The title of my homily for this 19th Saturday
in Ordinary Time is, “A New Beginning.”
If you come to daily Mass, have you noticed lately - like
in the book of Joshua - several references to the River - and River is
capitalized in today’s first reading?
It’s the Jordan River - the river that flows right down
the middle of Israel.
Back track a bit to Egypt. Israel moves out of Egypt. It begins
with the Escape, the Exit, the Exodus, the journey through the Red or Reed
Sea. Then it takes them 40 years in the
desert - before they finally make the move into the Promised Land - which they
enter going across the Jordan River.
And they do that crossing downstream a good bit from the
Lake of Galilee - closer to the present day country of Jordan. If you take a
tour of Israel they bring you to spots higher up the river from where the actual
crossing took place.
At least that’s what the historians and specialists say….
As we heard the other day, Moses dies on the other side
of that river - on the eastern side. He never makes the crossing.
That crossing was their baptism - their becoming a
people.
JOHN THE
BAPTIST
We were taught that the crossing of the Jordan was very
significant.
It was a beginning - a new beginning for the people of
Israel.
John the Baptist called people to the River - to go to
the other side and then enter the river
- be dipped in that river - be renewed in that river - and then come up
on the Israel side and start again.
Have a new beginning....
We were taught that was what John the Baptist was doing
with his baptism.
And Jesus entered into that renewal - that new beginning. It’s called Christianity, the New Testament.
NEW BEGINNINGS
Retreat Houses and programs often grab the theme of New
Beginnings. Check their brochures that list their programs.
Hopefully, we’ve all had renewal experiences in our lives
- fresh starts - new beginnings.
A person gets transferred to a new location in a company. And it gives him or her an opportunity for a fresh start,
a new beginning.
So too athletes traded to another team.
So too kids starting in a new school - a fresh start -
maybe in a new city, it’s a chance to start again. Or going to High School or
College.
Then they get out - and it’s a fresh start.
CHILD AGAIN
Today’s gospel gets us to think about being a child
again. To have that wide eye - looking around - discovering - exploring bottom
drawers and closets and cellars and attics and life - like a child again.
EACH DAY
Each day can be seen as a new beginning.
We’re starting it off with a mass.
Then Go the Mass is Ended - and a new hour begins.
Life: it never
grows old.
How old is the universe that God gives us his children
each day.
What is God’s attitude towards life?
Thy Kingdom Come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in
Heaven.
Say that, pray that, do that every day - before each new beginning.
What goes around - comes around - again and again and again, that is unless we get a new map, or unless we drive another way, or get a flat tire - that is, if someone lets the hot air out of our tire.
The title of my homily for this 19th Wednesday
in Ordinary Time is, “Face to Face.”
Today’s first reading says that Moses had a face to face
relationship with God.
What would that be like?
For starters, I can only take it on face value - that the
author of today’s first reading from Chapter 34 of Deuteronomy is saying that
Moses’ relationship with God was like a face to face relationship between two
people.
It’s eyeball to eyeball. It’s intimate. It’s close….
However, where it differs is that one part of the
relationship is a human relating to God in a human way and God relating to one
of us - in a human way. The scriptures are also saying, nobody else but Moses had such a
relationship with God.
I would think Adam and Eve had an equivalent relationship;
with God. They walked with God in the
cool of the evening.
Of course this is poetry, this is imaginative writing,
this is an author’s way of trying to get us to see a relationship with God in a very human way.
The Book of Exodus is telling us that Moses face began to
radiate, shine, as a result of his face to face relationship with God.
I would think that the impact of any great relationship
with another person - should show up in our face, in our eyes, in our step, and
body movement.
TODAY’S GOSPEL
Let me jump to today’s gospel - while keeping in mind
this idea of having a face to face relationship with God. [Cf. Matthew 18:
15-20.]
The gospel tells us that sometimes we don’t get along
with each other or with the community. The gospel tells us that sometimes we
have to go face to face with each other - with folks we have trouble with. The
gospel has the hope that brothers and brothers and sisters and sisters - the
whole community - that we’ll all work to live with each other in peace, that we’ll
pray with and for each other, that we’ll respect each other - face to face.
