A PERFECT PRAYER FOR JUST ABOUT ANYBODY

 

"YES, I HAVE BEEN OUT LOOKING ALL OVER FOR YOU!"

The Lord takes delight in his people.

Psalm 149:4

If you were to die today and you stood before the gates of heaven and you were asked this one simple question test to see whether you got in or not, could you answer that one simple question? Here is that question. “Who does God love?” 

Well, if you are not sure, I am going to give you the correct answer. Pope Leo gave us the answer on the balcony when he was first presented to the world over a year ago. It is so simple, yet unbelievably astounding! Who does God love? ‘He loves everybody – everybody – and he loves us without condition!’ I have been preaching those words for most of my priesthood so I almost came out of my chair with delight when he said it! Yes, I was both shocked and relieved!  

One of the parables that most brings this point home to me is the parable of the vineyard workers. The parable of the “Vineyard Workers” is enough to make wine growers all over the world cringe! This parable is not an instruction on to operate a profitable vineyard. If you followed this example, you would be broke in no time! No, it’s a story about how God treats us, a story about God’s unbelievable generosity! For Jesus, the whole purpose of this parable is to shock in order to teach! This parable is insane, according to human thinking, but that’s the whole point of the parable.

Those who had “worked all day in the sun” were the religious authorities. Those “hour before quitting time” workers were the “tax collectors and sinners,” those who felt unworthy in God’s eyes, the simple people who followed Jesus!  You can imagine how both groups reacted when they heard the punch line, “Give them all a full day’s pay!”  “Give them all a full day’s pay!”

This message is very close to the message of another parable, the one we call the Parable of the Prodigal Son. In that story, the father loves both his sons, the one who stayed home and followed all the rules, as well as the one who strayed away and got down with the pigs! The message is simple: God loves all his children, not matter what they have done or failed to do!

The tax collectors, sinners and rejects were delirious with joy when they heard that message! The Scribes and Pharisees, who taught that God’s love depended on people’s behaviors, were outraged.

One of the worst things to happen to the church was when it started to “conditionalize” this “good news” and started teaching people that God loves you when you are good, quits loving you when you are bad and starts loving you again when you shape up!  It is not uncommon to hear some religious people tone down the “good news” because it is “too dangerous.” I was often criticized at the Cathedral by them when I welcomed home hundreds of fallen away Catholics by preaching this message. Their worst nightmare is that if people really believed the message of the parables and the church really taught it, all hell would break loose! People would start doing any damned thing they wanted! That’s the same thing that worried the Scribes and Pharisees. In reality, the opposite was true in Jesus’ day and the opposite is true in ours! People’s lives are transformed by that message! They are converted by this message! This message inspires them to love others the same way they have been loved by God – friends and enemies alike!  

What do you believe? Are you one of those people who still believes that God pays us with love depending how many hours we have loved him? Are you one of those people who still believes that God turns his love on and off depending what we do or fail to do?  If you are, really listen to the message of the parables. If it sounds too good to be true, then you have gotten the message! God’s incredible unconditional love does sound too good to be true, but the fact of the matter is, it is true! “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us!” He didn’t die for us as a reward for our shaping up! While we were still sinners, he died for us!

 

 

 

 

 

YES! "FAKING IT TILL YOU MAKE IT" CAN STRENGTHEN ONE'S FAITH

 

“When the eleven remaining disciples saw Jesus after his resurrection, they worshiped even as they doubted.”

Matthew 28:16-20

One of the things that happens when you read the Bible on a regular basis, like I am required to do, is that even familiar passages are always speaking to you in new ways. It happened again a couple of years ago when I read today’s text from the gospel of Matthew that I had read many times. It is the story after the resurrection and right before Jesus' ascension into heaven. That was the first time I clearly noticed the words, “When the eleven remaining disciples saw Jesus after his resurrection, they worshiped even as they doubted.”

