My friends, if we stopped with the 1^st reading today from the prophet, Ezekiel, we might come away with a feeling of, “Ugh!” which is what I did upon first glance.  But, thankfully, the Church gave us two more readings, so we can come away a bit more hopeful, in that, one, we are loved by God, and that two, this same God really wants only good, and not bad for us in life. 

   Additionally, this 1^st reading is yet more proof that we should not read Scripture literally, and that we do not take this short reading, or any other, out of context. Prophets usually show up when the people, “lose their way,” when they basically forget that they, “are spiritual people, here, having a human experience.”  Also, prophets seem to show up, thankfully, when people aren’t even acting much like human beings.  There are many present-day situations in our country and world for which the above seems true. 

   Ezekiel’s reading seems harsh, initially, but no doubt, we are getting just the tail-end of a very long discussion where the prophet can’t get the people to see his meaning and its importance.  Jesus, in his short life with us was discouraged in the same way with people wanting power and control over their enemies, revenge for past injuries, and he, as the Messiah, was their ticket to get all of that, when all that Jesus really wanted, was that they would simply, love each other…

   The psalmist’s lament, “If today you hear God’s voice, harden not your hearts,” was no doubt that of Ezekiel and Jesus too as they tried to “break-through” the “hardened hearts” of the people that each came to serve. 

   With the psalmist’s lament, it is important to recognize that he/she addresses “the hardening” occurring in the “heart,” not the “head.”  This is significant in that it says, “Don’t overthink this!” Just do!  Going to the “heart” instead of the “head” would be, I think we could agree, a very feminine thing to do, thus the reason for suggesting a feminine author through the use of the pronoun, “she” above.

   As an aside, I think it is important to mention that it is thought by some that there were psalms written about “women’s life cycles,” but unfortunately were lost, so that none are attributed to the “gentler” sex.  David is given credit for half of them along with several other men… and so it goes.

   Coming back then to the readings, in Paul’s letter to the Romans today, he reminds them and us that we have a “debt that binds us to love one another.”  And he goes on to say that we should,” Love [that] neighbor as [we] love ourselves.” 

   In the past when this phrase has come up about, “Loving others as we do ourselves,” we have discussed here, the assumption that, “we do indeed love ourselves.”  For any number of reasons, one might find that they, “don’t love themselves,” so that this command might find a person not really knowing how to love others. 

   I can remember in my days working as a chaplain with people in the Department of Behavioral Medicine, meeting many folks who didn’t have much love for the person they were or had become… therefore, a better way to look at this command, for some, might be, “Love others as God loves you,”  because we know that God does love us no matter who we are or what our life may have been about.

    Another important concept that we should realize coming out of Paul’s letter today is the fact that as a good Jew, he would have been aware of over 600 rules and regulations that were part of his faith belief, yet, he seems to be saying today, “if love is present, in our activities, then all those rules and “regs” are basically covered!

   One has to wonder why a religion would establish 600 laws when one law, “to love,” covers it all.  And the answer through the wisdom of our years is that it is much easier to do the 600 than it is to do the one!  You know this to be true, if you have ever tried to love someone that you find unlovable.

   Our brother Jesus always wants us to “dig deeper” – to not get, “lost in the weeds,” as it were, over sterile rules, for instance, demanding that we acknowledge that the bread and wine on the table is “real flesh and real blood,” as on an altar – letting it remain there as a sacrifice to an angry God.  No, Jesus asks that we go deeper, realizing that the gift of his life, death, and resurrection was meant as just the starting place from which we would take this wonderful story and share it with others, each of us becoming, through the reception of the Eucharist, “his body, his blood” in the world.  He said as much before he physically left us – “You will do greater things than me.”

   Before concluding here, I would like to go back to the psalmist’s words once again: “If today you hear God’s voice, harden not your hearts” – sometimes we might wonder “how” we can be sure that what we are “hearing” comes from God… I have found, overtime, that when there is “peace within,” for the most part, God is present. And additionally, if what I am proposing to do, “is about love,” that is another sign of its “rightness.”

