FROM THE PULPIT

One day Jill decides to ask God for help. "Dear Lord," she prays, "if I don't get some cash, I'm gonna lose everything. Please let me win the lottery."

Lottery night comes, but Jill doesn't win. She prays even harder, saying, "God, why have you forsaken me? My children are starving. Please just let me win this once."
Suddenly there is a blinding flash of light, and Jill hears God speak. "Sweetheart, work with me on this," he says. "Buy a ticket."

As a society we love discovering treasures, we spend huge amounts of money on Lottery tickets or going down to the casinos in Connecticut and playing the slots or tables, we even have metal detectors as we search out the sandy beaches for hidden treasures. Our search for treasure doesn’t necessarily mean that we are unhappy with what we have been blessed with but it’s an indication that we hope for more. The same situation occurs with our life with God. We have been given so much by him which is the salvation we find in Christ that gives us the promise of eternal life but yet we know that there is more to come.

This morning’s/evening’s gospel has three short parables about the kingdom of God. So often these parables about the kingdom of God takes us to the end of time and the judgment that we will all undergo, these are illustrated in the first two parables by selling all to buy the field or the pearl of great price, and in the third parable we heard about the separation of the good and bad fish. The judgment motif shows us that God’s kingdom is everlasting, it has just reign and presence. The kingdom of God is not a place or a territory as this church would be considered a place but that the kingdom is God’s dominion over all creation.

The gospel passage this morning/evening invites us to be bold! In the first reading we hear about Solomon who could have asked for anything and what does he ask for, “an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong.” Like Solomon we should pray for wisdom so that we can recognize the great treasure of the kingdom when it appears. We need “an understanding heart” so that we can be wise and bold about our discipleship, so that we know the presence of the kingdom of God, and about cultivating grateful hearts for the great treasure God offers us in Christ Jesus.

The Church, and we who are members of the Church, are in the world, but not of the world. Keeping this in mind can help us deal with two difficulties that we all have to face. First, it helps us understand why scandalous things happen inside the Church. Unfortunately we were reminded of this past week with WYD with the abuse scandals that the church of Australia are facing with and how Pope Benedict reached out to those that have been effected by this.

The net is in the ocean, so if it's being dragged through an area of polluted water, some of the pollution is bound to flow through the net. This is one of the reasons why Pope Benedict keeps reminding us that we must evangelize culture from within, purifying the water around us by lives of holiness and virtue. When Pope Benedict visited our country in April he told our bishops, "Truly caring about young people and the future of our civilization means recognizing our responsibility to promote and live by the authentic moral values which alone enable the human person to flourish" (Address to US Bishops, 16 April 2008). Scandals should sadden us, but they shouldn't weaken our faith. As long as the net is in the water, the polluted water can affect some of the fish.

Secondly, this perspective helps us understand why we ourselves are still constantly bombarded by temptations. Just because we pray, receive the sacraments, and try to follow Church teaching doesn't mean that our lives are going to be free from conflict and suffering. God in his wisdom has left the net in the water, and so we are not insulated from life's storms. But as long as we stay inside the net, the storms can do us no lasting damage - they will just make us better swimmers. And how do we stay inside the net? By following Christ's example and teaching. As the Psalmist says in today's Psalm, "Truly I love your commands more than the finest gold."

Gold sinks, but obeying God's commands as taught by the Church will lift us up onto the bright, warm shores of a deeper friendship with Jesus Christ, our Lord, our Savior, our priceless and everlasting treasure.

We will miss you

Sophia (Estelle Getty) on the Golden Girls was one of my favorite characters. She passed away yesterday at 84. May she rest in eternal peace.

WYD 2011 in Madrid Spain

B16 speaks to the young people

Franciscan presence at WYD

FROM THE PULPIT

The other day I found 10 ways that you know you are going to have a rotten day:

You wake up face down on the pavement.

You see a "60 Minutes" news team waiting in your office.

Your birthday cake collapses from the weight of the candles.

Your twin sister forgot your birthday.

Your car horn goes off accidentally and remains stuck as you follow a group of Hell's Angels on the highway.

Your boss tells you not to bother to take off your coat.

You wake up and your braces are locked together.

You call your answering service and they tell you it's none of your business.

Your economic stimulus check bounces.

Your wife says, "Good morning, Bill", and your name is George.

As we are in the midst of the summer months things start to slow down for us, we take some vacation time, maybe we catch up on things that have been left undone for awhile. Summer always has that feel of peace and tranquility but unfortunately life is not always like that. We all experience stress in our life, undergo anxiety but Jesus gives us a message of hope this evening/morning.

Jesus pours out his “meekness and humility” both for the heavenly Father and for his disciples. Jesus gives praise to God the Father for the “little ones” to have been receivers of revelation. He calls his disciples to himself so that he can relieve them of his burdens.

My brothers and sisters when we experience the difficulties and burdens of life we can find comfort in our brother, our Lord, our savior Jesus Christ. One of my favorite images that remind me of this Jesus that is ready to embrace us is the image of Christ that can be found in our reconciliation room. It’s the image of the face of Jesus with such a warm smile. Telling us I’m here for you. I’m here to lighten the load, I’m here as your brother and friend. What consolation that should give us when we see that image and just image the words that we heard from the gospel this evening/morning, “my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”

We have all experienced Christ's peace, at least a little bit. We have tasted the joy of his forgiveness, the assurance that he is taking care of loved ones who have died, the consolation of knowing that he is near. And yet, for most of us, that interior peace is not so deep and steady as we would like. The storms of life still seem to upset the ship of faith sailing through our hearts. Is there anything we can do to experience Christ's peace more steadily, securely, and deeply? "Take my yoke upon you," Jesus says, "and I will give you rest." What is that yoke? Jesus tells us, "Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart." Humility is the secret to experiencing Christ's peace. The more we grow in humility, the more Christ's peace, strength, and wisdom takes over our hearts. Like all the virtues, humility grows gradually, like a muscle, if we exercise it.

There are three very easy ways to exercise humility. First, prayer. Every time we pray sincerely, we acknowledge our dependence on God - an act of humility. This is why St John Vianney used to say, "God commands you to pray, but he forbids you to worry." It was his variation of the old saying, "Courage is fear that has said its prayers." Second, speaking well of other people. Every time we observe and praise the good points of others, we loosen the shackles of arrogance and envy that bind humility. Third, obedience to God's will. Whenever we conscientiously fulfill our responsibilities in life, follow our conscience, and obey Church teaching, we are humbly reversing the arrogant rebellion of original sin.

So my dear brothers and sisters as we leave from this church let us bring the peace that we have encountered. To be assured of those words we are about to hear in a few moments. “Lord Jesus Christ you said to your apostles: I leave you peace, my peace I give you. Look not on ours sins, but on the faith of your Church, and grant us the peace and unity of your kingdom where you live for ever and ever.”

Happy Birthday America!