Sacrifice

 What in the world is Fuller’s Lye or the Refiners Fire?

Fuller’s Lye is a type of bleach - it is used to whiten and purify clothing.  A refiner's fire is a fire that is especially hot that is used to burn away impurities called dross during metal smelting - it makes the remaining metal more pure, more useful, more complete.

The Messiah comes to burn away what is false and to strengthen what is true.

Christ seeks to purify us so that we can offer sacrifice to the Lord - it is kind of like, he is here to purify us so that we can abide with God, and be in relationship with God.

There is a Truth of who God created us to be - which is who we are in the eye of God.  The reality of Sin is that it corrupts the truth, so when we engage in sin, we become weak, corrupt and less pure.  One of the effects of sin is that we begin to believe that a falsehood about ourselves is true, and that lie (which is a mixture of truth and falsehood) seeps into our identity and weakens us.  For example, the lie might be that God doesn’t really love me because such-and-such happened to me, or I am not able to do thus-and-such.  

Because God is truth, lies cannot exist in His presence, his truth is like a refiner's fire that burns away falsehood. 

What can we do about this?  Reflection and Confession

Reflection on Temptation

Two things that we can do.  When we encounter temptation in our lives, we should reflect on the temptation to a particular sin.  Why am I tempted by this sin?  What weakness within me leads me to this compulsion?  Where is the lie in my heart that makes me vulnerable to this temptation?  By reflecting (in the light of God’s love) on what makes us weak we have the opportunity to ask for God’s grace to show us the truth.

In the light of the teachings of the Church

The sure anchor-point for such an examen is the teachings of the Church and the 10 commandments.  If I find that I have a temper, then my temptation might be to say “God made me this way, so the world needs to deal with it.”  In reality, we are called to examine, Why did God give me this response, and how do I use this for Good and refrain from using it to cause harm?  Rather than acquiescing and saying that it is what it is and so others must suffer.

Confession

Confession is one of the most under-utilized sacraments of the Church.  It is in Confession where we are called to examine ourselves in the presence of the refiner’s fire so that we can grow in holiness to be able to stand in the presence of God.  When I prepare for Confession, I am called to give an account for my actions and to recognize the evil and wrong that I have done to God, to others and to myself.  In that moment I receive sacramental grace that flows from the side of Christ as he hangs on the cross - what a gift of purification and sacrifice.  If you want to grow in holiness, if you want to grow in the truth of who God has created you to be - have a regular practice of confession and examination in your life.

3 kinds of Sacrifice - Self, Others and God

The readings talk about three different kinds of sacrifice today - 

• Sacrifice for Myself, 

• Sacrifice for Others and S

• Sacrifice to God

Penance - Sacrifice for myself

One of the required activities for Catholics who go to confession is to do penance.  You can think of this as a sacrifice for yourself to help you combat the temptations of Sin.  It means that I take some positive action to reinforce within myself the desire to seek what is good and true in order to be strengthened and to avoid what is false and weakening me.  

In its best form Penance helps me to place God first in my life, to grow closer to Him in holiness and to prepare myself for a more complete and full relationship with Christ.

Hebrews - Thanksgiving for others.

Christ comes in the flesh to be our brother, to show us how to wage war against the enemy and to win.  In the 2nd reading St. Paul says that Christ came in the flesh to wage war against the enemy of man as a man - remember that Christ is true God and true Man, meaning that he is 100% God and 100% Man, and it is impossible to separate out one from the other.  So it is as a Man that Christ shows us how to Sacrifice for Others - because that is what Christ does.  He enters into the flesh to wage war against the enemy (Satan) so that he can conquer Him and free us.  Christ offers a sacrifice of himself so that we might benefit - That leads us to the next major point - we ought to sacrifice for the good of others.

We have a need to sacrifice for others

Because Christ is fully God and fully man He teaches us that we have a need to sacrifice for others.  A sacrifice is a willingness to suffer for the needs of another - a willingness to take on a burden of prayer or fasting or penance for the conversion of another, that they might be able to receive the grace to be purified in some small way.  

