Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I send you greetings of peace as we begin the holy season of Lent.  Like many of you, I have been challenged and profoundly impressed by the honesty and common-sense nature of Pope Francis’ wisdom.  In a way, he “tells it like it is,” or, like it needs to be.  If you are like me, perhaps you’ve wondered about the meaning of Lenten practices and sacrifices.  Let Pope Francis shake you up a little: 

“Lent is a fitting time for self-denial; we would do well to ask ourselves what we can give up in order to help and enrich others by our own poverty.  Let us not forget that real poverty hurts: No self-denial is real without this dimension of penance.  I distrust a charity that costs nothing and does not hurt.”

                                                                                                                                                       

Consider both the trust that Pope Francis has in our ability to recognize what we can give up and the significance of our poverty.  Our “poverty” will enrich others by its value, both material and spiritual.  As a result, we will get a taste of blessings now that reveals a richness of Divine mercy that is eternal.

Undoubtedly, “real poverty hurts,” but our self-denial is temporary.  During this Lent, Jesus invites us to open ourselves to those whose poverty seems life-long or never-ending.

God Bless,

Fr. Charlie 

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II Sunday of Lent: Gospel Reading: Mt 17:1-9 (Transfiguration of Jesus)

II Sunday of Lent (A) – March 16, 2014

Gospel reading:  Mt 17: 1-9 (Transfiguration of Jesus)

                 At a dinner party I attended years ago, one fellow sported a t-shirt with the message, “Coincidences: God’s way of remaining anonymous.”  It got the attention of most everybody present and some interesting discussions ensued. Everyone there had an experience to share of amazing coincidences; some were like religious experiences relating them to God, while others were not. In Latin America, they are referred to as “Dios-idencias,” or God-incidences, experiences where God seems to be present because of the way things and people come together. 

             How do you respond to brushes with God or religious experiences?  Why is it they often seem too brief or infrequent?  Perhaps, in addition to how God coincides with us, we should also consider our coinciding with Him.  Coincidences and religious experiences are wonderful, but they are only part of the life of faith.  Our willingness and commitment help complete the mosaic of our experience of God and experiences with others. The Transfiguration of Jesus was, undoubtedly, an awesome religious experience for Peter, James and John.  Even so, Jesus himself led them down the mountain and said to them, “Rise, and do not be afraid!”  Peter was there and witnessed it all, but after hearing his responses, it seems like his mind was elsewhere. The true experience of Jesus demands a full commitment, the engagement of our minds, bodies and soul.  More than just sensing the divine or a mystical experience, we are talking about joining ourselves to him, conforming our will and thinking to Christ.

              Pope Francis writes, “The believer who professes his or her faith is taken up, as it were, into the truth being professed.”     Don’t stop there; our Holy Father has set us rolling.    What we are to profess is actually God’s gift to us.  It’s our coinciding with God because he first coincided with us.  Still, in the light of Divine Mercy, talk of coincidences sounds too temporary.  God is about lasting relationships. 

           As we commit ourselves to love as he teaches, we are taken up into the Lord’s way.  As we profess our faith, we are taken up into his truth.  Perhaps talk about Christ’s presence in our lives might seem like a series of coincidences, but it’s all about being taken up into his life. 

        In the Transfiguration, Jesus opened the door for us to experience his glory, so that we might coincide with his humility.  Jesus went up the mountain to be transfigured.  He comes down the mountain so we might be transformed.   

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I Sunday of Lent: Gospel Reading: Mathew 4:1-11

I Sunday of Lent (A) – March 9, 2014

Gospel reading: Mathew 4:1-11

 Fr. Charles Johnson, O.P.

          From his hospital bed, just days before his death, Fr. Philip Lamberty, OP, held court with visitors.  His bodily pain could not hold back his smile and sense of joie de vivre. His laughter gave way to a heartfelt moment as he shared his gratitude for a God-filled life: 

“I’ve been so impressed by the sincerity and authenticity of people’s prayer and I am in awe of that.  Why shouldn’t I be impressed by something that is so beautiful?  And if I’m impressed, then Jesus, whose standards are much lower than mine, would be tickled and delighted. ….”

         At first I thought, “Jesus has low standards?”  However, I didn’t take much time to correct myself as I reflected, “Thank God, how wonderful the low standards of Jesus.  For, it makes possible his reaching down below you and me and lifting us up.” As I reminisce about Fr. Philip, I’m so thankful for his humorous wisdom.  I never encountered him disconnected from the struggles of life, nor did I ever see him without joy – kind of like Jesus. 

          In today’s Gospel reading, we hear about Jesus living in connection with the struggles of life as he is tempted in the desert.  It’s a moment Pope emeritus Benedict XVI characterizes as the Lord’s “descent into the perils that beset humanity.”   A moment in which the standards of Jesus took him so low to the point of mixing it up with likes of Satan, the father of lies himself.  I’ve said it many times before, but it still makes me wonder; that the life and mission of Jesus was a continual descent into our human condition and struggle.  We can call it the “downward mobility” or low standards of Jesus. 

