“Now, were you to ask
me what are the means of overcoming temptations, I would answer: ‘The first is
prayer; the second is prayer; and should you ask me a thousand times, I would
always repeat the same.’"
Friday, July 17, 2020
July 17, 2020
HEZEKIAH
PUT YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily for this 15th Friday in
Ordinary Time is, “Put Your House in
Order.”
That’s what Isaiah says to King Hezekiah in today’s first
reading.
It would scare me to have someone come up to me and say, “Put your house in order, for you are about to
die.”
It wouldn’t be putting my room and stuff in order – I’m a
slob – but someone else would have to take care of that.It would be the thought of, “Well, that’s it
and I don’t know about the next.’
This scene appears in almost identical words and details
in both Isaiah 38 – today’s first reading – as well as 2 Kings 20: 1-11.
So that means we’d hear this story more frequently. Yet,I’ve never used it or heard it used for a
funeral.I think we say, “Obviously” to that- but a funeral can have the same effect at
times.Death can get us thinking about
our death.
Or think of the daily reading of Cherished Memories
– that long list we have of all the Redemptorists of the Baltimore Province
from our beginnings. We know the thoughts we have when we hear that today is
the anniversary of some guy we were stationed with – or someone who died at an
age much younger than we are today.It
can make us think about ourselves – that
some day our name will be read out -but we
add, “Not yet!”
Isaiah tells Hezekiah to put his house in order – now - for
you are about to die. “You shall not recover.”
Hezekiah turns his face to the wall and prays. He weeps bitterly.
Surprise!
Isaiah is told to go back to Hezekiahand to tellhim that the Lord has heard his prayers and seen his tears – and he’ll
be healed in 3 days and get 15 more years of life.
He’s given a remedy for his boil as well as a sign- the strange sign of the shadow of thesun going backwards ten steps. Commentators
think it’s referring to a sun dial.I
think it’s simply the shadow on a certain set of steps that one can see every
afternoon.
So that’s something to reflect upon this morning and
today.
GOOD FRIDAY 1984
This story about Hezekiah triggered a memory.I remember going down to see my brother in
Laurel, Maryland on Good Friday, April 20, 1984.
The front door was open, but nobody was home.
He had told me that he had a doctor’s appointment for a
fatty lump on his shoulder – so if you get there early, just go in the house. They were going to cut the fatty lump.I made a joke, “What are they going to do cut
your head off?”
He didn’t laugh.
I’m standing there all alone in his house and the phone rings. It was Gloria Goldberger - a
good friend of our family. She asked if my brother or sister-in-law was there.
I said they are at the doctors.She
said, “I know.”
Then she said, “You heard, didn’t you?”
I said, “Heard what?”
She blurted it right out loud: “Your brother has 18
months to live at the most. He has melanoma – cancer.”
Silence.
Realizing what happened, she said, “I’m sorry. I figured
you’d know.”
My brother and sister-in-law came in about 10 minutes
later.
Somewhere in there I asked my brother how will he be able
to handle all this.
He said that he’d let me know.
They were on the money. He died around 18 months later.
Just before he died, he said to me, “Remember that time
you asked me how I’ll be able to handle
all this and I said I’ll let you know?”
“Well,” he said after a pause, “Thank God for mom and dad
– for giving us the gift of faith.”
Then he added, “I learned two other things. Think of
others. That made it easier – and you better have a sense of humor.”
I remember he used a magic marker a fewtimes to draw a monthly calendar on his chest
– and then he’d put an X when he took chemo that day.
He said the doctors and the nurses really got a kick out
of that.
SO THE SAME QUESTION FOR ALL OF US
Us ….What are our
wonderings about this human reality called “life and death”?
The story of Hezekiah gets me thinking thoughts like this.
It triggered the memory that my brother had a Hezekiah type moment.
Last year I was in a hospital for the first time overnight.I had a Hezekiah type experience partially
last year with my heart surgery. That first night I thought would be my last
night.
And like you I’m sure – we’re all having our personal thoughts – in this
experience with this virus – seeing and hearing about the numbers dying.
What are our 2020 thoughts?
CONCLUSION
Like Hezekiah we might want signs – but the only signs
arethose personal faith stories –
hopefully we all have – on how we’re doing life – and thoughts at times of
death.
At times I’m sure we’ve been like Phariseesin today’s gospel – and we would like some
kind of control over life and what happens with death.
They used keeping the Sabbath as a sign they are doing
what is right . It gave them some control of the narrative of how to guarantee
salvation when death comes.
I’m sure that so many of these gospel stories about the
Pharisees trying to control their God and our destiny gets us laughing.We know we don’t know our date on the calendar
– so we better have faith.
“I have been driven many times to my knees by the overpowering conviction that I had no place else to go.”
Abraham Lincoln
FOOTPRINTS
OR FINGERPRINTS
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily is “Footprints or Fingerprints.”
Some time back there I had the job of novice master –
1984 to 1993 – 9 classes. At the end of the year I would hand out 30
questions – one of which was, “Looking at your life, a sermon you remember.”
I never made anyone's list.
