Jesus gym.

What if it IS True? Blog

Discovering, wrestling with, and trying like crazy to live Gospel virtue.

04/30/14

John 3:16-21

God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him.
Whoever believes in him will not be condemned,
but whoever does not believe has already been condemned,
because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.
And this is the verdict,
that the light came into the world,
but people preferred darkness to light,
because their works were evil.
For everyone who does wicked things hates the light
and does not come toward the light,
so that his works might not be exposed.
But whoever lives the truth comes to the light,
so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.

Many of us, especially those with protestant roots like myself, are very familiar with John 3:16. It's the go to, stand alone, bible verse that many individuals can quote. What's tougher is the following verses we see here. It's easy to think you believe in Jesus, but it's kind of like believing in a good diet and working out. Most of us would agree that those are good if not essential. However, how many of us who “believe” in that lifestyle actually live it?

I think faith is a lot like working out. Just like the gym is always there so is Jesus. The treadmill can do you absolutely no good until you get on it. Free weights do nothing for you until you pick them up and interact with them. All of this is true of our faith life as well. God has given us a free gym membership. We can work out as often and as intensely as we want. If we leave the gym without working up a sweat we've probably done very little to move toward the light as described in the passage.

Our wickedness may not look that wicked to us. We might just be spiritual couch potatoes. It's easy to think that just because you're not that good that you're not so bad. When we compare ourselves against the laws of averages we may find we're above average, but does that really bring us out of darkness. Jesus wants us to try. He wants us to live in his truth with a sincere belief in him that will ultimately look like something in our lives. We've talked a lot in these blogs about the discipline of virtue. It has to be practiced and conditioned in our lives. Look at Jesus as your personal trainer. His gym is the light, your heart is the dark. Have a great workout!

Good luck and God bless,

Leo Brown

In the Dark.

What if it IS True? Blog

Discovering, wrestling with, and trying like crazy to live Gospel virtue.

04/29/14

John 3:7B-15

Jesus said to Nicodemus:
“‘You must be born from above.’
The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes,
but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes;
so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Nicodemus answered and said to him,
‘How can this happen?”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“You are the teacher of Israel and you do not understand this?
Amen, amen, I say to you,
we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen,
but you people do not accept our testimony.
If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe,
how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?
No one has gone up to heaven
except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.
And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”

This passage is an obvious continuation of the the confusion for Nicodemus. As I said in yesterday's blog, I know the feeling. Even with the hindsight that 2000 years of history offers we are still often in the dark. Or at least I can speak for myself. I can't count the times that I've thought the path I was on was God's will only to discover that nothing could be further from the truth. St. Paul uses analogies like dim reflections and groping in darkness to describe even the most faithful of faith lives. Why should we expect anything different than what St. Paul and Nicodemus got?

Tough stuff. But I'm reminded of the Thomas Merton prayer about thinking that we're doing God's will versus actually doing it. In the prayer Merton prays that the desire to do God's will is at least enough to show that we're trying. I think that's what's, by and large, most important. Are we trying or are we phoning it in? That's a good way to judge our own effectiveness. Where's our heart? Christ was always tough on those who put on the air of spiritual prowess. No doubt Nicodemus fell into this category. However, he at least seems to be an atypical Pharisee.

I do believe there was honest integrity to Nicodemus. He may have come in the dark of the night so his friends wouldn't see him, but it was out of a seemingly sincere desire to know who Christ was. I remember the days of being uncomfortable broadcasting my desire to know Jesus. That's a tough transition. Especially if you think your reputation is on the line. But isn't that when it counts the most? What's t risk? Christ tells us about those who have given up tremendous amounts to give themselves to God. He's also clear about the reward that awaits to those who do. So what about you? Are you holding on to what you think is comfort for the sake of really giving in? If your relationship with Christ is in the dark it's time to step into the light.

Good luck and God bless,

Leo Brown

Fire?

What if it IS True? Blog

Discovering, wrestling with, and trying like crazy to live Gospel virtue.

04/28/14

John 3:1-8

There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
He came to Jesus at night and said to him,
“Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God,
for no one can do these signs that you are doing
unless God is with him.”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless one is born from above, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
Nicodemus said to him,
“How can a man once grown old be born again?
Surely he cannot reenter his mother’s womb and be born again, can he?”
Jesus answered,
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless one is born of water and Spirit
he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.
What is born of flesh is flesh
and what is born of spirit is spirit.
Do not be amazed that I told you,
‘You must be born from above.’
The wind blows where it wills,
and you can hear the sound it makes,
but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes;
so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

How often do I feel like Nicodemus? “What are you trying to say, Lord?” That's a common response for me in prayer. I want to understand, but I'm left there trying to figure out semantics while Christ is calling me to just trust. There's a beauty to the freedom that could come with this type of abandonment but getting there is tough. Especially when we get stuck on questions like, “wait a minute... I'm a grown man. How am I supposed to be born again?”

