The Lord Bless and Keep You!

The LORD bless you and keep you!

The LORD let his face shine upon

you, and be gracious to you!

The LORD look upon you kindly and

give you peace!

The blessing we heard proclaimed today is from the Book of Numbers, which is the fourth book of the Hebrew Bible and the fourth of five books of the Jewish Torah. The book has a long and complex history. The name of the book comes from the two censuses taken of the Israelites.

Numbers begins at Mount Sinai, where the Israelites have received their laws and covenant from God. God has taken up residence among them in the sanctuary. The task now before them is to take possession of the Promised Land.

The people are counted, and preparations are made for resuming their march. The Israelites begin the journey, but they "grumble" at the hardships along the way and about the authority of Moses and Aaron. They arrive at the borders of Canaan and send twelve spies into the land. Upon hearing the spies' fearful report concerning the conditions in Canaan, the Israelites refuse to take possession of it. They did not fulfill their part of the promise, leaving it for

another generation to do.

God blesses people in countless ways—spiritual, mental, emotional, and material. But the focus here is on blessing people with words. Our good words become the moment of God’s grace in the lives of people.

The words we use in our lives have the power either to bless or curse, to build up others or to tear them down, to help or to hurt those around us we know and love, and even those we do not know at all. Our choice of words often has more power than we realize. The blessings in Numbers declare that God will “keep” you, be “gracious” to you and give you “peace.”

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• In life, our words can “keep” another person—that is, reassure, protect, and support them.

• Our words can be full of grace, making the situation better than it otherwise would be.

• Our words can bring peace by restoring relationships that have been broken or opening the way to new ones.

Of course, there are times we have to object, critique, correct, and perhaps even disagree with others, but in those circumstances, the way we choose to do so also counts … and counts very much. Conversely, when others do positive things that inspire or help, we can choose to praise instead of keeping silent too.

There’s been a lot of talk these days in our Church and in news circles about “blessings.” And regardless of where you are on the issue it may be important to put the whole matter in context, and to re-visit our scriptural roots.

I think that regardless of one’s faith, almost all people know the term, “original sin”. Although original sin is not used in our everyday vocabulary, it looms in our unconscious minds. The notion of original sin can affect our understanding of ourselves, our fellow human beings, and even of God. Somehow our belief in the power of original sin is such that we can become the victim of original sin and live under its spell. Our biggest problem can be that most of us are not even aware of it because it happens in the unconscious dimension of our life.

People in our world, perhaps even in our congregation, suffer from a strong sense of guilt and unworthiness. As a result, they see themselves as terrible sinners, with a very distorted vision of God. Christians can also suffer from the heavy burden of a punishing notion of original sin. The longer I am ordained, the more I become aware of this position of suffering, guilt, and scrupulosity that some suffer from.

Surprisingly, there is no such a term as “original sin” in the Bible. It came into Western Christianity only after the fourth century by Augustine of Hippo, who believed that Adam’s sin is transmitted and continued through human lust. Indeed, when it comes to human nature and sin, somehow Western Christianity seems to have been more influenced by Augustine than by the Bible.

But let’s go back to the beginning before Augustine … to the book of Genesis, the first book in the Bible. It is God’s “original blessing” that is clearly found in the creation stories in Genesis. The scripture says, God saw that what he created was good.

From God’s perspective, the light, land and ocean, all kinds of vegetation, and all living creatures were “good.” Finally, God created humans in His image and saw that all His creation was “very good!” God saw goodness in each and every bit of creation including and especially in you and me … and all of our brothers and sisters in this life. And while any of us can, and probably has done some bad things, God’s love abounds. Because of those things, some of us still feel guilty, and sinful, and ashamed, and worse have become so harshly judgmental not only of ourselves, but also of one another, even of people we do not know.

Listen again to the words of the Psalm: May God bless us in his mercy. May God bless us in his mercy.

