This was the second presentation of the day at our recent parish retreat. The presenter is Deacon Don Bourgeois, who manages St. Michael's Mission and is assigned at St. Jane de Chantal:
The topics of my talk this morning is in three parts and will focus on 1. “God asks only one thing of you; 2. God desires union with you; and 3. Your soul can be renewed.”
It was at a critical moment in the history of the world and mankind, when a Scribe stood up and asked Jesus the question, “Which is the greatest of the Commandments?” So much that is vital in the eternal interests of mankind depended upon the answer. The words about to fall from the lips of Christ would determine the fate of uncounted millions.
In Matthew’s Gospel, Chapter 22, Jesus answered him;
"You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.
This is the greatest and the first commandment.
The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments."
His answer revealed the divine standard of measurement, -- it made plain forever what rule a man's life is tested by on the Day of Judgment, His answer told us in what things to place our hope of eternal life and give us an imperishable picture of what, in the mind of God, a perfect human soul should be.
God’s Law is a law of Love! But, what kind of love? This kind of Love! + Because if we understand this kind of love --- then we can understand what our Lord was saying to the Scribe who challenged Him.
I will focus first today on God’s call to us to love our neighbor as ourselves.
For most of us, learning to love is a work in progress. The reason I make that statement is because as I look back at my own life I can see that for many years I can honestly say I didn’t know the kind of love Jesus is calling us to in loving our neighbor. It wasn’t until I surrendered my life to God, to do His will, that I began to understand how God was calling me to love my fellow man.
What began to open my eyes in understanding how God wanted me to love was from the Holy Spirit leading me to the Book of Genesis, up to that point in my life, I had never picked up the Bible to read it for myself, but I must have heard it in Church many times. That day the light was turned on for me.
From Genesis Chapter 1;
God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them.
God looked at everything he had made, and he found it very good.
He found it Very Good!
To understand why these two words of God were so powerful and transforming to me, you first need to have some idea of what my life was like growing up.
The message I received daily in large doses from my Dad during my childhood, and even as an adult, was that I couldn’t do anything right. I lived in constant fear of his verbal and sometimes physical abuse. Over time, such abuse robbed my very soul of its self-worth. I never felt trusted or treasured or loved and it eventually drove me to join the Navy and leave home at 17. But the negative messages my dad gave me went with me into the Navy, and even followed me into my marriage. It affected my relationship with Dottie and later with my two daughters. How could I love them the way they should be loved, when I couldn’t even love myself?
So maybe now you can understand the power of those precious, sweet, amazing words of the Lord, “I was made in his image and what he created in me was VERY GOOD!” I knew then that no matter what another person thought or said about me, I was God’s precious creation and I was loved and lovable in His eyes.
My daughters will tell you they had two Dads, the old one who was not so lovable, and the Dad I am today. That was the beginning of my ability and desire to love my fellow man. It has been a journey through the years and continues to this day as I learn to love as Christ loves.
Love is all God asks of us. Love suffices. Race does not matter anymore, nor does tribe, or family, because all are made in His image. Love of neighbor transcends any prejudice, any weakness, any ignorance, any poverty. We are called to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.
Having fulfilled the one condition of wholehearted love, the fisherman shall be greater than the scholar and the peasant higher than the king.
Even past and repented sin will be no obstacle, for among the wonderful saints of God many who, after years wasted in the paths of sin's lowest hell, -- cast off selfishness at last and became great lovers.
An Important lesson I have learned over the years about loving neighbor is fortified by the Gospel of Mark, Chapter 11;
When you stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance, so that your heavenly Father may, in turn, forgive you your transgressions."
We have a neighbor, who is an old man and owns property on Hwy 16, where he has accumulated hundreds of thousands of old tires that some years ago caught on fire and burned for weeks. His whole property and is a health hazard. I found myself becoming very upset and angry over the situation. I even contacted the Louisiana EPA, sent them pictures and was on the TV News complaining about the situation -- to no avail. My neighbor was brought to court for the complaints of all the tires, but he claimed he was gathering them to be recycled and the court bought his story. When I heard the court’s decision, I was fuming and ranting and cussing my neighbor, the EPA and the court system.
One night at Bible Study as I was sharing my frustrations with the people there, I realized that I was sinning against my neighbor and God, and I knew I needed to do something about it. I decided to begin praying for him, asking God to bless him and that he would grow closer to the Lord. Every time I would pass by the property and the mountain of tires I would say a prayer for my new found friend. The tires are still there but now I have peace because I can’t be angry with someone I am sincerely asking God to Bless.
