FORBIDDEN FRUIT

Quote for Wednesday on the Forbidden by Mark Twain - May 18, 2011

"Adam was but human - this explains it all. He did not want the apple for the apple's sake; he wanted it only because it was forbidden."

Mark Twain [1835-1910], Pudd'nhead Wilson (1894) Chapter 2

IT WAS ________.

FILL IN THE BLANK

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 4th Tuesday after Easter  is, “It Was ______. Fill In The Blank.”

Some homework for today. If you had to describe your life in 3 words, the first 2 words being, “It was” or “It is”, what word would be your 3rd word?

IT WAS WINTER

There is a short sentence in today’s gospel that triggered the thought for this homily. The sentence is, “It was winter.”

I remember when we were studying English literature, our teacher said that Ernest Hemingway’s impact on American English writing was, “Short sentences.”

“It was winter.” Now that’s a short sentence. This sentence appears in John 10:22. However, in Greek, which the New Testament comes to us in, it’s in a 10 word sentence. That is short compared to many New Testament sentences. The Greek New Testament is loaded with lots of “and’s” or “kai’s. In Greek “KAI” is the word for “and”.

There is another 3 word sentence in the Gospel of John that I also love, “It was night” (John 13:30) That was how the Greek was translated in the New American Bible. I noticed the New American Bible Revised Edition added the word "And." It's now, "And it was night." The Greek for that sentence is also 10 words. Not a big deal, but I still love, "It was night." What a great comment after Jesus dipped the bread in the sauce dish and handed it to Judas. It was the same hand that Judas used to steal money. It was the same hand that took the 30 pieces of silver. The dish might be filled with a blood red sauce. It was a sauce of bitter herbs.  Then Judas went out to betray Jesus with a kiss. "It was night!" Judas dipped himself deeper into the dark! [I also noticed that the word in Greek for dip is "BAPTO." Was there an early church theme that one can be baptized in evil as well as good?]

This coming Advent we’re going to have new English translations of the Latin Mass Prayers. From what I’ve been reading, those sentences are going to be even longer than they are now. Some of those prayers have sentences that are 30 and 40 words long – and sometimes they are headscratchers. Of course, that’s my opinion.

Also in my opinion, the translators for American English ought to take a course in the writings of Ernest Hemingway. Sometimes I catch my sentences being too, too long, so I have to keep remembering to make my sentences shorter when I write.

I’m assuming that those who worked on this new translation of the Latin to English want to be able to say after all is done, “It’s as close to the Latin as possible.” I would want them to say, “It is clear.” Once more this is my opinion, but who am I? This is why I love Emily Dickenson’s poem # 288,

                         “I’m Nobody! Who are you?
                          Are you – Nobody - Too?”
                          Then there’s a pair of us?
                          Don’t tell! they’d advertise – you know!

                          How dreary – to be – Somebody!
                          How public – like a Frog –
                          To tell one’s name – the livelong June –
                          To an admiring Bog!

KISS

We’ve all heard the KISS principle for public speaking and writing: Keep It Simple Stupid.

We have a story about one of our Redemptorist general chapters in Rome. This Italian guy was giving a comment about some issue. He was going on and on and on in very heated Italian. The translators couldn’t find space in between his words to translate – so they waited till he finally finished. The English translator simply said, “He’s against it.” Everyone laughed – and the speaker started looking around – trying to figure out what happened.

I put a quote on my BLOG yesterday from Schiller, “What is the short meaning of the long speech?” I’ll have to remember that when I finish a homily. Re-write it. Edit it. Make it clearer. Make it shorter.

I also have to remember what I wrote down somewhere, “If you can’t put what you’re trying to say on a match book cover, you don’t know what you’re saying.”

CONCLUSIONS

So what am I saying here?

I’m saying I was taught that clear thinking and clear writing should be brief and to the point – a la Ernest Hemingway.

I’m saying that I would hope that the Church readings and prayers would be translated into crisp– short – sentences - if possible - sort of like “It was night!” or “It was winter.”

