Conflict a Way Forward

Remaining true to our beliefs is an act of integrity that is often challenging in this “people pleasing” world. Christ calls us to hold tight to the values and teachings of the church and Gospel despite the temptation to give into the popular opinions of the crowd. Paul tells us not to conform to the world but conform the world to Christ. That is a tall order in a society where it is easier to give in and sell out in order to avoid conflict. Yet conflict is often necessary.

Jesus initiated conflict as he spoke to the religious leaders of his day, yet he did so in love, not out of ego. Conflict while uncomfortable is often necessary to create the traction and tension that moves us forward together in life. Yet many of us are frightened and wish to avoid conflict. Most of us don’t care for the awkwardness that conflict creates. The bottom line is that conflict is simply frightening and uncomfortable for many of us.

It is through our differences that conflict most often aries. As children of God we are all diveserse in nature. It is natural that people will disagree over personal views or ideas. Conflict stirs strong feelings such as the need to feel secure, respected, valued, or even the need for intimacy and to be understood.

Don’t be afraid of healthy conflict. It is what allows us the freedom to live life as the people God created us. What is important however is that we not use conflict as a club to bludgeon others or create divisiveness. Conflict allows us to express ourselves through civility. And finally despite our differences it is important to remember that our baptismal covenant calls us to honor the dignity of every human being. 

Sweet Surrender

What does it mean to truly surrender? We often think of the word “Surrender” in negative terms; terms such as weakness, defeat, give up, Lose, etc… But surrender in God’s realm is none of those attributes of weakness at all. As a matter of fact to surrender is courage, and the admission of needing a “power greater than ourselves” to help us and guide us through the often rough waters of life’s turbulent seas.

When we surrender to God, we are submitting our will to God’s Will. It is in surrender that we find freedom, joy and happiness. It is in surrender that we find a new and unencumbered life in Christ. It is in surrender that we are able to let go of the very things that weigh our lives down with despair.

Surrender may be “waving the white flag.” But it is saying to God, “I give my life to you. You O Lord be in charge.” When God is at the wheel driving our lives we are fine despite the bumps in the road. It is only when we refuse to surrender our lives and wills to God and insist on driving our lives on our own that we end up in the ditches of despair.

Surrender takes courage. I encourage us to turn our lives and wills over to the care of God and let him be our navigator. “Lord I surrender my life to thee to do with me as you will. For it is only through you that my life has true meaning and purpose.” I raise the white flag to you! 

The Power of Recovery is a Gift of God

The ministry of recovery is such a powerful yet simple act of God. All it requires to begin with is the admission that we are powerless over addictions and they make our lives unmanageable. I am delighted we have opened our doors to Alcoholics Anonymous. It is such an important ministry to so many people.  The lives that AA saves and restores to sanity are countless, and Our Savior is now assisting in God’s divine plan to make each of us whole both inside and outside our parish community; and that my friends is what the Gospel mission of Jesus is all about. Christ invites the community into our midst and us into the midst of the larger community. We soon find that God meets us where we are in life, whether in church, work; play, at home and etc…God is there with open arms of love.

I wish to thank the parish for hosting this important and vital ministry of Alcoholics Anonymous. A good priest friend of mine always says, “The church is one big house of recovery. It’s one big hospital!” We are all seeking healing and wholeness.

Living Under the Bridge

Living under the bridge. It is a stark and sad reality that I have personally witnessed. Thousands of Americans are homeless and live off the benevolence of others, or dive through dumpsters in order to find everything from food to blankets to plastic garbage bags to use for storage. Many of these people are mentally handicapped and have been forgotten by society. Some are people who have simply lost control of their lives and have ended up living wherever they can find a place to lay their heads. Then there are those who willingly take up this lifestyle, as they desire to live off the kindness of others. There are the alcoholics and drug addicts who have hit bottom and beg for money in order to buy their next drink or get their next fix. Then there are the forgotten brave veterans who came back from wars, suffering and lost. Regardless of what brought the homeless to this state of desperate existence, most of these people sleep in the streets, under bridges, in dark alleys, or even the woods.

Regardless of who these people are or their circumstances, they are children of God who are “Lost like Sheep without a Shepherd.” As Christians, Christ calls us to love and reach out to the lost and hopeless people of this world and not condemn them. In the Gospel of Luke Jesus says to the Pharisee’s (who condemn him for sharing a meal and the hospitality of hated tax collectors), “I have come to serve the sick, the blind, the lost and the lame.” Jesus had mercy on the outcasts of society and calls us to do the same.

I am so proud of Our Savior and the work we do feeding the hungry, providing needy families with meals at Thanksgiving and Christmas, and out reach to those incarcerated in prison or youth detention. I am proud of our Helping Hands who volunteer their time to serve at the Master’s Table on Fenwick Street and all the people who donate food to the Golden Harvest Food bank. I am in awe of the commitment to Saturday Sacks that feed children who would otherwise go hungry over the weekends. I am especially humbled by the level of acceptance displayed by our parishioners, inviting all people, no matter where they are in their life, into the very heart and ministry of our parish.

