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Feb 1, 2012Healing
Do you know anyone with a serious illness? If you do then you know how hard is can be to watch a loved one suffer in pain and anguish. Illness can come in many forms: physical, mental, and spiritual or combination of many kinds of sicknesses. Many people know someone who suffers from a physical ailment like cancer or Multiple Sclerosis. We may also know others who suffer from mental illnesses such as depression, Alzheimer’s, or bi-polar disorder.
To me the most difficult aspect of illness is the lack of control I have over the illness, especially when it is effecting someone I care about. My first reaction is to want to take the illness upon myself so that my suffering friend will be made better. I know this isn’t possible, so I cry out to God to bring healing and health to my loved one. I know that Jesus is the Healer and that he can remove every pain and all suffering. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, God does not always grant physical healing to those I love.
In this week’s Gospel, Jesus is presented as the Healer, the one who restores life to the suffering. Jesus enters the home of Peter’s mother-in-law and sees that she is gravely ill. He takes her by the hand and her body is healed. The account from Mark’s Gospel tells us that the woman immediately started serving and taking care of Jesus and all of his disciples. Jesus spent the rest of the day healing the suffering who were brought to him.
When looking at the stories of Jesus’ healing miracles, one must ask, “What part of the person is Jesus healing?” Often times it is the physical or mental part that we focus on. But what about the spiritual side? In many cases, Jesus also forgives the sins of the sickened one as well. Jesus heals our brokenness.
The first reading from the book of Job, on the other hand, is a painful description of the suffering person, one whose life is tormented with sickness and misfortune. We are given to understand that God both allows suffering and relieves suffering. To better understand this, I need to look to the Saints.
“Suffering is a great grace; through suffering the soul becomes like the Savior; in suffering love becomes crystallized; the greater the suffering, the purer the love.”
–St. Faustina
“If we only knew the precious treasure hidden in infirmities, we would receive them with the same joy with which we receive the greatest benefits, and we would bear them without ever complaining or showing signs of weariness.”
–St. Vincent de Paul
It is in suffering that we can come to know better the love and sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. He who bore our iniquities, by whose wounds we have been healed, this Christ is not only our Healer, but our example in sickness and in health.
This Sunday’s Psalm response is “Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted.” I am reminded of the brokenness of my own life. I am forced to ask myself what the state of my own spiritual health is and I am forced to examine my soul. Spiritual illness is much more fatal than any physical ailment. For if my soul is in poor condition, how can I expect to enter into God’s Kingdom? Sin is the disease that afflicts my soul, but it is God’s love and forgiveness that is the balm. So often we live in denial of our brokenness and soul sickness. It’s like knowing you have a curable cancer but you refuse to acknowledge the presence of the disease in your body. The cure to any disease must be received, but to receive it, we must admit our frailty.
I funny how God can only help those who desire it, those who admit brokenness and weakness. The proud dismiss God and his saving power. So our God is the “lifter of the poor.”
Once I have received God’s forgiveness and have been healed, it is up to me to keep my soul healthy through prayer, sacrifice, the sacraments, scripture, and service. Our hope is in the healing nature of our God, a God who gives life, and a God who understands suffering. By our own suffering may we understand the healing we need.
Peace.Peter.
Jan 25, 2012Speaking Out
I was in fifth grade, it was the middle of winter and we were on the playground for recess after lunch. Marty, the tallest, best looking, and meanest sixth grader at Northern Hills Elementary was viciously chasing Joel,another fifth grade kid from my class. Joel was different. He had greasy hair, goofy clothes, he was scrawny, and had a learning disability. He was a prime candidate for getting picked on and beat up, which happened regularly on the playground. Marty was not only chasing Joel, but every time he got close to him, Marty slid on the snow and tripped Joel so he would land face first on the icy ground. Joel was terrified.
My friends and I were watching this, at first laughing at the spectacle of it all. Then after a few minutes I wasn’t laughing any more. I realized that Marty was not going to stop picking on Joel until someone stopped him. The teachers on duty weren’t watching, and none of the other students were doing anything about it. I felt like I had to step in. I had to say something.
Now, I wasn’t a very strong or intimidating figure, especially compared to Marty, the six foot tall sixth grade star athlete. I didn’t have a reputation for being authoritative, or even nice. I’m not really sure I had ever really stood up for anyone before. But that didn’t stop me. Something inside of me needed to make Marty stop what he was doing to Joel. So I yelled out, “Leave him alone!”
At first there was no response, no reaction from Marty. So I yelled out again, and louder this time so everyone on the playground could hear me, “Marty, leave Joel alone!”