   And my friends, if this seems just too overwhelming, remember Jesus ‘ words from Matthew’s gospel today, [when] “two or three of you gather in my name, I am there with you.”  Now, additionally, this should tell us that there is much more strength in numbers, when we set out to do something – writing postcards asking for better, demonstrating prophetically, whatever it might be – remember, where two or three are gathered, our brother Jesus is with us!    Amen? Amen!

My friends, today’s readings seem to be about “staying the course,” doing the “right thing,” when easy and not so easy.  Such is certainly the case for Jeremiah today.  He, like us, I would think, feels like quitting when his friends and acquaintances put him down, don’t understand why he says and does that which is counterculture.  In Jeremiah’s words, [But then it comes] “like a fire burning in my heart.”  He has to respond affirmatively to God’s call. 

   During August, we celebrated a strong woman, Mary of Nazareth, who no doubt feared about what God’s ask of her would mean – she was told in the temple by Anna and Simeon, when she and Joseph presented the little Jesus according to their custom, that their baby would basically make a great difference in the world, to many people, and “that a sword would pierce her heart.”  We can only imagine that our sister Mary “carried” these words on her heart everyday as she watched Jesus grow, “in wisdom and grace.”  Yet, her heart would allow her no answer but “yes” to God’s call. 

   Many women in our day, called to priestly ordination, me included, find the hierarchy’s response to our calls, insulting, i.e.; that we are “after power,” that “the Church simply has no power to ordain” [us], but we just move on, answering a higher call. 

   I find myself thinking of a wonderful friend, male priest, Roy Bourgeois, who was expelled from his Maryknoll order of priests after serving faithfully for 40 years, because he couldn’t sign on to the party line that, “Women aren’t called to priestly ordination.  He said of it, “How can we as men say that our calls from God to priesthood are valid and that the same calls to women from God are not?  How indeed! 

   Paul, in his letter to the Romans today says it well, “Be transformed by the renewal of your minds, [and I would add, “your hearts”] so that you may judge what is God’s will, what is good, pleasing and perfect.”  Our calls to follow in Jesus’ footsteps should give us the strength to not be satisfied with “following the crowd” when so much more is needed.

   Sometimes, when I reflect on our world and all that is needed to make life better for people – for each of us, I find myself feeling “simply crazy,” listening to “the pablum” coming from many of those in power, which is to say, their lack of addressing and desire to do the right thing, plus their reluctance to share that ability to make the changes needed!  Along with this seeming ineptness, we see in our present day, a real selfish and mean-spirited attitude, a lack of compassion in both Church and state, showing itself in an insufferable lack of meaningful leadership to address the horrible state of immigration in our country, capital punishment, homelessness, the epidemic of guns in our country, the lack of truth-telling and misinformation on so many levels – I could go on, but you get the point!  If many of these so-called “leaders,” in Church and state, who claim to be Christians, were truly following in Jesus’ footsteps, one who was crucified for what he said and did, what a wonderful world this could be! What if they like Jeremiah had, “a fire burning in their heart”[s].  But, as I look around, sadly, there wouldn’t be enough evidence to convict many of them of “walking and talking” as Jesus did! 

   A few years back, Pope Francis, to his credit, addressed this lack with these words, “Some backward conservatives in the U.S. Catholic church have replaced faith with ideology.”  He made it clear that a correct understanding of Catholic doctrine allows for change over time.  Would that he had moved himself in opening up more roles for women to serve in.  We constantly hear the excuse that “the Church moves slowly!” Our brother Jesus did quite a bit, we could all agree, in three years!

   What Jesus began 2000 years ago was never about living in a “lukewarm” way – he was radical in his teachings as a good Jew, pushing the people of his time, and us, to be more inclusive, not less.

   In today’s gospel from Matthew, we get a wonderful sampling of why we can never be satisfied with a literal reading of Jesus’ words – “deny yourself and take up your cross,”  “if you would lose your life for my sake, you will find it.” What can Jesus be getting at here? We don’t crucify folks anymore, at least physically, and most, if not all of us, would say, “No” to that kind of torture.  Yet, these words have meaning for us, if we can look deeper. 

