Scattering the Seed

 

I was invited by Fr. Erick to zoom a nationwide monthly meeting with his brother Latino priests. He was most gracious sharing that I have supported him on numerous occasions during crises that recently included his recent surgery. This meeting was attended by Fr. Erick in Las Vegas, Fr Alfonso and Fr Gabriel in Denver, Fr. Marcus, Fr Edwin and Cleric Robert in San Antonia, and Fr.Jose in Chicago.

These holy men discussed the recent illness of Fr. Erick and how they had travelled to Vegas to celebrate Mass while he was recovering. However, the issue of medical insurance became a topic. Many of our Latino priests do not have medical coverage and wondered if the national church could help them get coverage for them and their families. Another topic was the sad reality that many of their parishioners are afraid that ICE agents may storm their church and deport family members to far away countries.  Thankfully this had not happened in any PNCC church, but the potential for danger exists and many families have chosen not to come to Mass. 

This Sunday, the RC church readings are about Jesus asking the question “Who do people say that I am?” However, the PNCC liturgy will reflect on the gospel story about the farmer scattering seeds on different soils.

What my brother Latino priests do not know is that Fr Matt is a farmer and knows something about seeds and soil. This Spring to put it bluntly has been “soggy.” The seeds I planted in the veggie garden never took root. Sadly, no plants grew because the soil was too saturated with water. 

In the gospel story, it does not take a genius to realize that no farmer would consciously sow seed where there is no hope of it yielding a harvest. However, this is not ordinary seed and it is not an ordinary farmer. We are talking about God who is sowing the seed of His word. The act of sowing seed by hand is called broadcasting. The seed is thrown by hand. God does not distinguish between the various types of soil that will receive the seed. In other words, God gives everyone a chance even if it is evident that there is little hope that the person will actually live God’s word. 

You might ask yourself what kind of seed are you? The seed of hope or despair, the seed of courage or fear, the seed of forgiveness or resentment, the seed of acceptance or skepticism. I like to think if my Latino brothers were the farmers, the seeds they would broadcast are a welcome to all cultures, genders, ages and traditions that Jesus Christ changes lives eternally and that the place to encounter him most fully is Divine Mercy in Vegas, St Jude in San Antonio, St Francis of Assisi in Denver, San Juan Bautista in Chicago. I have no doubt the difficulty of getting people to return to church. My brothers might protest, “I tried it a few times and got nowhere. I just don’t have the personality, don’t have the gift.”

As a fellow farmer and shepherd, I recognize Jesus had both the personality and the gift.  Yet when He sowed seed, much of it still ended up as bird food. Consider the thousands he fed with loaves and fishes, the multitude that heard his sermon on the mount, the throngs that welcomed him on Palm Sunday.  Yet on the day of Pentecost, there were only 120 left in the cenacle, awaiting the Holy Spirit. Notice, though, that the fruit borne by these 120 plants eventually filled the whole world about 2.4 billion. 

To get the few that bear fruit, lots of seed must be sown by lots of people.  So regardless of whether or not you think you have green thumbs, my dear Latino brothers are being commanded through this parable to get the seed out there, sowing it everywhere we go, undeterred by the birds, the weeds, the scorching sun, drenching rains or ICE agents.

The parable of the sower has a twofold message: as seed, our job is to get busy growing.  As farmers, our job is to get busy sowing.

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends and especially my brother Latino priests (farmers) that humbled by our mission to spread the seed of compassion and hope. Instead of worrying about empty pews, with your grace focus our ministries to be the best of farmers and keep scattering the seeds wherever they may fall. 

 

I Am the Bread of Life

 "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh." (John 6:51)

To non-Christians, the response to the above quotation might be, "Yech! Sounds like cannibalism!" And I have to confess that for some Christians, the question of what it means to eat the flesh of Jesus might not be something we really ponder. So I wrestle with the question of, "Why would you want to do something which sounds so disgusting?"

When I am taking a landscape photo, I am always searching for a composition that is not a tourist shot. When we receive Holy Communion, I like to share a different perspective of looking at the Sacrament.

At the time of Jesus. animals were brought to the Temple of Jerusalem, their throats were cut, and their blood was splashed against the burning hot metal altar. Then, the flesh of the animal was thrown onto the fire. The sputtering steam of the blood and the smoke from the animal's body were seen to ascend--symbolically to God on high. To offer sacrifice in this way to atone for one's sins was one of the holiest things a Jewish man could do.

