Date April 23, 2017 or 1997 or 2006

In the Gospel of John we hear a dramatic story. It was the first day of the week. The first day, a powerful symbol of a brand new beginning. It was the very first day the church began its mission. It was the establishment of a brand new house, a house made of living stones. It is the same new beginning that occurs over and over as we are Baptized and when we become transformed by the power and spirit of Jesus Christ.

The disciples were discouraged, defeated, fearful, afraid and weak. They had locked the doors to the place where they were. Someone had taken the body of the Lord and they did not know where they had put him. During this moment of weakness, something very amazing, dramatic and remarkable happened. The Lord came and stood in their midst. “Peace be with you”. At the appearance of the Lord they literally exploded with joy.

Then he breathed on them. Receive the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Love of God and neighbor, the spirit of forgiveness. The spirit of Jesus Christ who died on the cross, once for all sinners. Before they could digest his appearance immediately followed the commissioning. As the Father has sent me so I send you. The whole course of human history was changed.

We are gathered here together in the house the Lord has built, as testimony to this change. The resurrection continues to occur here and now in Fayetteville Georgia in April 1997. Oh how many lives have been transformed throughout these many ages the spirit of Jesus Christ.

Think again for a moment about the place the disciples had retreated to. They were hiding in a house within a house. They had withdrawn into a place and within that place they had further withdrew into themselves.

John Michael Talbot composed a song called “My House”. It is a song which symbolically tells the story of how we each hide within our house. Our house. The house where we shelter ourselves so that no one can peer in and see who we really are. For we are often like the disciples a fearful and doubtful people. It is in the very darkness of our house, that we can encounter our beloved, the one who releases us from our greatest fears and doubts enabling us to journey outside our house where we can bring his love and peace to the people of this world.

Thomas was missing the first time Jesus appeared to the disciples. When the other disciples told Thomas about Jesus, he spoke as a man of courage and ignorance. Thomas was a stubborn seeker of manifest credentials.

Thomas symbolizes for us our human instinct to hide beneath a courageous exterior, the shell of a house, while below the surface we manifest both doubt and fear which challenge our faith.

A week later, despite the locked doors. One week later we find them again behind locked doors. These are the same disciples who had rejoiced only a week before. This message should give us great hope and joy. Here we have the first eye witnesses’. Our ancestors in faith, who had already seen the risen Lord, and still they where locked behind closed doors. Like these disciples, we too can expect weak moments. There is hope for you and me. Again Jesus began “Peace be with you”.

Then Jesus confronted the doubting Thomas in us all by calling Thomas from unbelief to belief. Next we hear the message that should be music to our ears. “Blessed are they who have not seen but believed”. This message is for you and I so that through this faith we may be transformed and have life everlasting in his name.

Jesus can penetrate any structure within which we hide:

No matter the size of the house or the sophistication of our culture, Jesus can penetrate any structure or barrier we can create. When we find ourselves retreating into the darkness of our house, is when the Gospel of John tells us Jesus will be there with us in the dark. No matter the depth of the fear, the denseness of the hiding place, or the inclination to doubt, Jesus will stand before us, if only we open our hearts to see his presence. “Peace be with you”. The peace that only God can give.

A peace we acquire when we freely turn control of our house, over to him and with Him begin to forgive those who have sinned against us.

With Baptism into the church we are forgiven, and within the traditional sacrament of forgiveness we are forgiven, and we the church continue to preach the forgiveness of sins in Jesus. It is in the forgiveness of sins that the Lord creates for us a divine indwelling.  A place of peace with our God and our neighbor. Forgiveness leads to a oneness of spirit and unity.

We have gathered together in this place, we call the house of the Lord. As we come to the altar, let us offer up and shed our individual house to the Lord, so that the one spirit will dwell within this community of believers, touching and guiding us with his spirit in faith. Then when we leave this place, we can go out in joy to love one another and our neighbors with the same mind and spirit of Jesus Christ.

4^th Sunday of Lent March 15, 2-015

Two Irish mothers, Kate and Lorna were talking about their sons.  ‘My Frances is such a saint says Kate.  He’s kinda like the Pope, he works hard, doesn’t smoke, and he hasn’t so much as looked at a woman in over two years.’

Lorna responds, ‘Well, my Patrick is a saint himself. Not only hasn’t he not looked at a woman in over three years, but he hasn’t touched a drop of Guinness or liquor in all that time.’

‘My word,’ says Kate, ‘You must be so proud.’  ‘I am,’ said Lorna, Lord have Mercy I am so blessed.  In fact my Parish is throwing a big St Patrick’s party Sunday afternoon.  We are so excited we just heard he will be paroled in time to attend and I am bringing along a six pack of Guinness.’

Even when we are dead to our transgressions:

Listen again to Paul to the Ephesians.  God who is rich in mercy, because of the great love he had for us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, brought us to life with Christ — by grace we have been saved.

On March 14, 2015, Pope Frances in his sermon said, “no one can be excluded from the mercy of god”.  How many of us have heard Pope Frances has declared next year to be an Extraordinary Jubilee, a Holy year of Mercy?  It will begin on December 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, and will come to an end on November 20, 2016, the date when the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King.

