LISTENING

Quote for Today  May  25,  2011

"The air is full of our cries. [He listens.]
But habit is a great deadener."

Samuel Beckett [1906-1989], Waiting for Godot (1955) Act 2.

Picture on top: Vladimir and Estragon in Waiting for Godot.

PEACE

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 5th Tuesday after Easter  is, “Peace!”

I’m sure you’ve heard hundreds of sermons on peace and I’m sure I’ve given dozens of sermons on peace as well. Here’s one more.

COMING UP WITH A SERMON THEME

I begin working on a Sunday or a weekday homily the same way. I say a prayer and then ask myself, “What do I need to hear from today’s readings? What’s the main theme that jumps out at me?

“Peace!”

PEACE

I’m sure when we read the newspapers and watch the evening news, besides tornados, floods and other natural disasters, we pray for peace. Don't we all talk to ourselves and say, “Are we crazy? Why do we keep on with the violence, the fighting and the abuse on the family, the local, the state, the nation, and world wide levels?”

The two crazy behaviors that bug me are: 1) kids or women  being sent into a bus or a crowd with bombs strapped to them and then they self explode; 2) those who try to spread a computer virus that goes around the world – which inconveniences lots of people.
“Peace!”

I would assume these sick behaviors are the bad fruit of the evil streak we spot in others – and often miss in ourselves. It’s the so called “YETZER HARA” – Hebrew for the evil urge that lurks at our door.

The story of Cain and Abel is very significant in reflecting upon peace. Genesis 4: 1-16 has a very powerful scene – the story of Cain and Abel. Yahweh God sees Cain walking around with a sour face, so God asks him, “What’s with the face?” Okay that’s a free translation. The Jerusalem Bible puts it this way. “Yahweh asked Cain, ‘Why are you angry and downcast? If you are well disposed, ought you not to lift up your head? But if you are ill disposed, is not sin at the door like a crouching beast hungering for you, which you must master?”

Cain doesn’t listen. Instead he brings evil inside himself.

And once inside the “YETZER HARA” - THE EVIL INCLINATION - can do horrible things to self and others.

I would assume that evil urge – when personalized is the whispers of the snake, Satan, the devil, the ruler or prince of this world we hear about in today’s gospel. [Cf. John 14:30; John 13:2; John 12:31]

“Peace!” “Shalom!” It also lurks at our door and knocks. Invite it inside.

Isn’t that the significance of Jesus coming through the walls on Easter Sunday and instead of lurking out there, Jesus comes within us and says, “Shalom!” “Peace!”

In the scriptures, in Jewish and Christian circles, “Peace!” is an opening greeting to another when we meet them on the street or the road.

“Peace!”

If it’s more than just a superficial greeting like a “Hi” or “How are you to someone?” when our mind is somewhere else – then “Peace” – “Shalom” in Hebrew – “Irene” in Greek – is saying and hoping for many, many blessings for this other person.

“Shalom!” – the Hebrew Greeting is wishing that the one we’re greeting has everything going well with their family and their health, their farm or business. It’s wishing the other to be in a good place with God. It’s wishing that they are not in debt. It’s hoping they are not screaming inside their mind lots of angry words or resentments against another or others.

Saying “Shalom” or “Peace!” to another includes not just that the weather and the nation – prosperity and property are in a good shape – but one is right with neighbor and right with oneself. The prophets would state that we won’t have real peace if we’re living a lie with self or with neighbors (Cf. Jeremiah 6:14, 8:11) Ezekiel talks about not whitewashing a crumbling wall. Fix up the walls first and then whitewash them and make them beautiful. [Cf. Ezekiel 13:10-12.]

“Irene” – the Greek word for “Peace” includes all of the above – calling God our Father and that Jesus is the one who is the bridge to bring about that communion with the Father.

Peace is the gift of the Holy Spirit. Pray for it. Work for it.

Paul VI said, “Development is the new name for peace.” That’s a great quote to chew and digest. He also wrote in his Message for the Celebration of the Day of Peace for the world, January 1st, 1972: “If you want peace, work for justice.”

Every parent with more than one kid has heard the whine, “It’s not fair.”

Everyone who listens to our world – how life, how business, how government, how traffic, how family, how giving out dessert works, has heard viewers say with their words or face, “It’s not fair.”

So enough with the rock throwing – as we heard about in today’s first reading and enough with the word throwing.

CONCLUSION

Want peace, work for justice today.

Want peace, pray St. Francis’ Peace prayer every morning and then put it into practice every day.

Then we’ll discover what Jesus meant by his greeting us with “Peace” this morning – in the opening words of the gospel.

“Peace.”

PEACE - REACHING  IT

Quote for Today - May 24,  2011


"Peace is a journey of a thousand miles and it must be taken one step at a time."


Lyndon B. Johnson [1908-1973 ] in a speech at the United Nations  General Assembly, December 17, 1963.

D Q

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 5th Monday after Easter is, “D Q”.

