Happy Fathers’ Day to all Father’s, God Fathers and father figures! Your service is difficult but essential. Thank you and may God the Father of us all bless you abundantly.
Being a father in this society and time is very difficult. Roles in families have been changing, and we are in the process of creating new ones. The situation is confusing, and it is easy to make a mistake.
There is a crisis in the state of fatherhood in our society. So many children grow up without a father, usually to their detriment. Fa-thers are very, very important. So important that we even call God “Our Father” as Jesus taught us.
Fathers neither need nor want ties, golf clubs, or other presents. Fathers want for us to tell them “Thank You!” They want to know that their hard work at fatherhood is appreciated. They want us to forgive their mistakes, and to appreciate the efforts that they have made. Happy Fathers Day to all you fathers out there!
Happy Birthday to St. John the Baptist, which is celebrated this coming Wednesday, June 24. This also means that it is only six months to CHRISTMAS!!! With the corona virus still raging, the economy in flux, and an election year to boot this will be a unique Christmas celebration!
Finally, this Father’s Day, June 21, also happens to be my own earthly Dad’s 99th Birthday! Please
Monday, June 29, 2020
Fr. Chuck's Column, June 14, 2020
Today we celebrate the Solemnity of The Most
Holy Body and Blood of Christ. This title is quite
a mouthful, its older and simpler name, “Corpus
Christi,” is used more often. While we celebrate
this precious Sacrament, the odd reality is that
most will NOT receive the Body and Blood of
Christ on the feast, but will instead make a Spiritual
Communion.
To be honest, I find the whole idea of Spiritual Communion to be
better than nothing, but it is not the desirable option. For many
years prior to Vatican Council II, Holy Communion was received
only rarely. With the requirement to fast from both food and water
from midnight until Holy Communion, many were discouraged
from receiving frequently. Fainting was much more common
in churches in those days, as were early morning Masses.
Often people thought they needed to go to Confession each time
before receiving Holy Communion. It was all very different.
The rules on fasting have changed, and for decades Catholics
have been urged to come to Holy Communion. Sitting in the pew
as I occasionally do, watching the line of people going up to receive
the Body and Blood or Christ, is a beautiful thing. Those
who are Eucharistic Ministers know how moving it is to see all
those people joining in the parade to Communion.
Unfortunately, even before the pandemic, many Catholic communities
around the world were able to receive Holy Communion
only a few times a year. The shortage of priests in many areas
made it impossible to celebrate the Eucharist on a regular basis.
What we are now experiencing has been far too long the experience
of many Catholics. Now we experience this, and we know it
is time for a change.
I hope that we soon will all be able to worship together in person,
and be able to receive both the sacramental Body and Blood of
Christ. That will be a happy day. Meanwhile we pray, asking for
relief from this pandemic, and the wisdom to learn the lessons of
this unusual and trying time.
Holy Body and Blood of Christ. This title is quite
a mouthful, its older and simpler name, “Corpus
Christi,” is used more often. While we celebrate
this precious Sacrament, the odd reality is that
most will NOT receive the Body and Blood of
Christ on the feast, but will instead make a Spiritual
Communion.
To be honest, I find the whole idea of Spiritual Communion to be
better than nothing, but it is not the desirable option. For many
years prior to Vatican Council II, Holy Communion was received
only rarely. With the requirement to fast from both food and water
from midnight until Holy Communion, many were discouraged
from receiving frequently. Fainting was much more common
in churches in those days, as were early morning Masses.
Often people thought they needed to go to Confession each time
before receiving Holy Communion. It was all very different.
The rules on fasting have changed, and for decades Catholics
have been urged to come to Holy Communion. Sitting in the pew
as I occasionally do, watching the line of people going up to receive
the Body and Blood or Christ, is a beautiful thing. Those
who are Eucharistic Ministers know how moving it is to see all
those people joining in the parade to Communion.
Unfortunately, even before the pandemic, many Catholic communities
around the world were able to receive Holy Communion
only a few times a year. The shortage of priests in many areas
made it impossible to celebrate the Eucharist on a regular basis.
What we are now experiencing has been far too long the experience
of many Catholics. Now we experience this, and we know it
is time for a change.