I'm humbled by the stories of saints throughout the ages who have boldly stepped out in faith. There are those who I'm sure have even surprised themselves. What is continually amazing is that these individuals often faced enormous obstacles. Nothing seemed to be in their favor at times. But we have lasting legacies of major reform. Sometimes we see the evidence of their trust even today. St. Francis comes immediately to mind.

What if we did let go? What if we rolled with the Holy Spirit? What would that look like to us and to others? I'd like to think that our impact would magnify. I'd like to think that much like the early apostles or our current Holy Fathers we'd have tremendous influence. A Holy Spirit encounter is always transformative. And, the truly beautiful this is that transformation isn't just for us. It's our Holy Spirit fire that can set fire to the earth.

Good luck and God bless,

Leo Brown

Unrecognizable.

What if it IS True? Blog

Discovering, wrestling with, and trying like crazy to live Gospel virtue.

04/27/14

John 20:19-31

On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
“Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained.”

Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve,
was not with them when Jesus came.
So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”
But he said to them,
“Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands
and put my finger into the nailmarks
and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

Now a week later his disciples were again inside
and Thomas was with them.
Jesus came, although the doors were locked,
and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands,
and bring your hand and put it into my side,
and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”
Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”

Now, Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples
that are not written in this book.
But these are written that you may come to believe
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,
and that through this belief you may have life in his name

The story of the doubting Thomas. Undoubtedly the most misunderstood individual in the history of salvation. It's easy to doubt when you see no change in those who claim to have seen Christ. And this, I believe, is the real lesson here. It's imperative to demand to see Christ. It's what the world is clamoring to see at this very moment. It's why Gandhi supposedly said the now famous, “Christ I like, It's his Christians I can do without”.

No obvious transformation, no witness. No witness, no evangelization. No evangelization, no Christianity. It all begins with personal transformation. And, it should look like something. It's like Pope Francis recently talking about sourpuss Christians. This is what Thomas basically walked back into. He left to run his errand and in the time he was out nothing had changed. Their story may have been different but that was it. They were still locked away in fear. It's a question we have to ask ourselves. Are we obviously transformed by this Christian thing or are we not?

I've been privileged with back handed compliments that made me feel at least like I was on the right track. Many years ago in the early blush of my embracing my faith a friend of mine who I used to go out for beers with often noticed that I wasn't participating with the typical bar room humor that was once well within my lexicon. In frustration, he said to me, “Leo, you're not the guy you used to be”. I took it as flattery even though that wasn't the intent. Another time recently I responded to a post on Facebook that was viewed by an old college friend who asked, “Is this the same guy I knew in college?” To which I replied, “NO!” That's the beauty of transformation.

So now it's your turn. Can you get some comments of that nature yourself? Can you become unrecognizable by your own friends? That's what we see in the risen Christ. Not that he needed transformation, but he was literally unrecognizable after his resurrection. It starts with the willingness to accept the gift of faith that God wants to give is. If that means demanding to touch his wounds then pray that prayer like Thomas. However, be prepared for what you'll experience. Christ will gladly prove himself. He just may not look recognizable at first.

Good luck and God bless,

Leo Brown

Your Gospel.

What if it IS True? Blog

Discovering, wrestling with, and trying like crazy to live Gospel virtue.

04/26/14

Mark 16:9-15

When Jesus had risen, early on the first day of the week,
he appeared first to Mary Magdalene,
out of whom he had driven seven demons.
She went and told his companions who were mourning and weeping.
When they heard that he was alive
and had been seen by her, they did not believe.

After this he appeared in another form
to two of them walking along on their way to the country.
They returned and told the others;
but they did not believe them either.

But later, as the Eleven were at table, he appeared to them
and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart
because they had not believed those
who saw him after he had been raised.
He said to them, “Go into the whole world
and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.”

Here we see three accounts of the risen Lord evidenced in the stories we've seen in other Gospels so far in the Easter Octave. Obviously, Mark in his economy of recounting, sums it all up in a single command, “go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature”. It doesn't get any clearer than this. This is the Old Evangelization and the New Evangelization. It's what we're called to do but the one thing most of us, if were honest, have to admit is our biggest weakness. Going next door to proclaim the Gospel is hard enough, much less the whole world.

One thing should give is some comfort and that's that even the disciples got it wrong at first. They were cowering in fear, locked behind closed doors. Not exactly the best way to make a positive impression. And while this may be of comfort it's not meant to be imitated. Jesus wants us to fearlessly proclaim the good news. And what is that good news? It has to be our good news. Let me explain.

