DON'T   TELL 
ME WHAT YOU 
THINK!
SHOW ME!

Quote for Today - November 17, 2010


"We know what a person thinks not when he tells us what he thinks, but by his actions."


Isaac Bashevis Singer [1904-1991], in Issac Bashevis Singer Talks ... About Everything, interview with Richard Burgin in the New York Times Magazine - November26, 1978

THE REAL PRESENCE
OF THE LITTLE GUY
AND THE LITTLE GAL

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 33 Tuesday in Ordinary Time is, “The Real Presence of the Little Guy and The Little Gal.”

We had today’s gospel – Luke’s story of Zaccheus – just a few Sunday’s back – and I don’t remember what I preached on.

Last night when I read this gospel story – the story of Jesus spotting the little guy, Zaccheus, up in the tree – the thought that hit me was Jesus’ awareness of being in the presence of people other people didn’t notice.

He spots Zaccheus up a tree and he invites himself into Zaccheus’ life and home. Then some complain that Jesus’ stays at the house of a sinner.

If there is one thing Luke tells us about Jesus – it’s his uncanny ability to spot people – especially the Little Guy – as well as the Little Gal.

He felt the touch of the woman in the crowd who had blood hemorrhaging problems for 12 years when she touched the hem of his garment in chapter 8.

He begins with the call of the unknown young woman in the tiny hamlet of Nazareth: Mary. In the Magnificat she describes herself as "God's lowly handmaid."

He talks about shepherds as the first to see the new born baby in the stable when Jesus was born. There is no mention of the Magi – that was Matthew. Then he talks about the old man and the old woman in the temple: Simeon and Anna.

His first disciples are fishermen. He reaches out to the blind and those with leprosy. He heals the Centurion’s servant and the widow of Nain’s son.

This is vintage Luke – aware of the Little Guy and the Little Gal.

THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

This is the Catholic Church – hopefully always aware of the little guy and the little gal. We are a mass of people – all around the world – most of us: The Great Unknown.

Last night I was down at Holy Family in Davidsonville – where a mission is going on. I got there for the sermon before hearing confessions. I enjoyed it because I had the chance to sit in the back and be the little guy and be part of the crowd.

During his sermon, the speaker didn’t seem to mind it when people were getting up – heading for the bathroom or somewhere else and then coming back – little people, kids, and men and women. Up and down, up and down, back and forth, back and forth.

This is vintage Church – to be in the presence of the whole human family – crying babies and old men with having to go to the bathroom problems – or maybe answer cell phone calls for this or that.

I know some priests and some people don’t like crying babies. I always like to tell the story of a baptism of little baby who was born and then died after about an hour at Ann Arundel Medical Center on an early Sunday morning. I got the phone call around 5:30 A.M. The parents of the baby were a couple were here from Western Canada – because the guy was trying out for the Capitals. I left the hospital around 7:15 because I had the 7:30 at St. John Neumann. During Mass I asked if anyone had a baby, please pinch your kid and get him or her to cry – because I was just with a baby that never got a chance to cry.

Or I love a drawing by Rembrandt that I saw – where Jesus is preaching – and this little kid is playing on the floor with some toys – totally oblivious to Jesus – who is up front preaching. It was real. Rembrandt was aware of the real presence of little children on the floor in churches or crowds.

I like to look at faces of folks paintings. I think the paintings by Brueghel are wonderful for this.

Or I like to look at the faces of the background folks in Stations of the Cross. These images of background people – like all the people in the background of our every day. I assume that Jesus was really present to them. He heard the women who are crying in the 8th station and says to them, “Weep not for me but for your children.” What were those soldiers in the 11th Station thinking who nailed his hands to a cross? Were they aware of a person – or was this just a job – a job they had done too many times – and no longer saw a person?

What do toll collectors on the Bay Bridge going east think about all day? I always like to try to make that moment of moment of “Hello! How’s it going today?”

Every day is a day to meet everyday people.

Fascinating – and I hope that all of us who come here to Mass on a daily basis and experience the real presence – the body of Christ in communion – will be really present to the whole body of Christ every day. I pray that all of us who pray to Jesus in the Real Presence in Eucharistic Adoration – that we don’t just see the presence of Jesus in the bread but in the whole body of Christ around this round Eucharistic world.

CONCLUSION

If the real presence of Jesus does not get us to be really present to each other, then we will not spot the little guy and the little guy – people who feel like they are stuck up a tree without a paddle.

We haven’t heard Jesus knocking on our door as we heard in today’s first reading from Revelation [Revelation 3:20].

We haven’t even gotten to the First Station of the Cross yet.

We’re not in communion with the great Mass of humanity yet.

We’re still locked in the upper room – filled with fear or shame – and the Holy Spirit and the Risen Christ has not come through our closed doors and windows yet.

