Third Sunday of Easter, cycle C

John 21:1 - 19

Our gospel reading tells us that this is the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples.  We will hear about the second time, according to John, this Sunday, when Jesus appears to the apostles along with Thomas, who missed the first time eight days before.  The first time of course, was Easter Sunday -- but before he appeared to them on Easter Sunday, he appeared to Mary Magdalene.  

It’s too bad we hear John’s account in fragments and not even in order.  John is telling us something important if we listen.  Consider the apostles in this particular story.  Why are they in Galilee?  It’s not clear from John’s gospel.  We hear in the gospel of Matthew that Jesus told the women to tell his brothers, the apostles, to go to Galilee, where they would see him.  We don’t see that in John;  the first and second appearances seem to take place in Jerusalem, both times in a locked room; and then we are whisked off to Galilee. Geographically, it would take four days to walk that distance.  You have to wonder what was going on.  

There is a hint, perhaps in that Peter tells the others that he is going fishing.  The others, at least some of whom are also fishermen, volunteer to come with him.  We can imagine what might be going on.  Maybe the apostles left Jerusalem because they feared for their lives if they hung around, and went back to familiar territory.  And perhaps they had run out of funds and prudence dictated that they make a little money.  But they had seen the Lord twice, and from John’s gospel we don’t see any consequences.  He doesn’t commission them, he doesn’t tell them what to do next -- it’s all a blank.  And in the context of the earth shattering miracle they just witnessed, they return to their ordinary lives, their comfortable surroundings.  

And were we to read further in chapter 21 of John’s gospel, we finally get around to the actual commissioning, when he tells Peter, in the presence of the others, to feed his lambs and tend to his sheep.  

During the Easter season, we see proclaimed everywhere including the daily newspaper, the words, “He is risen”.  Father Richard Vera, who wrote a wonderful book called “The word made flesh” points out that once God took on human flesh, once God became incarnate, he did not discard that body after he ascended into heaven.  He is still with us, still incarnate, still around to be discovered.  You and I are like the apostles.  We believe, on faith, that Jesus truly died and truly rose again.  We believe that somehow this set of facts changed everything, making it possible for us to live good lives and participate in the sacraments and to eventually find our way to heaven, to the eternal presence of God, to be finally filled up with the only thing that can satisfy us forever -- God himself.  But like the apostles, we need to eat, we need to work, we need to live our lives.  

But like the apostles, we have to bear in mind that he is still with us, and it’s important for you and I to be tuned in enough to see him.  Peter and the other disciples notice the man on the seashore who asks them to cast the net on the other side of the boat.  That certainly resembles the miracle recorded in Luke, after which Peter is called to become a fisher of men.  But it isn’t Peter who recognizes Jesus, it’s the disciple Jesus loved -- that’s you, that’s me.  And the disciple recognizes Jesus because he is doing what he did before.  And that’s how we are to recognize Jesus.  Wherever his work is being done, wherever his word is being preached, he’s there, and we can recognize him with the eyes of faith.  He is truly risen -- present tense.  He is still God in the flesh.  And if we keep alert and indeed if we also do the things Jesus did, he will be incarnate in us and we will see him all the better.  

I think that’s what John may be showing us; if we are sons and daughters of the Father, and if we are doing the work given to us with devotion and attention, we’ll meet Jesus right here in this life, and over time his presence will become more and more clear so that at the end of our lives we can say with Saint Stephen, “I see the heavens open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God”

Easter Sunday, 2022

The four gospels all tell us about the Resurrection of Jesus, but the stories are all a little different.  This is in contrast to the way they handle the passion and death of Jesus -- pretty much the same from evangelist to evangelist.  Needless to say, scholars have spent a lot of time discussing the discrepancies.  But there are some common threads.  The first is that the Resurrection begins with an empty tomb.  The second is that the people who discover the empty tomb are women; not as significant now as it was then.  In that society women were not considered reliable witnesses and their testimony meant a lot less than that of a man in a court of law.  But all the gospels insist on this fact.  The third is that those women who discovered the empty tomb met with some kind of supernatural being or beings -- men dressed in white, two angels, one angel, a young man -- but something supernatural explained that Jesus had risen from the dead, and this is the important part -- as he had promised. And the fourth is that when Jesus appeared to people, they at first did not recognize him.   

