FASTING,  PRAYER

AND COMING TOGETHER

Quote for Today - Holy Saturday  - April 23,  2011

"You shall come together and watch and keep vigil all the night with prayers and intercessions, and with reading of the prophets, and with the Gospel and with psalms, with fear and trembling and with earnest supplication, until the third hour in the night after the Sabbath; and then break your fasts."

Anonymous: Didascalia Apostolorum, 21. (3rd Century)

SIMPATICO

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this Good Friday is, “Simpatico!”

I’m taking this theme from the second reading we heard tonight. [Cf. Hebrews 4: 14-16; 5: 7-9]

The author of the Letter to the Hebrew is describing Jesus – as a great high priest. He writes, “Brothers and sisters: Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession.”

Then he writes, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses….”

Then he says that Jesus is approachable.

That’s my basic message in this Good Friday homily. Jesus is approachable, because he can sympathize with us. Jesus is “simpatico.”

OUR EULOGY

Wouldn’t “simpatico” be the one word we all would want in our eulogy? Wouldn’t we want our kids to describe us as approachable – understanding, sympathetic, empathetic – in a word, “simpatico”?

I’ve told at least 2 dozen people over the phone in my life – who live at a distance – and they are looking for a priest to talk to about a problem, “Go to churches in your area for Sunday Mass – and sit there and listen to the priest and watch him – and then ask and listen to your gut, “Could I talk to this guy? Is he approachable? If not, go to the next church?”

Looking back at our life, what principal, what coach, what boss, what teacher, was our favorite?

Of course we would want people that challenged us, people whom we learned from, but I’m willing to bet that one of their key ingredients – if not their best quality – was their ability to sympathize – to understand.

As the State Trooper on the highway approaches us with ticket pad in hand and we were going only 10, ten measly miles, over the speed limit, don’t we hope he or she has simpatico?

Don’t we hope the judge we approach – when we’re trying to get out of jury duty – has 10,000 ounces of simpatico? We gotta get out of this. We have take care of our Aunt Lizzy on Monday, baby sit for our daughters kids on Tuesday, etc. etc. etc.?

I remember I was on Jury Duty in New Jersey and I was in Jury Pool G and they were selecting jurors. We were standing in the back waiting to be called one by one to be one of possible 14 jurors in a case. Members of our pool would go to a seat, sit down, be asked a few questions, and then selected or rejected by the prosecution or the defense. Our occupations were listed next to our name. My name was called. I got to the seat – sat down – and no sooner had my butt touched the chair – did I hear the words, “Rejected” or whatever the word was. When those of us who were dismissed got back to the big holding room, we rejects were talking and someone said of me to our group. “Priest. Automatic reject Father. Automatic. You heard the case. Two guys raped another guy in prison. The prosecution would expect you to obviously be sympathetic.”

That hit me. Of course. That’s what people would hope in confession or whatever from a priest. Smile.

JESUS – SIMPATICO – BIG TIME

If we read the scriptures with this idea in mind, it’s obvious that Jesus was big time simpatico. This is what the Letter to the Hebrews we heard tonight pointed out.

He was born in a stable with animals. He came from a poor village. He reached out to people others were avoiding. He said, “Let the person here without sin, cast the first stone!” when the Scribes and the Pharisees wanted to trap him by bringing to him a woman caught in adultery. [ Cf. John 8:1-11]

That Jesus was filled with sympathy for others hit me as I was putting together this sermon today for Good Friday. That Jesus was filled with sympathy is the heart of the matter.

The word “simpatico” – originally coming from the same spelling word in Italian – then becomes the same word in Spanish, “simpatico,” and “sympathique” in French, and “sympatisch” in German. All have in the word, the original Greek and Latin words “pathos” and “pathia” meaning feelings, emotions, experience.

Good Friday is all about “The Passion of the Christ.”

