HERE ARE 

SOME CRAYONS!  

DRAW GOD  

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 7^th Monday after Easter  is, “Here Are Some Crayons! Draw God.”

If we hand kids some paper and some crayons and we ask them to draw God - we might get some very interesting drawings and images.

Then when we ask kids to explain their drawings - it’s even more interesting. They will give us their take on God - how life works - from their perspective, etc.

An important as well as a wonderful book to read is, The Spiritual Life of Children by Robert Coles. As a psychiatrist and professor at Harvard, he has done lots of research on what's going on in the lives of children - and he uses drawings for poignant observations.

If you watch TV, I’m sure you’ve seen the whole series of ATandT commercials about “It’s not complicated.” A guy is sitting at a table and he asks some kids a question and it goes from there.

Then each time it ends with the statement, “It’s not complicated.”

The title of my homily is, “Here Are Some Crayons! Draw God.”

GOD IS COMPLICATED - AND - GOD IS SIMPLE

When it comes to understanding God - the best answer seems to be, “God is both complicated and simple.”

The scriptures give us lots of images and pictures of God. 

God is a voice. God is a Creator. God is Someone Who Doesn’t Like to Be Alone, God is a Fortress. God is a Father. God is a Mother. God is a Spouse. God is a Shepherd. God is Thunder - Lightning. God is also a soft whisper of a breeze. God is a King. God is the great I AM.

The authors of these images are not around to explain themselves. I hold that there are people around today who have those same images of God. Listen to them

If we bring in the New Testament, we have Jesus constantly talking about God His Father - Our Father. That’s simple. We know what a good Father - as well as what a Good Shepherd is like.

If we start to listen to Jesus describing Got His Father - as well as the Spirit - it gets complicated.

For some it’s tough enough believing in God - than to accept that Jesus is God. It took the church a couple of hundred years to hammer out formulas - the Creeds - on how to state who God is.

The big heresies of the Early Church tell me that God is complicated.

To say God is 3 persons - but 1 God. To say that are 3 persons are different - but also they are Equal and One God. That’s not simple. That’s complicated.

Then we have the history of the Church - as well as various other religions and their drawings on God.

This can really complicate God big time - as well as statements by some that they claim is God talking - and they know God’s thoughts.

KATAPHATIC AND APOPHATIC APPROACHES TO GOD

Let me use two technical theological terms  I use from time to time. If I use them enough at these 12:10 Masses you’ll be familiar with them. They are the words: kataphatic and apophatic.

Kataphatic means using images and pictures to describe God - whether with paint or sculpture or crayon.

Apophatic means no images - because any image of God is obviously incomplete - inadequate - and can be subject to idolatry.

I don’t know about you - but I have learned that both ways can be helpful. The Divine Dark approach can help. That’s the Jewish urge at times - as in the practice of not using God’s name. Then there is the  Islamic approach - that you can’t imagine God in picture.

You probably have heard about the Iconoclasts - who destroy images and ikons because they think people use them as magic to try to manipulate God.

CONCLUSION

So crayons are good - simplicity is good - but at times complexity and becoming quiet is also helpful.

So someone might hand you a box of crayons  and tell you to draw a picture of God. Sometimes it's good to be like a little kid again and draw, draw, draw.

Sometimes an image of God or Christ or the Holy Spirit that you draw can be helpful. 

Sometimes you can hand back an empty canvas - and relax. 

Sometimes silence and nothingness - just being there is as good as a drawing. 

Your move.

[Here's a picture I found on line of an assortment of early Binney and Smith crayon boxes.]

Book Quoted: Robert Coles, The Spiritual Life of Chidren, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1990

STORIES

Quote for the Day - May 13, 2013

"The universe is made of stories - not atoms."

Muriel Ruykeyser

Comment:

How about both and a lot more?

ASCENSION! 

A DIFFERENT 

MOTHER’S DAY STORY

They didn’t think she would walk again - let alone climb the 13 steep steps in their house to the second floor. She did both. It took time, but she did it - with a little help from her friends.

The accident happened two Novembers ago  - after dropping her son Christopher off - a sophomore in high school - their surprise baby -   at a Friday night football game. He hadn’t made the varsity team yet. It wasn’t a drunken driver - but it was a teenager in a rush - trying to do too much -  trying to get somewhere on a Friday evening. She was in a hurry.  The teen age girl didn’t get hurt - but Terri did. Their car was totaled - and her legs were somewhat crushed.

