The title of my thoughts is, “Saint Thomas Becket.”
Today we celebrate his feast.
His dates are 1118 to 1170.
Instead of spending time for a homily on today’s readings, I decided to
revisit the movie, “Becket.”
I remembered seeing the movie - but I wondered if I could get in touch with my thoughts and feelings when I saw that movie way back in the 60's.
So I went on line and did a tiny bit of research on the movie as well as Becket's life. All I remember from the movie
was the pageantry and the costumes - as well as the stone walls in castles and cathedrals - and lots of dark shadowy scenes. I remember
that the acting was excellent: especially Richard Burton as Thomas and Peter O’Toole
as King Henry II.
THE MOVIE
The 1964 movie received 1 Academy Award and 11 nominations for an
Academy Award.
It made good money.
It makes several big mistakes historically - but the story as told on screen and stage make for good historical fiction - as well as being well written.
The movie presented the basic dynamic of two good friends – 2 drinking partners – 2 fooling around friends – who end up in deep conflict with
one another.
Besides alcohol and women, King Henry II had his problems with the church – for starters with the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Henry II wants money from the church – especially by taxing it – to finance
his wars. The Archbishop said, "No!"
He appoints his buddy Thomas to become Lord Chancellor. Then when the Archbishop of Canterbury – his enemy and
thorn in his side dies – Henry names Thomas Archbishop – with the idea he
will now be able to tax and control the church.
Surprise – good story – good plot – Thomas as Archbishop – takes his job
seriously – so seriously – that King Henry can’t control him.
Once in a drunken rage King Henry says out loud: “Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest?”
His soldiers hear this and murder Thomas in the Canterbury
Cathedral.
News spreads through Europe of this killing – this
assassination – of an archbishop because it's the wish of a king.
And King Henry repents – at least out loud – perhaps for
public consumption – and he is flogged and beaten as a penance for his crime and involvement in the murder.
The original movie, two plays, a redoing of the movie in the 1990’s, were all quiet successful.
CHURCH
AND STATE
We are governed by both church and state – the state
obviously having more physical power.
We all need to consider both realities – including those
in public office. A Catholic is called to vote with his conscience - and to form his conscience with Gospel values and Christian teaching.
So each person needs to do his or her job – as
public official – archbishop - parent – teacher – business person - soldier - judge with God's will and the Common Good in mind.
There is a scene in the movie when the king is demanding
loyalty and follow up from Thomas - that he does Henry's will. The king says: "You're Chancellor of England; you're mine! And Becket says: "I am also the Archbishop, and you have introduced me to deeper obligations."
Isn’t that all of us?
We have lots of obligations to various people – but we
also have obligations to God – and when Jesus tells the Rich Young Man what he must do to gain eternal life - it's to keep the 2 Great Commandments - to love our God with our whole heart, mind, soul and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves.
CONCLUSION
After a bit of reading about St. Thomas Becket on line, I couldn't get in touch with what I was thinking the first time I saw the movie, "Becket." I assume Thomas is a martyr to the principal: God’s will is
service, love, and working for the common good. May we all work towards these goals. Amen.
HOW GREAT THOU ART,
SUNG BY ANNE MURRAY
Poem - Monday - December 29, 2014
HOW GREAT THOU ART
O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!"
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
The title of my homily is, “Family: Looking Backwards,
Looking Forwards.”
The Church got this one right – putting this feast of the
Holy Family – around Christmas time – when we are filled with memories –
nostalgia – the past - when parents know
how much Christmas meant to them as kids – so too the desire to do likewise for
this new generation.
So that’s looking backwards. Next, looking forwards – they
put this feast of the Holy Family - at the time we are about to begin a new
year – the time we look forward with hope for a Happy New Year.
So a few words today on “Family: Looking Backwards,
Looking Forwards.
BACKWARDS
We humans have the ability to remember. Dementia is a
bummer. We can look backwards and see what happened. We can recall. We can
remember.
History is not just a class in a classroom.