God's intention and desire to bless humanity is a central focus of his covenant relationships. For this reason, the concept of blessing pervades the biblical record. A blessing in the Old Testament was a public declaration of a favored status with God. Second, the blessing endowed power for prosperity and success. In all cases, the blessing served as a guide and motivation to pursue a course of life within the blessing … a guide and a motivation … to live a good life. The Old Testament uses terms for blessing over 600 times, so we know that this is a big concept for God.

The institutions of society — the family, government, and religion were the means by which ceremonial blessings were received. Within the family the father blessed his wife and children. In the government context, the ruler blessed his subjects. Those who possessed a priestly role were bestowed with the privilege of blessing. The tribe of Levi was set apart to pronounce

blessings in the Lord's name.

The New Testament parallels between the Old and New Testament usages of blessing are striking. To be blessed is to be granted special favor by God with resulting joy and prosperity. In the New Testament, however, the emphasis is more on spiritual rather than on material blessings.

God's promise to Abraham serves as a foundation for blessings. The pledge that all peoples on earth shall be blessed is fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus Christ. He has borne the consequences of the curse for believers and blessed them with the forgiveness of sins. Believers are blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ and now inherit the blessings promised through the patriarchs. As a result of receiving God's blessings in Christ, believers are

called to be a source of blessing to the world.

In our time, when so many feel judged, unwelcome, and marginalized, the Church challenges us as the Christian community and those of us who are pastors to welcome with respect and sensitivity all persons. We are challenged to find the most appropriate ways, consistent with Church teaching, to proclaim the Gospel in its fullness. At the same time, by our words, attitudes and actions, all people should recognize the genuine nearness of the Church – which prays for them, accompanies them, and shares their journey of Christian faith.

At the same time, as members of the Church we recall that God Himself never ceases to bless each of His pilgrim children in this world, because for Him we are more important to God than all of the sins that we could ever commit. God takes us as we are, but never leaves us as we are ... our encounters with God change us.

As we begin this new year, I pray again:

The LORD bless us and keep us!

The LORD let his face shine upon

us, and be gracious to us!

The LORD look upon us kindly and

give us peace!

And may the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, pray for us now and always, that every day we may become more and more like her Son Jesus.

Amen.

RSM

Christ, the Servant Leader

This weekend we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King, observed on the last

Sunday of each liturgical year. Pope Pius XI instituted this feast in 1925 with his

encyclical Quas primas (“In the first”) to respond to growing secularism and

atheism of his day. He recognized that attempting to “thrust Jesus Christ and his

holy law” out of public life would result in continuing discord among people and

nations. This solemnity reminds us that while governments come and go, Christ

reigns as King forever.

It seems to me that it also reminds us that while we seem to progress as human

people, there is always more to do to bring others along. The very familiar Gospel

today, Matthew 25 gives us some concrete examples how.

I’m not sure about you but whenever I read or hear that Gospel, I hear in my head

the words of that song, Whatsoever you do … to the least of my people, that you

do unto me. It’s hard to get that song out of your head when you hear it … and

perhaps that’s the point. The catchy melody reminds us that in every day we can

respond to those around us, and by doing so we respond to Christ. In those

moments we have the simultaneous opportunity to be both leader and follower …

in other words, a servant leader.

All professing Christians agree that a Christian leader should be a servant leader.

Jesus couldn’t be clearer:

The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority

over them are called benefactors. But not so with you. Rather, let the

greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who

serves. (Luke 22:25–26)

We know that there’s not always agreement on how servant leadership should

look in each situation. Sometimes servant leaders wash others’ feet, so to speak,

but other times they rebuke, and even discipline. Sometimes they serve at their

own expense, but other times they issue strong imperatives, but all in the spirit of

following Christ.

We also know that there are other factors that muddy the waters for us in aspiring

to be better servant leaders. To begin with, all of us are sinners, which means

even at the height of our maturity, we will still be defective servants. I can still

vividly see the first moments of Pope Francis’ pontificate when he was asked who

is Jorge Mario Bergoglio? And he responds, I am a sinner. This is the most accurate

definition. It is not a figure of speech, a literary genre. I am a sinner the Pope said.

Add to this the fact that most of us have not yet reached the height of our

spiritual maturity.

