A - Fourth Sunday of Lent

Who is Jesus? This is the question that is asked of us today in our gospel reading, and this is the question that confronts those who appear in the story.   The gospel unfolds as Jesus gives sight to the man born blind.   Jesus tells his disciples that this miracle was for the purpose of making visible the work of God.   But this miraculous healing, rather than bringing all together in joyful celebration, causes divisions to appear.  We see the lackluster reaction of the neighbors who asked a few questions of the now healed beggar and then went on with life untouched by his witness story.  We see the response of the beggar’s fearful parents who would distance themselves from their son who now sees them for the very first time.  And we see how the unbelieving Pharisees would, not just reject the visible and merciful work of God but, accuse Jesus of being a sinner.   Indifference, fear, and outright rejection.  Who is Jesus the gospel asks us?  The neighbors say, we don’t really care.  The parents say, we are too afraid to even consider it.  The Pharisees say, he is a sinner.   And the beggar says, I believe Lord and worships him.   Who is Jesus and where are we in this crowd of witnesses?

Though physically healed the blind man will receive a significantly greater cure as he is also healed of his spiritual blindness.  This does not happen immediately but slowly as the man, grows in faith and confidence, proclaiming Jesus a prophet, then as one sent by God, and finally, as the Son of Man, who he worships.  In the process this beggar, now confident in his sight, is, as they say in England, a little cheeky with the Pharisees, “Do you want to become his disciples, too”, he says in response to their ongoing questions.    He is not afraid of ridicule, and he is not afraid of being turned out of the temple, unlike his parents who deflect the questions of the Pharisees fearing excommunication.  

The blind man’s anointing was the dirt mixed with saliva.  In baptism we too were anointed and so raised from the cold death of sin and darkness and into the light of Jesus Christ.  We hear this in the words of Paul as he writes, "Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead and Christ will give you light” – this light provides the grace for us to discern what pleases God.  In the blind man’s journey to profess Christ as Lord we should see our own journey of faith as we too grow in spiritual confidence.  Gathered today we all know and declare our believe in Jesus Christ and who he is.   Equipped by baptism we journey in faith with the blind man who grew more confident by sharing the faith that he had.  In receiving the light of our faith, we are entrusted to pass it on in word and deed.  Saint Francis tell us to, “Preach the Gospel at all times, and if necessary, use words”, but we also know he was a preacher speaking and sharing the gospel with the rich and those he met along the way.  He was not shy of sharing and proclaiming the good news in word, even to birds and animals we are told.  Today so many are fumbling around in the dark, bumping into things and hurting themselves and others.  Those we meet need to see the example of faith lived out well in each of us - that is true, but they also thirst, sometimes unknowingly, to hear who Jesus is – a healer, a prophet, the very one who gives light to life and without whom one remains truly lost and in the dark.   As situations present themselves, we can reflect the light of Christ.  This might be as simple as saying bless you when previously we said thank you.  Or in being kind to the one who needs to feel that someone cares.  Or if meeting a person critical of the church we can share our own story of healing, or transformation, or spiritual awakening.   We can share our church bulletin and show them how much good is happening in this local catholic church – something to be truly proud of.  

In ways small or big, we reflect the Light of Jesus Christ who is Lord.  As we enter this second half of Lent, we return to God with our whole heart.  We progress step by step, growing closer to Jesus who is our Light, our Hope, our Healer, and our Redeemer.   

Deacon Peter Bujwid, St., Agnes Parish, Arlington, Massachusetts
March 19th, 2023

A - First Sunday of Lent

Demons and Aliens. I recently heard a podcast in which one of the hosts noted that for some, anything that cannot be explained must be caused by demons or aliens. There are those who undoubtedly see demons, under every rock - from missing your train to losing your car keys, devils are at work. At the other extreme, are those who hold the notion that devils are, simply characters from a bygone age, or a fantasy imagined by primitive men, or an explanation for illness now better understood by way of science and medicine. But the devil and his demons, I am sure, bask in the possibilities of these two extreme perspectives. 

Let us be clear that the devil, or the tempter as he is called in today’s gospel, prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). The devil and his angels are spirits – they have no bodies. As with God’s angels and our guardian angels they are present at a particular location through an act of their will. Though spirit, they are not without limitation and are absolutely and totally subject to God’s authority and power. The devil himself is not God’s evil equivalent. These spirits are however wise, but not a Godly wisdom, an evil one that aims to tempt, trick, accuse, and murder, that which God loves – you and me. They are unable to know our thoughts – something only God can do, but they can observe us closely and individually. They know what we enjoy and what we do not, they can see what demoralizes us, what we are drawn to or repelled by, they know what sins we have committed by means of our actions or words. These aspects of our lives are open to them and can be used as weapons against us. They cajole us and tempt us to sin with lies that promise happiness or success or some other good, but once committed they turn on us to accuse us and steal our sense of peace, or to undermine our supernatural hope for salvation. We are certainly not to underestimate how devils may operate in our lives, but we are also not to overestimate their power. 