I hope that we soon will all be able to worship together in person,
and be able to receive both the sacramental Body and Blood of
Christ. That will be a happy day. Meanwhile we pray, asking for
relief from this pandemic, and the wisdom to learn the lessons of
this unusual and trying time.
Fr. Chuck's Column, June 7, 2020
There are currently raging in our society two pandem-ics: the coronavirus, and racism. Both are physical, devastating and deadly while the latter is much more complicated. It is physical, as we saw in the violent, shameful deaths of George Floyd and Ahmaud Ar-bery recently, and also psychological, social, emo-tional and spiritual. The virus we can treat by social distancing and by wearing masks, until we finally get an effective vaccine. We know we will eventually be able to control this threat. The other, far more insidious, has been a deep and integral part of our society and culture for centuries. It is far harder to stop and to heal - we must keep working on it.
We can become overwhelmed by the immensity of the problem of racism. We can despair that any progress will ever be made. We can, if we are white, feel miserable and guilty because of the priv-ilege we enjoy vis a vis Blacks, Native Americans, Latinos, and even Asian Americans. But none of that, I believe, is helpful. What I think is helpful is conversion. Conversion of mind and heart to the Gospel. The solution is to emphasize the good news of the Gospel. This does not eliminate the realistic, sober, eyes-wide-open understanding of the deep underlying patterns of rac-ism that all of us, regardless of race, are caught in. Our guide must be St. Paul. Almost 2,000 years ago, St. Paul gave us a vi-sion of unity and equality that is still breathtaking today. He wrote: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." Gal 3:28 All are one.
That is a stunning statement, even after all these centuries. If we really believe this, and so acted like this, then all the divisions of race, class, income level, nationality, or even religion, would not matter. We could see every other person as a sister or a brother, regardless of our differences.
While there are certainly social, legislative, economic, education-al, and other important reforms that must be embraced to help fight the scourge of racism, the ultimate goal is really a change of heart. We are still struggling to live what St. Paul called us to. The real fight against all forms of racism begins in our own hearts. And St. Paul shows us the way.
God bless,
God of justice, you adorned the human race with a marvelous diversity, and you clothed each of its members with a dignity that may never be diminished. Instill in us respect for that dignity, that we may always champion for others the justice we seek for our-selves. Through Christ our Lord, AMEN.
We can become overwhelmed by the immensity of the problem of racism. We can despair that any progress will ever be made. We can, if we are white, feel miserable and guilty because of the priv-ilege we enjoy vis a vis Blacks, Native Americans, Latinos, and even Asian Americans. But none of that, I believe, is helpful. What I think is helpful is conversion. Conversion of mind and heart to the Gospel. The solution is to emphasize the good news of the Gospel. This does not eliminate the realistic, sober, eyes-wide-open understanding of the deep underlying patterns of rac-ism that all of us, regardless of race, are caught in. Our guide must be St. Paul. Almost 2,000 years ago, St. Paul gave us a vi-sion of unity and equality that is still breathtaking today. He wrote: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." Gal 3:28 All are one.
That is a stunning statement, even after all these centuries. If we really believe this, and so acted like this, then all the divisions of race, class, income level, nationality, or even religion, would not matter. We could see every other person as a sister or a brother, regardless of our differences.
While there are certainly social, legislative, economic, education-al, and other important reforms that must be embraced to help fight the scourge of racism, the ultimate goal is really a change of heart. We are still struggling to live what St. Paul called us to. The real fight against all forms of racism begins in our own hearts. And St. Paul shows us the way.
God bless,
God of justice, you adorned the human race with a marvelous diversity, and you clothed each of its members with a dignity that may never be diminished. Instill in us respect for that dignity, that we may always champion for others the justice we seek for our-selves. Through Christ our Lord, AMEN.
Fr. Chuck's Column, May 31, 2020
These are not only unsettling and difficult times we are in, but they are confusing as well. Is it safe to go out? To go to work? To shop, socialize, congregate? And is it safe to go to church?
We have to look to experience, especially what happened at Holy Ghost Church in the Bellaire section of Houston. An elderly priest there, 79, died of pneumonia, and 5 of the 7 Redemptorists who lived with him have tested positive with the coronavirus. Even though the parish had followed cleaning, sanitation and social distancing guidelines prescribed by State health officials since reopening on May 2nd, they determined at that time it was best to close the Church imme-diately to public Masses. And now all Masses at Holy Ghost Church will remain canceled until further notice.
