APPROACHING GOD

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 4^th Thursday in Ordinary Time is, “Approaching God.”

HEBREWS 12: 18-24

When I read today's first reading which has these image filled words: "Remember what you approached: not something touchable, not the blazing fire of Sinai, with darkness, gloom , and whirlwind, the trumpet-blast and the oracular voice, which they heard, and begged to hear no more; for they could not bear the command..." I wondered what would it be like to approach God?

What will I be feeling?  What will be my thoughts if I am blessed to be aware of everything as I’m approaching death? Or will I slowly slip into forgetting everything - muttering mysteries to nurses - if they wonder what old folks are talking about. Surprise! Then I wake up and I am about to meet God. 

Do is say, "Oh no!" or "Oh wow! Great"?

What will it be like to approach God?

FURTHER QUESTIONS

Did Jesus get angry when he heard people talking about God as a angry screamer - tyrant - or a grumpy Father?

Did any of the images of God that  we hear in the Jewish Scriptures - make Jesus wince?

Is that why Jesus pictured God as that wonderful Father in his story of the Prodigal Son - or the Good Shepherd looking for a lost sheep - or the woman who had lost the coin and searched and searched till she found it? [Cf. Luke 15]

CHERRY PICKING SCRIPTURE TEXTS

Then it hit me - that I can cherry pick scripture texts - stuff from the Jewish Bible - that can make God very forgiving - no matter what - like the story of Hosea. He forgave his wife - no matter what. 

I can also pick texts from the Gospel where Jesus talks about a God who is very fierce. For example in Matthew 25 Jesus finishes the Parable of the Talents by having the useless servant thrown into the darkness outside - where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. Then in that same chapter 25, the King of the Final Judgment sends the goats into eternal punishment. Uh oh!

SO HOW DOES THIS ALL WORK?

What is God like? What would it be like to be called to His office?

I’ve met lots and lots of principals and moms and dads - who seemed wonderful, warm - and rather approachable. I’ve also met several priests, dads, bishops, principals who seemed very severe.

If our dad was a piece of cake - a most happy fellow - a warm teddy bear of a guy - does that play into how we picture our God?

I always love to see the ending of the Wizard of Oz when the Wizard - the man behind the curtain - is shown to be an ordinary human being.

When we die and get to heaven, what will it be like? Will God be approachable or unapproachable?

CONCLUSION

I like today’s first reading because the speaker says that when we approach God we don’t need to do it with fear and trembling. Isn’t that what the author of Hebrews is telling us in today’s first reading?  When you approach God, God is not untouchable. God is not a blazing fire - an erupting volcano. God is not gloomy darkness. God is not storm or trumpet blast - or someone who is a silent iceberg.

I hear Kierkegaard [1813-1855] calling for Fear and Trembling. 

I don't see myself approaching God with that feeling. I can say that now. At present I also hope I can say at the end of my life, “Peace God, Peace. God you My God - My Joy and My Salvation. Amen."

MARRIAGE:

7 SECRETS - 

SECRET # 1

Quote for Today - February 7, 2013


“To have a successful marriage  - whenever you are wrong, admit it;  when you are right, keep your mouth shut.” 

Anonymous

National Marriage Week USA - February 7-14

Check out:   http://youtu.be/XM-fguKqpZU

BEETHOVEN'S FIFTH SYMPHONY 

Quote for Today - February 6, 2013

"It will be generally admitted that Beethoven's Fifth Symphony is the most sublime noise that has ever penetrated into the ear of man."

E. M. Forster [1879-1970]  Howard's End [1910], chapter 5

A CLOUD OF WITNESSES 

VS. THE CLING OF SIN

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “A Cloud of Witnesses VS.  The Cling of Sin.”

In today’s first reading from Hebrews we have a very interesting first sentence. It has this curious comment: “and sin that clings to us”.

I’ve preached on these readings for some 46 years now - so I want to be enriched by something that grabs or challenges me - that didn’t hit me before. That first sentence - rather long - is  just one verse: Hebrews - 12: 1. It grabbed me. Maybe it will grab you.