Sure, the scriptures tell us that Jesus appeared to his apostles, later on to more than 500 people, surely to Paul.  But when you think about it, you either believe those witnesses or you don’t.  It’s like so many things we hear about.  If I hear that the Blessed Mother is appearing to people in Medjugorje, I guess I neither believe nor disbelieve.  I figure if she wants to give me a special message, she knows where to find me.  It’s the same with the appearances of Jesus.  I’m sure they were momentous to the apostles and the first Christians.  The appearances of Jesus gave them the courage to preach the gospel and to suffer a martyr's death.  But in the long run, you either believe those witnesses or you don’t.  Or if you are like me you neither believe or disbelieve; that's just the way I am.

But the tomb was empty.  If you or I open a tomb, we would expect to find a body, probably in some state of deterioration.  Even the bodies of saints that have been preserved are not quite like living bodies; no matter what, you can tell that they are no longer alive.  But the astonishing thing about the tomb of Jesus is that you don’t encounter death there, you can’t help asking, just as the women did, “Who did this, who took the body away?”  

Not only don’t you encounter death in the tomb, but you encounter life.  You are reminded that he predicted this.  While he was living among you, he reminded you over and over again that this must happen, that the scriptures foretold this event, that the Son of Man must be tortured and put to death, and to rise again on the third day.  What the women encountered was a special insight from heaven, kind of like when Peter realized that Jesus was the Messiah of God.  

Now you have to ask, why women?  We could quibble over how many women were at the empty tomb;  we know one woman was there at least, and that was Mary Magdalene.  But remember, you certainly don’t have to believe women.  In the Gospel of Luke it says that the women returned to the apostles and kept telling them about what they had witnessed, but the apostles didn't believe them.  I like to picture the women who kept telling.  They didn’t say it once, they said it over and over.  But the apostles didn’t have to believe women.  

And maybe that’s the point.  Peter and John eventually go to the tomb and see for themselves that it’s empty -- but there is no angel to tell them why.  They go home wondering what it all means; they still don’t believe..  

Saint Paul tells us that if Christ did not rise from the dead, our faith is futile, and we are still in our sins.  If it is only for this life that we have hope in Christ, then we are to be pitied more than all men.  And that is the mystery.

There are scholars who have studied the scriptures and concluded that Jesus was a good man and a fine teacher, but that’s all.  There are others who talk about a mass hallucination that convinced those early Christians that Jesus had conquered death.  Some in fact think the hallucination came from God.  And there were a lot of theories among the enemies of Christianity -- in the Gospel of Matthew, the soldiers are told to say that someone came and stole the body while they were sleeping.  

In the end we are all in the position of Peter and John, of Thomas, of Mary Magdalene, of the two followers on the way to Emmaus.  If the Resurrection ofJesus is to mean anything to us, we must believe, we must have faith, we must totally commit to this as a fact, like the sun coming up in the morning, or the flowers that burst forth in the spring.  Because we all stand before the empty tomb that tells us death has been conquered for you and I if we believe that Jesus did what he promised to do.  As Jesus told Thomas, “Blessed are those who have not seen, but have come to believe.”

Second Sunday of Easter, cycle C

 John 20:19 - 31

There is a science called “heuristics''. It’s very important in bible study; it’s the attempt to get back to the original meaning of the text -- not only what the words meant originally, but what the audience heard. So heuristics means that we have to know what was going on historically, what pressures the audience felt; and we need to know what the words meant to the writer and to the audience. And that brings us to the story in John about the first and second appearances of Christ to his apostles.

The first thing to notice is that the doors were locked, for fear of the Jews. According to John, Jesus simply appeared in their midst. But he does more than that, he shows them his hands and his feet. They see the nail holes. And then he performs a god-like act -- he breathes on them and tells them to receive the Holy Spirit. This reminds us of how God breathed life into clay when he formed Adam. He also gives them the power to forgive sin -- a power only God has and only God can give.

