Corporal Works of Mercy Fall 2023 Homily Series: Refreshing the Thirsty

This weekend we continue our Fall preaching series … the corporal works of

mercy and focus on our second theme: giving drink to the thirsty.

As I walk the Stevens campus, or through our downtown or even the streets of

NYC, I am very conscious of the people who carry their water bottles, sometimes

even gallon jugs. It’s symbolic to me of not only how our bodies need water, but

more deeply of how we thirst.

Because our body is 90% water, some suggest that we need to drink 2.5 - 3 liters

of water per day. I am always behind in this goal! Water is restricted only in

patients with chronic kidney disease and congestive heart failures. And you know

that water helps in maintaining the body temperature, required in metabolism,

flushes body wastes, cushions the brain, spinal cord and other sensitive organs,

helps in maintaining the blood pressure and has many more functions. That’s the

physical … but what about the spiritual, for what do you thirst? Surely, we all

have longings and desires.

And while we don’t usually talk about the things we want in terms of “hunger”

and “thirst,” these words really ring true. Isn’t our aim to be satisfied? We hope

our wishes will be fulfilled so we can find wholeness and completion, and we

believe these things will bring satisfaction.

We hunger and thirst for the things we desire. But the question we all must ask

ourselves is, “What do I hunger and thirst for?”

It is a sad truth that we, as Christians, often hunger and thirst for the same things

the world does: stable incomes, praise from friends and neighbors, beauty,

individuality, and so much more. We can be just as obsessed as our non-believing

peers about holiday décor and the latest fashion trends, what show to watch on

Netflix and even how much we weigh. But when do these things ever satisfy?

The thrill of success never lasts. Money comes and goes. Friends disappoint. Life

circumstances cause our body to change in ways we can’t control. And that one

unique experience is never enough. These pursuits can be maddening and futile,

and they certainly don’t keep us satisfied for very long.

We may think we can find wholeness with the things of this world, but clearly, we

can’t. In the midst of the chaos of our everyday lives, many of us have asked

ourselves at one point or another, “What is the point of all this?”

When the object of our desire is found in this world, our anticipated thrill of

satisfaction can quickly turn to disappointment and maybe even despair.

We are reminded that Jesus hears our cries. He knows our desperation, and one

of his many words of encouragement to us is this: “Blessed are those who hunger

and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

In his well-known Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gets straight to the heart of the

matter and addresses our soul. For, ultimately, true and lasting satisfaction is a

spiritual issue, not a physical one. If you feel your life is lacking or incomplete, the

answer is not to bolster your income or start a new diet. The answer, rather, is to

reconsider the state, livelihood, and actions of your faith.

For as we pursue the things of God on this earth, not only will we find the true

and everlasting satisfaction that only Christ can provide, but we also will see that

the wishes and desires of this world will slowly fade away.

And while we cannot get all the virtues of our faith complete in a day, we can ascribe to trying

to perfect some of those virtues one at a time over the course of our lives.

Today, the readings speak to us of forgiveness, kindness, mercy and compassion. Can we think

about and commit to work on some of those? Can we work to satisfy those thirsts?

The first reading, while ancient, is contemporary. Jesus ben Sirach wrote this book of wisdom

about 180 B.C. This book, also known as Ecclesiasticus, was a text for the education of wealthy

young men in Jerusalem. Sirach revealed the tensions in the city: the rifts between rich and

poor, between the local populace and their foreign rulers, between male and female. The reality

of the day made many wonder, How does a righteous Jew live in such a culture of tension? We

may ask a similar question today amid the tensions of our time.

Sirach proposed a simple, but radical solution: forgiveness. There was no way around the gossip,

the backstabbing or the slander. Living inevitably led to hurt. So, the person faced two choices,

react to the sin at the level of sin … or forgive. Become part of the problem … or rise above with

the solution. If the believer wished mercy from God, then he should act as the Lord acted.

The sage reminded his reader and reminds us too that life is short; and the believer should

consider the coming end. That should be motivation enough to set aside enmity and seek the

peace that came from forgiveness. Undoubtedly, we thirst for this peace too!

Life isn't perfect but it can be lived in relative peace, only if the living make it so. Yes, forgiveness

is difficult, but not impossible. And the alternative is much worse.

