TRANSFIGURATION  

MOMENTS

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is “Transfiguration Moments.”

They happen. How many have happened to you? Describe them!

THEY HAPPENED TO JESUS

Jesus had a few Transfiguration Moments  that we know of.

There was that moment on the mountain - that we heard in today’s gospel - when Jesus shone like the sun.

It was a moment with his 3 key disciples: Peter, James and John.

They saw him in prayer. And wow could he pray.

His face changed. Bright light radiated off the skin of his forehead and cheeks. His clothes became dazzling white.

Notice its connection to a  future moment in the garden - on the night before he died. In both scenes  Peter and the disciples had fallen asleep.

In the Transfiguration scene, they were awakened by the spectacular in the scene.

At that moment on the mountain they saw Jesus with 2 mysterious figures: Moses and Elijah.

They saw a cloud moving over them, enveloping them.

They heard a voice say, “This is my chosen Son; listen to him.”

It was a transfiguration moment - a transfiguring experience.

His disciples were frightened,

His disciples wanted to stay there forever.

Jesus knowing they couldn’t contain this experience, Jesus knowing they couldn’t explain this experience, told them to keep this personal and private - till his exodus experience in Jerusalem - which was to come.

Jesus had a similar transfiguration moment at his Baptism - in the Jordan - when a cloud came over him. Like at the Noah’s ark story, a dove indicated where to land and start again. A voice said, “You are my Son, the Beloved, my favor rests on you.”

The title of my homily is, “Transfiguration Moments.”

Jesus had a few of them - at his birth in Bethlehem - when a great crowd of angels praised God - singing, “Glory to God in the highest - peace on all those on whom his favor rests.” Then there were the moments before he died: in the upper room, at Calvary, and all those resurrection moments.

People were transfigured by Jesus - changed by him - in their transfigured moments with him - especially Paul on his way to Damascus - when a light blinded him. He gets to Damascus - not with his destructive urges - but with new life - as a transfigured human being.

WHAT HAVE BEEN OUR TRANSFIGURATION MOMENTS?

People have transfiguration moments - moments when they saw the light - moments that changed their lives: the birth of a baby; a sunrise at the ocean; waking up and seeing the face of a sleeping spouse in the morning light; seeing a son or a daughter graduate or marry or have their first grandchild; seeing a 7 year old play a piano or a trombone - in a kids’ orchestra.

People have transfiguration moments - transcendental moments - moments filled with light and joy - insight and the shattering of darkness - at Mass while singing a hymn like, “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee,” to the music of Ode to Joy  by Ludwig van Beethoven - or at a picnic in the park with one’s family -or we’re at a parents 60^th wedding anniversary - or the death of a loved one.

People have transfiguration moments - like the 3 million people at the World Youth Final Mass at the Cococabana Beach in Rio just two weeks ago. Will that moment solidify their faith life - life in Christ for life - for those people?

CONCLUSION

Today we’re celebrating the Feast of the Transfiguration - whose Gospel Message - is that Christ is the Light of the World - that Christ can transform our lives - his light can penetrate all darkness.

One of its key messages is that Christ is not only the light of the world - but that we are called to be light to our world. As Pope Francis told  the young people of Brazil - we are called to spread the faith to the fringes of society.

May Christ’s light shine in all the corners of our life - so that we can spread that light to all corners of the world. Amen.

Painting on top:Transfiguration by Lewis Bowman

DISFIGURATION
MOMENTS

Hiroshima - August 6, 1945 

Quote August 6, 2013

"O Nature, and O soul of man! how far beyond all utterance are your linked analogies! not the smallest atom stirs or lives on matter, but has its cunning duplicate in mind."

Herman Melville [1819-1891] Moby Dick, Chapter 70.

COMPARE

Compare that comment with the following comments:

"The unleashed power of the atom has changed everything save our modes of thinking, and we thus drift toward unparalleled catastrophes." Albert Einstein [1879-1955], from Ralph E. Lapp, The Einstein Letter That Started It All. In the New York Times Magazine [August 2, 1964]

"Nature is neurtal. Man has wrested from nature the power to make the world a desert or to make the deserts bloom. There is no evil in the atom; only in men's souls."  Adlai Ewing Stevenson [1900-1965], Speech at Hartford Connecticut [September 18, 1952]

AVOIDING THE TITLE  “COMPLAINER” 

AT THE FUNERAL PARLOR

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 18^th Monday in Ordinary Time  is, “Avoiding The Title, ‘Complainer’ At The Funeral Parlor.”

