OUTSIDE – INSIDE

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 21 Wednesday in Ordinary Time is, “Outside-Inside”. “Extos” and “entos” in Greek – as found in today’s gospel. (1)
Somewhere along the line Jesus began reflecting upon the reality of outside-inside.

Outside is what you see; inside is what is hidden.

We go by the outside of a hundred homes each day. We know what’s inside our front door. There’s a message there for those who reflect upon that reality in their inner room.

Outside-inside – as basic as up and down, east and west, north and south, surface and underneath, on the table and under the table.

WHAT TRIGGERED THE THOUGHT FOR JESUS?

What triggered Jesus’ reflections on this theme?

Was it his work as a carpenter – that a house from the outside could look firm – has a good foundation – has strong beams – but once you check it out – get into its inners – one could find out whether it was built on rock or sand – and whether the beams were still solid – or had rotted because of termites or what have you. (2)

Or was it simply a chair that looked strong till Jesus sat on it?

Or was it people – the best dressed person – or the person with the big house or chariot – who was a mess as a person – once you got to know that person – and the poorest person – a widow with two coins – in the temple who might be the most beautiful person in the temple? (3)
Was it the person who practiced or the person who preached?

If I had to guess where Jesus learned this, I would think it was eyes. Jesus somewhere along the line discovered human eyes – the window to a person’s soul – one’s inner room – one’s reality. I think Jesus looked into a lot of people’s eyes. (4)

Did Jesus as a teenager – or young adult see the Pharisees and the Scribes and catch one of them eye to eye? Did some Pharisee or Scribe come into Joseph’s carpenter shop and Jesus looked at their stiff posture or nose in the air – or credentials on their sleeves? Did the scribe or the Pharisee then look down because somehow they knew this kid could see right through them? (5)

HOW ABOUT US?

When did we learn about outside-inside?

Was it a marriage that fell apart? Was it someone at work who we thought the world of – and surprise – they did something that crushed them – their family – as well as us? Was it a priest – who was all show – but we didn’t know it till he blew it – and looking back we say, “Oh my God, I caught glimpses of that!”

It looked like heaven – but hell burned below.

INSIDE

We come to Mass – to come inside not only ourselves – but also our God – and we do this together.

We come to Mass – to invite Jesus into our inner room – where dirty socks are tossed in the corner – and they are musty and messy. (6)

Ooops – Jesus image is much more pungent – and stinky.

Instead of dirty socks, Jesus says the Pharisees are like a cemetery – nice on the outside as we drive by the graves – green cut grass – some flowers – nice clean stone. But underneath – there is death, decay and dead person’s bones.

He must have seen people as walking cemeteries. Nice outside – but dead and stink within.

WRAPPING UP – YOU GOT TO GET TO WORK

And Jesus left the carpenter shop to walk into people’s lives – and began yelling out what he yelled out at Lazarus’ grave: “Lazarus come back to life!” (7)

Last night on ABC evening news the closing piece was on a question asked in the Miss Universe Contest. A contestant was asked, “Do you have any regrets?” Or, “What was the biggest mistake of your life?” And Miss Philippines said she had no big mistakes to report – and might have moved from 1st place to 5th place by admitting nothing.

Everyone has stuff only they know about. Everyone has secrets and sins – as well as good stuff – that only they know about.

Remember the only line from the Shadow radio program: “Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows."

Who knows what good flourishes in the hearts of people: God knows.

Sure – behind closed doors – in our bottom drawer – in our attic or basement – in our inside – there are mistakes. That’s the stuff we don’t want others to know. That’s normal. We have a right to privacy – but we need to know ourselves. We need to know our inside stories.

So here we are in the presence of God and each other – and we invite Jesus inside to be in communion with us again this morning. Amen.



(1) Matthew 23:27-32


(2) Matthew 7: 24-27; Ezekiel 13: 11-16


(3) Mark 12:42-43; Luke 21:2-3


(4) Matthew 6:22-23; Mark 8: 15-24; John 9


(5) Matthew 23; Luke 2: 41-50


(6) Matthew 6: 5-6


(7) John 11: 1-44

YAK, YAK, YAK, 
ABOUT  RELIGION

Quote for the Day - August 25, 2010


"The person who argues most about religion usually has the least of it."



Anononymous


Try that one on for size.

HOW YOU PICTURE GOD
IS HOW YOU PICTURE YOURSELF

Quote for the Day - August 24, 2010

"Belief in a cruel God makes a cruel man."

Thomas Paine [1737-1809]

GRACE AND PEACE

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 21st Monday in Ordinary Time is, “Grace and Peace.”

Today’s first reading from 2nd Thessalonians begins with Paul, Silvanus and Timothy wishing the people in the Church of Thessalonica grace and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

A thought for us for today: to wish everyone “grace and peace”.

When you are driving or walking or looking around – look at people and wish them inwardly, “Grace and Peace.”

