27th Sunday of Ordinary Time - The Einstein of Wines

 

About 10 years ago, I had a funeral for a long-time parishioner of St. Clare. His name was Lenny Giuliani, and when I met with the family to plan the funeral, I learned that Lenny had been a winemaker. Making wine wasn’t his profession, but a hobby that he took very seriously; his family called him the “Einstein of Wines” because he was extremely scientific in perfecting his wines. His daughters brought me a few bottles of Lenny’s wine and suggested that I try them, and let them know my honest opinion, because their father loved constructive criticism.

So, a few days after the funeral, I opened his bottle of red, a blend of several different grapes noted on the label, with the precise percentage of each noted. And I’m no connoisseur, but I could tell that I was drinking something special, the culmination of a life’s work, a work of art.

Good food and good wine can certainly rise to the level of art. And Lenny’s wine was certainly artfully made. He developed these wines, painstakingly, and shared the fruits of his labors with family and friends. And for that, the world was blessed. In this digital age, when we are tempted to spend our waking hours, and our so-called “free time” in front of screens, we probably need to be a bit more like Lenny. To produce something with our hands, with our minds, that can be given away to bring some joy in this increasingly joyless world.

Idle hands are the devil’s workshop as proverbs says. And so a hobby, a craft, done artfully and carefully can be a excellent means of avoiding the near occasion of sin of laziness, and can bring something good into the world. 

I thought of Lenny’s wine this weekend, for one because we hear of vineyards and grapes in our scripture readings, also because it’s the anniversary of Lenny’s funeral this week. But also because our Scripture readings really do urge us to consider how we use our time, how we spend our life—how we use the time we’ve been given…to be a blessing to others…or not.

In today’s First Reading Isaiah describes God’s displeasure with Israel. The Lord had prepared Israel to be a fine vineyard—a vineyard of holy souls that should have yielded the highest quality grapes.  God had given Israel the Law, the Torah, he had delivered the Israelites out of the slavery of Egypt, and placed them in the promised Land, he had sent them prophets to help them be his holy people. And yet, what did they do with those blessings? what did they do to the prophets?

Rather than yielding the lush, juicy grapes of faithfulness, justice and peace, Israel had produced wild sour grapes of infidelity, false worship, ignorance of the scriptures, and injustice toward the poor.

Shame on Israel, right? Well, the pattern of Israel’s sin, is of course, ours as well. God has given us all we need to be saints. The Scriptures, the Holy Tradition of the Apostles, the Sacraments, the constant guidance of the Holy Spirit.

And of course, many of us have seen tremendously good fruit in our lives and among our fellow Catholics: the joy that comes from serving and caring for others, the peace that comes from mending broken relationships, the development of virtues. And yet, the rotten fruit of infidelity can still be detected: selfishness, hatred, souls given over to lust, greed, wrath, pride, envy, gluttony, and sloth. Chronic crankiness and bitterness, stinginess, are usually signs that we’ve let self-absorption take the place of Christian self-donation.

The Word of God challenges us to ensure that we are doing what we can to weed out the bad and nurture the good—to tend the field of our soul—to uproot the rotten vines lest they takeover the vineyards of our lives. For the Lord has chosen us “to go and bear fruit that will remain.”

The Gospel Parable of the Tenants today also challenges us to consider what lessons from God that we have rejected. In the parable, we read of the wicked tenants who rejected the vineyard owner’s servant and then rejected and killed the vineyard owner’s son.

The Lord Jesus issued this parable to the chief priests and elders of Israel. Jesus was helping them understand that they were like those wicked tenants—not only had they rejected the message of the prophets, they were also rejecting the vineyard owner’s son—the Son of God—in the rejection of his teachings.

Shame on the chief priests and elders, right? Well, again: how about us? We see baptized Catholics forsaking the faith, and acting like they might catch on fire if they stepped into Church. Amongst the Protestants, heresy has spread like wild-fire—they’ve lost the eucharist, the priesthood, confession, sacramental anointing and some of them don’t even practice baptism anymore, not to mention the moral teachings they have rejected. And many Catholics aren’t much better, picking and choosing which teachings they’ll adhere to like choices in a buffet line.

Rather, this Gospel calls us to ensure that we reject nothing of what comes from God, particularly the teachings of the Son of God. To repent of sin and bear fruit that will last. And as we accept and apply the teachings of Christ, we experience more deeply his peace. As St. Paul says, “the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

The world doesn’t understand how practicing self-control, and self-constraint in the face of temptation brings peace, but it does. How practicing obedience to Church teaching and self-sacrifice, giving of our time talent and treasure can bring us peace, but it does. We have the saints, and every Christian who takes this stuff seriously to prove it. Peace and joy.