Jesus says in John 14:
Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him."
We must be on our guard at all times to choose Love over selfishness. High and clear before our eyes let the fact of love’s supremacy be set. Love is the one thing needed in this world. For love is the supreme idea, --- the great commandment of Christian law.
And love of God must coexist with the love of neighbor. The questioning Scribe received a twofold answer that – to our astonishment – sets the love of man alongside the love of God so that the holy soul may no more exclude the one than the other. If people would heartily accept this doctrine the world would be transformed to a better place for all.
This teaching re-echoes throughout the pages of St. John and St. Paul. John's ceaseless exhortation, "Little children, love one another," and Paul's flaming words in his first letter to the Corinthians, preach the same truth: the excellence of love over every other gift. A practical result of this doctrine was the extraordinary affection the early Christians had for one another, a phenomenon so striking that the pagans first marveled at the depth and sincerity and constancy of their love. And then felt so threatened by it that they tried to wipe it from the face of the earth through great persecutions. How plainly is the love of our neighbor made in the actual test of our love of God. "By this shall all men know that you are my disciples: that you have love one for another."
A while back I received a book I had ordered on tape by Cardinal Joseph Bernardin called “The Gift of Peace” which is about the last three years of his life. Cardinal Bernardin was the Archbishop of Chicago and a very holy man. I truly respected him and believe today that he is one of God’s saints.
In his book he tells how, in November 1993, he was accused of sexual misconduct with a seminarian by the name of Stephen Cook. Cardinal Bernardin was devastated knowing these charges were untrue from the very beginning, even though he knew that he would have to defend himself and the Church in a way that would be successful at proving his innocence. The news media, of course, was having a “Feeding Frenzy” at the Cardinal’s expense. When I read that, I thought of Matthew 5:11-12
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you (falsely) because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.
As soon as the alleged evidence was examined, the case against him began to collapse from within. Indeed, the evidence turned out to be a group photograph taken at a Cincinnati seminary function at which, along with many others, they were both present, and a book the Cardinal allegedly autographed and gave to him, bore no signature of his.
It became clear to Bernardin that certain critics of his had played a role in urging Stephen Cook to take on the role of plaintiff against him. Indeed, almost as soon as the news broke, some people, including a priest from
out-of-state, expressed the opinion on a local radio show that the Cardinal was guilty; --- that finally the facts had caught up with him.
Despite its unfounded nature, this bogus lawsuit possessed the power both to disrupt and to change the direction of Cardinal Bernardin’s life. He suffered tremendously.
As the disturbing allegations did not stand the test of truth, Cardinal Bernardin began to understand how Stephen Cook had been a victim of this whole tawdry episode. His initial intuition of this young man being used was gradually confirmed.
On February 28th, 1994, Stephen, on his own initiative, asked the Judge of the Federal Court in Cincinnati to drop the charges against Cardinal Bernardin.
The good Cardinal gradually learned of Stephen Cook’s own difficult life. His brief, unhappy period in the Cincinnati seminary had been followed by an estrangement from his family, the Church and a drift into a promiscuous lifestyle.
He was suffering from AIDS and was being cared for by a friend. He was the sheep who had been lost, and as a shepherd, Bernardin knew that he had to seek him out.
He thought often of Stephen in his lonely, illness ridden exile from both his parental home and the Church. By mid-December, He felt deeply that this entire episode would not be complete until he followed his shepherd’s calling to seek Stephen out. He prayed that Stephen would receive him. He knew a healing experience of the false accusation would not be complete until he met and reconciled with Stephen.
Cardinal Bernardin flew to Philadelphia with Fr. Scott Donahue on December 30th, 1994 and met with Stephen at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary. Within a few minutes, Stephen arrived with his friend, Kevin. They shook hands and he sat with Stephen on a couch, Stephen looked only slightly thin, despite his grave illness.
They were both seeking reconciliation. However, Stephen said he wanted to tell Cardinal Bernardin about his life before they continued. With a tone and gestures that indicated Stephen had bottled up his story for a long time, he told him that as a young seminarian, he had been sexually abused by a priest he thought was his friend. He claimed that the authorities did not take his report of the priest’s misconduct seriously. He became embittered and left the Church.
