Certainly you have wondered about what awaits us after our death. Questions come flooding in; some serious, some silly. Will I see my mother/father? Are there pets in heaven? Can I play golf?! I like to cook. Is there a kitchen I can use? And, what do we do all day (or is there a DAY?). Welcome to the club! All Humankind yearns to know what “Heaven” will be like.

The above questions come from the enjoyments and relation- ships that nourish us here on earth. Will they continue? As reasonable as they are, they leave out the most important fact of heaven. We will see God. God who is the source of all creation. God who thought up the pleasures of human life; He will be present to us as the fulfillment of all that is Good.

Nevertheless, the questions continue. Humankind yearns to know what “Heaven” will be like. The following thoughts rely on what is given to us in Sacred Scripture and the teaching of the Catholic Church.

1. At its root, heaven is to “be with God”. (“Our Father who art in heaven . . . “).This means we are joined to God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This is only accomplished by God’s grace (not our doing), who chose to become a human being. Christ (the Son) took our full human nature. From this point on God is forever joined to humanity   We’ve been “grafted” on to God by His will for us. He will never take back the humanity He took on in being born here on earth.
2. Okay, so heaven is to be with God. What’s that like? Here is the great mystery of which we have only partial answers. Read 1 John 3:13. “We shall be like God for we shall see Him as He is.” So in some sense we will “look on the face of God.” Looking and seeing is part of heaven.
3. Theologians have reasoned to some pretty wonderful conclusions about heaven. Namely, we only enter heaven by being joined to the Resurrected Mystical Body of Christ. By this, we are taken up into the Blessed Trinity. We find ourselves “in God” from our position “in the Son Jesus”. And when all is accomplished in creation, sin and death have been overcome by the merits of Christ    then Jesus turns to God the Father (with us in him) and “God will be all in all.” 1 Corinthians 15:28. It’ll be just God.
4. So will we “see” our loved ones? And all who have tried to love in their lives? Yes, but this will be a different kind of seeing. One description has us seeing loved ones and the part they played in bringing Christ to the world while they lived with us on earth. We will See the Christ they were . . The Christ your loved one embodied.
5. Remember, God did not make us angels (pure spirits). He made us Human beings (body and soul). Jesus’s human nature was resurrected to a glorified body. That tells us we will have glorified bodies too. So that we will see each other. . . (Your mother’s sweetness will shine in her special place in the glorified body of Christ.) And we will rejoice in this communion with them.
6. Lastly, Pope Francis (I’ve not seen his quote) is telling us heaven is not like a “place” as we think of it here on earth… like Hawaii or Rome! Time and space are dimensions of the created universe. God transcends time and space. So to be with God, and in God, is its own reality.
7. All this we await in Faith when what “eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, nor has it entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who love him.”
   1 Corinthians 2: 9,10.

May God bless you in this Easter season. May your faith in the Resurrected Christ grow ever stronger. And by your Faith may you be moved to bring the love of Christ into this world.

Now let’s get to work!

Fr. Tim

A Blessed Easter to you all!

Fr. Tim

Quite a list we’ve had, eh? This completes what has been called the Seven Capital Sins. They were first listed by a monk in the 5th Century who was an acute student of human behavior. His list caught on and later theologians promoted these 7 to describe “the field of battle” each human soul contends with while on earth.

Greed and Envy:

They go together, don’t they? Webster defines Greed as “an excessive desire for acquiring or having . . . a strong desire for more than one needs.” Like all sin, this desire begins with something good. Human beings cherish material, relational, and psychological experiences that bring pleasure and a sense of wellbeing. Nothing wrong with that. Things like a comfortable home, food and clothes that satisfy, friendships that bring happiness   all are good things that God wants us to enjoy. “God looked at everything He had made and found it very good.” Genesis Ch. 2

But somehow we have within ourselves this “desire for more” that exceeds rightreason. Look at your closet. Do we really need another pair of shoes/jacket/ sweater? Have you watched that show about hoarders? Oh dear. Having more can become a sickness.

Why do we do this? Psychologists have a field day looking for reasons to accumulate such excess. Insecurities, fears, worry about the future, can move us to protect and comfort ourselves with these “things”.

