Anamchara

HOMILY FOR TRINITY SUNDAY--6/19/11

TRINITY SUNDAY--6/19/11

 by Msgr. Eric R. Barr, STL

READINGS: EX 34:4-6, 8-9; 2 COR 13:11-13; JN 3: 16-18

I. So What Difference Does It Make Which God We Worship?

A The Force Be With You

1. Many of you are Star Wars fans and even if you are not, you are familiar with that universe. I’m hooked. I remember standing outside a Madison theater for hours in 1980 for the premier of the Empire Strikes Back–I’m a Star Wars Geek. Ever since my brothers and I wandered in to an empty theater in Dubuque on a warm summer day in 1977 and were utterly enchanted by this new movie Star Wars, I’ve loved these films. Great story, great characters, great fun, great tragedy, great excitement–but just one problem–weak god.

2. In fact, one of the most enjoyable parts of Star Wars, it’s famous line, "The Force Be With You" shamelessly ripped off by George Lucas from the Catholic Mass, "The Lord Be With You," tells you everything you need to know about spirituality in the Star Wars Universe. God is weak, either good or bad depending on how you want him to be. God is not personal; God is a Force, this invisible webbing binding all things together. The Force, the god of Star Wars, can’t really do anything on its own; it is totally dependent on people to twist it to good or turn it to evil.

3. And no matter how much I like the stories, that’s the problem with the Star Wars Universe. I get to make God into anything I want. God doesn’t rule me; I rule God. And that’s part of why Star Wars is so popular. You get to take your religion on your own terms and make it fit your own life style. If you want to be Luke Skywalker, hero, the Force is there for you. If you want to be Darth Vader and take what you want when you want and dip into the Dark Side for a little extra power, the Force is there for you. If you are Obi Wan Kenobi or Yoda and want to be the great gurus of the galaxy, the Force is there for you. If you want to be the evil Emperor and rule the univers, the Force will help you do that. Weak god, religion on your terms.

 

B. Trinity Sunday tells us that Christians have a unique concept of God that is different from every other religion on this planet, and is really different from Star Wars..

1. We don't think it enough just to believe in a god; we want to find the One, True God, and we believe that God has been revealed as Father, Son, and Spirit. Not all beliefs are equal; some are more true than others. To be holy is to come close to the truth; we need to seek the One, True God.

2. We can't just like Jesus and think him a great guy without considering how he relates to God. Jesus forces us to think about God as Father-Creator. And Jesus forces us to make a decision about who he himself is. It is no accident that the Gospel today is the one that always hangs over the bleachers at baseball and football games. John 3:16 says it clearly--For God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten Son that whoever believes in him may not die but will have eternal life." Jesus without his divinity, without his special relationship to God the Father, is just a nice guy, a nice teacher, but not someone who can save us. If you believe in what the Scriptures say, then you've got to hold that God the Father and God the Son are one and the same God, equal, Light from Light, true God from true God.

3. To just believe in a cosmic force but not believe in Jesus as God or in the Holy Spirit that dwells within us as God's Presence in our lives is to believe in a God that is distant, impersonal, remote. Christianity makes it clear that God is close God, a personal God, so personal that he sent his only Son to save us and he sent his Spirit to dwell within us. We don't have to look up to heaven to find God--we can eat his Body and drink his Blood, we can feel him in our hearts, we can sense him by our sides.

4. And there are some who say that each of us is divine. We cannot know if there is a God or not or who Jesus really was, but we each have a divine spark and can do great things. The Christian says that idea is what got us into trouble in the first place. Adam and Eve thought they could be gods and all they got out of that presumptuous thought was suffering, sickness and death. We do have the presence of the Divine in us but it is the Holy Spirit who has been placed in our hearts through Baptism and Confirmation who lives there. He is not part of us, but he lives within us to guide us to perfection and eternal joy.

II. A Correct Belief In The Trinity Means A Close Relationship With God

A. We believe in God as Trinity: Three Persons in One God. Father, Son and Spirit. But beliefs that just stay in our heads don't really mean much or touch our lives. I would like to suggest a particular way of praying to God. The Celtic or Irish peoples still use it today and that method is simply this:

 

When we pray to God, always try to include the entire name of the Trinity in our prayer--Father, Son and Spirit. Our prayer will be more human, and we will feel the presence of God more closely in our lives.

