My friends, we are journeying through Lent and are at the 2^nd Sunday—the 2^nd week of 6 given us by our Church to come to know our brother Jesus better and then go out, after learning what he did and how he did it in his world and do the same in ours!

   The Scriptures given us this Sunday speak of a history of a merciful God from Genesis in the Old Testament to Luke and Paul in the New Testament. Let’s look a bit at what our God says first to the man, Abram and his wife, Sarai: “Just as the stars of the heavens, so will your descendants be.”  In other words—many, many, even, uncountable descendants! 

   The reading from Genesis lays out for us a covenant made between this merciful God and the man Abram, who will later be known as Abraham and his wife as Sarah, to signify the promise made between this couple and their God, a promise based on “trust” between the two—God would be their God and they would be God’s people. 

   That is really all we need to remember about this passage—the halving of animals is not something we understand, but Abraham and Sarah and their people did—basically a covenant with God must not be broken, cut in half, as it were. 

   The psalmist today continues the thought of how our merciful God will watch over the people and that includes us: “You are my light and my salvation, of whom should I be afraid?” 

   In the letter to the Philippians, we see our brother Paul instructing the people, “to stand firm in Christ Jesus.”  It is good to recall that Paul never personally knew the man, Jesus, but only the Risen Christ. We can only imagine the power of this encounter that knocked him from his horse, turning his life around, from one who fought to bring Jesus’ followers down, to one who gave the rest of his life to bringing people to Jesus, the Christ.  Paul tells the Philippians that he wants them, “to stand firm in Christ Jesus,” because, “he so loves” them. 

   Lately, I have been spending time reviewing the Enneagram, the psychological tool that many have written and taught about to basically show us how to become our best selves.  As many of you are aware, this tool consists of 9 personality types and the “trick” is to discover the one number that best describes how each of us engages our world.  In the early years of our lives and into adulthood, we tend to use the traits that make us most comfortable in dealing with our world. 

   The Enneagram can at first and even second glance, and more, appear to be very complicated, but upon further study, we come to see that each of us faces our world with the ability to be, affective (emotional)—theoretical (thinking) and effective (doing) in our approach.  More simply put, we each come complete with emotions—thought processes—and the ability to make change, to accomplish things in our world. 

   The piece or pieces that get in the way of us becoming our best selves is that each of us faces our world with a preferred way to be—one of the 9 numbers.  For example, each time I work with the Enneagram, I come up as a #2, or “Helper”-type.  Becoming our best selves will require that we learn to use all the talents in our own personal “toolboxes” as we work and “be” in our world. 

   When a person learns over time to act in our world, not only out of our comfort zone, (for me as a 2-Helper—my comfort zone is in reaching out to my world and helping as I can) but to add the other ways— “thought” and “doing” to round out the approach.  So, why am I sharing all this?

   When we strive to be our best selves, using more of the ways to “work in our world” so as to be more effective, the Enneagram describes that as a “swan,” a beautiful bird, “finding their wings and learning to fly.”  I submit that this is what happened to Paul once he realized that to be truly “effective” in his world, he needed to “get out of his head, (theoretical) and begin to understand that he also needed to face his world “with care,” (affective) in order that his life could be all that God meant it to be. 

   There are many approaches to working with the Enneagram, psychological, and spiritual, and as you might guess, I have most often tuned into the spiritual aspects of the tool, as that is how I tend to work and “be” in the world.  As Paul says to the Philippians in today’s 2^nd reading— “we have our citizenship in heaven,” and can’t be overly concerned about the attractions of the flesh.  What I have found works best for me is to look for “balance” in my one, wonderful life that began in a spiritual way and has taken on a human component here.

   So friends, that brings us to the lovely gospel of the Transfiguration of Jesus in Luke.  I love Peter’s line in this gospel, “Rabbi, how good it is for us to be here [!]” His response follows the appearance of Moses, representing the law, and Elijah, representing the prophets with Jesus in the middle, which to my mind speaks to the balance that our human brother asks of himself in his human life, and asks of us as well, in ours—know the law, but act with truth and love in our actions. 

   Exegetes aren’t too flattering of Peter’s response, basically saying that he didn’t understand what he was saying.  I would disagree.  This apparition that he, James and John were given gave them proof to base their faith upon that no doubt, in addition, gave them the strength to carry into the future, all the mysteries and wonders that they were privy to in their lives with Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus, the Christ. 