I’m saying that we’d be better communicators, if we say what we’re tying to say in short bursts of words like we hear at the end of today’s first reading, “It was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians.” Translated into one’s home or one’s life, we should hear ourselves saying,  “Sorry. That wasn’t very Christian of me.”

I’m asking, “What are our personal prayers like? Are they brief and to the point or meaningless babble?” Translation. For example, a possible morning prayer: “Another day, Lord. Thanks.” For example, a possible night prayer: “Lord, it’s been a long day. Good night. I’m dead tired. Thanks for everything. Enough. Sorry."

In this homily, I've given you homework:  Describe your life in 3 words, the first 2 words being: It Was ______. 

I came up with my 3rd word. I’m glad I wouldn’t say of my life, “It was winter.” Or “It was night.” I would like  to say, “It was always spring.” But that is 4 words, so my answer is, “It was surprise.”

Fill in your blank. Your life: It was ________.

DIG! 

DISCOVER! 

DO IT! 

Quote for Today - May 17, 2011

"This is the thing I was born to do."

Samuel Daniel [1562-1619], Musophilus [1599], stanza 100



Question: What is it?

THIRSTY

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 4th Monday after Easter is, “Thirsty.

Instead of a reflection on today’s First Reading from Acts 11:1-18, the call to Peter to think outside the box and reach out to the Unclean, the Gentiles,   and today’s Gospel – John 10:11-18, a continuation of yesterday’s Gospel – the text about being a Good Shepherd and knowing his voice, I want to reflect about the key image in today’s Psalm and Psalm response, “Athirst is my soul for the living God.”

At times people ask about suggestions on where to start reading the Bible. I always say, “Start with The Letter of James.” Less, but also at times, people say they want to read and pray the Psalms. I suggest today’s Psalm 42 – as well as Psalm 63.

Both reflect on the theme of being thirsty.

WE’VE BEEN THERE

We’ve all been thirsty.

It’s hot and we’ve been cutting the grass or taking a good walk and we can’t wait to get something cool to drink.

We at the restaurant and the waitress or waiter introduces her or himself and after handing us the menu they say, “Can I get you something to drink?”

Yesterday I had a baptism of a 5 week old baby and somewhere along the line he let go of his pacifier or “paci” and starting making this great sucking sound – for all to hear. Cute.

It went something like this, “Sluuuurpppppppp!”

I remember visiting our old major seminary once. It was a really hot day and I’m with this great priest – whom we called, “Trixie!” He was a short, fat, Italian priest and a wonderful character. He says to me, “Let’s go down to the library. They have a great cool water fountain there.” I said, “They don’t have a fountain there.” He says, “There is one just outside the front door.” I said, “No way. Wanna bet?” He says, “Yes, have your wallet ready.” So we go to the library and sure enough, there’s the water fountain.” Trixie says, “Show me the money.” Then he adds with a great Ha Ha smile, “Fat people always know where the water fountains are.”

JESUS KNEW WHERE THE WATER WAS

Jesus knew where the water was.

He must have enjoyed watching animals heading for streams of water. He lived in the north – where it was hilly – and greener than down south. He must have know where one could get a cool drip of a drink in the hills. He must have watched people enjoy tossing water on their face on a hot day and drinking good well water.

He would have known Psalms 42 and 63 – and knew that people thirsted for God. He got angry with the Pharisees for drying up religion. He didn’t like people paying lip service and babbling prayers. He knew the temple in Jerusalem was not for buying and selling and sponging up people’s money – but it was to be a place where people could satisfy their thirst for the Living Water of God – as well as be healed.

CONCLUSION: CHURCH

So this church and every church is a fountain where we can receive the Living Water called Christ. We can look up at him here on the cross and hear the Living Water coming from his side.

Want a good prayer, read today’s Psalm 42, calmly and quietly. In the right setting, have a cold glass of water in hand on a hot day as your read it – as you pray it.

