Picture three men – one an old man – two in their mid
30’s.
There at a dock in the city of Tiberias. It’s around 4
pm.
They have rented out a small boat. They get in the boat
and head out to the middle of the sea of Galilee.
There is a decent wind and they raise their sails.
They settle for a place in the deepest part of the Lake
of Galilee – where it’s about 70 feet to the bottom.
Each of the three men have a rock with a piece of calf skin or vellum
tied around it.
Each has writing on the calf’s skin they are holding –
which is tied to the rock they are about to drop andlet sink into the lake.
Each is going to give a small speech and then drop their
rock into the depths of the sea – rocks which have their sins connected to
them.
The youngest son goes first and says, “My brother, my
dad, I’m sorry I ruined our family name withall my sins in that far country I went to a couple of years ago. My
motives for coming home were not the greatest.I’m sorry I hurt both of you as well as myself, so thank you for
forgiving me.
He dropped his rock into the water and all three watched
it sink.
The oldest son went next. “I was the worst sinner –
unwilling to forgive you dad for being so forgiving of my brother and for being
so challenging to me. Plus, younger brother I’m sorry it took me so long to
forgive you.”
He dropped his rock into the lake. All three watched it
sink to the bottom.
Lastly, the father said, “Forgive me younger son for not
coming after you. And older son, forgive
me for not giving you space and time – to figure all this out. I waited for
your brother to wake up and come home, but I didn’t give you any time. Instead
I came right after you. Please forgive me.”
Then he dropped his rock with his words on vellum into
the lake.
And all 3 watched it sink to the bottom.
Carefully they all hugged each other and cried and
laughed.
The older brother on the way back to shore and to get
some breakfast asked his dad, “Why did you pick this lake to do this?”
“Oh,”said the
dad. “It was because of something Micah the Prophet said. ‘You, God, will cast
into the depths of thesea all our
sins….’ Well, since it’s taking us all these years to let go of all of this
hurt, I thought we needed God to give us some help in forgiving each other.”
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
This is a reflection on the readings for this morning's Mass - the 2nd Saturday in Lent. The gospel is the story of "The Prodigal Son" - Luke 15: 1-3, 11-32. I've preached and written lots of different sermons and poems and reflections on this gospel - over the past 55 years. That's probably why I've done so many different items. The First Reading for today is Micah 7: 14-15, 18-20 - so that's where I got the idea in the last paragraph of this reflection. Amen.
March 14, 2020
POTATOES
If we all looked like potatoes, how would that make us feel? Picture or imagine that? Potatoes.
Strawberries, watermelons,
apples and oranges, some
of those don’t look too bad.
So when you’re sitting there at the bus stop - look around. Smile as you look at different faces.
“More tears are shed over answered prayers than
unanswered ones.”
Saint Teresa of Avila
Friday, March 13, 2020
THE RED KITE
Life is like a red kite flying over us - reminding us - of moments from our childhood - moments with our dads - who could do everything - like trying to get a red kite to fly - like trying to believe there is a God - like trying to believe there is life after this life - like after the grave.
“It’s never too late – in fiction or in life –
to revise.”
Nancy Thayer
Thursday, March 12, 2020
March 12, 2020
LYING AT THE DOOR
OF THE HUMAN HEART
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily for this 2nd Thursday
in Lent is, “Lying at the Door of the
Human Heart.”
THE READINGS
Today’s two readings have some powerful thoughts.
The first reading has a mysterious text: Jeremiah
17: 9. “More tortuous than all else is the human heart, beyond remedy; who can understand it?”
Hopefully, our hearts are not beyond redemption – not
beyond remedy - that Christ is our brother – and all our brothers and sisters
are welcome into our human heart.
They are at our
door invite them in. Welcome them in.
Then the gospel has this powerful parable – this story of
Lazarus who is lying at the doorstep of the
rich man. The rich man never opens up his
heart or his house, his table or his chairs to the poor man.
