The title of my sermon for today is, “Oscar Romero:
Having Convictions and Having Courage.”
Today, March 24, 1980, in the evening, Bishop Oscar
Romero was shot saying Mass in a San Salvador Carmelite sister’s chapel – part
of a clinic cancer ward where he lived.
It was a funeral Mass for Dona Sarita, the mother of a
friend – also connected to an Independent newspaper.
In our life time we might see the beatification as well
as the sanctification of Oscar Romero.
Thanks to Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict, the cause for Oscar Romero has
advanced. And Pope Francis stresses how he sees Romero as a prime inspiration
in his life.
If you saw the movie
Romero or read anything about his life, what’s your take and what’s your inspiration
from his life?
To me the main message would be to have the courage of
our convictions.
When made archbishop of San Salvador, the rich and those
on the right were very happy. Oscar Romero didn’t rock any boats – so those
with power were happy – especially the upper military.
He began to rethink everything – especially after a friend
Rutillo Grande – a priest was murdered – then others, then others.
He started to name names – on the radio – of those who
killing the poor, catechists, nuns, those who spoke up and spoke out.
To me – a country like ours – is sometimes a beacon on a
hill or a light on the mountain.
However, some of our behaviors make me ashamed of our
country. A country like ours that started as a revolt against taxation and
freedom – didn’t side with the poor of El Salvador and Nicaragua, etc. A
country like ours that almost split in half over freedom for blacks who were
slaves – etc. etc. etc. didn’t back the poor and the colored of South and Central
America.
He wrote a letter to Jimmy Carter, president of the
United States about not sending money to arm the military in San Salvador even
more. He was against the School of the Americas – here in the U.S.
at Fort Benning, Georgia – where many of assassins of so many people in South
America were trained. Check School of Americas in Google for more information
about what I’m getting at.
After his change, Romero became a marked man.
Questions are out there now – whether he was killed
because of political reasons or religious reasons. This brings us to the issue of faith and
justice.
I know priests who spoke up on these issues could be
blackballed and snubbed.
I know that there are those in the Vatican who are not
happy with Oscar Romero and his cause – in becoming named a saint and a martyr.
Pope Francis told his opinion when he declared Oscar Romero
a martyr this February3, 2015
I’ve always heard that the money is to the right. There
are life issues that some people don’t back and withdraw their money.
There are many ways to read the scriptures – to be
challenged or as W. C. Fields said when seen reading the Bible – looking for
loopholes, just looking for loopholes.
Today is the day Oscar Romero was shot in the heart –
right at the consecration of the Mass.
I often wonder what are the issues I’m called to speak up
and out about.
I like to be liked and I rather have paper in front of me
that is smooth and not abrasive – like sandpaper. Here we are in Lent and it
ends with Jesus being executed for speaking up – where do I need to be
challenged? That’s what the life of Oscar Romero says to me so far.
March 24, 2015
COLD WAR
At some point in
everyone’s life, everyone realizes
that Dostoevsky
was right: the history of the world
is War and Peace.
Hot wars are
obvious. We can hear shells bursting
and exploding –
guns firing – and fear and fire and
fury are
screaming and yelling all around us.
Then comes peace
– then comes parades – then
comes treaties
and paper signing and dancing in
the streets.
At some point in
everyone’s life, everyone realizes
that sometimes
there is a cold war going on - a war
between two
people in a family, in a relationship –
and when it’s me
against you – or you against me –
then we’re in
foreign territory. There is stealth drones
dropping verbal bombs
and comments – and past
mistakes on the
other. Then we wonder in smokey
aftermath, “Why
do we do this to each other?” Why?
Then once more
the hope for long, quiet, lasting peace
starts to appear in
our soul. It’s then we finally realize
the reality and
the beauty of the old words, “Let there
be peace in the
world and let it begin with me.” Someday….
The title of my homily for this Monday in the 5th Week of Lent is, “Rock Throwing.”
Sex sells. Sex opens eyes and ears. Sex triggers
questions and wonderments. Sex is how we got here. Sex is in today’s First
Reading and today’s gospel.