B. God as Trinity tells us of a loving God who is close to us, walks by our side, lives in our lives. Powerful yet loving, Awesome and yet Fatherly, Just yet Tender, this is the God we believe in. May our prayers reflect that belief so that our lives may proclaim the truth that God is Father, Son and Spirit.

HOMILY FOR THE FEAST OF PENTECOST--6/12/11

 

PENTECOST–6/12/11

   by Msgr. Eric R. Barr, STL

I. The Tower of Babel and the Feast of Pentecost

A. Once there was a time when all of us spoke one language. And we grew proud and bold. This was no where more true than in the land of Shinar. There they thought themselves powerful, unbeatable, undefeatable. And there came a day when they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and so make a name for ourselves." It happened that God heard a rumor about this tower, and he looked down from his lofty throne with all his angels; he looked down upon the earth and said, "I see nothing--where is this mighty tower? Come, let us go down and find it." And so they went to earth, God and his angels and they found the tower that stood in the land of Shinar. The angels said, "This tower is so small; it will never reach the heavens--how puny it seems." "Yes," said God, "it is nothing, but they think it great. Their pride has blinded them; they think they are gods; they think to take my place." And God looked at the thousands upon thousands of people that were carrying bricks up the tower, a tower that would look huge and tall to you or me, but seemed puny and insignificant to God. And God said in a voice full of thunder, "Hear, o people, the Lord your God is Lord alone. Him only shall you adore. Because you seek to be me, because you seek to displace me, because you seek to place yourselves on heaven's throne, hear my judgement: Confused shall your language be; no one in the land of Shinar shall be able to understand another. You shall talk but no one will hear. You shall speak and no one will understand. Wanderers shall you be across the world." So spoke God. And immediately, all the people of the land of Shinar who were building that great city with its great tower discovered they could not talk to one another. Each spoke in a different language. No one understood. They babbled to one another and all work stopped. In fear and shame they abandoned the tower and the city and scattered over the earth each speaking his or her own language. There in the land of Shinar it stood for many years, the abandoned Tower of Babel. It was called that for there the Lord confused the speech of those who tried to be God. All sin has its consequences. Adam and Eve's pride pushed humanity out of the Garden of Eden. The pride and sinfulness of the people in Noah's day caused the Great Flood. And the pride of the people who built the Tower of Babel caused the many languages of the world which is why even to this day we have trouble understanding one another, loving one another, caring for one another.

B. Contrast that story with what happened at Pentecost. There in an upper room in Jerusalem, the Spirit came down upon Mary and the Apostles. There they knew the truth that God was one--Father, Son and Spirit. They went out to tell the truth. They spoke out in the streets to people from many lands. This was no Tower of Babel. No speech was confused; there was no lack of understanding. The Apostles spoke and no matter what ethnic background, no matter what nationality, no matter what language each visitor to Jerusalem spoke, they all heard what the Apostles said and they understood. The Egyptians thought the Apostles were speaking Egyptian, the Greeks thought they were speaking Greek, the Romans thought they were speaking Latin. How could this miracle be? It was simple. These Apostles of Christ had promised to be servants of God, friends of Christ. They sought no power for themselves, no glory, no fame. They only wanted to tell people about Jesus--the Way, the Truth and the Life. And because they spoke the truth, they were understood, by everyone. And the Truth is this--to know the One, True God and the Son whom he sent, Jesus. Pentecost proclaims one message: Belief in Jesus brings people back together in peace and love. Jesus is the One who makes the human race one family.

II. Conclusions

A. So many times in my homilies I lament the fact that our culture is not what it should be. I hear you say the same about how difficult it is to raise kids with values and how hard it is to live a good life in this day and age. And that is all true. But we should not forget the one truth in today's feast: When we speak the truth of Christianity, things get better.

1. Our value system with its emphasis on love, even of one's enemies, makes this world a safer, caring place.

2. Our sexual ethics with its emphasis on love, makes marriage a holy thing, and our sexual powers subject to responsible love and commitment.

