The Answer in the Bookends of November

When I lived in the Northeast, I often connected November with a significant change of seasons.  The leaves dropped from the trees and the daytime skies became increasingly gray.  The days, or at least the length of daylight, got shorter and shorter.

In November, the liturgical year winds down.  The month begins with our honoring all the Saints in heaven, the canonized and those whose presence with God is known by him alone.  We also pray for the souls in purgatory who are on the path to eternal life.  

As I looked at the November Church calendar, I was struck by the two things that serve as its bookends. The first deals with what can be perceived as the uncertainty of death.  Reflecting on the fate of our deceased loved ones makes us ponder our own mortality.  What happens when we die?  Is there really eternal life?  If that is my fate, who else will be there?   

These are not uncommon nor insignificant, questions.  Most human beings, if not all, have asked these questions at some point.  These questions really plague every person who ever lived and will plague every person who will live in the future.  In fact, all major religions attempt to answer these questions,

Christianity has its answer in the person of Jesus Christ. He is my second bookend of November.  The last week of November begins this year on November 23rd, which will be the last Sunday of the current liturgical year.  It is the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe.  The uncertainty of early November finds its response in late November. The fears of our mortality and its apparent finality find solace in the great victory of our King. Death does not get the final answer. Our God loved us so much that he sent his only son to us for the primary purpose of defeating sin and death.  There is nothing that can separate us from that reality; that second bookend of November.

And so as each of us deals with death; the death of a loved one and one day our own death, we have nothing to fear.  I recall the death of my own mother at the age of fifty-seven.  As I stood in the funeral home and family and friends came through with words of sympathy that fell short of responding to the uncertainty of death and the feeling of loss, I knew the answer would only be found in my faith.  This faith was not in some wishful thinking that everything would be okay.  It was and is faith in a reality that the victory belongs to Jesus Christ and to those who believe in him.

For so many, the November of life pauses at the uncertainty of the early part of the month.  For some, they never get beyond it.  For those who live the gift of faith, the end of November, with the victory of the King and the promise of a coming new liturgical year, are real reasons to give thanks on Thanksgiving Day.  We have reason for our hope.

- The Servant

 

30^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Luke 18: 9-14

 

Several years ago in the middle of Lent I received a call from someone I know.   He asked with some concern, “Hey, Friday is St. Patrick’s Day.  Do we get a dispensation from abstaining from meat so we can eat corned beef?”  I told him that thus far the bishop hadn’t granted such a dispensation.  We chatted briefly and the conversation ended.  As I hung up the phone, I shook my head and muttered to my wife, “He never even goes to Mass, but he’s worried about eating meat on St. Patrick’s Day.”

 

As soon as I uttered those words I knew that I had become the Pharisee in today’s gospel.  I had sinned.  I had the audacity to think that I was better than him.  I totally failed to respect the fact that his concern was an expression of his faith.  His concern about abstinence was his way of showing respect to God.  The fact that I attend Mass regularly didn’t make my expressions of faith superior. It didn’t make God love me more than him.

 

On one level today’s gospel is clear on its face:  Don’t be arrogant, conceited or self-righteous like the Pharisee; be humble like the tax collector.  There’s a deeper level, though.  Think about what the Pharisee said – he wasn’t greedy, dishonest or adulterous.  That’s good, right?  He fasted twice a week.  That’s a good thing.  He paid a tithe on his whole income.  Well, that’s good, too, right?  And, what’s more, he started his prayer by thanking God for making him the person he is.  A prayer of thanks to God?  You can’t do better than that.  So, what’s the problem?  Well, the problem arose when he said, in so many words, “At least I am not like this tax collector.”  At that point he made it all about himself – not God, or God’s commandment to love one another.

 

On the other hand, the tax collector totally and unconditionally placed himself in God’s hands.

 

Whenever we do or say anything that separates us from another, we push God away.  The first reading today (Sirach 35:12-14, 16-18) begins with the line, “The Lord is a God of justice, who knows no favorites.”  God doesn’t love the Pharisee any less than He loves the tax collector.  When you come down to it, as soon as we focus on the Pharisee’s self-absorption and rudeness (to the tax collector) and say something like, “What an arrogant fool!” we’re doing exactly what the Pharisee did.  We’re judging and we’re taking our focus away from God.  As much as it is a good thing for us to want to change ourselves and become better people, it is impossible to do that without God’s help.    Only through God are we truly transformed.  Only in God are we truly justified.

 

 

“Call Me Ishmael”

Power in Prayer

 

In this week’s Gospel, Luke 18:1–8, we are taught that prayer and persistence are the keys to a faithful relationship with the Lord. It begins with a parable where Jesus tells His disciples how important it is to pray—and to continue praying—even when it feels like our prayers aren’t being answered.

In the story, a woman repeatedly asks a judge to help her gain justice against her enemies. For a while, the judge refuses. But eventually, he gives in—not because he is righteous, but because of the woman’s persistence. The judge wasn’t a believer in God; in fact, he was nothing like Jesus. Yet even he granted the woman justice.

This parable reminds us that praying isn’t enough on its own. Yes, prayer is part of our faith, but we are called to go deeper—to pray with persistence. We can pray in good times and in bad. We can pray when everything is going our way just as much as when life feels heavy.

I’m no stranger to hard times, and I’m sure I’m not alone. Isn’t it amazing that we’ve made it through every single one of our challenges? Maybe with a few bumps along the way, but our faith remains. It remains because, just like in the parable, we know that justice is coming.

As believers, we are called to pray with complete confidence in the Lord. He hears our requests. He knows who we are and what’s in our hearts. If a non-believing judge can grant justice, imagine what our loving Lord will do for us.

This week, we are reminded that there is extraordinary power in our prayers. We know that what the Lord wills will always come to pass—and the Lord always wants what’s best for us. So let’s continue to pray—not from a place of desperation, but from a place of faith, knowing that we have already received the greatest gift of all: salvation through our Lord.

 

Praising God from Below (a simple psalm to the one God of many names)

Sunday Gospel reflection – 10-5-25

Luke 17: 5-10

O’ Lord, You are the apex of all that is correct, holy and equitable – the unifying force of humanity.

We praise You!

Lord, You are the “amabillda” (most compassionate one) who fills the world with tender kindness.

We glorify You!

O’ Hashem, You are the “simcha” (complete joy) who brings longing hope to the desperate flock.

We magnify You!

O’ Nirankari, You are the crown jewel of “shishtata” (decency) who expels all darkness and depravity.

We extol You!

O’ Allah, You are the magnificent “tasa-mu-hoon” who teaches us the need to embrace all others.

We appreciate You!

O’ Divine mother & father, incite in us a great sense of “postovanje” (respect) for all others and in this world.

We venerate You!

O’ Adonai, Your character is flawless for You remain the celestial “stah-kah” (charitable one) we long for relentlessly.

We bless You!

Tender “Il-li-hoon” (God), You are the Way and easy pathway who leads Your children to shared fellowship.

We adore You!

Yahweh, You are Jehovah Jireh (divine provider) who furnishes food for the hungry and living water for the thirsty.

We laud You!

O’ divine “matta-pita” (parent), You shelter us from harm like a hen who gathers her chicks under her wings.

We honor You!

Impeccable “moor-she-done,” You mentor us in the ways of love and justice that man cannot offer.

We worship You!

Host of divine hospitality, thank you for inviting us into the banquet and saving a place for us at the table of plenty.

All thanks to the Divine Host! – Amen                                                                

                                                                                          The Pilgrim