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Be Like Mary!

This week we move into Ordinary time and our gospel brings us to the Wedding at Cana. Check out the video here.

It was the great social philosopher Groucho Marx who once said:  “Marriage is a wonderful institution…

    But who wants to live in an institution?”

Did you hear about the two florists that  got married?

          It was an arranged marriage.

Ten years ago, the invisible man married the invisible woman.

          Yeah, their kids are nothing to look at either.

Two spiders got married.

          They met on the web.

Two antennas got married.

          The ceremony wasn’t much but the reception was excellent.

    There are many things we could talk about regarding the wedding at Cana in this week’s gospel. Personally, I am greatly edified that Our Lord’s first miracle was to make a party a success. As tempting as it might be to go down that rabbit hole, instead I’d like to talk about the role of the Blessed Mother.

    Much like today, wedding feasts were a big deal in first century Palestine.  But unlike today, they were public, not private events. Days before, the groom had left with his entourage to retrieve his bride from her village. Travel being what it was in those days, he could show up at any time, day or night. Once the bridegroom and his bride arrived there was a festive procession from the gates of town to the bridegroom’s household. The whole village was involved. Since there were no newspapers or Facebook or any other type of media to publicize the event, this is how they did it. The typical wedding feast went on for a week or more. Many scholars comment that this particular wedding feast had probably been going on for at least three days by the time the wine ran out. How embarrassing! 

    Enter the Mother of Jesus. Seeing the awkward situation of the host family, she approaches her Son. We may be a bit perplexed at Jesus’ response, “My hour has not yet come.”  I’m not sure what his plans were, but whatever they had been, the intervention of his mother seems to change all that. And then, perhaps even to his own embarrassment, she turns to the steward and says, “Do whatever he tells you.”  I my own mind, I can hear Jesus mutter to himself, “Oh, Mom!”

    Then, the miracle happens. 

    The implication of the story is clear. Jesus works the miracle because of the intercession of the Blessed Mother on behalf of the bride and groom. It is a powerful lesson and a strong example for all of us. There are three things we should take away from this encounter.

    First, Mary is the first disciple and the model for all the rest of us disciples. As she was not shy about asking Jesus to work the miracle for her friends, neither should we be in asking Jesus to help ours.      

     Second, like the bride and groom, we should not be shy about making our needs know to the Blessed Mother so that she may intercede on our behalf.

    Finally, once we have, we would do well to heed her advice to the stewards: “Do whatever he tells you.”               

There are many things we can contemplate about the wedding at Cana, but it behooves us to look very closely at the role of the Blessed Mother.

    In how we pray

    What and for whom we pray

    What we should do with the fruits of that prayer.

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Of Kings, Wise Men and Magi

This week we celebrate the Epiphany of the Lord. Most notably, we celebrate the adoration of the child Jesus by the Magi.  These magi are interesting characters? Who are they, what do they represent, and what did that mean for folks in Jesus’s day and for us? 

Check out the video here. You can watch the whole Mass on our Facebook page here.

Magi – Who are they?

       Well, they are not kings, per se. They did not become so in our culture until John Henry Hopkins Jr., Rector of Christ Episcopal, wrote the carol we all know for a Christmas pageant in New York City in 1857.  It was the first widely popular Christmas carol written in America.

(Now, here is an idea. Why don’t we write some carols for our own Christmas pageant next year?  Wouldn’t that be something!)

Hopkins based his designation on earlier Christian tradition, which I’ll speak to a bit later. 

No, they are Magi,

        The word comes to us from Latin, which borrowed it from the Greek, which got it from the Persians. 

       The term refers to the Persian priestly caste of Zoroastrianism. As part of their religion, these priests paid particular attention to the stars and gained an international reputation for astrology, which was at that time highly regarded as a science.

       Interestingly enough, there was a celestial event at that time that would have caught their attention. Apparently, about the time of the birth of Christ, Jupiter, the celestial body associated with kings, moved into the constellation Aries, which was associated with Israel. While probably unnoticed by most of the population, those who were paying attention to such things, such as the Magi, would have interpreted this phenomenon to mean that a king had been born in Israel.  Pretty cool. 

