DEATH OF PARENTS
Quote for Today - May 4, 2013
"There's nothing so sad as a 55-year old orphan."
Ella Grasso, on her parents' deaths. Boston Globe, November 10, 1984
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Friday, May 3, 2013
INTRODUCERS
The title of my homily for this feast of St. Philip and St.
James is, “Introducers!”
I’m only going to look at Philip - not James - sorry to any
James here. I want to look at Philip’s place in the gospels - and it’s not that
much of a picture of him. I like to see him as “The introducer!”
FIRST INTRODUCERS
I have lots of weddings and one of my favorite questions is,
“How did you two meet?”
And often in the description of how a couple discovered each
other I hear the word “introduced”. My
best friend introduced us to each other. Or a cousin or a co-worker. Nice. I’ve
heard a couple of times the story when a
guy said his girl friend introduced us to each other - and I dropped her
- when I saw this one. Ouch! Maybe.
Introducers….
If we look at our life, we
can come up with people who introduced us to Tupperware, The Green
Turtle, Bridge, Tennis, NCIS, Ball Room Dancing, or what have you.
If we look at the story of our life, we can come up with who
introduced us to friends.
Introducers….
PHILIP
Good playwrights and good story tellers know how to use
people to introduce other people or new situations into a story - small part
people who bring about a change in the direction of the plot.
So in the Gospel of John that we heard today, we see Philip
playing the role of middle man - the go to man - who brings people to Jesus.
[Cf. John 14:6-14]
In the first chapter of John, we read about Philip
introducing Nathaniel to Jesus.
In the twelfth
chapter of John, some Greeks want to meet Jesus - so they go to Philip who is
the guy to go to - to have an audience with Jesus.
I’m sure those who know the present pope get calls from
strangers to see if they can get an introduction to meet the pope.
And in today’s fourteenth chapter of John, Philip wants an
introduction from Jesus to meet Got the Father. The Gospel of John uses
Philip’s question to Jesus to see the Father - to have Jesus tell Philip a basic or key message that he gave us: “See
me, see the Father!”
OUR JOB AS CHRISTIANS
Our job as Christians is to introduce people to Christ.
How many people have become Catholic because of the good example of their spouse?
Question: how many people have we introduced to Christ - and
Christ introduced them to the Father because of us?
My prayer at every wedding and every funeral is that someone
here will be introduced to Christ, to religion, to God the Father, because of
being at that wedding or funeral. This might be the only time they are in
church this year.
Tomorrow we have First Communion at St. John Neumann -
2 different Masses - as well as in many,
many, many churches across the world. I am aware that there is someone here who
hasn’t been going to church for the first time in a long time. I pray that they
will be introduced or reintroduced to Jesus Christ.
HORROR STORIES
As priest I hear horror stories - about priests. Someone
told me they went to the first communion of a grandson and the priest announced
with full firmness of voice from the pulpit: if you haven’t gone to confession
in the past year, don’t even think of coming to communion today. I remember one priest giving a talk on Birth
Control at a First Communion Mass. Recently, someone asked me a question about
baptism: “Can a child who was conceived by artificial insemination be baptized?” I said, “Of course!” Then the person who
asked me the question, said that a
priest told my niece that her kid could not be baptized. I would hope there is a lot more to the story
than that. So I don’t know the rest of
the story. I figured something is missing in the story. I figure some people at a wedding or a
funeral or a baptism or a First Communion - who have dropped out - might have
dropped out because of a hurt. As priest, I’ve heard lots of stories about
priests who pushed people away from God and church and the sacraments.
My hope and prayer is always that we priests - and all
Catholics - that we be introducers of people to God and Christ.
You’ve all heard the quote from St. Francis of Assisi . I’m still not
sure if it’s true, but in a way who cares: “Preach the gospel, sometimes use
words.”
CONCLUSION
The title of my homily is, “Introducers.”
The title of my homily is, “Introducers.”
Philip introduced people to Jesus - and Jesus will introduce
us to God the Father.
Jesus is the way, the truth and the life - as we heard in today’s gospel from John.
A twist in the story is the presentation of God by
introducers or those who people look to for Christian example. I’ve heard various
people tell me about their God - and as I heard their take on God, I have had to
bite my lip - and my tongue - because the God they were introduced to is not my
God.
Who is your God? Who
is Our Father?
Jesus tells us in today’s gospel that he is the way the
truth and the life.
Jesus is the way to the Father. Jesus shows us the truth called God. Jesus gives us the life that is God.