At many funerals there is a eulogy - by a family member or a friend. It’s  a description - or a rendering of the person who died - usually edited - to avoid the negatives - to help all deal with the death of a loved one.  Hopefully, there will be many  positive comments.

Then there is the unofficial eulogy - the real one of the person who died. Most of the time it’s kept within - but sometimes people whisper - with hand to their mouth, “You know, she was a complainer.” Or “He liked to “gripe, growl, and groan.”  Hopefully, there will be some good stuff as well.

The title of my homily is, “Avoiding The Title, ‘Complainer’ At The Funeral Parlor.”

TODAY’S READINGS

In today’s two readings - especially the first reading - folks are complaining. In the Book of Numbers they are complaining about the horrible food in the desert.  They also start voicing a basic complaint: we should never have moved in the first place.

The gospel complaint is about inconvenience - of having to feed all these folks. The disciples want Jesus to dismiss the crowd.

Jesus says: “Feed the crowd.”

TELL ME YOUR COMPLAINTS AND I’LL TELL YOU WHO YOU ARE.

Is there a definitive list of life’s top ten complaints?

I don’t know. That’s my first response to that question. Now I’ll be on the lookout for the most frequent gripes or complaints of people.

My guess would be that the list would contain: food, weather, noise, interruptions, traffic,  aches and pains, not getting my way - and especially others.

Yet, I don’t know. I have to think a bit more about all this.

I would think a basic question is whether most of my complaints are about myself or others. The answer to that would tell me a lot about myself.

Complaining about sloppiness, mismanagement, lateness, laziness, might indicate that I’m a neat person. Show me your house, your closets, the trunk of your car, and if it’s very neat, I might be able to tell you what you complain about. I would assume it would be the opposite: sloppiness and lazainess.

Knowing our pet peeves - would also tell us a lot about ourselves.

Listening to a person’s political complaints will tell others what TV news channel that person might  watch for news.

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily is, “Avoiding The Title, ‘Complainer’ At The Funeral Parlor.”

I was talking to a lady yesterday who has lost her hair and a lot more - because of cancer. She and her husband are praying for a cure, and she’s going for another major surgery next week, yet she said with a rich smile: “Death it’s a part of life! I’m ready.”

Mark Twain in his  Pudd’nhead Wilson’s Calendar, Chapter 10, wrote, “All say, ‘How hard it is that we have to die’ - a strange complaint to come from the mouths of those who have had to live.”

I would assume then that the bottom line is gratitude and joy for all the days of life we have had so far - for our food - our home - where we live, our relatives and friends,  and our hope for more - and we learn to enjoy them all - before we die. Amen

JEALOUSY

Quote for Today - August 5, 2013

"Being with an insanely jealous person is like being in a room with a dead mammoth."

Mike Nichols, New York Times, May 27, 1984

Question: Which came first, the dead mammoth in the room or the living elephant in the room?

HE COULDN’T SPEAK

[This is a story  homily  -  based on today’s readings - for the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year C. It’s entitled, “He Couldn’t Speak.”]

He couldn’t speak - but he could see.

He couldn’t speak - but he could think.

He couldn’t speak - but he could cry.

And so Jack sat in his blue vinyl seat - in his standard wheelchair - with stainless steel bars - hard rubber wheels - watching everyone in the nursing home.

He couldn’t write - his stroke - pretty much wiped out his ability to tell others what  he was thinking - what was going on in his mind and heart and soul.

At first it was hell.  All hell had broken loose in him.

He had everything and now he felt he had nothing - nothing - lost - gone - in one quick stroke.

At first it was hell  - being in a room with Joe - who snored - snored - very loudly - every night - every night.

Joe - being very much overweight - was also a wheel chair patient -  but he had one with a deluxe size seat - dark maroon  vinyl - with  more stainless steel metal than Jack’s wheelchair.

Joe could talk - but it drove Jack crazy at first - “Talk. Talk. Talk!” Jack would say in his brain of Joe, “Talk. Talk. Talk. Talk!” Then that was followed by an inward litany, “Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!”

