EMPTINESS

Quote for Today - June 8, 2013

"We shape clay to make a pot
but without the emptiness inside
what use would it be?

We create doors and windows
to make a room
but only the space inside makes it useful.

Living beings create phenomena
but without emptiness,
they cannot be used."

Lao-tzu

I LEFT MY HEART 

IN ________.

FILL IN THE BLANK.

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “I Left My Heart In ______. Fill in the blank.”

This morning I noticed at the end of the Sports Section of today’s New York Times an obituary for Claramae Turner - who died at the age of 92. I would not have noticed and then read the obituary - except for one word in the title of the obituary: “Claramae Turner, 92, Singer and Heart of a Song.”

Today being the feast of the Sacred Heart - and because I was going upstairs to come up with a homily - after reading The New York Times - I noticed the word “heart”.

Claramae Turner - never heard of her - has just died. She was in the movie Carousel, but she was an opera singer - singing 100 times in the Metropolitan Opera. 

The New York Times obituary gave the trivial comment that the song, “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” was written for her in the early 1950’s as a recital piece. It was then published in 1954. 

The song was little known till Tony Bennett took it and won 2 Grammy awards for the song in 1962 - winning Best Male Solo Vocal Performance.

WHY HAS THAT SONG BEEN SO POPULAR?

Question: why was that song  been so popular?

Answer: I don’t know.

Assumption: However, I would assume it has always been popular because San Francisco - like Paris - in one of those cities that touch emotions, love, memories, stories, vacations, etc.

I would also assume that the idea of being in one place and having one’s heart in another place is something everyone can relate to.

Question: where is your heart?

Question: who has your heart?

Question: where do you go when you go elsewhere?

Question: what do you spend you energy on?

QUESTIONS OF THE HEART

Questions of the heart are very important questions.

Our heart is a box - a safe - a vault - a where we can put precious things - precious feelings - precious memories.

We might have a box in a bottom drawer or a top drawer - where we put precious jewelry - or papers - the sacred stuff.

So too the human heart.

It can contain and consume and be filled with love and hate, joy and sorrow, heaven or hell, gift and hurt.

Want to pray: go into the chapel, the church, the cathedral, the temple of your heart.

TODAY IS THE FEAST OF THE SACRED HEART

Today is the Feast of the Sacred Heart. Most of us here were brought up seeing images of the Sacred Heart.

It’s the image of Jesus - with his heart outside his rib cage and chest.

We get that image - because we know Valentine’s Day - we have called people “sweetheart” - we know what a bumper sticker means that spells the word “love” with a heart - as in “I [HEART] my pug.” Father Tizio has one of those. We’ve seen signs forever that Virginia is for Lovers [HEART].

Today’s readings feature the theme of a shepherd - that loves his sheep so much - he’ll do anything or go anywhere for his sheep - especially when lost.

I was talking to a woman the other day in the hospital who was dying. Her family were around the bed - so this was not confidential - and she said she was scared of dying. I asked her why. She answered immediately: “Because I’m scared that God is going to yell at me.”

Silence. Uh oh!

So I asked her - nervously - why do you say that, “Well that’s what our parish priest in New York said.”

I told her I don’t buy that or preach that. I preach Luke 15 as the heart of the Gospel.  One of the 3 parables in that 15^th Chapter is today’s gospel: that of the Lost Sheep.

Now I would say, “I left my heart in Luke 15. It has 3 parables that tell us about God - that he will come looking for us or wait for us: not yell at us. If we are a lost son or daughter, or a lost coin, or a lost sheep, Jesus will come and find us and embrace us and loves us and pull us close to his heart.

CONCLUSION

Have a heart. Leave it in Jesus.

ONE'S OWN  HISTORY

Quote for Today - June 7, 2013

"The history of every century begins in the heart of a man or a woman."

Willa Cather, O Pioneers, 1913



Comments and Questions:

What would be the name of the book called, "My History"?

What would be the names of 10 or 15 or 20 chapters?

Where have I lived? 

Whom have I met?  Name the 10 most significant experiences of my life?

What have I learned from the key moments of my life?

A SENSE OF WONDER

Quote for Today - June 6, 2013

"If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in."

Rachel Carson, The Sense of Wonder, 1965

FOUNDATIONS

Quote for Today - June 5, 2013

"Anything that is built must rest on a foundation."

Law-Tzu

Questions:

What would be the 3 key foundation stones of your life?

What would be the 4 pillars of your life?

Who has given you the best foundation stones of your life?

Jesus is called the "Cornerstone" - which the builders rejected. If you said to Jesus: "Be my Cornerstone" - what would that actually mean? Would you name particulars? Sayings? Principles? Stories? What?

Jesus talked at the end of his Sermon on the Mount - about building one's house on sand or rock. Describe some particulars for each.

DEALING WITH 

THE NAGGING 

NIT-PICKING IN LIFE

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 9^th Tuesday in Ordinary Time is, “Dealing With The Nagging Nit-Picking In Life.”

One of my favorite scripture texts is Mark 14: 19 and it’s also Matthew 26:22, “Is It I Lord?”

At the Last Supper Jesus says, “One of you is going to betray me!” And the different disciples around the table ask, “Is it I, Lord?”

I think that’s a great way to read the scriptures. We hear a story. We read a parable. We hear a challenge and we ask, “Is it I, Lord.”

And Jesus says that it’s the one who dips his hand  in the dish with me. That’s the one who will betray me.

So we hear a story or a parable and we dip our life into it and we ask, “Is it I, Lord?” Then we ponder if it hits and fits us.

So the title of my homily is, “Dealing With The Nagging Nit-Picking In Life.”

Question: Is it I, Lord?

In the gospels the Pharisees and / or the disciples often ask, “Are you aiming this at me?”

Jesus is more subtle than saying, “Yes” - but I sense that’s what he is doing.

TODAY’S READINGS

I got this thought when I read today’s first reading from Tobit 2:9-14. He gets his wife Anna’s goat - picking on her - thinking she stole the goat that was given her. He ticks her off, so she starts nitpicking back at him - attacking him for having false piety and charity.

Put the stetascope on marriages or family gatherings or at work or the rectory and you’ll hear the same back and forth nit picking.  Sometimes comments are just in fun; other times they can be nasty.

And in today’s gospel once more the Pharisees and the Herodians are on Jesus’ case - trying to trap and trick him with  questions - this time about paying taxes  - so Jesus pulls a great coin trick on them. He asks for a denarius - a coin and asks, “Whose image is on this coin?” We heard them reply: “Caesar’s.” So Jesus said to them, “Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” [Cf. Mark 12: 13-17]

CONCLUSION: ONE LESSON FOR TODAY

We can’t change the other person’s behavior or patterns, but we can work on our own.

When we’ve been with each other long enough, we know each other’s weaknesses and where and how to nit-pick - where to nag - where to get back at - how to be like a mosquito or a gnat - and then and there or sooner or later when the right moment appears, we shoot back from the hip and from the lip or we do it behind the other’s back - with the dig or the gossip or the complaint - wrapped in sandpaper.

So I think a good lesson for today would be to catch ourselves when we’re about to fire a comeback at someone to their face or behind their back- someone whom we think is getting our goat - to simply zip the lip [GESTURE].

THE SORROWFUL 

MYSTERIES

Quote for Today  - June 4, 2013

"You cannot prevent the bird of sorrow from flying over your head, but you can prevent it from nesting in your hair."

Chinese Proverb