A BEAUTIUL PRAYER FOR GROWING OLD GRACEFULLY

 

 FOR A LITTLE OF MY FAVORITE HUMOR ABOUT GETTING OLD 

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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.

 

 

ARE YOU HOPEFUL? CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHY TO PEOPLE WHO ASK?

 

Be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence.

I Peter 3:15-18 

I can remember exactly what she said!  “Why in the hell are you wasting your time in that stupid church?  I finally wised up and got out of that silliness a long time ago!  I can’t believe that anyone as intelligent as you appear to be is still a Catholic, much less a priest!”  I can remember her words almost word for word.  I stood there in freeze-frame as if I had been shot at close range waiting for the pain to register.  I was both shocked and embarrassed!

This situation is not made up.  It actually happened to me many  years ago at a reception after my ordination.  The young woman was in her thirties.  She was a college graduate and very aware of all that was going on around her.  When she saw that I did not turn and run, she proceeded to go through her, obviously well-rehearsed, litany of all that was wrong with churches in general and mine in particular.  She went w-a-a-a-a-y back!  She covered the Spanish Inquisition, the Crusades, Galileo, infallibility of the Pope, sexual repression of the masses, grade school child abuse, the slavery of women, dull Masses, trivial sermons, money grubbing TV preachers and Vatican finances.  I think I even got blamed for Tammy Faye’s make-up and hairdo!  I stood there squeezing the life out of my ginger ale, cringing as if being whipped as she went down her list!  My face was beet red!  My knees started to buckle.  I wanted to melt into the floor.

After the initial shock, I realized one day – after several days of worrying about it – that her tongue-lashing was actually good for me!  I was forced to admit that I hadn’t taken the time to think in depth about why I still believe!  I realized that I really hadn’t thought much about the “hope that is within me!”  I realized that I had not taken the time to really answer that question: “Why in the hell am I still in this less-than-perfect old church?”

It was not the only time I have been seriously challenged for being a Catholic.  When I worked in the home missions of our diocese, down along the Tennessee border, I was often challenged as the first Catholic priest to live in Wayne County!  I was attacked by name by a preacher on the radio.  The whole ministerial association was asked to leave the church we were meeting in after I showed up.  The host said he could “no longer in conscience” be part of the group “now that it had a Catholic in it!" He then asked all of us to leave his church! I had a Sunday morning radio program, but while I was away on vacation, a group of ministers went to the radio station and had me thrown of the air! I was once verbally attacked at the Post Office.  I was snubbed a couple of times in grocery stores, ignored in restaurants and tolerated at meetings simply because I was "one of those Catholics."

Those experiences have helped me answer that question - “the reason for my hope."  Besides that, some of my friends have been neither church members nor believers. All of them have asked tough questions.  It seems that I have been surrounded by people asking for an answer.  It’s about time, I thought, that I answered today’s question!

Be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence.

Those words from our first reading today, the First Letter of Peter, are unbelievably appropriate even today.  When they were first written, Christians were a despised minority.  They stood out like sore thumbs in a pagan culture.  Neighbors, friends and even family members had serious questions to ask.  Often those questions were asked in hate and anger.

It took guts to be different then, just as it does today.  The writer of the First Letter of Peter writes to encourage believers to stand their ground in the face of ridicule, rejection, persecution, and possible death!  “If you are questioned, give a decent answer,” he says “but give it gently and respectfully.”  “Even if you are defamed, libeled, abused or ignored, do not answer with hate.  If you have to suffer, at least you can say you suffered for being good.”

That young woman’s words are as fresh today as they were then.  The young woman at the party may have picked the wrong place, chose the wrong time and asked her question in bitterness, but her questions are valid.  “Why do I stay in a church with so many problems?  Why do I believe when so many people my age do not?  Why am I a Catholic, instead of a member of some less complicated denomination?  Why am I a priest when so many have left and so few are coming in?  When I saw the second reading today, I said to myself, “OK, today is your opportunity!  Tell the people why you believe, why you stay, and why you are hopeful!”

Let share with you, then, my five “reasons for the hope that is within me.”

 

REASON #1

GOD IS MADLY IN LOVE WITH THE HUMAN RACE

The only reason God broke into human history in the person of Jesus is that we were not getting the message – the message that God is madly in love with us.  Because we were not getting the message, God came in person! I cannot believe how many so-called “religious” people still wonder whether God loves them or not, people who worry about going to hell over trivialities, people who even cringe in fear at the name of God.  I cannot believe how so many so-called “religious” people wring their hands in anxiety about how the world is going to end – as if the outcome is still up for grabs!  When Jesus announced the Kingdom, he said that it would start growing quietly and almost imperceptibly, but it would keep growing until all evil was crowded out.  Jesus said that the battle between good and evil would meanwhile continue, yes!  Jesus said that evil would win many more battles, yes, but it would not win the war!  Jesus promised that the outcome had already been decided

So, my friends, as we face our set-backs, disappointments and losses, we must keep this good news in the back of our minds and remember it when we are discouraged.  I did not make this promise! Jesus did!  Because of that, I already know how things will finally turn out!  The victory over evil has already been decided!