The news that Christ is alive to people who don't care is not good. If I don't know and don't care, which seems to encompass about 90% of our culture today, a risen Christ means even less to me. What is that? A folklore or fairytale? I don't care. Here's the tough stuff, you care. Don't wait form them. We have to be the ones to do the caring. And, we have to find ways to meet those tho are far from Christ where they are. If we go to their level we have a chance to bring them along with our Good News. Each of us as believers has it. Now the only question is will we take it out to the whole world?

Good luck and God bless,

Leo Brown

I've seen fire and I've seen fish.

What if it IS True? Blog

Discovering, wrestling with, and trying like crazy to live Gospel virtue.

04/25/14

John 21:1-14

Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias.
He revealed himself in this way.
Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus,
Nathanael from Cana in Galilee,
Zebedee’s sons, and two others of his disciples.
Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.”
They said to him, “We also will come with you.”
So they went out and got into the boat,
but that night they caught nothing.
When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore;
but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
Jesus said to them, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?”
They answered him, “No.”
So he said to them, “Cast the net over the right side of the boat
and you will find something.”
So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in
because of the number of fish.
So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.”
When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord,
he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad,
and jumped into the sea.
The other disciples came in the boat,
for they were not far from shore, only about a hundred yards,
dragging the net with the fish.
When they climbed out on shore,
they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread.
Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you just caught.”
So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore
full of one hundred fifty-three large fish.
Even though there were so many, the net was not torn.
Jesus said to them, “Come, have breakfast.”
And none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?”
because they realized it was the Lord.
Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them,
and in like manner the fish.
This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples
after being raised from the dead.

A charcoal fire and one hundred and fifty three fish. Sounds like a party. Actually it reminds me of one of the best meals I've ever had while on vacation in Florida several years ago. We had run unto friends of ours from back home in Kentucky at mass the first Sunday we were at the beach. We made plans to get together and sure enough we did. First, we went to the local fish shop and got the freshest fish you could ever eat. Then we cooked the fish on the grill just as a storm was blowing in. Very dramatic to say the least, but regardless of the challenges the fish was the best ever.

So what's the virtue here? It has to come down to trusting in God's providence. If we believe God will provide we might be able to avoid many of life's frustrations. St. Jose Maria Escriva, founder of Opus Dei, says in his flagship work The Way that we can rest assured that whatever is happening to us now is for our own good in order for us to grow spiritually. It's not always easy, mind you. But it is the only way to live a life in peace and free of frustrations. A friend of mine likes to say, be flexible or be miserable. Using the application of everything being for our own good and spiritual growth, if we choose, we can find real peace.  

Back to the fire and the fish. We see this as reconciling Peter. This reflects two major episodes in Peter's life. One, when Christ first called Peter he allowed him to catch a boat full of fish. And, it was around a charcoal fire just a few days before when Peter denied ever knowing who Christ was. These reconcile Peter, yes. Now look at the lesson for us all. I see a beautiful allegory. Christ says he will make us fishers of men. And what a better way to fish for men than with the fire of the Holy Spirit. This is Christ's divine appointment, both to Peter and to us. And it's as true today as it was then. We can all be reconciled with the grace of fish and fire.

Good luck and

Dead men don't eat fish.

What if it IS True? Blog

Discovering, wrestling with, and trying like crazy to live Gospel virtue.

04/24/14

Luke 24:35-48

The disciples of Jesus recounted what had taken place along the way,
and how they had come to recognize him in the breaking of bread.

While they were still speaking about this,
he stood in their midst and said to them,
“Peace be with you.”
But they were startled and terrified
and thought that they were seeing a ghost.
Then he said to them, “Why are you troubled?
And why do questions arise in your hearts?
Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself.
Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones
as you can see I have.”
And as he said this,
he showed them his hands and his feet.
While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed,
he asked them, “Have you anything here to eat?”
They gave him a piece of baked fish;
he took it and ate it in front of them.

He said to them,
“These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you,
that everything written about me in the law of Moses
and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled.”
Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.
And he said to them,
“Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer
and rise from the dead on the third day
and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins,
would be preached in his name
to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
You are witnesses of these things.”

Do ghosts eat fish? I personally doubt that you'd see ghosts eating anything. That is, if you see ghosts at all, but that's another blog. I'm sure somewhere in the blogosphere there's a page devoted entirely to speculation of what Ghosts eat. Just guessing, but why not? But it's the very essence of the eating that makes a point. Christ is alive. Touch him and see, he commands.

How can we touch Jesus today? Will he mystically appear to us as he did to the fishing apostles? Will he ask us for baked fish? Essentially yes. Matthew chapter 25 speaks vividly of how we can touch Jesus. Christ talks about how we not only have the opportunity to touch him, but we have an obligation. This is how we will be judged. Our eternity depends on our ability to see the risen Christ. And the place we'll most vividly see the face of Christ is in those who lack the most. Anyone who needs our help, for whatever reason, suddenly becomes Christ to us.

