23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
September 05, 2010
No Turning Back!

Lk 14:25-33

The Gospel readings these past Sundays form a thematic trilogy. Two Sundays ago, the Lord told us to strive to enter the narrow gate. Being narrow, it involves not only great effort, but also bending down low. So, in last Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus taught us of the absolute necessity of the virtue of humility. But one thing more is needed. The narrow gate will not allow us to bring in any extra baggage. So, this Sunday, the Lord tells us: “Unless you renounce all your possessions, you cannot enter the kingdom of God.” And to make sure we are admitted, we have to show the distinctive sign of membership, namely, the cross: “Whoever does not carry his own cross and follow after me cannot be my disciple.”

Being a Christian involves two basic movements: come and go. At all times, Jesus invites us: “Come to me! Follow me!” And after following him, he will send us on a mission: “Go, and proclaim the Good News!” In both movements, our reply should be “yes” so that God’s plan will be realized. God initiates the call, but we have the last word: “Yes!”

A mother of many children is having a hard time disciplining them. She thought of a reward system. She announced: “In this family the one who obeys me immediately and does exactly as he is told without any complaint will get a twenty-dollar reward at the end of the week.” But the youngest boy protested: “It’s not fair! Daddy will always win easily.” Definitely, his father was the man who always has the last word: “Yes!”

“Yes” is a word that is so easy to pronounce. But, in the Gospel this Sunday, Jesus advises us against being too hasty in our response. It would be totally embarrassing if we quickly say yes now, and later on we change our mind. This is why Jesus gave the two parables about prudence and foresight. A man planning to build a tower must calculate carefully if he has enough money and resources to finish the project. The king marching forward to make battle with another king must also make sure he has enough men to win the battle. In both cases, careful study, planning and preparation are essentially needed.

When one decides to buy a house, he should not immediately sign the contract. Instead, he has first to evaluate his capacity to pay the down payment and the monthly amortization for the next thirty years. The same is true with the decision to follow Jesus. We must beforehand have an honest assessment of our capacity and willingness to pay the cost of discipleship.

In the first place, to say “yes” to Jesus means deliberately putting him as the center and the top priority of our life. This is what the Lord meant when he said: “If anyone comes to me without hating his father or mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” Discipleship requires putting Jesus over and above our family, job, money, career, and even our life. A classic example of this is the sisters Venus and Serena Williams. They loved each other, but at one time they had to hate each other. It was at the 2001 US Open Tennis Championship. At that moment on the court, they hated each other, recognizing that the sister stands in the way to the prestigious US Open trophy. As Christians, are we willing to “hate” our loved one who obstructs us from attaining the trophy of eternal glory that Jesus offers?

Secondly, following Jesus requires that we bear our cross patiently. The cross is the key that opens the narrow door to God’s kingdom. Nowadays, many people reject the cross. They abhor sacrifice and sufferings, and would rather run after money, comfort and luxury. When big profit is before our eyes, will the virtue of honesty still be appealing to us? As the saying goes, “when money talks, the truth is silent.”

And finally, following Jesus demands total freedom from the things of this world. Life is a long and arduous journey to our eternal home. Carrying humungous loads on the road will surely slow us down or distract us from our goal.  That is why Jesus insisted: “Unless you renounce all your possessions, you cannot enter the kingdom of God.” But is it possible for us to let go of the things we hold so dear, things that we acquired through honest sweat and toil? It is never easy. That is why our cabinets are filled up with lots of personal things that we do not use anymore, and yet we are unwilling to let go of them due to “sentimental reasons.”

In essence, these three conditions are an invitation for us to an authentic love and worship of God by rejecting the three common forms of idolatry. The first idolatry is love of creatures. Jesus reminds us to love God more than our family and any human being. The second idolatry is love of money and material things. The Lord demands renunciation of these things. And the third is love of self, giving in to the temptations of comfort, luxury and pleasure. Jesus invites us instead to take up our cross and follow the way of self-sacrificial love.

The U.S. Marine Corps undergo the most rigorous training and discipline. This is to prepare them for the demands and dangers in the battlefield. They are inspired and guided by their motto, “Semper Fidelis” (Always Faithful). As Christians, we are the Marine Corps of Jesus – brave, determined and faithful until the end – “semper fidelis”. Our “yes” to Jesus ultimately means we are willing to pay the price of following him – even if it costs us our own life. A song by the Charismatic Movement beautifully expresses this: “I have decided to follow Jesus; no turning back, no turning back. The cross before me, the world behind me; no turning back, no turning back.”

