Author Archives: Deacon Joe Shriver

These verses just before today’s Gospel reading provide us with the complete story.  “The apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught.  He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.”  People were coming and going in great numbers, and they had no opportunity even to eat.  So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place.”

But the people saw them leaving and ran ahead.  When they embarked from the boat, Jesus had pity on them and began to teach them.  When it was time to eat, Jesus took a few loaves of bread, blessed them and fed five thousand men plus women and children.

“Then he made his disciples get into the boat and precede him to the other side toward Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd.  And when he had taken leave of them, he went off to the mountain to pray.”

Jesus did this a lot.  When the crowds pressed in around him and everyone was demanding his attention, he would slip away to pray.  Sometimes Jesus would take three or all of the disciples with him, but even then, he would go off by himself to pray to his Father.

In this case, the disciples were out in the communities working, teaching the Good News.  Jesus knew that the disciples were weary and did not even have time to eat so he tried to slip away with them to a deserted place to rest and pray.  But the crowds wanted help from this person who performed miracles.

Jesus knew that the disciples were exhausted at this point and made them get into the boat and leave even before the crowds were gone.  Only then could Jesus go off to the mountain to pray.

After all of the festivities of Christmas and New Year’s parties with family and friends, it’s time to rest.  Serving others is difficult work.  It is mentally and emotionally draining.  Our bodies require some down time to let the Holy Spirit minister to us, to refresh us and give us a new attitude of joy and patience.  Then we can love others as Jesus loves us.

I am wearing red today because it is the Feast of St Stephen, the first martyr.  It seems appropriate that the feast of the first martyr is comes the first day after the Birth of Our Lord.

When we look at the Gospel, Jesus explains the cost of being a Christian.  “Beware of men, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans.”

“When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say.  ….  For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.”

“Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.  You will be hated by all because of my name.…”

It is not all doom.  Jesus gave an ending with hope: “…. but whoever endures to the end will be saved.”

In many parts of the world today, Christians are martyred for their faith.  The area of Syria and Iraq that is controlled by ISIS is the one that is in the news the most because it is so rampant.  But other parts of the world, especially Muslim controlled areas, Christians are persecuted for their faith.

We are fortunate in this county that we aren’t martyred for our Catholic faith.  It is important that we pray every day for Christians around the world that are being persecuted and martyred.  We need to pray the God will strengthen them and keep them in his care.  We also need to ask God to provide for them and grant them a special place in his kingdom.

I know we are busy in our daily duties, but let’s remember the Church and these Christians throughout the world in our prayers each day this coming year.

During Advent we waited as we prepared for the coming of the Lord.  At Christmas we rejoiced when the Christ Child was born of a Virgin and the world worshiped him.  Today, life goes on as the Holy Family travels to Jerusalem to worship in the Synagogue.  This is one of the few times the Holy Family is mentioned in the Gospels.

In this brief glimpse, we see that the Holy Family was very devout.  Today’s Gospel begins: “They took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord, and to offer the sacrifice of a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons, in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.

The Gospel reading continues: “When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.”  The New Jerusalem Bible makes it a little easier to understand: “When they had done everything the Law of the Lord required, they went back to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.”

Mary and Joseph did more than just follow the rules.  They believed their faith.  During Advent we heard how Mary accepted God’s will even though she did not understand how it could happen.  Joseph accepted God’s will even though he had planned to quietly divorce Mary so he would not bring shame to her.  Joseph protected Mary on the dangerous roads to Bethlehem.  They both marveled at the stories of the shepherds who came to worship.

They took Jesus to the temple to present him to God.  They followed their faith just as we follow ours today.  While they were in the temple, we hear of two people who saw the Child and were overjoyed: Simeon and Anna.  The Holy Spirit revealed to Simeon, a devout Jew, “that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord.”  Anna gave thanks to God and spoke “about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.”  Both of them gave thanks to God for the Child so all could hear.

