ON BEING RELIGIOUS
Quote for the Day - August 21, 2010
"Some people make a cloak out of the smallest piece of religion."
Anonymous
Saturday, August 21, 2010
TITLES AND TASSELS
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily for this 20th Saturday in Ordinary Time is, “Titles and Tassels.”
With today’s gospel reading we move into a very tough chapter of the gospel of Matthew – Chapter 23 - when Jesus challenges the Pharisees and the scribes big time – especially because of their externalism.
They were off titles and tassels. They were off on self worship – rather than being in on God.
Being a priest now for 45 years, I’ve learned the awful truth of what Jesus learned in his 20’s or earlier – people can get trapped in the iddy biddy game – and be in the game for the title and the tassels, the uniform, the vestments and the collar – the outside of the chalice (1) – the words – the externals.
Prayer is not the words, the number of prayers, the babble – as Jesus called rambling on and on prayer – but the connection, the communion, the being with Our Father – the listening – the quiet in one’s inner room – or those escapes to the mountains and gardens and our hidden places of prayer.
As the Psalm puts it: “Be still and know that I am your God.” (2)
As James puts it in his Letter, “Nobody must imagine that he is religious while he still goes on deceiving himself and not keeping control over his tongue; anyone who does this has the wrong idea of religion. Pure, unspoilt religion, in the eyes of God our Father is this: coming to the help of orphans and widows when they need it, and keeping oneself uncontaminated by the world.” (3)
TODAY’S READINGS
Ezekiel in today’s first reading – 43:1-7ab, is saying the temple is the place to be overwhelmed with God – God’s presence – God’s glory. The scribes and the Pharisees saw the temple as the place to be seen – to be noticed.
In today’s psalm – Psalm 85, we have the essence of religion – the Lord.
Religion as the Psalmist sings is about kindness and truth meeting inside me – about having justice and peace kissing. Now that’s a balanced spiritual outlook – and life.
In today’s gospel – Matthew 23:1-12 – Jesus is saying that it’s about serving one another – rather than wanting others to see us as the center of attraction.
Jesus stresses humility. The Pharisees and the scribes were dressed and drenched in pride.
The title of my homily is, “Titles and Tassels.”
JESUS KEEPS US HUMBLE
Jesus kills us humble – that is if we don’t crucify him this time by silence and keeping him inside a closed Bible or a locked tabernacle.
The first time around people went after Jesus and pushed him with a cross to Calvary. The second time people simply ignore him.
We’re here to adore him in the Trinity.
So today Jesus is saying, “Don’t be in this for titles or tassels.”
Just as the old saying, “The habit doesn’t make the monk,” so too the title doesn’t make the doctor or the lawyer, rabbi or priest. The title just helps us to find out where their office is.
The doctor, the lawyer, the rabbi is as good as the doctor or the lawyer or rabbi or priest is.
HUMILITY
Today’s gospel ends with the message of humility. We read,
The greatest among you must be your servant.Whoever exalts himself will be humbled;but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
CONCLUSION
In case my homily was all title and words with tassels, let me close with an old story I heard somewhere along the line.
A bishop came to Rome from his diocese and his country to do some business at some Vatican Office.
He gets there and the line is immensely long. He gets on line and goes crazy. He hasn’t had to wait on line for years.
Finally frustrated he walks around a bunch of people and goes to the front of the line where there is a guy in a suit sitting at a desk – who signals to people to come forward. He says, “Look I’m a bishop and I’m here to do some business. Can you let me get ahead of all these people.”
The guy at the desk says, “No. But relax bishop, I’m an archbishop.”
NOTES
(1) Luke 11:39
(2) Psalm 46:1-10
(3) James 1: 26-27
Friday, August 20, 2010
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
ME OR YOU?
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily for this 20th Wednesday in Ordinary time is, “Me or You?”
Every day provides several opportunities where the choice is, “Me or You?”
Am I self centered or other centered?
Coming out of the parking lot or a parking place, coming out of church or a room or a building, the choice is often there: me or you?
TODAY’S READINGS
In today’s first reading, Ezekiel 34: 1-11, he goes after the leaders of Israel who are not in it for others – but for self.
Ezekiel message is clear: priests, shepherds, leaders, parents, all – are called to serve others not self.
In today’s psalm – Psalm 23 – we hear that the Lord is a Good Shepherd – in contrast to how Ezekiel describes so many shepherds in Israel – who are only in it for self.
Jesus reflected on this theme – because he refers to it rather clearly and rather often as well.
In today’s gospel, Matthew 20:1-16, the owner of the vineyard is concerned about people who don’t have work so as to earn their daily bread. Then when he’s quite generous with his money to those who just worked an hour or a few hours – the others are angry at his goodness and generosity to everyone.
