sometime in the future – find a way to restore or re-create its grandeur. Maybe the unemployed will find work, the loved one will return to the Church, and the relationship will be restored. Maybe.
But surely we will see the glory of God, so long as we keep believing.
April 3, 2011 – A Glimpse of God
In the long version of today’s gospel, Jesus is asked about the presumed sins associated with the blind man he later heals.
“Rabbi,” Jesus is asked. “Who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” In giving the answer, Jesus provides a glimpse into the miraculous ways of God: “Neither he nor his parents sinned,” he explains. “It is so that the works of God might be made visible though him.”
In other words, we cannot and should not assume that bad things necessarily happen to people as a punishment for their sins. Sometimes bad things happen to good people, too, and God takes the opportunity – when we choose to let him – to shed some light on his wonder.
Consider the story a couple weeks ago of the 18-year-old Dakota High School senior who died after being hit by a car in the early morning hours on her way to school. The girl’s family announced a few days later that they had donated her liver, kidneys and heart through a program called Gift of Life.
“We felt that we should help somebody who needs the help,” the girl’s sister told The Detroit News. “We wanted to save someone else’s life, even if it took one from us. She was very helpful. It was the right thing to do.”
The right thing, indeed.
Few things are as tragic as the premature death of a young person whose entire life was still to be lived. And yet, in the face of the tragedy, a grieving family chose to do something that will provide hope to others.
Hope, and a vision of the works of God.
March 27, 2011 – Winds of Change
A massive earthquake in Japan, followed by a tsunami, followed by sustained threats of nuclear crisis amidst concerns of which way the wind is blowing.
As the horrific events unfold, one can’t help but observe the irony of the situation. Generations ago, at the conclusion of World War II, it was, of course, the United States that dropped nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, causing widespread devastation and apocalyptic mayhem.
And yet, in the wake of one of the worst natural disasters of all time, it was – and is – the United States leading the way with its nuclear experts, helping as they can to mitigate the threat of widespread nuclear devastation and apocalyptic mayhem.
Living in the sheer horror of the situation, the Japanese people might understandably ask, as the Jews do in today’s first reading, “Is the Lord in our midst or not?”
And while some may debate the motivations behind the relief efforts, there can be no doubt that the Lord is, indeed, working through the actions of the scientists, humanitarians and others attempting to bring stability to an untenable situation.
Six decades after the atomic bombs were dropped, the United States has worked unceasingly to help our Japanese brothers and sisters. What a change. Time brings change. Righteousness brings change. Jesus was bringing change when he stopped to talk with the Samaritan woman at the well, as described in today’s gospel.
Change brings hope. “And hope,” the gospel reminds us, “does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
March 20, 2011 – On the Mountain
We see, in today’s gospel, a glimpse of the mountaintop to which Jesus summons all of us.
It is standing at the top of a mountain that Jesus is transfigured before Peter, James and John, where “his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light.” And where the voice of God instructs, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”
To see the face of Christ is, quite simply, the single greatest calling each of us has.
There are earthly mountaintops, too, of course, both literal and figurative. The high school basketball hero in Fennville probably got a glimpse of that mountaintop a couple weeks ago, just before he died.
It was in the 20th game of the season, according to local and national news reports, as his team was in an overtime battle fighting for the achievement of a perfect season, that the young man scored the winning basket, clinching the game and, no doubt, creating hysteria and happiness on the court.
And then, moments later, the 16-year-old athlete – who also was his school’s star quarterback and football captain – collapsed and died of a heart attack brought on by a condition call dilated cardiomyopathy.
How bitterly ironic, to taste such a sweet victory just moments before death. To see that earthly mountaintop just before passing to the Lord.
And yet boy’s family, friends and stunned community might take solace in the fact that the mountaintop of athletic achievement was but a foreshadowing of the mountaintop he likely viewed shortly afterwards.
The heavenly mountaintop on which he – and we – may view the face of Christ.
March 13, 2011 – Out of Temptation
On this, the First Sunday of Lent, we hear the gospel story of Jesus’ desert temptations.
The devil first tempts him to command stones to become loaves of bread in order to satisfy his hunger. Then Jesus is tempted to throw himself down from the parapet of the temple, since the angels would rescue him. And finally, Jesus is tempted to claim dominion over everything that can be seen from the highest mountain, if only he will prostrate himself and worship Satan.
“Get away, Satan,” Jesus commands. “It is written: ‘The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.’”
Temptations, of course, are with each of us every day. And they’re not always the most obvious ones concerning false gods, lust, greed, coveting and murder. Sometimes, they come in the form of a belief that we are morally superior to others.
Consider recent news items concerning – just for the sake of example – Miley Cyrus and Bernard Madoff.
Miley’s father, Billy Ray Cyrus, recently expressed regret over the way his daughter’s life has seemingly begun to spiral. Many might read that and feel compelled to pass judgment about his choices as a parent.
Madoff was convicted of a Ponzi scheme that defrauded investors of $40 billion. His wife reportedly won’t forgive him and he lost a son to suicide. When he recently lamented that “I destroyed my family,” many might be tempted to believe he’s reaping what he sewed.
Those temptations, too – temptations of moral superiority – come from the devil and can be harmful. In such instances, we are called to echo Jesus’ words: “Get away, Satan!”
March 6, 2011 – Walking the Walk
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven,” Jesus says in today’s gospel, “but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.”
Those words seem so obvious and so challenging at the same time.
Clearly, those who do the will of God would seem to be earning their place in heaven. And yet Jesus goes on to explain that there will be those who prophesy, drive out demons and do mighty deeds – in Jesus’ name – who may not be on the path to salvation.
In contemporary terms, Jesus might be referring to those who fail to practice what they preach.
Or to those who say all the right things when everyone is around to hear them, but then gossip about their neighbors when their backs are turned.
Or those who attend mass every Sunday, but then fail to give the Lord a second thought during the rest of the week.
In the first reading from the Book of Deuteronomy, Moses offers a clear choice between right and wrong, and then promises a blessing for those who obey the God’s commandments and a curse on those who do not.
We all have that same choice to make between right and wrong. Between just talking the talk and actually walking the walk.
And when we make the right choice – the choice to practice what we preach, to refrain from gossip, and to keep the Lord foremost in our minds every day – we strengthen our faith and the faith of those around us.
And take steps ever so steadily toward the kingdom of heaven.
Feb. 27, 2011 – God and Mammon
Finally! After several years of uncertainty and anxiety, after several years of wondering if there would be jobs at all, after two major bankruptcies and countless smaller ones, after the near collapse of the domestic auto industry, after all of that, workers at Ford, GM and Chrysler are reported to be receiving bonuses or profit sharing checks again this year.
It's been a long time coming and it's sure to have a positive ripple effect throughout the state and national economy. Given the financial progress all three companies have made, their strengthening sales and their prospects for the future, the payments would seem to be well deserved.
For those workers and for everyone else, it's important to bear in mind Jesus' gospel message today.
Those workers receiving the bonuses might pay special attention to the importance of keeping good financial fortune in its rightful place among our priorities.
"You cannot serve God and mammon," Jesus says, referring not to money, per se, but to a greedy disposition that can sometimes accompany its pursuit or its acquisition.
And for other people – perhaps those still struggling with economic uncertainty – there’s equally good news:
“Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear," Jesus says. "Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides."
God will provide, in other words. All he asks is that we keep Him in mind and our money in perspective.
Feb. 20, 2011 – Coins in the Kettle
Today’s first reading, from the Book of Leviticus, builds a case for the proper treatment of others that concludes with what is arguably the perfect articulation of our Christian mandate: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Easily said, perhaps, but no so easily done.
And yet, in the midst of a state still gripped by economic uncertainty, with record numbers of people still out of work or underemployed, came this simple and very short story:
“Salvation Army Beats Red Kettle Fundraising Goal.”
The story, which appeared in The Detroit News, indicated that the well-known annual charitable campaign beat its $7.8 million goal by $100,000, the first time since 2007 that the metropolitan Detroit drive has finished above its target.
“Raising more than $7.8 million was a true blessing from God,” a Salvation Army official was quoted as saying.
Indeed it was. And the really good news in the story is that the blessing from God was put into action by ordinary people, many of whom no doubt were sweating over their own holiday budgets, trying to find ways to appropriately share their blessings without breaking the bank.
“Give to the one who asks of you,” Jesus says in today’s gospel. “And do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.”
The people who stand in the cold night air ringing holiday bells typically ask gently on behalf of others.
And, thank God, it’s people of good will across the region who answer that call, dropping a few coins into the kettles and brightening the day for their neighbors in need.
Feb. 13, 2011 – Aiming Higher
Nobody ever claimed living the Good News is easy. Jesus sets the bar quite high.
Stories of angry people are everywhere in the news. Consider, as just one example, the scuffle that took place a couple weekends ago in a Plymouth bar, culminating with a Canadian man partially biting off the ear of a Canton man after a fast-escalating argument.
Was a murder committed? No. But what does Jesus say? “Whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment.”
Everyone would agree the ear severing is out of line, but Jesus’ words are aimed even at those who participate in a lingering, simmering war of words.
Or, consider a different example.
Log onto the Internet – even to a legitimate mass media site – and what do you see? Links to “party pictures,” featuring barely dressed women at area nightclubs, posing for the camera as if they’re being featured in the more innocent society pages of a bygone era.
What does Jesus say: “Everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
The moral of the story comes from today’s first reading: “If you choose you can keep the commandments, they will save you,” it is written in Sirach. “If you trust in God, you too shall live.”
Or, put another way, the moral comes from the psalm response: “Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord.”
The Lord’s law, after all, is more demanding and more stringent than the rule of law, or even – and here’s the most difficult part – the general expectations of society. The question is: how do we respond?
Feb. 6, 2011 – Shelter the Homeless
Just in case there was any doubt about the relevance of Scripture in today's world, we have stories that bring the lessons to life close to home.
One particular story in the Detroit Free Press recently reported on the efforts of 225 Oakland County volunteers whose job it was on one of the coldest nights of the winter to fan out in search of the homeless, first to "count" them – a biennial activity required by the federal government in order to verify shelter funding dollars – then to offer assistance to those in need of it.
On this particular night, the efforts of the volunteers resulted in more than 60 people spending the night on the floor of St. Mary Catholic Church in Royal Oak, rather than on the street.
"Share your bread with the hungry," says today's first reading from the prophet Isaiah. "Shelter the oppressed and the homeless; clothe the naked when you see them, and do not turn your back on your own."
Sometimes we may be tempted to think of the words of Scripture as being a fragile antique, beautiful to look at but not particularly functional in the modern world.
Then a simple reminder brings the words vibrantly to life.
"Your light must shine before others," Jesus reminds us in today's gospel, "that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly father."
And the reward, Isaiah points out: "If you bestow your bread on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted; then light shall rise for you in the darkness, and the gloom shall become for you like midday."
Jan. 30, 2011 – Beatitude Attitude
A 47-year-old Roseville woman is scheduled to be arraigned tomorrow on charges of second-degree child abuse and taking money under false pretenses.
The story was at once shocking and sad. Authorities allege the woman faked her son’s cancer by shaving his head and eyebrows and drugging him. All of which made him appear to be ill, prompting people to make donations. His mother is accused of collecting more than $8,000 in the scheme.
It’s somewhat ironic that, as this story has unfolded, the woman was frequently pictured in the media wearing a sweatshirt with the word “Attitude” stitched across the front, a word so close in sound – and more than loosely connected – to the Beatitudes, which we hear in today’s gospel.
Where is the connection? Consider the main players – other than the mother – in this unfortunate story, and consider Jesus’ words:
The son, who appears to be an unfortunate pawn and victim of his own mother – “Blessed are the meek,” Jesus might remind him, “for they shall inherit the land.”
Donors, who were allegedly duped and may understandably be angry – “Blessed are the merciful,” Jesus says, “for they will be shown mercy.”
And the rest of us, called to withhold moral judgment because we know only the few details reported by the media – “Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.”
The first reading words of the prophet Zephaniah likewise summarize that to which we all are called: “Seek the Lord,” he writes, “all you humble of the earth, who have observed his law; seek justice, seek humility.”
Jan. 23, 2011 –A House Divided
The nation was shocked earlier this month when a gunman opened fire on an Arizona congresswoman while she was meeting with her constituents, killing six people.
Almost immediately, the debate began about whether the gunman was a misguided individual with no respect for human life or someone who represents, in a strikingly tangible way, the divisive tone of the ongoing political discourse in this country. Or perhaps both.
The debate is really somewhat moot, because the consequence remains the same: people are dead.