The Holy Family gave us an example: they followed their faith and it brought joy to the world.  It’s easy to become slack in our faith this time of year.  All the commercialism of Christmas has reduced it to just another holiday except with a lot more demands on our finances, emotions and relationships.  When there should be joy, there is often depression and pain for so many.  The pain of past disagreements becomes greater at Christmas and New Year’s celebrations.  We invite everyone except that one family member or friend whom we had a fight with in the past.  There is more than pain for those who are excluded; there is pain for us as well because it brings to mind the hurt all over again.  Christ came into the world to give us joy and a way to overcome the negative events and feelings in our lives; a way to overcome the hurt, to forgive and find healing.

We are all part of a family even though we may not want to acknowledge or associate with some of ours.  Some families are missing in action because they were never around and we had to fend for ourselves.  Other families smother us with too much interference and still others are always bickering and fighting.  It is frequently easier to love humanity – the ambiguous mass of people out there that needs us to help them, than to love our own family.  It is usually more difficult to love the ones who are close to us, maybe because they are so much like us.

The Gospel doesn’t end with the Holy Family returning to Nazareth.  The Gospel concludes with “The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.”  We too must grow spiritually to love and serve God and others.  We must follow our faith; we must be that shining example of sharing God’s love with those around us.  Then the season will be a joyful time like it was for Simeon and Anna.

The months leading up to Christmas had troubling times for Mary and Joseph.  Each had their own doubts and concerns.  We too experience doubts and concerns in our lives and even turmoil within our families.  Our spiritual growth is dependent on listening to God’s leading.  Mary and Joseph each had an encounter with God: Mary by the angel Gabriel and Joseph by an angel in a dream.  While we may not have an angel appear to us today, we still feel God leading us in one direction or another.  Mary and Joseph both said yes to God’s will.  Will we say yes to God too?

It’s difficult to do this time of year.  The bills of Christmas giving start arriving and the weather is gray and dreary.  Yet God calls us to follow the example of the Holy Family.  In spite of the doubts and concerns, in spite of the anxious feelings and struggles of each day, God calls us to reach out to a family member, both our immediate family and the extended family of friends and church, to ask and grant forgiveness.  Then the true reason for the season of Christmas will be realized by Christ bringing peace to the world.

Jesus grew and became strong, filled with wisdom and the favor of God because of the family and their faith.  We too must practice our faith like the Holy Family.

In the coming months, will we work for peace within our hearts, our families and our troubled world?  Will we reach out to a person within our family or group of friends whom we have avoided?  Or will we let the hurt continue to fester and boil over?  Will we as a Church continue to be an open and welcoming community to the stranger, the widow and the orphan, to work for immigration reform and the dignity of each person?  Or will we turn our heads and look the other way because it is easier to avoid confrontation than to speak up for what is right?

The world, our families and even us as individuals, are desperately searching for peace – the peace that Christ came into the world to give to us.  Are we willing to make that peace happen in our lives?  Will we commit to set aside just five minutes each day to pray for peace and healing – for the world, for our families and friends, for those around us, and ourselves?

Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?  When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?  When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’

And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.’

The first snow of the season was falling and several inches lay on the ground.  The young man started to shovel the snow at the back of the driveway working his way forward.  It was pleasant to feel the quiet and the snow falling as he worked.  An older gentleman walked up the driveway and asked if the young man would let Old Nick sleep in his garage so he didn’t have to lie on the cold ground.  These old bones can’t take the cold as well these days.

The young man looked at the gentleman in front of him.  Old Nic had piercing deep blue eyes that were gentle.  He had a beard and his hair and beard were starting to gray.  Old Nic walked with a limp and the toe of his right boot was scuffed from dragging that leg.  He wore an old military fatigue jacket; he was clean, and his clothes were clean.

The young man thought about the request to use the garage.  They just moved in a few months ago so there was plenty of room in the garage.  But what if he was really a serial killer?  What if he would steal from us?  What if he refused to leave after a night or two?  What if…..?  All of these thoughts ran through the young man’s mind.