Okay, we get it. But what makes this “hunger for more” sinful? It damages who we are as created by God. We give a value to lesser things that takes the place of where our true happiness lies   in loving God and others. We become “consumers” or “hoarders” and this keeps us from living lives of charity. How serious is this sin? It depends on what we neglect as a result of this habit. Do we fail to fulfill our duty as parents, children, friends, Christians? Does it keep us from giving ourselves in charity to others?

Sister (or brother!) to greed, is Envy. It can be defined as “a sadness or displeasure at the spiritual or temporal good of another.” Catholic Encyclopedia. St. Thomas Aquinas says “envy makes the good of another an evil to oneself because it is falsely seen as lessening that person.”

There are times however when someone receives honor or reward for something they don’t deserve. The displeasure caused here is not sinful so long as it is expressed in a reasonable manner. But if it is a true good our neighbor possesses our displeasure toward them is envy and a sin against the love we owe them.

Most times envy is not deliberate. We don’t sit down to think “what can I find in them that I wish they didn’t have?!” It just happens. And most times, it’s about trivial things. But you see the point, right? We should be glad for the good fortune of others. (A cousin to envy is jealousy. They’re similar in being dis- pleased with the good fortune of another but jealousy adds the thought, THAT SHOULD BE MINE!)

Please understand these last three weeks are meant to be a help in explaining what ails the human heart by way of sin. Greater still is the Mercy of God to which we have access through the love of Christ and the Sacrament of Penance/Confession.

Dear friends, don’t be discouraged. We all have our weaknesses. The Lord invites us to come to Him for healing and renewed friendship. Remembers His words, “I have come to call sinners, not the selfrighteous.”

Bless this Holy Week ahead.

Fr. Tim

Wow, where do we start?

Let’s start with God’s idea for sex. God invented sex. There needed to be an energy, a force of nature, that would be so powerful that it would ensure the survival of an animal species and the human race. Genesis commands man and woman to “be fruitful, and multiply. Fill the earth . . . “. To do this, nature has equipped the sexual drive with an exquisite pleasure that accompanies the sexual act. Yay God!

So far so good. But, side by side with this wonderful plan is man’s habit of taking things too far. This “too far” is called Lust. The Catholic Encyclopedia tells us, “The disorder proper to the sin of lust is found primarily in the failure of the natural appetite for sexual pleasure to be guided by man’s reason”. One might say, “it’s my body, I’ll pleasure it however I like.” Or, “If it feels good, it can’t be wrong.”

The seeking of sexual pleasure for itself alone defeats the purpose of the gift of sexuality. Catholic moral teaching (Vatican II) tells us the essence of human sexuality is twofold: 1. To bring forth new human life (“be fruitful and multiply”) and 2. To unite the man and woman in a covenant of love and community of life. To act in accord with God’s plan for us brings the happiness of being in right relationship with what God created us to be.

But let’s get real. We need help with our sexual desire. Who of us hasn’t at some point been blinded by the power of sexual pleasure? Young people especially feel this energy in them as they make their way toward maturity. Nervousness, anxiety, social media, and peer pressure can all influence their sexual behavior. What help does our Faith offer?

There is a virtue called Chastity (or Temperance). It is given to us by the Holy Spirit. It is a grace that enables us to live our sexuality according to “right reason”. (Right reason is our knowledge of and participation in the source of all reason . . . God).

But get ready. This recognition of how things ought to be, requires an apprenticeship in selfmastery. We must train ourselves to be free from acting out of habit or compulsion. With- out the discipline of our eyes, our imagination, our relationships, we can become slaves to a selfseeking pleasure that de- faces our integrity as human beings. “The alternative is clear: either man governs his passions and finds peace, or he let’s himself be dominated by them and becomes unhappy.” CCC.2339

Key to this “self-mastery” is self-knowledge and prayer.

Self-knowledge – – – come on, you know in your bones when something is wrong. It feels dark. It wants to hide. It’s secret. It’s not love. (If you don’t recognize this about pornography, or hooking up, or lustful looking, you’ve lost something of your beauty as a proper lover.)