The prophetess Anna does this in the Gospel today.  St. Luke tells us that she had spent her life in prayer and fasting - sacrificing to God for the benefit of others.  In that way Anna is open to the presence of the Holy Spirit and she is able to live a life imitating the love of Christ.

Look for someone to sacrifice for this week

Ask the Holy Spirit to point out to you this week where you are called to offer a sacrifice for another - it might be helping a friend find a new job, or praying a rosary for someone who is suffering or sick.  God will let you know where the opportunity is in your life to imitate Christ a little more today.  Remember - they don’t need to know you are praying and sacrificing for them - you just need to do it.

Sacrifice to God 

The Prophet Malachi says that we are purified so that we might be able to offer a sacrifice to God.  Sacrifices to God are made out of an expression of Thanksgiving.  To offer a sacrifice to God helps us to recognize that all that we have is a Gift from God, and it places Him first and foremost in our lives.  

Christ comes to wage war on the enemy

Christ is the one whom Malachi refers to.  He comes to wage war on the enemy, and so he comes in the flesh to redeem us from the wages of sin - that is how He is the refiner’s fire.  He enters into our existence (true God and true Man) so that he can conquer sin and Death as a Man, and as God.  Sin enslaves us with a form of addiction.  Why?  Because Sin traps us in fear, in shame, and in lies.

Christ comes to show us what merciful love and sacrifice does.  Christ comes to be the model of sacrifice before God for us, to show us how to be pure, how to be true, how to be transformed by the Love of God and through that transformation how to intercede for others.

Celebrating God’s blessings with a Sacrifice of Thanksgiving

To offer a sacrifice to God is the most primitive form of Thanksgiving as it expresses our gratitude to God for His help and grace in our lives.  This is the reason why Mary and Joseph go to the temple today - to offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to God for having Jesus.  It is like when we get a promotion at work, or an unexpected bonus we like to gather our friends and celebrate the blessing in our lives.

Simeon - Sacrifice of Prayer and Praise

St. Simeon has led a holy life and is ready to encounter the Messiah. When he does he offers this sacrifice of prayer.

“Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.”

This is a beautiful prayer that the Church recites each night just before bed-time as part of the Liturgy of the Hours - which is a time we set aside in our day to reflect on all the good things God has done for us this day.  I invite you to bookmark this in your bible when you get home (Luke 2:29), and pray it as you lie down to go to sleep.

Mass - The Ultimate Sacrifice

At Mass we practice all three forms of sacrifice - we offer a sacrifice of ourselves in the offertory when we bring our gifts to the Altar.  We Sacrifice for others in the prayers of the faithful, and we offer a sacrifice of Thanksgiving to God when we receive Him in the Eucharist.

Participate in the Eucharistic Sacrifice!

This is why we come today to Christ’s Sacrifice - the Eucharistic Sacrifice in which Christ gives us His Body and Blood to purify us, to wash away our sins and to make us ready for the Kingdom of God.  That we become in truth who He created us to be.  Strengthened by this sacrifice let us leave this place emboldened to give God a sacrifice of praise to amend our lives and to share the love that God has shared with us those whom we meet.

Three Mountains

Feast of the Transfiguration

Why Do I Climb Mountains?

As many of you know, I love the wilderness and mountain climbing.  The feast today has challenged me to examine the question – Why do I climb mountains?

·     I climb mountains because I like the perspective from the top.  It changes your outlook on the world.

·     I climb mountains to find solitude with God.

·     I climb mountains because it is hard.  My friends and I enjoy the challenge.

·     I climb mountains to encounter nature –it’s beauty and ruggedness, nature that is raw, unruly and untamed.

·     I climb mountains to know that I am alive - it is not simulated or fake – it is creation at it’s best.

The Three Mountains of Scripture

There are 3 Mountains in scripture related to the Feast today.  Tabor – the Mount of the Transfiguration, Calvary – The Mount of the Crucifixion and Olivet – the Mount of the Ascension.

·     Tabor shows us the Glory of God, and teaches us that God comes to touch us.

·     Calvary shows us the Love of God, and teaches us that God can heal us from our sin.

