Your Love is Extravagant

30^th Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ St. Monica~ Matthew 22:34-40, Exodus 22:20-26

A recent study found that the Flint water crises resulted in horrifyingly large increase in fetal deaths and miscarriages. There was concern that there was not a greater outrage from pro-choice commentators asking, “Where are the so-called ‘pro-lifers’ on this tragedy?”  The argument was that pro-life is only concerned about the child in the womb, but not the child that is born.

Around that time, in his in-flight press conference from Columbia, Pope Francis was asked about the cancellation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) which places 800,000 young people without legal immigration status in danger of deportation. In the Pope’s reply he said that President Trump is pro-life, he should “understand that the family is the cradle of life, and that it must be defended as a unit.”

The national director of Priests for Life, took to the website Brietbart to question the fairness of Pope Francis’ description of immigration as a pro-life issue, claiming (misleadingly) that “since there is no specific immigration policy in the Catechism”, Catholics can disagree about immigration without calling their pro-life commitment into question.”

Pope Francis is clear that being pro-life should include concern for the vulnerable outside the womb. While doing so may not win over absolutist advocates, it might help persuade the majority of Americans who question unlimited access to abortion to listen more carefully.

People claim that those here illegally have broken the law. But it needs to be pointed out that this country also has a law that allows abortion. Therefore, our country’s laws are not the same as God’s laws. If we truly follow the laws, then Joseph, Mary and Jesus would not be welcome in our country today. The first reading is clearly the law of God.

“You shall not molest or oppress an alien, for you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt.”

We have unfair laws that have been created by rich people who are more concerned about making money than loving people. God also says, “If you lend money to one of your poor neighbors among my people, you shall not act like an extortioner toward him by demanding interest from him.” What about foreclosures, evictions and entrapment of people to spend more than they need in advertisements? Our country spends more on laws to protect guns than people. We judge people as not worthy of love and respect.

Did you hear that last line of our Exodus reading of the law that Jesus summarized today? “What else has he/she to sleep in? If he or she cries out to me, I will hear him; for I am compassionate.”

It is about love.

This is a true story shared by Father Anthony de Mello, S.J.:

“My friend isn’t back from the battlefield, sir. Request permission to go out and get him.”

“Permission refused,” said the officer. “I don’t want you to risk your life for a man who is probably dead.”

The soldier went, all the same, and, an hour later, came back mortally wounded, carrying the corpse of his friend.

The officer was furious. “I told you he was dead. Now I’ve lost both of you. Tell me, was it worth going out there to bring in a corpse?”

The dying man replied, “Oh, it was sir. When I got to him, he was till alive. And he said to me, ‘Jack, I was sure you’d come.’ 

Since both men died, who told the story? Jesus tells stories and teaches the people set in their way of self-righteousness. We are all like the Pharisees and Sadducees. We believe we are justified. But love will melt our icy hearts and taking sides. Jesus wants us to see the immigrant, the woman who out of fear had an abortion, the refugee, and the rich person with love. We have to trust that love will win out.

Project Rachael works. It restores more than the sinner and the innocent child. It restores each of us to love as Jesus loves. The women are released when they name their child, offer their child to Jesus, and hear the child offer forgiveness. Powerful release for the people who just didn’t know what they were doing. We are very much challenged to love those whom we disagree with or who have done things that we feel are against God’s commandments. We need to let God take care of them. They will have a much better chance.

This is a song I have been singing to God by Integrity Music:

Your love… is extravagant.

Your friendship… oh so intimate.

I find I’m a moving, to the rhythms of your grace

Your fragrance is intoxicating…

In a secret place….

 

Your love… is extravagant

 

Spread wide are the arms of Christ

Is a love that conquers sin

No greater love have I ever known

And you call me an intimate friend…

Capture my heart again

Capture my heart again

 

World Mission Sunday ~ 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

God is Love. God owns everything. God showers us with abundance.

It really is quite simple. It seems that our country recognizes a need for tax reform. But we need to ask ourselves a few questions. What is the problem with our tax code, as it exists? Is it fair? How do our taxes pay for national defense, safe roads, water, food, or disaster relief? Does our nation’s spending of taxes reflect our motto, “In God we Trust”? God is more concerned about how we spend the 90% left over. God gives laws like tithing, to teach us how to give 100% Love! God gives us everything… even Jesus in his mother’s arms. If we are involved in tax loopholes or avoiding paying our fair share of taxes to Our One Nation Under God or to God in the poor, refugee or immigrant, is it possible that we are naively plotting ways to entrap Jesus?

            So if Jesus were to ask us, “Show me what you pay your taxes to Uncle Sam with,” how will that turn out? Our money states clearly, “In God We Trust”. But today we pay bills without cash. If we had no money, credit card or Internet, how would we buy anything? We just don’t realize that sometimes we pay more to our phones, Internet, football tickets, concerts or health insurance than we do for treasures in heaven.