When people introduce me to a God who they think planned a
baby’[s death - when I hear people think God’s maps out another’s life and puts
horror stories in the script - when people introduce me to a vengeful God - I say, “That’s not my God.. Then I
introduce them to Luke 15 - and say, “Read all three parables and read them
carefully.”
PAINTINGS:
Top: The Apostle Philip by Durer, c. 1516
Middle: Apostle Philip by Ducio c. 1301
Last: The Apostle Philip by El Greco c. 1612
ooooooooooooo
PAINTINGS:
Top: The Apostle Philip by Durer, c. 1516
Middle: Apostle Philip by Ducio c. 1301
Last: The Apostle Philip by El Greco c. 1612
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
DIFFERENT KINDS
OF PEACE
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily for this 5th Tuesday of Easter is, “Different Kinds of Peace.”
I don’t know about you - but these after Easter readings can
get quite repetitive or broken "recordish".
We hear Jesus telling us over and over and over again to
love one another and how he’s trying to do his
Father’s will and commandment to love.
And I’m sure you noticed the first reader having to sail
through the waters of some tricky words
in the Acts of the Apostles. This
morning we heard about Paul and Barnabas going to Derbe, Iconium, Lystra, Pamphilia, Pisidia, Perga,
Attalia and Antioch .
All aboard! [Cf. Acts 14: 19-28]
So like you I listen to the readings over and over again for
something to hit or to challenge me.
In today’s gospel the word “peace” showed up. Like the word
“love” it too is often found in these after Easter readings. Today, I heard
Jesus saying to his disciples: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.” [Cf. John 14:27]
Then there was a
tiny twist. Jesus talks about peace and adds the nuance, ”Not as the world
gives do I give it to you.”
I said to myself, “Explore that!” I asked: “Do different
people have different takes on what the word ‘peace’ entails?” I wondered if I
had a clear take on what Jesus means by peace - giving or creating or working
towards peace.
Time was ticking, so I decided that attempts at answering those
questions could be enough for a short Tuesday morning homily.
With that as a long introduction, once more the title of my
homily is: “Different Kinds of Peace.”
HEBREW MEANING OF
PEACE
In the Jewish scriptures - “Shalom” was a greeting on
the street and on the road - which one made to one’s neighbor. It meant health,
no debts, family members are not fighting each other. It meant rain and good
crops. It meant no foreign armies or wild beasts were lurking on one’s property
or in the neighborhood. It meant one’s family is feeling God’s blessings - and
everyone is keeping the covenant with God - that is, being right with God and
neighbor. It’s a prayer: “Please God -
may that peace be flowing like a river into your family and your land.”
In the New Testament “Shalom”
meant all those same things. Then as Christ’s words made more and more impact and sense - as Christian thought developed - “Shalom” also meant union with Christ and seeing oneself as a member
of the whole Body of Christ in community. As Christian theology developed more,
it was seen as the plan and the hope and
the vision of Christ for his kingdom to come - on earth as it is in heaven - as
we pray in the Our Father. In time the Greek ideal of peace - meaning good
order and harmony - also came into the message and greeting of “Peace”.
TYPES OF PEACE - DIFFERENT FROM JESUS’ TYPE OF PEACE
My original question stayed there: what type of peace would be
different from the type of peace Jesus envisioned?
Is there anyone who thinks they will feel peace if they had
tons of money and tons of success?
Is there anyone who thinks they will be at peace if we have
bigger and better guns and bombs and greater gigantic walls protecting us - so no trouble can come in?
Does anyone think we’ll have peace without making sure
everyone gets a place at the table -
gets a voice and a vote - gets a piece of the action - and a piece of the pie? So
does anyone think we’ll have peace without having to be concerned with our brothers and sisters -
especially those in need.
CONCLUSION
After all that, I realized I still don’t get exactly what
kind of peace Jesus is pronouncing and promoting - but I hope I’m a bit closer
each day.
I know that it's stopping the rock throwing - verbal and stone - and use those rocks to build steps and bridges to each other.[1]
I get that peacemaking is work. It’s crucifixion at times. It’s
dying to self. Yet, it remains illusive - so I suppose that’s why we keep on
wishing one another “Shalom” - “Peace” - when we meet and greet each other -
and then we try to see what we can do to be peacemakers - to be instruments of
the Lord’s peace this day. Amen!
OOOOOOO
Notes:
[1] Cf. Today's first reading where they stone Paul to death to shut him up - Acts 14:19
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