Jesus cried, screamed, almost despaired, was lonely, felt all alone, needed companionship, these days, these nights, during this week of Passion – when he was celebrated on Palm Sunday, when he celebrated a big meal with his disciples, one of whom betrays him, when Peter, James and John, his 3 best friends, slept when he asked them to stay awake because he need them, when they all run away when he’s arrested, when he imprisoned, beaten, bloodied, crowned with thorns and beaten again and made fun of.

This Good Friday afternoon when he was judged and condemned to death, he didn’t get any sympathy from Pilate or the crowd, who chose a thief over him, screaming, “We want Barabbas!” and then they screamed, “Take him away, take him away! Crucify him!”

As priest I’ve gone through this Good Friday service a good 46 times. Now I’m not sure about this, but I sense, the younger the crowd, the louder the rejection – the older the crowd the more hard it is to say, “Take him away, taken him away! Crucify him.” and to yell, “We have no king but Caesar.”

SUFFERING AND SINS – MISTAKES AND MESS

Suffering and sins, mistakes and mess, make us more sympathetic – or can make us more sympathetic.

I often reflect on the quote I heard 40 years or so ago, “Suffering enters the human heart to create there places that never existed before.”

I always remember Nathaniel Hawthorne’s story where one woman says to another woman – a woman who is very proper and very priggish, “You know you ought to go out and commit a really good sin and then you might understand the rest of us.”

How many women have told me they have much more sympathy towards those who had an abortion after their moms or daughters told them that they had an abortion?

I remember hearing a priest give his A.A. talk and in it he told about all the mistakes he made in his life and I said to myself, “If I ever got messed up, here is the first priest in the United States I would call up and head to see.”

How many dads have told me that they became much more understanding of men who are gay, after their sons came to them and told them they were homosexual?

The Letter to the Hebrews says Jesus our High Priest went through it all – all except sin – but he can sympathize with our weaknesses – so let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.

TONIGHT – THIS GOOD FRIDAY

Tonight – this Good Friday evening – stand under this gigantic cross and understand why well over a billion people in our world – still hang with him.

Tonight as you come from all parts of this church to kiss the cross of Jesus – know it’s the person who died on this cross – we’re centering in on – the one who died in excruciating pain. This is the Christ – this is the one whom we can always go to for sympathy – simpatico – love – passion – the one who knows our feelings – our passion – our passions.

Tonight, let us realize the more we unite with Christ, the more we will leave this church – and become simpatico with all the rest of us poor slobs and sinners in this world of ours. Amen.

SPEECHLESS

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for Good Friday Morning Prayer is, “Speechless.”

That’s a strange title for a sermon which hopefully is “sacred speech”.

“Speechless in Annapolis.”

My main point will be: “Good Friday evokes awe – oooh – and – silence.

READING FROM ISAIAH 52: 13-15

“See, my servant shall prosper, he shall be raised high and greatly exalted. Even as many were amazed at him – so marred was his look beyond that of man, and his appearance that of mortals. So shall he startle many nations, because of him kings shall stand speechless; For those who have not been told shall see, those who have heard shall ponder it.”

Speechless is the word that jumped out of the reading in today’s morning prayer for Good Friday. In Isaiah 52: 15 the writer says when people see the servant – the so called “Suffering Servant” – people will be startled and kings will stand speechless.

I stopped and thought about that. I asked when have I stopped and found myself speechless in the presence of another person.

A FEW EXAMPLES

A few years back I received a call from Anne Arundel Medical Center. We love Father Pat Flynn and now Father Joe Krastel, because they both love going up to the hospital and seeing lots and lots of people. I was on duty and got to the hospital and a nurse escorted me into an area I never was in before. It was an operating room. I said to myself, “Uh oh. Oh no!” A whole team were in the middle of an operation. The key doctor said, “Father we couldn’t wait – so we started without you. Could you anoint this man and say some prayers over him. We need all the help we can get.”

I was speechless. I was stunned. Then I anointed his forehead only –not the palms of his hands. There were tubes everywhere. I then spoke some prayers and walked out and the team said, “Thank you!”

