DEATH

Quote for Today - Saturday - November 23, 2013 

"A painting on a canvas of infinite size, worked on eternally, would be without focus, meaning and probably without beauty.  A painting, as life, needs limits.  While I have an almost insatiable craving for knowledge, I believe death to be the final and perhaps greatest teacher - the one who provides the key to the ultimate questions life has never answered.  In my darkest hours I have been consoled by the thought that death at least is a payment for the answer of life's haunting secrets."

Morris B. Abram, in The Wall Street Journal, November 28, 1988

Painting: "Death and the Miser" by Frans Francken II [1581-1642]

QUESTION: Besides the hour glass under the skeleton's right foot, what do you see in this painting?

CHANGE

Quote for Today - Friday - November 22, 2013

"People change and forget to tell each other."

Lillian Hellman, Toys in the Attic, Random House, 1960

Questions:

What happens if the person who changes doesn't know it herself or himself?

What happens if everyone sees specific changes except the person who has changed?

Are we talking about negative or positive changes here?

Isn't change gradual?

How have I changed in the past year, 2 years, 10, years, in my life? Please explain a change to oneself first? Be specific. Then ask others if they have seen any changes in me. Ask them to be specific. Thank you!

SCARS

Quote for Today - November 21, 2013

"You know what happens to scar tissue. It's the strongest part of your skin."

Michael R. Mantell, San Diego police psychologist, On psychological recovery of disaster victims, New York Daily News, December 14, 1986

LISTENING 

TO THE WORLD

Quote for Today - November 20, 2013

"If the church doesn't listen to the world, then the world will never listen to the church."

Bernard Haring, New York Times, June 14, 1964

FROM A DISTANCE

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 33 Tuesday in Ordinary Time is, “From A Distance….”

This morning I’d like to make a few comments about the advantage of hindsight - history -  distance - Monday morning quarterbacking….

Hindsight  should help foresight!

Review can bring renew.

TODAY’S READINGS

We’ve heard these readings many a time - but what do we hear this time - this year - this day.

Last night the theme of “From a Distance” hit me.

The old man - Eleazar -  in the first reading from 2^nd  Maccabees 6: 18-31 -  makes his decision not to eat forbidden food - pork - based on the implications and consequences - if he goes against his religious practices.  His decision would mean death - but for the sake of transparency - he has seen a lot and lived a lot - and most of his life is behind him.

In the gospel, Zacchaeus goes on ahead of the crowd - till he found a tree - climbed it  - and saw Jesus and Jesus saw him - from a distance.

 HISTORY

And the rest is history and the mystery of history.

What do I see now that I wasn’t seeing 20 years ago?

How many times have we heard and then said ourselves, “If I knew back then, what I know now ….”?

 What do I know now - that I didn’t know back then?

Around 4 PM in the afternoon I like to take a 45 minute walk from St. Mary’s front door - down Newman Street - past the playground at the bottom of  our street with all those little kids playing there - and their moms talking - then move across to Ego Alley and then go through the Naval Academy - see all those young men and women running past me - exercising - practicing football, football, football - lacrosse, lacrosse, lacrosse - and Frisbee, Frisbee, Frisbee, etc. etc. etc.

I’m looking at everything through fences and off to the side - and from not being in the middle of it all.

At the practice football field they have these big platforms way up in the air - with people up there with cameras - videoing the football team  as they practice, practice, practice. What do they see from way up there that folks are not seeing from the ground?

Zacchaeus climbed the tree and saw Christ and Christ saw him - and the rest is history and mystery.

I would assume coming to church - helps us see our life - from the edge - from the outside - from a platform.

I would assume that age gives wisdom - but like experience - as someone said: We can have 20 years experience or 1 years experience 20 times.

I remember a speaker saying somewhere along the line - a lady named Pat Livingston - keep asking: What’s the lesson here? What’s the learning here?

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily is, “From A Distance….”

Today some learnings are: Take walks. Step back. See the big picture. Talk with others about one’s experiences. Write your autobiography. Distance yourself from yourself. Let’s go to the videotape. Check things out - and learn the lessons from all around us.

It’s always been my take that Jesus got his wisdom from not just going to the mountain but also from his walking around town - especially listening to people in the marketplace. 

Surprise! Check out today’s gospel again and again. See what Zacchaeus saw when he climbed a tree. Listen to what he says. He saw more. He saw the poor. He saw his life in a new way - its implications and its possibilities.

Surprise! Jesus ended up getting a meal out of the deal. I wonder if he served pork!

KEEP TALKING! 

I'M TRYING TO 

LISTEN! 

Quote for Today - Tuesday - November 19, 2013

"The reverse side also has a reverse side."

Japanese Proverb

Japanese painting by trinifellah

LEARNING HOW TO PRAY:

TWO GOOD QUESTIONS

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 33 Monday in Ordinary Time is, “Learning How to Pray: Two Good Questions.”

SURVEYS

In various surveys that ask people what they want us to preach about from the pulpit, I’ve noticed people want stuff on spirituality and stuff on how to pray.

This homily will give one more lesson on how to pray.

So the title of my homily is, “Learning How to Pray: Two Good Questions.”

THE FIRST QUESTION

The first question is in today’s gospel: And Jesus said, “What can I do for you?”

The blind man of Jericho wanted to see, so he called out to Jesus to take pity on him. He had heard Jesus was walking by. So Jesus heard him yelling and stopped to ask him, “What can I do for you?”

And the blind man answered the obvious, “I want to see.”

So, if you want one more lesson on how to pray, there it is. Find yourself in your place of prayer - whether its in church or in the Eucharistic chapel, whether it’s in a Lazy Boy chair or at the kitchen table.  Wherever, whenever, you pray, in your good place of prayer, car, church, chapel or chair - after acknowledging God’s presence, hear Jesus asking you, “What can I do for you?”

That’s the first question.

It’s like the salesperson at Nordstrom’s or a waitress or waiter at Macaroni Grill coming up to us and asking, “What can I do for you?” Or “What can I get you?” Or “What do you want?” Or "What are you looking for?"

So picture yourself praying. Picture Jesus asking us, “What can I do for you?”  

What would you answer?

Would it be, “I want more patience.” Or “I want to be more understanding.” Or “I want a better attitude towards my son-in-law.” Or “I want to love more.”  Or, “I want to laugh more.”  Or, “I want to pray better.”

THE SECOND QUESTION

The second question is not in the Scriptures as is, but here it is, Ask God: “What can I do for You?”  and then listen. Then pause. Then be quiet as you sit there in prayer. Then hear what Jesus says to you. It might be words like the following:

“Did you ever thinking of visiting that old lady two doors down. Nobody seems to visit her.”

“Did you ever think of really listening to so and so and not just being silent with her and then running?”

“Did you ever think you might be much happier if you stopped whining and complaining and you started celebrating each day of life as it comes - with a joyful spirit?”

"Did you eve take me serious when I said, ‘Stop  to see the birds of the air and the lilies of the field. Okay it’s November. Well see the squirrels and hear the crunch of crisp brown leaves on the ground when kids love to pounce through the leaves or kick them up in the air or fall into them.’?”

CONCLUSION

So today’s homily provides a lesson plan on how to pray and I gave two good questions;

1) Hearing God or Jesus saying to us, “What can I do for you?”

2) Hearing ourselves asking God, “Hey God, what can I do for you?”