“FOR GOD ALONE"

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 22nd Tuesday in Ordinary Time is, “For God Alone.”

In today’s first reading from Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, we have evidence of a problem that shows up regularly in religious communities and organizations. It’s the problem of rivalry! Jealousy! Factions! Divisions!

Luckily at St. Mary’s you get a variety of priests. It’s my take that people come to Church for Christ – to enter into the Trinity – to enter into the mystery of Christ – to be in communion with Christ and his body – and his body has all kinds of characters (1) – and then to go forth from here – to make this a better world – not coming here for specific priests – but coming here, “For God Alone.”

Of course hospitality, good liturgy, good service, lots of love, all help.

Many parishes are one priest parishes. If the guy is great, if the guy is a servant, wonderful. It the guy is a lemon, people can be stuck for years – unless they make lemonade and come there for God alone.

So as we heard in today’s first reading, in the Corinthian community, there was bickering and bragging. Some said that they follow Apollos and not Paul; others said they follow Paul and not Apollos. We get glimpses of rivalry – factions – and frictions as we read the New Testament – not just in the letters and the Acts of the Apostles, but also in the gospels. (2)

Paul gives the classic comeback to the question of rivalry. I planted. Apollos watered. God gives the growth. (3)

WHAT IF?

If people come to church for the priest, what happens when the priest gets transferred? Or what happens if the priest is discovered to be an abuser or what have you. Uh oh!

I’ve listened to people who went through all this. I’ve heard people talk about the priest who married them – who later left and got married himself or what have you. What if the priest has problems?

SACRAMENTS AND THEIR VALIDITY – BASED ON THE PRIEST

One of the problems that came up several times in the early church was that some held that the validity of baptism depended on the inner life of the priest. (4)

The church in time said, “Nope!”

Imagine the chaos if a community didn’t know the mind set or spirituality of a priest? Am I baptized or not? Are my sins forgiven or not? Is the Mass valid or not?

Of course things go better with better priests – hopefully.

In that comment, I was wondering if I should use the word “holy” instead of “better” as in “better priests” or “holy priests”.

I think “better’ is the better word – because the word “holy” can mean a lot of things and there have been situations where people experienced “holy” priests – where division and stress erupted

Not everyone is everyone’s cup of tea. Yet we come here for God.

I love the story where the old lady in Jersey City, N.J. said, “The five marks of the Church are: it is one, holy, Catholic, apostolic and survives its clergy.”

I’m sure you’ve heard the old story about Cardinal Ercole Consalvi – and what he said to Napoleon Bonaparte when Napoleon threatened to destroy the church. Consalvi said, “If in 1,800 years we clergy have failed to destroy the Church, do you really think that you'll be able to do it?” (5)

If you read the lives of the popes, fortunately or unfortunately, you’ll come away either stronger or weaker in your faith. Please God, stronger. Please God you come to church and you remain in the church because of Christ who is with us all days even to the end of the world.

CONCLUSION
I love these early texts in the gospels – like yesterday and today’s gospels – where demons know who Jesus is – the holy one of God and the people Jesus is reaching out for, don’t really know who he is – including his disciples and apostles.

And Simon Peter whose mother-in-law Jesus heals in today’s gospel, Peter who discovered and once blurted out who Jesus is – and gets praised by Jesus for saying so, ends up saving his own skin by denying Jesus three times. (6)
The theme for religious education in our school and religious education this year is, “For God alone! Soli Deo”. It was one of St. John Neumann favorite short sayings and prayers – St. John Neumann whose anniversaries we celebrate this year. (7)
My message this morning is to avoid rivalry in church life – liberals vs. conservatives, this pope vs. that pope, young vs. old, those who dress up for church vs. those who don’t, this priest vs. that priest – but to be here, “For God alone.” And then for all of us to try not to be a pain you know where.

Statue in picture on top: St. John Neumann, CSSR, in the outside gathering space of St. John Neumann Church - Annapolis, Mary - other church building for St. Mary's Parish.



