The 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, October 20, 2013

Exodus 17:8-13; 2 Timothy 3:14 – 4:2; Luke 18:1-8

                      For tor the last three weeks our Scripture readings have been asking us to reexamine our faith.

          Two weeks ago we were taught that we should not expect any preferential treatment as people of faith while we live good, Christian lives.

          The last week we were reminded that gratitude is the purest measure of person's of faith character and spiritual condition.

          And this week by the means of the parable of the judge and the widow  we are asked to reexamine our faith in regard to the ways we treat those who are in need and in regard to the ways we pray.

          Let us first talk about the ways are expected to treat those in need. The duty to care for widows, orphans, and strangers - the powerless and homeless in our midst -  have been always undeniable expression of our faithfulness to God. Of course, depending on times people have lived in and the places they have lived in those in need group might include people who were persecuted due to their sexual orientation, creed, or political views, people who have been abused, or taken advantage of. Regardless of what the legal system of the land supported or not.

          For many of us it might be easier to worry over the health of our prayer life than to be concerned for the well-being of those in need but that is not enough.

          As judge from today's parable is completely unfit for his position as a judge so we might be finding ourselves completely unfit to be called the disciples of Christ and people of faith unless we are helping those in our midst who are in need whenever we are able of doing that.

          What  do we learn from today's parable in regard to prayer? The example of the widows perseverance from today's parable gives us an example of how we ought to pray.

          However we should not jumped to the conclusions that as long as we hammer away at God as the widow did hammer away at the unjust judge all our prayers will be always answered the way we want them. It would be a great mistake for us to believe that we can worn down God by our persistence.

          Or even worst that persistent prayer be a recipe for getting from God whatever we want even when our prayers are totally self-centered, concerned only with petty issues, or completely irrelevant to God's redemptive purposes or even contradicting those purposes.

         

          The persistent widow teaches us that our prayer is to be marked by consistency and perseverance regardless of the unknown at the time to us outcome. We are not to ever lose our hearts or hope that God hears us even when things get tough or unbearable.

          The parable of the unjust judge and the persistent widow calls us again this weekend to reexamine of our faith.

          Have we turned a deaf ear to those who cry out in need in our midst, or have we given up hope that God will hear our calls for help?

          Faith requires different responses from the widow and from the judge.

          Faith requires different responses from each one of us gathered here.

          So I believe that the question which today's parable pauses to each one of us is;

          At this point of our lives are we like the unjust judge, or like the persistent widow, or neither of them?

The 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time, October 13, 2013

2 Kings 5:14-17; 2 Timothy 2:8-13; Luke 17:11-19

          At first it seems as today's gospel reading centers our attention on a theme of healing. After all it is a story of Jesus healing 10 lepers. This theme is also underscored in the first reading as Naaman is cured of his leprosy by prophet Elisha. 

          We like listening to the theme of healing, acceptance, forgiveness in our church gatherings. We like events and masses bringing these themes forth. As a matter of fact this upcoming Saturday at 11:00 we will have so called Healing Mass here in our church. We will be praying for those of us and with those of us who need the sacrament of healing. Some of us will be anointed with the oil of the sick while we will be placing our hands on them and asking God to offer them this so needed  gift. If you need to receive this sacrament or know someone who is in need of healing and you want to pray for them please join on this upcoming Saturday. 

          Many of us are gathered here  today  searching for God's healing gift. Many of us come here every weekend hoping to experience that gift. Many of us also want to be recharged to live good, Christian lives.  We are here looking for God's strength to be able to do that.

          All of these are great reasons to be here, but if they are the only reasons for all of us gathering here we are in a big trouble. If overwhelming majority  of us  are only here every weekend because we need something from God or others but never come here to show our gratitude to Him and to others for what He or others have already done in our lives we are in a big trouble.

          For if these are the only reasons why  vast majority of us gather here we are what I would call Congregation V, V stand for Vampire. The Congregation V suck on regular basis so to speak blood, energy, and life from those who come to the Eucharistic celebration out of sense of gratitude and service to others turning them slowly into their own kind.

         

          Most members of the Congregation V are self-centered or have the attitude that they deserve more than they ever get. It is never enough for them. They demand from others to keep giving them. Keep giving them good service, great music, communion, clean environment, inspiring talks and homilies, smiles, recognition, time and money for their own needs or the needs of others or the projects they deem to be important. But in return they do not give anything, and they always have some excuse why.