But perhaps something good may still come of this unfortunate tragedy. Perhaps in the midst of the debate, some will come to realize that mean-spirited conflict – whether it results in baseless and hurtful words, degenerates into threats, or ultimately is manifested in acts of violence – has no place in the kingdom we’re trying to build.
"I urge you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree in what you say, and that there be no divisions among you,” St. Paul writes in today’s second reading, “but that you be united in the same mind and in the same purpose.”
Paul’s context was different, but the lesson is valid. What if we all could focus on such a high-minded purpose? Perhaps differences of opinion about health care funding or taxes or even firearm laws could take a more civil tone, with the proper perspective about the real destination we all share foremost in mind.
And what, precisely, is that destination? Jesus is quite clear:
“Repent,” he says in today’s gospel, “for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Jan. 16, 2011 –Reflections on Water
Water. We take its presence and its benefits for granted. Until we’re suddenly without it, at which time the world can feel like it’s upside down.
Just prior to Christmas in St. Clair Shores, a sudden loss of municipal water pressure caused immediate problems for residents and businesses who couldn’t drink, cook or bathe.
Then, over the course of the next 24 hours, the mishap – which resulted from a miscommunication between the Department of Public Works and the City of Detroit – prompted a boil- water advisory, further confusing things throughout the city.
Life as everyone is accustomed to it suddenly became much more complicated, if only for a brief time.
The good news in this lack of normalcy is that it can provide an opportunity for reflection.
Water can and does take on mystical powers. John the Baptist, of course, used water as the key element in his quest to prepare the way of the Lord.
“I did not know him” John says in today’s gospel. “But the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel.”
After that baptism – and certainly once Jesus began preaching the radical notions of loving one’s enemies and turning the other cheek – suddenly became much more complicated. Much more joyful, too! And what is asked of us, we who are baptized followers of the Lord?
“To you who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus,” St. Paul says in the second reading, (you are) “called to be holy, with all those everywhere who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.”
Jan. 9, 2011 –New Beginnings
There are times in our lives when all of us could use a new beginning.
How fitting then, that on this feast of the Baptism of the Lord – on which we commemorate the new beginning that Jesus, himself, experienced – we hear of a unique program in Ann Arbor that offers new beginnings to the homeless.
A recent story in the Detroit Free Press described a so-called “outreach court,” the only one of its kind in the Midwest, through which a judge officially excuses unpaid tickets, arrest warrants and fines for the indigent in an effort to help them develop action plans to obtain housing, address substance-abuse issues and secure training and employment.
The homeless are referred to the court, the story says, by agencies such as Catholic Social Services. They are served by volunteer attorneys and social workers, monitored for progress and given a new lease on life.
“I want to emphasize this is not a free ride,” the judge told the Free Press. “What we’re doing is removing legal barriers so they can continue to make progress.”
Sometimes all it takes is a helping hand from someone with their eyes open wide enough to recognize the opportunity to help.
That’s what Jesus did, after all. As we hear in today’s second reading from the Acts of the Apostles, Jesus, after his baptism, “went about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.”
The good news is, even in today’s world, there are kind-hearted people in positions of authority who do what they can to help those most in need.
And God is surely with them.
Jan. 2, 2011 –An Unexpected Journey
Perhaps you saw the story a few weeks ago about the closure of Route 402 in Canada, east of Sarnia, due to the massive snowstorm that roared through. Reports indicated that some 237 people were stranded in their vehicles due to the whiteout conditions and massive mountains of snow.
Indeed, news reports indicated Ontario authorities needed to helicopter in to rescue some of the stranded motorists. Some people reportedly shared quarters with hospitable long-haul truckers while others were taken in by local residents along the way.
It’s amazing, really, how drastically one’s expected journey can change. Those travelers, each and every one of them, had a destination in mind; a place to be. Perhaps work duties were taking them to Toronto. Perhaps ailing family members were bringing them west into Michigan. Whatever the details, they had a place they needed to be and a road selected to bring them there. Then came the snow.
Consider the magi in today’s gospel reading, who had their own itinerary and mission. After paying homage to Jesus, offering gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, the gospel notes that they, too, changed their plans.
“And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod,” the gospel says, “they departed for their country by another way.”
From the earliest times, individuals have set out on their desired path. And from the earliest times, those travels have taken odd turns.
The point, for us, is that, while the road we travel may change several times during our lifetimes – many times due to circumstances beyond our control – we are called to keep our destination in clear sight.
Christmas, 2010 – Jesus in Our Hearts
A recent story in The Detroit News reported on the theft of the infant Jesus doll from a nativity scene set up in front of the Redford Township hall.
In order to carry out the theft, the story reported, someone had to cut the wires that were in place to secure the doll to the scene. It hadn't been determined at the time the story was published whether the theft was malicious in its intent or whether it was perpetrated by a "purist" who believes the infant Jesus shouldn't be placed in the crèche until Christmas morning.
Regardless, there is much good news in this otherwise unfortunate story.
First, it's noteworthy that, in this time of political correctness and hypersensitivity to perceived offensiveness over religion, a government office still displays a nativity scene – so beloved as a Christian symbol. In an environment where the generic "Happy Holidays" so frequently supplants the more appropriate and meaningful "Merry Christmas," that is significant indeed.
Second, and more important, is the fact that, regardless of whether public nativity displays are allowed or not – and whether they are vandalized or not – the real Jesus has been and always is with us, and can never be purloined by someone else.
That, of course, is what we celebrate in a special way this Christmas.
"For a child is born to us," Isaiah says. "A son is given us; upon his shoulder dominion rests."
Jesus' real home is in our hearts, and the chains that bind him to us can never, ever be broken, so long as we choose not to let them be.
Merry Christmas!
Dec. 19, 2010 – God Is With Us
A series of billboards was to have gone up on metro Detroit roads beginning a couple weeks ago saying: “He is Coming Again.”
As messages go, we've all certainly seen much worse on billboards, including some that, if they were movies, probably would probably be given a PG-13 or R rating.
Nevertheless, a Detroit Free Press story about the billboards says they actually are intended by those purchasing them to persuade everyone to begin preparations for the so-called Rapture – the return of Jesus followed by a cataclysmic ending to the entire universe – in May.
We all want to be prepared to meet face-to-face with Jesus, of course. But focusing on the timing of that return and creating a Hollywood-style spectacle of it – rather than concentrating on the day-to-day holiness with which we are called to live – misses the point.
After all, Jesus Christ has come, and we're getting ready to commemorate the celebration of that fact next week on Christmas.
As today's gospel from St. Matthew reminds us: "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’”
God is with us. Right now. Celebrate that. Do something about it by living your life worthy of his calling. Be loving, kind, patient, humble, devout, faithful and merciful. Live and prepare that way.
Keep the proper perspective:
Through him we have received the grace of apostleship, “St. Paul says in the second reading, “to bring about the obedience of faith…”
That is the key to a happy life.
Christmas is one week away. Is God with you?
Dec. 12, 2010 – Jesus is Coming
Halfway through Advent comes word from Bay City that Jesus is coming – in this case through bibles being inscribed by children at a religious school and sent off to soldiers. It's part of a larger national project intended to help bolster the faith of troops serving overseas.
"I wanted to let them know how thankful I am for them fighting for our freedom, which lets us do what we want here" The Bay City Times quoted one 13-year-old student as saying.
It's a terrific idea, to be sure; sharing the word of God and the promise of his Son with those who might otherwise lose sight of his presence.
Today's second reading from St. James likewise offers hope and reassurance for the faithful who anxiously await the appearance of the savior.
"You too must be patient," he says. "Make your hearts firm, because the coming of the Lord is at hand."
The good news is that stories like this can remind us that no matter where we are on Earth or in our lives, Jesus is closer than we think. And sharing that news is one of the most important callings we have.
By sending these Bibles to deployed soldiers, there's hope that the recipients may share the word of God with others," one of the teachers told the newspaper.
Hope indeed, especially when you see how the kids are gaining enlightenment right along with the intended gift recipients.
"I wanted to let the soldiers know that God could help them win," added another of the students.
Truer words were never spoken. Christmas is just two weeks away. Jesus is, indeed, coming!
Dec. 5, 2010 – Getting Along
"Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb," says today's first reading from the prophet Isaiah. "And the leopard shall lie down with the kid; the calf and the young lion shall browse together, with a little child to guide them. The cow and the bear shall be neighbors, together their young shall rest; the lion shall eat hay like the ox."
Alas, the politicians of today can't necessarily live in the same domestic bliss.
A recent story out of Macomb County reported on an allegedly profane and threatening voice mail left by one incumbent politician for another candidate prior to the November elections.
Perhaps it's symptomatic of human nature that such a thing could even happen during a campaign for county office – an event that seems so trivial in the final analysis.
But it doesn't have to be the norm.
"May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to think in harmony with one another, in keeping with Christ Jesus," St. Paul says in the second reading, "that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."
There's clearly hope. A few weeks ago, the two politicians had a chat and cleared things up. An investigation was closed and all was well.
Today's scriptures are sending a clear message about the importance of playing nicely in the sandbox of life as we prepare for the coming of the Lord.
"Repent," John insists with his usual passion in today's gospel, "for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"
Christmas is three weeks away. How are we getting along?
Nov. 28, 2010 – Waiting on a Miracle
Do you believe in miracles?
Those famous words from the call of a hockey game might well apply to the recent story from across the river in Windsor about a statue of the Virgin Mary which is alleged to weep healing oils, and even change expressions from somber and contemplative to happy and smiling.
The statue was housed for awhile in a locked display case in front of a home on a residential street.
It was later moved to a Maronite Catholic church elsewhere in the city; large crowds had begun to force police to close down the street.
Reports in the Windsor Star and on Fox News were quick to point out that the weeping, expression-changing statue might well be a hoax. Maybe. Maybe not.
Whether the statue’s “miracle” is legitimate or not is almost irrelevant.
The fact is, in this time of fear and anxiety, many people are looking for a miracle in their lives, and are open to the possibility of a statue of the Madonna providing one.
An interesting thought, to be sure.
When all is said and done, though, it’s worth bearing in mind that we’re preparing to celebrate a true, legitimate, world-changing miracle in just a few weeks – the birth of our Lord.
As St. Paul reminds us in today’s second reading: “Our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed; the night is advanced, the day is at hand.”
And, comparing our need for alertness to the times of Noah and Lot, Jesus adds in the gospel, “So, too, you also must be prepared.”
Christmas is just 27 days away. Are you ready for a miracle?
Nov. 21, 2010 – The King of Glory
When former Tigers Manager Sparky Anderson passed away a couple weeks ago, much was said and written about his myriad accomplishments on the diamond.
And rightfully so. Sparky was a three-time World Series winner, a Hall of Famer and the winningest coach in Tigers history.
He defined success for a generation of baseball fans and was a king, in many ways, of the game. He will be sorely missed.
His passing is a timely reminder for all of us of the difference one man can make even though, for all his success, once the end was imminent, there was nothing he or anyone else could do to change the outcome.
Which brings us, not coincidentally, to today's feast of Christ the King. Jesus was – and is, of course – the king of kings for every generation.
His life defined for all of us what our priorities should be if we want to be successful in the only game that really matters. And of the difference one man really can make.
When the end came for him, as we hear in today's gospel, he was taunted to do something to change the outcome.
"He saved others, let him save himself if he is the chosen one," the rulers said.
To which the soldiers added, "If you are King of the Jews, save yourself." And from one of the criminals: "Save yourself and us."
He chose not to come down from the cross, of course.
The good news is that by choosing as he did, Jesus not only changed the outcome, he completely redefined it.
By saving himself and us.
Nov. 14, 2010 – Eat Your Own Food
A 1988 best-seller by Robert Fulghum suggested that, when it comes down to it, all we really need to know we learned in kindergarten.
With all due respect to the author, one might suggest that all we really need to know we can learn in scripture.
Take the common sense wisdom offered by St. Paul in today's second reading, from his second letter to the Thessalonians:
"We hear that some are conducting themselves among you in a disorderly way by not keeping busy but minding the business of others," he says. "Such people we instruct and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to work quietly and to eat their own food."
Eating one’s own food might be taken both literally and figuratively. If one eats their own food, metaphorically speaking, they certainly wouldn't steal.
They wouldn't rob five banks in one week in St. Clair Shores, the Grosse Pointes and Detroit, as a few people in the news recently have done.
They wouldn't rob convenience stores in St. Clair Shores or attempt to rob a gas station in Roseville, two other incidents recently in the news. They would mind their own business, know right from wrong and act with honesty and integrity.
They would refrain from stealing and, again in the words of St. Paul, work "in toil and drudgery, night and day...so as not to burden any of you."
It seems like an easy enough lesson for all of us to learn, remember, and make a part of our lives. Perhaps the most Christian thing we can do is pray for those who are sincerely challenged by the concept.
