During my first year of seminary, after the Christmas vacation, my spiritual director asked me, ‘Did you go to daily Mass?’  I said, ‘Most of the time.  Sometimes, I was up late and just too tired to go the next day.’  He nodded and then said, ‘Okay, but next time you’re on break, get up anyway, go to Mass, and then nap afterwards.’  I loved that advice!  It was so clear!  It made so much sense that, after my second year, I don’t think I ever missed daily Mass again.

All of us appreciate clear, helpful advice, especially when it’s from someone who loves us, is trustworthy, and competent.

The First Reading is clear advice from Moses on a certain type of prayer, a ritual for the Hebrew people.  They had been slaves in Egypt, rescued by God, and then, when about to enter the Promised Land, he tells them literally to collect fruit and bring it to the priest.  “When the priest takes the basket from your hand and sets it down before the altar of the Lord your God, you shall make this response before the Lord your God” (Deut 26:4-5).  This ritual is part of the Biblical teaching on what’s called ‘firstfruits,’ that God deserves our first and best, because He loves us and rescued us.

Now that we’re beginning the holy penitential season of Lent, we want to reflect: During the day, do we give God the firstfruits of our time and energy or the leftovers?  Does He get quality time or do we squeeze Him in at the end of the day?  The same can happen with our family: We often give our best to our friends, and our family receives the leftovers.

When the Hebrew people bring their basket to the priest, they are supposed to recite the following prayer, and there are three observations we can make about it.

1) It’s a remembrance of their history.  “A wandering Aramean was my father [Jacob]; he went down into Egypt [around 1875 B.C.] and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous.  [About 400 years later] When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us… we cried to the Lord… the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression.  The Lord brought us out of Egypt… with signs and wonders… [40 years after that,] he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.  So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground that you, O Lord, have given me’” (26:5-10).

It’s human nature to forget what God has done for us.  In just the past year, we can probably think of a time when we were close to God and then not so much: We go through a difficult moment and then forget what God did for us.  The Hebrews faced the same temptation, and so Moses gave this prayer of remembrance!

2) Notice that the prayer is recited in the first person, even though the ones reciting it never lived in Egypt!  This is the generation that was born in the wilderness.  The generation who lived in Egypt had already died.  Yet, what God did for their ancestors, He did for them.

And what God did for them, He did for us.  So, whenever we see God bless other people, now or in the past, we’re supposed to remember how He blesses us.  When we come to Mass, what Jesus did in the past through His Death and Resurrection becomes present for us—this is the Biblical concept of remembering: God’s actions in the past are made present for us.

3) Moses gives this ritual at the location of Beth-Peor.  Why is that important?  Because, one year before, at this very location, the Hebrew people betrayed God by fornicating, committing adultery with the Moabites, and worshipping their false gods.  They need this ritual to remember God and not turn away from Him.  

We sometimes worship false gods, too: our phones, lust, work, and so we need a concrete ritual to remind us that God loves us and rescued us.  When we forget our former bondage, we fall back into it.  So, Mass is a concrete ritual reminding us that Jesus saved us: “This is the chalice of my blood… which is poured out for you… for the forgiveness of sins.  Do this in memory of me.”  Could I ask a question, please: How many of us talk to God throughout the day?  This is very good, however, be aware that there are three limitations: 1) We’re multitasking.  It’s like only talking to our family when we’re in the car but not spending quality time together; 2) We’re fitting Jesus into our day, with other things coming first; 3) It’s not concrete enough to remember Jesus’ salvation.  What we need is to keep talking to Him in this way and give Him the firstfruits, that is, spending quality time with Him.

Another question: Is it a sin not to spend quality time with Jesus every day?  The answer is yes, because it’s a sin not to spend quality time with our family, when we have the time.  It’s a sin of neglecting the One Who loves us.

For the next few weeks, like last year, we’re going to look at what’s called ‘the five systems’ of a church.  Just as a body has the nervous system, the muscular system, etc., so a parish has five systems.

 At the end of this series, we’re going to ask everyone to re-examine their Sunday financial offering, which means we may increase it, keep it the same, or even decrease it, if that’s the right thing to do.  We do this once a year and this is just to look ahead.  A big thank-you to all of you because your sacrificial giving makes our parish so amazing!

Today, we’re reflecting on how we worship Jesus.  Are we doing it well?  Are we focusing on Him?  When we think about Sunday Mass, the music, hospitality, the homily, the adoration chapel, daily Mass, and all the Confessions, where could we improve?  God willing, this year, we need to upgrade the sound system in the church, especially for everyone in the foyer because you deserve better.  In the next few weeks, if you happen to go to another parish, I pray that the music and homily are really bad so that we appreciate what we have here.  Just kidding.

Just as I benefitted from my spiritual director telling me never to miss daily Mass, let me give clear instruction: Jesus loves us and died for us; At least 15 minutes of quality time with Him every day is necessary to remember this.  If you’re tired at night, pray standing up, for we need it.  Let’s give Jesus the firstfruits because He deserves it.