“They worshiped Jesus even when they doubted?” That’s pretty much the opposite of what we do. When we doubt, we quit worshiping. We assume that worshiping is only for believers. People, in our experience, who doubt quit worshiping! So why would these disciples worship Jesus, if they had doubts about Him? Why would the writer even include their doubts in the story?

The first thing many people assume about faith is that doubt is the opposite of faith. Not true! Honest doubt is not the opposite of faith. There is faith even in honest doubt.  Honest doubt is actually an integral part of faith. When Matthew tells us that the disciples “worshipped even when they doubted,” he wants us to know this basic principle: honest doubt was part of the faith, even for those who were closest to Jesus.

The stories that we have been reading since Easter are a mixture of faith and doubt. The disciples are presented as very skeptical about Mary Magdalen’s report about seeing Jesus alive on that first Easter Sunday. Thomas, flat-out refused to believe until he saw Jesus with his own eyes and touched Jesus with his own hands.  On the road to Emmaus, other disciples were astounded by the report of Jesus being seen alive and did not recognize him walking right beside them on the road. Even after many reports, even after having seen him themselves, they worshipped, even as they doubted. Yes, the message is simple: faith is never black and white, all or nothing, but always mixed with a good measure of healthy doubt.  Doubt does not necessarily mean you don’t have faith. Doubt probably means that you do have faith!

“They worshiped, even as they doubted.”  The bigger question than whether doubt is part of faith, is what do you do when you doubt. Many, when they doubt, think they should absent themselves from prayer and worship until faith returns or becomes strong again. They say to themselves, “It is hypocritical for me to pretend to believe when I really don’t believe. When I start believing again, when my faith is strong again, then it will make sense for me to start praying and worshipping again.” That may sound good, even reasonable, but that’s not how it works! The story of the doubting St. Thomas has a lot to teach us. Thomas says in today's gospel, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” Even in his doubt, Thomas did was pretty much the opposite of what we do when we have doubts. He kept going back to the community. When we doubt, we quit joining the community. We assume that joining the faith community is only for those who believe, for those without doubt. People, in our experience, who doubt quit joining the worshiping community! Not St. Thomas! He kept joining them, even when he doubted, until he believed!

As the doubting disciples teach us today, what really works is for us to worship even when we doubt, to worship until we believe.  Like a coal, pulled away from a heap of burning coals, that soon loses its heat, a doubter separated from the community of believers soon loses even more of his faith. A faith community strengthens faith and a doubting community strengthens doubt.

“They worshipped, even as they doubted.”  This may be yet another version of the great truth: “fake it till you make it.” Even though Alcoholics Anonymous made that idea famous, it actually goes back to the ancient Roman poet, Ovid who said, “Pretend to what is not, and then you’ll become in truth, what you are pretending to be.”  The great philosopher William James put it this way, “Act as if and the mind will produce your desire.” The idea is, if you take something that feels impossible, or at least completely unnatural, and pretend that it is the easiest, most natural things on the world for you to be doing, eventually, it will become as easy as you have been pretending it to be!

I practice this often in my own life. (1) As many of you know from me talking about my history, I grew up pretty much crippled by bashfulness. Bashful people find it painful to be in public situations. To cope, they are driven to avoid public situations as much as possible. This is a sure way to keep bashfulness going. The solution is to get out in public as much as possible, faking confidence, until one day you wake up and find out that you are no longer bashful.  The only way out of the fear of public speaking is to “fake it till you make it,” to do public speaking until you are no longer afraid to speak in front of crowds.  You cannot think your way out of bashfulness, you have to act your way out of bashfulness. (2) When I was sent against my will to southeastern Kentucky as a newly ordained priest, somehow, I was able to open my mind to “faking it till I made it.” I decided, since I did not get what I wanted, I would act as if I wanted what I got until I was able to really want what I got. It worked. Those ten years were wonderful years in many, many ways. I “acted as if” it was a great assignment until it actually became a great assignment.        