Afterwards – as I was taking the surgical mask off, I stood there speechless – thinking, “Did this just happen?” It was a first for me – but I did hear that surgeons can be talkative at times. I’d guess it could be nerves – or the first time they did a big operation they were speechless.

I once was sitting with a couple who were to be married here at St. Mary’s. At the first preliminary meeting I noticed the guy had a metal leg. It was badly wounded in Iraq. As I heard his story, I became speechless. Being an officer, he was picked out for sniper fire – and they got him. Messy. Messy.

Haven’t we all seen someone who had been severely burnt – or what have you – and we’re speechless – especially because we didn’t want to say the wrong thing – or even let our face or body language say the wrong thing?

Well, in this reading, the author is telling about the Suffering Servant who will be raised high and will be greatly exalted. However, he’s also going to have a horrible looking face and body.

After the word, “speechless” the next key word for me was “marred”. I looked it up in my 7 different translations of the Bible. Most of the translations used the word “marred”. Next I wondered what the Hebrew word was – not that I know Hebrew – but I always find this sort of investigation interesting and informative. The Hebrew word is “MISHCHAT” and the English words that are used to translate it are meaning “marred”, “defaced”, “deformed”, “distorted”.

CHRIST

Is it any wonder that the text from Isaiah was used by Christians to describe Christ – who also was marred, defaced, deformed and distorted.

I’m sure you’ve all seen really bloody images of Christ on the cross – or you saw the movie, “The Passion of the Christ” and I’m sure you were speechless – as you sat there or stood there.

I started working on this homily yesterday afternoon and then we were out at St. John Neumann’s last night – and as I sat there looking at the gigantic cross – I continued wondering about this theme of “speechless” and “marred”. Of course I wasn’t doing this during Father Jack Kingsbury’s homily. I was wondering if the question came up when the team and I understand the parish was asked about that crucifix. “How bloody!” “How disfigured?” “How marred?”

I’m sure they and the artist who made that gigantic body for that cross thought about impact – feelings – prayers – that this work of art would evoke.

I wonder what folks who come to St. John Neumann think and feel when they see that gigantic crucifix. I have to come up with a sermon for this evening for the Good Friday service.

CONCLUSION

I’m sure all of us – the more we go through this day – the more Good Fridays we go through in our life – that we all become more and more speechless – in the presence of a God – who was willing to come to us – who was willing to take taunts and spit – and rejections – and beatings – and a crowning with thorns – and then die for us.

Today – listen – watch – notice – Good Friday – this day – around our world is quieter than any other day of the year.

What will be your few words today – if any. A lady was telling me recently that the last two words her husband said to her – as he was dying were, “Thank you!”

That left me speechless.

THE CRUX - THE CROSS -

OF THE MATTER

Quote for Today - Good Friday - April 22, 2011

"It is true, and even tautological, to say that the Cross is the crux of the matter."

G.K, Chesterton [1874-1936], The Everlasting Man, (1925)

Photo on top - a scene along a farm road in Croatia

POETS

Poets throw words into the air.

And some fall into ears and

work their way down

that brown wax channel

into the garden of the brain.

And like a steel spade

the poet’s words and images

wiggle and ease and shake

loose a root of a memory. And

water trickles or rushes up

from that forgotten moment.

And tears flow out of eyes.

And a smile shows up

on a face or two. And sometimes,

sorry, just the opposite happens:

a scowl – the wanting to hide

from a distant deep rooted hurt

which appears as a wince

on a wrinkled face.

O my God, there is so much tilling

and so much telling to tell – and

so much to forget, so much to bury,

or sometimes better, so many roots to cut.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2011

A TASTE

OF SUFFERING

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this Holy Thursday morning prayer is, “A Taste of Suffering.”

I picked the topic of suffering because that’s the topic in the following scripture reading we just heard from the 2nd chapter of Hebrews, verses 9 and 10.