We haven’t hit the road yet with the Risen Lord.

We haven’t heard what Paul discovered on the road to Damascus: The Body of Christ is us. Amen.

THE GREAT TEMPTATION, 

THE GREAT SORROW 

Quote for the Day - November 16, 2010

"Some day, in years to come,

you will be wrestling

with the great temptation,

or trembling

under the great sorrow of your life.

But the real struggle is here,

now in these quiet weeks."

Phillips Brooks [1835-1893], Perennials

OOOOO

Questions:

What has been the great temptation or trembling of your life?

What has been the great sorrow of your life?

Where do you find quiet?

Who helps you with the great sorrows, tremblings and temptations of  your life?

WHAT DO YOU WANT ME
TO DO FOR YOU?

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 33 Monday in Ordinary Time is, “What Do You Want Me To Do For You?”

TWO KINDS OF PEOPLE

There are two kinds of people: those who go into a store and love it when a salesperson comes over to them and asks, “What can I do for you?” and then there are those who go into a store and hate it when someone comes over and asks, “What can I do for you?”

There are two kinds of people: those who go through life and love it when they spot people who can teach them something or from whom they can benefit or pick their brains and those who like to learn everything on their own.

I can make these statements because I don’t like it when salespeople come over and ask, “Can I help you?” I tend to try to do and pick up things on my own.

TODAY’S GOSPEL

In today’s gospel a blind man wants help. He's the first type of person. He hears a crowd going by him and he asks, “What’s happening? What’s going on?” [Cf. Luke 18:35-43]

And someone yells to him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by!”

So the blind man starts yelling, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me.”

The people walking by tell him to shut up – to stop yelling, but he yells even louder, “Son of David, have pity on me.”

Jesus hears him. Jesus stops and says, “Bring him to me.”

As the blind man got closer Jesus says, “What do you want me to do for you?”

He said loudly and clearly, “Lord, please let me see?”

And Jesus says, “Have sight; your faith has saved you.”

And today’s gospel text from Luke says, “He immediately received his sight and followed Jesus – giving glory to God.”

And today’s gospel ends, “When the people saw this, they gave praise to God.”

10 EXAMPLES OF BLINDNESS

Let me give 10 basic examples of blindness. I'm keeping in mind that you are in high school.

1) A teacher expects a brother or sister of a student he or she had two years ago to be exactly like their brother or sister.

2) A mom is always complaining about other drivers – including her husband’s driving. “You’re too close to the car in front of you. Slow down!” “You’re too close to the center!” “You’re too close to the shoulder!”– and her kids laugh and talk about her behind her back – because they consider her a worse driver than their dad.

3) Someone never plastic bagged their dog droppings – every morning, every evening, when they took their dog out to do his duty – that is till the morning came and they stepped in dog gifts from some other dog – in their brand new Nike foot coverings.

4) A LAX player doesn’t start – jumps to another high school – doesn’t start – jumps to another high school and doesn’t start – and bad mouths all three schools – goes to college – and the same thing happens when he tries to make the soccer team – he does the same thing on his first, second and third job – with regards promotions – and he screams all his life about favoritism – and he never looks in the mirror. As a result he never sees himself.

5) A parent is in a car with 2 kids and his wife – and they are coming out of the Macaroni Grill parking lot and dad scrapes another car and the father speeds up his car which is in reverse. Then he shoots out of there – yelling and screaming that the driver of the car he scraped doesn’t know how to park – and a kid in the back seat sees that the other car was parked perfectly – and he says nothing – because he’s seen his dad do the same thing – in many other circumstances.

6) A kid doesn’t study – doesn’t do his homework – and doesn’t make the National Honor Society and his sister sees all this and hears him tell his parents that the teachers are out to get him.

7) A girl flirts with a guy – tempts him – excites him – loves to bump into him - dumps him and then brags to the other girls that he’s a chump – and an easy target.

8) A guy does the same thing with a girl – and then tells the other guys what a dimbo she is.

9) This kid could always find the exact button – the exact nerve – to push – in others – whatever it is. It might be that the other kid is too short or too tall – or too skinny or too fat. It might be that the other kid dropped the key pass or allowed the key goal in a big game. All changed when a new school year started. There was this new kid who was better than he was on picking on others – and he got picked upon for his nose and then his acne – and then his walk and he didn’t know why he hated this new kid – but two kids in his class could see that he was looking in the mirror and seeing himself without knowing himself – because he was all steam.

10) A person every time they walk into a room – takes over the conversation – immediately – and centers it on themselves - and they never noticed that other people walk into a room – remain quiet – and listen to what the current conversation was about.

MOVING INTO SELF – LOOKING IN THE MIRROR

We all have blind spots. We see the blind spots in others – and often are blind to our own – but sometimes others see our blind spots – the ones we don’t see.