Family History is perhaps the most important course we
need Home Schooling in and about.
It’s important to know – to check out - how we got to
where we got to.
It’s important to find out where the other has been.
Talk to grandparents – “What happened?” Where did you
come from?
For starters – check out three things: the stories, the
pictures, and the letters.
What are the family stories? I’ve noticed there are moments
and there are moments. I’m talking here about those moments when a kid gets
inquisitive – and starts asking how their grandparents met, where they came
from, then mom and dad – if they don’t know.
I love the story about how a Jewish family ended up in
Alabama. While doing some family research on that question, someone found out
the reason was: way back in the 1800’s while traveling west, that’s where the horse died.
I heard a cute family story at Christmas dinner at my
niece Patty’s house in Reisterstown, Maryland. The dinner took at least 2 hours
and nobody was moving from the table. I heard some old stories and I heard some
new ones.
Someone mentioned a moment about Sophie when she was in
the first grade or so. The teacher asked
the kids a question: “Does anyone have a parent that speaks a foreign
language?” Sophie raised her hand like every little kid upon hearing a
question? She said her, “Teacher! Teacher.”
Upon being called upon, Sophie told her teacher and her
class - that her dad spoke 4 languages.
I had heard the story that he didn’t speak till he was 4
years old – but when he began speaking, out came full sentences in French, Spanish, Italian and English. He's from Milan, Italy. His father taught Spanish. His nanny spoke French
and his mother went to work in Italy – from England.
The teacher then asked, “Wow, your dad spoke 4 languages.
How about your mom?”
Sophie said that her mom spoke 2 languages: English and
Pig Latin.
Meals are not just for the sharing of food. They are for the sharing
of stories - stories that feed us - stories that become us. Meals are for the sharing of self.
The Last Supper – especially in the Gospel of John –
gives us a lot of words – and it’s up to us, to put some flesh onto them.
So looking backwards, what are your family stories?
I also love it when families show and tell me a lot of
family stories – by bringing me over to the Christmas tree. They stand there and touch an ornament and they touch an experience. I'm at the Liturgy of the Word: hearing family homilies about persons and places, moments and memories - that are - embodied, transubstantiated in a personal and unique Christmas tree ornaments.
That’s stories. Next, while still looking backwards, what
and where are the family pictures?
Do we realize the importance of family pictures – on walls, on tops of bureaus, end
tables, shelves? Has anyone secured photo albums - so they won't be tossed or lost? Has anyone made sure they are
kept in a safe way - along with notations of who's who and where's where?
Question: what’s going to happen to all the pictures AD –
After Digital?
Just as it’s important to sit down on a couch and read
with one’s kids – so too sitting with kids and pointing out who’s who in the
pictures.
At Thanksgiving I sat there with over 30 people and we
watched a slide show of my nieces when they were little kids. Their kids were
there as well. There were great “Ooh’s!” and “Ah!s’. The room was filled with
laughter and people yelled out comments about hair and clothes and “Remember….”
Thirdly, still, looking backwards, has any one gathered
any letters – in one’s family museum – boxes of old letters – with the pictures
in boxes under beds or in the closets? When my mom died, I was given a packet of old letters my mom had
saved. They were letters I sent to my mom and dad from when I was away in the
seminary. They all sound the same – but they all are precious.
My sister Mary and I were just up to Scranton, PA – when we
went to my sister Peggy’s grave for the first time. We also went to Marywood
University, where one of the nuns whom Peggy had lived with gave my sister Mary
two big bags of Peggy’s personal stuff – knickknacks, etc. My sister Mary just told me before Christmas
that there were some letters in those bags that I had sent Peggy way back. What did she save?
What’s in them? What was I saying way back when?
Hopefully, we all have archives and museums of all sorts
with our stuff – in closets and cellars in our homes.
Another question: preserving one’s family history – will
we gain with technology and scanning or will we lose with e-mail etc., etc,
etc.?
LOOKING
FORWARDS
That’s looking backwards.