At first they didn’t think she would walk again. She did.

It took a lot of rehab - a lot of courage - stubbornness - surgeries on both legs - a wheel chair - a walker -  time - a cane - lots of time - and lots of sacrifice by her husband Tom and their last son, Christopher.

There two other sons were both married. One was in the military and the other got a great job in San Francisco.

At times Terri felt like a hundred year old woman. She was only 55.

After getting out of the hospital and then the rehab center, Terri finally got home. A big decision had been made: upstairs or downstairs?

Tom told his son, Christopher, “13 steps are a lot steps.”

Christopher said, “I can carry her up and down - she’s not that heavy. She’s my mother.” 

Both smiled at that.

Terri was only 128 pounds.

She liked to tell folks she was never over 130 pounds in her life. She liked to run. She liked to walk. She liked to exercise. Good thing she was athletic.

Terri was not in on this decision of: “Upstairs or downstairs.”

Tom said to Christopher,  “You won’t always be home. We have a bathroom down here - and we could put a bed in the living room. And what happens if my back goes out?” 

“Dad,” said Christopher, “there is no shower or tub down here. Would you want that if this was you?”

Pause….

“You’re right,” said his dad.

Terri went along with the decision - but she felt guilty at times -  especially when her husband had to carry her up or down those 13 steps to or from the second floor. 

With Christopher it was different. In fact,  she felt great - having her son - her surprise baby - her secret favorite - her football player - carrying her up and down those 13 steps.  

With Tom at times it was the opposite. After a long day - seeing him hold his right hip at times after the climb - and then seeing him wince and give a slight sniff with his left nostril - she wanted to get better - and better fast.  Wives know their husbands body language - especially when it’s frustration. She could hear him thinking: “We should have chosen the first floor.”

Step by step - life moves forward.

They were doing this as a family.

The conversations - between Tom and Terri - on the steps - were always about the steps and the tough of it. 

“I always wanted to know what it would be like to climb Mount Everest.” That was a comment by Tom. 

“And I wanted to climb the rest of the Presidential Range in New Hampshire.” That was a comment by Terri. She used to go backpacking while in college in Boston.

“Your mom,” said Terri - “used to say, ‘Once you hit 45 - always buy a house that has only one floor - if possible. You never know what’s going to happen in the future.’ Next house will be one floor.... Right?”

The conversations on the steps between Terri and Christopher were always about  their lives.

Christopher would talk about something that happened in the classroom that day - as well as going to college next year - where he might be going - and all that.

Terri would tell Chris, “I’m dying to get walking and driving again - to get back to work again. I miss teaching. I miss the kids. Thank God we have good medical coverage. Thank God for that. Thank God for you and dad.”

Then the day came. Actually it was just two weeks ago. After lots and lots of one step at a time - as well as lots of physical therapy - the day came -  when Terri was able to climb those 13 steps on her own. Okay - along with a sturdy banister. Tom and Christopher - were behind her all the way. She did it. That day she did it. She climbed those 13 steps on her own. Both of her men in her life were there for the celebration. Both clapped and clapped, “You made it to the top!”

“Phew” all three said at the same time!

It was like the sound a mom and dad and their kid  make when they blow out his second birthday cake - all together.

“Phew!”

You should have seen the smile on her face.

After that it was a piece of cake. The walker and wheelchair and the cane were put in the garage off to the side. They will be reminders at times - of what she went through - and then they will just sit there - that stuff that stays in garages forever - till someone has a yard sale - or needs a walker or wheelchair or a cane or they move.

That Mother’s Day her two sons and their wives and kids made it home to be with mom and dad and their brother Christopher.

All went to Mass - Mothers’ Day  - together in two cars.

Nobody but Terri got it when the priest said with a smile, “It’s rare when Ascension Thursday falls on  Mother’s Day - a Sunday -  but this year - that’s the story.”

The priest continued, “And I have no clue on how to connect the two. However, as we learned in the seminary - ‘Whenever it’s Mother’s Day, no matter what the readings are - even if there is no connection - you better say something about Mother’s Day - otherwise you’re toast  - well with at least half the congregation - and probably the whole congregation - because everyone has a mother.”