Wish them grace and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

MEANING OF THE WORDS
Grace means a lot of things. It’s very wide ranging. It basically means gift or gifted. When we say someone is graceful, we picture them as smooth, talented, gifted, doing things with ease – without effort – like an ice skater gliding across the ice – like a baseball center fielder running and catching the ball – with ease – a piece of cake – knowing we’d trip and fall and never get to the ball.

We picture Mary as “full of grace” – pregnant with God – filled with such a wonderful personality - that God chose her to be the Mother of his Son, Jesus.

Grace – “charis” in Greek – from which we have the words “charism” or “charisma”.

In theology and spirituality – it means that a person is free – free from the stress of sin and the law. [Cf. Romans chapters 5 to 7.]

Paul who was a Pharisee was graced by God – to be knocked to the ground – hit bottom – be blinded – be in the dark – till God opened his eyes to what true life, true religion, true love is.

In today’s gospel we have a portrait of the scribes and Pharisees – practicing a religion of stress, law, picky, picky, iddy, biddy, obligation, obligation.

Did Jesus say what he said in today’s gospel with a sneer or a smile? I don’t know. I would hope it was with a smile and laughter – in hopes his listeners would laugh at themselves.

Listen again to what he said to us today,

Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples:

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,
you hypocrites.
You lock the Kingdom of heaven before men.
You do not enter yourselves,
nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,
you hypocrites.
You traverse sea and land
to make one convert,
and when that happens
you make him a child of Gehennatwice as much as yourselves.
“Woe to you, blind guides, who say,‘
If one swears by the temple,
it means nothing,
but if one swears by the gold of the temple,
one is obligated.’

Blind fools, which is greater, the gold,
or the temple that made the gold sacred?
And you say, ‘If one swears by the altar,
it means nothing,
but if one swears by the gift on the altar,
one is obligated.’

You blind ones, which is greater,
the gift, or the altar
that makes the gift sacred?
One who swears by the altar
swears by it and all that is upon it;
one who swears by the temple
swears by it and by him
who dwells in it;
one who swears by heaven
swears by the throne of Godand by him who is seated on it.”
Once more I ask, “Did Jesus say that with a sneer or a smile, caustically or gracefully.

The second word is peace.

The Greek word is “eirene”.

The English word “irenic” – means, conducive to or operating toward peace and conciliation. We don’t use that word. We use the word, “Peace”.

I did notice that the name, "Irene" – means – peaceful – that Irena was the goddess of peace in Greek mythology.

CONCLUSION

So a prayer for each day – and a wish for all people: grace and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

STUPID STUBBORNNESS
- STUCK IN THE MIND 

Quote for the Day - August 23,  2010


"The greatest danger against
which most men have warned us
is that which comes from communicating
intellectual secrets to minds
become subservient to the authority
of an inveterate habit,
for such is the power
of a long-lasting observance,
that most men prefer death
to giving up their way of life."


Nicholas of Cusa [1401-1464], De Docta Ignorantia (Learned Ignorance)

SOMETIMES, IT DOESN’T
MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE
WHAT I THINK!

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Sometimes, It Doesn’t Make Any Difference What I Think!”

That’s the thought that hit me as I read today’s readings – and then came a secondary thought: it’s rather pessimistic to say that. Sorry.

TODAY’S READINGS

Today’s readings are scary readings. At least – as I read them – I felt a scare in them. Would my scary feelings make a difference to anyone else? What was your take – when you heard them – or are you somewhere else on a hot and humid Sunday moving towards the end of August – back to school – end of vacations – etc.? Did the question of End of the World – or End Times hit you as you heard these readings for today?

The first reading from Isaiah 66 – has a vision we often hear about in the scriptures. It’s the vision of End Times: what it’s going to be like when it’s all over – and God comes to Jerusalem – to his holy mountain – to gather with all his people from all times.

The question that hit me is from the old spiritual hymn, “When the saints come marching in … will I be in their number?”

Isaiah pictures the locals there – as well as people coming in carts and chariots, on horses and mules and camels – from all over the known world at the time. Some commentators conject that Tarshish might be in Spain – because they think the word has to do with mining – and there is some archeological evidence of that name with mining in Spain from that time. How about the names of these other places in today’s first reading? Imagine saying when asked, “Where are you from?”, “I’m from Put, Lud, Mosoch, Tubal or Javan?” How about the comment that people will be invited to God’s holy mountain – even though they never heard of God’s fame – or seen his glory? What are God’s criteria for making it? Or are there criteria for being saved?

Question: will I be in their number? Will I make it?

Other texts have other visions of other places for End Times – but most visions have a gathering – in some place.

Question: will I be in their number?

That’s scary.

And what hits me is this: it’s not my decision. It’s God’s decision.

The title of my homily is, “Sometimes It Doesn’t Make Any Difference What I Think!”

The second reading from Hebrews says that God disciplines us – as a parent disciplines a child.

Sometimes I wonder if God does that – or does life do that to us? We age. We droop and get weak knees as the writer of Hebrews puts it.

That theme of God being active in what happens in our life is certainly in scriptures – because people certainly picture God helping some people more than he seems to help other people – and that God seems to send more suffering to some people than he does to others. I have trouble with that way of thinking. I’m off on fairness.