This is a very sobering story. We too follow the cleaning and so-cial distancing guidelines laid out by the State health officials. We wipe down the back of the pews with sanitizing cloths, and keep people at least 6 feet apart. But that apparently is not always enough.
We also have to rely on you. If you are not feeling well, or if you have been exposed to the virus, or you have a compromised im-mune system, or are over 65, the best thing you can do for your-self, your fellow parishioners, and the parish clergy, is to stay home. You are not required to attend Mass on Sunday in this time, and if you are at risk, or not feeling well, you in fact have an obli-gation to NOT come to Mass. Stay home.
Fr Rich and I, just like the Redemptorists at Holy Ghost Church in Houston, live in community. If one of the six Paulists who live in our rectory gets sick with the virus, then ALL of us will have to quarantine. That means there will be NO Masses for at least sev-eral weeks. No Baptisms, no First Communions, no funerals. It would be a complete shut-down.
This is serious folks. So if you are not feeling well, or if you are not sure, be safe for yourself and for our parish, and do not come to Mass. Unfortunately, this is NOT going to change anytime soon. Until there is a vaccine, distancing and isolating are the only protection we have against the virus. That is hard to hear, but it is the truth. Be safe. Keep praying.
We have to look to experience, especially what happened at Holy Ghost Church in the Bellaire section of Houston. An elderly priest there, 79, died of pneumonia, and 5 of the 7 Redemptorists who lived with him have tested positive with the coronavirus. Even though the parish had followed cleaning, sanitation and social distancing guidelines prescribed by State health officials since reopening on May 2nd, they determined at that time it was best to close the Church imme-diately to public Masses. And now all Masses at Holy Ghost Church will remain canceled until further notice.
This is a very sobering story. We too follow the cleaning and so-cial distancing guidelines laid out by the State health officials. We wipe down the back of the pews with sanitizing cloths, and keep people at least 6 feet apart. But that apparently is not always enough.
We also have to rely on you. If you are not feeling well, or if you have been exposed to the virus, or you have a compromised im-mune system, or are over 65, the best thing you can do for your-self, your fellow parishioners, and the parish clergy, is to stay home. You are not required to attend Mass on Sunday in this time, and if you are at risk, or not feeling well, you in fact have an obli-gation to NOT come to Mass. Stay home.
Fr Rich and I, just like the Redemptorists at Holy Ghost Church in Houston, live in community. If one of the six Paulists who live in our rectory gets sick with the virus, then ALL of us will have to quarantine. That means there will be NO Masses for at least sev-eral weeks. No Baptisms, no First Communions, no funerals. It would be a complete shut-down.
This is serious folks. So if you are not feeling well, or if you are not sure, be safe for yourself and for our parish, and do not come to Mass. Unfortunately, this is NOT going to change anytime soon. Until there is a vaccine, distancing and isolating are the only protection we have against the virus. That is hard to hear, but it is the truth. Be safe. Keep praying.
Fr. Chuck's Column, May 24, 2020
Happy Feast of the Assumption. Next Sun-day is the Feast of Pentecost, the birthday of the Church.
With Pentecost we will begin, on a limited basis, celebration of other sacraments than the Mass. On Pentecost at the 8:45 a.m. Mass we will begin celebrating the ceremo-nies of the Rite of Chiristian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) that in any kind of normal year would have been celebrated at the East-er Vigil seven weeks ago. The candidates and catechumens in the RCIA have been extraordinarily patient waiting to celebrate their Baptisms, receptions into the Church, Confirmation and their First Holy Eucharist. We intend to celebrate those sacraments and do so in a way that keeps them, the celebrants, the congregation and all of us safe. So that will require some adjustments.
My hope is that this celebration will take place at the 8:45 a.m. Mass on Pentecost Sunday, next week. You can join us live on our St. Austin Parish Facebook page, or later view the ceremony on YouTube.com. In order for us to accommodate as many of the immediate family and close friends of the RCIA candidates and catechumens, I ask that you NOT attend the 8:45 a.m. Mass next Sunday in person. During this time of pandemic, to maintain so-cial distancing and keep everyone safe, the church can accommo-date only about 15% of its usual capacity. So stay home and watch the 8:45 a.m. Mass online.
