MESSAGE TO YOUTH: God Has Set Before Us Good and Evil. Let Us Choose Life!

Sermon by Rev. John Paul Shea

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Feb. 12, 2017

Youth Camp Retreat, Mount Lemon, Arizona

In today’s Gospel (Matt 5:17-37), Our Lord speaks of the importance of overcoming sin.

It begins with Our Lord Jesus speaking to the Jewish people about the commandments, which God had given them so that they could live according to God’s plan, and He reminds us that He has not come to abolish the laws and commandments, but to fulfill them. 

These are fulfilled in His Person as He is God’s Son, who came to suffer and die for our sins. Following the commandments is essential if we want to have eternal life. 

"You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment and whoever says, 'You fool,' will be liable to fiery Gehenna.” (Matt 5:21-23)

Take a moment to realize what Our Lord is saying. If we are angry with our brother, we  are liable to judgment. If we call someone a “fool,” then we are liable to hell. 

If we carry grudges against another person, then we need to stop this anger in our lives now. We must reconcile the situation and apologize. Our Lord says, “Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you,
leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court. Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison.”

Lack of forgiveness doesn't just disappear when we die. No, we take these issues with us into the next life. That is why we must strive to make peace and reconciliation today.

Further Our Lord says, “I say to you, whoever divorces his wife - unless the marriage is unlawful - causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”

The Church takes the sacrament of marriage seriously. We take divorce seriously. Why? Because Our Lord does. “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh?' So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no man separate.” (Matt 19:4-6)

Therefore, if you are called to the vocation of marriage, now is the time to make good preparations. Marriage is for life. Making a bad choice in this area could have devastating effects on you and your children's lives. Preserving your chastity now will make for a better marriage later. It's not necessary to date more than one person in your life -- your future spouse. Dating someone exclusively in your youth when you are not planning to marry can actually cut you off from opportunities for other friendships and academic achievement. Even if you date chastely, it can be hurtful when these relationships inevitably break off and someone goes to college. Make the most of your time as a single person! Use your creative talents. Volunteer and give yourself to others. This is the best preparation for marriage.

 
Today’s Gospel reminds us of the seriousness of committing the sin of impurity -- even in our thoughts.  “You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery. But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman [or man] with lust has already committed adultery with his her [or him] in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into Gehenna.”

There are many lures to immodesty and impurity in our society today. Jesus does not want us to seriously cut off our hands and feet, but His point is that we must make every effort to overcome the near occasion of sin! Such an effort will benefit you later in life whether you marry or choose a celibate vocation in the Catholic Church.

We must cut out of our lives whatever leads us from eternal salvation. If we struggle with pornography, for example, than we must do all we can to cut ourselves off from watching such filth. Even some television programs verge on being pornographic. If we have a boyfriend or girlfriend who leads us into sin, then we may have to end the relationship. If we are addicted to computer games, we need to find something else to do.  

Fr. John Paul Shea

My dear teen brothers and sisters, the overall message of Our Lord Jesus in today’s Gospel is that the choices we make in this life determine the course of our lives and where we will live after we die. Our Lord Jesus has come to save us. He died for us! He wants us to live happy lives and then come home with Him forever. 

In today’s first reading (Sirach 15:15-20), God says that he has [set before us] fire and water, life and death, good and evil, to whichever [we] choose shall be given [us]. God says, “If [we] choose to keep the commandments, they will save [us]; if [we] trust in God, [we] shall live.” 

Let us therefore choose life. Let us follow the teachings handed down to us so that we can have eternal life. Let our "yes" mean "yes" and our "no" mean "no." 

May God give us the grace to understand His words to us today. May God bless each one of you with His Holy Spirit to protect you always. Amen.

Holiness Arises in the Heart!

Sermon by Fr. Joseph Mungai

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Feb. 11, 2017

St Mary of the Pines Catholic Church, Shreveport, LA, U.S.A.

Fr. Joe is on leave from his parish in Kenya, St. John the Apostle Awasi Catholic Church, Kisumu Archdiocese.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

You all know people with a decent reputation. They are respectful of others and law abiding. We also know some who with a good reputation turn out to be different than we

thought. Some bring terrible hurt and inflict real damage. As the old saying goes, appearances are deceiving. Looking good does not mean that our hearts are filled with goodness.

The first reading today (Sirach 15:15-20) tells us this: “If you trust in God, you too shall live.” The gift of wisdom comes from God and that wisdom is practical knowledge of how to live

well in all relationships, learned from generations of experience and reflection on life with God and one another.

In the second reading, (1 Cor 2:6-10), Saint Paul tells us: “We speak a wisdom to those who are mature.” Because our wisdom originates --not from human reason  -- but from the eternal, hidden plan of God, rulers of the present age cannot know it. It can only be grasped through divine disclosure. God's character and plan are revealed in Christ's passage through the humiliation and agony of the Cross to the Resurrection. 

