THE POWER OF PARABLE,
THE POWER OF POETRY

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this Fourth Sunday in Lent is, “The Power of Parable, The Power of Poetry.”

In today’s gospel we have perhaps the best known story of all time: the story of the Prodigal Son.

Or should I say, perhaps, one of the best known stories of all times – because other stories could be in the contest: the story of the Good Samaritan – the story of the Tortoise and the Hare, the Story of Adam and Eve eating forbidden fruit, Cain Killing his Brother and saying, “Am I my brother’s Keeper?” What about the Wizard of Oz or Casablanca or Don Quixote?

Whatever. The parable of the Prodigal Son is up there.

PARABLES
And we all know the English word that comes from the second part of the word “parable”: “ball. Parable is from the Greek words “para” and “ballein”.

A parable is a story thrown to us. Catch the ball. Catch the story. Catch the illustration.

Jesus was a pro at this – so too Aesop – so too every other TV commercial.

Those of you who know Father Jack Harrison – know he loves to preach using stories, illustrations, anecdotes.


Catch the story. Catch the ball. Catch the message.

THE STORY OF THE PRODIGAL SON

I love the story of the Prodigal Son. Did you catch it this morning? Did Jesus catch you with it this morning?

In my 45 years as a priest I’ve heard at least 1,000 people say, “You know, I would love to read the Bible. Where should I start?”


And 250 times I’ve said, “Read The Letter of James. If you don’t get that, you’re not going to get the Bible.”

And 750 times I’ve said, “Read the 15th chapter of the Gospel of Luke. If you don’t get the 3 parables in the 15th Chapter of Luke, forget it. You’re not going to catch the Bible.

We were taught that Luke 15 contains the theology of grace in a nutshell – in 3 short stories, 3 short parables – much better than a whole book of theology on grace.

The first 2 stories – the parable of the last sheep and the story of the lost coin – has God going looking for us and then finding us. And the third story, that of the Prodigal Son has God waiting for us to return.

That’s the way grace works. Sometimes God works this way; sometimes God works that way.

Parents do the same thing. Sometimes you scream and try to reach out to your kids who are being stupid and sometimes you wait.

Husbands and wives do the same thing. What method works best when you’re lost or being stupid?

Today’s parable of the Prodigal Son has the Father waiting for his son to return.

It’s a powerful parable. Catch it if you can.

Sometimes we’re the father. Sometimes we’re the younger son and we really mess up our lives. Sometimes we’re the older brother and we’re furious when someone in the family is allowed back into the family and there are no repercussions but forgiveness and a banquet.

TITLE OF MY HOMILY

The title of my homily is, “The Power of Parable, The Power of Poetry.”

I’ve preached on the parable of the Prodigal Son many, many times.

I’ve heard some great sermons on the Parable of the Prodigal Son.

I’ve heard some great retellings of the Parable of the Prodigal Son. I cry every time I hear Philip Yancy’s retelling of the story. He makes it a girl in Traverse City, Michigan is very angry at her parents and their rules and regulations and runs away. She goes to Detroit and ends up in prostitution and utter poverty. When she hits bottom she calls up her parents and all she gets is an answering machine. She calls again and once again she gets an answering machine. This time she says I’m taking a bus back to Traverse City at such and such a time – and on the bus home she says to herself, “If nobody is there in the bus depot, that means they don’t want me back, so I’ll get back on the bus and head for Canada.”

She gets off the bus in Traverse City, Michigan very slowly. Very reluctantly she walks into the bus terminal. It’s filled with banners and balloons and her parents and 40 aunts and uncles, cousins and friends, tooting horns and screaming, “Welcome home.”

Welcome home. In his version there is no older brother who won’t forgive.

The power of parable.

THE POWER OF POETRY

I’m a poet and have written over 1000 poems – some published in three books – two of them published –now out of print. I’ve always hoped one or two poems would make it big. Besides homilies, I have put some of my poems on my blog, because I have read some very powerful poems by others. So I know that some poems grab people – so my hope is that a poem or two will grab someone back home to grace.

The other day while thinking about this parable of the Prodigal Son, I wrote a new prodigal son poem – so now I have 3 of them. One of them is published already. So I decided in this homily to test out three poems that I have written on the Prodigal Son. The first embraces the whole chapter of Luke 15 – and the other two – just the parable of the Prodigal Son. Here comes poetry.