I have veteran friends in Puerto Rico who were able to post on social media. “Went to CVS and found a pint of Ben and Jerry’s Chocolate Fudge Brownie ice cream, found two spoons in the car, turned on the car and sat in parking lot in AC and devoured the pint of ice cream. WOW. What a treat. Takes very little to entertain and make us super happy. … Life is good we have our little routine and are enjoying life as it is now. We have our faith, each other, family and friends and our home. Life is good and the beauty of our Island is shinning through this all. So come on down folks.” How grateful are we today, really?

When Jesus says, “Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God,” what could we possibly give to God for our breath in this world? I remember when my mother was being ravished by cancer that metastasized her body as she was literally starving to death. Every day she lived was phenomenal and painful for all of us. For as much pain as she was in, I wouldn’t trade a billion dollars for one of those horribly beautiful 40 days. Although my family was begging for the suffering to end, there was something awesome, something beautiful we couldn’t give to God yet.

One day, less than a week before her death, I sat with my mother and father at the back window of their home as about 70 people from the Cursillo group sang to my mother across the pool. My mother, who had no water in her tear ducts, was upset because she couldn’t share the gift of her tears. She wanted to give something in return for their awesome gift of song and love.

A couple days later, my family gave to God what was God’s, our mother. Yes, God gave her to us, but we trusted God with her. We thank God in the Eucharist for her to this day. Her love is stronger than her death. What we gave to “Caesar” was the hospital bed, the doctor bills, her unused social security check, and her taxes for the first six months of 2000. Caesar seemed to give nothing in return, except more bills and a death certificate.

We will all die one day, and give back our bodies to God. And God will give us eternal life in exchange for our worn out bodies, if, and only if, we love one another and recognize that when we give to the poor, we give to God. We owe God everything. Without God we are nothing. We are called to act with justice and to give to God tender love that we share with one another. Without love we are worth nothing. Wouldn’t it be Great News if we truly gave to God what God most wants from us?

22 October 2017 ~ St. Monica, Palatka & St. John Interlachen~ Father Ron

Isaiah 45:1-6 ~ I have called you by name, giving you a title, though you knew me not.

Psalm 96 ~ Give to the LORD, you families of nations, give to the LORD glory and praise; give to the LORD the glory due his name! Bring gifts, and enter his courts.

1 Thessalonians 1:1-5 ~ We give thanks to God always for all of you,

Gospel: Matthew 22:15-21 ~ Knowing their malice, Jesus said, “Why are you testing me, you hypocrites? Show me the coin that pays the census tax.” Then they handed him the Roman coin, He said to them, “Whose image is this and whose inscription?” They replied, “Caesar’s.” At that he said to them, “Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”

 

St Monica’s Catholic Church living by the St John’s River

We are called to welcome and assist all to become the compassionate love of Jesus in the Eucharist flowing through us.

Gratitude: Two Birth Day Poems! ~ Our Lady of the Rosary ~

 

Eucharist

Center of my life and soul

Piece of Bread, drops of blood

My body, just a little achy

Attempting to awaken

Yes, by standards of many (and sometimes my self)

There are many things to criticize

Much that lacks “father” wonderful

And yet

I am:

loving, joyful, kind

gentle, generous, somewhat self-controlled

peaceful, patient and faithful

 

If I try to defend my flaws and being less than perfect

I gloss over my limitations

which are sometimes my greatest strengths

You see, all of us have temptations, struggles and growing edges

We love things and people that others abhor or avoid

That is just the way it is

 

But ALL are welcome, no exceptions

The only ones excluded from the table,

are those who excuse themselves

or exclude others

My mission apostolic and sometimes impossible:

Bring them home

the isolated, the alone, the lost, the lonely, the wounded

I love my mission and the God who sends me

Soulitude revisited

Ron Moses +

O Jesus,

I cannot see you, but I do see your body and blood

            I am able to taste you

hold you

worship you… and in a sense worship with you

People do see You in me

But there are times when people see me in You

 

You invite me to see myself

as the person you love

the one you desire to love

and be loved by

 

As my mother indicated on my 10^th anniversary card

just months before her death

“Through all the scary and wonderful times,

you must admit,

that Jesus and the Holy Spirit

seem to be having fun walking and dancing with you!”

Yes ~

Gratitude for all that has been in my life and for the life I have lived

Gratitude for the present day of well-being

Gratitude for hope and joys to come,

along with sorrows that bloom like a rose

and wilt and vanish

only to explode with more

 

I love you Jesus

Gratitude for Emmaus partner and soul mate

Birth of Love

Lived, enjoyed, celebrated, Eucharistic!

 

                                                Ron Moses +  October 7, 2017

 

St. Teresa de Avila: “God save us from these sour-faced saints.”