FIRST SENTENCE AGAIN

Let me read the first sentence again:

Brothers and sisters:
Since we are surrounded

by so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us rid ourselves of every burden

and sin that clings to us
and persevere in running the race

that lies before us
while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus,
the leader and perfecter of faith.

THE RACE

The author of Hebrews pictures life as a race - a run.

The author indicates a positive and then a negative.

A positive: keep your eyes on the great cloud of witnesses - around us - or above us - especially the Lord Jesus Christ.

The runner runs the race remembering that others - saints - good examples - have also run the race - and they made it. So keep moving

How many people have trained and run a 10 K race or a marathon - because someone else did it - and encouraged them to do it. “You can do it.” And as they run, when they run out of gas or have cramps or pains - or are tempted to quit,  hopefully they keep going because others have kept going. Keep picturing that cloud of witnesses.

So we have saints, parents, good people - good examples - who have done it - raised a family - kept the faith - and so we keep going.

For example, today we have the feast of St. Agatha - one of the 4 Early Church women saints we have for the cold months: Cecilia in November, Lucy in December, Agnes in January and Agatha here in February.

The first sentence also presents Jesus as part of the cloud of witnesses. It urges us to keep our eye on Jesus - to fix our eyes on Jesus to keep going like he did -  till we finish the race.

The Stations of the Cross in every Catholic Church are not just scenes from the end of Jesus’ life - but from our life as well - challenging us to make it our last station.

In today’s gospel we have scenes of 2 people who reached out to Jesus in their life. The woman with blood problems reached out to touch Jesus and be healed and helped. She is. And we have Jairus who comes to Jesus that he come and heal his daughter. Jesus does.

So the message is to keep our eye on Jesus and those other folks who have run this race before us. Those are the positive pushes for us to keep running the race.

Then there are the negatives:  the cling of sins that weigh us down -  that hold us back - the giving up - the negative voices - the lack of faith - the non reaching out to Jesus to keep going.

People often say, “I have the same old habits, the same old sins.” Don’t we all? The woman in today’s gospel has her problem for 12 years and in the gospel of John there’s the guy who was sick for 38 years.

CONCLUSION

So we have both those influences - the positive and the negative - the dynamic cloud of witnesses and  the cling of sin.

Message: The bottom line is this: it's in our power and with the grace of God to focus on the positive rather to let that static cling of sin - our past mistakes - or our present addictions to be our main drain.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Picture on too:  Boston Marathon - found on line

FAITH - 

NOT CYNICISM AND FEAR 

Quote for Today - February 5, 2013


"It is cynicism and fear that freeze life; it is faith that thaws it out, releases it, sets it free."


Harry Emerson Fosdick [1878-1969]

HAVE FAITH

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 4^th Monday in Ordinary Time is, “Have Faith.”

This will be a simple, basic - a not too complicated homily - a message we need to hear on a regular basis - like, “Keep trying.” “Keep praying.” “Keep forgiving.” “Love one another.”

So a short homily on, “Have Faith.”

TODAY’S FIRST READING

Today’s first reading continues with the Letter to the  Hebrews. The author of Hebrews in chapter 11: 32-40 begins with a list of various people who did a lot by faith. They had to go through  a lot of struggle, pain, suffering, being tormented and hunted. Yet they kept going because they had faith.

So the obvious homily message: Have Faith.

It’s a theme all through the Letter to the Hebrews.

And I would add: if we read through the pages of our life, we’ll find that we have had faith all through our life. It has been a stream, a river, an ocean at times. Maybe there were periods of drought - but we came back to the faith - and kept going.

MY CLASSMATE LARRY

Every time I hear the word “faith” - it triggers something my classmate Larry said way back in 1966. I find it interesting on what we remember. We’ve had 100 or so good conversations through the years - but his comment on faith stands out.

We’re talking and he says, “Oh my God, I just realized that I just finished my first year of preaching and every sermon had the same message: “Have Faith!” Then he added the further comment: “I guess I was preaching to myself.”