However, several times someone would mention a sermon by a
classmate that was very short: “God is love. That’s all
you need to know.” It was only 9 words. Is there a message there?
SAINT BONAVENTURE
Somewhere along the line I heard someone give a sermon about
Saint Bonaventure. Today is his feast day. The preacher said that Bonaventure liked to talk about God’s
footprints or fingerprints. God’s fingerprints are on everything.
I forgot who gave that – but I never forgot the message.
Bonaventure’s word was “vestigia” – meaning traces –
marks – indicators – footprints – fingerprints.
He loved to say God’s fingerprints are everywhere
on creation.
His footprints are in the garden.
Then Bonaventure added: “When you spot them, realize they are a
ladder. Climb that ladder and you’ll meet and find God. Embrace that God who is
utterly desirable.”
Every July 15th I remember this. I also remember this when when I hear the name St. Bonaventure mentioned – as well as when I see footprints or fingerprints.
LOOKING AT YOUR PROGRAM
Looking at your handout program for today: The Vision Still Has
Time # 3,I see the message about seeing
Christ in the soil, in the earth, in the souls, in the bellies of those around us.
Christ is the pearl, the treasure that everyone is
seeking.
We’re all pilgrims.
Dig, find, proclaim, show and tell – especially to those
hurting, wounded and those with tears – those needing a field hospital in our
midst.
THREE FOOTPRINTS – THREE FINGERPRINTS
Looking at Bonaventure’s message about tracing the vestigial
– the footprints and fingerprints - all around us, I want to ask three questions.
FIRST: GOD’S FOOTPRINTS
Looking at our life – where have we seen God’s
fingerprints or footprints.
Be specific.
When I’m in Manhattan and I drop into St. Patrick’s
Cathedral – I walk up the avenue about a block or so and drop into St. Thomas’
Episcopal Church. I meet God there – Christ there. I walk up the few front steps. I open up the big heavy doors. I walk into that
quiet, dark church – and take a seat off to the side in the back. It's one of my sacred places. What are yours? Be specific.
SECOND: OTHER’S FOOTPRINTS
We’ve all had a Robinson Crusoe moment – when we spot
another’s footprint – another who had a great impact on our life.
Robinson Crusoe spotted Friday’s footprint. There is
another person on this island besides me – on this planet besides me.
A retreat is a good time to name those persons for us.
At a preaching workshop here at San Alfonso, someone
asked us to name those who influenced our preaching.
As I listened to others I began to name Bill Jamison and
Charlie Wilkinson and Sal Umana.
During this time of Pandemic I have found myself catching
up on my reading. I read at two volume book by Robert Emmet about Robert Emmet
and it got me in touch with my Irish footprints and fingerprints. The book was
dated 1903.
Next I picked up a tiny print – 746 word book, Wherever
Green Is Worn. It’s The Story of the Irish Diaspora.The author Tim Pat Coogan takesa reader all around the world. I’mon page 487 now. I just arrived in New
Zealand.
On page 250 I read about someone I never heard of – but I
said to myself “The Marists are coming here soon for retreat and maybe I’ll be asked to do
a homily.” Well, it happened .... Hi. This is what I spotted:
Quote: “I can’t leave Scotland without touching upon the
great symbol of the Irish presence in Scotland – and of Orange and Green
divisions through its clashes with Glasgow Rangers – Glasgow Celtic Football
Club. The club owes both the inspiration for its founding and its name to an
Irish Marist, Brother Walfrid from Sligo, who announced the formation of ‘The
Celtic Football and Athletic Club’ on 6 November 1887.The reasons behind the club’s formation were
explained by Brother Walfrid and a Committee of fellow Catholics in a circular
issued the following January:
“The main object of the club is to supply the East End
conferences of the St. Vincent de Paul Society with funds for the maintenance
of the ‘Dinner Tables’ of our needy children in the missions of St. Mary’s, St.
Michael’s and Sacred Heart.Many cases
of sheer poverty are left unaided through lack of means.It is therefore with this object that we have
set afloat the ‘Celtic’.
The author, of the book I’m reading, concludes, “Brother
Walfrid and his collaborators would have been thunderstruck if they could have
looked into the future to see how the good ship Celtic altered course from
those early charitable objectives to achieve a commercial reputation worth
nearly L200 million at the time of writing – and a cultural reputation of being
one of the two principal lightning rods of Scottish sectarianism, the other
being the Protestant club, Glasgow Rangers. The teams' legendary encounters, known as the Old Firm games, diffuse and distill all the ancient rancours of the Orange and Green traditions." That's a long quote - dangerous to do in a homily - but I use it because you are Marist Brothers and Brother Walfrid would give credit to your fingerprint and footprint on the planet.
THIRD: OUR FOOTPRINTS AND FINGERPRINTS
That leads to ourselves.It’s good to hope and it’s good to believe that our lives touch and have
touched the lives of so many.
We have hands and we have feet and we’ve been in many
places. Take some time and take a look at where you've been and what you've done.
Praise the Lord. Thank you Lord.
Wednesday, July 15, 2020
July 15, 2020
BANG THE DRUMS
SLOWLY!
