First Reading (Deuteronomy 4: 32-34, 39-40)
Moses said to the people: "Ask now of the days of old, before your time, ever since God created man upon the earth; ask from one end of the sky to the other: Did anything so great ever happen before? Was it ever heard of? Did a people ever hear the voice of God speaking from the midst of fire, as you did, and live? Or did any god venture to go and take a nation for himself from the midst of another nation, by testings, by signs and wonders, by war, with strong hand and outstretched arm, and by great terrors, all of which the LORD, your God, did for you in Egypt before your very eyes? This is why you must now know, and fix in your heart, that the LORD is God in the heavens above and on earth below, and that there is no other. You must keep his statutes and commandments that I enjoin on you today, that you and your children after you may prosper, and that you may have long life on the land which the LORD, your God, is giving you forever."
Responsorial Psalm (Psalm 33: 4-6, 9, 18-20, 22)
Refrain: Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
1) Upright is the word of the LORD; and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right; of the kindness of the Lord the earth is full. (Refrain)
2) By the word of the Lord the heavens were made; by the breath of his mouth all their hoste,
For he spoke, and it was made; he commanded, and it stood forth. (Refrain)
3) See, the eyes of the Lord are upon those who fear him, upon those who hope for his kindness.
To deliver them from death; and preserve them in spite of famine. (Refrain)
4) Our soul waits for the Lord, who is our help and our shield.
May your kindness, O Lord, be upon us who have put our hope in you. (Refrain)
Second Reading (Romans 8: 14-17)
Brothers and sisters: For those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a Spirit of adoption, through whom we cry, "Abba, Father!" The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him
The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. When they all saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted. Then Jesus approached and said to them, "All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age."
(Copyright 1970, 1986, 1992, 1998, 2001 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc. Washington D.C. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
Copyright 1970, 1997, 1998 Contraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc. Washington, D.C. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
The English translation of some Psalm responses, some Alleluia and Gospel verses and the Lenten Gospel Acclamations, some Summaries, and the Titles and Conclusion of the Readings, from the Lectionary for Mass copyright 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc., Washington D.C. All rights reserved.
The poetic English translation of the sequences of the Roman Missal are taken from the Roman Missal approved by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops of the United States, copyright 1964 by the National Catholic Welfare Conference, Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission of ICEL.)
- Timely Homilies, by William J. Bausch, pp. 45-51. Twenty-third Publications, Mystic, CT. 06355: 1990.
- Days of the Lord, Volume 7, pp. 5-7, 17-27. The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, MN., 1993.
- The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 2, by William Barclay, pp. 377-378. Westminster Press, Philadelphia, PA. 1975.
- The Cultural World of Jesus, by John J. Pilch, pp. 91-93. The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, MN. 1996.
- The Word Encountered, by John F. Kavanaugh, pp. 72-75. Orbis Books, Maryknoll, NY 1996.
- Catechism: #232-248.
- No one has ever seen God. The only Son, God, who is at the Father's side, has revealed him. (Jn 1:18)
- "Amen, amen, I say to you, a son cannot do anything on his own, but only what he sees his father doing; for what he does, his son will do also. (Jn 5:19)
- "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father." (Jn 14:9)
- For example, we all know that our catechism tells us that we are made in the image and likeness of God. And we have all heard the phrase "spittin' image". Perhaps, like me, you might have wondered where the phrase came from and what it means. Well, according to Joel Chandler Harris, the author of the Uncle Remus stories, American slaves used to have a saying "He's the spirit and image of his daddy". However, what it sounded like was: "'e's the spi'it 'n' image of 'is daddy." Hence, the phrase "spittin' image" that we hear to this day.
As we celebrate Father's Day today, I would like to share with you the following story about the effect that one father had on his family.
- This particular family had three small children who were determined to have their own little puppy dog. Mom protested because she knew that somehow or other, she would end up caring for the pup. The children solemnly promised that they would take care of it. Finally she relented and they brought their little puppy home. They named him Danny and cared for him diligently - at first. But, sure enough, as time passed, Mom found herself becoming more and more responsible for taking care of the dog. Finally, she decided that the children were not living up to their promise so she began to search for a new home for Danny. When she found one and broke the news to the children, she was quite surprised that they had almost no reaction at all. One of them even said rather matter-of-factly, "We'll miss him."