He then proceeded to talk on and on about something - while Terri made her connection....

Ascension - those were her 13 steps up those stairs.

Ascension - she was thinking about this past Lent - when Tom took Terri to church with the help of her walker - on Friday evenings for the Stations of the Cross. This was the first time either of them had done that since they were kids.

Terri wanted to go every Friday evening in Lent because she told Tom  she was making the connection between her recovery and Jesus stepping those 14 Stations of the Cross - as well as those 13 steps up to the second floor at home.

She added, “If Jesus made it, even though he fell 3 times, I can make it to top of those steps - and to the rest of the Presidential range of mountains in New Hampshire next summer.”

She made that last comment with a wink in her voice….

Then she concluded, “And I hope to rest of my life.”  

MOTHER'S DAY

Quote for Today - May 12, 2013 - Mother's Day 2013

"Mother's Day is when everybody waits on mother and she pretends she doesn't mind the extra work."

Someone

Questions:

What do you make of this quote? How do you observe it?

CLIQUES 

CRUSH COMMUNITY

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily  for this 6^th Saturday after Easter is, “Cliques Crush Community.”

I recently preached on how comparisons can crush           us. This morning: here is a brief homily on the issue of cliques - and how they can crush community.

SEMINARY

When I was in the seminary we were warned from time to time to avoid cliques. At first I had no clue what the word meant - and what cliques were.  All I knew for starters that they were a “no no!”

Slowly I discovered what everyone in every school, team, work place, neighborhood, and group learns. Cliques are a bummer. When sub-groups  or small groups within the larger group or community start to be snippy, snotty, snobby, the select few - then Houston we have problems.

I would see cliques from time to time - and saw from time to time how they can crush community.

TODAY’S FIRST READING FROM ACTS

This theme hit me from today’s first reading from Acts 18:23-28.

During these days after Easter we have been blessed with all these readings from the Acts of the Apostles. They are a blessing because they give details, history. They are very specific with names of people  and places - even though some of them are hard to pronounce.  To me they are totally opposite from these readings from the Gospel of John which we have after Easter. John can be very poetic, vague, and unclear. That’s not just my opinion. Various scholars like Ray Brown point that out.

In today’s first reading we hear about Apollos - a Jew from Alexandria - who is a scholar of the scriptures. He had become a follower of John the Baptist.  Thanks to Priscilla and Aquila - he hears about Jesus -  as we heard in today’s first reading. He then becomes a follower of Jesus Christ and becomes well know in the different early Christian communities where he preached. Like good preachers people start to become his fans and followers.

Looking up anything about Apollos - I found myself in  the first chapter of Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians. Check it out!

It’s in the church of Corinth where this issue of cliques shows up. Some say they are following Apollos; some say they are following Paul. Some say they following  Cephas or Peter. This is the language of cliques. Paul challenges the Corinthians. The different groups as we hear in the 1^st Letter to the Corinthians attack back at Paul. Paul responds, “Has Christ been parceled out? Was it Paul that was crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul?”

HISTORY OF THE CHURCH

Part of  the  history of the Catholic Church is a history of cliques and conflicts and comparisons and sub-groupings - leading to divisions and splits.

From time to time groups break off - and form their own churches.

We Redemptorists here in the United States split on the issue of reaching out to the English speaking Americans - so we have the Paulists begun by ex-Redemptorists.

If you see Father Benedict Groeschel on EWTN - you know his group broke off from the Capuchins which had broke off from the Franciscans - each group started for the purpose of renewal.

When I was novice master we would got to meetings of  students from various religious communities. At times I would hear groups comparing and criticizing other groups. It’s the stuff people often do when they are dealing with identity issues.

I know I have to be careful of not only verbal criticisms and digs, but also inner sniping. Being a slob who  prefers  the informal, I make fun of in my mind those I call the “Suits”.  Who am I to say that Jesus wouldn’t wear French cuffs and those elaborate expensive clerical   collars that some wear?

Cliques - groups - organizations use uniforms - hats - medals - badges - markers to say, “We’re special!” Then comes my question - and assumption at times, “You’re not!”

Every once and a while we all need to look at Jesus in that loin cloth on the cross - and make the stations of the cross with him.

