Fourth Sunday of Easter, cycle C

John 10:27-30
I'm getting hard of hearing in my old age.  Those of you who have talked with me know that sometimes I ask you to repeat what you said.  Or you may be talking to me and wondering why I have  blank expression on my face.  Or you may say hello in the grocery store and I will not hear you, so you will think I am ignoring you and that I'm stuck up.  Hearing aids help some, but not as much as you would think.  On my mother's side of the family, she and her brothers and sisters were all pretty deaf by the time they turned eighty.  It's not fun but there are a lot of things that are worse.  But I think the worst part of being deaf is when I call one of my daughters on the phone and a pre-teen grandson answers.  I say what I am calling about, and the grandson sounds confused, and then suddenly realizes that Grandpa  has confused him once again with his mother.  I can't always distinguish voices like I used to, and it's very hard when I can't see the person who is doing the speaking.
We have a sort of  a spiritual deafness, as well.  I  think many of us do not hear the voice of Jesus or aren't sure when we do.  And so one of the big challenges in life is to learn how to hear the voice of the shepherd.  After all, Jesus says that his sheep listen to his voice, and he knows them, and they follow him.  Real sheep do know their shepherd's voice.  Sheep aren't the smartest animals, but they get to the point where they will follow their shepherd, even if there are other voices calling them.  Out in the West where I grew up they have sheep rodeos sometimes, where sheepdogs can show off their skills, and shepherds can demonstrate how well they have their sheep trained.  It's amazing what people did to amuse themselves before television and the internet came along!
Maybe we can learn something from sheep.  A baby lamb is born with an instinct to stay close to it's mother.  The mother has already learned the shepherd's voice.  Where she goes, the lamb goes.  As the lamb grows, it has learned from its mother something about how to tell the shepherd's voice.  We Christians could certainly imitate those lambs.  If we have a problem hearing the voice of the shepherd, let us find someone who can hear better than we, and learn from him or her.  It's not easy in our society to admit that someone else might be more attuned to Christ than I am.  Even though spiritual direction is as old as Christianity, maybe older, we are a generation that doesn't see the value of it.  Even though we know we should do something about becoming disciples, we are reluctant to learn from people who are disciples.  Spiritual direction at it's best is learning how to hear the voice of Jesus.
Lambs learn about the shepherd's voice in other ways as well.  Sometimes a lamb will wander off and get lost.  Frightened and alone, it hears the voice coming closer and closer, and then the lamb is snatched up and put on the shoulders of the shepherd and brought back to the flock.  The next time he gets lost, he listens for the voice and runs toward it.  When you and I have problems, when we are suffering physically or mentally, when our life seems out of control, sometimes we are consoled by remembering that Jesus suffered as well, suffered and died, alone and crying out “My God, why have you forsaken me?”  But we believe God raised him up to eternal life, and Jesus promised that where he was  going we would follow.  In our pain and suffering, if we listen we will hear Jesus saying to us what he said to the good thief:  “Today you will be with me in paradise!”  We have an extremely long list of brothers and sisters who have heard the Master's voice most clearly in suffering; they are the saints and martyrs.  While none of us want to suffer, it isn't a stretch to say that when we are suffering Jesus is very close and especially then invites us to share in his cross and resurrection.
And lambs learn to hear the shepherd's voice during times of joy as well.  The lamb learns that following the shepherd means that she will find good places to graze and fresh water to drink.  And the best part, perhaps, is when after a long day she lies down, knowing she is safe and protected, and hears the shepherd sing.  Eventually she associates his voice with peace and joy and comfort.  And just as we find Jesus' voice in suffering, we find it in joy as well if we listen.  Saint Paul tells us that every good thing comes from God.  If we remind ourselves of that when we are enjoying something, when we are laughing with our friends or relaxing after a busy day – if we are enjoying a hike in the woods or a  drive in our new car, we can listen and hear the voice of the one who loves to see us enjoying what he has given us, and wants to give us so much more.
One thing about sheep is that they follow the shepherd not knowing where they are going to be led.  The shepherd has the plan and that's enough for the sheep.  You and I are often called by God to do something, but the whole plan is never revealed, and for some of us, we don't want to do anything unless we can see why, unless we can see the whole plan.  But God never reveals the whole plan; he only shows us the next step.  Jesus' sheep need to know this and trust that our shepherd will use us the way he sees fit.
The point is that the shepherd becomes the sheep's whole life.  Through it's own experiences, it learns that the shepherd is there all the time, leading it onward.  Modern sheep cannot survive for very long by themselves.  And we may think that we are strong and independent and don't have much need for a shepherd, but the truth is we can't thrive in our lives without our shepherd.  If we hear his voice and follow him, then we become one with him and he is one with the Father.  If we try to go it alone sooner or later both joy and sorrow lose their meaning and we ourselves are lost.