I’m slower. I still don’t know in the year 2013 what the main theme that I preach is. Maybe I should ask others.

TODAY’S GOSPEL

We have to have faith to deal with our demons, our struggles, our chains.

We need to have faith to ask Jesus to enter into our life and not leave us. The man in the gospel knows who Jesus is. In fact, it seems to me that only when we know we need help - do we discover help is possible.

The man in the gospel who kept gashing and bashing himself with his sins - the rocks of his mistakes - moves from telling Jesus not to meddle with him - to ask Jesus to send his demons into the pigs and let them go jump in the lake.

Sickness and sin bring more people to God - than jogging, ham and cheese sandwiches, and ice cream cones.

CONCLUSION: FAITH IS A LEAP

The title of my homily is, “Have Faith.”

This mantra, this slogan, is good to bring to prayer - so that when we come to a crisis - we will ask Jesus for help - that we will have faith in that crisis.

There are many definitions of what faith is.

Faith to me - is a leap - when in a crisis - or at a crossroads.

The image I like best is to call faith a leap - a jump - over some dangerous obstacle that is before us.

We have all had the experience of coming to the end of a street. We’re standing there at the curb. When all is well, it’s easy - to look both ways and to step down and cross the street. But sometimes there is ice and slush - and then some black ice in the street at the corner curb. We want to jump, leap a bit over the snow and the ice - but we know it’s slippery. Will we make it? Will there be firm footing on the other side. And ooops, I forgot to mention it’s dark and we can’t see the other side.

But we have faith and we make the leap - trusting that God is there on the other side of our jump.

Understand that understanding of faith and you get Paul Tillich's description of God as the Ground of Our Being. Amen.

ON BEING APPRECIATED

Swedish

Quote for Today - February 4, 2013

"The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated."

William James [1842-1910]

Questions:

Agree or disagree? If disagree, what would you pick as the deepest principle?

When was the last time you told another, "I really appreciate you!"?

When was the last times someone said to you, "I appreciate you!"?

If actions speak louder than words, how does one feel being appreciated in a non-verbal way?

Think of one person whom you appreciate. Now how could you express that appreciation in a non-verbal way? Cash or check? Smile.

IT’S EASIER TO SAY, 

“I LOVE YOU!” 

THAN TO LOVE YOU! 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time C is, “It’s Easier to Say, ‘I Love You!’ Than to Love You.”

As I thought about today’s readings - especially today’s famous reading from St. Paul - the one on love - love is this and this and it’s not this and not that - I said, “Do a homily on Love!”

MAYOR ED KOCH

You might have seen on the news or in the newspapers that the famous mayor of New York City just died. As I read the obituaries I noticed that the obit writers pointed out that he liked publicity. What I liked about him was his question: “How am I doing?”

I'm sure you've seen requests in restaurants - asking people to fill out a short questionnaire about the restaurant. They want feedback. “How was the food? How was the service? How clean were the bathrooms? How was the waiter and waitress?"

The Christian calling is to love and to serve one another.  How are we doing at that?

The Christian knows the great commandment: to love the Lord our God with our whole heart, mind, soul and strength - and the second commandment is similar: to love our neighbor as ourselves.[Cf. Luke 10:25-28]

How are we doing?

SECOND READING

Today’s second reading from First Corinthians - Chapter 13 - has St. Paul’s spelling out of what love is and what love is not.

How are we doing on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the highest, with each of the following: patience, kindness, endurance, hope, and faith?  How am I avoiding on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the highest with what love is not: not being jealous, pompous, inflated, rude, not rejoicing when the other makes a mistake?

If you want a good night prayer or morning prayer on how to live each day, bookmark 1 Corinthians Chapter 13. In the morning it gives a plan on how to love that day - or at night before going to bed it's a good examination of consciousness about how well we loved that day. If married, what would it be like to read that text each night out loud and talk to each other about how well we did that day? Interesting!

Love: how am I doing?

"I love you!" Am I lip syncing that or am I really loving you?