That got Marty’s attention. He stopped chasing Joel, turned and looked for the poor sap who yelled at him. I could see it in his eyes, that look of blind rage. How dare anyone tell the ‘king of the school’ to stop doing anything! Somehow Marty figured out it was me who yelled at him, probably because I was the only one looking at him who was shaking in fear. He started to run at me and I was ready to take off when the playground supervisor stopped him and made Marty go inside to the principal’s office. That was the last time Marty picked on Joel.
I’m not trying to puff myself up, or make myself look good to you who are reading this. In fact, I didn’t receive any reward from Joel, the school, and certainly not from my friends. Sticking up for Joel was like sticking up for a sack of potatoes. Most people thought it was pointless. He was so strange that nobody valued him or gave him any kind of recognition. He was worthless in the eyes of our student community.
Have you ever had to stick up for someone on the fringes? Have you ever had to champion an unpopular cause? This is the work of a prophet. A prophet is one who speaks on behalf of God, usually to call society back into the way of God. This week’s readings remind us that there are times in our lives when we are called to both be the prophet and to heed the prophet. This is not an easy role, and prophets are hardly every popular because the prophetic message is usually a corrective instruction. However, prophets also speak words of hope, healing, and promise, especially to the poor and the oppressed.
What does it take to be a prophetic voice in your world? What is the cost? What sense is there in putting yourself in harm’s way just to help others get back on the path to holiness? The prophet trusts in God for the right words to say and protection against any backlash that might occur. Jesus was the ultimate example of what it means to be a prophet. He spoke with authority, yet he also spoke with compassion. Jesus not only spoke the Word of God, and lived the Word of God, but Jesus is the Word of God. He gave us his Holy Spirit so that we too would speak in power and live lives of holiness, courageously in this skeptical and unforgiving world.
This week, let us ask God for the courage to be the prophet in our own worlds and the strength to heed the prophetic voice when it is directed toward us.
Peace. Peter.
Jan 19, 2012Knowing Right from Wrong
How do we know when we’ve done something wrong? Usually it’s because someone has told us that what we did was wrong. When I was about five or six years old I said a swear word in front of my parents. I had heard this word used on television, and probably from some adults in real life, but I had no idea that this word was inappropriate. So when I used the swear word, I thought nothing of it. My parents, on the other hand, were appalled! They immediately told me that the word I used was a bad, and in their panic they stuck a bar of soap in my mouth. My parents were very loving and gentle, so you should know that they removed the soap bar right away, but the experience, and the bad taste in my mouth, had a lasting effect. If it weren’t for love of my parents, I would not have known for a long time, if ever, that the word I used was offensive.
As members of the human race, this eclectic family, we are called to keep one another in check, out of love. Morals and values are established by communities and passed on from generation to generation. We know that certain actions like murder, adultery, stealing, lying, and others are sins and typically illegal because we have determined over time that these actions are harmful to members of our community. We have also been instructed through God’s Word as to what is right and wrong for God’s own people. This is where things can get a little messy. The morals and values of a society can change and morph as the culture changes, but God’s way is steadfast and unchanging. When the morals and values of a given society change and come conflict with the morals and values of Christianity things become difficult.
We see this even now in our culture. Sex outside of marriage, abuse of drugs and alcohol, greed, desire for power, disrespect for the lives of vulnerable and weak, and so on. These values are in direct opposition to those given to us by our Christian faith. What are we supposed to do about it?
The easy thing would be to sit back and let it all happen around us. We can try to ignore it, believing that the sinful nature of our society won’t affect us Christians. But the truth is, God wants us to stand up and do something about. We are called to be voices crying out “Repent, for God is near!” and God depends on us to help those around us get back on track to holy living.
God doesn’t want us to judgmental or vicious in our work, but he does want us to be bold, strong, and authoritative. If we truly believe that God’s way is THE way, and that God desires all of his children to be wrapped up in his love, then we better work hard to proclaim the way of Jesus for all people.
Unfortunately a few zealous fanatics have given the whole of the religious world a bad name. Our purpose for calling our brothers and sisters to repentance should never be out of anger or judgment. Rather, our message should be proclaimed with love. It is out of love that we desire for all people to be given the chance to experience the love and presence of God in their own life. When our message of repentance comes from the standpoint of love, the other is more likely to receive and act on that message.
This week’s readings give us some great examples of how we are called to proclaim the Way of God in our world. You are probably familiar with the story of Jonah and the Whale. The first reading this Sunday skips over the disobedience of Jonah that led him to be swallowed by the infamous whale and goes right to work God called him to do: To go to the city of Nineveh and to tell the people that the way they were living was sinful, and that God desired for them to repent and change their ways. The amazing thing is that when the whale spit Jonah out and he finally went to Nineveh, the people there got the message and the entire city changed their way! Jonah’s obedience to God led and entire culture to repentance and change!
