POST CHRISTIANITY-

RE-CHRISTENING

INTRODUCTION

My homily for this feast of the Baptism of Jesus has two parts. It’s title is, “Post Christianity - Re-Christening.”

Notice Christ’s name in both parts. "Post Christianity and Re-Christening”.

When was the last time anyone asked you: “Are you in a relationship with anyone?”

Christianity is being in  a relationship with Christ - who brings us into a relationship with other persons: the two other persons in the Trinity; as well as with the community called “The Body of Christ”- Church - Us; and hopefully with all the people of our world.

St. Alphonsus de Liguori - the founder of the Redemptorists - the priests in this parish - whose statue is up here above the altar - wrote over 100 books. His key book is, “The Practice of the Love of Jesus Christ.”

It begins this way: “The whole sanctity and perfection of a soul consists in loving Jesus Christ, our God, our sovereign good, and our Redeemer.”[1]

How do we learn to play the piano?  How do we get to Carnegie Hall? Practice. Practice. Practice. How do we find joy, become a saint, find meaning in life? Practice, practice, practice the love of Jesus Christ.

PART ONE: POST CHRISTIANITY

For the past few years I have been hearing from time to time the phrase, “Post Christianity.” Post meaning “past”.

I assume there is no official definition on what that means exactly.

For me,  it simply means that for some who were Christians - they have dropped out of Church - and away from having Christ as God in their lives. In their mind or attitude - being a Catholic or a Protestant - is basically past history. It’s over!

Then there are some who are still Christmas and Easter and funeral and wedding Catholics - and they call for a priest when someone is sick or dying. They might also have their kids baptized - and make First Communion - but in reality they are drop outs when it comes to voting with their feet - by walking into a church and putting their butts on the bench or knees on the kneeler on a regular basis. Christ’s attitude  is not their attitude on how to do life

There’s talk at times by "Strict Catholics" that Benedict XVI is for a small, lean, deeply committed Catholic Church - whose members are following Jesus - living the Christian life  - and  let those other "so so Catholics" drop out of the Church or not be considered part of the Church. Others say that he’s not saying that.[2]

Is the history of the Catholic Church,  a Church of hot and cold Catholics? Is the history of the Catholic Church basically the same down through the centuries - a whole mass of different type Catholics - in different states or stages of practicing their faith?

I keep hearing that attendance at Mass by Catholics around the world is the highest in the United States - and I’ve seen numbers from 28% to 35 % going to church on a regular basis. I hear that in countries like France it’s around 9 %.[3]

I’m also hearing that in the United States that number has been gradually dropping in the past 25 years. 

Peter Berger once wrote about the magical train station in Paris - where Catholics from the country upon moving to Paris arrive at the train station and when they get off the train - they are no longer Catholics.[4]

Does this happen when people go off to college - or as soon as Confirmation is over?

As priest I wonder about these things.

Did the word “obligation” or “under pain of mortal sin” get people to go to church - when down deep there was no grab at Mass for them? Does guilt work? Should we talk and think about “have to” and “want to” being at church and being a Catholic when we talk about all this?

What are your thoughts, opinions, stands, questions, wonderings about any of this? Talk to each other. I love it when someone says they were talking about a homily I gave in their car on the way home.

I know some of you think and worry about your kids - many of whom you paid for a Catholic education or brought them to Mass and made them go to both Mass and religious education - and they have dropped out or somewhat dropped out.

When I’m on to say the 5 PM Youth Mass at St. John Neumann on Sunday evening and say, “The Lord be with you” there seems to be a greater response to that same greeting  than when I have Mass like I did Friday morning for our whole high school.

I don’t know why some high school kids seem like statues at Mass. Is silence, being blah, resisting religion - church - synagogue - part of being a teenager?

When kids don't respond at Mass, I hate it when priests say: “Let me try that again: ‘The Lord be with you!’”

If I heard it once I heard it a 5 dozen times, people didn’t like it when Father Ted Heyburn would try to make people sing the opening hymn a second time at Mass - because he didn’t think they were singing it the first time around.

The Mass … Music… Prayers…  The Homily or Sermon … the Our Father … the Sign of Peace …  Communion… The Experience of being in Church... what is that like for folks?  What do people want, need, hope for when they come to Mass? How do we avoid driving people away from God, Church, prayer, the Holy, receiving Communion - Union with Christ and each other? What do folks hunger for in their gut - in their deepest deep?

