24 Sunday in ordinary time
I ask you to listen attentively as I try to convey in my homily the solemn words and feelings that were too difficult to memories and to do justice to the 10th Anniversary of the terrorists’’ bombings that took place on the morning of 9/11/2001.
Today is the 10th anniversary of the bombing of the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a downed aircraft which all toll nearly 3,700 people lost their lives. This was the greatest attack against us on the homeland in our entire history. 9/11//2001 took even more lives than the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1947; a day which FDR called “a day that will live on in infamy.” The only event in our history that was far worse than both of these horrific events was our own civil war where hundreds of thousands of fellow Americans took each other’s lives.
On this 10th anniversary we are in two wars which have cost us over 6,000 American lives and nearly 45,000 more who are wounded and families that have been broken and shattered. This is a horror that we have to live with and find nearly impossible to forgive. The cost of these wars goes beyond our own boundaries and has cost the lives of hundreds of thousands of Muslim men, women and children who had no part in the tragic events that took place ten years ago.
We suffer our losses and grieve our dead which are the most human response to unspeakable horror and destruction. However, is not the blood that runs through the veins of those innocents that we have killed as red as our own? Is not the grief, sorrow, and loss of our fellow innocent Muslim brothers and sisters as real as our own? Is not the heartache of the mother’s who’s sons and daughters killed in the crossfire whether she be an American, Iraqi or Afghani be as real and painful as it is for the other?
The events of 9/11/2001 have forever changed the lives of all Americans and millions of Muslims. But are we any better off, are we really any safer?
Our scriptures today could not be more appropriate to address the central issue of this anniversary that lingers in our lives ten years later. FEAR is what is driving our collective behavior today. FEAR is one of the two strongest emotions that we humans can experience. The other is LOVE. St. Paul in his letter to the Romans reminds us that love over comes all things. Fear is based in anger, hatred, and revenge. It eats away at our heart and soul that leaves a person empty and void who’s only purpose in life is to seek out and inflict the same pain and suffering they are felling on others, and thus the wars continue for what purpose? The government tells us we are safer but emotionally we are a people captured in a state of constant fear.
Hence, we don’t hear the words from the prophet Sirach, “Wrath and anger are hateful things…The vengeful will suffer the Lord’s vengeance…Forgive your neighbor’s injustice… [That] your own sins will be forgiven…Could anyone refuse mercy to another… [yet] seek pardon for his own sins? Set enmity aside, hate not your neighbor, remember the Most Highs covenant [with you]…”
Hear now Jesus’ answer to Peter’s question, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive?” And Jesus answers, “I say to you not seven times but seventy-seven times.” Today’s readings offer an uncomfortable, but clear challenge to us on this anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks: the challenge of forgiveness. God’s forgiveness is connected to our own willingness to forgive those who offend us!
Jesus challenges us to forgive our enemy as He has and continues to forgive us over and over again. Forgiving someone who has hurt us deeply or terrorists who continue to kill and terrorize us is not a quality that comes easily to any of us. Nevertheless, that is what we are called to do as Christians and what God asks of us, if we in turn expect Him to forgive us. Sirach reminds us to turn over to the Lord our anger and desire for vengeance, for it is God’s role, not ours, to punish those who have done evil. We are not to be vengeful; however, it is important to remember that forgiving the enemy does not mean absolving them of responsibility or forgetting the deep hole that is left in our heart because of their grave acts of injustice. Nevertheless, as followers of Jesus we are called to mercy, though mercy does not cancel out the need for justice, it does open a pathway of charity to love that promotes conversion, justice, and peace. For the Christian this calls us to be mindful of the infinite number of times that God forgives us the injustices and pain that we inflict upon one another. We are called to be a forgiving people and to entrust final justice to God.
Every time we pray the Lord’s Prayer, either alone or as a community in the celebration of the mass we pray, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us…and deliver us from all evil.” Hard words to speak on this day.