Cardinal Joseph Bernardin and Stephen Cook did reconcile. He was able to bring healing and peace to Stephen in helping him return to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick and they celebrated the Eucharist together.
Stephen and the Cardinal kept in touch after that, and six months later, when Bernardin received a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, Stephen’s was one of the first letters he received. He had only a few months to live when he wrote it, but the letter filled with sympathy and encouragement for Cardinal Bernardin.
Stephen planned to visit the Cardinal in Chicago at the end of August, but he was too ill. Stephen died at his mother’s home on September 22nd, 1995, fully reconciled with the Church. “This,” he said, smiling from his deathbed at his mother, about his return to the sacraments, “It is my gift to you.”
Cardinal Joseph Bernardin suffered terribly from pancreatic cancer, but also from a fall that fractured his vertebra. On November 14, 1996, Joseph Cardinal Bernardin died at the age of sixty-eight, but he was at peace with his God and his fellow man.
Now let’s turn our attention to the fact that:
God Desires Union With US
When we talk about God desiring a relationship and union with us, we have to think in terms of Covenant, because that is the relationship that God desires and has established between Himself and man.
To better understand the Covenant relationship between God and man we go to the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Article 357 says: “Being in the image of God, the human individual possesses the dignity of a person, who is not just something, but someone. He is capable of self-knowledge, of self-possession and of freely giving himself, and entering into communion with other persons. And he is called by grace to a covenant with his Creator, to offer him a response of faith and love that no other creature can give in his stead.”
In other words, no one can replace me in my relationship with God. Dottie can’t stand up and say, “Well, Lord, Don’s kind of out of it today, so I’m here to fill in for him!” No, I have to be the one to work at growing in my relationship with God. The covenant between myself and God is mine and only my responsibility. Either I am faithful to this covenant or, when I sin, I severe that relationship with God.
Also from the Catechism:
Article 55 further says: “This revelation was not broken off by our first parents' sin. After the fall, [God] buoyed them up with the hope of salvation, by promising redemption -- and he has never ceased to show his concern for the human race, for he wishes to give eternal life to all those who seek salvation by patience in well-doing."
So, even when we break the covenant with God by sin, God still is faithful and gives us hope. This hope is reaffirmed for us each time we hear the IV Eucharistic Prayer at Mass:
“Even when he disobeyed you and lost your friendship, you did not abandon him to the power of death. . . Again and again you offered a covenant to man.”
In the Scriptures there are many references to the covenant between God and his people, starting with Noah:
In Genesis 6:18 We Read
“But with you I will establish my covenant; you and your sons, your wife and your sons' wives, shall go into the ark.”
This covenant relationship is a living thing between us and God, not just a theological principle. God has always been faithful, but it is man who has not kept the union between himself and God.
I say this because for many years I refused God’s constant call for me to live in a close union with Him. Like many young people, I didn’t think much about needing a relationship with God. I know now that He always desired it, but I just turned my back and went my own way.
However, there came a time that I wanted God to love me and I felt his soft call for me, but the problem was that my self-worth was still at rock bottom. What if I went to God, and I found out that my Dad was right in all the negative things he had said about me, -- and worse yet, what if God saw me the same way? The mere thought fill me with so much fear that I just kept pushing God away. If I didn’t like who I was, and my Dad didn’t like who I was, it would kill me if I found God felt the same way.
You know, fear of God can stop a relationship cold in its tracks, and that’s what happened to me for years. And then, of course, there was the dreaded confessional. The thought of admitting how terrible I thought I was out loud to another human being, and risk hearing the words that I wasn’t worth saving was just too much. It took me 36 years to accept God’s love for me and enter the confessional with joy and not fear.
And that blessed event happened in July of 1979, when Dottie and I went on our Marriage Encounter weekend. That was the weekend that changed my life forever. It was there that I finally and fully accepted the love of my wife and I accepted the love of my God. In the end, Dottie and I made the decision to live in close union with God as a couple and we vowed to live in a covenant relationship with Him -- and from that time we’ve never looked back.
Sure, there have been times when things still get rocky between me and God, and sometimes even Dottie, but we will never give up. Psalm 18 always reminds me who I am in this covenant relationship, this union with God:
“I love you O’LORD, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress, and my deliverer, My God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold!”
The last part of my presentation is:
“Your Soul can be Renewed”
Through Christ, you have become a child of God.