Sometimes when reading the papers or a magazine - I notice articles about  attendance at church. I'll read that article. I do that especially because before I came here to Annapolis I worked for 8 years with a priest named Tom out of Lima, Ohio. He had a Ph.D. in Sociology and in our many car rides all over the Eastern Part of the United States - especially Ohio - which is east of the Mississippi, if I learned anything from conversations with Tom, I learned that research by professionals like CARA - Center For Applied Research in the Apostolate  or the Pugh Forum Religious Landscape Study - or the Lilly Endowment Inc. on Religion - they tell me at times that my projections  and opinions can be wrong, very wrong.

Perhaps that’s the reason I like the saying from the Jewish Talmud, “Teach thy tongue to say, ‘I do not know.’”

So I don’t know - but I sense two things: 1) the numbers are going down a bit faster than usual; and 2) we might be at a stage in Church life - where we better be careful - “a little more carefully - than anything” to steal from the words of e.e. cummings -  about this gift of faith called “Christianity” - and our Catholic Faith in particular.

In my opinion, babbling, fluffy stuffy homilies - or hammer, hammer, hammer homilies - don’t help. The Child Abuse by priests didn’t help. That really hurt us. The efforts to return to a top down Church structure doesn’t help. The way some in the Church dumped the new translation of the 1973 Sacramentary in English that was a long work in progress and replaced it with a tongue twisting very close to the Latin translation didn’t help - in my opinion. There was research recently that said U.S. Catholics favored the new translation.[5] I scratched my head at that - because I hear priests complaining about the priest’s prayers as being clumsy, clumsy, clumsy. We’re up here mouthing them. We were told to practice them more beforehand. I’ve tried - but to me, ugh, ugh, ugh - and to be honest, I assume I’ll be dead by the time, they get this right. Opinion. Opinion. Opinion.

PART TWO: RE-CHRISTENING

Part One of this homily was called, “Post Christianity”.

Part Two of this homily is called, “Re-Christening.”

For the past 50 years I’ve been hearing the word, “Evangelization”.  Lately, I’ve been hearing the words, “New Evangelization.”[6]

Someone is saying that what the Church says from time to time is a call for us to "Wake up!" Attempts are made to  shake it up once more. The history of the Church is a history of Awakenings and Renewals.[7]

In the meanwhile, here we are at Sunday Mass.

In the meanwhile, on this Sunday we are celebrating the feast of the Baptism of Jesus.

Why are we here? We’re here to be renewed - to renew our Baptism.

We here to hear the readings and to receive Christ in Communion.

In today’s first reading from Isaiah 40 we heard, “Comfort, give comfort to my people…. Speak tenderly …. prepare the way of the Lord…. Every valley shall be filled in …. every mountain and hill shall be made low …. the glory of the Lord shall be revealed …. Go up onto a high mountain …. cry out at the top of your voice …. good news…. Fear not …. Here is your God! …. Like a shepherd he feeds his flock …. in his arms he gathers the lambs, carrying them in his bosom, and leading the ewes with care.”

In today’s psalm - Psalm 104 we heard, “O Lord, my God, you are great indeed…. when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.”

In  today’s second reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to Titus, we heard, “The grace of God has appeared, saving all and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age, as we await the blessed hope, the appearance of the glory of our great God and savior Jesus Christ….”

In today’s gospel from Luke we heard that people were filled with expectation wondering if John the Baptist was the Christ. Is he the one everyone has been waiting for? And he said, No. “I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

Jesus is the one John pointed to and pointed out and Jesus is the one that the voice from heaven said as we heard in today’s gospel, “You are my beloved Son; with whom I am well pleased.” [Luke 3: 22]

Most of us were baptized as babies - christened as babies.

Christened - means - Christ was implanted - put into us - and we became sacred, new, a Sacrament - a sign of Christ’s presence wherever we go.

Christened  - means we are called to be salt, light, life, joy, hope, help, love, wisdom, good example - to our world - each day.

Part 2 of this homily is called, “Rechristening.”

CONCLUSION

For the past 35 years at least, I’ve thought that the Catholic Church should announce a new sacrament - for those 35 and over. I never knew what to call it. As I reflected on this homily I’ve thought, “Maybe ‘Rechristening” might be a good name.

Now the Catholic Church won’t do this. They’ll stick with 7. Someone will probably say my thought is heretical or what have you.

I could go for confirmation being put off till 35 as a compromise - but they won’t do that either.

In the meanwhile, this year 2013 is one more year where those of us who are here can grow as Christians.

This year at Mass we’ll hear the Gospel of Luke proclaimed. By the end of this year, will you be a better Christian than you are right now?  Our move! Our decision! Our action!

As John the Baptist also said, “I must decrease. He must increase.” 

