Wheat & Weeds

  

So this guy sowed his wheat. His enemies come, sow the weeds. It’s messing with him. I think that at different times in our lives, we all have people messing with us, and so what’s this Sunday’s gospel story  about?

We think of the wheat as the good people, and we think of the weeds as the bad people. However, another way of looking at this parable is that the wheat is the good actions of our lives. The weeds, when we are not at our best are our actions that are suspect. The weeds are the careless, selfish behaviors in our lives, of which we all have that.

One of the great humbling challenges of our lives is to see the good and not-so-good in ourselves and to recognize that it exists in us. Yes, it exists in other people but we all struggle with these weeds.

If we look at the parable in this way, then we might ask ourselves which parts of our lives need to be bundled up and burnt, and that can be very humbling, but the reality is that if we take a good hard honest look at ourselves, we realize, “I’m better than that and need to let go of that nasty bad habit.” This can be liberating because there might be parts of our life that you wish you could bundle up and burn and disposed of, and be more like the person God created you to be.

Yes, sometimes we are the good guy, and other people are messing with us. But sometimes we are messing with ourselves. We are sowing weeds in our own field. We are sowing weeds among our own wheat. And I think the challenge of this gospel is to recognize that.

Here are examples, when we are messing with ourselves and making excuses for this poor behavior.

Stealing at self-checkout like mislabeling produce or forgetting to scan items, lying about a child’s age to get a discount, skipping out on tipping a server for good service, fabricating an illness or emergency to get out of a work commitment, or work shift or project deadline. Filing false insurance claims to pad payouts, disregarding the environment by tossing litter out of a car window, holding onto a friends’ loan item indefinitely when you know they want it back, sharing streaming service passwords with family and friends outside your household contrary to terms of service, accepting too much change from cashier or getting the wrong item in a drive-thru and not correcting the mistake, cutting in line at traffic merges or crowed event venues, taking up designated handicap space without a permit, leaving a shopping cart in the middle of an empty parking space instead of returning it, taking credit for coworker’s idea, using office supplies for personal use, padding worksheets by logging hours not worked, using AI tools or online answers to complete academic assignments, gossiping maliciously to damage a colleague’s or parishioner’s reputation.

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends that we realize the Master Gardener created us to be good, honest, and compassionate people. When the weeds of life begin to take over our garden, give us the humility to throw them in the trash and remove the hate, vengeance, arrogance that separates us from your love from our hearts. Help us to see a shared humanity as you see it. For this and for all you see we need, we ask in your holy name.

 

3 Secrets to Being a Christian

  

                                                    Cutting Hay on Fr. Matt's Farm

Jesus has given us the greatest news in the world. Christmas: God is with you and loves you. Good Friday: Jesus forgives you, and makes you right with God. Easter: Jesus was raised, and he will raise us too. And now he's sending you and me into the world to share that good news. That's the mission God has for his people. The mission God has for you.

I invite you to take three simple steps. First, step from self-centered thinking to other-centered thinking. This is the step that's probably the toughest one of all; to start thinking about the spiritual needs of other people as much or more as you think about your own spiritual needs. You have the best news in the world. Do you consider whether the people around you know that good news? Asking God to show us their needs and how we can be of service. How he can use us to offer them hope and grace and love and life. To think less about ourselves and more about other people. 

The second step would then go from being a here-and-now thinker to an eternal thinker. So much of what we spend our time on energy on, is stuff that's just going to fade away; it's temporary. Houses are temporary. God has made you for a higher purpose. Hairlines, waistlines, wrinkles, all temporary. Focus on what's eternal; what doesn't fade away. Don't settle for temporary things.