However, you are welcome at our other Masses that weekend, Saturday at 5 p.m., Sunday at 11:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. This as-sumes, of course, that you are not a senior, that you are feeling healthy, you are not running a fever, you are not living with or in close proximity to someone who is ill, and your immune system is in top shape.
This is such a strange and unusual time. This coronavirus is so different and odd. It is best that we overdo playing it safe, at least until we have an adequate vaccine. So please be patient as we move forward, slowly and deliberately. I would prefer for us to err on the side of caution as the stakes, life and death, are so high.
With Pentecost we will begin, on a limited basis, celebration of other sacraments than the Mass. On Pentecost at the 8:45 a.m. Mass we will begin celebrating the ceremo-nies of the Rite of Chiristian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) that in any kind of normal year would have been celebrated at the East-er Vigil seven weeks ago. The candidates and catechumens in the RCIA have been extraordinarily patient waiting to celebrate their Baptisms, receptions into the Church, Confirmation and their First Holy Eucharist. We intend to celebrate those sacraments and do so in a way that keeps them, the celebrants, the congregation and all of us safe. So that will require some adjustments.
My hope is that this celebration will take place at the 8:45 a.m. Mass on Pentecost Sunday, next week. You can join us live on our St. Austin Parish Facebook page, or later view the ceremony on YouTube.com. In order for us to accommodate as many of the immediate family and close friends of the RCIA candidates and catechumens, I ask that you NOT attend the 8:45 a.m. Mass next Sunday in person. During this time of pandemic, to maintain so-cial distancing and keep everyone safe, the church can accommo-date only about 15% of its usual capacity. So stay home and watch the 8:45 a.m. Mass online.
However, you are welcome at our other Masses that weekend, Saturday at 5 p.m., Sunday at 11:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. This as-sumes, of course, that you are not a senior, that you are feeling healthy, you are not running a fever, you are not living with or in close proximity to someone who is ill, and your immune system is in top shape.
This is such a strange and unusual time. This coronavirus is so different and odd. It is best that we overdo playing it safe, at least until we have an adequate vaccine. So please be patient as we move forward, slowly and deliberately. I would prefer for us to err on the side of caution as the stakes, life and death, are so high.
Fr. Chuck's Column, May 17, 2020
I sincerely hope you are all well during the economic downturn, the isolation, the steady stream of sobering and sad news. Our Chris-tian faith is getting a work-out! Our ultimate hope is not in the economy, nor any political party, nor in the advancement of science, but in the Lord. That is a blessing and an ad-vantage. Alleluia!
I have some very happy news to share. Paulist transitional Deacon Paulo Puccini, CSP, has been assigned by the Paulsts to join the parish staff beginning this July. He will actually arrive in early June, and hopefully that month he will be ordained a priest. Because of the pandemic, and the iffy-ness of what will be open when, and the difficulty of travel in this time, the plans for his ordination are still rather fluid.
Paulo is from Texas and his parents live in the Houston area. Pau-lo attended the University of Texas at Austin, and attended the University Catholic Center. Since he is the only Paulist being or-dained this year, we hope to have his ordination here in Austin. That would be much more convenient for his family.
I am hoping that we will have the ordination here at St. Austin Church. That would be WONDERFUL. However, given the re-strictions of the pandemic, and whether it will spike again or fade away, Paulo may be ordained with the ordinandi of the Diocese of Austin at their ceremony, or he may be ordained in a separate ceremony here at St. Austin.
These and other details, such as if he will draw a salary or not, are still being worked out. In any case Paulo will be ordained, and we are most happy that he will be joining Fr Rich Andre (who will remain here next year) and myself on the parish staff. I am partic-ularly happy as the parish/school development project will con-sume a great deal of my time and energy this coming year. Hav-ing a third priest on the staff would free me up for more endless meetings. Oh joy!
It will also be a blessing for our local Paulist community, since Fr John Duffy will be returning to New York City, and Frs. Larry Rice and Jimmy Hsu will be moving on since they will no longer be staffing the University Catholic Center.
Please add Deacon Paulo Puccini to your prayers. I look forward eagerly to his joining us on the parish staff.
