FAST,

AVOID THIS KIND

OF FASTING!

Quote for Today - December 3, 2010


"One of the marks of certain type of bad man is that he can't give up a thing without wanting everyone else to give it up. That isn't the Christian way."

C. S. Lewis, Christian Behavior, 1944

WHERE IS GOD 

IN ALL THIS?

Quote for Today - December 2, 2010

"God tempers the wind to the shorn lamb."

English Proverb

Painting on top by Tom Roberts [1856-1931], Shearing the Rams c. 1888-1890. It can be seen in the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia.

ROSES IN DECEMBER

Quote for Today - December 1, 2010

"As soon

Seek roses in December, ice in June;

Hope constancy in wind, or corn in chaff;

Believe a woman or an epitaph,

Or any othe thing that's false, before

You trust in critics."

Lord Byron [1788-1824], English Bards and Scotch Reviewers [1809], line 75 - sorry ladies! I didn't say it.

FEET

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this feast of St. Andrew the Apostle is, “Feet!”

I don’t remember ever preaching about “Feet!”

How are your feet?

They are our servants.

TODAY'S FIRST READING

Today’s first reading from Romans, for the feast of the most important of all the apostles, Andrew, quotes a text from Isaiah 52: 7, “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the one who brings good news.” [Cf. Romans 10:15]

I hope somewhere along the line your feet brought you into a church where they sang that song or hymn based on these words. I’ve heard it at various times and I can’t sing, but I’ve loved the version where there is the echoed repeating of phrases, “How beautiful, how beautiful, on the mountains, on the mountains, are the feet, are the feet, of those, of those, who bring, who bring, good news, good news.” It goes a tiny bit like that.

I never thought about feet being beautiful. In fact I never notice my feet till they give me trouble.

How are your feet?

But feet are not the message. Good News is the message. Joy to the world is the message. One’s face, one’s smile, one’s being, is the message.

We get this message. We’ve been there – many, many, many, many, many times. It’s Life #101.

I get this message when I come down the aisle at Sunday Mass. I’ve seen faces that said, “Oh my God, not him again!”

And my face sinks towards my feet.

And those of you who are married – or those of you who have lost your loved one – I hope you still hear the sound of your loved one coming up the steps. I hope you still remember the moment you went down the aisle in a church with him or her – and out the church door to a new world – a new life together – a new life walking together - knowing life is easier with 4 feet. It’s Life #102.

I hope the day never came when you said, “Oh my God, not him again! …. not her again.”

But then again, the vows sometimes are not wows.

The title of my homily is, “Feet.”

Our text uses the Greek word, “PODES” – the plural of “POUS” for “feet”. In this Greek word we recognize in the genitive case of “POUS”, which is “PODOS”, the word “podiatrist” – a foot doctor. We also hear in this Greek word, “POUS”, the Latin word, “PED” which gives us words like "pedal" or "pedestrian". We also hear the Sanskrit word "PAD" – the most ancient of languages. It's the word for "foot". Every day we long for our pad where we can get off our feet, take off our shoes, and be ourselves.

The title of my homily is “Feet!”

ANDREW

There are two Gospel texts that tell us about the day and how Jesus called Andrew. They are both very different.

The powers that be – those who choose what Gospel to read for today chose the one I would not choose. Life #103. In today’s gospel, Jesus is walking along by the Sea of Galilee and he sees two brothers, Simon and his brother Andrew. He calls them – along with two other brothers – James and John – who also were fishermen – and all four would be his followers on foot – preaching the Good News of Jesus Christ.

John tells the version of the story that I like better – of course – because Andrew is listed there as the first apostle whom Jesus meets. And he then brings his brother Simon to meet Jesus – and the rest is history and the rest is mystery. And my hope as priest is to bring people to Jesus. Here he is folks. Get a life with Jesus. Life #104

John in his gospel also has Jesus washing the feet of these 4 men in his gospel at the last supper – along with the other apostles – including Judas.