Nov. 7, 2010 – Life After Death
There are always high-profile murder cases in the news; recent weeks have been no different.
The body of the Mt. Clemens banker who had been missing for a month was finally found in Harrison Township. Much controversy ensued when the cause of death wasn’t conclusively determined until a second autopsy revealed a bullet wound. At the time of this writing, it hadn’t been confirmed if the death was, indeed, a homicide.
At about that same time, the body of a Novi attorney was found in his apartment, with multiple gunshot wounds to his torso. That case, too, is tinged with controversy, although reports were conclusive the man was murdered.
Regardless, it’s natural – living as we do in a word with a 24-hour news cycle and ubiquitous crime drama on television – that the mystery and intrigue surrounding these unfortunate deaths captures our attention. It’s also natural to feel overwhelmed by the constant parade of death and distress in the news.
But the Good News is that, if we’re living our lives in accordance with God’s will, if we “direct (our) hearts to the love of God and to the endurance of Christ,” as St. Paul says in today’s second reading, then our final destination will be resurrection.
No matter if our last breaths are taken in the midst of controversy or in complete peace and tranquility. In the context of everlasting life, those details matter little.
Jesus guarantees it in today’s gospel: “That the dead will rise, even Moses made known in the passage about the bush,” he says. “He is not God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.”
Oct. 31, 2010 – God Loves Them, Too
“But you have mercy on all, because you can do all things,” we hear in today’s first reading from the Book of Wisdom. “And you overlook people’s sins that they may repent.”
Nice words, to be sure. The challenge is to understand and believe that they apply even in the most heinous cases.
They apply to the Roseville woman accused of faking her son’s cancer – even to the point of shaving his head and giving him drugs to mimic the illness – in order to gain money from church and community fundraisers.
They apply to the Harper Woods woman accused of killing her 8-month-old son by throwing him onto the ground.
And they apply to the Redford man accused of manipulating women into abusing their children online.
For people of goodwill, it’s hard to even fathom redemption in the face of such discomforting cases. But the good news is that God’s ways are significantly more merciful and far-sighted than ours.
Again from Wisdom: “But you spare all things, because they are yours, O Lord and lover of souls, for your imperishable spirit is in all things!”
And from Jesus in today’s gospel, as he speaks of Zacchaeus, a repentant tax collector to whom he offers forgiveness: "Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham,” he says. “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost."
The key for the sinners is to request the forgiveness. The key for the rest of us is to understand that God will, in his infinite wisdom and mercy, provide it.
Oct. 24, 2010 – The Wrong Note
Unless there’s been a miraculous resolution, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra musician strike is still in effect.
The musicians believe they’re on the side of musical integrity, holding forth for top-tier wages in exchange for top-tier talent, keeping the DSO in the top echelon of the world’s orchestras.
Management, for its part, believes it’s on the side of fiscal responsibility, standing strong for wage concessions as one part of a larger plan intended to ensure long-term viability.
Both sides, of course, think they’re right.
It brings to mind Jesus’ story in today’s gospel about the Pharisee and the tax collector. Upon entering the temple, the Pharisee thanks God he’s not greedy like everyone else, particularly the tax collector.
In the case of the DSO, both sides are taking a righteous posture, blaming the other side for the impasse in negotiations. They suggest, in action if not in words, that at least they’re not like those on the other side of the table; “everyone else,” in effect.
Jesus’ lesson is applicable here. The tax collector, he observes, prays to God for mercy because he knows he’s a sinner; “the one who humbles himself will be exalted,” Jesus says.
Both management and musicians might likewise consider a dose of humility for the greater good. After all, perhaps, as Jesus points out, there are two sides to the story, just as with the self-righteous Pharisee and the contrite tax collector. Perhaps both sides have contributed to the problem and both have elements of truth on their side. Perhaps settling the score is less important than playing it.
Humility, in this case, may bring harmony.
Oct. 17, 2010 – Keeping the Faith
It is sometimes difficult to keep the faith; to keep praying even when it seems like God doesn’t hear.
Recent census data shows median income in Michigan dropped 21.3% between 2000 and 2009. Surely there have been more than a few impassioned prayers directed to God by the countless victims of this economic collapse.
What to do? Keep the faith.
Thousands of local residents pray for their daily bread, a need answered in many cases by Meals on Wheels. Then comes word that three men recently used a Meals on Wheels truck as cover to approach an elderly Detroit couple whose automobile they then carjacked.
What to do? Keep praying – for sustaining food delivered by honest citizens in a safe city.
Moses sets an example in the first reading. Having promised Joshua he would stand at the top of a hill “with the staff of God in my hand” while Israel battled the army of Amalek, Moses continued his prayer even when he became so tired that Aaron and Hur had to help hold up his arms.
In the gospel, Jesus explains the importance of steadfast prayer by describing a judge who eventually answers the pleas of a very persistent woman:
“Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night?” Jesus asks. “Will he be slow to answer them? I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily.”
Perhaps today’s psalm summarizes it best: “Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”
Keep praying. Keep the faith. God will answer.
Oct. 10, 2010 – Giving Thanks
In Dearborn Heights recently, a 10-year-old girl was rescued from a sudden pit bull attack by a 75-year-old man who happened to be out on an evening stroll.
Within just a few seconds, the girl – who had been playing in a front yard – had been bitten on the forearm and knee. The man, who drew the dog away from the girl by yelling and kicking, said the dog had grabbed him by the leg before the owner was able to get the dog safely back behind a gate.
It was an act of considerable bravery by the man, who told The Detroit News: "Anybody with any brains at all would not have stood and watched something like that.
“I thank the Lord that I was there at the right time. If not, he could have went for her throat."
He thanked God, and no doubt, the girl and her parents thanked him.
The gratitude part of the story seems quite obvious, doesn’t it?
But consider today’s gospel, in which Jesus heals 10 lepers one day while walking through a village, but only one of them comes back to say thank you. Where was their gratitude?
In the first reading from the Book of Kings, by contrast, Naaman returns to the prophet Elisha after being healed of leprosy, prepared to offer gifts in gratitude for the miracle.
We all have so much for which to be grateful. The point is worth pondering: When it comes to gratitude, are we more like Naaman or the 90 percent of Jesus’ healed lepers who either forgot to say thank you or didn’t think it necessary?
Oct. 3, 2010 – Unprofitable Servants
Two remarkably similar stories appeared in The Detroit News on the same day recently. One described a program run in an Oakland County court that's intended to help military veterans convicted of nonviolent crimes get their lives back on track.
The other program, at Macomb Community College, helps veterans deal with the unique challenges they face assimilating into the academic world after a tour of duty.
While the people in charge of those programs might not define them as such, both are terrific ministries, to be sure. Both reach out to and serve veterans – an often overlooked segment of the population – in a real and meaningful way, a way that can make a profound difference in their lives. This is surely an intention that would meet with the Lord's approval.
Still, for the people who run these programs, and for each and every one of us who undertake good deeds in an effort to live our lives according to God’s will, some caution is in order.
Remember Jesus' advice in today's gospel. In likening God's view of one's good works to the labors of a servant who does as instructed, he says:
“Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded? So should it be with you. When you have done all you have been commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.'"
In other words, we should all strive to do good deeds, but we should bear in mind that's what God expects of us. Such work isn't above and beyond; it's simply what's necessary to clear the bar.
Sept. 26, 2010 –One Way or Another
Eventually, we’re rewarded for our virtues. Eventually, we pay for our sins.
Take the case of a Detroit man who was recently sentenced to life in prison for a homicide that took place 23 years ago. According to a story in the Detroit Free Press, new technological advances enabled the police to match a piece of evidence from the crime to the convicted murderer. It was a match that could not be made back in 1987, when the crime originally took place.
As the years passed, the murderer probably thought he had gotten away with something. Indeed, according to the story, he moved to Washington, D.C. after the crime, found career success, got married and raised a family.
And yet…
His story is not unlike the story told by Jesus in today’s gospel of the rich man who, upon his death, is sent to the netherworld because of the way he treated others during his lifetime. From his torment, he begs Abraham to allow him a drop of water, or, if possible, an opportunity to have his still-living brothers warned of the fate that awaits them if they don’t repent.
Abraham declines, explaining that those who are hard of heart are not likely to be persuaded.
St. Paul reminds us in the second reading to “compete well for the faith” by seeking “righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness.” The reward for such virtue, he says, is eternal life.
And the alternative? Well, eventually we pay for our sins. Maybe through the criminal justice system; maybe through God’s justice system. Maybe through both.
Who would want to take the chance?
Sept. 19, 2010 –Social (Network) Justice
A local juror recently was fined $250 and ordered by the judge to write a five-page essay.
The topic of the essay? The Sixth Amendment, which guarantees, among other things, that a defendant has the right to a trial by an impartial jury.
The reason for the court-ordered civics lesson? The juror, a 20-year-old Warren woman, posted an update on her Facebook page in the middle of the trial saying she believed the defendant – being tried on a charge of resisting arrest – was guilty.
The juror already has apologized to the judge for her actions, and presumably will write the essay and walk away having learned a valuable lesson.
But the incident brings to mind a greater issue. “No servant can serve two masters,” Jesus reminds us in today’s gospel. “He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other.”
In the case of the gospel, Jesus was talking about the ongoing tug of war in our hearts between wealth and God.
In the case of the juror, though, it goes to the struggle between choosing what is right and the magnetic draw of Facebook, Twitter and other social media outlets. Posting updates about friends, family and other details of daily life can be fun.
But as with everything else, a little temperance might be in order. Much like a judge reminds jurors they must keep trial details to themselves, Jesus challenges us to always love our neighbors as ourselves.
Before tweeting or posting, then, it might be good to ask ourselves whether the words we’re writing pass that test.
Sept. 12, 2010 –Can’t Beat God’s Love
Most have heard about the blind man attacked with his own cane in Mt. Clemens in early August as he walked home after cashing his disability check.
As of this writing, two men – brothers age 16 and 22 – were in custody for the assault, with one of them scheduled for a preliminary examination tomorrow morning.
The victim, thankfully, was not seriously injured, and several people in the community rallied to raise $600 to reimburse the money stolen in the beating.
Pause for a moment, though, to consider the alleged attackers. That’s what Jesus would do, after all.
It’s difficult to summon any pity for them, or for anybody who would perpetrate such a hateful crime. And yet, consider today’s first reading, in which the Lord relents in the punishment He had planned to inflict on His people for choosing to worship a molten calf.
Consider today’s second reading, in which St. Paul says, “I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and arrogant, but I have been mercifully treated … This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”
And perhaps most challenging of all, consider Jesus’ words in the gospel: “There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous people who have no need of repentance.”
It remains to be seen whether these brothers, one or both, are found guilty. Regardless of whether it was them who beat the blind man or someone else, though, it’s an amazing testament to the depth of God’s love that – if and when they do repent – He will surely forgive them.
Sept. 5, 2010 –Kick the Habit
That sound you hear is the roar of the crowd as another football season gets underway.
The Spartans, Wolverines and college teams across the country kicked off the 2010 season this weekend; the Lions and the NFL get things underway next weekend.
Probably no other sport inspires as much passion and emotional investment as football. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course; football is fun and full of drama.
The danger comes when rabid fans fumble their real obligations and allow the game, or their team, to steal away time and attention that might otherwise be directed to faith, family and friends. It’s a common lament: Some fans park in front of the television now and won’t be seen again until the Super Bowl.
Jesus’ warning to us in today’s gospel not to be shortsighted might apply here. He uses the examples of people constructing towers or heading into battle to illustrate how important it is to think far enough ahead to ensure being able to finish.
Look ahead and consider: If you were faced with sudden death in February, would you have spent every waking moment from September to January consumed with football?
The good news is that rabid fans who might otherwise be tempted to put their true priorities on hold until after the Lombardi Trophy has been awarded still have every opportunity to keep things in proper perspective.
Fall is a terrific family time.
Friends await.
And first and 10 might better be directed to the beginning of a rosary decade; the best “Hail Mary” of all is the one directed to the Blessed Mother.
Aug. 29, 2010 – Rank Order
Rankings can be very dangerous if viewed in the wrong way.
Take the recently released rankings by the Michigan Department of Education identifying the 92 persistently lowest-achieving schools in the state. In addition to a number of schools in Detroit were some buildings in, among other places, Warren, Roseville and Mt. Clemens.
The schools were ranked low in student achievement and academic growth, and must submit a plan for improvement by November.
Those schools can be contrasted with the highest-achieving schools in the state, including a number of buildings in Grosse Pointe, Utica, and Chesterfield, among other places.
To the extent these rankings encourage educators and the communities they serve to make improvements, they are worthwhile.