However, “Sometimes, It Doesn’t Make Any Difference What I Think!”

And other people say, “Who said life is fair?”

How does God think? How does God work? How does God do? What is God like?

The title of my homily is, “Sometimes, It Doesn’t Make Any Difference What I Think.”

But it’s today’s gospel that really scares me.

After I die, I don’t want to hear the words Jesus uses in today’s gospel, “I do not know where you are from.”

And hearing that we might say what those in today's gospel say, “We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.”

And the Lord will say to us, “I do not know where you are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers!”

I hope I won’t hear that.

I do good stuff – and I do evil stuff. I help and I hurt. I compliment others and I gossip about others. What about all I don’t do – my sins of omission. Uh oh!

The title of my homily is, “Sometimes, It Doesn’t Make Any Difference What I Think.”

LIFE EXPERIENCES

How does life work?

Not everyone makes the team – or gets a part in the play.

Not everyone gets into the college of their choice.

Not everyone gets the job – and some people lose their job.

Not everyone gets their electricity back after a storm as fast as we do here on Duke of Gloucester Street compared to other areas of the county.

Not everyone has the math gene – or the drawing gene – or the ability to sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" – or the ability to play the piano or a guitar.

Not everyone makes the threescore number of years of life – and ten more if we’re lucky – that’s 70 – as Psalm 90:10 puts it.

Sometimes it rains on our parade or our picnic or our wedding day.

Sometimes it doesn’t make any difference what I think – or what I say – or what my opinion is.

Sometimes life’s a bummer. Sometimes it’s a blast.

Sometimes our kids mess up – their marriages go sour – or they drink away their lives.

And sometimes everything is wonderful – life is a bowl of delicious grapes and there are no pits.

WHO WILL BE SAVED?

Today’s gospel has the very scary dialogue. “Jesus passed through towns and villages, teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him, ‘Lord, will only a few people be saved?’”

I don’t know your take on that – but that’s also a scary question.

Here in Luke we hear Jesus say, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate!”

Then he talks about locked doors – and people knocking on the door yelling, “Lord, open the door for us.”

And the Lord replies, “I don’t know where you are from.”

Then Luke – who is off on forgiveness and mercy – and kindness – has Jesus saying, “Depart from me, all you evildoers!”

Then comes the wailing and grinding of teeth message – a message that I never liked.

“Sometimes, It Doesn’t Make Any Difference What I Think!”

And Luke ends today’s gospel text saying that the evildoers will see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God – along with people from the east and the west, the north and the south – and they are all at this big banquet – this big table in the kingdom of God.

I want to be in their number!

I want to be seated at that table.

I want to make it.

IS THERE A KEY?

So I guess a key question is: Is there a key?

Banging on the door might not work – but Jesus says to do that in another gospel text. [Cf. Luke 11:5-11; Matthew 7:7]
But is there a key to that door – God’s door?

Going through today’s readings there are two keys: don’t be an evil doer and enter by the narrow gate.

Going through other scripture readings we have the great text in Matthew – do good to everyone. Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick and the imprisoned, etc. etc. etc. and if we do that we’ll hear Jesus say, “Welcome to the banquet!” [Cf. Matthew 25: 31-46] We have all the great texts that tell us to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves. [Cf. Luke 10: 25-37; Matthew 22:34-40]

St. Alphonsus, who founded our order, the Redemptorists, had periods in his life of big time scrupulosity and worry, said the key is prayer.

He said, “Pray and you’ll be saved; don’t pray and you’ll be lost.”

The more I have thought about that basic message the more it makes sense to me.

It leaves everything up to God – but it also gives me something to do along with loving God and neighbor. I can pray. I can tell God, I can yell to God, “Help!”

We can also try to sneak in the backdoor – with some help from Mary – Our Mother of Perpetual Help. Isn’t that why so many churches are named after Mary, the Mother of Jesus. We all want every advantage we can get.

CONCLUSION: MONKEY IN THE WELL

I don’t know how to end this – because we’re dealing here with heavy duty stuff. I’m also not sure if you wanted to put any of this on your plate this morning to chew upon and digest – and some of this stuff has more gristle in it than easy to chew meat.

So let me close with the story of the monkey in the well – a story that has always helped me on this question of salvation.

A tiny monkey fell down a dry well and started screaming for his or her mother. The mother hears the screaming and comes to the edge of the well and looks down and sees her kid.

She reaches down and can’t reach her kid – so she starts grunting – with signals for the little one to reach up and grab her arm.

The little one does and is saved.

So we need God to save us – but we have to do our part. We have to reach up our tiny hand and grasp the powerful hands of Our God.

It’s like the saying, “Pray for potatoes – but pick up a shovel.”

Do something!

So it does make a difference – however big, however small, on how I think and especially how I act with all this. Amen.

EVER HAVE A DOUBT?

Quote of the Day - August 22, 2010


"Materialists and madmen never have doubts."


Gilbert K. Chesterton [1874-1936], Orthodoxy