Good Enough

First Reading: Jgs2:11-19
Psalm: Ps 106:34-37, 39-40, 43-44 -- Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people
Gospel: Mt 19:16-22

A young man approached Jesus and said, “Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?” - Matthew 19:16

Friends,

A common thread comes up when discussing with people who are not Christian: "Well, I'm a good person, why shouldn't I get into whatever Heaven is?" Those who hold this belief will often confess that they are not perfect, but they are better than lots of people. Why should belief in some archaic man-in-the-sky be necessary?

In the gospel today, the wording of the young man struck me pretty hard. "What good must I do to gain eternal life?" and then, when told to follow the Commandments, he asks "which ones?" He seems to want to know either what is the bare minimum he can do to gain salvation, or what the magic formula is for attaining everlasting life.

Our faith, however, is not one of bare minimums. Not one of us can claim that we have followed the commandments completely. Not one of us can stand in the presence of the Lord and say that we did all that we could. There are no magic set of prayers or offerings that guarantee salvation, save one. The only way that we can be absolutely assured of eternal life is to lose all concept that we are "good enough." We must offer the only thing that we truly have: ourselves. We are saved through grace, granted us from the mercy of Jesus, when we choose to give ourselves to Him.

Unfortunately, the young man in the gospel goes away sad. He finds it too difficult to part with his possessions. Being "good enough" just got too hard. A lesson for us is that it is not in the possessing, but in the unwillingness to part with those possessions when necessary is the problem. It is built into us to attach to something, and so we can choose either passing things or eternal things. When one day this world ends, those who are attached to passing things will find that all they held is gone and bemoan their loss, but those who are attached to eternal things will find that they now hold all things and rejoice forever.

Heavenly Father, we thank you and praise you for this day. We are eternally grateful for the gift of your grace, which sustains us in this life and brings us everlasting joy in the next. Lord, heal us of our pride when we begin to think that we can gain salvation on our own. Teach us the peace that comes of giving ourselves to you. We ask these things in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Give Us A Sign

First Reading: Ex 2:1-15a
Psalm: Ps 69:3, 14, 30-31, 33-34 -- Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live
Gospel: Mt 11:20-24

Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes.
But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.
And as for you, Capernaum: Will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to the netherworld. For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you. - Matthew 11:21-24

Friends,

Something that every Christian that has attempted to share their faith is familiar with is the argument called "show us your God." This is when a skeptic says that they will believe in Jesus and God if they can see them, or witness a miracle. One individual stated that, because Paul had a personal apparition to make him believe, that opportunity should be open to everyone. Seeing is believing.

In today's gospel reading, Jesus flatly contradicts such claims. All three towns he names in the "woe" category are those on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, an area where he spent much time performing miracles. He knew them well and it is impossible that the people of the area did not know the name of Jesus of Nazareth (see Mt 4:22-24). Many had seen miracles with their own eyes and the testimony of those deeds was spread far, but the people would not believe.

So what of the three Jesus says would repent? Sodom is the best known of the three, destroyed by God as punishment for their wickedness. Tyre and Sidon are great port cities on the Mediterranean Sea, north and west of Galilee. They come in frequently in the Old Testament as places of scorn, worshippers of pagan gods. Not exactly cities with a sterling reputation. Yet, Jesus himself visits the region of Tyre not long after (Mt. 15:21-28). In that visit, he explicitly tells a woman begging a cure for her daughter that he is to minister to the Israelites first, but heals the daughter because of the woman's faith.

Twice, the Pharisees and Saducees ask for a sign, (Mt. 12:38, Mt. 16:1). Each time, Jesus' response is the same "An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah," (Mt.12:39, Mt. 16:4). After the first request, he reminds them of Ninevah, where Jonah prophesized. They repented after a single day and were spared. The second time, he tells them that they can tell the weather by the signs in the sky, but not understand the signs in front of their eyes.