A friend learned that very plainly when his dad died. His family spent time finishing up all the will and estate stuff and all the legalities that go with death; settling all the loose ends of dad's estate. And then they set aside time on one Saturday to clean out dad's closet; a lifetime of clothes and papers and stuff. Most of the stuff went to one of two places. Some of it got stacked up on the street to be picked up by trashmen and carried to a landfill. The rest got loaded up and taken to the Salvation Army. When they arrived there, the Salvation Army was so overwhelmed by people dropping off stuff that hundreds, maybe thousands of boxes of clothes were sitting out in the parking lot as far as the eye could see. It began to rain. And the temporary things that people had worked so hard to accumulate over the years sat there getting saturated in the rain and boxes in a parking lot. Don't waste your life seeking things that are temporary. Things that will end up in a landfill or in a pile in a parking lot because nobody else wants it. Become a Christian whose life is focused solely on the eternal. 

The third step would be shifting from excuses to finding your own way to fulfill your mission. Every person I ever met has a good excuse. Some of us have lots of them. In the bible, Sarah was too old. Martha was worried too much. Moses stuttered. David was an adulterer. Peter was a hothead. But God uses all his people. And he always provides a way. When you step out to fulfill your mission, God will provide the way. But you must step out. Moses raised his arms and God parted the Red Sea. A little boy offered 5 loaves and 2 fish and God fed 5,000 people with 12 baskets left over.

God has made you for a higher purpose. He has a mission for your life. You were made to share life-changing news. But I do need to warn you, it will cost you. You're going to stop doing some things that you're doing because they're just good, but they're not great. You'll use your time and your thoughts differently than you presently do. You'll be focused on God and the eternal. You'll manage your money differently because you'll use your resources to fulfill the mission of sharing the good news. And you'll think about other people around you in a whole new loving way. But best of all, you will experience the blessing of God in ways you cannot even begin to imagine right now.

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends that they will experience your blessing in ways that few people ever will because you have stepped forward to fulfill the mission for which God made you.

 

Meek and Humble of Heart

  

Today, as we mark the 250th anniversary of our nation, we gather to reflect on a legacy of both incredible blessings and deep, undeniable hardships. It is a time for gratitude, but also a time for a moment of pause.

 

In today’s Gospel, Jesus offers a profoundly comforting and challenging invitation: "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest."

 

As Americans, we are a people who value hard work, ambition, and progress. But often, this fast-paced culture leaves us feeling weary, exhausted, and burdened. Polarization, ideological extremes, and the strain of modern life easily fragment our relationships and our communities.

Jesus is speaking directly to our weariness today. He offers us rest, but notice how He tells us to find it: "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves."

 

Jesus does not promise to instantly remove the structural or personal crosses of our lives or our society. Instead, He promises to walk with us, to share the weight of our burdens, and to show us how to bear them.

To bear the yoke of Christ as Catholics living in the United States requires us to embrace two essential virtues mentioned in the gospel: meekness and humility.

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In a world that shouts, "You must overpower others to be successful," Jesus models a different path. Meekness is not weakness; it is, as the Scriptures reveal, power under control. It is the ability to engage in civil discourse, seek common ground, and defend the dignity of every human life with a spirit of peace rather than hostility.

 

Humility requires us to look at the flaws, failures, and injustices in our nation's history—and in our own personal lives—and commit to doing something about them. It means realizing that we cannot heal the deeply wounded heart of our culture on our own strength. We must rely on God’s grace.

 

This humility must directly bear fruit in our service to the poor and marginalized. When Jesus says, "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened," He is not just speaking to our spiritual tiredness. He is speaking to the literal, crushing weight borne by millions of our brothers and sisters in this country—those struggling with poverty, homelessness, systemic neglect, and despair.

 

True American greatness cannot be measured solely by GDP, technological advancement, or military strength. For the Catholic, the moral test of our nation is how we treat the most vulnerable among us. To take up Christ’s yoke means to step underneath the heavy burdens of the poor and lift them up. It means moving past mere political debate about poverty and engaging in the messy, hands-on work of charity and justice. When we feed the hungry, welcome the stranger, and stand with the forgotten, we are helping Christ carry His cross in our modern world. Ironically, it is precisely in this self-giving service that our own weary souls find the deepest rest.