The title of my homily once again: “It’s Easier to Say, ‘I Love You!’ Than to Love You.”

We hear today’s second reading at 7 out of 10 weddings. It tells me that the couple knows love is more than saying, “I love you!”

We’ve probably heard preachers at weddings say, “If people who said, ‘I do!’ did, then more marriages would work than they do.”

At the end of today’s second reading Paul talks about looking in a mirror. Those of you who use Microsoft on your computer know about Windows 6, 7, 8 or whatever they are up to by now.  I don’t know this for sure, but I suspect Paul is talking about Mirrors # 1 here - a primitive version of a mirror - whereas we have Mirrors # 11 by now.  How many times have we looked into the mirror after taking a shower and the glass is all steamed up? I would think that’s what Paul is talking about here. Foggy Mirrors are like Mirrors # 1 - whatever they made mirrors out of in the mid 50’s - when Paul wrote his letter.

Moreover, I would think First Corinthians Chapter 13 is a great mirror. 

Next, another observation: I would assume when we look into Paul’s words about what love is and love isn’t  when we’re 24 - it’s different than when we look at those same words at 44 or 64 or 74.  What are we looking at when we're looking at First Corinthians Chapter 13?  I would hope that how we see ourselves in those words has improved since the first time we read First Corinthians 13.

After a big football game the commentators sometimes say of the losing team - for example the 49ers -  that it looks like they didn’t bring their A Game to the game today.  Or so and so did or didn’t. Imagine if a group of commentators could look at our day and comment about what we brought to the game of life that day.

I was listening to some commentators talking about pro basketball the other night. Isaiah Thomas made several nuances: the difference between the playoffs and the regular season; the other team being a top team or a bottom team; and the schedule. A team might have played horrible that night, but maybe the fact that they just played the night before enters into the picture or why they lost - while the team that won had three days off since their last game.

When it comes to love - better when it comes to being patient, kind, and not being quick tempered - sometimes our schedule is jammed packed - or we just went through something big at work or where we have been - that might make our understanding of what happened to be seen in a different light. I assume love also means understanding - and forgiveness - and discovering communicating about circumstances.

So love is tricky. Love is tough stuff. Someone said, “Some folks we click with. Some folks we cross with. Love is manifested when we love those we cross with.”

JESUS

That quote brings us right into the wisdom of Jesus. When he challenged folks with the tough love - for example the patience called for putting up with PITA people, some people walked away. When Jesus said that love means going the extra mile - giving the shirt off our back for - laying down one’s life for others - his listeners found that stuff too tough. As we heard in today’s gospel, they wanted to escort him out of town and hurl his down a hill. By the end of the gospel, they are going to march him out of the city to kill him on the cross.

CONCLUSION - LOVE: 3 STEPS

As mentioned earlier, when talking about love,  the Gospels love to feature the two great commandments:to love God and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.

That's 3 persons to love: God, Neighbor and Self.

In reality, I think we learn to work on these three in the opposite order.

Step One: is self - learning to love oneself. Look in the mirror as the famous poem, “The Man in the Mirror” puts it. Look oneself in the eye and ask: “How am I doing?” Do I like this person called “me”? We can look at the wrinkles or the fat - but we can also stay with the eyes. They don’t wrinkle or sag - but they can be the window into the within.

Look into one’s eyes or one’s I and ask, “How am I doing?”

How old was Jeremiah - the character in today’s first reading - how did it take him to come up with his attitude that God wants me - God knows me from those months I was in the dark in my mommy’s tummy - till today - for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer. God knows and loves me. How am I doing with that one?

Does the wanted baby know that better than the “Oh no Baby!”?

Does the unwanted little screaming baby in the night - know whether he or she is wanted and loved the way the light goes on at 2 AM and the way he or she is held and fed? Has a PITA at work or school or next door or at the relative at the family picnic ever changed because of our love for them? Do students know whether this teacher or this coach really respects and loves them?

Step Two and Step Three: At some point in life we have to move out of self and take step 2 and 3 towards others. Step 2 is loving the ones we see and Step  3 is loving God who is not seen.

