As Thanksgiving approaches , I am reminded how my family is shrinking as time moves on. I have very little left of the traditional family structure, given the reality that so many have “passed on” into a new life AND a new family. In the Kingdom, Jesus has created or IS creating a new family not bound by biology. Yes, in this life , marriage and family are the essential building blocks of the human family. We must have strong marriages and families as a foundation to entering a much larger family, one that will come into its own in the next life : the life of Resurrection.

Jesus is asked a simple question by the Sadduccees, those who did not believe in the Resurrection : if a woman marries a man with six other brothers and he dies, one of the brothers will take her into marriage, then he will die and another brother will marry her and he will die. This succession of marriages to the one woman continues until ALL seven have married her then she , herself, dies. In the Resurrection, in the next life, whose wife will she be?

In the Resurrection of the dead, in the next life , that problem is moot…has no basis whatsoever because in the life to come, relationships will NOT be defined as they are in this life. In the Resurrection, human beings will relate in a completely new and different way, since we will form ONE Family living together with God as our “spouse.” All the questions of who can marry and what happens after divorce will be null and void. Alleluia!!!!

While walking on the camino, I got a brief taste of this new “family.” People of all walks of life: married and single; religious or not; young , middle and seasoned in age; multiple languages and cultures; varieties of lifestyles. And something happened to all these different ways of living and different expressions of loving: the differences didn’t matter!!! We were on this pilgrimage TOGETHER and the love we had for each other transcended our differences. It felt like a family, if only for five weeks.

In this life, within our committed relationships and families, we have to begin to make the reality that WILL occur at the end of time and in the Resurrection a reality that finds expression right NOW in THIS life.
A friend of mine belongs to a parish in which Thanksgiving dinner occurs in the parish center with countless “families”. All are involved and invited. This is not a dinner focused on the homeless but on all who want to come together to become a much larger family. I know that something may be lost in giving up an intimate dinner with the usual family and friends and in the comfort of a home. But think what will be gained… think about those who are not homeless but have nowhere to go…think about how the homeless will feel when traditional families choose to be with them.

It is a change in the traditional way of celebrating Thanksgiving. What a welcome change!!! That parish is creating a living parable of Jesus and making “family” a much more beautiful word.
I’ve got work to do….

Buen camino. Padre

I had lunch with a wonderful friend I hadn’t seen in quite awhile. Catching up with old friends is a delight. As she talked about all that’s been happening in her life and as I listened to her respond to my stories, “I was hanging in her words. ” The People in the gospel were “hanging” on the words of Jesus. Like my friend, his words were comforting, challenging and life giving.

In the book of Revelation, john “eats” the scroll that contains words of prophecy and these words tasted as sweet as “honey.” Yes, the words we use may not always be comforting and soothing ; sometimes the message might be difficult to swallow at first. Sometimes the words might be sweet when we first hear them but after giving them some thought , a bitterness may develop in our stomachs.
This is exactly what happened to john after eating the scroll : at first, the words tasted sweet but eventually turned sour in his stomach. He realized the words were a call to reform and change, never easy , and often give indigestion!!!
We need to tell people what they need to hear not necessarily what they want to hear. The indigestion always goes away and all that we remember is the sweetness of eating Words of life.

Many wonderful and transforming things can happen over a bowl of oatmeal meal and some coffee. Buen camino. Padre.

As a child, I loved it when we got a visit from friends and family members, usually on the weekend. It broke the routine and brought joy and warmth into my life. Visits connect us with each other and deepen relationships.
In our own times, we connect through technology, which is good, but can’t replace the physical , face to face contact. Visits have depth when our whole bodies are involved, when we can see the reaction in faces as dialogue is occurring. A text just can’t do it!