In the meanwhile, we need to read the gospels - not these esoteric books that give private revelations. To me that kind of material can move people towards being Gnostics. To me their main underneath position is: “I know stuff you don’t know. Therefore I’m better than you.”  Underneath that is another of my uncharitable thoughts: “Therefore I’m not so bad after all.”

We all need to carefully read Jesus’ words about humility and simplicity - and his experiences with the Pharisees.

CONCLUSION

Jesus reached out to everyone - not just to his small group. It took Peter a while to get that message. Paul got it by conflict. Christ brings together people from the North, South, East, West - as the 4 points of the cross point out towards. 

BUILDING 

ROADS OR WALLS?

Quote for Today - May 11, 2013

"Great roads the Romans built 
          that men may meet,
And walls to keep strong men apart, 
          secure.
Now centuries are gone, 
          and in defeat
The walls are fallen, 
          but the roads endure."

Ethelyn Miller Hartwich, What Shall Endure?

Questions: 

Looking at my life of my parents, what has endured?

Looking at my life, what has endured?

Looking at my life, what do I want to endure?

THE OTHER 

PERSON'S PRAYERS

Quote for Today - May 10,  2013

"If we could all hear one another's prayers, God might be relieved of some of his burden."

Ashleigh Brilliant [1933- ]

UNANSWERED PRAYERS

Quote for Today - May 9, 2013

"More tears are shed over answered prayers than unanswered ones."

St. Teresa of Avila  [1515-1582]

E GO!

Quote for Today - May 8, 2013

"Before we can pray, 'Lord, Thy Kingdom come,' we must be willing to pray, 'My Kingdom go.'"

Alan Redpath

COME HOLY SPIRIT

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 6^th Tuesday after Easter is, “Come Holy Spirit!”

We’re moving now into that time of the Church Year when there will be much greater stress on the coming of the Holy Spirit.

I like to stress using one’s rosary beads for all kinds of prayers. So don’t hesitate to say on the 59 beads, “Come Holy Spirit!” - especially if you feel stuck - especially if you need wisdom, advice, or the Advocate - as  today’s gospel calls the Spirit. “Come Holy Spirit.” You can take your beads and say that prayer 59 times in less than 2 minutes. Of course, I’m not stressing time, but praying.

I misplaced or lost my white rosary beads - they are somewhere I hope - so I said a prayer to St. Anthony and St. Gertrude and found a ruby red pair the next day in the pocket of a jacket I rarely wear.

Come Holy Spirit.

THE JAILER IN TODAY’S FIRST READING

Have you ever felt like the jailer in today’s first reading?  He thinks his prisoners - Paul and Silas - escaped. The whole town of Philippi were screaming and yelling at Paul and Silas. Then the town magistrates ordered that they be stripped and beaten - and thrown in jail. Seeing the cell doors open, the jailer reached for his sword to kill himself. Paul shouts out, “Don’t do it. We’re still here!” [Cf. Acts 16:22-34]

Have you ever felt like that? You wanted to kill yourself - well not really,  but you said, “I could kill myself!” You didn’t mean it literally - but you felt trapped because of shame or a family disaster or a scandal or a mistake or what have you. Woo!

Come Holy Spirit. Reach for your beads, reach for prayer, not  the sword. Reach for the Holy Spirit to get you out of that trap or that prison or those chains.

And hopefully there will be a resolution or a solution - and a happy ending. That’s how today’s first reading ends. The head of the jail and his family throw a dinner for Paul and Silas and they are baptized and become Christians.

TODAY’S GOSPEL

I read today’s gospel - John 16: 5-11 last night - to say something in this homily. I prayed, “Come Holy Spirit!”

Nothing was hitting me - except the promise of Jesus that he would send us the Advocate  - that Jesus had to leave  - so the Advocate could come. What is that all about?  Is it like a parent sending a kid off to college or one pope replacing another pope?

You heard it read, what hit you? What sense did you make of it?

I checked Raymond Brown’s Anchor Bible on this section of John and read the following, “Commentators have not found the detailed exposition of  8-11 easy.  Augustine avoided the passage as very difficult; Maldonatus found it among the most obscure in the Gospel. Loisy, p. 430, remarks that the pattern of mentioning the three charges (v.8) and then explaining each (9-11) - ‘a methodical explanation that has not much clarity”…. [1]

Come Holy Spirit.  How about some clarity?

