Today's Gospel finds the Pharisees trying to trick Jesus into making a rebellious statement against the Romans.  They ask Him if it is part of God's Law to give taxes to Caesar (Tiberius, the second emperor of Rome).  Jesus does not answer the question directly, but asks them for a coin (indicating that He didn't carry money Himself) and then asks whose face is on it.  When they reply that it is Caesar's, He tells them to "repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar ..." and then takes it to a higher level by telling them to repay "to God what belongs to God."

Jesus is a master at answering questions with questions of His own.  This is not just true in the Gospels, but in our lives as well.  When we ask God for help or aid, often His response is a question: Is this truly the help that we need?  Will what we have asked for truly be to our benefit?  Are we just looking for our selfish desires?  What effort have we put forth in this endeavor?  Are we deserving of victory?

Jesus leads us to examine our lives, not to give us easy ways out of situations that we have brought upon ourselves.  The Pharisees were able to quickly produce the Roman coin, indicating their own reliance upon it.  They wanted to use the Roman monetary system without any of the responsibilities associated with it, trying to hide behind the Law of God.  This is why Jesus calls them "hypocrites" before responding to their question.

We see this same sort of hypocrisy in our world today.  People demand many things from our government without playing their own part as citizens.  We look out for our own self-interests, and complain when they aren't met, when we aren't following Jesus's primary commandments:  To love God (and thus His creation) with all our minds, all our hearts, and all our souls, and to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Today's first reading and Gospel both use the parable of the vineyard owner.  In both cases, the vineyard owner builds a wall (or hedge), a wine press, and a tower.  In the first reading, wild grapes take over his fields.  In the Gospel, he rents out the land, but when he sends servants for his portion the harvest, the tenants beat, abuse, and kill them.  He then sends his son, hoping they will respect him, but they they abuse and kill him too.  In both cases, the landowner eventually abandons the land or the tenants and seeks others who will be productive.  These aren't nice tales.  They don't have happy endings.  They warn about neglecting the will of God, that the rewards promised to us will go to others if we don't do our part in making the world a better place.

In truth, my focus this mass was not on the readings as much as on the homily.  Our pastor discussed the role of exorcism in the Catholic Church.  It was one of the longest sermons that I can remember.  While it dealt with the presence of the devil and demons in our world (a topic that I wrote about this week, even), I found myself not being entirely accountable.  Instead, I was worrying about the length of the mass, especially since there was also a baptism.  I usually don't mind long services, myself (in fact, I miss Fr. Jim's three hour Easter Vigil), but I know that they stress out my father, and that my wife had a meeting today.  So, as the homily went on, I couldn't help but feel my anxiety grow.

My mind tends to wander anyway.  I even have that problem when I'm praying on my own.  My thoughts drift.  When I was younger, I intentionally brought my daydreams to the forefront of my thoughts as a way to pass the time more quickly.  Now that I have a better understanding of the beauty of the mass, I still find those childish habits returning and my focus disappearing.  I still listened to the parables about the vineyards and the discussion about demon possession, but I did not give them the concentration I feel they deserved.

I suppose that this is how some of my students feel as I talk about history.

Today is set aside by the Catholic Church to celebrate the angels who watch over us every day.  These guardian angels protect us from the unseen forces that work against us in our daily activities.  They are the spot of luck that has saved us so many times throughout our lives.  They guard us from demons and spirits that bear us ill will, but more often they rescue us from our own mistakes and errors, keeping them from being more costly than they would otherwise be.

As a high school student, I loved Frank E. Peretti's This Present Darkness and its sequel Piercing the Darkness which gave us a look into the roles of angels and demons in their spiritual warfare that surrounds our daily lives.  I have always wanted to write a similar sort of fiction, but found all of my attempts to be too derivative of Peretti's work.

While this statement might make some people decide that it's time take my measurements for a straitjacket, I have felt the presence of angels and demons in my life.  Sometimes they are the inner voices (like the cartoon representations) that give me conflicting statements in regards to my actions; sometimes there is a more physical aspect, a reflex I didn't know I had, a movement caught out of the corner of my eye.