In the gospel today, jesus is weeping, yes, he is crying , because he knows the people don’t get it. They have been visited by God in a unique and powerful manner: through the humanity of jesus. But they are blind to this divine and human “visitation .” Jesus weeps not only because his people, particularly some of the leaders , can’t penetrate his true identity, but because WE, also, are missing out. This text and many others in the gospels are used to promote a vile , anti Semitic attitude because the focus becomes the people in the past who rejected jesus: the Chosen People…the Jews.

Jesus is weeping NOW , because we are no different. God is visiting us everyday through all the many human encounters possible that are lost because we live in an enclosed world of technology. Put down your E Book and go to a real live bookstore and connect with people. Be a part of community. Let God “visit ” you through the many strangers who cross our paths. I just got back from a “visit” to Barnes and Noble and I felt a joy seeing people at tables talking, some browsing, others in the children’s section reading to their children. The young woman who waited on me was so kind and friendly.
What a difference this “visit ” made on my day. It led me to this reflection.

God is visiting us through our President’s address to the Nation tonight which will further the cause of coming to a just solution to the millions of undocumented immigrants. They are already a part of the fabric of our culture and way of life. This immigration debate needs to recognize that children are involved, as well as, hard working men and women. God visits us most especially through those who are hidden and vulnerable.

Laws can and do change. The unjust laws that promoted racial and gender discrimination had to be “broken” and changed. Where would we be today if these laws weren’t changed ? They were changed because they were challenged. Part of the law regarding those who want a path to citizenship is about to change. God is visiting us.

Jesus weeps today when we fail to be the instrument of God’s visitation. Yes, God is visiting His people through YOU… through Your humanity…through your compassion … Through your kindness and generosity to strangers. When YOU become the means for God to visit His people…God doesn’t weep but rejoice.

Buen camino. Padre

I live on a street of small gift shops and boutiques, and their storefront displays entice us to enter buy something for ourselves or someone we care about. Every gift we buy is a symbol of our love for another person. At Christmas, we buy countless gifts and wrap them up in bright and shiny paper to concretely show our love.

Each one of us is like a beautiful gift, all wrapped up and waiting to be delivered and cause joy to someone else. We are meant to be slowly unwrapped , allowing the gift of who God created us to become, to be made “present.” This “unwrapping ” occurs when we GIVE of ourselves … When we share the talents and resources God had entrusted us to be given away, freely, and at times , lavishly.

The more we live a life of sharing and gratitude for what had been given, the more we are “exposed” for who we really and truly are : a gift from God to make the world a place where He can visit and dwell. In the humanity of Jesus, God “pitched his tent,” found a place to live, to live a life of sharing to the point of giving his life as the Ultimate Gift, that became completely unwrapped and unveiled on the Cross.
The Incarnation of Christ is God’s gift, a real, flesh and blood, concrete Human Being: God became one of us!!!! Divinity was “wrapped up” in humanity. Now, God needs YOU and your humanity as a place to dwell.

As the parable teaches in the gospel, our lives have been given to us by God so that we give them back, share them , with the world. A life of sharing is one in which the hidden God is made visible when we feed the hungry, satisfy the thirsty, care for the sick, visit the imprisoned , volunteer on a regular basis, being part of a solution and not adding to a problem.
Like the gold coin in the parable, your life is meant to be like an investment that gives interest on return.
The interest rate on a life of sharing comes in the form of eternal JOY. Not a bad return…

Buen camino. Padre.

There is no doubt about it…it is VERY cold outside in Chicago. The temperatures are frigid and the wind pierces to the bone. The temperature people seem to love can best be described as “lukewarm,” neither hot nor cold. It is more comfortable when the temperature is not challenging to our sensibilities, one way or another. But one thing is certainly clear: God despises people whose characters can best be described as “lukewarm,” in that they stand for nothing that might cause controversy or division. Play it safe; don’t rock the boat; don’t cause any trouble.