“No, I don’t think so.” The young man said.  Nic tried again.  Please just one night: it’s cold and it’s snowing.  It would be good to be able to sleep out of the cold.  The young man’s mind was racing but he finally said “No, not now.”  Old Nic said “Thank you and God Bless”, turned and walked away.

The young man continued shoveling the snow.  The verses from today’s Gospel came to his mind.  What if that was Jesus who was just here asking for help?  Again the young man’s mind was racing: what if he was really a serial killer?  The garage was detached from the house so that shouldn’t be a problem.  What if he would steal from us? Was there really anything of that much value in the garage?  What if he refused to leave after a night or two?  That could be handled with the police if necessary.  What if….?

What if that was Jesus?  What if that really was Jesus and I had said “No”?  I said no!  I stopped shoveling and walked out to the street to look for Old Nic to tell him he could spend the night.  The street was empty – only the soft sound of falling snow could be heard.

That night at the start of winter in December 1992 has stuck with me all these years.

Recently, while reading the Gospel of Luke these words popped out: “Give to everyone who asks of you”.  That really hit me.  I certainly don’t do that even today.  But Jesus said to give to everyone who asks!

We think that the world has more violence today than any time in history.  But if we read the Old Testament and the teachings of Jesus, it really is not much different today.  I used to occasionally pick up a hitchhiker but I would not think of doing that today due to safety concerns.  How, then, do we serve the least of these as Jesus taught us?  And who are the “least of these”?

Joyce Ann Zimmerman, CPPS wrote “We tend to identify as “least” those who are distant from our daily living, for example, victims of famine in a foreign land. But those in need are actually very near us; wherever there is human need, there is Christ and we are called to respond.”

In a recent interview, Bishop Cupich (now Archbishop of Chicago) said.  “The pope is saying some very challenging things for people.  He’s not saying, this is the law and you follow it and you get to heaven.  He’s saying we have to do something about our world today that’s suffering; people are being excluded, neglected.  We have a responsibility, and he’s calling people to task.”

And the most important part of that is that Pope Francis is calling people by example.  Forbes magazine gave Pope Francis two awards last April.

“In the first six months of his Papacy, Francis squarely addressed the first critical question any CEO needs to ask about her company: what are the “jobs to get done?”  He decisively articulated the job of the Church—serving society’s most vulnerable.  In an unusually candid self-critique the Pope shifted the Church’s culture from, in his words one of “institutional self-preservation” back to its core mission.

The key to the Pope’s success as an innovator might just be that he leads by example.  Rather than changing any creed, dogma or theology—that would inevitably create unnecessary tension and resistance—the Pope’s actions and practices simply embody the genuine mission of the church.”

Even the business world acknowledges the example that Pope Francis lives every day.  This is the gift that God has given Catholics and the world; an example of love, peace and healing in a broken, violent world.

Pope Francis’s reflections at a recent Mass in Casa Santa Marta concerned our service to others.  “We must resist temptations that distance us from our service to others.  Instead, like Jesus, we must serve without asking for anything in return …..”

Jesus said ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.’

How do we serve the “least of these” today?  We lead by example.  Holy Cross has a long legacy of serving the “least” of these through our Outreach program.  In addition, the Summer Lunch program in the Granite Falls school district was supported by our giving and 198 families received a Thanksgiving dinner this year through serving the least of these.  We visit those who incarcerated and those who are sick.

In our daily lives, will we reach out to people we know or meet that are ignored or hurting due to cultural, generational, social or physical reasons?  Will we be there for the suffering from the shootings at Marysville Pilchuck High School or pray for those at Florida University or Ferguson, Missouri?  Will we look the other way so we don’t acknowledge the person standing on the corner with a sign asking for help?  Or will we at least smile at them to acknowledge their human dignity and then pray for them that God will provide for them?