So Re-Christening is the step after Post Christianity. I am called to be re-Christed, re-Christened - becoming Christ - more and more each day. Amen. [8]

OOOOOOO

NOTES:

[1] St. Alphonsus de Liguori, The Practice of the Love of Jesus Christ, pp. 261-477, in Volume VI, The Ascetical Works, edited by Rev. Eugene Grimm, CSSR, Redemptorist Publications, 1934

[2] Cf. The Tablet, The International Catholic Weekly, UK, "Map For the Journey of Faith," Page 2, October 6, 2012

[3] Linda Woodhead, "Faith That Won't Fit The Mould," article in The Tablet [UK], page 8, December 15, 2012

[4] Cf. Peter Berger's book, A Rumor of Angels: Modern Society and the Rediscovery of the Supernatural. In it mentions the statistical study by Gabriel LeBras - who is actual one who made the statement that "a certain railroad station in Paris appears to have a magical quality, for rural migrants seem to be changed from practicing to non-practicing Catholics the very moment they set foot on it."

[5] Cf. U.S. Catholic, volume 77, No. 12, December 2012, "Words Fail Us - The View From the Pulpit ....  The View from the Pew," pp. 12-21 - Claretians; National Catholic Reporter, Bar Is Set Low In Acceptance of Year-Old Missal, by Anthony Ruff, page 1, page 12, December 7 - 20, 2012,  Vol. 49, No. 4; National Catholic Reporter, "Study: Catholics Differ On New Mass Translation," page 4, December 21, 2012-January 3, 2013, Vol. 49, No. 4; 

[6] John Allen, The Future Church, How Ten Trends Are Revolutioninzing the Catholic Church, Doubleday, 2009; Cf. America Magazine, September 26, 2011, The New Evangelization by Donald Wuerl, pp. 11-13; Cf. Father Barron's Seven Tips for New Evangelization, by Brandon Vogt, Our Sunday Visitor, page 14, December 30, 2012;

[7] Cf. William G. McLoughlin, Revivals, Awakenings, and Reform, An Essay on Religion and Social Change in America, 1607-1977, The University of Chicago Press, Chicago and London, 1978; Duquoc/Floristan, Spiritual Revivals, Herder and Herder, 1973; Daniel Cohen, The Spirit of the Lord: Revivalism in America, Four Winds Press, 1975; Ian Bradley, The Call to Seriousness, The Evangelical Impact on the Victorians, Macmillan Publishing Co. New York, 1976; Conrad Pepler, O.P., The English Religious Heritage, B. Herder Book Co. St. Louis, MO, 1958.

[8] There is a lot of literature on being a Christian - conversion - renewal - re-looking at what it means to be a Christian. For example: C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, Macmillan, 1952;  Timothy Ratcliff, What Is The Point of Being a Christian, Burns and Oates, London, 2005;Brian McLaren, Everything Must Change, Thomas Nelson, Nashville, 2007; Brian D. McLaren, A New Kind of Christianity, Ten Questions That Are Transforming The Faith, Harper One, NY, 2010; Alan Jones, Reimagining Christianity, John Wiley and Sons, Hoboken N.J. 2005; Jim Wallis, The Call to Conversion, Harper San Francisco, 1981.

FAITH

Quote for Today - January 13,  2013

"A bridge across the gulf of death."

Edward Young [1681-1765]

Painting by Edvard Munch [ 1863-1944]

FAME AND SUCCESS

Quote for Today - January 12, 2013

 

"Don't confuse fame with success. One is Madonna; the other Helen Keller."

Erma Bombeck, address at Meredith College - Commencement Address - USA Today, May 20, 1991

Questions:  

Do you agree with Erma?  Does Madonna Louise Ciccone put a lot of hard work into her craft - to make it as far as she has made it? Did Erma get a good laugh or an "Aha!" from this comment? Did anyone who heard her Commencement Address say, "I disagree!"?

Pictures: 

Helen Keller at her graduation from Radcliffe College in 1904

Madonna on cover of a record jacket.

FREEDOM

Quote for Today - January 11, 2013

"To some,
freedom means the opportunity
to do what they want to do.
To most
it means not to do
what they do not want to do."

Eric  Hoffer

Questions?

Agree or disagree?

What do you love to do?

What do you hate to do?

What disliked tasks come with the hats you wear?

AWE

Quote for Today - January 10, 2013

"The highest point 
we can attain 
is not Knowledge, 
or Virtue, or Goodness, 
or Victory, but 
something even greater, 
more heroic and 
more despairing: 
Sacred Awe."

Nikos Kazantzakis [1883-1957] in Zorba the Greek [1946], chapter 24

JOYFUL  OR  MISERABLE

Quote for Today - January 9,  2013

"The trouble with many is that they have got just enough religion to make them miserable.  If there is not joy in religion,  you have got a leak in your religion."