Did Jesus love it when his feet were washed by the woman in the gospel who washed his feet with her tears and dried his feet with her hair? Now that was a remarkable story – an incredible breakthrough – something that would be unheard of in the Mediterranean Basin countries in the time of Jesus and in parts of the Muslim world today.

FEET STORIES

What are your feet stories? Share them today with those you love – with those who love the sound of your step – with those who love your feet, your face, and your being.

I have fond memories of getting hot water for my dad when his feet were sore after a long day of work at Nabisco on his feet – and he soaked his feet in that hot water with Epsom Salts.

I have heard people say how grateful they are of a daughter or a son trimming their toe nails or a granddaughter coloring granny’s toe nails in rich red or pink or even green nail polish.

What are your feet stories?

CONCLUSION

Today you walked into church on your feet; today walk out of this church on your feet and bring good news – joy – laughter – deep peace – the peace of Jesus Christ to those you meet today. And if you do, then of you it can also be said, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news!"

SORT OF LIKE

TRYING TO SQUARE

THE CIRCLE ....

Quote for Today - November 30, 2010


"God, surrounding all things, is Himself not surrounded."

Philo [c. 20 B.C. - c. A.D. 40], Fugitives, 14, Allegories

WHAT NOW? WHAT NEXT?

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this First Monday in Advent is, “What Now? What Next?”

It’s the thought that hit me when I read today’s first reading [Isaiah 4:2-6] as well as today’s psalm [Psalm 122].

THE CITY AND THE TEMPLE

In today’s first reading and in today’s Psalm we see the importance of both Jerusalem and the Temple in Jerusalem.

The time is in the 750 to 700 B.C. – and Assyria is the power that is marching around beating up and destroying those in its path.

Now as the reading tells us, before those left in Jerusalem are called “holy” they first have to be cleansed – by fire – talk about Purgatory – because of the many sins of its leaders and its people.

The Psalm – Psalm 122 – is a Psalm that was sung by folks on their way to Jerusalem and the temple on pilgrimage. We said the Psalm response, “I rejoiced when I heard them say: let us go to the house of the Lord.”

Throughout history there has been a lot of destruction of cities, towns, holy places. I assume that everyone experiencing destruction then asks, “What now? What next?”

Security is Job One.

So we build with stone citadels and castles.

But we all know all can come tumbling down.

We all know at different moments in life we realize we saw our bodies as our protection – our fortress – and then we see from time to time our bodies slowly crumbling.
What now? What next?

What happens when our church burns down? What happens when our city is destroyed? What happens when one’s life, one’s center is destroyed?

Divorce, death, fires, floods, is the stuff of TV and Newspaper and life for people. What happens when a marriage falls apart or a spouse or a child or a parent dies suddenly?

What now?

What next?

AS CHRISTIANS – JESUS IS OUR CENTER

As Christians Jesus is our center – our temple – our city – our hope – someone who can’t be destroyed.

This is the message of Advent and Christmas – Christ came and called us to enter into his strength – in spite of our weaknesses.

That’s the Message of the Cross and Resurrection, Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

Somewhere along the line Jesus saw Jerusalem and the Temple and he said that both will be destroyed – but I won’t be destroyed. Around the year 70 the city of Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed once again.

The Christian Community there had to flee to different places. Scholars place Jamnia – north of Israel as the place where Mathew’s Community settled.

WHAT NOW? WHAT NEXT?

The title of my homily is, “What Now? What next?”

What do we do after a fire or a flood? What do we do after a death or a divorce? What do we do after we find out we have Cancer or what have you?

Answer: we start again. We rebuild or resettle – or we pick up the pieces and go for resurrection over death.

That’s one reason we have the cross staring us in the face – especially here at St. John Neumann. This is life. This is what happened – but our prayer is not: Christ has died. Nope, we pray, Christ has risen. Christ will come again.

That’s a key Advent message. Amen.

SURPRISE ME GOD

Quote for Today - November 29, 2010

"Suppose someone is hiding. When they stir, they show their presence. God does the same. No one ever has found God. God gives God away."

Meister Eckhart [c, 1260-c. 1327]