So Jack loved it when a nurse or an attendant would ask, “Do you want to sit outside and get some fresh air?”

With his eyes and a learning to smile, smile, Jack would always say, “Yes. Yes. Yes. Get me out of here.”

Jack had few visitors. His wife had left him many years earlier. They had two children: Jack Jr. who lived on the other side of the country and Sonya - who lived on the other side of the county. Neither had kids. Both were divorced. Jack Jr. was in a second marriage.

Before his stroke - Jack had everything - stress on things.

After his stroke - Jack had nothing - really nothing.

His kids - Jack Jr. and Sonya - met and decided on selling the house - and his cars - one of which was a green and white 1954 Eldorado Cadillac convertible - which Jack loved to ride in - all by himself - actually - in every Fourth of July - town parade. They put the money in the bank - in an account for him - and Sonya and Jack Jr. decided that Sonya - since she was closest - and Jack Jr. was very successful - and didn’t need anything - Sonya would visit their dad on a regular basis - and get everything when Jack Senior - their dad -  would die.

Jack Jr. and Sonya with a lawyer visited Jack Sr. in the nursing home and told them all this and he nodded agreement with everything. At that point, he really didn’t care. They got it notarized - so they had a plan. Just get it done.

The house was sold - everything was sold - the money was put in the bank - and Sonya would visit her dad at least once a week - and find him either in the corridor - or in outside alcove in the middle of the nursing home complex - depending on the weather.

Jack didn’t care about any of the money or the house stuff. He was stuck in anger because his whole life went down the tubes. He was just stuck in a hell in his mind - in that blue vinyl seated wheelchair.

Time ticked on. Physical Therapy - Speech Therapy - did very little.

What nobody knew was the spiritual therapy that was about to begin in Jack’s brain and being.

The electric shock moment was the Mass moment.

One Sunday morning Jack looked over to the TV screen Joe was watching.  Joe - had to watch this Sunday Mass every Sunday - because that would be the first question Joe’s wife, Angela, would ask him when she arrived around noon. “Did you go to Mass today?”

Jack had been Catholic,  but never went to Mass.  The priest on the TV screen was rattling on that Sunday morning with a sermon that was very short and disjointed. The priest was talking about the first reading for the day. He kept quoting  the opening words of that first reading, “Vanity of vanities..,, All things are vanity!”

Jack was wondering who the Kardashians were….

Jack really didn’t hear anything else in that sermon about “Vanity of Vanities ... and all is vanity”.

What clawed and floored  him was the gospel story the priest read out loud before his sermon.  In an electric lighting flash Jack realized he was the man Jesus was talking about - the man with the barns - who was planning on bigger and bigger barns - bigger and better everything - and Jesus said the poor fellow was to die that night as he dreamed about bigger and better tomorrows and years to come.

Jack couldn’t speak - but he could cry.

He turned to the wall. He didn’t want to see anyone or anyone to see him. And he couldn’t  move his arms or hand to wipe the tears from his eyes.

Bummer….

And he knew Joe’s whole family - wife and kids and grandkids were about to  show up - as they always did on Sunday at noon - and take over the room - and their grand children loved to take each other for rides in Joe’s wheelchair.

Sure enough - they came. They came in hoards that Sunday - high noon.

Jack turned around in his bed and watched Joe’s family in action.

Jack wished the little girls would borrow his wheelchair. When one gal sat in it - he motioned with his nose and his head - and his face with a rich smile, “Take it. Take if for a ride!”

She did and that became one of the first great signs of Jack’s new outlook on life - thinking of others. Celebrating others - celebrating living by giving.

As a result of Jack’s signaling to the little girl to use his wheelchair, Joe’s grandkids became famous for wheelchair racing in the corridor outside Joe and Jack’s room.

The nurses seeing Jack’s chair without Jack in it - went into the room and were about to ask him if it was okay. Seeing the smile on his face from his bed - they knew it was perfect - because they never saw him smile before.

Around 3:00 PM that afternoon, Jack was sitting outside in the front of the nursing home. This was a first for him.

Surprise, Sonja showed up in the 1954 Green and White Eldorado Cadillac Convertible.

Double surprise.  There was her dad - in his wheelchair - sitting outside in the sun - near the front entrance of the nursing home - hoping she would come.

“Uh oh!” she thought. “I know he thinks we sold it.”

