The 8 year old girl walked out with a plate of her first chocolate chip cookies …. Presentation …. He made a wooden ramp for the wheelchair of the lady next door – after she had a stroke. It was his Eagle Scout project …. Presentation …. Her dad walked her down the aisle of the church on her wedding day …. Presentation …. Because of the pandemic, they could only wheel him down to the first floorglass door in the nursing home for all to wave to …. Presentation …. God chose Mary to be the mother of her Bethlehem born son, Jesus…. Presentation ….
November
21, 2020
Thought
for Today
Painting by Tissot: Egyptians admiring Sarah's beauty.
“And
it came to pass, that when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld
…”[Genesis 12: 14]. [Only
Abram is mentioned as having come into Egypt] – where was Sarah? Abram
put her in a box and locked her in it so that the Egyptians should not see her. When
Abram reached the portals of Egypt, the customs peopleasked, “What are you carrying in thisbox?” He
replied, “Barley.” Said
they, “You are carrying [something more valuable] wheat.” “Very
well,” he replied, charge me the duty on wheat.” “You
are carrying pepper,” “Charge
me the duty on pepper.” “You
are carrying gold.” “Charge
me the duty on gold.” “You
are carrying silks.” “Charge
me the duty on silks.” “You
are carrying precious stones.” “Charge
me the duty on precious stones.” They
figured: If he did not have something of extraordinary worth in his possession,
he would not have agreed to whatever duty was asked of him. So they said to
him, “You will not stir from here until you open the box and show us what is
inside.” When
he opened the box, all of Egypt was illuminated by the radiance of Sarah’s
beauty.
From
the Hebrew
Tanhuma,
Lekh Lekha
Friday, November 20, 2020
CHEWING ON THAT
INTRODUCTION The title of my homily is, “Chewing on That.” In today’s first reading from the book of Revelation,
we have a familiar message and a scene
we can easily picture.John hears a
voice from heaven. It says, “Take the scroll and eat it – chew on it - digest it
– get it into your stomach – and then speak to the nations from your gut!” We heard that same message from Ezekiel the Prophet. It’s
in Chapter 3 of the Ezekiel scroll - verses 1, 2, and3. In both readings we hear that the scroll will taste as sweet as honey – but in
Revelation – a change occurs from Ezekiel – that what is digested – what is
eaten – becomes sour. Interesting.Is
that put there because the message that needs to be proclaimed in John’s Revelation
is tough stuff – a mighty challenge? A CHALLENGE Instead of seeing the Bible as one book – or 60 or 70
scrolls – see it aslots and lots of
words and scenes and images. Take it a bite at a time. See it as different
words.In the Hebrew Bible there are
419, 687 words and in the Greek New Testament there are 138, 647 words. That’s
a lot of words. Chew the words. Digest them.Savor them. Taste them. Bite into them.
Swallow.Absorb. Stomach them.Ponder. Ruminate on the word.Let them nourish you. Let the wordsbecome flesh!Let the words
become you. You can’t eat – you can’t swallow – the whole Bible – all
at once. It’s hard enough to digest both readings from weekday Masses –
or the 3 readings we hear on Sundays. As you might know
– if you have been blessed to have been invited and you attended a Bar or Bat
Mitzvah – the kid being confirmed goes up to the tabernacle, opens it up, and
takes out one of the many scrolls in that box - or someone hands it to them. They carry it down and head for a pulpit. They unroll the
scroll – and put their finger or a bronze or gold pointer on a text and read it
out in Hebrew. It’s a text they picked. It’s a text they memorized. It’s
a text they studied. It’s a text that summarizes their hopes and dreams and
vision for their life. We saw Jesus do just that in the Gospel of Luke –
chapter 4.He goes back to his home town of Nazareth. He enters the synagogue.
They hand him a copy of the Scroll of Isaiah.He reads Isaiah 61: “The spirit of the Lord has
been given to me. Hehas anointed me to bringgood news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives,
sight to the blind, to give thestepped-on freedom, and to proclaim a year of favor
from the Lord.” When we hear that scene – when we picture that scene –
when we chew on that scene and text – it too – like any text - can become us. A challenge for you today. You’re in this house of prayer
– like we heard in today’s gospel. If you could pick out – if you could read out one text – one scripture text – that
is you – that you have chewed upon –
stomached – digested – and have been nourished by – or challenged by – what
would that one text be? It’s you. By naming it, you will be telling yourself a lot about
yourself. CONCLUSION Mine is Galatians 6:2,“Bear or carry one another’s burdens and in
this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
November 20, 2020
TO BELL THE
CAT
Now that’s an old idea: to
bell the cat. Every time we forget where we left the keys or our glasses or our phone, we say to ourselves, “It would be nice if we put
a bell on it to tell us where it is. So too, on second thought,
wouldn't it be great if we could put a bell on our demons.
“Advice from an old carpenter: Measure twice,
cut once.”
Thursday, November 19, 2020
November 19, 2020
EDGE
I prefer the edge. It’s easier to watch from there.
It’s easier to slide away, to step
away, to fly away. It gives more choices. It avoids tassels and hassles, getting caught, getting pulled into the middle of river – or the middle of the conversation or a fight I want to avoid.
“Those trying to prove there is no hell
usually have a reason for it.”
