Archive for the ‘Easter’ Category

The Good Shepherd 4-30-2003

Thursday, April 27th, 2023

For most of us I think it is safe to say this image of the Shepherd is not
something we see very much everyday. It was a very common scene in
the early Church: – it is a common scene in the Middle East. People in
the early Church could really understand what was involved in being a
shepherd. It was very real and earthy to them. The Biblical figure of the
Shepherd – has been romanticized a lot in paintings, pictures, Holy
Cards, “rosy cheeked young men – among pure white fluffy sheep on
beautiful green hillsides – very serene and peaceful.”
I did a little research into what Shepherds were like in the Time of
Jesus. It was a very lonely, dirty, dangerous job – that could not be
managed from a distance. Shepherds lived among the sheep in the filth
and stench – the lives of the sheep were their primary concern. A sheep
sometimes wandered far off from the others – when it got lost and could
not find it’s way back, it would simply lie down where it was and refuse
to budge – the shepherd would search out for the lost sheep – carefully
pick it up and carry it home. There was a personal relationship between
the Shepherd and each individual sheep. They were not just numbers.
I believe this image of the Shepherd points us to God. God is
not squeamish; God will not run away when things get messy in our
lives; – God’s hands are dirty (not lily white); God’s clothes are stained
with waste, mud and blood – the waste, mud and blood of our roller
coaster lives. This God gets in the middle of the mess with us.
Does the mess magically disappear? Not most of the time; but
there is a sense we are not alone and that helps us get through it. A key
question for us; Are we afraid to share our messes with God?
How does this shepherding image of God come alive? Become real to
people – Today –
I believe most of the time thru people – we are called to be shepherds
for each other. We are responsible to pick each other up when we are
down.
“I thought just priests and ministers were shepherds – no we all are if
we call ourselves Christian and mean it.”
“Don’t we need special skill and talents – training to do this? No! We
need a caring heart, a little common sense and a few less excuses.
“What about when you don’t have the answers or solutions to people’s
problems? You don’t know what to say or do. Just listen and just be
there for them.
I close with a story I am sure we all have heard;
A man dreamed he died and went to heaven and there was met
by Jesus. The man had lived a long Christian life, but it had not been
without some time of great trial and tribulation as well as those times
of joy and victory. As he met with Christ, the man was given a
panoramic review of his life – all the highlights and low periods. In
the review of his life one of the things that continued throughout were
his footsteps along the sands of time.
The man noticed that at those times in his life when it had really
been rough there was only one set of footprints – not two as in the
good times. The man turned to the Lord and said, “Lord, I don’t
understand. You promised to be with me always. But when I look
back now, I see that in those really rough times there was only one set
of footprints. Lord, why did you leave me then?”
The Lord looked at him, smiled and said, ‘Leave you? I didn’t
leave you at all. Dear friend, if you look at the one set of footprints
carefully, you’ll notice they are a little deeper than the others. Those
were the time I was carrying you.”


God Is There 4-23-2003

Thursday, April 20th, 2023

Six-year-old Andrew Bateson came down with bacterial
meningitis, an aggressive disease that almost cost the little boy his life.
In order to save Andrew, doctors had to amputate his legs where the
disease had destroyed his circulatory system. Andrew was devastated
when he discovered what had happened to him; Andrew couldn’t
understand why he couldn’t have his “old legs back”.
His mother, Rebecca, wasn’t doing much better. She tried to keep
up a positive disposition for her son—but she wondered how Andrew
would handle the next chapter.
And she felt betrayed—betrayed by God.
After months of agonizing rehabilitation with his new prosthetic
legs, Andrew finally went home.
Then one night at supper, out of nowhere, Andrew said, “I saw
God, Mommy. I was sleeping at the hospital. He put his arms out, and
I thought he was going to give me a hug. But instead he just touched
me on the shoulder”.
His mother steeled herself. “Did God say anything?”
“No, he was just….there”.
A chill ran down his mother’s spine. Rebecca writes: “[God] was
just there. What did that mean? I looked at Andrew, wolfing down his
dinner. For months I had seen a handicapped child, a damaged child,
fighting as hard as he could, failing more often than succeeding in his
rehab. Falling down, unable to master his new legs. Yet, unlike me,
never turning bitter, never giving up. “I’m going to walk, I’m going to
ride my bike”, he’d insist, “You just watch”.
And Rebecca realized: “Andrew came through this better that I
have. He was moving on. I was stuck in my bitterness and sense of
betrayal…Had God been there all along for me too, and I was just too
angry to see? Was he there for me now? Lord, thank you for being
with Andrew. Be with me now, too”.
In closing, remember this: The Risen Christ is here, in our midst,
in the love of family and friends, in the care of doctors and nurses, in
the support of pastors and ministers, in the wisdom of teachers and
counselors. The disciples on the road to Emmaus finally realize his
presence in the breaking of bread; Rebecca finally grasps God’s
presence in the unshakable, determined faith of her little boy. Every
one of us has traveled the road the two disciples walked on Easter night;
many of us have made the journey that Andrew and his mom and dad
traveled. It is the road of deep disappointment, sadness, despair, anger.
But God assures us, in his Easter promise, that along those roads he will
make himself known to us. If our eyes are open, we will meet him in
his Christ: in the compassion and generosity of others, in the breaking
of bread and the healing touch of the sacraments, in the grace and
wisdom of his Spirit in our midst. May our hearts and consciences
always be open to behold the presence of Christ, our guest and
companion along the many roads we walk to our own Emmauses.
His mother asked, “Did God say anything?” Andrew answered,
“No….He was just there”!