Who are the people in my life that I should be in
communion with face to face with? Whom should I be having a face to face
relationship with because we want to get along better with each other. When was the last time we were looking -
really looking into the eye of another? Jesus said we can tell a lot by the
eyes. I think we know this, but ….
Maybe we are neglecting - our brothers and sisters -
walking right by them every day.
I know I need to hear this message.
EYE TO EYE,
FACE TO FACE
As I think about all this, I know I need to think more
about communication and communion with others.
I think that I think better, when I’m trying to say
something to another - and I don’t look them right in the eye - face to face. -
because that sometimes gets in the way of what I’m trying to communicate or
figure out. I’m not sure about this - and the whole process of communication.
It’s a lifetime tennis match.
How about you? How do you communicate best? How about
cell phone to cell phone, e-mail to e-mail, smart phone to smart phone. Is
there better communication going on when people see each other on their phones?
A test would be: what color eyes does the other have?
I remember I took an old photograph of my mother from way
back and brought it to Macy’s to have them enhance it. I wanted them to remove
a person in the picture - so it would just be a picture of my mom. So I wanted
to fix it up, have it framed and then give
it to my mother for Mother’s Day. It was a sepia colored photograph.
So I went to the counter and the lady asked if I wanted the
picture colored. I didn’t know they
could do such a thing.
The lady at the counter looked me the eye and asked,
“What color is your mother’s eye.
I had no clue.
So she said, “I’ll make them yours.”
To be honest, I
didn’t even know what color eyes I had.
I gave the picture to my mom.
When my sister Mary looked at it, she said, “Mom doesn’t have green brown
eyes.”
CONCLUSION
For starters, when I’m looking at some one, I need to
look at them face to face, see what
color eyes they have.
And - Ooops! Does I know what color eyes God has?
August 16, 2017
SUKHA AND DUHKHA
Life is both sukha and duhkha….
Pleasure and pain ….
Sweet and sour ….
Easy and difficult ….
SU [good]; DUH
[bad] ….
KHA is the axle hole on your cart.
SU is a good fit; DUH is a bad fit.
How to live with both as we
roll down the road of life - now
that is the question both
Buddhism and Hinduism ask ….
What are the things you are doing that cause sukha and what are the things that cause duhkha?
I assume that I have to make this sermon for this feast
of the Assumption shorter than usual - because this Mass calls for the Gloria, 3
readings, the Creed, a collection - and some of you have to get to work.
I assume that Mary was like the rest of us - in that she inwardly
and outwardly - blurted out - tiny blurts - tiny - one, two, three or more words
- short sentences - shorter - much shorter than tweets - during
her life.
I assume she thought and spoke in Aramaic and I only know
the few Aramaic words in the gospels that Jesus spoke, “Talitha cum” , “Ephphatha”, “Mammon”, “Hosanna”,
“Boanerges", “Cephas”.
So I imagined some of Mary’s blurts in English - and to
make this homily practical - think of what your blurts are - and what you imagine Mary’s blurts were.
So here are my assumptions for what Mary’s blurts would
be.
“Uh oh!”
“What does this mean?”
“Full of grace?”
“A compliment? Okay, now comes the request.”
“Be a mother?”
“How?”
“Okay - be it done to me as you wish.”
“No room in the Inn? What were we thinking?”
“I don’t believe this.”
“Oh my God, so many innocent babies killed.”
“But we don’t know any Egyptian.”
“It’s time to go exit, exodus, go home.”
“Nazareth! It’s
good to be home again.”
“Jerusalem, again, now what?”
“Jesus, where are
you?”
“Why did you do this to us? We’ve been looking for you for 2 days now.”
“Where did he get this wisdom?”
“They have run out of wine.”
“Listen to him.”
“Me blessed, no? You, yes if you do the will of our
Father.”
“That’s sword number 5. Two more to come….”
“On no, they’re going force him to carry his cross up
this way to Calvary.”
“Oh no!”
“Come Holy Spirit.”
”Oh my God.”
“My soul magnifies the Lord.”
- O - O - O - O - O - O - O -
NOTES:
Painting on top: The Annunciation by Henry Ossawa Tanner, 1898. It can be found in the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
For these imagined
annunciations or blurts by Mary I followed the scripture stories - especially
in Luke and Matthew.