In our own time, the people seek a sign. We constantly ask for small miracles and many of us greatly desire to see mighty works. Yet, we often forget the great miracles that have already been done for us, or we fail to see the works of God right under our very noses. Those who wish to see miracles may find them in every moment; those who will not accept them will not see them, no matter their size. Seeing is not believing. Only believing is believing.

Heavenly Father, we thank you and praise you for the miracle of this day. We stand in awe of thte mighty works that you have wrought for us and your glory is revealed in all of creation. Lord, bless us with the gift of faith, that we might first believe and second adore. Grant that those who have hardened their hearts and minds to you may be awakened to your glory. We ask all these things in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

By Their Fruits

First Reading: Acts 11:19-26
Psalm: Ps 87:1b-7
Gospel: Jn 10:22-30

Friends,

Today's gospel is an interesting situation. Jesus is at the temple and the people insist that he declare himself if he truly is the Christ.

Jesus answered them, "I told you and you do not believe. The works I do in my Father's name testify to me. - John 10:25

When dealing with people, we often like to question. "Did you do this or that?", "Where do you stand on such and such an issue?", or any of a vast number of things that can be asked about ourselves. The ones that I hear the most often from people that I meet are "What's your name (who are you)?", "Where are you from?" and "What do you do?"

The question asked of Jesus today covers the first two. They knew that they should be on the lookout for a Messiah, a messenger from God that would deliver them. Thus, they wanted to know both "who are you" and "where are you from". However, they seemed to keep missing the third question, which is unfortunate. It is the most important one of all.

When you want to know if someone is trustworthy, do you march up to them and ask them plainly? More likely, you would observe their dealings with others and then make a decision to trust or not. If someone were to ask whether you are a good person, you could give a simple yes or no, but the answer is meaningless if it is not backed up with examples. In any case, at some point, a leap of faith has to be made on whether to trust someone from the evidence of their works.

Jesus tells us "By their fruits you shall know them" (Mt. 7:16a), and again, at the Last Supper:

This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. - John 13:35

Do our own actions speak of our beliefs? The priest at my home parish has a saying that he likes to ask us. I leave it as a reflection for the day: 'If you were accused of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?'

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the gift of this day. As we continue our walk of faith, help us to be the light for the world. Let Your love shine in us, so that all may know wonder at Your name. Grant that our actions testify to the truth of our faith. We ask all of these things in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Martyrs

First Reading: Acts 7:51 - 8:1a
Psalm: Ps 31:3cd-4, 6 and 7b and 8a, 17 and 21ab
Gospel: Jn 6:30-35

Friends,

Today, we hear of the martyring of St. Stephen, first among the deacons and the first to die in defense of Christianity, after Jesus Himself.

There is a question that I like to ask people who are lukewarm in their commitments or who struggle with apathy: Is there anything in your life that you feel is worth dying for? The question usually knocks people back on their heels. Try it for yourself; is there something that you feel so strongly about that you would be willing to give your life to defend it? Your family? Your country? Your faith?

Jesus mentioned in the gospel yesterday that the work of God is to believe in the one that He sent. That belief is not without hardships. He tells us himself:

If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you. - John 15:18-19

This is the wake-up call for Christians who are looking for a way to make Christianity an easy road to walk. It is as true today as it was for the early Christians. We are mocked and ostracized when we dare to stand up for our beliefs. We are called names, turned away from work, threatened and in some places in the world, even killed. On top of everything, those who stumble in their belief are held up by the world and heralded as the ones we should emulate.

As Christians, we can recognize that our beliefs are difficult, but that they are a small price to pay for God's mercy. We are called to love those who hate us and bless those that curse us (Luke 6:27-28). This is the commandment of Jesus and a testimony for our own faith:

This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. - John 13:35

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the gift of this day. We pray that You bless us with the grace needed to love as You love. Grant us the faith of the early church and guard us against compromising on that which has true value. We ask all of these things in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.