   This past year for Christmas, Saint Nicholas/Santa, gave Robert and I several new, compelling books on our present times and one which came more so, as a Three Kings’ gift, is the very poignant story, Unthinkable by Jamie Raskin, who you will remember was the lead manager for the second impeachment trial of Donald Trump. Even though he deals with the trauma of the January 6, 2021, Insurrection at our nation’s Capitol, he clearly states that this is not a book about Trump.  One week before the Insurrection, Raskin’s only son, Tommy, became a victim of suicide. 

   What this book deals with then is the personal trauma to him and his wife Sarah, and their family and friends over losing their very accomplished, likeable, concerned, 25-year-old son and brother, juxtaposed with the trauma to our country in the “unthinkable” events that took place on January 6, 2021.

   Many people asked Raskin how he could deal with these two traumas at the same time, and he said, looking back on accepting Nancy Pelosi’s request that he lead the case against the former president, he realized that she had offered him a lifeline—that to begin to engage in a noble cause once again was the best way to honor his lost son—one who had spent much of his short life advocating for those with less than the simple goods of this world. 

   Several times throughout this book, Raskin, with a 20-year long career teaching young lawyers, constitutional law, before being elected to Congress, quoted one of his favorite people from the early days of our country, Thomas Paine.  Paine was known to have said, “The times have found us.” 

   My friends, as we contemplate the Scriptures today and this new season of Lent, we might say the same—“the times have found us,” at a place where our world is crying out with such need: wars begun by bullies, for no apparent cause, other than greed, causing millions to leave their homes, our own country that through the rhetoric of some in Congress and in our everyday world, seem to have lost their way.  When one’s personal freedom, to not be told what to do is more important than the welfare of the many, “the time” to look again at who we are, and what we have become, seems to have “found us.”

   And whether we choose to become more of our best selves as our brother Jesus calls us to through the Enneagram or any other way is not as important as that we simply look for balance in our lives, with a focus not only on ourselves, but on others—treating them as we would want to be treated.  If we can come to Easter realizing that we are finding more of that balance in our lives (for ourselves and others), I think we can say that “the times have found us,” and that we have responded as Jesus did in his life.  Amen? Amen!

   Lent is upon us again my friends.  We may come to this season with some “baggage,” of not so fond memories of long fasts and long church services to go to, feelings of guilt perhaps about not being good enough and part of the reason that Jesus needed to come and die on the cross.

   If any of this sounds true for you, then I would like to invite us all to come to this season with some fresh ideas and see perhaps, these 40 days as a gift given by our Church to help us “open up” and grow closer to our God who loves us beyond all imagining, and came not because of our sinfulness, but for love of us so as to show us ways to live better, our one wonderful life—each of us. 

   Just as Jesus found it necessary before beginning his public life to go apart and prepare for the challenges he would face; we too need such times to do the same.  He knew that the challenges would be many—to speak truth to power, to let all his sisters and brothers—all of us, that is, know not only how much we are in fact loved, but to address those “lording” their power and position over the less fortunate to change their ways, to call all of us to be our best selves for ourselves and for others. 

    Today, we have the opportunity to receive ashes on our foreheads, which we will do after the homily today.  Receiving ashes is a simple, but very telling reminder of our vulnerability and impermanence in this life. The gift of a human existence is temporary, in other words, and our life in Christ is always calling us to that reality and challenging us to be our best for whatever time we have.

    In truth probably, none of us relishes thinking along these lines—I know I don’t, and I don’t think Jesus did either, in his humanity, and this was part of his agony in the garden I believe, knowing that his time in this life would end.

    Lent calls us then to struggle with these questions of impermanence, of justice for all—sharing the goods of this world, extending mercy as Paul writes of our God to the Romans in today’s 2^nd reading: “Here there is no difference between Jew and Greek, all have the same Creator, rich in mercy toward all who call.”

   The first reading from Deuteronomy is a testament of gratitude for all that our God has done.  Lent can be a time when we become more grateful for the gifts in our lives that we regularly take for granted—gifts that in the impermanence of our lives could be gone tomorrow. Again, that was one of the unforeseen gifts that Michael gave us in his unexpected death—to treasure each day and make it one that we can look back on and see that we were able to do something good for someone, even if that “someone” was ourselves.

   In working with each of you through my ministry here and in the greater community of our outreach, I meet and work with many, very good people who are so generous with their time, talent, and treasure.  And within the generosity we shower upon others who we know have less than us; we must try and remember to share a bit with ourselves, because an “empty cup” can’t continue to give.  It’s a balance my friends.

