The Valley Catholic
SPIRITUALITY
September 10, 2013
17
Fr. Brendan McGuire is pastor of Holy Spirit Parish and School and co-pastor of Our Lady of Refuge in San Jose. He is also one of the Vicars General of the Diocese of San Jose and responsible for the implementation of the Diocesan Pastoral Plan. Before being ordained a priest in 2000, Fr. Brendan was an executive in a technology company and still loves to use technology to reach people as a priest. He is a regular speaker throughout the country and one of his more popular sessions is on forgiveness.
Sunday, September 22, 2013 Monopoly of Life
The game of Monopoly is a classic game that almost all people have played. Since the Parker Brothers developed the game some 75 years ago, over 750 million people have played it. Yet when one thinks of the premise of the game of Monopoly, it is quite disturbing. The basic purpose of the game is to gather as much property as you can, to build houses or hotels on the property charging rent when others “land on your square.” The game proceeds until people run out of money to pay rent and then they have to mortgage their own properties and eventually they have to declare bankruptcy. At that point they hand it all over and we take over that person’s property. In other words, we bankrupt others to win the game. Sounds a bit like life! 1 Many years ago, I was playing Monopoly with some of my nieces and nephews. When my nephew landed on my niece’s hotel on Broadway, she looked at how little money he had left and said, “No, you can’t afford it. It’s okay. Rent free!” I objected, “But that’s not the rule.” She said, “So? It’s my hotel. I can give free rent if I want.” I said, “Okay.” Thinking to myself that this game will be over quickly! When it was my turn, I landed on the same hotel and I thought “Rent free again!” But she saw how much money I had and said, “That’s $200.” Again I objected saying, “Hang on a second. That’s not fair.” She says, “What? It says $200. Are you jealous because I gave to it him for free? You can afford it.” I begrudgingly said, “Okay and paid.” Later in the game he returned her favor when she landed on his hotel. They stuck together and I should not have been surprised when I went bankrupt ?rst! I played by the rules and was greedy but they won. There is a bit of a life lesson here. Today’s gospel and today’s readings are all about how we are called to live out our life. Life is not a game. But often times, we treat it like a game of Monopoly: we often go about it the very same way as Monopoly: we amass as much property as we can and if somebody goes bankrupt, “Oh well, that is their tough luck. They landed at the wrong time and in the wrong place in life.” In the gospel for September 22, Jesus seems to be rewarding a dishonest steward. But it is not what the steward does that Jesus commends him for, it is “why” he does it. The steward realizes he needs relationships more than property. Life is not a game and we will be judged not on how well we played life, but on how well we have loved; judged on how much we have cared for those who have not done well; the person who lands in jail because they made some bad mistake. Life is not a game. Life is for real. We are called to share the gifts we have been given with one another and with those who have not been so fortunate. Today, we are called to be good stewards and to share what we have been given. (Endnotes) 1 Inspired by analogy used by Sr. Sandra DeGidio, OSM, “Homily Helps,” (St. Anthony Messenger Press: Cincinnati, OH, September 19, 2010)
Sunday, September 15, 2013 Sacri?ce With Joy
There will be great rejoicing in heaven just over one sinner’s repentance. Anna was not quite sixteen and everyone, especially her family, knew of her special music gifts. Her music teachers were impressed that such a young person could have such rare gifts at her age. Her mother knew that while she had all these gifts and she practiced hard, she still needed the right equipment to advance to the next level. Without a new violin she was never going to get to be a maestro. 1 So her mother searched to ?nd the right instrument and eventually located it and saved up every little bit of money she could. She saved money wherever she could and eventually, she bought the new violin for her daughter. The cost was greater than the cost of the family car. They presented it to her on her 16th birthday and there were tears of joy for young Anna. She not only knew that she had received this prize B??7G'V?V?BF?Bv?V?BF?R?W"F??Wr?WfV?2?b?W6?6?6&??G?'WB?6?6?R??WrF?R??fRF?B?W"?V??BFB?Bf?"?W"??F?V?"????rF?R67&???6W2F?BF?W?F?B???FVVBF?R67&???6W2F?Rv???Rf??F?B?BF???R?6?R??WrF?B6?Rv2??fVB????7B&?f?V?Bv??F?Rv?gB?b??fR?BF?R6?7B?b67&???6RF?6??r?Bv26??WF???rF?B??7B&V?G2F??GW&???B&&V?F????&?WB?"6?V?B??WBF??6R?GF?R67&???6W2?fRFV???7G&FVBF?6???G&V?F?Rv?&?B?fW"v?B??fR&V???V?2??gFV?F?W6Rv?gG2&R??B6??WF???rW?G&?&F??'?7V6?2f????F?B6?7B???F??W6?G2?bF???'2'WB?W7BF??R6?F?BF?W?6?W?W&?V?6R??Rv???RF?W?&R7F?????V?r??W"?GF?R67&???6W26???R?VvRF?ffW&V?6R??WB?B?2??B?W7BF?R67&???6RF?B?GFW'2'WB?6?F?RGF?GVFRv?F?v??6?vRF??C??B?2???'F?BF?BvRF??B???B&Vw'VFv??v??'WBF?BvRF??Bv?F?????F?B?2F?Rv?F?W72vR?V"?b??F?Rv?7V??b6WFV?&W"R?vR?V"&?WBF?RF?&VR??76W3?F?R??7B6?VW?F?R??7B6????BF?R??7B6????B??V6??666????F?W&Rv2w&VB????B&V???6??rv?V?f?V?B?F?W&R?267&???6R'?V6???^( B67&???6R?bF?R6?W?W&B?Vf??rF?R?F?W"6?VWF?6V&6?f?"F?R??R??7B?67&???6R?bF?Rv?fRv?f??rW?W"F??RF?6V&6?f?"F?R6????67&???6R?bF?RfF?W"v??vfRWfW'?F???rF??fRF?R6??6??R???R???vW&R6???WFVBv?F?w&VB????B&V???6??r?vR&R6??VBF?F?B6?Rv?F?W73?vR&R6??VBF?v?fR?b?W'6V?fW2?BF?v?fRv?F?????W&?2vR6?v?F?W72F?F??267&???6R?b??fR??6??R?Wr?vW&gV?v?v?F??W"7?W6W2?6???G&V??g&?V?G2?"?V?v?&?'2'??W"v????v?W72F?67&???6R?W"?VVG2f?"F?V?'2?F?vWF?W"??vRv?F?W72F?6?&?7N( ?267&???6R'??W"67&???6Rv?F???????W"?V'G2?V?F??FW2?FFVBg&??( ?6???V7F???>( ???VF?v?&?2????F??FW''???6WFV?&W""?#???V??R??RG'W7B6&??rf?"V??R??R??fR?f?"S?V'2?6F???26?&?F?W2?2?V?VB6V???'2&V?????F?V?"???W2?B??F?R6???V??G????rF?V?"f???Bg&?V?G2?4??6??F7C??C??3#R?Ssbwwr?F?'&V?6&W2??&p?wwr?G6???&p??F?'&V?6&W2?26?6??V?FW'&?6R?b6F???26?&?F?W2?b6?F6?&6?V?G????