So how do we keep our eyes open? I think it's easier than we think. There are always people who are in need. Some of them might actually ask us for something. First, are we willing to see? And even more importantly, once we see, are we willing to treat that person like Christ? I dare say most of us, even if we don't respond to strangers would respond if we knew we were dealing directly with Jesus. But isn't that the Easter message? Christ is risen. He has not only risen in the flesh, but is risen in our flesh as well. Will we see him? That choice is ours.

Good luck and God bless,

Leo Brown

Believing is seeing.

What if it IS True? Blog

Discovering, wrestling with, and trying like crazy to live Gospel virtue.

04/23/14

Luke 24:13-35

That very day, the first day of the week,
two of Jesus’ disciples were going
to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus,
and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred.
And it happened that while they were conversing and debating,
Jesus himself drew near and walked with them,
but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.
He asked them,
“What are you discussing as you walk along?”
They stopped, looking downcast.
One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply,
“Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem
who does not know of the things
that have taken place there in these days?”
And he replied to them, “What sort of things?”
They said to him,
“The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene,
who was a prophet mighty in deed and word
before God and all the people,
how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over
to a sentence of death and crucified him.
But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel;
and besides all this,
it is now the third day since this took place.
Some women from our group, however, have astounded us:
they were at the tomb early in the morning
and did not find his Body;
they came back and reported
that they had indeed seen a vision of angels
who announced that he was alive.
Then some of those with us went to the tomb
and found things just as the women had described,
but him they did not see.”
And he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are!
How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!
Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things
and enter into his glory?”
Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets,
he interpreted to them what referred to him
in all the Scriptures.
As they approached the village to which they were going,
he gave the impression that he was going on farther.
But they urged him, “Stay with us,
for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.”
So he went in to stay with them.
And it happened that, while he was with them at table,
he took bread, said the blessing,
broke it, and gave it to them.
With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him,
but he vanished from their sight.
Then they said to each other,
“Were not our hearts burning within us
while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?”
So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem
where they found gathered together
the Eleven and those with them who were saying,
“The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!”
Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way
and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

Jesus was walking with these two and they didn't even know it. Sound familiar? It certainly should. How many times have we walked with Christ and didn't know? My guess is far more times than we'd ever know. Cleopas and his companion, (perhaps it was his wife Mary), recognized Jesus in the breaking of the bread. But how often do we not give Jesus the chance to break bread? We'd need to invest more time in order to get to that moment.

Of course, I'm speaking metaphorically. The lesson I see here is to see Christ in others. All the time, everywhere. And, if we invest enough time to get close enough to someone that you might have the chance to share a meal with them, which isn't typical of strangers unless you're on a cruise, you might get to the point of seeing your brother in another.

I heard a great talk from a priest recently talking about how Catholicism is not a religion but a way of seeing the world. I love this concept. If we have our Catholic glasses on we'll see Christ, even before the breaking of the bread. I heard it said that if you ever met Mother Teresa she would look at you as if she was looking into you. I think that's because she was looking for Christ. She knew he was there. She just had to see him.

This is our challenge. Can we have these eyes of faith to see? Can we look, really look for the Christ in others? Especially those who may look even less like Christ than he did on the road to Emmaus.

Good luck and God bless,

Leo Brown

Hold on loosely.

What if it IS True? Blog

Discovering, wrestling with, and trying like crazy to live Gospel virtue.

04/22/14

John 20:11-18

Mary Magdalene stayed outside the tomb weeping.
And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb
and saw two angels in white sitting there,
one at the head and one at the feet
where the Body of Jesus had been.
And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”
She said to them, “They have taken my Lord,
and I don’t know where they laid him.”
When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there,
but did not know it was Jesus.
Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?
Whom are you looking for?”
She thought it was the gardener and said to him,
“Sir, if you carried him away,
tell me where you laid him,
and I will take him.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary!”
She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,”
which means Teacher.
Jesus said to her, “Stop holding on to me,
for I have not yet ascended to the Father.
But go to my brothers and tell them,
‘I am going to my Father and your Father,
to my God and your God.’”
Mary went and announced to the disciples,
“I have seen the Lord,”
and then reported what he had told her.

Can we really cling too tightly to Jesus? This Gospel passage certainly seems to suggest so. Mary Magdalene was no doubt overwhelmed with elation of encountering the risen Lord. However, her worship of him was cut short by Christ's own admonishment to not hold onto him, but to go tell his brothers what had happened. This should be a clue to us of what Christ expects us to do as well. Is our faith expressed through worship or is it through action?