FIRST READING
In today’s first reading from the Prophet Daniel we have
the story of Susanna and the two dirty old men – both of whom are Peeping Toms
with lots of lust. [Daniel 13:41ff.]
They try to seduce her. They can’t pull it off. They fabricate
a tale about Susanna. She goes to trial. They try to get her killed. She ends up
being saved by the prophet Daniel – and the two men end up being executed.
Great story – that has lasted down to this day!
TODAY’S GOSPEL
Today’s Gospel – obviously paired with the first story
for today. It has the woman saved by the Prophet Jesus and the rock throwers
put down their weapons of woman destruction.[John 8:1-11]
MESSAGE FOR US
You heard both stories.
What is the message for you?
I like the message from the gospel: “Let the one among
you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”
I hate the joke about a stone flying through the air –
and hitting the woman and Jesus saying, “Mother.”
But paradoxically I do like the joke because it tells me
that people know the story about not throwing stones and the story about Mary
being without sin.
I also like the comment that those who put down their
stones are the oldest at first. That tells me that sins – and then forgiveness
– is understood the older we are – hopefully.
We can also add that women’s rights are improving –
slowly around the world – compared to the women in both these stories. Yet
still read in the papers and women being beaten and killed for sexual behavior
and men get away with similar behavior.
HITTING
OURSELVES
A side point. I
have learned from listening to a lot of people – that the one person who
doesn’t drop their stone – is ourselves.
Many people hit themselves their whole lives for mistakes
made – especially sins of the flesh.
CONCLUSION
Drop the stones.
Stop and drop judging others.
Be understanding.
March 23, 2015
SLICES OF LIGHT
Slices of light slid long -
along the light gray board porch,
gliding through the gray wooden
slats along the sides. All the porches -
along the street seemed empty – silent ….
Right now everyone must be at supper or still not home…. But later on this summer evening while walking up and down this street I will hear outside voices – up there on those porches – up the steps – up the lawn – up another set of stairs - neighbors - folks chatting, without being seen – just voices –
sitting in the dark - folks enjoying a hot summer evening and the clinking of glasses of ice tea, lemonade, water. If we all stopped to voice
our moods: we'd say, "Lord, it's good to be here. Lord, it doesn’t get any better. This is Holy Communion. These are moments of grace. These are slices of life – slices
of light."
The title of my homily for this Fifth Sunday in Lent [B] is,
“Sir, We Would Like to See Jesus.”
TODAY’S GOSPEL
This request happens in the opening scene in today’s
gospel.
The scene tells us a lot.
It tells us some Jews were Greeks or some Greeks had
become Jewish.
It tells us that people had heard about Jesus and wanted
to meet him.
Some Greeks had come to Jerusalem to celebrate the
Passover Feast.
Once more Andrew was the go to guy.
PRESIDENT NIXON
AND EHRLICHMAN AND THE VIETNAM WAR
Today’s gospel story triggered a story about something I heard
on a TV talk show or read during the Vietnam War protests here in the United
States. I looked this up to fact check, but couldn’t locate this incident – but
I know I’m close to the facts.
President Nixon was elected president in 1968.
Two of his inner circle, John Ehrlichman and H. R.
Halderman – because of their German names – and because they tried to isolate
the president – became known as “The Berlin Wall.”
As the story that I remember goes, two young men from
somewhere our west drove all the way to Washington D.C. to protest to the
president of the United States about the War in Vietnam. They went to the White
House demanding to see President Nixon in person.
They voiced their way all the way up to John Ehrlichman –
who met them in person. They were extremely agitated and extremely demanding.
Ehrlichman found them annoying – but they wouldn’t give up in their desire to
see the president to voice their protest in person.
Nixon said to get rid of them.
Ehrlichman in the back and forth with the president
finally said to the president, “Just see them and get them off our back.”
Nixon said, “Okay, bring them in.”
They were lead into the Oval Office or wherever they met
and got seats right in front of the president – face to face.
They couldn’t believe they got that far and they froze.
