Homily 2026 04 19 - Luke 24:13–35 - The Road to Emmaus - Recognizing Christ in Our Lives

 Homily  Luke 24:13–35

April 19, 2026
“Recognizing Christ in Our Lives.”
The Road to Emmaus

Deacon David Lewis
Saint Charles Catholic Church, Imperial Beach,  CA

“Were not our hearts burning within us?”

Today we walk the road to Emmaus. Two disciples, hearts heavy, hopes shattered, walk away from Jerusalem. They walk away from the place where they thought God would act. They walk away from the Cross, away from the empty tomb, away from the community of believers.

And yet—Jesus walks right beside them. And they don’t even recognize Him.

This Gospel is not just a story about two disciples 2,000 years ago. It is a story about us. Because Christ is constantly present in our lives—in ways we often fail to see, fail to acknowledge, or we just simply overlook.

Today I want to reflect on three ways Christ walks with us, often unnoticed:

1. Christ present in the ordinary encounters of daily life
2. Christ present in our blessings and graces
3. Christ present in our struggles and crosses
4. And finally, Christ present—fully, unmistakably—in the Breaking of the Bread – The Eucharist

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1. First, we can see Christ present in the ordinary encounters of daily life

The disciples as they walk on the road to Emmaus are joined by a stranger. They don’t expect Jesus, so they don’t see Jesus.

How often does that happen to us?

Think of the neighbor who waves at you every morning. The coworker who asks how you’re doing. The person in the grocery store who lets you go ahead of them in line. The elderly woman who tells you she’s praying for you. The child who smiles at you for no reason.

We brush these moments off as, just “nice,” but they are more than that. They are sacramental moments—small, quiet epiphanies of Christ’s presence.

I remember one morning, I couldn’t have been more than 20 years old, as I was walking down the sidewalk toward the trolley stop to go to work… I wasn’t in a bad mood, but I must have had a grumpy face. A young mother pushing her child in a stroller passed by me, and gently and cheerfully said, don’t forget to smile. I had nothing to be angry or even downcast about, I was simply just, I believe now-a-days they would say “meh!” But this one moment, this one utterance by a stranger, changed my day for the better. 36 years have gone by and I still talk about this encounter with a stranger and how her simple act brought joy into my life.

Christ was present. But it would take years for me to realize it, I didn’t recognize Him.

How many times has Christ walked beside us in the form of a neighbor, a friend, a stranger—and we didn’t see it? And how often have we failed to be Christ to others with a simple act?

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2. Second, we can see Christ present in our blessings and graces

The disciples say, “We were hoping…” They had expectations of how God should act. And because God didn’t act according to their script, they missed Him.

We do the same.

We pray for a miracle, and God gives us endurance. We pray for a sign, and God gives us a person. We pray for clarity, and God gives us time. We pray for strength, and God gives us a challenge that builds it.

Christ is present in every blessing— in the roof over your head, the breath in your lungs, the food on your table, the people who love you, the opportunities you’ve been given, the talents you’ve received.

But we often treat these blessings as ordinary, as expected, as “just life.”

We forget that every good thing is a kiss from God.

The disciples walked with the Resurrection Himself and thought He was just another traveler. We walk with blessings every day and think they are just coincidences.

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3. We can also see Christ present in our struggles and crosses

This is probably the hardest one.

The disciples were grieving. They were confused. They were disappointed. They were hurting.

And Jesus walked with them there—in the pain, not after it.

Christ is present not only in our joys but in our wounds:

• In the illness that humbles us
• In the financial struggle that teaches us trust
• In the family conflict that calls us to patience
• In the loneliness that drives us to prayer
• In the failure that purifies our pride
• In the grief that opens our hearts to compassion

We often ask, “Where is God?” But the Emmaus story tells us: He is right beside us, even when our eyes cannot see.

Sometimes Christ is closest when we feel Him least.

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5.      And of course we can see Christ present in the Breaking of the Bread

The turning point of the Gospel is not the conversation on the road. It is not the explanation of Scripture. It is not the disciples’ hospitality.