Prayer. Okay, you know it’s the right way to act but sometimes you just don’t have the will to do it. We’ve all been there. The devil comes in big time here to tell us it’s impossible to resist the power of lust. He’s a liar. And he hates it when we keep trying to be chaste even when we fail.

And that’s where prayer calls out to God. “Look Lord, you gave me this body, with these hormones, with these desires. I know how awesome they are. But Lord, they’re so strong help me to use them as you intended. Because in the end I know this is the way to happiness.”

Don’t give up. Ten thousand times. God loves you and will answer your prayer.

You’re beautiful.

Fr. Tim

GLUTTONY

The Catholic Encyclopedia is quite brief in describing gluttony as “the excessive use of things in themselves legitimate.”

This frames the discussion in a much wider context than consuming too much food. The spirit of gluttony (too much) can be applied to any number of pleasurable things which are in themselves quite innocent. “Binging”, we sometimes call it. Whether it be TV, internet, food, drink, gambling etc., there comes a point when we cross the line and it becomes apparent that other “goods” go wanting because of our gluttony.

Time spent with spouse, friends, family or seeing to the proper performance of the duties of our state in life can go unattended to. This friends, is sin. Most times it is venial sin in that, by itself, it does not reject God’s love; unless of course it leads to serious neglect of other moral responsibilities.

Food and drink are what is most times associated with gluttony. It remains for each person’s con- science to determine what has been “too much”. Your family (spouse, parents, children, friends) are good sounding boards to gently (hopefully!) let you know you’re crossing the line.

SLOTH

Again the Catholic Encyclopedia tells us sloth is “an interior malaise that expresses itself in a tardy and careless performance of religious and other life duties.”

I know you’re thinking “couch potato” right? But this is only part of it. Going deeper we see that this laziness is based on what ancient philosophers called “acedia”. It means not caring.

The Desert Fathers of the early church recognized this spirit in their lives of prayer, fasting and silence. A certain fatigue or boredom sets in that urges a person to retreat from the works of duty and charity. It comes to all of us, doesn’t it? Literature refers to it as “The Noontime Devil”.

This sin, like the other capital sins, has kin. Sadness, melancholy, restlessness are all psychological states that, by themselves, have no moral evil attached to them. However, these emotional states left unchecked can lead to sins against charity. Remember, Sloth means “not caring”. Neglect, self pity, abandonment can all result from this Noonday Devil.

I hope these thoughts on sin are helpful. Next week . . . . Lust!!

Bless you.

Fr. Tim

As mentioned last week we’re counting down our favorite sins! We looked at Anger last week. This week let’s talk about Pride. (Remember, these “Capital Sins” are so named because they are the major spawning ground for much of what ails us.)

Let’s start on a positive vein. There is such a thing as good pride when it comes from the love we have for ourselves and others. For instance, a person rejoices in the accomplishments of themselves or oth- ers that bring goodness into the world. Not only can we be proud of some effort but the talent or virtue that made it happen. “I was so proud of myself. I never gave up trying.”

But good pride knows enough to see itself along side the goodness of others and how we’re all under the authority of God. In fact, good pride rejoices in the achievements of others. (I’m so proud of you!”) We rejoice in the talents and virtues of others.

So what’s sinful pride? When we insolate ourselves from God and the rest of humanity   ignoring them or using them to advance my own private goals. Sinful pride rejoices not so much in the ac- complishment but in seeing ourselves as better or higher than others around us.

This kind of pride gives rise to a contempt for lawful authority and for every judgement or value that is not of my own making. (“It’s my life. No one tells me what to do.”)

Sinful pride can cause a hunger to dominate others; to always win the argument, to beat your opponent, to seek prestige over others and lust for people’s applause.

Are you beginning to see how pride leads to other sins as well? How about Envy, Jealousy, and Lust? They all have a prideful origin to them. We compare our talents and accomplishments with others and if we see them as “better” than ours these other sins can follow.

Still there is a healthy desire “to be the best”. In fact

it’s a very good thing. Jesus tells the apostles (Mark 9: 33-36) who were arguing over who among them was the greatest; “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be last of all, the servant of all.” In other words    “Do you want to excel in the eyes of God? Do you want to be first among my disciples? Good for you! Now go to the back of the line and wait for everyone else to be first. In fact, while you’re back there waiting, see what the others in line might need.”

