St. Joseph Church Homilies

Most of us, if not all, have been Baptized. Of course, we know the Baptized are connected to God’s family, that they’re children of God, called to inherit the Kingdom. That’s the answer Baptism gives to who we are. But, over the next few weeks, we’re reflecting on the practical difference Baptism makes, on the job Baptism gives to disciples; in short, the Baptized are priests, prophets and kings. It all goes back to Adam and Eve. Before the fall, before saying, “no”, to God, like us, the first couple were children of God, but they were also prophets. Being made in the image and likeness of God, all they said and did revealed what God’s like, where he’s to be found and what he wants. Adam and Eve were a clear reflection of God at least until they said, “no”, to his plan. Ever since that divide, sin, appeared between God’s people and the source of life, fear has been a problem and it was the experience of being full of fear, that led Adam and Eve to cover themselves, to obscure the image of God within. Fear prevented the first couple from being effective prophets. So long as fear has filled God’s people, there’s been much confusion, even outright conflicts, about God. We need prophets who are free of fear. God didn’t make us for fear though; he made us to be prophets, and Baptism is the first step God takes in restoring the role of prophet so, once again, the life, words and actions of each person can reveal God’s presence and message. It’s a huge challenge, though, because God’s Good News isn’t always welcome. We’ve all felt the discomfort; we’ve all experienced moments when the call to publicly practice or profess faith has left us feeling full of fear. We’re in good company though. Today’s First Reading comes from one of the major prophets, the prophet Jeremiah, whose message was very unwelcome during his life. At God’s prompting, the prophet declared that the people of Judah would be conquered if they didn’t change their ways; no one wanted to hear that. Then, while the city was under siege, surrounded by enemy forces, Jeremiah encouraged surrender. Despite following God’s will precisely, doing the best he could, no one listened. Many, including the king, tried to eliminate him; even the temple priests had Jeremiah arrested and violently mistreated. We can imagine the fears Jeremiah may have had: He was abandoned by everyone, his life was in danger and despite proclaiming God’s word and doing God’s work, no one listened. Aware of his situation, the prophet wrote, “…All my close friends are watching for me to stumble.”[i] We may not fear for our lives in the same way, but it’s still easy to imagine the fears of Jeremiah, the discomfort of isolation and rejection. There is a difference between feeling fear and being full of fear. In this life, feeling fear can be good; it’s what reminds us to lock the door at night or to turn off the oven. “Fear of the Lord”, is one of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit urging disciples to put God first. I’m sure Jeremiah felt fear. Being full of fear is different though; it’s paralyzing, holds prophets back and makes it difficult to trust God. We each have our own fears and maybe some here are full of fear: paralyzed by fear, holding back or in some way covering themselves, obscuring the image of God within. Jeremiah gives a good example of what to do. While acknowledging his situation, the prophet also observed, “…the Lord is with me like a dread warrior…”[ii] Because God never fails, Jeremiah had no fear of failure. By filling his life with signs, reminders, of God’s presence, the prophet knew he was not alone. When God is difficult to find, we come here to do a similar thing, to recognize God with us. The Eucharist, the Confessional, the Anointing of the Sick: the Sacraments bring us closer to the source of life, undoing the divides of Adam and Eve. Disciples know we’ve not been made to be full of fear but to be prophets of God today. So, we bring our fears here and present

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In the basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome, one of the first things a visitor will notice are the massive statues, about three times the height of a person, looking down into the congregation. The statues are of the apostles who, of course, were all martyred but one. But what’s catches the attention of visiting pilgrims isn’t just the size of the statues, but how they’re depicted: held in the hands of each statue are the very means by which they were martyred. For example, St. Simon, who was sawn in two, holds a saw that’s as long as he is tall. While it may be a bit gruesome, these statues are also a great reminder of how committed the first Apostles were. It’s certainly one of my prayers that I’m never put to the test like that. Truth be told, I’m not sure that I have what it takes to be a martyr, nor do I wish to find out; sometimes it’s a challenge just to get up in the morning to celebrate the Mass, but the martyrs were killed for doing exactly what we’re doing now. It’s easy to imagine how tempting it would have been to abandon the faith, how tempting it would have been to simply deny Jesus to avoid horrible pain and death. Perhaps none of us will ever be threatened with martyrdom, but we all know what it’s like to have faith put to the test, to be the subject of ridicule or to be told to keep faith to ourselves. Because we all want to be counted as faithful disciples, the question naturally arises: how did those first disciples remain so faithful and committed even when facing death? What is it that made the martyrs so strong? In short, the answer is the Holy Spirit. At one point, fear drove the disciples to lock themselves away. They feared death. They felt inadequate to share the Good News. They were very aware of their limits and failings; very far from sainthood. So, the disciples hid. It’s not where they were