St. John the Baptist Catholic Church

YouTube video of the announcement of Cardinal Ratzinger being choose as the new pope.

Friends,

In the scriptures, we read how every once in a while, Jesus would take off by himself and “go into the desert” or walk up a mountain by himself to pray and just to recoup his human energy.  Jesus was really human, and I believe that he got tired of preaching the good news and curing the sick.  He needed to get away and pray and relax. …  In the same way, we all need to take some time off and break our daily routine.  Here in our diocese we have a marvelous retreat house, San Damiano, which has retreats and days of reflection for everyone.  You might want to make a retreat.  We list these in our bulletin from time to time.  Try it.

This coming week, Fr. Hugo and I will be going to a convocation of priests of the diocese for five days.  We do this every three years, as we pause and pray and reflect upon our ministry as Catholic priests.  I am looking forward to these days away, just like Jesus had to get away from the crowds.  Fr. Ray will handle all of our ministry while Fr. Hugo and I are gone.  We will not leave you abandoned.  Mary Asuncion can make all of the necessary decisions about everything else.

I would like to praise you for your warm and loving support of one another in our parish functions.  St. John’s is a great parish, and we are blessed to have such a diverse and Christian community that gathers in prayer each week.  God will surely bless your fidelity and your love.

Gratefully,

Fr. John Maxwell

Scripture: Is. 25: 6 – 10a, Ps 23, Phil. 4: 12 – 14, 19 – 20, Mt 22: 1 – 14

Homily

“The secret of life is union with God; happy the person who finds it, here and today!”

Images: God’s hand rests on Ngong hills in Nairobi/Kenya. This explains why those hills appear in the form of a hand’s knuckles (small chain of few hills). (If you happen to visit Kenya, please ask to see this little beauty of creation). And, remember the incomparable beauty of the Grand Canyon, a few hours away from here. Remember also: Dorothy Day, Mother Theresa, St Francis of Assisi, Oscar Romero, Nelson Mandela…for inspiration in the incomparable beauty of their action in history.

Scripture question: Who, in Scripture affirms with confidence that God’s will has been revealed with great evidence, so that we have no excuse of ignoring God? Moreover, where do we find this teaching?[1]

The wedding feast is ready, who will participate in the banquet of the Lord? As we are gathered here, we are going through all the stages of our celebration learning that we are ready (or not), to take part in the feast of the Lord. Of course, our contemporary custom of everyone going for communion, whether we are prepared or not, called to it or not, is as wrong as plain insensitivity to the importance of communion. I mean by insensitivity the lack of eagerness of hunger for it, the feeling of an “empty stomach” that needs sustenance at the table of God. This table is a place where God takes away whatever threatens us or bothers us. All are invited, and all must prepare themselves because it is very important.

God’s call to life is universal, yet very specific for each person and each group. So is the readiness to take part. This gospel passage seems in direct contradiction with Jesus’ concern over cleaning first the inside of the cup, then the outside. Here, the outfit is very important and decisive. We do not come along to the Lord, we do not just follow others; we have to know what we are doing, and at every step, just abide in those principles. (This allows me to open brackets to talk about my summer-research in view of my degree at the school: Rwanda and the role of intentionality in the process of reconciliation. In just the same manner as no one imposes redemption on another, reconciliation cannot happen if people and human communities do not intend it, and work for it, before receiving it as a “pure gift”. The freedom that works to make people ready to receive it, mature enough to appreciate its true value, contributes to making the gift pure and free. Pray that I may be able, once the process completed be able to share with you in more detailed way, the fruit of this work for reconciliation and peace, which we all need in one way or another.)

Just as one has to climb the mountain of prophet Isaiah in order to eat at the feast of the Lord, there is always an ethical demand involved in our fellowship with the Lord, which does not or should not transform Christianity simply into an “ethical code”. Morality is a humble recognition of sin’s reality. If we decide to merely/positively enjoy the relationship (over confidently), and enjoy the good fruits that come out of it, we will surely end up eating the poisonous worm that grew inside of the fruit and outside of our attention. We must re-affirm that wrong does exist, risk is real, and we are called to ever keener attentiveness, lest we lose it all.   There is a manner of settling on earth and owning the land that is counter to the beatitude value of meekness (the true sign that we indeed own the land-as-gift); the business-mindfulness counters the purity of heart, necessary to see God’s face; the power politics of many leaders takes them away from God’s mercy, for they show mercilessness to others. This is a contemporary reading of the activities narrated in the gospel: people busy resisting God’s invitation or mocking God’s active presence to our lives.

