Pope Francis sits on a stage on Copacabana beach during the World Youth Day welcoming ceremony in Rio de Janeiro July 25. (CNS photo/Ricardo Moraes, Reuters) (July 25, 2013) See POPE-COPACABANA July 26, 2013, and POPE-BEACHJAM July 26, 2013.
I don’t know why, but this World Youth Day, I’ve been thinking a lot about the Cross. It is partly because the Cross is the symbol of WYD (very clearly displayed as the WYD Cross). But there are other reasons. I began this journey reflecting on the adventure of walking alongside Jesus hoping to encounter Jesus. At some point in that journey, we are bound to encounter the Cross.
The Feast of St. James was this past week on July 25, and I had the wonderful opportunity to be the Deacon of the Mass with Archbishop Mark Coleridge of Brisbane, Australia. Being up on stage in such a prominent role was an emotional experience. Coleridge spoke about martyrdom because St. James, the brother of St. John, was the first disciple to be martyred. He was beheaded by King Herod. But this is the disciple who asked Jesus if he and his brother could sit at His right and at His left. Jesus asks them if they are willing to drink from the same chalice that He will drink. They respond yes, not understanding at all what that meant. Surely, at the time of his martyrdom, St. James would have been reflecting on the journey of the last couple of years. Finally, understanding and filled with grace, he did drink of the chalice. His encounter with Christ meant giving it all. Archbishop Coleridge also reminded us of the tragic train derailment in Spain that had taken place that morning. Forty-five people lost their lives. They were on their way to Santiago de Compostela, where the shrine dedicated to St. James is located. Pilgrims on a journey lost their lives.
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Salt + Light Rio Team. Back row: Wally Tello, David Leross, Javier Capella. Front row: Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB, Deacon Pedro, Sebastian Gomes, Richard Valenti, Cheridan Sanders, Charles LeBourgeois, Joshua Lanzarini. Front: Alicia Ambrosio.
How fitting: We set off on our journey to Rio on the Feast of St. Bonaventure, literally “bona aventura” or good adventure. That’s what World Youth Day is: An adventure in faith. I wonder if that’s what the disciples were thinking as they made their way down from Galilee to Jerusalem with Jesus for that fateful Passover.
I thought of that last Sunday. For the last couple of weeks we’ve been listening to various readings from the Gospel of Luke. In them, Jesus is teaching the disciples what it means to be a disciple. He tells them it means to pick up your cross; it means to deny yourself. And then he sends them out; first the twelve and then the seventy-two. They go out on a mission to proclaim the Kingdom of God and they do that by healing the sick, caring for the afflicted and expelling evil spirits.
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A reflection for the 12th Sunday, Ordinary Time, Year C
Zechariah 12:10-11; Psalm: 63; Galatians 3:26-29; Luke 9:18-24
Whenever I interview someone for a TV or Radio show, often I ask them how they want to be introduced. I am always interested in how they introduce themselves. Of course, most of the time it has to do with the context of the interview so they introduce themselves by what they do: “I’m a professor of theology” or “I’m a Canon Lawyer” or “I’m the Bishop of Whitehorse.” Sometimes it’s who they are, “I’m a priest” or “a Carmelite nun” or where they are from, “I’m a Jesuit from Malta.” I’ve been amazed at people who introduce themselves as parents, “I’m a dad” or “I’m a husband” or “wife.” “I’m a grandparent.” I am a husband, a father of two boys, a deacon, a film and TV producer, I host a TV and a radio program, I work at Salt + Light Media and I am from Panama. I live north of Toronto, I am dog owner and I love pizza.” How you introduce yourself will depend on the context of the conversation or the relationship, but who do you say that you are to yourself? When you are alone, who do you say that you are? When you are alone at prayer, who do you say that you are to God?
Today Jesus asks his disciples, who they say that He is. We’ve all heard this story many times, because it’s in all three synoptic Gospels, Matthew (16:13-20), Mark (8:27-30) and Luke (9:18-24). Jesus asks, “Who do you say that I am,” and Peter answers correctly, “You are the Christ.” But in Luke’s version of the story, Jesus goes straight to the point. There is no praise for Peter, as there is in Matthew, “Blessed are you Simon, son of Jonah… You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church.” And there is no rebuke of Peter when he refuses to accept the suffering of Jesus as in Matthew and Mark, “get behind me Satan.” Luke goes to the heart of the matter. Jesus doesn’t deny that he’s the Christ (in fact, the term “Son of Man” referred to the Messianic figure) and tells them what it means that He is the Christ, “the Son of Man must suffer, be rejected, be killed and be raised on the third day.” (Lk 9:22) This made no sense to the disciples. This didn’t fit with their idea of Messiah.
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I wrote this in March 2010 as an opening commentary for the SLHOUR. I don’t think I ever published it, but it is as relevant today as it always will be. Happy Father’s Day!
I believe that the most important job I will ever do is be a Dad to my children.
Last week I reluctantly agreed to take my two boys mini-golfing. I had work to do, but I figured this was more important. My youngest son, Daniel was having a hard time with one of the holes and so I stood in a place where his ball would hit my foot and bounce in the hole. Daniel was thrilled.
My older son, Nicolas asked if I had stood there on purpose. I asked him why I would do that and he responded, “Because you are a good father”.
When I was little, I used to have a story about a bunny who everyone asked what he wanted to be when he grew up: A firefighter, a construction worker? No, what the little bunny wanted to be was a daddy bunny. That last image of that story- of a Dad bunny putting his little bunnies to bed is engraved in my mind. I wanted to be that Daddy Bunny. I have always wanted to be a Dad.
But being a Dad is more than just having children. You actually have to bring them up as well. And that’s when it gets tough. In many ways, I believe, in this day and age, the odds are against us parents.
In my dreams I have a fantasy that my boss is requiring me to spend more time in the office and I tell him that I can’t and so I quit, so I can be home with my kids. Thankfully this is just a fantasy. My wife and I have been lucky to have jobs that allow us to spend time at home with our kids.
But spending time with them is not enough. We are also responsible for them. One thing I believe is that ultimately it doesn’t matter whether we say yes or no to our kids. What matters is that we make the decision in a way that will show them that we care about what they think and feel. When they grow up, they won’t remember whether we let them stay out late or not, they’ll remember that we cared about them enough to listen to them and to take the time.
But just loving your kids is not enough. We have to teach them values – but how? I believe values are not taught to kids, values are caught by kids. They learn our values by watching and listening to us – which is why if I am not home, they are not watching and listening to me – they are catching the values of someone else – or from the TV – so I try to be with them as much as possible and to live my life as best I can so they see and learn what kind of man I am. Hopefully, it’s the kind of man that they’ll want to be one day.
I believe that if I spend too much time trying to make money so I can take the kids to Disney World, or move to a bigger house – the time will fly and we’ll never do those things, and before I know it – I didn’t even spend time with them.
I don’t remember caring about not having the things that other kids had – but I do remember playing catch with my dad – I remember him taking us to the little amusement park in town. And I hope those are the things he remembers too – because, at the time of death, it won’t matter how much money I made, or how many projects I completed. It won’t matter how big my house was or whether we went to Disney World or not. What will matter is what kind of Dad I was and what my kids think of me.
What will matter is what kind of men they grow up to be.
If they think of me as a “good Father”, that’s a good life lived.