I believe that a guardian angel would be the perfect video game character to play.  While the protected person goes about his or her normal life, we would take the role of the guardian that keeps the forces of darkness away.  It would not need to be an earth-shattering plot, but just the daily dangers that our protectors keep from causing lasting harm. 

 

Today's Gospel gives a short, but important, parable.  In it, the father asks his two sons to complete a task.  One says he will, but doesn't even attempt the job.  The other says he won't but then goes and completes the task.  Jesus doesn't just want "yes-men."  Too often people claim they are Christian and then do not emulate Christ (for that matter, I've been guilty of this).  Worse are those who persecute others in the name of Jesus.  Jesus specifically says that the outcasts (prostitutes and tax collectors) are more deserving of salvation than the religious of his time.

How about now?  Too often "Christians" are judging, harassing, and persecuting people they think are not deserving.  "Christian" candidates take away money from the neediest, put the harshest laws on crimes committed by the disadvantaged, and claim a moral superiority on ethical issues without addressing the causes.  Jesus preached to (not at) the underprivileged and the forgotten, the people who most of us would like to forget exist.  He warned us that we can't just "talk the talk."  We must put deeds behind our words.

Our homily today covered a different matter: the persecution of Christians at the hands of ISIS.  While our priest presented atrocities committed, my mind could not handle the level of slaughter that was discussed.  Now, I am a cynic at heart, and I know about the methods of propaganda as well as the misinformation that can come from a war zone.  What I have found is that while the details discussed in the homily might not be true, there is no denying that ISIS (or whatever name it has decided on today) is committing war crimes in Iraq and Syria.

A student of mine once told me that bin Laden was not a Muslim, that he might have claimed to be Muslim, but he was not a true follower as a true follower would not harm innocents.  I do not know how true that statement is, but I can't help but wonder the same about ISIS.  Do they realize that, although they might claim to be Islamic, they actually serve Satan?  Only Satan revels in this kind of bloodshed.

We need to be careful about how we interpret God's plans for us.  God is the ultimate judge.  I worry about those who claim to carry out judgement for Him.

Reading about St. Vincent de Paul on his feast day made me think about the concept of (and connection between) religion and charity.  What most impressed me about his work is that, unlike most religious orders of the time, he did not require his followers to live austere lives, to spend most of their day in prayer, or to separate themselves from the world.  Instead, he told them that helping those in need was a form of prayer itself.

We can be charitable in several ways: in giving of our treasure, in giving of our time, and in giving of our talents.  Within these categories of charity, we can find a number of ways to give of ourselves to help others.  Too often charity is thought of as simply a monetary donation, usually given around the time of Christmas.  True charity is about giving of oneself for the benefit of others.  It does not require fanfare or recognition.

This past summer, an enterprising marketing expert came up with the "ice bucket challenge."  It was (is?) an effective method of raising money and awareness for ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) that tapped into people's desire to give of themselves, to fit in with others, and to make a spectacle.  While I am glad that money was raised to help end a disease (although that particular foundation supports the destruction of embryos), I am bothered by the way it required people to name or "challenge" others.  Charity should not be done through shaming.  Just because people didn't dump ice water over their heads doesn't mean that they don't give generously to good causes, and by giving, I mean more than just money.

We can all be more charitable in our lives, but we should do so on our terms, not out of fear of the fires of hell or out of pressure of the ice bucket challenge. 

Today's Gospel reading is disruptive to most people's versions of justice.  I suppose that it's one of the reasons why I like it so much.

In the Gospel, Jesus tells a parable about a vineyard owner who sends his overseers to hire people at several times through the day.  At the end of the day, starting with those who only did a few hours' worth of work, he pays every worker for a full day's wage.  The ones who worked the entire day, having seen the ones who worked for a shorter period of time paid the full day's wage, are angered when they receive the same amount.  The owner asks them why they are upset.  They have received what was promised them.  Why should they be upset that he was generous to others who were not as fortunate to find work at the beginning of the day.

This is what I love about Jesus's style.  He asks us to examine our most basic prejudices, preconceptions, and desires.  We are reminded in today's first reading that our "way are not [God's] ways," that God's thoughts are as high above our thoughts as the heavens are above the Earth.  This isn't bragging; it's a challenge, a lofty standard that we need to stretch out and reach.  In this case he warns us about "fairness."