St. Paul summarizes Christ’s teaching against pride. “Complete my joy by being of the same mind . . . with the same love, united in heart. Do nothing out of selfishness or pride; rather humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but for those of others.” Philippians 2: 24.

Also . . . “Do you not know all the runners in the stadium all run in the race, but only one wins the prize? So run to win!” 1 Cor. 9: 24, 25. And the prize? Life with Christ forever.

Bless your race.

Fr. Tim

Over these weeks of Lent, I thought we might review the wisdom of the Church’s teaching regarding human behavior in moments of sin and temptation. They’re called the Seven Deadly (Capital) Sins and sooner or later one of them snags all of us. They are: anger, envy, pride, gluttony, lust, sloth, and greed.

Where did this list come from? Long story here. Let’s just say they originated in the mind of theologians and confessors (particularly in the Middle Ages) as they viewed the repeated human experiences of sin. Think of them as “categories” or fountains of particular sinful action. So let’s look at:

Anger: (“a feeling resulting from injury, mistreatment, perceived injustice. Showing itself in a desire to strike out”, says Webster’s). We’ve all felt this uncomfortable emotional state. But is it a sin and why?

St. Thomas Aquinas was helpful when he described anger as a “passion” given to us by God. In the world of nature, it can be a power to protect us against danger. It can at times be a “righteous anger” when some injustice or crime is about to be committed. In these cases, anger stirs our energy and gives the courage to protect a goodness or some innocent person.

But more often, anger comes as a personal experience of some unkindness, frustration, or unfairness. Here is where theologians and saints can help us in dealing with this unwanted feeling. Spiritual guides point to the “virtues” available to us to combat sinful anger. Peace, patience, kindness, understanding, forgiveness, are all the tools love uses to help us deal with anger.

But when does anger become sinful? Several markers help us monitor anger. Is it “excessive”? Does it go beyond the slight or hurt I’ve endured? Does my anger do greater harm than was done to me?

Does my anger sin against Charity? Do I have to seek justice or apology for every perceived wrong done to me? Am I “thin skinned” to where, at any moment, I’m eager to give someone an angry piece of my mind? Charity is ready to forgive hurts even without an apology! Scripture tells us instead to “bear with one another”.

As always, a good model to follow in dealing with anger is Jesus Christ. Did he get angry? You bet. (Read Matthew 21:12ff). He goes into the temple in Jerusalem and throws the money changers out, overturning their tables, and get this . . . he fashioned his belt into a whip to beat any who resisted his furious command. This is Righteous Anger.

But also think of the patience he exhibits as he stands be- fore the high priest, Caiaphas, and is accused of blasphemy against God and conspiring to destroy the temple  all lies. Jesus says nothing. This man had 12 legions of angels he could have called on to rectify the injustice be- ing placed on him. But no. He refrained.

Lastly, would any innocent person not have good reason for anger and fury as they suffered the horrible injustice of the Cross? Yet Jesus forgave his executioners as he hung dying.

Overall then, it seems in most occasions, anger should be endured for the sake of charity and in union with the sufferings of Christ. Silence can speak loudly without saying a word. It puts an end to escalating a situation to a more serious level. And you’ve just become a follower of Christ!

Bless your Lent.

Fr. Tim

Certainly you’ve heard the adage, “you are what you eat.” And our computer geeks are fond of saying, “garbage in, garbage out.” The point being in both of these sayings . . . something becomes in large part the sum of what was put into it. Good health comes from a good diet. A dependable computer program only works with good data input. (The bible was on to this when 3,000 years ago it said, “You reap what you sow.”)

It works like that with our spiritual life too. We are greatly shaped by what we think, and hear, and see, and touch. What we allow to enter through our senses creates the raw data for the kind of person we become.