I have some very happy news to share. Paulist transitional Deacon Paulo Puccini, CSP, has been assigned by the Paulsts to join the parish staff beginning this July. He will actually arrive in early June, and hopefully that month he will be ordained a priest. Because of the pandemic, and the iffy-ness of what will be open when, and the difficulty of travel in this time, the plans for his ordination are still rather fluid.
Paulo is from Texas and his parents live in the Houston area. Pau-lo attended the University of Texas at Austin, and attended the University Catholic Center. Since he is the only Paulist being or-dained this year, we hope to have his ordination here in Austin. That would be much more convenient for his family.
I am hoping that we will have the ordination here at St. Austin Church. That would be WONDERFUL. However, given the re-strictions of the pandemic, and whether it will spike again or fade away, Paulo may be ordained with the ordinandi of the Diocese of Austin at their ceremony, or he may be ordained in a separate ceremony here at St. Austin.
These and other details, such as if he will draw a salary or not, are still being worked out. In any case Paulo will be ordained, and we are most happy that he will be joining Fr Rich Andre (who will remain here next year) and myself on the parish staff. I am partic-ularly happy as the parish/school development project will con-sume a great deal of my time and energy this coming year. Hav-ing a third priest on the staff would free me up for more endless meetings. Oh joy!
It will also be a blessing for our local Paulist community, since Fr John Duffy will be returning to New York City, and Frs. Larry Rice and Jimmy Hsu will be moving on since they will no longer be staffing the University Catholic Center.
Please add Deacon Paulo Puccini to your prayers. I look forward eagerly to his joining us on the parish staff.
Fr. Chuck's Column, May 10, 2020
This Wednesday I will have been ordained for 42 years which, believe it or not, is more than half of my life. And having served in various and diverse places around North America (Washington, DC; North Pole, AK; Chicago, IL; Toronto, ONT; Clemson, SC; New York, NY; San Francisco, CA; and of course Austin, TX) I have had a number of different experi-ences of church and priestly life. But I have never lived through anything like what we are all experiencing now with the pandemic.
There were days of uncertainty and fear following the attacks of Sept. 11, when I was pastor of St Paul the Apostle in New York City, and we lost a couple of parishioners and family members of parishioners to the attacks. That was truly scary, but there was a pretty definite enemy, and everybody, and I mean everybody, came together in mutual support and comfort.
Now we have an even deadlier enemy. The coronavirus has killed many more than the terrorists did. And it is not isolated to one part of the country. It attacks both young and old, native and im-migrant, man and woman, rich and poor, people of every race, religion and creed. But we are not coming together.
It bewilders me that so many people do not believe science. Sci-entists and medical professionals do not stand to profit personally from the advice that they give. Do they know fully and complete-ly how the virus behaves, how best to protect ourselves in every situation? Of course not. But they share with us the benefit of their study, their research, their experience, their knowledge and wisdom. And we should listen.
What they tell us may be inconvenient, difficult, unsettling, not at all what we want to hear. But we need to be mature enough, and brave enough, to listen. Because it is for our own good. So, open your mind and your heart. Clear away the cobwebs of suspicion and fear, and listen bravely to the best thinking on this dangerous pandemic, especially when it is difficult to hear. As Jesus has told us, and the UT Tower repeats, “You shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall set you free.”
On a much happier note, a very special CONGRATULATIONS and THANKS to all Mothers out there on this Mother’s Day.
There were days of uncertainty and fear following the attacks of Sept. 11, when I was pastor of St Paul the Apostle in New York City, and we lost a couple of parishioners and family members of parishioners to the attacks. That was truly scary, but there was a pretty definite enemy, and everybody, and I mean everybody, came together in mutual support and comfort.
Now we have an even deadlier enemy. The coronavirus has killed many more than the terrorists did. And it is not isolated to one part of the country. It attacks both young and old, native and im-migrant, man and woman, rich and poor, people of every race, religion and creed. But we are not coming together.
It bewilders me that so many people do not believe science. Sci-entists and medical professionals do not stand to profit personally from the advice that they give. Do they know fully and complete-ly how the virus behaves, how best to protect ourselves in every situation? Of course not. But they share with us the benefit of their study, their research, their experience, their knowledge and wisdom. And we should listen.