What do they represent?

       For Matthew and certainly for the early Church fathers, the magi represent to the fulfillment of the prophecies of Isaiah 60:6ff, who we heard this morning, and other prophecies. Most notably:

       Psalm 72:10: “The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall pay tribute, and the kings of Arabia and Saba offer gifts“

       Psalm 72:15: “…and may there be given to him gold from Arabia“,

       Given these references, it is not long before early Christians began to see them as kings, even giving them names:  Balthasar is often represented as a king of Arabia or sometimes Ethiopia, Melchior as a king of Persia, and Gaspar as a king of India. By the 6th century all Christian commentators, both east and west referred to them as kings. This did not change until the movement of modern biblical scholarship in the first half of the 20th century.  So, we can give Hopkins some slack.  Besides, it’s a fun song.  (Although I still don’t know where the rubber cigar came from in the version we sang in 3rd grade…)

What does it mean?

       For the magi, it meant that a new king was born in Israel. I still can’t figure out why they felt compelled to make the journey and give him the gifts.  Perhaps it was because they recognized that there was something going on in Israel that would have universal impact. Perhaps it was simply to fulfill the prophecies.

       For Herod, it was a direct threat to his reign. Herod the Great was an incredible builder and administrator, but he was also a ruthless despot. Propped up by the Roman occupiers and insecure in on his throne, he held onto power with an iron fist and a sophisticated network of spies. This is a man who, days before his own death, had his two eldest sons executed because he suspected they were trying to usurp his throne.  He was a bad dude.  On Tuesday, we celebrated the Feast of the Holy Innocents, commemorating all the boys in Bethlehem under two years of age, whom he had killed in hopes of eliminating the threat that Jesus posed to his reign.

       He need not have worried, however. Jesus came preaching a very different kingdom that the one that Herod clung to.

       For us, the Visit of the Magi is the confirmation of what St. Paul says in his letter to the Ephesians, “that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body,

and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.”

       I don’t know about you, but for me, this is good news. When all these things were going on, my ancestors, the Danes and the Celts, were still painting themselves blue and worshiping thunder and trees and whatnot.  But in the providence of God and the kindness of history, the gospel reached those hallowed shores, and through the work of missionaries, especially he Jesuits, it moved from there to here.  Christianity also went out from the east with Orthodox missionaries and worked its way across Asia, and eventually across the Bering Streit. 

       We live in a very privileged place in Christian geography. It was here in Alaska, probably in the lower Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta that the gospel circled the globe.  Now the whole world is wrapped in the arms of the good news of Jesus Christ.

       It also means that we have work to do. The legacy that we have received is no small heritage.  The mission continues, not so much geographically, but certainly  demographically, and sociologically.

       First, in our families, such as they are.

       Then in our parish family of St. Patrick.

       Then beyond these walls into our neighborhoods, our schools, our workplaces, our state, our country, our world.

The Magi followed the star, carried gifts, and found Christ,

       We have found Christ, we follow Him, and carry the joy of the Gospel as our gift to the world.

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Leaping for Joy

Hey there, Church fans! There are two important times in scripture where someone dances. One of them is in today’s gospel. Check out the video here.

10 Quick Christmas jokes:

  1. Why does Santa Claus go down the chimney on Christmas Eve? Because it soots him.
  2. What did the English teacher call Santa’s helpers? Subordinate Clauses.
  3. What do you call people who are afraid of Santa Claus? Claustrophobic.
  4. What do you call a chicken at the North Pole? Lost.
  5. What is it called when a snowman has a temper tantrum? A meltdown.
  6. What would you get if you ate all the Christmas tree decorations? Tinselitis.
  7. What kind of linens to gingerbread people put on their beds? Cookie sheets.
  8. What did Santa say to Mrs. Claus when he saw their Christmas tree? It looks okay, but you could Spruce it up a bit.
  9. What do you call an elf that runs away from Santa’s Workshop? A rebel without a Claus!
  10. Why was the candy cane so expensive? It was in mint condition!