   If we read the gospels carefully, we can see how Jesus struggled with his humanity, as do we, in trying to be our best selves.  When Peter tries to talk him out of “going to Jerusalem,” and all that awaits him there, if he is going to be true to himself, he says, “Get behind me Satan!” 

   Jesus goes on to counsel his apostles and us about the accumulation of too many of this world’s material goods – and the danger of “losing ourselves” in the process.  Our world lost a wonderful woman this past week, in Dolly Parton, who never forgot the poverty that she grew from, giving back more and more, the more that came her way.  She never lost what her simple roots gave her. 

   Jesus speaks to us in today’s gospel of what our God thinks of us, each one of us, and we should not miss this:  “What can you offer in exchange for your very self?” [!]

   My friends, as we look around our world, just this week, several, very sad, things have come to our attention: The one-year anniversary of the mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic church in Minneapolis that took the lives of two precious children, and wounded physically, 18 others, along with emotionally and spiritually affecting an entire community, with no meaningful action in our country as a whole to eliminate weapons of mass destruction. We became aware of those starving and dying in Afghanistan, women and children under the cruel policies of the Taliban, lack of good preventative medicines around the world because of our country’s elimination of much-needed help through USAID, the flooding in our country and the terrible conditions at present in Nepal due to the ravages of climate change. 

   Our world and all who suffer in it do call each of us to consider gratefully all that we do have and do all that we can through letter-writing, demonstrating for change, and anything else we can think of – in effect, “carrying  our crosses” with Jesus, to make life better for all. 

   Many times, before our meals at home, Robert and I have a simple prayer that goes something like this: Me: “Bless us God” – Robert: “We are blessed, let us be grateful!”  His response is always a reminder to me, when things get too heavy on my heart, that there is reason for hope – realizing what we do have, makes it easier to keep striving for others and all that they don’t have. 

   Franciscans, Richard Rohr and Ilia Delio have written well, opening up for our Church a wider view of Jesus’ real mission in the Incarnation. Father Richard says simply, “To show us the way home, “ and Sister Ilia says, “Jesus’ death was all about him taking on the worst humanity could offer in order that we, his sisters and brothers could then recognize him in the sufferings of others.”  This is precisely what is meant in the final statement I make at the end of Mass,  each week, “The Mass is ended, let the service continue!” Or to say it another way, this is how the bread and wine on our table each week, truly becomes Jesus’ body and blood.

   My friends, unfortunately, doing what is “most loving” in any situation is not going to be the easiest action, but it will always be the “right” one.  I think in our world today, we pray with the psalmist, “My soul thirsts for you God.”   In everyday parlance, we would say, “God, can’t you help us out here?”  There is a story told about this request of us to our God – God answers, “That is why I sent you!”  Perhaps our prayer then today could be that we realize our call to do that most “loving thing” – regardless of the consequences, not letting ourselves get in the way.  Amen? Amen!

My friends, the 1^st reading from Isaiah today has an interesting line; “Up” [!]  I’ve added an exclamation point to the word so as to say, it is imperative that if we say we are “Christians,” that we “get up,” “show up,” and do our part. 

   I also like the image that if we work with God, that same God will “fix [us too] like a peg in a sure spot,” as God promised to do for Eliakim!  Evidently, the previous king wasn’t up to the job, so God, through the prophet, sent Eliakim. 

   This 1^st reading from Isaiah the prophet and the gospel reading from Matthew who records the prophet Jesus’ words, have, you probably noticed, similar content:  “When he opens, no one will shut, when he shuts, no one will open,” says Isaiah, and Jesus affirms with, “whatever you declare bound on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you declare loosed on earth will be loosed in heaven.” 

   As you all know, a couple of weeks ago, I was interviewing for the upcoming documentary on women priests, and one of Kay Hannahan’s questions for me was about the hierarchy’s reasoning for refusing to ordain women to the priesthood.  Part of that story goes back to Pope John Paul II’s 1994 apostolic letter, Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, which basically said that the Church has no authority to ordain women, and that this is to be “definitively held” by all believers.  The reason for this ruling, “definitively held” was that he knew he couldn’t declare it “infallible,” or never being wrong, as the sensus fidelium, or the “will of the people” was not with him, which is one of the stipulations for infallible declarations. 

