HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 4^th Friday in Ordinary Time is, “High Plains Drifter.”

That’s the name of a Clint Eastwood western which was on TV within the last few weeks. I saw the second half of it. Father Joe Krastel had the remote. While clicking he went past it and I spotted it. Then he fell asleep. With difficulty, I was able to get the remote out of his hands and go back to the movie, “High Plains Drifter.”

It’s a 1973 movie. I hadn’t seen it in 20 years. By seeing it again, it triggered old wonderings.

Then while sitting down this morning to work on a short homily for today, I  remembered that movie as I read today’s readings. 

High Plains Drifter is not a chick flick. It would be on a TV channel like Movies for Guys Who Like Movies. It’s # 46 of 100 Greatest Guy Movies - which include movies like French Connection, Death Wish, Dirty Dozen and The Magnificent Seven.

So this homily is more for the guys here. Sorry ladies.

THE PLOT

Clint Eastwood - cowboy - rides into a small mining town - with the name of Lago. It’s  by the side of a lake - out there somewhere - in the West.

It’s a small mining town. Because of greed and fear of 3  bad guys - the townsfolks let their sheriff - Jim Duncan - get whipped and killed.

Clint Eastwood proceeds to get involved in the story. He kills a few bad guys - so the town hires him to protect the town folks from the 3 bad guys who are coming back to town. They are the ones who killed the sheriff.  Little do they know, Clint Eastwood has come to straighten out their consciences.

John Wayne wrote a letter to Clint Eastwood complaining about the violence etc. in the movie. He wrote, “This isn’t what the West was about. This isn’t the American people who settled this country.”

Clint Eastwood in reply said about the movie which he directed and in which he starred: “It’s just an allegory …  a speculation on what happens when they go ahead and kill the sheriff and somebody comes back and calls the town’s conscience to bear. There’s always retribution for your deeds.”

TODAY’S READINGS

Today’s readings - the First Reading from Hebrews 13: 1-8 - and the Gospel from Mark 6: 14-29 - bring up various issues.

Today’s first reading calls for hospitality and love.  The people in the town of Lago in the movie lack both.

Today’s  first reading brings up a theme that comes up in literature and at times in movies. It’s the theme of unknowingly entertaining angels. In the movie, they don’t know who Clint Eastwood the Stranger is. He’s an unknown and they have to entertain him. He never gives his name. He's not an angel.

Today’s first reading talks about imprisonment and ill-treating people. The movie certainly talks about that.

Today’s first reading talks about honoring marriage and not defiling the marriage bed. The movie presents the opposite a bit.

Today’s first reading talks about money - and not get caught up in becoming discontent without it. The movie talks about money - big  time - and the problem it has caused for the town’s folks. Money is often the problem behind a lot of problems.

Today’s gospel talks about violence. Today’s gospel gives hints of alcohol and lust and especially murder. John the Baptist’s head is cut off and brought into Herod on a platter. Today’s gospel would be R Rated for it’s violence.

CONCLUSION: CONSEQUENCES

I better come up with a strong conclusion.

What I thought was the key issue in this movie and today’s readings - especially the gospel is consequences.

There are consequences - from our good deeds - but we mainly notice the consequences from our sins and selfishness. Herod had to live with the consequences of his boasting and bragging - as well as having John the Baptist beheaded.

Clint Eastwood - as the High Plains Drifter - forces the people of the town of Lago to paint the town red - all the buildings. Where did they get all that red paint? The reason: because of their letting the sheriff be beaten and killed with a whip.

In case the movie goers and the town folks don’t get that blood message, the High Plains Drifter makes the towns folks cross out the name Lago on the edge of their town and write over it, the word, “Hell”.

I assume the message is: we create our own hells - in our towns, in our homes and in our lives.

In today’s gospel they ask a question we hear in the gospels: who are you?

At the end of the movie, High Plains Drifter, a short guy - a dwarf - asks the High Plains Drifter his name and “Who are you?” as he’s about to ride off into the distance.

Who is this person Jesus? Do we want him in our lives so that the Kingdom of Heaven can arise in us or do we want him gone as several characters in the Gospel of Mark want Jesus to do: leave us.

The choice is ours: Heaven or Hell - Jesus or Trouble?

MARRIAGE:

7 SECRETS 

SECRET # 2

Quote for Today - February 8, 2013

“Such a silly husband I have

He has forgotten to hold hands.” 

Gajal Song, India.

National Marriage Week USA - February 7-14  http://youtu.be/XM-fguKqpZU

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.

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

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]