Mercy and Grace

Mercy and Grace, the Catholic’s Church’s counter punches to judgment and sin.

In the reading from 2 Chronicles we hear of the infidelity and abominations of the people of the nations polluting the Lord’s temple.  We hear the messengers of God were despised, scoffed at and rejected by the people.  And we are told the destination to which the people were carried – captives to Babylon.

Chronicles gives us a very graphic picture of humankind’s ability to fall deeper and deeper into sin and away from the practice of faith.

Bronze Serpent Mounted on a Pole – Look Up!

But to top this all off in the Gospel we are reminded about the story of our nature in the desert.  It went by fast and we might have missed it.  On the way out of slavery to the Promised Land the people Israel, once again lacking in faith and trust in Moses leadership became disgusted and loudly complained.   The people complaining were being bitten by poisonous snakes and they cried out to be saved.  God commanded Moses to mount on a pole a bronze serpent.  Snake bitten Israelite’s who were repentant were and looked up at the bronze serpent on the pole would recover.

So must the Son of man be lifted up so that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.

The World preferred darkness to Light:

This is the truth, the light came into the world.  The world preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil.  Everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed.

Why does man keep secret the location of their evils acts and hide their faces?

One may ask, why does ISSIS video record the evil they are engaging in and broadcast it to the world?  Perhaps the more profound question is!  Why do they seek to keep secret the location of their evil acts and cover and hide their faces?  Whoever lives the truth comes to the light so his works can be seen as done in God.

6^th Sunday of Ordinary Time:  February 15, 2015

Leviticus:  We hear the story of the leper.  It is a symbolic story about more than just a leper by also one who is unclean and a result a threat to the whole community.  In those days one who is suspected of being unclean must be brought to Aaron or a priest.  If one is found to be leprous or unclean they shall keep his garments rent (torn), his head bare, and he shall muffle his beard, cry out unclean, unclean.

He shall dwell apart, making his abode outside the camp.

Unclean Unclean:

Why would our church place this reading, the week end before Ash Wednesday, the day the season of Lent begins.  Perhaps it might be good and even necessary for the people of God to begin to reflect upon any unclean illness that may have invaded our hearts during the recent months or years?  Lent will provide us with 40 days to clean the house we live in.  We know the place where no one can see.

A great threat to health:

At the time, one with leprosy was a great infectious threat to the health of a community.  If the illness was not dealt with the whole community would suffer.  So perhaps we are called to reflect upon the kinds of leprosy that has invaded our society in 2015.

In the 1990’s the Lord sent me to bowls of Atlanta to encounter the lepers of that day – people with HIV/AIDS.  Although I did not know it at the time I was sent there to confront the one who looks back at me in the mirror.

Current Day Lepers:

Friday, as I visited the prison I was reminded of the current day Lepers.  So many young men imprisoned.  Heads shaven, tattoos all over, wearing white uniforms clearly marked “Prisoner”, living in an abode outside the community camp.  As they walk around the grounds, they are required to hold their hands behind their back as if to say unclean, unclean.

Who can save me?

This Friday I was told the story of an angry at the world young man 14 years old.  After lashing out in vain he finally asked an old inmate if he could talk with him privately.  He wanted to know if it was possible that he would ever get out of this prison.  He was guilty of murder and had received a life sentence.   Who he asked – can help me was the young mans question?

Paul gave the answer.  Try to encounter everyone, not seeking my own benefit, but being open that many may be saved.  Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.  Who is that man?  Jesus Christ the only source of power to save.

Listen to the story.  A leper came to Christ, kneeling down, begged him and said, if you wish, you can make me clean.  What we might miss, unless we reflect on the circumstance the leper found himself, is that he not only had a serious illness but was ostracized from the community to which he could not return.  The penalty was a double edge sword that cut through to the heart.

Why I ask, would this be the scripture for this week when a young man 14 years old facing life in prison ask would ask?  – who can help me?

This weeks scriptures and the season of Lent are dedicated to encourage us to reflect on a life and death struggle.  Heaven or Hell which do we seek?  The state of our cleanliness will determine which camp we will be assigned.

Forced outside of camp:

There is an irony in today’s Gospel I don’t want us to miss.  Jesus warned the leper sternly to not tell anyone.  Jesus knew if he told people his cover would be blown and His mission cut short.  Jesus came for all sinners and knew this would take some time.  Sure enough Jesus cover as the Messiah was blown.  It made it impossible for Jesus to enter town openly.  Jesus was forced out of the camp to where the lepers of the world reside.

Outside the camp in deserted places is where the unclean reside.  As a result of Jesus healing the leper – the leper was transformed and the people came to him from everywhere.

Jesus calls us – come follow me.  We know this so well.  But do we know where he was?  Outside the camp.  For so many of us the camp is that place where we are comfortable and feel safe.  Jesus says come follow me – come outside your camp to where I am among the sinners I came to save.

Maybe this Lent some of us will not only give up something, but just maybe we will walk outside the camp to encounter the people Jesus calls to save as imitators of Christ.