Wait a Minute, the World Doesn't Revolve Around Me?

You can probably ask my sister about the various scenarios in my life where, it was clear, I believed the world revolved around me!  The picture describes it all!



Everything needs to go the way I want it to go, or I will get mad.  If you actually take the time to think about it, this is the central cause of sin!  Think about the last time you were angry with someone. Why did you get angry?  Was it because they acted in a way that YOU didn't want them to act?  Think about the last time you were impatient.  Were you impatient because things were not going as quickly as YOU wanted it to go?  You can do this for any kind of sin!

What we need to do is follow what is presented in the Gospel this past weekend (22nd Sunday of Ordinary time C). Jesus talks about the banquet and choosing the lower seats of honor, only to be exalted.  For those who are humble will be exalted!  This is the life of Christ, the life of the Saints, and the life the Lord is calling us too!

When we place ourselves in the place of God, we are forced to acknowledge our mortality and humanity.  We are mere creatures before our Creator.  The problem with sin is that we remove God, only to place ourselves in His place! 

So the question the Lord places in the Gospel today is; are you humble before the Lord?  Or do you put yourself in the place of God?  Because in the end, we are going to find ourselves either being exalted by the Lord because of our humility, or God is going to be humble us because we have been too prideful. 

For the Lord encourages us now, more than ever, to be humble before Him and others!  Maybe it’s time for us to fall to our knees before our Crucified Lord and acknowledge the greatest strength of all, God’s unconditional love for us!

My Parent's Love Story!

For those who know me, you probably have heard me tell my parent's Hollywood love story.  So you can imagine, as I'm introducing myself to my new parish that I couldn't wait to share their story with my parishioners in a homily!

My last name is Kearney, which reveals my Irish heritage. My dad grew up in small farm towns in the Midwest.  But many people are surprised to find out not only my mother's side of the story, but also how my parents met.  My mother was born in Jerusalem and came to the states when she was 10.  When she was in her early 20's she was introduced to another Arab man (not my father of course) and before you knew it she was engaged and creating her wedding invitations.  It was at that point my dad entered into the picture and came across my mom, only to be disappointed when he found out that this beautiful woman was engaged.  Long story short, due to family connections, my dad received an invitation to my mother's wedding.  You can imagine that my father was not looking forward to see this beautiful woman get married.  So he declined the invitation, only to end up driving to Tombstone, AZ from Chicago, where we have some family.

Well the night before the wedding, when my mother was going into the city to get her wedding license for the next day ceremony, my mother found out that the man she was going to marry didn't want to have any kids and wasn't planning on visiting much of her family even for the holidays.  For those who don't know my mom, this was heart breaking, for family and children mean the world to my mom.  Returning home in tears, my Grandmother, helping make the decision final, took the wedding license from my mom and tore it up!

My dad arrived in Arizona on Friday by car, only to find out my mother's wedding was cancelled on Saturday.  He jumped back in the car and was at my mother's doorstep in Chicago Monday evening. He asked her out and they dated for three weeks, he proposed, and they were married in 3 months! 

It's pretty much a Hollywood movie in the making.  My sisters and I were one day of never existing.  But as much as I like to praise my parents for their Hollywood story of falling in love, what really is amazing is their fidelity to that love over 41 years.  For if you were to ask them about their 41 years of marriage, they would be first to admit the difficulties they have faced as a couple.

I share this love story because are faith carries a very similar road.  Many of us can maybe remember falling in love with the Lord.  Maybe it was through a retreat, adoration, through the Sacrament of Reconciliation or even in the Mass.  Yet the falling in love with the Lord is easy, it's the staying in love with the Lord in the light of the Cross that is quite difficult!

That is why it's so beautiful to look toward our Blessed Mother, Mary.  For she gives us a great example of the Christian journey.  Her surrender to the Lord, which is known as her Fiat, in other words her "yes" to the Arch-angel Gabriel to give birth to our Lord, involves the same "yes" that leads her to the foot of the Cross as her son is crucified!  One of great joy and one of great difficulty.