Both die. Lazarus the poor man goes to the bosom of
Abraham and the rich man goes to hell.
The rich man does have a change of heart. He begins to
worry about others – asking Abraham to warn his 5 brothers to see and care for
the poor – something he didn’t do while on earth.
These 2 readings – provide good Lenten reading – that the
human heart can be a mixed and messed up center of a human being – especially
when a person has closed or never invites the unnoticed into his or her heart.
REDEMPTORISTS
St. Alphonsus
began the Redemptorists when he found out that priests in the Kingdom of
Naples were not interested in the poor – unwashed – unnoticed goat herders – up
in the hills and hovels of the Kingdom of Naples.
He was in Naples – working as a regular priest – but was
overworking and got sick. He was told to
take a break – get some rest – down on the Amalfi Coast.
While there – someone knowing he was a priest – told him
about the poor and neglected goat herders.
And that is how we started – to provide church for those
who didn’t have a church that was
interested in them.
As Jesus said, “The poor – you always have them with us!”
But like Lazarus the poor man in today’s gospel, they are
the unnoticed.
Last night I was thinking about the many Lenten soup
suppers I went to. It was always easy to sit with people I knew or seemed
friendly – the crowd sitting together and laughing. I’d get my soup. Now who to
sit with. With soup in hand I could look around a hall and always spot the
person by themselves or the person everyone avoids.
That was the person I headed for.
I remember preaching a mission in a small parish. On the
left – every night – 1/3 back from the front was “The Cat Woman.”
Nobody sat near her . They stayed 5 to 10 yards away. The
whiff of cat and urine and smell was very strong.
I found out that various ladies in the parish tried to
get her to shower and use deodorant. No luck. Different people feeling guilty would
sit near her, but they would give up. I tried sitting next to her a night I wasn’t
preaching. Sorry to say, two nights later
I sat close but far enough not to be gagged by her scent.
CONCLUSION
In the meanwhile, we ought to see who the unnoticed are.
We need to give voice to the voiceless.
The truth will set us free.
Lazarus is at our door – or inside our church – or in our
groups – or in our family – and we’re not giving them attention.
As Emma Lazarus wrote in her poem that is at the base of
the Statue of Liberty, “We’ve got a place for you here in our country.”
As we sing, “All are welcome in this place.”
We’re lying if we don’t welcome all in our places.
If we don’t, we’re
in hell.
If we don’t, the
light in our torches has gone out.
March 12, 2020
TASTE AND SEE
Today, taste and see the goodness of the Lord, this day, Lent to you.
“’Stay’ is a charming word in a friend’s
vocabulary.”
Louisa May Alcott
Sunday, March 8, 2020
I’VE BEEN TO THE _______
FILL IN THE BLANK
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily for this 2nd Sunday in
Lent [A] is, “I’ve Been to the _______. Fill
In the Blank.”
We can fill in that blank with all kinds of places,persons, moments and experiences.
We can fill in that blank with a mountain – as in, “I’ve
been to the mountain”or the ocean, a
movie, a funeral, a cruise, a retreat, a Mass, Lourdes, a concert, a play, a
car ride, a sickness, an operation, a novel, a 25th college reunion,
a wedding anniversary. Whatever?We fill the blank in with what filled in our
blank and we were transfigured.
Life 101
Go figure.
OTHERTRANSFIGURINGMOMENTS
More possible moments and experiences: I’ve been to leaving
homefor the first time - going to
college;falling in love; getting married
- and wow did the lights go in – slowly or suddenly – or in ways I’ve never
expected.
I’ve been to having a baby – and wow did that moment and
then that experience - transfigure me-
transform me – change me – set me free – begin me – renew me – made me me.
The umbilical cord is a long, long cord – and it can be
tight and it can be loosened. It can be cut in some ways and some ways not –
and it can become knotted.
Life 202.
The title of my homily is, “I’ve Been to the _______. Fill In the Blank.”