It's a common tendency to get this out of proportion. Mary wasn't the first. It's easy to want to bask in the warmth of a Eucharistic chapel or be so drawn to the mystery of the mass that we see these encounters as both the evidence and the experience of our faith. However, Jesus seems to be indicating a disorder to an exclusive focus on him. Not to suggest that our faith shouldn't be Christ focused, it must start there, but it can't remain “me and Jesus”, or exclusively vertical.

I like looking at the cross as a beautiful model of what our faith life should look like. The cross is obviously both vertical and horizontal. If we were to trace a line from the base to the cross beam we would travel two thirds of the way moving exclusively vertically. Once we arrive at the cross beam there remain three equal portions. One continues vertically and the two others stretch in equal distances to the left and to the right on the horizontal plane. So what are we to take from this illustration?

Here's how I see a balanced approach to our faith. In my cross illustration are four distinct segments of the cross. There is a long foundational portion that would equal the horizontal beam. This foundational division represents support. Support can be your prayer life, your scripture study and additional inspirational resourcing which could be anything from the books and blogs you read to the music you listen to. These are the things you do to prepare for the remaining three cross portions. I see these three segments representing service, sacrifice and sharing. These are three equal portions suggesting a balance among the three. But interestingly, only one of these continue vertically. This says to me that Christ expects us to pay more attention to his “brothers” than to him. It also pulls this Gospel passage into greater focus.

It was just a few weeks ago when we read about another Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, anointing Christ's feet with expensive perfume. Jesus didn't dismiss her. Quite the contrary he said that she wouldn't always have him. So why the change of attitude after the resurrection? I believe it has to do with where we are on the cross. This pre-crucifixion episode with the perfume fell along the support structure. The risen and glorified Christ is obviously beyond the horizontal. The crucifixion has taken place and now it's time to shift the focus. So where are we, clinging inappropriately or embracing the balance of the cross?

Good luck and God bless,

Leo Brown

Bribed or gifted?

What if it IS True? Blog

Discovering, wrestling with, and trying like crazy to live Gospel virtue.

04/21/14

Matthew 28:8-15

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went away quickly from the tomb,
fearful yet overjoyed,
and ran to announce the news to his disciples.
And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them.
They approached, embraced his feet, and did him homage.
Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid.
Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee,
and there they will see me.”

While they were going, some of the guard went into the city
and told the chief priests all that had happened.
The chief priests assembled with the elders and took counsel;
then they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers,
telling them, “You are to say,
‘His disciples came by night and stole him while we were asleep.’
And if this gets to the ears of the governor,
we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.”
The soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed.
And this story has circulated among the Jews to the present day.

The big pay off. How much would it take for you to keep your mouth shut? The beauty of this reality is that while the guards may have taken the bribe our saints would not. The past 2000 years are full of story after story of individuals who stood firm. The first batch were the disciples themselves. All but John met their fate not willing to compromise. If anything speaks volumes to the validity of the Gospel reality it is this. No one dies for a cause they don't believe in.

Some may argue that there have been other examples of religious sects that have collectively killed themselves. Or others may contend that jihadist radicals are willing to die for their causes as well but neither of these are in the same category as our saints of the Catholic church. Never has there been a suicide pact, or a suicide murder that was Catholic. No saint has ever been canonized for participating in such diabolical schemes. In all actuality the contrary is unilaterally the case. The martyrs have gone to their death in the face of opposition. Willing to die, perhaps yes, but wanting to live for Christ. The dynamic is totally different.

What does all of this mean to you? I believe it all comes down to virtue. Saints are made from heroic virtue. Sometimes that's a single incident of heroism. More often than not it's a continuum of little consistent virtues. Virtue is essentially forming good habits. Some of these habits can be mustered from sheer human determination, but in order to really be heroic we must cooperate with grace. Grace allows us to stretch beyond the natural to the truly supernatural. Hope is born from this supernatural grace, as is faith and love. Closing our hearts to this encounter may result in us being no stronger than the bribed Roman guards. What do we want to accept, a bribe or a gift of grace?

Good luck and God bless,

Leo Brown

Understanding Scripture?

What if it IS True? Blog

Discovering, wrestling with, and trying like crazy to live Gospel virtue.

04/20/14

John 20:1-9

On the first day of the week,
Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning,
while it was still dark, 
and saw the stone removed from the tomb.
So she ran and went to Simon Peter 
and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, 
“They have taken the Lord from the tomb, 
and we don’t know where they put him.”
So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb.
They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter 
and arrived at the tomb first; 
he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in.
When Simon Peter arrived after him, 
he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there, 
and the cloth that had covered his head, 
not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.
Then the other disciple also went in, 
the one who had arrived at the tomb first, 
and he saw and believed.
For they did not yet understand the Scripture 
that he had to rise from the dead.