This week, we began again the month of October. October is traditionally dedicated to the Holy Rosary, as the Feast of the Holy Rosary, is celebrated on October 7. I encourage you to take up the rosary this month, especially if you are not in the habit of doing so, to pray the rosary for the good of our parish, the needs of the world, especially those who reject Christ and do not know his peace.

Ask for Our Lady’s help in putting the teachings of Christ into practice in your life, in discovering new ways the Lord is calling you to serve his kingdom, perhaps simply like Lenny, to perfect some art that can bring joy to others, or some ministry that needs to be strengthened in our parish, or to help you be more attentive to those whom God has given you gifts to serve, to assist and help. Or maybe, you need Our Lady’s help to lift you out of a place of discouragement or habitual sin. The rosary is a powerful way of seeking God’s help to overcome these things.

Avail yourself to the help of heaven in overcoming sin and pursuing the sanctity for which you were made, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

21st Week of Ordinary Time 2022 - Friday - Eternal Consequences and the Light of Faith

 

Chapter 25 of Matthew’s Gospel contains the Lord’s final teachings prior to the beginning of his Passion. In it we read two parables—the parable of the 10 virgins and the parable of the talents. The chapter concludes with the Lord’s teaching on the great judgment—the eternal separation of the sheep and the goats.

These are some solemn teachings. They all speak of consequences.

The wise virgins are allowed into the banquet feast, while the foolish are shut out. The wise stewards who invest the talents with which they’ve been entrusted are praised by the master when he returns and welcomed into joy, while the foolish steward is called wicked and lazy and useless by the master; he is thrown into the outer darkness, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. And then of course the great judgment. For engaging in the works of mercy: feeding the Son of Man when he appeared as a stranger, clothing him, visiting him in prison, they shall inherit the kingdom prepared from the foundation of the world, while others, are called goats, and for neglecting the works of charity, they are ordered to depart from the Son of Man, they are called accursed, and sent to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and the fallen angels.

The teachings of the Lord Jesus have consequences—eternal consequences.

Like all 10 virgins at the beginning of today’s parable, all Christians are given a lamp of grace. In the baptism ritual, a candle is handed to the newly baptized and the priest tells them: “receive the light of Christ. You have been enlightened by Christ. Walk always as children of the light and keep the flame of faith alive in your hearts. When the Lord comes, may you go out to meet him with all the saints in the heavenly kingdom.”

This post-baptismal instruction is clearly inspired today’s Gospel. The light of Christ, the light of faith is given to us in baptism, and wisely it must be kept alive by practicing the pillars of our faith: right belief, sacraments, obedience to the commandments, and prayer. Without all four of those, we foolishly allow the light of faith to become extinguished.

Sadly, we all know of Christians who appear to have allowed their lamps to become extinguished, or whose flame is but a bare flicker, in danger of the next wind, the next sin, blowing it out. We have a duty to them to help rekindle the light, by leading them to the truth of Christian doctrine, the grace of the sacraments, the right practice of the moral teachings, and a vibrant prayer life—especially to relight extinguished flames through the Sacrament of Confession.

We do not know the day nor the hour when the Bridegroom will return or our earthly life will come to an end. May the Lord find our souls persevering in his grace, with the flame of faith alight and blazing, for the glory of God and salvation of souls

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For the flourishing of spiritual gifts in the Church and in our parish; and for the grace during this month of August to practice the virtue of humility in all of our relationships and interactions. 

For our young people in these early days of the school year, and for their teachers: that the Word of God might be cherished, studied, and practiced in every classroom and home. 

That politicians and government officials may protect religious freedom, promote virtue, and look to the law of Christ to guide their work for the good of nations and all peoples. 

For those beset with any sort of trial, illness, or burden: that the Lord will build up his strength within them and assist them in their needs. 

That those who have died may share in the joy of life-everlasting with the Risen Lord, especially the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, and all the souls in purgatory…

O God, who know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.

27th Sunday in OT 2020 - Opportunities from God

 You may have heard this story before, but please indulge me: A severe storm was approaching, and local officials sent out an emergency warning that riverbanks would soon overflow and flood nearby homes. 

A man living in the clear path of the storm heard the warning and began to pray that God would save him from the flood.

Not long after the rains began, the man’s neighbor came to his house, and the neighbor pleaded: “Let’s get out of here. Come with my family!  There’s room in our car for you” But the man declined, saying “I have faith that God will save me.”