3. Our respect for life with its emphasis on human dignity, gives each person, born or in the womb, old or young, a knowledge that they are loved by God and that they have the right to live in this world.

4. Our faith based on our reason and on God's revelation makes us respect wisdom wherever it is found, in our minds, in the Bible, in the pursuit of knowledge always knowing that what we learn does not make us gods but makes us closer to the One, True God.

5. Our belief in God as Father, Son and Spirit tells us that we do not walk alone, that family and friends are important and that it is our task to reach out to those who have no one and tell them they have a place in the Church. We are family, we are friends, we are one body in Christ.

B. And these are just some of the things that Christianity does and that we take for granted. Think of where we would be without our faith. Think of how much less our world would be without Christianity. On this Feast of Pentecost when the Apostles swelled with pride, not in their own power, but in the knowledge that they were friends of Christ, we ought to be proud as well. We are Catholic Christians, with a wonderful tradition and with a message to tell the world. Our world is a lot like the one that tried to build the Tower of Babel. It often thinks it does not need God. But it is wrong. If we speak the Truth, if we tell people about Jesus and we do so clearly, unambiguously, with pride by thought, word and deed, then--just like the people in Jerusalem heard the voice of truth in their own language, so will our world hear the voice of truth and come to believe that only in Jesus can humanity find harmony, only in Christ can we be at peace, only in the Lord, Jesus Christ can we be saved. The Spirit burns strongly in our hearts. Speak with the fire of truth, speak with the fire of love, speak with the voice of the Holy Spirit.

FAREWELL TO SMALLVILLE!

 

via www.youtube.com

ALWAYS HOLD ON TO SMALLVILLE!

And with those words, Jonathan Kent gives his son Clark the Superman suit and sends the Man of Steel on his way.  I've never apologized for being a comic geek, and I'm not going to start now.  For ten years, this little show has chugged along and given us great stories of family, friendship, character, and heroism. In a world that is so cynical, it has always been a breath of fresh air.  Born just a month after 9/11, the story of the coming of age of Clark Kent grabbed the nation and injected some hope into a disillusioned populace.  With very overt nods to another famous story (only a real one this time) about a Savior who comes to save humanity, Smallville gave us all a heck of a ride about how good can conquer evil, letting us know that there is a hero in each one of us.

Maybe you've never seen the show.  Don't worry, all ten seasons come out on DVD this November.  But take a look at the cool music video above for a nice summary.  Enjoy it.

HOMILY FOR FEAST OF ASCENSION--6/5/11--HE IS WITH US ALWAYS

FEAST OF THE ASCENSION–6/5/11 

 

　by Msgr. Eric R. Barr, STL

 

 

READINGS: ACTS 1:1-11, EPH 1:17-23, MARK 16:15-20

 I. Know What You Have; Use What You’ve Got

A. Ever had something for a while and didn’t know it could do certain things? Probably happens most often with a computer or a computer program. You’ve accidentally deleted something, something you thought was gone forever, and suddenly, somebody who knows more about computers than you comes by and shows you that presto! your document isn’t consigned to limbo but instead exists again. Pretty cool. And yet, there you were with the answer right in your face but you didn’t know you had it. That’s how we Catholics are. We have answers to the biggest questions in life staring us right in our face, but we don’t know we have them. So we walk around blind to the truth, stumbling in this darkness, afraid, confused, bothered and bewildered.

B. Here’s what I mean. I had a friend, an Aussie, who I think I’ve told you about before. Great guy, but he was an Evangelical Protestant who had been born again. Been around them lately! Wonderful people who never get tired of telling you how they were born again. Greatest experience in their life. Most spectacular thing that ever happened to them. One minute, walking as a sinner in this world of tears, next moment, in touch with Jesus who changes their lives in an instant giving them such an experience of God that they never forget it. Pretty powerful and moving. Well my friend loved to tell me about that. And I’ve got a hunch you’ve heard some of your friends or acquaintances talk like that too.