Perhaps each of us can name one person in our life that we can forgive today. And if we’re not

ready to take that big step, then let’s resolve at least to pray for that person.

In this beautiful season may we start every day with a hunger for God’s Word and may we thirst

to put its lessons into action.

RSM

Corporal Works of Mercy Fall 2023 Homily Series: Feeding the Hungry

This weekend we begin our Fall preaching series … the corporal works of mercy.

In a very real way, it’s back to the basics. It reminds me of the story of the parish

that got the new pastor:

The entire congregation was so thrilled with him, he was young, handsome,

had a nice singing voice and could preach well. After the first weekend of

preaching, he really knocked their socks off … great message … great

delivery … super inspiring homily. Everybody was talking!

The next week, having done so well, there was great expectation. People

who had attended the week before even brought friends. As the sermon

time came, Father gave the very same sermon as the week before. It

confused people, but they seemingly were ok with it and just shrugged it off.

Then the next week, the same thing … different readings but the same

message – three weeks in a row!

This time though, at the end of the mass, one of the ushers stopped Father

and said that people had asked him on the way out, when the priest would

change the sermon because he gave the same message three weeks in a

row … to which the priest replied with a smile, “When we do something

about it and act on the message.”

Friends you may have that same feeling today, asking why are we listening to and

thinking about the same things, the corporal works of mercy … themes that we

have heard now for years … the answer for us is also the same: until we do

something about it.

You don’t need me to tell you that there are still hungry, thirsty, and naked in our

midst. There are still homeless and sick and prisoners needing a visit. In short,

there are still people here and now, and even out there and then who will need

our fulfilling the challenge of the Lord, who tells us yet again today: love your

neighbor as yourself.

For today … what about the hungry? The bulletin this week has a number of

interesting things to read on the topic, and even to develop a plan of action, but

the challenge I think for us is captured in the words of Pope Francis who said, “The

planet has enough food for all, but there seems to be a lack of willingness to share

it with everyone.”

Here at St Teresa’s and in the larger Summit community, we have incredibly

generous people who provide donations and items to our Loaves and Fishes, to

Grace and other local ministries that feed the hungry. But what about the

systemic challenges? We also have people here who, given their profession and

influence, may be able to do things on a larger scale, to help change systems that

may better help to feed the hungry. And there are always ways to help even

beyond our own borders. And for those who cannot give in any way, raising

awareness and praying are always great options – as the Gospel clearly notes.

But as the book title says, let’s lean in a bit on this topic … feeding the hungry is

almost always associated with entering into fellowship with one another. This is

not surprising, since eating itself is the most ordinary and fundamental way that

Jesus celebrates his fellowship with us. The Last Supper is the lasting testimony of

Jesus’ promise to eat one day with us all. And the significance of that testimony is

what we celebrate in the Eucharist every time we gather.

The intimate relationship between food and inclusion is seen in the life of the

Church.

• I remember as a student in Rome, the beautiful church of Santa Maria in Trastevere at Christmas time removes all the pews and invites the homeless and hungry to come for a Christmas meal – food and inclusion.

• We have seen several times Pope Francis speak passionately on behalf of the more than 800 million hungry people in the world today, and an estimated 2 billion people that suffer from micronutrient deficiencies. "The hungry ask us for dignity, not for charity." he said.

• Putting his money where his mouth is I remember vividly for his 80th birthday, the Pope invited homeless people to join him at the Vatican for his birthday celebration – foor and inclusion.

• You may have even experienced the reality at many soup kitchens that insist that volunteers not only prepare and serve a meal, but also that they eat it. breaking break with those whom they serve.

The familiar story of Lazarus rings loudly for us as we ponder how to respond in

love to feeding the hungry. No story hits harder than the one of the rich man who

wants only to be relieved of his eternal suffering. While we may think that the

line that Lazarus just desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table,

we know that there is more to it than that. Remember that the rich man did not

maliciously withhold his crumbs from the hungry Lazarus … he simply did not

recognize Lazarus and his needs, in other words, he was not welcome to the

fellowship of Lazarus … the rich man gave him the food but not the fellowship.

Jesus asks that we offer both.

