THE POPE AND A HOPE

INTRODUCTION

The title of today’s feast is: The Chair of Saint Peter - Apostle.

The title of my homily is, “The Pope and A Hope.”

As Catholics we hope for a good pope.

With a conclave to elect a new pope about to happen next month - our hope and prayer is that the cardinals pick a leader and a saint - to lead us for the next decade or what have you.

I would assume that most of us here have been alive for a whole series of popes in our lifetime: Pius XII, John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul I, John Paul  II, and Benedict XVI. Did I leave anyone out?

UNITY

It’s nice to know who’s in charge - who’s the leader - who’s a focal point - who represents us to the world - and challenges us to be good Christians.

Please talk to each other about your takes on the different popes you’ve experienced in your lifetime. It’s a good breakfast or lunch or coffee break topic.  Right now a lot of people - not just Catholics - are wondering and taking about popes - and Catholics.

I hope and pray that those Catholics  who have dropped out - will drop into a Catholic Church - light a candle, say a prayer - and I hope a light goes on in their minds and hearts once again.

JAMES O’TOOLE

James O’Toole in his book The Faithful, A History of Catholics in America points out in his introduction that American Catholics define themselves in relation to the pope. In our history we’ve been attacked  for having allegiance to a foreign leader - the Pope - and in general we have not backed down. We have the American flag and the Vatican flag in our churches. Many people have pictures of the pope in their homes.

Around the world - and down through history - this has not always been the story. We’ve had some disasters as popes. We’ve had popes who were prisoners. We’ve had popes who have had no impact on Catholic lives.

MITCH ALBOM’S BOOK: THE 5 PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVEN

Concerning the question of impact, let me go this way for a few moments. I liked Mitch Albom’s book, The 5 People You Meet in Heaven.

I say that because I assume heaven is one big chance to go meet all the people in the world - whom we never met - or had no idea how much they influenced our lives or we theirs - some of whom will have been  popes - but probably nothing like our 2^nd grade teacher or a barber or hair dresser or a buddy who was next to us all through our time in the service or what have you.

I like Mitch Albom’s book The 5 People You Meet in Heaven - because it gives a better take on heaven than mansions and green fields, sheep and goats, ice cream and banquets.

In this book Mitch Albom tells the story of an 83 year old guy named Eddie - who was a maintenance man at an amusement park. When he was young he was optimistic. In his old age he became lonely, bored and filled with too many regrets.  Tragically he dies on his 83^rd birthday trying to save a little girl from a falling cart.

He wakes up in heaven and discovers 5 people who help explain his earthy life and about the impact and change we have on each other.

The book sold over 12 million copies - in 35 languages.

I wonder how many of those 12 million and many more were changed by reading that book.

THE CHAIR

A thought for the day is to think about that. Who have we impacted? Whose life changed our life?

Here’s an exercise. Take a chair. Place it right there empty in front of us - we sitting in our favorite chair.

Put in that chair the different people in our life. Invite them to sit  their one by one. Mom. Dad. Brothers. Sisters. Friends. Teachers. If you have a piece of paper in hand - it would help to make a list - and put them in that chair one by one.

You don’t have to do this all at once. Do one person at a time.

This could lead to prayer. This could lead to gratitude. This could lead to forgiveness. This could lead to peace.

In today’s gospel Jesus asks his disciples and Peter, “Who do you say I am?”

Peter said, “You are the Christ the son of the Living God.”

Make sure you put Jesus in that chair in front of you.  And answer that question that Jesus asked his disciples.

And ask that question of all the people you put in that chair.

As to popes, I wouldn’t put any of them in that chair. I really don’t know any pope. I’ve read biographies of John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul II, but I’d have to say, “I don’t know them - like I know the priests in the rectory or the people in my family or in my life.

So maybe I’ll get to know them in heaven. I hope so - there’s no time limits to eternity.

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily is, "The Pope and A Hope."

What do I hope to see in a pope?  Being a Redemptorist, I would say what our founder, St. Alphonsus de Liguori, would say: practice loving Jesus Christ. I see that as Job # 1 for the pope.

REVOLUTION

Quote for Today - February 22, 2013

"A radical revolution, embracing even nature itself, was the fundamental idea of Jesus."

Joseph Ernest Renan [1823-1892]

Question:

What would you list as the 3 key fundamental ideas of Jesus. Then put them in order of their importance.

THE POWER OF HUMOR

Quote for Today - February 21,  2013

"Next to power without honor, the most dangerous thing in the world is power without humor."

Eric Sevareid [1912-1992]

CAN PEOPLE CHANGE?

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily  for this First Wednesday in Lent is, “Can People Change?”

I consider that question - “Can People Change?” - one of life’s biggest questions.  There are other big questions:

·        “Why do people self destruct?”

·        “Why suffering?”

·        “Why death now?”

·        “Why did this person love me and then stop   loving me?”

·        “Why do some people get it and others don’t?”

Those are some first draft questions. I’m sure on second draft, and twentieth draft, lots of thinking and rethinking, I’d have better big lifetime questions, but the clock was ticking and I had to come up with a homily for today.