It is my hope that the next project we can embark on together is a community garden; one that will allow the parish and local community to work together to provide for those in need. Working with our surrounding community not only invites people into our church, it makes us an active part of our community and allows for mutual affection and care for our brothers and sisters who need assistance.

Thank you Our Savior for teaching and modeling for me what it truly means to love our neighbor as ourselves.

Christ is not Our Wal-Mart

The feeding of the 5000 is one of the most famous miracles in Jesus' ministry. Even people who know very little about the Bible are often familiar with this incredible event in Jesus' ministry. But what really captures my attention is not so much the miracle of the loaves and fishes itself; it's not the total lack of understanding or faith by the disciples; it's not even that there were twelve full baskets of leftovers. Despite the incredible miracle itself, what I find absolutely astounding is the sudden popularity of Jesus. Five thousand people chace him around the Sea of Galilee! That is no easy feat, especially given the rocky shores and beaches that surround the large sea.

Yet despite his sudden popularitity, Jesus remains humble and true to his salvific mission. Jesus has not forgotten the temptaions he experinced in his 40 day isolation in the desert. He has not forgotten the Devil's attempt to get him to turn stones into bread or bow down to him in order to receive all the kingdoms of the world. Jesus does not let his sudden popularity derail him from his ministry. He recognizes the subtle work of the devil proding his ego.

Jesus also recocgnizes too that when we accept the popularity offered by the crowd that they suddenly have power over him. Why? Because we want to maintain that popularity and not let anyone down. We become people pleasers!

So the bottom line for you and me is we are like the 5000. We want Jesus because what he can do for us, not what we can do to further his Kingdom on earth. Our prayers take on the self-centered concerns of feed me; heal me; help me; give me - or - I need; I want I ask, etc... Do these phrases sound familiar? They should, because if you are like me they often consume our prayers.

The question I ask us to reflect on is simply this: Has our consumer driven economy and culture taught us to approach God as consumers rather than followers? Has God become just another resource or option to serve as one giant "super saver" Store? God is not our Wal-Mart!

the miracle of the feeding of the 5000 demonstrates Jesus' humility and his call to us to remember that he is the true bread of life. We need him to fill our lives.

Eternal Bread

^“26Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. ²⁷Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.” John 6:26-27

The crowds of Jesus’ day are not all that much different than we are today. What we have in common is when we get a taste of something we consider good (whether it be food, a new car, jewelry, new furnishing, etc…) we often want more. Like the five thousand Jesus fed, we are still hungry for things that are consumed and perish; things that are merely temporal. Like the crowd of Jesus’ day we want more of everything. We are still hungry and thirsty for tangible things rather than the everlasting spiritual. In other words we will never be satisfied if seek joy by filling our lives with worldly things, rather than spiritual growth and fulfillment.

The 4^th/5^th c. Theologian and “Father of Western Christianity” Augustine of Hippo wrote, “Our souls are restless until they find their rest in God.” What a powerful observation! We are constantly unsatisfied, hungry and thirsty people. We hunger to be liked by our peers; we thirst to be seen in the light of prestige; we hunger to be known; we thirst for status. We often miss and overlook the true hunger and thirst that provides eternal purpose and joy in life. Those intangible qualities don’t come through temporal processions or personal status amongst our peers, nor personal affirmation and recognition. Yet we are like lost sheep without a shepherd, craving for real meaning and substance in our lives that the temporal can never fill.

John’s Gospel tells us that the people surrounding Jesus were so desperate for something to fill their lives that they were like lost sheep without a shepherd as well. They continued to seek out Jesus but they were clueless as to the real substance of what Christ offered.

So why did they come to Jesus? We know that earlier in this same chapter Jesus fed the five thousand with a mere five loaves of bread and two small fish. They must have not only been amazed that they were all able to eat their fill from this small quantity of food, but there were twelve full baskets left over. Jesus realizes that these poor lost souls don’t understand that this miracle was not about mere food and feeding the people, rather they missed the point. He said, “Very truly, I tell you, you are coming to me not because you saw the signs but because you ate the loaves.” The people wanted full stomachs rather than full spirits, and fulfilled lives. Their human nature misunderstood Jesus’ true purpose and meaning for their lives. They ate the food but missed the message. They remained hungry, nor were they satisfied for long.

What we often miss in our understanding of the nature of God is that Christ came to offer a feast of the spirit; a life centered in the Gospel. Jesus is not a drive through food service. Jesus offers food that lasts – eternal spiritual substance -Grace.

Jesus addresses a crowd with their hands out instead of their hearts open. The “bread that comes down from heaven” is not made of flour and water, but of flesh and blood. Jesus is the “Bread of Life;” eternal life.

How do we approach God in our daily lives? Do we approach God in prayer with spread hands of self-indulgence, or do we approach God in complete surrender with our hearts open asking “Come Holy Spirit, Come?”

Gregorian Chant - "Salve Regina"