They panicked. They couldn’t say anything. They became tongue tied. If I
remember the story correctly, the president had to stand up and go over to both
these young men and try to coax out of them just what their complaint was.
Mission accomplished – with much fear and trembling.
I often wonder how these 2 men tell their story for the
rest of their lives.
Today’s gospel doesn’t tell us what happened with the
Greeks. Did these Greeks ever get to see Jesus? Were Jesus’ comments to Philip
and Andrew or to the Greeks as well?
Those are the two similar stories.
FOR A HOMILY
For a homily, I’ve often thought, what I would think,
what I would feel, what would I ask, if I ever got to meet Jesus face to face.
I’m sure we’ve all heard about the story from St. Teresa
of Avila who asked God how come you give your friends – so much suffering. Jesus
responded, “That’s the way I treat my friends.” And Teresa said back to Jesus,
“Well, maybe that’s why you have so few of them.”
I think that’s one of those legendary type stories. I
also think many of these so called stories along these lines are legendary
stories – and private revelations – many of which are simply legends – so
that’s one of my questions when I die and meet God.
About two weeks ago we were having a conversation at breakfast and the topic was: what would be our
10 top questions to God after we die?
“Why mosquitos?” I hear that question a lot of times.
“God, was there a plan and how did I do?”
“Why Hitler? Why did you let Hitler live that time he
almost drowned?” That’s a story about the kid who saved Hitler from an icy
river when they were kids. Moreover, that kid later became a priest. Is that
story true?” And what about the story about Hitler’s mother – Klara – wanting
to abort him and a doctor talked her out of it? Is this stuff true?
Thinking about questions people have for God, got this I
thought: Perhaps that would make a good homily.
Then I thought that I always said to myself: get a default homily. Just
in case some time you get stuck – someone gets sick - and need to come up with
a homily very fast, you can grab your
default homily. Ask everybody what are
your 3 top questions you’re going to ask
God when you die? Line them up as a default homily.
So I said start working on that. I’m sure I can let that
question sit there on the edge of my brain or consciousness for the next year
or so – and while driving or being at something that’s boring or what have you,
jot down questions for God.
When I do die, when I do come into God’s presence, what
will I really do? How does that work? Will I become totally speechless – like
those 2 guys who finally got that interview with President Nixon?
BACK TO JESUS
Maybe a good question to ponder would be this scene in
today’s gospel?
If I came up to Jesus – here or hereafter – what would be
my 5 top questions.
Looking at those questions, would be a good self-test as
well as being –very helpful.
Try it, you’ll find yourself refining answers to that
question from time to time and that can
be very helpful.
So a key first step would be to jot down your first 3, 5
or 10 questions you’d ask Jesus when you see him.
A key second step could be to read the gospels and check
out all the scenes in the 4 gospels when people came to Jesus with questions
and see if they would be your questions.
Today’s gospel is from John and this is one of the key
literary forms John uses in his gospel. Unlike Matthew, Mark, and Luke, who
have many people meeting Jesus, John only has a few key characters who approach
Jesus: Andrew, John the Baptist, the Greeks, the Woman at the Well, Nichodemus,
the Hungry Crowd, the man sick 39 years, Martha and Mary, etc. What are their
questions? Are any of their questions like your questions?
My mom and dad, are both long gone. As I grow older I
hear more and more questions I want to ask them.
CONCLUSION
Dealing with all our questions we’re sitting with – can be a great meditation –
especially our key questions to God and to Jesus Christ.
Sunday, March 22, 2015
March 22, 2015
HAVE YOU HAD YOUR
SUSAN BOYLE MOMENT YET?
Have you had your Susan Boyle moment yet?
Will you have to wait till your death – when someone gives your eulogy and surprise
everyone finds out they never really knew who you were - when you were - in our midst? Or will it be that moment when you said something really funny or very clever or you gave us all a great insight or a song? Surprise! Surprise! We never really knew you. Or was it your spouse - in the 8th year of your marriage who said, "Woo, wow, Lucky, lucky, me?"