Fr. Mike Lagrimas
ST. Teresa Church
New York, NY 10002

by Fr. Reynaldo A. Domagas

TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Who will be saved? Will I be saved?

Salvation is a narrow door that requires an individual, responsible decision.
And many who count on entering the kingdom will find themselves outside looking
in.

An essential part of the decisive commitment required to enter the narrow
door is “the discipline of the Lord”. While we all claim to know Jesus and we are
for the most part faithful church-goers who weekly eat and drink in his company
our membership in a religious group community does not make the way easy. Our
life journey requires self-discipline and strength of character because if we are not
strong it is easy to fall away from following the Lord. And we will have trouble
entering the narrow gate that leads to salvation.

Although according to orthodox Christian doctrine, Christ died for all and
has made salvation open to all, it does not follow that everyone is saved. Each of us
must reach out to grasp what Christ offers. In the Gospel Jesus challenges us with
the harsh reality that not everyone will be admitted to the kingdom of God. And we
are to be the messengers who spread the good news of God’s salvation to all in the
world. We are a necessary part of God’s plan of salvation for all. .

What Jesus indicates in today’s Gospel is that who and how many will be
saved should not be our concern. What need to concern us is that quality of our
personal response and the witness it gives. Salvation is God’s gift to us. It is a gift
that comes with a challenge. We either accept it or turn it down. At stake is our
own personal salvation.

Fr. Reynaldo A. Domagas

*This reflection on the readings for the 21st Sunday in Ordinary
Time appeared in the Sunday Bulletin of Our Lady of Victory Church
(Manhattan, NYC) August 21, 2010

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 29, 2010

Spiritual Cholesterol
Lk 14:1, 7-14

The science class was discussing about whales. The teacher pointed out that this large
creature has a very small throat that would make it physically impossible to swallow a
human. But one boy objected: “But according to the Bible, Jonah was swallowed by a whale!”
The teacher dismissed the comment and insisted that it was simply impossible. The boy
reluctantly gave up and said, “When I get to heaven I will ask Jonah”. The teacher teased
the boy and asked, “How sure are you that Jonah is in heaven? What if he went to hell?” The
little boy replied, “Then you ask him”.

One night a little girl was watching her mother preparing her bed. For the first time,
she noticed strands of white hair sticking out of her long shiny black hair. She suddenly
asked, “Why are some of your hairs white, Mom?” Her mother replied, “Well, this is what
happens when little girls misbehave. Their moms become unhappy, and one by one the hairs
turn white.” The little girl thought about this for a while and then happily announced her new
discovery: “Now I know why ALL of grandma’s hairs are white!”

The moral is: Don’t ever mess with children. They have their way of expressing the truth with
candor and profound wisdom that often leaves us dumbfounded. We get valuable lessons
from them. In relation to the Gospel today, if little children are invited to a party, we will be
certain that not one of them will mind where they will sit at table. Their only concern is to be
with friends, to eat and have fun. Not one of them cares about position, honor or fame.

But among adults, it is the opposite. The focus is on the self. Before going to a party, they
would spend great time and money making sure they will look good – nice shoes and dress,
hair and makeup, expensive perfume and all trimmings imaginable. And when they finally
arrive at the party, their main concern is not the food or the program, but on how much
attention they get from others.

It is said that there two kinds of people who come to the party. The first is the one who
enters as inconspicuously as possible, looks around for a familiar face, and finding one,
says, “There he is!” The second is the one who enters the hall with fanfare to make sure
everybody notices his coming, practically announcing, “Here I am!” To the first group belong
the little children and the childlike. To the second group are the selfish and proud adults.

