BEETHOVEN
Quote for August 9, 2013
“What you are, you are by accident of birth; what I am, I am
by myself. There are and will be a thousand princes; there is only one
Beethoven.”
Ludwig van Beethoven
Friday, August 9, 2013
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
TRANSFIGURATION
MOMENTS
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily is “Transfiguration Moments.”
They happen. How many have happened to you? Describe them!
THEY HAPPENED TO JESUS
Jesus had a few Transfiguration Moments that we know of.
There was that moment on the mountain - that we heard in
today’s gospel - when Jesus shone like the sun.
It was a moment with his 3 key disciples: Peter, James and
John.
They saw him in prayer. And wow could he pray.
His face changed. Bright light radiated off the skin of his
forehead and cheeks. His clothes became dazzling white.
Notice its connection to a future moment in the garden - on the night
before he died. In both scenes Peter and
the disciples had fallen asleep.
In the Transfiguration scene, they were awakened by the
spectacular in the scene.
At that moment on the mountain they saw Jesus with 2
mysterious figures: Moses and Elijah.
They saw a cloud moving over them, enveloping them.
They heard a voice say, “This is my chosen Son; listen to
him.”
It was a transfiguration moment - a transfiguring experience.
His disciples were frightened,
His disciples wanted to stay there forever.
Jesus knowing they couldn’t contain this experience, Jesus
knowing they couldn’t explain this experience, told them to keep this personal
and private - till his exodus experience in Jerusalem - which was to come.
Jesus had a similar transfiguration moment at his Baptism -
in the Jordan
- when a cloud came over him. Like at the Noah’s ark story, a dove indicated
where to land and start again. A voice said, “You are my Son, the Beloved, my
favor rests on you.”
The title of my homily is, “Transfiguration Moments.”
Jesus had a few of them - at his birth in Bethlehem - when a great crowd of angels
praised God - singing, “Glory to God in the highest - peace on all those on
whom his favor rests.” Then there were the moments before he died: in the upper
room, at Calvary , and all those resurrection
moments.
People were transfigured by Jesus - changed by him - in
their transfigured moments with him - especially Paul on his way to Damascus - when a light
blinded him. He gets to Damascus
- not with his destructive urges - but with new life - as a transfigured human
being.
WHAT HAVE BEEN OUR TRANSFIGURATION MOMENTS?
People have transfiguration moments - moments when they saw
the light - moments that changed their lives: the birth of a baby; a sunrise at
the ocean; waking up and seeing the face of a sleeping spouse in the morning
light; seeing a son or a daughter graduate or marry or have their first
grandchild; seeing a 7 year old play a piano or a trombone - in a kids’
orchestra.
People have transfiguration moments - transcendental moments
- moments filled with light and joy - insight and the shattering of darkness -
at Mass while singing a hymn like, “Joyful,
Joyful, We Adore Thee,” to the music of Ode
to Joy by Ludwig van Beethoven - or at
a picnic in the park with one’s family -or we’re at a parents 60th
wedding anniversary - or the death of a loved one.
People have transfiguration moments - like the 3 million people at the World Youth Final Mass at theCococabana Beach in Rio just
two weeks ago. Will that moment solidify their faith life - life in Christ for
life - for those people?
People have transfiguration moments - like the 3 million people at the World Youth Final Mass at the
CONCLUSION
Today we’re celebrating the Feast of the Transfiguration - whose Gospel Message - is that Christ is the Light of the World - that Christ can transform our lives - his light can penetrate all darkness.
One of its key messages is that Christ is not only the light
of the world - but that we are called to be light to our world. As Pope Francis
told the young people of Brazil
- we are called to spread the faith to the fringes of society.
May Christ’s light shine in all the corners of our life - so
that we can spread that light to all corners of the world. Amen.
