Deacon Joe

The people really liked Jesus because his teaching spoke to their hearts.  Jesus understood their situation and talked to them and treated them with respect.  The Sadducees tried to trick Jesus with a complex question.  Jesus answered the question in a way that made the Sadducees look ridiculous.

The Pharisees heard that the Sadducees attempt failed so they decided to test Jesus by asking him a question that would difficult to answer.  This way they could trap him and make him look bad in the eyes of the people.  If they succeeded, it would be something they could hold over the Sadducees.

But it didn’t work out for them.  Jesus saw through their deceit and gave an answer they had to accept.  The first commandment is to “Love the Lord with all your heart, soul and mind.”  The second is like it.  Love your neighbor as yourself.

First, we must love God because God is love.  The love that God has for everyone flows out to all people.  Since we are born in God’s image, we are at our best when we love too.  Jesus told us to “Love others as we love ourselves”.  If we love God with all our heart, soul and mind; we will automatically love others.

Loving others is very difficult at times.  There always seems to be a couple of people who get to us regardless of how hard we try to kind.  A family member (and they are usually the worst), the co-worker, the neighbor and even the stranger whether they are the homeless person or the obnoxious clerk at the store.

And yet, Jesus commanded us to love that difficult person.  This coming week, let us select a person that is difficult to love and pray that God will help us to understand them better, to try to see life from the situation that they are living and to help our hearts reach out to them in love.

Saint Matthew’s Gospel by the Faculty at the University of Navarre helps us to understand our Gospel reading.

“This parable is addressed to the Jewish people, whom God called at an early hour, centuries ago.  Now the Gentiles are also being called—with an equal right to form part of the new people of God, the Church.  In both cases it is a matter of a gratuitous, unmerited, invitation; therefore, those who were the “first” to receive the call have no grounds for complaining when God calls the “last” and gives them the same reward — membership of his people.  At first sight the labourers of the first hour seem to have a genuine grievance — because they do not realize that to have a job in the Lord’s vineyard is a divine gift.  Jesus leaves us in no doubt that although he calls us to follow different ways, all receive the same reward — heaven.”

The same is also true for us today.  We would not expect a person who has been a vile, hateful and terrible person, who has robbed people, killed and even maimed others to get into heaven.  However, if that person repents of their sins and receives forgiveness from God just before they die, they will receive the eternal reward of heaven.

A person who has served God all of their life, been active in the church and community, helped those in need and protected those in danger will receive God’s eternal reward of heaven when they die.

It doesn’t seem fair but it’s not about fairness.  Fairness is a human judgement that based more on my point of view than the facts.  Fortunately, it’s about God’s love and mercy which is available to everyone; the person who follows God’s calling and the worst of criminals alive.  Just as God was there for the Children of Israel regardless of how many times they failed or turned away from him, he is there for us.

God calls all of us to receive him as our Lord and Savior.  Some of us accept and some of us refuse.  The person who receives God just before they die could very easily have died before they accepted God into their life.  Then that person would never have known God’s love, never have felt God close to them and spent eternity without God.

Heaven is our reward for accepting Jesus into our hearts and lives.  For those of us who accepted God’s love, mercy and forgiveness and serve God with all of our lives, we must continue to follow him so we can receive the eternal reward.  For those of us who are resisting God’s love and mercy, Jesus calls each one to accept him and work to build the Kingdom of God so we can receive our reward – eternity in heaven.  May each of us respond to God’s gift of love, mercy and forgiveness.

Writings as early as the second and third century and the Council of Ephesus in 431 confirm that the early Church believed in the Assumption of Mary.  Deacon Michael Bickerstaff wrote: “Testimony from sources, such as the Patriarch of Jerusalem in 451 A.D., reveal the accepted belief that no relics of Mary existed because she had been assumed, body and soul, into heaven; and that this belief came from apostolic times.”  The Assumption is the oldest of the Marian feasts in the Liturgical Calendar.

We as Catholics believe that the Virgin Mary was born without sin.  If Mary was born without sin, then it is natural for us to believe in the Assumption of Mary.  It is original sin that makes our bodies decay.  Without sin, Mary’s body would not decay.  Jesus, her son, wanted her to be with him because of the special relationship he had with her as his Mother.  Mary was the first to be assumed, body and soul, into the glory of heaven after Jesus’ Resurrection.

