“You Are Love” Our world is full of references to ‘love’. In North America, love alone predominates our culture, especially in music: ‘Love Makes The World Go Round’, ‘Love Is A Many Splendoured Thing’, ‘Love Is All’. Indeed, St Therese of Lisieux would agree love was all and everything to her: “At last I have found my calling – Love!”
But love can be difficult to define in simple terms, since its usage is so broad. After all, we love our spouse, children, family. But we also love our work and the things we can acquire or do. We say, “I love that car! Or I love watching hockey. Or I love my freedom.” Is it even possible to really define what love is? Lyricist, Oscar Hammerstein, known for his profound, poetic, meaningful scores, wrote a song for the musical ‘Showboat’ which tells us something very important about love, something we should remember as children made in the image of God. Gaylord sings to Magnolia, “You Are Love!” … Wonder of all the World.” Oscar could have written, ‘you love’ or ‘you are lovely’, but he wrote, ‘you are love!’ And so, we are. We are love. Perhaps fragments of God’s love, we are creations of love by the hand of love itself. Love is the connective tissue of our spiritual being. In the movie, Interstellar, actor, Matthew McConaughey, at the end of his journey says, “Love is the one thing we’re capable of perceiving that transcends dimensions of time and space. Maybe we should trust in that, even if we can’t understand it.” If we took a journey into space, and looked down upon earth, we would realize what infinitesimal creatures we are, beings so small, we might not think we are even worthy of God’s love and attention. Yet, we are love itself, capable of love. We are both noun and verb, and God rejoices in us, his remarkable beloved beings. This is where love begins – with us! Just as Christ tells us, as beings composed of love, we are called to love, beginning with love for our Creator, and for each other, just as we love ourselves. Indeed, we must love ourselves also. Sadly, many don’t, but this is wrong. Proper self-love is reflected in these two Great Commandments. In essence, like the two sides of the ‘coin’ discussed last week, in calling us to love both God and our neighbour, Christ suggests that here balance is also called for. It is very easy to love God. Many rightfully give thanks and praise and adoration to our Creator, attending to our beloved rituals, and spending time in private prayer. Some go on pilgrimages or visit sites of Our Lady’s appearances, happy to indulge our 1-on-1 personal relationship with God. But if we do not contribute to, or are not attentive to or loving of God in others, we only satisfy one side of the coin of love. St. Edith Stein once said, “We cannot separate love for God from love of man. Yes, we acknowledge God easily, but what of our brother, those with whom we do not easily identify, because of their different backgrounds, race, culture, complexion, education or lack thereof?” She further points out perhaps we did not realize how loving God in our neighbour would be so challenging. Yet God is present in them. Then there are those who immerse themselves totally in working for a better world. They may even exhaust themselves with boundless, good works. But they, too, can tend to give too much to their neighbour, perhaps with the idea God is fine, he knows I love him, but he doesn’t need my attention. But our relationship with God is critical. He is both Creator and friend. We all know the regret and sadness we feel when a friendship is lost through neglect. It is much worse to lose touch with God. So, we are love. But how do we love as Christ asked us? The Franciscans know: “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace: where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. – Amen.” You are love. Now, Go forth and Love God and one another. Rev Fr Christopher Tracey Saint Joseph Parish Saugeen Shores, Ontario
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“The Coin of Great Worth” There is something about Christ’s use of a ‘coin’ in his response to the chief priests and Pharisees which makes this scripture event very real for us. For what is more real in this material world than a ‘coin’, a means of monetary exchange. It means Christ was very definitely with us, indeed walked among us, engaged in the same commerce of daily human life as we are today.