William A. (Billy) Sunday [1862-1935] in a sermon in New York in 1914.

WE BECOME 

WHAT WE EAT!

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this Tuesday after the Epiphany is, “We Become What We Eat!”

Don’t we know that - especially if feel we ate too much during the holidays?

We become what we eat.

THE TWO MAIN  INGREDIENTS OF A GOOD MEAL

The two main ingredients of a good meal are good food and good conversation.

Good food - good words - good moments with good people - become us. Good food and good words sit well in our tummy and our being.

Bad words - hurtful words are hard to digest - and they stick to and can become extra weight in our memory.

When people stop eating and talking with each other - it’s over.

When people start talking to each other and eating with other again - there is hope.

A contradictory paradox for me on all this has been when I see on TV meetings in Palestine and Israel. I notice that they have on the table not just the agenda - but food. Next time I’ll have to look more carefully, but it looks like they have some water and some fruit.  What else?

I see that table and think: why can’t they solve their problems? They’re talking and eating with each other. I assume they are trying to stomach each other.  Maybe they are not serving the elephants in the room. Maybe the under the table stuff is missing - and not on the menu.

THE MASS

The Mass is a meal.

I don’t get it when people don’t get that. The Mass is the Last Supper of Jesus and it’s the First Wedding Banquet of Jesus - his dream of giving everyone a seat at the table - and celebrating with them.

The Mass is a meal - and a good meal is good food and good words. We digest the scriptures and we digest Jesus - the bread of life - and the wine of the wedding - that is in abundance. 

The Mass is  a miracle of abundance - and the cost of the wedding is sacrifice.

We never run out of the Sacred Bread and Wine; we never run out of people sacrificing for others and serving one another.

TODAY’S GOSPEL

Today’s gospel - Mark 6: 34-44 - talks about one of the many feedings Jesus hosts to make sure everyone gets something to eat. They were there because they were hungry. We’re here because we’re hungry - hungry for food and hungry for the Word of God - especially in the scriptures.

I love a text in the second and third chapters of Ezekiel where the prophet says said he heard a voice say: “Eat the scroll” - eat the writings - digest them. I sense it was more than a metaphor - as I’m using the words here today. Based on the oddities in the book of the prophet Ezekiel, he ate the scrolls and then preached the Word of God.

As I was writing this homily last night, I noticed on a book shelf about 3 feet away from me this plastic medicine jar. [SHOW] 

It has Korean words on the label. I have no idea what it says. I once received 5 of these tiny medicine jars in the mail. They came with 10 paperback copies of a book I wrote which a priest in Korea whom I never met  translated it into Korean.  I opened up one of the jars and found inside what looks like pills. Instead  they are tiny paper scrolls - with Korean words on it. They are pink, yellow, lite green in color. Under the Korean words on the only one I opened and unrolled  was the English translation. This one had, “Let us love one another for love comes from God” 1 John 4:7. Surprise it’s from today’s first reading. What are the odds of that?

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily is, “We Become What We Eat.”

Today for reflection think about how the Mass has become you - not only with the Bread of communion - the Body of Christ - but also the Body of Christ - the Community. [Cf. 1 Corinthians 12: 12-31.]

You know most of the regulars here at this 8 A.M. Tuesday Mass. Aren’t they becoming part of you? We feed each other and off each other.

Next how have each others words and the words of the Bible Texts you hear at Mass - words that you have digested, words that have fed you - how have they fattened up your spirituality and your life? Amen.

LONELINESS

Quote for Today - January 8,  2013

"Loneliness is a game of pretense, for the essential loneliness is an escape from an inescapable God."

Walter Farrell, The Looking Glass, 1951

A BREATH 

OF FRESH AIR

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this Monday after Epiphany is, “A Breath of Fresh Air.”

That’s a theme that hits me from today’s readings.

In today’s first reading from First John, we hear about two different kinds of spirits: the spirit of truth versus the spirit of deceit.

In our English translation of today’s first reading,  the word “spirit” appears 8 times. 2 times it’s capitalized - evidently referring to the Holy Spirit and 6 times to the spirits that roam  within us - and the spirits that come out of us.

In the Biblical World, in the Middle East, in the time of Jesus, spirit means “wind” - “air” - “breath”.

Besides water power and animal and human power - muscle -  people were very aware of wind power. They had sail boats.  They were aware of fresh air, a gentle breeze, a tornado or a hurricane, gusts of air, as well as heavy hot air that can drain the energy out of a person.