Paul, in the second reading reminds that repentance signals a change. We can no longer live the way we used to if our repentance is genuine. And in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus takes over from the ministry of John the Baptist and preaches a message repentance.
What is interesting to me about Jesus’ ministry is that he not only proclaimed a need to repent our sins and to make changes our lives, but Jesus also happens to be the one who forgives us, heals us, and gives us strength to make those changes. I also think that if we follow Jesus’ example of compassionate, courageous, and authoritative proclaiming of repentance, then we have great potential to change the world we live in.
This week, let’s work on being voices of love, calling those around us to live holy and committed lives in the Way given to us by our God.
Peace. Peter.
Jan 12, 2012The Lull
I always feel a little disappointed when the excitement of Advent and Christmas are over. The “lull” between the Baptism of the Lord and the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday make regular discipleship kind of…boring. So is Ordinary Time so ordinary that it’s supposed to bore Christians into holiness? Well, maybe not, but it can be difficult to live a Christian life without all of the liturgical hype the ‘fun’ seasons bring with them. On the other hand, this week’s readings give us some insight into the adventure of regular, everyday Christian discipleship.
Samuel was born in the fashion that many special figures in the bible are: His mother was barren, she cried out to God to give her a child. In doing so she promised to dedicate the child to the service of God. So when Hannah, Samuel’s mother, gave birth she brought Samuel to live in the Temple (which was still a tent at this point). Samuel was to be brought up and mentored by the priests who served in the God’s presence. During the night when Samuel was young, God called out to him. Samuel thought it was Eli, the high priest calling. I’m sure Eli was a bit annoyed at being woken up by this kid in the middle of the night. But after it happened a couple more times, Eli realized something special was happening. God was calling Samuel. So he told Samuel that the next time he heard the voice calling his name, he should reply saying, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
In the Gospel of John, Jesus invited his first disciples to follow him. When they asked Jesus where he was staying, he said, “Come, and you will see.” After spending time with him, one of the new disciples, Andrew, went to tell his brother, Peter, about the man they were with. Andrew said to Peter, “We have found the Messiah.” And he brought Peter to meet Jesus.
These men in these stories represent us in our own lives. We may be young like Samuel, or ordinary like Peter, the lowly fisherman, but God calls us nonetheless. The call to serve God is a daily invitation, one that we must choose to respond to with the beginning of each new day. The decision to follow Jesus, to walk the path of peace, is no easy or ordinary choice, but it is what identifies us as being different from the rest of humanity. Following God requires determination, perseverance, and sacrifice. In the second reading, Paul reminds us that our whole bodies should be used in our service to God. We should not seek immoral pleasure over preserving our bodies for holiness. After all, Paul says, the Holy Spirit resides within us, therefore we are temples for the Holy Spirit.
Like Samuel who slept in the Temple close to the presence of God, like the first disciple who just wanted to be wherever Jesus was going to be, we too should desire a closeness to God. And we can have it. Because of the presence of the Spirit within us, because of God’s unconditional love for us, we can be close to him in a unique and special way. In fact, that is what he is calling us to when he calls us to serve him. God wants us to be near to him. That is the regular struggle of Christianity: staying close to God.
Ordinary Time doesn’t mean boring time. It means our ordinary Christian lives rest in our daily decision to Come to the Lord. Peace. Peter.
Jan 5, 2012Finding Clarity
I am dependent on coffee to make it through my day. I drink espresso – a lot of it. I typically have three to four shots in the morning and it lasts me all day. The days I am unable to have my coffee I am a complete mess. I might look okay on the outside, but I am usually groggy, grumpy, and unable to think clearly. On those rare occasions, if I am able to get a coffee at some point it is as if the heavens have opened, a light has been turned on, and the cobwebs have been removed from my brain. Everything is clearer, brighter, and easier to understand when I’ve had my coffee.
When you feel foggy and unclear, what is it that helps to focus your mind? For some it’s caffeine, for others it’s being in a quiet space, for others it’s prayer, reading, conversation, or listening to music.
We have all experienced times where our minds feel clouded and groggy. I think of coming back to school after the summer or Christmas breaks. I remembered very little of what I learned before the break and it usually took a few days before I was back into the swing of things. When we are able to gain some clarity, it can seem like a light bulb has been turned on in our minds, like learning, listening, and knowing are easier. This is what the Feast of Epiphany represents for us – the light of Christ illuminating our lives and bringing clarity to our hearts and minds.