As she headed towards him she saw a great big smile on his face.

“Uh oh!” she thought. “Something’s different.”

“Okay, dad,” she said, “I couldn’t sell the convertible. It is too precious. It is too much you. So I had to keep it.”

He motioned with his face, with his eyes, with his neck and head going up and down with a “Yes” signal - that this was wonderful.

“You mean it’s okay dad,” said Sonya - and she started to cry and smile and go over and give him a first big real hug in years.

And after that, all was great for Jack.

He got to love to hear Joe’s stories about his life - and his family - and he loved it when Joe’s grand kids would sit in Jack’s bed as the whole family laughed and shared food with each other.

And their tiny nursing home room - #607 - with its two beds and two wheelchairs - became home and playground - picnic area and therapy center - chapel and cathedral  for them. Amen.

AUTOBIOGRAPHY! 

WRITE YOUR LIFE 

Quote for Today - August 4, 2013

"I've given my memoirs far more thought than any of my marriages. You can't divorce a book."

Gloria Swanson [1899-1983], New York Times, March 10, 1979

Photo: from movie - Beyond the Rocks, 1922 - with Rudolph Valentino [1895-1926]

FORGIVENESS! 

SOUNDS GOOD ON PAPER! 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 17 Saturday in Ordinary Time  is, “Forgiveness! Sounds Good on Paper!”

Today’s first reading from Leviticus  25: 1, 8-17 sounds good on paper.

The book of Leviticus announces a Jubilee. Every 50 years the horn - the trumpet - shall sound, shall resound, shall echo and re-echo through the land of Israel. It’s a time of Jubilee  - a Day of Atonement - when everyone can get their land back - for a different price or a cheaper price than assumed - so too the cost of food - so too the cost of everything.

Slaves are to be freed. Debts are to be forgiven.

QUESTION

Does everyone need a time of forgiveness - when the slates are cleaned - when sins are erased - when hurts are loaded on barges and shipped out to the deepest part of the ocean and dumped - with rocks tied to them - so they will sink to the bottom of the ocean?

A JUBILEE YEAR FOR CATHOLICS

From time to time in the Catholic Church there have been Jubilee years. You might remember that the year 2000 - was called a Year of Jubilee - when doors in Rome were opened  - that had been sealed.

Jubilee years and jubilee celebrations were pretty much forgotten in the Catholic Church till Pope Boniface VIII called for the year 1300 to be a year of Jubilee. Indulgences were given. Forgiveness was stressed. Pilgrimages to Rome were called for.

They pretty much were called for at different times after that - sometimes every 50 years, sometimes 25 years. Pope Urban VI called for one every 33 years to make it like the length of Christ’s life.

What would it be like if the Catholic Church announced forgiveness of all sins - without having to go to confession - just get to Mass - and thank God for the forgiveness? Years back when churches announced “General Absolution” - churches were filled - till that was squelched.

I remember reading an “Uh oh!”  suggestion for the Jubilee Year of 2000: what would it be like if all those divorced - didn’t have to go through an annulment practice - just from this day on - you’re forgiven?

What would it be like to get a spiritual “Get out of Jail” free card?

Speaking of jails, because of costs and no money, I understand California is going to simply release lots of prisoners - soon.

SOUNDS GOOD ON PAPER

All this might sound good on paper for some, but the devil is in the details - and the implications.

Next - any of us  who have made serious mistakes - and have been forgiven - know how hard it is to actually be forgiven - in the reality of the heart?

As I was reading up on the Jubilee year - as mentioned in today’s reading from Leviticus, I noticed that different scholars have said that there is no evidence that this really ever happened - especially regarding land.

What would it be like to have someone knocking  on our door and saying, “We’re moving back - like right now.”

What would be like if farmers and merchants had to deal with giving the land a break - no planting and pruning for this year? It’s a jubilee year. Sounds good on paper?

CONCLUSION: THEN THERE’S REALITY

All of us know the reality of making a mistake - saying, “I’m sorry!” - hearing “You’re forgiven” and then a year or twenty years later the other brings back a past mistake - in a argument or discussion or conversation.

All of us know the reality of making a mistake and we’re the one who can’t forgive ourselves - like our whole lifetime.