Thirdf Sunday of Easter, cycle C

John 21:1-19

The Gospel passage you just heard is sometimes referred to as the “second ending” of the gospel of John. If you remember last Sunday's gospel about Saint Thomas, that passage ended with the satement: “Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” That certainly sounds like an ending. But then John starts up again with this story of Jesus' appearance on the shore of the lake. The story is peculiar, because it seems as though the disciples don't really know what to do – even though they have been sent forth and given the power to forgive sins. Yet Peter seems to be at loss, and decides to go fishing. So do the others. And when Jesus appears on the shore and is recognized, they all act like it's the first time they've seen him. Another interesting thing – Peter puts on his clothes before jumping into the water. Some writers see that as a symbol of death and re-birth, or of baptism. Others say that Peter did it out of modesty since he was working naked. But I like the idea that Peter thought he would try walking on water again, but this time it still didn't work.

But the section of this gospel that I think has a lot to do with us is the last part, the peculiar exchange between Peter and Jesus. What is really going on here? There have been scores of commentaries, all coming to different conclusions. Our Church, of course, sees this passage as one of the places where Peter is commissioned to lead the Church. Another, of course is when we hear Jesus say, “You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my church.”

And other people have said that this passage with its three questions about love is the point at which Peter is forgiven for his three times denial of Jesus.

But John just finished telling us that he is writing so that you may believe. Gospel passages often mean several things at once, and I think this passage could be addressed to every Christian. First, notice that Jesus addresses Peter not by the nickname he gave him, but by his real name. And anyone who has been a kid knows that when a parent calls you by your given name, you better listen up. Jesus is being serious – this isn't just a casual breakfast on the beach.

The second thing to notice, but you and I can't because we don't do Greek, is that Jesus and Peter use different words for love. Jesus uses the word agape – self-sacrificing love – in the first two questions. In the third, he uses the word that means “brotherly love”. Peter always replies with the word meaning brotherly love. So if we tried to translate this into English, it might sound something like this: Do you love me enough to die for me? And Peter replies, “I love you like a brother!” Jesus tries again, and Peter can't use that word. And finally Jesus says, “Well, do you love me like a brother? And Peter in relief says, “You know everything, and I do love you like a brother.”

Isn't Peter speaking for most of us? I haven't been asked to die for Jesus, but I've failed in lesser ways to love Him. I can't get through a day without knowing I could have done better, I could have been a better disciple. Could I honestly answer, “Yes Lord, I love you enough to die for you?”

And I think Jesus' first two questions challenge us, but his third recognizes where we are, and we can react with relief as Peter did, knowing that Jesus sees that we love him imperfectly, but still accepts that love.

The third thing to notice is that after each question, Jesus gives Peter a task. Feeding lambs – a lamb doesn't wander off, it stays close to it's mother; but it needs to be fed. All of us are called to feed each other. No Christian should be comfortable knowing that there are people who are hungry or homeless, especially when they are right next door. Sheep on the other hand, wander off and that's why you need a shepherd, to round them up and bring them into the pasture. We can see if we look around that some Christians are called to be evangelists, proclaiming the gospel to others. That isn't just a call for the pope or the bishop; it's a call for every disciple, to call others into the fold. And finally, an even higher calling is to feed those sheep. This is an area where our church could use a little work. When people have experienced conversion, and often that happens to people who have been baptized and confirmed and have been going to mass every Sunday and say their prayers – yes, even they can be comverted – how do we nurture those people, what do we do to keep those fires burning? I think about the people I've helped through RCIA over the past many years, people who are now full grown members of the Church. How do we keep that going? How do we feed these sheep, so that the Church can thrive and grow and fulfill it's mission? Jesus died for us, and yet he trusts us to bring the fruits of his passion to other people.

The last thing to notice, I guess, is that Jesus promises something to Peter. He promises him that a time will come when he will go where he does not want to go . We've j ust seen where Peter does not want to go. Is Jesus saying, “Peter, you may not love me enough to die for me now, but someday you will”. Surely that would be a message I would accept with joy – that my love for Jesus will someday reach that point. And Jesus simply says, “Follow me”. As long as you keep your eyes focused on me, as long as you hear my words and try to obey, you'll be all right; you will come to love me as much as I love you.