     This Fourth Sunday of Advent, we shift gears a bit. For the first three weeks we have been preparing practically and spiritually for the Lord’s second coming in glory and majesty. We just wrapped up the Advent Triduum, “In Praise of Mary—Woman of Faith, Hope and Charity.”  Most folks have commented rightly that this one was more about prayer, penance, and quiet expectation than our Lenten Missions tend to be. This was done on purpose.

       Now, in this Fourth Week of Advent, we shift our focus to preparing to celebrate his first coming in poverty and humility. It is time for unmitigated joy.

       To help us, the Church invites us to contemplate the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to her cousin Elizabeth.

       There are two times that scripture emphasizes dancing.  The first is found in 2 Samuel 6:14 where David dances before the Lord as the Ark of the Covenant is brought up to Jerusalem.  The second is in today’s gospel, (Lk 1:39-45) where John the Baptist leaps for joy before the Lord in the womb of Elizabeth. 

       In the first, David dances with abandon that the Lord is in the midst of his people. In the understanding of the day, wherever the Ark was, there was God’s dwelling.  John the Baptist leaps in the womb for the same reason. Only this time, he dances before the new Ark of the Lord in anticipation of the new covenant of grace.

       The Ark of the old covenant had been lost when the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem around 586 B.C. It’s whereabouts are now known only to God.

       But here, in the womb of Mary, God dwells among his people once again. Mary is rightly called the Ark of the New Covenant of Grace. The holy child in her womb is called Emmanuel, a name which means “God is with us.” Even in the womb of Elizabeth, John leaps for joy in the presence of the Lord. 

Now, I’m going to digress here a little bit.

       When the pastoral council met earlier this month, I asked them what the mood of the parish was.

       The confirmed much of what I had observed.  Here are some bullet points from the minutes of that discernment:

  • People are emotionally tired.
  • Parishioners need a pep talk, and tough love;
  • we’re all in this together;
  • we should be patient with each other, demonstrating our faith combined with “I understand” at the same time
  • “Get it done.” 

Clinically, it’s been a tough time; everyone is weary.

I get it. It just doesn’t seem to end. It seems we just get done with one surge or variant and then are told that another one might be on the horizon.

       It’s not unlike that meme that’s going around:

“Mary, exhausted and just having gotten baby Jesus to bed is approached by a young man who thinks to himself, “What this lady needs is a drum solo!”

And yet, when I start to feel like that, I think back on what was going on at the very time that Mary made haste and went to Elizabeth. As I mentioned, times were tough.  There was a 30% chance that the children in their womb would survive their first year. The Jewish homeland was under the occupation of a distant, foreign Empire.  Corruption was rampant in politics. A weak governor ruled the land with a collaborating tyrant in the local puppet government. Tax collectors took more than what was required. Thieves roamed the highways.

And yet, the baby in her womb leaped for joy!

       He knew that “God is with us.”

Our own day feels a similar socio-political malaise. 

       There is a lack of trust of public institutions

       Many urban centers are in chaos.

              Or just simply filthy places of rot and decay.

       An uncharitable polemic pervades public discourse   People are not treasured, but labeled.

              Conservative – liberal

              Social drone – anti-vaxer

              Right wing – left wing

              Urban – Rural…

              ENOUGH!

This is a time faith

        This is a time for hope. 

              This is a for charity.

                      This is a time for the joy of the gospel.

                             This is a time for saints.

It starts here.  It starts now.

       The time for excuses is over.

              The time for blame is past.

We are not special.

We are no different than any other time human history.

       We Christians are the heirs to a great heritage.

It is our prayers that will change human hearts.

       It is our actions that will improve our society.

              It is our witness that will transform the world.

And if not the whole world, then at least that little part of the world with which we come into contact.

For like Mary, we bring Christ to the world.

       Through his Church and her sacraments,

              Our God is with us.

Who shall make him known…? 

       Who shall proclaim him to the world…?   

              if not you and me?

The world in silence waits.

The time for excuses is past.

       Now is the time for saints.

              Now is the time for the joy of the gospel to transform the world.

       Our God is with us.

              Now is the time for joy.

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Quare Gaudete?

[It’s Gaudete Sunday! The word means “rejoice!” But why? What do we have to rejoice about? View the video of the homily here. As always, it’s a little more involved than the text.