Before we receive and accept the Light of Christ into our personal lives, we are like the people of the Old Testament. We understand pretty well right from wrong, we may understand that there is a God who made us and who will judge us when we die. We may or may not try to live moral lives, but we know we should try and be good people. However, decision-making is difficult, we don’t always ‘get’ why we should be moral, or good. Belief in God is optional. Despair comes easily to us, we lack hope or direction, and peace is a rarity. We may not know it, but we are living in a dark and gloomy existence. When we accept Jesus as a real, living, and active person in our lives, all of that changes. Like my morning coffee, the Light of Christ brings clarity and understanding. When we accept the love and direction of Jesus Christ, we gain direction, hope, and peace.
In this week’s readings Isaiah reminds us that when the Light of Christ shines in us, God’s glory is revealed to the world. Paul points out that when we accept Jesus, a new knowledge and understanding about God, our destiny, and even life is revealed to us. Part of the peace and understanding that we receive comes when we acknowledge the authority of Jesus in our lives. When we start taking direction from God rather than from ourselves or the world around us, we are able to let go of the unnecessary things and focus on what is real and true.
The Magi in the Gospel traveled a great distance to acknowledge Jesus as a king worthy of adoration. They brought gifts to offer him as a sign of their submission to his authority. The Magi were under great pressure from King Herod to not seek out Jesus, and their lives were even in danger for doing so. However, their sacrifice gives us an example of how we should approach Jesus, the Light of the World, the King of Nations, the Prince of Peace:
With determination and perseverance, no matter the stakes
Giving in offering the best of what we have
In adoration of our King and our God
Submitting to his authority over our lives
This week, let’s invite the Light of Christ into our hearts and ask God to bring us clarity, understanding, direction and peace. In return, may we offer this King of Kings the most precious gift we have, our own lives.
Peace. Peter.
Dec 28, 2011Resolution = Rebirth
New Year’s resolutions are all about becoming a better person. People resolve to eat better food, lose weight, exercise, watch less television, read more, be a better friend, etc. Our New Year’s resolutions are meant to improve our lives, to make us healthier, happier, and more productive people. In a sense, you could call a New Year’s resolution an opportunity for renewal, rebirth, or a second chance. It’s an opportunity to change, to experience a kind of conversion.
This weekend on January 1st we not only celebrate the New Year, but also the Octave (the eighth day) of Christmas. It is the Feast of Mary, the Mother of God. On this day the Church recognizes the role of a human being in the Incarnation, the event of God becoming a human. First of all, Christmas is such an important event in the year that we celebrate it over two weeks (give or take a few days depending on the year). Of course, Easter is celebrated for 50 days. The length of these feasts tell us just how important these events are: God becoming human and God sacrificing himself for our sake.
Mary’s role in this is vital. Mary is not only the mother of Jesus the human, but she is Theotokos, the ‘God-Bearer’ – or Mother of God. This name we give to Mary is not a puffed up title to elevate a human woman into a sort of ‘goddess.’ Rather calling Mary the Mother of God explains who Jesus is: Fully Human and Fully God at the same time.
When Mary said ‘yes’ to being the Mother of Jesus, ‘yes’ to carrying the Creator of the Universe in her womb, she was saying ‘yes’ to a rebirth of humanity. St. Athanasius said that God became like us so that we could become like God. In Christ’s birth, humanity was ‘reborn.’
Mary is for us a model to be imitated, not just a figure to be honored. What does it mean to imitate Mary the Mother of God? Mary carried Emmanuel in her womb for about 40 weeks (A full-term pregnancy). During this time the Word Made Flesh grew and developed within her. However, Mary had to make sure that the baby inside of her was being nourished properly. She had to care for herself in order for the baby to be cared for. When the time was right, the baby wanted to come out, to be born into the world. On that day, something new occurred, God entered the world in a whole new way, and the world changed forever.
How do you carry the Word Incarnate within you? Do you acknowledge the presence of God inside of you? How do you nurture the Word in you? Do you pray, participate in the sacraments, read scripture, and serve the poor? When we do these things, we are able to be reborn, and God is brought forth into our own world through us. Like Mary, all we have to do is say, “Yes” and trust in God’s plan.
This New Year, let’s be like Mary and carry the Son of God within us and pray not for resolution, but rebirth.
Peace. Peter.
Dec 22, 2011A Christmas Song
There are four sets of readings for Christmas: Christmas Vigil (Eve), Christmas at Midnight, Christmas at Dawn, and Christmas Day. It’s an important celebration, so it warrants four different Masses!
