WHOM ARE  YOU  LOOKING FOR?

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this feast of St. Mary Magdalene is, “Whom Are You Looking For?”

That’s a question in today’s gospel  from John 20: 1-2, 11-18 -  where Jesus says to a woman – whose name is Mary Magdalene, “Whom are you looking for?”

THE LITERATURE ON MARY MAGDALENE

The literature and history on Mary Magdalene is fascinating.

Dan Brown in The Da Vinci Code – Nikos Kazantzakis in The Last Temptation of Christ – and others make her the lover of Jesus – or maybe even his wife.

In the middle ages houses for prostitutes were called Magdalen Houses.

In recent times there have been movies and books about the Magdalen Sisters – who cared for young women – especially those who had babies outside of marriage.

Scripture scholars state that there is no evidence to picture Mary Magdalene in novels and works of art as she has been pictured down through the years.

Scripture scholars also point out there is no evidence that Mary Magdalen was the woman who was a sinner in Luke 7. She’s the gal who bathed Jesus’ feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. Perhaps  it’s because Mary in today’s gospel is also weeping. Perhaps too it’s because the woman in Luke 7 anointed Jesus’ feet with an alabaster flask of anointment. This was something people did when someone died. And here in today’s gospel Mary is there at Jesus’ burial place.

In Luke 8 we hear for the first time about Mary Magdalene – with the comment “from whom seven demons had gone out.”

From what I read that is the key text. Then  writers like St. Ephraim jumped on the idea – and the connection that Jesus came to be with, eat with, associate with, sinners.

I’ve noticed that the last few popes before Francis have rehabilitated her – giving her better press than earlier popes – especially like Pope Gregory the First who in 591 connected her with the sinful woman in the city of Nain in Luke 7. 

The title of my homily is, “Whom Are You Looking For?”

I would think preachers and writers are looking for sinners in the scriptures – because they know they are sinners themselves – as well as the people in front of them – sinners who are rescued and redeemed and restored and re-edited by Jesus.

Mary Magdalene seems to fit that description well.

I assume that’s what made St. Peter and St. Paul and St. Augustine so very popular – because we are all sinners.

I assume that is why the Our Father and the Hail Mary are so popular. We pray: “forgive us our trespasses” and “pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death, Amen.”

LOOKING AT MARY MAGDALENE

Yes we are sinners, but I think Mary Magdalene should also be looked at for two other reasons.

Mary Magdalene is also called the “Apostle of the Apostles.”

Translation: she brings people to Christ.

Today’s gospel begins with Mary Magdalen - on the first day of the week - going to the tomb early that morning, “while it was still dark”  and finds the stone rolled back. She then runs to Peter and the other apostle and tells them that the tomb is empty. Today’s gospel, because it’s the feast of St. Mary Magdalene – who is being featured – leaves out verses 3-10. That’s  the scene we hear at Easter about Peter and the Beloved Disciple running to the tomb. Peter doesn’t get it yet – but the Beloved Disciple does. “He saw and believed.”

They leave. It’s then we have the great story about Mary Magdalene being the first to experience the Risen Christ. She’s the one who is asked the question, “Whom are you looking for?”

Notice there is no mention that Jesus first appeared to Mary his Mother. It’s to  Mary Magdalene.

Preachers have said, “Of course, he first went to his mother.” 

We don’t know that, but we do know this scene here with Mary Magdalene is loaded with possibilities for deepening our life with Christ.

CONCLUSION

I see Mary Magdalene modeling two things. They can be described in the old catechetical model called: “Discover and Share.”

First step: Discover….  I think a key message is that Mary Magdalene models for all of us to become searchers for Jesus. The title of my homily for today is, “Whom Are You Looking For?”   So here we are early in the morning – like Mary Magdalene - at this morning Mass each day – looking for Jesus

Second step: Share. The second step is to share. This is the call to be the apostle – to bring, to share Christ with others. Have you noticed folks after Mass coming up here to the tabernacle to get the Eucharist to bring Christ to homes. That’s a model for all of us – to bring Christ to homes, to work, to the places and people we meet today – mostly by example and kindness.

Mary Magdalene is called, “The Apostle to the Apostles.” 

Featuring the first apostle – to be a woman – is not to be P.C. Correct. This this title was given Mary Magdalene for centuries in Eastern Rite Churches – many of which are nowhere near the Roman Rite of the Church – when it comes to how women are treated and recognized. In my opinion – we’ve moved a bit for the better in the Western Church - but we’ve got a long way to go – as we move into the future.

