Blah!

A friend of mine, a priest from New York is here visiting with me this week. A few days ago, he asked me if we could drive up to the City. I asked him why he wanted to go to San Francisco; it is cold? “Hey, I am from New York,” he responded. I reminded him of what Mark Twain said: “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.”

 

Before we left for the City, we phoned another friend of ours, Fr. Art, who is the pastor of St. Vincent de Paul parish. We told him we were coming up to visit him and if he could take us out to lunch, which he graciously did. Towards the end of our lunch, we thought it would be a good idea to have dessert at another place – Mitchell’s Ice Cream. On our way there, I spotted a crowded place that looked like a deli or a bakery shop. “Have you been there?” I asked Fr. Art. “Oh yeah… it is crowded all right, but it’s BLAH!” he said. “What?” I asked. “Well, I believe it is overrated – the food is just okay. That is why I say it is, BLAH!”

 

It is “Blah!” Our Gospel today tells us to be very careful about Christian discipleship. We need to put energy into it. True discipleship needs enthusiasm, prayer, commitment, and faithfulness. If not, people can perceive our Christian discipleship as merely, “Blah.”

 

What do I mean? Today we continue listening to the beautiful teaching of Jesus called the Sermon on the Mount. For the past few weeks, Jesus has called the first disciples: James, John, Andrew, and Peter. He called them, told them to leave everything, and follow Him. Then, Jesus told them in last week’s gospel about the attitudes of a disciple. As Jesus progresses in His teaching, He reminds them not to be complacent, but rather to share the gift of their calling.

 

Jesus uses two beautiful images, that of salt and light. He said: “You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world.” If there is something in common about salt and light, it is that they don’t exist for themselves. Salt is plain salt if it is not mixed with other ingredients. We put a pinch of salt in our food to enhance its flavor, making it more enjoyable to eat.

 

Light is the same thing. We can’t just stare at the light as it may hurt our eyes. But Light shines in the darkness to show us the way and prevents us from stumbling. It makes us efficient. It enables us to do our work. Someone once said: “darkness cannot put out light, it only makes light brighter.”

 

The images of salt and light challenge us as Christians to remember that we are Christians not for ourselves. Rather, we are Christians for others. We cannot say we exist primarily for our own sake, because Jesus did not live for His own. He came for the sake of others.

 

As a parish community, we are good at being salt and light. We know that we can’t be complacent. If we are, our discipleship can and will be perceived as “Blah!” We are salt and light as we support the many ministries of Sacred Heart Community, go on mission trips to Texas and Nicaragua, and so much more. We act because we are aware of and accept the Lord’s invitation.

 

We also know that our parish is part of the Diocese of San Jose. All parishes work together with the Diocese to continue the mission of Jesus. The Diocese exists not for itself, but for others – to serve others. That is our mission!

 

Let’s face it, not all of us are able to minister to those in prison, to the poor and the homeless. We can’t all be teachers or catechists or youth ministers. That is why the Diocese has these different ministries to ensure that we support each other. Thus, the reason for the Annual Diocesan Appeal.

 

I believe it is providential that we hear Jesus’ challenge to us – to be light and salt – as we launch our 2023 Annual Diocesan Appeal. Our financial contribution to the Appeal helps enhance and continue the mission of Christ. Friends, although the ADA is very important for the Diocese, is it equally beneficial for our parish. Any amount collected over and beyond our goal is rebated to our community. These monies help us maintain our many programs and ministries here at Holy Spirit.

 

Today, I ask you to please pray for the success of this year’s campaign. I also encourage you to participate. Let us “Support our Mission Together!’

 

In today’s gospel, Jesus invites us to pray that we may grow in our relationship with Him. He also asks us to be enthusiastic, committed, hope-filled and faith-filled. If not, our Christian discipleship might be perceived as “Blah!”