THEREFORE
CHOOSE LIFE

INTRODUCTION

Today, the Thursday after Ash Wednesday, has two good readings for our reflection.

Today's first reading, Deuteronomy 30: 15-20, has one of the great texts and the great scenes of the Bible. Moses has the whole crowd before him and says, “Today I have set before you life and prosperity, death and doom.”

He then goes on to spell out what will bring life and what will bring death. Then he says, “Therefore, choose life!”

So I would like to reflect on that theme: “Choose life!”
It's the basic theme of Psalm 1 as well as Robert Frost's famous poem, "The Road Not Taken."

GEORGE WALD

Many years ago I was driving somewhere and listening to the car radio. The late Dr. George Wald (1906-1997), a famous Harvard biologist, was giving a lecture on those words from Moses, “Choose life!” He said that is the goal of religion, yet there have been religions that have chosen death - killing people!

He said the choice is biophilia or necrophilia. We know the meaning of the Greek in these words: "bios" being the word for "life" and "nekros" being the word for "dead body" - and "philos" being the word for "love".

I remember Dr. George Wald spoke about the traditional scenario or question, “If you were going to be stuck on a deserted island for a year or for years and you could have only one book, what book would you choose?” I recently heard someone answer: “Boatbuilding for Dummies.” George Wald answered the question immediately and with surety. He said he would choose the Bible. And he loved this text from Deuteronomy: “Choose life!”

The Bible gives life!

THE BIBLE AS A WEAPON

Yet I would add that some people take texts from the Bible and slam others with them. Or they put people in hell. Or they use Sacred Texts to go around killing people in the name of religion.

QUESTIONAIRE

If you were stuck on a deserted island for a year and could only have one book, what book would you choose?

Or before answering that answer these questions:

Looking at your life, what gives you life? What gives you death aches?

Looking at your vacations, what vacations give you life, what vacations give you death? I did an evaluation on my vacations once and changed my vacation plans.

Looking at your Sundays, your Sabbaths, what ones give life? What ones kill you?

Looking at your evenings, what gives life? What brings on death?

QUESTION MARK???
The question mark is shaped the way it is for a reason. The purpose of a question is to hook us?

Some people avoid questions and they are all answers.

It’s good to start Lent with questions. Where am I? What’s going on? Why am I doing what I’m doing? Ooops – before that question: What am I doing?

Am I happy with my use of time? Do I have enough time? Who, where, what, is getting my time and my life?

This Lent do I need to go for more or less – emptying or filling?

Once, while wondering about all this I asked myself, “What am I going to do for vacation this year?” Then I asked myself, “What does a good vacation look like for me? What were my best vacations?”

I ended up deciding on vacations that included lots of walking and time with friends – hiking – camping – away from gadgets – were the best vacations in my life. I have fond memories of vacations in the Rockies in Colorado, the White Mountains in New Hampshire and part of The Long Trail in Vermont.

I also reflected on what kills me: too much sugar, that is before I found out I have Type 2 diabetes, getting to bed too late, not saying “no” enough, working too much, not taking my day off, not exercising, poor planning, putting off mail, etc.

It then hit me to ask the opposite question: What gives me life?

I jotted down answers: when working, work, when playing, play, when praying, pray, when eating, taste what you’re eating, when with friends, be with friends.

These simple questions got me – not all the time – but sometimes to be a better listener, not to look at my watch, to take more walks, to enjoy more sleep, to read smarter, and to laugh more.

These simple questions got me – not every time – to bring Jesus in the playground of my life – and I could hear him saying, “Study people: Notice old people don’t get as upset as younger people. Notice children – they know the importance of older people and relationships.

This is the stuff of wisdom. This is the stuff of prayer. Prayer often starts with good questions.

ST. IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA
St. Ignatius of Loyola [1491-1556], the founder of the Jesuits, was off on the paradox of life and death - pain and gain. At times what seems to give life sometimes kills us; at times what seems to kill us, can bring life.”

This paradox – became his principle of discernment. This paradox gets us to ask the simple question: In the long run, is this going to kill me or give me life?

It’s a cliché to say all this. Yet this message of death & resurrection seems to be lost in the shuffle at times because it’s so simple and so basic.