John’s gospel account next moves to a week later when Thomas, who was not there originally, is now present and is doubting what his brother apostles are telling him. And at that point Jesus appears and offers Thomas what he said it would take to be convinced, to believe. After Thomas says, “My Lord and my God '' -- and this is the first time a human being has called him God -- Jesus tells Thomas “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” And our gospel goes on to give us the whole reason it was written -- so that you may come to believe, and through that belief you may have life in his name.

Now this is where heuristics is helpful. The original Greek has the apostles saying “We have been seeing the Lord!” Thomas did not just go out for coffee while Jesus appeared; he probably temporarily left the community out of discouragement. But discouraged or not, he makes the decision to return. That’s why the author tells us that Thomas was “with” them. He

Has missed out on the appearances, and being from Missouri, is not going to take anyone’s word for this. After all, didn’t Jesus promise all kinds of things and here he was, crucified, dead and as far as Thomas knew, still in the tomb. I suspect Thomas was sort of saying “I won’t be fooled twice.” But again, his mind doesn’t believe, his heart is broken, but he believes with his feet. He returns to the community.,

And that is why Jesus offers his wounds to Thomas. Because it’s the only way Thomas can believe.

And what about that word “believe”? In Greek, it is pistou, which doesn’t translate easily

Into English. In fact in some places it is better translated as “trust”. In any event it doesn’t mean purely intellectual agreement - I believe two and two is four. Jesus wants Thomas to believe not just with his feet, but with his heart and with his mind as well. He wants Thomas to commit.

Jesus blesses you and I who believe without seeing -- that’s good. But again, Jesus is calling us to do more than agree that he rose from the dead. The author of the Gospel goes on to tell us the whole reason he wrote the book is so that you and I may come to believe, in this total way, that Jesus is Christ, the Son of God, in this total way -- a way that makes a difference in our lives, because if it doesn’t make a difference, it doesn’t get us to life in His name.

You and I have been raised to believe that there is something we have to do in order to receive a reward. And yet, Jesus, over and over again, compares God to a father. A father doesn’t put conditions on what he does for his children. It’s the nature of a father to provide for his children. Even if a child divorces himself from his father, the father welcomes him back if he chooses to return. Sure, the scriptures tell us that it’s possible for someone to live a life that essentially tells God to get lost. We see that around us today. But in this story in the gospel of John, we see that whatever we need to believe, to trust -- Jesus will provide. In the meantime, like Thomas before the revelation of Jesus’ wounds, we need to have the faith of our feet, we need to stay with the assembly of the apostles, we need to live as though we believe even if it’s hard to do. Because this gospel tells us that Jesus will always,always, give us what we need to trust him, to believe in him, to give us life in his name.

Palm Sunday cycle C

Palm Sunday is the only day of the year that we get two gospels. In the beginning of the liturgy, we heard about the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. And then we heard the drama of the Passion. It’s kind of an accident; When I was growing up before Vatican II, we heard the passion read on the fifth Sunday of lent. After Vatican II that Sunday was folded into Palm Sunday. We will hear the passion of John on Good Friday. So perhaps this Sunday we should spend a little time thinking about the entry into Jerusalem.

Luke, like the other writers, talks about Jesus Sending his disciples to get a donkey for him to ride. Luke wants us to think about the prophecy that the Messiah will come riding on a donkey, and perhaps Jesus was thinking about that as well. But I wonder if something else was going on. It was Passover time, and the population of Jerusalem swelled to triple or quadruple its normal number. And when you have hungry, tired and dirty pilgrims from all over the Roman world, there’s bound to be trouble. Pilate was responsible for keeping the peace, and as a Roman ruler he relied heavily on intimidation. There were always bodies hanging from crosses out where you could see them. Before the major feasts some extras would be executed, hopefully still alive when the pilgrims came. And another way of intimidating was to have a parade. Pilate would be accompanied by a large contingent of soldiers mounted on horses, along with foot soldiers. They would march into the city accompanied by the beat of drums. Pilate would be preceded by banners and other symbols of the empire. And weapons would be very apparent. That may have been going on just about the same time as Jesus entered Jerusalem. And what a contrast. He is alone, riding on a donkey, piled with pieces of clothing from the people. They are waving palm branches, and they are saying something very subversive. Psalm 128 reads “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the lord”. But they are saying, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord”. And They are waving palm branches and shouting Hosanna! Pilate could not have been unaware, nor could Jesus. He is mocking power and prestige. And his simple act draws the crowds that cheer and shout with joy -- and Pilate's crowds, what there are of them, are silent and trying to get out of his way.