The key in this passage for me is “did not yet understand the Scripture”. Who does, really? You may ask. I would hope that we all can, at least a little better than we do now. That's why we at Real Life Radio have begun promoting a small group prayer method known as GPS. GPS stands for Gospel Prayer Solution and it's a simple way of gathering with friends, looking ahead to the upcoming Gospel reading for mass and trying to understand it better with reading, reflection and sharing. The GPS method borrows from ancient forms of Catholic prayer, but adds a very specific formula in order to arrive at something more than mere faith sharing. In order for GPS to be effective the participant must arrive at a personal mission.

There have been numerous books, lectures, blogs and articles regrading the New Evangelization. But in my experience there has yet to be anything that offers a practical “how to”. I've seen a lot of “this is what needs to be done” type of approaches, but for me many of these are no more practical than the bumper sticker that reads FREE TIBET. How am I supposed to do that? It's all great idealistically, but what do we realistically do?

I have personally spoken with a half a dozen pastors who have agreed to form and promote GPS groups in their parishes. The method has a built-in exponential growth component that gives me hope that with a few small seeds of enthusiasm we can actually see a growth curve that can begin to stem the challenge of “not understanding the scripture”. Our goal is to not only understand, but to hear and do the word of God through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

In my research I found a thriving evangelical ministry that sees their goal of balancing a person's faith life by bringing them into the discipleship triangle of Jesus, Community and Service. I love this approach. They know that their doors are opening every week to people who may be seeking one of these three areas but rarely are they fully discipled into balancing the triangle. GPS will do this as well. Potentially more effectively than the evangelical model because of the intentional growth element. Nonetheless, we have an opportunity to bring about the New Evangelization. We can re-evangelize the fallen away. We can strengthen our own faith in the process and we can do all of this through the grace of the risen Lord through this Easter season. Pray about this and consider joining us.

Good luck and God bless,

Leo Brown

Go Easter.

What if it IS True? Blog

Discovering, wrestling with, and trying like crazy to live Gospel virtue.

04/19/14

Matthew 28:1-10

After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning,
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.
And behold, there was a great earthquake; 
for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, 
approached, rolled back the stone, and sat upon it.
His appearance was like lightning
and his clothing was white as snow.
The guards were shaken with fear of him
and became like dead men.
Then the angel said to the women in reply,
“Do not be afraid!
I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified.
He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said.
Come and see the place where he lay.
Then go quickly and tell his disciples,
‘He has been raised from the dead, 
and he is going before you to Galilee;
there you will see him.’
Behold, I have told you.”
Then they went away quickly from the tomb, 
fearful yet overjoyed,
and ran to announce this to his disciples.
And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them.
They approached, embraced his feet, and did him homage.
Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid.
Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee,
and there they will see me.”

This is the vigil. It's Easter eve. This Gospel reflection is reflecting on one of the shortest readings of the vigil's liturgy. Yet, as is invariably the case, the Gospel is where it all comes together. This is what we've been waiting for the entire time of lent. Christ is risen. But what happens if we leave it all there. We can celebrate. We can thank our lucky stars. We can finally eat those things we've given up for lent. But is that all?

The key that I see in this passage isn't about celebrating our good fortune at all. It's all about what Jesus says at the end of this passage, “Go and tell”. Easter is a beautiful opportunity to bask in the radiance of the risen Lord, no doubt. But if in our basking we forget to “GO” what good have we done? Christ commanded us to love him and love others. We show our love in our obedience, and we're only obedient when we act on what he's told us to do.

Yes, Easter is a celebration. But let's not leave it there. If we're enthused we need to show it. If we show it by building relationship with others, loving them as we're commanded and through an intentional but gradual process of introducing the life change we've experienced we will be showing our obedience. You don't have to go door to door. You don't have to preach on street corners, you don't have to hit people on the head with your bible. You simply need to go. Go and build relationships and by doing so let others see the resurrected Christ that dwells within you. Now that's an Easter celebration.

Good luck and God bless,

Leo Brown

Good Arimathea.

What if it IS True? Blog

Discovering, wrestling with, and trying like crazy to live Gospel virtue.