COIN, SHEEP AND SON

Lost and found,
“Baa!” a whining sheep
caught in thick brambles,
a shiny coin
lost in a dark underneath,
underneath a carpenter’s table,
a pigsty scented son
in a far country,
all three waiting in
disconnection,
sheep and coin,
waiting and wondering,
a son hitting bottom,
caught in entanglements,
stuck in himself,
all alone in a dark mess,
a father back home waiting,
waiting, looking out each day
for his return, an older
brother who could care less,
the sheep, the coin, hoping to be found,
the younger son deciding to go home,
all three swept clean by grace,
all three embraced by kindness and love.

When found, celebrate.

THE LOST SON

Two brothers:
one stayed home,
so the other moved on.
But paths cross,
parents die,
and we all must meet each other
from time to time.

As the younger brother
was standing there
to the right of the casket,
his older brother
came in -- came in
and refused to shake hands
with either his hands
or his eyes.

Then the younger brother
turned to the casket,
turned to his dead father,
needing another embrace,
crying at the loss
of what might have been,
remembering the time
their father
tried to get them
to eat the fatted calf together.

PRODIGAL, OBVIOUSLY

Obviously I’m a disaster,
leaving home with big dreams,
never expecting my story
to end as this one ends: a nightmare.

Obviously, in the rush of youth,
I had to run – refusing to listen.
So here I am in this far country –
so all alone – so deep and dumb.

Obviously my money’s gone.
I stand here empty, banging
metal vending machines –
full but I’m empty.
Nothing gets you nothing.

I’ve hit hungry pig slop bottom.
Maybe I should head home.
Obviously my brother will
forgive me, but will my father?

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Painting on top: Prodigal Son by Rembrandt, c. 1669

Philip Yancy tells the Lovesick Father story in his book, What's so Amazing about Grace?, pages 49-51. The book is published by Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1997

Poem, The Lost Son, page 119 in Cries .... But Silent, Andrew Costello, Thomas More Press, 1981

OKAY, NOW I SEE

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for the Fourth Sunday of Lent, Year A, is, “Okay, Now I See.”

How many times in our lives have we said, “Okay, Now I See”?

“Okay, now I see what you’re getting at.”

“Okay, now I get it.”

“Okay, now I understand.”

“Okay, clear as a bell.”

THE THREE SCRUTINIES

As you know last Sunday, this Sunday, and next Sunday, those who are preparing for entrance into the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil, go through what is called “The Three Scrutinies.”

We’re getting closer and closer to Easter. They are getting closer and closer to a decisive moment in their life story.

Next Sunday is the Fifth Sunday of Lent; the Sunday after that is Palm Sunday; and then the Sunday after that is Easter Sunday.

Down through the centuries in our Church, the readings for these 3 Sundays in Lent – are the same every year for those preparing for Baptism and entrance into our Church at the Easter Vigil. All 3 readings for these 3 Sundays are from the Gospel of John – and they were called, “The Johannine Lent.”

For the rest of the church in years B and C – we have different readings. So I had a different sermon at the 9 o’clock Mass this morning – because we are in Year C.

For those who are here for these 3 Sundays when our R.C.I.A. candidates, we use the A Readings. At these 3 Sundays we are asked to look at 3 key characters in the gospel of John: The Samaritan Woman last week, The Blind Man this week, and Lazarus, the Dead Man, next week.

The 3 themes are Water last week, Light this week, and Life next week.

Last week our candidates scrutinized, examined, pondered Christ as Living Water. What am I thirsting for? What do I long for? What am I going to the well for? The Samaritan woman discovered down deep, she was thirsting for the Living Water – Christ – and only Christ can satisfy our deepest thirst.

This week they are to scrutinize, examine, ponder Christ as Light. We no longer have to walk in darkness. We can see the light. We no longer have to be blind. Christ can take away our blindness. Christ can help us see. Our candidates are seriously searching for deeper meaning in their lives – and they heard Christ say loudly and clearly in today’s gospel, “I am the light of the world.”

Next week they will scrutinize, examine, ponder Christ as Life – Risen Life – Resurrection – that even though like Lazarus we die, like Lazarus we can come back to life again because of Christ. Besides scrutinizing for the past year their deepest hungers and thirsts, besides scrutinizing their desire for light, answers, meaning, they are also facing the question of death, that this life has term limits – and Christ is the Resurrection and Life.