Unfortunately, not all men--and no women--were permitted to enter the inner court of the temple to participate in this ritual. Gentiles were forbidden, as were those deemed to be ritually unclean. Jesus himself, because of his questionable parentage, would not have been permitted full participation in the sacrifice of the body and the blood.

Mary and Joseph were not married when Jesus was conceived. Jesus' father would automatically classify Jesus as a mamzer--one who could not be assumed to be 100% Jewish.  Such a designation would have put Jesus on the margins of society, another way of saying he was an outcast, the immigrant.

So what does Jesus do? He institutes his own holy practice. He eats ritual meals from which no one is excluded. He eats with those who are deemed to be ritually impure: tax collectors, prostitutes, sinners of every kind. His followers will even share this meal with gentiles. Those forbidden to touch the body and the blood of the sacrificial animal in the temple will not only touch but eat Jesus' body and drink of Jesus' blood. And Jesus, by his death, will be the sacrifice for all.

Think about it: you don't even have to know a stranger's language in order to offer him or her something to eat. In Near Eastern culture, to share food was to create family. If you eat of my bread, you become one of my household.

I remember when I was helping Fr. Erick in Las Vegas and learned that the Latino people, families, parents, seniors did not receive Communion, I asked, why not? The response was that they did not feel worthy. So the next time, I celebrated Mass, I shared that Jesus invites everyone to His table to eat and that means we are family. So, guess what, 100% of the people came to the altar rail and received Holy Communion.

We need to ingest the man who loves with his whole body and soul and whose love knows no distinction of persons--young or old, married, single, divorced, re-married, gay, straight, black, Latino, Polish, Italian white, rich, poor, conservative, liberal. All human. All God's family.

The next time you are in Las Vegas, you are invited to the table at Divine Mercy where all are welcomed to their table. They simply can’t let you be a guest in their home without feeding you.

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends who have not been inside a church for awhile. This Sunday, get out of bed, put aside your social media app and know Jesus has invited you to a special picnic in your honor.

 

 

What Do You Want for Father's Day?

 

What do you want for Father’s Day? My immediate response, that nothing else breaks down on the farm.

No such luck, for no sooner do we repair the bush hog and lawn mower tire that the weed trimmer handle broke in two places. I check the purchase date and it appears to still be under warranty but next is the phone call to customer service. The customer service agent asks to take a picture of the broken part. OK whip out the cell phone, take the shot and now what. Wait for an email response. Boldly, I call customer service the next day and the  agent checks the status of the repair and she finds my shot of the broken handle and to my surprise says: “The part has a ‘lifetime warranty’ no problem.” Really, I say to myself, you’re going to fix it. I’m in shock. Better yet she forwards two locations to take the broken trimmer for repair. Then she sends an email with the form that will cover the expense to repair. “I must be heaven, I say to myself.

Celebrating Father’s Day was always a lot of fun for this retired priest for I would invite all the nurturing dads of the parish to come up to the altar after Mass and take home a 6 pack of birch beer.  Finding the birch beer is another Sonshine story. My wife Sue asked, “What do I want for Father’s Day?”

Number 1: Prayers from you that Shanna, Ted and Mary who start chemo therapy are cancer free and Bob gets his kidney.

Number 2: Prayers that Tina, Tim, Shelia stay cancer free and Fr. Erick is fully recovered from his surgery

Number 3: Prayers for our nationwide Latino pastors and their parishioners that no one gets deported.

Number 4: Prayers that Sue (my beloved spouse) will be successful in her application for a grant for the animal shelter and her back pain will be relieved with the help from her doctors.

Number 5: Prayers for all our living, nurturing dads and dads in heaven on our Father’s Day prayer list.

Number 6: Prayers that Brockport College legal department will allow students and faculty to utilize Reviresco as an education center.

Number 7; Prayers that someone might offer their services to be the “farm manager” to help me take care of our forest and streams.

Number 8: Prayers that I have the strength to cut the fallen trees. Another tree fell on the driveway hill and I couldn’t pull the chainsaw cord. I managed to cut the tree down with my hand saw. No need for a gym, the farm gives me plenty of time for a workout.

Number 9: Yes, I would love to visit more national parks and take stunning landscape pics like the attached below for you to enjoy.

