BEAUTY IS 

IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER

Poem for Today - March 1, 2014

THE BEAUTIFUL

Three things there are more beautiful

Than any man could wish to see:
The first, it is a full-rigged ship

Sailing with all her sails set free;

The second, when the wind and sun

Are playing in a field of corn;

The third, a woman, young and fair,

Showing her child before it is born.

© W.H. Davies

Painting on top: 
"The Artist's Wife"
by Laurits Anderson Ring 
- 1897. This is L.A. ring's
portrait of his 22 year old
wife - Sigrid Kahler. 
He was 42 and this
was a year after
their marriage.  

SAILING 

ST. MARY'S MARYLAND

Poem for Today - February 28, 2014

Black History Month 

blessing the boats

(at St. Mary's)

may the tide

that is entering even now

the lip of our understanding

carry you out

beyond the face of fear

may you kiss

the wind then turn from it

certain that it will

love your back may you

open your eyes to water

water waving forever

and may you in your innocence

sail through this to that

  ©   Lucille Clifton     

GOD PAINTS THE GROUND 

WITH BOTH SNOW AND GRASS 

Poem for Today -  February 27, 2014
Black History Month

Quatrains

1

Brushes and paints are all I have

To speak the music in my soul—

While silently there laughs at me

A copper jar beside a pale green bowl.

2

How strange that grass should sing—

Grass is so still a thing ...

And strange the swift surprise of snow

So soft it falls and slow.

© Gwendolyn Bennett

LIBRARIANS

Poem for Today -  February 26, 2014

Black  History Month Continued

My First Memory

(of Librarians)

This is my first memory:

A big room with heavy wooden tables that sat on a creaky

       wood floor

A line of green shades—bankers’ lights—down the center

Heavy oak chairs that were too low or maybe I was simply

       too short

              For me to sit in and read

So my first book was always big

In the foyer up four steps a semi-circle desk presided

To the left side the card catalogue

On the right newspapers draped over what looked like

       a quilt rack

Magazines face out from the wall

The welcoming smile of my librarian

The anticipation in my heart

All those books—another world—just waiting

At my fingertips.

© Nikki Giovanni

CONFLICT RESOLUTION 

FOR DUMMIES 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 7^th Tuesday in Ordinary Time is, “Conflict Resolution For Dummies.”

TODAY’S READINGS

Today’s two readings - the first reading from James - chapter 4:1-10 and today’s gospel -  Mark 9:30-37 - provide - clear  - concise - simple - basic - reasons  - why there is conflict and how to resolve it.

Today’s two readings  - even a dummy can get what they are pointing out.

This talk can be cut into two parts:

Part One:  Conflict  - the why - the reasons why there are conflicts - as found in today’s first reading.

Part Two: Resolution - How the differences can be resolved - as found  in today’s gospel.

PART ONE: CONFLICTS

We begin today’s first reading with a where question? Where do wars and where do conflicts come from?  Answer: from our passions which make war within us. It’s an inside job.

Then James spells it out even more clearly. We see this happening in every situation where there are kids - as well as adults - when and where there is only a limited amount of different toys.

The circumference of the pie is only so big - and everyone wants a piece of the pie. Some want the biggest piece; some want a fair share; some say, “I’m watching how you’re slicing the pie and I want more than just crumbs.”

“I want what I want when I want it. Then when we want it now - there is conflict, family fights, war.

My will be done on earth and if I get it, then I’ll think I’m in heaven.

Read James carefully. When we don’t  get what we want, our passions erupt. They are at war within us. It’s that simple. We know this. We’re not dummies.

It can be over who has the dial on the car radio or who has the TV clicker. It could be over time or money - politics or religion. Who puts the garbage out; who brings the cans back to the house?

When I sit with couples preparing for marriage, not being married, I say in the mix of my mumblings: “The three biggest problems in marriage are: Money, Sex and In-laws.” I tell them I read that back in 1967 in the Inquiring Photographer section of the New York Daily News. Then I  say: “In time, you’ll find out what your list looks like - especially your top 3.” 

Then I guarantee there will be ups and downs, conflicts and contention - agita and agitation.

I can say that because James says that. I can say that because down through the years I’ve lived in various Redemptorist communities of men - many of whom were a very interesting cast of characters. I say that because I hear my own family stuff and I hear your family stuff - as well as individual stuff.

We envy. We want. We’re jealous. We don’t know how to talk to each other - so eruptions erupt.  We don’t know how to ask. James says that loud and clear. So that’s Part One: There Will Be Conflicts.

PART TWO: RESOLUTION

Jesus says: Hey dummies, there’s always going to be conflicts. [1] 

And there's always going to be crucifixions if you try to stop conflicts my way - turning the other cheek, etc. However, if you die trying to bring about a solution using my non-violent way - there will be resolution and resurrection. It might happen in 3 days - or it might take forever - but my WAY works. [Cf. Mark 9:31]

Then Jesus tells all: "Here’s how to resolve and how to stop conflicts." Stop trying to be the greatest. Stop always trying to be right. Stop trying to be the first out of the parking lot or the first in life - in family - in a conversation - in an argument.

Jesus says that loud and clear when he asks his disciples what they were fighting about. They must have turned red with shame as they said: We were arguing about  - who was the greatest?