Second Sunday of Easter, Cycle C

John 20:19-31

When I was a little kid, I used to feel sorry for myself sometimes. Most of my classmates lived on the other side of town, so I didn't get to hang out with them after school. Sometimes when there was something interesting to do after school, I would have to walk my sister home, because we were latchkey kids; we'd be by ourselves for a couple of hours before mom or dad showed up. I wanted a dog, but my parents seemed to know that they would end up taking care of the creature, so I didn't get one. And I could go on; when I was a kid, there were many times when I had a pity party for myself. And my mother would sometimes pick up on my gloomy mood and ask what was the matter. When I would bare my soul about how unjust the world was, she would smile and say, “I guess you might as well go out in the garden and eat worms.” That usually broke my bad mood.

Where was Thomas when Jesus first appeared to his disciples? We know that ten were huddled in a room full of grief because Jesus had been executed; full of shame because they not only couldn't stop it, but because they had left him alone to die on the cross; full of fear because they expected that any time now there would be a knock on the door and a few roman soldiers to take them away. And our gospel tells us that Jesus stood in their midst and offered them peace, and gave them the Holy Spirit and the power to forgive sins.

Thomas certainly had similar feelings. Why he was not with the other disciples, we'll never know. Maybe he thought he'd be safer by himself; or maybe he figured that the sooner he got back to a normal life the better; we know Thomas was a practical man, because when Jesus made up his mind to go to Jerusalem, Thomas said to the others, “Let us go down with him and die with him.” And when Jesus tells them he is going away to prepare a place for them, tells them “Where I go, you know” Thomas takes him literally and replies, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”

And perhaps when Thomas, who truly loved Jesus, hears from his brothers that Jesus has come to them, he can't believe it because if he does, he will be admitting that Jesus had left him out; that for some reason, he had been denied what the others had been given. He was about to have a pity party. So the only answer was to just say, “I don't believe it!”

Sometimes I feel like Thomas. I pray that God will help someone I love straighten out his life, and nothing changes. I hear from others about a life-changing encounter on a pilgrimage or in a cursillo, and I've never had anything like they are describing. I meet someone who experienced a miracle of healing and my tendency is to look for alternative explanations – because in the course of my career taking care of cancer patients, I didn't see anything like that and I know many of them prayed very hard for a miracle – as did their loved ones. And I wonder, like Thomas, why doesn't God make his presence known to me? Does he love these others more than he loves me? Where are my miracles, my answered prayers, my life-changing moments?

But Jesus appears to Thomas, he singles him out, and says, “do not be unbelieving, but believe!” He invites me to look back and see that there were miracles – how else to explain my friend and I surviving a car accident that destroyed the car – in an era when we didn't have seat belts or air bags – and we weren't even bruised. There were life changing experiences – when after a night of prayer I had the certainty that I was being called to marry my wife; there were answered prayers – when I was one of fifty people accepted to enter a medical school that received applications from about 3000 highly qualified individuals. And these are only a few examples. Yes, I know there are other explanations. But that's the point. Jesus says, “do not be unbelieving, but believe!”

Mother Angelica, who died on Easter Sunday, never stopped believing. She could feel the presence of Jesus during the almost miraculous creation of EWTN, when she would pray, and answers would come, and donations of money and equipment would follow, and legal issues would be resolved. Then it was easy to believe. But after the stroke that incapacitated her for the remaining fourteen years of her life, she still felt the presence of Jesus; her suffering was a sign of his love, an invitation to share his cross.

Mother Angelica believed that Jesus was always by her side, that everything happened as part of God's plan, that Jesus unconditionally loved her. And because she believed this, she saw that He was her Lord and he was her God.

Jesus loves you and I just as much as he loved Mother Angelica, just as much as he loved Thomas. Jesus reminds Thomas of all that has happened in the past – the healings, the feeding of the 5000, the raising of Lazarus, and so many other signs that Thomas was in the presence of the divine. He wants us to believe, not because he's going to give us a test, but because it's true – he is standing in our midst, offering us peace, offering us the Holy Spirit, sending us forth to spread the good news, teaching us to forgive – and he is really there with us, loving us, helping us, sharing his kingdom with us. And when we see our lives and our world through believing eyes, then we too will say with all our hearts, “My Lord and My God!”

For the world, seeing is believing; for Christians, believing is seeing. And Saint John ends his gospel with the statement that the whole goal of his gospel is so that you and I believe.

On Mercy Sunday let us look back on our lives and recognize the Mercy God has shown us.