                                        Rocky Mountain National Park

Number 10: Prayers that someone would build a photography website to  display my landscape photos to sell online and support Sue’s animal shelter Volunteer4Animals.

But let’s go back to the customer service rep response: “The part has a ‘lifetime warranty’ no problem.” My blessing to all our dads is a reminder that you have a lifetime warranty that whenever you broke down, Our Lord promised to redeem you and bring everlasting peace. No problem. In other words, never fear the Lord has your back and does not want you to worry. No worries.

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends, especially the nurturing dads be they biological, step-dads, foster, uncles, coaches, mentors, teachers that  someone texts, calls, writes or physically says: “I love you and thanks for watching over me.”

Living Nurturing Men: The men who currently provide love, support, guidance, direction, provide learning opportunities, teachable lessons, protection and instill faith and values-

 

Kyle Downey, Eric Feistel, Don Post, Dan Fafinski, Rudy van derVelden, Vito Scarpetta, Dr. Michael Casale, Owen B. Hill, Ted Fafinski. Scott M. North, Alexander North, Steve Flanagan.  Bishop John Mack, Fr. Don Seekins, Fr. Joe Pasquella, Fr Nadeem Yaqoob,, Fr. Corey Foegen, Father Erick. Fr. Marcus, Cleric Robert, Father Richard, Deacon Tom, Deacon John, Steve George, Roy George Jr., Robert Bumbacher, Jerry Spaziani, Stanley G. Bartlett; Scott Bartlett, Mark Bartlett, Duke Pollett, Ron LaMora, Jon White, Scott Caton, Jerry Ruszala, Brad Ruszala, Scott Ruszala, Kurt Hammel, Mike Cuzzupo,li, Brett Hammel, Mike Hammel, Brian Hammer, Allyn Hammel, Bob Haelen, Mark Barie, Foster E. Hakes, Charles A. Hakes, John Jacob Bender, Anthony J. Montanaro, Anthony F. Montanaro, Tim Kibler, David Johnson, Doug Spooner Jr., Jeffrey McDonald, Michael Wangler, JJ Pineda, Tyler Lapham, Craig Lapham, Sankar Sewnauth, Andrew Sewnauth, Brian Stephenson, Terry Spooner, Rhody Spooner, Jody Spooner, Father Matt, Jack Woodward, Tom Surtel, Brad Rehwaldt, Denny Meyer, Carl Szarek, Arnie Boldt, Jeff Fluker, Louis Horton,

Prayers for those who are deceased and have touched so many lives 

Ken Harzynski, Matthew H. Kawiak, Charlie Sullivan, Fr., Alex Stec, Fr. Matthew Sudara, Fr. Adamski, Msgr Leo Kelty, Bishop Peplowski, Dick Barie, Michael Fafinski,  Joseph Wrobel, James Kalinowski, Peter Jakubowski, Ralph Calabrese, Steve Biklen, Tom Karp, Fr. Bob, Stanley F. Bartlett, Ellis Bartlett, Gordon Jones, Pio Spaziani, James Meyer, Edward Ruszala, Louis Podleiszek, Arnold Hammel, Leonard Long, Paul Long Sr., Paul Long jr, Joseph N. Guido, John Lallucci, Richard Bean; Charles Wangler II; Charles Wangler III; Douglas Spooner, James Wangler,

 

 

 

Pentecost--The Spirit Within Each of Us

 

I admit that I am NOT a farmer. However, taking care of 75 acres of forest and fields brings its challenges like farm equipment that breaks down and needs repair. Yes, I am grateful and often humbled by this beautiful land. I look forward to the day when it will be used as an environmental learning center. But for now, I discovered the lawn mower wheel is flat, again, and the bush hog won’t rotate and cut the trails.

This is where I find the Holy Spirit working overtime in my life. I contact Jeff our local fire chief and tractor mechanic. He diagnosed a broken bolt on the bush hog and the need for an inner tube to fix the wheel.

So I drive to the Batavia John Deere store, and the service lady says, “sorry no tubes in stock.” But I need to cut the lawn today because it’s the first day in two weeks we have no rain and the lawn is somewhat dry, compared to soggy most of this Spring.

I meandered to the parts guy and he runs into the shoppe to ask a wise old curmudgeon, a senior parts guy who is grumbling and staring into his screen. My guy asks “what part does this guy (that’s me) need to repair his bush hog.”