With a New Year about to happen on our calendars –
wouldn’t it be interesting for grand kids to discover in an attic or basement 50
old kitchen scheduling calendars from the past 50 years.
For some reason, someone thought they would be a neat
thing to save. Priceless
What would it be like for some grand kid - upon
discovering those calendars – that he or she began to notice that in the little Sunday boxes –
the word “church – 9 AM” was written -
but then see it stopped some 19 years ago?
So the kid says to her mom, “What religion were grandma
and grandpa when you were a kid?”
Silence!
Then the answer with an embarrassed hesitation:
“Catholic.”
Looking forwards – what are our church plans for 2015?
What are our God plans?
I’m sure some people have started thinking – perhaps
making plans in their minds – and then they put in their calendars plans to see
the pope in Philadelphia?
Looking forwards what are our family plans for 2015?
I heard of one family wrapping up a Christmas present for
each of their 2 kids. Inside the son discovered a Mickey Mouse Calendar and the girl a Minnie
Mouse calendar – as well as Magic Markers. Next the parents told them to turn to April – and put a circle
around 5 dates and then write in: “Disney World.”
WHEN IT COMES
TO FAMILY OR LIFE: DO I SAY, “WE” OR “I”?
I’m sure we all heard some football player who is a
leader or some coach say there is no “I” in the word “team”.
Some of you might remember Willie Stargell and the 1979
Pittsburgh Pirates singing, “We are Family” as they beat the Baltimore Orioles
in the 7th and Final World Series game in Baltimore.
On Holy Family Sunday – of course the stress is on “We”
over “I”.
Three years ago on First Sunday of Advent – the church
got it wrong in my opinion – when they switched the Creed at Sunday Mass from
“We believe…” back to “I believe….”
By Vatican II – the Second Vatican Council – the Church
had moved from the “I” to “We” – at
least in the creed at Mass.
We are a community – we are a we – more than we are a
bunch of I’s.
Some of us have seen the Mass and the Church change to a
“we” attitude.
Parish councils were in. Meetings were in. Some said,
“Ugh” and “Oh no!” as well as "Good" or "Great" to that.
Altar railings were opened up or came down.
Altars were turned around.
People would come to church and talk and listen to each other in church before
and after Mass. And some still say, "Shhhhhhush!"
In architecture we sometimes hear the discussion
about “form” and “function”. Does form follow function or vice versa? Compare
this church building to St. John Neumann. Compare old churches with new church
buildings. When people want to greet someone after Mass – it’s easier at St.
John Neumann – because of the big lobby.
Back to backwards.... The following are a few more moments of my babbling about some of
my personal theories about the issue of individualism and community – I and We.
Our world has come a long way baby from being a planet with a bunch of
nobodies – having zero or almost no value - to becoming a human community of folks who have value and personal worth. Way back when - people saw the somebodies – the kings – the have’s –
those with titles and land and servants and slaves.
A great story would be a story of a no one who became a someone.
In human evolution – it’s an important moment – when
someone discovers their voice and their value – and even more importantly – when they respect another who speaks up and says:
“I have rights.”
“I have a voice.”
“I have a vote.”
“I have a mind of my own.”
“I have feelings.”
When people start to grow, to evolve, they move from
being a have not – to someone who has.
History takes time – and sometimes some remain blind.
Men got a vote – then an equal vote.
Women finally got the vote – in some places.
Our church is slowly getting the message.
Church and society are called to give everyone a chance for upward mobility
– individual rights and value and a chance for success.
The United States stressed the individual. The I.
The goal was to make it to the top of the social ladder.
The goal – as I see it – is to move towards the “We”.
We are called by God to be community – to receive communion with and of each other –and to have
respect and recognition for all.
We should feel blessed
if we have the gift of faith - that we see that God is a “We” – a Trinity – a Father,
Son and the Holy Spirit of love amongst each other – and we are made in that
image and likeness.
Of course the “I” is important – every “I” on the planet – is important.
The becoming an “I” is just a step in human evolution - much more significant than that first step on the moon.
