VALUES TEACHING
Quote for Today - May 28, 2011
"Teaching kids to count is fine, but teaching them what counts is best."
Bob Talbert, Detroit Free Press, April 5, 1982
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Friday, May 27, 2011
What remains:
footprints, scars, graffiti,
stains, dents, scratches,
spaghetti sauce on white wool sweaters
and memories.
What remains:
Jesus’ words,
that he chose us, appointed us,
to go and bear fruit with our lives,
fruit that will remain. (1)
What remains:
what we put in writing.
As the old Latin saying goes,
“Scripta manet!” (2)
What remains:
where we were born,
neighbors, schools, friends,
cars, great vacations,
weddings, baptisms, funerals,
and where we were on days like September 11th.
What remains:
graduation – not the diploma, but the memory
of moving on – big days and moments ahead,
the feeling of saying, “Good bye” and “Thank you!”
to some classmates and some teachers,
but not to all. Sorry.
What remains:
the drink is drunk,
but sometimes we placed
our wet cold glass down,
right on the top of an important piece
of furniture which we weren’t supposed to use,
but we were jabbering and didn't think
of coasters and the circle outline
of our water stain lasting forever
on the expensive wood.
What remains:
those who came to mom’s funeral.
I don’t remember what they said,
but I appreciated their being there.
What remains:
well as St. Paul put it,
“Faith, hope and love last
and the greatest of these is love.” (3)
What remains:
sometimes the hurt,
sometimes the “I’m sorry”,
sometimes the “I forgive you!”
sometimes the “Oh I forgot that a long time ago!”
but the one who hurt me, can’t let it go.
What remains:
the memory of the first kiss, or drink or smoke
when nobody was watching.
What remains:
not the gift,
but the thought behind the gift,
but, okay, some gifts we remember-
diamonds or a simple pair of rosary beads
from Rome, blessed by the pope –
maybe from 100 yards away –
but they didn’t tell us that.
What remains:
Jesus in the tabernacle
and Jesus in our heart
as we go back out into the traffic of life.
What remains:
our children and our children’s children.
What remains:
the memory of seeing our parents sneak a kiss
once at a picnic and they didn’t see us seeing them,
or their holding hands as they went to the microphone
for their 50th Wedding anniversary.
What remains:
a phone call in the night –
saying he or she died.
What remains:
mistakes and memories of our mistakes,
but please God we know about scars and healing
and the great Mass prayer: “Lord have mercy.”
What remains:
10,000 acts of kindness
that we won’t know about till Heaven,
if that’s part of Heaven -
and if we remain, please God -
let us remain.
What remains:
sometimes words like these written here.
“Hey, today’s gospel made it till today!”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
NOTES
(1) This was a poetic type homily for this 5th Friday after Easter. I began reflecting on the key Greek word “MENO” in today’s gospel from the 15th Chapter of John – which can be translated “to remain” or “to abide” or “to stay”. Notice the word “MENO” is the second part of the English word “remain” as well as similar words in and various other languages.
(2) There is the old Latin saying, “Verba volunt, scripta manet.” Or “Verba volunta, littera scripta manet.” English translation: "Words fly away, but the written word remains.” It’s a warning about being careful in what one puts in writing. Of course, this was before recording machines and cameras.
(3) 1 Corinthians 13:13
EDUCATIONAL
LIMITS
Quote for Today - May 27, 2011
"Each generation of Americans has outstripped its parents in education, in literacy, and in economic attainment. For the first time in the history of our country, the educational skills of one generation will not surpass, will not equal, will not even approach, those of their parents."
Paul Copperman, in National Commission on Excellence in Education, A Nation at Risk, 1983
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily for this 5th Wednesday after Easter is, “Giving One’s Best.”
TODAY’S GOSPEL
In today’s gospel Jesus talks about grapes and vines.