"They worshiped, even as they doubted.”  My friends, all of us have a good measure of doubt, even as we believe. The secret to making sure that the scales do not tip too far to the doubt side, is to keep joining the community like St. Thomas, to act as if we believe until we believe, to pray our way out of doubt, to worship until we “feel like worshiping.” So, when you are tempted to drop out because “I don’t get anything out of it” or “I’m not into it today,” that is when you really need to get into it! That is when you really need to act as if you are getting something out of it until you do get something out of it!  Yes, even believers sometimes have to “fake it till they make it.”   

Today, on May 17, 2070, I celebrated my "First Mass!"

I am very grateful for the last 56 years of priesthood.

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHURCH CHAT #28

CELEBRATING MY 56th PRIESTHOOD ANNIVERSARY  

Peter's walk on water is how I have felt most of the time, from the start until now! 

AGE 14

IN SEPTEMBER 1958, I LEFT FOR THE SEMINARY 

GETTING READY TO GO TO THE CATHEDRAL FOR ORDINATION TO PRIESTHOOD 

May 16, 1970

Age 26

ACTUAL ORDINATION TO THE PRIESTHOOD

May 16, 1970

Age 26

56 YEARS ORDAINED AND HOLDING

82 YEARS OLD

April 28, 2026

A BEAUTIUL PRAYER FOR GROWING OLD GRACEFULLY

 

 FOR A LITTLE OF MY FAVORITE HUMOR ABOUT GETTING OLD 

click on the arrow, expand to larger screen and turn up the volume 

TO GIVE THANKS FOR WHAT YOU HAVE OR JUST TO ASK FOR MORE?

 WHY DO YOU GO TO SUNDAY MASS?

"Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.”

John 6:22-29

I often hear people say, “I don’t go to church because I don’t get anything out of it!” Like the people in the gospel today who pursued Jesus because they wanted more free bread, they go to church so that God will give them more, not to give God thanks for what they have already received! 

At the beginning of each week, we gather on Sunday to celebrate the “Eucharist.” That word is Greek for “giving thanks.” Many people do not understand that the first purpose of celebrating the Eucharist is to give thanks for what one has already received before asking for more! Meister Eckhart, the 12-13th century theologian, philosopher and mystic said it best. “If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.”

"If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough." This simple yet profound quote by Meister Eckhart carries a deep message about gratitude and its significance in our lives. In its straightforward interpretation, the quote emphasizes the transformative power of expressing gratitude.  Gratitude is a vital aspect of our well-being that often goes unnoticed or taken for granted. It allows us to acknowledge and appreciate the blessings and positive experiences in our lives. Expressing gratitude not only enhances our overall happiness and satisfaction but also cultivates a sense of contentment and fulfillment within us. It is a reminder to recognize the goodness that surrounds us, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. It reminds us, like the gospel today teaches us, that there greater and higher spiritual realities than our daily physical needs.

Beyond the surface level understanding of Eckhart's quote lies an unexpected spiritual concept – the interconnectedness of gratitude and selflessness. Gratitude, in its purest form, requires us to step outside of ourselves and recognize the contributions and kindness of others. It shifts our focus from our own desires and needs, creating space for appreciation and genuine gratitude for the world around us. At its core, gratitude is a radical act of humility and recognition of interdependence. When we express gratitude, we acknowledge that we are not alone in our journey and that we rely on the support and benevolence of others. It encourages a shift from an individualistic mindset to a more collective perspective, fostering empathy and compassion in our interactions with others.

In contrast, the modern world often promotes an attitude of entitlement and self-centeredness, which can hinder our ability to cultivate gratitude. Society bombards us with messages telling us that we need more to be happy, leading to an insatiable desire for material possessions and success. This mindset creates a void that can never truly be filled, as it focuses on what we lack rather than what we have. Choosing to embrace gratitude as a way of life challenges this narrative. It invites us to pause and appreciate the blessings we may have taken for granted. It invites us to find joy in the small moments, to be present in the here and now, and to develop a sense of awe and wonder for the world around us.