“The Sufis advise us
to speak only after our words have passed through three gates. At the first
gate, we must ask ourselves, ‘Are these words true?’ If so, we let them pass
on; if not, back they go.At the second
gate, we must ask ourselves, ‘Are these words necessary?If so, we let them pass on; if not, back they
go. At the third gate, we must ask, ‘Are these words kind?’”
“Television has proved that people will look at anything but each other.”
Ann Landers
Tuesday, June 26, 2018
PATH, GATE, DOOR
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily for this 12th Tuesday in Ordinary Time is, “Path, Gate, Door.”
We’re moving along through the Sermon on the Mount - here
in the Gospel of Matthew - these days. Are any sayings of Jesus grabbing you?
I see that Father JoeKrastel is going to offer a Bible Study program in the fall on Hebrews -
one of the books of the Bible. He’s done a series of talks on Hebrews in the
past. Now he wants to do a follow up. The Archbishop of Baltimore sent all the
priests of this diocese a neat Bible commentary on Hebrews. Using that, Father
Joe is going to do Hebrews II for us. The best way of learning has always been
teaching.
I would add that if anyone offers a series of talks on
the Sermon on the Mount. go for it. Such
programs and offerings can help one’s spirituality.
WHEN IT COMES TO
SPIRITUALITY
Surveys on parish life - indicate that people are looking
for two themes: Spirituality and the Bible.
When it comes to spirituality, people indicate that they
want to grow spiritually.
When it comes to a desire for a deeper inner life, a
better religious life, folks use the word spirituality.
I spent 9 years of my life teaching spirituality to
future Redemptorists.
Having taught spirituality I found out that a key
teaching is that the spiritual teacher says there are choices.
This is what Jesus did: he taught about the choice to
build your house on rock or on sand. He taught about being a good tree -
producing good fruit - compared to being a rotten tree producing rotten fruit.
Be good seed. Produce 30, 60 100fold.
Yesterday’s gospel talked about choosing a wide ruler
when measuring people compared to how I see myself.Jesus said to stop seeing specks in your
brother or sister’s eye - and missing the big bad beams in our own eye.
Today Jesus - here in the Sermon on the Mount - talks about
the choice of two gates and two roads.
I like this approach - using images that we can see -
when it comes to choosing a healthy spirituality.
The title of my homily is 3 images: path, gate, and door.
Picture yourself standing at a fork in the road. You take the narrow path -
as Robert Frost said he did. You don’t take the wide road - that everyone takes
- and that choice has made all the differences in our life.
The path, the TAO that is narrow leads to life not death.
The choice is ours: life or death - niceness or
nastiness.
Following Jesus images, we then come to a gate or door.
CONCLUSION
Once more, enter the gate or knock on the door called
Jesus and enter into life.