It’s been a tough week here in the Walsh family,

       My uncle works at an Advent calendar factory, but he got fired. All he did was take a few days off?

       It was not unexpected, whenever you work with Advent calendars your days are numbered.

So anyway, if any of you were looking for a biblical mandate to participate in the warm clothing drive, I refer you to today’s gospel wherein John the Baptist tells the people: “Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none.” 

       The Third Sunday of Advent is called Gaudete Sunday for a reason. The word means “Rejoice!”  And sure enough, the word joy or rejoice or something similar appears no less than thirteen times in the readings for this week. Okay, so what are we to rejoice about?

       The prophet Zephaniah exhorts us to rejoice for several reasons, namely that a) the Lord has removed the judgment against us and our sins are forgiven, b) he as turned away our enemies, c) the Lord is in our midst, and d) we have no more misfortune to fear.

       Paul also tells to rejoice because “the Lord is near.” 

       Finally, in Luke, we see that all the people were filled with expectation for the coming of the messiah.  

         We tend to forget that life was a lot tougher in ancient times. About a quarter to a third of all babies in the Roman Empire did not survive their first year. If you made it through your first year, you could expect to live another 34-41 years. Death was much more a part of life. This gave an urgency to all manner of things.

       Advent also has a certain urgency to it.  It is a time of penitential preparation and expectation. We can also rejoice that the Lord is near.

       We look forward to Christ’s coming in glory at the end of the age, but we are also aware that through Church, and especially in the sacraments, the Lord is truly and substantially in our midst in several ways. 

       Advent helps us to become aware that Christ comes to us in little ways, like our small groups that pray together, in our daily devotions, in our personal reading of scripture and so on.

       He also comes to us in sacramental ways, especially in the sacrament of Reconciliation and in the holy sacrifice of the Mass and in adoration.

       Finally, we are filled with expectation that the coming of the Lord in glory at the end of the age is near. For the Christian this is cause for rejoicing as we anticipate the fulfillment of our ultimate hope.

       Advent is a time for rejoicing in expectation of the coming of the Lord in ways both big and small.  May he find us watchful and ready when he comes.  

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Advent – A time for vigilance, holiness and hope.

[The text is only the bare bones of the whole homily. You can see the full video by clicking here. ]

     Wow! Did Advent sneak up on you like it snuck up on me? Seems just a few days ago we were wondering if it would get cold enough to have snow! Tell me God does not have a sense of humor!

       Nevertheless, here we are. I like being Catholic because literally, I don’t have to buy into the “holiday season.” Instead, we get Advent, a penitential time of renewal, reconciliation and preparation. Oh, it’s it fun to do “The Holiday Season” with its concerts, parties, flash mobs and whatnot. But for the Christian, our focus is elsewhere. With our feet firmly planted on the earth, we raise our eyes to the heavens. We await the blessed hope and the coming of our Savior Jesus Christ. For the first three weeks of Advent, we are invited to contemplate the coming of the Lord Jesus in power and might at the end of the Age. In the last week, we shift gears and concentrate on his first coming in poverty and humility.

       The readings for this First Sunday of Advent remind us very strongly that it is a time for vigilance, holiness and hope.

       There is a great difference between waiting with great boredom and irritation and being vigilant. Vigilance is something active. Much like waiting for a family member or a loved one come out of the shoot at the airport, so too we should be prayerfully attentive for the coming of the Lord. Interestingly enough, if we are watchful for him to be manifest in a big way, we can recognize him when he manifests himself in little ways—in the poor, the hungry, those who mourn, or need shelter. The Advent wreath in our homes reminds us that Christ the Light of the World comes to us in increasingly more intense experiences. 

       As Paul reminds us in his letter to the Thessalonians, Advent is also a time to be renewed in holiness. It is a time to hunker down and get back to “no excuses Catholicism.” We need to make time and physical space in our lives and our homes for prayer. I especially invite all to come to our Advent Mission:  In Praise of Mary, with Msgr. Dennis Mikulanis, December 14-16. We are called to holiness and the Blessed Virgin Mary shows us how to follow her Son. The Advent wreath again reminds us that the more often we approach in prayer, the brighter he shines in our lives.