I know however, my question for today, “Can People Change?”, would  be on every draft - because it’s a question I’ve been asking all my life.

TODAY’S READINGS

Today’s readings trigger these thoughts - about this key question: “Can People Change”?

In today’s first reading from Jonah, we find out that the people of Nineveh changed. In the story of Jonah we know that he changed - but it wasn’t his doing. He was forced into being a preacher. He is called at times, “The Reluctant Prophet!” 

When God called him, he got in a boat and went the other way.

You know the story - and it’s an interesting story.

In today’s gospel we read about Jesus’ frustration with the people in his time - who want a sign - then perhaps they will change.

Jesus knew the human heart. Jesus knew people. Jesus knew that people work hard at coming up with excuses for not changing.

SO, CAN  PEOPLE CHANGE?

Can the person who is overweight, big time, change?

Can the person who is an alcoholic or drug addict change?

Can the person who is described as “always late” change their pattern and start to arrive 5 minutes early from now on?

Can the person who judges overweight people or people who are always late, change and stop judging.

12 STEP PROGRAMS

AA and other 12 step programs tackle this question up front and very early on.

The first of the 12 steps is to admit our powerlessness over an addiction whatever the area it is in: food, alcohol, sex, drugs, gambling.

THE KEY PRAYER

The key prayer in 12 step programs is a prayer developed by Reinhold Niebuhr - which you’re all familiar with. It’s called the Serenity Prayer. “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

CONCLUSION SELF

If we follow Jesus, we know he  teaches us to start with self. So we have to stop wanting everyone else to change  - and look in the mirror and see ourselves. 

"Physician change yourself!"

Spot those specks and logs in our own eye first!

We need to admit our powerlessness - get help - and in the meanwhile change what we can change in ourselves - one day at a time.

DOUBT AND BELIEF

Quote for Today - February 20, 2013

"There are two ways to slide easily through life: to believe everything or to doubt everything; both ways save us from thinking."

Alfred Korzybski [1879-1950]

BABBLE

OR CRYSTAL CLEAR?

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this First Tuesday in Lent  is, “Babble or Crystal Clear?”

I was looking for a word that would go well - and sound well - as the opposite of “babble” but couldn’t find one. So I chose two words as the opposite of babble - that is, crystal clear.

So the title of my short homily is, “Babble or Crystal Clear?” And I hope this homily will be crystal clear.

TODAY’S READINGS

Today’s readings are crystal clear.

In the first reading from Isaiah 55: 10-11 we hear the Lord saying - that his word goes forth from his mouth and it gets results. It is not empty words. It’s like rain and snow and seed. They go forth and then bring forth wheat which becomes bread.

In today’s gospel from Matthew 6:17 Jesus talks about babble. He must have heard a lot of babble prayer in his time. Then Jesus gives a clear - a crystal clear - way to pray. Pray the Our Father. Don’t babble it. Pray for daily bread and daily forgiveness.

TWO MOVIES

In the movie, My Cousin Vinny, which I love - having seen it or parts of it - at least 10 times - there is a scene when Vinny Gambini - who is a disaster as a lawyer up till  this scene says to Judge Chamberlain Haller about the prosecutor bringing in an automobile expert.

I object to this witness being called at this time. We've been given no prior notice he'd testify. No discovery of any tests he's conducted or reports he's prepared. And as the court is aware, the defense is entitled to advance notice of any witness who will testify, particularly to those who will give scientific evidence, so that we can properly prepare for cross-examination, as well as to give the defense an opportunity to have the witness's reports reviewed by a defense expert, who might then be in a position to contradict the veracity of his conclusions.

Vinny had been studying all night and the prosecutor had told him this  right he had as defense lawyer as well. Judge Haller is totally surprised and says, Mr. Gambini? …. That is a lucid, intelligent, well thought-out objection.

Vinny says, “Thank you, Your Honor.

Then the Judge says, “Overruled.”

What hits people seeing the movie is Judge Chamberlain Haller’s statement: “That is a lucid, intelligent, well thought-out objection.”  Up till then Vinny - in his first case as a lawyer - is totally a confused disaster.

The second movie scene is another court room scene. It’s in the movie A Few Good Men - when Jack Nicholson as Colonel Nathan R. Jessep says to the young lawyer, Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee, “We follow orders, son. We follow orders or people die. It’s that simple. Are we clear?” 

Tom Cruise as Kaffee says, “Yes, sir.” 

Colonel Jessep barks out again, “Are we clear?”

Kaffee says, “Crystal.”

CONCLUSION

Both those movie scenes came to mind when I thought about the crystal clear message found in today’s readings. It would be wonderful if our prayers and our forgiveness of others - were crystal clear - lucid - intelligent - and well thought out - and not babble. 

If it’s all  babble, perhaps we really didn’t pray or we really didn’t down deep forgive the other. But if it’s lucid and crystal clear - then we can trust there will be results coming out of our prayer - and results of our forgiving another person - just as rain and snow and seed bring forth daily bread to our world. Amen.

GETTING OVER THE HUMP

Quote for Today - February 19, 2013

"The camel never sees its own hump; but its neighbor's hump is ever before its eyes."

Arab Proverb