The reading from the Book of Revelation in today’s Liturgy has God condemning in no uncertain words those who are lukewarm saying, “So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” This is quite a blunt statement , coming from God through St. John. The reading goes on to say that those who are rich think they are comfortable and need no help. They are self-sufficient. When we lose sight of the fact that we are ALWAYS dependent on God and are NEVER self-sufficient, we risk becoming lukewarm and apathetic.

The end of the church year is challenging us OUT of the complacency of living in the comfort zone and INTO the risky business of living in the gospel zone. Gospel living is taking a stand on what matters and what is right; it means re-shaping one’s life along the contours of selfless love; and it demands an ongoing life of daily prayer that deepens the conversion of the heart.
There is nothing lukewarm about this way of living. It might be more comfortable living in a climate that is mild and dull but it is more interesting and challenging to live in a climate like Chicago’s: unpredictable and variable…much like life. Gospel living can never be lukewarm.
Buen camino. Padre

“What do you want me to do for you?” Is what jesus asks the blind man in the gospel. The question is being asked right now, to YOU, by God: “what SPECIFICALLY do you want me to do for you?” This question is at the heart of life, for what we want, says much about what we value.

The man in the gospel tells jesus that he wants “to see.” He doesn’t specifically asked to be healed of blindness but only that he “sees.” When his eyes are ” opened, ” he “sees” the One who is the only answer to all prayer. The physical healing is secondary to the inner recognition of just who Jesus really is. Spiritual “sight” is much more important than physical sight. Think of people like Helen Keller who was never physically healed of her blindness but “saw” as most of us never truly “see.”

Physical healing is only one way that God uses to awaken us to God’s Presence in all of life and creation. Jesus physically healed many but certainly not all people. It is safe to say that Jesus only cured a handful of people and brought back to life from the dead three people that I can think of. The simple fact is many, if not most, people do not experience physical healings or cures, as much as inner strength and vision.

The question is a haunting one that demands much time and thought. But most importantly, patience, for God’s response usually unfolds gradually and in ways that may surprise us. God will respond…but we may not like the response.
Buen camino. Padre

If you have money, it is very easy to spend. We live in a culture that seems immersed in the need to spend more and more money, which is supposed to fuel the economy. For so many of us we spend money we don’t even have through the use of oftentimes many credit cards. We build “houses of ‘credit’ cards that fall apart in an
instant.

The gospel of the talents challenges us to look at how we spend our time. We can waste endless hours of time binge watching a tv series or channel surfing; we spend time shopping in malls or on the internet; we drive kids from one activity to another in a frenetic busyness; in short, we frequently spend our time in ways that keep us on the surface of life. Investing our lives in experiences that root us in creative endeavors means spending time wisely.

Turning off tv’s and computers and cell phones allows us to invest our time reading, writing, praying, cooking , exercising , playing with kids, remodeling a room, learning a language, and the list goes on. Wasting time or spending time mindlessly is a certain way to “bury one’s talents .” We can only allow talents to be unearthed and cultivated if we know what they are and spend our time letting them grow.
Spending time creatively is at the heart of a joyful and engaging life.
Right now , our teens are learning how to bake Apple pies that will we used to give to our homeless at Loaves and Fishes. What a great investment of time.

Wasting time means burying our lives and all the potential we have to making the world a better place , not so much for ourselves , but for others, especially our young people. Investing time wisely and creatively is a work of the Holy Spirit that allows the walls we build around God to collapse.

When we free God from the constraints we place upon Him… We free ourselves and the way we spend time.
Buen camino. Padre

Jesus teaches through the parable of the Unjust Judge to keep praying like the persistent widow who wouldn’t give in until justice was served. We are called to pray ceaselessly so that a just world is established. The purpose of persistent prayer is to create a world of justice, the foundation of which is the dignity of each human being.

Instead of just “saying” your prayers, think of prayer as sitting in the presence of the God we call Love, and say little or nothing. Just BE in God’s presence. Praying with words is important and praying for intentions is essential , but these are necessary gateways into wordless and imageless prayer. We become receptive to God and let Him do the “talking.” If we see prayer as what WE do or say instead of what GOD has to say, our life of prayer will remain shallow.