Jesus says in today’s gospel [Luke 9:22-25] that if we want to be his follower we must let go, deny our very self, take up his cross each day and follow in his steps.

That does not sound like choosing life.

Yet we know it’s true. We know that to master a sport, we have to do a lot of sweating and practice. To learn to master the piano, we must do a lot of practice.

Those who look at the pain and not the gain or the end result often avoid the pain and get nowhere.

CONCLUSION

So the message is obvious: “Therefore choose life!”

Choose Jesus, who said of himself, “I have come that you might have life and that you might have it to the full.” (John 10:10)

We who have chosen Christ, have chosen life.

Too often we haven’t. As the old saying goes, “If you are happy, let your face know it.” If you are alive, let us see Christ in you and your behaviors.

Teach remedial reading skills. Feed the hungry. Listen to the lonely. Work hard. Surprise! You’ll find yourself more alive almost immediately!

Die to self so others can rise.




This is a sermon I gave for some Thursday after Ash Wednesday

WE WANT 

OTHERWISE

Quote of the Day -  February 18,  2010

"And that's the way it is."

Walter Cronkite [1916-2009]. His sign-off sentence on CBS Evening News

SILENCE!

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Silence!”

In T.S. Eliot’s long poem, entitled, Ash Wednesday, he writes, “Where shall the word be found, where will the word / Resound? Not here, there is not enough silence.” [Ash Wednesday, 1930, V.]

T. S. Eliot in that same poem has the prayer, “Teach us to sit still.”

THIS HOMILY, THIS LENT

In this Ash Wednesday homily for this Lent, I’m making the suggestion to myself and to others to become more quiet as a Lenten practice.

Now there are many things we can do for Lent. We can do do’s and we can do don’ts.

As the poet, T.S. Eliot, indicated in his Ash Wednesday poem, maybe we’ll hear the word more if we practice more silence and quiet in our lives. Maybe we’ll hear God more and each other more.

I don’t know about your life, but I’m feeling the need for more space and quiet in my life and I don’t even have a cell phone. Does that make me a Neanderthal? However, when I’m on duty, I carry the duty cell phone with me – so I know what a cell phone is.

We begin Mass and movies and lectures now with the announcement: “Would everyone please check their cell phones and put them on quiet.”

That’s easy compared to putting our inner chat, chat, chat, on quiet.

But cell phones could be a visible way of becoming more reflective.

Looking around I see lots and lots of people on cell phones – on the street – while driving – while eating.

Today’s Baltimore Sun in a front page article says young people from 8 to 18 years old – according to a study – spend on the average 7 ½ hours per day with electronic devices: TV - 4 hours 29 minutes; music and audio devices (iPods, etc.) - 2 hours and 31 minutes; computers -1 hour and 29 minutes, video games 1hour 13 minutes, etc. etc. etc. [Feb. 17, 2010]

The plus side could be parents had it easier during these locked in snow days. That’s young people, but what about all people?

Like food – electronic devices can be great – enjoyable – but like too much food – we can become fat and bloated with our intake.

I’m suggesting fasting – make fast exits from too much chat, chat, chat, games, games, games, computer, computer, computer, text, text, text, twitter, twitter, twitter, TV, TV, TV., E-mail, e-mail, e-mail.

Someone e-mailed me today saying she heard robins. Can spring be near? Do people with things in their ears hear the twitter of robins?

Lent is a good time to fast from too much – and reflect on our life.

The hope for Lent is that we do something to improve our lives as Christians and the lives of others during these 40 Days of Lent. Jesus went into the desert – alone – into the quiet – and heard God his Father as well as life’s big temptations – big time – and he came out of the desert after 40 days a changed and charged person.

The hope for Lent is that we do something to improve our world – our homes, our places of work – our places of recreation – our neighborhood – starting with ourselves.

One suggestion: Silence – a very difficult experience at times.

There is something in us that doesn’t like someone doing this to us: “Silence” [Finger of lip gesture] or the dreaded word, “Shush!” or the angry words, “Shut up!”

Lent is a good time to become silent, to shush, to shut up.

If you are here in Annapolis, drop into church or the Eucharistic Chapel when it’s quiet or if there is a church near where you work – drop in for some quiet time.

If you have a quiet place in your home – if you have a good place to hide – hide and pray. Do you have a man cave or a woman shrine?