Easter Vigil, cycle C

LUKE 24:1-12

SINCE THE BEGINNING OF CHRISTIANITY, THERE HAS BEEN THE IDEA THAT GOD CREATED THE UNIVERSE ALONG WITH HUMAN BEINGS, THEN MAN SINNED, THEN GOD SENT HIS SON TO BECOME HUMAN, SUFFER, DIE, AND RISE AGAIN SO THAT IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO REPAIR THE DAMAGE DONE AND GIVE HUMAN BEINGS THE CHANCE TO RESTORE THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AND GAIN ETERNAL LIFE. OUR CHURCH TEACHES THAT JESUS HAD TO SUFFER, DIE AND RISE AGAIN SO THAT WE WOULD BE REDEEMED, SO PART OF THAT IDEA IS TRUE. BUT THERE ARE SOME PROBLEMS WITH IT. IF THE ONLY REASON GOD BECAME MAN WAS IN RESPONSE TO MAN COMMITTING SIN, THEN JESUS IS SORT OF A PLAN B, SINCE PLAN A FAILED. IF THE REASON GOD BECAME MAN, SUFFERED, DIED, AND ROSE AGAIN WAS IN RESPONSE TO SIN, THEN THE GREATEST EVENT IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSE CAME ABOUT BECAUSE OF SOMETHING EVIL. IF THE REASON THE SON BECAME MAN WAS TO TURN AWAY THE FATHER'S ANGER AT HIS HUMAN CREATIONS, THEN GOD CAN BE CHANGED, AND THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE. AND SOME OF US STILL HAVE TROUBLE WITH THE IDEA THAT GOD WANTED HIS BELOVED SON TO DIE A HORRIBLE DEATH.

HOWEVER, A GREAT THEOLOGIAN IN THE MIDDLE AGES HAD A DIFFERENT IDEA. DUNS SCOTUS SAID THAT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING GOD INTENDED THE INCARNATION; GOD PLANNED TO BECOME MAN BEFORE THE BIG BANG HAPPENED, BEFORE THE ANGELS WERE CREATED, BEFORE OUR FIRST PARENTS HAD EVEN BEEN BROUGHT INTO EXISTENCE. AND THE REASON FOR THAT? THAT HAS A LOT TO DO WITH THE MESSAGE OF EASTER.

TONIGHT WE MEET THE WOMEN RUSHING TO THE BURIAL SITE WITH BAGS OF SPICES. THEIR INTENTION IS TO REMOVE JESUS' BODY FROM THE TOMB, COVER HIM WITH ABOUT 100 POUNDS OF FRAGRANT SEEDS AND ROOTS AND LEAVES, AND THEN WRAP HIM UP AGAIN. WHY? FOR THE SAME REASON WE HAVE UNDERTAKERS. HUMAN BEINGS HAVE BEEN DOING THIS SINCE PREHISTORIC TIMES THESE WOMEN HAD LOVED JESUS, HEARD HIS WORDS, EXPERIENCED HIS PERSONALITY, AND NOW HIS LIFE WAS FINISHED AND THE BODY WAS ALL THAT REMAINED; THEY WANTED THAT TO STAY INTACT AS LONG AS POSSIBLE.

GOD HAD OTHER PLANS, THOUGH. THERE WAS NO BODY TO BE FOUND, JUST TWO ANGELS WHO SAID, “WHY DO YOU SEEK THE ONE WHO IS ALIVE AMONG THE DEAD?” AND WE KNOW THE REST OF THE STORY. WE WILL HEAR IT FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL SUNDAYS. HE WILL APPEAR IN A LOCKED ROOM; HE WILL JOIN TWO TRAVELERS TO EMMAUS; HE WILL TELL MARY MAGDALENE NOT TO CLING TO HIM, HE WILL STRENGTHEN THE FAITH OF THOMAS; HE WILL FORGIVE PETER FOR HIS BETRAYAL, AND SAINT PAUL TELLS US THAT HE APPEARED TO MORE THAN 500 PEOPLE, SOME OF WHOM WERE STILL ALIVE AT THE TIME PAUL WROTE THESE WORDS.

PAUL HIMSELF HINTS THAT THE RESURRECTION WAS ABOUT MUCH MORE THAN OPENING THE GATES OF HEAVEN FOR US. HE TALKS ABOUT HOW ALL CREATION AWAITED REDEMPTION; HE TALKS ABOUT HOW HE NO LONGER LIVES, BUT CHRIST LIVES IN HIM; AND HE TALKS ABOUT HOW HE AND OTHER CHRISTIANS DO THINGS “IN CHRIST”. PAUL HAS BEEN TOUCHED BY THE TRUE MEANING OF RESURRECTION. AN ANCIENT SERMON HAS CHRIST SAYING TO ADAM, “I ORDER YOU, O SLEEPER, TO AWAKE.I DID NOT CREATE YOU TO BE A PRISONER IN HELL.... RISE, LET US LEAVE THIS PLACE, FOR YOU ARE IN ME AND I IN YOU; TOGETHER WE FORM ONLY ONE PERSON AND WE CANNOT BE SEPARATED.” AND EVERY TIME WE GO TO MASS AND RECEIVE THE BODY AND BLOOD OF JESUS WE ARE ACTING OUT THE TRUE MEANING OF RESURRECTION; WE ARE ASKING CHRIST TO LIVE IN US, TO USE OUR BODIES AND MINDS AND SPIRITS TO FURTHER HIS MISSION. WE ARE ASKING TO BECOME PART OF WHY GOD BECAME MAN.