That third scrutiny is next week with the story of Lazarus – who died.

THIS SUNDAY’S R.C.I. A’s READINGS

Let me get back to this second week and its readings.

This Sunday’s special R.C.I.A’s. readings certainly have the theme of seeing in them.

The First Reading from the First Book of Samuel has the message, “Do not judge from appearances – because the Lord looks into the heart.”

The Lord says to Samuel, “Fill your horn with oil, and be on your way. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have chosen my king from among his sons.”

And as Samuel first sees Jesse’s 7 sons he says to himself, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is here before me.”

Surprise! He isn’t.

“Don’t judge by appearances.”

Then we hear the message: there are two ways of seeing – as we see and as God sees.

After seeing all 7 of Jesse’s sons and realizing the chosen one is not here, Samuel asks the question, “Are these all the sons you have?”

And Jesse says, “There is one more!”

Surprise.

“It’s the youngest. He’s not there. He’s out tending the sheep!”

And when David is brought to Samuel, he hears the Lord say, “There – anoint him, for this is the one!” Then Samuel, with the horn of oil in hand, anointed David in the presence of his brothers. Next comes one of the great lines of scripture, “from that day on, the spirit of the Lord rushed upon David.”

The Second Reading from Paul to the Ephesians has the seeing theme when it uses the image of light and darkness. Without light we cannot see. When we get up at night, don’t we turn on the light to see where we are going?

Paul says, “You were once in darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light, for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth.”

Then the closing words from today’s second reading – which some scholars think is a verse from an early baptismal hymn, “Awake O sleeper and arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”

And the gospel – the very long gospel from John about the Blind Man that we heard this morning has this theme of seeing big time.

It’s a long story and I hope you saw yourself as the Blind Man – that faith comes gradually. Faith takes time.

The blind man after he begins to see – is scrutinized over and over again by the Pharisees and he holds his own.

I hope you noticed that it’s in the second time he runs into Jesus that he is really scrutinized by Jesus. Jesus asks him, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answers, “Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” And Jesus says to him, “You have seen him, and the one who is speaking to you is he.” And the blind man who now sees says, “I do believe, Lord.” and he falls down and worships Jesus.

Then notice the Pharisees at the end – still don’t see – still don’t get it.

Also notice in these three gospels, there are a lot of questions – one of John’s favorite tricks or techniques. Questions and questioning are the tricks and techniques of scrutinies.

CONCLUSION
Hopefully, we get Christ.

Hopefully, we realize he's the shepherd out there who is waiting to be asked inside our lives.

Hopefully, we noticed Christ too is born in Bethlehem – he’s the last Son, anoint him, choose him.

Hopefully, we have moments in our lives when we see.

A man in our parish who is a convert to Catholicism told me his moment was at the Atlantic Ocean – at the water – when he saw that Christ was the fullness he was looking for - as wide and as deep as the ocean in front of him. I’m sure he could relate to the woman at the well in last Sunday’s gospel.

Others I’m sure can relate to today’s main character, the Blind Man, and say, “Now I see. Now I believe.”

And I know a man in our parish who came back to the faith after many, many years because he came to a funeral here at St. John Neumann and he realized that he was going to die – like the person in the casket. And like Lazarus, and he wanted to wake up after his death, knowing Christ before he died.

Our R.C.I. A. candidates are scrutinizing these 3 characters.

I love it that the word scrutiny comes from the Latin word for “trash”, “scruta”. They have sorted – sorted through their life – finding out what’s worth while and what is to be thrown away.

My closing prayer for our R.C.I.A. candidates is from today’s first reading. For those of you who will receive baptism this Easter vigil, for those of you who will be confirmed this Easter Vigil, when you are anointed with the sacred oil, like when David was anointed in today’s first reading, I pray that the Spirit of the Lord will rush upon you as well. Amen.

Painting on top: Jesus Heals the Blind Man, c. 1308-11 by Duccio di Buoninsegna 1255-1319, Siena

SEEING:  

WHAT ELSE

ARE WINDOWS FOR?

Quote of the Day:  March 14, 2010


"Thanks to the interstate highway system, it is now possible to travel across the country from coast to coast without seeing anything."