Our curmudgeon is yelling to someone on the phone, “hang on I’m doing three things at once.” He looks at the diagram the parts guy found and says, “this is what you need.” Thank you George (the parts department guru) and your kind spirit to help this priest.

Now the parts guy heard me say, “there’s no inner tube.”  He walks away and comes back with a bag in his hand. He throws it at the service lad and says, “this is the tube father needs to fix his tire.” Service cries, “I didn’t see it on the screen.” Parts guy says, “Trust me, this will work.” Thanks Pete and your spirit to help.

However, service lad says. “mechanics are on lunch and won’t be back till 2pm.”  It’s noon. But he says you can go across the street and they repair tires and see if they have your inner tube. If not, come back and we will sell you this one.” Thanks  Andy for your spirit to help.

So, I drive across the street, tell the manager my tire needs a tube and he says, “yes we got the tube but my mechanics are on lunch. However, he grabs the wheel and disappears. I hear sounds of air wooshing in the shoppe. Fifteen minutes later he returns with a smile and says, “what do you think of our service father, your tire is repaired.” Thank you Dick, and your spirit to help.

Now, I am back at the farm, The tire rod is up on a lift but I have no idea how to remove the lift. I contact Jeff and he says, “use the tractor and the bucket to lift the mower off the lift.” Like magic, the wheel is back on and with the help of the parts guys, he taught me how to insert the clip to keep the tire on the rim. Thank you both, Jeff and Pete for your spirit to help.

Back home, I’m standing over the bush hog searching where to insert the new bolt. I text Jeff the mechanic and he texts back, “look for PTO and gear box holes and line them up.”  Well now I have backup, I asked my wife Sue for help and together we are able to line up the holes, insert the bolt but it won’t go through.

Jeff to the rescue texts, “just hit it with a hammer.” That’s the “male spirit” speaking. If it doesn’t fit, just pound it in. Instead, we gently rotate the PLO and the holes line up and the bolt goes through. I get out the racket set and start to screw the bolt and it slowly goes into both holes. On the other side I insert the nut and screw it tight but the racket doesn’t tighten the bolt. Text Jeff again, he has a racket extender but he is away for the weekend. This morning, I woke up thinking how I could tighten the bolt and the spirit said take the racket and use it to tighten the bolt, not the nut. Thank you spirit, worked like a charm.

Yes, the lawn mower tire is working fine and today when the trails were somewhat less soggy, I cut the trails. You might say that on Pentecost the Holy Spirit came down on the apostles. I believe and hope you agree it’s the spirt of our friends and neighbors and strangers who go out of their way, beyond the call of duty to make our life a bit easier and less stressful.

Thank you Lord, for the spirit of Pete, Jeff, George Andy, Ron, Jamie and Dick for each of you reflected the spirit of Christ’s compassion and love. Now back to work farmer Matt,

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends who in their moment of need have family and friends who go out of their way to rescue them just as Jesus rescues us from our sins and fears and brings us the gift of eternal life.  Perhaps, you might call or text and say thank you to those who gave you their spirit---a ride to the doctor’s office, shop for groceries, picked up your meds, or spent some time with a cup of tea to listen to your stories.

 

Someone is Praying for You

 

In the Gospel this Sunday, Jesus is praying for his little family which he’s about to leave. Not only is he praying for them, but he’s praying for us too:

“I ask not only on behalf of these but also on behalf of those who believe in me through their word, that they may all be one.”

This is Jesus’ great prayer for his followers, that we become a family as tight with one another as he is with his dad. I’ll admit, that’s a pretty tall order. From the very first Christians have had some family dysfunction. Our egos and jealousies have made it hard for us to sit down together at the Thanksgiving dinner table and rejoice as siblings should. We love to bicker over details about what is Catholic and the nature of sin and the right way to worship. We’re all set to be martyrs for our own opinions and burn heretics at the stake for disagreeing with us. Let’s just face it: being a family is hard.

I think what Jesus was trying to do on that night in which he had his last supper with this little family was give them a master class on how to be the Church. He got down on hands and knees and washed their feet, demonstrating how we are to be present to help and serve each other. Then he prayed for them like a parent would pray for his or her children, asking God to keep them safe and help them get along.

