In scripture, we encounter a God who is continually working to gather us back to himself.  In Exodus (19:2-6) we hear God working through Moses to gather the Israelites to himself by telling them that they will be his special possession if they listen to his voice and keep his covenant.

In Matthew (9:36-10:8) we have Jesus amongst a crowd of people who were troubled, confused, and left to spiritually fend for themselves.  He felt pity for them. They were vulnerable to those who would separate, divide, and scatter; those who would lead them away from a loving relationship with God;  lead them away from true happiness, peace, and freedom;  lead them away from the one who came to save them.

Through Catholic Charities and with the help of others, we were able to do a funeral and burial service for a man named John a couple of weeks ago.  John was 66 years old and homeless.  His life was a struggle. He was living in abandoned houses around the city and, back in March, came to Catholic Charities for help.  One of the counselors spoke with him and convinced John to spend that night in the warming center and not in some cold, dirty, dangerous place by himself, and that they would talk the next morning. John fell asleep in the Catholic Charities Warming Center and never woke up. 

It was a blessing for us to conduct this funeral and burial for a man we considered our guest, but who the rest of society didn’t see. At the cemetery, in addition to John, we had the honor to lay to rest the remains of seven others who no one claimed. It was a sad reminder for us that there are many people in our world who are invisible, unknown, have no one to care for them and who’s passing from this world just goes unnoticed.

At Catholic Charities I encounter many people who are struggling with trials of one type or another and some who are out right suffering. I see how many respond to the trials in their life.  The people who inspire me are those who seem joyful in the middle of it all and go about taking the steps they can to help improve their situation.  But how do they have joy?

Suffering is not fun, and it doesn’t bring us a sense of happiness.  But those who are joyful see it from a different perspective.  To them every trial is an opportunity.  It’s a chance to reflect and take stock of their faith in Jesus. A chance to discern how much they really trust him. A time when instead of distancing themselves from him and trying to comfort themselves on their own or in a strange way the world tells them, with the help of the Holy Spirit, they intentionally turn towards Jesus, draw closer to him, lean on him, and love him even more. With the help of the Holy Spirit, their trials actually nourish their life with Jesus. It’s this life with Jesus that gives us them power to engage, endure, overcome, and even be joyful in it all, making things they face seem a little less frightening.  Where can I get this life with Jesus?  It comes from our belief in him.

Over the years, living in a house with my wife and two daughters, I have been very blessed to see how mothers and daughters relate to one another and how their relationships can change. When our girls were young and everything seemed new to them, my wife was excited to do kid stuff; blow bubbles, make s’mores in the summer and snowmen in the winter, or bake cupcakes and cookies. I saw much fun and love, even though everything wasn’t always smooth and easy.

Every Disciple will be like his teacher. Back in the 90’s when I worked at Buick, I can recall that the manager of our factory at the time always wore a sweater vest. Not that there was anything wrong with it, but it just set him apart from how other managers dressed in suits and ties. It wasn’t long that I noticed that most of the other men I worked with started to wear sweater vests too. Some looked good in them, others not so much. I don’t think it was a fashion trend at the time but the men, were becoming like their leader at least in the way they dressed. Could this be what Jesus means when he says that every disciple will be like his teacher? Maybe not, but we will become like our teacher. We will become like the one we follow. Jesus gives us a choice. A choice to follow and become like him or, follow others and become like them.

Often during Lent we hear the story of the Woman at the Well (John 4:5-42). According to some biblical scholars, back at that time most women went to the well early in the day before it became too hot. Young men knew this and would often go to the well too. Not to get water, but possibly to find a wife. They didn’t have Tinder or any of the dating apps we do now, and you didn’t go to the bar; you went to the well.

If that’s the case then it can give us a little bit different perspective on why the woman in our story. She had five husbands and was living with another man. Along with wanting to avoid judgement, and gossip, maybe with all the man trouble in her life, she didn’t need another one, so she went when she thought none would be there. And then she meets the one man she did need in her life. She met Jesus.

I was recently reflecting on one of St. Paul’s letters, I was reminded of “why” Catholic Charities exists…..for no other reason but simply …TO LOVE.

Read what St. Paul says (1 Corinthians 12:31 – 13:8)

“The Way of Love. But I shall show you a still more excellent way.

If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.

