"MOVING FORWARD WITH OUR LIVES"

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)

Readings: 1 Kings 19:16b, 19-21; Galatians 5:1, 13-18; Luke 9:51-62

Sometimes Jesus says very strange things. He leaves us wondering what he means. Those who make it their life’s work studying the Scriptures often come up with more questions than they do answers. Today’s gospel passage is one of those difficult ones. What are we to do with it? Of what benefit can the average person find in it for everyday life? We certainly don’t want to miss out on its value. We don’t want to misread it and come up with an understanding that might not be good for us. Maybe we could just forget it and pass over it. But if we do that with everything we find difficult in life we’ll miss out on a lot. So, bear with me, and let’s think about some of what Luke tells us that Jesus said and see what good we might be able to find in it.

As they (that’s the disciples and Jesus) were making their way along, someone said to him, “I will be your follower wherever you go.” Jesus said to him, “The foxes have lairs, the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”

That’s easy enough to understand. Jesus and anyone who wished to tag along with him didn’t have any special place to stay each night. They were always “on the road” and wherever nightfall found them, that’s where they slept. They were more uncertain of where they were going to bed down than many of the animals — Jesus mentioned foxes and birds. What’s that got to do with us?

You’re a follower of Christ. But you have a home, don’t you? Like the foxes and birds you have your home, your lair and nest to sleep in every night. At least I hope you do. (If you don’t, see me after Mass.) Priests and nuns are followers of Christ too. And even though they get moved around a lot, most of them are sure of a place to live and sleep. So what can we get out of this?
How about our need for faith and trust and confidence? If we want to join Christ and be counted among his followers, we are going to have to believe that to listen to Christ and to live according to his teachings will provide much more warmth and security for us than the best built house in the world. We must learn to value Christ above and beyond all the material lovelies this world has to offer. We are to put our trust in him first, not in the world. He is the one who will take care of us. If we lost our homes, our money and our friends, Christ will still be with us. Make your home in him; lay your head upon his lap.

Let’s go on with our reading. This next part is more difficult. To another man, Jesus said:“Come after me.” The man replied. “Let me bury my father first.” Jesus said to him. “Let the dead bury their dead;come away and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

Now that is puzzling. Jesus certainly can’t be telling us not to bury those who are dead, can he? What about those corporal works of mercy we were always taught to carry out? We all remember at least two of them: Visit the sick and bury the dead! Is Jesus doing away with burying the dead? Of course not.

He’s telling us to move forward with our lives. In spite of the death of loved ones we are to continue living actively and fully. We are not to allow sadness and grief to paralyze us. We are never to permit discouragement to take command of our lives because our hopes and dreams get shattered and broken, whether because of someone’s death or because we’ve failed at something. We are not to give up trying to improve this world and the lives of the people in it. Never become like the living dead who still walk around but do nothing, who only watch while others work. “Don’t lie down with the dead,” Jesus says, “but get up and live!”

A part of that living, of course, requires the burying of our dead. We are to honor and remember them; we should pray for them. But we must trust them to the care of those many other people who have died and gone to heaven. They are taking care of our loved ones now - they and God. I believe Jesus also meant his remark, “Let the dead bury their dead,” to console us. He wants us to trust our loved ones into the company of the saints. They will take care of them while we get back to the business of living our lives and doing our work until we join them. We are to look forward like Jesus tells this next person who wants to follow him.

PUT YOUR HAND TO THE PLOWAnother person said to Jesus: “I will be your follower, Lord,but first let me take leave of my people at home.” Jesus answered him, “Whoever puts his hand to the plow but keeps looking back is unfit for the reign of God.”

Is Jesus telling this enthusiastic person not to say goodbye to his family, to just disappear and leave them worrying? Only leaders of non—caring religious cults would tell their followers to do that. Jesus is saying that anyone who makes the decision to live according to his ways, to follow him through life, to really be Christian must mean it and not look back with longing for any old, sinful pleasures. Those things must be left in the past; we should not even allow ourselves to play around with sinful thoughts and fantasies. Like the farmer who wants to get the entire field plowed goes forward in spite of rocks and roots, aches and pains, heat and exhaustion, and a desire to be back sitting on his porch sipping a cool drink, we must stick with our choice of living according to the teachings of Christ until we become like him no matter what tries to discourage and stop us.