It is the Breaking of the Bread.

“He took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened.”

This is not accidental. This is Eucharistic language. This is the language of the Mass.

The early Church knew exactly what Luke was saying: We recognize Jesus most clearly in the Eucharist.

And here is where the Gospel becomes very direct for us.

The Church obligates us to attend Mass every Sunday—not because of rules, not because of guilt, not because of tradition, but because:

We would have to be blind not to recognize Him here.

Where else does Christ reveal Himself so fully? Where else does He feed us with His own Body and Blood? Where else does He open the Scriptures and break the Bread? Where else does He walk with us, speak to us, forgive us, strengthen us?

If the disciples recognized Jesus in the Breaking of the Bread, then every Sunday, every Mass, every Eucharist is an Emmaus moment.

And if we skip Mass, we are choosing to walk the road without Him.

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“Were not our hearts burning within us?”

After Jesus vanishes, the disciples look at each other and say:

“Were not our hearts burning within us while He spoke to us on the way?”

That burning heart—that sudden awareness—that moment of recognition— it happens to us too.

When a Scripture passage hits home… When a homily speaks directly to your life… When a hymn moves you… When you receive the Eucharist and feel peace… When you leave Mass lighter than when you came… When you look back on a difficult time and realize God carried you through…

That is Christ. That is Emmaus. That is the burning heart.

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Conclusion: Open your eyes

The disciples’ journey ends with mission. They run back to Jerusalem. They run back to the community. They run back to proclaim the Good News.

Because once you recognize Christ, you cannot stay silent.

So today, let us ask for the grace to see:

• Christ in our neighbors
• Christ in our blessings
• Christ in our struggles
• Christ in the Eucharist

Let us ask for eyes that recognize Him, hearts that burn for Him, and lives that proclaim Him.

Because Christ is walking with us— on our roads, in our homes, in our joys, in our crosses, and most especially, here, at Mass in the Eucharist.

May our eyes be opened. May our hearts burn. And may we recognize Him in all we do.

 

Good Friday Reflection - 04/03/2026

     I joined the prayer group at a neighboring parish, Saint Rose of Lima, early this morning. It was an emotional Stations of the Cross as we recollected the journey of Jesus to his death. As we moved from station to station the leaders’ voices often cracked as they shared in empathy with Mary and her sorrow as her son was beaten, made to carry His own cross, mocked, and crucified the death of criminal.

Today, Good Friday, is named such, not because we are happy Jesus had to go through all this, but because we know the end of the story. Spoiler alert: He resurrects on the Third day.

As we go through our day today, fasting, and abstaining from meat, let our small sacrifices in some way join us to Jesus’ sacrifice. Let our day of work, our struggles in traffic, our argument with our co-worker, the broken heater, the spilled coffee, let them all be a small reminder of the crucifixion, but let us also realize how they are so minutely insignificant in comparison.

Let us live Good Friday with a heart of humility, sacrifice, but most of all appreciation for our gift from God of the sacrifice of His son, Jesus, and His resurrection, that gave us the opportunity of eternal life. The real reason today is “Good”. And may we celebrate joyfully on Sunday, the Lord's resurrection.

May you all have a blessed and happy Easter,

Deacon David

Homily John 9:1-41 “Shift your thinking from having what you want to wanting what you have.” Jesus heals the man born blind

Homily John 9:1-41
March 14, 2026
“Shift your thinking from having what you want to wanting what you have.”
Jesus heals the man born blind

Deacon David Lewis
Saint Charles Catholic Church, Imperial Beach,  CA

Opening: The Gospel That Reads Us

Today’s Gospel reading from John is one of those Gospel passages that doesn’t just tell a story—it reveals the human heart. Jesus heals a man blind from birth, and suddenly everyone around him must decide whether they want to see as God sees, or cling to their own comfortable assumptions. The miracle exposes not only the man’s eyes, but the spiritual blindness of the Pharisees, the crowd, even the disciples.

And in a quiet, surprising way, this Gospel asks each of us:
Do you really want to see?
Do you want to see your life, your blessings, your struggles, your neighbor, your God—truthfully?