If you’ve ever been to Rome when a scirocco - or sirocco - is blowing - you’ve experienced the hot dusty wind from the Sahara desert - sometimes reaching hurricane speeds. Volkswagen named a whole series of their cars after different winds: the Jetta (Jet Stream), the Passat (after the German word for Trade winds), the Golf (Gulf Stream), Polo (Polar Winds), the Bora (Bora Winds) and the “Scirocco” - which is funny because in southern Europe a Scirroco covers all cars and windows with a fine dust  - and it gets into one’s nose and lungs. Ugh.

Gust - as in a gust of wind - is seen in the word “ghost”. Not wanting to call the Holy Ghost a ghost - was one reason we switched our language to Holy Spirit.

In Hebrew it’s RUAH - the word used to describe what God sent over the waters to create the world - as well as the word used for what God breathed into the human being he had made out of the clay of the earth.

In Greek the word used is “PNEUMA” - as in pneumatic tires or pneumonia - when our lungs - our breathing machine is sick and not working right.

In Latin the word used is, “SPIRITUS” - as in the Spirit of God.

PRAYER TIME

A wonderful Christian prayer is, “Come Holy Spirit!” Then we can add prayer phrases like, “breathe into me new life,” “a new spirit.”

People ask us priests - the same question Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Teach us how to pray.” [Luke 11: 1]

Jesus answered that question by teaching his disciples to say the “Our Father” and to keep asking, seeking and knocking on  God’s door.

I would add: Catch your breath. I would add find a time to pray and just sit there and breathe in and out. I would add: become more and more aware of your breathing. I would add: take good walks on good days like today - and become more and more aware of your breathing. Breathe in. Breathe out. If you’ve taken any workshops on Eastern and Oriental prayer, you heard the great stress on breathing and praying, praying and breathing.

BACK TO TODAY’S READINGS

In today’s first reading from First John he asks us to be aware of whether you’re breathing in a spirit of truth or a spirit of deceit.

First John for today challenges us - commands us - to breathe in the Holy Spirit and breathe out a holy spirit - and First John will stress over and over again, that spirit, is a spirit of love.

In today’s gospel Jesus moves from Nazareth to Capernaum.

A breath of Fresh Air enters Nazareth - a spirit of healing and curing. It’s the Kingdom of God - coming down on people.

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily is, “A Breath of Fresh Air.”

So here is a prayer I wrote for this theme:

A NEW PRAYER

TO THE SPIRIT

        There are two kinds of people.
        Those who bring a breath of fresh

        air into every room they enter;

        and those who suck the air

        out of every room they’re in.
        Come Holy Spirit,

        help me to be A, not B.

DEATH: 

DYING BEFORE DEATH

Quote for Today: January 7,  2013

"The tragedy of life is not death 
but in what dies inside a man
while he lives -
the death of genuine feeling,
the death of inspired response,
the death of awareness
      that makes it possible 
      to feel the pain
      or the glory
      of other men in oneself."

Norman Cousins [1915-1990] in Saturday Review, October 2, 1954

Norman Cousins uses the man-men language - which they did a lot more of in 1954 - so I used the image of a woman for this quote.

THE 3 BEST GIFTS 

IN MY LIFE?

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this Feast of the Epiphany is, “The 3 Best Gifts In My Life?”

We know the story in today’s gospel about the Magi presenting 3 gifts to the new born baby: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. From that the tradition has come that there were 3 Magi or Kings or Wise Men.

In the first reading from the Prophet Isaiah 60:1-6 mentions caravans of camels and 2 gifts: gold and frankincense.

Every year we have these same 3 readings - so it’s interesting to come up with a new sermon. This year I liked the challenge of coming up with the 3 best gifts in my life. What are yours?

Talk to each other and I’m sure each other’s answers would be intriguing and interesting - and surprising - and good conversation.

ON FIRST INSTANCE

On first instance I think of the gifts that I have given more than the gifts I have received. That’s not bragging. That’s what hit me on the first instance regarding the question that hit me: “The 3 Best Gifts In My Life?”

I think of a white cup I bought in Kresge’s - one of three 5 and Dime stores near our church on 5^th Avenue in Brooklyn, New York - when I was growing up. Kresge’s in time became K-Mart. The cup had one word on it: “MOM” - in plane letters. I don’t remember the color of the lettering - other than 3 letters - one word - on a white coffee cup. What ever happened to it? I don’t know if my mom cherished it. I know she loved a cup of tea every afternoon - later on in her life - but when we were small - I don’t remember the giving, the reception, the wrapping of that cup - but for some reason I remember buying it for MOM.

