Pull Together

Why is our world so full of divisiveness?

We hear the many pleas for brotherhood, working together, unity.

We look for teamwork, team spirit, 

And instead see Jonathan Papelbon clutching Bryce Harper—by the throat.

We can envision the peace and beauty of everyone getting along, 

Working together for the common good.

That’s been a goal and a dream, often eloquently and cleverly stated throughout history.

Benjamin Franklin urged his fellow signers of the Declaration of Independence to unity.

We must indeed all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately.

Of course, beyond that circle of supporters, the Declaration itself was an act of divisiveness.

Declaring our separation from England.

Pope Francis stood in that same Independence Square in Philadelphia a few days ago.

Wrapping up his inspiring visit to our country.

A visit where he encouraged us toward a more universal world unity, and an end to divisiveness.

Our Scripture readings on this Feast of the Archangels give us a story on divisiveness.

Long before we had division in the world, there was division between the angels in Heaven.

Such bitter division that it resulted in war.

And Satan and his followers were cast out of Heaven and thrown down to Earth.

Where he continues to deceive and accuse.

In our Gospel, Jesus praises Nathanael as one without duplicity—without deceitfulness.

He has the qualities of a peacemaker.

He has none of that deceitfulness that stirs up animosity and divisiveness.

Unfortunately, today, we see that deceitfulness everywhere.

We see it in politics and the media and in our polarized society.

In public debate, there’s little regard for truth or fairness or civility.

Each side wildly exaggerates the other’s position to make it seem totally unreasonable.

The Internet is rife with this kind of intentional deceitfulness.

As an example, with the Pope’s visit just ended, there are already articles trying to discredit him.

One used a headline that claimed to be a quote from Francis, but was totally fabricated.

That deceitful headline drew over a thousand comments condemning the Pope’s meddling.

So what are we to do about all this?

Well, we can remember that Jesus said, Blessed are the Peacemakers.

We can be careful that we ourselves don’t contribute to the divisive deceit and exaggeration.

We might have to pass up the opportunity for a clever jab at the other side.

Or a chance to vent about something the other side has done.

Actually, despite the millions of bad examples out there,

There are also millions of good examples.

We can continue to add to those good unifying acts and examples.

And when we see others stoking the divisiveness, we can gently try to soften them.

Maybe with a story of how we too were once caught up in the fight.

Bringing peace on earth may be an unachievable goal for us.

But it’s the task we’re called to.

When we get discouraged we can call on the angels for help.

And we can remember the refrain from that simple little Christmas song.

Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.

Tuesday 26th Week Ordinary Time

Jn 1:47-51     Read this Scripture @usccb.org

When You Must

The Complete Story of Your Life

Imagine you’re transported into the future, and there on a desk is a book—your biography.

Would you open it and read it?

Way back when I was in high school a friend asked me that question.

And I said, Yes, starting at the last page.

I’m older and wiser now.

But my curiosity might still overpower my wisdom.

So I’d probably stick with that answer.

Sometimes it’s not so good to know what’s coming.

As the old phrase goes, Ignorance is bliss.

At least it can be, it can spare us from dreading the pain and sorrow that lies ahead.

And there surely is some pain and sorrow ahead for all of us.

Our Gospel readings over the past few days have dealt with that pain and sorrow.

Sunday we heard Jesus say that he himself must suffer greatly and die.

And that we must take up our cross and follow him.

Again yesterday, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross,

We heard Jesus say that he must be lifted up on the cross.

But he added the Good News—for us—that his suffering was for the salvation of the world.

And so that we might have eternal life.

Jesus saw it coming.

At some point in his life he saw that he was heading for crucifixion.

That fore-knowledge had to add to his suffering.

The dread, the mental anguish, of knowing the terrible physical suffering that lies ahead.

That anguish reached its peak in the Garden of Gethsemane.

When Jesus prayed that, if possible, he might be spared.

But he wasn’t spared.

Today, we see that Jesus’ own mother could not be spared her pain and sorrow.