But to the extent they encourage high-ranking communities and the people in them to view themselves as somehow superior, the rankings can be perilous. Are they fortunate to be in districts with more resources? Absolutely. But does that make them “better” people? No.
Today’s first reading, from the Book of Sirach, provides a reminder: “My child, conduct your affairs with humility,” it reads, “and you will be loved more than a giver of gifts.”
Jesus, himself, is just as clear on the topic on today’s gospel: “For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
If we’re to view these rankings in the proper context, then, it might be appropriate for those in the highest-ranking schools to be thankful, to realize their God-given fortune, and to be sensitive to the circumstances of those at the bottom of the list.
Aug. 22, 2010 – Justice for All
A federal prosecutor recently was seeking the death penalty for a man convicted of killing an armored truck guard in Dearborn in 2001. As of this writing, the jury had not yet rendered a decision on whether the death penalty would be allowed.
“It will be hard,” The News quoted the prosecutor as telling the jury. “It should be hard. But we will demonstrate to you during this part of the trial that it is just.”
That’s an interesting choice of words, because the crux of the question is whether it is ever “just” to take the life of another, even if done by the government in order to deter others from murder.
It would be natural to feel that a hardened criminal who took the life of an innocent person doing his job deserves the harshest possible punishment.
But sometimes what may feel natural or just is, nevertheless, wrong.
In today’s gospel, Jesus urges his followers to “strive to enter the narrow gate” by choosing what is right – what is righteous to God – even when doing so may be difficult.
The Church opposes capital punishment. “Ending the death penalty would be one important step away from a culture of death and toward building a culture of life,” The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops wrote in 2005.
Even though capital punishment was eliminated in Michigan 150 years ago, The News reports it still is allowed in some federal offenses, like murder during a bank robbery. This would be the first capital punishment in Michigan since 1938.
Is it “just”?
The narrow gate, it is not.
Aug. 15, 2010 – A Place to Pray
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,” Mary sings in the beautiful and poetic Magnificat, recounted by St. Luke in today’s gospel.
“My spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.”
We all have an innate need to give praise to God. Some of us do it through bold and lyrical prayer; others through quiet, contemplative prayer. Whatever our preferred method, we seem to know intuitively that it is proper to take time out to worship the Lord.
That’s why it’s so refreshing to hear about people who invest their time and resources into creating places for prayer. The Detroit Free Press recently reported on a $1.6 million interfaith chapel that was constructed at a senior living community in Chesterfield Township.
The chapel was built using donated funds not only from individuals, but from corporate contributions, as well. According to the story, it was designed with the input of local residents and clergy representing several denominations in the community.
It will be used, the story said, for services, spiritual workshops and bible study sessions, and is open to the surrounding community.
How refreshing, in this time of limited resources and hectic schedules, that a group of people with the proper perspective on God, the community, worship, and the relationship between all three, could come together to create something so worthwhile and important.
“The Almighty has done great things for me,” Mary went on to sing in the Magnificat, “and holy is his Name. He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation.”
Aug. 8, 2010 – Vigilant Servants
“Gird your loins and light your lamps," Jesus says in today's gospel, "and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks."
Great advice, that. But it would be fair, in today's world, to wonder just how we can prepare for Jesus in a real and meaningful way.
Some familiar ideas recounted in St. Matthew's gospel: Feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome strangers, clothe the naked, and visit the sick and imprisoned.
A particularly acute problem in Michigan right now is the plight of the hungry. A recent Detroit News story documented the disadvantage faced by the “newly poor," who aren't familiar with the federal food programs available during the summer months, when kids are out of school and don't receive free and low-cost meals at school.
Consequently, a United Way official says, many people don’t know they are eligible and don’t know where and how to get access to the food.
Still, the story goes on to say, people of good will are doing everything they can to communicate as widely as possible, directing people to federally funded meal locations in schools, churches, parks and summer camps across the region, including areas like Ferndale, Dearborn and Fraser.
Such simple work, but so vitally important. It’s the type of outwardly focused vigilance to which Jesus refers in the gospel. Each of us acting as servants to each other and, in doing so, preparing for the coming of the Lord.
“Blessed are those servants,” Jesus says, “whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.”
Aug. 1, 2010 – A Secure Future?
As Tuesday's primary election approaches, it was reported recently that U.S. Rep. Sander Levin, whose district stretches from Southfield to Lake St. Clair, had amassed $1.7 million in campaign funds, a margin of 65 to 1 over his competitor, a state senator from Roseville.
Given the seemingly insurmountable margin between the candidates' coffers – and the extent to which money talks in politics – it might seem like a foregone conclusion that Levin will trounce his opponent without breaking a sweat.
But you don’t know for sure until the votes are counted.
Just a few years ago, it might have seemed to those who had amassed sizeable retirement nest eggs that their comfortable futures were guaranteed. We all know what happened to the stock market, and the resulting anxiety for millions of people who lost wealth.
Amassing material resources – whether campaign funds or stock portfolios – is no guarantee of security or success, Jesus tells us in today's gospel.
In the parable of the man who built huge barns to store his surplus wealth, Jesus reminds us how fleeting material comfort can be, especially if it's built to the exclusion of building our relationship with God and our neighbors.
"You fool," Jesus quotes God as saying to the man. "This night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?
"Thus will it be for all who store up treasure for themselves but are not rich in what matters to God.”
Elections can surprise. Markets can crash. The good news is, when it’s time for the final tally, the Truth is constant.
July 25, 2010 – Over an (Orange) Barrel
Michigan: "If you seek an orange barrel, look about you."
Construction delays are ubiquitous here in the Great Brake State. Every freeway. Every road. Every city. Everywhere. Rush hour. Off-hours. All gridlock, all the time! MDOT really knows how to put the cross in a cross-town journey.
The I-696/I-94 interchange was closed completely last week, and will remain closed into the fall. This project adds to the logjams and difficulties in the area not only for commuters, but for local residents, who see increased traffic in their neighborhoods, and businesses, which lose customers due to the redirected routes. It is, most would agree, a huge pain.
It's probably not literally what Jesus was referring to in today's gospel when, in teaching his disciples to pray, he concludes with, "...and do not subject us to the final test."
It just feels that way sometimes, making the entire road construction nightmare something of a metaphor for our Christian lives.
We all face difficult-to-navigate roads, bumpy highways and lumpy byways. And when a long-term way to smooth the path is identified, it sometimes involves short-term difficulty. At the end of the day, after all, it's the orange barrels in our lives that ultimately pave the way to a more pleasant journey.
As Jesus also says in today's gospel: "Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."
Everyone complains about poor roads; everyone wants better ones. So, every time you see another construction zone, consider it an opportunity. The road to heaven, after all, just may be lined with orange barrels!
July 18, 2010 – Snapshot of a Brother
Jesus finds himself in the middle of a spat between sisters in today's gospel.
Martha scurries around attending to chores while Mary, understanding the privilege of the moment, sits at the feet of the Lord, listening to him speak.
"Lord," Martha says, "do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me."
To which Jesus replies that "Mary has chosen the better part," and that Martha should relax and appreciate her sister and His presence.
It's all too easy to take our brothers and sisters – both biological and spiritual – for granted, and to spend so much time anxiously running around with a to-do list that we lose sight of what's important.
One of our brothers who understood and lived that lesson was Vincent Reyes – literally a brother – a Capuchin Franciscan who served many years as pastoral director of Detroit’s Capuchin Soup Kitchen.
Brother Vince, who passed away a couple weeks ago, would frequently drop in unexpectedly on friends and loved ones. Sometimes his surprised hosts would wish he had called first, so they could have cleaned up and made the house presentable for a guest. None of which mattered to Brother Vince, who had a way of making those around him understand it was all about friendship and the joy of the moment, rather than whether there was dust on the coffee table.
An avid photographer, Brother Vince published a critically acclaimed book in 2006 featuring the photos and stories of several Soup Kitchen guests. One pictures him now as heaven’s photographer, dropping in and telling his saintly friends to “smile.”
July 11, 2010 – Summer Samaritans
Summer in Michigan brings with it, unfortunately, the recurring threat of severe weather.
Thunderstorms, hail, damaging winds, power outages, and even, on occasion, tornadoes. They seem to come with the (otherwise strikingly beautiful) territory.
Severe weather hit a couple weeks ago in several metropolitan Detroit areas. In St. Clair County, according to the Detroit Free Press, one person was killed when a twister hit a campground and threw people into the water.
In Wayne County that same day, two tornadoes touched down, including one that smashed a garage and razed a second building on the property of a University of Michigan hospital nurse, who escaped unharmed along with her sister, son and two grandchildren.
“God was definitely looking out for us,” the nurse said. “I feel very fortunate.”
Other than most people escaping alive and, usually, unharmed, the good news hidden within these tragedies was likewise all but hidden at the bottom of the Free Press story. “The American Red Cross Southeastern Michigan Chapter was ready to assist residents affected by the storms,” the story said.
One can feel quite confident the Red Cross wasn’t alone. Natural disasters seem to bring out the best in people, most of whom do what they can to help neighbors affected by tragedy.
It’s the same kind of lesson Jesus teaches in today’s gospel parable of the Good Samaritan – the importance of treating others, especially victims, no matter who they are, with mercy.
“Go and do likewise,” he tells us. And when we do, the help warms the hearts of the afflicted like a ray of sunshine and a gentle summer breeze.
July 4, 2010 – Called to Serve
"The harvest is abundant,” Jesus says in today’s gospel, “but the laborers are few.”
And he sends out 72 emissaries to heal and proclaim the kingdom of God. They are sent, the gospel says, “like lambs among wolves,” with Jesus knowing full well that some people they visit will be welcoming but many will not.
We’re all called to offer service, in one way or another. Service to our communities. Service to our country.
A Macomb County youth mentoring program, for example, recently sought volunteers to offer assistance to children between the ages of 4 and 18 who have a parent in prison. Imagine the heartache and pain a child in that circumstance must suffer. Imagine the difference one could make, helping with homework, sports, other activities, or just by listening.
Service to the community.
A St. Clair man serving in the marines was killed in Afghanistan a couple weeks ago when a makeshift bomb exploded. We hear sad stories like this on the national news and make note. We hear a story like this and see its local ties, and it has a far greater impact.
Service to our country.
The marine’s father serves too, as a police officer in Clinton Township, where one of his colleagues issued a statement, reported in the Detroit Free Press: “Let us honor (the marine’s) life in the service to his family, friends, and the people of the United States,” the message said, “and never forget what he did for all of us.”
Amen. And let us never forget what all who serve do for all of us. It’s a sentiment that might be most heartfelt, incidentally, about the service of Jesus, himself.
June 27, 2010 – Close to Home
"You always have the poor with you," Jesus says in St. Matthew's gospel. "But you do not always have me."
So true. News broke recently that a dead body was discovered in a pond on the property of a Roseville gravel company. While the precise cause of death was not immediately known, there was no evidence of foul play.
That led authorities and others to speculate the victim may have been a vagrant that had wandered into the gravel yard a week or so earlier; a not-uncommon occurrence, according to reports.
We hear about a story like that and it's natural to feel a certain amount of shock. A dead body? Large numbers of homeless right in our own backyard? So close to restaurants, shopping areas and golf facilities?
Of course. The poor – even the homeless – have been living among us since long before Jesus' time, and will continue to be among us until the end of time. Even Jesus himself had no home, as he reminds us in today's gospel:
"Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests," he says, "but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”
Homelessness is tragic. A death because of homelessness even more so. It touches a nerve within all of us, and tugs at the heart.
If there is good news in a story like this, it's that the pure shock in hearing the details may be enough to move someone, even an entire community, to action.
This man – homeless or not – was our neighbor. And as St. Paul reminds us in today's second reading: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
June 20, 2010 – Of Baseball, Fathers and Lessons
One need not be a baseball fan to appreciate the magnitude of what happened at Comerica Park a couple weeks ago.
Not the essentially perfect game thrown by pitcher Armando Galarraga, which would have hit the record books as the first in Tigers history if umpire Jim Joyce hadn’t blown an easy call in the ninth inning. That was remarkable enough.
More remarkable was what happened afterwards. Joyce, understanding the significance of his mistake, immediately took responsibility, refused to make excuses, and apologized.
Galarraga, who saw his spot in baseball history vanish instantly, expressed no anger, acknowledged that mistakes happen, and moved on. Even Jim Leyland joined Galarraga in consoling the distraught umpire in the aftermath.
Accepting personal responsibility? Choosing understanding over anger?
On this Father’s Day, it’s worth noting that those are the types of enduring lessons fathers try to teach every day of the year. Indeed, Galarraga later credited his father for instilling such patience in him. “When stuff like that happens,” he said, “you think about it and remember things happen for a reason.”