In our first reading we hear of the first temptation to sin in the Garden of Eden. In Eden, St. Ephraim would write, Adam and Eve knew nothing of nakedness since they were adorned with the glory of God himself. Our first parents would know God in a beautiful, and direct way. To these our first parents, Satan, the adversary, would come to challenge God’s authority and to kill what God deeply loved. For our sins do kill us – sometimes quickly and sometimes slowly, but as we read in Romans, the wages of sin is death. Let us not mince our words, the devil hates us, he hates you and he hates me because in us he sees the image of God. The devil hates God so into God’s perfect creation, Satan introduces sin and death - sin which takes us away from God and places us within Satan’s grasp. See how crafty Satan was by taking God’s words and shaping them for his purposes. He tempted Eve to the point where she convinces herself that the tree was good for food, pleasing to the eyes and desirable for gaining wisdom. And Adam too sinned by failing in his responsibilities to God, and to his wife, who he was to protect with his own life. Are we not all so very familiar with the tempter? Have we not all failed in the same way as Adam and Eve? In being tempted to sin we hear the words of a lie. This is good, you will not die, you will gain something. And we convince ourselves that these lies are true. And we too frequently give ourselves three good reasons as Eve did; I love this person why would I not live with them before marriage, we can save on the cost of housing while we plan our wedding, we can get to know each other better. Pick your example.

But even as this universal and catastrophic event unfolds in Eden the plan for salvation is set in motion. Jesus, the second Adam, is obedient to God to the very end, and by way of this obedience He wins for us the possibility of again knowing God as our first parents did prior to the Fall.

In his own temptation Jesus shows us how to respond when tempted by the flesh, the world, or the devil. The Word of God is to be our food. We do not test God by pursuing the empty promises of this world. And we serve and worship God only, regardless of the what the devil and his own may present to us. We possess a tremendous power in resisting temptation and evil; Mary our mother. When faced with temptation I run to Mary and bring the image to mind of her crushing the head of the serpent. With her assistance we take small steps towards holiness and leave sin behind.

Taking our Lenten disciplines seriously, we will find ourselves at times a little more exposed to the temptations of the flesh, the world, and the devil. Let us not be weak and give up easily. Know the devil is both tempter and liar. Go to Mary for help and the devil will flee. Most importantly go to the very heart of the matter – the central and pivotal place where angelic song so very easily drowns out the screams of frustrated, angry workers of evil. Make a date and go to confession since this is the greatest and mightiest weapon you and I have. In confession we are healed and forgiven and can walk once again in friendship, serenity, and peace with the Lord of our salvation. 

Deacon Peter Bujwid, St. Agnes Parish, Arlington, Massachusetts
February 26th, 2023

A - Ash Wednesday

“I am spiritual and not religious”.   I am sure you have heard this phrase before.  It means I remain unaffiliated with any sort of organized religion and yet I acknowledge the spiritual dimension.  As Catholics, we may all to quickly dismiss those who express this spiritual but not religious position.  They look at us as formal, organized, ritualistic, and we may look at them as unable to commit and place themselves under the discipline of a religious life.   They may look at themselves as highly spiritual and on a personal quest for the meaning of life and we look at ourselves as members of the family of God, loved and cared for.   Despite this two-camp mindset I would hazard to propose that there is more that unites us then separates us.   As Catholics we are members of a church that Jesus himself established. A church that guides our life journey and helps us to understand how to be faithful and moral.   These aspects are certainly for the good of one and all, but we are also to be deeply and firmly rooted in an active spiritual life.  The list of Catholic spiritual teachers and mystics is long and we as community are immersed weekly in the mysteries of our faith.   The spiritual depths and rewards are made available to us but frequently we fail to unwrap this most precious of gifts.  Our spiritual but non-religious friends may have something to teach us.  While they ponder what is truth or who is God, we may believe our duty in pursuing our God is finished by having attended Sunday Mass.    

Today we are making a simple yet important declaration of our desire to enter fully the Lenten season, so together with Jesus we too can die and rise again.   What we begin, our God will take and do something marvelous with.  What we begin, He will cultivate and prune for his purposes and for our fulfillment and happiness.   Our Lenten instructions are simple.  God tells us, return to me with all your heart, return to me with all your heart.   Weep and moan for your sin.  Be sorrowful, go to confession, for our Lord tells us, we are blessed, we are happy, when we mourn and are sorrowful.  It is in confession that we will find comfort.  Engage in the spiritual exercises of prayer, fasting and misgiving.     These are not simple suggestions but Lenten doorways by which we can know only more clearly the presence of God in our lives.  Our lives are to be holy, and prayer, fasting and alms-giving will help us to see where our spiritual lives need attention, mending, healing, forgiveness, and love.  Each day commit to doing one thing in each area – pray, fast, love.

So, today we find kinship with our, ‘not religious but spiritual’ friends.   The life of the Spirit, and the life in the spirit, is not alien to us, nor is it secondary but rather it is a source of inspiration and life.  This spirituality enriches our faith, strengthens us in our difficulties, resonates and informs our vocations, emboldens our community, empowers the whole church, and connects us to our awesome God.   This Lent, let us each be very clear on what we are doing and why so as not to let this precious time slip away without our attention.

I wish you a blessed and fruitful Lenten journey.

Deacon Peter – St., Agnes Parish, Arlington, Massachusetts
February 22nd, 2023