Every Sunday we gather at the table of the Lord to celebrate our redemption

through the body and blood of Christ. As we partake in that feast, we need also to

ask ourselves where Lazarus is when we gather. Lazarus is also at our gates here

in Summit, and somehow, we need to bring him in, to bring him closer to the

table, for his own good and for ours. Blessings!

RSM

Christ Resides in Our Homes Too!

Dear Friends –

Every so often someone publishes a story on the vocational crisis in the Church.

In fact, just recently La Croix wrote on the situation in France. They noted that only 88 Catholic priests are being ordained this year in France, the country once known as the Church's "eldest daughter". The figure is 34 fewer than in 2022 when 122 men were ordained to the presbyterate. The story continues that it is the first time in recent years that the Church in France has ordained fewer than 100 new priests in a year.

Closer to home, here in our Archdiocese, Cardinal Tobin ordained 4 men to the priesthood for service in our local Church. We surely congratulate these men and wish them well in their priestly ministry … but we have 211 parishes!!

I am currently reading Divine Renovation’s newest book entitled, Preaching on Purpose: A Divine Renovation Handbook for Communicating the Gospel Today. In preparing preachers, it gives a good amount of background of the Church today. It contains this eye-opening section that reads:

[In Canada, home of Divine Renovation] In the next decade, it is estimated that a third of all religious worship spaces across Canada (9,000 buildings) will be closed, the vast majority of them are Christian churches … [in the 1950’s] only 5 % of the population didn’t go to Mass. Today, only 5% of Quebec residents go to Mass. In half a century attendance at Mass declined from 95% to 5%.

These are startling and frightening statistics!

At 60-years old, I know that there is more behind me than in front of me in terms of priestly ministry. But I am very concerned about what will happen to our Church going forward for you and your children.

Stephen White helps to better understand the situation as he contextualizes the situation in his article, Vocational Discernment and the Priestly Vocation Crisis. Therein he notes that the universal call to holiness is just that; universal. Each one of us is called to holiness because each one of us is loved by God, who wants us to be happy.

Further, he notes that the universal call to holiness takes different forms in each of our lives. Some are called to holiness by way of the ministerial priesthood, some are called to be holy through marriage, some through religious life, and so on. Moreover, each vocation is not only a personal call from God to follow Him along the path that will lead us to holiness and happiness. Each vocation has a communal or ecclesial dimension as well.

White points out that vocational discernment is no less important to the vocation of marriage than it is to the priesthood, and not just when it comes to picking the right person to marry. He shares, “In my own case, I am utterly convinced that I was better prepared for my own vocation as a father and a husband because I spent a lot of time as a young man considering whether God wanted me to be a priest. And I’m better able to understand how my vocation both depends on, and supports, other vocations because of this.”

His article states the obvious, that the vocation to marriage is in a sorry state in this country. Young people today are marrying later, if at all. When they do marry, they marry less and less frequently in the Church. There are a million reasons, some good, some less so, for young people to postpone marriage. Unlike the process of discernment and formation for the priesthood, however, discernment and formation for marriage and family life mostly take place in the home. Increasingly, the home is not a reliable house of formation.

As a parish, I think that we can do more to help homes become better places of formation to promote vocations of every kind. After all, from the earliest times, the home has been called the “domestic Church” precisely because Christ resides there too!

Our patroness Saint Teresa frequently speaks of the importance of keeping good and holy company. She speaks of friends and even confessors who came into her life at different times and drew her either closer to or farther away from God. “I have learned what great advantage comes from good companionship,” she wrote, a lesson she learned through hard experience.

We are called to be good and holy company to one another. Our parish is a place where we come to be re-energized so that we can then take the Good News to the world, to all God’s people.

Wherever you are on your journey, please take a moment in these summer months to recommit to that Christian companionship … to bringing Christ back to our homes, our community, our society and our world. And of course, should you have ideas on how I or our parish can better help in that process, please never hesitate to reach out to share your constructive thoughts and ideas.

Blessings!

RSM

https://international.la-croix.com/news/religion/ordinations-to-catholic-priesthood-plummet-in-france/18035

https://www.thecatholicthing.org/2023/02/09/vocational-discernment-and-the-priestly-vocation-crisis/