MARY MAGDALENE

Poem for Today - July 22, 2014

WOMAN

Not with traitorous kiss her Saviour stung,

Not she denied Him with unholy tongue;

She, while apostles shrank, could dangers brave,

Last at the cross and earliest at the grave.

© Eaton Stannard Barrett [1786-1820]

LOOKING FOR SIGNS

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 16^th Monday in Ordinary Time is, “Looking for Signs.”

Part of being a human being is to look for signs.

After I wrote that I said, “Wait a minute. Animals look for signs as well.”

Dogs want treats. Flies fly away when they see someone with a fly swatter – trying to get them. Birds and monkeys parrot human beings.

Let’s stick with humans.

SINEAGE

I learned a new word this year -  or was it last year? It’s the word “signage.”

I heard at a few meetings. “We’re working on better signage for St. Mary’s.

At first I didn’t know what it meant. Then I found out it’s simply putting up good signs to help people find their way into the various buildings and offices at St. Mary’s. Next time you go to St. Mary’s check it out – starting in the parking lot.

COMMUNICATION

When we don’t see signs,  we can ask folks, “Do you know where the Naval Academy or St. John’s College or St. John Neumann’s Church is?”

Or we can ask another, “Are you angry at me?”

And then we can ask, “Do you love me?”

In fact, we spend a lot of our energy on trying to pick up signs what another is thinking or feeling.

Words, gestures, facial expressions, are all signs.

And we want signs.

Good, better, best, communicate – let’s use sign language – because we’re all deaf.

GOD – SCREAMING FOR SIGNS

We humans want signs from God.

As I wrote that – I thought – that is definitely us – but what about animals. Do they have a sense of/for God. Can we absolutely say that there are no dogs and cats and birds in the hereafter?

Is there a God?

Prove it. Show me signs.

Who is this Jesus – who’s walking around – and saying and doing things?

When we read and listen to the gospels, we see this need for signs happening many times – like in today’s gospel – Matthew 12:38-42.

In today’s gospel, we heard about the Pharisees and the scribes, saying to Jesus, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.”

And Jesus replies, “An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign,
but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet.”

If you remember the story of Jonah the Prophet, if there was ever a person who wanted signs from God, it was Jonah.

Scripture commentators like to say that what Matthew is saying here is this: Just as Jonah disappeared for 3 days in the belly of  the whale and then reappeared on the shore in Nineveh, so too Jesus disappeared for 3 days in the belly of the earth, in the tomb, and then rose from the dead. 

Want a sign – of hope – of life after death? Discover Jesus who died and rose from the death?

Is that enough for you?

Today’s first reading from Micah begins with God telling us to stand before the mountains and cry out our petitions and pleas to God.

Then Micah says to become quiet and listen to God’s pleas and petitions screamed back to us.

God wants signs from us.

Self-centered us – often forget this side of the equation.

Then God tells us through Micah the prophet what kinds of signs He’s looking for from us.

It’s not the sacrificing of burnt lambs or year old calves – or thousands of fat lambs or lots of streams of oil – or even the sacrificing of one’s first born child.

Then Micah tells us the signs that God wants. We have memorized the words. As someone told me just this morning. They are the words of Michah you find on plaques in Gift Shops and are at the end of today’s first reading: “Only to do the right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.”

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily was, “Looking for Signs.”

We come to Mass - to church -  to the Lamb – who challenges us to die to self – and switch to God and to others – and their expectations of me.

So what signs of love are God and others expecting of me each day - today?

BECAUSE OF FRIENDSHIP 

Poem for Today - July 21, 2014

THE PLAN

My old friend, the owner
of a new boat, stops by
to ask me to fish with him,

and I say I will - both of us
knows that we may never
get around to it, it may be

years before we're both
idle again on the same day.
But we make a plan, anyhow,

in honor of friendship
and the fine spring weather
and the new boat

and our sudden thought
of the water shining
under the morning fog.

© Wendell Berry

page 22 in

Collected Poems

1957-1982

EXPECT  WEEDS

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 16^th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)  is, “Expect  Weeds.”

I knew a couple who had a perfect front lawn – not a blade of grass was out of place. It could have been a great green for the 18^th Hole at Augusta.

Their house was perfect – inside and out.

Once inside, everything was just right, neat, and always clean. There wasn’t a nick in any piece of furniture – nor a speck of dust on any knickknack.

Then they had children: 4 boys to be exact.

I noticed early on they had one of those folding fences – at the entrance to their living room. That wooden squeezing fence was a reminder to their boys that this room was out of bounds territory.

Then one day that wall was left open. 

Mom and dad had calmed down. 

They had learned to relax about nicks in the furniture as well as footballs and water guns left next to the legs of a chair in a living room. In fact, that room, finally became what it was called to be: "A living room"- a room lived in by all the family.