Then it hit me: well, maybe when it comes to grasping God - it’s not clear. After all,  we Christians are taught - that God is a Father, as well as a Son who is both God and Human, and a Third Person - called the Advocate, or the Holy Spirit. All 3 are 1 God. The Church took a long time to put the Trinity into a formula and Creeds. In the meanwhile various heresies and a few centuries of efforts took place in the struggle to formulate declarations about God - as Christ taught us about God - as Trinity.

So too today’s  gospel. It is complicated stuff - these words about Jesus leaving his disciples - so he can send us the Spirit - the Advocate.

CONCLUSION

In the meanwhile we can say, “Come Holy Spirit” - and while praying those words we can ask for help with family, work, neighbor, stuff, self.

In the meanwhile,  we can  pray, “Come Holy Spirit” - and while praying those words ask the Holy Spirit to challenge us - to convict us when we’re living a lie or a sin or being lazy or not in the right.

Tough stuff. Tough prayer. Yet hopefully we keep praying, “Come Holy Spirit.” Amen.

NOTES

[1] Raymond E. Brown, The Anchor Bible, The Gospel According to John XIII - XXI, Doubleday and Company, New York, 1970, page 711.

Blue picture on top: The Blue Angels flying over St. Mary's. Tap, tap, with your cursor - to get a full screen picture.

Painting in Middle: Rembrandt Van Rinj, Apostle Paul in Prison

ATTITUDE

Quote for Today - May 7, 2013

"Life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you respond to it."

Lou Holtz

REMEMBER WHAT 
I TOLD YOU

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 6^th Monday after Easter  is, “Remember What I Told You!”

I’m taking that from the last sentence in today’s gospel. “I have told you this so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you.” [John 16:4]

In my title I changed  the “that” to “what” - mainly because if we don’t remember what someone told us - how can it be helpful? Okay, we might remember they told us something - and we knew it was important at the time - so we know their motive was concern for us. But! But the what is what will help us.  To me that’s the key.

JESUS TOLD HIS DISCIPLES A LOT

Jesus told his disciples a lot of things.  Lucky for us - people remembered some of what he told them and some folks wrote his words down - or told others what he said.

So we have the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John - to be thankful - for gathering the words of Jesus - and putting them down on papyrus or vellum - or animal skin.

Some people love the Red Letter editions of the gospels where what Jesus said is written in red ink.

What I love is the Greek Editions of the New Testament - because they get me closer to what Jesus said in Aramaic than the English translations.

Last September 13^th, 2012, I had a great moment to savor. It was a Thursday. I was with some folks from the parish. We were on a trip. We were in London. However, that morning, a group went to Paris on the fast train under the English Channel. Others went elsewhere in London. That morning I went with George one of the group. We saw St. Paul's and a few other famous London sights. That Thursday afternoon, I left George and headed for the British Library. George had some other stuff he wanted to see. Moreover, I didn’t think he or anyone else would want to go to the British Library.

I’ve always wanted to see with my own eyes some tiny, tiny scraps - remains of a copy of the Gospel of John that are dated to around the 2^nd century. I went looking for them in the British Museum in London a few years earlier - but a guide there told me they were in the British Library. Never got there - because of time - but here was another chance to get there - finally - on September 13^th 2012. I found the room I was looking for. There I stood looking at these tiny scraps - under heavy glass. I was looking at something much more important to me than the London Bridge or Westminster Cathedral.

They also had under glass the Codex Sinaiticus which I also always wanted to see. It’s dated to some time in the 300’s.

Before I die - it's on my Bucket List - I’d love to see in the John Rylands Library in Manchester, England, Papyrus 457. It is dated to the 2^nd century - that’s the 100’s. It’s a tiny scrap of papyrus which has on it, John 18:31-33. It’s the oldest surviving fragment of the entire NT. 

It was found in an a key town in Egypt - along the Nile. Specialists tell us that indicates that copies of the Gospel of John,  some 40 to 45 years after John wrote his gospel that it had made its way to far away Egypt.

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily is, “Remember What I Told You!”

Writers were remembering what Jesus told us - and we are doing just what Jesus told us to do. Use these words - use what I told you - to hold together your life in me.