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A Story From This Morning

This morning I watched a short video that struck me harder than I expected. The speaker said something simple but profound:

“Shift your thinking from having what you want to wanting what you have.” 
let me say that again
“Shift your thinking from having what you want to wanting what you have.”

He talked about how accustomed we’ve become to a luxurious lifestyle—so accustomed that we don’t even recognize it as luxury anymore. He used the example of a warm shower. He said, “Just a few generations ago, the idea of turning a handle and having endless hot water was unthinkable. And yet we treat it as a bare minimum.”

That hit me. Because it’s true. We live like royalty and give it no thought.

And then I remembered a friend of mine that lives in Mexico. He told me once how frustrating it was to run out of propane halfway through his shower and having to rinse off with cold water. And I sympathized—because who wants a cold shower?

But then I thought:
How many people in the world would love to have even that?
How many walk miles just to get enough clean water to drink and clean with, let alone take a half an hour long shower?
How many will never experience a hot shower in their entire lives?

And suddenly the video’s message came alive:
Want what you have. See what you’ve been given. Recognize the blessings right in front of you.

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The Blind Man Who Saw More Than Everyone Else

That’s exactly what happens in today’s Gospel.

The man born blind receives sight, but he also receives something even greater:
the ability to recognize Jesus.

Everyone else in the story has functioning eyes, but they can’t see the truth:

• The disciples, they see a sinner: “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, 
  that he was born blind?”
• The neighbors see a problem: “Isn’t this the one who used to sit and beg?”
• The Pharisees see a threat, when they accuse Jesus of working on the Sabbath.
• His parents, they see danger and keep quiet: “We do not know how he sees now, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him, he is of age;
  he can speak for himself.”

But the blind man who had nothing—no status, no comfort, no privilege—sees the face of God.

Why?
Because he knows what it is to receive a gift.
He knows what it is to depend on mercy.
He knows what it is to live without, and therefore he recognizes abundance when it comes.

Those who think they already “have everything” are the ones who miss Jesus standing right in front of them.

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The Danger of Comfortable Blindness

We live in a culture that trains us to be blind:

• Blind to our blessings
• Blind to our comforts
• Blind to the people who serve us
• Blind to the poor
• Blind to God’s presence in the ordinary

We become so used to convenience that we stop seeing it.
We become so used to abundance that we call it “normal.”
We become so used to comfort that we feel deprived when the slightest thing goes wrong.

And like the Pharisees, we can become spiritually blind while thinking we see perfectly.

Jesus’ warning at the end of the Gospel is chilling:
“If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you are saying, ‘We see,’ so your sin remains.”

In other words:
The most dangerous blindness is the blindness we refuse to admit.

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Gratitude Opens the Eyes of the Soul

The man born blind teaches us something essential:
Gratitude is the doorway to spiritual sight.

When you know what it is to lack, you appreciate what you have.
When you know what it is to struggle, you recognize grace.
When you know what it is to be in darkness, you rejoice in the light.

This is why the saints—who often lived with so little—saw God so clearly.
This is why the poor often have a deeper faith than the wealthy.
This is why a simple warm shower can become a moment of prayer if we let it.

Gratitude doesn’t just make us nicer people.
It heals our vision.
It restores our ability to see God’s presence in the ordinary.
It opens our eyes to the dignity of others.
It helps us recognize Jesus when He passes by.

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What Jesus Really Heals

Jesus does not simply restore the man’s physical sight.
He restores his identity.
He restores his dignity.
He restores his place in the community.
He restores his ability to worship.
He restores his relationship with God.

And the man responds with the simplest, most beautiful prayer:
“Lord, I believe.”

That is the prayer of someone who sees clearly, a prayer very similar to the prayer of Saint Dismas, the thief crucified next to Jesus on the cross, another man who had little, little hope, nearly dead, with just a little life left before him, but he had great humility, and great faith, he defended Jesus and acknowledged Jesus … and Jesus responded to him "Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise"

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Bringing It Home: Seeing Our Lives With New Eyes

So what does this Gospel ask of us today?