      We do well to remember that it not only was, but is, a continual descent into the perils and struggles that beset us.  In that, Jesus lowers his standards by lowering himself to be with us.  Yes, he lowers his standards, but he never weakens them.  Lest we forget, his standard is love. 

         Back in the season of Advent and Christmas, the keyword about Christ is Emmanuel, God with us.  At the same time, the good Lord reminds us today and always, “I’m with you.” Might our lesson this Lent be to learn just how Christ is with us.  When that happens, our standards will be raised and redeemed. 

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Ash Wednesday 2014

Ash Wednesday 2014 – Fr. Charles Johnson, O.P.

Gospel reading:  Matthew 6: 1-6, 16-18

      I like to ask seminarians that I meet what are the latest books they are reading, especially concerning the study of Christ.  I quickly realize that the books on my shelf are a bit dated.  No doubt, the new ones of today will be passé tomorrow.   There is a need in the Church for our ancient Tradition to be given new dynamism.  Of course, the book on Christ has no final chapter; there is so much more to learn.

          In the letter to the Ephesians, St. Paul speaks of the “unsearchable riches of Christ.”  At the same time, in his message for this Lent, Pope Francis reminds us that “Paul also teaches that we were set free, not by Christ’s riches, but by his poverty.”

         In his letter to the Philippians, St. Paul gives us the depths of the Lord’s poverty when he writes that Jesus, “though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.  Rather, he emptied himself…” to take on our human condition and “humbled himself, becoming obedient even to death, even death on a cross.”  That’s poverty ….leading to the riches of eternal life. 

        By keeping up with new books and my own reflection, I’ve come to realize that the life and mission of Christ can be appreciated as one descent after another. It started as St. Paul describes, “He emptied himself …” However, it didn’t stop there. That was only the beginning.  It didn’t end with the cross and grave, either.

       The Lord’s descent continues, so that when we feel weak and lowly, we might truly discover him, not far away, but near.  Discover him in community and individually. In the Gospel reading for Ash Wednesday, Jesus invites us to go into our “inner room” to pray, especially the inner room of our heart.  He has descended there so we might get to know what he sees and loves in us. Jesus calls us to our inner room so we might realize that we are not alone.  He calls us around his table so that we might discover the true remedy for loneliness … “Through him, and with him and in him” … and for us. 

      May all your Lenten commitments and sacrifices help you to discover Jesus present in your inner room and at his altar.   Blessings to you, your families and dear ones this Lenten season.

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VIII Sunday, March 2, 2014 Readings: Isaiah 49: 14-15 / 1 Corinthians 4: 1-5 / Matthew 6: 24-34

VIII Sunday in Ordinary Time (A) – March 2, 2014

Readings:  Isaiah 49: 14-15 / 1 Corinthians 4: 1-5 / Matthew 6: 24-34

Fr. Charles Johnson, O.P.

A recent study reported findings that anxiety and worry can be contagious.  Part of the study dealt with how one person who manifests noticeable symptoms or signs of anxiety or worry demonstrably affects other nearby persons.  The investigators noted that people standing in line near a visibly anxious or nervous person reacted by manifesting similar signs and behavior.   The new story made me chuckle as I thought, “Gee, I could have told them that!” 

In today’s Gospel reading from the Gospel according to Matthew, Jesus cautions against worry or its equivalent at least five times.  So many times; he must have noticed it was a problem for his followers … or that it is a problem!  It helps to notice the “worry” dynamic that Jesus talks about.  Most of the examples of worry are “me-oriented”: what we eat, drink or wear.

Noted Scripture scholar, Dominican sister Barbara Reid highlights how the caution Jesus makes against worry also reminds us against the sin of selfishness as she writes, “Neither obsessive anxiety about subsistence nor fixated desires on excessive accumulation have a place in the realm of God.  Both are reflective of little faith.”  Very often, worry not only reflects a weakness in faith, but also less interest in the good of others.  

Jesus calls on us to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides.”  The idea is not to neglect the necessities of life, but to view them as means to help us to get to where God invites us, nearer to Him and in communion with those around us. 

Pope emeritus Benedict XVI points out that today’s Gospel reading is integrally related to the confident faith we are to express in the Lord’s Prayer, the Our Father.  Asking God to “give us this day our daily bread,” is more than about asking with outstretched hands.  Jesus teaches us to see ourselves in relationship with God, God who provides.  The fruit of that relationship is trust, not worry. 

At the same time, the providence of God leads us to recognize the value of our efforts, not only to make the Lord’s bounty practical and usable, for those in need as well as ourselves, so that our relationship with God nourishes our relationship with others.  

Faith means working for our daily bread and knowing God as the source of our tomorrow, so that the needs of others become not a cause of worry but a reason for love.  

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