Jesus is doing a prophetic act. He is saying that all the power in the world can’t do anything against someone who is obedient to God -- and he will continue to show this in the passion, death and resurrection.

I think of the president of Ukraine, who taunts the power of Putin. His actions buy him intense loyalty from his people, even though they are outnumbered, outgunned, and left alone by the rest of the world -- and whatever happens, he’ll be remembered as a hero, and Putin will live in infamy.

Jesus reminds us of where true power lies. It isn’t in the army marching into Jerusalem behind Pilate dressed in armor riding on a horse. It is in the humble prophet riding on a donkey.

Fourth Sunday in Lent, cycle C

 

Luke 15:1 - 3, 11 - 32

I think the parable of the prodigal son continues to intrigue us two thousand years later because we all know people like the sons. In fact, to be honest, we probably identify with one or the other. I identify with the older son. I grew up being the oldest in my family. While I didn't have to work for my father on his farm, I felt a sense of responsibility toward my sisters; I felt like I had to be the peacemaker between my mother and father, who hardly let a week go by without some kind of verbal conflict ending in cold silence. I felt most of all that I had to make them proud by getting good grades, by achieving my eagle scout badge in Boy Scouts, by striving, always striving, to be the best that I could be. This isn’t a healthy way to live, by the way, because as soon as you achieve one thing you look around for another mountain to climb, and this goes on long after your parents have passed away. Now fortunately I did not have a younger brother like the one in the parable. But I knew people like that. When it came time for my high school class to move on to college, or learn a trade or get a job, one of them, a guy who was a few years younger than his older sister, whose parents were pretty wealthy, decided to take a gap year, before that became popular. Pete went off to Las Angeles and lived off his dad’s money for a while. I don’t know if he ever had a job. The last time I saw him was at our 25th class reunion, and he was still in Las Angeles living with another guy and pretty much enjoying the surfing lifestyle.

And deep down I sort of resented it. How could he be so irresponsible? Why wasn’t he trying to make something of himself? Even though it was none of my business, it bothered me.

So, when I read this parable, I side with the older son. This is not a story about repentance, to me. It’s about a dad who indulges his younger son whom he has failed as a father. And it never stops. The kid asks for his share of the estate, and that means selling land and livestock so that it can be turned into cash. He goes off with his dad's blessing and blows all that money on having a good time. He gets so down and out that he has no place to turn, so then he decides to come home. Not because he wants forgiveness; listen to him. “Dad’s got money. I'll go home and pretend I’m sorry. He’s a soft touch and I’m his favorite. I’ll call him ‘father’ and just watch, the old boy’s heart will melt.” And he does that, and the father’s heart melts, and the fatted pig is killed, and robes and rings are put on, and a great party is thrown.

And the older brother comes home and finds out what is going on. And the dad comes out and reminds his son that everything he has is his, what’s the big deal? Come in and celebrate, your brother is home, he’s alive, isn’t that great?” And I sympathize. The older son might very well have said, “It’s not great. I know I have everything, but what is lacking is your love. You kill the pig for the kid, and you haven’t ever offered to throw a party for me and my friends.”

And that’s where we leave the story. The older brother and his dad are standing outside the party, unable to see the point being made by each other.

Now I’m sure a lot of us have identified with the younger son; we’ve recognized our sinfulness and we are so grateful that God's mercy is so great, so accessible in the sacrament of Penance. But remember, the younger son never expressed sorrow or a desire for forgiveness; he was just at the end of his rope and hungry and had nowhere else to go. I have a feeling that most churchgoers are more like the older son -- we are doing our duty, we are people that get the job done, both here and at home and at work. You can count on us. The people who are like the younger son aren’t here. They are at a movie or out to supper or sleeping in on Sunday morning. They haven’t a care in the world but will turn up when things start going sideways. And those of us who are older sons can’t help but resent that a little bit.

