The Bucket List

Since the movie about a couple of old geezers trying to get in all that they could before their deaths hit the big screen, Bucket Lists have been a big thing. A lot of people are coming up with lists of activities that they wish to accomplish before they die. I even overheard a kindergartener in the school lunchroom say to a friend, "That's on my bucket list!" Now, honestly, I did not hear the context of the conversation that the friends were having. They could have been talking about being able to spell their names or making it to first grade. But, why would a kindergartener want to ever think about things that they would want to do before they "kick the bucket"?

In a way, a similar scene is painted for us in this weekend's Gospel parable. Jesus tells the story of two sons who are asked by their dad to work on the farm for him. One says, "No can do, Pops!" The other says, "I'll be right there!" The one who said he would work never showed. The naysayer, instead, rethinks his decision and then helps his father. Jesus gets His listeners to make the connection between saying you're faithful and actually being faithful. Some of the Pharisees and other religious leaders were good and talking about their faith, and even insisting that others practice their religion. They were also very good at not following through on their words. They had a list of things that faithful folks should do while they were still alive. But, seemed only to be concerned about the list of religious commands when it applied to how others were living them, or when it made them look better in others' eyes.

Today we are being called to be people of our word. As baptized folk we are brothers and sisters to everyone else made in the image and likeness of God. Do we treat them as brothers and sisters made in the divine image? All of them? Do we treat ourselves like we are made in His image and as temples of the Holy Spirit? Do we say we are faithful people but make up excuses and rationalizations about why we shouldn't have to tell the truth, respect the property of others, keep the Sabbath holy, be chaste, etc.? Are virtuous things and activities that can deepen our faith or serve God and others on our personal bucket lists? Do we have a course set as to how to accomplish them? Are we sticking to that course?

I'm sure, like me, you have successes and failures in all of these regards and goals. Some days I am very good at being the Catholic Christian man that I profess (in fact am ordained) to be. Some days I am pitifully miserable. The good news about this weekend's Gospel parable is that the son who at first failed is the one who is commended by Jesus. He did the will of the father after first saying no to him.

God is a God of second, third, fourth and more chances. He never tires of forgiving us and asking us to try again please. And while we may have God's concerns, commands, and people on the periphery of our bucket lists, we are certainly on His bucket list (though He will never "kick the bucket"). He loves us and wants us to be with Him for eternity.

Peace,
Fr. Chuck

" Why, That's Not Fair!"

Children, especially young children, know the injustice of a double standard very well. Some may want to get away with telling a fib or fighting with a sister or brother, but they are never okay when one of their peers seem to get preferential treatment. If Sally gets three chocolate no bake cookies, and Johnny only gets two no bakes, then the highest of all unjust crimes has been committed. If there is only one Snickers bar, and mom cuts it in two parts, there is no way that she is going to get it satisfactorily equal for both children. No Way!

This Sunday's gospel parable is about a God with a double standard. Jesus illustrates His Father's Mercy and Love by telling His detractors about a workplace situation. Workers were hired by the farm owner at different times during the day to work on his farm. Some worked as many as twelve hours. Some worked only an hour or two. At the end of the day all were paid for a full days work whether or not they had worked the full day. This caused the workers who had worked the whole day to scream, "Unfair!" Why should the ones who worked a short time be paid the same as the ones who slaved for hours in the field? More importantly for those who seemed slighted, why shouldn't they have been paid more than the agreed upon amount? The landowner replies that he has not cheated them. He gave them a fair and agreed upon wage. He also reminds them that he is free to do what he wishes with his money. It is his choice to be as generous to the short timers as he is to those who have worked all day long.

This makes sense to us, I hope. We can understand it in our head very well. But have you ever been miffed that someone with a questionable reputation walks up the aisle and receives Communion ahead of you?  Or, the homosexual couple that seem to be perfectly okay with attending and participating in the Mass? Or, why do families that only come participate in the parish minimally while their children attend the parish school also get the same rate of tuition (or less), the same preference for when their children receive First Communion, etc. or the same "right" to play on the basketball team as your children who play by the rules and are parishioners even during the summer?

Yes, even we adults are shaken by double standards at times. Double standards in the Church and by God upset us all. Why do faithless people win the lottery? How come the guy that steps on peoples' backs got the envied job promotion? Why are the poor always poor, with little chance to improve? Does God show favorites?

When it comes to Mercy and Love God is exceedingly generous to all. When anyone sincerely asks for forgiveness, God is quick to forgive. God listens to the prayers of sinners and saints. God loves and knows every single human being personally and intimately. We are all made in the image and likeness of our God. God is also free to be generous to all.

When it comes to us, we are called to imitate God's Mercy and Love. Some of the problems we have with the Church is because She is trying to imitate God in those ways. Are we perfect as a Church? No Way! But we, as the Body of Christ on Earth, must always strive to imitate the Love and Mercy of God, especially as shown to us by His Son, Jesus Christ.

So, since God's ways are bigger than our ways, we may not know why some are at the Lord's Table that "shouldn't" be. Our role is to accept and welcome as God does. It is always safest to assume that God and the "Johnny come lately" Christians have had their issues worked out. (And we know what happens when we ASSUME otherwise.)

