My Wednesday Homily

I want to share my homily with you because what has happened to me has been happening to all the missionaries with me this week. I am so proud to be with them.

Wednesday of 11th Week of Ordinary Time

This is my seventh visit to Santísimo Sacramento. On each trip I try to give something to my Piuran brothers and sisters and, of course, I always get something in return. What I receive is spiritual in nature and always worth much more to me that what I give.

In today’s gospel, Jesus is saying that when we act holy we are not supposed to impress other people and make ourselves look better in their eyes. This is the wrong reason for acting holy. We are supposed to give alms, pray, and fast to enhance our love of God. These three actions are supposed to purify ourselves and bring us another step closer to God.

When I read today’s gospel selection, certain words were very meaningful for me. They reminded me of something I learned from you when I was here in January for a month. The part of today’s gospel reading that came alive for me is: “But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing.”

When I was a boy, our family had just enough money to buy the necessities of life. There was very little money left over for those extra things that people desire. So, as I began to raise my own family, I always watched our money very closely. I always gave a certain percentage of our money to others who had less. As I grew older and saved more money, I began to give more and more of it away, but always is a calculated way.

My wife and I have been padrinos of a family in the pueblo of Chavín de Huántar for eight years. We have grown to be one family. They have graced me by allowing me to baptize their children. My Peruvian family has taught me to help them in a way that my left hand does not always know what my right hand is doing. My left hand now gives alms with less of a connection to my right hand that keeps track of our alms. My two hands are still connected, but much less than in the past. I continue to progress in the direction that Jesus teaches. I have seen the same thing happening this week to the other missionaries with me.

Mother Theresa tells the following story. “The mother of a starving family was given a small dish of rice. That was nice, but the real act of neighborly love happened next. Before anyone ate a grain, the mother disappeared out the door. She came back quickly with half a dish of rice and everyone ate hungrily. When asked why she gave away the rice when her children were so hungry, she answered that they could not enjoy the food knowing that their neighbor had nothing.”

An abundance of possessions can easily lead us to forget that God is the source of all good. We must be careful not to trust ourselves and our wealth rather than the almighty. When we focus on ourselves, we forget not only God but also the people he created. In our self-absorption, we are fooled by the pleasure of possessing.

What happens to us when we are giving alms? When are we going to let go of unnecessary things in our lives? What are our attachments? Are we aware of those who are in need and of those who need our love and our care?

Almsgiving is the practice of giving to others more needy than us, especially at the cost of some sacrifice on our part. Such generosity gets the focus away from ourselves and back on Jesus, especially Jesus in our brothers and sisters.

You are my brothers and sisters. Thank you for helping me to better live the gospel of our Lord, Jesus Christ!

Thursday in Piura

What a day: I did things all day that I never did before.

In the morning I learned the ins and outs of buying goats. We set out to buy (photo) and deliver ten goats, which I thought would be easy because I had seen goats given to families as a gift. After 4 hours we only had 9 goats and 3 delivered. We went to two places twice to find goats. The busiest place is along a highway where busses drop off goats to middlemen who resell them. Then there was the bargaining that when on for a price.

While delivering the goats I learned about the many sponsored families who live as squatters on public land. Since everyone else also thinks that the land is public, dump trucks full of broken bricks are dumped in the "front yard" of these families (photo).

In the afternoon. one of our St. Monica families paid to take 100 orphans, the staff, and other missionaries to a movie in a very nice movie theater. Wow, were these teen girls excited!

While taking Communion to the Hospice Center yesterday, I noticed that the first resident who I had visited often on other trips was no longer there. She died of breast cancer in March and I was very down for a while. Please pray for sweet Louisa.

Hasta luego!

Wednesday in Piura

Today we had a chance to do many different projects: buying building materials, building houses, taking Communion to the homebound, teaching Bible school, and delivering food packages, or furniture, or clothes. Everyone enjoyed what they did.

This evening Deacon Lee preached at Mass about the generosity of missionaries using the gospel pericope of "the left hand should not know what the right hand in doing."

 

This evening some missionaries began talking about going home on Saturday and how bitter sweet it will be. We want to see our families at home, but are leaving so much behind.

The photo is of missionaries dancing with the parishioners of St. Monica Chapel during the fiesta.

More exciting events are planned for the final three days.

Chao

Tuesday

Let me begin with a photo from the fiesta. It shows some of our missionaries who are awed with what they are experiencing. They say that one has to come and see because no one can explain it ahead of time.

This morning almost everyone picked cotton. I stayed "home" to prepare a homily for Saturday. Fr. Joe asked be to do a Communion Service at St. Monica chapel, perhaps a first of its kind in the parish. I will bless the new crucifix and painting of St. Monica after the homily.

The afternoon was spent with out families at a picnic. Then we took them either to a movie of shopping for clothes. I did the later.

We all have several children each that we would like to bring back with us. The children here are absolutely beautiful. Hasta mañana.

Monday, Our First Work Day

And did we work today! It is winter here, but a hot 80 degrees with humidity. We had four groups working today. One group roofed the house of my daughter's house. They ran out of roofing and two workers decided to buy the rest of the roofing and finish the jobs. Being here with the people of God causes great generosity.

Robin Barry, two college girls from the midwest, and I spend the morning bring Communion to the homebound. I have visited the same people before, but something was very holy about our visits today. I wish I could capture the situation.

In the afternoon, Mark, Robert, and I delivered furniture to the homes of Deacon Jerry and Carol Ann Rakosky and of Tina Konzak. It was great to do this for sponsors that we know.

This evening was the mother of all fiestas. St. Monica Chapel was build by St. Monica parish and we daily feed the children of the surrounding village. The fiesta was great with all the dancing put on by the village plus their dancing with us. St. Monica parishioner have to visit Piura to experience their love of us. The Peruvians are a special beautiful people of God. Photos later.

My Goddaughter

I had to add this photo of my goddaughter and me on Father's Day. She is now nine. I baptized her on my second trip when she was 3. Life is good!

Day of Rest

Sunday was a great day. It began with a great breakfast followed by group time for reflection. We went to San Jacinto for noon Mass and were greeted by children holding placards with our names. During Mass Fr. Joe did a marriage and presented the family a Bible and the groom a broom telling he was supposed to help his wife -- the church broke up.

After Mass we had lunch at the Retreat Center, went to an art colony in Catacaos for shopping, and then to an orphanage with 100 teenage girls who hung on to us, danced with us, and served us cake for Father's Day. A visit there puts the rest of the world into perspective. You got to be there because words cannot describe it.

We finished the day with one more standing-room-only Mass back at the parish. There was a spiritual concert afterwards in the auditorium. Most of us got to spend time with our sponsored families before and after Mass. My goddaughter made me a Father Day card.

The photo is of the parishioners at San Jacinto blessing the missionaries during Mass.

Tomorrow we go to work. More about that later. Hasta mañana.