Painting on top:Transfiguration by Lewis Bowman
DISFIGURATION
MOMENTS
MOMENTS
Hiroshima - August 6, 1945
Quote August 6, 2013
"O Nature, and O soul of man! how far beyond all utterance are your linked analogies! not the smallest atom stirs or lives on matter, but has its cunning duplicate in mind."
Herman Melville [1819-1891] Moby Dick, Chapter 70.
COMPARE
Compare that comment with the following comments:
"The unleashed power of the atom has changed everything save our modes of thinking, and we thus drift toward unparalleled catastrophes." Albert Einstein [1879-1955], from Ralph E. Lapp, The Einstein Letter That Started It All. In the New York Times Magazine [August 2, 1964]
"Nature is neurtal. Man has wrested from nature the power to make the world a desert or to make the deserts bloom. There is no evil in the atom; only in men's souls." Adlai Ewing Stevenson [1900-1965], Speech at Hartford Connecticut [September 18, 1952]
Monday, August 5, 2013
AVOIDING THE TITLE “COMPLAINER”
AT THE FUNERAL PARLOR
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily for this 18th Monday in Ordinary Time is, “Avoiding The Title, ‘Complainer’ At The Funeral Parlor.”
The title of my homily for this 18th Monday in Ordinary Time is, “Avoiding The Title, ‘Complainer’ At The Funeral Parlor.”
At many funerals there is a eulogy - by a family member or a
friend. It’s a description - or a
rendering of the person who died - usually edited - to avoid the negatives - to
help all deal with the death of a loved one.
Hopefully, there will be many positive comments.
Then there is the unofficial eulogy - the real one of the
person who died. Most of the time it’s kept within - but sometimes people
whisper - with hand to their mouth, “You know, she was a complainer.” Or “He
liked to “gripe, growl, and groan.” Hopefully,
there will be some good stuff as well.
The title of my homily is, “Avoiding The Title, ‘Complainer’
At The Funeral Parlor.”
TODAY’S READINGS
In today’s two readings - especially the first reading -
folks are complaining. In the Book of
Numbers they are complaining about the horrible food in the desert. They also start voicing a basic complaint: we
should never have moved in the first place.
The gospel complaint is about inconvenience - of having to
feed all these folks. The disciples want Jesus to dismiss the crowd.
Jesus says: “Feed the crowd.”
TELL ME YOUR COMPLAINTS AND I’LL TELL YOU WHO YOU ARE.
Is there a definitive list of life’s top ten complaints?
I don’t know. That’s my first response to that question. Now
I’ll be on the lookout for the most frequent gripes or complaints of people.
My guess would be that the list would contain: food,
weather, noise, interruptions, traffic, aches and pains, not getting my way - and
especially others.
Yet, I don’t know. I have to think a bit more about all
this.
I would think a basic question is whether most of my
complaints are about myself or others. The answer to that would tell me a lot
about myself.
Complaining about sloppiness, mismanagement, lateness,
laziness, might indicate that I’m a neat person. Show me your house, your
closets, the trunk of your car, and if it’s very neat, I might be able to tell
you what you complain about. I would assume it would be the opposite:
sloppiness and lazainess.
Knowing our pet peeves - would also tell us a lot about
ourselves.
Listening to a person’s political complaints will tell
others what TV news channel that person might watch for news.
CONCLUSION
The title of my
homily is, “Avoiding The Title, ‘Complainer’ At The Funeral Parlor.”
I was talking to a
lady yesterday who has lost her hair and a lot more - because of cancer. She
and her husband are praying for a cure, and she’s going for another major
surgery next week, yet she said with a rich smile: “Death it’s a part of life!
I’m ready.”
Mark Twain in
his Pudd’nhead
Wilson’s Calendar, Chapter 10, wrote, “All say, ‘How hard it is that we
have to die’ - a strange complaint to come from the mouths of those who have
had to live.”
I would assume then
that the bottom line is gratitude and joy for all the days of life we have had
so far - for our food - our home - where we live, our relatives and friends, and our hope for more - and we learn to enjoy
them all - before we die. Amen
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