Want a good prayer, picture yourself as a little child and do what I heard that little kid doing yesterday, wanting milk from his mother, “Sluuuurpppppppp!”

**********************

NOTES

This theme is not too far fetched and it’s not just an effort to be politically correct.

It can be found in Clement of Alexandria’s [c.150-c.215], Paedagogus, The Instructor, Book I, Chapter Six. If you want to read an English translation of this ancient work, type into Google, "Paedagogus, Clement of Alexandria" and then check Book 1.

Jesus told us to be like little children. Jesus called God our Father, Father, but he referred to himself as Mother as well (Cf. Matthew 23:37; Luke 13:34). And Jesus would have known Isaiah 66:12-13 – where God is described as a mother comforting her child and her son.

And you might have heard that John Paul I described God as follows, “He is Father. Even more God is Mother, who does not want to harm us.” [Pope John Paul I (Albino Luciani), 1912-1978, at the Sunday Angelus Blessing in St. Peter’s Square, on September 17, 1978.]

If he had not died so quickly, maybe he would have developed that theme more and cut down on the buzz and complaining about God being described as Woman.

One could also read the works of Julian of Norwich [1342-c.1416] – especially “Showings of Divine Love.” Type into Google, “Julian of Norwich: Shewings of Divine Love” – translated by Julia Bolton Holloway.

Check The Catechism of the Catholic Church, #239, “By calling God ‘Father,’ the language of faith indicates two main things: that God is the first origin of everything and transcendent authority; and that he is at the same time goodness and loving care for his children. God’s parental tenderness can also be expressed by the image of motherhood, which emphasizes God’s immanence, the intimacy between Creator and creature. The language of faith, thus draws on the human experience of parents, who are in a way the first representatives of God for man. But this experience also tells us that human parents are fallible and can disfigure the face of fatherhood and motherhood. We ought therefore to recall that God transcends the human distinction between the sexes. He is neither man nor woman: he is God. He also transcends human fatherhood and motherhood, although he is their origin and standard; no one is father as God is Father.”

Notice the he in the sentence, “He is neither man nor woman.” in the above paragraph and you'll also find it in the paragraph below this. Obviously language is tricky stuff. Notice the he is not capitalized – unless it begins a sentence.

Also check, The Catechism of the Catholic Church, # 370, which says, “In no way is God in man’s image. He is neither man nor woman. God is pure spirit in which there is no place for the difference between the sexes. But the respective ‘perfections’ of man and woman reflect something of the infinite perfection of God: those of mother and those of a father and husband.”

The Catechism of the Catholic Church talks about all this in Section One of the Catechism itself. Check numbers 39-43.

All this leads me to have a greater appreciation of Israel’s hesitation to use any name for God – lest there be idolatry in any form.

IN 10 WORDS OF LESS

Quote for Today - May 16, 2011

"What is the short meaning of the long speech?"


Johann  Christoph Friedrich von Schiller [1759-1805], in Die Piccolomini [1799], Act 1, scene 2.

A ROOM OF ONE’S OWN

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “A Room of One’s Own.” (1)

QUESTIONS

When growing up, did you have a room of your own?

Family sizes way back were bigger than today. Homes way back were smaller than they are today. Of course, those two comments are made with broad strokes and call for one of life’s key comments: “It all depends.”

How does a room of your own or the size of one’s family – affect and effect – one’s personality? How does being an only child – or being the youngest – and one finally gets a room of one’s own when another or others go off to college? If there was only one bathroom in the house when we were growing up – and there were lots of others in the house – especially sisters – would that make a difference in giving someone a sense of others better than if there were several bathrooms or what have you?

When we were small we lived in a two bedroom house and then the dining room somewhere along the time line became a bedroom for our parents – and I was in a back bedroom with my older brother and my two sisters were in the other back bedroom. We lived in a one bathroom house.

I went to the seminary – and we lived in a big dormitory. So I didn’t get a room of my own till after I had finished two years of college and headed for our year of novitiate – where I finally had my first room of my own.