This wisdom is the spiritual eye that can see the effects of God's love and saving power working in us through Christ's redemption. We are called to use it. A blind man slowly turned around the corner of a street feeling his way

with his white cane. A young man coming from the opposite direction collided with him. "Why don't you look where you are going?" barked the hurried young man. The blind man gently replied, "Why don't you go where you are looking?" Many times we fail to use the  eye of Wisdom God has given to us.

In our Gospel (Mt 5:17-37), today, Jesus wants us to use that "spiritual eye." He wants us to see the world through His glasses. He reminds us that it is not external behavior that determines everything, but what is more important is what is happening in our hearts.

Matthew's Gospel was written primarily for Christians who were grounded in the scripture and traditions of the ancient Hebrews--or simply Christians who had first been Jews. The gospel also focused on Jews who were considering becoming Christians as well as all who wanted to learn more about this New Way as our faith was first called.

Matthew's Gospel has numerous references to the Torah, the most important part of the Hebrew Scripture. The Torah is the first five books of the Old Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In Matthew, there are five main talks or discourses of the Lord modeled on the five books of the Law or the Torah. The first main discourse of the Law is the most important--the Sermon on the Mount, part of which is in today's gospel reading. Just as Moses went up Mount Sinai to bring the Ten Commandments, God's Law to the people, Jesus climbs the mountain of the Beatitudes to present the New Law to the people.

With this in mind, we can understand Jesus's opening remarks in today's gospel: "I came not to abolish the law and the prophets, but to fulfill them." In the Lord's eyes, the Hebrew Scripture is not only valid, but it holds a place of greater reverence than ever before. But merely fulfilling the precepts of the ancient law was not enough. The attitudes and lifestyles of the Christian must reflect living the law.

When he introduced the New Law of the Kingdom of God Jesus said something that was absolutely shocking. He said that the holiness of the people had to surpass that of

the scribes and the Pharisees. How could anyone be holier than the Pharisees? The pharisees were referred as "Perushim" [separated ones]. They strictly observed the Torah and hence they refused to mix with those who didn't observe torah vigorously.  

The Pharisees dressed wearing numerous images of their religion--including phylacteries, or miniature lists of the ten commandments. These hung from their headbands so whenever they turned their

Phylactery on his forehead, miniature 10 Commandments

head they would fulfill the law: keep these commandments always before your eyes.

They fasted. They said loud prayers for all to hear. But Jesus said that his followers had to be holier than these Pharisees. How could that be possible? Well, Jesus explains, our external actions must be a reflection of what we are really like in our hearts. If what we do is not a reflection of who we are, then we are hypocrites. Hypocrite, that’s the word that Jesus uses over and over to describe the Pharisees. 

To demonstrate his point, Jesus contrasts the written law of the Torah with the new attitude of the Kingdom that must motivate this law. For example Jesus says, "You have heard it said that murder is wrong, but harboring hatred is also wrong even if you don't physically kill someone."  Why? Because murder is conceived by hatred. The person who hates but does not murder is not a good person. He is just a person who has followed the social norms perhaps to avoid punishment. It is the same with all the laws and rules of the New Kingdom. The Lord's point is that following the law demands living the lifestyle that gives rise to the law. Living the life of the Lord

motivates the Christian rather than the minimal performance of the law.

It is important that we convey this message to our children. I know how adamant you all are to provide the best for your children. I and all your priests are edified by your efforts to be the best parents you can be. I want to re-enforce those efforts that I know you are making to have your children understand the motivation for their actions. Consider asking the children "why" a particular action is good or bad. For example, "I saw you playing with your cousin today and sharing your toys with him or her. That was very good. Do you know why?" Hopefully, your child will answer, "Because people are more important than our stuff." 

Maybe we need to do the same thing for ourselves. For example, "I am here in Church. This is good. Why?"  This is because I belong to God and He belongs to me. I need this intimate union with Him in the reading of Scripture and partaking of the Eucharist at least once a week. Or, "I really lost it with my spouse or my kids. This is bad. Why?"  It's not just because anger is bad, but I sinned against the love that animates our family, the Love of God."

You see, it is not in the action itself but it is in the motivation behind the action where the person's true identity is found and formed. We are called to take upon ourselves the very identity of Jesus Christ. We are called to be selfless givers. We are called to be eternal lovers of the Father. We are called to rejoice in His presence in our families. We are not called to be minimalists in the faith. We are called to develop the facility of finding meaning in the laws that God gave us so that our external actions might truly be a reflection of our internal attitudes.

So, is it easier to be a modern Christian than an ancient Jew? Absolutely not. Christianity is extremely demanding upon us all because it calls us to be 100% committed to living in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.When we make efforts to be wholesome and sincere, then our holiness will surpass even that of the scribes and Pharisees.

God gave us the tremendous gift of freely choosing. Love isn’t truly love unless it is freely given – and freely received.  God has paid us a tremendous compliment in that He respects our decisions. He offers and then He waits for our response. His love for us is unconditional. His only law is love, a love within us that governs our choices and the actions that flow from our choices.