(1) Cf. St. Paul’s 1st Letter to the Corinthians 12: 4-31


(2) Acts 15:1-12; Acts 15: 36-40; Luke 12: 51-53; Mark 10: 35-45; Matthew 20: 20-28


(3) 1 Corinthians 3: 6


(4) For example, there was the question in the early Church whether baptisms in the heretical churches were valid. Here is a quote from Berthold Altaner’s book, Patrology, Herder and Herder, 1960, pp. 194-195 on Cyprian, “”Like Tertullian before him and like the bishops of Asia Minor, Cyprian thought heretical baptism invalid. Three synods at Carthage over which he presided in 255 and 256 declared themselves in favour of the invalidity of heretical baptism. Though Pope Stephen rejected the opinion of the African Church, Cyprian persisted in his view (EH 257/307). This did not later prevent St. Augustine from emphatically defending and excusing him as a catholicus episcopus and catholicus martyr when the Donatists appealed to his authority.”


(5) Hilaire Belloc [1870-1953] is reported to have said that the Catholic Church is “an institute run with such knavish imbecility that if it were not the work of God it would not last a fortnight.” Source of quote – couldn’t find?


(6) Cf. Luke 9:18-21; Matthew 16: 13-20; Mark 8: 27-30; and then the denial of Christ Luke 22: 54-62; Matthew 26: 69-75; Mark 14: 66-72; John 18: 15-18; John 21: 15-19


(7) “For God alone – Soli Deo” …. Cf. Michael J. Curley, Venerable John Neumann, CSSR: Fourth Bishop of Philadelphia, Washington, Catholic University of America Press, 1952, p. 374

SEEING  THE  SKY 

THROUGH  THE  

NEEDLE'S EYE 

Quote for the Day - September 1,  2010


"For rich people, the sky is just an extra, a gift of nature. The poor, on the other hand, can see it as a gift of infinite grace."


Albert Camus [1913-1960], Notebooks 1935-1942

RELIGION

Quote of the Day - August 31, 2010


"Religion is not an opiate, for religion does not help people to forget, but to remember. It does not dull people. It does not say, Take, but Give."


Bede Jarrett, O.P., [1881-1934], The Catholic Mother, 1956


Perhaps written to respond to Karl Marx [1818-1883] who wrote, "Religion ... is the opium of the people." in Critique of the Hegelian Philosophy of the Right [1844], introduction.


Miguel de Unamuno [1864-1936] wrote, "One of those leaders of what they call the social revolution has said that religion is the opiate of the people. Opium ... opium ... opium, yes. Let us give them opium so that they can sleep and dream." San Manuel Bueno, prologue.

THE CROSS
IS VERY SIMPLE

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 22 Monday in Ordinary Time is, “The Cross is Very Simple.”

We get it. We get the cross. It’s life.

And the cross cuts across our life every day.

That’s one reason why we have a cross in every church – in this church – big time big.

TODAY’S READINGS

In today’s first reading from First Corinthians 2: 1-5, we have one of Paul’s recurring themes and most basic messages: “For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.”

We’re told to dress for success. We’re told to stress our strengths in our resumes. Paul talks about his negatives: his weaknesses and his trembling – as well as Jesus’ weaknesses.

Paradoxically, weakness is the power of God.

God is totally weak in the face of free will. Lucifer walked out. Adam and Eve chose the forbidden fruit – and lost the idyllic life of the garden. Cain killed Abel. And the story repeats itself.

Yet if we freely choose God – then life has its greatest meaning and it’s greatest love – and as we walk down its roads, there stand the crosses.

Love isn’t love if the other isn’t free. That’s what makes it so wonderful as well as so painful. The other can say “no” with words or body language by heading for the door or looking at his or her watch and saying, “I gotta go” – or break our heart.

In today’s gospel from Luke 4: 16-30 all is fine. Jesus gives his inaugural address and in the next 3 minutes they want to kill him – by hurling him off the top of a hill.

THE CROSS

We’ve all experienced the cross.

It’s not a cross word puzzle. We get it.

I choose to do this – to go this way – and the other chooses to go that way. We find ourselves at cross purposes.

It’s as simple as that.

We are in Giant’s or Graul’s supermarket and someone cuts right in front of us to get ahead of us on the line and we groan inwardly. And then the person has 3 items that need to be price checked – and then they have problems with their check – and we let out in inward Giant Growl.

It happens in traffic, in church – someone is in our bench – or in our families.

It’s my way or the highway. It’s your way and I think it’s the wrong way.

It happens in every home – in every church – in every organization. It’s always something. It’s the cross.

CONCLUSION

It kills us every time – but every time that we get it – we have an opportunity to grow.