REASON #2: 

 IF GOD HAD WANTED A PERFECT CHURCH, HE WOULDN’T HAVE PARTNERED WITH THE LIKES OF US!

The church is a gathering of people – real flesh-and-blood human beings, not angels!  Therefore, it is a mixture of the stupid and the wise, the silly and the serious, the gutless and the heroic, the vicious and the loving, the sinner and the saint.  There is no “them” and “us.”  There is a mixture of good and evil in each one of us.  It’s just a matter of degrees.  So, how can we get so upset about the splinters in our brothers’ and sisters’ eyes, when there is a plank in our own?  It has been that way from the very beginning.  Jesus knew that when he got involved with human beings, he was bound to get in trouble.  He did it anyway.  He did it on purpose.  He did it with forethought and deliberation.  He chose the weak, the idiot, the prostitute, the reject and the sinner on which to build his church.  He has been choosing the same types ever since.  Remember the words of Jesus, “Healthy people do not need the doctor, sick people do!” 

REASON #3

 I TRUST THE TEACHERS OF OUR CHURCH MORE THAN GRADUATES OF SOME TALK-SHOW SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY OR SOME KNOW-IT-ALL ON FACEBOOK

I am happy the church is not controlled by what is trendy and what most people think.  It both speaks to the modern world and listens to it! For that, it can both stand up to the world and take some heat from the world!  Even when I disagree with its conclusions sometimes, I am proud of the struggle it is making to renew itself and deal with a gamut of complicated problems that face the world today.  That renewal is messy, uneven and confusing, but at least it is not putting its head in the sand! We are not just some new denomination. we are a universal, world-side, ancient church wrapping around the globe!  Because we are a world-wide church, change takes time and patience if we want to stay unified! No, our church does not have answers for everything! Yes, it is a mess sometimes! However, I choose to stay like St. Peter, who asked Jesus when a bunch of his followers walked away, “To whom else shall we go?”

REASON #4 

WE ARE NOT IN THIS ALONE AND BY OURSELVES

Before Jesus left this earth, he said this to us, his church: “Do not be afraid. I will not leave you orphaned!  I will give you the Holy Spirit as your Helper, to be with you always!  He remains with you and will be within you!”  We, you and I, received that Spirit when we became members of the church.  We still have that Helper always.  With that assurance, there is no reason to lose hope!  We are invited to help the Kingdom come, but we are not responsible alone for making it come! God is!  So let us concentrate on doing our very best, forgiving each other when we don’t and quit worrying as if it were our responsibility to control the world! With the power of God within us, there is no reason to lose hope.  There is, on the contrary, every reason to have hope!

REASON #5

 OUR ONLY OBSTACLES ARE LACK OF FAITH, LACK OF GUTS, AND LACK OF IMAGINATION.

The world has many problems and I believe the only thing that stands in the way of solving them is our fear and our failure to believe the “Good News,” that “blessed assurance” that everything ultimately is going to be okay.  If we really believe that God is on our side, that God is madly in love with us and that God has seen to it that the end will be wildly festive, then the only thing that stands in the way of dealing with the world as it is, is lack of nerve and a shortage of guts to stay in the struggle.  If we really believe the basic “good news,” we will hang in there no matter what.  If we don’t believe what Jesus promised, there are a million good reasons to quit and any of them will do!

Much ranting and raving about the church is done by people who still equate the church solely with its leaders. When we do that, every problem is the responsibility of somebody “up there” to fix!  We are the church and we will go on no matter how weak and rigid our leaders might be! The validity of the message has never depended on the goodness of our leaders! We are individually called to fidelity no matter how many other so-called believers jump ship!

These are a few of the reasons I have hope.  In the end, the church is a lot like my old grandma.  She had a wart on her nose.  She was a little rigid and cranky.  She was not perfect, but I loved her.  I didn’t love her in spite of her short-comings, I loved her because she had problems.  You know, my grandma, my church, and me have one thing in common.  We’re not perfect, but we are certainly "good enough" for God!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHURCH CHAT #27

 

 

SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I LEAVE?

Many of his disciples no longer accompanied him, so Jesus asked, "Do you want to leave too?" Simon Peter answered   him, saying, "Master, to whom would we go?"

John 6:60-69

Many people tell me that I'm nuts for being a Catholic priest. I hadn't been ordained but a day when the first person came out of nowhere to challenge me on this. I have told this story before, but it immediately came to mind when I read this gospel. It happened at one of the receptions, following my first Mass.