Add to this the fact that different temperaments, experiences, gifts, and callings

influence both how we tend to serve, and how we tend to perceive that

leadership.

So, determining whether or we are acting from a heart of Christlike service

requires charitable, patient, humble discernment. It’s not simple and it’s a lifetime

process. There’s no one-size-fits-all servant leader description. The needs and

contexts in our community and in the wider church are vast and varied and

require many kinds of leaders and gifts. It is natural that each of us is drawn to

certain kinds of leaders but remember that our preferences can be unreliable and

even uncharitable standards at times.

The readings in the days of November have focused our thoughts on the end

times … that is, getting ready to meet the Lord. And the Gospel today is poignant:

What you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.' And

these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.

So, in the days, weeks, months, or years that we have left on this earth, in this life,

let’s recommit on this last day of our liturgical year, to work harder at being better

servant leaders. And while there are many ways, here are a few to consider:

1. A servant leader seeks the glory of the Master.

And our Master is not our reputation or our ministry constituency; it is God. A

Christlike leader is a follower of Christ and demonstrates over time that Christ —

not public approval, position, or financial security — has our primary loyalty. How

can we better seek the glory of God in our life?

2. A servant leader sacrificially seeks the highest joy of those s/he serves.

Whatever our temperament, gift mix, capacities, or sphere of influence, the

servant leader will make necessary sacrifices to pursue people’s “progress and joy

in the faith,” which results in the greater glory of God. What sacrifices can we

make to help others seek the highest joy in their life?

3. A servant leader will forgo his/her rights rather than obscure the Gospel.

Saint Paul said it this way in Corinthians: I have made myself a servant to all, that I

might win more of them. What did this mean for him? It meant sometimes he

abstained from certain foods and drinks, or refused financial support from those

he served, or worked with his own hands to provide for himself, or went hungry,

or dressed poorly, or was beaten, or was homeless, or endured disrespect inside

and outside the church. And he decided not to marry. This was all before he was

martyred. Paul’s servant bar may have been set extraordinarily high, but servant

leaders will yield their rights if they believe more will be won to Christ as a result.

What are we willing to forego for the sake of Christ and the Gospel?

4. A servant leader is not preoccupied with personal visibility and recognition.

Like John the Baptist, a servant leader sees himself as a “friend of the

Bridegroom”, and is not preoccupied with the visibility of his/her own role. The

servant leader doesn’t view those with less visible roles as less significant, nor

does s/he covet more visible roles as more significant. The servant leader seeks to

steward the role s/he’s received as best as possible, and gladly leaves the role

assignments to God. Are we preoccupied with personal visibility and

recognition?

5. A servant leader anticipates and graciously accepts the time for his/her

decrease.

All leaders serve only for a season. Some seasons are long, some short; some are

abundant, some lean; some are recorded and recalled, most are not. But all

seasons end. When John the Baptist recognized the ending of his season, he said,

therefore my joy is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease.

Sometimes a leader is the first to recognize his/her season’s end, sometimes

others recognize it first, and sometimes God lets a season end unjustly for

purposes a leader can’t understand at the time. But a servant leader graciously

yields the role for the good of Christ’s cause, because his/her identity and trust

are not in his/her calling, but in Christ.

Honestly, no earthly Christian leader is the perfect incarnation of these five

fundamental marks of servanthood. Jesus alone bears that distinction. Most of us

are imperfect servants trying to the best of our ability to be faithful.

Perhaps that’s our promise today – to God and to one another – to take some

time to reflect on our own servant leadership – and to use all that we have each

day being better at it!

RSM

Corporal Works of Mercy Fall 2023 Homily Series: Sheltering the Homeless

I bet that at least one copy of the Bible may be found in almost every household in the United States and some other countries too. The Bible may be inscribed with gold lettering onto a leather-like cover, with gold leaf adorning the edge of each page or it may be just a very simply produced book. Whatever the format, it’s an outward display of the reverence with which Christians hold what’s inside—God’s very Word. Scripture has authority over all people, but believers are those who freely acknowledge and submit to its authority and try their best to follow its teachings.

