Why Jesus? Why Christianity? Part 1: His sincerity

A lot of people are searching for answers and purpose amid a world that is confused, harsh and unforgiving.  Over the centuries, so many people have come to Jesus for consolation and meaning.  Have you ever wondered why?  Perhaps you're also searching for answers because your life is unfulfilled?  This is the first in a series of articles on why Jesus is so special and what joys he can bring to your life.

Jesus was so sincere and authentic

That grudge is killing you

Grudges are a strange thing.  It goes by many names:  bitterness, vendetta, rancour, resentment.  But it all boils down to the same thing.

We don't always seek them intentionally.  Sometimes they just "happen", sort of a defense mechanism after someone has hurt us badly.

What most people don't realize, however, is that the grudge you are holding is damaging you, not the person that hurt you.  The anger and resentment eats away at you and doesn't let you have peace or move on.

Letting go of that resentment is not a sign of weakness.  It doesn't expose

You have the power

The First Reading from today's Mass is from 2 Tim 1:1-8.  Here's a poignant passage:

For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.  Do not be ashamed, then, of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God.

Don't underestimate the magnitude of what God can accomplish through you.  

Always remember the infinite power of the One who "has your back" and who will carry you through every trial and challenge.  The God who made the billions of galaxies can certainly grant you success in your undertakings for His Church.

The power of the Holy Spirit has been given to you.  It's there for the taking.  Will you claim it?  If you were given a cheque worth one billion dollars, would you cash it?  Or would you stick it in a drawer?

Rise up and claim what is yours!  Do something bold.  Get creative.  Take a risk.  Try something new.  God is with you.  Do not be afraid.  Do not be bashful in what you ask of God.  If you ask for little, you will get little.  

Stop complaining about the problems you see and start fixing them in whatever way you can.  

Make something happen.

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Good show by our national junior hockey team

Last night, Canada's junior hockey team played it's heart out and lost the gold medal match to the Americans in overtime. It was a great game and much more entertaining than many NHL games. Our juniors have nothing to be ashamed about. They made us proud.

You did a great job guys. I know you must feel very disappointed right now, but there are worse things in life than winning a silver medal. It's good to keep everything in perspective. We'll get 'em next year ;-)

Are you ready for retirement?

There's an interesting parable that many people find difficult to understand.  I was fortunate to have a priest explain it to me.  It's often called the parable of the dishonest manager or crafty steward (Luke 16:1-8).  Let's read it:

Then Jesus said to the disciples, ‘There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was squandering his property. So he summoned him and said to him, “What is this that I hear about you? Give me an account of your management, because you cannot be my manager any longer.”

Then the manager said to himself, “What will I do, now that my master is taking the position away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do so that, when I am dismissed as manager, people may welcome me into their homes.” So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he asked the first, “How much do you owe my master?” He answered, “A hundred jugs of olive oil.” He said to him, “Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it fifty.” Then he asked another, “And how much do you owe?” He replied, “A hundred containers of wheat.” He said to him, “Take your bill and make it eighty.”

And his master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into the eternal homes.

On the surface, the story isn't too hard to understand: The manager wants to make friends and build "connections" so that he can receive favours in return

The truth about priests

Here is an excellent article published on MacLean's web site. I found it very balanced and down to earth. It talks about the horrible sexual abuses committed by too many priests over the years. It offers a very compassionate discussion of the immense suffering that the victims have undergone. It sympathizes with the contempt that good priests now have to face because of the sins of their brothers. But the article points to a truth that is too often overlooked and that needs to be repeated:

But at the risk of downplaying decades of unspeakable abuse—or forgiving a Church hierarchy that moved heaven and earth to suppress scandal and protect criminal clergy—an obvious point is often ignored: the vast, vast majority of Catholic priests are not sexual predators. In fact, the scientific research suggests that men who target children are no more pervasive in the priesthood (and perhaps less pervasive) than in any other segment of society. Depending on the study, somewhere between two and four per cent of priests have had sexual contact with a minor. Or, to put it another way, between 96 and 98 per cent have not.

“It’s part of that myth—the myth of the pedophile priest who can’t help himself,” says Thomas Plante, a psychology professor at Santa Clara University who has published dozens of studies about sexually abusive priests. “It’s really an issue of perception rather than reality. Believe it or not, probably the safest place for a kid to be is in a Catholic church environment.”

My only reservation with this article is that it tends to use the term "pedophile" to describe these priests who abuse children. Later they say that a more accurate term would be "ephebophiles,": which means "people

You are so precious

In today's Gospel, we hear a familiar story about the curing of a blind man (Luke 18:35-43)

As he approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard a crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, ‘Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.’ Then he shouted, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Those who were in front sternly ordered him to be quiet; but he shouted even more loudly, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’ 

Jesus stood still and ordered the man to be brought to him; and when he came near, he asked him, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ He said, ‘Lord, let me see again.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Receive your sight; your faith has saved you.’ Immediately he regained his sight and followed him, glorifying God; and all the people, when they saw it, praised God.

Rather than focus on the persevering faith of the blind man or on the power of Jesus in performing the cure, I would like to highlight another feature of this passage.  Notice how the people who were traveling with Jesus felt disturbed by the cries of the blind man. They essentially told him to shut up. They were annoyed and bothered by his presence. He was a nuisance to them. Yet Jesus doesn't consider him to be an annoyance. He's very precious in Jesus' eyes.  

The same is true for us. Too often, we experience rejection or a sense of inadequacy when dealing with other