If you get that story, you get this homily.

TODAY’S GOSPEL - MATTHEW 13: 24-43

Today’s gospel tells the story of the wheat and the weeds.

Do you get this story?

Being a slob – I love this gospel.

Being a priest – and being myself – I know everyone has weeds, mistakes, sins in their story.

Expect weeds.

Let him or her without weeds or dust, cut or mess, cast the first sneer. [Cf. John 8:7]

So as the parable goes: "A man sowed wheat seed in his field.” 

That was during the day.  

Then at night while everyone was sleeping, as Jesus tells the story, an enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat.

I never thought of weeds having seeds.  I just thought weeds happened - sneaking into the picture in the night.

If you can't picture that, can you picture  hackers out there in the middle of the night planting viruses in computers – just for the heck of it – as a game -  just to prove they can do it – or to gain money or information or they are nosy or what have you?  How many people have turned on their computers in the morning and said, “Oh no!” and felt just like the guy in the gospel and said, "An enemy has done this."

Seeing both wheat and weeds growing together in the field his servants ran to tell the farmer to tell him what happened. 

Then they asked him if they should pluck out the weeds.

"Nope," said the farmer – "you might uproot the wheat as well. Let them both grow till harvest time – and then I’ll say to the harvesters, 'First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into my barns.'” 

As I read that I said to myself, "Easy for him to say that…."

The gospel also talks about leaven and about the mustard plants – but today let me concentrate on the wheat and the weeds.

Last week I preached on the human reality that we are part of all that we have met.  This week I want to continue on that theme – and say that all of us are like a field that has both wheat and weeds.

I’ve heard that even the neatest person there is – always has some bottom drawer, some closet, some spot that is quite messy – a place they don’t want anyone to know about.

I love to say: show me the trunk of your car and I’ll tell you who you are.

Some people are neater than others. Some people have less weeds than others. Some people have more.

You’ve heard this gospel. You know it’s message.

HOMEWORK: RELEASE YOUR INNER ARTIST

For homework, even though it’s summer time, get out a piece of paper and a box of crayons and draw yourself as a front lawn, or a garden, or a field.

What do you look like? What do you want growing in your garden or field? What does it look like now? Do you admit to any weeds? Do you picture yourself as the perfect garden? Do you have any weeds growing up next to your white picket fence? Are there any weeds growing in the cracks of the sidewalk leading up to your front door?

Draw a picture of your soul?  What do you see in yourself? Have you ever made a mistake?  What does your inner room look like – that real self Jesus tells us to enter into every once in a while. It’s that place where only you see? Is it ever opened? Is it neat or messy? Is the furniture filled with dust? [Cf. Matthew 6:6]

Wheat or weeds? Which is more me? Or am I both? What are the percentages: 75-25? 50-50? 63-33?

A Servant in Shakespeare’s King Richard the Second, Act 3, Scene 3, line 44, says,

“our sea-walled garden, the whole land

Is full of weeds; her fairest flowers choked up,

Her fruit-trees all unpruned, her hedges ruin’d,
Her knots disorder’d, and her wholesome herbs

Swarming with caterpillars.”

Now if you drew that scene with your crayons – would that be the real you?

Ooooooh…. Oooooh. What would it feel like if the garden or field or front lawn of your soul was full of weeds – with unpruned trees, hedges ruined, and crawly, crawly caterpillars crawling and eating away at your best herbs?

Walk around St. Mary’s Gardens – right outside our church – and compare it to yourself – your soul – your inner you.

Pause………. What am I preaching about today?

THREE BOTTOM LINES

Three bottom lines: I’m asking myself and all of us three questions today:

First of all: what am I really like? Come on. Be honest. We have at least one weed in our cracks.

Secondly: Do I accept myself as having weeds – along with my wheat?

Thirdly: how much?

Jesus is talking about end times – like the final judgment – like at death.

I’m thinking it’s a good idea to do some doodling on what I’m really like – like today – like this weekend – like right now.

The obvious goal is to be more wheat than weeds – to move towards becoming bread, Eucharist, food for others.

Of course for the Christian - the goal of life to say to the world every day: “This is my body, this is my blood, I’m giving my life to you.”

Take me – eat me up – benefit from me.

However, if I’m honest, I have my weeds. I might have even inhaled it – gone to pot – but please Lord, I’m trying – weeds and all – to be a nice lawn, field, meal for others.

CONCLUSION

I don't know how to end this homily, so let me turn today’s three readings into three short prayers:

First reading: 
                     Lord, I’m not you. 
                     You are you.
                     You are my Redeemer. 
                     Don’t condemn me. 
                     Forgive me. 
                     Attend to me –
                     so I can do your good deeds today.