Will we smile and greet the man wearing a turban on his head?  Will we smile and greet the man wearing a yamaka?  Will we spend some time with a person who lost a loved one; just sit without a word – to be there to comfort them?  Will we serve the least of these as Pope Francis said “without asking anything in return?”

This is Mission Sunday so our thoughts turn to one of the great missionaries in the New Testament.  Paul made three missionary journeys all over modern Turkey and Greece and then eventually went to Rome to evangelize the Gentiles.

When we think of missions we naturally think of going to another land to preach the Gospel like Paul.  This brings the question of what does it take to be a missionary?

Rev. Joel DeSelm wrote an article for the Missionary Church Today titled “Want to be a better Witness?

A young missionary candidate has already passed the theological, psychological, and behavioral screenings in order to head to the mission field.  All that remained was his interview with the main examiner for the mission agency.  And so at 3:00 AM on a cold February morning, the young man walked into an office for his scheduled interview with the examiner.  He waited until 8:00 AM when the examiner arrived.  The examiner said, “Let us begin.  First, please spell apple.”

“A-p-p-l-e” the young man replied.

Very good.  Now let’s see how well you know figures.  How much is three times five?”

“Fifteen” replied the applicant.

“Excellent” the examiner said.  “I’m going to recommend you to the board for approval to become one of our missionaries.  You have passed the test.”

At the board meeting the next day the examiner spoke very highly of the applicant and said, “I recommend him to you with no reservations.  He has all of the qualifications to be an effective missionary on our staff.  Let me explain…

“First, I tested him on sacrifice and self-denial.  I told him to be at my house at three in the morning.  He left a warm bed and came out on a cold winter morning without a word of complaint.  Secondly, I tried him out on the follow-though and punctuality.  He showed up as he said he would and he was there on time.  Thirdly, I examined him on patience and flexibility.  I made him wait for five hours to see me, after telling him to come at three.

Fourthly, I tested him on anger management issues.  He didn’t show any sign of frustration, anger, or resentment; in fact, he didn’t even question my delay.  Lastly, I evaluated his humility.  I asked him questions that even a young child could answer and he showed no offense or irritation.  I feel he meets the requirements we need for a missionary.  I present him to you as a young man that the Lord can use mightily.”

I wonder if I would have passed that test, especially in my younger years when I was impatient and demanding.

When I was in High School, I felt called to be a missionary in Kenya to work in broadcasting for a protestant denomination.  Television was just getting started in those days and trained workers were needed.  Even though I failed to accept the call, God still worked with me over the years.  Eventually, I became Catholic, listened to God’s call again and this time was ordained a deacon in 2007.

In the second reading Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica: “We give thanks to God always for all of you, remembering you in our prayers, unceasingly calling to mind your work of faith and labor of love and endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ, …”

The words “your work of faith and labor of love” really say it all.  While Paul was a missionary, the people of Thessalonica lived there.  Paul was praising them for faith and love for others in the city and neighborhoods where they lived.

There are many ways to serve.  We do not always have to go far away to another land to learn a new language and culture.  We do not have to join a religious order or become ordained.

The motto on the Alaskan Shepard newsletter published by the Mission Diocese of Fairbanks reads:   “Some give by going to the Missions;   Some go by giving to the Missions;   Without both there are no Missions.”

In today’s Gospel, Jesus said to “Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”  Jesus understood that daily life places demands on our time and money when he said to repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar.  But he also showed us that God was part of life’s equation when he said to repay to God what belongs to God.  Please give as generously as you can to support the missionaries serving in other lands and cultures.

The mission field is all around us wherever we live.  As we witness to those around us, will we display the qualities of the young missionary applicant?  Are we willing to make sacrifices to serve others?  Will we be patient when others don’t understand why we serve God?  Will we be loving and kind in the face of ridicule and taunting?  Some of us will serve in the mission fields; some of us will support by funding the mission programs; all of us will live God’s love to others.  How will we repay to God what belongs to God?