   A positive thing that we might do this Lent is to spend some time, “in the basement of our hearts,” as someone once said, with our brother Jesus and discover how we truly look at ourselves.  Can it be said that we love ourselves, treasure our existence, are grateful for each day?  We can only face our world and all its needs, and do a good job of it, if we start from a place of love.  Maybe we will discover, “in the basement of our hearts” that there is an old wound to our spirit that needs healing.  Maybe we need to forgive ourselves for the times we have been less than Jesus asks of us.  Whatever we may find there, perhaps we can come to terms with it and move on to a healthier place, beginning to love ourselves again as God always has.

   My friends, for those of us who come out of many years’ experiences in the past of fasting, abstinence and other “penances” that signify, Lent, much of this is quite a task to take on; and end up, still appreciating a time like Lent.  Usually, it comes in the Church Year, at least in our climate, in the dead of winter and it might make us feel dull, but through the 40 days, we begin to glimpse spring, when new life begins to burst forth.  This new life not only shows itself in material ways around us, but there is every chance that this new life will be seen in us as well if we have allowed ourselves to open up to the larger world around us—the world that so desperately needs true followers of our brother, Jesus.

   The prophet Isaiah, in one of the Mass readings of this past week challenges us to be about the “fast” that our God truly wants—the “fast” that calls us to care for the least among us.  With this in mind, I share some commentary that I heard on public radio this past week. 

   The guest in the time slot I was listening to brought up the great suffering of the Ukrainian people at present in Putin’s war.  He rightly acknowledged their suffering, but went on to say that, in his experience, when the same kind of suffering-killing-injury, and destruction happens in countries of black and brown-skinned people, the same animosity and disgust against the perpetrators with a willingness to do something doesn’t seem to be present. 

   And being that this was a radio commentary, I wasn’t able to see this brother’s skin color, but from his next comment, I knew he was dark-skinned.  He was addressing the inherent, often unnoticed racism in several newscasters who were reporting on the people fleeing Ukrainian cities.  One of the reporters said, “These people look just like us (white skin) and many are Christian.” 

   Now to a white person and a Christian, this may have sounded fine and brought forth emotion and solidarity, but if you were a dark-skinned Muslim, you can imagine the reaction to this statement that does not match the lack of concern they likewise felt in their own times of trouble. 

   It shocked me when I heard this and had to wonder if I too have, in the past, sounded “racist” in comments I have made.  Of the many books that have been written in the past few years on racism, the authors seem to agree that racism is in our very DNA.  The same can likewise be said of “sexism.”  I know that I want to talk this over with my brother, Jesus, in the “basement of my heart” this Lent. 

   So, it would seem that a different kind of “fast” is before us to consider this Lent—one that can truly purge, not just our physical bodies, but our spiritual and emotional selves too—of racism and sexism—flaws that we perhaps aren’t even aware of.  This is not to say that physical fasting and abstinence aren’t good because many times such practices give us the strength to move on to the much harder issues—uncover them to the light of day and do something to change our behaviors.  Unfortunately, I think, many times we don’t extend the “fasting” beyond the physical. 

   Interesting that our country and its airwaves yearly sponsor, Black History Month in February, and a month to women in March.  On the face of it, we might say, this is good! But looking deeper, we might say, why is there a need to do either if we believe as Paul said in today’s second reading, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, all have the same Creator.” 

   Looking then to today’s gospel from Luke, I found it interesting that to all of the devil’s temptations, Jesus turns to the Scriptures to make his response.  Perhaps if each of us did the same more often—turn to the Scriptures for guidance in the ways to go, or as I always say to us, “Follow in Jesus’ footsteps, we would have a better track record trying to become our best selves.

   I find great comfort in today’s Psalm 91 response and especially in those times when I’m not clear on the way to go— “Be with me God, when I am in trouble…” 

   So my friends, as we begin once again, this really beautiful time of Lent—a gift, if we can see it as such, to come to know that One better that we profess to follow, then, I believe we can come through these 40 days more open, more loving, more willing to be all that we can be for ourselves and for others.   Amen? Amen!

Friends, this is the last Sunday in Ordinary Time for a while as we move into the holy season of Lent with Ash Wednesday this next week.  The ashes are a sign of our vulnerability in this life and point the way to a new and different life one day with God. I say, “a new and different life” because our God is with us, every day, closer to us than we are to ourselves, it has been said; but this will be different! In fact, we are told that we can’t even imagine what God has prepared for us! These thoughts are no doubt close to us this week as we reflect on Michael Maher’s passing and the fragility of life. We will talk of this more as we move into Lent, but for now, let’s look at the messages of this week.

   Our day in and day out life with our God as followers of our brother, Jesus, can be said quite well, I think in Paul’s challenge to the Corinthians today: [Be] “fully engaged in the work of Jesus.” 

