Feast of Saint Alphonsus Rodriguez

Good morning. Today’s first reading is from Ephesians 5. It speaks of obedience, not a popular idea in our modern culture. In fact, obedience seems to be most problematic where it involves marriage. Marriage in today’s culture, probably a result of the feminist influence, really struggles with this idea of obedience. How often have we witnessed people squirming about, flinching, and seen our priest perform a disappearance act in response to the challenging words of Ephesians 5. Nobody is standing in line when it comes to obedience these days; we are without a doubt a very stubborn and independent lot of people. In the Gospel for today Jesus builds upon this idea of obedience. He teaches us in the words found in Luke that the key to attaining life with God, of growing in our love for Him is like a tiny mustard seed growing into a mighty bush. Much like yeast in flour, we expand and grow, and obedience within marriage is that yeast. 

Yes, I know this idea of obedience is not popular these days; our culture struggles with such a concept, and as a result we struggle immensely with a high number of marriages ending in divorce. As a culture we still value marriage as an important life goal, yet seemingly what we want and what we are willing to live-out aren’t necessarily one and the same. It is clear from vital records concerning marriage and divorce that we are falling short of our own ideals. Not only that, but we are failing to live out God's plan for us concerning marriage which He’s had from the beginning. Jesus demonstrates by His own life that we are to be obedient and that it was obedience that brought us salvation and that obedience is the way of love. 

The whole struggle with obedience is a result of our viewing obedience as something demeaning rather than it actually freeing us. If the truth is to be known there is deep peace and joy to be found in living lives in accordance with God’s plan. Obedience is the way we express our love for God, and for each other. We are all called to holiness, and as married couples it is through obedience to one another that we help guide each other along that path to holiness. This path of obedience was the way Jesus expressed His love for us, “becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.” Our saint for today, Saint Alphonsus Rodriguez, offers a wonderful life example of being that yeast in the flour; obedience and penance were the hallmarks of his life. Obedience between married couples provides for a sense of oneness as it was designed to be from the beginning, being as servants to one another enables the love to grow like one tiny note growing into a symphony. We become as Christ to one another. If we are obedient to each other, wife with her husband, and husband with his wife, when obedience is founded in love and our decisions are in union with God’s will there will be great joy, mutual respect, and harmony. Obedience is the conductor and love is the music. Make a great day! 

Today we recall the good life, gifts, and work of Saint Alphonsus Rodriguez.

Feast of Saint Narcissus of Jerusalem

Good morning. Reflecting upon today’s Gospel, it occurred to me how often our Lord tends to heal people, but instead of simply healing them and sending them on their way, He more times than not tends to engage in some type of ritual, if only but to lay His hands upon them. In thinking about this, it occurred to me that we so often tend to have the need for such things in our lives, we require ritual or various experiential things in order to provide for the changes we seek. In fact, despite the fact that technique contributes minimally to the positive outcome in therapy, individuals and couples seek counseling in the hope that, much like the woman in today’s Gospel, a cure awaits them. Truth known, it was the woman’s faith that cured her, and so it is with couples who come to counseling, their faith, and their commitment to change is what ultimately makes for the positive changes they seek. Like the woman in the Gospel we sometimes feel a need for more specialized or dramatic things to appreciate Jesus’ healing presence. The woman in the temple, her healing didn’t require any special techniques, skills, or cue cards to make things better; but the assurance the laying of hands offered her emboldened her faith. So it is for us, the meaning various rituals in our lives offer us provides what we need to obtain the positive results we seek. It was this way for the faith community of today’s saint, the presence of Saint Narcissus was so important to the people of Jerusalem that he continued to serve them despite his old age. It is this way with marriage and family life, so many positive things in our lives involve ritual and these rituals provide for the continued growth and strength needed to continue on. Rituals help us identify who we are both as individuals and as a family; they provide for consistency and predictability in a world which challenges marriage and family values. Rituals make us feel more certain, happier and more a part of something good and right. As part of marriage and family life rituals can mean sharing meals together, or holiday traditions, nicknames for each other, shared stories, or the way we greet one another; all these things and more come together to give our lives meaning and strength, and serve to hold us together no matter what. As Tevye, in The Fiddler on the Roof notes: “Without our traditions, our lives would be as shaky as... as... as a fiddler on the roof!" Hang on to those traditions. Make a great day! 

Today we recall the good life, gifts, and work of Saint Narcissus. 

Feast of Saint Ignatius of Antioch

Good morning. We live in an age of much confusion regarding the issue of success. I’m guessing if you were to ask most people to define success it would likely boil down to having money, position, and possessions. I know when I ask children that I see in counseling what they want to be when they grow-up their response more times than not revolves around being something which will enable them to make lots of money. Although I do remember once a little girl saying she wanted to be a smiley face when she grew up. We all tend to laugh at the thought of aspiring to be a smiley face, but she just might be onto something there. Today’s Gospel has Jesus telling us in no uncertain terms that love for God and for one another needs to go beyond just going through the motions; we need to truly embrace one another. I think the message is clear, in order to be truly happy we need to love. 

People very much try to avoid giving real thought to seriously living their lives for the Kingdom; the lure of a worldly kingdom is too much for most to seriously consider living out their daily lives void of attachment to things of this world. Our Saint for today, Ignatius of Antioch, however suggests we should “prefer death in Christ Jesus to power over the farthest limits of the earth.” Two extreme examples clearly demonstrate this worldly attachment. One is the trend toward having a future spouse sign a pre-nuptial agreement. If you truly have a relationship with money such as this, why get married? Why not marry your money? The second extreme example is that of abortion. How many of the 50 million abortions since 1973 have been performed for convenience, because the unwanted baby stood in the way of future plans or current opportunities? We know the answer. Now, another not so extreme, but rather common example is how many people miss going to worship God on Sunday because it interferes with their enjoying the good life? Well, according to Our Sunday Visitor 51% of Catholics who attend Mass less than weekly list the number one reason for missing as being because they are “busy.” It’s a good thing God isn’t too busy for us. As Jesus repeatedly tells us, ‘our heart is where our riches are’ and to be truly happy, God must be the focus of our success. Perhaps we should all aspire to be smiley faces. Make a great day! 

Today we recall the good life, gifts, and works of Saint Ignatius of Antioch. “I no longer take pleasure in perishable food or in the delights of this world I want only God‘s bread, which is the flesh of Jesus Christ, formed from the seed of David, and for drink I crave his blood, which is love that cannot perish.”