Christ’s message to us always, but imparticular on this 9/11/2011 is to develop an attitude of forgiveness that can define our lives as who we are. Peter tried to get away with only having to forgive seven times, however Jesus’ answer is seventy-seven times which in Biblical terms means over and over and over, again and again and again just as our Lord always forgives us, even when we are undeserving of forgiveness. To prove his love and forgiveness for us, he gave up his life on the cross so that we might attain the same ability to forgive as he forgives us.
Our human inclination is simply to say that some things, some heinous crimes are just too terrible to forgive. Certainly, it is only human that we go through a period of anger, hate, bitterness, feelings of revenge, and mourning. And perhaps we will never forget, for some things are just impossible to forget but we are called by Christ to forgive.
Many of the families who’s loved one’s were killed on 9/11 have shared their stories of all of these human emotions. Some have moved beyond their suffering, loss, and mourning and have directed their pain in ways that reflect back to us that no wrong is unforgivable and when you forgive you can change that pain into incredible acts of love that not only honor and remember their loved ones, but frees you to recognize and live the power of love that God has given to all of us. Their stories give us hope that healing can happen, changing pain and grief into acts of peace and understanding.
Many memorial foundations have been founded by the families who lost their loved ones. While others are still frozen in their grief and anger that has left them robed of freedom, life, and love.
Did any of you watch the Republican debate on Wednesday night? Do you remember what one candidate said that drew the loudest applause, a man who would be president of this great nation? I am very troubled and gravely concerned when the audience applauded the fact that the governor of Texas has killed 234 people in his ten years in office. Then he followed up by saying and I quote, “if you come to the state of Texas and commit a heinous crime you will pay the ultimate price.” I am still in shock. This is what 9/11/2001 has bequeathed to us, a nation that lives in fear, arms itself with weapons of mass destruction and has sent two million solders to war at a cost of over $1.5 trillion dollars; therefore unable to afford to feed the hungry, cloth the naked, provide employment to those who long to work; to provide a good and equal education for all our children, and to keep the American Dream alive.
The prophet Sirach today tells us, “vengeance is mine says the Lord.” The teaching of forgiveness that we hear in our scriptures today is about being called to be like God, who is kind and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in love. It is about learning to have the attitude and develop the ability to forgive, so that we might live in the justice, peace, and love of God’s kingdom as He intended it to be. But ten year later we find ourselves a broken and divided country.
I would like to close with a note that was found in the pocket of a child that was killed at Ravensbuck concentration camp during World War II:
In closing, we can choose to live in fear and hate or choose to live in the hope that God’s peace will one day come to us all. On 9/11/2001 we witnessed all that is the worst and most base in our humanness, and we witnessed the best and most holy in us which is self-sacrifice that we witnessed in the 14,000 first responders at all three killing fields. Self-sacrifice is born out of our faith in a loving and trusting God that gives us the Will and the desire to live in the HOPE that our better days still lay ahead of us. God bless us all. God bless America. AMEN.
25th Sunday in ordinary time
Consistent persistence to seek power and through power security has never worked throughout all of history. In our 1st reading from the Prophet Isaiah he consistently calls back the people and warns the leadership to put their trust and hope in Yahweh who has proven himself to be true to keeping his people safe as long as they remain faithful to him. The facts of history show that far too often nations turn to power which leads to wars which usually never has a very positive outcome as the prophets of the Hebrew Testament continuously pointed out. On the other hand, when the people are faithful to God’s ways they live in safety, peace, and enjoy prosperity. Why is it we prefer power over trusting in God? Why is it we prefer war over justice and peace? Why is it that we choose to live in fear rather than trusting in the unconditional love of God? It makes no sense and history has proven it to be true. Then why do we continue to live this way?
Our gospel story makes even less sense to our way of thinking. When we find ourselves in similar circumstances, I would be willing to bet that we would also feel there is an injustice going on. Why should those who work for only an hour receive the same pay as those who labored all day? On the surface it sounds and feels unjust; however, in telling this story Jesus is pointing to a much more important theological fact, which is to say, that God’s justice is not measured by our standards. All I can say about that is, “Thank you Jesus!”
