Truth, Persecution and Persistence

Sometimes the Word of God will get you in trouble.

And that's not just something that happened to prophets in the Old Testament.

It can still happen today, even in 21st century America.

We, I think, by now have an experience over the last some years,

at least what I've been here for the last 18, paying attention to presidential elections,

changing of cabinets, how fluid the situation

can be and how once what sometimes it

seemed like impossible was actually possible and persecution of Christianity

that was very indirect and yet it was a reality or it can be or it is sometimes

for some or it will be and so if you speak up or try to be faithful in your own little world,

you may experience what the prophet Jeremiah is experiencing today when he's

being cast out from his own community.

So no one is likely to throw us into a physical dark pit for quoting the scriptures,

but the trouble comes in many other ways.

It comes when you speak or live out God's truth in a way that challenges the culture around you.

Just, you know, if you've done it i don't think it's prudent but you know maybe

we all have been tempted to go on a social media when we have social media and

comment on you know abortion issue marriage issue contraception issue,

and see what's going to happen just throw it out there to your friends who we

usually meet in church for example and see what happens you will know so much

more about your friends and your relationship with them.

When comes, things comes and people silent down when you walk into the room

because of what you just said.

You might be labeled political if you defend the dignity of the unborn or the sanctity of marriage.

You might be called intolerant. That's another good word, intolerant,

if you stand by what Jesus is teaching about sin and repentance.

How intolerant of Jesus. You might be dismissed as out of touch if you choose

prayer over convenience and honesty over gain or forgiveness over revenge.

You may find that those who are supposed to understand you simply don't understand you.

Sometimes it's not even public, sometimes it's cultural pressure in your own

family, at your workplace, or among friends.

You may risk being excluded from certain conversations, left out of social circles,

or quietly labored, too religious, even by your own children.

They may say, or they may say, why now?

By the way, conversion can take place any moment of our life.

And sometimes when conversion takes place, your own children don't recognize you.

But you may say to them, I'm sorry if I have failed you before,

but now I really want to take it seriously.

Because I had a God moment.

And you have a right to have a God moment anytime in your life.

We live in time that everything is transitory. If you propose something that

will last until the death, for example, marriage, people become uncomfortable sometimes.

You know it's such a different experience when you say to

yourself like man that one

year man that was something with her you know or

that was something with him and now I can just you know

go ahead and leave but it's very different

experience when you say well that was something and I'm

not going anywhere right that was difficult but

I have to stay because I've made a commitment to

this person like you're living out something that

oftentimes today's culture doesn't understand or

you become a catholic and you want to be real one you

will feel the pressure almost squeezing you

when you try to do something truly religious

but your friends you want to do something

else or your family members want to do something else that's a pressure you

look you risk being excluded it from certain conversations you know the feeling

when you walk in and people just quiet down or change the topic you know something

is up and it's not nothing comfortable.

So just try to speak openly about uncomfortable topics, marriage,

sanctity of life, contraception, or the need to worship on Sunday,

and not Saturday for convenience,

but actually on Sunday, and say to your friends, I'll come to your boat or to

the beach or to your house a little bit later, because I need to go to Mass

on Sunday morning to worship God, and then I can have time to spend with my family.

Otherwise, the family and the friends are your God.

They are your God. When you say that, there will be silence,

because especially when they choose to still go and not go to Mass.

The cost of it, of being a disciple, can be subtle but real.

Strained relationships, misunderstanding, missed opportunities,

or being painted as judgmental, simply for living out your faith with integrity.

And then you are judgmental.

Jeremiah knew that cost well when we can almost hear the ropes cracking as they

lower him down into the pit.

The prophet who once walked freely in the streets now stands knee-deep in filth,

cut off from everyone. Why?

Well, because he told the people what God told him to say.

I like Jeremiah because he's like

this the real guy he's another like a

a superhero figure right he he

breaks under the pressure of message he

refuses he complains to God you know I would

why didn't you just kill me you know why do

you call me to this and I like it because I think sometimes we all feel that

way when we take things seriously whether it is marriage whether is work whether

is vocation whatever it is if you take it seriously you will feel the weight.

But the good message the good news is that god

gives us sufficient grace sometimes we

don't remember it you know

it with Jeremiah it wasn't like that all the time he used to be the well-known

prophet walking around on the streets of Jerusalem but now when Jerusalem is

under siege his words are considered dangerous or even treasonous he's silenced

and hidden away and locked up,

just like you lock up a messenger but his message cannot be erased you remember john the baptist,

king Herod really wanted to quiet him down so he cut his head off but the message

continued it continued in the conscience of Herod and the people who could hear

it in the courtyard And when John was dead, but Jesus came back,

they still thought it was John because the message cannot be silence.

The truth is the truth. It will always resurface.

If you are trying to avoid it for years to come, you'll find yourself coming

into the church and that priest that never shuts up is going to hit you with it again.

That's why it's so imprudent to try to just kind of wait him out or wait the

prophet out or wait God out.

We can't do it. The truth is eternal.