As the storm grew more severe and began to flood the neighborhood, the man stood on his porch and watched the water rise up the steps of his front porch. Another neighbor, this time in a canoe paddled up to the house and called to the man, “Hurry and get into my canoe, the waters are rising quickly!” But the man again said, “No, I have faith that God will save me.”

The floodwaters rose higher pouring water into his living room and the man had to retreat to the second floor. A police motorboat rode up to the house. “We will rescue you!” they shouted. But the man refused, waving them off saying, “Use your time to save someone else! I have faith that God will save me!”

The flood waters rose higher and higher and the man had to climb up to his rooftop.

A helicopter spotted him and dropped a rope ladder. The rescue squad pleaded with the man, "Grab the roap and we will pull you up!" But the man STILL refused, folding his arms tightly to his body. “No thank you! God will save me!”

The ferocious waters destroyed the house and swept the man away and he drowned.

The man appeared before the Holy Trinity, and he said “I put all of my faith in You. Why didn’t You come and save me?”

And God said, “I sent you a warning. I sent you a car. I sent you a canoe. I sent you a motorboat. I sent you a helicopter. You rejected my help at every turn.  What more could you want?”

A good story. God answers prayers, but sometimes we don’t recognize the way he is answering prayers. We might even foolishly reject those answers because they don’t fit into our narrow way of thinking.  And isn’t that what happens in the Gospel?  The vineyard owner sends his servants, and the tenants reject and kill them. The vineyard owner sends another group of servants. The tenants reject and kill them. The vineyard owner sends his son, and the tenants reject and kill him. 

Jesus tells this parable, in Jerusalem, shortly before his own passion, when he is rejected and killed. He tells this parable as a warning, that those who were rejecting Him were rejecting God. They were rejecting God’s answer to their prayers for salvation.  They rejected Jesus because he did not fit in to their narrow view of God. They could not accept that God would come in the form of an itinerant preacher who ate with tax collectors and sinners.

Another reason for their rejection is that, like the tenants in the Gospel, they didn’t want to give up their power, their authority. They were supposed to be the religious leaders, they were supposed to be the religious authorities, not this carpenter from Nazareth. 

In the Gospel parable, there are consequences too for rejecting the vineyard owner. "He will put those wretched men to a wretched death”. The Lord here hints at the eternal consequences for rejecting God. 

There is a modern misconception that there are many roads to salvation, that all we have to do is be good people in order to go to heaven. You don’t have to go to church or ascribe to any particular religion. As long as you’re not Hitler or something, God will go easy on you. But that’s not really the Christian Gospel. Salvation comes by accepting it in the form God has chosen to offer it to humanity, and that is through Jesus Christ. 

So, the parable certainly speaks about the ultimate importance of accepting Jesus Christ, but there is also a lesson for our personal spiritual lives. We come to church, and we pray to be holy, and pray to be joyful, we pray for peace in the world. But the Lord just doesn’t wave a magic wand, he gives us opportunities to practice this stuff, so that we can grow in it. He doesn’t just make us patient, he gives us opportunities to practice patience. He doesn’t just magically make us pure of heart, he gives us opportunities to practice purity. He doesn’t just magically create peace in the world, he gives us opportunities to work for peace. 

And we need to be very careful that when the Lord gives us the opportunities we don’t miss out of them and make excuses…I know I prayed for joy, but I just have to get my three hours of television in every day. I know I prayed for patience, but I just have to get my way, now.

Tomorrow/Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi. Here is a saint who reached a certain point in life where he stopped making excuses for not serving God. St. Francis is so beloved, even now, 800 years after his death, because he shows us what we could all become if we trusted God as we should, if we gave to God as we could. He shows us what happens when you stop being afraid to give everything away in order to pursue God. 

Francis embraced radical poverty and became one of the holiest, most joyful souls in human history—showing us that material stuff does not lead to ultimate fulfilment. He radically embraced Jesus Christ and became a true instrument of peace. He embraced those opportunities to practice Gospel Charity even when it meant embracing a leper or giving up his family business. 

Most of us do not embrace holiness because we are like that man in the story rejecting opportunity after opportunity for life because holiness doesn’t come in the form we think it should.

For most of us, most of the time, holiness is offered through ordinary means: daily prayer, daily service, the sacraments, faithfulness to the duties of our vocation, turning away from the empty promises of the world, following the commandments and teachings of the Church, repenting of sin, using the talents and gifts God has given us to help others.

As Paul says, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, pure, lovely and gracious…do these things. Every day. Stop giving in to so many distractions and making excuses. Look to the saints and follow their example. Say yes to those opportunities to grow in holiness, to serve others, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.