to stay though. Once they received the Holy Spirit, they left their place of hiding to proclaim the Good News. When they felt inadequate, the Holy Spirit offered them the gifts needed to find the right words and acts. When they felt far from the Saviour, the Holy Spirit offered them the gifts needed to become saints and heroes for us today. We learn how it’s the Holy Spirit that strengthens, teaches, equips and moves disciples, how the gifts of the Holy Spirit give life to our Church. One thing Catholics are great at is making lists. Sacraments, virtues, vices: we make lists not just so there’s something to quiz Confirmation candidates on but so it’s easy to have goals to aim for and to recognize signs of invisible truths happening all around. One list is the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, a set of categories of different ways we know the Holy Spirit works through disciples. Through the Gift of Wisdom, disciples gain the capacity to love spiritual things more than material things. Through the Gift of Understanding, we understand how to live as followers of the Saviour, never confused by conflicting cultural messages about the right way to live. The Gift of Counsel, sometimes called Right Judgement, reveals the difference between right and wrong, and even right and more right, helping disciples place values in the proper order. With the Gift of Fortitude or courage, we overcome fears and are willing to take risks when following Jesus and his commandments to love and share the Good News. Through the gift of knowledge, disciples don’t simply wish to understand God and his ways, but actually see things from God’s perspective. When empowered by the Gift of Piety or Reverence, we acknowledge our total dependence on God, we approach him with humility, trust, and love, offering right worship. Finally, the Gift of Fear of the Lord stirs awareness of how all we truly desire, perfect knowledge, and goodness, perfect power, love, happiness and joy, are found in God alone. Maybe you can recognize some of these gifts in your own life, great signs of the Holy Spirit working in your life, proof that God’s called on you to share

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I remember, back in high school student, being asked to envision my life ten years into the future, to make a five or ten year plan. It’s a job interview question I’ve had too, “where do you see yourself in five years”. I get how it’s important to have goals and plans, a positive perspective for the future. But it’s not a question I’ve especially liked because, in my experience, life rarely goes as I plan. It works out, of course, and in many ways it’s been better than I’ve planned. But those moments of having to surrender part of my vision, the experience of realizing how my plans just aren’t going to work out, is frustrating and even painful at times. We’re often left wondering why this has to be, why our vision or perspective, our great plans for the future, can’t be realized. Today is often called Good Shepherd Sunday. Jesus has referred to himself as, “…the good shepherd.”[i] and in this weekend we take a closer look at how the image of a shepherd and sheep is a great analogy for our relationship with the Saviour. On our own, we accomplish many amazing things; we’ve built a blessed nation, we’ve formed wonderful families, we’ve harnessed great powers, but all it takes is a little turmoil in life, a health issue, the loss of a job, conflict or inflation, to discover how we’re as weak as sheep, powerless against the predators of the world; a Good Shepherd is vital to our survival. Everyone loves Psalm 23, ‘The Lord is my shepherd’. It begins by forming an image from the perspective of sheep trusting that the good shepherd will lead to green pastures and clean waters. I’m sure, if we were sheep, there would be no argument from us; safety, shelter, food, drink: sounds like bliss for sheep; what else could be wanted? Maybe that’s what you wish for yourself: safety, shelter food and drink. Maybe you’ve envisioned the best: a big house in a fancy neighbourhood, steak and eggs every morning. Maybe you’re a little humbler, happy to settle for mac and cheese and a modest home in Bowmanville. But our vision and God’s perspective don’t always match. It may be enough for sheep to have their basic needs and comforts met. But we’re more than sheep and the Good Shepherd is so good because he knows that we’ll never be satisfied with simply having basic needs met. In the Psalm, the work of the Good Shepherd doesn’t end with the provision of the best food and drink. It continues, “You prepare a table before me…”[ii]. Turns out, the comfort of green fields and flowing water isn’t enough; the Good Shepherd wants to share a meal with his flock, he wants the sheep to share his joy. The Psalm concludes, “…I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.”[iii] The sheep are invited to live in the home of the Good Shepherd. That’s not how farms usually work: animals usually stay in barns, away from those who look after them. This is the Easter perspective, the vision of the Good Shepherd: for his sheep to live, not in the best barns possible, or to have the best food, but to share in his life and joy. Here’s the challenge and where many frustrations appear: before living with the Good Shepherd and eating at his table, before being truly happy with the Easter perspective of the Good Shepherd, the sheep must be willing to let go of their own dreams for barns and green fields and water, they must want for more than comfort and the fulfillment of basic needs and instead long for what only the Good Shepherd can provide. The flock of the Good Shepherd recognize that their plans and vision, no matter how good they may be, always fall short of the Easter perspective the Good Shepherd wishes for them. A great example of this lived out is seen in our patron, Saint Joseph. Before learning about his call to be the foster father of Jesus, I have no doubts he had great and good plans for the life of his family. Accepting the even greater plan of God, a plan for life for all, meant surrendering his own plans. Of course, it’s still a great pr