That’s a little of what we might get out of today’s gospel. I’m sure you can find other things meant especially for you. Jesus is saying that to follow him is the most important thing in life. Nothing should be allowed to interfere with that. Does he mean we should drop everything, leave everybody, go into seclusion and think about him only and always? No! We are to carry out whatever our positions in life require — as parent, student, executive, laborer, or whatever. We are to be responsible and do everything well. Do everything as you believe Christ wants you to. That’s what will really put you on the road of life with Jesus Christ.

GOD'S WORK IS NEVER DONE

SATURDAY, 30 JUNE 2007
Reading: Matthew 8:5-17

Jesus cured the centurion’s serving boy, Peter’s mother-in—law, and expelled evil spirits from many people who were possessed. That was pretty good for one day’s work. What do you suppose he has already done and will still do for you today?

We do not get to see Christ in the flesh like the people of those early New Testament times were privileged to do. But we can be sure he is just as close to us as he was to them. We can feel certain that he is doing for us as many things as he did for them. God’s work is never done. From the moment he created, God took upon himself the obligation of saving us from our mistakes and from any evil that we willingly permit to come upon ourselves.

We need strong faith to believe that. Like the centurion we need faith greater than that which Jesus found in the people of Israel. God wanted us to see the love and concern he is daily carrying out for us in our lives. So he sent his Son to be visibly one of us and live with us. Reading about what he did, and remembering it, we can become more awake to the reality of what God is doing now - today - for each of us.

Jesus Christ is fulfilling for you what Isaiah the prophet said of him: “It was our infirmities he bore, our sufferings he endured.” May you believe that. It is really happening - in your life - for you - right now.

"TWO GREATS AMONG THE APOSTLES"

FRIDAY, 29 JUNE 2007
Readings: 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17; Matthew 16:12, 15-16

Peter and Paul get equal billing today. We think of them as the Two Greats among the apostles.
Peter was made the first Pope; Paul was the first official missionary among the Gentiles. They spent the major part of their adult lives in the service of the Church. It was a hard job, filled with obstacles, pain, and many failures. But also joys, celebrations, and much thankfulness. They witnessed and played a large part in God’s establishment of the true Faith on earth. It may have been difficult for them to see much success in their efforts, what the lasting effects would be, but they stuck with it to the end, not only keeping the Faith but spreading it.

You might wonder what good and lasting effects your life is accomplishing. It might seem ordinary to you, taken up largely with the same daily problems and routine that most people have. No powerful position of authority like Peter had for making decisions that deeply affect the lives of thousands, no long journeys like Paul took to convert the world. What is it you do anyhow?

By your coming to Mass, you show others that you believe in a life beyond this one, in a God who takes care of us everyday, in Jesus Christ who died and rose so that we might live forever. You take home with you, and to wherever you go, some of the likeness and ways of Christ. By the way you handle normal problems, carry out daily routine, and talk with other people, you are spreading faith in God and likeness to Christ that can affect not only those who know and observe you, but generations of people who will be influenced by those you affect.

Peter and Paul changed the lives of many to the better. I believe you are doing that too.

THINK BEFORE DECIDING

THURSDAY, 28 JUNE 2007
Reading: Genesis 16:1-12, 15-16

It seems that Abraham’s wife, Sara, was unable to have children. So she told him to have one with her maid. He did, much to his own grief. Sara made his life and the life of her maid and child miserable from that time on. It seems Sara changed her mind after getting her husband to do her bidding.

There are lots of ways these days that childless couples are having children. Maybe someday it will be possible by computer or over the telephone. But it is very evident that big problems can be caused by husbands and wives having children other ways than with each other. Abraham and Sara weren’t the only ones whose lives were upset by unorthodox birth practices and they won’t be the last. The practice has become and will continue to become much more sophisticated and scientific. One thing that remains the same is the existence of people who change their minds after the deed is done.

Sara wished she hadn’t told Abraham to come up with a child by her maid. Then she made Abraham wish he had never listened to her. But it was too late. If only they had thought this through before they acted. Good lesson for all of us. Before making any serious decisions, think through all the possible results and effects. Then determine if you can live with them. In the Bible we can learn from the mistakes of others who lived thousands of years ago. Are we really learning - or merely repeating?