Charles Kuralt, On the Road, 1985

IT'S EASIER TO SAY,
"I UNDERSTAND!"
THAN TO UNDERSTAND.

Quote of the Day:  March 13, 2010

"If you are sure you understand everything that is going on, you are hopelessly confused."

Walter Mondale, 

Poughkeepsie Journal

March 26, 1978

TWO PERSONS WENT UP
TO THE TEMPLE TO PRAY

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 3rd Saturday in Lent is, "Two Persons Went Up To The Temple To Pray."

One of the main questions in parish surveys is: "Teach us how to pray better."

Well, today's readings, especially today's gospel is a great place to begin.

HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR

Can I laugh - especially at myself? That's a good place to begin.

In today's gospel Jesus shows us that he has a sense of humor. He shows us as we are. Hopefully, we can laugh at ourselves.

Hopefully we can see ourselves as both of these two characters in today’s gospel.

Today’s gospel is a mirror.

When we look in a mirror - do we ever laugh at ourselves?

Can we see ourselves in the mirror? Can we see ourselves in the story?

FIRST MAN: PHARISEE
First of all, I am the Pharisee in today's gospel.

The Pharisee sees everyone in the temple - and he wants everyone in the temple to see him.

The Pharisee in me spots those who come down the aisle every Mass after the first reading - and we make those inner comments about their motives. "For crying out loud, why don't they sit in the back if they're late and not have the whole church turn and follow them down the aisle with their eyes?"

But can we spot ourselves as we are? Do I come to pray for eyes to see me?

Do I come to pray filled with ego, filled with "I" -- “I” in capital letters?

Do I come to pray to God -- but “god” in small letters. Am I all me, me, me -- for others to see, see, see?

And when I finally see myself as I really am, then this man’s prayer becomes so powerful. I love the first part of the Pharisee's prayer, “Lord, thank God, I’m not like the rest of people.”

Thank God, because hopefully the rest of this world, is not like me.

So a first teaching on prayer is to read this gospel story and turn a bad prayer into an excellent prayer in the long run.

"Thank God the rest of people are not like me!"

SECOND GUY

When we see that, when we see ourselves as we are, then we can end up as the second person. We can end up praying his prayer, “Lord, be merciful to me a sinner.”

LAUGH
So this parable can help me to see ourselves and help us to laugh at ourselves. It can also help me to see ourselves and cry.

FIRST READING
The first reading asks that God come like the spring rains.

Pray for rain. Pray for the Reign of God to fall upon us.

Please God, at times in prayer we’ll have the experience of Teresa of Avila in prayer. Bernini’s sculpture of St. Teresa in Ecstasy in Rome is worth reflecting upon.

In deep prayer God will flow down on us like rain.

What a great image, God coming like a rain storm in spring.

What a great image.

Sometimes God comes like the dew on the morning grass, or the morning clouds, but dew soon disappears.

Teresa of Avila says ask for me. She asks for rain storms of Living Water.

Ask for the ocean!

Why not dream that when I pray I will get caught in a rain storm of God’s love and that I am soaked with God’s mercy and love?

When was the last time - when it was really raining - we walked outside and stood in the pouring rain and loved the feeling and the moment?

CONCLUSION

Today’s readings provide good stuff for prayer.

Today’s gospel gives us two persons and their prayers.

Both people give us two real prayers.

Let us pray. Let us pray these two prayers. Amen.

Amen. Come Lord Jesus.




Picture on top, the statue of St. Teresa of Avila [ 1515-1582], in Ectasy. If you get to Rome find St. John Lateran church and ask someone where Santa Maria della Vittoria is. Check out this famous work of art by Gian Lorenzo Bernini [1598-1680]. It's 11 feet and 6 inches high.

SERMONS: "TO SLEEP: 

PER CHANCE TO DREAM; 

AY, THERE'S THE RUB...."

Quote of the Day: March 12, 2010

"People don't come to church for preachments, of course, but to daydream about God."

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. [1922-2007], N.Y Times, April 30, 1980

IS THE FIRST MOMENT 

WE MEET GOD 

A LAUGHING SPREE?

Quote of the Day: March 11, 2010

"Thank God, I am still an atheist."

Luis Bunuel [1900-1983], Time, November 29, 1969 - He was born in Spain and died in Mexico. He was a moviemaker.