Now, some of us, when we think about a ‘coin’, might immediately think of the 1954 film, “Three Coins In The Fountain”, a simple story set in Rome, a kind of ‘travel’ feature film of its day when trips abroad were becoming more common. Three women toss coins into the Trevi fountain, hoping it will bring them love and happiness. Its theme song was sung for many months over the radio-waves by the legendary artist, Andy Williams, while many women like my mother were on hands and knees scraping and waxing linoleum floors, singing to themselves: “Three coins in the fountain, Each one seeking happiness. Thrown by three hopeful lovers, Which one will the fountain bless?” Others might be thinking how coins are slowly disappearing from our marketplace. Exchange of currency is now taking place electronically as we ‘tap a terminal’ at the grocery store, or do on-line banking at home or from our cell phones. When I think about ‘coins’ I think about when I worked in the ‘Tape Library’ for Bell Canada, a dept now either non-existent or vastly changed. On over-night shifts, while programs were running, the junior engineers like myself, often played a game of ‘coin-toss’ on breaks. You had to bounce a ‘dime’ off the wall, and hope it would land close to the wall, because whoever’s dime was the closest, got to leave early, while the rest of us shared finalizing his remaining assignments. You also had to turn up ‘heads’ in order to win, and tape measures were pulled out, if 2 or 3 seemed the same distance. Then it was the best of 3 games. But what I still remember is one engineer saying: “‘heads’ means you give to the government and get to go home early for a good night’s sleep; ‘tails’ means you give to God by doing a good deed for your fellow man.” Well, whether he intended to or not, he certainly shed light on our gospel today: ‘Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, to God what is God’s.’ In fact, Christ’s penultimate statement of God versus government to those contesting him, not only reveals his utter genius, but provides us with perhaps one of the most important instructive, guidelines Jesus ever gave us. Because in his divine wisdom, he knew we must maintain ‘balance’ in this world which teeter-totters between our physical and spiritual needs. Like the coin, our lives have 2 sides to them: physical and spiritual, the seen and the unseen. Jesus hears our pain. But while governments collide, economies are threatened, jobs are uncertain, and an unseen organism engages us in a biological war, Jesus tells us not to engage in ‘extremes’, to maintain the subtle balance of the ‘coin’. Why? Because our world demands we attend to our physical welfare, even before our spiritual needs. Christ said, first: “Feed the hungry, clothe the poor, heal the sick”. Yes, indeed: Heal the Sick! We must listen to and pay respect to our advocates in health care, working tirelessly in hospitals, laboratories, and medical offices to heal us; listen and pay respect to our govt officials who are trying their best to assist our medical professionals to implement procedures and directives to heal us. This is part of Christ’s directive, to ‘Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s’. Caesar is the world we live in, Not just our government. Caesar is in fact our world community! Once we have listened and adhered to the caring specialists in our community – whom God has graciously sent to help us, we must make time for God in gratitude for giving us life itself, giving us our caring communities, and conduct ourselves as active, committed, loving Christians in whatever way we can, regardless of lockdowns or restrictions. We must ‘Give to God the things which are God’s’. Like the ‘coin’ ‘everything in balance’: on one side, our physical and mental needs in harmony with our spiritual needs and commitments to God’s work on the other. Albert Einstein once said, “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” Let us keep moving ahead, with trust and support in our communities – local and global, and with complete confidence in God who will pick us up when we fall. Rev Fr Christopher Tracey Saint Joseph Parish Saugeen Shores, Ontario “The Christian Banquet” As our Thanksgiving Holiday arrives this weekend, we might see some irony in answering the Lord’s invitation to his eternal banquet – as presented in today’s gospel – when we must rethink how we will respond – or not respond – to our own invitations to celebrate Thanksgiving, typically with family and friends, while considering the restrictions we must follow during the Covid-19 pandemic. How many of us may need to say, “We will only be able to meet outside in the yard!”, or if from another city or community, “Sorry, but we can’t safely come this year.” Indeed, many of us will not be able to accept these invitations, even if we truly want to attend. It is almost like a light is being shone on just how important it is for us to gather together “to give thanks” for what we have, to celebrate each other as family and community with food, fun, and festivity.
Indeed, maybe it will make us more mindful of the invitations God sends us every day to his banquet of life, a life we should be truly grateful for and attend as he has asked us to, by means of loving and supporting each other in accordance to his will. But how do we respond: affirmatively or negatively? Think of a dinner party we have worked hard to prepare for family and friends. Invitations are sent in excited, eager anticipation of their company. The affirmative responses fill us with joy, but the negative ones, disappoint, even sadden us. This is how God feels when we do not respond in the affirmative to his invitations. Social psychologists tell us people respond to invitations in four ways: 1.) Positively: “I’d be delighted to come!” 2.) Apologetically: “I’m so sorry, but I already have plans.” 3.) Regretfully: “Sorry, I’m not coming.” 