In our contemporary society, we have people indeed, who, are against the things of faith, because not only have they no place in their own heart and daily schedule for God, but also, they cannot tolerate others to practice their faith: radical rejection of God – translated into simple reality, they are against true beauty, true goodness, and true accuracy/genuineness. Martyrdom is grounded in such hostile attitude in the world: mercilessness and wickedness.

[We can identity many negative images in the story: the wedding feast is not worth people's attention: they have "better" to do. What kind of a relationship is this (a neighbor's party always turned down)? Who is that King who is so easily made fool of, mocked? Why does he have to beg in order to have guests? Who gains something out of this celebration? If the feast is for the guests, why bother about their losing out? And if they had said "yes" and then changed their mind, why would they betray so crudely the friendship or the allegiance? Why do they need to kill some servants sent to them? Why did the king not send the troops in at first to invite along? Why is he so vengeful in burning their village?  How is the condition of wearing appropriate garment not spelled out from the start with the invitation notice? Why can he not provide a suitable garment (like the father of the prodigal son does to his in Lk 15)? How important was it for the one special guest to be chosen or even called in the first place? He did not ask for it! The banquet is not very exciting news apparently; and just why? Incoherent stuff!-irrationality of sin and uselessness of  the attempt to explain everything away rather than obeying God, so as to understand better in due season.] These and more questions could be triggered around the movements within the text, but they may not be useful, or central to the teaching intention of the writing. By mentioning them, I express the possibility of feelings of uneasiness or discomfort before certain biblical passages. Yet the messiness of the story might have a lot to do with real life circumstances God invites us to consider in view of our redemption.

The negative features we have listed refer to what we commonly call sin; in particular, we talk about the triple-sin of rebellion/falsity/unrepentant-stubbornness/immorality, lawlessness/mindlessness/cluelessness/blindness/presumption, wickedness/homicide/oppression. God is directly attacked in circumstances such as: 1) when we reject ourselves (this is what rebellion primarily is), 2) when we reject the good of order and the common good as the external clues to the internal law of human conscience divinely established for our eternal happiness,  and, 3) when we reject others, suppressing them in whole or in part (as people do it in physical or metaphysical “genocides”). Theoretically, sin is born in freedom, and it ends in annihilating death. From the temptation to having to prove one’s divine affiliation to the “worthless great Evil One,” to the renunciation to that affiliation in embrace of prideful honor and absolute oppressive power that convinces our minds that we have become god, the spiral takes us into renouncing our God-given freedom, and it is ultimately a renunciation to our humanity, absolute betrayal of God’s gift. This explains why the gospel sharply opposes God’s freedom to create life and happiness to human freedom to choose death.

One common place where all these sins are evident in our society today is fad or fashion. Everybody follows the herd, the fashion of the day, good or bad. Why is it so? It is so for lack of light in our consciousness. We often know not how to choose life, how to know the true God of life, and we tend to avoid the means the institutions, the resources that help us know and act rightly. We echo perfectly the story of Jesus in the gospel; we are very busy doing our own things. The first group of invited guests broke the relationship with the celebrating family by rebellion and wickedness. The strange special guest without proper garment is presumptuous; he does not make the effort to rise to the occasion/moment, to “make himself/herself worthy of the call received.” They are all clueless about the law of justice within relationships. They are without a clear conscience about the demands of relations; so they are cut off, they obtain the results of their own rebellious rules of wickedness: separation and hostility, even death. That is the result of sin.  “The wages of sin is death,” says Saint Paul (Rom 6:23).

