18th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Bread of Life

Exodus 16:2-4, 12-15

Ephesians 4:17, 20-24

John 6:24-35

In today’s Gospel of John, the people of God are requesting a sign that Jesus is ALL he says he is. They want proof.

Don’t we all at times want proof of God’s existence in our lives?

In today’s first reading from Exodus, the people of God want a sign, too.

They’re grumbling in the desert, thinking, “Hey, we were much more comfortable in captivity in Egypt.”

Then a miracle happens and they have their fill of manna from heaven.

In last week’s Gospel of John, we got the most wondrous sign of all that Christ is what he says he is when he took a boy’s five barley loaves and two fishes and fed a multitude of people.  

It was a miracle sign that Jesus is consubstantial with the Father. And He was offering more than mere material food, but spiritual food that lasts forever as he reminds followers this week.  

That word “consubstantial” caused quite a stir in 2011 when the New Roman Missal was introduced, but the meaning of this big word from the Nicene Creed is quite accurate.

Consubstantial simply means: “of the same substance or essence.”

             Jesus is trying to get THIS into the heads of the people He encounters today.

They want material proof THAT he’s the Son of living God.  More miracles.  

He’s trying to tell them that everything he is and everything he is doing is a reflection of the one who sent him.

            This is called the “Bread of Life Discourse” and is found only in John’s Gospel.

            Wait, aren’t we in the Year of Mark with our Gospel readings? 

We are. But the Church wants us to take a break from Mark and reflect on Jesus as the Bread of Life from John’s Gospel for the next few weeks.  Remember, when the Church gets serious, it breaks out the Gospel of John.

One of the keys to understanding this weekend’s readings is this passage from John’s Gospel spoken by the people of God: 

“What can we do to accomplish the works of God?”

In other words, “What shall we do? What are the works that God wants us to do?” 

Before we can answer this question we have to first learn to avoid the things that disconnect us from God?  To do this, we must deepen our relationship with the Lord in prayer.

This is what each of us must ask God in our prayers daily.  What is it that You, Lord, want me to do?  And what do You want me to change about myself?

“Faith is entering into a relationship with God. Faith is becoming aware of the gift of our existence as a gift from God; nothing we've ever earned. God has loved us into being and sustains us in being, and we need to recognize that, and then to develop a relationship with this living God.”

For our parish mission team, we are doing the will of God for the next 10-days as we leave for Guatemala tonight.

If you want to keep track of our journey, I encourage you to find ICOLPH on Facebook and “LIKE” it. This way you can see pictures and watch videos from our parish mission trip to Guatemala.

There, we will use the 15-thousand dollars raised in the parish to do the will of the Father.

We will build relationships between our parish community and our sisters and brothers in Christ in a Mayan Catholic parish community in one of the poorest areas of the world.

We will build stoves in homes so families can cook their meals without poisoning their families with harmful smoke. We’ll build houses to help those without homes have a home of their own. We’ll build classrooms for the parish school.  We will build new roofs on houses that leak when it rains.

By giving up our attachments to the material things that disconnect us from God and plugging directly into the Kingdom, God will draw us all closer to Him.

            It all starts when we eat this Bread of Life, and become filled with ALL we need to do the will of God.  This helps us to turn away from things that separate us from Him.

Paul reminds the baptized in Christ what we must do in today’s reading from Ephesians:

“You should put away the old self of your former way of life, corrupted through deceitful desires, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self, created in God’s way in righteousness and holiness."

Paul is urging us to undergo a revolution within ourselves by putting on this new self. These are strong words.  In many ways, he’s calling for “something that would almost turn us inside-out, upside-down, just change everything in our lives, a revolution, so that we really live in God and renew ourselves from inside, according to God's ways.”

This is my hope and my prayer for our parish mission team.

In the Gospel, Jesus is telling us clearly how to do this:  by partaking in the Bread of Life that comes in the Eucharist, and in the Word of God we share at Mass every week.

This spiritual nourishment is designed to turn us from old sinful ways and renew us in the joy and hope of Christ. This Bread of Life sustains us and helps us to better hear the voice of God whispering in our prayer life, guiding us as we do the will of the Father.

