MERCY: A KEY
CHARACTERISTIC OF GOD

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Mercy: A Key Characteristic of God!”

We better have a grasp and a handle on this word and theme – "mercy" – because we use it so often at Mass and in religious thinking and talking.

“Mercy!”

In today’s gospel Jesus tells us to, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” [Luke 6:36]

The word in Luke in the primary Greek text is, “oiktirmos”.

When I saw the word “mercy” in our English text, I was expecting that the Greek word would be either “eleous” or “splanchnon”. Nope. It was “oiktirmos” – which can be translated into English by “compassion”, “pity”, “forgiving”, “having a feel for what others are going through”.

I checked out The New Revised Standard Version, The King James Bible, the Good News Bible, and a few other Bibles to see how they translate Luke 6:36. Some use “mercy”; others use “compassion”.

So in general, “mercy” or “compassion” gives us a sense of what Jesus was saying.

MERCY: A CHARACTERISTIC OR ATTRIBUTE OF GOD

Question: When it comes to understanding God, do we see God having “mercy” as a key characteristic?

We use this word “mercy” a lot – like in the Divine Mercy chaplet or in the early prayers at Mass, “Lord, have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy.” That is the English translation of the ancient prayer, “Kyrie eleison”. Notice the Greek word “eleous” in the word “eleison” – “eleos” the word I was expecting to find in the Greek text - which was translated "mercy".

Question: when we say that word “mercy” – when we pray that word “mercy”, do we really believe God has compassion and mercy?

As I listen to people carefully, I think at times they really don’t buy it. They worry about sins of their younger days. They think God is going to zap them when they die.

If there is one key characteristic, one description, that Jesus tells us is the Father, it’s that the Father is full of compassion, forgiveness, and mercy.

Now for those who don’t want to see God that way, they can find texts in both the New and Old Testaments that have God as an angry God.

Preachers and readers of the scriptures have their choice: God’s fist or God’s embracing arms.

Dilemma.

I’m saying here that I hear people struggle with this issue.

I’m saying here that Jesus saw people in his day having this very struggle about what God the Father is like.

START WITH SELF – AND MOVE TO GOD!

Next, if I hear what Jesus is trying to do in the gospels, it’s to get people to stop and go into themselves. Start with self.

I could be wrong that God is a loving Father. Maybe God is going to zap me for my life’s mistakes when I die. It seems that not everyone sees mercy as the key characteristic that describes God. However, I’ll take that - compared to there not being anything after we die.

That’s talking about God.

There is one person right here, right now, whom I can find out if mercy is one of the key characteristics that describes that person.

It’s me.

Right here, right now, I can take a good look at myself.

Is mercy a key characteristic that describes me?

As I was thinking about this theme and topic of mercy, I was wondering, if I don’t forgive others, if I don’t forgive myself, then maybe that’s the person who projects this non-mercy onto God.

Isn’t that remaking God in our own image and likeness?

Does it start with self? If I don’t really believe God forgives me my sins, then maybe that’s why I see God as one who doesn’t forgive or show mercy.

This is tricky stuff.

However, I think when I do that, when I think my image of God is the correct image of God, then that is utter self-centeredness. I also think it’s idolatry – making God in my image.

BUY MERCY

I choose to take Jesus at his word. He tells us that God is a very forgiving Father – a very merciful Father . We find this especially in Luke - the gospel writer we're focusing on this year.

I choose texts that support my hope that God is a merciful God – and I know as priest I’m not going to convince those who can’t accept forgiveness – who can't accept mercy.

In today’s gospel, Luke uses the image of the marketplace where are merchants selling grain. They pour the measure of grain you ask for into your cloak. Then they shake it. Then they add some more. Then they shake your garment even more. It spills over. Now that’s the kind of mercy and forgiveness I want God to pour into my heart and mind. And then I want God to even add some more. Like someone putting gravy on our mashed potatoes or parmesan cheese on our spaghetti, I want more, God, more.

Now that’s God. That’s the Good News.

CONCLUSION

In today’s gospel Jesus says, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

It’s the psalm refrain for today: “Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins.”

Who wants to go through life shamefaced – a word that we heard Marcy read in today’s first reading from Daniel 9: 4b-10. Who wants to spend our while life feeling guilty and stupid about mistakes we made 40 years ago or 4 weeks ago?