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There are many reasons why I’m not a great athlete, but while watching the Olympics I’ve realized that one of those reasons might come from my attitude towards competition. When I might view other competitors as obstacles, getting between myself and a gold medal, the impression I get from the Olympians is that they see one another as opportunity to push further and become better. Their hearts see something while the vision of my heart may be obscured by clutter. Life is often full of clutter, of unhelpful things we cling to maybe from habit or insecurity. Of course, God wants us to enjoy what he’s made. But when there’s so much that it creates stress: that’s clutter. On top of the practical issues of clutter, it’s also a spiritual problem, limiting freedom. The things that fill life demand attention. Clutter also tends to grow, sometimes to the point of overwhelming. The only way out is to declutter, to sort what needs to be kept from what ought to be discarded. Since Christmas, we’ve considered how decluttered spaces and souls, relationships, minds and calendars allow peace and love, grace and truth to thrive, building disciples up to share God’s joy and Good News. If you like or need, feel free to review or catchup on any missed reflections on our app and website. The heart can become cluttered too. But, while a physically cluttered heart presents serious medical problems, the focus today is more about what happens when a heart is spiritually or emotionally cluttered. It’s from that part of the heart where decisions are made and relationships are felt. The heart affects priorities and motivations, work and family life, relationships and happiness; and while there’s many things that can spiritually or emotionally clutter the heart, today we’re looking at just one, an emotion that can truly disrupt and disturb: anger. To be clear, anger isn’t a good or a bad thing. There’s lots we ought to get angry over. Injustice ought to make disciples angry, as should hunger or human trafficking or witnessing people struggle to find shelter. If someone hurts us, that ought to make us angry. The Bible records Jesus becoming angry at times. Like all emotions, anger can be very useful in revealing what’s happening in or around us. But we have a choice in how to respond to anger and it’s that choice, the response to anger, that can lead to a cluttered heart. Jesus knows how anger can clutter the heart, so he warns his followers, “…I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment…”[i]. A heart becomes cluttered with anger when it clings to anger and won’t let go; this hinders love and when that happens it’s easy to see others as obstacles instead of opportunity. Some cluttered hearts turn inward and feed bitterness, resentment, shame or guilt. Other cluttered hearts turn outward, resulting in raised voices, name calling, manipulation, violence or passive aggressive tendencies. When someone’s heart is cluttered with anger, everyone around them feels it and no one want’s to be around it. That’s the judgment Jesus is talking about. The Saviour wants his followers to have hearts full of love, ready for heaven, but that’s difficult for a heart cluttered by anger. Fortunately, Jesus gives some guidance on what to do, “…first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.”[ii] In most conflicts, it’s rare that one hundred percent of the blame is on one person. Usually, the fault is shared, maybe not equally, but still shared to some degree by those involved. Jesus encourages his followers to own their part, to admit where they may have slipped up and their desire for healing. Feeling angry when hurt is expected, but disciples declutter the heart of anger to build up hearts that reflect the heart of God, a heart that does all possible to reconcile broken relationships. Reconciliation is one way to declutter a heart of anger. But, sadly, sometimes a relationship just can’t be reconciled. Sometimes the other person won’t own up to their part of the rift or they truly are completely responsible for the rift. Some relationships simply can’t or shouldn’t be reconciled because they’re toxic or even dangerous. In those cases, the goal may not be reconciliation but forgiveness. Reconciliation heals a relationship, but when that can’t or shouldn’t happen, forgiveness offers another way to declutter the heart of anger. To the one who’s been hurt, forgiveness affirms they deserved better. To the one who has hurt, forgiveness declares that even inexcusable actions don’t have to have the last word. Whatever happened to create the divide: yes, it mattered, it hurt and it wasn’t right; to this forgiveness simply says, more was deserved, more was owed, but now that painful debt has been canceled. Disciples declutter hearts of anger, they let it go, by reconciling where possible and forgiving when needed. But maybe the hurt is just too deep to do either. That’s okay too, because there’s a third way to begin the work of decluttering the heart: invite God to do it. When you can’t forgive someone, ask God to do it for you. It’s fine to ask God to do what you cannot, to realize and admit limits. Nothing is beyond him and through that simple act, God is invited into whatever might be cluttering the heart. While clutter can leave us feeling trapped or imprisoned, decluttering hearts offers the freedom and clarity needed to see God at work in and around us, making room for his life. So, as lent quickly approaches, maybe now is the time for each to examine how anger could be cluttering the heart. Are there any relationships that could use a little reconciliation? Maybe it’s a prompt to give a call, own up to faults and reveal the desire for healing. Is there anyone needing forgiveness? Maybe it’s a prompt to name the hurt and cancel the debt, to declare that the hurt of inexcusable actions doesn’t […]