Last Sunday, the parting words of Jesus is a warning: “Some who are first will be last, and
some who are last will be first.” It is definitely a lesson on humility. This lesson is further
underscored this Sunday. The first reading from the Book of Sirach gives this exhortation:
“My child, conduct your affairs with humility and you will be loved more than a giver of gifts.
Humble yourself the more, the greater you are, and you will find favor with God.” In the
Gospel, the advice of Jesus to the guests seeking places of honor at table was obviously a
practical lesson on humility: “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one
who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Unfortunately, humility is not an attractive virtue. This word itself comes from the
Latin “humus”, which means, “soil”. Who wants soil, anyway? Everybody wants diamond
and gold, but not soil – it’s messy and dirty! But where do gold and diamonds come from?
We would prefer to be the tall and mighty building, rather than the soil on which we dump

our tons of trash. But where do we walk on without soil? Where will those magnificent
buildings and structures stand on without soil? Where will the trees and plants grow? Just as
soil is essential to our earthly existence, so also humility is to our soul. Yes, humility is not
attractive, but it is essentially necessary in our spiritual life. It is impossible to think of any
Christian virtue and holiness without it. Though unattractive, humility makes one attractive to
God and to others: “you will be loved more than a giver of gifts…you will find favor with God”,
the Book of Sirach assures us. It is precisely the humility and obedience of Jesus that exalted
him to the heavens, “and bestowed on him the Name above every other name.”

It behooves us, therefore, to constantly check ourselves to make sure our ego is not inflated.
The doctor tells us to have regular medical check up and watch out for the rising numbers of
cholesterol, sugar, salt, blood pressure in our system. They do not go up in an instant, but
they result from a long period of unhealthy food and drink intakes and bad habits.

In a similar way, in our spiritual life, the sin of pride does not appear instantly. As little
children, we did not have it. But as we grew up, we gradually learned unhealthy habits that
accumulated and stuck to our person like cholesterol plaques that constrict the flow of blood
in our arteries. Then, our ego steadily began rising, and without noticing it, pride has slowly
gripped and hardened our heart, threatening us with spiritual stroke and paralysis.

There are clear symptoms of pride that we can easily recognize. When we expect praise and
appreciation for every good thing we do; when we are too shy to come out and volunteer our
services and talents because we are afraid of being criticized; when even a small negative
comment about our work easily hurts us; when we enjoy talking about the mistakes and sins
of others; when we fiercely believe we are always right and refuse to listen to the opinion of
others; when we always seek positions of prestige or power; when we are afraid or unwilling
to let go of a position or function that makes us feel important and indispensable – these are
all but a few examples of pride getting into us.

Undoubtedly, pride has a lot of various and subtle manifestations. Awareness of them can
greatly help us overcome its ugly head. On the other hand, humility is not very easy to
practice and notice. Bishop Fulton Sheen said, “Humility is like an underwear. You have
it, but you don’t show it.” Nowadays, when we see people walking on the streets with their
underwear exposed, we begin to realize how increasingly difficult it is to teach the virtue and
value of humility in these times. Nevertheless, let the words of the Prophet Micah serve as
a reminder to us: “You have been told, O Man what is good and what the Lord requires of
you: only to do right, to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God” (Mic 6:8). And
Jesus said, “Unless you become like little children, you cannot enter the kingdom of God.”

Fr. Mike Lagrimas
St. Teresa Church
New York, NY 10002

Andrew Biezard will be at the Church of St. Thomas More (65 East 89th St, NYC) to talk about the differences in Islam and Catholicism.  He has been conducting educational seminars on Islam since 2007, speaks Arabic, and has a Master’s Degree from Hartford Seminary in Islamic Studies.

The presentation will be on September 12.  Free will offering accepted.

Details

Taking place right in the heart of NYC, in downtown SoHo, this weekly social discussion forum for young adults in their 20’s and 30’s, will inspire them to grow in their understanding of love and flourish in their relationships. The primary text for discussion will be “Men, Women and the Mystery of Love: Practical Insights from John Paul II’s Love and Responsibility” by Dr. Edward Sri.

In an age of confusion, the needs of young adults often go unmet. Relationships begin and end with arbitrary ease, hearts are broken, and the most common piece of advice is the old adage, “Just do what feels right”.

It will be held at 32 Prince St at the outdoor setting at 7:30pm. In case of bad weather, we have a rain venue at 263 Mulberry st (just around the corner).

Bring friends and coworkers, it’ll be a great night out! We’ll also be heading after to a place nearby for food and drinks.

The 4th week for Love and Responsibility in NYC saw – again – well over 80+ people turn up for a fun and engaging discussion in SoHo under the stars!

Don’t miss out on next week’s social discussion forum, taking place at the same place at the outdoor setting at 32 Prince st at 7:30pm.