Today’s let’s try to treat each other with mercy – in church – in the parking lot – on the road – at work – in the stores – in our homes – in our hearts and minds and soul.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

A couple of people asked that I put this homily - for the 2 Monday in Lent - on my blog. It was a first draft homily - for a Monday morning. I tweaked it a bit just now - so I hope I didn't ruin whatever it was that hit a few folks the "right" way.

MARCH  SPRING 

Quote of the Day:  March 1,  2010

”With rushing winds and gloomy skies,

The dark and stubborn Winter dies:
Far off, unseen, Spring faintly cries,

Bidding her earliest child arise: March!”

Bayard Taylor [1825-1878], March

STOPPING TO SEE
THE STARS

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Stopping To See The Stars.”

It sounds like a phrase from Wheel of Fortune: “Stopping To See the Stars”. If you picked an “s”, there are 4 “s’s”. If you picked a “t” there are 4 “t’s”. If you’re good at Wheel of Fortune or word puzzles, you might have gotten that in two spins – even without buying a vowel.

“Stopping To See The Stars”.

When was the last time you stopped to see the stars?

Do people rush into the house at night – without stopping to see the stars so they can see, “Wheel of Fortune” or “Dancing with the Stars.”

To see or not to see? TV or not TV?

Does a star filled night still grab you?

SUMMER NIGHT

One of life’s great memories was sitting on a porch one summer night and my niece Patty’s husband George took his son Patrick out on the porch and was showing him the night sky. Patrick is already finished college – but at the time he was a little guy in his father’s arms.

I sat there enjoying one of life’s great scenes – a father showing his child – the beauty of a night sky – and a kid going, “Oooh wow!” as his dad pointed out planets and stars.

Whenever I walk by Alex Haley’s sit down statue in Ego Alley – down town at the Annapolis Harbor – I recall the scene in the movie “Roots” based on the book by Alex Haley – when the father of Kunta Kinte takes his new born son – in his arms – outside into a dark night – a night filled with stars – and he holds his son up – in prayer, in thanksgiving – to God.

How many parents have done that down through the centuries?This is my body. This is my blood. I’m giving my life to you.

I think of this at baptisms of babies as well.

I have two baptisms this afternoon – here at St. Mary’s – and for the past few years I ask the parents – after the baptism – to go around to the front of the altar – where the priest stands at mass – and I ask the parents to put the baby on the altar – holding onto him or her carefully – right where the bread and wine sit – and I ask parents to repeat after me, “This is my body. This is my blood. We’re giving our life for you.”

I always preface this moment with the words, “I’m trying to come up with ways of connecting Baptism with the Mass.” And I point out that at baptism we’re all anointed to become prophets, priests and kings. I also remember those babies that have sat on this altar when I celebrate Mass here at St. Mary’s.

TODAY’S FIRST READING

The title of my homily is, “Stopping to See the Stars.” I got that thought when I read the opening words in today’s first reading from the Book of Genesis, “The Lord God took Abram outside and said, ‘Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can….”

I came into church last night when it was empty and I tried to count the number of stars on our ceiling here. My first guesstimate is, 10,600 – with one moon up there above the choir loft and one special star up front above the sanctuary. I’m figuring that’s the Star of Bethlehem.

Maybe we should have a contest. Does the company who painted this church ceiling know how many stars were painted up there?

Does this church ceiling trigger the thought: maybe I should take the time from time to time – to look at night skies – and count the stars?

I was wondering: did slaves coming to America like Kunta Kinte have a night sky view on their horrible trip from Africa? At what time of the day or the night did Kunta Kinte get off the boat in the Annapolis Harbor?

TODAY’S GOSPEL – THE STORY OF THE TRANSFIGURATION

Today’s gospel tells the story of the Transfiguration – when Jesus went up the mountain and was transfigured before his 3 key disciples: Peter, John and James.

They had a mountain moment. They had a life memory moment.

They heard a voice – a Father saying, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.”

If you ever get to Israel on a tour of the Christian sites, everyone goes to the Mount of the Transfiguration.