            For each of us, we hear different things. But we are all called to action.

Some feel called to give of their time, talent and treasure to our St. Vincent de Paul food banks. Some feel called to work to ensure our parish commits itself to our Catholic Social Teaching through events like Operation Stocking Stuffer every Christmas benefiting our homeless sisters and brothers and the Days of Caring in partnership with Catholic Community Services. Some feel called to help individuals they meet on the streets to find housing or food or health care or a sympathetic ear to listen. Some feel called to bring communion to those in hospitals, hospices, nursing homes or prisons. These are all corporal works of Mercy.  This is what Pope Francis is calling us all to do as we enter the upcoming Year of Mercy.

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            There is no one right way to do the will of God. Only that we  deepen our relationship with Christ, hear God’s call and then respond.

            And Jesus is reminding us today that the source of this Bread of Life is found in the Word and Eucharist.

            I’d like to share a final thought for reflection from popular Catholic writer Henri Nouwen.  It’s entitled Becoming the Living Christ:

“Whenever we come together around the table, take bread, bless it, break it, and give it to one another saying: "The Body of Christ," we know that Jesus is among us. He is among us NOT as a vague memory of a person who lived long ago but as a real, life-giving presence that transforms us. By eating the Body of Christ, we become the living Christ and we are enabled to discover our own chosenness and blessedness, acknowledge our brokenness, and trust that all we live we live for others. Thus WE, like Jesus himself, become food for the world.”

So, what is God calling you to do to be food for the world?

            Spend some time in prayer figuring it out.  Hear what God is calling you to do in for own life to improve your relationship Him and focus your life on the needs of others.

Then, put God’s call into action.  And just do it.

 

Homily – Corpus Christi – A Letter from Kristi

Exodus 24:3-8

Hebrew 9:11-15

Mark 14:12-16, 22-26

 

This weekend we celebrate the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ -- Corpus Christi.

          On Friday night, Archbishop Murphy High School honored another Kristi as we graduated 94 seniors. One student was graduated posthumously. Kristi Bartz was killed in a tragic train accident almost one month ago.

When the name Kristiane Nicole Bartz was read, her two older sisters Stefani and Michaela both graduates of A-M-H-S walked in her place to a standing ovation as they received their sister’s diploma.
 

          There was not a dry eye in the house.

      As each graduate went to receive his or her diploma, they placed a yellow rose in a basket under Kristi’s empty chair. A beautiful hand drawn picture of Kristi adorned the chair along with her red cap and gown.  All students were wearing yellow “KB” initials on their caps. Yellow was Kristi’s favorite color.

          At the senior awards assembly one week earlier, Kristi received two awards that had been selected weeks before her death.

One scholarship was from the Mill Creek Business Association. The other was from the U.S. Army Reserve naming her the Female National Scholar Athlete of the Year.

To standing ovations, her mother Karen and father Manfred were presented both of these awards honoring their daughter.  

Again, not a dry eye in the house.

Three weeks ago, we held Kristi’s funeral (here) at our own Immaculate Conception Church in Everett.

A packed church watched as her family, and the two friends who were with her in death, lit candles around the urn that held her earthly remains.

Her father and two sisters eulogized Kristi in beautiful ways.

A video with pictures from her life and her favorite Christian songs helped to start the healing process.

A few days earlier, on what would have been Kristi’s 18^th birthday, we gathered in our A-M-H-S gym with her family to share stories about the friendships and good times forged during her lifetime with us.

Kristi’s family and close friends were all on couches. The students were on the floor with blankets and pillows.  Her classmates and family wanted the gym feel like one giant living room. It did.

Amazingly enough, Kristi’s birthday fell on the 40^th day after the Resurrection, on the Ascension.

At the end of the Memorial of Life gathering, we marched to the football field with a thousand balloons.

After reading the story of the Ascension found in Acts of the Apostles, I shared something found in Kristi’s day-planner inside a pencil-etching she did of angel’s wings.