          Most of the time when I meet with the children who prepare for the first Communion I ask them the following questions:

          Do you know another name for the Mass/the Communion? and hopefully together we find the word I am looking for, the Eucharist. Then I ask them:

          What does the word Eucharist means? and then in our conversation we talk about the Greek origin of the word Eucharist which translated into English means thanksgiving, giving thanks.

          So what do you think are we the Congregation V  or E, E stands for the Eucharist, at St. Mary's? Do we on regular basis gather here to show are gratitude to God and others for what they have done for us in our lives?

          Today's gospel story is not as much about healing as about the response of one leper who saw that he was healed. The response of gratitude.

 

          So let me ask you some simple questions which will help you to define if you are a member of V or E fractions of our congregation:

          Do you contribute financially to St. Mary's community to carry the mission of our church? How much do you contribute? When was the last time you have increased your financial giving?  

          Are you involved in any ministries of our community? And if you do, do you put 100% effort in what you do, or you do as little as possible so you will not feel too guilty?

          Do you ever pray for the community of St. Mary's? Do you ever give thanks to God for being a part of it?

          If your answers to most these these questions was NO you are a member of V fraction of St. Mary's community.

          Gratitude may be the purest measure of one's character and spiritual condition. The absence of the ability to be grateful reveals unhealthy spiritual condition of a person or a community.

          The grateful person reveals a humility of spirit and a sensitivity of love expressed by others. The grateful person regards other's acts of kindness and experiences of God's grace with profound gratitude.  Life itself is a gift. Health is a precious gift. The friendship of others, love of family are the gift. Being a part of the Eucharistic community of St. Mary's is a gift.

The 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time, October 6th, 2013

Hab 1:2-3, 2:2-4; 2 Tim 1:6-8,13-14; Luke 17:5-10

          Today we have heard probably one of our least favorite parables of Jesus - the parable of the worthless servant. This parable invites us to reexamine our assumptions about our relationship to God for while it makes a significant point about discipleship and humility before God, it also casts God in the unappealing role of a slave driver. 

          Our natural inclination is to think that if we do what we are commended , we deserve some reward. Particularly do we expect a reward since the standard required for a disciple is so high.

          Nevertheless, the parable of the worthless servant stresses that, God owes us nothing for living good, Christian lives. Any God's favor and blessing are matters of grace-they cannot be earned. We make a huge mistake whenever  we assume that we can deal with God on the basis of what God owes us. God's grace is a free gift. Our relationship with God can never be  built on basis of our worth or merit. 

          To be even more explicit, it means that we will not be rewarded necessarily with good lives or happiness,  or good health,   and spared from any discomfort, suffering, pain, illness, or persecution, or misfortune because  we live our lives as good, 10 commandments obeying, people, as the disciples of Christ.

          And, so to speak, to add insult to injury for some of us,  it also means that perhaps those who might live their lives in unchristian manner might not be experiencing  any form of discomfort, suffering, pain, illness, or persecution, or misfortune, and they might live good, healthy, and wealthy lives.

          Can we accept that? Can we bear reality of life in which we might not be rewarded for good, Christian living while those who do not live our kind of life seem to be rewarded with good fortune?  Can we live with that and still remain the disciples of Christ?

         

          Jesus says in the gospel according to Matthew (5:45):

          "He (God)  causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous."

          Are we capable of imitating God in His treatment of others?

          There is a short answer to that question - Yes. But only if we have faith. To be the disciple of Christ we have to have faith, not more or less of it. Just to have it. We cannot ever meet the basic demands of discipleship from our own goodness, or strength, or merit. 

          We can only do that through faith. And only when we have faith we are able to:

1.    Not be a hindrance to others in their relationship with God;

2.    Be able to rebuke them when they sin, and forgive them when they ask our forgiveness;

3.    And when we have done all that we are able to know that what we have done was only our duty as the disciples of Christ, and we know not expect anything from God in return.

          Faithfulness, forgiveness, and humility are a basic requirement for all of us who want to be the disciples of Christ. 

          Perhaps now, many of us might ourselves today, after listening to this reflections a very simple question:

          Is  having faith the blessing or rather a curse?

          If we think it is the blessing, I do, how do we show God and the world our appreciation and our thankfulness for this gift? Can others truly see because of our words and our deeds, and the manner we live our lives, that we have faith?