I don’t see the dad in this story as standing in for God. I see a dad who takes his older son for granted and indulges his younger son. In a way, the dad is the reason they are that way. The older son lives to get his dad’s attention and approval; the dad, on the other hand, has spoiled and continues to spoil the younger son.

So what can we take away from this story? I think the clue is to remember who Jesus is talking to. They are the leaders of the people, who wonder why he eats with tax collectors and sinners. And maybe he wants them to see that they are the older son, and the sinners are the younger son, and rather than shun the sinner, they have to make the first move, they have to go into the house and welcome the younger brother, because nothing will change unless that happens. Jesus came to build a world where self-giving love was the norm, but we have a world where we shut out people we regard as sinners. During Lent let us see the older brother in our own hearts, and look for a younger brother to begin the process of reconciliation, even if he doesn’t want that right now.

Third Sunday of Lent, cycle C

Luke 13:1 - 9

Why is there a war going on in Ukraine?  I’d sure like to know and apparently so would everyone else.  If you go on the internet you can find all kinds of people speculating as to why Putin chose this moment to invade Ukraine.  Maybe he’s crazy.  Maybe he senses that our president and the leaders of European countries won’t put up much resistance.  Maybe it’s a matter of stubborn pride now -- if he turns back without accomplishing something big, he will have caused all this trouble, especially to his own country, for nothing. A few small voices seem to suggest that Putin is paranoid and doesn't want a NATO country on his doorstep.  And I’m sure if you lived in Russia you would hear a lot of justification for what is happening, and you might have no way to find out the truth.  But the bottom line is that every time there is disaster we are programmed like computers to look for a reason.

And that’s the gospel today.  Some people come to Jesus with headline news.  Pilate killed a bunch of Galileans.  Those people in Siloam died when their tower collapsed.  And perhaps they asked Jesus, or perhaps he knew what they were going to ask -- why did all this happen?  It must have been sin, right?  Because sinners get what they deserve.  

We aren’t much different twenty centuries later.  We aren’t so quick to blame disaster on sin, but we still look for reasons, for excuses.  If someone loses a loved one, we tell them he’s in a better place.  If someone loses his job, we remind him that God is in charge and something will come along.  We think we are consoling but we are just filling in the blanks giving speculative answers to the question, “why do bad things happen -- to good people, to bad people, to you , to me.”  

When you look at this gospel passage, it’s a little hard to see how the second part relates to the first.  Jesus tells the messengers that those people who suffered disaster are no more sinful than we are, and we better repent before it’s too late.  To uis “repent” means to be sorry for our sins, and maybe that’s what Jesus meant.  But another meaning for repent is to change one’s mind, to ask a better question, perhaps -- and I think that makes more sense as a prelude to the parable he tells.  Because if you look at the parable, you see two reactions to something bad.  The fig tree does not bear fruit.  Cut it down, says the person who owns the tree.  It won't bear fruit, what good is it?  The fig tree not bearing fruit isn’t much of a disaster, is it?  But it’s the same kind of response that is so natural to all of us.  We identify a problem and almost in the same breath identify a reason for that problem. In this situation the owner of the tree sees that the tree isn’t bearing fruit, concludes that it is sterile, and orders it cut down.  But the gardener sees an entirely different situation.  The tree is alive, perhaps with some nurturing it can be made to bear fruit.  And he is willing to get his hands dirty, to work with the tree, to invest some time and effort.

And we can draw some conclusions from the story.  God is like the gardener, sure.  He is the God of second chances.  And third ones and more.  He never gives up on us; Salvation and eternal life are ours to lose.  God is not the tree’s owner, he’s the gardener.  