REPEATING TITLE OF HOMILY

The title of my homily is, “A Room of One’s Own.”

I was trying to figure out where the title and theme of this homily came from – and why it hit me from today’s readings. There’s no mention of a room in the readings – only a sheepfold or sheep pen. It would seem more logical this theme might come up with the readings right around Easter when Jesus says, “Peace! Peace I give to you!” after he comes through the thick walls of the upper room and says to the apostles who are scared to death that they might also be arrested and killed.

IT’S INTERESTING

It’s interesting where homily ideas come from – and I’ve discovered for me, they are not just from the scripture readings for the day. They usually just trigger ideas. As I was trying to figure out where this thought, “A Room of One’s Own” came from, I remembered watching some of a Dr. Wayne Dyer talk on public TV from last week – as part of a fund drive for Public Television.

Dr. Wayne Dyer was talking about Mimetics. The word “Meme” – “MEME” was on a wall or curtain just behind him as he spoke. I put the clicker down and sat there and listened. I had heard or seen that word before, but I had not clue to what it meant.

He said MEMES are like genes and viruses that float around the world and take root in people’s brains. They are styles and patterns on how to think and act. They get into us from others, from TV, from parents, and they quietly sneak into us – like a virus.

Well, Dr. Wayne Dyer said that our heads, our minds, are filled with all kinds of ideas and thoughts and assumptions about all kinds of things. And many of these thoughts he called, “MEMES.” And obviously there are good memes and bad MEMES – healthy or unhealthy memes – or what have you.

What I saw when I saw that word was the word “me” said twice. Me Me.

I found that very interesting. I was just sitting there watching TV and that idea was snook right into my brain – and I just snook it into your brain – unless you were talking to yourself about something else in your brain – and you clicked me off before or after I began.

Surprise! We all do that. And double surprise: I might not be up here too. I can talk and be thinking of something else. Everyone can. Interesting.

So that’s how I began thinking about MEMES. I want to do some more thinking about this topic. You can too. Just type into Google, “MEME” and go from there.

I began to wonder: “Is the me that is me my vast REM – Random Access Memory – that contains a zillion billion thoughts and memories?” For your grammarians the more correct English would be, ‘Is the I that is I, all these MEMES – all these thoughts, ideas, memories, that are in here – in my brain?

Well, if that’s true, that’s very interesting to me. I don’t know if this will be interesting for you.

Then I noticed in today’s Gospel the idea of knowing “voices”. Today’s gospel talks about sheep knowing the sound of the voice of the shepherd. And the shepherd knows all the sheep and he knows them by name.

Is that where this idea of a room of one’s own came from - that our skull – our mind – our brains – is the room of our own – where we can go every time we want privacy – and we do just that?  If someone is boring – just up here in the pulpit babbling, you can take your secret clicker and just tune the speaker out and you can start listening to yourself.

Then the old idea hit me than in this church right now there are voices of tons of cell phones, radios, TV programs, all flying through the air – and it takes a gadget to hear them.

BIN LADEN

Then the Bin Laden story hit me – entered my brain – entered my thoughts – via TV and all the news services and from lots of conversations.

When I started hearing that story, the first thought that hit me was this: I hope the SEALS had lots of those big black plastic garbage bags with them – and they scooped up all the evidence they could find.

I’ve seen that on CSI shows.

Sure enough I began hearing that the SEALS found hard drives and videos and those thumb sized computer gadgets that hold lots of bytes – and carried them out with them along with Bin Laden’s body.

Then the weird thought hit me: what would happen if someone or someone’s like SEALS could helicopter over my brain and come down by ropes and break into my brain – into my skull – this room of my own – on my shoulders. What would they find?

Surprise!

I thought that was a funny as well as a scary idea.

GOSPEL PARABLES, SAYINGS, ETC.

Next I’m sitting across from someone at a wedding rehearsal dinner this Friday night – and the guy says he reads the parables of Jesus. He doesn’t read the Old Testament – or other stuff. He just reads the parables of Jesus and thinks about them.