As a Christmas Gift, check out the lyrics to my Christmas song, “Noel.”
You came down
On a still and starry night
A silent moonlit night
Your love was born
In the smallness of a child
An infant meek and mild
You were frail and weak like me
Born into my poverty
You did not shout
You did not make a sound
You were not strong or proud
But you came like a lamb
A silent offering
A different kind of king—you heard me cry
“Come, O come, Emmanuel!
Come and save me from myself!”
Noel. Noel.
Born is the King, the Savior of the world.
Noel.
I did not hear
Angels in the sky
Sing, “Gloria on high!”
I did not see
Shepherds on their knees
Or a star in the east
Still I know you cam for me.
King of my heart, the Prince of Peace.
Noel. Noel.
Born is the King, the Savior of the world.
Noel. Noel.
You have my heart, you and no one else.
Noel.
Words and Music by Peter N. Bierer © 2010 Peter Bierer Music
Dec 14, 2011Promises.
Whether you’re a fan of romance movies or action films, you’ve heard this promise, “I’ll be back (for you)…I promise.” I usually shudder when I hear that, mostly because of the cliché. If it’s a war movie and the soldier is saying this to his girl before going off to do battle, the audience cannot be sure whether or not the promised return will eventuate. Sometimes the soldier dies, sometimes he is mistaken for dead, and in a satisfying theatrical ending, he returns safely from war. I think tis reveals something important about the human condition, namely that the ability or inability to keep a promise.
Most of us have been on the receiving end of a broken promise. Your mom promised to buy you ice cream after school, but ran out of time and could not. Your childhood best friend promised to be your friend forever, but then they changed schools and made new friends and lost touch with you. The movie critics said this movie would be the best film of the year, but it ended up being a total disappointment. Your boyfriend said he would love you forever, you even planned to get married one day, but he broke up with you when he went off to college. Some marriages end in divorce, some investments end in fraud, some politicians only make promises to get elected. It’s a fact of our reality. Promises are hard to keep.
Then there’s God.
God is perfect.
God makes promises, big ones.
God keeps his promises.
By some accounts, the Bible shows that God has made over 1200 promises to his people (that’s us). We know from scripture, tradition, experience, and by faith that when God makes a promise, he’s going to keep it. So when God started telling his people that he was going to come and rescue them, he meant it.
This week’s readings remind us of God’s faithfulness to his promises. In the first reading, God promises King David that one of his own descendants will be King Forever. Joseph, Jesus’ foster father, was a descendant of David. Psalm 89 reaffirms God’s promise of salvation through David’s line. In the second reading, Paul reminds us that God’s promise to David, the prophets, and to the world was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. In the Gospel, we hear the beautiful story about how the angel Gabriel reveals God’s plan of salvation to Mary. The angel tells Mary that God’s promise to David will be fulfilled through her.
Humans are frail and unable to keep promises consistently. But God is greater and can do all things. We may become jaded or skeptical because of the hurts broken promises have given us, but we cannot believe that God is like us in that way, he’s better than us. That’s what makes him God.
In this final week of Advent, let us continue rejoicing in the fulfillment of God’s promise of the Messiah! And let us remain in watchful hop for his promised return. I guess Jesus did say it too… “I be back!”
Peace. Peter.
Dec 8, 2011Rejoice!
It’s not easy to be joyful, even during the happiest season of all! But this week’s readings remind us that in the Incarnation, we have much to rejoice over.
So rejoice like Isaiah, Mary, Paul, and John!
Isaiah.
Rejoice! The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon {YOU}
Rejoice! …because the LORD has anointed {YOU}
Rejoice! …He has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor,
to heal the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives
and release to the prisoners,
to announce a year of favor from the LORD!
I rejoice heartily in the LORD,
in my God is the joy of my soul…
Mary.
Rejoice! My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…
Rejoice! …for he has looked upon his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
Rejoice! the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
Rejoice! He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy…
Paul.
Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing.
In all circumstances give thanks,
for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.
Rejoice! The one who calls you is faithful,
and he will also accomplish it.
John.
Rejoice! “I am the voice of one crying out in the desert,
‘make straight the way of the Lord,’” as Isaiah the prophet said.”
Rejoice! “I baptize with water;
but there is one among you whom you do not recognize,
the one who is coming after me,
whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.”
Rejoice! The Light of the Morning Sun is Rising!
Peace. Peter.
Nov 29, 2011Cleaning Up.
People are often horrified when they walk into my office. I’m not exactly the most organized person in the building, and when I get busy I don’t make time to clean up my desk – or the 15 foot radius around my desk. I blame it on busyness, or my being a creative person. Really, I just don’t like cleaning up – just ask my wife or my parents! I get lazy and I let things pile up. I figure I’ll make time to clean up next week. But when next week comes I put it off again.