Read the First Letter of John about all this. He said how can we say we love God whom we cannot see when we don’t love our neighbor whom we can see.

That’s it: How am I doing?

JEALOUSY AND ENVY

Quote for Today - February 3, 2013

"Jealousy is nothing more than poison envy."

Someone.....

It's a neat mixing of both these poisons. I like  the old distinction that envy deals with wanting others' stuff or people and jealousy deals with the fear or nervousness of others taking our stuff or people.

FEBRUARY 2^ND -

slideshowCANDLEMAS DAY

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “February 2^nd - Candlemas Day.”

February 2^nd is also the feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the temple - the main name for this day - as we see in today’s readings.

It’s also the feast of the Purification of Mary in the Temple - 40 days after the birth of Christ.

February 2^nd is the mid point between the shortest day of the year, December 21^st and the first day of Spring - March 20^th this year - the Vernal Equinox. Remember last December 21^st, the Winter Solstice - when according to some,  the Mayan Calendar indicated that the world was going to end that day. 

We’re still here.

I like the tradition of Candlemas Day - where we bless the candles at a Mass. Notice the last three letters - "MAS" in that word. It's the same as the "MAS" at the end of the word, "Christmas." It’s a reference to the Mass. On this day in this church we bless the candles.

Hopefully we also hear the call to all of us to realize Christ is the light of the World [Gospel of John 9:5 ] - that Mary brought that light into our world - and all Christians are called to be light to our world [Matthew 5:14].

Catholics use candles. 

CANDLE BOY

When I was a kid in OLPH Church in Brooklyn, I landed the great job of Candle Boy. It meant I got paid $2.50 a week. We worked on Saturday afternoon, all Sunday morning and Wednesday afternoon  - Wednesday being  the big OLPH novena day. 

Later on I could joke, “Don’t work for the Church. They don’t pay well.”

However, for me it was a great job because I didn’t need working papers - or be 12 years old. That was the age I had to be to get my first paper route working for The Brooklyn Eagle.

As candle boy I noticed people coming into church and lighting a 10 cent candle - which I assumed used to be the penny candle. I'd see them kneel there and say a prayer. 

The idea was you couldn’t stay in church forever, so you lit a candle to take your place and let it burn out before an image of Mary or Jesus.

DARKNESS

The key message I assume is the light shines in the darkness and the darkness can’t put it out.

I noticed in some research last night that the idea of a feast of light in the winter goes way back in history and deep into our psyche and soul as well.  We saw all those lights and candles in our windows and on our lawns and in our homes at Christmas time.  How many times do we hear each winter in the afternoon, “Do you notice we’re getting more and more light in the afternoon. It’s not as dark at this time as it was a few weeks ago.”

So today - February 2^nd - is called Candlemas Day for a reason. I spotted the information that before electricity, in Scottish schools this is the day kids brought candles to school - to make sure there is more light till spring comes - especially on dark cloudy days.

I noticed a German tradition about the badger - which I assume is the roots of the 4^th feast we celebrate this day: Groundhog Day. I assume all those Germans who migrated and landed in Pennsylvania made the back home Badger Day in Germany  - Groundhog Day here in America. As you know Groundhog Day is about shadow and cold - light and darkness - winter and the hope for Spring.

I noticed the following German proverb on several web sites:

“The badger peeps out of his hole 
       on Candlemas Day,

and if he finds snow, he walks about;

but if he sees the sun is out,

he heads back into his hole.”

Notice the connection of Groundhog Day with Candlemas Day!

I loved the movie, “Groundhog Day” because the message is: Sometimes we have to do it over and over and over and over again till we get it right.

CONCLUSION

So today we hear about Jesus the Light of the World being presented in the temple in Jerusalem. Jesus is bringing light  to his Jewish roots. We also honor  Mary as the Pure One - who brought Jesus into our world - to bring warmth and light - to take away shadow and doubt - to burn away sin and impurities - so we can shine as we bring his fire to our world. 