Sometimes the only sound in our soul
is drums – the slow banging of the drums.
That’s one of the sounds that we can’t put
into words: like the bugle and the bagpipes.
A significant one has died. A horror has happened.
All we can do is march with one another into the next.
“A steering committee is four people trying to park a car.”
Someone
Sunday, July 12, 2020
SEED
INTRODUCTION
The title or headline of my homily is, “Seed!”
Obviously ….
TODAY’S READINGS
Seed is central to today’s Psalm, Psalm 65 – as well as
to today’s first reading from Isaiah 55, but especially to today’s Gospel –
Matthew 13.
Seed ….
REFLECTIONS
At different times in our life we saw lawns being seeded
and reseeded – watered and cared for – and then we noticed they flourished “a
hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.”
Maybe we were the one who cut the grass….
Maybe sometime as a kid we had watermelon or a honeydew
melon and we asked what those beads inside were and we learned they were seeds
and that’s where watermelons and honeydew melons come from.
I remember putting them in some soil in a red clay pot
and I watered them and watched them and waited and all I got was neat green
plants.
And I got tired of watching and waiting for melons.
Seed ….
Then we discovered – later – about our own masculine seed
– thatit can bring children into the
world.
Then we discovered – therein lay the great mysteries of
life – earth and birth – relationships – the down deep inner call towards
relationships and marriage – love and family.
Then – looking at who we are – we went an odd way –
celibacy – yet hopefully we discovered in time what it meant to be called a “Father”- that many people are in on - the growth and
development of every human being.We
read Erikson talking about generativity following intimacy.
Then we saw in each other’s lives – especially in
community - what he meant by Intimacy vs. Isolation,Generativity vs. Stagnation.
In time – hopefully - we also appreciated our mom and dad for having
us: seed and mother earth.
In time – hopefully - we discovered more and more the
mysteries of life.
In time – hopefully - we discovered the central questions.
How would we have been- how would we have become – being married – having a family – being a
husband and a father?
We thought these thoughts listening to someone tell us
about their marriage or their father.
We saw classmates leave – and some get married – and those
realities really got us thinking.
Did they see our communities- our rectories spelled wrectories – and it
was a rocky path – hard ground – little soil for growth – not deep enough for
them?Did they feel they were scorched
and became withered for lack of roots – or too many thorns were pricking them or
they felt choked?
Did they feel nobody was listening?
Did they stop listening to the mysteries of the kingdom
of God that was given to them?
Did they look elsewhere for eyes that saw them, ears that
heard them, minds that understood them?
I’ve often wondered about Jesus – how he dealt with the
deepest longings and urgings of every human being – for love and for marriage
and for children.
For Jesus, did today’s parable come out of a preaching
gig where only 1 out of 4 seemed to be listening?
Did little children besides women tug at the tassels of
his cloak – because they saw in him a husband who seemed to understand – or a possible
father who was present to them?
Experiencing them – did that produce in Jesus more and
more love – 30, 60 and 100fold.
What was his favorite parable?Did Jesus see tears in a far distant father’s face – in
the crowd - when he told the story of
the prodigal son? Did he see a woman make a silent “Wow!” when he told the
story of the woman who losta wedding
coin from her wedding head band – searched everywhere and did just what the
woman in Jesus’ story did. Celebrate – when she found it!
What was his favorite saying – insight – his babies –
that he loved to plant in the minds around him?
What was his most telling moment: when the woman washed
his feet and perfumed them – when he came home to Martha and Mary with Lazarus
– when he heard his Father’s voice on the mountain say, “This is my beloved son”?What was his favorite moment?
Did Alphonsus ever have someone come up to him – in some
small village – and ask him to sign a copy of his Visits – telling him he uses
them every afternoon in his old age – in their little church?
Did Sarnelli ever have a confrere come up to him and say
he met a lady – who had been a prostitute – and you saved her – and he said
back to her, “I know Sarnelli – up close and personally. He’s a Redemptorist
like me.”
Did anyone ever say to Clement, “I don’t know where you
get your energy to hear all these confessions. There’s people from all over
Vienna who brag about you?”
Did anyone ever call up George Wichland and say, “I have
a ton of food left over from a picnic. It rained. And you were the first person
I thought of who would getthis food to
a lot of hungry folks. Great cookies. No Oreos.”What was it like to live with George
Wichland?
Did anyone ever say to us, “Lucky you – having some great
guys to go through a pandemic with?”
Do we appreciate as well as tell others the little things
as well as the big things people do here for each other – make scrambled eggs,
get the mail, plus pizza and salad and Entenmann’s, etc. etc.
CONCLUSION
The title of my homily has been “Seed”.
Looking at the field – called “Our life” – what’sgrowing there?
We have eyes – we have a sense of what has been good and
what has been bad – wheat and weeds.
At this Mass taste – just the tip of the delicious bread
and wine – our life – and say “Thank You Father – Eucharist” – knowing there
are weeds as well – the put downs of life – or the hurts we put up with – and
then get into the same boat Jesus got us into – like the one in today’s gospel
– and then continue to set sail – in an intimate friendship, relationship – with
him and each other. Amen.