How many people have learned the great prayers of Jesus on the cross: “Why God why?” and then “Father forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing.” and then, “Into your hands I hand over my spirit.”

MORTON'S  LAW

Quote for the Day - August 30,  2010


"You heard of Murphy's Law. I follow Morton's Law - taking everything with a grain of salt."


Someone. Good advice, because as Morton's advertising slogan puts it: "When it rains, it pours."

SOMETIMES YOU NEVER KNOW
WHOM YOU’RE SITTING NEXT TO!

INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily is, “Sometimes You Never Know Whom You’re Sitting Next To!”

In church, on a plane, in a bus, in a waiting room ….

I’m not sure about this, but I’m figuring it’s about 10 times a year that Jesus comes down and just sits there somewhere and watches what’s going on.

He loves doing it – but sometimes it doesn’t work out – but most of the time, 99 out of 100 times, he’s not really noticed.

Sometimes he sits there in one of those benches in the Mall. Sometimes he takes a seat at the airport – picks up a loose newspaper sitting there on an empty chair – and reads a bit – but most of the time the newspaper is just a cover – one of his many disguises and props – so that he can just sit somewhere and listen – just to see what’s happening – in the here and now – in the ins and outs of life on planet earth.

Oh – and sometimes he slips into churches, synagogues, mosques or what have you. Sometimes he’s homeless – a bum – sitting on a sidewalk till the police or a store keeper tells him to move on. 99 out of 100 times he’s anonymous – but sometimes people wonder. Sometimes you never know whom you’re sitting next to!

JUST LAST WEEK

Just last week he was sitting in downtown Annapolis. He loved it when he saw a grandfather – better when he saw a grandfather’s face – as he was spending a few hours with his granddaughter – who ran and hugged him every time she saw a dog going by. Grandpa thought, “We have to get you a nice dog – so you won’t be so scared of wow wows.”

This old guy knew lots of people at the bottom of Main Street. Everyone stopped and talked to him. He loved it because it was a chance to introduce to them his granddaughter Rose – Rose Emily – named after both her grandmothers.

Jesus was background – heavy duty background – nobody noticed him listening and watching – loving it when the old guy took his little Rose Emily for ice cream – giving him a chance – of course – to get some for himself. His daughter whom he lived with after the love of his life, his wife Emily, died – was a tough cookie. She did not allow him cookies, ice cream, donuts, anything with sugar in it – for the past 10 years – since he got diabetes. He knew her strict regimen kept him healthy – but he smiled as he got his one scoop of ice cream in a sugar cone – butter almond ice cream – his favorite – saying to himself, “Good thing my doctor said that I’m allowed to cheat every once and a while.”

After the ice cream – after wiping Rose Emily’s face of sticky ice cream – Jesus watched him take Rose over and up to the playground near the bottom of Newman Street and put her on the swings – and he pushed and pushed her – and she loved her grandpa as she swung between heaven and earth.

He relaxed as well – thinking all the time, “It’s the grandkids who make it all worth while – then they too – like our kids – after they started growing up – will start to disappear. It’s tough getting old – with no one really interested in hearing my war stories – but it’s been a good life – a good life so far.” And then he whispered a prayer to the wind, “Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus.” Wow would he have been surprised if he heard Jesus standing there off to the side answering, “Thank you, Joe. Thank you.”

He looked at his watch – and headed up Newman Street to St. Mary’s and the two of them walked into the dark afternoon St. Mary’s Church and Rose Emily sat there in the 15th bench on the left side aisle with her grandpa. He told her once, “This is where grandma and I always sat.” And as he sat there she saw him wipe away some tears – and instinctively – she would take his hand. Sometimes, you never know whom you’re sitting next to.

And then the two headed for the St. Mary’s Parking Lot and then the drive home. Jesus saw all this and said, “Good. Life is good.”

JUST LAST YEAR

Just last year Jesus decided to take a flight from Toronto to Miami. He had never done that before. Where he got a Passport and a Driver’s License and a Credit Card, I don’t know the answer to those questions.

Anyway it was a new and wonderful experience for him. He was given a window seat and this big enormous overweight guy came in and sat next to him – 22 A and 22 B.

The big guy overflowed into 22 A - Jesus’ seat – and Jesus found that interesting. In his day in Israel and Nazareth, people were shorter and thinner.

