MAYBE ...

IN TIME ...

DOWN THE LINE ......

December 1,  2011

Quote for Today

"Perhaps someday it will be pleasant to remember even this."

Virgil [70-19 B.C.]

Photo on Top: Man in the Dark by Federico Marsicano

A GOOD MISTAKE OR SIN 

CAN MAKE US MUCH 

MORE UNDERSTANDING!

November  30,  2011

Quote for Today

"Everyone in daily life carries such a heavy, mixed burden on his own conscience that he is reluctant to penalize those who have been caught."

Brooks Atkinson, "February 28," Once Around the Sun, 1951

Painting on top by William Holman Hunt [1827-1910], "The Awakening Conscience," 1853

Or read John 8: 1-11

NOT EVERYONE SEES

THE SAME WAY

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this First Tuesday of Advent is, “Not Everyone Sees The Same Way.”

This is something that is obvious. We know it. Today’s readings are one more reminder of that obvious truth.

“Not Everyone Sees the Same Way.”

When we forget this obvious truth - we end up with stale mates and road blocks on the road to each other. It blocks our abilities to work with each other. When I forget this and then realize what happened, I bring up the old saying that I like to quote, “The greatest sin is our inability to accept the otherness of the other person.”

Someone else said that and at times I see why they said that and what they meant by it.

When we see - or at least get glimpses - of what the other is saying, we can say today’s Psalm response: “Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.”

When we see what Isaiah is saying to us in today’s first reading, the Spirit of the Lord can rest on us - a spirit of wisdom and understanding, counsel and strength - and the wolf in each of us can be with the lamb in each of us - so too the bear and the cow, the lion, the snake and the child.

When we see this we see why Jesus said in today’s gospel: "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it."

JOHN AMBROSE

The title of my homily is, “Not Everyone Sees the Same Way.”

How many times and in how many ways do we learn that message?

It triggered the memory of going to a Baltimore Ravens football game a good 8 years ago with Father Denis Sweeney, Father John Tizio - as guests of John Ambrose - before he died of cancer.

We went in his Hummer. That was the only time I was ever in a Hummer. Woo. Big car. Big mobile. To John I’m sure it was just a car. I felt a wow in it. As we got very close to the stadium to the parking lot John went to, I noticed various people walking along dressed in Ravens’ Purple stopping to look and point at the Hummer.

I got a weird thought. This is how it must feel like to be a beautiful woman - everyone stops to look at you. The beautiful women here know exactly what I’m talking about. The Hummer had tinted windows from which I noticed people going “Wow! That’s some Hummer.”

To John I’m sure he saw it as just another vehicle.

We had great seats. We’re sitting there and I say to John on an upcoming play that it’s going to be a pass. He says to me, “Nope. Look at number 86 over there.” And sure enough it was a run. It hit me that former professional football players must see a football game differently than I see a football game. He played for Arizona State as well as the Colts for part of one season.

“Not Everyone Sees the Same Way.”

MICHELANGELO

We’ve all heard the example of Michelangelo. He would look at a block of marble and see Moses or David or the Blessed Mother in it. We would see just a block of marble.

How does God see us? What does God see in us?

“Not Everyone Sees the Same Way.”

CONCLUSION: WHERE DO WE GO WITH THIS SIMPLE BASIC MESSAGE?

What now? What do we do with this simple basic message that we all don’t see alike. I’m not sure, but here are 5 leads:

1) It could lead us to communicate better with each other - checking out how the other sees.

2) It could lead to less assumptions - or clarification of assumptions.

3) It could lead to less judging others - or throwing rocks.

4) It could lead us to learning more - because we could discover other takes that differ from the take we take on something.

5) It could lead us to prayer - asking God why in the world and how in the world did you ever come up with the idea of mosquitoes and hippopotamuses - or what have you - or how in the world did you come up with these neighbors or family members of ours - who are so, so different from us. Amen.

FAMILIES: 

BIG ONES,

SMALL ONES.

November 29,  2011

Quote for Today

"I worry about people who get born nowadays, because they get born into such tiny families - sometimes into no family at all.  When you're the only pea in the pod, your parents are likely to get you confused with the Hope Diamond."





