St. Joseph Church Homilies

An ability God’s given us is the capacity to envision the future. Some may be better than others. Some can look farther ahead. But we can all picture what days ahead might be like. Maybe some here have plans for Thanksgiving and imagine a great meal with loved ones or maybe the youngest of us are considering what to wear for Halloween and imagine enjoying the treats collected that day. Some are maybe looking a little farther ahead, already picking out Christmas gifts for loved ones. Hopefully most have long term plans for themselves, their lives and loved ones. When guided by hope, we envision how tomorrow will be better than today, we anticipate an exciting future. When a student allows hope to shape their future, schoolwork is a joy instead of toil. When vision for marriage is shaped by hope, making sacrifices for family becomes easy. When hope guides an entrepreneur’s imagination, businesses that support community are established. That’s the power of hope: it gives confidence in a joyful future and encourages us to build and share in God’s work; it’s why hope is considered a virtue. A great hindrance to hope is worry and by worry we don’t mean the kind of paralyzing anxiety that requires serious attention. No, we mean the kind of worry that holds us back from take the risks needed to build a better future; it’s what discourages a young man from asking the girl out or a student from going for the career they want. When worry clouds hope, disciples are dissuaded from doing the work needed to create opportunities that support families and build communities. Worry is a vice that hinders imagination and stunts growth. Worry is often developed through habits that give undue attention to what appears to be dangerous and it’s an easy trap to fall into. Knowing this, twenty-four hour news channels don’t offer hour after hour of happy news; they capture attention by highlighting all the things there are to worry about. God knows how worry impacts his people and wants us instead to develop habits that inspire hope. In today’s second reading, Saint Paul encourages Christians, “Do not worry about anything…”[i]. Now, he wrote those words not while on vacation or from a place of comfort, but while in prison for being a follower of Jesus, while facing possible execution. The apostle knows, better than anyone, how God doesn’t promise a trouble-free life for his followers. Indeed, Jesus tells us to expect trouble. But the Saviour also promises to have the last say over all things and demonstrated his power by rising from the dead. This is the promise Saint Paul trusts in and it guides the advice he offers to Christians threatened by worry. His words continue: “…by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”[ii] Saint Paul urges Christians to respond to worry with supplication and thanksgiving, to use worry as a prompt to prayer. Of course, Saint Paul knows prayer doesn’t eliminate troubles; he knows getting out of prison isn’t a matter of praying enough and he knows there’s no amount of prayer that will make food free or change the minds of emperors or presidents. Prayer is about changing us more so than changing circumstances. So, he gives a couple more directions. Saint Paul directs us to pray with ‘supplication’. Another word for ‘supplication’ is ‘petition’; worry is a prompt to offer prayers of petition. This works because when the worries of life pretend to be insurmountable dangers, demanding our full attention, prayers of petition direct our hearts instead to the one who truly is the most powerful, the one who also happens to be the most loving. When evil pretends to be the strongest power, prayers of petition remind our hearts that no evil is greater than God. Saint Paul also instructs disciples to offer prayers of thanksgiving. Prayer that conquers worry must also honour God’s greatness, what he’s done for each of us. When evil threatens, giving thanks to God is a reminder of how he’s long been at work demonstrating his love and power. Again, this doesn’t change circumstances but changes hearts with reminders of exactly how God is so great and loving; if he’s brought us this far in life, we have every reason to thanks him, trusting he’ll continue to be there. Saint Paul is a great model for us whenever worry appears. He lived through stonings, shipwrecks, exile, imprisonment and eventual martyrdom: incredible hardships giving every reason to worry. Yet, instead of worry, Saint Paul expressed peace, confident in God’s power and love. Following his example, disciples don’t succumb to worry but recognize it as opportunity to offer prayers of petition and thanksgiving; we invite God to transform worry into the peace Saint Paul enjoyed. This is how habits that prompt worry become habits that inspire peace. Maybe this week, when you find yourself filled with worry, pause for a moment to prayerfully acknowledge how God is greater than any evil by bringing worries to him and by thanking him for his goodness. “…the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your heart…”[iii], Saint Paul reminds us. When the world says peace comes from circumstances, disciples proclaim that turning worries over to God, inviting him into that darkness, offers, in return, peace that surpasses understanding. Guided by that promise, Saint Paul became a partner with God in building a church that continues to offer God’s peace. By exchanging our own worry for peace, we, too, hope to become partners with God. God of peace, when evils attempt to distract your people and fill hearts with worry, we ask you to send your Spirit to remind us of your love, your goodness and your power over all. May the example and intercession of Saint Paul guide us to place our trust in you, to place our worries before you through prayers of petition and thanksgiving. We offer all our prayers through the […]