"I worked longer, so I deserve more" is what the first workers are demanding, but God's justice is greater than that.  What about the unlucky?  What about those who still do the work, but join late due to circumstance?  Doesn't everyone deserve the full day's wage?  

I think of the men who gathered in job markets and street corners during the Great Depression.  All of them needed money for their families.  All of them were willing to take nearly any type of job.  Some would wait around all day with nothing to show for it.  Some would only get a few hours of work and thus a few hours of pay.  Jesus tells us that ALL need to be fed, provided for, and protected.

Of course, this parable is often quoted when talking about our ultimate salvation, but I believe that Jesus is telling us that this relates to our day-to-day lives.  Our economies should be based on this.  Our lives should be lived this way.  We need to rethink our concepts of fairness and justice.  We need to grasp for the ideals that Jesus has set for us.

Today, we celebrate the raising of the Jesus on the Cross.  It seems to be a strange thing to celebrate, the death of our Lord, but Jesus's death leads to everlasting life.  It was something that He prepared for well before His birth.

In today's first reading, we see that the concept of exalting a creature on a staff was a way to provide healing.  In this case, Moses places a bronze serpent on a staff to heal the Israelites from the venom of the snakes that are plaguing them.  All they had to do was gaze upon the staff (and believe) and they were healed.

Jesus's death and Resurrection are saving us from a more vicious snake attack: that of the devil tempting Adam and Eve (and us) to sin, the ultimate venom.  By gazing upon Jesus on the cross and believing, that venom is removed from us and our path to eternal life is clear.  Jesus makes this comparison between Himself and Moses's serpent staff in today's Gospel reading.  This is not a coincidence; it is part of God's greater plan.

As Catholics, the Sign of the Cross is a consistent part of our lives.  We say this small prayer before and after our other prayers, as we enter and leave church, and when we are moved to do so in our daily lives.  The cross is the sign of our redemption and future resurrection.  It affirms our belief in the Holy Trinity.  And it shows us that life can be born from death.

Today's readings focus on the Christian responsibility to help others make good decisions, but they each highlight this idea in different ways.

In today's Gospel reading, Jesus tells His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem to suffer, die, and rise again.  Peter wishes that no such thing would happen and Jesus rebukes him saying, "Get behind me, Satan!"  While Jesus does not want to suffer, He knows that it must be done for the salvation of the world.  Without realizing it, Peter is tempting Jesus to stray from His most holy path.

We, too, are often tempted from what we know we need to do by friends and family who have the best of intentions.  While we probably shouldn't call them "Satan," we need to recognize when these distractions are keeping us from being the best possible versions of ourselves.  This doesn't mean that we should completely ignore friends and family, or other diversions, just that we should not use them as an excuse to not accomplish that which we know must be done.

As a practiced procrastinator, I know that I struggle with this problem regularly.  Just look at how much writing I've completed this summer (not counting blogs and some minor school-preparation, the total is three paragraphs).  I have had a great summer even if I have little to show for it.  I'm not going to beat myself up over what I haven't done, but I need to put my failings behind me and move forward.

I have been reading a book on the lives of saints, reflecting on them on the days given to them (usually the day of their deaths).  Yesterday's and today's saints both had quotations that inspired something within me.

When I fed the poor, they called me a saint.  When I asked, "Why are they poor?" they called me a communist.
-Hélder Câmara

This idea sums up most of what I think about politics and economics.  People claim that they want to help the poor, but they do not want to examine the system that causes poverty in the first place.  Politicians often manage to put the blame of poverty on the people who are its greatest victims instead of accusing the true sources of unequal wealth distribution.  People who do point out the true cause are labeled as communist, socialist, or revolutionary.

Do not seek to understand in order to believe, but believe so that you may understand.
-Augustine of Hippo

I have seen so many good people get this idea backwards.  They want come kind of unequivocal proof before they are willing to believe in God.  I believe that the proof is in every breath we draw, in every atom that composes every piece of our world.  Because people deny what they see around them, how can any evidence persuade them?

Today's Gospel places Peter in the preeminent role of the Church that Jesus establishes.  Peter is the first of the disciples to acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah, and for this is rewarded with a tremendous responsibility.  Jesus gives Peter the keys to the Gates of Heaven, an awe-inspiring role if there ever was one.  