Russell Baker, "Life with Mother," William Zinsser, ed., Inventing the Truth, 1987

RELUCTANCE

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this First Monday in Advent is, “Reluctance.”

TWO TRIGGERS

Two things triggered this homily - this reflection - on reluctance.

The first thing was today’s Psalm response, “Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.”

That’s from Psalm 122 - which begins this way as we heard read,

                       “I rejoiced because they said to me,
                       ‘We will go up to the house of the LORD.’
                        And now we have set foot
                        within your gates, O Jerusalem.”

Psalm 122 is one of the so called, “Pilgrim Songs” that folks sang on their pilgrimages to the big temple in Jerusalem. We can picture and hear that - like Moslems going to their major holy places in Saudi Arabia or Catholics going to Lourdes, Fatima or the big Marian Shrine of Chartres in France.

Those folks go or went with great joy - and little reluctance. It was a holiday!

The second thing that triggered this homily thought on reluctance was a moment yesterday at St. Mary’s. I noticed a lady and someone else in the sacristy. At the sign of peace I usually drop in there and say, “Peace” and shake hands with those in there. I like to connect with everyone.

Then before heading back to the altar I squirt that germ killer stuff on my hands. I wonder how long that stuff will be used. By 3011 will it have become part of the Mass like the washing of the hands which is still there - even though we no longer get the big collection of food at the offertory for the poor and the hungry - a practice of the Early Church that stopped a long time ago - if I have that correct. Yet the priest still washes his hands to this day.

Well, the two people in the sacristy were a mother and a son. I gave the mom a handshake and a word of “Peace” and then went over to the son - a young teenager who was in a semi-fetal position. His head was in his hands and he didn’t see me coming towards him.

The mom then said out loud, “He doesn’t want to be here - but I made him come with me to Mass.” I paused and then put my hand on his shoulder and said, “Peace to a kid who doesn’t want to be here.” He looked up - with a pained face that was semi-twisted.

After that, the only thing I thought about for the rest of the Mass was that kid and his mom. It stopped me from wondering and worrying about how many mistakes I was making in the using the new prayers. That faded into the background - compared to that Reluctant Teen.

SUNDAY MASS - WITH RELUCTANCE

With the various announcements in newspapers and on radio programs of the changes in the wording of the Catholic Mass prayers, starting yesterday, I was wondering if anyone who had stopped going to church - or is a once and a while Sunday Mass goer - went to church yesterday. Were the numbers up? Could that be measured?

Weekday Mass goers I assume come here freely and with joy. How many Sunday church goers come out of obligation? How many teenagers come out of obligation?

We have this new translation. There was reluctance on part of some bishops - and others - to do these changes. But here we have it. It’s like today’s gospel with the story of the Centurion. We get orders and we do them. [Cf. Matthew 8:5-11]

I said to myself I’ll give all this time - to see what these changes are about.

The word I hear is that everything will be more “formal”. Formal is a key word. I began noticing that in most of the articles I read about these changes. I know the difference between formal and informal. Some people are more formal than others and vice versa. Will those who like to dress “formal” and think “formal” and who are reluctant to come to church for whatever reason - will they now come more often? Will those who like informal - drop out - because they feel things have become more formal in the prayers? Will anyone notice any of these things - a year from now?

IN THE MEANWHILE

In the meanwhile, what do we do to make Mass more of an spiritual experience for people who are reluctant to come to Mass more often?

I also had the 5 PM Mass last evening here at St. John Neumann. It’s the Youth Mass.

The crowd wasn’t too big last evening for that Mass. Was it the holidays? Was it because there was no “Youth Event” after the Mass - as there usually is? Was there a big football game on? Does that have an impact? I don’t know.

I was wrong in what I thought would happen with regards this Youth Mass here at St. John Neumann’s. I figured in one year it would be packed every Sunday evening - with seats being difficult to be had. Different folks came up with a band - with drums and guitars, etc. Surprise. That didn’t fill the church.