I hear it all the time: someone frustrated with distracted prayer or a student struggling to focus on studying for an exam. We all know what it’s like to be harassed by thoughts that confuse and get in the way of careers, relationships and peace; I’m certainly no exception to the experience. Maybe the minds of some here are filled with worry or hurt, stress-filled to-do lists or just unwanted thoughts that make the mind feel full and cluttered. Life is often full of clutter, of unhelpful things we cling to maybe out of habit or oversight or fear. Of course, God wants us to enjoy what he’s made. But when there’s so much that it gets in the way, threatens order or creates stress: that’s clutter. On top of all the practical issues, clutter is a spiritual problem, because it limits freedom. The things that fill life demand attention. Cluttered schedules forbid rejuvenation. Cluttered spaces obscure joy. Even a cluttered fridge can be an obstacle to a good meal. Worse still, unaddressed clutter tends to grow, threatening to overwhelm. The only way to get rid of clutter is to declutter and until Lent, we’re reflecting on that. We started with a consideration of how decluttered spaces make the right conditions for peace and love to thrive. We continued with a reflection of how a soul, decluttered of all that pretends to be more important than God, makes the right conditions to remember how we have been set apart to share the Good News. Last week, we examined how decluttering relationships, investing in those which reveal grace and truth, make the right conditions that bring out our very best. Just as a garage can be filled with so much junk that there’s no room for the car, the mind can be cluttered with junk too. We were made to think, to use our minds, but when the mind becomes cluttered, clear thinking becomes challenging and peace is hard to recognize: all signs of the need to declutter the mind. Today, we listened to one of the most well-known parts of the Bible, the Beatitudes. Everyone loves the Beatitudes. They’re like God’s manual for right living: eight special blessings offered to those who strive to live after the example of the Saviour. In the sixth Beatitude, Jesus declared, “Blessed are the pure in heart…”[i]. Purity is a term usually associated with living chastely and rightly so. But there’s more to having a pure heart than just chastity. In the Bible, the heart is the place where thoughts originate; the sign of a pure heart is a mind free of harmful or selfish thoughts. Those with pure hearts have clear vision. While a cluttered mind is tempted to objectify others, to think of others either as objects to be used or as obstacles to be conquered, a pure heart consistently thinks of others as opportunities for love; they see others and creation as God does and this is the reward, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”[ii] The pure of heart have decluttered their minds so they’re not distracted from recognizing God’s presence and work in the world and in others. They are first to recognize the mark of the maker in all he has made. A decluttered mind is filled with thoughts that regularly lead in a positive direction, thoughts that give joy and peace, thoughts that keep us aligned with God’s plan. Decluttering the mind means eliminating toxic thought patterns that wear us down. It’s an ongoing exercise of rewiring the mind so there’s room for thoughts that build up and fuel us to thrive. Here’s what disciples can do. First, be aware of what the mind is exposed to. You can clear the browser history of your device, but the mind has no such feature. Just as children who watch scary movies before bed are more likely to have nightmares, the minds of adults are more likely to get stuck dwelling on thoughts planted by what is heard and seen. A mind could be decluttered of worry about world events by shutting off the news. The clutter of grief from a broken relationship might diminish by taking a break from social media. Avoiding movies or shows known to have passionate scenes in them can be a way to declutter a mind distracted by desirous thoughts. Disciples declutter the mind by judging the content we consume, the voices we hear and the information we receive. Next, deliberately expose the mind to content that’s positive, uplifting and inspiring. Parents might do this for their kids by bringing them to Compass or Awaken. All adults are welcome to Waymark and in the spring there’ll be an invitation to The Search. These are places in our community where disciples of all ages can surround themselves with discussions that directs thoughts towards God. At home, maybe consider checking out the movies, podcasts or books on formed dot org; it’s completely free for all in our community, there’s content for all ages and each week, three recommendations are offered in the news app. Maybe this week, consider taking a moment to review the thoughts that fill your mind, hunting out the clutter that weighs down. The goal is to fuel thoughts that nourish pure hearts by shielding from voices that feed toxic thinking. It could mean deleting the app, turning off the screen or simply adjusting what we expose ourselves and our loved ones to. Developing pure hearts is challenging work, to be sure, but it comes with the promise of a great reward: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”[iii] Imagine that peace that would come with seeing God as the angels do, recognizing his loving work and witnessing his power over all evils. That’s a truly great reward that guides disciples. We praise you, O God, for wonderfully making us and for guiding us through your Spirit and your Word. May the promises of the Beatitudes lead our […]