Oct 12,2008: 28th Sunday Ordinary (A)
Gratitude is thankfulness for favors or gifts received. We experience gratitude when (1) we receive something that we wanted or needed, (2) we realize how much it cost the person to give us the gift, (3) we know that person had our best interest in mind when giving the gift, and (4) the gift was given freely without strings attached. It's very refreshing to see someone grateful. It's perhaps because we experience more ingratitude than gratitude. Parents of little children drill them to say 'thank you,' whenever someone gives their child a candy. 'What do you say Johnny?' When there is a long silence from Johnny, parents say, 'I'm sorry, Johnny is shy.'
This past weekend, I spent some time with high school seniors at a retreat. At one point of the evening after a presentation about relationships, the seniors were given some silent time. The room was darkened, and candles were lit. The seniors were given time to think about the various relationships in their own life. They were given chance to think about persons they wronged so to ask for forgiveness, to think about change in the direction of their own life, to pray for someone who needed God's help. It was in these moments that they were given letters from their parents. Once they had chance to read the letters, all of the seniors were in tears. I saw a faculty member going around the building handing out Kleenex. When the seniors read how their parents were proud of their accomplishments, they experienced gratitude. They were grateful to their parents for making sacrifices freely with their best interest in mind. Many parents here probably wished that their kids go to this retreat every month so that their kids can show some appreciation more often. It's a mystery how quickly we take for granted all the sacrifices and gifts that others make for us.
The question of whether we are grateful for what we have received is put to us today in our Gospel. And it centers squarely on mass. Are we grateful for mass? Are there reasons to appreciate what's being done at mass? Our Gospel shows mass as a wedding banquet that a father throws for his son. It's a rich feast, and invitations are sent but many reject it and some who come are poorly prepared. Sometimes our attitude can be like the following: "I used to go to Mass regularly, but I did not get anything out of it, so I finally gave up. I think I live a good life: I pray when I like it, but if I go to a beautiful lake, meadow or forest or even if I look at the sky, I feel closer to God than being at mass. The ritual is always the same and I have to endure a mediocre or bad sermon. Why should I waste my time with all this? I can read the Bible at home and get more out of it than listening to the parish priest."
This is what I call the shopper's attitude. When we go shopping, we want the best buy for the money. As shoppers, we are in control in picking what we like and dislike. What would happen if our children had this attitude at home? I don't like what you're putting on the dinner table. I don't like the school you're putting me through. I don't appreciate all your nagging about how I should be dressed, how long I stay on computer, and whom I befriend. Soon you would have a very upset parent over very ungrateful child. I've done my share of church shopping. When I was still in my Protestant-days in college, I went to a Pentecostal church for their cool music, evangelical church for exciting young-adult ministry, and another church for dynamic preaching. But once you begin to shop, it never ends. There is always a church that outdoes the other in some novelty.
At the heart of the mass, taking away the music, the artwork, and this building, is a loving God the Father who willingly lets his Son offer himself as a sacrifice for us. Jesus does this freely with our best interest in mind. As we eat his body and drink his blood, we experience healing, comfort, freedom, and courage to face another week of challenges. We heard this many times. But why did our seniors at the high school retreat all of sudden realize how much their parents sacrificed for them when they received their letters? Mass is like that letter, opened and read week after week, to remind us to be grateful for what God has done.
Are there things that you would like for St. Aloysius to improve upon? This is where Our Lord calls you to be his fellow co-workers in the vineyard. Our Lord said, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few." There are laborers around us whom God is calling. They just need to be asked. If there are persons you know whose gifts will be invaluable to St. Aloysius, I encourage you to fill out the yellow 'Look Around You' card and drop it in the collection basket. I also encourage all of you to take home and read the Catholic Update on "Lay Ministry" available at all the entrance doors.
This past weekend, I spent some time with high school seniors at a retreat. At one point of the evening after a presentation about relationships, the seniors were given some silent time. The room was darkened, and candles were lit. The seniors were given time to think about the various relationships in their own life. They were given chance to think about persons they wronged so to ask for forgiveness, to think about change in the direction of their own life, to pray for someone who needed God's help. It was in these moments that they were given letters from their parents. Once they had chance to read the letters, all of the seniors were in tears. I saw a faculty member going around the building handing out Kleenex. When the seniors read how their parents were proud of their accomplishments, they experienced gratitude. They were grateful to their parents for making sacrifices freely with their best interest in mind. Many parents here probably wished that their kids go to this retreat every month so that their kids can show some appreciation more often. It's a mystery how quickly we take for granted all the sacrifices and gifts that others make for us.
The question of whether we are grateful for what we have received is put to us today in our Gospel. And it centers squarely on mass. Are we grateful for mass? Are there reasons to appreciate what's being done at mass? Our Gospel shows mass as a wedding banquet that a father throws for his son. It's a rich feast, and invitations are sent but many reject it and some who come are poorly prepared. Sometimes our attitude can be like the following: "I used to go to Mass regularly, but I did not get anything out of it, so I finally gave up. I think I live a good life: I pray when I like it, but if I go to a beautiful lake, meadow or forest or even if I look at the sky, I feel closer to God than being at mass. The ritual is always the same and I have to endure a mediocre or bad sermon. Why should I waste my time with all this? I can read the Bible at home and get more out of it than listening to the parish priest."
This is what I call the shopper's attitude. When we go shopping, we want the best buy for the money. As shoppers, we are in control in picking what we like and dislike. What would happen if our children had this attitude at home? I don't like what you're putting on the dinner table. I don't like the school you're putting me through. I don't appreciate all your nagging about how I should be dressed, how long I stay on computer, and whom I befriend. Soon you would have a very upset parent over very ungrateful child. I've done my share of church shopping. When I was still in my Protestant-days in college, I went to a Pentecostal church for their cool music, evangelical church for exciting young-adult ministry, and another church for dynamic preaching. But once you begin to shop, it never ends. There is always a church that outdoes the other in some novelty.
At the heart of the mass, taking away the music, the artwork, and this building, is a loving God the Father who willingly lets his Son offer himself as a sacrifice for us. Jesus does this freely with our best interest in mind. As we eat his body and drink his blood, we experience healing, comfort, freedom, and courage to face another week of challenges. We heard this many times. But why did our seniors at the high school retreat all of sudden realize how much their parents sacrificed for them when they received their letters? Mass is like that letter, opened and read week after week, to remind us to be grateful for what God has done.
Are there things that you would like for St. Aloysius to improve upon? This is where Our Lord calls you to be his fellow co-workers in the vineyard. Our Lord said, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few." There are laborers around us whom God is calling. They just need to be asked. If there are persons you know whose gifts will be invaluable to St. Aloysius, I encourage you to fill out the yellow 'Look Around You' card and drop it in the collection basket. I also encourage all of you to take home and read the Catholic Update on "Lay Ministry" available at all the entrance doors.