Or the fore-knowledge that it was coming—someday.

When Jesus was still an infant, she heard Simeon’s prophesy,

That she herself would be pierced with a sword of pain.

And, indeed, she was not spared.

Our Lady of Sorrows had to witness the torture and death of her only son.

If Jesus and Mary couldn’t be spared the pain and sorrow of human life.

Surely we can’t either.

It’s okay to pray to be spared, as Jesus himself did in the Garden.

But at the same time we should ask for strength and grace to bear the suffering if we can’t be spared.

When suffering does strike, with or without forewarning, it can help to know that we’re in good company.

With Jesus and Mary, and all the saints, and everyone else.

And to know that Jesus invites us to make our sufferings fruitful by joining them with his.

And offering them for the salvation of the world and for eternal life.

Tuesday 24th Week Ordinary Time
Our Lady of Sorrows

Lk 2:33-35     Read this Scripture @usccb.org

He Ain't Heavy

                                     He Ain't Heavy          Photo by JEOMYEOL

They were unable to join him because of the crowd.

Our Gospel description of Jesus’ mother and brothers trying to meet with him.

That description also fits the situation here in our city for the next few days.

Pope Francis will be landing in a few hours.

And everywhere he goes he’s going to be surrounded by crowds.

We won’t be able to join him.

But we will be able to see him and listen to him, from within that crowd or on our TVs.

And he does have a number of messages for us.

One message is likely to be the same one Jesus gave in today’s Gospel.

My mother and my brothers and sisters are those who hear the word of God and act on it.

Jesus called us to action two thousand years ago.

And that call has echoed through all those centuries.

As we’re urged by popes and bishops and pastors and teachers—and God’s voice within us.

Pope Francis has chosen Mercy, as the main theme of his papacy.

That abundant, extravagantly generous mercy that God extends to each of us.

And that mercy that we’re called to extend to others as we follow the two Great Commandments.

Love God, and love our neighbor as ourselves.

Since we’re all children of God,

Those neighbors are more than just neighbors, they’re our brothers and sisters.

Brothers and sisters to Jesus are also brothers and sisters to each other.

Pope Francis is likely to remind us that we have an obligation to immigrants and refugees.

They too are our brothers and sisters.

Surely they do present some burdens for us, at least in the short-term.

They can weigh on our economy.

They can weigh on our job market, and housing market, our schools and other resources.

They can weigh on the administrative and legal processes needed to deal with them.

Of course, we need those rules and processes to avoid chaos.

But we’re called to find a way to make it work.

As Americans, most all of us are just a few generations removed from our immigrant ancestors.

That history should boost our empathy, and our optimism for the longer term.

We may be already-financially-strapped citizens, called to carry a bit of added financial burden.

Or activists called to carry the message and convince others of our obligation.

Or Turkish soldiers, called to carry drowned refugee children from a beach.

Whatever our own particular call to action might be,

We’re all called to carry out some role in this worldwide struggle of refugees and migrants.

We might be tempted to consider our role a burden.

But it’s really an opportunity to hear the word of God and act on it.

To share some of the mercy and love God has poured out on us.

When we look at the struggling migrant and consider our own potential burden,

Let’s respond as a young fellow once did as he carried another into Fr Flannigan’s Boys Town.

He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother.

Tuesday 25th Week Ordinary Time
Lk 8:19-21     Read this Scripture @usccb.org

Gathering the Nations

Gathering the Nations into the Peace of God's Kingdom

After months of waiting, our big week is finally here.

Pope Francis will be landing in Washington Tuesday afternoon.

Everyone wants to see him.

Some because they view him as a superstar celebrity.

Some because they recognize him as one of the top world leaders.

Some because they recognize him as a spiritual leader, the earthly head of Christ’s Church.

Jesus’ top representative---continuing the task of gathering the nations.

We have to pretty much shut down the city for security and crowd control.

So will New York and Philadelphia.

It’s quite unlike the quiet journey Jesus tries to take through Galilee in today’s Gospel.

