Love God. Live the Eucharist.

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February 26, 2022: Got to / Get to

The nominations of the academy awards have been announced. I enjoy movies, so I try to see many of the movies nominated. My predication for this year’s BEST ACTOR will go to Will Smith. He plays the father of tennis greats Venus and Serena Williams in the movie KING RICHARD.

 

[Bring out a tennis rackets and tennis balls] Now, I used to play a lot of tennis back in the day. I don’t play anymore. [Hit tennis balls out into the congregation as I talk] I wasn’t great, but wasn’t bad either. One thing I did realize is that my level of skill changed by whomever I played against. With a mediocre opponent, I played mediocre. But when I played a good opponent, I played better. It was so interesting.

 

Some of you do the same thing . . . like when you play cards or chess. With playing with a smart player, you play smarter.

 

Spiritual writer Fr. Richard Rohr describes a Christian as someone who is contagious!  That means, they not only love and follow Jesus, but they inspire others to do the same. It’s like (as he goes on to say) When we meet a person of a certain quality of maturity, we too can become more mature. We meet a patient person and often learn how to be more patient. We meet a loving person and we learn how to be loving. That’s the way human beings operate. When we meet a really grounded, happy, and free person, we become more like that because we’ll be satisfied with nothing less. This whole thing, our faith, spreads through and by the quality of our relationships.

 

I like that. We have the ability to bring out the best from others. I suppose that opposite is also true . . . that a negative attitude is also contagious. Think of how when you are with a grumpy person, or someone who complains a lot, you start to also complain or become more grumpy.

 

It’s weird though sometimes we don’t see it in ourselves, as Jesus explained in the gospel. We see a defect in someone (which is like a splinter in the other’s vision) and don’t recognize a defect (or own it) in our selves (which could be huge like Jesus’ image of a log being in our vision).

 

But still we have the ability, and the power, to inspire others to become who they are meant to become. St. Irenaeus says, “The glory of God is a person fully alive.” Meaning if you want to witness God’s glory, be the good person you were created to be. Become better. And realize when you are not at your best.

 

Maybe it means that you need to start hanging out with good people, instead of those complainers or negative people.   Or maybe it means you need to “step up your game” so you are the good person someone else wants to hang out with.

 

It’s as simple as improving your language or you way to viewing life. For example, think of how many times you say. I’ve got to, [Show poster of I GOT TO] . . . I got to go to work, I got to go to school. I got to visit the relatives. I got to go to church.   It’s like all things become a chore, a burden. And that language might be contagious. [Big sigh] I GOT to.

 

But doesn’t life as a Christian mean, that we are victorious over the dread, the dull-drum, the death . . . as Paul talks about the second reading? He writes, “God gives us a victory through Jesus Christ.” Or to use tennis terminology, I’d say it’s a Grand Slam victory.  

 

[Change the “O” in the poster to “E”] What if you start saying, “I get to?”   I GET to go to work. I GET to go to school. I GET to visit the relatives. I GET to go to church. What a difference that slight change can make for you and for those around you.

 

An example of that is how one views the upcoming building of a new church. For we all can think of reasons to be grumpy about “change,” hesitant about pledging, negative about this whole process.   OR . . . we can take the splinter out of our eyes and open them up and see, as Jesus mentions in the gospel that a good, vibrant tree produces good fruit. And we as a community are invited to produce good fruit. That is, to IGNITE God’s message of joy and excitement of being a Catholic, to RESPOND to the expected growth in this area, to GROW our resources to begin construction.  

 

Then you have an opportunity to be contagious,

to witness our Parish becoming FULLY ALIVE

and to help build a legacy for the future.   Stay after Mas today . . . and find out more.

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