It read, “It’s always the saddest thing when angels fly away.”

On a clear spring night with the sunset in the distance, we released a thousand balloons to the heavens.

Kristi was one of my leaders at our Kairos retreat for juniors and seniors at Archbishop Murphy.  She was an awesome young person; hard working, strong willed, conscientious and compassionate.

While at Kairos, students have transformational faith experiences. For many, it’s their most impactful God experience in high school.

Near the end of Kairos, students write a letter to themselves documenting the impact the experience has had on them. They are told the letters will arrive at their homes in six weeks.  

Kristi’s final letter arrived a few days before her death. Her sister Stefani found her Kairos letters in Kristi’s room on the night of her death and read them.  She then read the letter at Kristi’s funeral to gasps from the audience who heard a prophetic voice.

With the family’s loving permission, I’d like to share the letter Kristi Bartz wrote on Kairos.

I think it will touch many hearts in this Church, but especially touch the hearts of our young people searching for God in their lives.

This is Kristi’s Kairos letter:

 _______________________________________________

Dear Kristi of the Future:

I hope at this point you have not forgotten your amazing experience at Kairos. But in case you have, let this be a reminder of how you felt and what you learned through this experience.

Never forget how important it is to love.

I know how easy it is, for you especially, to get caught up in the constant chaos in your life. But remember that you are never too busy to show someone you care.

You’ve had your rough patches and you will have more. But don’t forget that you aren’t alone.

Remember all the amazing individuals who opened up to you and shared their stories of suffering. They showed their true self, putting themselves in a vulnerable position so that they could receive love. Don’t be afraid to do the same.

You are independent and self-reliant, but it’s okay to admit that you need people sometimes.

You ignited, rekindled, and strengthened a lot of relationships at Kairos and I hope they can continue to grow throughout your senior year. Do your best to branch out and reach out.

Make it a memorable year. Leave your mark on Murphy. Don’t lose sight of the things that are important to you and the people that motivate you.

You are who you make yourself and that cannot be determined by anyone else. Be the strong, determined, and energetic leader that you are and remember how much you are loved and valued by the people in your life.

If you’ve learned anything from your rough patches and your experiences at Kairos, take it upon yourself to make sure no one feels alone and unworthy the way that you have seen in others and yourself because no one deserves that. Save a life.

Last of all keep your faith close to your heart. Let it guide you in the choices you make and let God in. It’s hard, I know, but it is through Him that you are who you are so thank Him for that.

And while you’re at it, tell someone you love them today. Let them see how much you really care before you may not have the chance anymore. 

Stay strong girl always. I love you for who you are and who you’ve become.

Don’t let nobody stop you from taking charge of your future.

Yours Truly,

You (Kristi from the past)       

____________________________________________

Seattle Archbishop J. Peter Sartain helped us break ground for our new chapel at Murphy the day before Kristi died.

          He wrote something powerful in this month’s Northwest Catholic entitled: The true meaning of life.

“By desiring and loving me, God brought me into being and sustains me. I am neither the source nor the goal of my own life. I am one who is desired and loved by God, moment after moment, and therefore I am alive. My existence is evidence that God exists.”

Kristi knew that. She felt her Kairos experiences helped draw her closer to God and helped her forge a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.

The word Kairos stands for God’s time. We live in what is called Chronos, human time. Time we can keep on a watch.

Kristi now lives eternally in Kairos.  

Thank you for keeping Kristi’s family and friends in your prayers as we heal from this painful loss.

On this Corpus Christi weekend may we also give thanks to Jesus Christ who opened the gates of heaven for us all, and keeps us connected to Him through His Most Holy Body and Blood.

Homily - Memorial Service for Kristi Bartz

Ecclesiastes 3:1-4

Romans 8:31b-35,37-39

Luke 24:13-35

 

When we heard the news last Saturday and at our Sunday prayer service at Archbishop Murphy, how many of us felt like the disciples on the road to Emmaus?   

Grief-stricken, in disbelief, suffering deep sadness?  

We were downcast and distraught, walking away from the experience with heavy hearts.