And that’s the kind of perspective we all strive to learn from our heavenly father. As St. Paul reminds us in today’s second reading: “Through faith, you are all children of God in Jesus Christ…heirs according to the promise.”
As God inspires fathers and fathers teach their children, we all owe a tip of the cap to the main players in this on- and off-the-field drama, who had the wisdom and class to turn a heat-of-the-moment error into a teachable moment that will endure.
June 13, 2010 – As We Forgive Those…
Four St. Clair Shores teenagers were in a car on Gratiot one day last March, waiting in the turnaround lane to proceed with their day and with their lives. An intoxicated driver lost control of her van and slammed into the kids’ car, killing all four.
At her sentencing in a Mt. Clemens courtroom a couple weeks ago, The Detroit News reported the woman expressed regret.
"I've searched the depths of my soul and I've found no way to express how deeply sorry I truly am," The News reports she said. “I am within myself imprisoned for life already. I would just ask that with time that you, the families ... could grace me with forgiveness."
It’s the kind of forgiveness Jesus speaks of in today’s gospel, when he pardons the sinful woman who had washed his feet with her tears of remorse. It’s the kind of forgiveness the Lord extends to a sorrowful David in the first reading: “The Lord on his part has forgiven your sin: you shall not die.”
Here’s the most remarkable part of all. According to The Macomb Daily, several family members who spoke at the hearing did, indeed, forgive the woman. One of the mothers said she felt the presence of her deceased son prior to his funeral, asking her to pray for the woman rather than remaining angry.
As the mother returned to her seat after her remarks, the paper reported, she said to the woman, “May God bless you.”
That’s the level of forgiveness Jesus asks of us.
Sitting in that courtroom, given her cross to bear, how many of us would be strong enough to rise to it?
June 6, 2010 – Food for Thought
Consider four stories, all at least superficially related to food, and yet at the same time about so much more.
In Warren recently, a 45-year-old deliveryman was robbed at gunpoint in the alley behind a Chinese restaurant after making a delivery at 5:00 in the afternoon.
In Roseville, a 20-year-old waitress filed an antidiscrimination lawsuit against her former employer. The woman, who is 5 feet 8 and weighs 132 pounds, alleges her managers put her on a 30-day probation to lose enough weight to fit into a size extra-small uniform. The establishment for which the woman worked is well-known for its waitresses and their attire.
In the gospel today, Jesus turns five loaves and two fish into a feast for the multitudes who were gathered to hear him preach.
And in the second reading, Paul recounts the institution of the Eucharist, in which Jesus turned ordinary bread and wine into his body and blood.
The first story took place after a food delivery, but is really about thievery.
The second story alleges workplace rules in a restaurant, but is really about the objectification of women.
The third story – from the gospel – is about loaves and fishes only insofar as it shows how Jesus used simple food to foreshadow what was to come.
And the fourth story starts with bread and wine but ends by proclaiming that their transformation are a bold and definitive answer to all of the thievery, coveting and other sins that necessitated that first Eucharist:
“For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,” St. Paul writes, “you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.”
May 30, 2010 – Affliction Begets Hope
Everything about this story, which appeared recently in the Detroit Free Press, is right.
Seven years ago, a drug-addicted mother chose to give her premature child up for adoption. A St. Clair Shores couple adopted the boy and all his troubles, even though they had just learned they were expecting their own first child.
The adopted boy is afflicted with blindness, cerebral palsy, fluid on the brain and very limited speech.
In the years since the adoption, the couple and their family have loved and nursed the boy through 15 surgeries and 29 therapists. Few life situations would require that kind of endurance.
And now, they seek to raise about $30,000 to add to the $20,000 they already have saved, to bring the boy to China for treatments involving umbilical cord stem cells. If successful, the treatments will improve the boy’s ability to see, speak and walk.
For the record, according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Church believes umbilical cord stem cell research is morally acceptable. For the record, the parents believe the treatment is simply the right thing to do.
“If you have the opportunity to drastically change his life,” his adoptive mother said, “why wouldn’t you do it?”
That’s character. It’s also a manifestation of hope. And it’s what St. Paul was saying to the Romans, and us, in today’s second reading.
“We even boast of our afflictions,” he says, “knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.”
May 23, 2010 – After the Storm
Sometimes, in the middle of a storm, it’s hard to believe calm will return.
Reports of clergy abuse of minors can certainly feel like just such a storm. Recurring headlines about new cases, old cases and alleged controversies – whether local or international – can make it feel like the dark clouds will be with us forever.
These stories are real, of course, and there is no way to minimize their impact. We should pray for everyone involved.
But on this great feast of Pentecost, it helps to remember that Jesus sent his spirit to, among other things, provide clergy the inspiration and ability to preach the gospel for the salvation of souls.
“Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them,” today’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles says. “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.”
The reading ends with the people “from every nation under heaven” realizing that those who had been chosen to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit were indeed teaching in a multitude of languages.
In a message earlier this year reflecting on the mission of priests, Pope Benedict XVI encouraged every priest to be a “mediator, a bridge that links and so carries man to God, to his redemption, his true light, his true life.”
That’s what the spirit moved those first priests to do on the first Pentecost; it remains the calling today. And we pray, human sinfulness notwithstanding, that this redemption is the ultimate calm that will follow the end of the storm.
May 16, 2010 – The Promise of Ascension
The contrast was striking.
Two men following staggeringly different paths in life, one of whom had his journey cut tragically short by the other. Both of whom were the subject of extensive newspaper headlines and television news stories over the last couple weeks.
On the one hand were the descriptions of slain Detroit police officer Brian Huff, buried last Saturday, the first officer to die in the line of duty in Detroit since 2004. He was gunned down in the middle of the night while investigating a report of shots fired at an eastside duplex. Also injured were four other officers, all of whom survived.
Media accounts described Huff as “a big man with a big heart.” A resident of Mt. Clemens, he was married with a 10-year-old son. And he loved to quote verses from the bible.
On the other hand were the details on the alleged assailant: A 25-year-old felon with “a history of battling cops,” The Detroit News reported, along with “carrying weapons illegally and violating terms of numerous probationary sentences that have allowed him to avoid jail.”
The contrast was – and is – striking.
This week we celebrate the Ascension of Jesus into heaven, and his promise of hope to Officer Huff, to his family and fellow officers, and to each and every one of us. In the meantime, we must continue to live here on Earth, where there will sometimes be pain and suffering to deal with, illness to accept, unexpected tragedy to withstand, and on occasion, innocent victims to mourn, such as a police officer killed in the line of duty.
The contrast is striking. But the promise is enduring.
May 9, 2010 – Jesus’ Lessons, from Mom
In preparation for today’s celebration of Mother’s Day, media outlets everywhere have been running contests asking about favorite mom memories and “best mom” stories.
The “Moms Like Me” blog of the Detroit Free Press recently asked its audience of moms, “What makes being a mom worth it?” The editors’ selections of the best responses were planned to run in today’s paper.
In the midst of dozens of responses, a few in particular stand out because the sentiments are so similar to Jesus’ message in today’s gospel: “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.”
How similar? Here’s what one mom had to say:
“It’s those moments when you see your wonderful child ‘get’ something that you have been teaching them. Like those moments when you see them be kind to someone. When you see them hold the door for an older person. Or bend down to pick up something someone dropped. It’s the moments when we see a hint of who they are going to grow up to be because we raised them the way we did. It makes it all worthwhile to know MY CHILD is going to grow up to be a wonderful adult.”
What a heartfelt, compelling reminder to all mothers from a mother who, herself, obviously “gets it.”
For those whose vocation it is to be a mother, that directive to teach children how to live righteously is at the heart of Jesus’ message.
The good news is, mothers instinctively understand, embrace and live that message.
Thank God.
And thanks, mom!
May 2, 2010 – Love One Another
Like many other newspapers and media outlets, The Macomb Daily invites readers of its online edition to share their thoughts and comments on the stories of the day.
Perhaps it’s because people are generally more angry or depressed these days, or perhaps it’s because forums like these allow for anonymity, but it’s sad and distressing how many of the exchanges turn downright mean and hateful.
On a recent day, stories were as routine as a rollover wreck on I-94 and the rejection of a proposed collective bargaining agreement by the St. Clair Shores City Council.
And yet the first report brought out racist, city-versus-suburb comments and the second story fired up the union-versus-non-union, public vs. private sector fighters.
Genuine debates are one thing. But it is seemingly all too easy for people to get caught up in “us against them” rhetoric. And when a mob mentality is added in, as frequently happens on these comment boards, even simple disagreements take on a life of their own. Readers pile on top of other readers’ postings.
The attacks become personal and extreme.
Jesus in today’s gospel offers a single, simple commandment: “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
If even one of the angry people who would otherwise post a hateful message would pause momentarily and consider that passage from the gospel, it might prevent at least one angry exchange of words.
And one less hateful exchange is one more opportunity for peace.
That would, indeed, be good news.
April 25, 2010 – A Promise of Life
One of the most difficult situations in life to understand is when someone dies, especially someone who is relatively young with seemingly so much left to live for.
For example: A 43-year-old Pontiac man passed away a couple weeks ago, leaving behind a wife and two sons.
Just 43. With so much more to accomplish in this world.
The man, a firefighter at Oakland International Airport in Waterford, had been suffering from metastatic melanoma, but hoped to take one final trip to Disney World with his family before dying.
According to the Detroit Free Press, the man’s colleagues rallied, collecting $6,000 from the Waterford Police and Fire benevolent funds, Oakland County co-workers and businesses at the airport.
But it wasn’t to be. The man passed away before his family could take the trip. His widow told the paper the money would be used to pay for the funeral expenses.
For her, for the family, for friends and colleagues, and for everyone else, it’s hard to make sense of a story like that.
The good news – the ultimate happy end to a seemingly sad story – is that Jesus’s resurrection provided a promise that people who die young, with so much left to live for, may have eternal life. And not just the young, but the old, too. The sick and the healthy. The rich and the poor. Everyone.
It’s a message that especially resounds during this Easter season.
“My sheep hear my voice,” Jesus says in today’s gospel. “I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand.”
April 18, 2010 – Arraignment of Truth
"We gave you strict orders, did we not, to stop teaching in that name?"
So begins the interrogation in today’s first reading of the apostles by the high priest before the Sanhedrin, demanding they put a halt to their practice of spreading the gospel message in the aftermath of Jesus' death.
To which the apostles explain that, on the contrary, their mission requires them to proclaim the truth. After all, they explain, Jesus was raised from the dead and exalted by God in order "to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins."
And then, after receiving another warning and leaving the court, they rejoice that they had the opportunity to suffer hardship in Jesus’ name.
Local court headlines, recently, serve as reminders of the need for that gospel.
* A St. Clair Shores man was recently arraigned on allegations of improper exposure to a group of school children.
* Four people were charged for a Warren pharmacy break-in that took place early Easter morning.
* A Clinton Township woman was awaiting arraignment after stabbing her boyfriend in the neck on Easter Sunday.
And so they await their respective days in court.
Wether any of these people are ultimately guilty of the crimes of which they are accused will be up to those courts to decide. Even if they are guilty, though, the good news is that the whole point of Jesus' death and resurrection, so nicely articulated in the first reading, is redemption.
That was the message of the apostles in their own court battle, after all. Jesus offers everyone the gift of having their sins forgiven.
It was their mission to spread the word. Ours, too.
April 11, 2010 – Belief in the Unborn
“A large number of people from the towns in the vicinity around Jerusalem also gathered,” today’s first reading says, “bringing the sick … and they were all cured.”
In this story from the early days of Christianity, Peter and the apostles are performing signs and wonders, adding great numbers of people into the fold of believers.
How fitting that they demonstrated Christ’s power through healing. Health and healing have been significant topics of discussion over the last year, and especially over the last few months. And the new national health care legislation is simultaneously heartening and ominous.
It’s heartening because, as the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops explained in a statement released shortly after President Barack Obama signed the legislation into law, the effort to expand health care to everyone is commendable.
But it’s ominous because, as the letter also explained, the need for an executive order to somehow enforce that federal money not fund abortions “underscores deficiencies in the bill.”
Namely, that no “executive order, no matter how well intentioned, can substitute for statutory provisions.”
The bishops indicate they will remain peacefully vigilant to make sure lawmakers live up to the claims that ensured the bill’s passage. We must watch, too, because there are all too many who fail to see a legitimate human life in those yet to be born, and will continue their quest to liberalize abortion access and funding.
In today’s gospel, Jesus says, “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”
In saying this, Jesus called on generations of Christians to believe in Him without seeing. He asks us to do the same for the unborn.
April 4, 2010 – Purtan’s People
Radio superstar Dick Purtan ended his on-air career last week.