Well, it’s the person who serves the rest.

That’s when Jesus adds to his one lines on how to end the conflict.

Resolve to be a like a little child.  Resolve to be last - not first.

Ooops Jesus - you’re making these little kids perfect. Didn’t you tell us that we can be like little kids in the market place - arguing. Didn’t you ever notice little kids: Sometimes like adults, they can’t adjust, compromise, put the other person in the driver’s set.

Ooops, double ooops  Jesus, maybe that’s where they learned it from in the first place.

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily is, “Conflict Resolution for Dummies.”

Pinch yourself to see if you’re alive. Today we’re blessed with one more day of life, one more chance to bring peace and not conflict to the situations we'll find ourselves in today.

O-O-O-O-O-O-O

NOTES

Painting on top:: Guernica - by Pablo Picasso

[1] “The whole history of the progress of human liberty shows that all concessions yet made to her august claims have been born of earnest struggle ….  If there is no struggle, there is no progress.  Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet depreciate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground, they want rain without thunder and lightning.  They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters.”  Frederick Douglas [c. 1817-1895]

BLACK ON BLACK

Poem for Today - February 25, 2014
Black History Month

PRIMER FOR BLACKS

Blackness
is a title,
is a preoccupation,
is a commitment Blacks
are to comprehend—
and in which you are
to perceive your Glory.

The conscious shout
of all that is white is
“It’s Great to be white.”
The conscious shout
of the slack in Black is
'It's Great to be white.'
Thus all that is white
has white strength and yours.

The word Black
has geographic power,
pulls everybody in:
Blacks here—
Blacks there—
Blacks wherever they may be.
And remember, you Blacks, what they told you—
remember your Education:
“one Drop—one Drop
maketh a brand new Black.”
Oh mighty Drop.
______And because they have given us kindly
so many more of our people

Blackness
stretches over the land.
Blackness—
the Black of it,
the rust-red of it,
the milk and cream of it,
the tan and yellow-tan of it,
the deep-brown middle-brown high-brown of it,
the “olive” and ochre of it—
Blackness
marches on.

The huge, the pungent object of our prime out-ride
is to Comprehend,
to salute and to Love the fact that we are Black,
which is our “ultimate Reality,”
which is the lone ground
from which our meaningful metamorphosis,
from which our prosperous staccato,
group or individual, can rise.

Self-shriveled Blacks.
Begin with gaunt and marvelous concession:
YOU are our costume and our fundamental bone.

All of you—
you COLORED ones,
you NEGRO ones,
those of you who proudly cry
“I’m half INDian”—
those of you who proudly screech
“I’VE got the blood of George WASHington in MY veins”
ALL of you—
you proper Blacks,
you half-Blacks,
you wish-I-weren’t Blacks,
Niggeroes and Niggerenes.


You. 

© Gwendolyn Brooks

THERE ARE

TWO WAYS TO GO

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 7^th Monday in Ordinary Time is, “There Are Two Ways To Go.”

Today’s gospel - Mark 9: 14-29 - is fascinating - I’ve preached on it many times - so today I’m only looking at the first reading from James 3: 13-18.

So the title of my homily is, “There Are Two Ways To  Go.”

COLUMNS, CONTRASTS AND COMPARSIONS

As you know, sometimes it’s smart to draw two columns and put in one column the ways we want to live or go or do or be - and in the other column to list the ways we don’t want to live or go or do or be.

Black or white, yes or no, A or B…. Columns are a standard way to teach wisdom - down through the centuries. They help us see comparisons that much easier. They are a great way of contrasting opposites.

We find these lists and contrasts not only in the Bible but in the wisdom literature - stories - anecdotes of most cultures. 

We know some of Aesop’s Fables that go back to around 600 years before Christ. We know about the tortoise and the hare, the dove and the ant, the fox and the stork. Contrasts …. Comparisons …..

We know that Jesus loved to teach us with contrasts: we know about the 2 sons, the 2 fig trees, the sheep and the goats, the Broadway and the narrow way, the 9 people with leprosy who didn’t come back and say “Thank you” after being healed and the 1 who did.

TODAY’S FIRST READING

So here in James we have 2 lists - 2 ways to do life - 2 types of wisdom: good wisdom and  bad wisdom, wisdom from above and wisdom from below.

The bad wisdom column                The good wisdom column

has the following traits:                  has the following traits:

bitter jealousy,                                  purity,

selfish ambition,                                gentleness,

being unspiritual,                              compliance,

being demonic,                                 mercy,

disorder,                                           constancy,

foul practices.                                   sincerity.

CONCLUSION

That’s a great list of specific goods and specific bads.

Then James uses the metaphor of planting and harvesting.

He says, cultivate the good stuff. Plant them in the plot of land called me - and then cultivate them.

Spring is coming - people will be out in their gardens soon.

In the last century Pope Paul VI [1963-1978] uses that same metaphor of cultivating. In his speeches and in his 1967 encyclical, Populorum Progressio, he calls development and cultivation a new name for peace.

Peace comes to those who cultivate peace.

It’s a plan. It’s more specific than simply saying, “Peace be with you.” Get your list of peacemaking practices - plant them and cultivate and develop them - and watch the growth that takes place. Praise God. Amen.