AT THE BEGINNING OF TONIGHT'S LITURGY WITH SOLEMN PRAYERS THE NAILS WERE PLACED IN THE PASCHAL CANDLE. THEN A NEW FIRE WAS KINDLED, AND THE CANDLE LIT FROM THAT FIRE. GOD BECOMES MAN AND BRINGS SOMETHING NEW INTO THE WORLD. AND AS THE CANDLE WAS CARRIED DOWN THE AISLE, THE FLAME WAS SHARED WITH ALL OF US AND THE DARKENED CHURCH WAS LIT UP BY THAT NEW FLAME THAT HAD BEGUN AS A TINY SPARK. DARKNESS WAS CHANGED TO LIGHT AND YOU CAN'T GET A MORE FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE THAN THAT. AND THAT IS WHY GOD FROM BEFORE THE CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE INTENDED INCARNATION. HIS PURPOSE, ADMITTEDLY MYSTERIOUS, WAS REVEALED TO PAUL; IT WAS TO TAKE ALL THAT WAS AND TRANSFORM IT, TO MAKE IT ONE WITH HIM. AND THIS IS THE MISSION OF JESUS. GOD BECOMES MAN; THE DIVINE BECOMES UNITED TO OUR MATERIAL UNIVERSE. AND NOW THERE IS POWER TO TAKE WHAT MEANS NOTHING AND TRANSFORM IT, TO DRAW IT ALL UP INTO THE DIVINE. THAT'S WHAT LOVE IS ALL ABOUT – UNION – OR BETTER, RE-UNION.

AND RESURRECTION FOR YOU AND I IS FAR MORE THAN A GUARANTEE THAT OUR BODIES WILL RISE AGAIN – FOR AS SAINT PAUL SAYS, THE SPIRIT THAT RAISED JESUS WILL ALSO RAISE THOSE OF US WHO ARE IN JESUS. BUT FAR MORE, BECAUSE JESUS LIVING IN US CONTINUES THE GREAT WORK OF BRINGING ABOUT HIS KINGDOM.

ONE OF JOHN PAUL II'S FAVORITE THEOLGIANS WAS KARL RAHNER. RAHNER IN ADDITION TO BEING A BRILLIANT THINKER, WAS A MYSTIC, AND HE DESCRIBED A VISION. HE HAD FOUND HIMSELF OUTSIDE HIS BODY, RISING HIGHER AND HIGHER, UNTIL THE EARTH WAS JUST A SPECK. SOON THE SOLAR SYSTEM WAS BARELY VISIBLE, AND EVEN THE GALAXY. FINALLY HE MOVED BEYOND ALL THAT IS OUTSIDE THE UNIVERSE, AND WHEN HE LOOKED AT THE UNIVERSE HE SAW THE FACE OF CHRIST. THAT IS GOD'S GOAL – WHEN JESUS IS LIFTED UP, HE WILL DRAW ALL THINGS TO HIMSELF.

DO NOT SEEK THE ONE WHO LIVES AMONG THE DEAD. SEEK HIM AMONG THE LIVING, AMONG THOSE WHO BEAR HIS NAME, WHO HAVE BEEN WASHED IN HIS BLOOD AT BAPTISM, WHO HAVE EATEN HIS BODY AND DRUNK HIS BLOOD. SEEK HIM IN THOSE AROUND YOU. BUT ALWAYS SEEK HIM IN YOURSELF AS YOU GO ABOUT CONTINUING YOUR PART OF THE PLAN THAT WAS IN GOD'S MIND BEFORE TIME BEGAN – TO HEAL THE WORLD, TO MULTIPLY LOVE, TO MAKE EVERYTHING NEW AS GOD'S LOVE FLOWS THROUGH OUT INTO THE WORLD. THE RESURRECTION MEANS THAT EVERYTHING YOU DO WILL BE PART OF WHAT GOD HAS BEEN DOING SINCE THE BEGINNING, AND A TIME WILL COME WHEN YOU WILL SEE HOW JESUS WORKING IN YOU ACCOMPLISHED AN INDISPENSIBLE PART OF THAT PLAN.