Because of this, Mary became a great intercessor on our behalf.  She is there to plead to her Son for our needs and the needs of the world.

Elizabeth asked Mary how it was that she was honored by the presence of the Mother of my Lord?  We heard Our Blessed Mother’s response from today’s Gospel.  It is frequently referred to as the Magnificat.  For those who pray evening prayer, it is recognized as the Canticle of Mary.  A canticle is a hymn, chant or song that is taken from biblical texts that are not from one of the Psalms.

What is the Magnificat or Canticle of Mary?  It is a prayer that our Blessed Mother prayed.  There are three prominent themes in this prayer.  First, Mary glorifies God for his blessings.  Then she emphases how God honors those who are humble.  Finally, Mary reminds us that God always takes care of his people as he promised from the beginning of time.

It is a good model for us in our prayers.  We start by thanking God for his many blessings to us.  We must always remember that God provides everything that we possess.  We acknowledge that we serve Christ through the kindness and respect we give to others.  It is only through our unselfish service to others that we serve Jesus.  The last theme is the most difficult – the promise that God will take care of us.  It is difficult for us to accept this promise when we are in the mist of life’s troubles and trials.  But the promise is there for us to receive and believe.

Through prayer, we find comfort and peace in a troubled world.  Fr. John Riccardo, pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Plymouth, Michigan, was dismayed by the turmoil of the election politics, the terrorist acts of ISIS and the violence in America between police and protestors.  He asked his parish to fast and pray for our nation on Wednesday, then pray a Rosary in the evening and end by receiving the Eucharistic.

How often we ask Mary to intercede for us.  We frequently do this by praying the Rosary.  We know that she will hear us our prayers and be our intermediary with her Son.

I ask you to join me:  Hail, Mary, full of grace …..

Love for our neighbor and love for one another are different. Jesus gave us a new command in today’s Gospel. First: “I give you a new commandment: love one another.” And he continued: “As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.”

Jesus gave a new commandment to love one another as he loved us. The Old Testament law required a person to “Love your neighbor as yourself”. This was even understood to include a person’s enemies. Jesus reiterated the law when one of the Pharisees who was a scholar of the law asked him “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”

“You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”

Now Jesus is taking this love one step further. This is a new teaching that is different from just loving our neighbor. Love for one another is deeper and more demanding than love for a neighbor that we may know or possibly even just tolerate. Love for one another is what sets us apart from the rest of the world. It was important to Jesus that people know who are his followers. He continued “This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

The early church followed Jesus’ commandment to love one another. At the end of the second century Tertuallian wrote that the people said “See how they love one another”. The world knew that they were Christians because they showed their love for one another by their actions.

So how do we define love for one another? Jesus defines it in the next statement “As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.” Loving one another as Jesus loves us is quite a stretch for us. Jesus loved us so much that he willing died to bring salvation to all people for all generations. That kind of love is far beyond what we are capable of giving; and yet Jesus told us to love others as he loved us. We must follow Jesus’ example to love to the best of our ability and ask for his forgiveness when we fail.

We love others through our actions: The moment of kindness to the elderly person struggling to get groceries out of their cart onto the checkout station. The times when we speak out when someone puts another person down for the way they dress or their culture or their religion. When we volunteer to help build a house in another country for someone who is unable to afford a house. When we spend some time in prayer for those we love, for those we can’t stand and even for those we hate.

Another action that we show our love is through the support we provide through the Annual Catholic Appeal. Sixty-one ministries of the Archdiocese are funded by the Annual Catholic Appeal. Some of these ministries are: the seminarians who are preparing to become priests for our archdiocese, meals for the homeless, medical care for our retired priests, nuns, religious brothers and sisters who have served the church for so many years and catholic schools for our children. Criminal Justice programs, including jail and prison ministries, are supported as well as Deacon programs and formation, cultural and ethnic ministries and youth programs.

This past week everyone should have received letters from Archbishop Sartain and Father Jay asking us to support the Annual Catholic Appeal. The Appeal provides the financial support needed for over sixty-one ministries in the Archdiocese of Seattle.

We have a parish goal of $28,943 for our share of the Annual Catholic Appeal in the Seattle Archdiocese that supports the Catholic church in Western Washington. Any amount over this goal is returned to the Holy Cross to help fund our parish ministries.  It is critical that each person contributes so we can reach our goal.  If we could give one dollar a day, that would be $365 each. If you are able, please increase your donation this year to help us support the ministries of the church.

