The Angels of the Little Ones

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Not like a man with intellect and reason and experience, not like a seasoned veteran of war, not like a teacher with initials and degrees come down from the ivory tower, or even like a man who has run a business and shown a profit, but like a child, a little one, you must become. You must give up your airs, your status, your independence and control. You must be vulnerable. You must turn, repent, be converted and risk all on the simple trust that God is good, that He knows best, and that He will take care of you. That, dear friends, is faith.

So it is that greatness in the Kingdom of heaven is measured differently than greatness in the kingdoms of men. For the greatest and most wonderful thing in the Kingdom of heaven is the most despised and pitiable thing in the kingdoms of men, even the unjust, brutal, and bloody execution of Our Lord. In Christ's kingdom, where Grace rules, weakness is strength, poverty is riches, and dependence and vulnerability are virtues.

How Often Will He Forgive?

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Today, as we gather in the house of the Lord, we remember the events of September 11, 2001. It has been ten years, although to some it seems that time has stood still. Those directly and personally affected still reel from the aftermath of that day. Indeed, our entire nation, and the world, has been forever changed in so many ways.

That Tuesday morning introduced into the heart of America the fear of terrorism on our own soil. Many sat in disbelief at the idea that such an attack could happen in our land, the greatest nation on earth. There were many who became deathly afraid of flying afterward, and to this day, some will not take to the sky because of 9/11. Others fear to be in crowds, or in tall buildings, lest terrorists strike again in the same way. People are visibly uncomfortable sitting next to one who is perceived to look like a Muslim on an airplane or other public transit.

The Greatest in the Kingdom

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

In today's Gospel lesson, the disciples come to Jesus with a rather misguided, but all-too-common question. Their question is one that we all like to ask from time to time “Who is the greatest?” You and I all want to be the best, the brightest, the most successful, the greatest. Even if you cannot be the grade-A, certified best at everything, you still want to be the greatest at fill-in-the-blank.

Because of this compulsion, we have seen an explosion of self-esteem boosters, ranging from the cute and relatively benign to the just plain ridiculous. Go to a department store just before Mother's Day, and you will see the shelves littered with clothing and trinkets emblazoned with “#1 Mom”. Kids will squabble endlessly to win the title of “best friend”. Of course, these things are relatively harmless, but it doesn't stop there.