So if someone could break into his upper room, is that what they would find – lots of parables – the parables of Jesus – floating around in his brain?

In today’s gospel Jesus talks about being the gate to the sheepfold. He talks about the shepherd knowing all his sheep and knowing them by name. That’s interesting.

I grew up in the city, but I’ve been in barns and zoos and I’ve heard flocks of geese and birds and I’ve seen people walking the street with several dogs. So I’ve heard animals and their sounds.

So is my brain like a zoo or a sheepfold and there are lots of voices going on inside my mind?

The room I have of my own over in St. Mary’s rectory is rather messy. When someone calls me on the intercom and says, “Can I come over or down to talk to you about something, I say to myself, “Uh oh!” and quickly push and pile stuff up as neat and as fast as I can. Father Denis Sweeney the past before Father Jack was very, very, very neat and when he knocked on my door, I got very nervous. I could see his eyes scan my room before he’d ask me a question. Down through the years, I’ve noticed that neat priests keep their doors open – and us slobs don’t.

Most of the time, I’m relaxed. This is me. And I have a great rationalization for living in a barn: Jesus was born in a barn.

CONCLUSIONS

Okay, wrap it up….

I hear that sound coming through the air into my upper room.

My thought for today – in this messy, sloppy sermon, is for all of us to walk around in the most important room of our own. It’s our skull on our shoulders.

Get in there. Close the door and listen to all the voices in here.

Check out the MEMES.

Check out all your thoughts and beliefs and opinions and takes on life.

Ask where did that thought – that idea – that assumption I have – come from?

Can I hear Jesus’ words in my skull? [Hold head!]

Do I know and recognize his voice – in the midst of a lot of voices – MEMES – advertisements – gossip – chatter – what have you?

Could I sit down at a computer or take a pad and write down the voices of Jesus – the words of Jesus – that are part of my life?

For example, do I hear Jesus say from the cross – “Father forgive them for they have no clue what they are doing?” That's my translation that I use all the time when I think about Church,  priests, people, drivers  – including myself.

For example, do I hear Jesus’ voice. It can still be heard around the world, “Go the extra mile!” or “Give the shirt off your back!”

For example, do I hear Jesus’ voice saying, “Some people go by the Ten Commandments. Good, but I’m telling you the big commandment is to love our Father with one's whole heart, mind, soul and strength, and to love one's  neighbor as oneself.” Then I can hear Jesus say, “There’s a big difference in how you see and live life with those two commandments. Picture a tombstone with the ten commandments carved into it. Then picture the two stone side walls of the Grand Canyon – and the vast space between both sides and down to the bottom. When you live my commandments and you fill all that space between the two rock sides – all that emptiness – with the kind of love I’m talking about – the love of God and neighbor and self – your life will be very challenging and much more joyful." Now we’re talking.

Enough already. I thought you were going to wrap this up.

So what’s in your upper room – that room of your own?

When was the last time you sat still in your upper room – in a chair or on a pile – and if you do – “You might hear a “Hhm, hhm, hhm, I’m in here too. I’m with your all days – even to the end of the world – which by the way is next Saturday, May 21st.”

Just kidding.

***********************

(1) Credit has to be given to Virginia Woolf [1882-1943] - who had published a famous extended essay in 1929 entitled, "A Room of One's Own."  The quote that is often mentioned is: "A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction."

CONSCIENCE

Quote for Today  May 15,  2011

"Conscience is the voice of values
long and deeply infused
into one's sinew and blood."

Elliot L. Richardson, Life Special Report, 1973

Questions

Do you agree with Eliot Richardson's description of conscience?

Many in describing conscience, use the noun, "voice". Have you ever heard that voice when you went against  one of your deepest values?

Another way of getting at these questions would be this question: name your 5 top values?

Pick one and ask yourself: where did you get that value? Who modeled it for you? Who violated that value and what happened?