1. See your blessings.
Not abstractly—but concretely.
In a warm shower.
In the food in the fridge.
The roof over your head.
The people who love you.
The freedom to worship.
The mercy of God poured out on us daily.

2. See the people around you.
Especially those who are overlooked, dismissed, or judged— just like the blind man was.

3. See our own spiritual need.
The Pharisees refused to admit they were blind.
The man born blind knew he needed healing.
Only one of them received it.

4. And to See Jesus.
In the Eucharist.
In the poor.
To see Jesus even in the interruptions throughout your day.
And in the blessings you’ve forgotten to notice.

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A Final Word: Want What You Have

That video I saw this morning wasn’t just about gratitude—it was about conversion.
It was about learning to see differently.

To stop chasing what we don’t have.
To stop complaining about what we lack.
To stop living as though God has not already been generous.

And to start wanting what we have.
To start seeing the abundance already in our hands, in its many forms.

To start recognizing the presence of Christ already in our lives.

Because when we do, our eyes open.
Our hearts open.
Our faith deepens.

And like the man born blind, we find ourselves saying with joy:
“Lord, I believe.”

 

Homily - Sunday - Second Weekend of Ordinary Time Year A January 18, 2026 - "Sacrifice like a Lamb"

Homily - Sunday - Second Weekend of Ordinary Time Year A
January 18, 2026 - "Sacrifice like a Lamb"
John 1:29–34 (Readings) "Behold the Lamb of God.”
Deacon David Lewis
Saint Charles Catholic Church, Imperial Beach / San Diego, CA

Homily on John 1:29–34

“Behold the Lamb of God” — The Name That Reveals the Heart of God

My friends, today’s Gospel gives us one of the most familiar and profound titles for Jesus in all of Scripture. John the Baptist looks up, sees Jesus approaching, and proclaims: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”

We say those words at every Mass. We hear them so often that they can almost wash over us. But if we pause — if we let them sink in — we discover that this title, Lamb of God, is not just poetic. It is not just symbolic. It is a window into the very heart of God, and it is a mirror held up to our own lives.

Today I want to explore two things:

1. Why Jesus is called the Lamb of God, and
2. How that title speaks to the sacrifices we make every day — especially the hidden, quiet, exhausting sacrifices that look nothing like the world’s idea of holiness, but everything like God’s idea of holiness.

So why a Lamb? Why this name?

To the Jewish people, the word “lamb” was not sentimental. It was not cute. It was not a decoration for a nursery wall. A lamb meant sacrifice.

A lamb meant Passover. The lamb’s blood on the doorposts saved Israel from death. The lamb was the price of freedom. When John calls Jesus “the Lamb of God,” he is saying:
Here is the One whose sacrifice will free you from slavery — not to Pharaoh, but to sin and death.

A lamb also meant daily offering. In the Temple, lambs were offered every morning and every evening. Day after day, year after year, the people were reminded:
We belong to God. Our lives are meant to be given back to Him.

And, a lamb meant innocence. A lamb does not fight back. A lamb does not defend itself. A lamb is gentle, vulnerable, and offered in silence.
Isaiah foretold the Messiah as “a lamb led to the slaughter, who opened not his mouth.”

So when John the Baptist points to Jesus and says, “Behold the Lamb of God,” he is saying something breathtaking:

This is the One who will give Himself completely.
This is the One who will pour out His life so that you may live.
This is the One whose love is stronger than sin, stronger than death, stronger than every darkness.

The Lamb of God is not a title of weakness.
It is a title of self-giving love — love that holds nothing back.

 The title “Lamb of God” reveals the pattern of true love

If Jesus is the Lamb of God, then the Cross is not an accident.
It is not a tragedy.
It is not a failure.

It is the shape of love.

Love is not proven by feelings.
Love is not proven by words.
Love is proven by sacrifice — by the willingness to give yourself for the good of another.

And that is where this Gospel meets our lives.

Because while none of us will be nailed to a cross, every one of us is invited — daily — to live the Lamb’s way of love.

