Here are 10 possible motives for doing what we do. Jot
them down on 10 small pieces of paper so you can shuffle them. Next study them.Ask yourself if you have a motive that is not
listed and you want it on your list.Good. But then eliminate one from this list - so you’ll still have
10.When you have your 10, put them in
order of importance or priority for you. There you go. It’s a self-test. This
is Self-Test# 26 on this blog - which I began back on June 17,
2007. Game: see if you can find all 26 tests.
The title of my homily for this 28th Sunday in
Ordinary Time - YearC - is, “Two Mule-Loads of Earth.”
That’s an image in today’s first reading from 2 Kings 5:
14-17.
Interesting …. Different …. Intriguing ….
Naaman, a Syrian army commander, gets a serious skin
disease.They call all kinds of skin
problems “leprosy”back in those days in
the middle east: B.C. and early A.D..
The story mentions a young Israeli girl becoming a
servant to Naaman’s wife servant. Good story…. She was captured in a raid on
Israel.
The Israeli servant girl upon hearing from Mrs. Naaman
that her husband has skin problems says, “If only he would go down to Samaria
and ask the prophet Elisha there to heal him?”He’s hesitant to do this. He’s
skeptical that it will work. Good story….
He goes reluctantly. He washes in the Jordan 7 times as
told. He is healed and heads from the Jordan to go and see
Elisha to give him a gift .Elisha says, “No - no gifts.”
Well, at that Naaman says, “Give me two mule loads of
earth - so I can bring them back to Syria and use them as part of an altar in
thanksgiving to the God of Israel, the God of Elisha the prophet. Good story.
TODAY’S GOSPEL
Today’s gospel - Luke 17: 11-19 - also has a story about
leprosy - 10 people who have leprosy - and they too are healed.
Most preachers for this Sunday will challenge all of us
to begrateful - thankful.This gospel is used every year for
Thanksgiving - taking the time to be thankful.
For a Sunday sermon or homily let me stress 3 messages.
FIRST GRATITUDE
The first would be gratitude - making sure we express
gratitude to God for starters and then to others.
A key word in this Gospel in the original Greek is eucharizein
- eucharist - thanks. Notice it becomes -the word we use the Mass - whose key message
is to come here each Sunday and say to God, “Thank you.”
Luke’s gospel is for the Gentiles, the foreigners. So notice
Naaman in the first reading - the one who is very grateful - is a foreigner -
and notice in the gospel it’s the foreigner - the Samaritan - who is grateful.
SECOND MESSAGE
A second message from today’s readings is a question: how do we treat the stranger or the strange
folks or strange rangers - or the person who doesn’t look right to us.
How dare we do that, but we do that to one another. I
know I do.
People with leprosy had to keep back - stay at a distance.What’s that like?
I remember in one parish a lady asking me if she could
skip Sunday Mass - because kids would stare at her - and sometimes say out
loud,“Mom …. Dad …. What’s wrong with
that lady?”
She had cancer inside her face and she was missing her
eye on that side - along with her right cheek.What would that be like to be that woman?
What’s it like to be overweight - and folks stare at you
and make comments.
I remember a gal saying to me: “My sister has given me
10,000 diets.”
I remember a good friend of mine - a fat priest - saying that
the same thing happened to him. Other
priests called him names etc. along also
with giving him diets. He told me that fat people don’t need reminders that
they are fat. They are calling themselves fat - all day long - every day of the
year.
So this is my second point - how we treat those who look
different than we do?
I remember getting a skin treatment once. The doctor
asked when my slowest time for work was. “I said, January.”So for 4 weeks in January, I had to put this cream on my face. It pulled
out all kinds of pre-cancerous stuff.I
ended looking like a pizza. Red blotches all over my face.
Well, one Saturday in January a lady came into
confession. You could go face to face or behind the screen. I was hoping
everyone would go behind the screen. Well this lady went face to face and
didn’t look atmy face till she was
finished. After the act of Contrition she looked me in the face and her face
panicked.As she stood upI reached out my hand to wish her a peaceful
next. Her hand was hesitant. She was sort of caught and sort of surprised. After touching me she wiped her hands on her
side.
I said to myself, “Great! Now I know how another feels
when they are considered a person with leprosy. I said, “Great.I can use that in a homily someday…
THIRD MESSAGE: “TWO MULE-LOADS OF EARTH.”
I figured out a family builder exercise.
Naaman was doing what we all do. We take souvenirs back
from where we’ve been. Refrigerator Door
Magnets. Knick Knacks, a rock from the Grand Canyon, Lourdes Water, Key chains.
Well everyone in thefamily get a box and go through your house and load the box with
souvenirs of stuff you got when you were on a cruise or what have you: then
show and tell.
CONCLUSION: HOW TO GO HOME
So we come here to Mass to say, “Thanks”. Then go home as
a stubborn sturdy mule- filled with the Love and Power and Grace of
Christ.
October 13, 2019
Thought for today:
“The consciousness of duty performed gives us music at midnight.”
(George Herbert)
Saturday, October 12, 2019
October 12, 2019
THERE ARE THINGS I CAN’T EXPLAIN
There are things I can’t explain.
