Have you ever had a day when you felt drenched by grace? Hope so. It’s a day when everything goes right – from morning till night. Hope so. It’s a day when your body enjoys being yours – no aches – no pains. Hope so. It’s a day you get what a Hail Mary says:“…
full ofgrace.” And you want more – and so you pray: “Now and at the hour of our death. Amen”
"The
surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those
who think alike than those who think differently.”
Friedrich Nietzsche
Friday, September 18, 2020
WHAT EVER HAPPENED
TO SUSANNA?
The title of my
homily for this 24th Friday in Ordinary Time is, “What Ever Happened
to Susanna?”
Her name appears
only once in the New Testament – in Luke 8:3. She’s here in this short episode we heard for today’s gospel.
Joanna and Mary
of Magdala – two of the three women – who were with Susannamentioned by name in today’s gospel – will
show up again in Luke 24: 10 – but instead of Susanna – Mary the mother is
named as a trio.
What ever
happened to Susanna?
There is that
other Susanna in the thirteenth chapter Book
of Daniel. She’s mentioned by name 10 times.
That Susanna
might be simply a figment in the imagination of the teller of that Susanna
story – but it’s a significant story.Yet this Susanna seems real.That’s the beauty of the gospels when we find details like the names of
3 women who travelled with Jesus.It
adds “and many others” but names are not given for them.
To me it’s like the saying in John 6:10, “There was much grass
in the place”. That seems to tell me – this happened in a specific place – and
someone remembered specifically there was alot of grass there.
Here’s a side story
– to make a point.Mark Dorley’s father
came up to me in Lima, Ohio, in December of 1999 with a question. “I heard
you’re going to Israel in January. Do me a favor. Look for grass when you’re
there.” He mentioned his reason for his question.“Every time I see Israel on television – like
on the evening news – it looks like the place is all dust and all desert. I
wonder: Where are all these green pastures I hear about?”
That was his
question.
Well, we landed
in Tel Aviv and drove that evening to Tiberias where John 6:10 takes place –
where there is much grass. Sure enough I saw plenty of grass up there in
northern Israel – especially near the Lake.
Based on that way
of thinking, I accept that there was
this woman named Susanna – who lucked out to travel with Jesus – and then get
her name mentioned for posterity – in just one verse in scripture. It’s like
that one verse in John: “There was much grass in that place.”
And Sister Gerri
will tell us to follow her – take her into our imagination – even if she doesn’t get into a boat with Jesus.
John Shea – a good
scripture story teller – and writers like him – can take that one sentence and
paint for us what it would be like to be Susanna and what it would be like to
travel with Jesus. I’m sure some writers would say this caused critics to say Jesus was
breaking the traditions – traveling and working with women.
“Typical Jesus.”
“And what’s worse
Jesus is also traveling with that Mary, called Magdalene, who had seven demons.”
And scripture
scholars will point out that Luke likes to mention names early on who will
appear later on – like Joanna and Mary Magdalen – here in today’s gospel and
again in Luke 24 – at the time of the Resurrection.
Scripture
scholars – as I read last night reading up for this homily – say things like
this: “Characteristically, where Luke mentions a male figure or group, he often
links it with a corresponding female figure or group – for example Zechariah
and Elizabeth, Mary and Joseph, Simeon and Anna, in chapter 4 the widow of
Zarephath and Naaman the Syria, in chapter 7 the centurion and the widow of
Nain, an in chapter 15 the shepherd and the woman with the coins. The group of
women who followed Jesus are given special prominence in Luke by introducing
them at this point and alluding to their role when they are introduced again in
Luke 23:49 and 23:35 [cf. Luke 24:10; Acts 1:14; 13:31).
Good. Interesting
stuff.But what ever happened to
Susanna?
I guess the
answer is very simple: that’s life. Men and women working together. And in the
meanwhile different people drop out of the picture. – and disappear out of our
life after just one meeting.
Well, there’s
always the resurrection as we hear in today’s first reading. Amen.
September 18, 2020
MIRAGE
In a relationship sometimes the other is a mirage. It’s worse when both are in a fog and are walking hand in hand in a mirage down dark rainy streets. Often it takes a storm – or a strong wind - and the curtainblows open and one – it’s usually one first – sees what they were not seeing – and they finally see the naked self.
“Most
of us spend our lives as if we had another one in the bank.”
Ben
Irwin
Thursday, September 17, 2020
September 17, 2020
TOLLE ET LEGE!
TAKE AND READ
Here’s a book. Even though 1,000 people read it, the book remains the same, but everyone who reads it, and they change slightly or significantly.
reads it differently
And here’s another point to reflect upon: “Read the book with another or with others as a group and, 'Voila!' the book becomes even more different – than it is, that is if we listen to each other."
“You
have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the
only way, it does not exist.”
Friedrich Nietzsche
Wednesday, September 16, 2020
September 16, 2020
AUTHOR! AUTHOR!
The audience were excited. They were to hear from 3 authors on a Sunday – in a community college auditorium. The first author – a 70 year old woman – said it took her 40 years to write her book – and even then - she was filled with hesitations. The second author – a younger woman said it took her – 7 weeks – to write her book – now a best seller. The third author – a middle aged guy in a flannel shirt – said it took him – 5 years to write his book. They read excerpts from their book. They did a Q. and A. on their book. They signed copies of their book. They told the audience what they had in mind for their next book. Then the audience went home – and surprise most reread two of those books – but now from a very different perspective.
“If
the best man’s faults were written on his foreheadit would make him pull his hat over his
eyes.”
Gaelic proverb
Tuesday, September 15, 2020
September 15, 2020
CHOICE
If you were a brick, and if you had a choice, where would you like to end up? Near the front door, as part of the front steps, with a chance to listen to folks each evening? Up near the top where you could see two different streets and the harbor – seeing ships come and go? As a paper weight of a musician working on an opus – near an open window – composing greatness? What about being part of a prison, a hospital, a nursing home, a day care center, a stadium or a church? If you were a brick, would you ask, “Can I’ll tell you where I don’t want to be?”
“Nothing you write, if you hope to be any good, will ever
come out as you first hoped.”
Lillian
Hellman
Monday, September 14, 2020
September 14, 2020
PRODIGAL SON
There are moments and there are moments …. There are memories and there are memories …. Some moments become memories we can’t forget …. The son messed up. All he remembered was the embrace. The father waited. All he remembered was the “Thank you.” The older brother missed the celebration. All he remembered was the refusal.
I don’t know about you, but most of the time, I don’t get music, notes, tones or tunes. I know there are different instruments – and I know the sounds they make. For example, pianos, drums, trombones, and saxophones, but I don’t know how to play them. Sometimes music takes on the savage beast in me. Sometimes I tap my fingers and tap my toes. Sometimes I connect drums to the drum beat in my heart – so I hope that means there is hope for me. Toot. Toot. How about you?