I find it fascinating that Jesus makes observations about all sorts of things – besides carpentry. In fact, he doesn’t say that much about carpentry – other than building your house on rock and not on sand – and don’t start something you can’t finish.
He seems at times to be a “wannabe” farmer – because he makes lots of observations about the land – sheep and goats - planting and plowing - uprooting weeds and harvesting wheat. In today’s gospel we hear all about grapes and grape vines – and making sure life runs through the vines and produces lots of grapes.
GIVING ONE’S BEST
To have the best grapes, one must know soil and where to plant. To have the best grapes one must know about pruning and cutting – so as to end up with an abundant harvest.
But grapes are only the first step. Picking the grapes and then making wine are further steps – and I assume that the best grape growers make the best wine.
I don’t drink but I do enjoy watching the wine moment in rich restaurants – [I prefer Fuddruckers]. Someone orders wine. The waiter brings out a bottle. The person choosing the wine is asked to sniff it - test it – taste it - before choosing it.
When I was younger – way before I got diabetes - I would get either ginger ale or Doctor Pepper at a restaurants. They are the same every time. But wine – wine varies. So there is something in trying to come up with the best tasting wine.
And that’s the bottom line for my sermon thought for the day – to want to be the best we can be as me – as Christian – as friend – as family member – as God’s good servant – in all those things we do at home, at work, and in all our circles.
BRAHMS
I was looking up different things about grapes and vines and wine last night. I was thinking that I need to make homilies less abstract and to use more examples. In a book of anecdotes I found the following story. It’s about Johannes Brahms (1833-1897), the famous German musician, a composer of lots of songs and choral works.
Once upon a time Brahms was invited to a dinner. The host brought out some of his choicest bottles of wine from his wine cellar. He announced to Brahms, “This is the Brahms of my cellar.” It was an old, special, rich bottle of wine which the host poured into the composer’s glass. Brahms scrutinized the wine closely, inhaled its bouquet, took a sip, and then put down his glass without comment. The host asked, “How do you like it?” Brahms responded with a murmur, “Bring out your Beethoven.” (1)
CONCLUSION: TO BE HONEST
Each day we bring we bring ourselves to many tables. The call is to bring out our best.
If you’re like me, I don’t always bring my best self to every situation. Sometimes it’s a question of energy levels. Sometimes it’s a question of laziness. Sometimes it’s a question of who else is at the table.
To be better I need to realize this. Then I need to go down into my basement – my inner room – and discover Jesus there in newer and newer prayer – to meet Jesus in challenging and more challenging ways – becoming more and more one with him – and as Paul puts it – to become more and more Christ. (2)
To be our best, we become one with Christ – eating his body, drinking his blood – becoming more and more Christ.
Now that’s a marriage feast. To be humble, we need to know we can be better than our everyday self. We need to know about the call to wed, united, married to Christ in newer ways. All you married folks who are well married – know the difference between going it alone and going it as a team.
That’s what the gospel of John is telling us early on. Pushed by Mary at Cana, Jesus began all this – and billions have been on the vine ever since. (3) So the message I would push this morning is that if we will be giving our best if we become more and more Christ.
NOTES
(1) Clifton Fadiman, General Editor, The Little, Brown Book of Anecdotes, Little, Brown and Company, Boston, Toronto, London, 1985, page 75
(2) Galatians 2: 20; Romans 8: 9-11; Colossians 2: 6-7; Ephesians 4: 17 to 5: 33
(3) John 2: 1-12
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
PEACE
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily for this 5th Tuesday after Easter is, “Peace!”
I’m sure you’ve heard hundreds of sermons on peace and I’m sure I’ve given dozens of sermons on peace as well. Here’s one more.
COMING UP WITH A SERMON THEME
I begin working on a Sunday or a weekday homily the same way. I say a prayer and then ask myself, “What do I need to hear from today’s readings? What’s the main theme that jumps out at me?
“Peace!”