 

As we celebrate this 250th anniversary, we are called to be a light to the world. We are invited to consecrate our country to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, asking Him to replace the hardness of our hearts with His own Sacred Heart.

 

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends that our leaders, our families, and our citizens are granted the grace to be meek and humble of heart. In doing so, we will truly find rest for our souls, and our great nation can continue to strive toward the ideals of liberty, justice, and charity for all.

 

Bringing a Cup of Cold Water

                    Buttermilk Falls, Ludlow, Vermont by Fr. Matt
  

“Can you help me get a $5,000 loan?”

That was the question Shirley asked me. Shirley is the sister of my neighbor, Maggie. The two sisters had recently visited a hearing aid vendor because Maggie’s hearing aids, which she had purchased three years earlier, were no longer working.

The store manager told them it would cost $600 to repair the hearing aids, but he also said that even after the repair they still would not work properly. Instead, he recommended that Maggie purchase a new pair for $5,500. To do that, she would need yet another loan.

As I looked into the situation, I discovered that Maggie had already paid $5,500 for her original hearing aids three years ago. At that time, the vendor had connected her with a finance company that loaned her $5,000. Maggie had faithfully been making monthly payments of $157, yet she still owed approximately $2,200 on that loan.

The manager had already measured her for new hearing aids and encouraged her to apply for another loan through the same lender. However, when Maggie returned to pick up the new hearing aids, she was informed that her loan application had been denied. Shirley and Maggie then asked if I could help them contact the lender again or perhaps work with their local bank. Unfortunately, both the finance company and the bank declined her request for additional funding.

Several questions came to mind. Why were the original hearing aids no longer covered by a warranty? Why would a customer be told that a repair would cost $600, yet still not solve the problem? Something did not seem right.

I decided to contact Maggie’s medical insurance company. During that conversation, I learned that she had a Medicaid plan that would provide up to $2,200 toward a pair of hearing aids. That was encouraging news. The next challenge was finding an audiology provider who accepted her insurance.

Customer service emailed me a list of 25 audiologists in Western New York who worked with her insurance plan. I called the office closest to her in Batavia. The first question the audiologist asked was, “What kind of insurance coverage does she have?” When I explained that I had already confirmed a $2,200 hearing aid benefit, she cautiously agreed to schedule an appointment.

At the appointment, the very first thing the audiologist did was contact Maggie’s insurance company to verify the coverage. They confirmed that her plan would indeed pay up to $2,200 toward hearing aids. Why the first vendor had never bothered to check her insurance benefits remains a mystery.

After testing Maggie’s hearing, the audiologist recommended that she first see a medical specialist. She was concerned that Maggie’s cleft palate might be contributing to her hearing difficulties. Once those medical evaluations are completed, the audiologist will move forward with ordering hearing aids that truly meet Maggie’s needs.

This experience reminded me that success often comes through persistence, asking good questions, and refusing to give up until a solution is found.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus teaches:

“And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.” (Matthew 10:42)

If someone asked me what ministry is all about, I would simply say that bringing a cup of cold water comes in many forms.

Sometimes it means helping someone navigate a complicated situation so they can obtain the hearing aids they need. Sometimes it means bringing food to a family struggling with unemployment. It may mean visiting a patient in the psychiatric unit, praying for a friend undergoing cancer treatment, encouraging someone who is afraid to drive again after a serious accident, or saying yes when a son asks you to come to the cemetery later this summer to bury his father.

Every day presents opportunities to bring a cup of cold water to someone in need.

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends who quietly go beyond the call of duty to care for family members, neighbors, and strangers alike. Bless their kindness, generosity, and compassion.

And today, I leave you with this question: What are you doing to bring a cup of cold water to someone else?

For the Lord assures us that such acts of love never go unnoticed, and we will not lose our reward.

 

What's Your Atlantic?