       Finally, Advent is a time of hope. If there is anything the world needs now more than ever it is hope. But not just hope in little ways, but Hope in the ultimate way. Hope that because Christ has forgiven our sins on the Cross and risen to new life, we too will transcend the vagaries of this world. The Advent wreath reminds us that despite the darkness of this world of sin, we shall shine like the stars as we dwell with Him in unapproachable light. 

       Advent is a time for vigilance, holiness and hope. I pray that it may be time of renewal, reconciliation, preparation so that we may celebrate the true Christmas season with lasting joy.     

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Thanksgiving Thoughts

Thanksgiving is perhaps our last national religious holiday. Its origins are heralded in the celebration of the remaining settlers of the Plymouth Colony who had survived the previous winter of 1620-21. They had good reason to do so. 0f the 102 colonists that landed at Plymouth, 45 perished that first winter from lack of shelter, scurvy, and general conditions on board the ship where most of them still lived.

The survivors paused to thank God for their mere survival.  We pause today to thank God for our abundance. How you do that is up to you, but it will say much about who you.

Christians and others who believe in a benevolent, saving God pause to offer prayers of thanks, perhaps attending Mass or some other service this morning before gathering with friends and loved ones this afternoon to share the traditional meal. 

You may be surprised to know that there will likely be more people in church this morning than will attend every NFL, MLB, and NBA game during each of their respective seasons for the entire year. 

Like love, gratitude must be have a concrete expression in one’s actions if it is to have any impact.  Appropriately, many congregations engaged in acts of charity earlier this week so that others may also join in giving thanks. I am so very proud of Dave Patterson and the folks who gathered at St. Patrick’s Parish in Muldoon on Monday to help the food bank distribute 1333 Thanksgiving meals to needy families in our area. 

To fail in gratitude is perhaps the gravest failure of any modern society. To consider oneself entitled to anything is the cancer that eats away at the heart of the nation.

Each of us must decide whether we will approach life with a spirituality of gratitude or of entitlement.   I will simply say that in my experience of 27 years of ministry, I have found that the grateful heart never experiences the lack of anything. This is especially true in regard to love and friendship.

The colonists at Plymouth paused to give thanks for their mere survival.  We pause today to give thanks for our abundance.

May the gratitude we express today find its expression in the way we treat those around us throughout the rest of the year. 

To see the video, click here.

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Christ the King – What is a king anyway?!

Greetings, Church fans! I’ve been asked to add the joke to the text, for those who don’t go to the video. Fair enough. As always, the video of the homily can be seen by clicking here. If you want the whole Mass, click here! Enjoy.

Christ the King, B, – What is a King?

       The end of the Church calendar always ends with the Solemnity of Christ the King. For us Americans, it’s a bit more difficult to grasp the magnitude of such a celebration. We got rid of our king 245 years ago. For most of us, the only monarchy we have ever paid attention to is the British royal family, and only then with curiosity or morbid fascination.

    It’s not unlike like when King and Queen Spud met with their three daughters after they all returned from the university.  The first daughter approached King and Queen Spud with great excitement.

       “Father and Mother, I have wonderful news!  I am engaged to be married!” 

       “That is wonderful news,” King Spud replied. “And who is the fortunate young man?”

       “His name is Joe Idaho,” she exlclaimed.

       “Ah yes,” the King replied, “the Idahoes are a fine and noble potato family. You have my blessing.”

       The second daughter approached as excited as the first, “Father, I also have great news, for I too am engaged to be married!”

       King Spud replied, “We are twice blessed this day!  And tell me, who is the fortunate young man?”

       “His name is Bill Russet!” she exclaimed. 

       “Ah,” King Spud replied, “The Russets are a fine and noble potato family.  You too have my blessing.”

       The third daughter approached, and she too could not contain herself for joy. “Father, I too am engaged to me married!” 

       King and Queen Spud beamed with joy, “A triple blessing!  And tell us, who is the fortunate young man?”

       “His name is Lester Holt!” she exclaimed.