August 15, 2017
ASSUMPTION
I assume we all die.
Otherwise this would be a very complicated and congested
planet - with a lot of people to take care of.
I assume we all wonder if there is anything after death.
I assume that Christ rose from the dead.
I assume Mary, his mother, also rose and was assumed into
heaven - by, because, through Christ the Lord.
Now those two assumptions are mighty big assumptions - but as St. Paul said,
“If there is no resurrection of the dead, then neither has Christ been raised.
And if Christ has not been raised , then empty is our preaching, empty too,
your faith.” [1 Corinthians 15:
13-14]
Mary’s assumption into heaven is not in the scriptures
specifically. And it took the Catholic Church till November 1st,
1950, to declare that Mary was assumed into heaven - body and soul - our hope
and Christ’s promise. Pope Pius XII was
the pope who made this declaration of faith. [Cf. Munificentissimus Deus, Pius XII, November 1, 1950.]
The Catholic Church is not saying that Mary is God - or a
Goddess - something some people assume we think and believe. The Church is saying because
of Christ - we assume by faith that all of us can live forever - after we die - and Mary
models this for all humans - she being human not divine. _________________________________ Painting on top: Francisco Botticini, The Assumption, 1475.
Monday, August 14, 2017
LESSONS FROM A LIFE:
SAINT MAXIMILIAN KOLBE
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily is, “Lessons From A Life: Saint Maximilan Kolbe.”
We can look at any person’s life and ask: “What are the
lessons I can learn from this person’s life?”
I just did a funeral up Bestgate Road a big: at Lasting
Tributes. Like every funeral, it got me thinking.
I think every
person at a funeral or a loved one - sort of sits there and answers that
question. What have I learned from this person _______.
Today, we’re commemorating the life of St. Maximilan
Kolbe who died this day in Auschwitz - August 14, 1941.
When we look at a holy person’s life, we can ask that
question, “What does this person teach me?”
Since I used the number 3 yesterday in my homily, let me
take 3 lessons from Max Kolbe’s life.
GREATER LOVE
THAN THIS
The first thing people think of when it comes to the life
of Max Kolbe, it’s that he gave his life for another human being. A prisoner escaped from Auschwitz where Max was being held prisoner. He was one of the many priests who were arrested by the Nazi's. The commandant lined up all the inmates from Cell Block 14 and picked out 10 to be executed. One of the 10 was Franciszek Gajowniczek. He screamed out that he had a wife and 2 sons who needed him. At that Max Kolbe stepped out of line and said, "I want to go instead of this man. I am alone. I am a Catholic priest." And they allowed this request and 47 year old Max Kolbe was thrown in a cell with 9 others who were being starved to death. After 10 days 3 were left, so to get more room a doctor went into their cell and injected them with carbolic acid. As Jesus said, "Greater love no one has than to lay down their life for their friends."
THE IMPACT OF A
SPIRITUALITY
The second thing that hit me was the question of how a
specific spirituality hits and forms and impacts a person.
Max Kolbe was a Franciscan. How much did Franciscan Spirituality impact
the life of this priest?
Those of you who are Third Order Franciscans can answer
that question.
Those of you who have made Jesuit retreats or went to
Jesuit schools, how did their spirituality hit you?
We have Redemptorists in this parish. How does their
spirituality inform and impact you?
Great questions.
FOR OR AGAINST
ANOTHER: CHERRY PICKING
My third learning is this: if we are for someone or against someone, we select stuff
about that person to criticize them or to build them up.
At the time of Max Kolbe’s process for canonization as a
saint, some people brought up the issue of anti-Semitism.
Yes there are some digs at Jews in the newspaper his
group put out, but…. They faced this question in the investigation by Rome whether to declare Max Kolbe a martyr and saint or what have you.
I still hear those same “money hungry” comments about
Jews till today. Is it jealousy, ignorance, prejudice, or what have you?
If someone is in favor of Max Kolbe people bring up an
organization he was very much part of stress how they helped immigrants, 2/3
out of which were Jewish.
Moreover Francis Gajowniczek - the man whose life - he
substituted himself for - was Jewish.