Why do we remember what we remember? For some reason I remember a poem I read in high school: Four Ducks On A Pond. It was written by William Allingham (1824-1889)  - Donegal Ireland. It goes like this:

Four ducks on a pond,
A grass-bank beyond,
A blue sky of spring,
White clouds on the wing;
What a little thing
To remember for years-
To remember with tears!

So on first instance to my question, “The 3 Best Gifts in My Life?” I remember giving rather than receiving.

As an adult I remember watching kids come to the Christmas tree to open their gifts on Christmas morning. Something had changed from the 1940’s till the 1970’s and 80’s and 90’s. We got underwear, socks, sneakers - a jacket or a shirt. These kids got Lincoln Logs,  Lego’s, plastic battery powered monsters - and dolls - some of which spoke, - and I saw one doll that leaked. Why would they make a doll like that. Toys, toys, toys.  Toys R Us.

BOTTOM LINE

The bottom line, none of these scenes, none of these memories, were helping me with answers to my 3 best gifts of a lifetime? question.

Aha. There could be one answer: the gift of memory.

To be transparent - I have wonderful memories. My parents gave me great memories of a rich childhood - a neat street to grow up on - good people on our block - a good parish church and school to be members of, OLPH, Brooklyn, New York - a few wonderful parks we used to go to most Sundays of the year - and memories of Coney Island in the summer.

So Jesus in the gospel story got gold, frankincense and myrrh. I got underwear, socks and memories.

As I began thinking about this yesterday afternoon I realized I am satisfied with memories as a gift - a top 3 gift - and they are not just from childhood - but much of my life. I became a priest to go to Brazil - was lead to belief - that’s where I was headed - but it didn’t happen.

I have sat and listened and heard enough stories from people telling me about their life. It’s never what one expected. One can’t write one’s story in advance - only afterwards.

So my first gift is my memoirs - and at 73 I can say that the more one gives - loves - serves - the less one is selfish - whiney - the better the memories.

My dad died in 1970 - a very quiet man. I sat down at our dining room table once with paper and pen and jotted down about 40 pages of story and memory - the year he was dying of emphysema. Often I wish I had taken a lot more time to do just that. He was such a quiet man - an introvert by nature - but he had a great smile.

Speaking of memories, here is one of my favorite memories about my dad.  I was in our living room once as a little kid and I opened up a book that my father loved to read: The Best Loved Poems in the English Language. I came upon a page that had a dried red rose petal - just one petal - in it. My dad was sitting there reading the paper and I went over to him with the book open - like in an offertory procession. I guessed I sensed that there was something sacred here. I said, “Daddy, what’s this?” I showed him the dried rose petal in the book. He looked at it and with a great smile said, “Memories!”

FAITH

Since I’ve given myself the task of coming up with my 3 best gifts, I feel good I came up with 1. Now what would I list # 2. Let me go with the gift of faith.  Both my parents come from the same tiny village in Ballynahown, County Galway, Ireland, right on the waters of Galway Bay.

I have a memory of my mom telling me once that she could put her big toe out the back door of her cottage and it would be in the waters of Galway Bay.  When I finally got there in 1996 for the first time - the house was gone - but the back step was still there - like a grey granite rectangular welcome mat. Yes, it was right there inches away from the waters and lots of rocks of Galway Bay.

With regards faith I have often thanked whoever the people were who first accepted the Catholic Faith and passed it down to my mom and dad - who passed it on to their 4 kids.

The image of a chain is the image of faith that hits me. I am grateful for those who have been links in the chain of faith that I have received and I feel deeply those who have come after us - who have dropped out of the faith - and broke that chain. May it be repaired. May they reconnect. Broken and repaired rosary beads are a great reminder to me of this reality.

IMAGINATION # 3

Memories and faith are my # 1 and 2 gifts. As I’m trying to put together the gifts of my life. I would list right now as number 3, that I have been given the gift of imagination.

In school I knew I didn’t have the math gene, but I have been blessed with a good imagination. I was a B and C student - except for A’s in History and English literature.

That’s me. How about you? I’m telling you my 3 three gifts so you’ll do your homework while moving along this new week of life

CONCLUSION

If you’re under 55, I would assume dreams more than memories might be # 1 for you. Good. The temptation of the old is to get stuck in one’s memories - in one’s past - and as a result one misses new dreams, hopes, plans for the future.

Hopefully, we all have Robert Frost’s words in front of us - words from his poem Stopping By the Woods On A Snowy Evening - the last stanza,

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

That’s where faith and imagination come in - to realize yes there is the dark woods of one’s past - but there is also the great future - here and hereafter - and like the Wise Men - we give our gifts and then ride on into our different futures. Amen.