I was standing there in my new black suit and Roman collar - a little proud of myself - when all of a sudden, a stranger approached me and stuck a pin in my balloon. "I can’t imagine anyone as intelligent as you seem to be would still be a Catholic, must less become a priest! I got out of all that craziness a long time ago!"

I stood there, shocked, like I had been shot at close range as she went down her well-rehearsed list of things wrong with the Church.  When she finished, she disappeared into the crowd, never to be heard from again - at least that is what I thought.

Like me, St. Peter must have been challenged many times about his decision to stay that day, when so many others walked away because of Jesus teaching on the "bread of life" because he writes many years later, in the first of his two letters, "Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence." (I Peter 3:15,16) When I am challenged, I try to follow his advice.

That first happened when I was 26. I am now 82.  At 82, I agree wholeheartedly with Peter. "To whom would I go?" I have been offered a lot of so-called alternatives, I recognized more problems in our Church than most of them, but I can say this much in all honesty. I haven't seen anything yet that I would trade all this for! 

I served as a chaplain at Bellarmine for 14 years. One of the most important questions facing those youth going in their young adulthood was "Why do you stay in the Church?" Why do you choose to remain Catholic, when so many others your age were walking away? I am sure many of them had been challenged seriously, maybe even in an angry way.

Well, I used to remind them, every once in a while, that I was not "assigned" there by the bishop. I didn't have to be there. I had plenty of other jobs - too many jobs, in fact. But I wanted to be there and I choose to do that because I wanted to help to give them, and those who questioned them, reasons to stay in the Church so that they did not "walk away,” or worse, just "drift away." 

I volunteered to do Sunday Masses to help give them reasons "to stay in the Church." I volunteered because I wanted to help them move from an inherited faith, to a personal faith. There are many people today who claim they want to be "spiritual, but not religious." Archbishop Dolan of New York described them this way, "They want to believe without belonging. They want to be sheep without a shepherd. They want to be part of a family, but they want to be an only child."  The fact of the matter is that Jesus founded a church on Peter, one of those who did not walk away, and Jesus promised that "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" and that he would "be with it always, until the end of time."  The truth of the matter is, we are not individually children of God, we are God's family with many siblings and as a family we are called to be our brother’s and sister’s keepers.

By the way, the woman who challenged me fifty-six years ago contacted me a couple of years back to apologize and to tell me that she had returned to the Church and was absolutely loving it for the first time in her life. As that great "theologian," Yogi Berra put it, "It ain't over till it's over."  

 

ARE YOU BORN AGAIN? ALL AT ONCE OR GRADUALLY OVER TIME?

Jesus said to Nicodemus, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless one is born from above, he cannot see the Kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man once grown old be born again? Surely, he cannot reenter his mother's womb and be born again, can he?"

John 3:1-8

Are you saved? Have you been “born again?’ Have you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior? If you really want to make a Catholic squirm and sweat and doubt their religious upbringing, just corner one and rattle off that set of questions!  

 

When I worked in the Bible Belt, down in the southern part of the state, Catholics, including myself, were often bombarded with those questions. More than one Catholic was left confused and bewildered. Their counterparts could date the precise hour they were “saved,” while Catholics stood there puzzled and confused. 

 

Today’s gospel gives us a perfect opportunity to talk about these questions. To be “born again,” does one have to have dramatic, certain and dated experience or can one grow toward God in an extended process, sometimes without a clear beginning and end?

 

Many of our fundamentalist brothers and sisters look to the Apostle Paul as their hero and ideal. His conversion experience was dramatic and decisive. It was a shattering, clearly memorable confrontation with the person of Christ on the road to Damascus when he was on his way to hunt down Christians and kill them. After this dramatic u-turn in his life, he fanatically embraced and defended what he had recently persecuted and attacked. His conversion experience was so dramatic that the story is retold three times in the Acts of the Apostles and referred to three more times in various New Testament Letters. 

 

Paul’s emphasis on personal-individual faith, his emphasis on a dateable dramatic decision and evangelistic zeal have become the prototype and model of Christian conversion, especially for fundamentalist Christian groups.

 

Roman Catholic Christians, while respecting Paul’s experience, look to the Apostle Peter as their hero and model. Peter’s experience was very different. In one gospel passage, Peter does in fact make his profession of faith, but like many of us, it is the climax of a long and gradual insight into who Jesus was.

 

Even though some would like to suggest that everybody has to have a definite conversion experience that can be dated, the New Testament does not suggest a single stereotype for an authentic Christian conversion experience. Nicodemus, for example, who triggered the discussion with Jesus about what it means to be “born again” is an ambiguous illustration of conversion. We do not know whether Jesus persuaded Nicodemus or not. All we know is that he turned up to help out at the burial of Jesus.

 

Roman Catholics have often dismissed as silly emotionalism the dramatic and decisive conversions of fundamentalists, while fundamentalists have often dismissed the long and gradual conversions of Catholic believers. The fact is, the church has always welcomed both kinds of conversion experiences.