The greatest event of all human history was memorialized in St Paul’s Letter to the Galatians Chapter 4:
“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to ransom those under the law, so that we might receive adoption. As proof that you are children, God sent the spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!" So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.”
Ponder the richness of the meaning contained in those words: "God sent His Son." Jesus Christ, Mary's Babe, who is as truly God as is the Eternal Father. He is a revelation of divinity that God made manifest in the flesh, in order that all who look upon Him may begin to understand God's beauty and goodness and sanctity. This Holy One is God's Son by right, and He has come to make it possible for us sinners to become sons of God by adoption, so that, in some true way, we may resemble Him and acquire those qualities which belong to God alone.
Recall for a moment what the Church teaches: That Christ's grace renews us. It is through the Sacraments that the Grace of God rains on us every day and renews our spirit. And, it’s at our Baptism that we first receive that Grace and we are “Born Again” of water and the Holy Spirit. We become Temples of the Holy Spirit, Children of God, and Heirs to God’s Eternal Kingdom. There are times throughout our life we are called on to renew our Baptism vows and each time we do, we renew our conviction to live as children of God.
As Catholics we believe our salvation is a work in progress. We believe that embracing the Seven Sacraments and living each day in the light of Christ is the way we are forever saved. And Baptism is just the first of the Seven Great Stepping Stones we use to find our way.
The Catholic Church has always taught that Jesus showed us the way in all things.
For instance, From the Gospel of Mark Chapter 1:9
“It happened in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John.”
So Jesus, who was without sin, was Baptized and set the example for us, to show us the path to salvation. As a matter of fact Baptism is so important that He gave the specific formula to Baptize to His Apostles.
In the Gospel of Matthew Chapter 28: it says
Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age."
But, the Church teaches that Baptism is just the beginning of our spiritual journey. When we sin, we cut ourselves off from God’s grace. What can renew our sense of belonging to God when we sin? As long as we are alive, our salvation is a work in progress, and so Jesus gave us the means to restore and renew our friendship with God in the Sacrament of Reconciliation when that vital connection with Him has been severed.
You know, often people look at Bishops, Priest and Deacons and think that we have some kind of a spiritual advantage. For the most part, they think that just being ordained makes us holier than the average guy sitting in the pew. Actually, being ordained means that we have been called to be servants of God in a specific and unique way – and as a result of that call God expects us to live our life in holy service to His people. But we are not exempt from sin!
The truth is we are sinners just like everyone else, and the fact is, just like anyone else, we are called to repent our sins and renew our commitment in this unique relationship with God..
You have heard the old saying, “That to those that much is given, much is expected.” I feel that is true when it comes to me. So, the fact is I am a sinner and in need of God’s forgiveness and mercy all the time.
My greatest fear as a Deacon is that through some sin of mine, that I might lead someone astray. The thought of standing before the Throne of God and having to answer for such a deed makes my soul tremble.
Another Sacrament that renews our soul, and that I have received many times because of my poor health, is the Anointing of the Sick. I’m amazed sometimes how many Catholics either don’t know about this healing Sacrament or don’t know that in it our sins are forgiven. When someone mentions to me they are sick or maybe they’re going to have surgery, I encourage them take advantage of this Sacrament’s graces. Over the years the peace of mind and the renewal of my spirit through the Anointing of the Sick has been a true blessing, knowing that no matter what the outcome of a surgery or illness, I am good to go and prepared for wherever God wants me.
Finally, we can’t talk about our souls being renewed in some of the Sacraments without talking about the Eucharist. How Blessed we Catholics are to have Jesus to feed and nourish us with His Body and Blood.
In the Gospel of John Chapter 6:
“Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.”
No matter how many times I’m at Mass, I’m always in awe, especially at the Consecration when by the words of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit, simple bread and wine are transformed into His precious Body and Blood. Not only do we get to witness this miracle, but miracle follows miracle as we receive Him into our own body. And it is there that the greatest renewal of our soul takes place. In that moment, the words of an old hymn springs to life. “He walks with me and He talks with me and He tells me I am His own and the joy we share as we tarry there no other has ever known.
What more is there to say except. Amen.
My Brothers and Sisters in the Lord, this concludes my presentation to you today. May the Lord abundantly Bless you today and everyday of your lives. I pray that we will all be together for eternity with the Lord in Paradise.
I ask that you pray for me and all the clergy.
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