It takes time for caste and class to be erased in bits
and pieces in various parts of the world – a movement that started centuries
before in some cultures and countries – but obviously not all.
In society and family, women got the vote and more value
in some places and in some families - not all.
Education – education – education helped.
The French did it with the French revolution – with the
overthrow of the divine rights of the king – as well as “Upper Clergy” with a
little help from mobs and marching and the guillotine.
Not always – not everywhere….
So in our church at the Second Vatican – the “We” arrived - publicly.
Then – in my opinion - some 50 years later - the stress
on class and caste – in our church – has slipped back in – in both world and
church.
This is all my opinion of course – my “I” – how I see
stuff.
I hear Pope Francis – trying to move us back into the
Spirit of Vatican II and then go forwards. Lately he called the big boys to stop pursuing
some self-serving stuff – to move from me, me, me stuff to we, we. we stuff. This is
the so called “Francis Effect”.
I’m aware of those who love him and those who are
“frustrated with him”.
I noticed in the paper the other day – someone saying
he’s a Communist.”
Obviously, the best side of communism was a stress on the
“we” – that we’re all in this together – but in practice – to bring about that
goal – there was a massive amount of self-serving by the few – using absolute
power which Lord Acton said corrupts absolutely.
Surprise – communism crumbled – because there was a lot of self-serving in the
Soviet Union and China – for starters.
I read somewhere that Joe Stalin had some 20 million people killed
directly and indirectly. I also read that he said, “One death is a tragedy; one
million is a statistic." I also read that
Mao Zedong was responsible for the deaths of 49 to 78 million people.
And notice the breakdown of the communist states – the
“we” has become “I’s” – with some very rich Russians in place – and the “we's in many places never got a chance to be either an I or a we.
Of course, in every we, the “I’s” have to be recognized –
in order for the best church, parish, organization, to become an authentic, “We”.
Of course our church and our world has a long way to go
into the future.
CONCLUSION
I’m assuming the family is the model for world – and
church. I assume that the church and world is women and men – males and females – all working and “we-ing” together
for the good of the whole human family. Amen.
All right, I was
Welsh. Does it matter?
I spoke the tongue that was passed on
To me in the place I happened to be,
A place huddled between grey walls
Of cloud for at least half the year.
My word for heaven was not yours.
The word for hell had a sharp edge
Put on it by the hand of the wind
Honing, honing with a shrill sound
Day and night. Nothing that Glyn Dwr
Knew was armour against the rain’s
Missiles. What was descent from him?
Even God had a Welsh
name:
We spoke to him in the old language;
He was to have a peculiar care
For the Welsh people. History showed us
He was too big to be nailed to the wall
Of a stone chapel, yet still we crammed him
Between the boards of a black book.
Yet men sought us
despite this.
My high cheek-bones, my length of skull
Drew them as to a rare portrait
By a dead master. I saw them stare
From their long cars, as I passed knee-deep
In ewes and wethers. I saw them stand
By the thorn hedges, watching me string
The far flocks on a shrill whistle.
And always there was their eyes; strong
Pressure on me: You are Welsh, they said;
Speak to us so; keep your fields free
Of the smell of petrol, the loud roar
Of hot tractors; we must have peace
And quietness.
Is a museum
Peace? I asked. Am I the keeper
Of the heart’s relics, blowing the dust
In my own eyes? I am a man;
I never wanted the drab role
Life assigned me, an actor playing
To the past’s audience upon a stage
Of earth and stone; the absurd label
Of birth, of race hanging askew
About my shoulders. I was in prison
Until you came; your voice was a key
Turning in the enormous lock
Of hopelessness. Did the door open
To let me out or yourselves in?
[Every year I like to write a Christmas story in memory of Father John Duffy - who died December 24, 1993. He used to write a Christmas story every year for his niece. He was a horrible typist - and never got into computers - so I typed up a few of his Christmas stories that he wrote for his niece. That Christmas - 1993 - upon hearing of his death while about to begin writing a Christmas homily, I decided on writing a Christmas story instead. I've been doing this ever since. I now have 22 stories - and this one is called, "Group Photo."]