·     Olivet teaches us the Reality of Heaven, it teaches us about our final destiny.

Fortunately, we cannot skip from mountaintop to mountain top, rather we need to descend into the valleys and then toil our way back to the top of the next peak.  Let’s examine the Gospel to see how Jesus climbs.

How Does Jesus Climb Mountains?

Jesus took Peter, James and John and climbed up a high mountain to be alone… 

Do not climb alone

The first thing that we notice in the Gospel today is that Jesus does not climb alone.  Climbing alone can be a bad idea, because if we get into trouble we have no one to help us.  Jesus brings along Peter, James and John to the top of Tabor because he wants them to experience the fullness of the Father’s Glory together – in community.

Am I climbing alone?  Time for community

For this reason Christ established the Church – that we journey together.  Who is in my Church?  Who is in the group that I can have those authentic faith-filled discussions with – my friends who share my faith and challenge me in my journey.  Is that my family?  Are these my friends?  Where do I find my companions for the journey?

Who do they encounter on the way?  Moses and Elijah

While they are on the way Jesus, Peter, James and John encounter Moses and Elijah.  They are conversing with Christ about the next mountain that Christ would climb – Calvary. 

Moses represents the Law – that is knowing how to be in relationship with God.  Elijah represents the Prophets – Knowing how to act out of our relationship with God.  These two men show us how to have an authentic relationship with God, and how to live out of that relationship.  It is a kinetic experience – it is moving and flowing and transforming.

Peter wants to memorialize this into the tabernacles.  He wants to get caught up in the here and now – yet Jesus reminds him that it is a journey that we are called to.

Then we encounter the presence of God the Father.

When I was younger I climbed Mount Massive, the second highest peak in Colorado.  We made it to the top on a windy and cloudy day.  While we were atop the mountain, looking off to the north west a cloud was blown up and onto the top of the mountain.  We were enshrouded in fog and the vast vista was cloaked in mystery.  After a minute or two a hole opened up in the sky and the sun shone down onto the cloud that we were in – atop the mountain and the fog was transformed into this curtain of dazzling bright white light.  It was as if we were trapped inside of a sun beam.  Everything was illuminated.

I imagine that this was the kind of experience that Peter, James and John had when the Father spoke to them atop Mt. Tabor – they found themselves wrapped in the presence of God the Father.  That presence can be terrifying because it illuminates the reality of where we are and where we are in our relationship with God.

Mount Calvary - Sin separates us from God. 

Our sin becomes like a mountain that divides us from God.  Our sin is why Jesus needs to go from Tabor to Calvary – to die to conquer the mountain of our Sin.  In the Psalm today the psalmist prays.  “The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the LORD of all the earth. The heavens proclaim his justice, and all peoples see his glory.”, and later on he prays “Because you, O LORD, are the Most High over all the earth, exalted far above all gods.” 

When we harden our hearts with sin they become like mountains of rock that block us from the love of God, and when we choose to sin we make ourselves god in place of God – and yet when we have the opportunity to experience the Transfiguration like Peter, James and John the presence of God melts the mountains of our sin and we recognize the reality of God.  This is an experience of humility.

Jesus comes with a healing touch to cure our sinfulness

In the depths of their sin it is Christ who reaches out and touches them.  It is a human, a physical interaction that Christ performs to draw Peter, James and John out of the terror of the moment so that they can resume the journey with Him.

We experience the touch of Christ here in this liturgy tonight – He touches our ears when His word is proclaimed in the Mass.  He touches our hearts when we receive Him in the Holy Eucharist.  He calls us to touch others as we go out into the world this week to live out this Gospel.  Take a moment during this Mass and allow Christ to touch you.

Mount Olivet

After Calvary, Christ is raised from the dead and then leads the Church to Olivet – the Mount of the Ascension.  It is at Mount Olivet that we learn that Christ takes our Humanity into the fullness of the Divinity.  This is expressed in the vision from Daniel in the first reading today.  Here comes the Son of Man on the clouds of heaven he received dominion, glory, and kingship.  All things enter under the providence of God – the Truth of who we are, our sin is subjugated and we enter into life with God for eternity – it is the ultimate goal that we are created for, and that we strive for.