You heard Jesus say in today’s gospel, “But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And the Father who sees in secret will repay you.”

Jesus was talking from experience. He often escaped to quiet places.

This Lent take long walks by yourself. This Lent enjoy quiet time.

Think about Pascal’s intriguing comment, “I have discovered that all human evil comes from this, our inability to sit still in a room.” Pensees [1670], # 139

Try leaving your cell phone and your worries in another room.

We are living in a world of increasing calls and interruptions.

CONCLUSION – THE RESULTS

The results of silence can be peace – insight – understanding.

The results of silence can be we’ll hear a lot more after silence.

The results can be we’ll discover an old a new novel – or a non-fiction book or the scriptures that has great insights for our spiritual life.

Enough. Silence. I better practice what I’m preaching.

REPENTENCE

February 17, 2010

Quote of the Day:

“Repentence is not self-regarding, but God-regarding. It is not self-loathing, but God-loving.”

Fulton J. Sheen [1885-1979], Peace of Soul, 1949

Picture is part of the background painting behind the main altar in the main chapel of Malvern Retreat House, Malvern, Pennsylvania. Picture includes St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. Maximillian Kolbe, Frederick Ozanam, St. Martin de Porres.

FREEDOM  OF  CHOICE

Quote of the Day:  February 16,  2010

“The last, if not the greatest, of the human freedoms: to choose their own attitude in any given circumstance.”

Bruno Bettelheim [1903-1990]

PROBLEM  SOLVING

Quote of the Day:  February 15, 2010

“Let’s swap problems since everyone knows how to solve other people’s problems.”


Anonymous

DO I HAVE A CHOICE?

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Do I Have A Choice?”

How many times in our lives have we asked that question?”

When was the first time in our life did we ask that question? Was it at the dinner table? Spinach? Broccoli? Do I have a choice?

Was it the first time we went to a restaurant and we were handed a menu?

Do I have a choice?

WAKE LAST NIGHT

I was at a wake on Friday evening and a couple came over to me with the question every priest is asked at weddings, wakes, airports, parish gatherings, before and after Mass: “Can I ask you a question?”

It never hit me till I began thinking about this sermon, “Do I have a choice?” Obviously, I better not say that.

The couple asked me, “We were having an argument – the other day – with Lent coming up – and Ash Wednesday coming up this coming Wednesday. If you give something up for Lent, is it the whole of Lent or can you have Sunday off?”

He said, “When we were kids, if we gave up cake for Lent, we could eat it on Sunday.”

She said, “When we were kids, if we gave up cake for Lent, it’s the whole of Lent – including Sundays.”

How’s that for a, “He said. She said.” argument.

I said, “It’s up to you? You have a choice.”

And I also think that’s where the thought for this homily came from.

TODAY’S READINGS

Today’s readings – especially the first reading, the Psalm, and the gospel – give us choices.

It’s up to you. You have a choice.

Today’s first reading and Psalm – give us a very clear life choice.

Jeremiah says, “Here’s your choice. Here’s the menu. You can either be a barren bush, a dry shrub, in the desert, that enjoys no change of season. It just stands there in a lava waste, a salt and empty earth. Or you can be a tree planted near water – that stretches out its roots to the stream. It doesn’t fear the heat – or drought. It stays green and bears fruit. Which do you want to be?

Do I have a choice?

Yes we do.

The Psalm for this Mass is Psalm 1. It’s the first hymn in Israel’s hymn book. It has almost the same image as Jeremiah gives us. The song writer starts with the positive first. “You can be a tree planted near running water – that gives fruit in due season and whose leaves never fade. Whatever this person does, he or she prospers. Or you can be empty or dead like chaff or leaves on the ground that blow this way or that way in the wind.”
The choice is always ours.

Am I alive or dead? Today’s second reading talks about resurrection from the dead. Paul is talking about end of life death. Christ talks about life here and hereafter – resurrection now and in eternity. The choice is ours.
Do I have a choice?

Yes we do.

HIGH SCHOOL RETREATS

I’ve done a lot of high school retreats in my life.

Unlike teachers in a high school, I don’t have to follow a syllabus. I have freedom of choices.