For homework, dig deep into the soil along rivers of your life - and find fragments of Jesus’ words that you have preserved - that you use to hold together your life - your favorite sayings of Jesus - texts - precious words that captivate who you are.

In that last statement in today’s gospel Jesus says just that. Listen again to his motive why he told us what he told us,  “I have told you this so that you may not fall away.”

Get your own pen and paper and write down the words of Jesus that are key to you - words that more important than seeing the London Bridge or the Brooklyn Bridge, Westminster Cathedral or St. Patricks’ Cathedral - the Pope or Elvis Presley - if he’s still around. 

OOOOOOO

Painting on top: The Lord's Supper by Gail Meyer

SUFFERING

Quote for Today  - May 6, 2013

"I do not believe 
that sheer suffering teaches. 
If suffering also taught, 
all the world would be wise,
since everyone suffers. 
To suffering must be added 
mourning, understanding, 
patience, love, openness 
and the willingness
to remain vulnerable."

Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Time, February 5, 1973

Painting on top: Rembrandt

INNER PRAYER

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this Sixth Sunday of Easter C, is, “Inner Prayer.”

We know outside prayer: the Our Father, a Hail Mary, the “Lord, Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace” prayer, the Grace before meals prayer: “Bless us O Lord and these your gifts which we are about to receive from your bounty through Christ our Lord, Amen.” We know  the Serenity Prayer: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.” We know the public "outside" prayers of the Mass. We know famous prayers, public prayers, the prayers of other’s - but today I want to reflect upon inner prayer - or quiet prayer, silent prayer, secret prayer, or thinking to oneself prayer….

WHY THIS TOPIC - WHY THIS THEME?

To be transparent, I chose this topic because I found today’s readings are tough readings to get a clear and practical and helpful topic and theme to preach about.

Because of that I chose this topic and theme of inner prayer by default,  because when reading surveys on what people want to hear more about  from the pulpit and in Spiritual Reading - I often spot people’s call for more on prayer.

One of my favorite scenes in the gospels is Luke 11: 1-13 - when the disciples of Jesus say to him: “Lord, teach us how to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” They want more on prayer. This is the year or Luke so we’ll hear that Gospel on the weekend of July 28^th. I don’t repeat homilies - and I also assume you’ll forget what I’m preaching on today by 2 PM - if not sooner. Smile.

In the meanwhile, from time to time we’re like the disciples. We ask Jesus to teach us how to pray.  And Jesus teaches his disciples the Our Father prayer.

That’s a good place to begin inner prayer. It’s the first Christian prayer that missionaries translate into a new language. It’s the prayer that everyone knows. It can be said with all Christians - it brings us together in prayer.  We’ve all been with families who stand around the dinner table hold handing hands saying the Our Father together. Some families stand together in the evening - and say the Our Father before the youngest goes to bed. I’ve been at the bedside of many a person dying - with the family around the bed - at home - or Mandarin House - or the hospital  - and we’re holding hands and saying the Our Father together. It’s a very natural thing to do.

I’ve noticed in nursing homes the following: I’m all alone with a person who is really out of it.  Someone in the family called and asked me to visit someone. So I say the Our Father out loud. Sometimes when I do this, I see the person’s lips moving. In fact I learned that the last two things people can say when they can’t say anything else,  it’s the Our Father and they join in when they hear someone singing, “Happy Birthday.”

The Our Father is basic. We all have it memorized. Hopefully we’ve all taken it apart in inwardly - in inner prayer and  reflection. It’s a prayer for life’s essentials: daily bread for all, forgiveness for all - to forgive and be forgiven of when we trespassed or stepped over the boundaries with others or others have hurt us - and especially being able to say to God our Father, “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Oh my God, don’t we want it - our way - every day?

In Luke 11 - after teaching his disciples the Our Father, Jesus then goes deeper with teaching his disciples how to pray.  He tells us nag God, beg God, scream out in the night at God’s windows for help. Jesus asks us to ask, and seek, and knock on God’s door and God will give us bread, not stones, fish, not snakes, eggs not scorpions.

The title of my homily is, “Inner Prayer” - to reflect upon others prayers and our inner prayers - inside our mind - inside our home. Inner Prayer.