Forever is a long, long, long, long time.
Well, it’s supposed to be just that - here in heaven.
Here was Albert – here in heaven – here for 607 years
now.
And Albert just happens to be sitting – right there –
right next to God – at God’s right hand - at this big, gigantic, banquet table.
And God says to Albert – “Hey, Albert, there are a lot of
people here – so I never know who’s going to be on my right hand. It’s
wonderful to be with you right now.”
Albert is nervous – sitting right there - right next to
God. This is the first time this has happened to him since his death 607 years
ago – way back in 2025.
He doesn’t say a word. He still can’t believe he’s in heaven. He
still can’t believe all that he has experienced in heaven – and all the people
he has met so far.
Yet? There’s always a yet.
So God – seeing the blank in Albert’s – face - says,
“Albert, so how’s it going so far?”
“Great God, great!”
Then Albert – after a long pause – says, “Well, God, to
be perfectly honest, I do get bored at times.”
Then comes an “Uh oh!” thought in Albert’s mind. “Did I
just say what I just said – to God?”
So God says, “Well, Albert, give me some ideas. You know, I can be very creative.”
Albert smiled at that.
So then he says to God, “I was thinking, ‘How about some
competitions? How about some contests up here?’”
And God says, “Albert, hello! In case you didn’t catch it yet, this is heaven. We’re not
supposed to have any comparisons or competitions or contests and that sort of
stuff anymore.”
“Ooops, God,” Albert says. “I’m sorry.”
And God laughed at the contradiction and said, “I don’t think we’re supposed to say ‘I’m
sorry!’ here in heaven – either.
Then God says, “Albert, let me think about this for a
moment?”
Then there’s another long pause.
Then God says, “I need to get my imagination going here.
In heaven – with everything so heavenly, with no struggles, no competitions, no
contests, no games, no losers, and all that – you might be onto something.”
With that - God put his hand on Albert’s shoulder, and
asks him, “What did you do for a living?”
“I was a bridge attender.”
“A what?” asks God.
“A bridge attender.”
“Yeah,” Albert continued, “I used to attend to a little bridge over
Carrol’s Creek in Annapolis, Maryland.”
And God said, “Where?”
“Annapolis, Maryland.”
“No, no” says God, “I know where Annapolis, Maryland is. But Carrol’s Creek? Where’s that?”
“Oh,” says Albert, “It was also called, ‘Spa Creek.’”
And God said, “I don’t remember ever meeting anyone who
was a bridge attender. Toll collectors on bridges – yes. Even with E-ZPass, they
still have toll collectors. Tell me what you did?”
And Albert told God all about his life time – and his one great – piece of cake
– of a job: being a bridge attender over
Carrol’s or Spa Creek in Annapolis, Maryland, USA.
Then God asked, “Any hobbies?”
“Oh yeah,” said Albert, “I loved taking pictures. I took
thousands and thousands of great pictures of sail boats and sunsets – on and
over Carrol’s Creek. Great spot for picture taking.”
Then God said, “That’s it. Let’s have a photo contest.”
Albert says, “What!”
“Yeah, a photo contest,” says, God, “but I’m wondering
about what? Any suggestions?”
Albert’s imagination began to bounce – and he said to
God, “Well even though I loved to do sunsets and sail boats, my favorite
pictures were group photo’s – especially of families. They tell so much.
Then God lifted his hand off Albert’s shoulder. Then he slapped that same shoulder – and said, “Albert
you’re a genius.”
And then God called his favorite “Go To Angel,” - Gabriel - and said, “Announce to all of heaven that
we’re going to have a Group Photo contest. The best group photo – the best group
picture – gets a special prize!”
Gabriel says, “Great. I haven’t made any big time announcements
in a long, long, long, long time. Thank you God.”
Then Albert asks God, “What’s the special prize?”
