ALONE AGAIN NATURALLY
Quote for Today - October 19, 2013
"We're all in this together ... alone."
Lily Tomlin
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Friday, October 18, 2013
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
WISDOM AND
WISDOM TEACHERS
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily is, “Wisdom and Wisdom Teachers.”
Who have been your wisdom teachers? Who has given you your life
wisdom?
Is there any wisdom teacher you’d would like to go to hear -
to listen to her or his wisdom?
I was thinking last night - that those are good questions. It’s good to reflect
upon those who taught us the wisdom that is part of our lives. I think of at
least 3 good teachers I’ve had - a few other people I’ve met along the way. The
key is to not to first name the teacher - but to first name the wisdom - and
then unravel, “Who was the one who taught me that.”
For example, one good specific wisdom learning I picked up
was this: “You’re complaining about him - but give me a specific
complaint.” And sometimes that shuts me
up or another up.” It can be worded with a two word question: “For example?”
Yesterday’s gospel talked about the Queen of the South
coming to hear the wisdom of Solomon. It also talked about the Ninevites
listening to Jonah and they were converted. Jesus made that comment when he saw
the crowds listening to him - but many did not change or convert. Today’s
gospel talks about Jesus at a dinner and Jesus notices the Pharisees once more
concerned about externals - the outside - what you see. It’s not what you get.
Then Jesus gives them the wisdom - that it’s the inside - the within - the
person - one’s motives - the invisible - that counts.
Today’s first reading continues with the Letter of Paul to
the Romans that we began yesterday - and we’ll have it as the first reading at
daily Mass for about the next month. Many
people have listened to Paul - especially in his letter to the Romans and
changed - like Augustine reading Romans 13: 11-14 - and he is changed -
converted - after his long struggle. Notice in today’s first reading, how Paul goes
from the known to the unknown - the seen to the unseen - to see the One who is
behind and underneath - the one who is keeping us and all together.
TODAY’S FEAST OF
ST. TERESA OF AVILA
Down through the years many people have read the writings of
St. Teresa of Avila
to sip her wisdom.
I like her take on prayer. She often uses simple clear
images and pictures that everyone can understand. Who hasn’t understood her 4
stages of prayer?
The first stage is “Going to the well.” Prayer is seeing our soul like a garden and taking water from a well to water ourselves. Beginners in prayer have to start off small - like going to a specific place or prayer or prayer method.
The second stage is to get a garden hose. The person who
sticks to prayer will find easier ways to water one’s garden.
The third stage is to pray near running water. It’s the
message of Psalm 1. Be a live tree as opposed to a dead leaf. Lead a life that
is bearing fruit. Prayer and action - and action and prayer work together. Talk
isn’t enough.
And the fourth state is, “Sometimes it rains. Sometimes, if we take time to just sit in prayer, we’ll grow
and sometimes we’ll experience a downpour of God’s presence and love.
Of if we simply can’t pray, St. Teresa of Avila simply says to pray the Our Father
slowly and with meaning.
We all know her comments about not letting anything disturb
us. Of course it’s easier said than done. Yet listen to her words.
“Let
nothing disturb you,
let nothing cause you fear
All things pass.
God is unchanging.
Patience obtains all:
Whoever has God
needs nothing else.
let nothing cause you fear
All things pass.
God is unchanging.
Patience obtains all:
Whoever has God
needs nothing else.
God alone suffices.”
A short cut is to
say, “Nada” “Nothing!” inwardly - when someone or something is driving us nuts.
You know us priests,
so I always liked her comment about "having a peculiar distrust of holy
men who where stupid." (St Teresa of Avila, Bruce, 1943; TAN, 1987, p 75).
She went through a
lot in her life - not only in her struggles with other nuns to reform the Carmelites
- but also with the so called, “Thought Police”. In her life she was
investigated by the Spanish Inquisition at least 6 times. Her books were
investigated. The papal nuncio thought she was risky and restless and a
disobedient woman. She was accused of heresy. So what else is new?
As you know, this
has happened to lots of folks down through the years. Theologians are waiting
to see how this Pope will be on all this. The wisdom I see in all this is the
so called, “Gamaliel Principle” - which
you can find in the Acts of the Apostles. “If this is of God, in time we’ll know
it. If it ain’t it will flop.” [Cf. Acts of
the Apostles 5:34-39]
CONCLUSION
The title of my
homily is, “Wisdom and Wisdom Teachers.”
Who are they? What
specific wisdom insights have they given us?
Monday, October 14, 2013
THE LETTER
TO THE ROMANS
INTRODUCTION
The title of my thoughts for this 28th Monday in
Ordinary Time is, “The Letter to the
Romans.”
Starting today we’ll be hearing The Letter to the Romans as our first reading in weekday Masses for
almost a month I thought that a few
comments might be helpful. At least that’s the way I think and operate. I need the big picture before I start looking
at the small picture.
DATE
Scholars like John L. McKenzie and Joseph Fitzmyer say,
“Paul probably wrote Romans in Corinth
or in Cenchreae sometime in the winter of AD 57-58….” I’ve also seen the year
61. Either date gives us an idea when it
was written. Note: it’s still ahead of the date of the gospels as we have them.
AUDIENCE
Some scholars say it was written to a Gentile Christian
community in Rome while others say it was
written to a Jewish Christian community in Rome .
Scholars point out that Paul had not visited Rome yet - but he would
know some of its members - or know of
them. There is no New Testament evidence who started the Christian Community in
Rome .
Paul was planning on visiting them - on his way to Spain . That was
his dream.
In the meanwhile Paul goes back to Jerusalem with money he received as a collection
for the church there. Some think he
wanted to use as a stress to the Jewish Christian community there - that the
Gentiles are in solidarity with us. In the meanwhile he is arrested in Jerusalem and that is what will bring him to Rome . When he gets to Rome he is under house arrest there for 2
years and then he is martyred around 67-68.
CONTENTS
It does not contain all of the Christian teachings - for
example there is nothing about the Eucharist.
Yet what it gives is powerful thoughts and significant
theology. If you do any research on Romans, you’ll read comments like it having
the most impact of any New Testament document on Christian theology down
through the centuries.
For starters it has influence on other New Testament
documents. It certainly shows up many times in the writings of the Early Church
- for example St. Augustine .
We’ll also see how it impacted Thomas Aquinas, Luther, Calvin, Karl Barth and
so many others.
His theology of faith and works, salvation, justification,
redemption, grace, sin, righteousness, are big time issues at the time of the
Reformation - as well as today.
Christ is our power - and we are powerless - but how
powerless are we? I’m sure it depends upon what the struggle is. So Paul deals
with these issues in this his most important letter: The Letter to the Romans.
CONCLUSION
So that’s a quick thumb nail commentary on this Letter to the Romans that we who go to daily Mass will be hearing in the next month. Listen carefully. Amen.
O O O O O O O O O O
Picture on top: Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, Rome, Italy, consecrated in the 4th Century
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