       At this the face and countenance of King Spud fell.  An awkward silence descended like a fog upon the chamber. King and Queen Spud looked at each other perplexed. Finally, Queen Spud said to her daughter,

       “My dear, this cannot come to pass…for he is but a common tater.” 

       What is a king anyway? What’s his job? What does he do all day? Interestingly enough, much like the priesthood, it’s more about identity than function.  It’s not so much what a king does, but who he is that sets him apart. In the ancient world right up to the end of the, 18th century, the King was seen as chosen by God and literally anointed as he took office. In this sense, Kings were also “messiahs” in the strict sense of the term which means, “anointed one.”  In essence, they were the personification, the incarnation of the entire country. 

       So what was he anointed for? In short, the King had dominion.  He had ultimate authority over the land and everything and everyone on it. But he just couldn’t do whatever he wanted. That would make him a tyrant. Instead, he was the ultimate steward. All things were given to his care and he would be judged by God at the end of his life based on how well he ruled. It was a vocation with a lot of perks, but it came with a heavy price tag.

       Looking at it this way, it begins to make sense how Jesus can rightfully be called King of the Universe. He was being modest when he said to Pilate that his kingdom was not of this world. In fact, it is so far beyond this world as to be laughable. Being Divine and united with the Father and the Holy Spirit in the perfect communion that is the Holy Trinity, he is the Word that God spoke when the universe and everything and everyone in it was created. He has the ultimate dominion, who, for the good of his subjects (you and me), became incarnate of the Virgin Mary and transformed all creation by his passion, death and resurrection, indeed, by his very presence. Still, he is not Lord because of what he does; rather, what he does has meaning because of who he is.

       By celebrating Christ the King, we affirm that he has dominion over our lives, confident that we shall share his glory both now and at the end of the age.

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Being Third

Greetings, Church fans! I’m back from the wilds of North Dakota where the townspeople of Scranton were being terrorized by an infestation of ring-necked pheasants! I did well. Joy the dog, well…let’s just say she has a few things to learn about bird hunting. Below is this week’s meditation on the Great Commandment regarding love of God, love of neighbor and love of self. To see a video of the homily, click here. To see the whole Mass, click here.

In the early 1970’s Gale Sayers was a force to be reckoned with in the NFL’s Chicago Bears.  He once scored six touchdowns in a single game. Mr. Sayers was a man of faith. The title for his memoir, “I Am Third,” came from his life’s motto: “The Lord is first, my friends are second, and I am third.” I suspect his motto came from today’s gospel passage from Mark regarding love of God, love of neighbor and love of self, also known as “The Great Commandment.” 

       The dynamic from which the Great Commandment emerges is the classic first century rabbinical ritual of learning. It was typically a three or four stage process. The ritual was in initiated when the student asked a very basic question.  In this case, the student asks, “Which is the greatest of the all the commandments?”  Every seven-year old Jewish kid would know the answer. It is the Shema Israel. “Hear O Israel…”  It begins Jewish morning and evening prayer even to this day. It declares that God is one and that we should love him with all our heart, soul, and strength. In the second part of the ritual of learning, the teacher is expected to respond by relating that very basic teaching to another one in the Law.  Here, Jesus links love of God, with the command to love of neighbor as found in Leviticus 19:18, “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.”

       The ritual of learning was completed when the student replies with another insight built upon the previous two. In the passage from Mark, the scribe does this beautifully and gains the praise of the Lord.

       I find it particularly fitting that the Great Commandment for love of God, neighbor and self is brought forth in this ritual of learning. Loving and learning share a similar dynamic. They both require that we look beyond ourselves if we are to grow in love or in knowledge, and hopefully, virtue. 

       Love by its very nature focusses on relationship with the other. In this case, love of God is source and foundation of our relationship with others. We can love our neighbor because we  are in a loving relationship with the Almighty.  Love of self follows when we realize that we are lovable.          In a similar way, when we seek the truth, we have to realize that we don’t know everything. We must go first to the One who is Truth itself. Next we have to be open to learn from the wisdom of others.  In either instance, the Lord is first, others are second, and we are third.                   

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The Eye of the Needle


Sometimes its just better to take Jesus at his word, even when the saying is hard. To view the video of the homily, click here. For the whole Mass, click here.

