CLIQUES 

CRUSH COMMUNITY

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily  for this 6^th Saturday after Easter is, “Cliques Crush Community.”

I recently preached on how comparisons can crush           us. This morning: here is a brief homily on the issue of cliques - and how they can crush community.

SEMINARY

When I was in the seminary we were warned from time to time to avoid cliques. At first I had no clue what the word meant - and what cliques were.  All I knew for starters that they were a “no no!”

Slowly I discovered what everyone in every school, team, work place, neighborhood, and group learns. Cliques are a bummer. When sub-groups  or small groups within the larger group or community start to be snippy, snotty, snobby, the select few - then Houston we have problems.

I would see cliques from time to time - and saw from time to time how they can crush community.

TODAY’S FIRST READING FROM ACTS

This theme hit me from today’s first reading from Acts 18:23-28.

During these days after Easter we have been blessed with all these readings from the Acts of the Apostles. They are a blessing because they give details, history. They are very specific with names of people  and places - even though some of them are hard to pronounce.  To me they are totally opposite from these readings from the Gospel of John which we have after Easter. John can be very poetic, vague, and unclear. That’s not just my opinion. Various scholars like Ray Brown point that out.

In today’s first reading we hear about Apollos - a Jew from Alexandria - who is a scholar of the scriptures. He had become a follower of John the Baptist.  Thanks to Priscilla and Aquila - he hears about Jesus -  as we heard in today’s first reading. He then becomes a follower of Jesus Christ and becomes well know in the different early Christian communities where he preached. Like good preachers people start to become his fans and followers.

Looking up anything about Apollos - I found myself in  the first chapter of Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians. Check it out!

It’s in the church of Corinth where this issue of cliques shows up. Some say they are following Apollos; some say they are following Paul. Some say they following  Cephas or Peter. This is the language of cliques. Paul challenges the Corinthians. The different groups as we hear in the 1^st Letter to the Corinthians attack back at Paul. Paul responds, “Has Christ been parceled out? Was it Paul that was crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul?”

HISTORY OF THE CHURCH

Part of  the  history of the Catholic Church is a history of cliques and conflicts and comparisons and sub-groupings - leading to divisions and splits.

From time to time groups break off - and form their own churches.

We Redemptorists here in the United States split on the issue of reaching out to the English speaking Americans - so we have the Paulists begun by ex-Redemptorists.

If you see Father Benedict Groeschel on EWTN - you know his group broke off from the Capuchins which had broke off from the Franciscans - each group started for the purpose of renewal.

When I was novice master we would got to meetings of  students from various religious communities. At times I would hear groups comparing and criticizing other groups. It’s the stuff people often do when they are dealing with identity issues.

I know I have to be careful of not only verbal criticisms and digs, but also inner sniping. Being a slob who  prefers  the informal, I make fun of in my mind those I call the “Suits”.  Who am I to say that Jesus wouldn’t wear French cuffs and those elaborate expensive clerical   collars that some wear?

Cliques - groups - organizations use uniforms - hats - medals - badges - markers to say, “We’re special!” Then comes my question - and assumption at times, “You’re not!”

Every once and a while we all need to look at Jesus in that loin cloth on the cross - and make the stations of the cross with him.

In the meanwhile, we need to read the gospels - not these esoteric books that give private revelations. To me that kind of material can move people towards being Gnostics. To me their main underneath position is: “I know stuff you don’t know. Therefore I’m better than you.”  Underneath that is another of my uncharitable thoughts: “Therefore I’m not so bad after all.”

We all need to carefully read Jesus’ words about humility and simplicity - and his experiences with the Pharisees.

CONCLUSION

Jesus reached out to everyone - not just to his small group. It took Peter a while to get that message. Paul got it by conflict. Christ brings together people from the North, South, East, West - as the 4 points of the cross point out towards. 

BUILDING 

ROADS OR WALLS?

Quote for Today - May 11, 2013

"Great roads the Romans built 
          that men may meet,
And walls to keep strong men apart, 
          secure.
Now centuries are gone, 
          and in defeat
The walls are fallen, 
          but the roads endure."

Ethelyn Miller Hartwich, What Shall Endure?

Questions: 

Looking at my life of my parents, what has endured?

Looking at my life, what has endured?

Looking at my life, what do I want to endure?

THE OTHER 

PERSON'S PRAYERS

Quote for Today - May 10,  2013

"If we could all hear one another's prayers, God might be relieved of some of his burden."