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, cycle A

John 11:1-45

The other day I ran across some hot pepper jelly at the Big Y, and it triggered a few memories. Many years ago in Buffalo Joan and I knew a lady who was about our age. She was the mother of eight children and an active member of St. Rose of Lima Church. We met her and her husband when we were both members of the PTA. She was very well educated; she had gotten, if I remember, a master's degree, and married her husband, a physician, and spent her life raising and caring for her family. And she was serene. Nothing seemed to bother her. One day she had a little get-together for the members of the PTA and served a block of cream cheese covered with a hot pepper jelly of her own making. It was really good with crackers. Anyway, as we were talking about things, she let us know that she had no fear of death. Apparently during one of her pregancies, she had had a near death experience, and found herself in the presence of indescribable love and light. And she didn't want to wake up, she was totally happy. But she did recover. And in a sense her life was completely changed – she was a new person. She passed away a few years ago, this time to remain in the presence of indescribable love and light forever.

The story of the raising of Lazarus got me thinking. Lazarus had been dead for four days. If there is life after death, if there is a great light and a loving presence, Lazarus was there. Surely Lazarus was a good man – he probably took care of his sisters, and of couse he was a close friend of Jesus. Jesus loved sinners, but I doubt that Lazarus was a sinner. Lazarus was someone Jesus could relax with; his home was Jesus' home away from home. So I wonder what went on in Lazarus' mind when he heard the voice of Jesus calling him to come out of the grave. I wonder if her resented the distubance in his perfect happiness. And I wonder if he also was changed – knowing what was on the other side of death. I wonder if her came back serene and posessed of an inner peace he did not have before.

I think Jesus really did raise his friend from the dead. He'd done it before. But I wonder if John put a few little touches on the story. The first is that Jesus waited two days before heading down to Bethany. And of course we discover that Lazarus has been dead for four days – and everybody knew the sould hung around the body for three days. So Lazarus' sould was not near the body. Lazarus was as dead as you can be. The second thing is the name itself. Lazarus means “God helps”. Maybe John gave him that name for obvious reasons, just like Luke named the poor man Lazarus in his story. Because when you are as dead as Lazrus was, only God can help.

Martha says “If only you had been here...” and she and Jesus have a discussion about theology. Are you and I like Martha? We believe in the Resurrection of the dead, but so what? It's a long time off, right? At the end of time. Jesus meets Mary and she says, “If only you had been here ...” but Mary isn't interested in theology. She is weeping her heart out. And it says that Jesus became perturbed – or a better translation would be “angry”. Is he angry at the lack of faith? Is he angry at the gawking crowds? I think he is angry because He hates death and death has claimed a friend very close to him.

And then Jesus weeps along with Mary. If he knows he is going to raise Lazarus, why weep?

Sometimes we tell people who have lost a loved one that the loved one is in heaven, or they aren't suffering any more, or something to that effect. But what they really need is for someone to weep with them. Losing a loved one is a profoundly lonely experience, and it's a time when words are never enough, and when shared sorrow is the only thing that can ease the pain,. Mary needs this and Jesus provides it.

(Now one thing I didn't read)(One thing about this gospel passage is the long discussion between Jesus and his apostles before they set out for Bethany.) Jesus tells his disciples that he is going down to Jerusalem to be glorifed, and they remember that the last time he was there, he nearly got stoned to death. And Thomas, who will live forever as “doubting Thomas” actually says to the others, “Let us go down with Him and die with Him!” Thomas and the others are pretty sure that going so close to Jerusalem is a really bad idea; and we learn that it is, because when the enemies of Jesus see that he has raised a dead man to life, they resolve to put him to death. This miracle of life-giving is the last straw, and sets off the whole Passion in John's gospel.

So I think John is using this event and telling the story to make a few theological points. One is that Resurrection is not far off in the future, where it can't bother us one way or another; it is right here, right here where Jesus is with us. “I am the Resurrection and the Life,” he tells us. Another is that Jesus is the one who can help when no one else can; he is the one who can call someone dead back to life. He is the one whom, if you are His friend, he will not let you stay dead. As Paul tells us, “If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the One who raised Crhist from the dead will givel ife to your mortal bodies also...”

But Resurrection comes at a cost, and the cost is Jesus' own life. Because in raising Lazarus from the dead, Jesus accepted his own death. Had he not come down to Bethany to raise his friend, he would have escaped his Passion. His death, in some mysterious way, is the reason we who have been baptized into him have immortal life, have resurrection.

