JUDGING  OTHERS

December 9,  2011

Quote for Today

"When nobody around you seems to measure up, it's time to check your yardstick."

OOOOOOO

Check out Jesus comments on this issue in Luke 6: 37-39.  Better check out Luke 6: 27-42.


If you have time, also check out the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard in Matthew 20: 1-16.





























Bill Lemley

THE TENDENCY 

TO SIN

Quote for this Thursday  December 8,  2011

"There aint gonna be no whiskey;
there aint gona be no gin;
There aint gonna be no cigarettes
to make folks pale and thin;
But you can't take away the tendency
to sin, sin, sin."

Vaughan Miller, "There Ain't Gonna Be No Whiskey," 1919

Painting on top: Immaculate Conception by Bartolome Esteban Murillo [1617-1682]

WHAT?

Quote for this Wednesday - December 7,  2011

"You are all you will ever have for certain."

June Havoc [1912-2011]

Picture on top: June Havoc

COMFORT AS A MOTIVE

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 2nd Tuesday in Advent is, “Comfort As A Motive.”

Today’s first reading - Isaiah 40:1-11 - begins with the word, "Comfort”.  It says, “Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God.”

As I heard that, as far as I know, it hit me that I never thought about or preached on, the theme of comfort.

AT FIRST, IT SEEMS FAR FETCHED


When it comes to clothes, my first motive is comfort. Those who know me would jokingly say, “No  kidding!”

After that, comfort as a motive seemed foreign to me. Yet I have not really thought about comfort, so I welcome this short homily as a chance to do just that.

For starters, the cross is the symbol of Christianity. I would assume that the cross - especially being nailed to the cross - is far from being comfortable.

And the call of the scriptures seems to be challenge more than comfort - to get up out of our Lazy Boy or Lazy Girl chairs and do things for others.

And these benches here at St. Mary’s are known for not being comfortable.

Yet, Isaiah begins today’s first text with these words, once again, “Comfort! Give comfort to my people.”

So there is a paradox here - a theme, an issue to consider.

YES - OF COURSE YES

Of course we can push the theme of comfort - to work to make visitors and strangers comfortable.

The Holy Spirit is described somewhere as the Comforter!

And as Christians we are told to comfort the sick!

And hospitality is all about making life sweet for the visitor or guest.

For the 8 ½ years before coming here to Annapolis, another priest and myself preached all over Ohio and various other places - usually for a week at a time in someone else’s rectory or parish house. A few times there was only 1 guest room - and the pastor would give us his room. I learned how hospitality worked - making sure the guest got a key. A good host would take us to the kitchen and show us where things were. Everyone in the refrigerator was ours - as well as the peanut butter in the cabinet. The really gracious and observant would show us where the extra toilet paper was, etc., etc., etc.

“Comfort! Give comfort to my people.”

I have fond memories of visiting my mom when she was alive. If I was lying on the couch watching TV and it was December or January and the heat wasn’t that up - she would go to the back of the house and come out with her big medium dark grey down comforter. If ever a something got the right name - it was “comforter”. The Holy Spirit got second place on that one.

YET

Yet the scriptures also have the call to make the comfortable uncomfortable or guilty - if they were too comfortable - and someone is being neglected.

Prophets like Amos yells out at the fat cats - who are too smug - and he tries to pull the rug from out under their luxury - when down the street - or a few blocks away - the poor are starving - and nobody gives a care in the world about them. [Cf. Amos chapters 4 and 6]

The history of the United States and Canada - and any country with a strong middle class - is a message to the rest of the world - as the way to go. We have heard the numbers of some countries of the world that 97% or 98 % or 99% of the wealth of that country is in the hands of 1, 2 or 3% of the people.

And Jesus’ challenges to the Pharisees of his day when it comes to religious practices and life certainly challenges the priests and preachers - bishops and popes - about the comfortable life - and lording it over others. [Cf. Matthew 23 especially.]

I hear Jesus challenging the comfortable and if you want one more motive of why Jesus was killed and rejected. it’s uncomfortably there.

CONCLUSION

So those are a few opening thoughts about “Comfort As A Motive.”

I’m assuming that this message of comfort needs to cause us some non-comfort where that’s needed and for those who are uncomfortable, there is the need for a call to move to comfort zones. The Golden Rule is in here somewhere.

The Good Shepherd had to put the TV clicker down - get out of his easy chair and go in search of that one lost sheep and leave the 99 comfortable sheep at rest. [Check today’s gospel, Matthew 18:12-14]

So if the shoe fits and is comfortable, wear it - but walk in other’s shoes - even it they are of a different size - and they feel very uncomfortable - so as to be very aware of others - especially the uncomfortable.