LIGHT ONE LIGHT

Quote for Today - February 2,  2013

"It snowed and snowed, 
     the whole world over,
Snow swept the world
     from end to end.
A candle burned on the table;
A candle burned."

Boris Pasternak {1890-1960}, Doctor Zhivago [1958], The Poems of Yurii Zhivago, Winter Night, stanza 1.

Painting: Nocturn Grey and Gold Chelsea Snow, Oilpaintingsbank.com

PLANT SOMETHING!

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 3^rd Friday in Ordinary Time is, “Plant Something!”

I want to get into the issue of growth:  the waiting - the time it takes - the hope it takes - the watering and the work -  and then the surprise of seeing the results or one’s planting and cultivating.

Today’s gospel story about the mustard seed triggered these thoughts.

PLANTING SEEDS

Imagine going through a whole lifetime without ever planting something.

I have a vague memory of being a little kid and noticing the seeds in a watermelon that my mom bought and brought home for us.

Picture a little kid seeing an enormous watermelon for the first time - the cutting it in half - and then the red slices. Wow! Did anyone look at my face and my eyes seeing the inside of a watermelon for the first time?

I asked my dad or mom or someone in the family - I’m the youngest of 4 - “If I planted these watermelon seeds will I get another watermelon?” Someone said, “Try it!” I planted the seeds in our backyard and all I got was some green sprouts - but I was thrilled when I saw those sprouts. I waited and waited - no watermelon.

I did the same with honeydew melon seeds - and once more I only got green sprouts. I wonder if either of those 2 plantings are still growing in Brooklyn in a backyard on 62 Street - between 3^rd and 4^th Avenues.

I also remembering spotting flower seeds somewhere along the line - along with grass seed. I planted both and got flowers - as well as grass growing - where there was none before.

What are your stories about planting and seeing the results?

When I got to the Minor Seminary in my hopes of becoming a priest I got in on picking tomatoes as well as picking grapes and strawberries. I also worked on the Lawn Crew for 3 years. I was also on the Lawn Crew in our novitiate year. I was also on the lawn crew in the Major Seminary for 6 years.

All this was good for a city kid. We had a front yard - which wasn’t that big - but we had nice hedges. I loved watching my dad cut those dark green hedges with  those big sharp hedge cutters - the biggest scissors I’ve ever seen.  We also had that small back yard where I had planted the watermelon and honeydew melon seeds. After I went away for the priesthood my father got into planting tomatoes and zucchini. I missed out on that.

In the major seminary I also took care of horses. A team of two guys would be on for a week, every 5^th week.  Twice a day we’d go down to the barn. It would be early morning before everything for feeding them and then again in afternoon after class. The afternoon chore was more extensive - not just feeding our 3 horses - but also shoveling horse manure. That would take 20 minutes and the smell demanded a shower afterwards. I noticed that things grew much better with fertilizer.

In the major seminary we also worked lifting rectangular bales of hay from our fields and tossing them onto a flat bed truck. We also picked apples.

So both the minor and major seminaries I went to were good experiences in learning to see how things go and how things grow - and experience nature first hand. It gave me a grasp on growth - and a better understanding of the scriptures.

JESUS

From the gospels I sense that Jesus liked to escape from the carpenter shop and explore fields of wheat and grape vines. He spotted sheep and goats, weeds and mustard trees - the birds of the air and flowers of the fields.

Jesus learned the lessons of how things grow - if we listen to him in the gospels.

US

A message from this homily would be to make sure we see the gifts of creation surrounding us - to plant and to harvest - to get a green thumb - and dirt on our hands.

We need to learn that life is a field with wheat and weeds in it - and without both - we do damage to ourselves. A good sin - a good mistake - could be the best teacher in our life. It can also give us the gift of understanding - that we blow it at times.

We need to learn how to plant - and maybe the tree of faith will start to flower and grow a good 30 years from now.

We need to plant something - to learn something.