TODAY’S GOSPEL
In today’s gospel Jesus takes Peter, James and John and
led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them;
his face shown like the sun and his
clothes became white as light. [Confer Matthew 17: 1-9.]
And Peter, James and John were changed – transfigured.
And Jesus was changed – transfigured.
He heard words about himself from the cloud, from the
shadows: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”
TRANSFIGURATION MOMENTS
Life has its transfiguration moments – in which – from
which – during – after which we see ourselves in a new way.
Life has its transfiguration moments – in which – from
which –
during which -after which we see others – God – Spouse – Parents – Children – Others –
Life - in a new way.
DISFIGURATION MOMENTS
Life also has its disfiguration moments – unfortunately –
in which – from which – during which – we get disfigured – or others get
disfigured – or Christ gets disfigured – crucified – abused – divorced –
disregarded – dissed – Good Friday.
Lots of people have agony in the garden moments. Lots of
people have hanging on the cross moments.
Sometimes they can last a long, long time – hanging on
the cross – cancer, depression, kids, grandkids getting into troubled
relationships.
Lent is borrowed time – to enter into these stations of
the cross.
Lent moves towards Good Friday – but most especially
towards resurrection – new life.
Life 303.
A FEW EXAMPLESOF WHAT CAN FILL IN THE BLANK
The title of my homily is, “I’ve Been to the
_______.Fill In the Blank.”
I remembergoing
up the fast, fast, fast elevator to the top of the World Trade Center in New
York City. On a clear day you can see forever.I remember standing there and looking down at the Hudson River on which
as kids we went on about 5 boat rides to Bear Mountain and Rye Beach – the
Hudson River on which I lived 14 years of my life.I rememberlooking south towards Brooklyn where I was born – and out into the
Atlantic on which my parents came to America.
Then all that came tumbling down on a horrible day in
September 11, 2001.
We lost a cousin that day – Sean Bowman -one of the 658 people from Cantor Fitzgerald on 101 to the 105 Floors –who were killed that day. His wife was pregnant at the time.
I’ve been to the Grand Canyon and Zion National Park and
the Rockies – along with a bunch of smaller mountains in New Hampshire -
ascending and descending – rocky dirt paths.
Life 404.
I’ve been to many funerals, weddings, hospitals,
baptisms, many of which were transfiguration moments for lots of people.
I became a Redemptorist Priest with the hope of going to
Brazil – but it didn’t happen.
But I’ve been a lot of parishes – taking up about 20
years of my life. I’ve been in 3 retreat houses taking up about 20 years of my
life.
I was on a high school retreat here at San Alfonso – with
some high school senior girls from
Manhattan. Half the class came one month; the other half came the following
month. This girl got up on the second retreat and said she had been here a
month earlier and it was a disaster for
her. She was on drugs for that whole first retreat.When she got back she noticed how much that
retreat helped some kids – and she realized she need help. She got it and came
on the second retreat and stood here in this very spot and told her class her
story and I have been getting a Christmas card from her ever since. Married a
plumber – her 2 kids have finished college – and all is well.
I’ve been to a retreat – and God filled in my blank.
I was here on an AA retreat once and without me knowing
about it till the following year – a guy came here on AAretreat – and a bunch of guys – including his
brother – got him in the corner of that room down the corridor.It’s now called the heritage room – and “Go
figured him.”They told him every year
he would come and when the retreat was over – before leaving the parking lot –
he would reach under the front seat of his car and reach for his bottle and
continue another year of drunkenness – for him and his family.They said, “No more!”
He didn’t use the word “Transfiguration” – but it was the
beginning of his “Transfiguration.”
CONCLUSION
Most of the time transfiguration moments and
transfiguration years take place in the mountains and the valleys and deserts
of our souls.
Be attentive to your soul this Lent as you come down from
this experience of retreat.
It took the disciples of Jesus, Peter, James and
John,different amounts of time and
space to figure out what the vision of Jesus was all about.
We too.
Go figure.
Go figure out how we have been transfigured by life.