Coming home last night from Mr. Steve Beard’s graduation in New Jersey, I was driving down 301 on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and missed getting to D Q – Dairy Queen – on that road by 8 minutes. It closes at 10 P.M. They have this neat Sugar Free ice cream bar called a “Dilly Bar”.

I wasn’t quick enough.

The title of my homily is, “D Q!” In this homily it stands for “Do Quickly!” But of course, don’t speed. Don’t get a ticket.

FIRST READING

This morning I looked at the readings for today and I was struck by the incident there in the first reading from Acts when the people of Lystra called Paul “Hermes” and Barnabas “Zeus.”

I was struck by that word “Hermes. I think it was the name of a typewriter. What ever happened to typewriters? I had heard one of our priests who teaches “Preaching” talking about Hermes now and then.

I typed into Google, “Hermes” and I got all kinds of stuff.

Hermes is the Greek God who delivers messages – amongst other things. He’s also called “Mercury”.

All very interesting. The question: should someone mention this kind of stuff in a homily. Should I entitle this homily, “U I” – or Unnecessary Information – or “U I I C” – Unnecessary Information In Church.

Well, in the Jewish and Christian tradition angels are the ones who deliver messages.

Then I got the thought of entitling this homily, “FTD” – because I remembered as I looked at all the Google information that Hermes or Mercury is that guy I’ve seen in the florist’s business.

Then I really got sidetracked or distracted, wondering about the background of FTD. I’ve seen that image of the statue running – with fast feet – and I assumed it meant we’ll run flowers for you to someone else somewhere fast.

Yep.

FTD first stood for Florists’ Telegraph Delivery back in 1910. You could send flowers on the same day by using florists in the FTD network. In 1914 they started using the Mercury Man as their logo. Then in 1965 FTD became Florists’ Transworld Delivery.

It’s a multi-million down idea and company and cooperative.

A MESSAGE FOR TODAY

I still didn’t have a specific homily idea.

Okay, so Paul is “Hermes” here in today’s first reading – Acts 14: 19-28 – because he’s going around fleet of foot proclaiming good news.

Aha.

When we studied preaching, it was called, “Hermeneutics” – with the name “Hermes” in it. I never realized that till today.

Just as I was doing this mini-research for this homily or hermeneutic moment, I get a phone call from a guy named Joey in N.J.

He told me that he was in a car accident a few years back, so he had to retire. Now for the past two years he’s taken on a job in his parish of coordinating bereavement.

Then he explained why he was calling. He was being a messenger.

He gave me the name of a gal named Mickey whose husband I knew. He died suddenly last week. He suggested, “Why don’t you drop her a note?” I said, “Good idea.” Then he quickly said, “Do you have a pen and paper handy?” Then he gave me her address in New Jersey.

He’s good.

I got back to this homily. I have a busy day ahead. I’m just back from a burial at Hillcrest – and I got a bunch of things to do today.

Because of his insistence, I said to myself, “As soon as you get back from St. John Neumann, write that note.”

Then I said to myself, “D Q! Do it quickly!”

Then I said, “Okay, make that the title of your homily and push that idea.

CONCLUSION

So as a homily message to myself and also to you today, “Is there anyone in our lives who would appreciate a phone call, an e-mail, flowers, or a card?” Surprise them! They won’t call us a god or Hermes, but they might say, “You’re an angel!”

D.Q. Do Quickly.

QUOTATIONS

Quote for Today - May 23,  2011

"Famous remarks are very seldom quoted correctly."

Simeon Strunsky [1879-1948] No Mean City (1944), chapter 38.


Quotation Questions:

What's your favorite quote?

Look around your place and space: do you have a quote hanging anywhere?

Has any quote I've put on blog grabbed you?

Has any quote I've put here been wrong?  I've been doing this for quite some time now.

I AM 

THE WAY, THE TRUTH 

AND THE LIFE.

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 5th Sunday after Easter is, “I Am The Way, The Truth, and The Life.”

It’s a message from Jesus in today’s gospel.

There are several topics and themes in today’s readings: deacons, having Christ as the cornerstone of one’s life, see Christ, you’re seeing the Father, and seeing Christ as the Way, the Truth and the Life that can lead us to our Father’s house for all eternity. I was wondering if any priest or deacon will tackle the second half of that last sentence in today's first reading: "even  a large group of priests were becoming obedient to the faith."

I am choosing to preach on the theme of seeing Jesus as the Way, the Truth and the Life. 

FUNERALS

In some parishes, like this parish, when someone dies, the family is asked to pick the scripture readings they would like for the funeral.

I’ve noticed various things can happen when a family is asked to do this.

The family gets a faith person in the family to do the pickings - someone everyone sees as a regular chuch goer and someone who knows what's what when it comes to these things. Or the whole family gets together and goes through either the Bible or the paperback booklet the parish provides for preparing a funeral celebration. The booklet has significant 1st, 2nd, and Gospel readings.