BERNSTEIN

Quote for Today  December 6, 2011

A questioner: "To turn to the compositions, do you think Bernstein felt that he had failed as  composer?"


The answer: "Ah but Mon Dieu, we are all frustrated in life, we all want to do something else than what we do. West Side Story or Candide, I think these are wonderful works, but maybe he only thought of them as a light music, operetta music. You know, I think with Bernstein, and with all of us, often the thing that we really can do, it's not so interesting. We always want to sing soemthing else,  or compose something else, or whatever. Karajan also felt this. Before the died he said: 'I have still so much to do.'"

Christa Ludwig

I found this quote on page 70 in a book entitled, The Education of The Heart, Readings and Sources For Care Of The Soul, Soul Mates, And The Re-Enchantment Of Everyday Life, Edited by Thomas Moore, Harper Perennial, New York, 1997

OUT THERE

OR

IN HERE?

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Out There Or In Here?”

TODAY’S READINGS

Today’s two readings for the Second Monday in Advent are rich in imagery, story, poetry and visualization.

We can picture what Isaiah 35:1-10 is talking about. We can picture a desert and parched land blooming with flowers.

It happens in Arizona every time after a rich rain fall. Surprise! All those flowers underneath it all were just waiting for the rain. If you haven’t been to Arizona - perhaps you’ve walked into a church near the end of Lent or Advent and surprise - the church sanctuary is blooming with lilies or Christmas trees!

We can picture today’s gospel from Luke 5:17-26. Jesus is standing there preaching in a house - surrounded by people. We’ve seen that scene on a dozen Catholic calendar pictures or in an art museum. Suddenly stuff starts falling from the ceiling. A small group of men have brought their friend to Jesus on a stretcher. Because of the crowd, they can’t get in to see Jesus. They had faith in Jesus that he would heal their friend. So they went up on the roof and opened it up to lower this paralyzed man down in front of Jesus.

I love babies to cry at Mass - especially during a sermon. It’s life. It challenges all of us to be patient and be pro life especially when we have the surround sound of screaming hungry babies. However, I think I would stop and be distracted if our roof and ceiling started to open up or if someone brought someone up in a wheelchair down the aisle during a sermon to be healed.

So it’s easy to picture today’s two readings.

TITLE OF MY HOMILY: OUT THERE OR IN HERE?

The title of my homily is, “Out There Or In Here?”

The catch would be to move these stories - these images into our being - into our soul - into our lives.

How many times have we heard or seen the saying, “Bloom where you are planted”?

How many times have we felt stuck, paralyzed?

How many times have we had friends who are frozen in the past - because of a death or a divorce or a disaster?

I was listening to David Brooks on the radio yesterday. He was talking about two kinds of people over 70. Those who are stuck in the past and they keep repeating what happened. They keep rehearsing it. They keep rehashing it. They keep reinforcing it. And then there are those who have moved on and moved up and out to new life.

Timing is everything. So if you’re paralyzed in the past or a friend is still there, at some point scream, “Enough already.”

Stand up and walk. Get in your car and take yourself or the paralyzed friend for a big milk shake at Chick and Ruth’s - supposedly they have the best milkshakes in this area. Or say, “Let’s go for a walk. I’ll carry your crutch and then toss them in a dumpster or the South River.”

If you’re a painter, when was the last time you painted a picture? Make a blank canvas bloom and splash with color. Or even if you’re not a painter buy a box of crayons or get some play dough and make out you’re Michelangelo.

If you’re a photographer, when was the last time you went to Quiet Waters Park for a photo shoot - or picture the leaves on the trees around your house - and shoot them. Have you stopped to look at all those beautiful leaves still on the trees or running around on sidewalks?

If you’re a poet, when was the last time you wrote a poem?

If you’re a book reader, when was the last time you read a book you couldn’t find enough time to get back to?

Both of today’s readings feature before and after. Both readings feature weakness and then healing. Both readings feature old life changing to new life.

How do people change?

Today’s readings give two answers: with a little help from my friends and with a lot of help from the Lord.

ADVENT PRAYER: MARANATHA

The advent prayer is Maranatha: Come Lord Jesus.

If you’re dry and dead, mad or sad, paralyzed and stuck, get ye to Jesus.

The title of my homily is, “Out There or In Here?”

Open up the roof your head and pour these readings into your life today? There not meant to be out there in a book or in the air around a pulpit - but in here.  [POINT TO THE TOP OF ONE’S HEAD]

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Picture on top: not sure of its origin.

SPECIFICS

December  5,  2011

Quote for Today

"Cadilacs are down at the end of the bat."

Baseball player Ralph Kiner [1922- ] when asked why he didn't choke up and hit for average.