It’s a moment. I did it in the year 2000 with 22 priests. We drove to a spot a quarter of the way up the mountain in our tour bus – then we had to get into white Mercedes cars – and they drove us up to the top - fast. We had Mass in the big church up there. The gospel chosen – obviously – was today’s gospel. I remember the half circle ceiling above the altar – and our voices echoed beautifully up and out through the church. After Mass we went outside and we had an hour of silence. It was a retreat more than a tour. I went up on a roof of a building there and I could see for miles and miles – as far as the Golan Heights to the East.

I wondered what it would be like at night. Would the stars be brighter up here? I have fond memories of two backpacking vacations in the Rockies – and at night the stars were magnificent – as we camped out each time for 10 days – above 9,000 feet. Neat.

It was daylight on the Mount of Transfiguration when we were there and it sounds like in today’s gospel that it was day time when Jesus was there with his disciples, but we don’t know that for sure.

It sounds like they remembered this moment for the rest of their lives. I know I still remember that moment as if it were yesterday.

Then after the hour of prayer, we walked to a Franciscan monastery up there on the mountain and had a great spaghetti dinner.

Then we went down to our buses – once more in dusty white Mercedes cars.

LIFE – CLOUDS AND STARS
Life.

Sometimes the night is bright and filled with stars.

Sometimes the night is cloudy and no stars can be seen.

Sometimes we’re in a place where we wish it could be like this forever.

Sometimes we’re in a place where we want to escape – and run – and get away from forever.

Life.

In Luke’s gospel, there are two mountains.

Today’s mountain – the Mountain of the Transfiguration – where his key disciples experience Jesus in Glory – and they love it.

Near the end of the Gospel of Luke there is Mount Calvary – where Jesus is crucified. It’s dark for three hours. The sun eclipses. The veil in the temple is ripped right down the middle. The disciples have disappeared, except for a few women.

It’s a very different scene from the first mountain.

CONCLUSION
Hopefully we have Transfiguration Moments: a moment at night looking up at the stars – a quiet early morning moment at the beach – or time on a boat on the Bay – many moments of holding and rocking a baby – a hike up a mountain – stopping to see a great vista and view while driving – because we saw a sign, “Scenic Overview” – coming to Sunday Mass in a beautiful church – time in adoration – visiting the sick or someone in a nursing home – a powerful funeral –– marriage – family moments – a 50th anniversary – a 50th birthday – all kinds of moments when we reconfigure our lives. Life has many transfiguration moments.

Life also has disfiguration Moments – cross moments – tough moments – cancer or a heart attack – divorces and family disasters - Calvary moments.

Lent hopefully puts us in touch with both – because both kinds of moments can be life changing moments. Amen.

ANOTHER SECRET:

INCREASE THE COMPLIMENTS

CUT DOWN ON THE CRITICISMS

Quote of the Day, February 28,  2010

"I prefer a compliment, insincere or not, to sincere criticism.”

Plautus [c. 254 – 184 B.C.]

HOW  TO  WRITE 

Quote of the Day:  February  27,  2010

“The sun was like a huge 50-cent piece that someone had poured kerosene on and then had lit a match, and said, ‘Here, hold this while I go get a newspaper,’ and put the coin in my hand, but never came back.”

Richard Brautigan [1935-1984], in his novel, Trout Fishing in America, 1967.

TEN DAY DANUBE RIVER CRUISE

Some people asked about the Danube River Cruise - that a group of us are going on - this August 4 till August 13, 2010.

Maureen Eschbacher - of Galavanter's Travel Company - told me there are a few cabins still available - so if interested or you want further information - please call her at 410-224-3108.

We'll start in Vienna, and then cruise to Melk, to Bratislava in Slovakia, and then end up in Budapest in Hungary.

Vienna is the place where the Redemptorists in the U.S. started from. I went there in 1984 and hope to visit the grave of Saint Clement Hofbauer once more at our church of Maria-am-Gestade - as well as St. Stephen's Cathedral - both in the center of the city - where his funeral Mass was said. St. Clement - pictured above - is the patron saint of Vienna.

More information to follow.

INTEGRITY

Quote of the Day: February 26,  2010

"I would rather be the man who bought the Brooklyn Bridge than the man who sold it."

Will Rogers [1879-1935]