The lesson today is the readiness for the feast, and its well preparedness. The great generosity of this dignitary shines through the intention to share his son’s wedding joy of with friends – just as we all do – and the effort to provide sufficient and delicious food-and-drinks. A Lover powerfully extends his love to others at first. When frustrated by betrayal, love divine expands even more instead of shrinking; divine love renews itself unceasingly, and with justice. These two attitudes of betrayal and inconsiderateness of the offer of friendship come together as one. We also have several polite ways in actual life of putting someone down, ways of mocking others. History as the watchfulness of the troops of God reveals these acts as deserving denunciation and correction. God is busy working out our redemption. God is busy trying to feed us, and we prefer to starve and die in the cold, outside. God tells us what this world is made of and how we can make good use of it for our good and the good of others, but we prefer our own opinion; yet if things go sour, we put the blame on God, since he is the ultimate cause of everything. God reveals to us our privilege of “belonging to his household” but we prefer the “warm” feeling that this world loves and accepts us and promotes us; mostly that it does not persecute us.

Finally, our prayer today is asking God that he may know us as:  1) the faithful servants who accept to carry the message across even when some of their friends are ill-treated and killed, the friends of God who gather around God all those who can accept salvation in sharing in the joy of the Son. 2) The blessed ones who fill the house of the Lord, “dressed up,” who appreciate their being brought from darkness into the light, who are filled with gratitude for the gift of God. We are the people brought by God around the Eucharist. Are we dressed up? Will we stay faithful? Are we always and everywhere proud of being associated to the joy of the Son? Are we ready to share in the works of justice God has planned for the world?

Let the communion to your body and blood Lord Jesus, heal and empower us with love for your world, just as your Father loves us. Amen!

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[1] The response to this question is Rom 1: 18 – 20 by Saint Paul who also wrote the Philippians’ letter we heard today. Paul’s freedom to live as happily in plenty as in want springs from his knowing and loving God in Christ. So confident in God’s reality that he can affirm that, “The wrath of God is indeed being revealed from heaven against every impiety and wickedness of those who suppress the truth by their wickedness. For what can be known about God is evident to them, because God made it evident to them. Ever since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes of eternal power and divinity have been able to be understood and perceived in what he has made. As a result, they have no excuse.”

Dear Parishioners,

Last week, Jesus regaled us with a marvelous story about planting vines and getting a good harvest of tasty red wine.  Today, Jesus, the great story teller, makes up a story about a big wedding feast with lots of guests and one poor guy who came not properly dressed for the party.  I like this parable because it speaks to me.  All of us Catholic Christians have been invited to the Eucharistic feast each week at Holy Communion.  We are all invited, but each week we must ask ourselves if we are in the proper disposition to receive the Lord God.  I don’t think we worry much about how we are dressed, and I don’t think that God cares, as long as we have the proper attitude.  We should not be harboring any big sins to receive Jesus.  However, just before we are invited to come and partake of the Body and Blood of Christ, we say: “Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I will be healed.”  We really need to be fed regularly with this Food of Salvation.  We will starve spiritually without this holy food.  We don’t want to be like the man who was thrown out of the feast because he was unworthy …  It is something to think about.

Next weekend, we are having our fall workshop for all of our liturgical ministers.  We expect all of you to attend on Saturday, Oct. 18, at 9:30 a.m. in the church.  I have invited my friend, Fr. Paul Vassar, to lead us in reflecting on the sacred task that we have been asked to do.  This is for Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors and Ushers.

Peace,

Fr. John Maxwell

Dear Parishioners,

The readings of this Sunday are beautiful and easily understandable.  I would like to point out the second reading in which St. Paul writes to the Philippians: “Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.  Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and mind in Christ Jesus.”  This is wonderful advice for each one of us in every phase of our life.  We must try to live without anxiety and fear.  Of course we will have crises and problems and health issues.  However, we have a gentle and loving God who will listen to our every prayer.  This loving God understands what is going on in our lives.  And so we pray with complete confidence because “if God is with us, who can be against us?”  Therefore, we pray with thanksgiving.  We give thanks to God even for the trials and difficulties that we face.

Here is a very personal application.  When I was told that I had leukemia, I was shocked because I had previously had excellent health.  However, on reflection, I realized that leukemia was really a gift that made me realize how precious life is.  I came to see leukemia as a wake-up call, and it made me analyze my life and the time that God has given to me.  It also made me realize that I needed the prayers of my friends to cope with this challenge.  And so I came to the point of giving thanks to God for the gift of cancer.

I encourage you also to reflect upon the challenges and problems of your life, and to see them in the light of faith.  Our gentle and loving Father-God will see us through and be with us every step of the way, just as the Father was with His Son Jesus in His sufferings.  Real life and Resurrection is waiting.

Peace,

Fr. John Maxwell