This past week, Pope Francis has witnessed to us the merciful love of Jesus.

From the Gospel, John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.”

Jesus gets right to the point with his apostles who don’t want outsiders grabbing the glory that belongs to them as Jesus’ hand-picked assistants.  Tell those outliers not to work miracles in Jesus’ name.  They aren’t part of the franchise.

But Jesus chides them for their smallness and reminds that the Spirit is always bigger than our group or our plans.  God is free to pour out grace and power on anyone who will use it for good.

Additionally, we find in the Gospel that God wants us to care for the weak, to sustain the little ones who believe in me.  God asks us to live our faith, to nurture the vulnerable, not just talk about the faith or interpret it.

This week with the presence of Pope Francis, we have beautifully witnessed to our better angels as a Church, to listen to our calling to be disciples of Jesus.  Pope Francis has led the way.  He witnesses to us the merciful love of Jesus.  In his address to the Congress, he referenced four great Americans:  Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Dorothy Day, and Thomas Merton.  Pope Francis’s heroes are Abraham Lincoln who was the guardian of our nation’s liberty and who worked tirelessly that our nation under God might have a new birth of freedom;  Martin Luther who calls to move beyond our prejudice and small-mindedness and to a spirit of solidarity with one another; Dorothy Day a political activist who called us to a sense of social justice in sheltering the homeless and feeding the hungry in the Catholic  Worker Movement; and Thomas Merton, a man of deep prayer, who called us to dialogue with people of other faith traditions.

The person I would reference for our inspiration is Pope Francis.  I have been so moved and so inspired by this simple, humble man of God.  He as touched our hearts by his words and his life that so reflect the message of Jesus.  He is the Vicar of Christ, and he is our North Star to a Gospel way of living.

The very best motivation I can give you to be generous to the CMA is the witness and the commitment of Pope Francis.  This man, Pope Francis, calls us in our discipleship of the Lord Jesus, to give ourselves in the service of the poor and the needy.  The purpose of our CMA giving is to do what Pope Francis has asked to do --   share what we have in the service of others.  Love is the first requirement of the disciples of Jesus.  Our love is to be shown with our generosity.

Pope Francis’s address to Congress was so Gospel-like in its simplicity and strength.  On the question of immigration, the important question was not whether people are legal or illegal; the important question is that immigrants, like all of us, are God’s beloved – make in the image and likeness of God.  We are all brothers and sisters who need to dialogue, welcome, and embrace one another.  The same goes for his defense of the unborn and his push for the abolition of the death penalty.  All life is sacred, and we need to uphold the dignity of one and all.

God calls all people to be part of the kingdom without making distinctions among groups, races, or nationalities.

Pope Francis called us to a politics of mercy, a politics of dialogue, a politics of peace.  Pope Francis is spiritual to his core.  His Christ-like spirituality touches us with his humanness and his compassionate spirit.   He called us to a spirituality of service, a spirituality of love.  He is the moral voice that is so needed in our country.  He wants us to engage and dialogue with one another. No one is to be excluded.  We are to be stewards of the common good.  Instead of fighting and being negative and judgmental, he wants us to engage and dialogue with one another.

Pope Francis called us to be mindful that we are a land of dreams.  This was the vision of our founding fathers and mothers.  May we continue to be a land of dreams for our youth.  May our souls be touched by the spirit of Jesus that is within us that calls to value the dignity of each and every person on the face of this planet.

Pope Francis is our icon as a prophet of reconciliation and of peace.  His message is the message of Jesus.

In the second reading from the Letter of James, James criticizes those who have become wealthy by taking advantages of others.  Pope Francis calls us who have been financially blessed to an accountability to share with those who are in need.  Our discipleship of Jesus demands our generosity.  “By this all shall know you are my disciples your love for one another.”

This love for one another isn’t just about words or feelings; it is about our actions, our commitment to serve one another.

One of the most touching events of Pope Francis’ pilgrimage to our soil was what he did after his powerful and inspiring message to Congress.  Instead of wining and dining with the rich and powerful of our Washington elite, he went to a homeless shelter to serve God’s poor.  Pope Francis was in his element serving and befriending the hungry and the homeless.

We, as the faith community of St Joseph’s, need to do likewise.  Our mission is to reach out beyond ourselves in the service of others -- in our CMA commitment and also in the ways we serve those who are in need among us.

At the interfaith prayer zero at Ground Zero, the youth choir sang so beautifully:  “Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.”  Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with the faith community of St Joseph’s.  Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with our faith and trust in God’s unending love for us.

Pope Francis declares a kairos of mercy -- a privileged moment in God's plan of salvation.