Speaking of superstars, the title song from the rock opera, Jesus Christ Superstar, asks Jesus:

Why’d you choose such a backward time, and such a strange land?

If you’d come today you could have reached a whole nation.

But Israel in 4 BC had no mass communication.

Well here we are today; we may still be backward and strange.

But mass communication is now standing by to help Francis reach the whole nation.

And the whole world.

I was up at the Basilica Thursday night, a week before the papal Mass,

And the TV broadcast trucks with their giant periscoping transmitters are already in place.

Of course, Francis is also visiting other parts of the world in person.

And drawing even larger crowds than here.

                                                                            

Most of us Catholics are thrilled to see so many people embrace our Pope.

It gives us renewed hope for our Church and our values and our world.

If his charismatic personality can draw multitudes to the truth, that’s great.

But we know better than to rely too heavily on that.

We’ve all seen how quickly that kind of fame and attraction can disappear.

No doubt there’s an element of that in Francis’ popularity.

But there seems to be something greater here—something deep and genuine.

He has captured the attention of many who had turned away from the Church.

Members and non-members alike.

Many who felt the Church had become irrelevant, out of touch with the modern world.

Francis’ emphasis on mercy, help for the poor, and preservation of the earth has struck a chord.

Many are drawn by his willingness to hold discussions on difficult issues.
Like annulments and gay rights.

He’s creating high anxiety among those who are most strongly tied to tradition.

And high hopes for those who are eager for change—even radical change.

There will no doubt be some disappointments for both those groups.

But we should all gain from the discussion.

It could be a great learning opportunity for all of us.

Whether from within the Church or without.

Of course, there are many essential things that can’t be opened to change.

But if they’re questioned, the Church has an opportunity for education.

A chance to have an attentive audience listen to an explanation expressed in today’s context.

An opportunity for evangelization.

Some customs and positions and practices and attitudes are open to change.

And some changes might indeed be made.

Just last week we had significant procedural streamlining of the annulment process.

In an atmosphere of open discussion, many matters will be raised.
Appropriate and inappropriate.

Most discussions will lead to no change.

But the very act of discussion would give us those benefits of education and evangelization.

A chance to reaffirm and explain traditional positions in the context of today’s world.

The world has a short attention span.

So we should grab the opportunity to capitalize on our Pope’s current popularity.

We don’t want to promote just a papal popularity cult.

And neither does Francis.

He clearly knows his role is to draw followers not to himself but to Jesus.

To help guide the world to God.

He’s demonstrated the humility and service to others that Jesus calls for in today’s Gospel.

Over the years he has shown his strong affinity with the poor and the powerless.

Those represented by that child Jesus held out in his lesson for his apostles.

Urging that attitude of service, and that preference for the poor,

Are surely among the messages Francis will bring to us on this visit.

And no doubt he’ll talk about the ecology.

There’s a lot of speculation as to how strong his message might be.

And whether some of us might take offense.

We are, after all, a very wealthy people.

We may think we’re quite generous to the world’s poor, but are we really?

We’re probably the most powerful nation on earth.

Do we always use that power properly, wisely, fairly?

We’re also a very materialistic nation.

And we’re not always the best stewards of the earth’s natural resources.

On top of all that, we’re an extremely polarized nation.

With far too much animosity between the far right and the far left.

An outsider like Francis might have some constructive observations for us.

He might go so far as to set himself against our doings and reproach us for our transgressions.

If he does offer that kind of fraternal correction, let’s not find him obnoxious.

Let’s not argue that our country is the greatest and above reproach.

Let’s instead take a closer look at our country and at ourselves.

Surely we’ll see that there’s plenty of room for improvement.

                                                                      

And even if he does reproach a little, his main message will still be the Good News.

The Good News of God’s love and mercy.

Abundant, extravagant love and mercy for all of us and each of us.

Love and mercy that we can, in turn, reflect out.

Out to each other: the poor the powerless and our polar opposites.

And out to our planet.

25th Sunday Ordinary Time

Mk 9:30-37     Read this Scripture @usccb.org