A person hears this sermon and they see they are #4 or #10 or some other number when it comes to being blind and they scream inwardly to Jesus, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me.”

And Jesus seems to do nothing – so their prayer, their inward scream becomes even louder, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me.”

And Jesus says, “What do you want me to do for you?”

And the person says, “Lord, please let me see.”

CONCLUSION

And Jesus gives that person one insight.

Then they get another insight a year from now.

Then they get another insight two years from now – then another good one after they finish college and they are at their first job.

And life goes on and this person’s family and friends know that this person is one insightful dude or duchess – and they love being with him or her – because he’s wise but he’s still learning.

[This homily was for our St. Mary's high school today - Nov. 15, 2010.]

PEBBLES 

ARE A BLIND GIRL'S 

BEST FRIEND!

Quote for Today - November 15, 2010

"A pebble and a diamond are alike to a blind man."

Anonymous

GIVING A VOICE
TO THE OBSERVANT SELF

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Giving A Voice To The Observant Self.”

LAST EVENING

Last evening I was giving a talk on the Mass to about 40 Middies from the Naval Academy. They were making a weekend retreat at Camp Letts down in Edgewater – at the YMCA camp there. There were some Catholics and some who were in the RCIA program to become Catholics.

In an informal Question and Answer period after my talk a young man voiced a question, “How do priests or preachers come up with what they are going to talk about?”

Now that's a regular question that folks ask. I answered that I spoke about the Mass this evening because that was the topic one of you called up and gave me. On Sundays, I read the readings, say a prayer, see what they are challenging me with – and then I begin to try to come up with possible themes or ideas. Then I think about them. Sometimes I say to myself, “No, that won’t fly.” Or, “That’s not practical.” Then I might pray another, “Come Holy Spirit.” Then I hope for a practical possible homily theme.

Then he followed up with another question on the same question, so I was missing something.

Afterwards, only afterwards, while driving back here to St. Mary’s – to get to the auction – and make an appearance there – I was thinking, “What was that young man asking?” Then I said to myself, “You should have used your old line, “Are you asking [or saying] what you are asking [or saying] or are you asking [or saying] something else?”

This talking to myself and listening and becoming aware of what I talking to myself about is, “Giving A Voice to My Observant Self.”

If I began really listening to this young man, I might have found out that this guy was saying, “Sermons don’t grab me. You guys are not being practical or helpful. You are not helping me in my life with God and as a young person at the Naval Academy.” Or, “I go to Mass – but I wonder how this priest got this out of this.”

Unfortunately, I didn’t find out - because I didn't figure this out till afterwards.

But I did say that a guy named Greg Pierce out in Chicago told us priests: “I check homilies and spiritual reading books and articles and very few talk about the two main areas where most people spend most of their lives: work and relationships.”

I would add “sleep” – and that sometimes happens during a homily.

GIVING A VOICE TO MY OBSERVANT SELF

The title of my homily is, “Giving A Voice To My Observant Self.”

A voice ….

Finding one’s voice….

A little child starts to get their voice – screaming, laughing, crying, pointing, banging a spoon. Sometimes it’s cute; sometimes it’s not – especially at 2 AM.

But we want a child to talk: “Ma Ma, Da Da, dog, cat, meow.”

In high school sometimes some kid says something out of the blue in class and all the other kids are amazed that this kid who always seemed to be in the clouds or was drawing in his text books or was in Zombie Land – had a profound thought.

Now that kid might have been thinking all along about what he or she was observing – and this might have been the first time they voiced their observations out loud in school – or it might have been the first time they voiced an observation out loud and they observed their own observation.

Finding one’s voice … especially in afterthoughts.

Using that phrase, “finding one’s voice,” is something we say of singers, writers, preachers, public speakers, teachers, etc. etc. etc.

Have you found your voice yet?

Have you voiced your voice to yourself yet?

Have you spoken out yet with your voice?

Do you know your values, your comforts, what makes you angry, what makes you sad, what you love, and what you hate?

Can you voice them?

N. P. R. RADIO

So last evening while driving back here to St. Mary's, I observed my thoughts and voiced them in a car to myself. I didn’t turn on the radio or anything else – just my inner voices.

However, driving down to Camp Letts was a different experience.

It was 4:15 in the afternoon and I turned on NPR from WAMU at American University in Washington and caught a program entitled, “The State We're In” - from Radio Netherlands.

With hindsight, more than today's readings, it was those two pieces that triggered this homily.

The first story on this program was about a woman in Northern Ireland named Eimear O’Callaghan. She’s married and has 3 kids – and she said she is someone who never throws anything away – so she has lots of stuff in her house. Recently while stuffing a paper flyer from a program in a packed leather pouch, she came upon her diaries from when she was a teenager.

