Fr. Mike's Gospel Reflection - August 4, 2024

Growing up in New York, complaining was an Olympic sport, but the Israelites took their complaining to an entirely new level. They were master grumblers. If you read the Psalms, you will see them repeatedly complaining and lamenting God’s treatment of them. In fact, the complaint, or lament, is the most common type of psalm. Over 40 psalms are either individual or communal psalms of complaint.

Today, we hear that the Israelites, “grumbled against Moses and Aaron” saying, “Would that we had died at the LORD's hand in the land of Egypt, as we sat by our fleshpots and ate our fill of bread! But you had to lead us into this desert to make the whole community die of famine!” They get an A+ for exaggeration and sarcasm.

Never mind that Moses and Aaron had just rescued them from slavery in Egypt. Never mind that, since God chose Moses to lead the people, they were actually grumbling against God when they grumbled against Moses. Their sarcasm shows that they have no appreciation for God or for the great gift that He has given them. They place no value on their freedom and would prefer to be slaves with their “fill of bread” than free men who have to trust God.

Complaining was a distraction that focused them on the past instead of the future. In fact, it delayed them from realizing their future. It took about 20-30 days to walk from Egypt to Canaan, but when they arrived, they sent some men to assess the situation. The men returned grumbling about how hard it would be to conquer the land. They doubted God. As a result, God forced them to wander the desert for an additional 40 years.

That’s one of the risks of complaining. It tends to focus on worry instead of trust, on the past instead of the future, on how things “used to be” instead of how they might be. It implies distrust in God and resistance to change.

Instead of complaining let’s try having an “Attitude of Gratitude.” Thank God for what we have, trust Him for what we lack, and be open to His plan for us. As the Book of Proverbs says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart…and he will make your paths straight” (even in the desert for 40 years).

Fr. Mike's Gospel Reflection - July 28, 2024

Paul urges the Ephesians to, “live in a manner worthy of the call [they] have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love…” The church in Ephesus was in disarray because people had begun to criticize each other and to lose patience with each other. Paul felt that, as they lost their relationships with one another, they would ultimately lose their relationships with Christ.

Paul knew that relationships are based on mutual respect and trust. The quickest way to erode that trust is to speak poorly about one another. He was warning them not to communicate negativity, discontent, and general unhappiness. Catholics today would do well to take Paul’s message to heart. Too often we hear vocal criticism of Pope Francis or certain Cardinals or Bishops. Sadly, Catholics today are especially impatient with or intolerant of other Catholics who may be more “traditional” or more “progressive” than they are. This is the opposite of what Paul is demanding of the Ephesians.

We must recognize that, as Catholic Christians, we are all part of a “universal” Church. We are on the same team fighting the good fight against evil. This fight is not with fellow Catholics, or even fellow Christians. It must be directed toward those in the world who would gladly see us fail. While the world revels in loudly judging and criticizing each other, we are “called” to support each other with kind words and charitable actions. Even when we disagree, we must not make negative personal comments intended to be hurtful or divisive.

Once I saw a sign on the door to a TYKE classroom that said: “THINK before you speak: Is it True, Helpful, Inspirational, Necessary, and Kind.” We are trying to teach our 4-year-olds a skill that many of us have not mastered at 34 or 54 or 74. When Paul tells the Ephesians to “bear with one another through love,” he reminds them (and us) that we cannot truly be in loving relationships with Jesus unless we are in loving relationships with one another within His Church. Paul tells us that we can only accomplish this if we are gentle and patient with others whose moral, political, or religious positions differ from our own.

Fr. Mike's Gospel Reflection - July 21, 2024

In the Old Testament, God is often portrayed as the shepherd of his people. In Psalm 23, a ‘sheep’ says, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside quiet waters.” Mark tells us that Jesus was moved with pity for the crowd because, “they were like sheep without a shepherd.” Just as sheep are defenseless and totally dependent upon their shepherd, the people of Israel needed a shepherd to guide them. Like a shepherd, Jesus protects, guides, and nurtures His flock. In fact, He is willing to lay down His life for His sheep.

The Pharisees were well aware of the condemnation of shepherds found in Jeremiah 23 (and in Ezekiel 34) leaders of Israel who had led the people astray and had sought their own glory. These so-called shepherds were arrogant, selfish, and uncaring. In Jeremiah 23, the Lord says: “Woe to the shepherds who mislead and scatter the flock of my pasture…You have not cared for them, but I will take care to punish your evil deeds.” He then promises another shepherd that was to come later, “a righteous shoot to David.” That shepherd was Jesus, the promised Messiah.

As our shepherd, Jesus loves us and cares for us. He protects us from harm, seeks us when we are lost, goes before us to find the best pasture, and gives us comfort in the best places to lie down and rest. Psalm 23 promises that the Lord will care for us as a shepherd “all the days of [our lives].” We must trust our Good Shepherd – who looks after us and knows what is best for us. Sheep wander away from their shepherd because they don’t know any better. We wander away from God because we make terrible choices that could easily jeopardize our future lives. When we allow Jesus to be our Shepherd and we follow Him, our future is secure and we “fear no evil” for he is at our side.