CONCLUSION
The title of my homily is, “Lessons From A Life: Saint Maximilan Kolbe.”
In the meanwhile, we can also look at our life - our
legacy - our values and our behaviors.
August 14, 2017
TIPPING POINT
Did you ever wonder what word
or phrase was used before someone
came up with,
“Tipping Point”?
How did Shakespeare or the songwriters
or the world’s scriptures sing it or say it
before Malcolm Gladwell booked it?
Waiting for the dawn, looking out the
window, watching for the phone to
ring or sing or say, “I’m coming home.”
Or do all of us have a breaking point -
a boiling point - when we’re steaming -
when we burst - and the fireworks go off?
We realize we can’t give a sign of peace.
Instead we scream, “I’ve attended a
The title of my homily is, “Finding God: Take Three.”
When preaching or writing, sometimes I use the number 3,
sometimes 5, sometimes 7, sometimes 2. What works best for you?
If I asked you to tell me 3 places you find God, where
would your 3 places be?
Make them specific - instead of in general?
For example, you might answer, “On vacation.” I’d say,
“Great. But be more specific.” Then you
might say, “When I am at the beach, I like to get up early and go down to the
water and watch the sunrise.” Or you might say, “I sense the presence of God,
when I’m on vacation and we’re playing
Monopoly or Risk or Train Dominoes or cards together. Everyone is laughing and
life is good and family is good.”
So vacation might be one place you find God. Next, you
might give as your second place, “In church.” But then I’d say, “Be more
specific.” And you might answer, “Well, there I am at Mass. I’m sitting there -
sort of spaced out and I’m watching a family, a whole family, together at
Sunday Mass. And it’s not Christmas or
Easter. Then you might say, “Our family
is not together or what have you when it comes to Mass. But this family, it looks
like they have 3 kids, two in their twenties. It looks like one is there with a
boyfriend, probably not a Catholic, because of his hesitation and looking
around - when to stand up and when to sit down or kneel. I think of God in
moments like that at Mass.” Or you might say it’s a favorite hymn, it gets you
into God every time.
Next - for your third place you find God you might say, “I
find God every night, when I walk the dog and I look into the deep night
sky, and I pause and thank God for the
day - and the night as well.
The title of my homily is, “Finding God: Take Three.”
THREE SCENES
The title of my homily is, “Finding God: Take Three.”
Take three scenes.
Last Tuesday evening Father Luyen Dau - one of our two
new priests - was on duty and a call came in at supper from a parishioner. His
wife had just died. Luyen put the phone
on voice and I realized he will have no clue where this house was, so I went
with him.
We rang the bell and a policeman answered. The husband
was in the kitchen crying and all worried and worked up. His wife was on the
rug on the living room floor - covered with white sheets. we had to walk around
her. That kind of a moment is a God moment. It’s a blessing to be a priest, to
be able to help someone in a scene like that.
We prayed over the body and anointed her forehead - after
asking the police if that was alright. We have watched too many NCIS reruns to
know to ask that.
The funeral was yesterday morning. The death scene
triggered a similar God memory for me. I mentioned it in my homily, nor really
knowing what to say - as in many a funeral. I didn’t know the story in a 46
year marriage.
I told a story about a guy named Leonard, a plumber in
Nanticoke, Pennsylvania. Not Len the Plumber here in Maryland. I was working in
a retreat house in Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania, in the Poconos. On Saturday night
at this retreat house folks signed up for Eucharistic Adoration - of Christ in
the Blessed Sacrament. Each retreatant had 17 or 21 or 25 minutes to himself in the chapel.
All the lights were turned off in the chapel - with 6 candles on the altar. All
else left and the door was closed. I stupidly got stuck in the sacristy and
came out into the semi darkness and stepped out of the sanctuary right onto
Leonard lying stretched out on the floor in the front of the mail aisle.
I fell into the benches - didn’t get hurt - and said to
the body. “Ooops sorry.”
He said, “Okay. I’m just praying.”
The next day after breakfast I grabbed Leonard and asked
him, “What was happening?”