   So, my friends, according to the prophets, Isaiah and Jesus, the hierarchy has all the authority they need to ordain women! What they do not have is the will to do so! But you all know that and I just want to keep it before us. 

   So, moving forward, let’s address that somewhat “elephantish” question in the living room of our hearts.  I say this question lies within our hearts because being a true Christian is truly an experiment in loving, and we know that “loving” comes from the heart.  The question, who do you say that Jesus is,  we will put on hold for now. 

   In a book of a decade ago, shared with me recently by a friend, The Four Vision Quests of Jesus, by Steven Charleston, he makes this compelling statement: “Christians cheating and oppressing Christians is the sub-text of most of the story between Native Americans and white people during the 19^th Century.” End quote.  White people forced Christianity upon Native Americans and then proceeded to model anything but Christian values in dealing with them. 

   So, when we try and answer that seemingly “easy” question as I suggested it is in the bulletin, of who Jesus is for us, we must deal with the responsibility that comes with our answer.  If we believe that Jesus was just a “nice guy” then perhaps our response doesn’t hold as much importance as if we were to agree with Mary Magdala and Peter that “Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ.”

   We might also want to consider in answering this question if like Isaiah, we truly believe that God is with us in some mystical way.  Or, as in the 2^nd reading today from Romans, do we believe as does Paul, who can’t it seems really get his “mind” around who God really is, as he talks about God’s wisdom as “deep,” God’s judgments as “inscrutable” – impossible to understand, “God’s ways as unsearchable,” and concludes with a question, “who knows the mind of God? 

   Paul perhaps needs to come at this question through his heart as the “heart is wiser,” it has been said.  If we come at this question of who Jesus was/is as Jesus did for himself, coming to know the point of his life with us, we discover that Jesus, whom we believe to be God, has loved us immensely, in an “over the top way,” it has been said.  We know this to be true through Jesus’ beautiful stories of the Good Shepherd and the Prodigal, delineating the ends that our God, in fact, would go to save even one of us, and in forgiving whatever misdeeds need forgiving, along with Jesus being accustomed to naming God his loving Abba/parent. 

   Earlier I said that we need to be careful in answering Jesus’ question because our answer necessarily carries a responsibility in what comes next, especially if we say that Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ.

   Looking to our present day in this country; this past week we learned that our country is $40 trillion in debt, and there has been much talk about how we as a country are operating to have made that so. 

   Again, referencing the afore-mentioned book, The Four Vision Quests of Jesus, Charleston speaks of individuality versus individualism.  Individuality speaks about the individual gifts that each person brings to the world to share, and Native peoples uplift this concept, whereas individualism tends to be about the individual alone – in other words, “it’s all about me!”

   It has been said by Jesus, and modeled by him, and repeated throughout our religious and spiritual history by many others, that our lives as Christians can never be just about us.  Whenever there is a question of the most noble thing to do in Church or state, love must take over – in other words, we need to get out of our heads and into our hearts!

   This is not to say that we don’t need laws and rules both in Church and state – rules and laws are in place when we might not choose to do the right thing naturally.  But, in the end, the “law” to love supersedes all the others when we may not know what the right thing is.  It would seem that if individuality – everyone’s gifts were used for the good of all were more routinely practiced, as opposed to, individualism, all about me, this horrendous debt could be eliminated, immigration could be humanely addressed and more.

   To make this idea even a bit more clear; a few recent examples:

• In a public radio interview this past week with ministers from a couple different religious backgrounds, Jewish and Christian, they were talking about the need for a moral conversation in our country, and they stated that such a conversation, in their view, would blend well with the whole concept of a democratic nation. Both ministers were women.
• Within the above discussion, one of the ministers mentioned a “prayer” offered by Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth before sending troops into Venezuela last January to oust Nicolas Maduro, the then sitting president. This so-called prayer consisted of asked for help from God that their weapons would be guided by great precision and accuracy, and that these troops would be protected completely from harm.  The minister sharing the story asked how Hegseth could reconcile his “prayer” with the concept of a God who looks on each person equally and loves each one.