C. Like we’ve talked before, Catholics just don’t know what to do with all that. "Born again?" we’re asked. "Don’t know," we say. "Just a Catholic here." "Ever been touched by the saving precious blood of Jesus?" we’re asked. "Don’t know," we say. "Just a Catholilc here." "Ever experience Christ as your personal Lord and Savior?" we’re asked. "Don’t know," we say. "Just a Catholic here." And by the time we’re done with all that we feel left out in the religious experience side of things, we feel stupid in the religious knowledge area, and some of us feel that maybe Catholicism doesn’t really have all the answers because those folks who are born again or alive with Jesus really seem more in touch with God than we do.

D. Just like a guy who doesn’t know what his computer can do, we who call ourselves Catholic diminish ourselves and don’t value our faith, not because we have less, but because we just don’t know what we have.

E. I love my born again fellow Christians, and I am so happy they have had that one experience of their lives that tells them Jesus Christ is their Lord and Savior. But I don’t envy them. No way. In fact, I feel a little sorry for them, like I do all those who do not have the Catholic faith. Know why? Because I’m better than them? NO! Because I’m going to go to heaven before them? NO! Because I’m smarter than they are?" NO! I feel a little sorry for them because what they can only experience once in their lives, I can experience any time I want, because I’m Catholic because my faith goes all the way back to those apostles who stood on a hill so long ago looking up into the sky watching Christ ascend to heaven. The Ascension of Jesus is what gives me the fullness of my faith. It’s true. And I bet you never knew that.

II. The Ascension

A. What is it? Christ being lifted up to God the Father’s right hand and exalted in glory doesn’t mean there is a gold throne riding the jet stream above the earth with Christ seat belted into it. No way. The Ascension means that God, seeing what Christ did on the Cross, has said yes to his Son always and forever, raised him from the dead and placed him by his side. That means that what happened on the Cross so long ago is not simply a past event, but one that continues on even now because God the Father has never stopped saying Yes to his Son. That’s what the Ascension means. It’s God’s eternal Yes to Jesus and the continuation of that saving event from 2000 years ago.

B. Ever wonder how Christ’s shedding his blood 2000 years ago could save you? It can’t if it happened only 2000 years ago. But Christ doesn’t continually die on the Cross does he. We don’t re-sacrifice him at Mass do we? So something else is happening. Jesus found a way to continue on his sacrifice for all eternity. That’s what the Ascension does. The Resurrection broke the chains of death, and the Ascension makes sure that what happened back then goes on forever.

C. That means that for a Christian to be saved by the blood of Christ and live forever, he or she must somehow touch that sacrifice, be a part of that saving event. Perhaps born again experiences give people that opportunity, but we Catholics have a much more time-tested and true way to experience that salvation event. Namely–the Eucharist. It is the way we plug into what Christ did. Salvation is like an ever rolling stream through eternity now, and to enable us to participate in it Jesus did two things. He ascended, so that what he did will go on an on. And he gave us sacraments, especially the Eucharist which enable us to plug into that salvaltion event whenever we want. In other words, we don’t have to be limited to a one time born again experience. We can have one whenever we want.

D. When I receive Communion, I receive the Body and Blood of Christ, right? That’s what we’ve all been taught. But that’s so second grade first Communion stuff. True, but only part of the truth. Something you may not have known is that when you receive the Eucharist it’s not simply the Body and Blood of Christ, it’s the Body and Blood of the risen, glorified, ascended Jesus that you receive and when you touch him, consume him, receive him, you receive him and the whole salvation thing that began with the Cross and Resurrection and continues even now with the Ascension.

E. That’s heavy duty theology, but here’s what it means practically. You can touch Jesus any time you want. You can experience salvation any time you want. When people ask you if you’ve experienced Jesus, don’t be a confused Catholic anymore, don’t be a baffled believer–tell the truth. I just found out something cool about my faith–I can touch Jesus anytime, speak with him anytime, experience salvation anytime. Through the Eucharist, because of the Ascension. Am I born again–you bet! Have I experienced Christ as my personal Lord and Savior–absolutely! Do I feel his presence–all the time, but especially in the sacraments, and especially in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. Praised be Jesus Christ now and forever for this great gift.