Easter: “God Alive” 4-9-2023

Saturday, April 8th, 2023

We have all seen images from all around the world: the death and
devastation in the wake of earthquakes, floods, tsunami’s, and tornadoes.
We shake our heads in disbelief: How could God let such a thing
happen? Where was God for these people?
But in the darkness of such tragedy, listen to the angel of Easter
morning: Look beyond the stone; God is not entombed but very much
alive here. See the doctor who leaves his practice to travel half way
around the world to help care for the survivors? See the relief workers
who work night and day setting up clinics and camps, drilling fresh
water wells and rebuilding roads? See the churches and schools and
communities around the world who mobilize to collect money and
clothing and food and medicine? God is not buried in the rubble – God
is raised up in such compassion and generosity.
As the temperature hovers around zero, a fire destroys a city block.
Several people are killed, many are seriously hurt; scores of families are
suddenly homeless, everything they own lost in the blaze. We feel for their plight: How could God let this happen? Where was God for them
this night?
But in the ashes, the angel at the entrance of the tomb asks: Why
do you see God in the ruins? Didn’t you see the firefighter who risked
his life to save that five-year-old trapped on the sixth floor? Didn’t you
see the EMTs work miracles in treating the victims of burns and smoke
inhalation and rush to get them to hospitals? Didn’t you see the
volunteers who came with food and blankets, helping the homeless take
the first difficult steps in rebuilding their lives? God is not among the
ashes – God is alive in the selflessness and sacrifice exhibited this
horrible night.
War takes many forms and is waged in many places. Wars are
fought globally, nationally, and locally; wars are waged not only in
jungles and ravaged cities, on the streets of Salinas, Watsonville, Santa
Cruz, Aptos yes, even in Montery and Vatican City, but also in offices and
school yards, in kitchens and bedrooms. We cry: How can God let us
keep destroying one another? Where is God in the midst of such hatred
and violence, such greed and deceit?
But the angel of the empty tomb assures us: Don’t be afraid. God
walks among you in those who have dedicated their lives to the work of
peace, who empty themselves of their own wants and needs in order to
bring consolation and hope to others, who work tirelessly to tear down
walls of bigotry and build bridges across the divides of race and culture
and class, who find their joy seeking joy for another.
God lives, the angel assures us. God goes to meet you. Look –
and you will see God.
I close. Overwhelmed by the tragedies and devastation that
surround us, we can become mired in a Good Friday mindset: We shake
our heads and wonder how God the almighty Creator of all things can let
such evil befall this world. But Easter calls us to realize a much
different vision: God is not to be found in the tragedies that befall us or
the evil that entraps us; God is found in the love, compassion and
forgiveness God raises up in the hearts of those men and women whose
lives reflect God’s presence in our midst. God has raised up his
crucified Son, who walks among us in all that is good and right and
giving, in everyone and everything that transforms our world from
darkness to light, from despair to hope, from death to life. On this
Easter morning, may the stones of hurt and cynicism be rolled back from
our hearts and spirits, enabling us all to behold the Risen God before us.
Let us stand and profess our faith in God – alive and among us.