Jesus is praying for us. He’s asking that God’s love would be in us so we can love one another. Maybe the best way to access this love is to be in regular and disciplined prayer for one another. I think there is something amazingly comforting in knowing that another is actively, lovingly praying for you. The  Sonshine prayer list invites you to pray for people who need God’s help. Like Shanna, a shelter animal coordinator who is facing a diagnosis of cancer. Perhaps our daily routine should be spending a few minutes each morning in intercessory prayer for someone whom the Holy Spirit is putting on your heart. If you’re praying for that person, you might then want to reach out and contact them. Who knows? Your connection might be just the thing someone else needs at this very moment.

Lord, I pray daily for all my Sonshine Friends who Christian legends tell us the first disciples were swept by the Holy Spirit to distant lands from which they never returned. They didn’t have Facebook or Instagram or smart phones to keep up with each other. But I’ll bet they prayed for one another all the same.

 

Memorial Day Blessing

 

As a young seminarian, Memorial Day memories turn to my dad a veteran of WW II and commander of his American Legion Post. At the local cemetery, we would honor our war hero’s by offering prayers, laying the wreath, sounding taps and a twenty-one-gun salute. The words of John said it best: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”  I have heard this verse so many times that the ultimate sacrifice is to give one’s life for friend or country. But I wonder if that was the message Jesus was talking about. He wasn’t talking about war, was he? My dad was invited to speak on this day and he would always turn to me and say “Can you write me a few words” So my Sonshines, my stories began long before I took my first homiletic course in seminary. While we came to remember the sacrifice of so many young people, when and how you die isn’t as important as how you live.

 

Surely Jesus didn’t want us to die in wars. When he called his disciples to lay down their lives, maybe he meant something more like to put aside our own goals, our own desires, our own ambitions and to live for others -- to dedicate our lives to our brothers and sisters, our friends, our church, to dedicate our lives to God -- to lay down our own will and to seek God’s will, and then do it.

 

After the ceremony, dad and I stayed after everyone else left. We moved from stone to stone, looking at each name, each date. As we walked, we came upon a platform carved out of stone. In the center was a sort of a pulpit also carved from stone. I stood behind the pulpit and looked out over hundreds of graves. It was like a congregation of the dead. It was the quietest, most attentive congregation I had ever seen before. For a minute, I imagine myself like Ezekiel preaching to the dry bones. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. I shook my head.  What’s the matter, dad said?  I realized I didn't have anything to say to them. As I thought about their sacrifices, and the sorrow of their families and friends, I didn’t have a word to say.  Just then, an older legionnaire friend of my dad had come up beside us. This old WW I veteran looked at us and said, It’s all right that you have nothing to say to them, he said, gesturing to the silent gravestones stretching as far as the eye can see. The question is, were you quiet enough to let them speak to you?

 

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends who cry over the stones of their war hero’s. In our souls, let us hear:” I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.” On Memorial Day, our soldiers did leave us something that will last...let them speak to you. May we honor them, and all those who have served others, by serving the one who chose us

Super Agers

 

I was listening to NPR radio about “super agers.” What was the secret for people who live to 80 ,100 and beyond ? Researchers who conducted studies on older adult populations reported it was not genes that made the difference but a person’s immune system that fight off cancer cells and other disease.

However, another important factor tor longevity was the attitude of the person. Simply put, a person with a happy disposition was a significant feature displayed in people who live longer. I like to believe that in spiritual terms this means a person is at peace with themselves and the world.

So what is this peace that our Lord speaks of in today's gospel?  Well, he does tell us what it is not: “his peace is not the peace that the world gives.” The peace of this world is the peace supposedly provided by a wealth of material possessions. Material things will supposedly protect us from want and need. But we have to realize that everything in this world is fleeting and short-lived. What we have today could be gone tomorrow.

So what is his peace? Jesus peace is the “peace of acceptance,” the peace that allows us to appreciate every day to the fullest.