Now, if I know someone important is going to come to my office for a meeting, or even for a visit, I’ll work my tail off to make my room presentable. What’s embarrassing is when someone shows up unannounced. I’ll make up excuses for the mess or just try to usher the person out of my office and into cleaner room. When my office is a mess it reflects poorly on me. People don’t want to have to navigate through the obstacles my laziness has created, nor do I. Keeping my office clean creates a welcoming atmosphere, a place where people want to come and stay for a while.
The same thing can happen to our hearts. Often times we let sin clutter our lives to the point that it’s difficult for us to let God or even other people in. This week’s readings challenge us to keep our lives pure and holy so that Christ can enter in easily.
In the first reading, we hear the iconic Advent passage from Isaiah,
“Prepare the way of the Lord! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God! Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill shall be made low…”
When sin piles up in our hearts it creates obstacles like mountains and valleys, both for God and for ourselves. If we want God to come in, we need to get rid of those obstacles! Isaiah may have been speaking about the first coming of Christ, but in the second reading, St. Peter explains that we must prepare our lives for the second coming of Christ,
“Therefore, beloved, since you await these things, be eager to be found without spot or blemish before him, at peace.”
We don’t know when Jesus is going to return or when the end of the world will be, but that doesn’t mean we should let things pile up in our lives. It’s easy to say, “I can wait to repent, to go to confession until next week…next month…next year…or never…” But the truth is, Jesus comes to us even now in unexpected ways at unexpected times. If you encountered Jesus today, right now, how would he find the room of your heart? Cluttered and messy like my office? Or clean, and tidy, and ready to receive him?
We must be ready at all times to invite Christ Jesus into our hearts. Through the sacrament of reconciliation, through repentance and prayer, by living a pure and holy life we can be sure that our hearts will not be a shameful sight. Rather, they will be a place Christ will be able to stay forever.
John the Baptist called the people of Israel to repentance to prepare their hearts for the coming of the Messiah. Today he still a voice in the wilderness calling us to do the same. Ready your hearts to receive the love and saving power of Jesus, today and each day as we await in joyful hope the coming of Emmanuel.
Peace. Peter.
Nov 24, 2011Anticipating Anticipation!
Here we are again, the first Sunday in Advent. It’s the beginning of the new Church year, and it’s the countdown to Christmas! Which means it is also the time people begin to decorate their homes, bake cookies, and wrap presents. One of my favorite parts about this season is the anticipation that builds before Christmas. I love seeing gifts placed beneath the Christmas tree. I especially love it when the presents are for me!
I’m not one to peek or go snooping around too much, but I will poke around and feel my presents from time to time. What I do not like, however, is finding out what the gift is before it’s time to open it. I enjoy the expectant anticipation that leads up to the “right time” to unwrap the presents and the surprise I get when I open the gift. It feels wrong to me when someone reveals what they are giving me, or when I sneak a peek early on. I have come to appreciate proper timing when it comes to receiving a gift.
There is something special about all that waiting and watching that happens before hand. It makes the present exchange extra special, and the event of the opening is almost sacred. I certainly want to know what I am getting, but waiting for the right time makes the gift even better.
In this week’s first reading Isaiah cries out to God, “Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down…” The Old Testament prophet is asking God to rip open the heavens like gift wrapping and reveal his gift of salvation to the world. Isaiah must have felt the anticipation building as the time drew near for the coming of the Messiah (even though he lived hundreds of years before Christ)! It’s almost as if he could see God’s precious gift waiting for us, waiting to be revealed at the proper time. Isaiah, on behalf of God’s people, just wanted to see it happen now.
The Incarnation, God becoming human in Jesus Christ, is the greatest gift every give, and it is a great mystery we may never understand. Isaiah had no idea when the gift of the Christ would be revealed, only that the gift was waiting for us. The people of Israel knew that God had a plan to save us, they didn’t know the details or the time of revelation. Still they waited in anticipation for the coming of God’s great gift.
Unfortunately, many of them missed the gift when it did come, and many gave up thinking it would never come. Today, many more miss the gift of Emmanuel, even those who call themselves Christians. It’s like they slept in on Christmas morning and forgot all about the presents under the tree.
In the Gospel reading, Jesus tells his disciples to “Be watchful! Be alert!” Jesus warns that we do no know the time when he will come. If we want to receive the gift of the Christ, we must be looking for it and ready to receive it when it comes. Think of children at Christmas. They stay up late waiting for the morning, and they are the first to wake up on Christmas Day so that they do not miss the joy and the excitement of the gift giving.