And so we also have our moments

of being lowered into the pit and the darkness when we

feel the way the prophet can feel and yet we want to stay true to the mission

you know we pastors and priests feel like Jeremiah when we stand when we stand

before our people with the message that we know comes from God and the church's teaching,

and yet it is met not with gratitude, but with suspicion or resistance.

Of course, not at St. Anne's, right? That never happens.

But in everywhere else, right, that I've been, that happened.

That the message that is simply basic Catholic

was met with resistance and suspicion

and gossip behind my back or

somebody else's back you know one priest

once told me that he followed a

priest that had been really mistreated in a parish rejected by

the people and he followed him as a pastor and he came into the parish and the

people who were against that previous priest were still talking about him to

the priest and he said listen i know him and he said this i think that's an

important message he said what if he were your son,

this priest would you like this to happen to your son,

And then there was silence. When we read Jeremiah and other prophets,

and we know what's going on in the church when someone is trying to give you

the message, think, what if he were your son?

Would you like to see him lowered down into the pit just because he's a faithful prophet?

How would be the attitude of a real parent?

So we as pastors, sometimes when we preach about the sanctity of marriage,

the dignity of human life, the importance of worship on Sunday,

someone storms out of the Mass.

I've seen it in every single parish I've been to.

Manifestively storms out of the Mass. What attitude is that?

Is that love for the church and humility before God?

It happens when we explain why someone cannot serve as a godparent because they

are not living in full communion or their marriage is irregular and they're

not doing anything about it.

And they walk away angry, telling everybody in the diocese, he is judgmental, don't go there.

Is that the Christian response to a messenger that is trying to simply teach the truth?

It happens when we insist of reverence in church, not bringing food and drink.

Today there is a nice orange skin laying down in front of the entrance of the

church reminding that someone still thinks that this is a place to feed.

This is the place to have snacks. This is the place where we just,

you know, like a mini cafeteria.

It isn't. And I've tried and I've asked so many times, this is our place of worship.

We don't bring food, snacks into this place. We have the big narthex if someone really must.

And I've asked so many times, children, teenagers, and you parents,

do not let your children leave in the middle of Mass.

There is no intermission at Mass.

I say the homily, and as soon as I'm walking back, I see kids standing up, going to the bathroom.

There is no intermission. Go to the bathroom before Mass. Go to the bathroom after Mass.

Don't go when we are consecrating the Eucharist. I see people walking out.

What is the comment about the priest when he insists at home or other conversations?

What do we get for simply trying to make the obvious obvious?

Think if he were your son. What would you say?

What would you do? It's a very difficult role sometimes, you know,

to remind us of the basics.

But when we insist to dress properly at Mass, to dress modestly,

to keep silence, and some roll their eyes if we are being unreasonable or ridiculous.

Yes, because that's all I want, right? That's why I became a priest,

so someone can think like, he is just ridiculous.

You know, that's why I spend my mornings trying to pray. And that's what I really

want, that target on my bag, because that's what I want to tell my family.

It's like, how are things going? Well, I am being ridiculous.

You know, I'm wasting my life. I'm wasting my time. I'm wasting my youth.

Like, I should just not do it.

No, I think we're being reasonable and not ridiculous.

I think we are trying to remind just like in every time and day that there is

a space where we use for worship and it's sacred to us and it's beautiful and

it's holy and it's different than the rest of the world and I want it to be that way.

It happens when we speak about the moral evil of contraception and call people

to trust in God's plan for life and they shade their heads as though such teachings

belong to another century or Middle Ages.

It happens when we urge people to honor the Lord's Day, as I mentioned,

and yes, when we ask people to remain in prayer after communion.

Instead of rushing out to be the first one in the parking lot, off we go.

You know that saints say that when you receive communion and you go to the pew,

that's actually the most important moment of your prayer because you have just received Jesus.

And if there was ever a moment when you were closer to him, this is the moment.

And you should now pray as a father, as a mother, as a child, Lord, I am with you now.

Sanctify my family.

Sanctify my children think about all

these things that are important to you all your week long

the stresses that you have the frustrations the fear

the anxiety all of it can

be melted by Jesus but if you just take

off I want you to notice something there

is a new statue about that big we brought it from Poland

when we went with the youth last month I brought

it because in that region where we went hiking in the

mountains they are famous for making that statue of Jesus

it's called Jesus frasobliwy which means Jesus concerned or crying he's really

crying over Jerusalem now i brought him to St Anne's and I'm thinking why why

would he be crying right at St Anne's everything is just fine, right?

Everything is perfect. So I have no place for Jesus crying over anybody here.

So I decided to put him out there for the people who leave the mass before the blessing.

So when they go, they should turn to the right and see how Jesus is looking

at them because they left without blessing, without spending a time with the King of Kings.

So when you see today, when you go, it's small, right behind the door,

when you open to the right, a statue of Jesus weeping over Jerusalem.

It's a reminder that when we come here, we're supposed to at least have the

respect for the Mass and be from the beginning till the end,

the way it's supposed to be.

The way it's supposed to be. The way we want to pass on to our children.

The way we want to show to whoever is the visitor from other religions that

what happens here is real.