Second reading: 
                     Lord, send your Spirit into me. 
                     You search hearts. 
                     You know me. 
                     You know I don’t know 
                     how to put all this into words – 
                     but please understand 
                     and interpret my groanings
                     and my grumblings.
                     Realize these are 
                     my messy attempts at prayer.

Gospel reading: 
                    Lord, to be honest,
                    I’m a field of wheat and weeds. 
                    Help me to grow 
                    more wheat than weeds. 
                    Then, when I am ready,
                    leaven this mass of
                    wheat dough - the better me.
                    Help me to become 
                    a great loaf of bread so
                    I can share myself and be
                    in communion with others.
                    And Lord, please, 
                    don't forget to provide me 
                    with good mustard. 
                    Hot dog! Amen. O Lord. Amen.

TWO  WOMEN 

Poem for Today - Sunday July 20, 2014

IN  MIND

There's in my mind a woman

of innocence, unadorned but

fair-featured and smelling of
apples or grass. She wears

a utopian smock or shift, her hair
is light brown and smooth, and she

is kind and very clean without
ostentation--

but she has
no imagination

And there's a
turbulent moon-ridden girl

or old woman, or both,
dressed in opals and rags, feathers

and torn taffeta,
who knows strange songs

but she is not kind.

© Denise Levertov

MARRIAGE 

WITH  A  SMILE  

Poem for Today - July 19, 2014

SCAFFOLDING

Masons, when they start upon a building,

Are careful to test out the scaffolding;

Make sure that planks won’t slip at busy points,

Secure all ladders, tighten bolted joints.

And yet all this comes down when the job’s done

Showing off walls of sure and solid stone.

So if, my dear, there sometimes seem to be

Old bridges breaking between you and me

Never fear. We may let the scaffolds fall,

Confident that we have built our wall.

© Seamus Heaney

WHAT  WILL  YOU  SAY  AND  SEE 

ABOUT YOUR LIFE 

AT  THE  MOMENT  OF  YOUR  DEATH?

Poem for Today - July 18, 2014

ON THE DEATH OF THE BELOVED

Though we need to weep your loss,

You dwell in that safe place in our hearts,

 Where no storm or night or pain can reach you.

Your love was like the dawn

Brightening over our lives,

Awakening beneath the dark

A further adventure of colour.

The sound of your voice

Found for us

A new music

That brightened everything.

Whatever you enfolded in your gaze

Quickened in the joy of its being,

You placed smiles like flowers

On the altar of the heart.

Your mind always sparkled

With wonder at things.

Though your days here were brief,

Your spirit was alive, awake, complete.

We look towards each other no longer

From the old distance of our names;

Now you dwell inside the rhythm of breath,

As close to us as we are to ourselves.

© John O’Donohue

page 184 in Benedictus,

A Book of Blessings,

Bantam Press, 2007

NIGHT  PRAYER 

Poem for Today - July 17, 2014

THE INNER HISTORY 

OF A DAY

No one knew the name of this day;
Born quietly from deepest night,
It hid its face in light,
Demanded nothing for itself,
Opened out to offer each of us
A field of brightness that traveled ahead,
Providing in time, ground to hold our footsteps
And the light of thought to show the way.

The mind of the day draws no attention;
It dwells within the silence with elegance
To create a space for all our words,
Drawing us to listen inward and outwards.

We seldom notice how each day is a holy place
Where the eucharist of the ordinary happens,
Transforming our broken fragments
Into an eternal continuity that keeps us.

Somewhere in us a dignity presides
That is more gracious than the smallness
That fuels us with fear and force,
A dignity that trusts the form a day takes.

So at the end of this day, we give thanks
For being betrothed to the unknown
And for the secret work
Through which the mind of the day
And wisdom of the soul become one.

© John O’Donohue,

Page 175 in Benedictus

A Book of Blessings,

Bantam Press

CONFLICT 

RESOLUTION 

Poem for Today - July 16, 2014

FOR LOVE

IN A TIME OF CONFLICT

When the gentleness between you hardens

And you fall out of your belonging with each other,
May the depths you have reached hold you still.

When no true word can be said, or heard,
And you mirror each other in the script of hurt,
When even the silence has become raw and torn,
May you hear again an echo of your first music.

When the weave of affection starts to unravel
And anger begins to sear the ground between you,
Before this weather of grief invites
The black seed of bitterness to find root,
May your souls come to kiss.