• A new book out this past year by John Fuglesang, entitled, Separation of Church and Hate is instructive here, I think.
• Not to overstress the point, but I think it is significant to lift up the fact that the ministers in question here are women.  In all the talk from day to day about “how to end the war”  with Iran, or Israel with Gaza, and what is best for all the people involved, striving as diligently for peace as we do for war, seldom makes it into the discussion.

   So, my friends, we are back to that “elephantish” question upon our hearts:  “who do we say Jesus is for us?” If we prayed with the psalmist today in #138, we heard that one, being “grateful for all that God has done” for “constant love and forgiveness,” for answering [our] “call,” realizing that God always gives something – perhaps the strength to endure whatever comes… If we believe that Jesus – God incarnate is our Messiah – and, in Christ, big enough for all, then our next steps are clear – we must act as our Native American friends, sharing our individual gifts for all – realizing as they do, how interdependent we all are, and that we must, simply must rise above the hate so prevalent in our world today, putting on peace and love for a change! Amen? Amen!

   My friends, these are interesting readings coming off of a very busy week for me, beginning on Monday and Tuesday with interviewing and filming for the documentary on women priests.  One can hardly talk about this blind-sighted vision of our hierarchical church men to deny the equal calls of women from our inclusive God, to priesthood along with men without experiencing justifiable anger.  And that extends to all the ways in Church and society that women are made to feel, “less than” their brothers, and all the harm that is done to women as a result. More on that later. 

   But one does wonder what the real problem is when so many of God’s people go unserved because of a stated “shortage” of candidates for the priesthood.  This truly is a case of not seeing a bigger, more beautiful picture including married men, women, and people of all genders and lifestyles as candidates – God calls all of these! 

   I believe perhaps that for too many men, clerical and lay within our beloved Church, there is a real aversion to women, and their goodness and giftedness for the People of God.  I offer a current example of this:  In the August 18-27 edition of the National Catholic Reporter (NCR), Karen Park pens an article entitled, “Where Vance (V.P. of U.S.) and Barron fall short on Catholicism.”  This was an hour-long discussion between a “newbie” Catholic and a bishop of many years.

   I would just like to zero in on their discussion about women, or better said, their “lack of discussion.”  Anyone who has read any of the writings of our Winona/Rochester, Minnesota bishop, Robert Barron, knows the truth of what Karen Park states within this article:  “During Barron and Vance’s hour-long discussion, Catholicism emerges solely as a tradition of intellectual and philosophical ideas.   Augustine, Aquinas and Rene Girard are all extolled , but Catholicism is not only a philosophical system.  It is a lived tradition sustained by the sacramental imagination…”

   She continues, and I paraphrase, they did not talk at all about relics, rituals, pilgrimages … “or the … material and communal practices through which Catholics encounter the holy.”  “ Absent too, are the holy and brilliant women of the Catholic tradition” … in their world, “there would seem to be no Teresa of Avila, no Dorothy Day, no Hildegard of Bingen, no Julian of Norwich …”  Except for a minor mention of Jesus’ mother, Mary, nothing significant is said with regard to the courageous, patient, faith-filled woman that she was and model to follow.  For that matter, no mention is made of Jesus at all! 

   That brings us, after a rather long opening to todays’ Scriptures:  If we were to pick a theme; “justice coupled with mercy,” says it well, I feel.

   Beginning with Isaiah in the 1^st reading, his counsel is to, “do what is right, and work for justice.”  For Isaiah that seems to be about “clinging to [the] Covenant” that God made with them, because this will bring you joy…

   Paul, in his letter to the Romans speaks about disobedience versus mercy, explaining how God offers love to all, and that, unfortunately, some reject it, but others do, accept it! 

   And as we continue to ponder our theme of justice coupled with mercy, our brother Jesus, in todays’ gospel from Matthew, shows us his rather human face, and that we humans, even Jesus, are capable of much good, and at times, not so much good, and a woman reminds Jesus of it! 

