The Next Level

Probably most of us at one time or another have watched and even rooted for a professional athlete. These athletes have reached and can play at the level they do because, even with all the talent and experience they have, they’re still willing and able to accept constant coaching.  They and their coaches are still working to be even better. 

Some of what happens at Catholic Charities is similar. People come with their needs. Those they encounter provide training, resources, and even life coaching to help get their lives back on track, working to be better and live at a new level.

If we think about it, this is what Jesus does for us. He’s the coach bringing us up to the next level. 

Like the disciples in the Matthew’s Gospel (Mt 5:17-37), we know the commandments and laws, thou shall not kill, Thou shall not commit adultery, Thou shall not lie and so on, and most of us can probably meet those expectations.  Truthfully, it’s easy for us and even for others to see our outward observance of the laws and know that we’re not murderers, adulterers, or liars.  If this is all we’re concerned about, we might consider ourselves good and righteous people, just like the Pharisees and scribes did. 

But Jesus raises the bar a notch.  He wanted the righteousness of his disciples to surpass that of the Pharisees and scribes.  As his disciples today, he wants the same for us.  He has a better way for us.  He wants us to move up to the next level.  And he does this by turning the laws inside out.

Jesus asks us to not just focus on our external actions, but to turn our attention inward, on ourselves and reflect on something that touches us much more deeply, the intentions of our hearts.  

This might make some of us a little uncomfortable.  When we move to the next level, when we do as Jesus asks and focus on the intentions of our hearts, we think not about how we didn’t kill, but about how many times we’ve become angry with and said bad things about someone. We think not about how we have not committed adultery, but how we might’ve made or agreed with inappropriate comments made about someone else’s appearance. We think of those times when someone asked us for help, and we refused out of laziness or fear of how doing so would affect our reputation. We think of the times when our yes did not mean yes or our no mean no. Moving to the next level by focusing on the intentions in our hearts helps us realize our shortcomings.

What Jesus asks is not to make us feel bad or condemn us, but to reveal areas in our life where we can still grow. With our humble admission, patience, effort, and repentance, and the limitless love, mercy, and forgiveness of Jesus, we grow. Our minds become clearer, our hearts calmer, and our spirits more peaceful.

We are the reason Jesus came to earth, the reason he suffered and died on the cross, and the reason he rose from the dead.  He claims us as his own, he calls us friends, he loves us.  He loves us so much that he just can’t leave us where we’re at.  He extends his mercy and forgiveness, to rescue us from our shortcomings, inspire us in our growth, and works with us to remove sin and everything else that doesn’t belong in our hearts, making them more like his, bringing us to the next level.

Behold

Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.  When we read John’s Gospel (Jn1:29-34) we hear John the Baptist’s testimony of Jesus.  Telling those around him that Jesus is the one, the one they’ve been waiting for, the one they’ve been looking for. 

People live to be happy.  We may think that this comes by way of money, stuff, and status, whatever we else it takes to make us feel comfortable.  These things might not be bad in and of themselves, but if we live only there, our lives can seem to become unmanageable and eventually meaningless.  We can find that we constantly compare ourselves to others, thinking that we’re just not good enough, they have more and better things than we do.  And, there is something that tugs at us that never lets us be truly happy or fulfilled, so we go after more.  

John the Baptist shows us how to find the “more” we are seeking when he tells us like he told those back then, “Behold the Lamb of God.” 

John didn’t just say look at Jesus, he said behold.  To behold is different than just a glance. 

To behold is a conscious act. We intentionally take a pause from our busyness and focus a steady gaze at what we behold so that we not only see it with our eyes, but with our mind, our soul, our heart, our whole being. 

What we behold makes us feel different. What we behold, we can’t turn away from. What we behold enters into us. What we behold becomes part of us. What we behold changes us.    

One day as I was standing in the parking lot of the Center for Hope, I witnessed a young woman as she was pulled out a truck by her boyfriend.  She was traumatized, stood weeping, in a state of disbelief, as he took what little she owned in garbage bags, threw them at her feet, and drove off. This woman was broken, hurt, humiliated and weeping at being put out by her boyfriend. She had nothing and nowhere to go or stay. Through her tears, she asked me for help. I helped her inside and in a matter of minutes she was welcomed, embraced, and cared for by those working there with food, warm clothing, a temporary place to stay, and a way to find a place to live.

Behold the Lamb of God. We can behold him in the vulnerable. “Whatever you do for the least of these, you do for me.” (Mat 25:40) When we place ourselves in the midst of those who are marginalized, to be really present for them, to really listen, to really understand their struggles, come to know why they feel the way they do, and offer support, a connection forms. It’s a bond that unites. A bond that transforms the “you and me” to “us.” A bond that reminds us of someone we are deeply attached to. A bond that reminds us of Jesus.

