12
May 21, 2019 | The Valley Catholic
SPIRITUALITY
By Father Brendan McGuire
Pastor of Holy Spirit Parish, San Jose, and Vicar General for
Special Projects, Diocese of San Jose. [email protected].
Sunday Homilies
May 26, 2019
Advocate of Truth and Justice May 30, 2019 - Ascension of the Lord Solemnity
Every Soul is Kissed by God
When I was a child in elementary school, I was accused of stealing money from
another boy’s bag. I knew I had not done it but the principal, Brother Raphael, ac-
cused me and said, “There is a witness. and that is final.” As a result, I was expelled
from school. When I told my parents, my Dad said, “Tell me the truth; the truth will
always set you free. Did you steal that money?” I responded emphatically, “I didn’t
do it.” He said, “Fine, then I will advocate your cause. Follow me.” We went back
to school for my Dad to meet with Brother Raphael. My Dad very calmly asked,
“Brother, do you mind? How do you know my son stole the money?” He answered,
“Because we have a witness.” “Do you mind then if we talk to that witness? Everyone
has an opportunity to face their accuser.” Br. Raphael thought for a moment and
said, “Only if I am present.”
The witness, a boy from my class, was brought in. My Dad got down on his knee
and calmly asked, “Now young man, you have accused my son of stealing money.
There is only one problem, he has no money. And my son has been expelled from
school based on you witnessing this crime. Are you sure you saw him steal this
money?” The boy looked at me with tears in his eyes and then glanced at Brother
Raphael with a quivering lip; then he admitted that he stole the money, not me.
Brother Raphael went into a tirade and immediately expelled this boy. Again, my
father said calmly, “Now it seems to me Brother Raphael that this institution is set
up to teach boys right?” Br. Raphael stammered, “Yes, Mr. McGuire.” My dad added
ever so calmly, “I think this young man has learned his lesson.”
Brother Raphael calmed down and only suspended the boy for a day rather than
expelled him. I will always remember that day because my Dad not only advocated
for me, he also advocated for this boy. He advocated for justice and truth.
We all need somebody in all of our lives who will advocate our cause; who will
guide us through the troubled times in our lives. When we have that person, those
dark nights do not seem so dark; don’t seem as bad. It can make all the difference
in the world to us.
In today’s first reading and in the gospel, we hear about this Holy Spirit, what
has been called the Advocate. Jesus assures his disciples that this Advocate will
always be with them, pleading their cause, always guiding them to truth and justice.
That Advocate is not just within those disciples. That Advocate, that Holy Spirit
is within you and me. We are called to listen to that Holy Spirit, to speak for justice
on behalf of others in times of their darkness; to say what needs to be heard and we
advocate their cause. We advocate the truth. I am sure you are familiar with the marketing slogan “Every kiss begins with
K?” Over these last several weeks in preparation for Mother’s Day, we have been
bombarded with those advertisements by Kay Jewelers. Every time, I see that or
hear that advertisement I think of an ancient tradition in our Church that every
human life begins with a kiss. It is the tradition in our Church that when a person
is created, God kisses their soul and then is sent forth into the world. Ever since
that first kiss from God, we yearn for another kiss from God. We can always
remember it. And everything about our life is a yearning to return to God the
Father who created us.
The first kiss that we receive here on earth is probably from our mother when
we are born. It is such a powerful connection with our mothers because they care
for us, nurture us but there is something even deeper and that is the kiss that
God put on our soul.
St. Augustine, speaks of this with the phrase “Our soul is restless until it rests
in you.” Fr. Ron Rolheiser puts it this way, “We have a holy longing within us; we
are never complete until we are in the presence of God and everything we do is
an appeasement of that longing.”
Our forbearers in the faith, our Jewish brothers and sisters, for whom the Old
Testament was written, have a whole list of how we have that longing wrong. We
search in all the wrong places. Even today, we search for the fulfillment of that
longing in all the wrong places. We find it difficult to find our return to God. We
search in all sorts of different ways. We search for a really great job and a career.
Then when we find that career and work at it, we find it is not quite enough.
Then we think it is a person. So, we find this person and we marry them, have
children and we find that it is still something else. It is wonderful but we still feel
incomplete. We get wealth. We get toys. We get products, clothing, you name it.
Whatever it is, we keep on yearning because it can never, ever be complete unless
it is complete in God. The question is then “How do we discover this, how do we
find our way back to God?”
Today’s feast day is the very way. When Christ left us and ascended into
heaven, he imparted to us a gift and a mission. With the gift of the Holy Spirit,
he put within us the ultimate GPS, if you would, for that holy longing. It is the
Guide that will help us find the right way back to the Lord. Then our mission is
to discover God in our midst again and to share that mission: to share that gift;
and the joy with others.
honoring traditions, strengthening faith.
Your Dignity Memorial ® professionals are dedicated to helping
families honor the heritage of the Catholic faith with a meaningful
memorial that truly celebrates the life it represents.
R
Lima FamiLy
Erickson Memorial Chapel
San JoSe
LimaFamilyEricksonMemorial.com
408-295-5160
FD 128
Lima FamiLy
Milpitas-Fremont Mortuary
& Cedar Lawn Cemetery
Fremont
LimaFamilyCedarLawn.com
408-263-2868
Lima FamiLy
Santa Clara Mortuary WiLLoW GLen
Funeral Home
Santa Clara
LimaFamilySantaClara.com
408-296-2977 San JoSe
WillowGlenFuneralHome.com
408-295-6446
FD 93 FD 813
FD 1262 / COA 466
M3192_LimaFamily_PNT_Catholic_10.1234x4_C.indd 1
2/17/16 8:18 PM