"I'm sure we will," Mom answered, "but he is too much work for one person and since I'm the one that has to do all the work, I say he goes."
"But," protested another child, "if he wouldn't eat so much and wouldn't be so messy, could we keep him?"
Mom held her ground, "It's time to take Danny to his new home."
Suddenly, with one voice and with tears in their eyes, the children exclaimed, "Danny? We thought you said Daddy!"
Well, okay, perhaps being too much work for one person, eating too much and being too messy around the house are not qualities of the ideal father. But I'm sure there are none of us who would deny the effects that our parents, including our fathers, have had on each of us, for better or for worse. And I think it is fitting that this year, Father's Day falls on our celebration of Trinity Sunday since Christ often spoke of the Father. In John's gospel alone, the word appears more than one hundred times.
This weekend happens to be the 103rd anniversary of the U.S. Open. I'm not usually a follower of golf, but I was fascinated by the story of Payne Stewart who won the Open in 1999 and who died mysteriously on October 25th, just a few months later, while on a flight bound from Florida to Texas. Evidently, his private jet lost cabin pressure, rendering all of the passengers and crew unconscious, and then flew on auto-pilot for several hours before finally running out of fuel and crashing in a distant South Dakota field, killing Stewart and five others. In the early 80's, Payne was known as something of a "pain" to his fellow golfers, fans and reporters because of his caustic wit which he could use effectively to put down friend and foe alike. However, after the death of his father in 1985, he gradually changed and became a kinder and gentler person. Then, in 1993, his best friend and fellow golfer Paul Azinger, battled the same cancer that took his father's life. And in the months before his death, he was quoted as saying "I'm a lot more mature and happier. I've learned what's really important." He also cited a newfound faith to which he said he was drawn by the involvement of his children, Chelsea and Aaron. And when he won the Open, beating out Phil Mickelson in a thrilling finish, he took Mickelson's face in his hands and talked to him about the priorities which he had discovered. Mickelson, whose wife gave birth to their first child the next day, put it this way:
- "When he grabbed my face and spoke to me about fatherhood, it changed my feeling about the disappointment I had just felt,....to what's more important in my life, the birth of this child and influencing this person in this world. And, Payne made it very apparent that that was what was more important to him too. Even though he had just won the greatest event in the game of golf, I sensed that he was more fulfilled by being a father to Aaron and Chelsea, and a husband to his wife Tracy, than he was by winning this tournament."
Before he died so tragically, and at the pinnacle of his career, Stewart had gotten his act together, caused in part by the death of his father. And he himself had made a profound effect on the lives of his family and friends. There is a question which I would like to ask all of you a little later. But to help you answer it, I would like to share with you one daughter's remembrances of her father. Her name is Angie. She writes:
- He was 50 years old when I was born, and a "Mr. Mom" long before anyone had a name for it. I didn't know why he was home instead of Mom, but I considered myself very lucky because he did so many things for me during my grade school years. For example, he always had my lunch ready for me when I came home--usually a peanut butter and jelly sandwich that was shaped for the season. My favorite was at Christmas. The sandwiches would be sprinkled with green sugar and cut in the shape of a tree.
When I went to high school and tried to gain my independence, I wanted to move away from those "childish" signs of his love, but dad didn't give up. Since I was no longer able to go home for lunch, dad would get up a little early and make a lunch for me. I never knew what to expect. There might be a napkin with a heart inscribed with "Dad-n-Angie K.K." in its center or an "I love you." Many times he would write a joke or a riddle on it.
I used to hide my lunch so no one would see the napkin, but that didn't last long. One of my friends saw it one day, grabbed it, and passed it around the lunch room. My face was red with embarrassment. To my astonishment, the next day all my friends were waiting to see the napkin. From the way they acted, I think they all wished they had someone who showed them that kind of love. I was so proud to have him as my father.
Throughout the rest of my high school years, I received those napkins, and still have a majority of them. But it didn't end with high school. When I left home for college, I missed seeing him every day after school and so I called him a lot. We started a ritual during that first year that stayed with us. After I said good-bye he always said, "Angie?'