We read in the papers and see on the evening news the situations of workers in America and how they feel they are getting a raw deal in the work place these days. And who can blame you and millions of other workers for being angry when salaries are going down, health insurance benefits cost keep rising and corporations CEO’s are taking home billions in bonus pay. I tell you it just isn’t fair now is it?
This is the world we live in today and American workers are fed up – there is a grave injustice happening and it’s not right. How would things be different if we asked the question that a lot of people are asking these days, “What would Jesus do?” There is no easy answer to that question nor to the circumstances we find ourselves in but the gospel isn’t a story with the workers as the focus, but rather, the land owner, who is the symbol for God.
As the parable unfolds we find ourselves becoming more and more angry at what is happening but it isn’t finished yet, the ending reveals the underlying truth of the story. You’ve heard me say many times, you can’t take the story at face value, you have to dig to find the real message; the truth that Jesus is teaching us lies much deeper at the heart of the story. In this case it comes in the last line – “are you envious because I am generous? Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
Which leads us to two possible conclusions: 1) life’s circumstances are often not just, but as Christians we are called to work to set things right, that our goal must always be to act with justice and to work together to build a more just and equitable society; 2) God’s ways are not our ways, God’s way of thinking is far beyond our understanding. However, at the final judgment God will judge each of us according to our own deeds. God’s love and generosity are beyond our imagination and heaven will be a surprising grand reversal.
So don’t give up or get to discouraged; rather, stay positive minded and continue to work to build God’s kingdom of justice, peace, and love and you will have peace in your heart. AMEN.
Fire in the Lord
The Lord is calling for talent with a heart.
For you to serve his St. Maurice Family in our new Fire in the Lord Youth Mass.
Kids 12 and older can participate in:
Signing in the choir
Play your favorite instrument in the band
Greet your fellow parishioners
Read Gods word to the family
Serve as an acolyte
Contact Father Dennis in the church office for more information:
954-961-7777
At our liturgy committee meeting last May, the committee decided that we needed to have a “youth” mass to encourage our youth to attend Sunday Mass and to have a liturgy that was contemporary in style and tone. Father Roger asked me to take charge and to put together a committee and move ahead with this most important ministry for our young people. They are the future of the church; they are the future of our parish and the family of St. Maurice.
In July we held a “July Jam Fest” to encourage musicians and singers to come together in a sort of jam type session each Sunday. It went very well and we have been able to identify several of our young folks who are now in regular practice with Kevin preparing for our first FIRE IN THE LORD mass on Sunday, October 9 at the 10:30 mass.
We have been holding meetings all summer and have made some very significant progress in identifying great talent among our young adults and are now working hard to prepare for this October liturgy. We are still looking for more people to get involved to cover all the ministries that are needed at every liturgy: Eucharistic ministers, Lectures, ushers/greeters. What a wonderful witness value and a testament of faith to see our young people fully participating in all aspects of our Sunday Liturgy, and especially to see a young adult giving communion to their peers. WONDERFUL! We are looking for more volunteers.
As a parish we need to get behind this ministry and show our support and encouragement to our youth and young adults. Personally, I am hoping to see the church packed, like at Christmas and Easter for our first FIRE IN THE LORD mass on Sunday, October 9 at the 10:30. Let’s give it all we have and boost this much needed ministry in our parish.
Look for weekly announcements in the bulletin about what’s happening with our teen ministry and the FIRE IN THE LORD masses that are planned for the second Sunday of each month at the 10:30 mass. For more information or to volunteer please call the office and leave your information for me. Each week my homilies are posted on the parish web-site www.StMaurice.org
Blessings, peace and wellness to all,
Father Dennis
21st Sunday in Ordinary Time
Throughout the history of humanity there has been a battle going on between good and evil. God reaches out to the people and they have an opportunity to choose how they want to respond. In the Hebrew (Old) Testament, God mainly communicated with the people through chosen prophets. The prophet’s role was to speak Gods word to the people in the hope that the people would begin to understand the creators love for all of humanity.