I have a friend who’s been deeply hurt by someone she trusted. Even today, well over a year later, the betrayal weighs on her daily and I wish she wasn’t burdened with that cross. However, I’ve noticed how my friend keeps pictures of the one who hurt her close by. Now, I’m not at all going to judge the unique ways each works through grief; and while I tell my friend to work through her grief in whatever way is best for her, I do have to wonder if keeping pictures of the one who hurt so deeply could rob her of the freedom needed to move past the hurt. Truth be told though, we all do the same thing. For the last few weeks we’ve reflected on how the challenging wisdom of Jesus simplifies some of the complicated moments of life, giving more space for joy by alleviating those nuances that rob time, energy and peace. We examined how the nuanced experience of being hurt by a loved one is simplified through the prompt of the Saviour to directly approach the offending individual instead of turning to gossip or insisting they first approach and apologize. We considered how forgiveness simplifies, not by dismissing harm, but by honouring hurt, acknowledging how it matters and yet declaring, ‘debt cancelled’. Last week we considered how the complexities of envy can be alleviated through gratitude, by dwelling on our own blessings rather than the blessings of others. It sounds simple and easy enough, but actually following the advice of the Saviour is a completely different story; we often fail to live out what we know would be best for us. Maybe over the last few weeks, you’ve wanted to forgive someone, wanted to cancel the debt, wanted to approach someone, wanted to shift focus from the blessings of others to your own but instead fell again into the traps of gossip, resentment or envy. We know what we should do and what we should not do, but don’t always follow through. I see this in many Confessions: so many come frustrated when bringing up the same sin repeatedly. It seems we’re often not as free as we would like to be. Just consider what you do when stressed to discover this. When stressed do you overeat, over drink, overspend, over work, maybe turn to substances or media you know you shouldn’t? This is where bad habits, vices, compulsions or addictions raise their heads. We don’t want these things, we know they limit freedom, but eliminating or overcoming them is a true, nuanced challenge. God knows we suffer these tendencies. Today’s Gospel features the parable of the two sons; and I think the example of the second son is easy to relate to. When asked to share in the work of the father, the second son, “…answered, ‘I am going, sir’; but he did not go.”[i] The second son is respectful with his words, knows what he ought to do, but doesn’t follow through; it doesn’t mean he’s uncaring or a bad son. Maybe he’s like the rest of us: he knows what God wants and what he should do, he knows what’s best for him and want’s what’s best for him, but isn’t as free as he would like to be. For Christians, freedom isn’t the ability to do whatever you want. Doing whatever we want isn’t always the same as doing what’s best; parents know this when children ask for the freedom to eat hotdogs at every meal. True freedom is having the power to do what you ought, to do, with as little resistance as possible, what you know is best for you and for others. It’s important because love requires freedom; love can only exist in freedom. But this also makes freedom nuanced; true freedom and love require the possibility of saying ‘no’ alongside the power to say ‘yes’. So, disciples work to have the power, the true freedom, to say, ‘yes’, to God. The problem is often ourselves and what we regularly expose ourselves to. A child who watches scary movies might not be free to have good dreams. Having the freedom to keep fit is hard while jogging past the dairy queen. It’s difficult to freely let go of envy while consumed with thoughts of what others have. The freedom to forgive is a challenge while insisting on collecting debts. Forgiveness is arduous while waiting on the other to take the first step. Exposure to impure things hinders the freedom to form a pure heart. Disciples cannot say, ‘yes’, to God and enjoy the freedom to follow through while being exposed to things contrary to faith. Freedom isn’t the ability to do whatever you want, but the power to do what you ought. So, disciples first seek out what limits freedom, anything that holds us back from doing what we know is best for ourselves and for others. Then, we make sacrifices that simplify the nuanced things that complicate freedom. We might give up, even things we want, even good things, to have the power to freely do what we know we ought without resistance. Having to convince ourselves to do good is a complicated, nuanced, spot to be in. Our goal is to be free to just naturally, simply and instinctively do right. God of freedom, through your Spirit open the eyes of our hearts to reveal what hinders freedom and grant us the wisdom and courage needed to remove all that holds us back from doing what we ought. Form us into faithful disciples who eagerly listen for the invitation of the Saviour to share in his work and truly live it out. In his name we offer all our prayers. Amen. [i] Matthew 21:30 NRSVCE