"Yes, Dad?" I'd reply.
"I love you."
"I love you, too, Dad."
I began getting letters almost every Friday. The front-desk staff always knew who the letters were from--the return address said "The Hunk." The mail was delivered every day right before lunch, so I'd have his letters with me when I went to the cafeteria. I realized it was useless to hide them because my roommate was a high school friend who knew about his napkins. Soon it became a Friday afternoon ritual. I would read the letters and pass around the envelope, and the drawing he always included inside, for all to see.
It was during this time that Dad became stricken with cancer. When the letters didn't come on Friday, I knew that he had been sick and wasn't able to write. But if he missed his Friday delivery, the letters would always come a day or two later.
But then the time came when I decided to come home and be with him because he was growing sicker, and I knew that our time together was limited. Those were the hardest days to go through. To watch this man, who always acted so young, age past his years. In the end he didn't recognize who I was and would call me the name of a relative he hadn't seen in many years. Even though I knew it was due to his illness, it still hurt that he couldn't remember my name.
I was alone with him in his hospital room a couple of days before he died. We held hands and watched TV. As I was getting ready to leave, he said, "Angie?'
"Yes, Dad?"
"I love you."
"I love you, too, Dad." (1)
If there is one message in my homilies that I wish I could hammer home to all of you, whether you are fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, aunts, uncles, grandmothers or grandfathers, it is the message of this story: to tell one another "I love you" while you still can. Death can come upon us when we least expect it. Just ask Payne Stewart's family and friends.Fellow golfer Hal Sutton said this about Stewart after the memorial service: "I was sitting here thinking about how beautiful this is, and he has missed the opportunity to be present and be the defending champion. As beautiful as all that was today, that void is still in Tracey's life. I think we'll always miss him."
Yes, Stewart will be remembered by his family and friends. And he will be missed. But I think the question he asked is the same question that each of us needs to ask ourselves: will I be missed? Just as he used the opportunities he had been given to make sure that he would be missed, I would suggest that every one of you not miss the opportunities you have to tell one another "I love you"now. That way, you will be remembered ... and you will be missed later.
1. The Coolest Dad in the Universe, copyright 1995 by Angie K. Ward-Kucer. (Angie is a senior operator with the Sarpy County E-911 Center and resides in Papillion, Nebraska, with her husband, John Andrew. This is her first story and was written as a tribute to her late father, Thomas Wesley Ward Sr., so that other fathers may learn from his simple acts of love and realize that even as their children become adults, they still need their daddy. She can be reached at angiekk@sarpy.com.) Reprinted with the author's permission from A Third Serving of Chicken Soup for the Soul, pp. 90-92. Copyright 1996 by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen. Health Communications, Inc., Deerfield Beach, FL.
Alternate Opening Illustration
As we celebrate Father's Day today, I'm sure there are none of us who would deny the effects that our parents, including our fathers, have had on each of us, for better or for worse. But this is not only true among us humans, but has been found to be very important in the animal kingdom also.
- A nature reserve in Africa imported a group of elephants to repopulate an area where they had been poached to extinction. There were some cows and calves as well as a few young bulls. The naturalists had moved the young bulls because full-grown male elephants are difficult and dangerous to transport. Soon, however, the refuge was in trouble: the young male elephants were acting crazy, attacking smaller animals, harassing larger ones, even to the point of sneaking up on rhinos and tipping them over. At a loss as to how to respond, the reserve went to the expense of capturing and importing several older males. Soon, the adolescents were under control: the adults joined the bachelor herd and began teaching the young males how to act like elephants. No more delinquency, no more violence, now the elephant population is growing and the culture is stable. All young need a strong, capable and caring father figure.
(Copyright 2012 by the Spirit through Deacon Sil Galvan, with a little help from the friends noted above. Permission is freely granted for use, in whole or in part, in oral presentations. For permission to use in writing, please contact the human intermediary at deaconsil@comcast.net.)