THE FEAST OF 

THE EPIPHANY:

THE GREAT 3^RD GRADE RELIGIOUS PROJECT

Mrs. Five - Mrs. Thelma Five - was the 3^rd Grade Religious Education Teacher on Sunday Morning at the local Catholic Church.

She got the bright idea that for the Feast of the Epiphany -  the 3^RD Grade Class -  had to come up with something surprising - enlightening - bright - for the 3 gifts that Jesus was to receive at the stable where he was born in  Bethlehem. She told her 3^rd Grade Class, “That’s what the word Epiphany means!”  

She continued, “So instead of the priest preaching a homily at the Mass -  why not have 3 kids play Jesus, Mary and Joseph and 3 kids play the 3 kings or 3 Magi  or 3 Wise Men. These last three could  bring up to the stable in the church gifts different than the traditional gifts the 3 kings brought to Jesus. They would  go up to the microphone show the gift they brought for the new born baby Jesus and then explain to everyone at Mass  why they chose that gift. She asked the Director of Religious Education, Mr. Malcolm Ten, if he thought Father Zero - would go for this.

Mr. Ten - the Religious Education Director - said it would be a great idea and he was sure Father Zach Zero would also think it’s a great idea. Just to be sure, he called Father Zach Zero who said to Mr. Ten to tell Mrs. Five, “Go for it.”

Mrs. Five  had heard the joke in at lest 10 sermons that  the 3 Magi had to be men, because if they were  women, they would have brought diapers and food - and okay, gold. The gold was smart. The gold was wise. But the frankincense and the myrrh - not so smart.

So during the last class before Christmas, Mrs. Five had a discussion with her 3^rd Grade Class if they would do this and if they would,  what would be three good gifts to bring the new born baby Jesus and to Mary and Joseph.

One boy - named Byron - said, “Gold, Gold, and more Gold. That’s the 3 gifts I would have the 3 wise men bring to Jesus.”

The teacher asked, “Why Byron?”

He answered, “Well, Joseph and Mary and Jesus were heading for Egypt.  You never can tell what problems they are going to run into - so money, gold, would work anywhere and everywhere. The coins there would be different than the coins they used in Bethlehem - but gold would work everywhere.” He continued, “My father has the gold American Express Card and he says it works everywhere!”

The teacher, Mrs. Thelma Five said, “Good. Good thinking Byron.” Then she asked, “Does anyone else have suggestions - for 3 gifts?”

A girl - named Jacqueline - better known as Jackie - said, “I’d suggest, three coats - or two coats and a good warm blanket for Jesus.”

“Good,” said Mrs. Five.  “Anyone else?”

“How about carpenter tools for Joseph?” said one kid named Tim, “because Joseph is going to need to get work to make a living in Egypt - and he probably left his carpenter tools up there in Nazareth when they came to Bethlehem for the census.”

“Good. Anyone else?”

A girl named Andrea, said, “I was thinking of a map and a compass and some food. They would be the most practical things for a long trip in the winter for Joseph and Mary and the new born baby.”

Richard, another kid, said, “Maps. I don’t know if they had maps back then - and they certainly didn’t have compasses - food good.”

Andrea shot back, “Are you sure they didn’t have maps back then? Are you sure they didn’t have compasses back then? Richard, when were compasses invented?”

Richard said, “Okay, I don’t know if they had maps and compasses back then, but I can’t see the 3 Magi  giving a compass and a map. Food yes.”

A hand went up from the side of the room. It was Theodore. He said, “I have my computer with me and I just looked up some stuff. They did have maps at that time. Compasses - there is evidence that there was a sort of compass like the kind we have today - being used by the Chinese around the year 1040.”

Andrea said, “Well, I was half right” - as she looked glaringly at Richard!” ‘

Theodore continued, “Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh’ the 3 gifts the Magi brought Jesus, Mary and Joseph - are not dumb. The gold certainly would be a good gift. And  Yahoo Search says that some types of frankincense were used for trade - or for medicine - or for perfume. Maybe with the donkeys and the sheep and the cows in the stable, maybe incense would be perfect to cut down on the smell.”

Everyone laughed and everyone was listening. Theodore had a way of commanding attention - when he spoke.

Theodore continued, “And Myrrh, it says on Yahoo Search, is also valuable and good for trading. It’s also used for making a salve for skin problems. Certain types are also used for medicines that can be used to cut down on bleeding - and also it has antibacterial stuff in it.”

Silence.  Some kids put on their very intelligent look - because they didn’t know what “antibacterial” meant. They thought they heard it when their parents watched the evening news sometimes - with all those ads for medicines. Evening news must be for old people who need more medicines that us kids.