Now is the time for one of you to be gracious,
To allow a kindness beyond thought and hurt,
Reach out with sure hands
To take the chalice of your love,
And carry it carefully through this echoless waste
Until this winter pilgrimage leads you
Towards the gateway to spring.

© John O’Donohue

Page 50 in Benedictus,

A Book of Blessings,

Bantam Press

THE  FORENSICS 

OF  FOOTPRINTS 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “The Forensics of Footprints.”

Today is the feast of St. Bonaventure [c.1217-1274] – a Franciscan and a theologian – a doctor of the church.

Every year when I come to his feast day – July 15 - I celebrate that I grabbed and got one of his big messages – a footprint - vestigium in Latin -  realizing there is so much I don’t get.

No problem. I’m just happy that something of his has rubbed off on me.

So I get his message about footprints.

FOOTPRINTS

We all know the story of Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe – published in April of 1719. We all remember  the moment he spotted footprints on the sand of the beach – where he was all alone.

He was no longer alone. Uh oh! What now? What’s next? Read the book.

We’ve all had the experience in our life of spotting footprints in the sand or in the snow. There was someone going down or up this path or beach before me.

I am not alone.

BONAVENTURE ON FOOTPRINTS

We don’t know much about Bonaventure’s personality – but we know a lot about his thought – he wrote a lot - as well as the external facts of his life.

He was a great thinker and theologian – and I think he would have written a lot more if he had more time. Who knows what else he would have come up with – if he was not moved into executive tasks in both his order the Franciscans – as well as Church business – being consulted by Rome as well as being made the cardinal-bishop of Albano.

So I like one of his most basic messages: footprints. They mean someone with feet was here.

Well, Bonaventure argues for God – by saying God’s footprints are everywhere.

The stuff around us tells us there was a stuff maker – God the Creator.

I’ve had said out loud to dozens of people asking me about God – that if there is a chair, there is a chair maker. What the chair maker’s personality is like – now that’s another story – but we know there is a chair maker.

We got to the Moon. Our human footprints are now on it. Human footprints on the moon tells us there was someone there.

It also tells us that there are humans with minds who figured out the mathematics and the mechanics of getting there.

It also tells us that there was a moon maker – as well as the vast universe we live in? Our God is a creator, a universe maker – and after we  die, hopefully, we’ll know God and how God is.

The title of my homily is, “The Forensics of Footprints.”

FORENSICS

Forensics – basically - means arguing – trying to prove things in the public forum.

And that’s what Bonaventure did – as teacher and priest and bishop and then cardinal of our church.

He would say: check out the footprints. He was an optimist – someone said more than Thomas Aquinas – who also often made deductions from what is.

Bonaventure also tells us that the human mind – tells us so much more than the footprints. Bonaventure tells us to use science.

Science, learning, getting the facts for the forensics – helps us in arguing for God.

TODAY’S READINGS

Today’s first reading and gospel, tells us there are cities – and in those cities there are kings and subjects – and by thinking about each other – how we are as people – pluses and minuses – creations and destructions – good and evil - we can learn even more about God and each other.

That’s step 2 by Bonaventure – moving from creation to creative persons on the earth. 

Step 3 – following these steps – these footprints – we can get even closer to the third step – moving to this God of ours – to God as Trinity – another big message of Bonaventure.

We all know about the poem “Footprints” about there is a God – who carries us – but that is the faith step.

Our last Pope, Benedict wrote his second dissertation on Bonaventure – and Revelation in Bonaventure - and came up with one of his big messages of hope from him.  Bonaventure said we can learn a lot from everyone – even those we’re not walking with – so some wish Pope Benedict did a little more of that – but I leave those footprints and that kind of figuring and dialogue to others.

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily was, “The Forensics of Footprints.”

Bonaventure tells us to see the footprints all around us.

He said read the book of creation – read the minds of others – and you’ll arrive by foot at God – and others will learn from our footprints. Amen

IRISH  BLESSING 

Poem for Today - July 15, 2014

BEANNACHT

On the day when
The weight deadens
On your shoulders
And you stumble,
May the clay dance
To balance you.

And when your eyes
Freeze behind
The grey window
And the ghost of loss
Gets into you,
May a flock of colours,
Indigo, red, green
And azure blue,
Come to awaken in you
A meadow of delight.

When the canvas frays
In the currach of thought
And a stain of ocean
Blackens beneath you,
May there come across the waters
A path of yellow moonlight
To bring you safely home.

May the nourishment of the earth be yours,
May the clarity of light be yours,
May the fluency of the ocean be yours,
May the protection of the ancestors be yours.

And so may a slow
Wind work these words
Of love around you,
An invisible cloak
To mind your life.

© John O’Donohue