CONSEQUENCES

December 21, 2013 - Quote for Today - Saturday

"A human being fashions his consequences as surely as he fashions his goods or dwelling. Nothing that he says, thinks or does is without consequences."

Norman Cousins [1915-1990]

Question:

Should every house have at the front or garage door a sign or a boomerang with the simple message, "Remember there are consequences."

Suggestion:

This will help you reflect on consequences. Once more listen to Harry Chapin's song: Cat's in the Cradle!

PRAYER:

ROTE OR REAL?

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 3^rd Friday in Advent, December 20^th, is, “Prayer: Rote or Real.”

My original title was simply “Annunciations” - because both readings contain annunciation moments.  [Cf. Isaiah 7:10-14; Luke 1:26-38]

Then I thought, to be practical, it would be better to bring that theme into prayer, because folks are often asking for ways to pray better.

THE TIME OF THE READINGS

The first reading from Isaiah 7 can be dated to around the second half of the 700’s before Christ - 742 heading towards 700.

The Gospel would be at the beginning of AD - the beginning of all these new years with the Lord Jesus.

Back then - either 2700 or 2000 years ago -  if someone had a radio receiver or a TV set or a cell phone or what have you, and they turned it on, there would be no sounds in the air to pick up.

Obviously, that’s a fantasy.

All we would hear back then would be the wind or the birds of the air or the music of those singing at work in a carpenter shop or in the temple or on pilgrimage - as well as the sounds of the words of people within one’s hearing.

If a tree fell in a forest, we would hear it.

If we did the same today - if we listened with a powerful radio receiver - AM - FM - Short Wave - we would hear static as well as a snowden - a blizzard of sounds - and voices and music.  The air waves today are filled with the sound of music and thousands and thousands and thousands of people talking on the phone to each other.

A question that hit me - thinking about that contrast: was it easier to be a better listener back then that it would be today?

Answer: I don’t know.

Assumption: Definitely easier back then.

PRAYER

The title of my homily is “Annunciations.”

Prayer is all about Annunciations and Responding to what those announcements and pronouncements are about.

One great way to respond is simply: ask questions.

Prayer - once we hit 10 - or 12 - or 14 - but I’m really not sure of what age it would be  - should be not just rote memory comments - any more than our communication with each other - should be more than rote.

Yes we say the Our Father and “How are you?” and “Nice day,” and “Yes dear” and “It’s warmer today!” by rote - often without thinking - but communication better be listening, reflecting, and asking questions to and with each other.

The question mark is in the shape it’s in - for a reason - to hook each other - to catch each other - to hopefully end up - being in communion with each other - to become pregnant - bigger than ourselves - compared to just going it alone.

LOOKING FOR SIGNS

Prayer to be real - is to look for signs - of possible solutions - new life - new ways to being with God and with each other. 

Prayer is communication.

Communication to be real - is to look for signs - for the visible.

Ahaz in today’s first reading is asked to ask the Lord for a sign, but he won’t do that.

How many times in our life has someone said to us when we were moaning or groaning or complaining about someone else, “Well did you ask them?” “Did you talk to them about this?”

If I read the scriptures correctly - especially the psalms - prayer is very much talking, yelling, begging, groaning, asking God questions.

MARY ASKS QUESTIONS

Ahaz won’t ask God.

Mary does.

That’s why I love the Annunciation story of Mary here in the Gospel of Luke.  And luckily we hear this gospel read at least 3 times a year.

Mary models how to be in communion with God. Ask questions. Tremble. Be troubled. It’s all right to be afraid.  Yet she asks.

So Mary mirrors good communication - actually thinking and talking  to God.

Too many prayers are babble…. non-thinking babble…. Too many prayers are rote memory recitals.

If you know the gospels, especially Luke, you’ll know this is one of Jesus’ complaints about prayer.

I am challenged by the statement: “This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.

DOCENTS AND TOUR GUIDES

Almost finished, one last example. Have you ever had the following experience? You’re visiting a museum or a famous place and you have a tour guide or a docent. They are explaining a painting or a ceiling or something and someone asks a question out of the blue.

The docent or guide answers the question. Then the panic appears on their face. They have given this tour so many times - or something like that - and they don’t know where they let off to take time to answer the question from the crowd. Or they are brand new and just have their speech memorized, so  they have to start their whole spiel from the very beginning.

We have to become so familiar with God - and being in conversations, arguments, discussions with him - like with a friend, that it doesn’t make any difference where we let off or what have you.

CONCLUSION

Prayer moments can be like the two annunciation moments we heard in today’s 2 readings. Simply listen - ask - wonder - speak up - worry - tell God you’re afraid of something that’s going on in your life or what have you. And in the meanwhile expect distractions and interruptions - noise or someone opening up the door and asking a question. So what. Then we go back to prayer

THE REALITY OF EMPTINESS

December 19, 2013 - Friday - Quote for Today

"What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone."

Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956)

Bertolt Brecht [ ]

PREDICTING THE FUTURE

Quote for Today - December 19, 2013 - Thursday

"I'd be astounded if this planet is still going by fifty years from now. I don't think we will reach 2000. It would be miraculous."

Alistair Cooke [1908-2004]

LOVE 

INCLUDES SUFFERING

Quote for Today - December 18, 2013 - Wednesday

"If you love, you will suffer, and if you do not love, you do not know the meaning of a Christian life."

Agatha Christie [1891-1976], An Autobiography,[1977], Pt. III, Growing Up

THE  FAMILY  TREE

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for  this Tuesday in the Third Week of Advent - December 17^th, is, “The Family Tree.”

TODAY'S GOSPEL

As we listened to the beginning of the Gospel of Matthew this morning - which begins with names - lots of names - 42 to be precise - we are getting a sense of history - and mystery - not just of Jesus Christ - but of every person.

EVERY PERSON MATTERS

Our parish theme for this year is: Every Person Matters.

On the family tree of each person there are names - 42 names - hundreds and hundreds of names. They are the people who got us to this moment of our life.

I have not talked yet to someone who was adopted - who had no idea who his or her parents were - and then they took one of those new DNA tests and they discovered with the results - some of their roots. What would that be like?  I have to keep my ears open for someone who took that path.

What is it like when an adopted person discovers who gave them the gift of life? When it comes to adoption, I’m sure we’ve heard great stories - as well as so so stories. I’m sure we heard of people expressing a greater appreciation of the woman who gifted another couple with her child - because she or they knew they couldn’t handle a child at this time. I’m sure we’ve heard as well a greater appreciation for the mom and dad who adopted a person.

In the last 50 or so years doing one’s genealogy has become more and more significant - and I’ve heard people tell stories that are fascinating.

Growing up we had a picture of a cousin of my mom or dad - who went out to Minnesota - in the early part of the last century -  never to be heard from again. Then years later my Aunt Nora found a note on her door in Galway, Ireland  - from some people on a golfing trip to Ireland and they were checking out their roots. Nora wasn’t home - but they left a USA  address. My aunt Nora sent the address to my sister in Brooklyn - who wrote to them saying, “We might be relatives.” We were. Then my sister Mary flew out to a family reunion they were having - now in South Dakota. It was great. They were super, super happy to get the lowdown on their family tree - much of which they didn’t know about.

THREE QUICK MESSAGES

Okay, I asked myself, what would be 3 messages - I don’t know why I picked 3 - but 3 things that can happen from doing a genealogy:

1) We are a Cast of Characters. Check the family tree - and you’ll find a great cast of  characters and surprises. We’ll come up with people we’d brag about and people we’d like to keep in the closet. Looking at Matthew’s list for Jesus in today’s gospel, commentators like to point out the 5 women mentioned and not mentioned: Tamar seduced her father-in-law, Rahab was a prostitute, Ruth who was loyal beyond blood but most loyal to her in-laws, Bathsheba whom Matthew doesn’t list by name. She’s described as the mother of Solomon and the wife of Uriah - the one who got pregnant by David and whom David let him get killed. Then there was Mary - the mother of Jesus who is called the Christ.

2) Being a Loner Is Not an Option. We’re not in this alone. We can’t get a ticket to the dance called “life” without a mom and dad - and their moms and dads - and their moms and dads - and back and back and back and back and back. We’re not just one domino. John Donne said it loud and clear: “No man is an island, entire of itself, every man is a piece of the continent.”  I love the football story - that happened somewhere along the line. A quarterback was doing fabulous on some college team - but he never gave credit to his offensive line - who protected him every time. So on one play - it was planned -  they just fell down and let the defense of the other team come in and crush the quarterback. He got the message!

3) We’re All Related - if we all go back far enough. Is this why various folks like to say to another. Hi Bro or Sis or Cous. As we listen to history and social studies and world situations, we keep hearing that various parts of the world - especially the countries ending in “an” - but many other places - Africa - the Middle East - are very family and tribal oriented - and those places are really not part of a nation yet. Blood is thicker than water. Families - extended families are more to be trusted. It isn’t until we realize we’re all brothers and sisters and God is our Father, and we’re in this together - that this world isn’t going to work. I’ve often thought the only way this world will be united - would be that we discover there is another world on some other planet  - and they are perceived to be enemy - and dangerous. 

MUSIC

Quote for Today - December 17, 2013

"I would say that music is the easiest means in which to express ... but since words are my talent, I must try to express clumsily in words what the pure music would have done better."

William Faulkner [1897-1962]