Looking at today’s gospel - Matthew 14: 1-12, what would it be like to have been Herodias and her daughter - and Herod in today’s gospel who have John the Baptist killed - beheaded - and have his blood on their hands for the rest of their lives?

We go through life with our scars and our reminders of our mistakes. At some point we have to learn to let the blood of Christ heal us.

Forgiveness sounds good from the pulpit. Forgiveness sounds good on paper. 

FORGIVING  FRIENDS 

Quote for Today - August 3,  2013

"It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend."

Anonymous

Comment: Try that on for size. Does that fit?

ME, MYSELF AND I

Quote for Today - August 2, 2013


"It is said the average person speaks eleven million words yearly - one-half of these are I, my, and mine."

Anonymous

PARADISE! 

FOR GOD, 

IT'S THE HUMAN HEART 

Quote for Today  - August 1st, 2013

"The human heart is, 

so to speak,

the paradise of God."

St. Alphonsus de Liguori [1696-1787]

Hit Full Screen to see whole dance floor.

PRAYER FOR 

GENEROSITY

Quote for Today - July 31, 2013

"Teach us, good Lord,
to serve You as You deserve:
To give and not to count the cost;
To fight and not mind the wounds;
To toil and not seek for rest;
To labor and not ask for reward
Except that of knowing
that we do Your will."

St. Ignatius of Loyola [1401-1556], Prayer for Generosity [1548]

Painting on top: Ignatius of Loyola - Anonymous - 16th century.

Feast day: Today, July 31st. 

SOUNDS FAMILIAR

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 17^th Tuesday in Ordinary Time is, “Sounds Familiar.”

All of us who come to Mass a lot - all of us who have heard scripture passages over and over again - from time to time - we start to hear sounds in the Bible texts that remind us of other texts.

If that happens, that's a good sound....

It’s like music. We’re hearing a song, but we say about part of a piece of music, “I heard this somewhere before.”

When that happens with the readings at Mass, we’re getting into them; they are becoming us; we’re connecting with the Bible in the tabernacle of our head.

The words are becoming flesh - and then especially when we put them into practice in our life.

AND WE’RE ONLY HEARING THE SCRIPTURES IN ENGLISH

We are hearing the scriptures in English - in different translations.

I have been hearing ever since I started taking courses on the Bible in the seminary  - and then in reading books and articles on the Bible as well as workshops after that -  that there are many, many interconnections and cross references in the original languages - word plays - what have you -  with other texts in the Bible.

Moreover, I’m sure you have heard that the chapter and the verse numbers - in the Bible - were not in the original texts. They were added much later on - from the 1200 to 1500’s A.D.   So when we want to refer one Bible text with another Bible text  we use numbers for the chapters and the verses. Sometimes the original texts make references to other texts by using a word or an image or a phrase that people upon hearing the it will connect it with a similar word or words in another text. It’s not plagiarism.

So it’s not by accident that the Gospel of John begins with the words, “In the beginning” - which is telling Jewish Christians - this is a new beginning - a new Genesis - because Genesis begins with the same words: “In the beginning.”

I always heard that there is a lot more of this going on in the Bible that those of us who can't read the Bible in it's original languages would know. Ooops. I’m assuming that none of us here speak Hebrew and Aramaic and Greek - so we miss these word plays in the original  texts connecting one text with another text.

TODAY’S FIRST READING FROM EXODUS 33

Today’s first reading from Exodus 33 talks about Moses, tents, and going apart.

Today’s first reading talks about Moses in the desert 40 days and 40 nights - fasting.

I’m sure that triggers for us a connection of Moses with Christ - who did those very things - except for the tent. Jesus was the tent - sometimes translated in English by the word “tabernacle. Jesus is also the temple after it replaced the tent in Jewish life and worship - and we Christians are familiar with the veil in the temple when it was ripped in two at Jesus’ death and his presence went into the great tent and temple of the world. [Cf. Matthew 25:51; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45.]

The early church was saying to Jewish Christians that Christ was the New Moses and he was fulfilling Judaism.

Notice in today’s first reading that Moses liked to go apart - by himself - to hiding places - to the Holy of Holies in tent form - so  I hope it triggered the many times Jesus in the gospels is going apart to be with his father - our Father, our God.

And we can do the reverse: we can take a New Testament text - especially from the gospels - or the Letter to the Hebrews - and we can see all the references in those New Testament texts to Old Testament texts.