There is a message and a challenge here for all of us: thinking of others – being concerned about others – putting others ahead of ourselves.
How many times have we heard the saying, “A person wrapped up in themselves makes a very small package.”
THE WALKING INTO A CONVERSATION SITUATION
One of life’s regular scenes is, “The Walking Into A Conversation Situation.”
We’re sitting there with a few people and someone is right in the middle of telling a story and someone walks into the room or into the scene.
There are two kinds of people: those who walk into a situation calmly and quietly and stand or sit down and catch what folks are talking about and there are those who immediately take over and turn the conversation in on themselves – or on what they want to talk about.
We just got back from a boat trip on the Danube. Three of us are on the top deck and it’s within the first hour of our trip. We found nice chairs to sit on and the scenery is spectacular. One of the three of us starts to tell a story and the other two of us are listening.
Suddenly this guy comes up the stairs onto the top deck and heads right for us and jumps into our tiny circle and starts talking – and taking over – and he tells us how he was a cab driver in New York City and how this is his first cruise. Finally he takes a breath and the other person in our tiny circle comes back to the story she is telling. This guy then immediately interrupts her and starts telling another story.
I say to myself, “Uh oh, this is going to be a very small boat.”
Obviously, life doesn’t have scripts that are handed out – that we have to follow. Obviously, life on stage is mostly improvisation.
However, there are niceties – and the Golden Rule – and courtesies – and the wisdom of checking out the scene.
There are two kinds of people at a buffet table. Those who take a plate and start putting food on it immediately and those who walk around the buffet table and see everything that is on it. Then they get a plate and put on their plate what they want.
CONCLUSION
The title of my homily is, “Me or You?”
I like the gospel text – the words of John the Baptist, “I must decrease. He must increase.”
I like and don’t like Jesus’ words about the grain of wheat must die and dissolve – otherwise it’s just a seed of wheat – but if it dies – it can become delicious bread.
The message is: want to be a delicious person? Zip your lips. Open your ears. Put others first. If you want to make relationships last, put the other in the relationship first.
INFLATION
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily for this 20th Tuesday in Ordinary Time is, “Inflation.”
It’s a word and a theme that can pull together both readings for today.
Inflate can mean to fill something up with air or gas – to make a balloon or a tire become full. Inflation can also mean to overinflate something – money or property or what have you – that it becomes over extended or over expanded – sometimes leading to a burst – as in a balloon or a tire or money or the stock market.
TODAY’S FIRST READING
In today’s first reading from Ezekiel 28:1-10, there is a burst of words attacking the king of Tyre. His name might have been Ithobal or Ithbaal II. He is king of Tyre which is doing very well financially. It had two ports and a great location. Business was booming – especially with it purple trade.
Money and power can go to someone’s head – making someone think they are a god. Everyone quotes Lord Acton’s words on this – words he wrote in a letter to Bishop Mandell Creighton, “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” [April 5, 1887]
That’s what Ezekiel is saying happened to this king in the city of Tyre.
Hopefully he had a mirror – a court jester – a wife and kids who could kept him human and humble.
This is a message for not just presidents and popes – but for all of us.
TODAY’S GOSPEL
Today’s gospel from Matthew 19:23-30 has this same theme – emptying oneself etc. – that is, if we want to fit through the eye of the needle – and discover Christ and his Kingdom on the other side of the eye.
Obviously, a balloon or a camel cannot fit through the eye of a needle.
Obviously, a person who knows the answer – is more apt not to hear the question.
Obviously, a person who is first on line or in the front seat – is less apt to see that there are people behind him or her.
As one reads the gospels one begins to get the feeling that the Pharisees knew it all – were inflated with their self importance – and therefore didn’t hear, understand or receive Jesus.
BOOKS
We’ve all heard the saying, “Beware of the person of one book!”
Thank you Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Paul for giving us your different takes on Jesus.
I like to pause for a moment when I walk into a library – because it’s very humbling to know there is so much I don’t know.
On our Danube trip we visited the Benedictine Monastery of Melk and we got a guided tour of their library. While most of Europe couldn’t read, this place was a center of learning. The tour guide said there were 17 rooms in the library – with over 80,000 books. The guide books said there were 12 rooms with over 100,000 books.
There are many books and many answers to many questions.
Learning, listening, we can discover our emptiness – our poverty – our ignorance – all that we don’t know – and at times we can move up from last towards first.
A CONCLUSION - NAN-IN
When I read the readings for Mass, the night before, I look to an ikon of Christ on my wall and pray, “Help! Give me an insight. Bring me closer to what you’re saying.”
