tvc.dsj.org | May 7, 2019
Pastor of Holy Spirit Parish, San Jose, and Vicar General for
Special Projects, Diocese of San Jose. [email protected].
Whoever’s voice we listen to we start to sound like; the Lord wants us to listen
to his voice so we become and sound like him. That is why we have to listen to
Christ more carefully. This sounds quite easy, but it requires great effort to be at-
tuned to the Lord’s voice because sometimes it is very soft and quiet. If we are not
attuned, it is hard for us to hear because there are so many other voices out there.
Growing up the youngest of 12 children, I recall our Dad coming in from a day’s
work, changing and doing some work around the house. When he was finished
with the work around the house or the kitchen and the other stuff, he would sit
down and all of us, there were 10 boys, we would look to climb up on Dad. We
loved to get up and we’d play on him right? The poor man! Imagine all these little
kids coming up, jumping and playing on him.
Sometimes, he would be so tired, and he wouldn’t want us jumping on him. I
figured out that if I saw him tired, I would climb up on him and I would not move.
I would just like lie there. And as I just laid there, he would hold onto me because
then none of the other brothers would get up on him and then they wouldn’t play. I
had figured this out! Anytime that he was tired, he would just grab me and protect
himself against all the others!
What I often noticed about this as I climbed up and laid there is that I would
be lying on his chest, I would be so quiet I could hear him breath and there were
times that I would hear his heart beat. And when he spoke it was very different.
When you are that close, you hear things that you do not normally hear. You
hear nuances that you do not often hear. In fact, there were times when he would
whisper and no one else could hear it but me because I was the only one that close
listening right on his chest.
I believe that is a perfect image of what God wants from us. He wants us to
be so close to his heart, to lay on his heart, to lay on him and rest and listen care-
fully to his voice. Sometimes, he just whispers. And that whisper is just for us.
Most often the whisper says something very simple, “I love you; rest in me.” But
because we are so busy jumping and playing in life, we miss that very powerful
voice that assures us that God loves us. In the end, that is what we are called to
hear that voice readily. But we must be silent in prayer and pause, no prayers, no
words but just to be still; to be still in Christ and to listen carefully.
How Well We Love
“And so, you should love one another as I have loved you.”
In Cannon Law, there is a balance between rights and responsibilities. Every
organization inside the Church is considered a “juridic” person with a certain set
of rights and responsibilities. A juridic person is a parish or any religious institu-
tion of any form.
Until recently I have never really reflected much on this notion. Have people ex-
perienced the person of our parish? Inside this person of the parish, there are certain
rights and responsibilities. There is a necessary balance of roles and responsibilities.
For example, if we think of the basic rights of a person in civil society, they have
a right to shelter, food, water, education, freedom, etc. Those are our basic rights.
These rights also exist inside Cannon Law, inside that of a parish. A parish has a
right to nourishment; it is what we do in our catechetical process teaching the faith.
We have a right to nourishment here at the Eucharist. We have a right to Mass. But
there are also responsibilities. One of the community’s responsibilities is to send
forth people from our community to become priests.
In today’s gospel, we hear Jesus speaking about this command to love one an-
other; he is not giving it as to an individual; he is giving it to the community of the
disciples. Bear in mind where we are; we are right back at the Last Supper in this
reading. Judas had just been dispatched to go and do his deed of evil and Jesus turns
to his other 11 and he tells them what he wants them to be, what is known in John’s
gospel as the beloved community.
The beloved community is to be that person who cares and loves one another.
It is different from the commandment “Love your God with all your mind, all
your heart, with all your soul and love one another.” This is a commandment to
the members of the Body of Christ. This person of the parish. This is our role to be
lovers in the name of Christ Jesus.
In ancient times, they used to say marvel at the way that the early Christians
loved one another. It is the famous phrase that you have heard, “They will know
we are Christians by our love.” What are the marks of our community? Are we all
loving and forgiving? Are we always willing to serve those who are in need? Are
we willing to be the one who steps up and stands up for the person who is being
belittled or is being talked about whether in a conversation; in gossip; or whether
that being real in the world of commerce? Do we really love one another? It is the
ultimate measure of our personhood. Do we love and do we love well? Remember
St. John of the Cross’ ultimate measure. He said, “In the evening of our life, we will
not be measured on how well we have lived but on how well we have loved.”
The cost of living keeps going up.
The cost of your funeral doesn’t have to.
WHY PRE-PLAN YOUR MEMORIAL? Like many things, costs will continue to
increase, so locking in now is a wise decision. Yes, perhaps it’s a long way away,
but all the more reason to get your plan together now. Contact your local
Dignity Memorial provider for the best prices.
®
LIMA FAMILY
Erickson Memorial
Chapel LIMA FAMILY
SANTA CLARA
MORTUARY 408-295-5160 408-296-2977 408-263-2868 408-295-6446
FD 128 FD 93 FD 1262 / COA 466 FD 813
SAN JOSE
29
Sunday Homilies
By Father Brendan McGuire
Listen to His to Gentle Voice
SPIRITUALITY
SANTA CLARA
LIMA FAMILY
WILLOW GLEN
MILPITAS-FREMONT MORTUARY
FUNERAL
& CEDAR LAWN CEMETERY
HOME
FREMONT
SAN JOSE