04/18/14

John 18:1-19:42

Jesus went out with his disciples across the Kidron valley
to where there was a garden,
into which he and his disciples entered.
Judas his betrayer also knew the place,
because Jesus had often met there with his disciples.
So Judas got a band of soldiers and guards
from the chief priests and the Pharisees
and went there with lanterns, torches, and weapons.
Jesus, knowing everything that was going to happen to him,
went out and said to them, “Whom are you looking for?”
They answered him, “Jesus the Nazorean.”
He said to them, “I AM.”
Judas his betrayer was also with them.
When he said to them, “I AM, “
they turned away and fell to the ground.
So he again asked them,
“Whom are you looking for?”
They said, “Jesus the Nazorean.”
Jesus answered,
“I told you that I AM.
So if you are looking for me, let these men go.”
This was to fulfill what he had said,
“I have not lost any of those you gave me.”
Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it,
struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear.
The slave’s name was Malchus.
Jesus said to Peter,
“Put your sword into its scabbard.
Shall I not drink the cup that the Father gave me?”

So the band of soldiers, the tribune, and the Jewish guards seized Jesus,
bound him, and brought him to Annas first.
He was the father-in-law of Caiaphas,
who was high priest that year.
It was Caiaphas who had counseled the Jews
that it was better that one man should die rather than the people.

Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus.
Now the other disciple was known to the high priest,
and he entered the courtyard of the high priest with Jesus.
But Peter stood at the gate outside.
So the other disciple, the acquaintance of the high priest,
went out and spoke to the gatekeeper and brought Peter in.
Then the maid who was the gatekeeper said to Peter,
“You are not one of this man’s disciples, are you?”
He said, “I am not.”
Now the slaves and the guards were standing around a charcoal fire
that they had made, because it was cold,
and were warming themselves.
Peter was also standing there keeping warm.

The high priest questioned Jesus
about his disciples and about his doctrine.
Jesus answered him,
“I have spoken publicly to the world.
I have always taught in a synagogue
or in the temple area where all the Jews gather,
and in secret I have said nothing. Why ask me?
Ask those who heard me what I said to them.
They know what I said.”
When he had said this,
one of the temple guards standing there struck Jesus and said,
“Is this the way you answer the high priest?”
Jesus answered him,
“If I have spoken wrongly, testify to the wrong;
but if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?”
Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

Now Simon Peter was standing there keeping warm.
And they said to him,
“You are not one of his disciples, are you?”
He denied it and said,
“I am not.”
One of the slaves of the high priest,
a relative of the one whose ear Peter had cut off, said,
“Didn’t I see you in the garden with him?”
Again Peter denied it.
And immediately the cock crowed.

Then they brought Jesus from Caiaphas to the praetorium.
It was morning.
And they themselves did not enter the praetorium,
in order not to be defiled so that they could eat the Passover.
So Pilate came out to them and said,
“What charge do you bring against this man?”
They answered and said to him,
“If he were not a criminal,
we would not have handed him over to you.”
At this, Pilate said to them,
“Take him yourselves, and judge him according to your law.”
The Jews answered him,
“We do not have the right to execute anyone,”
in order that the word of Jesus might be fulfilled
that he said indicating the kind of death he would die.
So Pilate went back into the praetorium
and summoned Jesus and said to him,
“Are you the King of the Jews?”
Jesus answered,
“Do you say this on your own
or have others told you about me?”
Pilate answered,
“I am not a Jew, am I?
Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me.
What have you done?”
Jesus answered,
“My kingdom does not belong to this world.
If my kingdom did belong to this world,
my attendants would be fighting
to keep me from being handed over to the Jews.
But as it is, my kingdom is not here.”
So Pilate said to him,
“Then you are a king?”
Jesus answered,
“You say I am a king.
For this I was born and for this I came into the world,
to testify to the truth.
Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”
Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”

When he had said this,
he again went out to the Jews and said to them,
“I find no guilt in him.
But you have a custom that I release one prisoner to you at Passover.
Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”
They cried out again,
“Not this one but Barabbas!”
Now Barabbas was a revolutionary.

Then Pilate took Jesus and had him scourged.
And the soldiers wove a crown out of thorns and placed it on his head,
and clothed him in a purple cloak,
and they came to him and said,
“Hail, King of the Jews!”
And they struck him repeatedly.
Once more Pilate went out and said to them,
“Look, I am bringing him out to you,
so that you may know that I find no guilt in him.”
So Jesus came out,
wearing the crown of thorns and the purple cloak.
And he said to them, “Behold, the man!”
When the chief priests and the guards saw him they cried out,
“Crucify him, crucify him!”
Pilate said to them,
“Take him yourselves and crucify him.
I find no guilt in him.”
The Jews answered,
“We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die,
because he made himself the Son of God.”
Now when Pilate heard this statement,
he became even more afraid,
and went back into the praetorium and said to Jesus,
“Where are you from?”
Jesus did not answer him.
So Pilate said to him,
“Do you not speak to me?
Do you not know that I have power to release you
and I have power to crucify you?”
Jesus answered him,
“You would have no power over me
if it had not been given to you from above.
For this reason the one who handed me over to you
has the greater sin.”
Consequently, Pilate tried to release him; but the Jews cried out,
“If you release him, you are not a Friend of Caesar.
Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar.”