   Such examples as this underscore why I can much more easily relate to Jesus in his humanness, than to a mysterious God who knows little of what I experience in life.

   Some hearers or readers of my comments today, seemingly calling Jesus to task, may be offended, but as Scripture scholar, Diane Bergant says, “If we don’t accept Jesus’ at times, shortcomings – than that minimizes the extraordinariness of those of his actions that break through the limits of his culture, his humanity – and at the same time he was open enough to break out of that limitation.”

   We, just as our brother, Jesus have that wonderful combination of spiritual and human natures and it should give us great hope knowing that, as we struggle to be our best, we have One, who stands with us and knows that struggle.  Again, as we often say, “we are spiritual people, here, having a human experience?”

   And for those who have never thought about Jesus being less than perfect, I think you would agree, that “unkindness and rudeness” are never acceptable, no matter who you are!

   Jesus, as a good Jew would have grown up learning not to talk to women in public, or with Canaanites, especially if they didn’t believe in the God of the Jews, but again, this is no excuse for his behavior, or for that of the apostles, “get rid of her,” they say!Apparently they were worried about their image, not realizing that their actions say much about who they are!  Probably a strong reason for our Church to share leadership and ministerial roles with women – providing a “check and balance” for each other. 

   You will recall that I began this homily addressing the fact that women are made to “feel less than” their male counterparts, especially in Church, but in society as well and to realize the harm that is done to women, as a result over time.  “Justice and mercy,” our theme of the readings today, do come into play here. 

   A somewhat current example, or at least one most would recognize, to look deeper into this societal and religious sin is that of Richard and Karen Carpenter – wonderful musicians, each, in their own right.  Their story was carried this past week on public television. Karen and Richard arranged and performed their own music and that of others during approximately a dozen years in the 70’s and 80’s. 

   Theirs is a bittersweet story that ended too soon due to Karen being a victim of anorexia nervosa and bulimia which ultimately took her life.  She experienced these illnesses at a time when little was known about them, but through the tragedy of her life, the world came to know the toll that these illnesses exact on those so afflicted. 

   Karen, a contemporary of mine was normal in most ways as all girls growing up when she lived, 1950-1983, but she struggled all her years trying to get the love of her mother, who for whatever reason couldn’t give it, instead doting on her big brother, Richard.

   This magical duo known as the Carpenters was a combination of a voice, Karen’s who when you heard the first note and words sung, one biographer said, “You knew it was Karen,” and of her brother, Richard who was constantly on the lookout for new material and arranged all their songs.

   We have often talked here about the fact, both in Church and state, that when half the population – men, are seen as better – superior to the other half – women, the effects can be devastating.  Karen Carpenter’ mother was no doubt a product of this kind of thinking, preferring her son to her daughter, having picked up religious and societal notions that one was better, more acceptable than the other. 

   One very telling example in Karen’s life as she and Richard began making music together, was the fact that she played the drums and she always considered that, “she was a drummer who could also sing!” And for most of her life, this was how she thought of herself, even though her voice was what distinguished this fantastic duo.

   My friends, our theme through the Scripture readings of “justice coupled with mercy” is one that in our Church and wider world is so needed today to carry on the message of our brother Jesus who came into our imperfect existence to have “that human experience” with us, striving to be his best, to show us the way, even though he couldn’t always do it either to perfection as we see in today’s gospel reading.

    He shows us rather plainly what happens when one holds on too tightly to the law, for law’s sake instead of radically choosing what is most loving as Jesus was finally able to do in today’s gospel when a Canaanite woman challenged him to choose the higher road. 

   We, my friends, as Jesus’ followers must too, more often, choose to love radically, seeing women and men equally, for their gifts, for their calls, for their personal stories – for their calls from an inclusive God who sees the diversity in gender, race, lifestyle choices, and loves it – so that women and men, little girls and little boys, from the get-go would realize their capabilities and their worth in order to live more wholesome lives.  Amen? Amen!