Given the opportunity to choose between good and evil, often times people end up choosing the bad over the good turning to positions of power, wealth, authority, and or possessions. Our reading from the prophet Isaiah today reminds us of what happens when we think we can make it on our own; moving away from recognizing our true need and where we will find true wealth is in following God’s ways. We so want to follow God’s ways but often find His ways too difficult and we give into the things of this world that then pull us down, even though we don’t recognize it at first. That is precisely what’s happening in this reading from Isaiah.
Shebna was God’s chosen to lead the people, the “master of the palace” as Isaiah puts it. However, he failed to remain true to his calling and faithful to God’s commands and ways as they were being communicated to him through the prophet. These were times when leaders were always looking to gain more land, more power, and exert more control. You have heard is said, power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Shebna turned to putting his trust in building a huge army not only to defend what God had given him but to claim even more. He put his trust in war machinery and not in God. He was removed from his station and replaced by Eliakim as King to guide the people back to God.
Symbolic of Eliakim’s chosen position the scripture says he was given the key of the House of King David, the greatest king of all of Israel. And he was given great blessings. History shows how the people where blessed and prospered under Eliakim’s leadership because he recognized his need for God and where his true power and wealth came from. The keys are symbolic of putting trust in God’s wealth and power. We are now speaking of the spiritual enlightenment that we can experience when we turn ourselves over to God and trust in His unconditional love for us.
As I said, the battle between good and evil has raged on throughout history right into today. We have a lesson to learn from history if we choose to hear and follow it. Wars have been a part of human history and seldom do they ever produce much good. I was reading an interesting article the other day about how congress handled the debt crises and what a power game of control it became. And while their playing their control games; who suffers, yes, you and me and millions of Americans. Instead of fighting over raising the debt ceiling, the author asks the question, “When are we going to stop raising the war ceiling?” Did you know that the Defense Department takes up the greatest share of our national wealth? The budget is something around $750 billion dollars, more than all other countries national defense spending combined. Now I ask you, where have we chosen to put our trust, in God or in war machinery? It seems to me rather obvious that we spend way too much money on war than we do on making the lives of all of us better and more stable for our children and grandchildren. Yahweh replaced a king, whom he had chosen but who had lost his way and replaced him with a leader who chose to follow God’s ways. I seriously question the direction we are going in.
The Holy Father is in Spain this week for the world youth conference and one of his strongest points was Europe and Americans debt problems are a moral problem. When most of the power and wealth of the world is held in the grip of the very few, we have created a moral problem. To get back on track we need a redistribution of wealth and power. We are well aware of the enormous problems that we face in this country and are aware of what’s happening throughout Europe, not to mention the millions of human beings around the world who are suffering starvation, and lacking all the necessities to have a decent living. This is the moral problem the Pope was addressing.
As I said before, the keys are symbolic of God’s blessing and true spiritual wealth and the power that comes from living in God’s ways. Matthew’s gospel has Jesus asking the disciples and ultimately you and me, perhaps the greatest question we will ever be asked and that is “Who do you say that I am?” Peter’s answer could only have come from his willingness to turn his life over to Jesus when he answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And with this recognition he is made the head of the church which is symbolized again in Jesus saying to Peter, “I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.” Peter is not given power and material wealth to raise an army to take back Jerusalem from the occupation of the Romans, rather, to lead the people to peace and prosperity in following God’s ways. Peters call is a spiritual and so is ours. Our western society has moved further and further into the trap of believing that we can police the world and be the strongest nation on earth with the greatest share of the wealth and the greatest army that has ever walked the earth. But where is it getting us, further and further in debt which in turn becomes a self-defeating prophecy. Putting more and more people on the street and less and less money available to help our brothers and sisters around the world who are sick and dying by the hundreds every day.
We have been a country greatly blessed which puts a spiritually moral responsibility on us to follow Jesus’ command to love your neighbor as yourself. As I see it, the poorer we become, the less generous we become. Both Eliakim and Peter put their trust in God and found true wealth, prosperity and leadership. The type of spirituality that is called for today. Jesus’ question to Peter was a personal one that called for a personal response. How do I answer Jesus’ intimate and personal question, “Who am I for you?”