Why am I Catholic

I am Catholic for many of the same reasons that I climb mountains –

• I desire a better perspective on life. 
• I have fallen in love with the beauty of divinity.
• I thrive on the Challenge to become a better man, a better person.
• I love to work to grow closer to God – In Prayer, in my actions, in my deeds.
• I am Catholic because I love the community – Like Peter, James and John I am not alone, but I have Brothers and Sisters who climb with me.
• I am Catholic because I realize in my encounter with God that He is wild, unruly, untamed.  There is a rawness to the reality of God that energizes and inspires me.  Like Peter I can say that God is reality and not simulation, and the encounters that I have had with God inspire me to become more connected to Him in His totality.

Divorce

Have you ever smacked your head into something real hard - so hard that it almost knocks you out, and you double over in pain and clutch your forehead in pain for a while until the stars stop shining in your brain?

Well, I have - think of it as an occupational hazard. It is the kind of experience that stops you in your tracks and makes you reconsider everything - like raising the doorway another 8 inches.

Divorce was that way for me, because six years ago I learned that I was getting a divorce - there was no option and no discussion.  Not only a divorce, but an ugly divorce that has divides my family to this day.

This means that the readings today hit home in a particularly hard way - and it is difficult for me to preach about such a sensitive topic.

Please let us take a moment and pray - pray that God will give me the grace to respond to His Spirit and to proclaim his word.

[[PAUSE]]

I know that I am not alone in this experience of Divorce.  I know that many people who gather here to worship God have also experienced divorce.  Probably half of us did not choose divorce, while others did. I can't speak of your situation, but I can speak from my experience.

The readings today smack us over the head like a solid brick door-jam because they run squarely against our current understanding of marriage and divorce in our society.

We live in a world that is confused about marriage.  And because of this confusion we have a hard time with these readings.  Let me explain.

Today we recognize marriage as "a public recognition of a couple who are in a relationship of committed love.

In ten years, our understanding will have changed to "A public recognition of a set of relationships between people who share a relationship of committed love" -  

But what is committed love?  What is the public recognition of that love?

For our society the recognition of the committed love is a marriage license from the state.  It costs you $30 and you can get married.

What is it's value?

Another way of asking this question - what is committed love?  What is love?  These two questions are where we struggle as society to answer.  Love is the desire / capacity to seek the good for another.  The degree to which we love is reflected by the degree to which we are willing to sacrifice and suffer for the other.

Commitment means

• An obligation that restricts freedom of action.
• A Quality of being dedicated to a cause.
• A Promise to do something

But is this true?

Not really - the state, while recognizing our marriages at the same time undermines that commitment.  There is nothing in state law, or in the bulk of our society to help a couple to persevere in their commitment.  The reality of our divorce law is that at any time either person can divorce the other - they can break the commitment and stop being married.

So what is the value of the marriage license?

How does this stack up against God's image for marriage?

Are we even close?

The first reading today is from the Book of Genesis.  God created man and realized - "It is not good for man to be alone!"  

In this God is recognizing that we are created for community.  That we are created for a relationship of love with the other.  This is why in the Church that the two sacraments of service - Marriage and Holy Orders are both oriented towards the other.  I live out my vocation for Marriage when I serve my spouse.  I live out my vocation for Holy Orders when I serve the Body of Christ.

So God, places Adam into a deep sleep, and takes from his essence and creates Eve.  God created Adam and Eve to be complementary to one another - to complete one another.  Adam is missing something that he finds in Eve and vice-versa.

God's vision for marriage is that we complete one another, that we seek to show one another true love - love that is willing to sacrifice for the other, to bring the other to a greater good.

This is the first place where the world is confused about marriage. For the world, marriage can be between any two persons - regardless of sex. Yet that is not God's plan.  For God marriage is meant to be between man and wife - because there is a unique way that they complete one another that works for their mutual benefit.