Think of it this way : instead of saying prayers, you, yourself, must BECOME a living, human prayer. This is the kind of prayer that changes hearts, minds, the world. This is the prayer that creates Justice, and only then , Peace.

Buen Camino. Padre

The Liturgical year is coming to a close, and the readings are a summons to wake up out of complacency, for the End Time is approaching. The end of the church year and the end of time are realities that remind us time continues to pass and our direction must always be forward. Yes, we move forward anchored in faith and community, but we must continue to move forward.

It is so easy to bemoan the times in which we live, so much so, that we yearn for a return to an idealized past that never really existed in the first place. It only exists in our imagination. There is much to be concerned about: the use of technology, family life, the value of human life and a growing materialism. In every age and time, humanity has had to struggle with something.

The truth us we can’t keep looking back. In the gospel, jesus tells the disciples to remember what happened to Lot’s wife in the Book of Genesis. She was told to NOT turn back and look at the devastation occurring to Sodom. But she turned around and looked back and was turned into a pillar of salt. We will never know exactly why she turned to have a look but the directions were clear: continue to move forward….don’t look back!!!

We need to keep moving forward in a spirit of optimism and hope, that people can change and new, life-giving directions can unfold. The church can never try to “look back” to times when everything seemed so neat and clean and everyone was on the same page theologically. These times never existed. The church has lived through countless controversies and divisions in its past. It will continue to do so until jesus returns and brings chronological time to a close.

We must move forward in a unity of faith, the faith as prayed in the Creed every week, and within a community of believers. We must “lose ourself,” as jesus teaches…we must lose the self that needs to control, the self that manipulates, the self that lives in fear, the self that must be at the center of the world. As we move forward in time, we “lose” this destructive and sinful self that turns our spirits into a “pillar of salt.” And we allow the Self, created in God’ s Image, to emerge from the shadows.
This is a slow, lifelong process, a process that always leads to new beginnings, new years, new life….
ADVENT!!!! The church year ends and Advent begins… The season of waiting in Hope as we continue to move forward and not looking back.
Buen camino. Padre

The one experience that totally transformed the life of St. Francis of Assisi was the moment he PHYSICALLY embraced a leper. Something WITHIN him compelled him to confront the disgust he felt towards lepers; he despised even being near them. The moment he embraced that leper, that leper was transformed from an object of disgust into a human being with dignity. After the embrace, francis saw Christ in the human being he once saw as a horrible leper.

In today’s first reading, Paul has a similar experience, in that he sees Onesimus NOT as a slave but as a brother in Christ. In his own way, Paul embraced the slave Onesimus in his humanity and was able to refer to him as his child. What a magnificent transformation of Paul’s heart and this transformation occurred while he was imprisoned for his faith.

How does a leper become a human being with dignity? How does a slave, a piece of property, become a person with rights and dignity? The simple answer that takes a lifetime to unfold is CONVERSION of the heart. Francis and Paul surrendered their lives and their hearts to Christ. They allowed grace to completely transform their lives so that they began to see all of life through the lens of faith.

A saint is someone who lives under the influence of God’s grace. They experience the Kingdom as something alive and present WITHIN the human heart. Yes, the Kingdom of God is here…right now…within your heart. All of our experiences, especially our religious rituals and traditions , are meant to help us go “within,” allowing allow the Kingdom to come alive. Religion is a mean to an end , the end being an encounter with Christ, such that our worlds our turned upside down. Religion is all about transforming our hearts so that we love each and every human being and see the presence of God in them.

Let us pray that our religion and our hearts do not become like fossils, where we are surrounded by the hard rock of rigidity and isolation. For the heart to be transformed it can never be entombed in the fear of change and transformation, by its very essence, is all about change. We are pilgrims of transformation : only as our hearts are transformed will the world be transformed.
Buen Camino. Padre