Now there is one more little thing in this story I should point out. When Lazarus comes forth, he is bound hand and foot. And as Martha has pointed out, he probably smells funny. Who knows what is beneath those bandages – if you've watched a Zombie movie or an episode of the Walking Dead, you may think you know. But notice that Jesus tells the bystanders to unbind him and let him go. Jesus can raise us from the dead; he can give us eternal life through baptism and the Eucharist; but those of us who have eternal life have to help unbind the ones who are new to eternal life. We have to act in the place of Jesus to make sure that new life is not wasted, that the one who was dead is quickly brought into the company of the living, through love, through example, through welcoming. Jesus trusts you and I to make sure that the new life he has given is not wasted.

Fourth Sunday in Lent, cycle C

Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

There is a line in a prayer that goes something like this: “Dear Blessed Mother, I pray that you will help us to see ourselves as God sees us.”

I don't remember all the details, but many years ago one of my daughters attended a service which was conducted by an Irish layman. As part of the service the young people came forward individually and were told something meant just for them. My daughter was told “Jesus is crazy mad in love with you!” My teenage daughter came home in a state of euphoria, but of course a few days went by and she reverted to her normal self. I don't know if she remembers that, but I still do.

The story of the prodigal son has been seen through many lenses. Is it about repentance? The younger son comes to his senses and seeks forgiveness. Is it about reconciliation? The younger son returns to the heart of the family he had left. Is it about the Father's love as an example of God's love? That's the interpretation we tend to favor today. The Father is God the Father who is always holding his arms out to welcome us home no matter how far we've gone astray. But like most of Jesus' stories, we can find many other ways to see the parable.

The younger son, having burned through his inheritance, isn't hoping for much; he just hopes that if he goes back to his Father, he will have a place to sleep and a little food in exchange for work. I think the son has reached bottom, at least that's how the story goes. He is “employed” probably for way below the minimum wage, taking care of pigs. His wages, whatever they were, were not sufficient to feed him, since he wishes he could eat some of the food the pigs are given. Jesus uses pigs deliberately, since the people he spoke to would have nothing to do with pigs. The younger son is so much at bottom that he swallows what little pride he has left and returns to his father. He could not find a job being a servant or even a slave. He rehearses his speech, but before he can give it, his Father is all over him. Even as the son is giving his speech, declaring that he no longer deserves to be his son, he is just hoping to be a servant, the father is rushing about, demonstrating that he is the son. That's the significance of the robe and the ring and the sandals; being shoeless was a sign of slavery; wearing a ring indicated privilege; and being given a robe is sort of like when Jacob gave his son Joseph a coat of many colors; it was a sign that you didn't have to do manual work. The Father is in effect saying, “you may see yourself as a slave, but I still see you as my son”.

The party gets started and the fatted calf is slaughtered and there is a lot of merriment going on. The older son hears this and calls his father out of the party. Listen to his words: All these years I slaved for you (I know the translation in the missalette says “I served you” but “slaved for you is probably closer to the Greek). The older son points out that not once did he disobey his father's orders – the son truly believes that he has been a good slave. And of course the older son expresses his hurt and anger. But notice that the father says, in effect: I do not accept the idea that you are a slave to me. You are my son and everything I have is yours.

The older son refers to the younger one as “your son” but the father refuses to recognize this designation as well, saying “your brother was dead and has come to life again...”

So one thing this story does is it reminds us that no matter what we think of ourselves, God sees us as we really are – beloved sons and daughters – and we can imagine that he is looking at us with a frown on his face, or making a spreadsheet with good stuff on one side and bad stuff on the other, and the longest column is going to determine where we end up. But those images are just plain wrong. I am beloved, I am a favored son, and my Father wants to welcome me home and start the party. I am a favored son and what my Father has he gives to me.

But the other part is equally important: he points out my brother; he is father to that person as well, who is also a favored one. We can't say that God shows no favorites – he sees each of us as favorite.

My daughter knew that Jesus loved her; she'd heard that from before kindergarten. But maybe up until that moment she didn't really let it sink in. It wasn't until an enthusiastic Irish evangelist put his hands on her shoulders, looked her in the eye and said, “Jesus is crazy mad in love with you!” that it struck home.

And maybe that's another lesson from the story of the prodigal son. God refuses to go along with how we see ourselves, or for that matter, how we see each other.

This week is a good time to make a resolution: when I start to have negative thoughts about myself, when I feel that everything is going wrong and I'm not much good for anything, when other people treat me like I'm an inconvenient object (and unfortunately, there is a lot of that going on in nursing homes) it's a good time to remind ourselves that that's not the way God sees us. God is in fact, madly in love with you and with me and will never cease to welcome us when we choose to return to him.