By beholding Jesus, we experience more peace and joy, even in the midst of struggles. We grow in love and humility. When we behold Jesus, we come to know exactly, who we really are.  We are his beloved.  He defines us. We grow to become more like him and can be that source of Hope for the suffering. Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. 

Presen..."ts" or "ce"

I can remember getting our tree ready for Christmas one year.  My wife and I had not been married long and were living in a house in Flint.  We purchased a live tree from one of those parking lot vendors, at a church or Kmart or somewhere.  We took it home and hauled it into our living room, placed it in a tree stand and stood it up.  I don’t remember exactly what the problem was, either the tree was too tall and pushed against the ceiling or it didn’t sit straight in the stand, or something, but whatever it was, I had to tip the tree over, remove it from the stand, and cut the bottom.  I remember putting something on the floor to catch the dust and using a really dull hand saw, to cut a chunk off the trunk, it took forever.  When I was done, I placed the stand back onto the tree, and stood it up.  After all that, I was a little frustrated as I looked at it because there seemed to be no difference.  It was still crooked or too tall.  By now I was a little irritated, and I went through the process all over again.  I pulled the tree down, took the stand off, used the dull saw for what seemed like an hour to cut a piece off the trunk, put the stand back on, stood it up, and what the heck?  Still no difference?  By this time I had had enough, I was going to do this one more time and that was it.  I was fuming.  I was more of a hot head back then.  So I ripped the tree down, pulled off the stand and went out to the garage to get a different saw.  My wife was on the phone as all this was going on and it wasn’t until I came in the living room with the chain saw that she hurried up and told whoever she was talking to that she had to go and would call them back.  Before she could say much the saw was on the trunk of the tree, I pulled the trigger, and chips were flying everywhere.  Yessss, I sure showed that tree. 

In our world today, while we may be surrounded by information, we can at the same time long for intimacy. We can be connected to many but anchored to no one. We can be more stimulated than ever yet somehow still feel dead. Sometimes what we desire is real presence. The presence ending with ce not presents that ends with ts. A presence that affirms a purpose for living.

Those who come to Catholic Charities receive real presence. Everyone who comes is received, acknowledged, and accepted, treated with respect and dignity as they are provided with the help they seek. It’s a presence that gives a sense of worth and value. A presence that says you matter.

Christmas Lights

We can spend a lot of time preparing our houses, food, and presents for Christmas.  But what do we do to prepare for the coming of Jesus?  How do we prepare our hearts for him?

The lights we see at Christmas can be a reminder of the love that God has for us.  A love so deep and so passionate, that he sent his only son to earth to love us and to save us.  His son who he sent to Mary.  Mary, for whose response the entire world, the angel and even God, stopped… and waited for.  Who our gospels tells us overcame her fear, who took great risk, who courageously placed all of her trust in God and proclaimed, “I am the handmaid of the Lord.  May it be done to me according to your word.”  Mary, who’s “yes” to the will of God made the impossible possible and forever defeated the “No” of Eve in the garden.  Mary, who’s yes brought Jesus into our world to let God love us and save us.  Mary, who watched her son die for us and then rise from the dead so we can be with him and know the love he has for us, forever.  So, in our preparations for Christmas during this Advent season, we make our hearts ready to receive this love, by stopping.  We stop running.  We stop our busyness.  We pause and take time to be still.  We take time to be quiet.  We take time to be with him.  We stop our questioning and worrying and like Mary, surrender ourselves to God and humbly let him into our hearts, even into those recesses we feel ashamed of.  Those tearful places where we feel lost, broken, and alone, and even there, especially there, let him love us just as we are, and comfort us with his merciful and tender embrace.  Then, we love him back.  We can only really be who God created us to be in this love.      

The lights of Christmas can also remind us to share this love.  Like he did with Mary, God waits for our response.  To say yes and let the love he consoles us with overflow from our hearts to others, especially those who feel lost, broken and alone, so that even where they are, especially where they are, and just as they are, they too can know his love and tenderness, through us.  This love is the real Christmas spirit.  Something we may be reminded of during Advent, but something we can continue to share every day. 

Now, go to that person, you know, the one struggling with life, trying to provide for their family. Wondering if this is all there is, if life will ever be any better.  The one who doesn’t know me.  The one who is lost……….and share his love with them.  Show them how he loves them.

Go, to that person, you know, the one who feels like they have failed, let everyone down.  The one who feels they are not worth loving.  The one who is broken……… and share his love with them.  Show them how he loves them.

Go, to that person, you know, the one who right now has no one else.  No one to be with, no one to talk to, no one to laugh or to cry with.  The one who is alone………..and share his love with them.  Show them how he loves them.

Don’t be afraid……..  he will be with you……….  Nothing is impossible with his love…………. As you admire the lights at Christmas,  will you do this for him?  