“We see Jesus crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, that through God’s gracious will he might taste death for the sake of all. Indeed, it was fitting that when bringing many to glory, God, for whom and through whom all things exist, should make their leader in the work of salvation perfect through suffering.”

What’s your take on suffering? What suffering have you tasted in your life so far?

MAKE A LIST – TAKE A LIST TO PRAYER AND TO REFLECTION

If someone asked you to make a list of the top 10 sufferings you have tasted in your life – what would your list look like – what would your list taste like?

The death of a child. The death of a spouse. The sudden death of someone very close to you.

Divorce. Betrayal. Being rejected. Being ignored. A family split apart.

Cancer. Strokes. Alzheimer’s. Parkinson’s. Mental sickness. Retardation.

Abuse. Cover ups. Denial of abuse – allowing for more abuse. False accusations.

Cries in the night. Can’t sleep. No way out. No relief. Enough already.

What did our childhood sound like? When we see and hear little kids screaming in church – do they echo in our screams in the night when we were in the dark and mommy and daddy were elsewhere and we felt all alone? Did we have a happy childhood? How about our teen years? Acne or aches or being made fun of – or thinking teachers had favorites and we weren’t one of them?

We know what it is to think milk or wine or a piece of fruit looks great and we drink it or bite into it and it’s sour or bitter? What sufferings did we taste in our 20’s and 30’s and beyond?

What sufferings do we taste daily? How come everything seems better in the other person’s house or family? Am I plagued by comparisons – and as we know: comparisons can crush. How do optimists become optimists and pessimists become pessimists? Is it a matter of luck or a matter of attitude or grace?

As in a Chinese restaurant, so in life, there is the sweet and the sour,

What sufferings have we tasted?

What do we choose for our outer conversations with each other and our inner conversations with ourselves: Good News or Bad?

As Jesus says in the garden this very night – after the Last Supper, “Father if it is possible, let this cup pass from me, but not my will, but yours be done.” [Luke 22: 42]

Obviously, the reality of suffering, the cross, death, denial, betrayal, are major themes and scenes we ponder and reflect upon and bring them to our prayers, this week – this Holy Week – but also when we have to make our own personal Way of the Cross some other week, some other moment this year or some other year.

WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED FROM TASTING SUFFERING?

We can make our list on that as well.

We might have learned that suffering can help us grow in understanding and patience – because now we know what others have had to go through.

We might have learned that some people think God zaps and punishes people – and some people don’t lay that on God. Some people know that suffering sometimes comes from the results of our poor eating habits or smoking or drinking or laziness or lake of exercise and sometimes suffering comes with a random knock on our door.

We might have learned that God is powerless when it comes to suffering – so powerless that God became one of us and went through horrible suffering, rejection, jeering, beating, stripped naked and then nailed to a cross and made to die on the cross, to redeem us as well as to help us deal with crosses – to tell and show us we’re not alone when it comes to suffering. We can realize that Christ is with us all days even to the end of the world. Yes, Jesus said he could call on his Father and 12 legions of angels could be there faster than any 911 call. But no, these days we experience once again, what Jesus went through in all these Stations of the Cross – especially the 12th Station – when Jesus dies on the Cross.

What have we learned from tasting suffering?



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Picture on top: Garden of Gethsemani Copyright Kichura

HOLY THURSDAY

Quote for Today - Holy Thursday Prayer - April 21, 2011

"O God,
from whom Judas
received the punishment of his guilt,
and the thief the reward of his confession,
grant us the effect of Your clemency;
that as our Lord Jesus in his passion
gave to each a different recompense
according to his merits,
so may He deliver us from our old sins
and grant us the grace of His resurrection."


This is an English translation of the Collect prayer for Holy  Thursday and Good Friday - the Latin of which is found in the Gelasian Sacramentary dating back to  5th to the 7th century. The Gelasian Sacramentary is the second oldest Roman Catholic liturgigal book. The oldest is the Verona Sacramentary.

Picture on top: Garden of Gethsemani in 1893.