Third Sunday in Lent, cycle A (scrutinies)

John 4:5-42

The story of the Samaritan woman at the well is one of the longer stories in the gospels. And yet, it only appears in the Gospel of John. You would think that something like this would be remembered by the apostles. And they probably remembered something like this. But John never writes with a historical eye; he always has layers and layers in his gospel, and a story like this is practically a textbook of theology.

In the Old Testament, there are several stories of men meeting women at wells. Isaac meets Rebecca at a well, and Jacob meets Rachel. Moses meets his wife Zipporah. And King Saul meets three women at a well, and very much contrary to the tradition, does not become acquainted with his future wife. It is sort of a prediction that Saul will fail at answering God's call. So John expects his readers, who will mostly be Jews, to remember the significance of a man and a woman meeting at a well. And everything starts out typically. Jesus asks for a drink. Jewish men didn't talk to strange women if they could help it, and certainly not Samaritan women. And then we begin to notice other things.

The Samaritan woman reminds me of a patient I once took care of. Roberta, not her real name of course, had been married twice and her current man was not her husband. She had abandoned her family which included two young children. This had to do with alcohol, abuse, poverty – all those things, apparently. She was always poorly groomed and smelled of tobacco smoke. And yet she was an intelligent and pleasant woman. She had just given up. Her life seemed to be devoted to the pleasure of alcohol and the avoidance of responsibility. And like the Samaritan woman she needed saving.

The woman in the story is coming to the well at noon, You didn't do that unless you were trying to avoid other people. That's the time everyone was inside, trying to avoid the heat. The woman is a Samaritan – to Jewish people, she would be an outcast. Pagans you could understand, but a Samaritan, who didn't worship at the Jerusalem temple? Who denied the divine authority of the books of the prophets and the wisdom books? Who worshiped on a sacred mountain which was almost a sacrilege to the Jews, because that's were a lot of Pagans worshiped. Samaritans were even worse than pagans, practicing some perverse mockery of the true religion.

Jesus draws out that the woman has been cast out by five husbands; women could not initiate divorce. Or maybe she was the widow of five men; that's not much better, because it gets you thinking about how that happened. And the cherry on the Sundae is that she is an adulteress. The Samaritan woman is about as far from an ideal marriage partner as you could get.

But it is to this hopeless sinner that Jesus reveals himself. She begins by calling him “sir”, then a prophet; then Jesus reveals that he is the one to come. And finally the villagers become convinced, first on her testimony, then on their own witness, that this is the savior of the world.

So it is a love story, of sorts. It's a story of mercy, how Jesus reaches out to us as we go about our daily activities, how he enters into our ordinary lives and asks for water and then offers us living water, water that will once and for all quench the thirst in us.

We are thirsty. If you've ever been really thirsty, it's hard to think of anything else. And once your thirst is quenched, you know it won't be long before you want more. Thirst is a good name for our human condition. Do you have everything you want? I don't. I think all of us could think of something we would like to have. Maybe good health, maybe youth, maybe more money, maybe more success. Maybe we are content but we want something for our spouse or our children. But unless you have reached a very high spiritual level, you can't say “I want nothing”. But whenever we get what we want, our satisfaction is very brief, and then we turn to the next thing on our list to want. We live in a constant state of thirst. Most of our thirsts can be grouped under one of four headings: pleasure – we want to feel good, we want to get rid of aches and pains, we want to be warm and comfortable and have full stomachs. But when we experience pleasure, it's brief and never lasts. Wealth is another thirst. It goes without saying that an enormous amount of pain is caused by the seeking after wealth, and often most of the pain goes to the one seeking, who loses relationships, health and time in the process. A third is being noticed. We could call that fame. There are people who are driven by this, but most of us like a little attention. How far we are willing to go to get it, of course, is where we get in trouble. Some of the people who go into a crowd and begin shooting are looking for fame. And finally there is power. In our country, especially during a presidential election, it's never hard to see how seeking power can distort and destroy a person. I'm always amazed that people with very little real life experience think they are qualified to run our country. And like the other thirsts, people who get power are always thirsting for more. Indeed, these thirsts make us hurt, and when we devote our lives to one of them, we are the most wretched of creatures.

And that's what Jesus offers this wretched woman – a woman who immediately grasps how wonderful it would be to get away from the constant cycle of going down to the well every day, bringing water home, using it up, and then going back the next day. If she had living water, she would be free of this burden; if you and I had living water, we would be free of the endless thirst that is in us. And we hear Jesus tell us “Come to me all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest”.

That's what Jesus offers her – the quenching of her thirst. And that's what he offers us.