Sorry. I would like to. I’ll try but
there are things I can’t explain.
Like a couple who date, get engaged,
live together, get married and then
they realize they have landed in hell.
Like I know I am a procrastinator.
I really bother people being late,
“When you sweep out the temple courtyard, don’t stop to read
the old newspapers.”
Someone
Why not?
I do that all the time!
Sometimes they have
more interesting stuff
than today's newspaper.
Sometimes it's the SOSO.
Thursday, October 10, 2019
DOORS
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily for this 26 Thursday in Ordinary
Time is “Doors”.
Picture yourself on a black leather couch - or in a soft chair
- in a psychologist’s or psychiatrist’s or counselor’s office - behind closed
doors - and the counselor - in a moment of quiet - said to you, “Doors?”
What would be your reaction? What would that image
trigger?
Would your face go, “Huh” with a question mark attached to it?
Translation: what are you talking about?What are you asking?
The psychiatrist had been at Daily Mass that Thursday
morning and the word “doors” - appeared 3 times in the gospel - which got
herthinking about doors.
However, the preacher said nothing about
doors - but got off on something about God as a great listener - as the first
reading from Malachi put it.
But the psychiatrist - for the rest of the Mass - and
during her session with herfirst client
of the day - had begun thinking about doors.
THE DOORS OF A LIFETIME
In fact, that evening while driving home - before she got
to her garage door - before this psychiatristopened the door of her car to get out - before she got to the side door to
go into her house - she felt thankful - as well as intrigued about all she
heard about doors from people that she sat with that day in therapy - in
helping people move towards healing.
In fact, she asked all 5 clients that she had that day -
what does the word “door” trigger for you?
Sheheard about
feelings of being locked out by one’s spouse . She heard about how difficult it
was for one person to go thought the doorway of an Al Anon meeting - because he
was worried about word going around town that one’s wife was an alcoholic. The psychiatrist
heard from client # 3 - how he was shown
the door by a boss. He was fired from a law firm. The psychiatrist heard how
hard it was for someone to knock on a psychiatrist’s door. “What? Will people
think I’m crazy?”
She was a just a psychiatrist. In fact, based on what folks said about Catholics and
religion, two of her patients would be totally surprised that their therapist
was a church goer - more - a daily Mass goer - except for Saturday morning. She had an open door attitude towards God -
who was open to everyone.She had on
open door attitude towards people - their habits and peculiarities - their
disorders and their disarray at times.
She also heard one of her 5 clients from that day saying
that she often goes to God and pounds on God’s door as Jesus had said, till God
unlocks the door and gives me my daily bread. This client - # 4 - said that her
favorite Bible text was Jesus’ words, “I tell you, ask and you will receive;
seek and you shall find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”
So even though the priest said nothing about doors in the
morning Mass homily, she had a profitable day asking peopleto give their thoughts about what the image
of a door does to their psyche.
CONCLUSION
And that night after eating and being with her husband
and her kids - after a game of cards and watching their favorite TV show - she
headed for her favorite chair - before going to bed.The chair was on their back porch. She opened up the porch door and
sat down for her 15 minutes of quite reflection on her day.She had been doing this for years now -
before heading for bed.
She breathed a few good deep cool night air breaths. She
looked out into the night sky and thanked God for a wonderful - but very long day.Then she closed her eyes and opened the door in her soul to her inner
room - and spent the next 10 minutes of
quiet listening to our God.
Ooops. She fell asleep and her husband opened up the
porch door and said, “Are you coming to bed sleepy head?”
The title of my reflection for this morning is: “Five
Jonah 4: 10 - 11 Examples.”
Most people when they hear about Jonah, they only think of the story about him being in the belly of the whale for 3 days. They miss the whale of an antsy character he can be.
When I read today’s first reading - from the 4th
chapter of the book of Jonah - I was hit
in the brain with the story near the ending of the reading.
Jonah gets really upset.A gourd plant - or another translation makes it a castor oil plant - that was giving him shade - rots because of a worm. That really ticks him
off.He no longer has shade or
protection from the sun.
Well, God challenges Jonah for his mixed up and selfish sense oflife and emotional balance. He gets upset
losing his plant - and his shade, but hedoesn’t get upset when he wants God to kill 120,000 people.
We the hearers of the story,are supposed to hear and to notice the
enormous contrast between 1 plant destroyed and 120,000 people possibly killed.
Thinking about that, I asked myself, “Could
I come up with 5 examples of
similarmixed up and out of balance values
and ways of seeing life?”
FIRST EXAMPLE: SCRATCHED CAR
A father gets a brand new car. Someone scratches it.It might even be his son. The father gets furious. However, the father has no
reaction when he hears at supper that his son got beaten up and cut and
scratched by a bully in school that day.
SECOND EXAMPLE: THE MISPRONOUNCED WORD
A reader at Mass - while reading - mispronounces one word
in the reading.
As a result - that’s
all he or she hears. It’s the mistake….
He or she doesn’t hear the reading. He or she never really ponders the meanings in the
reading. All they think of is that one
word - that was mispronounced and they miss all the 120 other words they
pronounce perfectly.