Purtan, who was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2004, entertained generations of Detroiters on their way to school and work with his topical, family-friendly humor and unpretentious demeanor. Unlike many competitors, he rarely descended to the ribald or the vicious in order to score laughs or ratings.
And yet his ratings through the years – at WKNR, WXYZ, CKLW, WCZY and WOMC – have consistently been near the top.
Perhaps more importantly, he leaves a legacy of giving that will be hard to replace. The Salvation Army Radiothon he created and hosted for 23 years has raised more than $23 million. The Gail Purtan Ovarian Cancer Fund, named for his wife, a cancer survivor, has helped with the purchase of leading-edge technology to help in the fight against the disease.
According to news reports, Purtan says he’ll continue in his retirement to work behind the scenes on the radiothon while he concentrates on writing a book, perhaps teaching, and, of course, spending more time with his wife, their seven daughters, and his extended family.
Today is Easter; we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and the new beginning it provided to the world and each of us. Compared to the impact of that event, nothing comes close in significance or importance, even the storied career and community impact of an icon like Purtan.
Nevertheless, it’s worth pausing to note that a truly class act hung up his headphones, and his solid professionalism will be sorely missed. Here’s hoping that, as Purtan creates his own new beginnings, he’ll be blessed as much as he has blessed the community with his example.
Mar. 28, 2010 – At Cross Meanings
The cross, of course, is a symbol of profound religious significance.
On Palm Sunday – and throughout the upcoming Triduum – that significance becomes even more compelling. Through Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection, we see that the cross represents a divine act of sacrifice and love.
And then come stories of cross burnings – like the one recently in northern Oakland County – in which the ultimate symbol of love is twisted into a horrific symbol of hate.
Three Independence Township men will stand trial on charges of ethnic intimidation; they are accused of burning a cross on the yard of a neighbor last summer. The resident said she felt fear, anger and violence.
All these years later, after two centuries of wisdom and the collective experience of Christ’s love, the cross should represent just the opposite – confidence, joy and serenity.
As St. Paul says, Christ was “obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every other name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
It’s worth reading that passage again. It was because of the cross and everything it represents that Jesus was exalted by God.
To those who would burn a cross in the name of hate – or wear it as a decoration in the name of provocative style, for that matter – is there anything that could be more profoundly off-base?
Jesus held the cross high. So must we.
Mar. 21, 2010 – Scripture and the Mayor
The saga of former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick – as disheartening and unfortunate as it has been for two years now – took a surreal biblical turn a few weeks ago.
That was when, during one of the ubiquitous arguments over Kilpatrick’s probation violation case, the prosecuting attorney’s office quoted St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians in a Michigan Court of Appeals motion seeking to resume proceedings.
“All things should be done decently and in good order,” the prosecutor’s office wrote.
At which point Kilpatrick’s attorney concluded a motion with a plea for judicial leniency by quoting Psalms: “Yet he, because he is full of compassion, forgave their sin and did not destroy; many times he turned away his anger and didn’t rouse all his wrath.”
If the pen, as they say, is mightier than the sword, how sad it is that the sacred word of God would be brandished to make a legal exclamation point.
It’s fair to assume that religiously sensitive citizens of Detroit and the entire region could take offense at the leveraging of scripture to seek advantage in this ongoing ordeal.
When the final chapter is written on the former mayor’s legal entanglements – past, present, and perhaps still to come – the justice system will have run its course and the case will be closed.
Perhaps it’s fair to ask that scripture be reserved for more permanent and ethereal matters.
St. Paul deserves the final word here, and in today’s second reading he characterizes the fleeting matters of this world – including legal maneuverings, presumably – as “so much rubbish.” He clearly understands the priority: “I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God’s upward calling, in Christ Jesus.”
Mar. 14, 2010 – Garden City Parable
A recent story in The Detroit News documented the plight of people living on the financial edge – “…falling wages, fewer hours, homes nearing default…” One worker making $8.50 an hour at a Garden City machine shop featured in the story had earned $70,000 just a few years earlier in a white collar job. “I’m just glad to be working,” he’s quoted as saying.
Given the difficult economy, many people, especially in Michigan, are probably in very similar circumstances.
How closely this story parallels the familiar parable of the prodigal son in today’s gospel. The younger son asks his father for his share of the estate, then heads off to a faraway land and loses it all. “When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country and he found himself in dire need.”
We in this country – or certainly in this state – are in a recession, not a famine. And it’s none of our business if the worker in the story, or thousands of others just like him, squandered what they had or used every last dime wisely.
They – like the son in Jesus’ parable – need help.
And whether we more closely resemble the struggling younger brother or the comfortable older brother, the good news is that ultimately, the story will have a happy ending, provided we keep our lot in proper perspective.
If we struggle like the younger brother, there is always hope for a brighter tomorrow if we live with integrity and ask God for help.
And if we’re fortunate enough to be comfortable like the older brother, our job is to be compassionate, never judgmental.
No matter our current circumstances, we all seek the same destination. We’re just taking different roads to get there.
Mar. 7, 2010 – Divine Reminders
If Jesus was alive today, people likely would ask him about high-profile deaths.
The thousands who died in the Haitian earthquake. The SeaWorld trainer in Orlando. The New Haven driver who died in a car-truck accident on an icy I-94 in St. Clair Shores a couple weeks ago.
Jesus’ answer would probably be the same as in today’s gospel, in which he is quizzed about the Galileans killed by Pilate
“Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were greater sinners than all the other Galileans?” he asks.
Then he gets right to the point: “If you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!”
A sobering message. Each day is another opportunity to draw closer to God. We never know when we may find ourselves in a natural disaster, a workplace accident, a treacherous driving situation or a host of other hazards.
St. Paul’s message in the second reading is equally clear. Speaking of the ancestors who desired evil things and were struck down in the desert, Paul says “These things happened as examples for us. Whoever thinks he is standing secure should take care not to fall.”
None of which is to suggest the Haitians, the SeaWorld trainer or the New Haven driver were greater sinners than the rest of us. That’s Jesus’ point.
But all of them perished unexpectedly, maybe in a good place with God and maybe not. The lesson for us is to use the examples of untimely, unpredictable deaths to remind us to live up to God’s expectations.
As the parable of the fig tree teaches, God is always ready to give us another chance. Are we always ready to take it?
Feb. 28, 2010
Amazing things happen on mountains.
Look at the dazzling display we’ve seen from the mountains of British Columbia over the last couple weeks during the Winter Olympic Games, which draw to a close this evening. Some of the world’s best athletes have whooshed down the snowy sides of mountains, amazing us with their dazzling displays of precision, focus and discipline.
Those watching the proceedings live must be almost speechless at the grandeur of it all.
In today’s gospel, which also takes place on a mountain, Jesus offers Peter, John and James a foretaste of the glory of heaven when he is transfigured before their very eyes. Peter, rarely at a loss for words, begins to suggest that tents be pitched for Jesus, Moses and Elijah.
“While he was still speaking, a cloud came and cast a shadow over them, and they became frightened when they entered the cloud,” the gospel passage reads. “Then from the cloud came a voice that said, ‘This is my chosen Son; listen to him.’”
The lesson of that day goes to the very essence of Jesus’ mission: There is a dazzling reward awaiting us in heaven, but getting there requires that we recognize and listen to Jesus.
It requires, in a sense, the type of focus and discipline demonstrated by the Olympians. It requires, sometimes, that we remain speechless when we might otherwise speak ill of someone. Speechless, lest we lose the opportunity to recognize the sublimity of the Lord.
In doing so, our reward goes far beyond a medal of precious metal.
“Our citizenship in heaven,” as Paul explains in the second reading, “will change our lowly body to conform with his glorified body.”
Amazing, indeed.
Feb. 21, 2010
On this, the first Sunday of Lent, the gospel reminds us of the temptations Jesus faced during his 40 days in the desert. First the temptation to turn a stone into bread, surely alluring since Jesus had been fasting. Then the temptation to worship the devil in exchange for all the kingdoms of the world. And finally, the temptation to throw himself off the parapet of the temple in order to be saved by a host of angels.
Jesus counters the temptations with quotations from scripture, facing each one down and emerging victorious.
We, too, are bombarded by temptations every day.
We read in the papers about local political corruption and scandal. And the temptation is to feel hatred and resentment.
We see provocative television ads during the Super Bowl that tempt us to log on to the Internet for even more seductive material.
We read of a recent security breach at Metro Airport that partially shut down a terminal and delayed flights for hours, and we are tempted to assume the worst about the perpetrator, not learning until later that he allegedly suffers from mental problems.
The good news is that we, too, can fight off the temptations of the day by remembering the power of the Lord as manifested in scripture. As St. Paul tells the Romans in today’s second reading, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
We should therefore strive to keep the word of God in our mouths and in our hearts. The return promise: “No one who believes in him will be put to shame.”
Feb. 14, 2010
Deacon Terry Downey, a longtime pastoral associate at St. Germaine Parish in St. Clair Shores, passed away recently at the relatively young age of 63.
Friends report he was present for the Mass celebrating the unification of St. Germaine with St. Gertrude late last year, but wasn’t seen much after that.
Which would be quite a switch, because Deacon Terry for 22 years was highly visible at weekend masses, baptisms, funerals, community events, and especially prior to and during St. Germaine’s annual hosting of the MCREST project.
MCREST, the Macomb County Rotating Emergency Shelter Team, is a program through which churches throughout the county take turns hosting homeless men, women and children. Deacon Terry was instrumental in ensuring that St. Germaine’s involvement each year ran smoothly, and that the guests felt welcome.
He instinctively understood what Jesus was talking about in today’s gospel, when he said, “Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours.” It is because of the dedication and faith of servants like Deacon Terry that this vital program can serve those in need, helping them realize some small comforts, and giving them at least a glimpse of the kingdom of God.
For them, for his friends and parishioners, and most of all for his wife of 40 years and their children, there is consolation and good news elsewhere in the same gospel:
“Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh.”
As Deacon Terry gets his own firsthand view of God’s Kingdom – now his permanent home – his lessons of faith, articulated by St. Paul, continue to resound.
“If the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised, and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain.”
Feb. 7, 2010
Sometimes, you don’t have to look very hard to find the good news. Sometimes, the good news is right before your eyes.
A front page story in The Michigan Catholic a few weeks ago reported on the packed house at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit. According to the story, there are 16 new candidates for the Archdiocese of Detroit this year, bringing the overall total to 49. And there are 99 candidates overall, making this the most crowded the seminary has been in 20 years.
Who knew?
The headlines lately have been mostly about the declining number of priests and the consequent closing of parishes and consolidation of resources. The faithful pray hopefully for an increase in vocations, and, just as hopefully, remain confident that God has a plan to see his Church through the lean times.
And so He does.
In today’s gospel, we’re reminded of Jesus’ very tangible sign to Peter that he and his successors will be “fishers of men.” After they put out into the deep water, their nets are filled with fish to the point of tearing.
Through more than 2,000 years, the Church has survived one crisis after another, almost all of them due to the fact that its members are human beings, subject to the weaknesses of human nature. And yet it has survived and thrived through all; such is the strength of an institution built on the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Given that, it really shouldn’t be a surprise that God is inspiring more candidates to serve his people in the church of Detroit.
Thankfully for us, they are answering in the very words that conclude the first reading: “Here I am…send me.”
Jan. 31, 2010
Relief efforts continue in the earthquake-ravaged country of Haiti, and surely will for months and years to come. The devastation caused by the tragedy has been enough to make even the most news-jaded people sit up and take notice, so complete and widespread is the destruction.
Notre Dame Cathedral and every government building in Port-au-Prince are in ruins. Looters pillage on a daily basis. People stand in line by the thousands for food and water. Tent cities are everywhere.
Before too long, of course, the news cameras will move on and the attention of the world will turn to the next major crisis or the next flap out of Hollywood; in general, we have a pretty short attention span.
But to the extent that Haitians are able to partake in today’s liturgy, they are surely being comforted by the words of the prophet Jeremiah in the first reading: “For it is I this day who have made you a fortified city, a pillar of iron, a wall of brass, against the whole land,” he writes. “They will … not prevail over you, for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord.”
The cities of Haiti clearly have not been fortified and the walls lie in ruins. But the good news for Haitians and for all who grieve for their situation is that, even in the face of such monumental catastrophe, God is and will be there with them, in the selfless and loving acts of the rescue workers, volunteers, medical personnel, family, neighbors and even strangers who are working for the common good.
Love, St. Paul reminds us in the second reading, “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
Jan. 24, 2010
The Old Testament assembly, we’re reminded in today’s first reading, consisted not only of men and women, but also of “those children old enough to understand.”
We might have different opinions of what that means, exactly, in today’s world. Perhaps 12 years old? Maybe 14 or 18?