One drawback was that the Mass wasn’t every Sunday evening. It was called off when religious ed was called off for that Sunday. I thought that was a killer - and people might be reluctant to come - not being sure whether there was a Mass here on Sunday evening or not. We got that cleared up - and that Mass goes all year - till May - and starts up again in September.

Then that band disbanded - and last night I noticed there was just one singer and one piano player - and the music was good. I wondered if there was a possible band in our midst.

But were the kids here reluctantly? Did the band music help?

I realize the Mass is not entertainment - but as the old saying goes, “Why should the devil have all the tunes?”

I wasn’t sharp enough and quick enough to whisper to that mom at the 12:30 at St. Mary’s - that there was a 5 PM Youth Mass at St. John Neumann’s.

If she dragged her son to the 5 would he still be in the fetal position of not wanting to come out of his womb - his comfort zone - and be at Mass?

I don’t know.

Can we measure reluctance?

I had a home Mass on Thanksgiving afternoon at one of my nieces’ house and everyone was there - but one grandnephew was hanging in the back - with arms folded. Was he feeling reluctance? Was he feeling trapped? What was he feeling or thinking? I don’t know. I didn’t ask.

Do surveys help?

CONCLUSION

I preached the same sermon for the 5 PM on Saturday night at St. Mary’s and again at the 12:30 on Sunday. I had worked on that homily. Knowing that the Mass at 5 PM was for youth, guilt got me to write a completely different sermon - and compared to the more prepared homily, I felt reluctance to preach it.

In fact I began the homily last night by saying something like this, “I had another homily for this Sunday, but since this is a youth mass, I wrote this homily this afternoon for the young people here. It’s first draft - but here goes.” I tried to youngerfy my thoughts.

However, I felt a reluctant tugging in giving it, knowing the other homily was better in my appraisal, and there were as many adults at the 5 PM Mass as young people.

Good News. Sometimes gifts come across the waters. I’m standing there in the vestibule after Mass saying, “Good bye and have a good week.” A mother says to me on the way out of church “My daughter said she appreciated that the priest wrote a homily just for us.”

LISTENING 

TO  ONESELF

November  28, 2011

Quote for Today

"She didn't hear me. But I heard me."

Comment by Renita J. Weems in her book, Listening For God: A Minister's Journey Through Silence and Doubt, Simon and Schuster, N.Y., 1999

WATCH

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this Youth Mass for the First Sunday of Advent is, “Watch!”

It’s the final word and the theme of today’s gospel.

It’s an Advent theme - as we begin the season of Advent this Sunday.

Watch!

We know what the word means - because we know what a watch is - even though a lot of people are using their cell phones for watches these days.

Everyone watches the time - sometimes. What they watch for tells us what people are really interested in.

Watch people watch their watches. Watch people watch clocks - they know how many more minutes it is - till school is let out. Watch coaches screaming at quarterbacks and players to watch - especially with this gesture  [TWO  FINGERS  TO  THE  EYES].

Watch!

MOVIES AND SPORTS

We’ve all seen movies - with scenes about watching - about being alert. Soldiers are in a field - and it’s night time - and two soldiers are put on watch - for two hours - and then another two and then another two. And we see the good guys or the bad guys creeping up and sure enough the two soldiers on watch have fallen asleep - and then disaster strikes the camp.

Last Sunday as I was driving to Rehoboth Beach I was listening to the Ravens postgame show. Ray Rice said he was going to watch films later on that Sunday night for the upcoming Thanksgiving evening game. He said that this week there is no time off. We’re in the playoff hunt and we have to win.

Well, the Ravens won on Thanksgiving night. Evidently he and the others watched game film - looking for tendencies - patterns - how the 49ers play. . I would assume that the 49ers also watched film - but maybe some players were lazy and fell asleep while watching the film.

WATCH FOR GOD

The message for today in church is all about watching for God.

Today’s first reading from Isaiah 63: 16b-17, 19b; 64: 2-7 is a prayer that God will return - and no longer hide his face from us - so God we  are watching for you.

Today’s first reading from Isaiah is a call of hope that God will come down from the heavens - the mountains will quake and shake - and God will show up.

Today’s first reading from Isaiah is a hope that God will show up when we’re doing what is right - not what is wrong.