The same thing is asked of folks who are getting married. Neat.

Back to funerals. Then there is one of the those wonderful moments that I have experienced as a priest. Someone or a couple call and then come in and say they are planning their funeral long before they die. And they pick out the readings and music they would like for their funeral.

Because of that I sat down and picked out the readings I would like for my funeral – as well as the music. I would love to be in my casket and hear Aaron Copland’s “Appalachian Spring” and hear the Quaker hymn:

          “'Tis a gift to be simple, 'tis a gift to be free,
            'Tis a gift to come down where we ought to be,
            And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
           'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
           When true simplicity is gain'd,
           To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd,
           To turn, turn will be our delight
          'Till by turning, turning we come round right.”

How about you? What readings and what songs, hymns, or music would you like for your funeral celebration?

BACK TO TODAY’S GOSPEL

Today’s gospel is a gospel text that people pick at times for a funeral – and I would assume it’s chosen because of the Resurrection overtones – the Eternal Mansions or Dwelling Places with the Father in it and I would assume that’s why we have this gospel on one of these Sundays after Easter.

The text in the gospel reading that resonates big time for me is: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.”

Suggestion: take your rosary and recite on the beads 59 times – one for each bead, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” Try it. Saying it and praying it out loud, it took me –2 minutes and 47 seconds.

Or just use a decade of your rosary. Say 10 times on your rosary beads those words, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.”

I like to push using the rosary for many different things and people have come up to me afterwards and mention they have been using their rosary that way for the past two years or what have you.

The word will become flesh and dwell in you.

And maybe that text will become the number one text you will want for your funeral.

FURTHER SUGGESTION

Besides, “I AM” – and besides seeing and studying Jesus, one sees the Father, a further suggestion would be to reflect on the 3 key words in that saying of Jesus: Way, Truth and Life.

Jesus is saying that he is, “The Way, the Truth and the Life.”

Let’s look at those three as the meat – the beef – of this homily.

1) WAY

We all know what a WAY is.

We use the word all the time. Do you know a back way to the Bay Bridge and avoid as much of Route 50 as possible on a Friday afternoon – or evening? Would anyone catch me if I sneak out the back way of St. Mary’s parking lot?

Was Jesus standing on a road one day and pointed to the road below and said to his disciples, “I am the Way!” “I am the Road!” “I am the Path!”

That’s a theme in many religions and philosophies.

The TAO in Confucianism means “The Path” or “The Way.”

The Pythagorean school of philosophy in Greece used the letter Y for their symbol. You are walking a certain way and you come to a junction, a fork in the road, and you have to make a choice. Their message was to Choose Our Way!

Robert Frost has his famous poem, “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood and I took the road less travelled.

AA and the many programs that spinned off it stress 12 Steps. This it the way to recovery. Keep It Simple, Stupid. Take one step at a time.

Read the Gospels and the Letters of the New Testament and you’ll slowly discover Jesus’ Way to do life: love one another, forgive one another, see people, especially the unnoticed, feed people, visit the sick and those stuck, etc. etc. etc.

One name for the Early Christians were, “The followers of The Way.”

2) TRUTH

Jesus said he was the truth.

Jesus stressed honesty.

Don’t be a Pharisee or a Phony.

Avoid cheating. In fact, give extra.

Don’t live a double life. Be able to look each other in the eye. No hidden agendas.

I haven’t seen anyone in Annapolis with a parrot, but I still love the old saying, “So live that you wouldn’t be scared to sell your parrot to the town gossip.”

How many people have made it their life policy, “Honesty is the best policy!”

If you lie, you better have a great memory. If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember what you said the last time.

I love Jesus words, “The truth will set you free” and then I like what someone added, “but first it will hurt.”

3) LIFE

And lastly life.

Jesus is life. That’s why we’re here. That’s why we receive the Word and the Bread in communion – for life.

I learned from the Jesuits – the great principle of discernment.

Looking back at anything, if something gives me life, more and if something is killing me less. It’s as simple as that.

We know that when it comes to use of time and food and relationships.

Then there is the tricky part of the formula. Sometimes what looks good, something that looks like life – like that extra drink or third dessert, afterwards feels like ugg and ugly. And sometimes what looks painful or too much effort – like good regular exercise in the long run, we feel this was a good move.

CONCLUSION

Enough all ready. A long sermon can be draining. A short sermon can give life.

HURTING  ANOTHER

Quote for Today  May 22, 2011


"To kill a human being is, after all, the least injury you can do him."


Henry James [1943-1916]  Complete Tales (1962), Vol. 1, "My Friend Bingham" (1867 short story).

Questions:

What has been the greatest affront you've experienced?

Was the hurt deliberate?

Have you forgiven the person?

Did you talk to the person about what happened?

The tongue is metaphored as a sword or pen at times. Have you ever stabbed a person with a comment you made - or have you ever written a letter that really hurt another?