Matthew’s Gospel repeats the same lesson: doing good actions that look good in the eyes

of the world and yet do not contain our complete commitment to Him is not enough: “Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’” We cannot fool God. God wants us to give ourselves completely to Him. He will give Himself to us beyond all that we can imagine!

What Hinders the Spread of Christianity? Christians

Sermon by Fr. Joseph Mungai

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Feb. 5, 2017

St Mary of the Pines and Sacred Heart of Jesus Mission Church, Shreveport, LA, U.S.A.

Fr. Joe is on leave from his parish in Kenya, St. John the Apostle Awasi Catholic Church, Kisumu Archdiocese.

He asks for our prayers for his people who are experiencing hunger due to drought.

What is the greatest hindrance to Christianity in our country? 

This is a question that is bound to elicit a variety of answers depending on whom you ask. Possible answers would include: the mass media, popular culture, materialism, bad government policies, other religions, etc. A missionary had the occasion to put this very question to the great Mahatma Gandhi, “What is the greatest hindrance to Christianity in India?” 

His answer was swift and decisive: “Christians.” These are not committed Christians, but those who talk and behave in a manner that has nothing to do with Jesus Christ. 

Before the days of widespread high blood pressure, salt was regarded as a great good. It was salt that preserved food and kept it from spoiling. Salt was traded by caravans just as people traded gems and gold.

Jesus called His disciples  the salt of the earth -- we are essential to the world. We carry in us Christ's life sacrificed for all  mankind. He also identifies as as the light of the world. 

A mother and her small child once drove past the restored home of Abraham Lincoln in Springfield, Illinois. It was night and the

President Lincoln's home in Springfield, Illinois

national shrine of the United States was brightly lit. "Look, mama," said the child excitedly, "Mr Lincoln left his lights on." The mother smiled, "Yes", she replied, "He left them on for the whole world to see." 

Although Lincoln has been dead since 1865, he is still a tremendous inspiration to everyone. But Christ Himself -- in a even greater sense -- remains the shining beacon for all people of all times. He is "Light from Light,  true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father." (Catechism of the Catholic Church)  Christ has shared with us His Light during baptism and He asks us to become His Light to the world.

In today’s gospel Jesus says to his disciples, “You are the light of the world” (Matt 5:14). But elsewhere in John 8:12 Jesus says of Himself, “I am the light of the world.” Who then is the light of the world, Jesus or His followers? Jesus Christ is the Light of the World. We are nothing without Christ. To the degree you participate in Christ's life, you too become light to the world. 

The Christian in the world today is called to be salt and light. Now what do these mean? We are asked to be salt to our world because of Christ dwelling in us,  preserving it from spoiling because of greed, injustice and lust, preserving it from decaying because of dishonesty, disloyalty and disrespect. We are called to be salt to the world transforming it through Christian values such as chastity, human rights and decency. We are urged to be the light of the world illuminating our homes, parishes, nations with charity, truth,  peace along the way shown by Christ. 

As salt we are called to be sweet disciples, friendly and kind, living peacefully with everyone. As light, we are called to lead others to Christ. Without light, we bump into each another and fall into the ditch. But light says: “Here is the road, take it; here is danger, avoid it.” Our duty is to sanctify the world. 

But how do we do that? Take the path of salt and light. Salt must make the food taste better. If salt loses its taste then it is useless and can no longer make a difference. Light must dispel darkness. A flashlight with dead batteries helps no one in the dark.   If believers have nothing that distinguishes them from unbelievers, then they are like salt that has lost its saltiness and therefore cannot make a difference. And what distinguishes us from non-believers  but the life we live. As Jesus says in John 13:35, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Love is the distinctive mark by which you can tell the true Christian from the false.

Secondly, both salt and light operate by associating with the thing that they want to change. Salt cannot improve the food unless it goes into the food and changes it from within. Light cannot show the way unless it encounters the darkness. Sometimes Christians think that the way to go is to keep away from getting involved with society. But if we do that, we are hiding our lamp under the bushel basket. To make a difference we must get up and get involved.

Disciples of salt and light must meet the particular needs of our time. Save the world from corruption. Dispel the darkness of

division and injustice. See the needs of the hungry, naked and homeless. Come to their assistance. The Lord's appeal in our first reading "Share your bread with the hungry and shelter the homeless and clothe the naked." (Isaiah 58:7) still resounds today and it resounds louder than ever. 

In Kenya, this need is much felt especially in the North. I was impressed when I heard that people are donating through Red Cross to feed my vulnerable people. Nakedness can obviously be taken literally in terms of those without adequate clothing, but it has a wider meaning. The naked are those whose human dignity is denied, who stand before the rest of  humanity without protection, power or hope. It is therefore the responsibility of the Christian to recognise the dignity of each person, regardless of race, colour, tribe, religion or nationality.

Brethren, we will be called to make sacrifices and even face opposition from those who prefer to live in darkness and refuse to approach the light. St. Paul found success

only through the power of the Holy Spirit. "I did this," he wrote, "so that your faith should not depend on human philosophy, but on the power of God." (1 Cor 2:5).