We often hear about the lives of the wealthy, not only about how they enjoy their fortunes, but where their wealth came from. Now, I have a little admiration for those who have built themselves up. I may wish for a little of what they enjoy, I may question how they use their wealth to make the world better, but I also think, “good on them for putting forth the effort, taking the risks and making the most of opportunities and talents.” But then there are those who are born into wealth, who just have it all handed to them. Since about the age of three, I’ve known life’s not fair, but witnessing someone enjoy a great blessing of unearned wealth raises up a little envy within me. Of course, stepping back and taking look at the bigger picture reveals something a little more complex or nuanced. Stepping back reveals how each in their own way enjoy some blessings and suffer some challenges; some may be blessed with great wealth, but suffer often invisible challenges. It’s why even successful and beloved celebrities may sometimes sadly take their own lives. We’ve been exploring how the wisdom of Jesus can simplify some of the complicated, more nuanced moments of life. His wisdom may challenge his followers, but our faith reveals how his simple wisdom gives more space for joy by alleviating those nuamced moments of life that rob time, energy and peace. We examined how the nuanced experience of being hurt by a loved one is simplified through the prompt of the Saviour to directly approach the offending individual instead of turning to gossip or insisting they be the first to approach and apologize. We considered how forgiveness simplifies, not by dismissing harm, but by honouring hurt, acknowledging how it matters, and yet declaring, ‘debt cancelled’. Everyone experiences the nuanced challenges of envy and jealousy too. A child might be jealous that an older sibling gets to stay up later. An employee may be envious when a less experienced co-worker, who just happens to be a relative of the boss, is promoted first. I know some priests have left here after a visit wondering why I deserve to serve in such a blessed community. So often, we question why some should receive great blessings in life; some seem to have it all, while we’re left behind. Why can some eat anything and never get fat? Why do some seem to be constantly surrounded with friends or opportunities? Why do some get to be beautiful or rich or both? These questions easily lead to the complicated, nuanced, experiences of envy and jealousy. Now, Jealousy isn’t always bad. Of course, it can lead to greed or selfishness, but not always. Combined with love, jealousy drives God to do all he can to lead his people to his Kingdom. That same combination will drive someone to do anything to make their spouse happy and keep their children safe. Jealousy can motivate a student to study hard and achieve the grade they know they’re worth. Envy, however, sadness over the blessings others receive, is always bad. In the parable from today’s Gospel, those who worked the hardest for God expressed the sentiment, “…These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us…”[i]. Their concern is extremely relatable; they feel things are unfair. Lust, lies, selfishness, greed and gluttony, pride, even anger: really most sin comes with some promise for at least short-term pleasure, it’s what makes sin so tempting. Envy, however, is just misery from beginning to end. Because of envy, the workers from the parable were unable to find joy in the blessings they did receive. They were unable to enjoy the invitation to share in God’s work or to receive their pay. Envy conspired to ruin their relationship with God, to confuse the generosity of God with injustice. Through envy, the blessings of others brings sadness, fueling the belief that their blessings takes away from your own. Through envy, God himself seems unfair, life seems empty and being a disciple seems a life of toil instead of a life of abundance. Through envy, joy is impossible to find because someone always has more; there’s always someone who’s traveled more, has better behaved kids, a better job, better health, better bank account, the list is endless. The envious workers from today’s parable did do one thing right: they brought their concerns to God who pointed out how, regardless of how long or how hard they had worked, the blessings others received took nothing away from their own blessings. There was no injustice; they got the wage they deserved. If you find yourself filled with the misery of envy, first stop giving attention to the blessings of others. If the workers from the parable had not been stuck making comparisons with one another, they could have recognized and enjoyed their blessings. Next, gratitude can be a remedy for envy. Regularly look for God’s blessings in your life, they’re