What they tell us may be inconvenient, difficult, unsettling, not at all what we want to hear. But we need to be mature enough, and brave enough, to listen. Because it is for our own good. So, open your mind and your heart. Clear away the cobwebs of suspicion and fear, and listen bravely to the best thinking on this dangerous pandemic, especially when it is difficult to hear. As Jesus has told us, and the UT Tower repeats, “You shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall set you free.”
On a much happier note, a very special CONGRATULATIONS and THANKS to all Mothers out there on this Mother’s Day.
Fr. Chuck's Column, May 3, 2020
I hope that all of you reading this are tuning in to the presentation on the proposed Development Project of our parish, school, and rectory that is scheduled for May 3. There are some exciting developments! A lot of work by many people, and not a little money, have gone into getting this project to this point.
But of course, it is not the only thing going on around here. With the COVID-19 pandemic, we are doing church online. Our wor-ship space, as beautiful as it is, was not designed as a film studio. Due to a lot of hard work by several people, all ably led by Fr Rich Andre (whose engineering background has served us all well!) we have been able to pull off live-streaming Mass. This past week he assembled a team of experts qualified to teach us and to help us get to a much better broadcast.
This fits in perfectly with our planned renovation of the interior of the church. Remember that from the Encountering Christ Cam-paign? We wanted to use our parish portion of the moneys you donated to the Encountering Christ Campaign to replace our fail-ing sound system, to upgrade our lighting, and possibly to bring cool air up to the choir loft. We also want to add an attractive wall and door across the entrance of the St. Mary Chapel, so that it could be a quieter place for people to pray when we are gathering for Mass, and be used for small prayer groups. We have already had the addition of the statues of Sts. Mary of Magdala and Phoe-be and we want better lighting on them too.
Doing the interior renovation work requires moving the pews around and a lot of disruption inside. What better time to do this than when no one is in the church? While we wish we had all of you physically present, now is the time to do this disruptive interi-or work. It almost a gift from heaven! Well, that may be overstat-ing it somewhat, but it is a time for working in the church.
Doing all the work we want is close to $600,000. We have most of that on hand, thanks to the generosity of many people, both from the Encountering Christ Campaign and other sources. THANK YOU!!!
So we are starting the interior renovation, even while we are working on the larger development project. It is never dull here at St. Austin Parish!
But of course, it is not the only thing going on around here. With the COVID-19 pandemic, we are doing church online. Our wor-ship space, as beautiful as it is, was not designed as a film studio. Due to a lot of hard work by several people, all ably led by Fr Rich Andre (whose engineering background has served us all well!) we have been able to pull off live-streaming Mass. This past week he assembled a team of experts qualified to teach us and to help us get to a much better broadcast.
This fits in perfectly with our planned renovation of the interior of the church. Remember that from the Encountering Christ Cam-paign? We wanted to use our parish portion of the moneys you donated to the Encountering Christ Campaign to replace our fail-ing sound system, to upgrade our lighting, and possibly to bring cool air up to the choir loft. We also want to add an attractive wall and door across the entrance of the St. Mary Chapel, so that it could be a quieter place for people to pray when we are gathering for Mass, and be used for small prayer groups. We have already had the addition of the statues of Sts. Mary of Magdala and Phoe-be and we want better lighting on them too.
Doing the interior renovation work requires moving the pews around and a lot of disruption inside. What better time to do this than when no one is in the church? While we wish we had all of you physically present, now is the time to do this disruptive interi-or work. It almost a gift from heaven! Well, that may be overstat-ing it somewhat, but it is a time for working in the church.
Doing all the work we want is close to $600,000. We have most of that on hand, thanks to the generosity of many people, both from the Encountering Christ Campaign and other sources. THANK YOU!!!
So we are starting the interior renovation, even while we are working on the larger development project. It is never dull here at St. Austin Parish!
HOMILY THIRTEENTH SUNDAY of ORDINARY TIME June 28, 2020
HOMILY THIRTEENTH
SUNDAY of ORDINARY TIME June 28, 2020
Everybody OK? I find this process of
social isolation and containment to prevent getting the COVID-19 disease very
limiting and frustrating. Anybody else experienced that? For example, I have
not been out of state for several months, which is a new experience for me. I
feel restricted, hampered, cooped up.
Anybody else have that sense?