3. The many “names” we carry — and the sacrifices that come with them

“Lamb of God” is just one of Jesus’ names, but doesn’t every one of us have names that carry sacrifice.

Some of those names are beautiful:
Mother. Father. Husband. Wife. Kuya. Friend. Caregiver. Teacher. Boss, Disciple.

Some of those names are heavy:
Widow. Single parent. Survivor. Patient. Caretaker of aging parents. Worker who holds two jobs. Parish volunteer who shows up when no one else does.

And each name carries a cross.
Each name asks us to give something of ourselves.
Each name calls us to give ourselves in love.

Last week, I served at the 8:30 Mass and the sacrifices of one group in particular caught my eye, parents in the cry rooms and the vestibule.

You know who you are.

You are the ones who spend the entire Mass pacing back and forth, bouncing a baby, chasing a toddler, whispering “shhh,” picking up Cheerios, rescuing a child from splashing their hands in the holy water font, and praying — not for world peace — but simply that your child won’t scream during the Consecration.

You are the ones who sometimes wonder:
“Why do I even come? I don’t hear the readings. I don’t catch the homily. I don’t get a moment to pray. I’m not getting anything out of this.”

Let me say something clearly, from the heart of the Church:

You are living the sacrifice of the Lamb.
You are offering your body, your time, your energy, your peace of mind — for love.
And God sees it.
God delights in it.
God receives it as worship.

You may feel like you are missing Mass.
But you are living Mass.

Because Mass is not about what we get.
Mass is about what we offer.

And you, dear parents, are offering everything.

The Lamb of God teaches us that sacrifice is holy — even when it feels small

We often imagine holiness as something dramatic — the martyrdoms of the early Church, the heroic acts of the saints.

But most holiness is hidden.
Most holiness is quiet.
Most holiness looks like ordinary love lived with extraordinary faithfulness.

Jesus did not save the world by preaching the Sermon on the Mount.
He saved the world by giving Himself — body and blood, soul and divinity — on the Cross.

And so the sacrifices that look most like Jesus are not always the glamorous ones.
They are the ones that cost us something.

The parent who misses every homily for five years.

The spouse who forgives again.

The adult child who visits a parent with dementia even after they have forgotten their name.

The worker who stays honest in a dishonest environment.

The parishioner who serves quietly without applause.

These are lamb-like sacrifices.
These are Christ-shaped offerings.
These are the places where the Lamb of God is being formed in us.

The Lamb of God takes away the sin of the world — but He also takes away the lie that sacrifice is meaningless

We live in a culture that avoids sacrifice.
A culture that says:
“Do what makes you happy.”
“Protect your comfort.”
“Don’t let anyone inconvenience you.”

But the Gospel says something radically different:

“Love one another as I have loved you.”

And how did He love us, How did the Lamb of God love us?
By giving Himself completely.

So when you give yourself — even in small ways — you are participating in the very love that saves the world.

Your sacrifices matter.

Your sacrifices are seen.
Your sacrifices are holy.

The Lamb of God does not erase sacrifice.
He transforms it.
He fills it with meaning.
He makes it redemptive.

 

What does sacrifice look like for us today?

Let me offer three invitations.

A. See your sacrifices through the eyes of God

Don’t measure your holiness by how peaceful your prayer time is.
Measure it by how much love you pour into the people God has entrusted to you.

If your prayer is interrupted by a child, that interruption is your prayer.

If your Mass is spent in the vestibule, that vestibule is your altar.

If your life feels poured out, remember:
So was His.

B. See the sacrifices of others with compassion

When you see a parent struggling with a child at Mass, don’t roll your eyes.
Don’t judge.
Don’t sigh.

Smile.
Encourage.
Offer help.
Make room.

Because that parent is living the Gospel more deeply than they know.

C. Let the Lamb of God shape your own heart

Ask yourself:
Where is God inviting me to give myself more fully?
Where is He calling me to be gentler, more patient, more forgiving?
Where is He asking me to love in a way that costs me something?