And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge;

if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing

As we approach Christmas, I am sure the thoughts of presents have crossed your mind. Today I want us to think about presents. Not presents that we wrap in paper to give and receive at Christmas, but presence. Six years ago, in a small town, far, far away, where the road ends, my mom passed away. (I come from a small town in the UP.) There was no newspaper that we could place an obituary in time to notify people of a funeral. But there was a local woman, Jan Tucker, who did a daily radio talk show that just about everybody listened to.

We are bombarded daily with opinions. Especially with social media, it seems like there are an infinite number of people, organizations, that try to play with our emotions, keep us from thinking and then tell us what we “should” do. If we get caught up in this space, we can become confused, led astray, and even do things against the will of God. So, who do we listen to? Who is the real authority? What is the truth?

Jesus’ question to his disciples is an interesting one. Can you drink the cup I drink? Preoccupied with their desires for greatness, their answer seems like it might have been a little premature, like they didn’t really understand the cup Jesus would drink. The cup was his redemptive suffering.

Everything Jesus suffered, the condemnation, the whipping and beating, spitting, name calling, humiliation, the crown, the cross, the nails, the abandonment, and finally his death had a purpose. The purpose for all that suffering was for us, so that we might be redeemed. So that we might be freed from the clutches of evil and sin in the world, that draws us away from Him and returns us to the loving embrace of God our father. Jesus suffered to rescue you.

In this story we hear about Jesus’ and his disciples making their way to Capernaum, and the disciples arguing with each other about who was the greatest. How would you feel, listening to that? It’s interesting that Jesus didn’t stop them in their tracks and tell them to just be quiet, that he didn’t want to hear their self-centered babbling or, give them a good talking to, to correct them. Instead, he patiently waited until they got to a house, went inside, didn’t scold them, but taught them. And he does the same for us. We spend time with Jesus, to listen to him, and learn something about what it takes to be a disciple of his.

Today we hear Jesus telling us the parable of the talents. You’ve probably heard this story before. It gives us a warning and a blessing. It lets us know that if we invest the talents God has given us, we will enter into the joy of his kingdom. That’s what we’re after isn’t it, joy with God? But this teaching raises some questions. First what talents has God given me? How do I invest them and, how does this lead to a joyful existence with God in his kingdom?

Luke 1:39-56
Mary set out
and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said,
"Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled."

Jesus sent his apostles out two by two. He told them how to travel and what to do. In this passage they return and tell Jesus all they had done. After their work, Jesus knew they would need to recharge for what was coming next so, he responded to them by inviting them to come away to a deserted place to rest a while. Jesus is reminding all of us, that even when we are doing his work, it’s important for the health of our soul to rest.

Over the years, living in a house with my wife and two daughters, I’ve been blessed to see how mothers and daughters relate to one another and how their relationships change. When our girls were young I saw much fun and love, even though everything wasn’t always smooth and easy. Time passed and adolescence set in. There was shopping, clothes, emotions, conflict, even tears sometimes, and still much love. As they make their own way in the world, their relationship with their mom becoming a beautiful, loving friendship.

This reading of the woman with the hemorrhage is one of my favorites. Now that may sound gross, and I don’t like blood. In fact the sight of it can make me queasy. This woman spent a lot of time and all of her money on doctors who tried to cure her, but they only made things worse. She suffered even more. Somebody told her about Jesus. And they must have done a pretty good job because she believed that, if she could just touch his cloak, she would be healed.

Mk 4:35-41

On that day, as evening drew on, Jesus said to his disciples:
“Let us cross to the other side.”
Leaving the crowd, they took Jesus with them in the boat just as he was.
And other boats were with him.
A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat,
so that it was already filling up.
Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion.
They woke him and said to him,

Jesus loves you so much that he wants always to be with you, and for you to be where he is. He died for you, so that your sins could be forgiven and no longer separate you from him. He rose from the dead, he is alive and will be with you and you can be with him forever. The Gospel is the love of Jesus. We provide hope to others when we proclaim it.

When we take the time to know and be in the presence of the Holy Spirit we feel different, we feel safe, grateful, and blessed. The Holy Spirit is all around us and when it comes into us, we act out of love instead of worry and need for control. We choose to do the more loving thing, and not the more selfish thing. With the Holy Spirit, we can be content, we can live with calmness and reassurance, we can live at peace.