Well, Christ has come, and he continues to come to us in the gift of the Eucharist, through one another, and in the experiences we have through prayer and in a special way in the poor. We should live in an excited anticipation waiting for each moment that Christ will reveal himself to us. We should be watchful and alert so that we may not miss the gift or be resentful of it when it appears.
Stay awake! Get ready! Hurry up and wait! There is a special gift waiting for you.
Peace. Peter.
Nov 15, 2011Christ the King
It’s easy to get lost on a road trip when you’re somewhere you have never been to before. Once I got lost with a couple of guys in Washington D.C. We were traveling around town, zigzagging through the Capital’s confusing roads, passing monuments, embassies and other famous structures I had only read about or seen in movies. There was more than once instance where the three of us threw our hands up in the air and admitted that we were lost. We had a GPS device that was supposed to help us through those elusive streets, but it wasn’t enough. What we really needed was a navigator from the area who was familiar with the streets and could get us to where we needed to be. Maps and GPS devices are great tools, but nothing can replace a person who knows what do to and how to get around.
Often times we can get a little lost on the road of faith. We have great tools at our disposal, namely scripture and tradition, but they can prove to be useless if we don’t use them in the right way or if we fail to include the one person who can give us true direction. If faith is the journey, then Jesus Christ is our navigator. He not only knows the roads on the maps, he built the roads! By being in a relationship with Jesus Christ, we are better able to use the indispensable tools of scripture and tradition to make our way along the path of life.
When we hear a story from the Gospel like the one we hear in this week’s readings, we should pay attention and listen well. Jesus gives clear direction on how he expects us to live and how we will be judged at the end of time.
This Sunday is the Feast of Christ the King, the last Sunday on the Church calendar (the liturgical year). In the Gospel Jesus gives a description of the end of the world. He says that the King will be seated on his throne in glory and that he will call forth the nations to be judged. Jesus says the king will separate them into two groups: those who followed him, and those who did not. Jesus goes on to reveal the criteria the King will use to make this distinction. Those who will be accepted by the King were the ones who fed the hungry, gave drink to the thirsty, welcomed the stranger, clothed the naked, and cared for the ill and imprisoned. Those who be rejected are the ones who deny food, drink, hospitality, clothes, and care to others. Jesus tells the people that ‘whatever you did to the least of my people, you did it to me…whatever you refused the least of my people, you refused to me” (paraphrase).
These are awfully clear directions Jesus gives us. It is not enough to ‘say’ we are Christians, or to go to church on Sunday, or to study the faith if we do not put into practice the most important teachings of Jesus. That is, to love one another, most especially the poor, the weak, the vulnerable and marginalized. The Christian faith is not selfish or individual. It is communal. Our own salvation is only guaranteed by our concern and work for others. Christ the King desires for all of us to enter into his Kingdom, but we need to follow the directions first. This week, take some time to consider what it truly takes to follow Christ: scripture, tradition, relationship, service, among other things.
Peace. Peter
Nov 10, 2011Performing at NCYC
Hello Friends,
I want to share with you some exciting news: I will be performing at the National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis next week!
On Friday, November 18th I’ll be on the Coffeehouse stage in Victory Park from 12:00-12:20ish pm, and on the acoustic stage at the entrance to Victory Park on Saturday, November 19th from 4:30pm-5pm.
If you are at NCYC and able to come check me out, I’d love the support! If you can’t be there but know someone who will, please pass on the word. Tell your friends, and let’s have a party!
Thanks for you support!
Peace,-Peter Bierer
peterbierer.com‘Called to Glory’ on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDmDcdJr4cQ
Nov 10, 2011Talents and…Talents
The financial economies of the world are in the news daily. These days it is usually bad news. This country or that country failed to invest money correctly, or they failed to regulate banks, or they over-regulated banks…the excuses go on and on. In the end it’s just a big mess and no one really knows who to blame or where the money went. I have a hard time following all of it, mostly because I’m not all the interested in money or economic systems. That being said, how I handle and care for other people’s money is an indicator of what kind of person I am, or so this week’s Gospel seems to indicate.
We often use this Gospel to talk about stewardship, that is the practice of using wisely and correctly the gifts, talents, and treasure that God has entrusted to us. In the Gospel, Jesus tells the story of a rich man who has to leave town. Before he leaves, he entrusts his servants with his money. To one he gives five talents, another two talents, and to the other he gives one talent. It’s important to note here that a talent was a unit of measurement of gold and silver. One talent was equal to almost one hundred pounds of gold or silver. That’s a lot of money! So the first servant was given almost five hundred pounds of treasure to look after! Can you imagine that kind of responsibility?