Holiness is not about doing more.
It is about loving more.

So, behold the Lamb — and become like Him

When John the Baptist says, “Behold the Lamb of God,” he is not just pointing to Jesus.
He is pointing to the way of life that Jesus reveals.

A life of self-giving love.
A life of sacrifice that is not empty, but fruitful.
A life that transforms the world not through power, but through tenderness.

So today, as we come to the altar, we echo John’s words:

“Behold the Lamb of God.”

But we also hear Jesus whisper back to us:

“Behold the love I have for you.
Behold the sacrifice I make for you.
And now — go and do likewise.”

May every parent in the cry room, every caregiver, every quiet servant, every weary disciple know this truth:

Your sacrifices are not unnoticed.
They are not wasted.
They are not small.
They are the very love of Christ alive in the world.

Amen.

 

 Homily - Saturday - Day 6 Simbung Gabi Novena

December 20, 2025 - Many Roles, One Plan

Luke 1:26-38 (Readings) "May it be done to me according to your word.”

Deacon David Lewis

Saint Charles Catholic Church, Imperial Beach / San Diego, CA

Homily on Luke 1:26-38: Many Roles, One Divine Plan

We find ourselves 2/3 into the Simbang Gabi Novena, having journeyed through the stories of those who played a part in the birth of Jesus. Each day, we have met a new character—John the Baptist, the chief priests and elders, the two sons in Jesus’ parable, the ancestors in Jesus’ genealogy, Joseph, Zechariah and Elizabeth, and today, Mary herself.

What stands out is how different each person’s role was. Some were faithful from the start, others doubted, some were outsiders, and some were called to do the impossible. Yet, God used each one, with their strengths and weaknesses, to bring about the greatest story ever told.

Let’s reflect on a few of these characters:

• John the Baptist was the forerunner, preparing the way for Jesus, calling people to repentance. His role was to point beyond himself to the One who was to come.
• The chief priests and elders questioned Jesus’ authority. Their skepticism reminds us that not everyone will understand or accept God’s plan right away.
• The two sons in the parable represent those who say yes but do not act, and those who struggle but ultimately do God’s will. God values our actions, not just our words.
• The genealogy of Jesus is filled with imperfect people—sinners, outsiders, and the unexpected. God’s plan is not limited by our past or our status.
• Joseph was called to trust in a message that defied logic and social norms. He listened, obeyed, and protected Mary and Jesus.
• Zechariah and Elizabeth experienced disappointment and disgrace, yet God’s timing brought them joy and purpose. Even in silence, Zechariah’s faith grew.
• Mary, in today’s Gospel, is visited by the angel Gabriel. She is troubled, she questions, but ultimately she says yes—her “fiat” is a model of trust and surrender.

What do these stories teach us?

God’s will is accomplished not by perfect people, but by willing people. Each character had a unique role, and none of them saw the whole picture. They had to trust, to act, to wait, to hope. Some were called to speak, others to listen. Some to lead, others to support. Some to bear suffering, others to bring joy.

And so it is with us. In our families, our workplaces, our communities, and our Church, God calls each of us to a role. It may not be the role we expected or wanted. It may be hidden or public, easy or difficult. But it is essential.

How do we discover our role?

• By listening, as Mary did, for God’s voice in prayer and Scripture.
• By being open to God’s surprises, as Joseph was.
• By persevering in faith, like Zechariah and Elizabeth.
• By acting with humility and courage, like John the Baptist.

And when we doubt or feel unworthy?

Remember the genealogy of Jesus—God’s plan includes the unlikely and the imperfect. What matters is not our ability, but our availability. God’s grace does the rest.

As we continue this Simbang Gabi, let us ask:

• What is God inviting me to say yes to?
• Where is God asking me to trust, to act, to wait, or to hope?
• How can I support others in their roles, as Mary visited Elizabeth to share her joy and encouragement?

Let us pray for the courage to say, with Mary, “Let it be done to me according to your word.” May we each play our part in God’s unfolding story, knowing that together, with all our different roles, we help bring Christ into the world.