This past Sunday we heard from the Gospel of Luke (13:22-30) the following:

“Lord, will only a few people be saved?” He answered them, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough"

It sounds scary for us to hear that some will not be strong enough to enter the Narrow Gate.  I truly belief the narrow gate is in reference to the fidelity to surrendering everything to the Lord, even in the light of our own death and crosses.  Will we remain faithful in the most difficult times?  How can we prepare ourselves so that we can be strong enough?  This brings me to two examples and the gifts that can be found in the Catholic Church!

When my Grandmother on my dad's side was nearing the end of her life with amnesia and dementia, there was one thing that continued to ground her in her faith.  It was her commitment to the daily Rosary.  And even if she couldn't remember the names of her grandchildren and at the end of her life her children, she could still recite the Hail Mary like the best of them.  As much as some might say the Rosary is just a rote prayer and just repetitive in nature, we don't know how much grace there is to say even the most simple words, "Holy Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us sinners now and the hour of our death!" 

The second thing would be the strength found in the Mass and in the Eucharist.  Recently I ended up at the Hospital to give last rights to man who had a brain bleed.  He seemed unresponsive when a I arrived, but while performing the prayers, the wife told her husband that a priest was in the room and a tear came to his eye.  The next day I had the chance to visit him, and after the request from the wife and approval from the nurse, I was able to give the man our Lord in holy communion.  Even though he was unresponsive to my entering the room and conversation with his wife.  When I said, "The Body of Christ," the man opened his mouth on queue and began to consume the host.  To make things even more beautiful, the wife said that her husband still remembers the "Our Father" prayer.  So after telling her husband to join her, He recited line by line with his wife the Our Father!

What beautiful gifts Christ and the Church gives us to prepare ourselves for the Lord!  May we work now, more then ever, to recommit ourselves to the Lord through the Rosary and the Mass so that we too will have strength to enter the narrow gate!

But I Don't Wanna Change!

Have you ever looked at the world and wished you could change it?  Either stopping wars or terrorism, or having Michael Phelps win all 28 golds vs. his 23 gold, 3 silver, and 2 bronze!  Have you ever looked at our country?  Wouldn't it be nice to change the hearts of our politicians, or political system?  Do you see the violence that is exploding everywhere and wish you could bring peace?  Have you ever looked at your town and wish to change it?  Maybe have lower property taxes and improve their school system?  Have you ever wished to help your family members who are struggling?  After looking at the world, our country, town, and family, we may have time to look at ourselves and say, I wish I can change this part of my life. 

But there is a difference of wanting change, and actually being changed!  What happens when we are confronted by others to change?  Have you ever received criticism?  Have you ever been told you need to change?  How do you usually receive that criticism or fraternal correction?  If you are like me, the picture below describes it all!  "I don't wanna Change!"

This might give us insight on why the prophets in the Old Testament were usually persecuted or killed because of their message.  Jeremiah in the Old Testament reading this past weekend for the 20th Sunday of Ordinary time was thrown into a cistern.  He was called by God to confront the people to tell them to return to God and to stop their immoral actions!  And their response? They wanted to have none of it! 

But this passage can be applied to us today! The Lord never stops calling us to change! What are those things in our lives that are preventing us from turning to Him?  Here are some questions to ask: How many minutes of the Olympics did you watch this week?  How many episodes on Netflix?  How many sports games did you watch?  How many times did you turn to facebook to kill some time?  Now ask yourself the following questions:  How many times did you open the Scriptures?  How many times did you take to pray silently to God in adoration?  How many times did you take steps to invite the Lord into your hearts?

If you are like me, once you answer those questions, you can see that maybe we need to change!  Are desires to change the world, our country, our city, family can only begin if we turn to the Lord to have Him transform us! That is why I love the following quote found on a Bishop's Tombstone in Westminster Abbey.

“When I was young and free, and my imagination had no limits, I imagined changing the world; as I grew older and wiser, I discovered the world would not change.  So I shorten my sights to my own country, but it too seemed immovable.  As I grew into my twilight years, in one last desperate attempt, I settled for changing only my family, those closest to me.  But alas they would not have any of it.  And now as I am on my death bed.  I suddenly realize if I had only changed myself first, then by example I would have changed my family, from their inspiration and encouragement, I would have changed or even bettered my country.  Who knows I might have changed the world.” 