Relationship

I have the honor and privilege of attending funerals for each Catholic deacon in the Diocese of Lansing who passes away.  While each person is dear to me and each liturgy is special and beautiful, depending on my relationship with the one who passed, some funerals can be more difficult and emotional. Just before a funeral, I remember hugging the wife of a deacon who had passed and thinking to myself, “This is going to be a tough one.” It’s no secret that the condition of our relationships can affect our reactions and responses to the circumstances and situations of life that we experience with others. What we do often depends on our relationships.

We read in the Gospel the story of how Jesus was crucified and killed (Luke 23: 35-43).  The line that strikes me, “The people stood by and watched.” The rulers, soldiers, and even one of those being crucified along-side Jesus sneered at him and made fun of him.  But the people stood by and watched.  If you put yourself there, standing by and watching Jesus hanging and dying on the cross, and hearing what they were saying about him, what goes through your heart and mind?  Our response just might depend on our relationship with Jesus.

Maybe your relationship causes you to react like the others.  No reaction. Just stand by and watch.

Maybe your relationship is such that you feel moved with disbelief.  Not believing the things that happened, that it’s gone this far, and that it is going to end like this.  Sad and confused, you are left wondering what happens next.

Maybe your relationship causes you to want to respond with anger.  After all they put him through, they don’t let up.  You might feel like yelling out, Stop!  Just stop!  You’ve accused him, whipped him, beat him, nailed him, hung him, humiliated him, and are killing him.  Enough already! Just, stop! 

The good news for us is that there is another response to this story.  We can come to know and love Jesus well enough to respond with gratitude.  Gratitude for saving us by not saving himself.  So today, we can, like the repentant thief, confess our sins, listen to what Jesus has to say, profess our faith in God, ask to be remembered, receive his love, and have an intimate relationship with him.

One with Jesus, we can help him to continue his ministry on earth.  We take him with us into the world in which we go so we don’t just stand by and watch, but would use our eyes to see those who are poor and struggling, use our feet to quickly go to them, use our ears, mind and hearts to listen to their sighs and sorrows, use our hands to help and serve them, blessing whomever we encounter, by bringing into the circumstances and situations of their life the love of the one we know, Jesus.           

Humility

Back in the 1980’s, during the month of August, we would start some strenuous training before our high school football season began.  They were called 2-a-days.  We would practice early in the morning, break for lunch, then practice again in the afternoon until 3 o’clock or so.  On one of these mornings, we didn’t go out to the field but instead took some time to listen to the wisdom of the coach. 

His talk was about humility.  He understood the danger to a player and to the team if guys started to seek their own glory.  He knew how someone’s ego could be fed by looking up their game statistics or seeing their picture in the newspaper.  Gone unchecked, a player seeking his own greatness and notoriety makes playing all about him and not about the team.  This harms relationships, fractures the cohesiveness of a team, and makes it impossible to win, and hard to play. 

There was no social media like we have today.  Just 3 local newspapers so, at the end of this meeting, each of us made a promise to the coach not to read the newspaper until the season was over, to stay humble, stay focused, and practice and play hard. 

In Lukes Gospel (Lk 18:9-14), Jesus tells us of the importance of humility.  In our story, Jesus says it was not the proud Pharisee, who listed all his attributes and pious acts, but the humble tax collector who asked for God’s mercy and forgiveness who left the temple and went home with his relationship right with God. Self-righteous pride makes it all about us and places a barrier between us, God, and our neighbor. Honesty and humility, on the other hand, make us open to God, able to receive his grace and acceptance, to better love God, ourselves, and those around us.

“Walking humbly with the Lord,” not only restrains our desire for personal greatness, but it also unleashes great spiritual power.  There is nothing the devil fears more than humility because it’s what Jesus used to defeat him and his temptations in the wilderness. To be confident in ourselves, to be loved, find favor with God, and be protected against the devil, seems like conducting ourselves with humility is something we really should do. It takes practice.

Here's one thing you can do to practice humility. When you are with someone, your spouse, kids, parents, co-worker, or friend, who wants to speak with you, intentionally stop what you are doing, move your attention away from anything you had planned, and take the time to focus on them, to attentively listen. The person you’re with will know that they are noticed and that they matter. Taking time to practice putting another before yourself by really listening is an act of humility and love.

Another way we express humility is by practicing the way we use all the gifts god has given us.  What he gave us, he gave us for a purpose.  Not for our own self-gratification, or to say, “look at me”, but to love. To help him especially reach those society wants to push away and ignore, the poor, crippled, lame, and blind, and love them. 

As we continue to practice humility by reflecting on these and other situations in our lives and continue to ask God for what we need to be humble, we grow in love. If we’re not careful and don’t practice, pride and seeking our own glory can get in the way of what seem to be good works.  If we do things for our own gratification, our own notoriety, we may do good work, but we cannot love. The virtue of humility helps us to love.

Well, it’s time for practice.  By practicing humility in situations of our lives, God will help us rid ourselves of pride so others may see God’s glory, not ours, and know his love for them. Go out there. Stay humble, stay focused, practice hard, love and you will be right with God.