For example, today, when I awoke, I suddenly realized that this is the best day of my life, ever! There were times when I wondered if I would make it to today; but I did! And because I did, I'm going to celebrate! Today, I'm going to celebrate what an unbelievable life I've had so far: the accomplishments, the many blessings, and, yes, even the hardships, because they have made me stronger. I will go through this day with my head held high and a happy heart. I will marvel at God's seemingly simple gifts: the sun-yes the sun does shine sometimes in Buffalo but not today, the clouds, the trees, the flowers, the kitties, the birds. Today, none of these miraculous creations will escape my notice. Today, I will share my excitement for life with other people. I'll make someone smile. I'll go out of my way to perform an unexpected act of kindness for someone I don't even know. Today, I'll give a sincere compliment to those who have helped me care for our farm like…

Denny (Mr. Milk) and his two Mexican workers who mulched our trees; John (forester) who keeps our forest healthy and chained saw the trees that blocked the walking trails; Jeff (fire chief and mechanic) who repairs our farm tractor, gator and mower; Jamie (the fire chief’s son) who helped put up the Reviresco sign; Jason (electrician) who repaired the driveway lights; Brad (my Good Shephard builder) who repairs anything and shares his vendor list of master craftspeople; Ryan and Shaun (Brad’s sons) who dug the kitty litter pit and repaired the vinyl siding; Chad (window installer) checks the window screens and clips; Jack (garden center sales) who found our serviceberry replacement trees; Fidele, Cameron and Jack (landscapers) who planted the new trees along the driveway, Dr. Jose, Vice Provost Brockport College, who supports our vision for the farm to become an education center for students and faculty. I am humbled by these good people who are generous and helpful in my moments of need.

Today is the day I quit worrying about what I don't have and start being grateful for all the wonderful things God has already given me. I'll remember that to worry is just a waste of time because my faith in God and his Divine Plan ensures everything will be just fine.

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends that tonight, before we go to bed, we go outside and raise our eyes to the heavens. We will stand in awe at the beauty of the stars and the moon, and we will praise God for these magnificent treasures. As we lie our heads down on our pillow, we will thank the Almighty for the best day of our life. And we will sleep the sleep of a contented child, excited with expectation because we know tomorrow is going to be the best day of our life, ever!

 

Secret Dream of Glory

 

We all nurse a secret dream of glory.

We daydream that in some way we will stand out and be recognized. And so we fantasize about great achievements that will set us apart from others and make us famous. The daydreams vary but we are at the center—the most admired person in the room, the one scoring the winning goal, the Sonshine reflections would be published, the landscape photos hang in an art gallery, the farm becomes an environmental education center, a retired priest becomes a monsignor.

What we are chasing in all this is notice, appreciation, so that we can be duly recognized and loved. We want the light to be shining on us.

And this isn’t all bad or unhealthy. We are built to stand in the spotlight. We nurse a secret dream of glory and, partly, this is healthy.

What’s less healthy in our daydreams is how we envision that glory. In our fantasies, glory almost always consists in being famous, in standing out, in achieving a success that makes others envious, in somehow being the best-looking or the brightest or the most talented person in the room. Some of our fantasies are daydreams of goodness, of being powerful enough to squash evil. Indeed, that was the messianic fantasy.

Before Jesus was born, good-hearted and religious people prayed for a Messiah to come and, in their fantasy, that Messiah was generally envisaged as a worldly superstar, a person with a superior heart and superior muscles, a Messiah who would reveal the superiority of God by out-muscling the bad.

But, as we see from the gospels, real glory doesn’t consist in out-muscling the bad, or anyone else. When Jesus was being crucified, he was offered precisely the challenge to prove that he was special by doing some spectacular gesture that would leave all of his detractors stunned and helpless: “If you are the Son of God, prove it, come down off the cross! Save yourself!”

But the Gospels teach a very different lesson: On the cross, Jesus proves that he is powerful beyond measure, not by doing some spectacular physical act that leaves everyone around him helpless to make any protest, but in a spectacular act of the heart wherein he forgives those who are mocking and killing him. Divine kingship is manifest in forgiveness, not in muscle.

Jesus defines glory very differently than we do. Real glory, for him, is not the glory of winning a gold medal, of being a champion, of winning an Oscar, or of being an object of envy because of our looks or our achievements. Glory consists in being deep in compassion, forgiveness, and graciousness—and these are not often spawned by worldly success, by being better-looking, brighter, richer, or better muscled than those around us.

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends who nurse a secret dream of glory. This is healthy, a sign that we are emotionally well. However, this is something that needs to grow and mature inside of us. Our secret dream of glory is meant to mature so that we envision ourselves as standing out, not by talent, looks, muscles, and speed, but by the depth of our compassion and the quality of our forgiveness.

 

God Does Not rescue

 

I ask your prayers for three Sonshine friends who are coping with illness and grief.

Fr. Erick in hospital recovering from surgery struggling with heart problems, Ted surgery for cancer and Denny (Mr Milk) son Chris in heaven.