THIRD EXAMPLE: CHEWY, CHEWY BEEF
At supper, for supper, someone takes a piece of meat off
the serving platter. They find the piece
they pick to be quite chewy.
During the meal, that person keeps complaining about the tough chew. They
don’t like the gristle of the meat. They make the cook feel dumb about it.
But - but - but - in 7 years at that dining room table, that person
in that community, the complainer - never once said to the cook:“Thank you for delicious supper. I love the
way you did the string beans.”
FOURTH EXAMPLE: THE LETTER WRITER
A letter writer writes a letter to the bishop of the
diocese every time they see the visiting priest or any priest changing one word in the prayers or readings. If it’s
not the exact word in the sacramentary book - on the altar,it’s ink to the bishop. It’s a letter to the
bishop about that priest.
However, the
letter writer - at about only one Mass a year - do they connect with God - praise God for
another day of life - or apologizes for their
sins - only about once a year.
FIFTH EXAMPLE: WRINKLED RED CAPE
A bishop comes into the sacristy of a church for
confirmation. He opens up his small leather vestment suitcase. His red cape is
wrinkled.He gets furious. He might look
wrinkled. Tch. Tch. Tch.Terrible.
Terrible. Terrible. What will the people think when they see my wrinkles?
But, but, but, for 12 years as a bishop he never gave one
thought about kids who were abused by priests and other bishops.Tch. Tch.Tch.Terrible. Terrible.
Terrible.
CONCLUSION
We all heard today’s readings. For homework, let’s find a
few examples when we are out of balance and need a value or moral realignment.
Let’s ask God to forgive us our trespasses as we forgive others when we pray the
Our Father. Amen.
The gospel for today Luke 10: 25-37
is the storyof the Good Samaritan -
but manychurches will use the
readings for the feast
of Our Lady of the Rosary.
October 7, 2019
Thought for the day:
"When I was young, my mother said, 'I want you to be something.'"
Cher
Sunday, October 6, 2019
October 6, 2019
THERE ARE MOMENTS
There are moments when we have a choice.
Sometimes we forget that - but we can choose
to becomemoreaware of the moments we
have.
Some people make such a moment a morning prayer.
Some people make that moment a night prayer.
Some people make their only prayer - a mid-day prayer.
A song … A journal … A walk around the block …
A stop … A prayer chair … A kneeling at their bed ….
A dropping into a church in person or with closed eyes …
“Outside of a dog,
a book is a man’s best friend. Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read.”
Groucho
Marx
OCTOBER 5: THE FEAST OF BLESSED
FRANCIS XAVIER SEELOS, REDEMPTORIST
Today - October 5th - is the feast of a not well known Redemptorist priest, Francis Xavier Seelos.He was beatified by Saint Pope John Paul II in April of 2000.
I’d like to say a few words about him today - for my sermon - a sermon being different than a homily - a homily centers on the scripture readings.
Father Francis Xavier Seelos died October 4, 1867 in New Orleans - of yellow fever - at the age of 48. Since October 4th is the feast of St. Francis of Assisi - Seelos’ feast was put on this next day, October 5th.
I know of him because like Father John McGowan and Father Bill Gaffney - who often said Mass here in Rumson - we are Redemptorists like Father Seelos.
I know of him because for the past 17 years I was in a Redemptorist parish in Annapolis, Maryland - and Father Seelos worked in our parish down there in the mid 1800’s.
Father Seelos was born in Fussen, Germany and before being ordained a priest he joined the Redemptorists in order to come to the United States in 1843 as a missionary - for the Germans - who had a shortage of priests hrtr in the USA. He was ordained in our parish of St. James in Baltimore.
He preachedand did some work in Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Wisconsin, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pittsburgh, Maryland, and New Orleans.
He worked for 9 years in Pittsburgh and was proposed as a possible bishop for Pittsburgh. He didn’t want that.
He worked with and was trained by St. John Neumann another Redemptorist.
He was known for the priest to go to for confession.
He was known for his smile and his sense of humor and his telling of jokes.
He had problems with another priest, a Redemptorist, Father Michael Mueller who was ultra-strict and ultra-tough and ultra-serious. Mueller was knownaround the United States as the Catholic Priest who said there was no salvation for anyone who was not a Catholic. “How to win friends ….”
Mueller didn’t like the way Seelos was with our seminarians - complaining that he wasn’t strict enough, etc. et. etc.
Mueller and Seelos were stationed in the same parish I just came from: St. Mary’s Annapolis. In the tiny vestibule that leads out of the church, there is a marble plaque recognizing the first pastor of our parish there: Father Michael Miller.You wouldn’t notice it - unless it was pointed out.
In our prayer garden at St. Mary’s - there is a nice metal park bench which has a statue on it - Father Seelos just sitting there on the bench. With the statue, it seats three. Looking back on my 17 years in Annapolis, every day that had decent weather there would be someone sitting snug next into Father Seelos - maybe because we told people to sit there and talk to him and surprise he’ll hear your confession.
After a year as an associate in our parish in Detroit, he was made pastor in our church in New Orleans and lasted 14 months - dying from Yellow Fever - taking care of the sick.
Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos - pray for us. Amen.