WHO ARE WE TO JUDGE?

Gospel Reading: Matthew 7:15-20

For those who say that we should never judge anyone, here is a sample of Jesus himself telling us we must learn to judge for our own good. If we don’t we might find ourselves led astray, away from the true God. An example of being led astray would be any cult that tells young people to reject their parents, to turn their backs on their family and friends.

It would be the Jim Joneses of the world leading their followers to suicide. For our own safety and protection — for our own proper development and growth in accordance with truth, we must judge.

Jesus said to his disciples: “Be on your guard against false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but underneath are wolves on the prowl. You will know them by their deeds...You can tell a tree by its fruit.”

We are to judge others. Jesus says so. We are even to judge prophets, preachers, priests, and the like. We are to judge the teachings and advice that anyone gives us. We are not to allow garbage to be put into our minds. We are not to allow anyone to make us believe and do stupid things. We must learn to think for ourselves in accordance with the truth taught by God. So we had better do our best to make sure it is the truth we are being fed.

God wants us to judge before we accept anything as true, before what we are told begins to influence our actions. He wants us to judge the source of our information, the teacher. And one way to judge is by observing the deeds of the teacher. Does he or she seem to really be a person interested in the truth and my welfare? Or does he just seem to want power and control over me — or my money? We must become good judges of character when it comes to believing what anyone tells us. Your life depends on it. Your eternity depends on it. “Be on guard against false prophets...You will know them by their deeds.” Thus speaks Jesus Christ.

THE GOLDEN RULE REVISITED

TUESDAY, 26 JUNE 2007
Gospel Reading: Matthew 7:6, 12-14

The Golden Rule! “Treat others the way you would like them to treat you.” Who hasn’t heard that rule? Oh, I suppose there are some people in the world who have not heard it that well put, but I’ll bet the idea usually enters into everyone’s mind some way or other. Most might not know it was said by Jesus, but you and I know it. And because it was said by Jesus, because we know it, we have little excuse for ever ignoring it. Right? Then why do we?

I guess there may be many reasons. One might be that we are sometimes very frightened and we will do anything to protect ourselves, even if that means our protection will be at someone else’s expense. If fear leads us to mistreating someone else, then our faith and trust in God is placed in doubt. We don’t believe sufficiently that God is able to take care of us, that he wants to take care of us, that he will take care of us. But for his care to get through, we must leave him an opening, which is done only when we try to treat others well. Mistreat them and we close the door to God. We shut him out and leave room only for ourselves and our own ways. His ways we reject.

Be careful of fear. It is helpful at times, like when we cross the street, but it can also be destructive. It can lead us to harm others; it can make us ignore God. Treat others as you would like them to treat you, and you’ll find God the best Treater of all.

LEARN TO USE JUDGMENTS PROPERLY

MONDAY, 26 JUNE 2007
Gospel Reading: Matthew 7:1-5

It is natural for us to make judgments. We find ourselves automatically doing it. You do it when you are at the grocery store deciding between this cereal or that one. God put it into our nature when he made us in his image and likeness. Since he was giving us free will like he has, the ability to judge had to come along as part of the package. It would be rather difficult, impossible actually, to use our free will responsibly if we couldn’t make judgments. Can’t make decisions without making judgments. Decisions as to what is good or bad, right or wrong, valuable or useless, true or false, and so on. How could we ever decide what to eat, who to marry, where to go on vacation, or which VCR to buy?

We must make judgments, and Jesus knows that. He never said not to. He just wants us to learn how to use it properly. We are not to let it go berserk, out of control, and make really rash and stupid judgments - judgments not in line with facts, truth, nor justice. For when that happens, we also make wrong decisions.

This is what Jesus was really saying: “If you want to avoid being judged unfairly, stop passing unfair judgments on others. Your verdict on others will be the verdict passed on you. The measure with which you measure will be used to measure you.”

Jesus said that when we judge people, realize that we seldom have all the facts. We can never know for sure the real reasons people do what they do. We often don’t know why we do what we do. Only God knows. And yet, even to the most guilty, he shows mercy, understanding, and forgiveness. Let us learn to judge as God does.