If you completed the pledge card you received in the mail and brought it with you, thank you. Otherwise, please complete a pledge card that the ushers have passed out today.

Jesus made our works of charity for others the defining characteristic that makes us different from others; that all people will notice. There are many saints throughout history who lived their lives serving others. When we think of people from our day who fit this description, we immediately think of Mother Theresa. She gave her live to selfless love for the abandoned, the sick, the orphaned and the dying. Her kindness and non-judgmental attitude toward others showed her for others. The whole world knew that she was a Christian by her actions. We will probably not go to another part of the world to serve as Mother Theresa did but we must serve where we live.

Jesus gave us a new commandment to love one another as he loved us. He said “This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Does the world know that we are Christians? Do we show our love for others by our actions? Do we love one another as Christ loved us?

Let’s take a moment to complete the pledge card that the ushers passed out today. Thank you for your prayerful support of the Annual Catholic Appeal through our prayers, our acts of kindness and our gifts from what God has given us.

Scourging and crucifixion were the two principle methods of punishment used by the Romans. Scourging with a whip of multiple ends, sometimes embedded with metal, was more than most men could survive. Thirty-nine lashes were considered one short of what a man could survive without dying. Crucifixion was a painful method of death. Crucifixion was reserved for the worst criminal offenses, especially those accused of rebellion against the government.

Crucifixion was devised and designed by the Romans with more multiple goals in mind. First, crucifixion was designed to inflict optimal physical pain. The procedure was dragged out over a number of hours and the amount of pain inflicted at any given moment was carefully calculated so as not to cause unconsciousness and thus ease the pain of the one being crucified. Sometimes they even gave wine mixed with morphine to the person being crucified, not to ease their suffering, but to keep them from passing out from pain, so they could endure it longer. Crucifixion was designed to humiliate the person being crucified and cause fear in all the people watching it.

Pilate had Jesus scourged which was one lash less than killing a person. Then the soldiers wove a crown of thorns and placed it on his head. The thorns cut deeply into his skull causing great pain. In all of this agony, Jesus is alone without anyone to comfort him in his pain and suffering. Everyone who knew him ran away and hid from the Romans so they would not be treated with the same punishment.

The Gospels of Matthew and Mark both have some added details of Christ’s crucifixion.

“At noon darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And at three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Jesus cried out on the cross “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Have you ever felt forsaken? Alone? Forgotten? Misunderstood? Despised? Afraid? Abandoned? Totally abandoned? So deep into the depths of despair that you felt there was no way out?

Most of us have never been into the depths of despair to the point that we felt it was better to die than to continue on living. While some of us may have felt that way in our life it is hard to imagine the complete desolation that Jesus experienced on the cross. He was the Son of God. He and his Father were one. Jesus knew the plan of salvation and prayed that his Father would let this cup pass, but not his will, only his Father’s. Jesus willingly accepted his Father’s plan for the salvation of all.

Jesus had every reason to feel abandoned. Even the disciples who walked with him for the last couple of years, who at the supper table last night said that, they would never abandon him – that they would die for him, completely disappeared. The disciples feared for their lives and left Jesus to die alone.

Then Jesus took on the sins of the world; the sins of the past, the sins of those who were killing him and the sins of all future people. When he took on the sins of the world, his Father was unable to remain with him and for the only time in his earthly life, he felt forsaken – abandoned.

When Jesus accepted our sins so that we might have hope in his resurrection he was totally abandoned. Even in the darkest hours of our lives, we will never experience the abandonment that Jesus felt on the cross. He did it for me and he did it for you. Jesus willing did it for all people throughout all time.

Throughout his Passion it is Jesus who is in control, not the Jews or the Romans. Jesus decides on the moment of his death; he willing gives up his spirit to fulfill the Father’s plan. Jesus announces the completion of his sacrifice when he said “It is finished”. The Vulgate’s translation of “It is accomplished” states it better.

His Father’s plan of salvation for all of us was accomplished! We have the opportunity to have our sins forgiven because Jesus accepted our sins and accomplished what was planned to give us life in his kingdom. Throughout his ministry, Jesus taught “Repent and believe in the Kingdom of God!”