PEACE
I’m sure when we read the newspapers and watch the evening news, besides tornados, floods and other natural disasters, we pray for peace. Don't we all talk to ourselves and say, “Are we crazy? Why do we keep on with the violence, the fighting and the abuse on the family, the local, the state, the nation, and world wide levels?”
The two crazy behaviors that bug me are: 1) kids or women being sent into a bus or a crowd with bombs strapped to them and then they self explode; 2) those who try to spread a computer virus that goes around the world – which inconveniences lots of people.
“Peace!”
I would assume these sick behaviors are the bad fruit of the evil streak we spot in others – and often miss in ourselves. It’s the so called “YETZER HARA” – Hebrew for the evil urge that lurks at our door.
The story of Cain and Abel is very significant in reflecting upon peace. Genesis 4: 1-16 has a very powerful scene – the story of Cain and Abel. Yahweh God sees Cain walking around with a sour face, so God asks him, “What’s with the face?” Okay that’s a free translation. The Jerusalem Bible puts it this way. “Yahweh asked Cain, ‘Why are you angry and downcast? If you are well disposed, ought you not to lift up your head? But if you are ill disposed, is not sin at the door like a crouching beast hungering for you, which you must master?”
Cain doesn’t listen. Instead he brings evil inside himself.
And once inside the “YETZER HARA” - THE EVIL INCLINATION - can do horrible things to self and others.
I would assume that evil urge – when personalized is the whispers of the snake, Satan, the devil, the ruler or prince of this world we hear about in today’s gospel. [Cf. John 14:30; John 13:2; John 12:31]
“Peace!” “Shalom!” It also lurks at our door and knocks. Invite it inside.
Isn’t that the significance of Jesus coming through the walls on Easter Sunday and instead of lurking out there, Jesus comes within us and says, “Shalom!” “Peace!”
In the scriptures, in Jewish and Christian circles, “Peace!” is an opening greeting to another when we meet them on the street or the road.
“Peace!”
If it’s more than just a superficial greeting like a “Hi” or “How are you to someone?” when our mind is somewhere else – then “Peace” – “Shalom” in Hebrew – “Irene” in Greek – is saying and hoping for many, many blessings for this other person.
“Shalom!” – the Hebrew Greeting is wishing that the one we’re greeting has everything going well with their family and their health, their farm or business. It’s wishing the other to be in a good place with God. It’s wishing that they are not in debt. It’s hoping they are not screaming inside their mind lots of angry words or resentments against another or others.
Saying “Shalom” or “Peace!” to another includes not just that the weather and the nation – prosperity and property are in a good shape – but one is right with neighbor and right with oneself. The prophets would state that we won’t have real peace if we’re living a lie with self or with neighbors (Cf. Jeremiah 6:14, 8:11) Ezekiel talks about not whitewashing a crumbling wall. Fix up the walls first and then whitewash them and make them beautiful. [Cf. Ezekiel 13:10-12.]
“Irene” – the Greek word for “Peace” includes all of the above – calling God our Father and that Jesus is the one who is the bridge to bring about that communion with the Father.
Peace is the gift of the Holy Spirit. Pray for it. Work for it.
Paul VI said, “Development is the new name for peace.” That’s a great quote to chew and digest. He also wrote in his Message for the Celebration of the Day of Peace for the world, January 1st, 1972: “If you want peace, work for justice.”
Every parent with more than one kid has heard the whine, “It’s not fair.”
Everyone who listens to our world – how life, how business, how government, how traffic, how family, how giving out dessert works, has heard viewers say with their words or face, “It’s not fair.”
So enough with the rock throwing – as we heard about in today’s first reading and enough with the word throwing.
CONCLUSION
Want peace, work for justice today.
Want peace, pray St. Francis’ Peace prayer every morning and then put it into practice every day.
Then we’ll discover what Jesus meant by his greeting us with “Peace” this morning – in the opening words of the gospel.
“Peace.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)