One of my favorite and enjoyable discoveries was Values Clarification Exercises. I’ve run into people who po poed them – as being part of Moral Relativism. I didn’t listen to those critics. I figured they never had to do high school retreats. If you have to come up three days of stuff, exercises, this and that, ways to keep kids busy, entertained, challenged, reflective on a retreat and if you’re trying to get into their faith stuff, you use the best stuff you can come up with. I also learned you had to protect the furniture of the retreat house – so keep them busy and avoid the boring.

So I loved to do the following. I would tell all the kids to stand up move to the center of the room. Then I would say, “You now have 3 choices. I’m going to say something like, “You’re home and you decide to go get some fast food, would you go to McDonald’s ] – and I would point to one end of the room] – or would you go to Burger King?” [And I would point to the other end of the room.] Then I would say, “And you have a third choice: to just stand there where you are standing – in the middle.”

Then I would begin with the ice breaker question. “If you were going out for some fast food, would you go to Taco Bell or Wendy’s?” And I would point to one end and say, “That’s the Taco Bell side.” And point to the other side of the room and say, “That’s the Wendy’s choice.” Then I would add, “If you don’t want to go to either, stand still in the middle.”

The first 3 choices were easy. Kids moved back and forth to the side of their choice – or stay in the middle – without looking at where friends were going. Amazing. As they got the gist of the game, I would say, “Take your time now. When you hear the choices, pause for a moment – then stand still or make your move.”

In fact, because kids moved too fast – sometimes it seemed without listening to the question – I would say, “I’m going to repeat the question a second time, every time from now on.”

“It’s Saturday. It’s summer. You can go to the beach or the Mall. Which would you choose? Beach down there. Mall over here.”

“Next question: looking at the Saturdays of this past summer, where were you more, beach? Or Mall?”

Then came the tougher questions: “If your best friend had horrible breath, would you tell them – or not tell them? All those who would tell go down there and all those who wouldn’t tell – go down there and those who are undecided or have another option stay in the middle.”

Then I would say, “Come back to the center. Next question. If you had bad breath, would you want a close friend to tell you that you have bad breath or would you want them to say nothing? Say something, go down there. Say nothing, go down there. Stand still if you have another option or you don’t want to make the choice.”

“Okay, your parents are fighting, fighting, fighting all the time. Would you want them to break up and you go with one of your parents? Or would you want them to stay together – even though life is miserable in the house – and in your family? If you want them to break up, go down there. If you want them to stay together, go over there.”

It was a great process. It allowed me to get into a variety of questions: family, sickness, relationships. It allowed me to get into the issue of cheating. It allowed me to get into alcohol and drug questions. It allowed me to get into going to church questions.

The tougher the questions, the more the hesitation, the more someone would peek to see where the crowd was going, the more the value of standing in the middle.

I remember once that 1 kid – went to the one side – and nobody else went to the one side he was on. When he realized he was all alone, his shoulders shrugged and dropped. Then I noticed he braced himself and stood tall – as if proud of his decision. A moment like that can make my day.

Then there was time for everyone to sit on the floor and talk about choices, reasons behind choices, as well as the myriad thoughts and feelings they had during the exercise.

Do I have a choice?

Yes I do.

TODAY’S GOSPEL

Today’s gospel from Luke has Jesus giving 4 beatitudes and then 4 woes.

Read them carefully. They are all either or’s. They are both ends of the spectrum – both sides of the room: rich-poor, hungry-satisfied, weeping-crying, being hated, denounced, excluded, insulted because one is following Christ vs. being spoken well because one is like a false prophet.

We have a choice to study, meditate, reflect, ask, about what Jesus meant by being poor, what our hungers are, what we cry about and what we laugh about, what following Jesus is all about.

Do I have a choice?

CONCLUSION

Ash Wednesday is almost upon us.

Do we have a choice to get Ashes?

Yes I do.

And if I want them I get up and go down the aisle and receive them.

Lent is almost upon us.

Do we have choices in Lent?

Of course.

Lent is a time to look at our life choices.

Am I just standing the middle?

Am I a dry thirsty shrub in the desert?

Or am I a living tree – planted near running waters – I come to church and my roots suck up the Living Water of God Sunday after Sunday?

I have choices. Read the menu. There are things you can do and there are things you can give up.

The choice is always ours. Amen.