It is not easy to follow Jesus. Today, many Christians throughout the world are dying for their faith. This is especially true in the Middle East where not only ISIS but even the “friendly” governments are trying to wipe out the Church. Regardless of how difficult our life is, Jesus is always with us to guide and comfort us with his love. During this Year of Mercy, let us remember that God’s grace and mercy is always there for us.

How will we respond? We can reject God’s love, forgiveness and mercy or we can accept it. Jesus is hanging there on the cross; his out stretched arms welcoming us to accept his love, his forgiveness and his mercy. Will we repent and believe in the Kingdom of God? If we had to face death because we are Catholic; would we deny him like Peter? Would we desert him like the disciples? Or would we die for our faith like the martyrs throughout history and even today?

Today, the first reading gives us the story of a family. It is a typical story of many families throughout history. Unfortunately, it is a story of pain and suffering. Joseph was the youngest of the sons and was his father’s favorite. His father loved Joseph very much and had an ornamental coat made for him. His brothers began to resent him.

It didn’t help that Joseph had dreams and shared them with his brothers. The dreams had the brothers worshiping him. That resentment grew until it became an outright hatred for their brother. It eventually led them to so much jealousy and hatred that they wanted to kill him.

Fortunately, one of his brothers, Reuben, suggested that they just put him in a cistern instead of killing him. They stripped Joseph of his coat and put him in a dry cistern. While his brother Rueben was taking his turn with the flock, another brother suggested that they sell Joseph to a caravan that was traveling through the area on the way to Egypt. Reuben planned to get Joseph back to their father so when he returned, he went to the cistern to release Joseph but he was gone. It was then that he learned that Joseph was sold to the caravan for twenty pieces of silver.

The brothers decided to take a kid goat and kill it, put the blood on Joseph’s coat and had someone else take it to their father to ask if it was his son’s. Their father recognized it and said that a wild animal had killed his son Joseph.

That’s the way that sin develops. First it is a little sin, then it happens more often, then the magnitude of the sin gets bigger and bigger. Eventually, the sin begins to overtake us. That is what happened to Joseph’s brothers. It started with resentment because Joseph was Dad’s favorite. It grew to jealousy and hatred. It then turned into selling their brother to become a slave and a conspiracy to lie to their father. They even involved someone else to carry out their sin. Their acts broke their father’s heart.

The tenants in the Gospel followed the same path. First, they beat a servant, killed another and stoned another. Then the owner of the vineyard sent more numerous servants and the tenants treated them the same way. Then the owner sent his son thinking that they would honor his son. Instead, they killed the owner’s son so they could get the inheritance for themselves.

The tenants started by beating a servant, then killing and then stoning others. This same treatment escalated to more and more of the servants that the owner sent to collect his rightful harvest. Their sin grew and grew until they killed the owner’s son.

During this Lent let’s take some time to find a quiet place that we can reflect on our lives, our innermost thoughts and feelings, the very depths of our hearts, to determine where we have started to let little things creep into our lives. Unless we do this, the little things will become bigger things. We must build our lives on Christ, the cornerstone of the Church.

It is worth a few moments of quiet time to reflect on our own lives and what is in our hearts. Are we jealous of others? Do we covet what others have for possessions? Do we lie when it is convenient? Are there people we really can’t stand? Do we get really frustrated when we have to deal with some people?

The Gospel acclamation says it so well: “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.”

I believe Lord. Help me to live a life that will bring honor and glory to you.

Caring for those who are in need is the critical message of the Scriptures; both the Old Testament and the New Testament. This is really pointed out to us in the Gospel; every person has dignity regardless of their position in society, their position in the church or the amount of money the person possesses.

Vatican II teaches that out of respect for the human dignity of each person, we must help those who are experiencing any material or spiritual need: “Wishing to come down to topics that are practical and of some urgency, the Council lays stress on respect for the human person: everyone should look upon his neighbor (without any exception) as another self, bearing in mind above all his life and the means necessary for living it in a dignified way lest he follow the example of the rich man who ignored Lazarus, the poor man”

Everyone in the world knows that Catholics have always had a strong social justice doctrine. While I was in the formation program to become a deacon, it really surprised me the importance that Catholic doctrine placed on respect for the dignity of each person. That was the way that I was raised, not as a Catholic but as a Protestant. I was taught that it was important to treat everyone with respect regardless of their position in life, the color of their skin or how wealthy they were.