 

Jesus never promised us to rescue, be exempt from disease or heart problems, immunity from cancer, or escape from death.

John, the evangelist, tells us the story about Lazarus. Lazarus’ sisters, Martha and Mary, sent word to Jesus that "the man you love is ill" with the implied request that Jesus should come and heal him. But Jesus' reaction is curious. He doesn't rush off immediately to try and heal his close friend. Instead, he remains where he is for two days longer while his friend dies. Then, after Lazarus has died, he sets off to visit him. As he approaches the village where Lazarus has died, he is met by Martha and then, later, by Mary. Each, in turn, asks him the question: “Why?” Why, since you loved this man, did you not come to save him from death? Indeed, Mary's question implies even more: “Why?” Why is it that God invariably seems absent when bad things happen to good people? Why doesn't God rescue his loved ones and save them from pain and death?

Jesus doesn't offer any apology in response. Instead, he asks where they have laid the body, lets them take him there, sees the burial site, weeps in sorrow, and then raises his dead friend back to life.  So why did he let him die in the first place? Why didn't Jesus rush down to save Lazarus since he loved him?

The answer to that question teaches a very important lesson about Jesus, God, and faith, namely, that God is not one who ordinarily rescues us, but is rather a God who redeems us. God doesn't ordinarily intervene to save us from humiliation, pain, and death; rather he redeems humiliation, pain, and death after the fact.

Simply put, Jesus treats Lazarus exactly the same way as God, the Father, treats Jesus: Jesus is deeply and intimately loved by his Father and yet his Father doesn't rescue him from humiliation, pain, and death. When jesus is humiliated, suffering, and dying on the cross, he is jeered by the crowd with the challenge: “if God is your father, let him rescue you!” But there's no rescue. Instead, Jesus dies inside the humiliation and pain. God raises him up only after his death.

This is one of the key revelations inside the resurrection: we have a redeeming, not a rescuing, God.

Indeed, the story of the raising of Lazarus in John’s Gospel was meant to answer a burning question inside the first generation of Christians: they had known Jesus in the flesh, had been intimate friends with him, had seen him heal people and raise people from the dead, so why was he letting them die? Why wasn't Jesus rescuing them?

It took the early Christians some time to grasp that Jesus doesn't ordinarily give special exemptions to his friends, no more than God gave special exemptions to Jesus. So, like us, they struggled with the fact that someone can have a deep, genuine faith, be deeply loved by God, and still have to suffer humiliation, pain, and death like everyone else. God didn't spare Jesus from suffering and death, and Jesus doesn't spare us from them.

We pray for our moms who stood by our side during times of suffering, who gave us medicine or stayed up all night when we were sick, who prayed for us when our friends had died of a drug overdose or suicide.

This is one key revelation perhaps most misunderstand. We are forever predicating our faith on, and preaching a rescuing God, a God who promises special exemptions who have faith in Jesus, and you will be spared from life's humiliations and pains! Have a genuine faith in Jesus, and prosperity will come your way! Believe in the resurrection, and rainbows will surround your life!

Would it were so! But Jesus never promised us rescue, exemptions, immunity from cancer, or escape from death. He promised rather that, in the end, there will be redemption, vindication, immunity from suffering, and eternal life. That sounds like our mothers who taught us perservance, patience and forgiveness.

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends and all nurturing women who we pray for on their special day. During this Easter Season, keep this in mind that the death and resurrection of Jesus reveals a redeeming, not a rescuing, God.

 

Breakfast with Jesus

Last night I cooked a vegan dinner “potato chickpea spinach curry.” While Sue is dicing onions and potatoes, mincing garlic. I am measuring spices of Balti curry and turmeric. Spanish rice is cooking in the oven. I am prepping chickpeas, cherry tomatoes and spinach. Then it’s all about timing. Once potatoes and onions are part cooked, warm the spices and add coconut milk cooked potatoes chickpeas and simmer. While curry is simmering, add cherry tomatoes and spinach, stir spinach will wilt but don’t overcook. I love this dinner, for you garnish with fresh cilantro and serve over hot oven rice. However, I could have served it with Naan or flatbread for dipping but that’s for next try. It’s a cozy kind of dinner. What could be better than having breakfast ( a meal) with Jesus?