Life just seems to become more and
more bizarre as we go through this. What we used to know is no longer true.
Reality is off-kilter. Odd. Which brings
me to our Gospel today from Matthew, and specifically the paradoxical statement
Jesus gives us: “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his
life for my sake will find it.” Talk about odd!
Finding is losing, and losing is finding. This is not a riddle because the statement is more basic than that. It is rather a truth: a fundamental truth that Jesus first spoke 2,000 years ago. And it is just as true now, and will be just as true 20 centuries hence when this church that I stand in will be, at best, an archaeological dig.
This is a truth about the structure of reality for all times, in all places: “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” How does one “find“ or “lose” one’s life?
Finding is losing, and losing is finding. This is not a riddle because the statement is more basic than that. It is rather a truth: a fundamental truth that Jesus first spoke 2,000 years ago. And it is just as true now, and will be just as true 20 centuries hence when this church that I stand in will be, at best, an archaeological dig.
This is a truth about the structure of reality for all times, in all places: “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” How does one “find“ or “lose” one’s life?
Who is in control of your life? If you think you are, you are sorely mis-lead
and badly mistaken. For I am certain you
neither arranged for, nor chose, the COVID-19 pandemic and all its effects. It
happened without your choosing it, and will continue for as long as it wants,
into next year, no matter how desperately you want it to leave. Sorry.
How does one lose one’s life? Well, first stop pretending you are in control. You are not. Get over it.
You did not choose to be born. You did not choose when to be born, nor where to be born, nor to what parents, and what situation of life, or health, or culture, or nationality, or gender or race or even religion. All that and much more is a given.
How does one lose one’s life? Well, first stop pretending you are in control. You are not. Get over it.
You did not choose to be born. You did not choose when to be born, nor where to be born, nor to what parents, and what situation of life, or health, or culture, or nationality, or gender or race or even religion. All that and much more is a given.
This means that there is NO basis for
any feelings or belief that I am somehow better or superior to anyone else on
the basis of my race, my gender, my nationality, my sexual orientation, or any
other accident of my birth. It was not
up to me.
All we can do is to accept, to be
grateful, and to give thanks.
“Whoever finds his life will lose it.”
I take that to mean that when we start to think, erroneously, that we are in control and can direct the course of our life, we are setting ourselves up for a fall. You cannot control the dynamics of plate tectonics, hence not the occurrences of earthquakes, nor of tornadoes, nor floods, nor pandemics, nor so many other potentially life-changing events. We are not in control.
But Jesus also assures us, “Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.“ Losing your life does not mean dying. What Jesus means by losing your life means giving up the fiction that you are in control: that your life, and all the circumstances of your infancy and childhood and your entire life are somehow yours by right, rather than the reality that they are all gifts. From every breath you take, to your education, your friends, your talents and your abilities, your health and vigor, in short everything you have or ever had is a gift. A gift for you to use to live in the image and likeness of Jesus Christ.
Finding your life means coming to the profound realization that you are loved by God, who willed you into existence for a reason, and that you have a special and unique mission, given to you by God.
“Whoever finds his life will lose it.”
I take that to mean that when we start to think, erroneously, that we are in control and can direct the course of our life, we are setting ourselves up for a fall. You cannot control the dynamics of plate tectonics, hence not the occurrences of earthquakes, nor of tornadoes, nor floods, nor pandemics, nor so many other potentially life-changing events. We are not in control.
But Jesus also assures us, “Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.“ Losing your life does not mean dying. What Jesus means by losing your life means giving up the fiction that you are in control: that your life, and all the circumstances of your infancy and childhood and your entire life are somehow yours by right, rather than the reality that they are all gifts. From every breath you take, to your education, your friends, your talents and your abilities, your health and vigor, in short everything you have or ever had is a gift. A gift for you to use to live in the image and likeness of Jesus Christ.
Finding your life means coming to the profound realization that you are loved by God, who willed you into existence for a reason, and that you have a special and unique mission, given to you by God.
We need to let go of our need to be in
control; in other words we have to lose our life, so that we can find our true
life in service of Jesus Christ, and so truly be who we are created to be. Only
in this way do we come to be truly alive.
“Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
Paradoxical, but true. God bless!
“Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
Paradoxical, but true. God bless!
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