Jesus proclaimed that the Kingdome of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the Gospel. He treated everyone as a Child of God, even the religious leaders that he scolded for their hypocrisy. He healed the masses of the people and forgave their sins. And he always treated each person the same whether it was a wealthy man’s son, a religious leader’s daughter, a leper, a tax collector or a prostitute. This is beyond obtaining social justice for those who are oppressed or mistreated. Treating everyone with respect and being the servant to care for those who are in need is the fundamental teaching of Jesus.

Was the rich man condemned because of his wealth? No, he was condemned because of the way he ignored the suffering of Lazarus. The rich man could have helped Lazarus by chasing the dogs away, by giving him some food from his table and clothing. The rich man could have helped Lazarus get some strength and then provided employment so he “get back on his feet”. Unfortunately, the rich man ignored Lazarus.

Tikkun Olam, the Jewish belief that we all have to make the world a better place to live by helping to remove pollution, oppression, mistreatment of the poor, the widow, the orphan and the stranger. The rich man’s sin was his total disregard for the person he passed numerous times every day without caring for his neighbor. The rich man’s actions were against his own Jewish teaching.

As Christians, we must take action to bring social justice to the disadvantaged, the hungry, the homeless and the poor. But it is more important that we teach others to respect for each person as an individual, a child of God, by the example we live.

Let’s try to find a way to be an example to others this Lent. Let us silently be an example of serving others the way Jesus taught us. At times, it will take extreme courage to go over and help someone who is being mistreated or laughed at. It will take courage to take a meal to a homeless person on the corner. It will take courage to identify ourselves as a Christian.

Will we have the courage to show respect to the leper, the outcast from society, the person who is disabled or the person who doesn’t dress like we dress? Or will we commit the sin of the rich man by ignoring those who are in need that we see every day?

Every family is very different. Some are close to each other, some are boisterous, some are happy most of the time, others are sad most of the time and others are always fighting with each other. Quite frequently, groups become like families. The work group that has been together for a long period of time, the friends that have gotten together once a month for many years or the group that only gets together once a year to fish, hunt, go to the spa, go wine tasting or enjoy good food form bonds that often become like families. Think about your own experiences with your own families or friends.

The apostles became a family very quickly. They were together all the time and soon had all the familiar joys and struggles of any family. When the mother of two of the disciples went to Jesus and requested a place of honor for her sons, Jesus turned to the two sons and asked if they could drink the chalice that he would drink. They quickly answered yes without even knowing what was in the chalice. Jesus told them that they would drink the chalice that he would drink.

This was simply a mother and her two sons trying to get a place of honor for themselves. As we have talked many times, honor is everything in Middle Eastern culture and lying, stealing – even murder is considered acceptable to preserve honor. A place of honor at Jesus’ side would be a great accomplishment.

When the rest of the disciples heard what the two disciples and their mother asked Jesus to do for them, they were angry with the two disciples even though Jesus rebuked them. Whether they were angry because they didn’t have the opportunity to be the one to ask or they were jealous that they would not receive the honor.

Jesus called all of them together and talked to them about how all those in authority take great pleasure ruling over those who are under their authority. Then Jesus said “whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.”

It is hard to be a servant. Sometimes we think it is beneath us. Other times we are compelled by peer pressure to conform to the group standard and avoid those who are different or dress below the group norm. This even happens in churches sometimes.

But Jesus said that we had to avoid greatness as the world knows greatness and serve others. He did not make any exceptions. It is important that we understand this lesson. The place of honor as the world defines honor is not how Christians are to live their lives.

Our natural tendency is to want the place of honor but Jesus said that we must serve others. Pope Francis is a great example of serving others; especially the outcast, the prisoner, the sick, the homeless and the disabled. The Church must be different, to be so different that the world has to take notice that we are walking away from the place of honor to help others.

How will we be the servant to all in this Year of Mercy? How will we be a slave to those in need in this Year of Mercy? Especially during this Lenten Season, will we just go out of our way to show an act of kindness to the person on the corner asking for money? Will we pray an extra prayer that God will help each person who is in need? Will pray for the Church in lands where Christians are being martyred? How will we serve others in this Year of Mercy?