“Oh,” he said, “Three years ago we were digging on a side
lawn - next to a house. A pipe had broken. I was stupid. We didn’t use a caisson
- and my son was down this deep hole -
and the whole thing caved in and my son was buried. “Oh, my God I
screamed. Help me God. I grabbed a shovel and jumped into the hole and started
digging, digging, praying, praying. My shovel hit my son in the head so I knew
I was near him. I was able to get to his face and got him breathing. He was all
right.”
Then Leonard said, “When I’m in that chapel or whenever
I’m in church, that’s my God, who saved my son and I need to thank him over and
over again.”
So that scene the other night of Louise on the floor
reminded me of Leonard on the floor. Sometimes people die; sometimes people
live. We are in God’s hands.
The second scene took place in Fort Wayne Indiana. I
think I mentioned this in a homily - but who remembers homilies. Tom, a priest
I worked with, was in the hospital in Fort Wayne. He was in intensive care. A
tractor trailer truck hit his car on an icy road, Route 127. Tom was
helicoptered to Fort Wayne. I’m visiting him. They need to change him or
something, so I’m walking around and this guy seeing me - a priest - says, “Oh
good, come with me.” He took me to his wife,
who was also in a coma. I anointed her and prayed over her with him. I found
out her name was Dolores and the guy’s name was also Leonard - also 6 foot 4
and 280 pounds at least.
Well, I would drop in to see Dolores every time I went to
see Tom - who came out of his coma - and was moved to another floor. After 75
days there, Tom came home - and back to work again eventually.
A year later I got a call from Leonard. They wanted to
come and see me in Lima, Ohio. They lived in Indiana - an hour and a half away.
We went to Ryan’s restaurant - where we
found out and figured out - I saw Dolores by accident. He called his priest -
who said he’d call around and get a local priest to see Dolores - who had had a
brain aneurysm explosion. Leonard thought I was that priest.
Dolores is still living. Leonard died. That was a God
moment for me. I remember all the scenes - and I especially I remember Leonard
telling me about one of the cats they had on their farm. This cat was always
getting into trouble. Leonard said he was pain you know where, so we called him
“Hemorrhoid.”
The third God moment happened on 3rd Avenue in
busy Manhattan, New York City. I’m walking up town and this lady in a big
crowd, walking south was walking along with a rosary in hand.
I can still see that lady. She’s still walking down the
street. This was a good 25 years ago. Is still alive? Is she still praying her
rosary, while walking up and down the streets of her life.
TODAY’S THREE
READINGS
Today’s three readings provide 3 God moments.
The first reading from the First Book of Kings has Elijah
the Prophet having a God moment. He’s on a mountain and he experiences a
powerful wind storm. Rocks start falling.
Next he looks down and experiences an earthquake. Then there is a fire.
And our scripture text says, “God is not in the heavy wind, nor is God in the
earthquake or the fire.” Then he experiences God in a tiny whispering sound.
Think of your God moments - maybe you experienced God -
watching your little baby blowing out two birthday candles for their second
birthday - but their breath is not strong enough so grandpa adds his big
breath. And it’s a God moment watching the whole scene.
The second reading from Romans talks about lies among other things. How many persons have been forced to prayer, to their knees, to Christ, to God because of lies, false accusations, being cursed or what have you?
The gospel talks about the disciples were on a boat - and
a violent storm came up - and they thought they sighed Jesus walking on the
water - and Peter screams out for help - and Jesus calls him to leave their
boat and come walk on the waters toward Jesus.
Peter does it - he walks - till he loses faith and starts to sink and
Jesus challenges Peter to have more faith.
We’re not sure what that was all about - but the early
church - once Christ left them - after his death and resurrection - they had to
have faith to keep moving and keep the Jesus movement, church, kingdom,
community afloat. It’s 2017 and we’re still going.
Today’s 3 readings tell us that many people find God in
life’s struggles more than in most
life’s easy moments.
CONCLUSION
The title of my homily is, “Finding God: Take 3.”
Take time this week to look at how and where you have
found God in your life. What are your God Moments.
Take 3 - one from the Father, one from the Son, one from the
Holy Spirit.
Take 3, one from the Joyful mysteries of life; one from
the Sorrowful mysteries of life; one from the Glorious mysteries of life. Amen.