not always obvious, and give him thanks; maybe start a practice of saying grace before a meal. This shifts focus from others to your own relationship with God. Finally, spend time with loving friends who build up and point out the blessings of life, who offer reminders of your goodness and value. Turn to God, especially, who demonstrates just what each of us are worth to him. Rich or poor, sinner or saint, intelligent, holy or talented: it doesn’t matter; to God you’re worth dying for. This simplifies life, eliminates envy by removing the temptation to compare with others and to instead see how blessings aren’t found in having more than others, but in being loved by the maker. With the nuances of envy eliminated, disciples find joy in the blessings others receive. With envy abolished, our eyes are opened to recognize and enjoy blessings received. Without the weight of envy, those who follow the Saviour give him praise for repeatedly inviting each to […]

Most of us want to be forgiving people, even when it’s difficult to forgive. We know Jesus wants his followers to be forgiving people. We know how heavy grudges can become and long to be freed of the weight. But then we consider offences suffered and the call to forgive becomes more complicated. Forgiveness sounds simple, but there’s a nuanced balance to find between letting go of hurts, seeking what’s fair and keeping safe from future harm. In today’s Gospel, Peter expresses the complex challenge as a question, “…how often should I forgive…”?[i] To him, it seems enough to forgive someone seven times; it does to me too: it seems generous while leaving space for justice and protection. Over the next few weeks, we’re exploring how the wisdom of Jesus can simplify some of the complicated, more nuanced moments of life. His wisdom may challenge his followers, but our faith reveals how it gives more space for joy by alleviating those complex moments of life that rob time, energy and peace. Understanding the nuanced challenge, Jesus answered Peter with a parable. A man weighed down with an impossible debt is dragged before the creditor, the king. At the time, there was no option for bankruptcy; those unable to pay their debts became the property of others. The debtor knew the king wasn’t unfair for seeking repayment; he begged for mercy, expecting, at best, to get a little more time. Then comes the twist: the king forgave the debt, the whole thing, no catch. The parable reveals the link between forgiveness and freedom. When someone offends or hurts another, there’s a debt owed; we feel like saying, ‘they owe me!’. Maybe something’s been taken, reputation harmed or trust broken; it could be anything. The offence, the hurt, creates a kind of debt. Forgiveness is the cancellation of that debt. A few things forgiveness is not: Forgiving someone doesn’t mean declaring no harm was done or pretending it never happened; it doesn’t excuse the harmful actions of another or make hurts disappear. Forgiving someone doesn’t mean an apology isn’t owed. Forgiveness acknowledges harm, asserting you are owed, but that debt, even one impossible to pay back, is canceled. God cares about forgiveness because he wants his people to be free. For the one in the wrong, forgiveness is about being freed so there’s opportunity for growth; it declares that sin doesn’t have to be what defines people. Through forgiveness, sin can be transformed from something that tears down into opportunity to grow. For the one injured, it’s about being freed too. Returning to the parable: the servant who had been forgiven an impossibly large debt clung to an unforgiving heart. Instead of being joyful at the mercy he had received, he was consumed with what was owed to him. Dwelling on what’s owed doesn’t bring joy, but torment. Forgiveness, acknowledging the hurt and forgiving it, brings freedom. Now, sometimes forgiveness is extremely difficult, the hurt is so deep that cancelling the debt seems just impossible. That’s okay too. God knows we have limits and when limits are encountered, disciples turn and ask God to do what we cannot. When forgiving someone seems impossible, invite God to do it. At a minimum, this act invites God into that dark place and entrusts our hurts and hearts to him. In this place we stand before our king who identifies what’s owed while declaring “debt canceled.” In this place, we do the same for others; when owed much, like our Saviour we say, “debt cancelled”. In this place, Christians accept God’s freedom by focusing, not on what is owed but, on what we have been given. God of mercy, we praise you for the mercy and forgiveness you have extended to us. When hurt and debts owed threaten to complicate life, guide us through your Spirit in following the example of your Son who offers freedom through forgiveness. This prayer we make in his name. Amen. [i] Matthew 18:21 NRSVCE