- Do any of you remember the 1990 movie Nuns on the Run? It is the story of two small-time crooks (played by Robbie Coltrane and Eric Idle) who are on the run from both the police and a gang called the Triads (how appropriate!!) from whom they've stolen some drug-dealing money. They hide out in a convent, disguised as nuns, where Eric Idle finds himself scheduled to teach the A-level Religious Education class. He’s horrified. Robbie Coltrane, a lapsed Catholic, tries to reassure him by telling him how easy it will be. "What’s your first lesson on?" he asks. "The Trinity!" Robbie’s face falls. "The Trinity! Now that’s a bugger!"
- Have you ever been asked to explain the Trinity to someone. Three persons in one being, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Try as we may, that is a concept which we will never comprehend. There is nothing in our sphere of existence to which we can compare it.
Well, what do we know about the Trinity? We know that it is a mystery that can be understood only through faith. The faith of all Christians rests on the Trinity. The catechism states that "the mystery of the Holy Trinity is THE central mystery of Christian faith and life." We are all baptized "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Once we have then become a child of God, God is eager to reveal himself to us IF WE LET HIM. In fact, the whole history of salvation recounts the ways and means by which the one true God (i.e., Father, Son and Holy Spirit) reveals himself to his creatures "and reconciles and unites with himself those who turn away from sin." It should not surprise us that our Creator is eager to share himself with us through his actions throughout the history of the Israelites and through the teachings of his Son. We all disclose who we are in our actions with one another; and the better we know a person, the better we understand those actions.
Now I know you're all saying to yourselves: "OK. So it's a mystery. Isn't there anything else about the Trinity to which we can relate?" Glad you asked, and perhaps this story might help explain what that could be.
- Once there was an elderly man, and one evening he was taking his usual walk. He was enjoying the crisp night air and the wind blowing gently. But suddenly he heard a voice crying out, "Help me! Help me!" The man looked around and saw no one and so he continued his walk. Again he heard a tiny voice, "Help me, help me!" This time he looked down and he saw a small frog. He gently lifted up the frog and looked at it intently. The frog spoke, "I am really a very beautiful princess. If you will kiss me, I will turn back into a princess and I will hug you and kiss you and love you forever." The man thought for a moment, placed the frog in his top pocket, and continued walking. The little frog looked up out of the pocket and asked, "Why don't you kiss me?" The man looked down and said, "Frankly, at this stage of my life, I'd rather have a talking frog." (1)
What is the point of this story? That we all exist in relationship to others. The thing about the Trinity to which we can best relate is relationship itself. The Scottish philosopher John McMurray once said that "the self is constituted by its relation to the other". Our very existence is defined by who we are in relation to others, even if it's to a frog. The elderly gentleman in our story probably figured that if the frog became a princess, she'd run off with some young dude and leave him alone again. So he'd prefer the company of the frog to nothing. One of the best therapies for the elderly who live alone, or even in a nursing home, is pet therapy. Being able to go out of themselves to an animal - be it a cat, a dog, a rabbit of any other living thing - has a therapeutic effect on people. Infants, for example, desperately need others, usually their mothers, in order to survive. All human experience is a shared experience. Look at the phenomenon of the internet. What is it all about? Communication. We watch our grandson spend hours playing games on his Xbox with other kids all over the world. Through my own web page, I have found unbelievable possibilities for evangelization and outreach.
Just think about the best experiences of your life. What were they? I'd bet you dollars to donuts that they were experiences you had with a spouse, a friend, a parent or someone else who had a special place in your life. That was the person to whom you could open up and be yourself completely without any facades or "phoniness". That was the whole premise of the book Catcher In the Rye by J. D. Salinger, which I recall from my high school years. It was a search for authenticity. We remember most of all those conversations we had until 4 in the morning baring your soul to a friend. I remember to this day talking with a friend from my seminary days through the night until the sun came up the following morning. I remember feeling so fulfilled, even though I was physically exhausted. Or perhaps we remember a special time spent with a spouse at a Broadway play, a movie or a dinner. A time we spent in the hospital sick and our parents came to visit with an ice cream cone or a milk shake. All of these remembrances were nothing spectacular, but they were special to us for one reason or another. We desperately need "companionship", to be able to "break bread" with others.