Imitating God's Mercy and Love are the most challenging parts of being Christ's disciples. We may never be perfect at it but our calling to Love and spread Mercy are always there. There is one sure thing about anything regarding our discipleship, however. We will never get any better at loving and being merciful as God is unless we start practicing it.

peace,
Fr. Chuck

Lift High the Cross!

The most painful and gruesome way to ever be executed was crucifixion. Usually the "criminal" was "softened up" by beating and whipping, so that hanging to die on the cross would be even more painful. Nails were hammered into their hands or wrists and their ankles or feet to support their whole body weight. "Criminals" would try to support themselves for as long as they could by putting all of their weight on their ankles or feet. When they were in this position they could breathe. But, as you may be able to imagine, the pain from all of one's weight pressed upon one's feet with nails in them was excruciating. So, the "criminal" would drop to take the pain off of their feet or ankles for a while. Then all of their weight and most of the pain would be transferred to their wrists and hands. The trouble was, that hanging by ones hands and arms would close off their windpipe and their lungs and they would begin to suffocate. In order to catch their breath they would have to push themselves up again by their feet. This circuit of unbearable pain would continue until the "criminal" could no longer push themselves up by their feet anymore. They would die by suffocation. Sometimes this process would last for more than a day. Sometimes, it would last only a few hours. Much of the time it took to die, depended on how much torture the "criminal" was made to endure before the nails were hammered into their joints and the cross was erected.

The most embarrassing way to die in public was the crucifix. Crucifixions were done near the most heavily traveled roads into town so that as many people as possible could see one die. Our crucifixes have Jesus wearing a loin cloth. It is most probable that Jesus and others who were crucified were hung to die naked. So, try to imagine being naked in front of every person coming into and leaving town for the most important religious holy day of the year. Also, try to imagine being naked and in unimaginable pain in front of thousands on religious pilgrims.

This pain and embarrassment was designed by the Romans to be painful and embarrassing on purpose. Crucifixion was enforced in order to send a message to the public; "If you try to do what this criminal did, then this will be your fate!"

This weekend we celebrate a very special feast, The Exaltation of the Cross. This feast is special not because of the pain and embarrassment that Jesus Christ had to go through in order to die. This feast is special because of WHY He chose to go through this horrible pain and embarrassment. He chose to show us how much He and His Father loves us and how much he wants to show us His and His Father's mercy.

The Cross of Jesus Christ is exalted as a symbol of Love Divine.

Each one of us is invited today and this week to thank God for the lengths He has gone to show us His Love Divine. And of course the most effective way to show appreciation for God's love is to try to imitate His Love and Mercy in our own lives to the people in our lives and in our world who need to know and see it.

peace,
Fr. Chuck

"You Complete Me!"

Saint John Paul II used to tell the story that he had heard about the author Jonathan Swift. Swift was traveling, got up one morning and asked his servant to get his boots for him. When the servant returned, the boots were still covered with yesterday's dust and mud. Swift complained that the boots were still dirty. The man asserted, "What's the point of cleaning them? They'll be dusty and muddy again after just a few miles down the road." Jonathan Swift answered, "Very well! Then get the horse and let's be on our way." "Without breakfast?!" objected the servant. "What's the point of breakfast? In a few miles we will be hungry again!" answered Swift.

The old saying says that cleanliness is next to Godliness! When it comes to being willing to forgive and saying, "I'm sorry and want your forgiveness."; cleanliness is Godliness. That is what the readings tell us this weekend. Forgiveness is the proof that love is real and that love is from God. God is present when forgiveness happens.

Forgiveness is also hard. It is both hard to forgive and to ask for forgiveness. In order to forgive someone well (and to seek forgiveness from another) we have to let go of our egos and abandon ourselves to the mercy of another. Dropping our defenses so much is especially difficult in this culture of egotism that we live in.

If you remember last week's gospel reading, Jesus tells His disciples that He is going to die for us in order to save us. He also tells us and them that if we want to be His disciples then we have to deny ourselves and carry our crosses. Denying our self is loving God and others fully. Denying our self is where we learn to forgive and be forgiven. Yet trusting God and another enough to forgive and be forgiven is the only way to be a disciple.

As a priest, some of the most special times I have are praying with others and asking for God's forgiveness to be with them in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It is especially poignant when the "sinner" comes to the Sacrament knowing how much they need God to help them repair the damage they have done to their lives and/or  the lives of others. While they recognize that they may sin again, they get peace and cleansing by admitting their "sin" and trusting in God's forgiveness. In the Sacrament of Reconciliation a person allows themselves to be loved by God intimately.

Yet this Sacrament is the one that is the least appreciated and used. We love Communion. God feeds us with His Son. How much more intimate and loving can we get to God than that. And we know we need that. And in the Sacrament of the Eucharist there is an important reconciliation with God and others happening as well. After all, it is called Communion because we become in union with God, the Saints and the others around us and throughout the world because of this Sacrament.

The same Divine stuff is happening in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. In both Sacraments we have to recognize that we need God and others. We need to be whole and at peace. We need intimacy and belonging to an accepting loving family. In both Sacraments God fills our holes, our hungers and our needs. In the wonderful Sacrament of Reconciliation God repairs the broken bridges between us and others and Him. He brings us back to Communion with Him and others. Yes, we have to be vulnerable and humble and admit that we are not perfect and in need. BUT, the bonus is intimacy, peace and wholeness with God and others. 

Peace,
Fr. Chuck