Over the past few weeks, we have discussed what it means to be good stewards of what God has given to us.  Being good stewards is critical to our spiritual wellbeing.  We must listen to God’s voice and then serve God in our actions.

How do we serve God in our actions?  The Old Testament and Jesus gave us the guide lines to follow in serving God.  When we serve those who are in need: the poor, the widow, the orphan and the stranger, we are serving God.  The vineyard in today’s parable is the world and the sons are everyone living in it.  The parable gives us two very different responses to the father’s request of the sons.

We have talked before about how public family life is in Middle Eastern culture.  The conversation between the father and sons in the parable would have taken place in the market area in front of all the community to see and hear.  One son, to save face and his honor, tells his father that he will go into the vineyard to work without any intention of doing it.  The other son tells his father no even though that would be disrespectful and dishonor him in front of the others observing the discussion between him and his father.  He has a change of heart and goes into the vineyard to work as his father requested.

The two sons represent the religious leaders and the religious outcasts who followed John’s call to repentance.  Jesus put the religious leaders in a difficult position.  If they answer the son who honored his father by saying yes, but did not go, the people could turn against them.  They responded with the son who said no but then repented and went into the vineyard and worked.  The chief priests and the elders condemn themselves by the answer they give to Jesus’ question.  Jesus responds with a condemnation because they refused to act and accept John’s call to repentance.

Being a Christian is more than just talking the talk like the son who said yes but did not go; it requires that we walk the talk.  The religious leaders in the parable were great at instructing the people how to follow the rules, and they were great in publicly obeying the rules, but like the son who said yes to the father, they did not follow the rules in their hearts or in their private actions.

The two sons point to the difference between saying and doing, a theme that is important in the Gospel of Matthew.  Jesus constantly used the teaching from the Psalms as a guide for how to live: take care of the poor, the widow, the orphan and the stranger.

Many people today talk the talk by explaining what is wrong with the system and how we must make changes to help the marginal in society, but most never get beyond the talk.  Some actually take action to change laws, to provide for others needs and help heal those who are discouraged and in the depths of despair.

There are many ways for us to take action: the Outreach program at Holy Cross, Food for the Poor, Catholic Community Services, Peter’s Pence and many other Catholic organizations who follow Jesus’ teaching and work to make a positive difference in the world.

Each of us can also work through the legislative process to tell our representatives to enact laws and regulations that protect those on the margins of society.  The orphans, the children who are detained by Immigration without any place to go; the homeless, who wander the streets of the areas where we live without a place to get in out of the rain; the mentally ill who need medical help but there is no funding for them to receive treatment.

Jesus gave us the parable of a father who asks his two sons to do something: one says he will do it but doesn’t, the other son said no his father, but then does what the father asked.

We often treat God, our Heavenly Father, like one of the persons in the parable.  But it doesn’t have to be that way.  Jesus gave us an example different from either son in the parable; he not only said yes to his Heavenly Father but also willingly followed his father’s will – even to death on a cross for the salvation of the world.

We too can do the same.  We can say yes and live our lives serving others: the poor, the orphans, the widow and the stranger.  The underlying lesson in the parable is that we need to be good stewards of God’s blessings to us by serving those in need.

In the parable, the father told both sons to go into the vineyard to work.  What will happen to those who are in need if we fail to act?  The orphans detained by Immigration need someone to speak for them.  Will we contact our legislators in Washington DC and Olympia to push for immigration reform?  The homeless need a place to stay and a warm meal.  Will we volunteer some time at the Gospel Mission to serve a hot meal and a smile with a person who has lost everything; including their dignity?  The mentally ill need someone to push for funding so they don’t end up in the jails due to lack of treatment.  Will we ask the government agencies and our legislators to provide more funding for medical treatment to help them?

These are the people who need our help the most.  Will we move away from telling everyone what’s wrong with the system and go into the vineyard of the world to work for positive change?