But how many would choose 7-1/2 as the age at which a child really “understands”? Especially if “understanding” means working for the betterment of our community?
One of the local television stations recently reported on a 7-1/2-year-old boy named Zach who donates time at local food kitchens to serve meals to the poor, which is noteworthy in itself, but probably not unique. The report went on to say the boy received his calling to help in a dream. He drew a picture of the moment, with the caption, “Speak, Lord, for Zach is listening.”
Zach has established a charity to solicit donations, which he and his parents then use to purchase larger quantities of food for the poor. Once a month, he visits a shelter, such as the Detroit Rescue Mission, to make the donations and to work. He set up a website to expand his charitable reach beyond just immediate neighbors, and came up with the idea of publicizing his efforts on TV.
In the gospel, Jesus says, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing,” referring to his presence among the people as prophesied by Isaiah.
In Zach’s story, we’re reminded that – Good News! – other scripture passages continue to be fulfilled, too. Like this one, also from the first reading:
"Go, eat … and allot portions to those who have nothing prepared; for today is holy to our Lord.”
Jan. 17, 2010
“My hour,” Jesus says in today’s gospel, “has not yet come.”
At which point he promptly performs a miracle – changing water into wine at the wedding in Cana.
A 63-year-old ice fisherman who lived near Grand Rapids might have felt the same way recently, just before he died of a heart attack; “My time has not yet come.”
But it had.
The unique thing about this story is that the man’s collapse and death took place about 45 minutes after he rescued a couple whose all-terrain vehicle had fallen through the ice on Middle Lake, near Hastings. According to news accounts, the man used an auger to pull the couple out of the frigid water. He had returned to shore and was, no doubt, proud of the life-saving help he had been able to provide.
A Barry County sheriff commented that the rescue was the last act of a good Samaritan.
The couple lived and the fisherman died. Maybe there was a correlation between the strain of the rescue and the heart attack; maybe not. Regardless, there is good news between the lines of this very ironic story.
"The hour" for each of us – whether for a miracle or of our death – is known to God alone.
Some might suggest the presence of the fisherman in close proximity to the ATV accident, with his auger, presence of mind and courage, was something of a miracle. The couple and their loved ones probably feel that way. If so, then in this man’s case, the last hour of his life contained both a miracle and his death.
If our “hour” came today, would we be ready for death? Would we be ready for a miracle?
Jan. 10, 2010
In St. Clair Shores, the senior citizens center is offering an incentive for residents to provide assistance to their elderly neighbors.
Under a recently announced program running through March, good Samaritans can register at the Senior Center and then be assigned to a senior who needs some help, perhaps with snow shoveling, a trip to the doctor’s office or some other necessity.
In return, the seniors who receive the help can then nominate the person who provided the assistance for an Exemplary Service Award. The nominations received will be eligible for $50 gift card drawings to take place during each of the three months of the program. At the end of April, two $500 scholarships will be awarded to volunteers whose efforts are exemplary.
Bravo to the thoughtful individual who developed this program. What a great way to create goodwill in the community, help out people in need, and provide a little reward for the volunteer, all at the same time.
Having said that, though, one might understandably wish that gift cards and scholarships weren’t necessary in order to create good deed momentum.
In today’s second reading, we’re reminded of the example of Jesus, who was anointed by God and “went about doing good.”
Then, in the Gospel, shortly after Jesus’ baptism, as he is praying, comes a voice from heaven: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
There is nothing wrong with offering a gift card or scholarship incentive for helping seniors in our community. But wouldn’t the gestures be much more powerful if they were done without pre-registering – by virtue of our own baptism – for the simple reward of knowing that, with the volunteer, God would be well-pleased?
Jan. 3, 2010
There are, to be sure, different kinds of riches.
For some, the number of zeros to the left of the decimal point is the only thing that’s important. For others, riches can be measured in the number of friends they have or in the impact they leave on the world.
Consider Kim Adams, the WDIV-TV (Channel 4) weathercaster who’s been familiar to viewers for seven years. She likely was, by most standards, very successful and well paid.
But Adams, who recently had her third child, decided on her own accord to leave employment at the station so she can be at home to raise her children. “I still can’t watch the news without feeling a little sad,” she told a reporter at The Detroit News. “But my children are my world, and I don’t want to miss these years with them.”
Who knows? Maybe Adams has more money in the bank than she’ll ever be able to use. But there probably is some material sacrifice her family is making in order to forego these prime earning years in order to raise her children.
In today’s gospel, the magi from the east arrive in Bethlehem with their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. They offer their gifts and stay to pay homage to the newborn Christ child.
The value of those gifts transcends monetary worth and symbolizes a willingness to offer up bounty to the Lord.
The Good News, as we begin a new year with new resolutions, is that the opportunities to do what the magi did – offer up our gifts – are countless. Choosing family over a glamorous career and hefty paycheck is one possible idea. We each should have plenty of our own.
December 25-27, 2009
The legend of Tiger Woods has come unraveled with remarkable speed. Among the top golfers of all time – poised if not predestined to break every championship record – Woods also has been an endorsement machine and the most recognized person on the planet.
His image was as carefully chiseled as his physique and as fastidiously refined as his golf swing. Early on, his father helped orchestrate his achievements. Later, nobody was more careful about the interviews granted, the quotes given, the persona revealed.
And it paid off. Woods was loved and admired by people of all ages and backgrounds. Crowds stand hundreds deep when he passes on the golf course, yelling his name and hoping to catch a glimpse.
And then came that fateful night and its aftermath. The car accident. The rumors. The allegations. The admissions. All of which proved…what, exactly?
That Woods is a human being, as fallible as the rest of us. And that he doesn’t deserve unsubstantiated and unearned admiration simply because of his athletic and PR skills. A hero on the golf course? Certainly. A heroic person? No.
But there is a man whose accomplishments were predestined by his Father throughout salvation history. A man whose humble beginnings in a manger belied his eventual impact on the world. A man who, when he was 12, remained in Jerusalem to begin doing his Father’s work and who, years later, drew crowds by the thousands to hear and see him.
A man – our Lord – whose life and its impact truly deserve our complete love, admiration and respect. Keep Tiger Woods and his family in your prayers, if you wish. But remember who the real hero is.
December 20, 2009
A former secretary from the Van Dyke Public School district will stand trial next year, charged with embezzling more than $110,000 from the district and its secretary’s union, of which she was a member.
The woman is innocent until proven guilty, of course. That’s the American way.
If she is indeed found guilty, she likely will face several years in prison and a significant fine. The media will report the outcome and people will be happy she was caught and justice was served. End of story?
Not entirely, at least not if we’re willing to look at it through the eyes of Christian charity.
The woman’s husband had lost his job, and she needed money to pay for expenses and for rent owed by her children. Does that justify stealing? Of course not. But does it add a dimension that makes her a little more worthy of our prayers and God’s mercy?
What would Jesus say?
It’s a timely lesson in the context of today’s gospel, in which Elizabeth’s unborn baby leaps for joy as Mary approaches. Mary is welcomed by her cousin, who says “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”
Elizabeth, with God’s grace, knew to look past the surface facts – a pregnant, unmarried teenager at her doorstep – and understand that God’s plan far transcends what a casual observer would assume about the story.
What does that have to do with the alleged embezzler? There is always – always – a story beneath the story we think we know. It doesn’t mean the secretary is innocent. That’s for the justice system to decide. It does mean that we have no business rushing to moral judgment. As always, that’s for God to decide.
Christmas is just five days away. What are you rushing to?
December 13, 2009
Advent is half over, and many people are still struggling to find the perfect Christmas gifts.
There are two answers to that question – one temporal, the other eternal.
On the earthly, side, we might do well, especially in this difficult economy, to consider practical gifts. “Practical” might not be appropriate for everyone, of course, but it might be precisely the answer for those whose pressing basic needs are far more urgent than jewelry or electronic gadgets.
A recent story highlighted programs that enable people to purchase energy gift cards for family, friends or neighbors who may be having trouble paying their gas or electric bills this winter.
That’s brilliant; thoughtful and practical at the same time. The gift recipient feels the warmth of heat. The gift giver feels the warmth of being thoughtful. And the power companies ensure they continue to be paid.
Everyone wins!
Then there’s the Eternal Gift. The gift of God’s son, whose birth we celebrate in just a couple weeks.
In today’s gospel, St. Luke reports, “The people were filled with expectation,” thinking that John the Baptist might be the Christ. “One mightier than I is coming,” John says.
And Luke concludes: “Exhorting them in many other ways, he preached good news to the people.”
In the first reading, Zephaniah says, “Sing joyfully, O Israel! Be glad and exult with all your heart! The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior; he will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love, he will sing joyfully because of you, as one sings at festivals.”
Jesus is, indeed, the Gift that keeps on giving. Truly, everyone wins!
Christmas is 12 days away. Are you being thoughtful about the gifts you’re giving? What about the Gift you’ll be receiving?
December 6, 2009
When the news is bad, just keep going, with love, and things will get better.
Consider the recent story about an 89-year-old St. Clair Shores man who fell victim to a mail scheme. He was promised a huge lottery jackpot if he first sent a check, overseas, to cover taxes. The check was cashed. More money was requested. Before long, an innocent victim was bilked out of his savings and local police indicate, understandably, they don’t have the resources to conduct an international investigation.
The good news: it was an employee of the store at which the man had been purchasing checks who became suspicious and contacted police. Not a completely happy ending perhaps, but at least the goodness of one person helps to provide a balance against the evil of another.
Keep going. With love.
At about the same time, the community rallied around a local resident who desperately needed a new roof. A two-time cancer survivor and mother of a 17-year-old mentally handicapped son had narrowly lost a contest in which the prize was a new roof. Another local resident, who knew nothing of the woman’s story, told a mutual friend he wanted to help someone in the community, but didn’t know who or how.
The friend was inspired and connected the two; another dozen people and an anonymous company donated labor and materials. Before long the woman had a new roof on her house.
"I am confident of this,” St. Paul says in today’s second reading. “That the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”
St. Paul would have been proud if he had visited St. Clair Shores recently.
Christmas is 19 days away. Keep going. With love.
November 29, 2009
“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.”
If we didn’t know better, the words sound like something straight out of the script of the current hit movie, “2012.” We know, of course, that those words don’t come from a movie, but from Jesus in today’s gospel, as a warning to us “to be vigilant at all times and pray that (we) have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.”
There is an unmistakable fascination with stories about an apocalyptic end to the world, in which natural disasters of biblical proportions wipe out large swaths of humanity in a thundering chain reaction of horror. “2012” is just one example. Think of “Armageddon,” “Deep Impact,” and countless others. These thrillers produce visceral reactions not unlike being on a roller coaster or walking through a haunted house – we like to be scared, but only when we know that, in the end, everything is going to be alright.
Jesus’ reminder to all of us today as we begin the season of advent is that we will, eventually, face the end of our world, whether individually or collectively. But thanks to his sacrifice, no matter how scary it might seem at the time, things will, indeed, be alright.
“When these signs begin to happen,” Jesus says, “stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.”
Christmas is 26 days away. Ready or not.
November 22, 2009
It’s an old cliché because it’s tantalizingly close to the truth: The only constant is change.
The recent announcement about Gebran’s for Men is a perfect example. Gebran’s, a downtown Mt. Clemens clothier that had been in business for 18 years, is closing its doors soon because business has fallen off so drastically. It was a fixture in a town that has seen its share of change through the years.
Change is all around. Changes in jobs. Changes in health. Changes in technology. For those whose perspective is limited to their life on Earth, all the change can be positively maddening; everything they understand and rely on can be gone in the blink of an eye.
The Good News is that the old cliché about change doesn’t get it quite right. There is one true constant that never has and never will change – God.
“His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away, his kingship shall not be destroyed,” according to today’s first reading from Deuteronomy.
The second reading from the Book of Revelation reinforces the point: “’I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘the one who is and who was and who is to come, the almighty.’”
And finally, just in case we miss the point from the first two readings about the ultimate futility of searching for stability in this ever-changing world, Jesus reminds us that, “My kingdom does not belong to this world…my kingdom is not here.”
Perhaps the lesson is that, rather than clinging to the passing details of our life on Earth, we should be open to a message with more permanence – and more resonance – than any other:
“Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”
November 15, 2009
The 76-year-old Sterling Heights man was probably trying to take advantage of one of the last warm days of the year. He was riding his bike one recent evening near 14 Mile Road and Maple Lane.
The driver of the car, a woman from Clinton Township, had her own agenda. Maybe she was headed to work. Maybe to dinner. Maybe to visit a sick friend in the hospital.
Maybe the bicyclist and the driver caught a last-second glimpse of each other before their fatal accident; maybe not. Police reports simply said the bicyclist was struck while pedaling across 14 Mile, and that neither speed nor alcohol appeared to have been a factor in the accident.