Our Catholic faith tells us that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, and as such, it is a Catholic Christian’s ultimate authority. Because it is inspired truth, we search the Scriptures for all wisdom as it teaches us how to live an obedient life in sync with the example of Jesus himself.

Knowing God gave us the Scriptures, we are called to yield to its authority. The Bible’s authority and inerrancy form part of our Christian doctrine, along with our sacred tradition and the teaching of the magisterium. Scripture is how God speaks to us today and in the absence of the physical Jesus, we try our best to obey His commands through it.

The Gospel today seems to suggest that the parable of the two sons is very handy as a moral tale. However, as it is given, Matthew’s Jesus is not just using the parable as a nice moral tale that parents can employ one day to make their kids feel guilty for not taking out the trash or making their beds. Within the context, the parable is about authority and how one ultimately responds to it.

The distinction between the two brothers turns on action versus word. Jesus and his adversaries agree that only one son does the will of the father, the son who says “no,” but goes nonetheless into the vineyard to work. Actions speak louder than words.

Jesus uses this exchange to expose what the leaders of his day really thought about John. The chief priests’ and elders’ failure to believe and respond to John reveals the truth about where they stood, and thus which brother they actually represent.

Jesus’ authority, in contrast, is affirmed by the integrity of his words and actions, as well as by its outcomes: gathering and restoration, healing and cleansing, release from demonic powers, restored sight, table fellowship with sinners, and preservation of the least ones — all examples of the “fruit” of repentance.

Apparently, “believing” entails making a decision about what kind of power is legitimate, Jesus’ power or that of the Judean leaders. Only Jesus manifests a form of power that requires us to change our minds about the source, nature, and fruit of true power.

This weekend we continue our Fall preaching series … the corporal works of mercy and focus on our fourth theme: sheltering the homeless.

We know that the corporal works of mercy are charitable deeds that provide for the bodily needs of others, and standing at the top of the list of critical bodily needs are food and shelter. The fourth corporal work of mercy is to shelter the homeless, also known as to harbor the harborless.

In the Gospel of Matthew 25, it corresponds to, “I was . . . a stranger and you welcomed me”.

A roof over one’s head provides protection from the elements as well as safety and security.

Shelter comes in a wide variety of forms depending upon the time in history and the geographic location: caves, tents, thatched roof huts, igloos, teepees, log cabins, house boats, apartments, barracks, dormitories, shacks with tin roofs and palaces.

It is a terrible problem to be without adequate housing, and one of the most striking examples is the Holy Family. Mary and Joseph could not find shelter when they went to Bethlehem: There was no room for them in the inn. Accorded no mercy, their substandard shelter was a stable or a cave. When they fled to Egypt, again they were without shelter, and it is presumed that through the tender mercy of Jews of the Diaspora, they were given a place to stay. They eventually settled in Nazareth and enjoyed a permanent home.

There are so many in our world who lack adequate housing: victims of disasters, the poor,

the unemployed, the foreclosed, the disabled, military veterans, abuse victims, the mentally challenged and, today, thousands of refugees.

And we know that there are many charitable groups that serve the homeless, even the homeless here in Summit. It is surely a corporal work of mercy to volunteer or offer donations to these organizations and/or to do the person-to-person work.

Feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked and sheltering the homeless are all works of mercy. Mercy begins at home. It is as simple as parents providing shelter for their own children to welcoming an aging parent or a sick relative into one’s home. Where is mercy in our life? In our home? In our parish? What can we do better?

Our series today asks us several pointed and fundamental questions:

1. Do we accept the authority of the Scriptures? If so, are we compliant with the command of Jesus to give shelter to the homeless?

2. Or are we like the brother, who in response to the Father’s command says “yes” and then does not follow through – just walks away.

Someone once said that the Word of God is not a book of suggestions, it is deliberative and directive code for life. This week we are all challenged to examine our life to see how we are compliant with the Lord’s call to shelter the homeless.

Saint Joseph is the patron of the homeless. Let us call out to him for his intercession to help us this day.

RSM