Someone
THE BOOK OF ONE’S
LIFE: YOU NEVER KNOW HOW MANY MORE PAGES, HOW MANY MORE CHAPTERS, HOW MANY MORE TWISTS AND TURNS
Today - November 18 - is the feast of Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne. As I read about her life last night,it hit me,“Wow, what surprises, what twists and turns, great what’s next?” So, the title of my sermon is, “The Book of One’s Life:
You Never Know How Many More Pages, How Many More Chapters, How Many More
Twists and Turns.” 20 years ago, did you know you’d be in Asbury Park – in
2020 and dealing with a pandemic like the worldis dealing with this year? One of the great blessings of religious life – is the
variety of places we get assigned to – the people we meet – the stories that
wrap themselves around our lives. I’ve been writing e-mails a bit more lately to a
classmate in Curitiba, Brazil – population 1 million 900 thousand – and 3 ½
million if you include the surrounding area. My classmate Larry is telling me they are dealing with a horrible
draught – right now - no water.I joined
the Redemptorists to get to Brazil – never got assigned there. Larry ends up
spending his life there. Surprise. In today’s first reading from the Book of Revelation John
is called to go through an open door and walk up to a throne – that is all
jewels – emeralds – that would be beautiful green glittering emeralds and 24
elders sitting on other thrones – dressed in white and wearing gold crowns on
their heads – and then he hears flashes of lightning and rumblings of thunder.
And he sees and hears a lot more. He hears “Holy, Holy, Holy!” It’s some scene, some dream, some mysterious experience. Today’s gospel has the parable of the 10 servants and the
gold coins – and each of the ten servants has their life ahead of them – and
the question is – what am I going to do with my gold coins? What am I going to
do with my life. Surprise. Surprise. Surprise. I don’t like it in these stories when the king says “Slay
them!” The only way I can understand them – like the parable the
other day about the wasted talents – is for a person at the end of their life –
with their head in their hands – hiding from themselves - crying and grinding
their teeth – because of a wasted life. Life to give it all – to do it all – out of love of God,
neighbor and self. Wow the stories of our life that we are called to live to
the full. Today is the feast of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne.She was born in 1769 in Grenoble France.She died this day, November 18, 1842 in St.
Charles, Missouri. As a young girl she heard about missionary work in the
Americas – but entered a Visitation Convent when she was 18. Just before final vows her father yanked her out of the
convent because of oncoming French Revolution.Lots of priests and nuns were killed. At 23 she left the convent – and for 12 years she took
care of people – priests, nuns and kids. When the revolution slowed down, she tried to buy the old
convent and start it up again. It didn’t work. So, at 35 she joined the Society of the Sacred Heart of
Jesus founded Sophie Barat. She still had the dream of going to America. A bishop from Louisiana came and asked for volunteers
andat 49 she got the dream – Mother
Barat appointing her as superior of 4 other nuns. It was an 11-week trip across
the Atlantic. It was a struggle – but in 12 years they opened 6 schools
in Missouri and Louisiana – and had 64 sisters – 14 from Europe and 50 from the
Mississippi Valley. But instead of work with the Indians, they wee to fun a
school for girls of settlers. She still had her dream of work with
the Indians and finally at the age of 71 – with poor health she got it.They started a school- and churches with the Jesuits. All the time in America she had
trouble with English.Now it was trouble
with the language of the Potawatomi. She worked and she prayed and got
called by the Indians Quah-Kah-Ka-num- ad—‘Woman-who-prays-always.’” She got called back to Missouri in
1842 – and spent 10 years in St. Charles - where she started a first school there. She died this day Nov. 18, 1842 In 1988 Rose Philippine Duchesne was
canonized by Pope John Paul II. She is listed in Missouri as a first women in their Pioneer Roll of Fame. The inscription on the plaque
reads, “Some names must not wither.” Then it states that Quah-Kah-Ka-num-ad is one of those names - not to be forgotten - but to be remembered and revered.
Wednesday, November 18, 2020
November 18, 2020
NERVOUS?
Nervous? Scared? Hesitant? Rely on others. Take a chance. There are good people in your life. Others see what we don’t see. Hey you never know. Maybe you got the goods!
“Gossip
is like throwing mud on a wall – you can wipe it off – but it leaves a spot.”
Someone
Tuesday, November 17, 2020
November 17, 2020
BOXES
From time to time boxes are placed on our porch. Holding – containing – the memories of our lives. We miss them because we go in the side door. Or someone steals them – or we’re not listening to the reminders that surround us. Cars crash.
Relationships go another way. Life happens.
Death happens. We forget that not everyone
sees what we see the same way we see and
vice versa. But .... But.... But .... But from time
to time we hear a song in an elevator or a sermon in our church – or we drive by a cemetery – or the hearse has stopped in front of our house.
“A God who let us prove his existence would be an idol.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer,
No Rusty Swords
Monday, November 16, 2020
November 16, 2020
GOING TO HELL
He actually said to himself, “The hell with this, God. I'm going to hell.”And that afternoon those words, that feeling, was burning, burning him in his soul. That afternoon, God thought about what that guy said to Him. “Interesting!” It takes God, a bit of time – to let things play out, but not this time. God said to that guy deliberately, “Wanna bet? “
“People
who cough incessantly never seem to the doctor. They go to banquets, concerts
and churches.”
Someone
Sunday, November 15, 2020
November 15, 2020
ENOUGH
"Enough" is a good word.
“Enough already!” “I’ve had enough!” “Enough with the noise!” "Enough!" is a good idea. Listen to the eyes of those around you or their little protest sounds. "Enough!" is a basic feeling. Learning to be aware of how we impact each other teaches us to say, “Enough!”