   We might ask then—just what does this “work” entail? As you know; I am fond of saying, “It’s all about love!”  In any situation, we must apply the law of love, especially when we aren’t sure of the way to go in a particular situation that we are confronted with.  If we can answer that, love is being served, that we are doing the most loving thing in what we are choosing to do, that the needs of others and not just those of myself will be addressed, then we can be quite sure that we are more “fully engaged in the work of Jesus” as Paul says. 

   And more specifically, Sirach zeroes in on our actions saying that, “It is in conversation, in a person’s words that we will know their worth.”  It is another way of saying, “You will know the truth—the good of something, “by the fruits.”  In our own time this past week, three white men were convicted of hate crimes against a black man by merit of their hate-filled posts on social media. 

   Sirach’s words are fulfilled in Jesus’ words today from Luke, “All people speak from their heart’s abundance—a good tree does not produce decayed fruit any more than a decayed tree produces good fruit.”  I have been especially challenged of late as I look at my own reactions to some of the world’s many, many instances of injustice. A war waged on an innocent country by a bully a world away but affecting that world and its people and many others around our beautiful earth through commerce and daily living needs. So, I have to answer myself and address the anger I feel and express verbally at times and ask if it has gone beyond “righteous” anger.

   I think many times my friends, we confuse seemingly righteous actions with what is the right thing to do, and we can only discover that in the depths of our hearts and work for a balance.     

   As I listened to the news coming out of Washington and around the world this week, I found that when it comes to the issue of one country waging war on another country, and especially with Putin’s Russia, the two political parties in our country can seem to find agreement for the most part on what our country needs to do, when they can’t on anything else that involves the needs of people in their day-to-day lives.

   I think that the words from our prophets today, serve us well.  “Be steadfast and persevering, fully engaged in the work of Christ,” that we all speak from the abundance in our hearts, and that our words speak louder perhaps than our actions.  Whether a person is believable or not seems to stem from the impression they have made on us—which includes their words, as well as their actions! 

   Diane Bergant, Scripture scholar, speaks to this issue in her commentary on today’s readings.  As we all know, and she makes the point of saying; one only has one chance to make a good first impression.  The trouble with this, she continues, is that our culture often holds up less than good criteria for what makes a “good, or acceptable” person—many times the criteria have to do with external things; the clothes we wear, the shape of our bodies and so on.  And how unfortunate if we never go any deeper than that!

   It is only in living—through our life experiences, and with others, she suggests, that we come to see what is most important about those we meet in our lives—what they are made of–on the inside.  This is called, “wisdom”—something we hopefully come to in our lifetimes.

   When we are driven by the externals alone, she goes on, the genuine person loses out.  Part of our anger and at times, hopelessness, it seems to me, in viewing day-to-day issues is the lack of genuineness, of truth, of those willing to speak truth to power, boldly and with conviction, demonstrating what are the tenets of integrity-truth and faith perhaps, upon which many of us stand. 

   I was encouraged this past week in hearing a story out of India that shared that the country has no “anti-vaxers.” One has to wonder why that is when in our country, the anti-vaxers have literally slowed down the time when our country can move back into more “free” lives.  It would seem that this is one of the down sides to our gift of freedom.  Additionally, I think it comes from many in this country, from high places especially, using the good will of others to support their own selfish needs.

    According to Sirach, Bergant reminds us, the true test of the “pot” is seen in the firing.  In other words, none of this will be easy—change is always hard and especially for those who have been entrenched so long on a certain path. 

   But again, as Paul reminds us today; we must be “fully engaged in the work of Jesus.” If that had been the case, many ills in our country and Church, i.e. slavery, burning so-called “witches,” the sexual abuse of children could never have gone on as long as they did. And it isn’t enough for us to lay blame, but we must all be part of the solution that we want to see, instead of, part of the problem. And this, granted, can be unclear at times. 

   Just because we see something as good, doesn’t mean that we should necessarily do it—have we included the needs of all, including ourselves and possibly others that we work with in what we are about to do?

   Jesus had no time for hypocrites, a word that in the Greek, Bergant reminds us, means play-acting or pre-tense. It was Jesus who stressed that we should never correct others before we have corrected ourselves—the story of the speck in their eyes versus the plank in our own. Self-righteousness clouds our view of our own faults. 

   So, my friends, let us pray for strength, for all, to be steadfast in the belief that our God loves us all and we do this best by keeping our eyes on Jesus.  Sometimes we make the mistake of believing that Jesus never said, “no” that everyone who asked, got a “yes.” The truth is that he always tried to challenge people to be the best they could be in order to be good and just to others and sometimes, the “other” was in fact, themselves.  Amen? Amen!”