APPROACHING GOD

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 4^th Thursday in Ordinary Time is, “Approaching God.”

HEBREWS 12: 18-24

When I read today's first reading which has these image filled words: "Remember what you approached: not something touchable, not the blazing fire of Sinai, with darkness, gloom , and whirlwind, the trumpet-blast and the oracular voice, which they heard, and begged to hear no more; for they could not bear the command..." I wondered what would it be like to approach God?

What will I be feeling?  What will be my thoughts if I am blessed to be aware of everything as I’m approaching death? Or will I slowly slip into forgetting everything - muttering mysteries to nurses - if they wonder what old folks are talking about. Surprise! Then I wake up and I am about to meet God. 

Do is say, "Oh no!" or "Oh wow! Great"?

What will it be like to approach God?

FURTHER QUESTIONS

Did Jesus get angry when he heard people talking about God as a angry screamer - tyrant - or a grumpy Father?

Did any of the images of God that  we hear in the Jewish Scriptures - make Jesus wince?

Is that why Jesus pictured God as that wonderful Father in his story of the Prodigal Son - or the Good Shepherd looking for a lost sheep - or the woman who had lost the coin and searched and searched till she found it? [Cf. Luke 15]

CHERRY PICKING SCRIPTURE TEXTS

Then it hit me - that I can cherry pick scripture texts - stuff from the Jewish Bible - that can make God very forgiving - no matter what - like the story of Hosea. He forgave his wife - no matter what. 

I can also pick texts from the Gospel where Jesus talks about a God who is very fierce. For example in Matthew 25 Jesus finishes the Parable of the Talents by having the useless servant thrown into the darkness outside - where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. Then in that same chapter 25, the King of the Final Judgment sends the goats into eternal punishment. Uh oh!

SO HOW DOES THIS ALL WORK?

What is God like? What would it be like to be called to His office?

I’ve met lots and lots of principals and moms and dads - who seemed wonderful, warm - and rather approachable. I’ve also met several priests, dads, bishops, principals who seemed very severe.

If our dad was a piece of cake - a most happy fellow - a warm teddy bear of a guy - does that play into how we picture our God?

I always love to see the ending of the Wizard of Oz when the Wizard - the man behind the curtain - is shown to be an ordinary human being.

When we die and get to heaven, what will it be like? Will God be approachable or unapproachable?

CONCLUSION

I like today’s first reading because the speaker says that when we approach God we don’t need to do it with fear and trembling. Isn’t that what the author of Hebrews is telling us in today’s first reading?  When you approach God, God is not untouchable. God is not a blazing fire - an erupting volcano. God is not gloomy darkness. God is not storm or trumpet blast - or someone who is a silent iceberg.

I hear Kierkegaard [1813-1855] calling for Fear and Trembling. 

I don't see myself approaching God with that feeling. I can say that now. At present I also hope I can say at the end of my life, “Peace God, Peace. God you My God - My Joy and My Salvation. Amen."

MARRIAGE:

7 SECRETS - 

SECRET # 1

Quote for Today - February 7, 2013


“To have a successful marriage  - whenever you are wrong, admit it;  when you are right, keep your mouth shut.” 

Anonymous

National Marriage Week USA - February 7-14

Check out:   http://youtu.be/XM-fguKqpZU

BEETHOVEN'S FIFTH SYMPHONY 

Quote for Today - February 6, 2013

"It will be generally admitted that Beethoven's Fifth Symphony is the most sublime noise that has ever penetrated into the ear of man."

E. M. Forster [1879-1970]  Howard's End [1910], chapter 5

A CLOUD OF WITNESSES 

VS. THE CLING OF SIN

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “A Cloud of Witnesses VS.  The Cling of Sin.”

In today’s first reading from Hebrews we have a very interesting first sentence. It has this curious comment: “and sin that clings to us”.

I’ve preached on these readings for some 46 years now - so I want to be enriched by something that grabs or challenges me - that didn’t hit me before. That first sentence - rather long - is  just one verse: Hebrews - 12: 1. It grabbed me. Maybe it will grab you.

FIRST SENTENCE AGAIN

Let me read the first sentence again:

Brothers and sisters:
Since we are surrounded

by so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us rid ourselves of every burden

and sin that clings to us
and persevere in running the race

that lies before us
while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus,
the leader and perfecter of faith.

THE RACE

The author of Hebrews pictures life as a race - a run.

The author indicates a positive and then a negative.

A positive: keep your eyes on the great cloud of witnesses - around us - or above us - especially the Lord Jesus Christ.

The runner runs the race remembering that others - saints - good examples - have also run the race - and they made it. So keep moving

How many people have trained and run a 10 K race or a marathon - because someone else did it - and encouraged them to do it. “You can do it.” And as they run, when they run out of gas or have cramps or pains - or are tempted to quit,  hopefully they keep going because others have kept going. Keep picturing that cloud of witnesses.

So we have saints, parents, good people - good examples - who have done it - raised a family - kept the faith - and so we keep going.

For example, today we have the feast of St. Agatha - one of the 4 Early Church women saints we have for the cold months: Cecilia in November, Lucy in December, Agnes in January and Agatha here in February.