In this story, the evangelist tells us, Jesus appears for the third time to his disciples. These boys have gone off on a little fishing trip. After all, what do you do when your rabbi and Messiah has miraculously been raised from the dead and you’re not quite sure what the next move should be? Sometimes it’s just comfortable to go back to what you know. So, Simon Peter takes the lads out on the boat. They’ve fished all night and caught bupkis. They row back to shore, and there’s a guy there with a charcoal fire making some toast. Yup. It’s the Lord alright. What’s he up to?

Jesus is making the guys some breakfast. He gives them a little advice on where to catch the fish, but he’s already got the fire going to roast some kippers. Kippers and toast sounds like a pretty good breakfast to me. I’m sure Jesus enjoyed it with them, further demonstrating that he wasn’t a ghost. Maybe that’s what he intended to show them through this homely, impromptu picnic by the lake shore. He was real. He rose. Life is eternal, death is conquered, and they have no need to be afraid of anything ever again.

I imagine these old boys felt pretty good sharing each other’s company while munching their toasted fish sandwiches. When I think of this moment, I can almost feel the soft breeze coming off the Sea of Galilee and see the smiles on the faces of the disciples as they relax in the faith and surety that God is in control, Jesus is back, and they just caught 153 fish, most of which they can sell at a profit. It’s a pretty good morning.

That’s another thing Jesus has shown them. They’ve spent a long night and come up empty, but joy came in the morning. God provided for their needs. Maybe they were just looking in the wrong place. Maybe they were impatient. The fish were always there. Jesus wanted them to have faith, to know that God provides. Beside reassuring them of eternal life, Jesus wanted them—and us—to live fearlessly because fear is an instrument of the devil. We’ll be afraid of what we don’t understand, and we’ll learn to hate what we fear. But God calls us to know his goodness and providence and to live lives of trust and faith.

When I see this story in my mind’s eye and imagine Jesus standing with the fork over the barbeque, I’m reminded of John’s version of the Last Supper. Jesus demonstrated his love and ministry by washing the feet of the disciples. Here, in this passage, he’s again taking the servant role. He’s the host and they’re the guests (even though they brought most of the breakfast). He’s leading by example, reminding his buddies their job is to be servants—not leaders—to a hungry world. He’s slowly preparing them to be the Church.

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends who are struggling with chemo therapy, or worried about their jobs or fear being deported. Once again put our faith and trust in the teacher who truly has come back to life and takes away our fears and carry on His good works.

 

Flight Delay

I have learned that my flight that was delayed is now cancelled. The next available flight home will be in 12 hours and it will be an overnight flight. I have a choice either scream at the JetBlue customer service agent or write this story about my Holy Week with Fr. Erick at Divine Mercy in Las Vegas,

If you are searching for the “love of God” in your life, you might want to stop by this church. On Holy Thursday we put on aprons and humbly washed the feet of people. On Good Friday, a mom carrying her baby kissed the cross during the veneration while her baby’s little hands hugged Jesus on the cross. On Holy Saturday, I walked over to the statue with Jesus lying in the tomb and whispered: “How could God allow this to happen?” Then comes the surprise, “Jesus is alive “ on Easter morning. However, at Divine Mercy, you better duck because Fr Erick loves to sprinkle or rather “douse” his people with Easter water. Everyone goes home with smiles. They receive candles, Easter bread and blessed water and the children have their pictures taken with the Easter bunny and carry home an Easter pail filled with treats. 

 

 

After Easter services, I planned to travel to Page, Arizona to take landscape photos of this beautiful land. Another surprise, Fr. Erick joined me on this adventure. My thanks to US park rangers Mo and Tracey who suggested sunrise and sunset sites. At 4:45 am, I was perched on a ledge next to another photographer from London looking over Horseshoe Bend.

I shared with Fr. Erick that before I take any photo, I am searching for the “one big thing.” I compare this search to the reason we come to church. It is to “find the love of Jesus.” In my photo, I am composing the shot in my mind looking at the foreground, leading lines, symmetry that will lead a person eye to what is most important in the composition. Jesus taught mercy and compassion, faith and trust, courage and respect. Our focus on the marginalized need our love, respect and support for we all are children of God and the spark God’s divine love lives in each one of us.

So…. I have another nine hours of waiting to board my cancelled flight, let me share some of my photos attached as my Easter gift to each of you.

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends during this Easter Season that you bless them and their family and friends with health, joy and peace and know you are all in my prayers. Fr. Matt