That I'm not just a weirdo who is wearing these clothes, but actually we worship

someone who is real. And he is God, not a guy, not a friendly Jesus.

From a cartoon, but God Almighty.

When we are convinced, they will be convinced.

And unfortunately, unfortunately, it's a lot about symbolism,

our behavior, our clothing, everything speaks of our faith.

That's how it is because we are material beings in the world.

I wish it were easier, but it isn't. That's why we make effort.

That's why we want to show the truth.

And so in those moments, when every parish that I've been to,

when there was a harder message, I could see the attitude of some people changing towards me.

I would walk and they would walk on the other side. Do you think that's a nice feeling?

When you are in a different country, young priest,

when you hear the gossip that is being said about you do you think that's a

nice feeling just because you wanted to preach.

So the darkness of Jeremiah's pit helps us feel the weight of Jesus words now

we accept the role right nobody's sugar coating it or some priests say like

you know it's so sweet and cute I don't believe it.

When I read the gospel, I see that Jesus suffers a lot.

So I agree to this. We carry a load. We carry a message. And yes,

there will be rejection.

They'll be pointing fingers. And there'll be sometimes horrible gossip that

has nothing to do with the truth.

So we have to learn how to develop thick skin if we want to be effective.

You know that because you have to do it too at work and many times.

But when Jesus comes and he says that I came to set the Word on fire.

That means I will bring the vision because truth always forces a choice.

Truth is like the two-edged sword. And if the sword is coming down,

you have to stand either on the left or on the right. Otherwise,

it will cut you in the half.

So yes, truth is uncomfortable.

And so we must ask ourselves, have we ever really felt the cost of following Christ?

Have we ever been misunderstood, excluded, or mocked because we stood for him?

And if not, if you have been so safe in your faith that you've never felt the

cost, it's still not too late to be a witness of Jesus.

I'm not telling you now to go out and shout to anyone, but think about it.

Think if you feel alive, because I can tell you one thing. As uncomfortable

and sad all those moments have been in my priesthood,

when I felt rejected and pointed at as some sort of a weirdo or judgmental or

unjust or whatever the names were,

it feels uncomfortable and it feels sad and it can be overwhelming.

But I can open the gospel and say, I understand what Jesus felt in this moment.

I understand what Jesus felt in that moment. And it makes you feel alive.

It makes you feel that you are actually in the right place.

I want you to feel alive. I want you to feel like you're in the right place

when it comes to your faith.

But you have to stand up for something. If you don't stand up for something,

you will never feel alive in your faith.

And so, you may have your own places of captivity, as I have my own.

For some of you, it may be your battle with depression or anxiety.

Or lack of forgiveness towards something. For some of you, it may be refusing

to drown it into alcohol or other pleasures or drugs or pills.

You're refusing it, you're pushing through. For others, it is the slow,

quiet persistence of raising your children in the faith even when it's very difficult.

For others it's the slow and quiet persistence

in helping your grandchildren for military

members sometimes who uphold moral convictions

in high pressure environments that's your place

of captivity for young people who are

preparing for marriage in christian way embracing chastity

in the world that dismisses or ridicules it that's

their pit of darkness when they

are questioning constantly should we do it because we look so weird and one

time someone will tell them a priest or someone yes do it because you'll be

able to build friendship that your friends will never be able to build because

all they do is cover up issues with pleasure.

And for many it's the long dry seasons in prayer when God seems silent that's your,

place of captivity now I

have come to understand and realize and I don't hide

it from seminarians or other priests that those

are real dark places if

someone asked me if how is priesthood priesthood is beautiful but it's gonna

lead you through dark places but Jesus says even if you walk through the valley

of the shadow of death I am there with you and I know in marriage of course

when you enter marriage what do you think,

not about darkness and yet you may experience dark places there too in relationships,

with children with spouses with family members with co-workers.

And so when you are in those dark places god

is with you Jeremiah is not left in

the darkness he's lifted up god

is proving that his servants are never truly abandoned

and neither are we the same God who sustained Jeremiah will sustain you in your

place of testing and then you will look back and smile in silent prayer just

between you and God because that will be your intimate moment with him and you will say to yourself,

God is faithful.

He was there with me. I was worried. I was sad.

I was close to crying. I thought there was never going to end.

This will never be resolved. And it has been resolved.

And that's why when we come to the altar, we are truly rescued.

The Lord himself comes to those still standing in some darkness,

whatever the darkness is for you. He doesn't stay at a distance.

He descends into your struggle, just like he was lowered into the dark pit the

night before the Passion on Holy Thursday.

He takes on your weaknesses and unites it to his own cross, and that's how you become strong.

And then he rises victorious, not for himself, but for us.

And so in the Eucharist, we receive the one who endured his own baptism or suffering,

and who now offers us the fire that burns away fear and purifies love and strengthens perseverance.

So bring your struggle, your darkness, and your light to the altar today and every Sunday.

Bring the place where you feel stuck, misunderstood, or alone and trust that

the same Lord who drew Jeremiah out and who conquered the grave will lift you up.