When Pilate heard these words he brought Jesus out
and seated him on the judge’s bench
in the place called Stone Pavement, in Hebrew, Gabbatha.
It was preparation day for Passover, and it was about noon.
And he said to the Jews,
“Behold, your king!”
They cried out,
“Take him away, take him away! Crucify him!”
Pilate said to them,
“Shall I crucify your king?”
The chief priests answered,
“We have no king but Caesar.”
Then he handed him over to them to be crucified.

So they took Jesus, and, carrying the cross himself,
he went out to what is called the Place of the Skull,
in Hebrew, Golgotha.
There they crucified him, and with him two others,
one on either side, with Jesus in the middle.
Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross.
It read,
“Jesus the Nazorean, the King of the Jews.”
Now many of the Jews read this inscription,
because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city;
and it was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek.
So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate,
“Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’
but that he said, ‘I am the King of the Jews’.”
Pilate answered,
“What I have written, I have written.”

When the soldiers had crucified Jesus,
they took his clothes and divided them into four shares,
a share for each soldier.
They also took his tunic, but the tunic was seamless,
woven in one piece from the top down.
So they said to one another,
“Let’s not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it will be, “
in order that the passage of Scripture might be fulfilled that says:They divided my garments among them,
and for my vesture they cast lots.
This is what the soldiers did.
Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother
and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas,
and Mary of Magdala.
When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved
he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.”
Then he said to the disciple,
“Behold, your mother.”
And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

After this, aware that everything was now finished,
in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled,
Jesus said, “I thirst.”
There was a vessel filled with common wine.
So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop
and put it up to his mouth.
When Jesus had taken the wine, he said,
“It is finished.”
And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.
Here all kneel and pause for a short time.

Now since it was preparation day,
in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath,
for the sabbath day of that week was a solemn one,
the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken
and that they be taken down.
So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first
and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus.
But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead,
they did not break his legs,
but one soldier thrust his lance into his side,
and immediately blood and water flowed out.
An eyewitness has testified, and his testimony is true;
he knows that he is speaking the truth,
so that you also may come to believe.
For this happened so that the Scripture passage might be fulfilled:Not a bone of it will be broken.
And again another passage says:They will look upon him whom they have pierced.

After this, Joseph of Arimathea,
secretly a disciple of Jesus for fear of the Jews,
asked Pilate if he could remove the body of Jesus.
And Pilate permitted it.
So he came and took his body.
Nicodemus, the one who had first come to him at night,
also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes
weighing about one hundred pounds.
They took the body of Jesus
and bound it with burial cloths along with the spices,
according to the Jewish burial custom.
Now in the place where he had been crucified there was a garden,
and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had yet been buried.
So they laid Jesus there because of the Jewish preparation day;
for the tomb was close by.

In this Good Friday account of the betrayal, arrest, crucifixion and burial of Jesus one element remains most mysterious to me. Who is Joseph of Arimathea? Interestingly the name Joseph means “he will add”. Seeing as how this name is associated with some of the most pivotal characters in the bible it's little wonder that God would choose to use an “additional” Joseph to this scenario. This Joseph adds a great deal for us to know so little about him. Little is know about St. Joseph but it's volumes compared to this. Nonetheless, so much of what takes place at the end of Christ's earthly life is added to by Joseph of Arimathea.

What are we to learn from this? Let's look first at the allegory of the upper room. When I say allegory I am referring to the fact that something true can present a metaphor for us to apply somewhere else. This is allegory. Analogy is quite different. I think many may get those confused and assume that if your talking allegory and metaphor that you must not believe in the facts of the matter. Not the case at all. We can quite safely look at every fact of salvation history and apply it allegorically. So with that said, let's look at the upper room. Here's the place that Joseph of Arimathea had prepared for their celebration of the Passover. So how do we prepare? What are we doing in our lives that open the doors to Christ? This is a consideration we all need to think about.

Then there's the beautiful illustration of charity in Joseph of Arimathea allowing the use of his tomb. Burial tombs were places of families. These weren't traditionally open to those outside of the bloodline. There is some speculation that since this was a new tomb that the same tradition may not have applied. I don't see that matters. It was intended for Joseph of Arimathea and his descendants. It was new likely because of new wealth. So what does this say to us? We have the new wealth of grace and by cooperating with that grace Christ has gone to the tomb ahead of us. And, most beautifully, found that the grave is not a permanent place. This is our decision as it was Joseph's. Will we invite Jesus to take our place or not?

It's Good Friday. Death is inevitable, actual and metaphorical. If we allow Christ into that death we're assured of and Easter Sunday. If not, there's not evan a tomorrow.

Good luck and God bless,

Leo Brown