I’ve heard people arguing about something at night. The next day I would hear them arguing with someone else - but this time they have the opposite opinion from the day before.  Something happened in their sleep - or they replanted their thoughts - while they were sleepless.

I’ve learned there are lots of dormant flowers and fruit and plants inside everyone - and the day comes when the good stuff blossoms. Amen.

INTEGRITY

Quote for Today - February 1, 2013

"Live so that the preacher can tell the truth at your funeral."

K. Beckstrom

RUINING  

MY  REPUTATION

Quote for Today - January 31,  2013

"Glass, china, and reputation, are easily cracked and never well mended."

QUESTIONS:

Have I ever ruined another's reputation by reporting to the winds what another has done - along with our thoughts on the other's motives?

Has anyone ever ruined our reputation?

Have I ever ruined my own reputation?  

Has it been mended?  

What have I learned from my mistakes - and the consequences coming from them?

LAUGHING AT OURSELVES

Quote for Today - January 30, 2013

"When we begin to take our failures non-seriously, it means we are ceasing to be afraid of them. It is of immense importance to learn to laugh at ourselves."

Katherine Mansfield [1888-1923]

MISTAKES

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 3^rd Tuesday in Ordinary Time is, “Mistakes!”

We all make them. Like steaks, some mistakes are rare; some medium; some well done. Mistakes!

The famous mayor of New York, Fiorello Henry La Guardia [1882-1947] when asked about an appointment he made that was a disaster said, “When I make a mistake it’s a beaut!”

Today’s readings trigger thoughts of that theme - especially the first reading from Hebrews. This section of The Letter to the Hebrews gets deeper into the theme of sacrifice, the human move to wash away sin - please God, somehow, someway, some day from my life. What I did was stupid and sinful, dumb and damaging. As Psalm 51- “The Miserere” says it for all of us: “My sin is always before me!” Ugh. Humans use blood - water - annual sacrifices of bulls and goats - anyway to wash away our sins.

Mistakes stay and stick. We know ours. We have memorized them.

Today’s readings stress that it’s God’s will that we be healed - freed - saved - redeemed from our mistakes.

Today’s readings have the theme of doing God’s will - in all three readings: First Reading, Psalm, and Gospel.

And when we go against God’s will - when we make a mistake - we feel it - sometimes for the rest of our lives. So we go to God - praying, begging, wanting his will to forgive us - wanting our sins to be washed away.

FORGIVENESS & LOVE

Being educated in becoming a priest, I heard a thousand times that love is the main message of Christianity. Then somewhere along the line I heard loud and clear someone saying that forgiveness is what makes Christianity different  - unique - from the world religions.  All stress love of God and neighbor as central. Christianity does that as well - but I heard that day someone saying that forgiveness is the big one.

I have thought about that. As I get older and listen to people, I discovered that for some forgiveness is central - is key - necessary.

So you hear me preaching that. Just the other day, someone said to me on the street: “You priests here - really stress - forgiveness and mercy.” I said, “Thank you. We’re supposed to. We’re Redemptorists and our motto is from Psalm 130 - the De Profundis Psalm, ‘Copiosa apud eum redemptio.’ ‘With him there is copious, fullness, plentiful redemption.’”

HAVE WE GOTTEN THAT MESSAGE YET - MACBETH?

Have we gotten that message yet? I’ve see Macbeth twice. I haven’t understood all that Shakespearean language - or all those lines - but I get the message that this famous Shakespearian play is all about guilt and the lingering horror that clings to us from evil done. It keeps us from sleep - causes us nightmares - and leaves us with lingering fears - and horrors in every dark corner.

Macbeth kills Duncan the king - and his wife is in on it. She moves the bloody daggers  over to the dead king’s body. King Duncan’s sons flee and are blamed for the murder of their father. Macbeth becomes king. Then the play plays on the theme of the ghosts of what they have done. Blood is on both Macbeth’s hands - especially Lady Macbeth’s and nothing will wash it off.

CONCLUSION: CHRIST THE LAMB OF GOD WHO TAKES AWAY THE SINS OF THE WORLD.