This story isn’t about the amount of money the rich man leaves with his servants. Instead, the story is about how what the servants do with the talents and how much is given back to the rich man in the end. The first and second servants invested the money and doubled their master’s wealth. Naturally they were rewarded with esteem and greater responsibility. The third servant, however, was just plain lazy. Rather than go through the work of investing in the master’s money he just buried it in the ground so nothing would happen to it. Maybe he was fearful of losing the money in a bad investment, or maybe he didn’t know how to invest the talents. Either way, he made a big mistake by not even trying to do something with the money. The rich man ended up being very angry with the lazy servant and fired him.
What does this story mean for us? We can start with the word talent. In scripture it is the word used for a large amount of money, but over time it has been translated to mean special gifts and abilities. Like the rich man, God entrusts us, his servants, with talents to look after, invest, and increase. You might be thinking, “I’m not very talented in anything, has God given me anything?” The truth is, we all possess certain talents and gifts that other people don’t have. Some are athletic, others are artistic. Some have a way with words, others numbers. Maybe you work well with children, or the elderly. Maybe you’re a visionary, or maybe you are a builder. God has given each of us abilities to help further his kingdom of love. One way of figuring out your talents is to recognize what you are passionate about in life!
Investing in your talents and gifts is incredibly important to God. Becoming a better athlete, artist, teacher, friend, worker, or minister will please God and give your life fulfillment. Now, if you are an athlete, you know that not everyone will get to play the game professionally. So why continue to invest in your abilities? It’s more than trying to get a scholarship for college or to stay in shape. Maybe God is calling you to teach children how to become an athlete, or to learn what it means to work as a team. The purpose for my gifts and talents is always bigger than myself or my own dreams. God has a plan for you and your abilities, but you will never know what it is unless you invest yourself in it and return those gifts to our heavenly master.
Figuring out how to use these gifts and talents for the good of the Church and the world will help you to fulfill God’s purpose for your life. Invest! Do not be afraid and go for the goal!
Peace. Peter
Nov 2, 2011Fresh Batteries
Have you ever been in the situation where it’s the night time, the power in your house goes out, and when you go to turn on the flashlight there are no batteries in it? Or worse yet, the flashlight turns on, but a few minutes later the light grows dim and eventually goes out because the batteries are all used up? I can’t count how many times this has happened to me! I failed to prepare correctly for this kind of situation.
We are always taught to be prepared for emergencies. Making sure that fresh batteries are loaded into the flashlight can make scary or difficult situations go smoothly, even when it seems like you won’t ever have to use the flashlight. We check the batteries in our smoke detectors, put an emergency kit in the car, we practice fire drills in schools, and learn emergency procedures when we board an airplane. When life is fine and no danger is in sight, these precautions can seem tedious, unnecessary, or even borderline obsessive. However, if and when a dangerous situation comes along, we know what to do and have the tools on hand to deal with it.
This week’s Gospel urges us to be prepared in a similar way. Jesus tells a parable about ten virgins who were sent to wait for a bridegroom as he made his way to the wedding feast. The virgins had no idea when to expect the bridegroom. It could have been ten minutes, a half an hour, one hour, four hours…it could have been all night! All of the virgins were smart enough to bring oil lamps, but only five of them brought extra oil just in case the wait was long. As it turns out, the bridegroom came at a very late hour, so late that the oil in the lamps had run out. The foolish virgins had to run to the market to buy more oil and while they were gone, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who had prepared extra oil greeted the bridegroom and ushered him into the feast. By the time the foolish virgins returned with more oil, the door to the feast was locked and no one would let them in.
Jesus desires us to be ready to receive him, the heavenly bridegroom, at all times. We must be prepared, our lamps must have enough oil – or our flashlights must always have fresh batteries. This parable is often used to talk about the second coming of Christ. But I think we can also look at the immediate implications of being prepared to receive Christ.
We know that Christ is in each one of us and the Gospel we will hear in a few weeks from Matthew 25 recalls Jesus’ words “whatever you do to the least of my people you do it to me.” We can, therefore, receive Christ in our brothers and sisters, neighbors and strangers, the poor and the rich, the hungry and the satisfied, at all times – and we must be prepared to do so. Every encounter with another human being can be regarded as an encounter with Jesus himself – that’s how Blessed Mother Theresa of Calcutta lived. If we do this, then being prepared, keeping our lamps burning, becomes less of a waiting game, and more of an active, living faith.
Christ is coming – Christ is present. How are you prepared to receive him?
Peace, -Peter