I like long weekends as much as anyone. But, I’ve never been a great fan of Labour Day weekend. As a child, I wasn’t the greatest student and didn’t especially look forward to school. But even today, I know that, after this weekend, life will become a little more nuanced, filled with hidden complexities. The regular meetings and school visits begin again. It will take more effort to keep on top of emails and voicemails. After this weekend many nuances, hidden complexities, will replace the slower pace of summer. Teachers return to the nuances of their work. Students resume their complex learning. Parents will be challenged with balancing schedules. Some may be called on to watch grandchildren after school. Maybe some will have to hunt for the sweaters needed for cooler weather. That’s just life in general, though, it’s nuanced, full of hidden complexities. Till Thanksgiving, we’re going to explore Jesus’ wisdom on some issues that often seem incredibly complex. The wisdom of the Saviour may be challenging, but maybe it offers ways to alleviate the complex moments of life and give more space for joy. This week we look at a very nuanced issue everyone experiences: the conflict that arises when hurt by a loved one. Today’s Gospel began by naming the conflict: “If your brother or sister sins against you…”[i]. Of course, by, “…brother or sister…”, Jesus means anyone with whom we have a close relationship. It’s simple, after all, to brush off the abuses of a stranger, to label and dismiss them. We all know what to do when we’re in the wrong; it’s a simple prompt to acknowledge the fault, apologize and make a Confession if needed. But handling hurt from a loved one is much more nuanced, carrying deeper pain. This is the friend who spoke behind your back, the sibling who never returned the borrowed money, the parent who didn’t keep a promise, the spouse who kept a secret, the loved one who deeply offended you. Regardless of if it was accidental or on purpose, it hurts. It’s an experience simple to name, but much more nuanced. Jesus addresses this experience with a simple first step when dealing with the nuances of hurt; when you’re the one harmed, the victim, the Saviour directs, “…go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone.”[ii] When the natural tendency is to want the offender to step up first, to come forward and apologize, Jesus instructs his followers to instead take the first step in reconciling; and no, it’s not easy or fair. It’s not fair for the one hurting to be the first to offer peace. But Jesus focus, his priority, is his work of reconciliation. When his people had turned from him, God didn’t wait for an apology; he sent his son to offer peace. From on the cross, Jesus didn’t wait for an apology before offering forgiveness to those who put him there. After rising from the dead, Jesus didn’t wait for Peter, who had denied him three times, to apologize; Jesus approached him first to reconcile. It’s a pattern the Saviour models for his followers, the model he wishes disciples to follow. It is challenging to confront one who hurt. It’s much easier to wait for the offender to step up first and apologize. But disciples follow a divine pattern that doesn’t always seem fair or make sense; we give priority to healing division knowing there’s no room in the Kingdom for divides among God’s people. Now to be clear, there’s no expectation for anyone to put themselves in harm’s way, to take the first step in reconciling, if it means further hurt or abuse. Only make the first step for peace when it’s safe to. It’s also much easier to take the hurt to someone else, to anyone other than the offender, to share what happened and the injury received. Truly, it’s wise to get support or advice from others when hurting, to get a different perspective, receive assurance or to vent a little. But anything beyond risks entering the territory of gossip and does nothing to address the nuances of conflict, to really reconcile or bring healing. Disciples check that conversations will actually contribute to healing rifts before sharing hurts with another. So, when hurt, disciples accept the challenging and simple wisdom of the Saviour: “…go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone.”[iii] Maybe take a moment this week to imagine the love and joy that might grow in your family if everyone lived this out. Maybe consider the peace that could develop at school or in the workplace or the friendships that might improve with neighbours. Picture a thanksgiving dinner free of nuanced, awkward, unspoken conflicts. In today’s Gospel, Jesus does mention a couple additional steps in case this first one isn’t successful; though, it’s usually enough. Briefly though, Jesus next encourages inviting a couple others to help mediate the conflict and if that too doesn’t work, to then invite God into that dark and painful divide, to pray for the offender, wish them the best and move on. Those who follow Jesus take ownership for lost and broken relationships, not because it’s easy, but because it’s how we share in the work of the Saviour. Truth be told, at the end of the day, it is less exhausting than holding onto grudges or talking to everyone about the problem except the one who can actually do something about it and it’s healthier than clinging to resentments. Following his example, disciples work as best they can to restore relationships even when it’s not their fault. We value reconciliation that much, understanding how it replaces nuanced conflicts with the simplicity of reconciliation, preparing hearts for Heaven. Father of peace and love, we praise you for inviting us into your work of reconciliation. May your Spirit direct our hearts so hurt, resentments, and rifts never distract us from witnessing and living out the example of your Son, […]