Today’s gospel - Mark 13: 33-37 - has the image of man who owns a house and puts his servants in charge of various jobs - and he tells the gatekeeper as he leaves on a journey to be on the watch - because he might come home in the evening or at midnight or when the rooster crows or in the morning. You never know!

This took place before I-Phones and TV cameras or what have you.

We hear this story and several similar stories with many of the readings near the end of the Church year and at the beginning of the Church year.

There are all kinds of evidence that people in the Early Church - some 2000 years ago - thought the world was about to end - and Jesus was about to come back again.

He didn’t. We’re still here.

So the world falls asleep when it comes to God.

How about you? Has God come to you yet?

Are you watching for God?

THE FIRST COMING OF CHRIST

The first coming of Christ was a total surprise. Who would believe that God would come as a little baby - a helpless little baby?

What hits me every time I hear these stories is that God does not follow my script, my plan, my will, my imagination.

If you were a little kid and you were given a box of crayons or some clay, how would you draw God - or how would you form God as a clay statue? This idea is not too far fetched. This first reading from Isaiah pictures God as a potter who works with clay and surprise he made us. We are the work of his hands.

If I was writing the story, I would never have dreamed up God coming as a little baby.

I remember the movie “Oh God” and its sequel - when God comes as an old man: George Burns.

I remember hearing about a play in the early 1970’s where God is cast as a Puerto Rican Steambath attendant in New York City. It features people who have died and wake up in steam in a steam bath. They obsess about what they obsessed about in life. Bruce Jay Friedman - who wrote the play - said he got the idea when he was in a Chinese Restaurant. He got quite sick from the food and thought he was going to die.  Tandy - one of the main characters in the play - discovers he has died from food at a Chinese restaurant.

What do you obsess about? What do you drama king or drama queen about?

Wasn’t there another movie - called “Bruce Almighty” - when a TV reporter in Buffalo complains to God about life, so God gives him almighty powers? If we were given God Almighty powers, what would we do with them? Would we change life or the world? How so?

WATCHING MOVIES

What do people see - what do people watch - when they see  plays with God on stage - or movies on a screen? Does it get them to see life any different? Does it get them to see God any different?

In ancient Greece the gods appeared on stage - as the gods of love and war. Did people who watched those plays change in any way?

When the Jewish scriptures were read in synagogues - people listened to the stories about God coming as burning fire to Moses - or as power when enemies were killed - or as a tiny breeze - or as light. What did they imagine? What did they see? Did it change their lives? Did they love more? Did they care for others more? Did they take care of the poor and the sick and the handicapped more?

Why did God come as a baby?

That is the Christian belief.

ADVENT

We begin Advent today - and we move these 4 weeks to the re-celebration - the re-enactment - of something that happened 2000 years ago. We’ll hear the story again in the readings and the hymns - here in church and on the radio or in stores or malls where people are shopping . Listen carefully. You'll here in the background “Silent Night”, “O Come, All Ye Faithful”, “Joy To The World.” Every Catholic church has the crib - usually up front - with the straw and the stable - the sheep and the shepherds - the cow and the ox - and Mary and Joseph - and the baby Jesus.

What do people watch when they hear about this - and watch all this?

I would think it has more impact than movies with God as old man - or a Steambath attendant or as an Almighty Power speaking to a newspaper reporter in Buffalo.

I can say that because most Catholics who don’t go to Mass - come to Mass at least at Christmas. It’s called just that: Christmas - from Christ’s Mass.

And those who come the other 51 weeks of the year, do they see God coming in the bread - as food - and do they go out from mass and see Jesus in the challenges of the week - or as Paul discovered he saw Jesus in us - in people - especially those who need our love?

CONCLUSION

Watch life. Watch people. Watch how life works.

I don’t have any children. Those of you who have, how did your life change when you saw your life show up in the new life of a baby?

Watch the movie of your life - and bring that to prayer. Then work to make that movie better. Watch yourself in that movie.

Kids,  how have you changed the life of your parents by being part of the family you are part of?  Watch that film. Then go home and make that movie better. Watch yourself in that movie.