Let me also add that to grasp the scriptures, we need to know allegory - as well. For example, today’s gospel is an allegory. All these references to seed and earth - bring us right into the minds and earth of Israel and its people.

CONCLUSION

Together with all these word connectings,  these familiar sounds, we can go deeper and deeper into spiritual understandings of our scriptures.  

The title of my homily was: “Sounds Familiar.”

How many times have Christians gone to a Jewish Temple or Synagogue and looked up and saw a tabernacle. 

We pause and think: "That looks familiar."

Then they saw a rabbi or someone open up the tabernacle door and out came the Sacred Scriptures. 

Then we said inwardly, “Oh my God we believe the same thing - but we believe the Word became flesh and lives among us."

Then we conclude: "Wow! When it comes to religion so much looks familiar and so much sounds familiar. Amen.

GOSSIP

Quote for Today - July 30, 2013

"Gossip should be spelled gassip, as it is flammable, combustible, and should be capped."

Anonymous


Footnote: Another New Word: "Guessip"

In the April 28, 2013 issue of The New York Times Sunday Magazine I spotted the following:

"That Should Be A Word

by Lizzie Skurnick

GUESSIP

(GEH-sip), n.

1. Particularly amorphous rumor conjecture. 'Troy grew so impatient with the guessip that he installed himself at the hair salon until he knew who was stepping out on whom.' See also: fauxment (to dramatize with each telling)." page 19, One Page, The Magazine.

CORRECTIONS -

 SECOND DRAFTS

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this feast of St. Martha - July 29^th, is, “Corrections - Second Drafts.”

There are 2 choices for a Gospel reading for today: John 11: 19-27 when Martha proclaims her belief in Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God: he who is to come into the world”; and Luke 10: 38-40 where Jesus comes to Martha and Mary’s house and Mary ends up being praised and Martha is corrected or chided by Jesus for being anxious and upset about many things - and Mary your sister has chosen the better part.

I chose the Gospel from John to read today - only because we heard the other gospel 2 times recently.

As I read over John’s story about Martha - there are only 2 stories about Martha in the gospels - I got the thought: maybe someone said Martha was corrected too tough by Jesus - maybe someone should give her a better story.

I doubt that is what happened, but I do know from taking many courses and workshops on our Sacred Scriptures - the Bible is a lot of re-writes.

The Catholic documents on the Bible certainly spell out that we Catholics are not fundamentalists. God did not tell the different authors to grab a quill - some parchment - and God dictated word for word the Bible for us.

Not all accept this. I am aware of that - and I also learned not to fight about this. And smile - because in today’s first reading from Exodus we heard God engraved by himself the ten commandments on tablets  - with writing on both sides.

CORRECTIONS - SECOND DRAFTS

The title of my homily is, “Corrections - Second Drafts”

Anyone who writes - knows writing is rewriting. Writing is second and third and fourth drafts. Writing is asking others for comments. Pick up most books and you’ll find in the introduction or first few pages - the author thanking someone for reading their manuscript and making comments, suggestions, and corrections.

How many times have we seen a movie scene with someone at a typewriter - or writing - and they are crumbling up paper after paper - till they get what they want to say correct.

The beauty of computers is you can do this much easier - writing and re-writing and re-drafting our thoughts.

OUR LIFE

Who Moses was and who Martha was - was who Moses was and who Martha was.

The person whose life we can correct and re-draft - and freshen up - is me, myself and I.

Conversion is possible. We can come out as a new edition.

I’m not talking about lies - but I am talking about taking a fresh look at our life - and bring all to Jesus and have him bring us resurrection and new life.

We can glory in our mistakes as the saints have - but only if we have learned from them - grown in understanding from them - and can laugh with God about life with them..

One of the definitions of a saint that I love is from Ambrose Bierce who defined a saint as: “Saint: A dead sinner revised and edited.”

CONCLUSION

So if we’re still alive - the call is to become the best we can become - the call is for a second or third or fourth edition - containing the learning we have picked up from life - especially our mistakes. 

LEARNING THE ROPES

Quote for Today - July 29, 2013

"We learn the rope of life by untying its knots."

Jean Toomer, Definitions and Aphorism, Li, 1931

THE OUR FATHER -

THINK ABOUT IT

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 17^th Sunday in Ordinary Time C  is, “The Our Father - Think About It.”