She began reading her observations about life in Derry, Ireland – especially at the time of Bloody Sunday back in 1972. She talked about the vast chasm between Catholics and Protestants – and the fighting going on back then. She read a few excerpts out loud on the radio. In the same paragraph in one entry, she talked about getting free ice cream and a British solider who was just killed. In another entry she talked about going to a dance and about the violence in the streets coming home from the dance.

The reporter on the radio asked if she is sharing her diaries with her kids and she said, “Just one kid. The other 2 are not interested.”

She also told about the tears and the celebration in Northern Ireland when David Cameron, the British Prime Minister, recently said we the British Government were wrong. We committed an injustice back in 1972. She told about how a vast crowd in the streets of Derry were watching the Prime Minister's speech on a big screen and then screamed for joy.

I found myself in the car crying as well – with my Irish roots and having parents both of whom came to American from Galway because of poverty.

This lady, Eimear O’Callaghan, could read and listen to her voice and her observations from nearly 40 years ago – the voice of what a teenage girl was observing. She added, “And I expect to find several more diaries from my younger years somewhere in the house.”

This story was followed up with a story about a philosopher, Theodore Zeldin, in England who has what is called, “Feast With Strangers” once a year in Hyde Park in London. It’s advertised and you show up and look at the menu: food for thought. If you want to talk about travels and trips, here’s the spot to sit and talk. If you’re interested in “Family,” here’s the spot to sit and talk. If you’re interested in “My prejudices” here’s the spot to sit and talk – and on and on and on.

People would find one part of the menu boring or not tasty and move onto another. One lady observed, “This was the first time in two years that I had a decent conversation. The last time was a talk I had with my brother two years ago.”

That’s the observant self talking. That’s giving voice to the observant self.

WEDDING RECEPTION

While listening to this in the car yesterday evening, a moment at a wedding reception I was at came back to me. I was at a table with people whom I never met before. They are not from around here. The music in the background was rather loud. My observant self said, “It’s great to be on this table in the back – far from the music.” The girl to my right was texting much of the meal. Her brother next to her was also texting much of the meal. His brother next to him was playing games with a small something the whole meal. His mother next to him was on the cell phone – from time to time. Their dad was out in the lobby talking with other men. The young couple on my left were talking to themselves and the older couple next to them were too far away to talk or listen to.

I was screaming inwardly. “Help! Get me out of here.”

I heard that voice – a voice inside me – because I‘ve heard that scream many times before.

I've seen a group of teenage boys coming into a get together or a dance, check out the territory and head for the door.

Well, here I was trapped – in unknown territory. I found myself making the best of it by saying to myself, “There’s a homily here somewhere.”

How many people in church, in meetings, in marriages, in jobs, are screaming inwardly, “Help! Get me out of here!”?

TODAY’S READINGS

Before you scream that – or in case you are already screaming that, I want to make a few observations about today’s readings and head for the rest of the Mass.

The readings at Mass are voices from the past….

Today’s first reading is from an anonymous someone from after 515 B.C. because it mentions the temple. Imagine if we just found this document like a found diary? We would have in hand a voice from the past. What did this Malachi – a name which simply means “My Messenger” – observe and voice. He didn’t like the priests of his time because they were doing a horrible job. He would be for the second collection – the restoration and maintenance fund – because he calls for the congregation to help expenses and pay for those who care for the temple. He spoke up for wives who were dumped. He told those who doubted God’s love for them – that God does love you. And he warns – as we heard in today’s reading - those who are evil doers, you’re going to be burned like stubble – leaving “neither root nor branch.”

Today’s second reading from Second Thessalonians is from between 51 and 100 A.D. It gives Paul’s voice saying that in spite of comments, we’re paying our dues. We’re not freeloading. When we were with you, we were trying to give good example – so as to model how Christ wants us to work and live – so enough with your complaining.

Today’s gospel gives Luke’s voice from some point after the City of Jerusalem had been destroyed by the Romans – wiped out. It looks like the world is going to end. Luke is dated from around 80 A.D. He gives voice to anyone ever since – who thinks their world has been destroyed – by a hurricane – a fire – a broken marriage – or what have you. It isn’t. Not yet. Have hope.

CONCLUSION

These are other people’s voices. Observing voices is the theme I’m pushing in this homily and it’s twofold.

First what am I observing and can I voice what I’m picking up to myself – inwardly or in a diary or journal or talking with someone? I guarantee that your observations will be far more valuable, deep, than the 1 zillion texts and twitters flying around this church space and this world this very moment.

Secondly, am I listening and observing what those around me are voicing? As that lady in London said, “I haven’t had a conversation like this with anyone in the last two years.” This week have at least one memorable conversation.

EXTREMISTS

Quote for Today - November 14,  2010


"Extremists think 'communication' means agreeing with them."


Leo Rosten [1908-1997]