Ashleigh Brilliant [1933- ]

UNANSWERED PRAYERS

Quote for Today - May 9, 2013

"More tears are shed over answered prayers than unanswered ones."

St. Teresa of Avila  [1515-1582]

E GO!

Quote for Today - May 8, 2013

"Before we can pray, 'Lord, Thy Kingdom come,' we must be willing to pray, 'My Kingdom go.'"

Alan Redpath

COME HOLY SPIRIT

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 6^th Tuesday after Easter is, “Come Holy Spirit!”

We’re moving now into that time of the Church Year when there will be much greater stress on the coming of the Holy Spirit.

I like to stress using one’s rosary beads for all kinds of prayers. So don’t hesitate to say on the 59 beads, “Come Holy Spirit!” - especially if you feel stuck - especially if you need wisdom, advice, or the Advocate - as  today’s gospel calls the Spirit. “Come Holy Spirit.” You can take your beads and say that prayer 59 times in less than 2 minutes. Of course, I’m not stressing time, but praying.

I misplaced or lost my white rosary beads - they are somewhere I hope - so I said a prayer to St. Anthony and St. Gertrude and found a ruby red pair the next day in the pocket of a jacket I rarely wear.

Come Holy Spirit.

THE JAILER IN TODAY’S FIRST READING

Have you ever felt like the jailer in today’s first reading?  He thinks his prisoners - Paul and Silas - escaped. The whole town of Philippi were screaming and yelling at Paul and Silas. Then the town magistrates ordered that they be stripped and beaten - and thrown in jail. Seeing the cell doors open, the jailer reached for his sword to kill himself. Paul shouts out, “Don’t do it. We’re still here!” [Cf. Acts 16:22-34]

Have you ever felt like that? You wanted to kill yourself - well not really,  but you said, “I could kill myself!” You didn’t mean it literally - but you felt trapped because of shame or a family disaster or a scandal or a mistake or what have you. Woo!

Come Holy Spirit. Reach for your beads, reach for prayer, not  the sword. Reach for the Holy Spirit to get you out of that trap or that prison or those chains.

And hopefully there will be a resolution or a solution - and a happy ending. That’s how today’s first reading ends. The head of the jail and his family throw a dinner for Paul and Silas and they are baptized and become Christians.

TODAY’S GOSPEL

I read today’s gospel - John 16: 5-11 last night - to say something in this homily. I prayed, “Come Holy Spirit!”

Nothing was hitting me - except the promise of Jesus that he would send us the Advocate  - that Jesus had to leave  - so the Advocate could come. What is that all about?  Is it like a parent sending a kid off to college or one pope replacing another pope?

You heard it read, what hit you? What sense did you make of it?

I checked Raymond Brown’s Anchor Bible on this section of John and read the following, “Commentators have not found the detailed exposition of  8-11 easy.  Augustine avoided the passage as very difficult; Maldonatus found it among the most obscure in the Gospel. Loisy, p. 430, remarks that the pattern of mentioning the three charges (v.8) and then explaining each (9-11) - ‘a methodical explanation that has not much clarity”…. [1]

Come Holy Spirit.  How about some clarity?

Then it hit me: well, maybe when it comes to grasping God - it’s not clear. After all,  we Christians are taught - that God is a Father, as well as a Son who is both God and Human, and a Third Person - called the Advocate, or the Holy Spirit. All 3 are 1 God. The Church took a long time to put the Trinity into a formula and Creeds. In the meanwhile various heresies and a few centuries of efforts took place in the struggle to formulate declarations about God - as Christ taught us about God - as Trinity.

So too today’s  gospel. It is complicated stuff - these words about Jesus leaving his disciples - so he can send us the Spirit - the Advocate.

CONCLUSION

In the meanwhile we can say, “Come Holy Spirit” - and while praying those words we can ask for help with family, work, neighbor, stuff, self.

In the meanwhile,  we can  pray, “Come Holy Spirit” - and while praying those words ask the Holy Spirit to challenge us - to convict us when we’re living a lie or a sin or being lazy or not in the right.

Tough stuff. Tough prayer. Yet hopefully we keep praying, “Come Holy Spirit.” Amen.

NOTES

[1] Raymond E. Brown, The Anchor Bible, The Gospel According to John XIII - XXI, Doubleday and Company, New York, 1970, page 711.

Blue picture on top: The Blue Angels flying over St. Mary's. Tap, tap, with your cursor - to get a full screen picture.

Painting in Middle: Rembrandt Van Rinj, Apostle Paul in Prison

ATTITUDE

Quote for Today - May 7, 2013

"Life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you respond to it."

Lou Holtz