Science backs up this perspective.  Scientists have studied why humans have a unique pair-bonding pattern across the vast majorities of societies, cultures and times.  When we compare ourselves to the apes, this is not their pattern.  Apes do not pair bond, yet humans do.  Not only that but when a Man and a Woman are married their bodies begin to interact with one another at a neuro-chemical level.  Men and Women emit hormones which form the foundation upon which our emotional, physical and intellectual relationship is built.  Scientists have noticed that when a couple become intimate, and enter into this committed relationship their bodies adapt to one another.  In this way a husband is aware of his wife's fertility, and he develops a primal instinct to protect his family and children.

Build atop this neuro-chemical layer is a set of psychological behaviors that form the attachment system - a system that we all have that helps us to form long-lasting relationships with one another.

These systems in our bio-chemistry, psychology and culture serve to help us to enter into a lifelong and faithful relationship with one another.  This is what Christ is referring to when he says that the two become one flesh.

When you have become one flesh what happens when this relationship is severed?  What happens when your arm is severed, or your leg?  It is painful, destructive and life-altering.  You become crippled, maimed and incomplete.  The result is worse than where you started from - because each person in a divorce has lost something precious, something beautiful.

Fidelity - Trust - Faithfulness 
Because our bodies are communicating on a neuro-chemical level, hormonally, we can become aware of changes in the other.  The commitment side of marriage (from the worlds understanding) says that we have become a society of serial monogamists.  First Marriages end in divorce 50% of the time.  The statistics are worse for those couples who live together prior to marriage.  Second Marriages divorce 63% of the time and Third marriages end in divorce over 70% of the time.  This means that your best shot is your first shot, after that the odds are really stacked against us.

Fidelity - means that I will be faithful to my vows - I will continue to live out the promises that I made to God and to my spouse.  It means that our marriage is exclusive to us and no one else may interfere - not another man or woman, or in-law.  It means that in our lives the spouse comes first - before even ourselves.  It means that even when it gets difficult, my commitment to God, and to my Spouse is to see reconciliation, to forgive, to strive to love them as Christ loves me.

God's vision for marriage is that marriage is faithful. In this way we imitate the love of God when we choose to be exclusively in relationship with our spouse.

Commitment implies that we are no-longer open to certain kinds of relationships and interactions.  It means that we no longer dating others, that we have settled down and have chosen to give ourselves exclusively to our spouse.  This also means that we have chosen to give our spouse permission to be totally and completely themselves, so that they can work through their sin in their relationship to ourselves.

In marriage, it is my love for you that allows me to forgive you.  It is my love for you that causes me to endure your sinfulness, your selfishness, your wastefulness.  It is my love for you that leads me to examine my own behaviors, habits and actions and to change them so that your life can be better, and that you can grow holier.  This is what fidelity means.

The confusion of the secular world is that marriage is not a commitment - it is not exclusive, it is not complementary and other-focused.  It is self-focused.  I am here as long as I am happy, and as soon as you no longer make me happy, I will leave and find another.

Secular marriage is selfish, focuses on my own happiness, life-less (hence the view that children are a burden instead of a gift) and temporary.

Christian marriage is self-less, other-centered, open to life and permanent.

What is the greatest stumbling block to marriage?  What is the greatest cause of divorce?

The hardness of our hearts.

In the Gospel today the Pharisees put Christ to the test - they challenge him on a point of law - is divorce legal?  Moses said it was.  Christ's response is like hitting another brick wall - "That was because you are so thick-headed!"

Where in my relationship is my heart hardened?  

Perhaps there was a relationship where we did not reconcile and we have agreed to disagree - but we are both hurt by our actions.

This is where we fall back to the Christian foundations of marriage.

• Is my love for you changing me?  How I act, how I show you my love?
• Is my love for you leading me to recognize the ways that I have hurt you?  Is it leading me to ask for your forgiveness?
• Is my love for you allowing my ears to be open, to forgive when forgiveness is asked for?
• Is our relationship open to life?  Do we see children as a blessing from God and an invitation to share the intimacy of our love for one another with our family?

Is our relationship exclusive, and long lasting?  If I am here to stay, then why am I continuing to remain in a relationship without Christ at it's center?