Author: Father Cioppi

Our only goal in life is Heaven

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The world can be a conniving place; everyone looking out for their own interests, never looking forward to the final end but always looking at the here and now.

As followers of Jesus, our ultimate goal is heaven. Nothing else matters. To depend on this passing world is fruitless unless it leads us directly to our goal. The Gospels will always remind us of what is really important; that we see the face of Jesus in others. And, sometimes, when we start again to believe only in ourselves and our own self-interests, Jesus will stun us back to the reality of what it means to live our life in God.

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He will find you and carry you home!

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In the first reading we see Moses interceding for a stiff necked people. Moses convinces God not to punish them by helping Him remember the covenant He made with Abraham.

Paul tells us that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” He uses himself as the example of how patient Christ is for those who believe in everlasting life.

The Gospel is perhaps the most comforting for us who are sinners, because the Shepherd is one who is trustworthy, loyal and protective. The shepherd is the one, who having lost one sheep, would risk his own life or spend countless hours in search until he found it and brought it back to the fold, rejoicing.

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Our relationship with God supports our relationship with others.

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There is a story of a very successful woman who died and contributed most of her wealth to the Church and to charities.

When she got to heaven, an angel escorted her pass wonderful mansions and great houses, down expansive boulevards and dignified avenues. She noticed of course that she was passing these places.  Finally, they turned down a very small alley and came upon a little cottage. The angel opened the door, and with a smile said welcome madam, we have prepared a place for you.

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Don’t put off till tomorrow what should be accomplished today!

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The readings from today’s Mass challenge us to be prepared; to be in a state of vigilance. This passage can be seen in two ways. The first is to be prepared for the Second Coming of Christ. The second refers to the time when God enters our life. It is in this sense that we face reality as God created it not as we pretend it to be.

For this we must acknowledge the reality of another life; a life beyond what we know with our senses. Abraham is challenged to sacrifice his son Isaac to the Lord. His faith brought him to point of total submission and thus he was the fulfillment of the promise to be the Father of many nations. Saint Paul in the Hebrews says, “Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of the things not seen…”

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Do you play well in the sandbox?

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The Lord sternly warns us again about storing up treasure for ourselves when we are not ‘rich in the sight of God.’ Ecclesiastes asks, ‘What does a man gain for all his toil,’ except that he has labored much? ‘God turns us all back to dust.’

To those who have an abundance, Jesus holds up a mirror.  There is a story about a schoolboy being asked what kind of words are ‘me, my and mine,’ the schoolboy responds that they are aggressive pronouns. In other words, the rich man was aggressively self-absorbed. He went out of his way not to share his wealth with anyone. He lived in a little world, surrounded on the north, south east and west by himself.

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How do we row, with one or two oars!

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At first glance, there seems to be a dichotomy between the lives of Martha and Mary. Which is best path to heaven, prayer or service?

A young monk was confused by his order’s motto: ‘Work and Prayer.’ So he went for counsel from his Abbot. The Abbot invited the monk to row across the lake with him.

The Abbot rowed first, but with one oar only. As a result, the boat went in circles, round and round, getting no where. The monk, looking rather confused, grabbed the other oar and began to row in sync with the Abbot, explaining: ‘Abbot you have to use two oars to get anywhere.’

The Abbot smiled and said, ‘yes- the right oar is prayer and the left oar is work, unless you use them together, you just go in circles.’

It is important in life to weigh our spiritual life and our material life to see if they are in balance. only in balance can we encounter the Christ Who’s serves, Who is mannerly, hospitable and kind.

How do we row across the lake of our life, with one or two oars?

 

Love your neighbor now before it is too late!

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The characters presented in the readings today are hesitant to do the Will of God and commit themselves to it right away. Jesus addresses three of them in the Gospel each, while desiring to find a way to heaven hesitate wither from fear or lack of confidence or spiritual laziness.

Jesus addresses the first man and says in effect, before you follow me, count the cost, because nothing is ever free.

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Faith is our greatest virtue!

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The author Vance Havner wrote: “God uses broken things. It takes broken soil to produce a crop, broken clouds to give rain, broken grain to give bread, broken bread to give strength. It is a broken alabaster jar that gives forth perfume…It is Peter weeping bitterly, who returns to greater power.”

True spiritual strength lies not in holding on to ourselves or our possessions but rather in allowing God to have His Will, trusting that our good is intimately attached to His. Only by letting God be Himself can we open ourselves to His life and understand better His love.

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“Her many sins have been forgiven because she has loved much!”

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In the book, All Quiet on the Western Front, a young German soldier lies in a crater taking cover from artillery fire.  Suddenly a French soldier leaps into the same crater, taking cover as well.

The man almost instinctively bayonets the soldier and kills him. This was the first man he ever killed. He is stunned and begins to wonder about the name of his victim. Seeing a wallet in the dead man’s pocket, he takes it out. In it is a picture of a young mother holding a child.

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He is whole and entire in just one piece, one drop!!

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We venerate today the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist in which “God lies concealed cloaking His Face with the appearance of Bread and Wine. He is whole, entire, and perfect in each piece and in every drop.”

Throughout this week, the Catholic Church has taken a moment to adore, worship and venerate this central creed – that Christ is alive and communicates with God’s People primarily in the Eucharist reserved here in our tabernacle and in the tabernacles around the world. This is what distinguishes us among Christians and from other religions – Jesus dwells here among us and we recognize, respect and sanctify the place where He dwells.

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