For the first hour of the flight, the guy said nothing. Sometimes you never know whom you’re sitting next to. The big guy tried the radio, his laptop, a Sudoku book, and then offered Jesus the pretzels and peanuts snack he took but didn’t eat.

The peanuts and pretzels started up a conversation – beginning with the usual, “Where are you from?” Jesus said, “Paradise – a great place! – but I grew up in Israel.”

The big guy said he was from Toronto and was heading to Miami for some business – and then he’d be heading home.

Small talk led to be bigger talk – but slowly. Some people make better confessions on planes to total strangers than in church – and say things they never tell their spouse or clergy.

Jim – his name was Jim – told Jesus – without knowing who Jesus was - that his marriage and family were splitting at the seams – and it was his fault. He wasn’t cheating on his wife – his college sweetheart, but it was neglect – overeating, overworking, over forgetting her and the kids “It’s all my fault. All my fault.” He leaned on those words and became quiet.

There was something about Jesus that got people talking – about the deepest things. He even got into religion. “This got me back to church. I’m a Catholic.” He added, “I assume you’re Jewish, right?” Then he continued without waiting for Jesus’ answer, “I had fallen away from my religion and I guess my marriage after 7 years. I read an article recently that it’s those 7’s that are dangerous in marriage: 7, 14, 21 and 28. We’re about to hit 14.”

Jesus just listened. The man noticed there was no wedding ring on Jesus’ hand. Jesus noticed that Jim was twisting his wedding ring around and around and even took it off once during the first two hours of their flight.

Jim then continued, “I’ve been thinking during all these business trips – maybe I got to get another job – maybe I – we – should get some marriage counseling. My wife has been suggesting it for years now. But jobs are tough to get – I have to stick with this one – with our three kids and all our bills.

“I don’t know. I just don’t know at times.”

And Jim went on and on – about his life – growing up with an alcoholic dad – and his mom and dad divorced – and how he made some big mistakes before he married and how his wife saved him – and how he had fallen into some unhealthy patterns – overeating and no exercise – and couch potatoing it at times – and neglecting their kids – and on and on and on.

Sometimes you never know whom you’re sitting next to.

CONCLUSION

As I began, I’m figuring it’s about 10 times a year that Jesus comes down and does this. He just sits there somewhere and watches what’s going on.

This is not too far fetched. After all Jesus sat at a well one noon and met a woman who came there for water – and she had no idea who this stranger sitting there was – and once they started talking - that day that stranger sitting there changed her life – and according to John she was the first evangelist – good news spreader – just like Mary. (1)

And there was that day he sat there in the vestibule of the temple – just sitting there watching all the folks go by. Then he abruptly said to his disciples, “Psst. See that poor widow who just went by? She snook two copper coins in the poor box – and she gave more than all these big shots who are putting their big loud coins in – with much show. Surprise. She put in more than all the rest." (2)
And then there was those meals Jesus went to. You heard about the one in today’s gospel story from Luke. It was on a Sabbath and he went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees.
Everyone sat there observing him carefully. And Luke with great humor then adds, “Jesus was also observing – noticing how everyone wanted a front seat.” (3)
Then Jesus told a parable about someone who was invited to a wedding banquet – took a front seat and then someone with more prestige or clout came in and the host had to go to the guy up front and tell him he had to sit in the back, because someone more distinguished just arrived – and the guy in front had to go to the back – much to his embarrassment.

Then Jesus gave the real zinger: when you throw a lunch or a dinner, invite the poor and the crippled, the lame and the blind, and then surprise – we think they are those other people – downtown on Main Street or the back streets, but surprise! we discover and then laugh when we realize, we’re the poor and the crippled, the lame and the blind, and he has invited us to his dinner – to be here at his table today.

Surprise!

Sometimes you never know whom you’re you sitting next to!

(1) Cf. John 4: 5-42 and then John 2: 1-12

(2) Cf. Luke 21: 1-4; Mark 12: 41-44; John 8:20

(3) Cf. Luke 14: 1, 7-14; Matthew 23:5-12; Mark 12: 38-40

A GOOD SERMON 
IS ONE THAT I 
CAN APPLY TO 
MY NEIGHBOR

Quote for the Day - August 29. 2010


"The average man's idea of a good sermon is one that goes over his head - and hits one of his neighbors."


Journeyman Barber