I also try to remember a story I heard a long time ago.
Once upon a time during the Meiji era (1868-1912), a Japanese Zen master named a Nan-in, received a university professor who came to inquire about Zen. Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor’s cup full, and then kept on pouring. The professor watched the overflow until he no longer could restrain himself. “It is overfull. No more will go in!”
Then Nan-in said, “Like this cup you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?”
Each morning – we are like the disciples at the lake of Galilee – who were fishing and catching nothing – and Jesus calls to us from the shore – where to cast out nets – and they caught a boat load – but there was more – they went ashore and caught Jesus for a great breakfast – and caught some more great words about life and love.
Photo on top - one of the book shelves at the library at Melk, Austria
Monday, August 16, 2010
Sunday, August 15, 2010
ASSUMPTIONS!
CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT THEM
CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT THEM
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily is, “Assumptions! Can’t Live Without Them.”
This Sunday – because it’s August 15th – we celebrate the feast of the Assumption of Mary.
What to preach on?
It hit me that life is built on assumptions. It hit me that afterlife is also built on assumptions.
LIFE
Let me start with life.
People get married and have children with the assumption that 2 is better than 1 and 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 or what have you, are better than 2.
They think this when they pinch themselves for the gift that they have received: the gift of life. We do that when we’re at the beach and we see a great sunrise or seagulls soaring or gliding over white tipped crashing waves – or we're at a big family celebration – or we’re out on the bay and the wind is cool and our sails are full. Life – especially in the middle of great moments of life – we pinch ourselves. Thank you mom and dad for having me. Thank you God for the gift of life.
I always love to quote one of my favorite statements by Groucho Marx who said, “If your parents didn’t have children, chances are you won’t have them either.”
Pinch yourself every now and then for the gift of life. I call it the “Pinch Prayer” – and it doesn’t have any words. It just takes a second. I do it here often right above my wrist on either arm. The “Pinch Prayer.”
If you have brought children into the world, pinch yourself again – and make that a second “Pinch Prayer.”
I wonder at times why in the world did I ever get myself into a life of celibacy – not having brought children into the world. That scares me at times. After all my parents gave me the gift of life – and their parents gave them the gift of life – and back and back and back. I assume that Jesus’ words on this are my personal background music and most of the time I see this as a calling. (1) Celibacy is not for everyone. “Thank God” – otherwise we’d have an empty church and an empty world. And the call of celibacy is to use one’s gift of life – just as in parenting – for the life of others – for the increase of the Kingdom of God – the wonderful dream for how to live life here and hereafter – the vision Jesus was often talking about. (2)
“Thy Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven!”
Faith – it’s filled with assumptions.
Life – it’s filled with assumptions.
We trust the water and the food – but we wonder about the air at times.
We trust that we’ll have a tomorrow when we go to bed and fall asleep at night.
Assumptions.
We trust each other.
If we can’t make these basic assumptions we would go crazy.
And what are the biggest hurts in life? They happen when trust – basic trust – is broken – when a loved one betrays us.
What do we get nervous and antsy and anxious about? It’s when we made an assumption – and it didn’t happen. And then someone reminds us, “You know what they say about ‘assume’. They can make an ass out of ‘u’ and me.”
But that’s only about a small number of assumptions – because we make a hundred of them every day – and by experience we know many of our assumptions work.
The negative proves the positive.
We have all heard the reminder about, “Don’t drink the water” in some foreign countries. If we drank the water and got diarrhea – then we might go through life nervous about water in all foreign countries.
And I assume those who sell bottled water, love it.
Assumptions.
We assume that a college degree for our kids – will give them a better chance at life.
We assume that our job will last – especially if we work hard and give it our best.
We assume that our brakes won’t fail us.
We assume there’s a gas station just ahead when the needle is getting close to E – Empty.
We assume our priests are giving it their best and they are trustworthy – that is till Judas reappears.
Assumptions – they are part of life.
AFTERLIFE
Then comes afterlife – we hope.
We have to die to find out - but I'm not dying to find out yet.
In the meanwhile we Christians believe, assume, that there is life after death – a morning after the big sleep called “death”.
We have the great Easter Message that Christ rose from the dead – after his horrible crucifixion. That’s one reason almost every church has a cross – large or small.
We Catholics believe, assume, that Mary, the Mother of Jesus, was assumed into Heaven after her life here on earth. Not all Christians accept that one – and it wasn’t declared a central belief for us Catholics till 1950. (3)
The Church is long and slow in its development of dogmatic declarations. What will the Church look like in the year 3010? I have a lot of assumptions and hopes – but they are a long way off. They are up the river and around the bend.