How often we hear stories like this. One minute a man is giving his body a healthy workout, the next minute his body is lying motionless on the pavement and his soul is preparing to see the face of God. One minute a driver is headed to her next engagement, the next minute her life has been forever altered by the horrible memory of an accident.
In today’s gospel, Jesus says: “Of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”
Every day, we wake up with a plan. We’re taking the kids to school. We’re going to work. We’ve got shopping to do. And maybe, if the weather cooperates, we’ll get a chance to take one more bike ride for the year.
God has a plan, too, for all of us. He had a plan for the bicyclist. He has a plan for the driver of the car. For a split second that evening, those plans converged.
Why? The hard reality is that we don’t really know. The Good News is that God does.
November 8, 2009
In Bethlehem, at the time of Jesus’ birth, there was no room at the inn.
In present-day Warren, there still is no room for Jesus, at least not in public.
That was the word from a Macomb County official who recently denied a permit to a man whose family has set up a nativity scene at Mound and Chicago for more than 60 years. The official argued that placing the crèche on a public median would violate the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
The Warren resident – whose family has set up the crèche at the intersection since the Truman Administration – filed a lawsuit requesting permission to continue to display the scene now and into the future. The basis of the argument is that the man’s own First and Fourteenth Amendment rights were violated.
The ultimate resolution of this case, while certainly of great interest to all Christians, is of secondary concern for the moment.
The Good News behind this story is the man’s willingness to use his own resources to fight for what he believes in. Assuming the man and his family are not independently wealthy, he is spending money – or at least a considerable amount of time – to ensure the nativity scene can be set for years to come.
Consider the woman in today’s first reading who gives up what little bread she has to Elijah; her jar did not go empty. And consider the widow in today’s gospel, who added just a few cents, her whole livelihood, to the treasury; Jesus points to her as an example for his disciples.
The sacrifice of one’s own resources to fight for Jesus’ place in society is not unlike those examples. How far are we willing to go for Jesus? At what cost?
November 1, 2009
Michigan’s annual budget battles take on a life of their own. Vetoes, threats, cuts, name-calling; we see the worst in everybody.
If Jesus lived in present-day Michigan, he probably wouldn’t get involved in the budget mess. On matters of taxes, after all, “give to Caesar what is Caesar’s.” But he probably would counsel everyone about how to keep their hearts in the right place in the heat of a difficult debate.
Using the wisdom of today’s gospel, for example, he might have reminded us, “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.” Are the politicians who threaten vetoes or place caucus solidarity over economic and educational principles truly seeking moral righteousness, or are they just posturing?
He might have reminded us, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Are the people who call talk radio programs and comment in online forums with venomous attacks about black vs. white, city vs. state, union vs. non-union, and rich vs. poor acting as peacemakers or hate-mongers?
What if one leader were to stand up boldly – in the Capitol and in the media – and ask legislators and citizens alike, “My friends, what would Jesus do?”
What an opportunity for someone of moral fortitude to share some good news. At best, he might actually reframe the debate, or at least bring more civility to it. At worst, he would be mocked and ignored.
But that leader, and anyone who chose to support such a “radical” notion, would be consoled with Jesus’ reminder that they are blessed. “When they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me… your reward will be great in heaven.”
For now though, this isn’t heaven. It’s Michigan.
October 25, 2009
Week after week, scripture opens our eyes – and the eyes of the people in the stories – to God’s limitless love. Today’s gospel recalls the literal eye-opening with which Jesus blessed the blind Bartimaeus.
But unless we look deeper, we risk losing sight of the contemporary relevance of the words. Not only for others, but for us.
It is tempting to look, for example, at the St. Clair Shores man recently convicted of second-degree murder for the strangulation death of his roommate. Or at the lawmakers wrangling over national health care legislation who would, under certain drafts of the bill, allow abortions to be funded and deny conscience rights. We could conclude that their actions are blind to Christ.
But it might be more instructive and beneficial to reflect on how we are sometimes blind in our own lives.
For example, when we ignore people in need, we are blind to the fact that, there but for the grace of God, go we.
When we gossip, we are blind to the damage it causes reputations.
When we choose to act on any other commandment-breaking impulse, we are blind to the damage we cause to ourselves, and to our own reputations with God.
How can our faith save us?
By taking to heart the proclamation in today’s gospel: “Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you.” And then by telling Jesus, and really meaning it, that we want to see. And asking Him to have pity on us.
It’s important to note that receiving sight when we’ve been blind – being forgiven when we’ve sinned – is not without obligation. Once we have been given the gift of sight, we are bound to follow Jesus; to keep our eyes on the prize.
Oct. 18, 2009
People in power have enormous responsibilities that go far beyond their stated job descriptions. They have responsibility to others, to themselves, and to God.
The power-induced responsibilities of politicians, and the consequences of abuse, may seem self-evident. Consider the former mayor of Detroit, whose appetite for power and brazen disregard of the law and his constituents cost him his office and, among all but a few, his reputation. Consider the former governor of Illinois, who faces trial next year on charges relating to the alleged “auction” of Barack Obama’s Senate seat. He was impeached.
It’s not just politicians, though. Those in the workplace whom others call “boss” have similar responsibilities. So do teachers, coaches, doctors, police officers, judges, and others.
Anyone in authority might well ask: Do I empathize with the circumstances of others? Do I show compassion? Am I just in my assessments and decisions? Will my integrity – and my organization’s integrity – withstand moral scrutiny? Am I humble enough to realize my power ultimately is a gift from God? Do I listen, and truly hear, what people tell me, even those who have a lower station in life? Am I confident enough in my own authority to admit, and even celebrate, when the people below me make a better decision or judgment call?
Jesus’ mandate in today’s gospel is clear. In contrast to those who make sure their authority is felt by their underlings, He says, “Whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.”
Think of it in the context of two final questions:
Are those over whom you have authority better off because you’re in power? Are you?
Oct. 11, 2009
And the hits just keep on coming!
In this case, unfortunately, the hits are those that Michigan residents continue to take to their financial security. According to data released late last month by the U.S. Census Bureau, people in Michigan saw their median household income fall 2.5 percent in 2008, more than twice the national average.
At the same time, home values in metropolitan Detroit declined by about 22 percent.
Some experts are saying the recession has bottomed out and a recovery has begun. That assessment is of little consolation to the thousands of unemployed and under-employed, and those whose most important asset, their home, is worth far less than the mortgage balance.
Jesus’ lesson today is that “it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
There is no sin, of course, in material wealth, so long as it is recognized as a gift from God and used in a way that enhances our ability to give honor to Him. But Jesus’ loving request of the man in today’s gospel to sell his belongings, give the proceeds to the poor, and then come and follow Him is a timely reminder for us all.
Perhaps the Good News is that these historic hits to our financial security can serve a purpose, after all. Perhaps we can view them as a reminder that, in the end, our mortgage account or bank account is of little lasting concern. It is – as St. Paul reminds us in today’s second reading -- God to whom we must render an account.
And the balance we must strike has everything to do with our life choices and nothing to do with our net worth.
October 4, 2009
Fires in the home always carry an added measure of tragedy, perhaps because the terror they cause occurs at the one place that is supposed to be our refuge, and because – even when the drama is over – for the survivors there is no way to resume normal life.
House fires have been in the news a lot lately. Two weeks ago, a St. Clair Shores blaze killed an 83-year-old woman. Last week, another fire, this one at a home in Clinton Township, took the lives of a husband and wife who died as they lived – together.
It’s common to listen to or read coverage of stories like these and note the many details – the heroic efforts of a neighbor to rescue the St. Clair Shores woman, for example. Or the fact that the Clinton Township couple died in a bathroom to which they had fled to escape the smoke.
It’s less common – and considerably harder – to read between the lines and see the Good News.
The couple, married 59 years, obviously was still devoted to each other and to their family. They had been caring for their 51-year-old developmentally disabled daughter, who still lived with them and managed to escape through a window. Their son spoke of seeing his parents at Mass in Mt. Clemens the day before the fire.
Had they been at Mass this weekend, they would have been affirmed by the first reading from Genesis, which reminds us why a man leaves his parents and clings to his wife. They also would have been affirmed in their vocation by Jesus, who notes that “what God has joined together, no human being must separate.”
Fire separated this couple from their Earthly lives. But God kept them together, literally, until the end. And they rest now with Him in their eternal home, impervious to fire.
September 27, 2009
Thousands of people stood and cheered for the legendary Ernie Harwell over the last couple weeks at tributes held in his honor. The events were a farewell “group hug,” of sorts, for the longtime voice of the Tigers, who announced earlier this month he has cancer of the bile duct.
Harwell obviously brought joy to generations of people during his 42 years behind the Tigers microphone. But his mystique in Michigan goes far beyond the affable way he called play-by-play in his soft Georgian accent.
His real magic is the way in which he has been for God – as Jesus might refer to it in today’s Gospel message – throughout his public and private life. His devotion to his wife Lulu. His respect for his colleagues and everyone else with whom he came into contact. Even – and maybe especially – the way he repeatedly has characterized his life’s journey as being open to a plan put forth for him by God.
It would be hard to deny that, in many ways, God’s spirit is alive in Ernie Harwell. As Moses reminds Joshua in today’s first reading, everyone can serve as a prophet in their own way: “Would that the Lord might bestow his spirit on them all!”
The Good News is the valuable lesson we can learn from this. The reminder that we can and should take advantage of every opportunity that comes to us through our work and our day-to-day circumstances to help build God’s kingdom.
In many ways, we were blessed with two Ernies for the price of one – the Hall of Fame announcer that was the voice of summer. And the Hall of Fame person who has been, and will be, a model of serenity with God’s divine plan.
God clearly bestowed his spirit on Ernie Harwell. Would that he might do the same for us all.
September 20, 2009
A man huddles on a collapsed cardboard box at the top of a local I-94 exit ramp. Overgrown beard, shabby clothes, and a vacant, defeated look in his eyes, he is as familiar a feature at that exit as the stoplight, street signs and struggling business on the corner.
Another man, with a similar description – but without legs – sits in a wheelchair outside Comerica Park after most games, muttering incomprehensively to himself while a handful of departing fans drop a coin or two in his upside-down cap, usually trying to avoid eye contact.
These are faces one sees on a regular basis, depending on where our travels take us in the area. They’re the people we would just as soon write off to alcohol or drug addiction, irresponsible life choices, or some other circumstance that, we are quite sure, make them radically different from us. And most certainly not our responsibility.
But in many ways, these are the children Jesus refers to in today’s gospel, when he tells his 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.”
“Children” such as these, God’s children all, are part of our daily lives. Kids. The mentally ill. The physically challenged. Homebound seniors. The destitute. Regardless of their respective life stories, they all share one thing in common – the absolute necessity for someone else to reach out if their needs are to be met. Someone to wrap their arms around them, literally or figuratively, as Jesus does the child.
And here’s the Good News!
We can choose to be that someone. We can actively choose this week not to ask for what St. James refers to in the second reading as “our passions,” but to ask instead for the opportunity and empathy to “receive” one of God’s children in some meaningful way.
Not to approach God with an “I want,” but to respond instead, when He gives us the opportunity, with an “I will.”
September 13, 2009
Bad news bombards us daily, week in and week out, year in and year out, a constant reminder of life’s challenges.
Across the country and around the world, war and hurricanes, rabid terrorism and rampant materialism are in the headlines. Right here in southeast Michigan, joblessness and budget deficits, upside-down mortgages and downside-up crime rates are daily realities.
But God’s Word speaks to us too, week in and week out, year in and year out.
That’s the Good News. And, believe it or not, it’s all around us.
It’s easy to hear about Michigan’s $2.7 billion budget deficit and feel despair. It’s easy to read about the growing problem of homelessness in our area and not care. It’s all too human to ask, in the midst of everything: Where’s God?
The answer is: right there in the middle of everything. For it is in the midst of the suffering that we have the best opportunities – to reach out to others, to forgive, to serve, to pray, to act. To answer in our own way, each day, the question asked by St. James in today’s second reading: “What good is it if someone says he has faith but does not have works?”
That is the purpose of this weekly reflection. To see and hear, in the very midst of the troubles of the day, some of the countless ways the Lord may be speaking to us.
Peter today is blest with the wisdom and faith to see Jesus as the Christ. Moments later, Peter tries to resist Jesus’ teaching that He will suffer and be rejected. Jesus reminds him, and all of us, that whoever wishes to follow Him must take up their cross.
How do we do that in 2009? By remembering that there is opportunity even amid the ravages of war and disaster, homelessness and heartache, to love and serve the Lord.
And to remember that there is, after all, Good News, even in bad headlines.