But another lesson has to do with what we do when our minds automatically look for reasons for bad things that happen -- to us, to our neighbor.  And when we ask why and come up with an answer, perhaps that is just a waste of our time, but more importantly, perhaps it puts up a barrier to appropriate action.  If my friend experiences a loss, maybe the right response is to grieve with him, to enter into his pain.  Perhaps when a war happens, the right response is how I can be a peacemaker; how I can relieve suffering.  Because trying to figure out why is a waste of time and blocks further action.  So whether it’s a fig tree, personal loss, or something like a war, the question is not “why” but rather, where can I do something to begin to change things for the better.  That’s repentance, that’s the changing of one's thinking.  

So next time you feel yourself asking why, recognize it as a prompting from the Holy Spirit; don't ask why, ask where you can help, how can you make the situation better, how can you bring about the kingdom of God, which you have the power to do because you belong to Christ, and in the end Christ will triumph over all evil.  

Second Sunday in Lent, cycle C

Luke 9: 29 - 36

When I was a kid we took cowboys very seriously.  Of course we didn’t mean those guys out there actually working with cattle; that wasn’t very romantic at all.  We meant Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, Red Ryder, the Lone Ranger and Hopalong Cassidy -- heroes all, who never missed when they shot their six-gun s and who also never actually killed anybody with their guns.  Usually the bad guy would have his gun shot out of his hand, without actually seriously injuring the hand.  And the  cowboys we loved all had side-kicks, the most famous of which was Tonto, the faithful Indian friend of the Lone Ranger. Tonto always wore brown buckskin clothing that covered his arms and legs, in contrast to the Indian villains who never wore shirts.  

We learned about cowboys from the movies and comic books.  No TV in those days.  But we also heard radio shows, where we would hear voices and sound effects and use our imaginations.  

And us kids all had cowboy outfits -- the hat, the bandana, the filigreed shirt, and of course the six-gun which used a roll of caps to make the proper sound.  Today if you were a kid like that you would be doing cultural appropriation, exhibiting toxic masculinity, and holding an unacceptable opinion about the right to bear arms.  But I do have a point.

In Luke’s gospel, at the time of Jesus’ baptism he himself hears a voice saying “You are my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased”.  No one else hears this. But on the mountain of transfiguration, the voice from the heavens says, “this is my beloved son, listen to him”.  The three apostles, gazing at the transfigured Jesus clothed in dazzling white garments and appearing in glory, heard the voice of the Father.  But they heard the voice as they witnessed the real Jesus who appeared changed, almost like a being from another planet, or maybe from heaven itself.  

And moments later, things were all back to normal.  Jesus was his old self, wearing his regular clothes, walking around in dusty sandals -- from a distance you couldn’t pick him out of a crowd.  He certainly wasn’t wearing a white tunic with a red cloak nor did he have light rays shooting out from his heart.  There’s a long-running show you can watch on your cell phone and other places called “The Chosen” which I think gives a much more realistic picture of Jesus.

The early Christians formed communities and developed ritual practices and took up the sacraments that Jesus had left, and thought a lot about the life of Jesus, his passion, death and resurrection.  The results of the first hundred years of this effort make up our New Testament.  All those writings, including the gospels, came out of active Crhistian communities and reflect how those communities thought about their faith, theri relationship with God and with each other.  And one overriding idea was that Jesus had become a man so that we would have a relationship with God something like his own.  He did tell us, after all, that he was going to prepare a place for us because in his Father’s house were many mansions.  He said that his mother and brothers and sisters were those who hear the word of God and keep it.  But being sons and daughters of the Father doesn’t just mean a new relationship.  It means a fundamental change in you and I, a change that comes about in Baptism.  And that’s what the apostles saw on the mountain of the transfiguration -- the real Jesus, yes, but the real you and I as sons and daughters of the same Father.  And the apostles who witnessed this told others, and three of the gospels try to describe it.  The Gospel of John alludes to it, when it says that “we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father”.  

When my friends and I played cowboys and indians we were really trying to be something we weren’t; but when we pretended we changed a little, because we could imagine ourselves being brave and upstanding, defending the weak, challenging the bad guys.  And perhaps that’s why we get a glimpse of the transfiguration -- we don’t have to pretend, we are like that, we look like that to our Father in heaven, and we are capable of so much more than we even know.  So pray that God will reveal to you what he wants from you, and pray that you will know that you are the beloved, in whom he is well pleased.