So for example:

• Child psychologists tell us that hours spent watching violent images on television elevates the likeliness of children acting out violently.
• Constant attention to a hand-held game boy or ipod inhibits a young person’s ability to interact with real people.
• Nonstop images of negative, argumentative relationships create the impression that this is how people naturally interact. Yelling, whining, cursing, name calling becomes the norm. Talk Radio is full of this stuff.
• Pornographic web sites demean the human spirit and unleash a powerful darkness.

Why not put a stop to the “garbage in, garbage out” syndrome? We don’t have to drink from the media world what it calls “reality”. Their “reality” is dictated by TV ratings and advertising. They appeal to our lower instincts to get us to watch. Why not dedicate ourselves to “Goodness in, Goodness out”?

What does this mean? It means putting a guard over what we let our eyes see and ears hear. I’m being literal here. Change the channel or turn off the TV when it becomes crass or trashy. Walk away from conversations that are only meant to hurt other’s reputations. Put away the electronic games or instruments when people are present to talk to.

And in their place? . . .

• Great music
• Good books and reading
• Cook something!
• Visit someone lonely
• Take in the world of nature
• Good conversation and listening
• Hobbies are great
• At least 10 minutes of prayer each day (in a chair . . . talking/listening to God)
• Good TV or movies

This Lent perhaps we can start a new habit of watching what we see and hear. Keep those things that build up the human spirit. Reject messages of rumor, discord and retaliation.

Fr. Tim

Great Music…

Cooking…

Nature…

This column ran a couple years ago. I’ve since stepped down from taking on calls. But good old Fr. Michatek continues this valuable ministry. Bless him. This is a story of one of my nights On Call.

So it was Sunday night about 9:15. I’d just settled in to watch the closing ceremonies for the Rio Olympics. The chaplain at Rochester General calls to ask for an anointing. A woman, 93, in a coma . . . her son was asking for a priest. So you go, right? Of course. It’s what we do.

On the way I try to spiritualize my frustration at missing the Olympics. “Lord, this is for you. I offer this up. Let this bring me closer to you and your Sacred Heart.” I silently patted myself on the back for responding quickly and calmly to the chaplain’s request. “I’m a dutiful priest”, I tell myself.

Her name was Ruth. She was curled up in a semi fetal position. With eyes closed, her head was tilted back as if expecting a knock at the window. Tom, her son, greeted me with a kindly smile and extended his hand.

He told me his mother had come to the hospital with a lung infection but I soon learned this was simply the last in a litany of health problems that went back decades; back to when Tom and his sister were told their mother had Alzheimer’s and special care would be needed for her 24/7.

“We just wanted to be ready, Father. She’s been through so much.” Briefly he fills me in on what the recent past had been and the numerous trips to emergency rooms. I was struck by the tender way he spoke of his mother and the total absence of any reference to what these years had cost him and his sister.

(It set me thinking of my sisters who each cared for our mom and dad in their final days. Like little children, our sickly parents needed constant care and attention which both of my sisters gave so readily.)

And here he was, bent over his mother’s bed stroking her hair. I wondered if I was kind enough, generous enough, selfless enough, to do what this man had done for so many years for his demented mother.

Suddenly my frustration over missing the Olympic closing seemed so small and petty. My prayer of “offering up” seemed less heroic, an estimate of myself suddenly paled when compared to Tom’s undivided devotion.

So what’s the point of this? We’ve all been witness in our priesthood to persons of great charity and holiness. For me, the people I hold to be in the state of great sanctity (who knows these things?) . . . most are simple everyday people . . . few are priests. The point is we’ve got it pretty easy. The great love of God’s people for the priest paves the way for a smooth landing in so many life situations.

Most people do the hard, thankless, every day carrying of their burden. We priests hear “thank you Father” almost daily. Most people get gifts on their birthday; we often get little candies on our desk “for just being you”. Most people pay for their meal; how many times has someone across the restaurant picked up your check? Their moods don’t get pampered like Father’s when he’s “having a bad day.”

So I guess I’m urging us to see ourselves as Jesus did. “It is the same with you; when you have done all you have been told to do, say, ‘We are but servants; we have only done our duty.’” Luke 17:10

Let’s let ourselves be humbled by the hidden souls whose brilliant charity daily sows the seeds of God’s Kingdom.

Your brother,
Tim

Most of the time.