I was at a wedding reception somewhere along the line and I’m talking to this guy - who says to me, “I don’t go to church - but I do say the Our Father.”

Seeing me, did I cause guilt or something?  Funny comments happen at priests at weddings.

He continued, “The Our Father is a great prayer. I say it every day. It has everything in it.”  Then he said, “Think about it!”

I don’t know what I said next or what have you - but I thought about what that guy said. I want to thank him - because like many people I say the Our Father over and over again - most of the times without thinking about it. This guy got me to think about it.

TODAY’S GOSPEL

I thought about that moment when I read today’s gospel. It contains Luke’s version of the Our Father - a bit different than the one we all know very well: Matthew’s version. I assume that both Luke and Matthew’s version have the basic ingredients of the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples.

Luke was writing for Gentile Christians. His gospel is dated from around 80 to 90 AD - some scholars think in Antioch in Syria - the 3^rd largest city in the Roman Empire at the time.  Matthew was written  75 to 90 - perhaps in South Syria - or Northern Palestine for Jewish Christians - certainly after 70 when Jerusalem was destroyed.

The Our Father is the first part of the New Testament and the gospels that is translated into the language of any new group that Christians are reaching out to.

Understand  the Our Father and you understand an awful lot of Jesus’ message.

As priest I noticed that the two things people remember till their end is the Our Father and Happy Birthday. 

I was once in a nursing home in Ohio and I noticed a sign on the door of the person I was visiting. It said, “Happy Birthday.”

I asked the lady if it was her birthday. She gave no response. She was all alone and was out of it and close to death. I wanted to ask an attendant if anyone sang, “Happy Birthday” to the lady, but I didn’t see anyone. I can’t sing or carry a tune, but what the heck, the lady was dying. 

So I sang, “Happy Birthday!” and it woke her up and she gave me a face - making me feel like a fool and off tune. I was. 

Surprise she began to sort of sing along with me. Then she spaced out again. 

I said the prayers in the book and anointed her and then I said the Our Father also out loud. 

Surprise! She was praying along with me - and then spaced out again. 

No problem. I’ve often seen people coming in and out of it during sermons.

So that’s why I say the last two things people remember are Happy Birthday and the Our Father - Matthew’s version.

And sometimes if the person says, “For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory” at the end, I know he or she was either in AA or went to a Protestant Church.

As an aside, wouldn’t it have been nice if the Catholic Church added that Protestant addition at the end of the Our Father we say at Mass - as a gesture of good will. Yet at Mass, we did add it a bit later.  

TEACH US HOW TO PRAY

Today’s readings are about prayer. They are a good reminder. They are a wake up call and a challenge for us to think about our prayer life - our communication - our relationship with God. How is it?

Today’s first reading has the fascinating story in the primitive text of Genesis - how Abraham like anyone in the marketplace tries to haggle down a merchant on how much something is going to cost. Abraham gets God from 50 down to finding 10 good people in Sodom and Gomorrah - and God won’t destroy it.

Message: there is nothing wrong with arguing, haggling, begging, bargaining, bothering God with our prayers.

Today’s Psalm Response has one of the 4 most basic prayers there are: Help, Sorry, Thanks and Wow! Petition. Contrition. Thanksgiving. And adoration. The Psalm response we sang was a good prayer, “Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.” If God doesn’t answer you, pray some more - and let God know you’re angry with Him. The Psalms are loaded with that reality - especially, “Help!”

Today’s second reading from Colossians challenges us to bring to prayer the need for God’s power to forgive us our sins - our transgressions - one of the key parts of the Our Father.

Today’s gospel begins with a great way to learn how to pray: Go to Jesus and say to him: “Lord, teach me how to pray.”

Today’s gospel gives us Luke’s Version of the Our Father and then the key message of asking, seeking, knocking at God’s door - any time of the day or night and keep nagging him - nagging him - nagging him.

PRAYER SUGGESTION: USE A ROSARY

One simple, short, suggestion: use your rosary for your praying.

I like to say in the pulpit, “Rosary beads aren’t just for Hail Mary’s.” I’m not saying I’m against the great prayer called, “The Hail Mary.”