 

Homily - Sunday May 3, 2020 Follow His Voice

Homily - Sunday 

May 3, 2020 

Follow His Voice

John 10 1-10 (Readings) "I did not come to abolish the law"

Deacon David Lewis

Saint Charles Catholic Church, Imperial Beach / San Diego, CA

(Recorded for online Mass during pandemic restrictions) 

Today we celebrate the Fourth Sunday of Easter.  It is also our seventh Sunday since the pandemic restrictions forced us to stop attending Mass at Church. I know it is a little late in the game, but I encourage as you experience Mass at home, to participate in the Mass as if you were in church: prepare yourself, change out of your sweatpants or pajamas, take a shower, fast for an hour before hand, put away the snacks and drinks, and participate fully, kneel, stand, and sit as if you were in a pew at church. I also encourage you invite your family to attend Mass together, even in this virtual manner that we find ourselves celebrating in.

The past several weeks have given many of us great opportunity to spend time together with and to reunite with our families, some of you have struggled with new math and involving yourself more in your child’s education than ever before. Some of you have used your time to catch up on all of the shows you have been wanting to get current on. Others of you have gone the extra mile, and caught up on all of those shows and even more that you didn’t even know existed prior to the pandemic. We have added to our vocabulary many words and phrases, Covid-19, corona, aerosol and droplets, stimulus, shelter-in-place, social distancing and flattening the curve. Some of you have gotten quite adept at working from home, mastering Zoom, and other remote meeting solutions.

But for some, these last few weeks have been a struggle. Many of our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents have sat alone at home or in care facilities in retreat from a virus that likely would take advantage of their vulnerabilities if they are exposed, and so they remain isolated, waiting to be reunited with friends and family when the risk is lowered.  Some have lost loved ones, and not been able to mourn in the usual way. Others have fought for their life in a battle with the Corona Virus, while yet others are seeing the end of their savings as the financial impacts of being out of work runs its course.

It has been a great test of our society. It has provided a great opportunity to revisit the things that are important to us. Suddenly, the celebrities, actors, influencers, and sports stars are no longer the essential things in our lives. Suddenly our family, our friends, and neighbors have become a lifeline, as things like toilet paper take the top of the list of things that are important.  For others perhaps their next meal.

I encourage those of you that have escaped the bulk of the impact of the last few weeks to reach out to your parents, your siblings, your cousins, your neighbors, long time friends, and co-workers and make sure they are doing ok, and help them however it is possible. Those of you that can, continue to help, volunteer at the food pantries, donate blood, run those sewing machines making masks for those that need them. Please don’t come out of this without taking advantage of the rare opportunities to learn something new, build something long in the making, or mend something long in need of repair. Continue to practice patience with those around you, continue to pray to God as he offers you hope during this time of what for many is darkness, despair, and stress.

Don’t let distractions be like thieves that jump over the wall, stealing this valuable time we have with each other. Focus on the gate, on God, focus on faith, hope, and love, give focus to those things essential: friends, family, and faith. Let us remain vigilant of those things that steal from us, and look for those things that feed us. And most of all let us not lose focus on Jesus as he calls our name so that we may follow him more closely.

Homily - Sunday February 16, 2020 The Spirit of the Law

Homily - Sunday 

February 16, 2020 

The Spirit of the Law

Matthew 5:17-37 (Readings) "I did not come to abolish the law"

Deacon David Lewis

Saint Charles Catholic Church, Imperial Beach / San Diego, CA

I was a bit of a smart Alek when I was a kid. I remember once I was in one of my smart-aleky moods, and was taking things quite literally. So as we sat at dinner and my sister asked to pass the butter, well, you probably guessed it, I passed the butter. As it went flying from my side of the table to hers it stopped abruptly as the butter collide with her glass of milk, and as the milk flew through the air onto my sister you can imagine she was not happy with me. I told her “You said PASS the butter”

Life before Jesus the rules were quite literal, You worship God, you don’t take the Lord’s name in vain, you keep holy the sabbath, you honor your parents, don’t kill anyone, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal and don’t bear false witness against others.