Christ is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world - as we pray and hear at every mass.

In today’s gospel folks have filled the house Jesus is in. His mother and brothers - his followers -  are trying to get into the house to be with him. They send that message to  Jesus. Jesus says anyone who does the will of my Father is brother and sister to me. They are at home with me.

Isn’t that what we pray now at every Mass. Lord I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof - just say the word and my soul will be healed. Jesus can heal us of these horrible memories we have from our past - our sins and our mistakes.

Go to him. Grow with him. Be in communion with him. Be at home - under the same roof with him. Amen.

FAILURES

Quote for Today - January 29,  2013

"Failure is God's own tool for carving some of the finest outlines in the character of his children."

Thomas Hodgkin

ST. THOMAS AQUINAS

The title of my thoughts is, “St. Thomas Aquinas.”

Today the Catholic Church honors St. Thomas Aquinas - so let me make a few comments about him. He died on March 7^th, 1274. His feast day was switched to January 28^th. I didn’t spot any reason. I assume it’s because his feast gets knocked out at times because it’s usually during Lent. They picked January 28^th, because that’s the date of the publication of his Summa.

He is a gift to the world and to our Church.

He had a great love of Jesus’ Presence in the Eucharist. I assume we do also  being here for one more weekday Mass.

He bridges philosophy and theology - and I assume there will be revivals of Thomas’ writings on and off through the centuries - because of just that.  He can bridge science and theology - a much needed bridge. He said: authority is the weakest argument. Don’t just argue and tell me. Show me!

Those in authority tried to silence him in his time. This happens from time to time in our Church. I don’t know your take on that - but my take is: don’t just condemn, prove. Theologians are silenced from time to time. Then someone says: “Ooops!”

This happened to Dominicans and other theologians at the time of Vatican II. Rahner and Marin Sola and De Lubac and Congar - were silenced.Then surprise, they ended up being part of the formulations of the Documents of Vatican II. And some still bad name them.

This also happened to scripture scholars in the early part of the last century - till Pius XII came out with an encyclical on Scripture - Divino Afflante Spiritu. It opened up the doors and windows of Cagholic Scripture scholarship years before Vatican II. [1]

Pope Benedict 16 has experienced this as well when he was Joseph Ratzinger - Theologian.

Thomas is very practical. We learn through the senses. Don’t we all. The Catholic Church is very much sense based. The churches have statues and stained glass windows. We use candles and water - and oil and gesture.

I love his use of Aristotle and his 5 arguments for the existence of God. He stresses we know by our senses and then we reflect on what we learn with logic and reason - before faith. We can know a lot by reason - and I think this is the way to talk to young people - hoping and praying the gift of faith kicks in - stress on gift - in God’s good time.  For example, we know God exists by looking at the earth and stars - the Grand Canyon and the Big Dipper. We know that God is a Trinity by faith - and revelation.

As I was reading up about Thomas Aquinas this morning. Different articles about his life mentioned places he had been. I pinched myself because I have been to Cologne [1 hour ] - Paris [one day and a morning] - Naples [one day] - Monte Cassino [a couple of hours] - Rome [two times - once for 6 hours - once for a few weeks].  That hit me for some reason - and then I remembered a moment on a train from Rome to Naples with Father John Ruef. He pointed out the window at a stone tower. That’s the place where Thomas Aquinas was held captive for 2 years.

Interesting Saint. Check him out.  Just type into Google, “Saint Thomas Aquinas.”

NOTES

[1]  Cf. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, 1990, 72: 20-41.

Picture on top: St. Thomas Aquinas by Fra Bartolomeo

THE YAWN

Quote for Today - January 28, 2013

"It's a sad truth that everyone is a bore to someone."

Llewellyn Miller,  The Encyclopedia of Etiquette, Crown, 1968

Questions and Comments:

Have you learned that truth yet?

While preaching one gets used to yawns - folks looking at their watches - reading the bullentin - and holding a conversation with the person next to them. 

Have you ever watched the listeners - in a classroom, at a lecture, in church?