So often, it seems that our modern society is motivated more by comfort than by truth. It is so much easier to do the comfortable thing rather than the right thing.  So, it should come as no surprise that when the modern mind is confronted with an uncomfortable teaching of Jesus in the gospel, our first reaction is to try to explain it away so that we may remain in our “safe zone.”

       Jesus’ teaching about it being as easy for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven is good example of this. 

       I remember when I was in high school, we were taught that in ancient Jerusalem, there was a small door off to the side of the city gate called “The Eye of the Needle.” Once the city gates were closed, it was possible for a camel to get through, but it had to do so on its knees. The implication was that we also had to “get on our knees” if we wanted to get into the Kingdom of Heaven. It’s a nice thought, but completely unfounded in reality.

       Fast forward a few years to the Angelicum in Rome and my class in the synoptic gospels with one of the foremost scripture scholars in the world. We came to this very passage in Mark 10, so I asked him about the whole “Eye of the Needle” thing.

       His answer was curt: “Hogwash! There was no such gate! Jesus did not mince his words. Jesus was talking big camel, little needle, tiny eye.” 

       I was crushed.  My whole life had been a lie.

       Well, not really. If you think about it, what Jesus is describing is even more grace-filled than what a well-meaning catechist tried to tell us way back when.

       So, what was Jesus getting at?

       First, wealth in and of itself is neither good nor evil. It simply gives you more choices. Just like any superpower in the Marvel universe, one will have to decide if he or she will use it for good for evil.

       Second, with ownership comes responsibility. Responsibility takes a lot of physical and psychological energy and most especially time. All too often this can become a huge stumbling block to following Christ. A golden lock and chain still binds.  A golden anchor still keeps you from going anywhere. 

       Third, with the choices that wealth brings, the temptation to pride is so very great. And quite frankly, left to our own devices we won’t make the right choices. Jesus is right. Without God, “for human beings, it is impossible.” 

       But thankfully, “for God, all things are possible.” When Christ is at the center of our lives, we realize that we are not owners, but stewards. We are not saviors, but servants. This gives us the freedom to use the gifts we have been given in a way that is pleasing to the giver, and to build those relationships with Christ and others that truly are “treasure in heaven.”

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Throw It Out the Window!

Does Jesus really want you to cut off your hand or your foot, or pluck out your eye? Not really, but he is making a really good point.

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     It is truly a gift to live in a different country and in a different culture for a number of years. One gains a great appreciation for one’s own country but you also get introduced to some really fun cultural practices of your host country. One of my favorite Italian customs is how certain parts of the country celebrate the coming of the new year. I had been told not to be out on the street at the stroke of midnight, but I was not told why. Being curious, I found a nice, sheltered place to observe what might go on. Sure enough, as soon as the new year rang in all kinds of things came flying out of the windows of the apartments, to explode into a million pieces as they hit the pavement. Toasters and mixers and power tools and computers and all manner of household items plunged to their ignominious deaths on the cobblestones below.

       I found out later that it is the custom in those parts that if some household item has been giving you fits throughout the past year, at the end of the year you simply throw it out the window along with all the stress that it has caused you. Thus, you can begin the new year cleansed of the little demon that has plagued you so and renewed in spirit. It’s fun!

       This is essentially what Jesus is getting at in this week’s gospel passage. Our Lord liked to grossly overexaggerate to drive his point home. Here he does it regarding sinful tendencies. Does he really want you to cut off your hand?  No, but the hand is for doing. If you find yourself doing things you shouldn’t, then get those things out of your life. Does he really want you to cut off your foot? No, but we go where we tell our feet to take us. If you find yourself going to places you shouldn’t, perhaps you need to get that place out of your life. Does he really want you to pluck out your eye? No, but the eye is for seeing. If you find yourself looking at things you shouldn’t perhaps you need to get those things out of your life (and off your phone).

       Like the coming of the new year, a change of seasons is a good time to make adjustments in our habits our, attitudes, even the configuration of our household. Is there something in your life that has been giving you trouble and keeping you from following Christ with your whole heart and soul and strength? Now is a good time to “throw it out the window” and begin anew.