YESTERDAY - TWO FIRST COMMUNIONS AND A WEDDING

Yesterday I went to both First Communion Masses at St. John Neumann Church - one at 9 AM and the other at 12. And I had a wedding at 3 PM.

The church was packed, packed, with extra seats added in the back for the First Communions at St. John Neumann and fairly filled for the wedding.

At the First Communions I was off to the side - very happy that our pastor, Father Tizio and Deacon Leroy Moore were up front. Father Tiz is the best I’ve seen yet preaching to kids - and if you can reach the kids, you can reach their parents and grandparents - who had filled the church.

I had time to just sit there. We were up front - but off to the side - and I could see faces - lots and lots of faces. And I like to look at faces and pray for that person. I also like to imagine and wonder what is going on in other people’s minds and hearts.

If I don’t know the face, I pray if they are not church goers, they will reconsider. I pray if they have been hurt by life or church or others, they will forgive and be forgiven. I pray that they will look at their children and grandchildren and be grateful for this gift of life - saying to themselves, “It’s all worth it.”

At weddings I figure parents are making a review of their kids’  whole life - the curses and the blessings, the good times and the bad, the sickness and the health. I figure they are thanking God in inner prayer. I sometimes hear them saying, “It’s about time.” Or “Help these two, O Lord, help them.” I can sometimes hear them saying, “Make us grandparents. Make us grandparents!” And I can hear grandparents thinking, “Thank you Lord, for the grace to be here at this moment.”

Inner prayer.

I think all of us wonder what others are thinking - and talking to themselves about. In this homily I want to stress the prayer in what we’re inwardly thinking and praying about. So listen to your inner prayers - they will tell you a lot about you.

CONCLUSION; TODAYS 3 READINGS

Moving towards a conclusion - let me use today’s three readings.

Today’s first reading again this week is from the Acts of the Apostles tell us about debate and dissension in the early church. So what else is new.

It’s always something. Every family, every work place, every organization has debate and dissension. Inner prayer calls us to talk to each other and to pray to the Holy Spirit for help - as we see Paul and Barnabas and the early church doing.

Today’s second reading again this week if from the Book of Revelation. It pictures a great revelation of Jerusalem - the Holy City - one of the images of Heaven - in splendor. It pictures glittering gates and walls with sacred graffiti on them: the names of the 12 apostles.

Using imagination to tie this into my theme for today. Early in the gospels we hear Jesus talk about our inner room - where we pray to the Father in quiet. I know myself and my life - at times I’ve rarely visited that inner room. I like to think by the time I hit heaven, please God - all the walls are down, all the doors are open - and that inner room is filled with all God’s people - because that’s heaven, that’s happiness - union with all people and with our God.

Today’s gospel from John speaks especially to inner or inside prayer - because if we read the gospels - Jesus seems to always be in communion with his Father - in prayer. We see him trying to find time and space - to be with his Father in prayer - and he keeps on being interrupted by the needs of people - but it’s this union, communion, connection with his father - that gets him to reach out to be in communion with all people. Amen.

REPUTATION

Quote for Today - May 5, 2013 - Cinco de Mayo.

"A bad cut can be cured, but a bad reputation can kill."

Spanish proverb

DEATH OF PARENTS

Quote for Today - May 4,  2013

"There's nothing so sad as a 55-year old orphan."

Ella Grasso, on her parents' deaths. Boston Globe, November 10, 1984

OLD AGE

Quote for Today - May 3,  2013

"If you prepare for old age, old age comes sooner."

Anonymous

Question: Agree or disagree?

INTRODUCERS

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this feast of St. Philip and St. James is, “Introducers!”

I’m only going to look at Philip - not James - sorry to any James here. I want to look at Philip’s place in the gospels - and it’s not that much of a picture of him. I like to see him as “The introducer!”

FIRST INTRODUCERS

I have lots of weddings and one of my favorite questions is, “How did you two meet?”

And often in the description of how a couple discovered each other I hear the word “introduced”.  My best friend introduced us to each other. Or a cousin or a co-worker. Nice. I’ve heard a couple of times the story when a  guy said his girl friend introduced us to each other - and I dropped her - when I saw this one. Ouch! Maybe.

Introducers….