4.) Negatively: No Response at all. So, do we respond in the same way to God’s invitations? Let’s take a look. Dominican, Flor McCarthy, admits Christ’s parable may seem “a bit far-fetched. … who would be so crazy as to turn down an invitation to a royal wedding? But people are foolish. There is a streak in us which not only refuses the good, but can’t even recognize it.” Sadly, this part of our nature, our self-centred ego which too often focuses on our own personal, private needs and wants, interferes with our hearing God’s constant invitations to a deeper, more meaningful life. But what might these invitations be? Well, they might be simpler than we realize: - I should email that friend of mine who lost his job, but I’m not sure what to say. I’ll think about it later when I know better what to tell him. - I will visit my neighbour in the hospital, but I’ll do it tomorrow. Right now, I can’t possibly miss that episode of ‘How The Stomach Turns’. - I know I shouldn’t be speaking badly about them, but they are not the easiest person to get along with, and everybody else feels and does the same thing anyway. - I know I’ve not been praying lately, but I’m too tired after a long day’s work. * The list can go on and on!! … Still, we know what God wants of us as Christians. But unfortunately, we too often draw from that box full of handy regrets and what seem like reasonable excuses. … But this is a dangerous, slippery slope. The danger is not so much we may deliberately choose evil ways, but that we may simply ignore or even forget to open God’s various invitations. We let a kind of apathy engulf our daily lives with self-excuses, self-forgiveness. “God knows me. He knows I mean well. He’ll forgive me. After all, he has unlimited mercy for us.” In fact, ignoring God’s invitation altogether is the unkindest-cut-of-all, because it spells indifference on our part. And this is perhaps the greatest sin of all, and often with the smallest of invitations – to help someone or something in the smallest way. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” Christ calls us to join him at our Father’s table for a feast beyond all imagining, a banquet where all our hunger will be satisfied. Bless us, O Lord, for these thy gifts which we receive each day from your heavenly bounty. And let us be ever mindful of your invitations to live and work for each other as good Christians, and to be ever thankful to the Lord, for he is good. Rev Fr Christopher Tracey Saint Joseph Parish Saugeen Shores, Ontario “True Heirs of the Kingdom” For centuries, the “Parable of the Wicked Tenants” has been interpreted in terms of God being the landlord. The commentary in the Didache Bible tells us:
“God is the owner of the vineyard, and his prophets are the servants sent to warn the labourers. When they refuse to listen to the prophets, God sent his Son, who was rejected and killed. Yet, Christ was and is the cornerstone upon which his Church is built and by which it remains solid and unified through the authorities and ministry of the Apostles and their successors.” The Catechism confirms this as well: (CCC 755) “The Church is a cultivated field, the tillage of God. On that land the ancient olive tree grows whose holy roots were the prophets and in which the reconciliation of Jews and Gentiles has been brought about and will be brought about again.” This mention of reconciliation between nations is very important, because it dispels the incorrect understanding that Christ took his gospel from the Jews and gave it to the Gentiles. For centuries, this false interpretation led to devastating discrimination. Hitler used this reading as cruel leverage in his evil campaigns against the Jews. So, the true meaning of the reading is adjusted in the Catechism to say that Christ was aiming his chastisement at the ‘Scribes and Leaders’ of the Jewish faith – Not at all the Jews, while suggesting all nations, Jew and Gentile alike, who followed his ‘word’ would be given the opportunity for ‘Salvation’ by ‘the Stone’ which the Temple Leaders rejected. The Catechism goes on to say: “That land, like a choice vineyard, has been planted by the heavenly cultivator. Yet the true vine is Christ who gives life and fruitfulness to the branches, that is, to us, who through the Church remain in Christ, without whom we can do nothing.” (CCC 756) The Lord compared himself to the stone which the builders [Temple Leaders] rejected, but was made into the corner-stone. On this foundation the Church is built by the apostles and from it the Church receives solidity and unity.” So, a bit of theology and catechism for us to digest. But maybe there is another way of looking at this parable, perhaps in a way which might bring it closer to home, perhaps make it even more relevant for us. Many of you are parents. Perhaps, like the land-owner, you might be thinking of how much ‘fruit’ you gave those in your charge, your children, gave everything you could, maybe even short-changing yourself, so they would have what all the other kids had. You brought them to Church every Sunday. You taught them “Grace Before Meals” and prayers at bedtime. … But then, they left home, made their way in the world with a measure of success, but left behind the treasures of faith which you shared with them in their growing years. Again, like the land-owner, maybe you are also disappointed or even angry that all that you gave has been discarded or simply forgotten. You might even be compelled to wonder where will all this lead? Will my children see the fruits of the Kingdom given to others? This is perhaps how God feels, and what Christ really wanted us to understand. In the words of Salesian Priest, Flor McCarthy, “[That] though God is loving to the point of foolishness [perhaps like many parents are], he does want to see a response from us, not for his own sake, but for ours. [Is this not a parent’s lament?] He wants to see us make use of the gifts and opportunities he has given us, so that we can grow as his children. [Yet,] our response must be free, and given out of love.” And what are these gifts? Isaiah points out some, but also how we squandered them: - God gave us fair and honest justice with which to negotiate peace with each other, but sees bloodshed and war, corruption and abuse of the earth and all living things; - God gave us righteousness, but hears the cry of the poor, helpless, and displaced, suffering from exploitation of their people, their land, and resources; - God gave us balance in all things, but we eat, drink, and consume in excess, with a greed for material goods and advantages by a select few dominating our planet; - God gave us humility, but we entertain false pride and harsh criticism of others; - God gave us himself to turn to, but we only trust ourselves and insurance policies. So, how do we turn this around, produce the fruits of Christ’s kingdom? Volunteer. Donate to groups who help those in need. Adopt a child from far away. What of our adult children? You planted the seed of faith. Christ is with them and in them. Now, let God do the work of cultivating his wisdom. Meantime, we must continue to teach children the joy of love and kindness, generosity, peace, obedience, care for the earth, and the incredible, life-and-world-changing power of prayer. Rev Fr Christopher Tracey Saint Joseph Parish Saugeen Shores, Ontario |
Father's Blog
Rev. Fr. Christopher Tracey
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