Our joy in knowing and loving Kristi was displaced with despair, our happiness to be in her presence was replaced with grief, bitterness and anger.

All the hopes we had about Kristi’s future life vanished in an instant.

Much like the hope the disciples had in their future life with their savior. All of their dreams of the one who would redeem Israel, a leader who be King, dashed by the crucifixion.

But like Christ rejoice. Kristi has been born to new life.

These words may ring hollow for some today, but I want to challenge us all to let the light of Christ shine on our darkness and help us to see a new reality.

I know it’s hard for many of us to understand God’s plan in all of this. Why would he take one so young, so promising, so fully alive?

I wish I knew the answer.  I wish I could say something meaningful to make sense of it all.

I do know, Christ was the first to weep for Kristi. God cried as he extended his hand to guide Kristi from this life and give her new life.      

I do know, as we heard from our first reading,

 

 

 

“There is an appointed time for everything... A time to give birth, and a time to die... a time to weep, a time to mourn.”

 

A freak accident took her earthly life. But that’s not the end of Kristi’s story. It’s the only beginning.

For Christ, it didn’t end on the cross. That was not the end of the story, but the beginning.

A new book was written with the Resurrection. In Christ’s obedience to God’s plan and loving sacrifice for us all, the gates of heaven were opened for all who believed in our savior and we were all given the hope of eternal life.

And for Kristi, her story didn’t end on the trestle. Her earthly journey may have come to a close, but her eternal life was just beginning.

As St. Paul reminded us in the second reading:

“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life… will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

We’ve all seen signs of Kristi’s spirit alive in our community this past week.

Kristi was with us when our softball team had a miraculous comeback against a league-leading rival. Kristi was with us when our soccer team played one of its best games of the season. Kristi was with Cole Brandt, her prom date, as he was on the mound this week keeping batters off balance in an important game heading into the district championship series.  Kristi was with us at the track meet as her dearest friends Camilla and Rory stepped back onto the field to compete.

Kristi was with us as we celebrated her 18^th birthday on what was the 40^th day after the Resurrection, the Ascension.  And as we released a thousand balloons we heard a quote from Kristi’s day-planner that read, “It’s the saddest thing when angels fly away.”  She was with us again as those balloons soared high into the sunset.

And Kristi’s spirit is here with us now. Her beauty is present in these pictures and in the memories we hold deep in our hearts. Her spirit is here in the love we all feel for her today.

Kristi soars now with a choir of angels. Perhaps she’s now the fastest angel. Or at least the angel with quirkiest (or as her friends would say “weirdest”) sense of humor.

I’m sure she’s entertaining her fellow cherubim and seraphim with her funny accents and telling God stories about each and every one of us.

Thoughts like this bring me peace. I hope they do the same for you.

Kristi loved her Kairos retreat experience at Archbishop Murphy. I met Kristi for the first time last fall when this young lady with the infectious smile came up to say, “Thank you” for letting her take part in a life changing faith experience.

In the spring, Kristi signed up to lead Kairos and had her heart set on doing a certain role. But the adult leaders knew this would be her only time to lead and wanted her to be the face of the retreat along with several others.

She let me know her disappointment in a very direct manner. That was Kristi’s way. She liked to get her way.

But I asked her to pray on our decision and ask God where the best place was for her. She came back a day later, resigned and said, “OK, I’ll do it.”

After our retreat she thanked me profusely for pushing her to be a leader. She told me she felt it was where God wanted her to be, touching the lives of others with her compassionate care and concern for the wellbeing of others.

As I’ve heard from those in her charge this week, she had a tremendous impact on their lives.

Kristi felt her Kairos experiences helped draw her closer to God.

The word Kairos stands for God’s time. We live in what is called Chronos, human time. Time we can keep on a watch.

Kristi now lives eternally in Kairos.  She will wait there for each and every one of us, ready to greet us when our earthly lives come to an end. 

So, may “our hearts burning [within us]” as we think of Kristi’s new life in Christ Jesus

And let us always remember, today is not good bye, only see you later. See you later, Kristi.