My friends, we come back to Ordinary Time once again after side-stepping it last Sunday for a special mass to uplift the ministry of women in our Church, and especially Mary Magdala, the Tower of Faith.  Ordinary Time, we have come to realize in many ways is really an “extra-ordinary” time due to the challenge each Sunday’s readings contain to help us become our best and live as such in our daily lives. 

   The Scriptures today give us a clear path to follow in the words of Isaiah, Paul, and Jesus.  Let’s take a look:

   “All you who are thirsty, come to the water,” from Isaiah in the 1^st reading seems to be about what truly satisfies…Isaiah continues, “why spend your money for what is not bread?” And of course, we realize that the prophet is speaking about more than being physically thirsty, even though we do  have the need for physical liquid and physical food, but Isaiah seems to be indicating that we humans “thirst” in emotional and spiritual ways too – to be accepted, to be listened to, to be appreciated, to be loved.  We addressed this a bit last week uplifting women in a general way through the use of language that includes us all. 

   This past week Robert and I watched an older movie, from last century, 1987 to be exact, entitled, Can’t Buy Me Love, highlighting the Beatles song of the same title.  It’s a sweet, and a bit heart-breaking story about young people trying desperately to be noticed, accepted, and ultimately loved. Ronald, the nerdy lawn boy aches to be noticed by Cindy, whose lawn he mows, as she is the most popular girl in school. 

   He lays out a great deal of cash to get her to pretend to be “his girl” for a month so that he will acquire some status at school through association with her.  Both young people learn a great deal about what is truly important in life through this “experiment.”  “Why spend money for what is not bread,” Isaiah reminds. 

   The gospel today from Matthew opens up our hearts in much the same way as the movie does.  Jesus has just learned that John the Baptist has been beheaded.  We know these two were most likely close, 2^nd cousins in fact.  Yet, as Jesus seeks solace and refuge, he cannot really care for himself  because the “crowds have followed him.” Jesus’ reaction is to be “moved with pity.”

   There is much in our world my friends that calls for the same reaction from us—that we be moved with pity. The chaplain in me always adds that we look for balance in the good that try to do, caring for ourselves as well. 

   The 2^nd part of today’s gospel gives us another wonderful key in modeling our brother, Jesus. The people gathered, many no doubt sick, lonely, or bereft in other ways, are physically hungry too.  Jesus shows us how to help.

   Scripture says, [He] “looked up to heaven, blessed the food, broke it, and gave it to the people.”  In looking deeper, as I often encourage us to do, there are Scripture scholars who have suggested that Jesus “brought forth” enough bread to feed everyone by suggesting that those with food share what they have with others, thus making enough for all. 

   “Breaking” and “opening up” ourselves to others cannot only feed physically, but emotionally and spiritually as well.  And when you think about it, isn’t that what the “Eucharist” is all about – meeting the physical, emotional and spiritual hungers we find in our world?  What we do here, at this table, is just the beginning …

   And friends, in all the good that we attempt to do in our world – we have a great companion assisting us in our brother Jesus.  Paul affirms this for us in the 2^nd reading from Romans today, one of the more beautiful quotes from him:

“What will separate us from the love of Christ?  Trial, or distress, or persecution, or hunger, or nakedness, or danger, or the sword? … For I am certain that neither death nor life … or any pain, neither the present or the future, neither heights or depths, nor anything else … will be able to separate us from the love of God … in Christ Jesus.”

   I believe most of us turn to God in times of trouble and we should … we might also turn to our God with praise when good things happen as well,  because this God loves us mightily and is interested in all that happens to us.  The psalmist in #145 today lets us know that our God is, “gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness … just in all … ways, holy in all works.”

   So, you might be thinking, well pastor, how do you know this is so?  I know it because Jesus said as much before leaving us – “I will be with you all days …

   In all my years, I have never met anyone who has testified to have seen God, but I have met countless others who are grateful for much good in their lives. 

I believe, and I hope you do as well that our God is loving us through each act of goodness we see and receive in our lifetime. 

   In today’s gospel, Jesus tells his followers who are worried about feeding so many, “You give them something to eat” … you and you and you …  Amen? Amen!