The Lord is calling us to change!  Let us turn to Him for strength to do just that!

Solving the Unsolved Mystery!

Unsolved Mysteries!  It was my favorite television show in the 90’s.

The show was consisted of telling 4-5 stories that have YET to be solved; from missing persons, to possible ghost encounters.  They would usually start the show with some ridiculous background music and the line, “Maybe you can help solve the next unsolved mystery.”  If you were lucky, the end of the show would have an “Update,” where they would explain how they solved a previous mysterious case!

I bring this up because in many cases, our society doesn’t like mystery.  A mystery is something that needs to be solved!  We like answers!  It's probably why I became an Engineer!  From math, chemistry to physics, I was constantly given equations, mysteries, and asked to solve the problem.  And so when I entered in to my faith and they kept talking about the Mystery of our faith, you can understand how I responded.  Three persons and one God, The Eucharist, Jesus Christ being fully Divine and fully human, "Oh I'm going to solve it!"  I was an engineer after all and any problem I was given had a solution!

And yet there is something unique about our faith that is quite different than a math equation or engineering problem.  Our faith is centered and founded on Relationship!  Our God is a communion of persons.  The very essence of God is a relationship of persons.  And we were made in that image and likeness of God.  We were made for relationship and communion! 

The one thing that I've learned about relationships is that they are a mystery, not something that can be solved!  If you have ever fallen in love, you can’t explain the mystery that has taken you over, you can only enter into that relationship.  Maybe it's why we say "love is blind," because it doesn't make sense, it's not an equation that can be explained, but only something that we can enter into.  Maybe that is why I must be a sucker for weddings, for it is a mystery of love between the bride and the groom that we enjoy, not an equation that has been solved!  It is the same with our faith! 

So the next time the priest proclaims “the Mystery of Faith”, during the Eucharist Liturgy prepare yourself.  Not for an equation to be solved, but a relationship to enter into!

Hit the Road Jack!

One thing I learned growing up in my family is that a road trip is never out of a question!  Traveling with my family by car to California, Texas, Florida, DC, Canada, and everywhere in between I saw most of the US through the back of our family mini-van.  One of the crucial aspects to the trip was always making sure we had our trusted Atlas!  It helped up navigate through the various states along with tracking the roadways and possible future exits for our stops!

After living in 10 different locations over 12 years, I've come to realize that my life has been quite a journey!  But it's not something new to the Christian faithful!  The early Christian Father's would write about how our life was a journey, from this world to the next.  Our destination was not earth, but of heaven with God. 

Each of the Sunday readings deal with this fact: We are made to be with God in heaven and not on earth and live solely for this earth, you are not living at all!

The first reading gives us the line "Vanity of Vanities" (Eccl 1:2).  Why? Because unless it's for God, then it is all worthless and vain.  It's worthless because it's not getting us to our destination.  St. Paul asks the people to know their ultimate destination; "seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God" (Col 3:1).  And finally, the harshness of the Lord in the parable, "‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?’ (Luke 12:20). 

The first reading and the Gospel warn us about living for this world, while St. Paul gives us the answer: Seek your end, seek the Lord!  And so we are encouraged to solidify our destination.  The question then needs to be asked: Am I actually living for my destination to be with God?  What steps am I taking to get there?  What is my Atlas to get me there?

We need to ask these questions because if we don't make active steps to achieve our end, we can never get there!  If I wanted to take a vacation, it's not until I make the decision of where I want to go, before I could set out to get there.  It's only when I decide to go to Cancun for vacation, that I can start saving money and making accommodations to get there (aka plane ticket, hotel, local commute).  It's no different in our spiritual life. 

It's time to make the relationship with the Lord our end, and start making an effort to get there!  Seeking the Lord in word and Sacrament.  Looking at our great Atlas with the richness of the Catholic Tradition!