The first sentence also presents Jesus as part of the cloud of witnesses. It urges us to keep our eye on Jesus - to fix our eyes on Jesus to keep going like he did -  till we finish the race.

The Stations of the Cross in every Catholic Church are not just scenes from the end of Jesus’ life - but from our life as well - challenging us to make it our last station.

In today’s gospel we have scenes of 2 people who reached out to Jesus in their life. The woman with blood problems reached out to touch Jesus and be healed and helped. She is. And we have Jairus who comes to Jesus that he come and heal his daughter. Jesus does.

So the message is to keep our eye on Jesus and those other folks who have run this race before us. Those are the positive pushes for us to keep running the race.

Then there are the negatives:  the cling of sins that weigh us down -  that hold us back - the giving up - the negative voices - the lack of faith - the non reaching out to Jesus to keep going.

People often say, “I have the same old habits, the same old sins.” Don’t we all? The woman in today’s gospel has her problem for 12 years and in the gospel of John there’s the guy who was sick for 38 years.

CONCLUSION

So we have both those influences - the positive and the negative - the dynamic cloud of witnesses and  the cling of sin.

Message: The bottom line is this: it's in our power and with the grace of God to focus on the positive rather to let that static cling of sin - our past mistakes - or our present addictions to be our main drain.

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Picture on too:  Boston Marathon - found on line

FAITH - 

NOT CYNICISM AND FEAR 

Quote for Today - February 5, 2013


"It is cynicism and fear that freeze life; it is faith that thaws it out, releases it, sets it free."


Harry Emerson Fosdick [1878-1969]

HAVE FAITH

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 4^th Monday in Ordinary Time is, “Have Faith.”

This will be a simple, basic - a not too complicated homily - a message we need to hear on a regular basis - like, “Keep trying.” “Keep praying.” “Keep forgiving.” “Love one another.”

So a short homily on, “Have Faith.”

TODAY’S FIRST READING

Today’s first reading continues with the Letter to the  Hebrews. The author of Hebrews in chapter 11: 32-40 begins with a list of various people who did a lot by faith. They had to go through  a lot of struggle, pain, suffering, being tormented and hunted. Yet they kept going because they had faith.

So the obvious homily message: Have Faith.

It’s a theme all through the Letter to the Hebrews.

And I would add: if we read through the pages of our life, we’ll find that we have had faith all through our life. It has been a stream, a river, an ocean at times. Maybe there were periods of drought - but we came back to the faith - and kept going.

MY CLASSMATE LARRY

Every time I hear the word “faith” - it triggers something my classmate Larry said way back in 1966. I find it interesting on what we remember. We’ve had 100 or so good conversations through the years - but his comment on faith stands out.

We’re talking and he says, “Oh my God, I just realized that I just finished my first year of preaching and every sermon had the same message: “Have Faith!” Then he added the further comment: “I guess I was preaching to myself.”

I’m slower. I still don’t know in the year 2013 what the main theme that I preach is. Maybe I should ask others.

TODAY’S GOSPEL

We have to have faith to deal with our demons, our struggles, our chains.

We need to have faith to ask Jesus to enter into our life and not leave us. The man in the gospel knows who Jesus is. In fact, it seems to me that only when we know we need help - do we discover help is possible.

The man in the gospel who kept gashing and bashing himself with his sins - the rocks of his mistakes - moves from telling Jesus not to meddle with him - to ask Jesus to send his demons into the pigs and let them go jump in the lake.

Sickness and sin bring more people to God - than jogging, ham and cheese sandwiches, and ice cream cones.

CONCLUSION: FAITH IS A LEAP

The title of my homily is, “Have Faith.”

This mantra, this slogan, is good to bring to prayer - so that when we come to a crisis - we will ask Jesus for help - that we will have faith in that crisis.

There are many definitions of what faith is.

Faith to me - is a leap - when in a crisis - or at a crossroads.

The image I like best is to call faith a leap - a jump - over some dangerous obstacle that is before us.

We have all had the experience of coming to the end of a street. We’re standing there at the curb. When all is well, it’s easy - to look both ways and to step down and cross the street. But sometimes there is ice and slush - and then some black ice in the street at the corner curb. We want to jump, leap a bit over the snow and the ice - but we know it’s slippery. Will we make it? Will there be firm footing on the other side. And ooops, I forgot to mention it’s dark and we can’t see the other side.

But we have faith and we make the leap - trusting that God is there on the other side of our jump.

Understand that understanding of faith and you get Paul Tillich's description of God as the Ground of Our Being. Amen.

ON BEING APPRECIATED

Swedish

Quote for Today - February 4, 2013

"The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated."

William James [1842-1910]

Questions:

Agree or disagree? If disagree, what would you pick as the deepest principle?

When was the last time you told another, "I really appreciate you!"?

When was the last times someone said to you, "I appreciate you!"?

If actions speak louder than words, how does one feel being appreciated in a non-verbal way?

Think of one person whom you appreciate. Now how could you express that appreciation in a non-verbal way? Cash or check? Smile.