                     Coos Bay Sunset, Oregon by Fr. Matt
           

Hikers climb Everest. When asked, “were you afraid?” The hikers said “we wanted to see if we could do it.” Storm chasers drive into a tornado were asked “if they were afraid.” They responded “we wanted to see if we could do it.” When Amelia Earhart became the first to fly over the Atlantic, the press asked "Were you afraid?" She said, "Yeah." They said, "Why'd you do it?" She said, "I wanted to see if I could. That's all. The desire was nothing new to me. I'd flown Atlantics before. Everybody has his own Atlantics to fly. When I was asked by Bishop Pep to come to North Java and serve as pastor of a reborn Holy Family Parish, my response: “God’s will be done.”

Everybody has his own Atlantics to fly. Whatever you want to do against the opposition of fear, tradition, neighborhood opinions, so-called common sense, that's an Atlantic."

What's your Atlantic? What are you afraid of? The dominant emotion in our society today is fear. We're afraid of rejection and failure, afraid of certain parts of town, afraid of certain types of people, afraid of criticism, afraid of suffering, afraid of change, afraid to tell people how we really feel, afraid of losing the things that we've worked so hard to buy, afraid of what society will think. Maybe you're afraid of the past, no matter how hard you try, you just keep reliving it. Or perhaps you fear change. We all have that. Change is scary and we'd rather not risk anything, prefer just to leave things as they are.

The Gospel is an invitation to get beyond the comfortable center and explore the margins. The parts of life we avoid or ignore are the very parts of life Jesus is probably the most interested in. The type of people we avoid and ignore were the types of people Jesus was most interested in. What does that say about our lives? How does that invite us to change? What prevents us from changing? And what are we afraid of? And have we ever even considered the other side of the question? Rather than always framing it negatively, what are the possibilities that might come about if we open ourselves to more fully embrace the gospel?

What phrase did Jesus repeat more often than any other throughout the gospels? Be not afraid. In fact, it's in today's Gospel reading three times. Be not afraid. Why? Because Jesus knew more than anybody else that the measure of your life will be the measure of your courage.

Following Jesus requires incredible courage, it will take incredible courage to be counter-cultural. Incredible courage to pursue the dreams God gives you and shares for your life.

A deep, genuine relationship with God banishes our fears and fills us with the courage to live a great life. Faith overcomes fear. We worry about the future. God says, "I hold the future." We worry about failure. God says, "Walk in my ways and I will bless you."

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends and ask youself, what's your Atlantic? What are you afraid of? What's preventing you from being who God intends you to be? Because deep down, you know that God's power is greater than your fear.

 

 

Help Wanted

  

So Jesus sounds the call for volunteers. Up to this point in the Gospel story he’s been the only one curing the sick and casting out the demons, but he figures it’s time to call up some reserve troops. He deputizes his disciples—a motley assortment of working stiffs, none of whom have seminary degrees—and sends them out to do some work. You’ll notice he doesn’t send them out to save souls for Heaven. Instead, he sends them out to address the needs the people have in the moment and to tell them that the Kingdom of Heaven is already near them. 

I have a hunch that if the Church is to survive in 21^st Century America the message won’t be about saving souls but about expressing love and compassion for all souls. The Church which I see emerging is going to be about mission, not about doctrine. It will be about seeking out the “harassed and helpless” and bringing love and healing to them in whatever capacity we’re able to do it.

Last weekend, I had the privilege of traveling with Bishop Mack to San Antonio Texas to ordain two men into the Priesthood. Father Val a PhD and director of community housing for the poor and Fr Stephen a PhD retired military chaplain who leads retreats for active military and retired veterans.

 

 

These men will help Fr. Robert, administrator of the newly established St. Jude Catholic parish in San Antonio, to grow the Hispanic community and continue their specialized ministries.  

 

I believe the emerging Church of the future will focus on healing the neighborhood and the world, loving God and loving neighbors.