The reading for Tuesday, August 24, is “The Law of the Gift: Understanding the Two Sides of Love” and can be read here:

http://catholiceducation.org/articles/marriage/mf0072.html

Date: Tuesday, August 24
Time: 7:30pm
Place: 32 Prince st (b/w Mott and Mulberry St)
Reading: The Law of the Gift: Understanding the Two Sides of Love

*We’d encourage you to read this chapter in advance of our discussions. Copies will also be made available every week.

The road that lead us forward, the road to progress, must at the same time be a road that leads us backward, back to fundamentals, a road that leads us inward and upward. Christ is the center; to look upon him is our first and noblest task, or, as the first letter of Clement, one of the earliest successors of Saint Peter, expresses it: “Let us keep our gaze fixed immovably on the saving Blood of Jesus Christ.” But how can this be? How are we to receive Christ as the center, Christ as the answer, as the Bread that is life, as the living Word?

The letter interprets this simple, profound, and fundamental concept, which was likewise the basic concept of Vatican Council II, in the words: “Let us live by every word that comes from your mouth.” Let us live by the words that interpret the Word and that are the word from him and in him. This is a reference to Holy Scripture – a reminder that in Holy Scripture we encounter God’s living Word, which is always the source from which we receive the answer anew, from which life comes anew into this world; a reminder that from Scripture we must always find our way back to our own hearts, to ourselves and to God, and so build the world.

After Christocentrism, the second concrete concern of the Council was to establish Holy Scripture as the center of Christian faith. Not to know Scripture is not to know Jesus, Saint Jerome tells us. And we know Christ only if we are conversant with the words that are the words of God. Scripture tells us how such a oneness with Christ, such a penetration to the center, is to be achieved in practice. It tells us that faith is not something remote from us, something that would require us to engage in great research, or perhaps, to cross an ocean or make an expedition into the depths of the earth. It speaks to us of what is near. The word is in your heart. You have only to enter into your own heart and you will find it there.

Jesus is Lord, Jesus is risen. In these words Paul identifies the two confessional formulas of the Church, which form the heart of our confession of faith. He says: When you enter into your heart, you enter into the place where Jesus is, and vice versa you enter into your heart only when you do not simply hide yourself in yourself but co-believe with the faith of the living Church. In co-believing with the faith of the living Church, in letting yourself be carried along by it, even though many individual teachings continue to be obscure, you are hidden in the communality of the faith and so remain faithful to it, communicate with it. We read Holy Scripture as we should, from its center, from its inner unity, only when we read it in harmony with the faith of the Church.

From: L’Osservatore Romano 13, no.8 (1983), p.12

August 22, 2010

How Many will be Saved?

Lk 13:22-30

A priest was teaching a group of young people on the topic of salvation. Two unruly boys stood up and gave the priest a small bottle: “Father, if you believe that Jesus will save you, we challenge you to drink this poison. Let’s see how true is your faith.” The priest was taken aback, but after a while he said, “You know, I have a better proposition: the two of you drink this poison, and I will prove to you that my faith is true because I am sure Jesus will raise you up from the dead!” (Adapted from W. J. Bausch).

One of the three foundational hallmarks of Protestantism is the principle of “sola fide” – we can be saved “by faith alone”. Once and for all, let us be very clear that this is a heretical teaching. In the New Testament, it was only St. James who mentioned the phrase “faith alone”: “You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone” (James 2:24). So, faith alone does not save; good works are necessary, according to St. James: “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no works? Can such faith save him? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by works, is dead” (2:14, 17).

Where, then, did the Protestants get their sola fide teaching? The answer is Martin Luther. In his German translation of the Bible, Luther intentionally inserted the word “alone” (“allein” in German) to St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans 3:28 – “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith (alone) apart from works of the law.”

In the Gospel this Sunday, someone in the crowd asked Jesus: “Lord, will only a few people be saved?” This question is understandable since the Jews in the time of Jesus believed that as members of the Chosen People of God, they have the certain guarantee of salvation. Consequently, not only were they complacent, but also they looked down on the Gentiles, the non-Jews. They were too proud and presumptuous so as to arrogate to themselves exclusively the gift of salvation. For them, only few will be saved.