If the Lord never tires of forgiving, we the Church who carry on  the mission of Jesus need never tire of proclaiming the mercy and forgiveness of God.  Pope Francis is our North Star in witnessing  to God's unending mercy for us.  As a minister of the Gospel, Pope Francis understands that he must pronounce both God's judgment and mercy on a fallen world.

Pope Francis thinks that the judgment of the church is clear; it's time to experience the mercy of God through a merciful and forgiving Church.  Immersing ourselves in the joy of the Gospel, may we be a Church of Mercy to all who stand in need.

As Pope Francis comes to Washington, New York City, and Philadelphia this week, may we be challenged by the Pope's message on capitalism, immigration, climate change, and family life.  Yes, the Pope will comfort the afflicted.  He will also afflict the comfortable.

May we pray with and for Pope Francis that he will be filled with the wisdom and the grace of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus asks us: "Who do you say that I am?"

From today's Gospel, Jesus asks his disciples two questions:

               Who do people say that I am?

               Who do you say that I am?

This Wednesday Evening, we have the televised presidential debates in which some 15 republican presidential candidates will be answering these questions in so many words as they hope to persuade us that they are the right candidate to become the next president of the United States.

We will be challenged to vote for the candidate who has the values and the policies that we are looking for in the next president.

Next week, Pope Francis will be coming to Cuba and the United States visiting Washington, New York City, and Philadelphia.  As he addresses the Congress, the President, the United Nations, the American Bishops, and the World Meeting of Families of Philadelphia, we will come to know even more deeply who Pope Francis is and how he teaches the meaning of being a disciple of the Lord Jesus.  Pope Francis in declaring next year an extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy places mercy towards others as the beginning and the center of the rule of life for the disciples of Jesus.  Churches that do not open their doors to one and all are museums.  Also, Pope Francis is emphasizing the importance of family life.  Are families are holy,  and all families are God’s beloved families.

I invite you to compare and contrast the message of Pope Francis and the message of our presidential candidates as they communicate who they are and what they stand for.

When Jesus asked his disciples “Who do you say that I am?”  Peter responded:  “You are the Christ.”  Peter was right, but not right enough.  Peter has the right answer, but not the right meaning.  Peter had hoped that the long-awaited Messiah was to be regal, powerful, and a strong leader.   Peter did not understand the words of Jesus that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected and be killed and rise after three days.

Unaware, as yet, of the true nature of Jesus’ identity, Peter tried to set aside the unthinkable notion of a suffering Christ.  Jesus was explaining to his disciples his upcoming suffering, passion, death and resurrection.   For Jesus this is what the meaning of Messiah is, and this is the straight truth.

There is a crossroads in the journey of faith for many of us in our discipleship of the Lord Jesus.  We encounter that crossroads when we personally have to deal with suffering and struggle.  Sometimes that suffering is of our own doing -- dealing with the weaknesses and the demons within each of us – or sometimes the suffering comes from having to deal with realities we cannot control or manage -- as in illnesses or death of someone close to us.

In the face of dealing with life’s struggles, what happens to the piety and the prayerfulness of days gone by?  In speaking to the first disciples, Jesus is saying you indeed will experience rejection, the cross, and ultimately death.  This is the meaning of discipleship.  What is our understanding of our discipleship of the Lord Jesus?

As a parent, how do you handle suffering in the life of your son or daughter?  Perhaps the suffering that comes from their dealing with their own demons, or the suffering that is beyond our control such as a health issue or the suffering that comes from how they are treated or mistreated by others?  How do you come to terms with the unfairness of life?  There is a side of every parent that does not want to see their child suffer.  It hurts – for your son or daughter and it certainly hurts for you as well.  But unless you know something that I don’t know, none of us can put a shield around another that protects them from all suffering.

The deal for you as parents and for all of us as the disciples of Jesus is twofold:  yes, we will have to wrestle with the deepest meaning of life when we struggle and are in pain; and yes, the Lord Jesus and the Church that carries on the mission of the Lord Jesus will be with us every step of the way showering us with the compassion, the healing, and the love of Jesus.

In God’s eyes, no one is ever lost – not through death, not through illness, not though sinfulness.  Everyone is worthy of being immersed in the mystery of God’s love.

The Scriptures today are teaching us about the meaning of discipleship.  In what situations of life are you willing to embrace suffering as a means of embracing the cross in your journey of discipleship?   In the big picture, denying yourself and taking the cross is far more than giving up candy during Lent.  It is a complete reordering of our principles and priorities in order to “restart “baptismal commitment.  Turning away from self-centeredness, we embrace other-centeredness and God-centeredness.

            --There is no one we will not forgive.

            --We are committed to share what we have in the service of others.

            --We are simply going to be kind to each person we share life with today.

            --Prayer, our relationship with the Lord, is going to b e a daily part of our DNA.