And, of course, like those first disciples, the disciples of today will get into trouble. They will cause controversy and say things which will aggravate people who just wish these Christians would stick to talking about the hereafter and not mention the problems of the here and now. Maybe some of them will end up in jail as Christians have in the past.

So what can I say to those of us who are harassed and helpless? There is still hope. The Kingdom of Heaven has come near, and the “help wanted” message of Jesus has been answered in the Buffalo-Pittsburg diocese with its unique vison of welcoming men from various traditions that in my past three years has welcomed, Fr. Erick, Fr. Don, Fr. Nadeem, Fr Corey, Fr. Joe, Fr. John, Fr. Richard, Fr. Marcus, Fr. Robert, Fr. Val and Fr. Steve to serve bringing that kingdom just a little bit closer to the people they serve throughout the country. We may be harassed by our vision by some, but we are not helpless, because we can still be here for each other and we can still pray “thy kingdom come” for the new work God’s people are and will be doing.

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends, especially my brothers in Christ who you have blessed me to serve as their mentor and guide. Bless their good work, give them, their spouse and children good health and our gratitude for the sacrifices they make in bringing the compassion and mercy to all people. Yes. our laborers may be few, but God can do a lot with them.

 

Potting New Growth

  

My wife Sue asked me for help to repot a bonsai white pine tree. A bonsai tree is a miniature living tree grown in a shallow container. Originating as an ancient Asian horticultural art form, it is not a genetically dwarfed plant, but rather a normal tree species that is meticulously trained, pruned, and wired to replicate the scale and beauty of a mature tree in nature.

I needed a dolly to move the pine tree planted ten years ago in a ten gallon plastic container that had become root bound. The tree’s roots had outgrown their container. The sign that the white pine was struggling were that its leaves were turning yellow. This tree would die if it were not repotted. Sue pointed out that two major branches needed to be sawed off. This severe pruning would help this tree to survive. I sawed the plastic pot to expose the roots and you could readily see that the roots were circling the pot and suffocating the roots from further growth. Sue carefully removed the compacted soil from the roots to allow future growth. Then we filled a twenty-gallon pot with an inorganic, coarse-draining mix that allows oxygen to reach the roots while retaining adequate moisture. This mix consists of Akadama, Pumice, and Lava Rock. I loaded the repotted pine onto the dolly and rolled it back into the bonsai garden. Sue poked the inorganic mixture with a chop stick to make sure there were no air pockets and carefully watered the tree deeply so that the roots would get the moisture it needs for healthy growth. This pine would not only survive, but thrive in years to come.

Now I had just attended a national evangelization workshop for the Polish National Catholic Church. Like our white pine bonsai tree with leaves  turning yellow, a participant shared that in his church there were no 20, 30, or 40 year olds, a sign that his faith community was failing to thrive. Their faith community’s tenacity highlights a stubborn, unyielding, and persistent dedication to their Polish tradition that mimics the root bound problem of our pine tree if left untreated would result in its death. What branches need to be cut to allow growth for its future? What teachings or doctrines need to be realigned so that Generation X would take a second look?

The transplanted roots of our pine tree reflect the faith, dedication and passion of the Polish Catholic people who reflect the love, compassion and mercy of Christ. However, roots that are compacted will rot and die. The gardener needs to prune the branches that rob the energy and open up the roots so that the tree can regain its energy for future growth. Note, the special inorganic, coarse-draining mix allows oxygen to reach the roots while retaining adequate moisture. When mixed together in equal parts, they create an optimal environment by balancing moisture retention, excellent drainage, and vital root aeration. This is the same environment that is critical to welcome Generation X. Faith teachings need to reflect an environment that is non-judgmental, accepting of differences and open to social justice issues.

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends that our faith flourishes rooted in prayer, compassion for our neighbors and teachings that accept all people as children of God.

Addumdum: the photo below shows our transplanted white pine with its yellow leaves. We trust our little tree will thrive with its root system feed with the tenderness and understanding of God’s mercy, compassion and love.