The Protestants, on the other hand, hold the opposite view. Based on their sola fide principle, by faith alone, without even following God’s commandments and teachings, many and anybody will be saved. Such doctrinal error is the force behind the permissiveness and loose morality that we witness in our society today. We oftentimes hear this crooked reasoning: “As long as I have faith in Jesus as my Savior, it does not matter whatever I do. I will be saved.”

Both positions are terribly wrong and extremely dangerous – they lead to a seriously disordered spirituality, moral decay, pride and arrogance. How many will be saved? Jesus did not answer this question. Instead, he gave this strong admonition: “Strive to enter through the narrow gate.” This statement is definitely a warning against complacency and self-righteousness. Then towards the end, he said: “Some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.” This is again another warning, and this time, against pride and arrogance.

Taking the Gospel message as its point of departure, the Letter to the Hebrews talks about discipline. For five times, this word is mentioned in today’s second reading. Following Jesus is not a stroll in the park. It entails a lot of struggle and hard work: “Strive to enter through the narrow gate!” To be able to respond to the demands of discipleship, discipline is necessary. After all, the words “disciple” and “discipline” are closely related. A “disciple” (Latin “discipulus”) is a learner of the “instruction” or “knowledge” (Latin “disciplina”) of the master. A disciple should follow the discipline of his master. So the Letter to the Hebrews advises us: “My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord, or lose heart when reproved by him; for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines; he scourges every son he acknowledges. Endure your trials as ‘discipline’; God treats you as sons.” Discipline, then, is God’s way of molding us in His likeness because He considers us to be His beloved children.

One attitude that stands out in this present generation is the refusal to submit to the discipline of the Lord. Most people nowadays do not want to hear the hard truths of the Gospel – the evil of sin, the need for conversion and confession, and the teachings on temperance, forgiveness, humility, and all the other Christian virtues. They come to church, not to hear what Jesus wants them to hear, but only those things they want to hear – freedom, independence, tolerance, comfort, and success. For many of them, morality is not a matter of whether something is right or wrong, but whether it makes them feel good or not. That is why they are easily offended by talks against abortion, contraception, divorce and same sex marriage. This situation is the result of what Pope Benedict XVI calls “the dictatorship of relativism.” We are now witnessing the growth of a society that has weak and loose moral fiber and no spiritual backbone. A quotation says, “When the going gets easy, be careful; you may be going downhill.”

Going back to the question, “will only a few people be saved?” The answer depends on how we respond to the teachings of the Gospel. George Bernard Shaw said: “The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” The reason why we have all these amazing technological inventions is because of people who are “unreasonable”, who never stop working on their talents and resources to make this world more adaptable and comfortable to human life. If modern man, aided by God’s grace, is equally zealous and hardworking in his spiritual affairs as he is in the temporal and worldly matters, then we can rightfully say that yes, many will be saved. So the Lord now exhorts us: “Strive to enter through the narrow gate.” It is a lifetime endeavor, a constant struggle. Hence, the Letter to the Hebrews urges us: “Strengthen your drooping hands and your weak knees,” for, as Jesus said, many will attempt to enter, but will not be strong enough.”

Fr. Mike Lagrimas
St. Teresa Church
New York, NY 10002

One of the arrows that struck St. Sebastian

I thought it would be a good incentive to keep track of incorruptibles and relics that I wish one day I would be able to see and touch.  Today, I came across the “The Roman Sacristan” blog with a picture on the left.  Framed is one of the arrows that struck St. Sebastian, a popular Roman Martyr of the 3rd Century.  There is also a part of the column kept in the Basilica where the saint was tied to during his martyrdom.

San Sebastiano fuori le mura

The Basilica known as San Sebastiano fuori le Mura is located outside the Aurelian walls along the Appian Way.  It was built on top of a catacomb, believed to be a temporary resting place of the remains of the apostles Peter & Paul before they were transferred the to two basilicas that carries their name.  Aside from the arrow in the basilica is a stone believed to be carrying the footprint of Christ related to the biblical “Quo vadis?”.

Quo Vadis

The picture of the white stone here is the one that I took in the Church of Quo Vadis, a bit of a walk from the Basilica, believed to be the spot where Peter, fleeing from Rome, have met Christ; the spot where the famous “Quo vadis?” was uttered. Had I known that this Basilica is nearby I would have had tried to endure the heat and walked further down to see this magnificent Basilica…hopefully next time and soon.