From these ten commandments from God, revealed to our ancestors by Moses, most of the laws of their day were created. As time went on the laws and how to live by them got more and more specific, and more and numerous and complicated.

They got to the point that in Luke’s Gospel we hear of Jesus having dinner with the Pharisees, and asking them if it is lawful to heal the man with dropsy on the Sabbath and not getting a reply, Jesus proceed to heal the man and send him on his way, Jesus then responds of which of you having an ox that fell into a ditch wouldn’t pull him out on the Sabbath. Matthew 12 and Mark 2 have similar stories of the disciples walking through the grain, and ate some of the grains, and when they were accused of working, and Jesus rebuked the accusers with the story of how David went into the temple and fed the bread offering to his companions.

These are just two examples of how the law in the day’s of Jesus was held to such high regard as to defy the spirit of the law.

When Jesus came for us, he went one step further, he raised the bar on following the laws. He teaches  us in today’s Gospel that we have to be as righteous as the pharisees and the scribes.  But then he turns that on it’s head… he doesn’t say you have to follow those laws, PLUS you also this and this and this, laying down more laws… no… he doesn’t add anymore laws at all, but instead tells us that we have to follow the spirit of the law…

The law was you shall not kill, But Jesus says you shouldn’t even be angry with brother.

The law says Don’t commit adultery, but Jesus makes it clear that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

And when the law said Do not take false oath, but make the Lord all that you vow, Jesus said do not save your honesty for when you make a vow, but let your no mean no and your yes mean yes.

We have had a lot of funerals recently, and over the years, having heard many eulogies at the funeral vigils, I have heard about the good side of many of our parishioners that have gone before us. Many were loving, good mothers and fathers, great examples to their children, some were good cooks, quite a few lived joyfully, many had a great sense of humor, some were strong, some comforting, caring and generous, and still many also lived their lives faithfully. But the one word that I love to hear in a eulogy about someone, is that they had great character, that they had integrity. Integrity to me is that one word that sums up so many of the positive qualities of living that Jesus calls us to. A person of integrity can be trusted, and is someone that we can call upon in our time of need. No one gets up at eulogy and says of the dead, he was good at following the rules, he obeyed every law… it just isn’t that likely to be true first, but also we would know that while most of us try to obey the laws, there are times that require us to set aside the law, and follow the spirit of the law. If for example your wife is pregnant and you are speeding on the freeway in order to get her to the hospital it could be considered OK to speed, or if your lost in the woods in the middle of the winter and come across a cabin and break in to it seeking shelter, it could be considered OK that you broke in. There are extraordinary times in our lives when the rules need to be broken, but they are the extraordinary, the outside of the ordinary moments when the rules don’t need to be followed.

But today’s Gospel isn’t so much saying forget about the laws, but elevate them. Live your life not meeting the minimum requirements of the rules and laws, but live your lives mimicking the example of Christ in all you do. Love your neighbor and love God with your every action, and even with your thoughts. When a need is seen in front of you act on it. When someone is in pain comfort them. When someone is hungry feed them. When someone is lonely visit them. When see a need fill it.

There is a great show on Facebook, starring Mike Rowe formerly of Dirty Jobs, it is called Returning the Favor. They go around the US looking for “Better than average do-gooders, doing good things for others”, and then they reward them. The people they find are the masters of filling a need, the man that builds free beds for kids that don’t have a bed of their own. The woman that makes hot meals for first responders stuck on scene, serving those in need at forest fires, house fires, and other catastrophes. The mechanic that fixes cars for free for those that can’t afford to fix their car but also, can’t afford to be without that car. The people that have created retreats for our veterans so that they can have a place to visit as a family that is friendly to their wheelchair. Or the lady that collects bras to give to woman that need a little support. Or the woman right here in Chula Vista that has a little room in the back of her hair salon where she outfits women fighting cancer with free wigs.

They don’t do it because the law says they have to, they do it out of kindness, they do it because they want to live their lives to the fullest, helping others along the way. They do it in the spirit of the law of loving your neighbor and loving God.