3.10.11 - Thur after Ash - Voluntary Penance

It is most appropriate to hear Jesus’ call to take up our cross today.  Our Lenten season, if anything, is an exaggerated time of doing so.  Jesus tells us to take up our cross daily – every day of the year.  But we find ourselves refusing the many crosses that come our way.  These forty days we can look for crosses – we voluntarily take on suffering and hardship – perhaps to make up for the crosses we have refused.  We also, in forty days, can develop the virtue of penance – that is, a disposition which helps us to accept our crosses in the future.

But most importantly – it places us in the company of Jesus.  Unlike many of our ordinary hardships, Jesus could have avoided his cross.  If he willed, he could have brought about our salvation in a most comfortable way.  But no, he voluntarily took on the most severe suffering – knowing that it was the Father’s will – and would be most beneficial for his beloved human race.

As we take on our voluntary penances – we grow closer to Jesus because we learn the power of his love.  Every penance we do – no matter how small is of great value to us.  It does not deny life – rather it gives us life.  It is the same life that we see in Jesus, Mary, and all the saints.

3.7.11 - 9th Monday - Logic of sin/virtue

I always thought that the most ridiculous line in this particular parable is when the tenants say among themselves: “This is the heir.  Come let us kill him and the inheritance will be ours.”  Why in the world would they think they could get anything if they killed the landlord’s son.

But that is the self-deception of all sin.  It is why we call Satan the master of all lies.  The desire for sin – the experience of powerful temptation tends to distort our logic.  As they say we lose the sense with which we were born with and make stupid decisions.

On the other hand, Tobit’s selfless act of burying the dead was perceived as reckless and stupid by his neighbors.  But their assessment was unfounded.  They feared the unjust authority of the Ninevah over and above their duty toward God.

Sin only makes sense amongst sinners – those who are self-absorbed.  Virtuous acts are often perceived as senseless among the same crowd yet indeed they transcend ordinary, even non-sinful action.  When our reverence for God becomes the primary motivation for our actions – we will do only those things whose logic is the same as God’s will.  This may include self-sacrifice and martyrdom just as we remember Sts. Felicity and Perpetua – wasteful in the eyes of the world – but blessed in the eyes of God.

3.6.11 - 9th Sunday - Blessing and Curse - outline

Anyone who has had a child baptized will remember

Questions at Baptism:

What name? What do you ask of God’s Church for?  Responsibility of training him in faith – do you accept this responsibility?  One more time: Is it your will?

-         slows it down a little – are you listening

-         Moses says: “Take these words of mine into your heart and soul.  Bind them at your wrist as a sign, and let them be a pendant on your forehead.”

-         Some took these literally – but wearing them does you nothing unless you follow them

-         Take these words seriously – let them penetrate our innermost being.

Again Moses says: “I set before you a blessing and a curse – a blessing for obeying the commandments of the Lord; a curse if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord.”

On my vacation this past week – I passed through Reno – none of us were gamblers but I jokingly said: “If you want to win big, you have to bet big” – There is a gamble in our faith.

The blessings that God promises are countless – but most especially the reward of eternal life in heaven – the curse is the possibility of hell – especially for those who receive God’s full assistance.

Responsibility as parents: You’ve probably heard that parents who do not teach the faith …

But the reverse is also true – if we pass the faith on, even if not apparent – great blessing for us.

Of course – Moses what Moses is saying is more than just about responsibilities as parents.

Also ourselves – particularly by our own baptism we possess this blessing and curse.

Jesus says: not everyone who says: Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven – lip service.

Goes on to say: “Many will say … Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?  Then I will declare to them solemnly ‘I never knew you, depart from me, you evil doers.’” 

We can do things in the name of the Lord – yet somehow be a stranger to him.

A person could go to Mass every Sunday, but in some Christ is missing in his heart.

A mere confession on one’s lips in the name of Jesus is insufficient.

Jesus says the one must listen to my words and act on them:

Sounds simple, we come to Mass and have the three readings read to us.

Danger of presumption

Blaise Pascal – “The person who is searching for God has already found him.”

Not just hear the word of God – but we listen to it and let it transform us.

That is how we continually search for God throughout our lives

If we stop searching, we are merely pay lip service, but if we constantly search, as Jesus says we build a strong foundation that will last against the storms that come.