tvc.dsj.org | October 24, 2017
By Father Brendan McGuire
Pastor of Holy Spirit Parish, San Jose, and Vicar General
for Special Projects, Diocese of San Jose. Email him at [email protected].
Love is Way
When we are adolescents, we want our own things our own way and we often
say, “I want. I want now.” When we are young we do not understand that there
are limits and that we cannot have everything we want. As adults, we come to
understand we cannot have everything because there are others who need things
in the family. For example, we cannot always do what we want because other
family members might want to do something else. As adults, we understand that
there are necessary limits to what we get and what we want.
There are other times that we do not get everything, not because we cannot
have it but because it is not a good thing to have. As adults, we understand that
we limit ourselves because it is not a good idea. Food is an example: if we eat
anything and everything we realize that is not always good for us. Adolescents
do not always understand that. Children don’t understand that. Adults under-
stand the need for discipline and boundaries.
The same is true for our own spiritual lives. We have to move away from the
adolescent, “I want. Lord. I want it now.” We need to grow up, go beyond and be
spiritually mature where we understand the need for limits. Today’s scripture
tells us that we are called to love one another. And part of that discipline, which
is the root word of disciple, is to be a disciple of Christ; to set boundaries to our
own wants and needs so that we can give to others who have often far greater
needs than us.
We do that inside our own family unit with our spouse and our children. But
as a community of faith, we are called to go way beyond just our own homes
and households. We are called to go into our community and to care in that way
and indeed we are called to go beyond just our parish community and into our
county, our country and even internationally. And why? Because we have been
so blessed with so much that we can and so we should.
The role of being a Christian comes from today’s First Reading and the Gospel.
We are called to care for those who are widows and orphans; those who have
so little. We are called to reach out not just our own our family and our friends,
that is important, we must not neglect that, but that is where we start. That is
where we get the community and strength to go and to give beyond. To love
God with all our mind, with all our heart and with all our soul, and to love our
neighbor as ourselves.
SPIRITUALITY
9
Sunday Homilies
Not How We Look But How We Act
There is a story of a man who was hired at Apple Inc., while Steve Jobs was still
alive. He got one of these large offices at the corner of the building and he was really
proud of his new position. He was in his new office sorting out all his stuff and he
sees one of the maintenance s taff at his door. He quickly picks up the phone and
says, “Uh-huh, yes Steve. Yes Steve, uh-huh, I will, yes, yes, thank you Steve. Thank
you for your trust in me, I will do that,” and he hangs up. Then he looks at the door
and says, “Come on in.” to the man waiting in the doorway. The maintenance man
walks in and says, “Sir, I’m here to install your phone line.” 1 For everyone who exalts
himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted. Luke 14:11 NAB
Sometimes we are so caught up in trying to impress people that we forget that
it can be pretty shallow. Most times, even if we are not caught in an obvious way,
people are not really that impressed. We are so caught-up in how we appear that
we spend too much time focusing on the outside and we forget that our intentions
on the inside are more important.
In the ancient times the people were also caught up in this; indeed, the Pharisees
and the scribes were very much caught up in it. The Pharisees and the scribes were
good people, at least they were trying to be. Their understanding of the law was to
take it and live it by living every single letter of the law. Jesus’ complaining today
is not so much the letter of the law but the spirit of the law behind it. Put another
way, it is not enough just to do good, we must have the intention of doing good in
our heart not just to be seen doing good. It is not a matter of just looking good, it is
about doing what we believe is the right thing in our heart.
To that end we want to be careful not to fall into the fallacy of how the Pharisees
and the Scribes saw their God. They looked at their God as a lawgiver and they were
the law keepers. They were like a spy satellite checking and scoping out every little
thing we did and marking it down for evidence. As if somehow God is this distant
figure who pronounces judgment and condemnation. Jesus comes along to say yes,
there is the law, and that we should abide by everything that they say just not follow
their example. In other words, it is not the law that is wrong it is the interpretation.
We have to learn to do the right thing for the right reasons. Part of the way to help
us is our image of God. We should not see our God as a spy satellite in our world
or as that of a lawgiver and we as the law keepers. But rather a God who loves us
more than anything.
(Endnotes)
1 Adapted from Deacon Dick Folger, “Celebration: An Ecumenical Worship Resource,”
(Kansas City, Missouri: National Catholic Reporter Company, Inc., October 30, 2011).
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