Conversely, the worst times in our lives have probably been the ones when we felt alone, abandoned. Just like our Lord felt in the Garden of Gethsemane and during his passion. He knows what that feels like, even to the point of sweating blood. Deprivation of companionship is the worst possible punishment. That is exactly what solitary confinement is in prisons: the ultimate and worst form of punishment. Taking it one step further, the lack of companionship can often lead to insanity. If we look at many, if not most, of those who commit crimes, they will be characterized by those who know them as "loners", people who kept to themselves and had a difficult time communicating with others. Many of the students who have become school shooters in the years since Colombine were described by fellow students as loners. Even the basic tenet of most cults is to cut people off from society and make them believe that they are "different" or that they will be misunderstood. All of these people become "alienated" from others and become unable to relate effectively.
So why do we need to be in constant relationship to others? Because we are made in the image and likeness of a God that is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. No matter how little we may know about the Trinity, we can say without hesitation that the Three Persons exist in relationship to one another. God the Father loves God the Son with such a depth that God the Holy Spirit comes to be. That is hard to phrase without intimating that the Eternal God had a beginning, but I think you can get the point. If you think about it, we can understand that concept. Did you ever meet a couple who are so much in love that you can almost reach out and touch it? That is probably as close as we humans can ever get to knowing what the divine love really is.
Every striving of our souls for union, every reaching out for companionship, every urge for a hug or an embrace, every act of love gives indirect testimony to the Trinity. The Trinity says that God is community and so we seek. The Trinity says that God is relationship and so we search. The Trinity says that God is love and so we love. We can't help ourselves. We're made in that image and likeness. We mirror our origins. (1)
So the next time someone asks you to explain the Trinity, you can respond without hesitation: "The Trinity is the relationship of God the Father with God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. And because I have been created in the image and likeness of God, I can only exist in relationship with others. I am who I am because God is who God is." And then you can add, as Forrest Gump said, "And that's all I'm going to say about that."
1. Reprinted with permission from Storytelling the Word copyright 1996 by William J. Bausch, pp. 253-256. Twenty-third Publications, Mystic, CT. 06355.
(Copyright 2012 by the Spirit through Deacon Sil Galvan, with a little help from the friends noted above. Permission is freely granted for use, in whole or in part, in oral presentations. For permission to use in writing, please contact the human intermediary at deaconsil@comcast.net.)
Lord Jesus, you are the Word of God the Father come down to earth. Lord, have mercy.
Christ Jesus, you are the Son of God and the Son of Man. Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, you sent the Spirit to teach us the truth of your Word. Lord, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, through your intervention we are at peace with God. Lord, have mercy.
Christ Jesus, through your intervention we gain access by faith to the grace of salvation. Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, through your intervention we have hope to one day share in your glory. Lord, have mercy.
May 26, 2024
Celebrant: By his death and resurrection, God's only Son, Jesus Christ, has reconciled us with the Father. Therefore, confident that Christ will intercede for us, we bring our prayers and petitions to the Father.
Deacon/Lector: Our response is "Lord, hear our prayer".
That the leaders of the Church may always and everywhere proclaim the great love of the Father which was revealed to us by God's only Son and is now present among us through the Holy Spirit, we pray to the Lord.
That the leaders of the nations of the world will do all in their power to bring peace on earth and end the wars in Ukraine and Israel, we pray to the Lord.
That the sick and those who are grieving the loss of a loved one may feel the healing presence of the Spirit in their lives, we pray to the Lord.
That the self-giving love which characterizes the relationship of the Father, Son and Spirit may be a model for the relationships of all family members with one another, we pray to the Lord.
That the Spirit may motivate each of us to use our gifts to further the work of the Body of Christ on earth, we pray to the Lord.
That all of our brothers and sisters will be treated as our equals in the sight of God regardless of their race, color, nationality or religion, we pray to the Lord.
For all of the intentions we hold in our hearts and which we now recall in silence. (Pause) For all of these intentions, we pray to the Lord.
Celebrant: O Loving God, three Persons yet one being, you have given us an example of what our relationships with one another should be. Grant us the grace of your Spirit to love you and one another as ourselves. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.