What I am saying is to use a rosary as a reminder. When you reach for it in your pocket in the car or at a boring meeting or while walking, you’re saying to yourself:  “I am now about to pray.” 

Muslims do the same thing with beads and prayer rugs. Just take them out and you’re telling yourself, I am now going to pray. Rosary beads are great worry beads - they are great prayer beads - and don’t be scared to let people see you use them. We’re supposed to be evangelizing folks.

PLEASE EXPLAIN BETTER

If you tell me next summer. I heard your sermon last summer about using one’s rosary beads for prayer - and for this past year my rosary beads are right here in my pocket - and I take them out from time to time to pray - and I wasn’t scared to tell family and friends what I was doing.

Next I hope you hear the following.

Before using a rosary for Hail Mary’s, the Our Father, the Glory be and the Apostles Creed, say on the 59 beads for a month - once a day the opening request in today’s gospel: “Lord, teach me how to pray!”

Just do that for a month.

Second month: Our Father….

In today’s gospel, Jesus then teaches his disciples the Our Father.

Now, it’s an obvious disaster what we can do with the Our Father when we say it as if it is one long word: OurFatherwhoartinheavenhall owedbethynameThykingdomcomethywillbedoneonearthasitisinheavenGiveusthisdayourdailybreadandforgiveusourtrespassesasweforgivethosewhotresspassagainstusandleadusnotintotemptationbutdeliverusfromevil.Amen.  It’s not one word….

As that guy at the wedding said to me: Think about it.

For that second month simply say on the 59 beads the words, Our Father - and forget about the counting - let the beads do that for you. Ponder God as Father - our Father - while saying those two words 59 times. If you’re a father, what kind of a father are you? Think about God - as Father. That’s one of Jesus’ big teachings. It can be seen as sexist - or it can be seen as God as core - God as central - God as creator and provider - mother and father, parent. God as the one who keeps the whole house of the Universe together. Our Father.

By saying that we’re saying we believe in God. We’re saying, “I’m not in this life alone.” We’re saying, “There is a God - Our Father - and He is aware of me.”

Say for the next month, “Our Father who are or art in heaven.”  Saying there is a heaven is another act of faith. See where that takes you by saying it 59 times and thinking about it for a month.

Say for a month: “Hallowed be your name.”  A person’s name is sacred. The person whom we love, we say their name all the time in our inner brain. I read once that lovers say one word - all the time - the name of the person they love. Hallowed be your name - our Father.”

“Your kingdom come.” Say that for a month on your beads. See where that takes us. Mathew adds, “on earth as it is in heaven”. Luke just says, “Your kingdom come.”  What does kingdom mean? Isn’t the kingdom what God desires - what God wants, what God wills, what God hopes for. Isn’t that what we want, a dream world and a dream hereafter. Compare our dream with God’s dream and see where that takes us - in the here and in hereafter.

“Give us each day our daily bread.”  We feed birds. We give animals water in the dog days of summer. We keep hearing lots of folks are starving and there is enough food for all. People eat. People are hungry. It’s great when we see beyond our own bellies and do for the bellies and stomachs of all.

“Give us this day our daily bread.”   Notice the word “Our”. That one prayer can get us to volunteer for Thanksgiving Dinners for others - or to volunteer to help with the St. Vincent de Paul Society or put money in our poor boxes - or to help out once a month at the Lighthouse or make sandwiches once a week - or once a month - or once a year -for hungry folks or what have you.

Forgiveness is the next big theme to pray for a month on - using our beads. Luke’s version is shorter than Matthew’s. I think one reason  Matthew’s version is more accepted and known is because it interconnects our being forgiven with the way we ourselves forgive others.

And lastly, spend a month with our beads with the prayer: “lead us not into temptation” or “the final  test” as Luke’s version in English puts it. Saying the prayer: “Lead us not into temptation” - or “Prepare me for the final test.” Say that 59 times on our beads for a whole month. See where that takes us.

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily is, “The Our Father - Think About It.”

I think I gave you some practical ways of learning how the Holy Spirit can help us to pray and how to grow in prayer - how to be with Jesus praying to Our Father each day.

REMEMBER  WHEN 

THE MUSIC ....  

Quote for Today - July 28, 2013

"Like dead, 
remembered footsteps 
on old floors."

Edwin Arlington Robinson [1895-1935], The Pity of the Leaves