May we restart our baptismal commitment by seeking to serve, rather than being served, and by our willingness to deny our self so that we can more fully embrace our discipleship of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Today’s Liturgy of the Word presents a compassionate God who unmistakably says that all lives matter.  God makes no distinctions between classes of people.  The Scriptures reveal a God who makes the poor rich in faith.

In the first Scripture reading from the prophet Isaiah,  “Thus says the Lord:  Say to those whose hearts are frightened:  Be strong, fear not!  Here is your God, He comes to save you.”

Isaiah serves as God’s mouthpiece, encouraging the people to be stronger than their fears because God is coming to save.  This is such an important truth that is to mark our discipleship of the Lord Jesus.  We are to be stronger than our fears.

The fear the Israelites were told to avoid was the paralysis that comes from relying on self rather than on God; this is the type of fear that strangles faith and prevents growth.  Fear not, urged the ancient prophet.  Look instead at God, who comes to save.

How does it go with the fears of our lives?  Do you have a fear that you don’t have the finances that you need?  Do you have a fear about a brokenness in a significant relationship?  Do you have a health fear for yourself or someone you love?  Do you have a fear that your addiction is getting the best of you?

May these fears be transformed into a trust that through God’s grace we are stronger than our fears.

In the Letter of James, the apostle is clear:  Show no partiality as you adhere to the faith.  It is our blessing to serve the needs of one and all regardless of how they are dressed or regardless of their social status.  God chooses the poor to enjoy the gift of faith and become heirs of the kingdom.

In the Gospel, the people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged Jesus to lay his hand on him. 

There is a simple challenge for all of us in this one sentence.  Have we brought anyone to Jesus lately, physically and in prayer?  Is there anyone we should invite and pray for?  Do you have anyone you would recommend to participate in the parish RCIA?

All of us are missioned to bring people to Jesus.  As a parent, you are missioned to bring your children to Jesus.  As a community of faith, we are missioned to help bring each other to the Lord.

A second sentence in the Gospel worth noting:  “Then Jesus took the man with the speech impediment off by himself away from the crowd.“

Do you ever think that Jesus is eager to lead you off by yourself and away from the crowd.  If only we allow him.  There, in quiet intimacy, he invites us to show him our deepest wound, our greatest need, our most shameful sin.  When we dare to do so, we are met with no reproach, no condescension , no impatience.  On the contrary, we are welcomed with love, tended with prayer and patience and either healed or made stronger for the burden that is ours to bear.

In your prayer, allow yourself to be alone with Jesus.  Speak to him from your heart and allow God’s unconditional love to be showered upon you.

In the sacrament of his Baptism, the newly baptized is blessed on his ear so that he will always be able to hear the Word of God throughout his life.  What an awesome God.  As the community of the baptized, we have all received this blessing on our ears to hear God’s Word throughout our lives.

But like the deaf person in the Gospel account, we sometimes have a hearing failure.  And I don’t mean that it is a defect in our mike system – that occasionally happens.  What I mean is that we can too easily have a spiritual hearing impediment that keeps from hearing the Word of God in our lives.

Hearing isn’t just a physical act.  We hear a lot of things and don’t really listen to the one who is speaking.  All of us received that blessing of our ears on the day of our baptism.  The journey of faith for all of us is to actualize more and more the grace given to us at our Baptism.  We are God’s beloved sons and daughters.  The love of God lies deep within our hearts.  The blessing on our ears to hear and respond to the Word of God is a lifelong process.

Genuine listening is one of the greatest acts of generous love.  We indeed know we are loved when we are listened to.  May we listen to the Word of God that comes in the Scriptures.   May we listen with great love to our God and to one another.

 Our smart phones are the way many of us communicate by text and email with one another, is it not.  Our phones are very, very smart.  How many of us email and text one another several times during the day.  Would that we have a spiritual smart phone in which we text and email Jesus several times during the day.  And yet, this is the meaning of prayer.  Our spiritual smart phone is located deep within us  --  in our hearts.

May we rely on our spiritual smart phone of our prayer life as often as text and email our best friends.

As is spoken in the children’s classic The Little Prince, “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly.  What is essential is invisible to the eye.”

The miracle of the cure of the deaf person serves as a call to all of us not to be deaf of the message of the Gospel.  In the Gospel man, the first word that was heard by the one who was healed was:  “Ephphatha --  that is, be opened.”  That word is spoken to us as well today:  Ephphatha --  Be Opened.  Be open to hearing and listening to the Word of God.  How is the Lord speaking to me today and how is the Lord speaking to you today and how is the Lord speaking to us together today as a community of faith?  The grace we ask for today is the grace of Ephphatha.

As the psalmist tells us:  If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.