“Shush!” says, God. “I don’t know what it will be right now. But
relax – without anyone ever saying this, everyone knows that I’m the great
procrastinator. So relax. I’ll come up
with something. We got plenty of time – oops eternity.”
The Group Photo contest created quite a buzz in heaven.
People gathered their whole family line from the
beginning – back to Adam and Eve – who were drained – in being asked to be in
so many family pictures.
People got themselves pictured with every pet they ever
had.
People got themselves pictured with Army or Navy or Air Force buddies – whom they hadn’t seen
since some war – and hadn’t connected up with them yet in heaven.
People met people they heard about from their spouses – ad nauseam – when they got everybody
together for a group photo.
Some people found themselves standing there nervous –
because there they were to be in the same group photo – with first and
sometimes second and third spouses – and step kids – and family members whom they had had stresses with at times while
on earth. But this was heaven and things went rather smoothly.
And the winner is….
After what seemed a good slice of eternity – after a lot of tears and a lot of laughter – the
winner was finally announced.
Nobody could have guessed which group photo – which group
picture - was chosen.
And the winner was a group photo of all the animals who
were in the stable that Christmas night – when Jesus was born.
Down through the centuries – people kneeling there at
Christmas crèche’s and stables – and mangers – wondered – what were the animals
thinking as they saw the birth of a baby boy – and they heard angels singing – “Woo!”
- “Wow!” - “Glory to God in the
highest!” and in came shepherds - and in
came kings – and a few days later in came soldiers with swords in hand – looking for this new born baby whom
Herod the Horrible heard was to be the new born king – and they were told to
kill him.
It’s heaven – so the sheep and the goats, the ox and the
ass, told a wrapped in rapture audience – the whole of heaven – what they saw
that night – what they experienced in that experience – of being at the birth
of a baby in a stable.
A sheep said, “We didn’t see it coming – a baby was born who would change the world.”
The ass said, “It was like a Mass – a Mass of Mary – as
if she was holding up this tiny baby and
saying, ‘This is my body. This is my blood. Take and eat. Take and drink! I’m
giving my life to you.’ No wonder Jesus was born in Bethlehem – the House of
Bread.”
And the winner was – you’re not going to believe this either
– a bridge attender from Annapolis, Maryland – named Albert.
“For the sake of transparency,” God announced in the
award ceremony, “Albert came up with the idea of this contest – and the idea of
the Group Photo. So Albert, congratulations.”
Albert, a bridge attender from Annapolis Maryland, in one
instance – one momentous moment – was instantly known by all the people in
heaven that ever lived.
And God said, “Albert do you have anything to say?”
“Yes,” Albert said, “Yes!”
“What is it, Albert?”
“The prize. The prize. What’s the prize? What’s the
surprise?”
God paused. All were silent!
Then God said, “Albert, you can go down to earth – and you can whisper
one thing into every person on earth’s ear – sort of like Gabriel whispering in
Mary’s ear – when she was being called to be the Mother of Jesus.”
“Ooops,” God says, “I like this idea of calling you, ‘Angel
Albert’. It’s got a nice sound to it: ‘Angel Albert.’”
And then God said, “Angel Albert – I’ll give you a week,
a month or a year, to come up with what you’re going to whisper into every person’s
ear?”
Albert says, “HelloGod. Hello! I told you I was a bridge attender and I told you I love group photos. So obviously, I’m would love to go back down to earth to try to urge people to bridge the gaps – the empty
places - in the pictures of their life. I
want to whisper to everyone, “Who’s missing in your life? I would love to whisper
into the mind of every person on the planet earth, ‘Is there any person you’re
blocking out of your family or any group photo – any person you’re keeping on
the other shore of your life? Attend to your bridges. Or as they say, ‘Stop throwing rocks! Bridges not
walls.’”
“Great," God said, "Great."
"And, God, Pst!" said Albert. How about some day a group photo of everyone that ever lived?" And God said, "Not yet Albert - and - I don't know about that one. I don't know." And Albert said, "But God, I thought you said, 'With God nothing is impossible.'"