I just got back from a great vacation on the Danube River – with a neat group of people from the parish. We went from Vienna to Budapest.
Well, we had on our boat a Jewish woman who was in her late 90’s – who left Vienna – after her father and a group of prominent Jewish men killed themselves rather than be taken by the Nazi’s. If I heard her story correctly, her mom and she escaped by train for Spain. This was her first time back.
If has always intrigued me that of all people who should believe in life after death, it would be the Jews or any people who have been massacred. As in our scriptures, some do and some don’t.
I know faith is a gift – but there are some tricky assumptions in saying that. Faith – the assumptions in faith – that’s a whole other sermon.
We saw in Budapest from a bus window a memorial for some Jews who were killed in 1944. The memorial consisted of 50 pairs of bronzed shoes right on a walkway along the river. It marked the place where Jews were led right to that spot – shot – and let fall into the river. Many others were sent to concentration camps – to work and/or to die. (4)
Jesus – the Jew – believed in an afterlife – big, big, big time - and has given that gift to us – especially in his Resurrection. We hear that at every Mass. We hear that every Easter. We hear that proclaimed loud and clear by Paul in today’s second reading. (5)
Mary – his Jewish mother – from a tiny, tiny little town in northern Israel – not only went with haste to visit her cousin Elizabeth as we heard in today’s gospel – but it’s our Catholic belief – she went with haste into the hill countries of the hereafter – and Christians ever since have said in a zillion Hail Mary’s – the words of Elizabeth, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”
So with Jesus and Mary – we have not just a verbal belief in a hereafter – but we can begin to have people to picture in the hereafter – Jesus and Mary - and besides them – we have patriarchs and prophets, wise men and wise women, saints and family members who have gone before us.
I assume that it’s very smart to believe in an afterlife – and once more I also assume it’s a gift. I got it from my parents. Thank you mom and dad.
I assume that those who don’t believe in afterlife – don’t see life the same way as those of us who do.
I assume that a belief in an afterlife gives hope and meaning to this great gift called life.
I assume that for those who have lost a loved one – early or late – belief in an afterlife – makes life more bearable.
I assume that those who have gone through an abortion or lost a child – belief in an afterlife – where there is God – a loving God who welcomes all those who have died and forgives those who accept forgiveness and fresh starts.
Let the little children come to me.
Let those who loved – come to me.
Let those who have been crucified – come to me.
CONCLUSION
How do I finish this homily?
The title of my homily is, “Assumptions. Can’t Live Without Them.”
I assume that Mary – like her Son – is not just a statue or a past historical character.
I assume that Jesus’ words that we will be judged on love – mean just that. I assume that Mary’s words in today’s gospel are very powerful and serious stuff – especially when Luke has her saying in her Magnificat:
“He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
and has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.” (6)
How far does God scatter the proud? How far down does God cast the mighty from their thrones? How empty does he send the rich away who have left the poor hungry and empty?
I assume that’s "Uh oh!" stuff – to shake us up and out of our complacency or laziness.
I assume that a God who creates a person – whose existence was just in the womb – or who lived only for a few hours or a few years of life – or a person who is abused and killed by tyrants – this Creator created them for more than that. That can’t just be it. It better not be just that. That can’t be that person’s whole life and existence – and then there is nothing more. That’s not the God Christians believe in.
I assume that this great gift of life is not just in the here – but that there is a hereafter – an eternity – a forever – and that we have to die to find out.
I assume that’s why God sent his Son Jesus – and that’s why God was in on our creation and the creation of Mary – the Mother of Jesus. Amen.
NOTES:
(1) Matthew 19: 10-30; 1 Corinthians 7; Isaiah 56: 3; Luke 14: 25-27; Mark 8:34-38
(2) Matthew 4:17; 4:23; Luke 8;1; Luke 9:60; Luke 16:16
(3) Pius XII, Munificentissimus Deus (1950)
(4) I've seen the number of shoes to be 50 pairs - as well as 60 pairs. The photo on top is by Doctor Arnold Plotnick. The shoes were sculpted by Gyula Pauer .
(5) 1 Corinthians 15: 20-27
(6) Luke 1; 49-53
PRAYER TO MARY -
FEAST OF THE ASSUMPTION
Prayer for a Loved One on the Feast of the Assumption - Aug. 15, 2010
"Save those who hope in you,
O Mother of the Sun
which knows no setting.
O Mother of God.
by your prayers
ask your divine Son,
we beg you,
to grant rest to _____
who has departed
to where the souls
of the just rest.
Make _____ an heir
of the divine benefits
in the halls of the just
including everlasting memory,
O Immaculate One."
Attributed to St. John of Damascus - 8th Century
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