This is one of the cruxes of being a Christian: our reward for faithfulness is often more work and responsibility.  There are rules to follow, ideals to achieve, and examples to be set.  Being human, we will fall short from time to time, often to the derision of others.  Yet we need to keep in mind that God knows this.  Jesus handed Peter the keys to Heaven, but yet Peter's faith couldn't keep him above water.  Jesus knew that this same man who proclaimed Him as the Messiah would also disavow any knowledge of Him in His darkest hour.  Yet He still entrusts such a heavy responsibility of him.

While we hope to understand why God does what He does, we need to remember that we cannot see all that He sees, let alone all that He knows.  Today's homily compared God to a parent and us to a child needing surgery.  The child does not understand the suffering of the moment, but the parent (who is also agonizing over the pain and discomfort of the child) knows that the surgery must be done to save the child's life.  God wants to save all of us.  He feels anguish at our sufferings, but promises a greater reward.

Two aspects of today's Gospel stand out to me.

The first is that the Canaanite woman's daughter was possessed by a demon which Jesus then cures.  Demons seem to possess people quite a bit in the New Testament.  Were these actual demons or is demon possession equivalent to seizures?  While I believe that demons are very real (if not how they are represented in art) and can affect our daily lives in ways both subtle and overt, there are many medical conditions with highly understandable and mundane sources that used to be attributed to the supernatural.  One way or the other, Jesus heals her and the demon, whatever it might have been, troubles her no longer.

The second is that Jesus looks like a jerk at the start of this reading.  The woman asks Jesus to heal her daughter, and Jesus equates her and her people to dogs.  Now, the woman recovers quickly and, instead of lashing out at the insult, uses his term to justify her petition.  Jesus then praises her faith and does as she asked.  Today's homily says that this shows us why persistence in prayer is important, but I think it goes a step farther:  We need to be prepared for Jesus to challenge us when we petition Him.  Many people turn from God because they prayed for something and it wasn't given to them.  God may have a different path in mind for us than what we plan.

This week's Gospel reading has the famous, and often joked about, scene where Jesus walks on water.  Peter asks to join Jesus, but after a few steps, he grows fearful of the waves and begins to sink.  How much this is like my own relationship with Jesus!  I ask to follow Him, but then I falter, afraid of the tribulations that I face.

What encourages me is that when Peter calls out for Jesus to save him, Jesus is right there and lifts him back into the boat.  That is the case for all of us as well.  All we have to do is ask Jesus to save us and He will.  In fact, He's been working at trying to save us this entire time.  It's been our own stubbornness and fear that has kept us from accepting His help, sometimes going to far as to reject Him completely.  Yet despite all of that, He is still there, ready to save us.

Today's sermon was given by a newly ordained priest who spoke about his own difficulties in coming to believe in Jesus as well as what led him to the decision to enter the clergy.  He spoke about selfishly looking for happiness in the places where the world says that we will find happiness, yet becoming miserable instead.  He had family and a support system of friends who were able to help him recognize that all he had to do was ask Jesus to help him.

The first reading speaks of listening for God and expecting Him to let Himself be known through massive winds and earthquakes.  Yet, in the end, God's call is like a the smallest whisper.  He has been with us forever, so long that we don't notice His presence unless we take the time to recognize it.  He's here with me now, helping in ways that I rarely recognize, quiet as a whisper, but capable of quelling the strongest storm.

All of today's readings, including the famous Gospel story of the loaves and the fishes (a miracle that actually occurs more than once in the Gospels), deal with the abundance of God's love for us.  Come to the waters, all who thirst.  Nothing can separate us from God's love.  God provides for all of our needs.

These ideas are so often used that people have become numb to the message: God is ready to accept and provide for all of us.  Even if we have turned away from Him, even if we have done terrible things, God's love is unending and always present.  He loves you right now, in this moment, even if you just blasphemed against Him.

Some people are afraid of that kind of all-inclusive love.  They turn away from it because they feel it's not possible or because, deep down, they feel unworthy of it.  It is possible and all are worthy.  Accept God's love and feel the peace it brings.