If we look at our life, we  can come up with people who introduced us to Tupperware, The Green Turtle, Bridge, Tennis, NCIS, Ball Room Dancing, or what have you.

If we look at the story of our life, we can come up with who introduced us to friends.

Introducers….

PHILIP

Good playwrights and good story tellers know how to use people to introduce other people or new situations into a story - small part people who bring about a change in the direction of the plot.

So in the Gospel of John that we heard today, we see Philip playing the role of middle man - the go to man - who brings people to Jesus. [Cf. John 14:6-14]

In the first chapter of John, we read about Philip introducing Nathaniel to Jesus.

In  the twelfth chapter of John, some Greeks want to meet Jesus - so they go to Philip who is the guy to go to - to have an audience with Jesus.

I’m sure those who know the present pope get calls from strangers to see if they can get an introduction to meet the pope.

And in today’s fourteenth chapter of John, Philip wants an introduction from Jesus to meet Got the Father. The Gospel of John uses Philip’s question to Jesus to see the Father - to have Jesus tell Philip a  basic or key message that he gave us: “See me, see the Father!”

OUR JOB AS CHRISTIANS

Our job as Christians is to introduce people to Christ.

How many people have become Catholic because of the good example of their spouse?

Question: how many people have we introduced to Christ - and Christ introduced them to the Father because of us?

My prayer at every wedding and every funeral is that someone here will be introduced to Christ, to religion, to God the Father, because of being at that wedding or funeral. This might be the only time they are in church this year.

Tomorrow we have First Communion at St. John Neumann - 2  different Masses - as well as in many, many, many churches across the world. I am aware that there is someone here who hasn’t been going to church for the first time in a long time. I pray that they will be introduced or reintroduced to Jesus Christ.

HORROR STORIES

As priest I hear horror stories - about priests. Someone told me they went to the first communion of a grandson and the priest announced with full firmness of voice from the pulpit: if you haven’t gone to confession in the past year, don’t even think of coming to communion today.  I remember one priest giving a talk on Birth Control at a First Communion Mass.  Recently, someone asked me a question about baptism: “Can a child who was conceived by artificial insemination be baptized?”  I said, “Of course!” Then the person who asked me the question,  said that a priest told my niece that her kid could not be baptized.  I would hope there is a lot more to the story than that. So I don’t know the rest of  the story. I figured something is missing in the story.  I figure some people at a wedding or a funeral or a baptism or a First Communion - who have dropped out - might have dropped out because of a hurt. As priest, I’ve heard lots of stories about priests who pushed people away from God and church and the sacraments.

My hope and prayer is always that we priests - and all Catholics - that we be introducers of people to God and Christ.

You’ve all heard the quote from St. Francis of Assisi. I’m still not sure if it’s true, but in a way who cares: “Preach the gospel, sometimes use words.”

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily is, “Introducers.”

Philip introduced people to Jesus - and Jesus will introduce us to God the Father.

Jesus is the way, the truth and the life - as we heard in today’s gospel from John.

A twist in the story is the presentation of God by introducers or those who people look to for Christian example. I’ve heard various people tell me about their God - and as I heard their take on God, I have had to bite my lip - and my tongue - because the God they were introduced to is not my God.

Who is your God?  Who is Our Father?

Jesus tells us in today’s gospel that he is the way the truth and the life.

Jesus is the way to the Father. Jesus shows us the truth called God.  Jesus gives us the life that is God.

When people introduce me to a God who they think planned a baby’[s death - when I hear people think God’s maps out another’s life and puts horror stories in the script - when people introduce me to a vengeful  God - I say, “That’s not my God.. Then I introduce them to Luke 15 - and say, “Read all three parables and read them carefully.” 

ooooooooooooo

PAINTINGS: 

Top: The Apostle Philip by Durer, c. 1516

Middle: Apostle Philip by Ducio c. 1301

Last: The Apostle Philip by El Greco c. 1612

MELONS AND BEANS

Quote for Today - May 2, 2013

"If you plant melons, you will reap melons; if you sow beans, you will reap beans."

Chinese Proverb

REVIEWS?

Quote for Today - May 1, 2013

"I subscribe to the theory that a good review makes you feel good for seven minutes, and a bad review makes you feel miserable for seven years."

Mary Gordan, New York Times, March 9, 2007, page A. 21