Mrs. Five - Mrs. Thelma Five - was a good teacher and said, “Great Theodore. Maybe the class can bring up to the crib at the feast of the epiphany a brick painted gold - and one kid can explain that to everyone at Mass - the value of gold for trade and travel. Another kid could bring a box marked ‘Incense’ and explain that. And a third kid could bring a jar marked ‘Myrrh’ and explain its uses.”

So that’s what they agreed on and that’s what the class did for the Feast of the Epiphany - and Father Zach Zero and the parents of the 3^rd Grade Class - and Mrs. Thelma Five and Mr. Malcolm Ten thought it was an excellent sermon play done by the 3^rd graders. In fact, it was the only sermon the kids said they understood all year.

O O O O O O O 

Painting on top: Epiphany [1475-1480] by Hieronymus Bosch, in Museum of Art, Philadelphia.

The above is a story homily for our Kids Mass at St. Mary's Marian Hall for the feast of the Epiphany.  Check my blog for other Kids Stories.

THREE 

TREASURES

Quote for Today - January 6, 2013

"I have three treasures.
        Guard and keep them:
       The first is deep love,
       The second is frugality,
       And the third is not to dare
           to be ahead of the world.
Because of deep love, 
       one is courageous.
Because of frugality,
       one is generous.
Because of not daring
       to be ahead of the world,
       one becomes the leader
       of the world."

Lao-tzu [c, 604-c. 531  B.C., The Way of Lao-tzu

THREE 

PEOPLE 

WORTHY 

OF RESPECT

Quote for Today - January 5, 2013

"There exist only three beings worthy of respect: the priest, the soldier, the poet.  To know, to kill, to create."

"Il n'existe que trois etres respectables: le prétre,  le guerrier, le poéte.  Savoir, tuer, et creer."


Charles Baudelaire [1821-1867], in Mon Coeur Mis a Nu [1887, 1897], XXII

QUESTIONS:

That was published in France in 1887 from Charles Baudelaire who died in 1867. If you were to list 3 beings worthy of respect today, whom would you list?

How would you understand the second part of the quote: to know, to kill, to create"?

THREE 

HUMAN 

STORIES

Quote for Today: January 4, 2013

"There are only two or three human stories, and they go on repeating themselves, as fiercely as if they had never happened before."

Willa Sibert Cather [1873-1947] O Pioneers [1913], pt. ii, Chapter 4

Questions:

What do you think are these 2 or 3 human stories?

What are the 2 or 3 key stories of your life?

 THREE
PASSIONS

Quote for Today - January 3,  2013

"Three passions, 

simple but overwhelmingly strong,

have governed my life:

the longing for love,

the search for knowledge,

and unbearable pity

for the suffering of mankind."

Bertrand Russell [1872-1970] in Autobiography [1967], chapter I.

Question:

What are the 3 Main Passions that overwhelm and govern your life?

1)

2)

3) 

LIES

Quote for Today - January 2, 2013

"Two daiquiris
withdrew into a corner
of the gorgeous room
and one told the other a lie."

John Berryman [1914-1972], 77 Dream Songs [1964] Poem # 16

ON HAVING A BLESSED 

NEW YEAR

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “On Having a Blessed New Year.”

Isn’t that we want for our family and our world for this New Year: blessings.

BAPTISM

One of the nicest blessings I have as a priest is to put a blessing on a new born baby or a newly married couple: blessings.

It’s also a blessing at times to put a last blessing on someone who is dying.

This past year a moment that stands out is being called one afternoon to a give the last rites to someone who was dying. The caller said, “No rush! You can come anytime in the next week or so.” For some reason I said, “I can come down right now!”  I did. The family was there. The person who was dying was conscious and talking. We said all the prayers and I blessed the man and right then and there he died. Woo. It was a blessing that I went down when I went.

This past year I was baptizing some babies and as usual I ask the moms or dads or both to bring their baby to every one of those present as part of their group. I asked that they have each person there to put a small sign of the cross on the baby’s forehead. I mentioned out loud to pray for that baby as you’re blessing her or him - and that you also pray that you witness faith, hope and love for that child and all children you meet.   After the baptism, a mother of the father of the baby who was baptized told me she did that for her son every night since his baptism before he went to bed up to the time he went off to college. They she added that her son told her that he and his wife are going to do the same for their children.

The title of my homily is, “On Having a Blessed New Year.”

It’s not just for priests to do the blessing. Better all of us by our baptism are anointed priests, prophets and kings.

By our baptism we are called to bless our children - our food - our days - our year - as well as to bless ourselves each morning, noon and night.

How about every morning and every night for this New Year of 2013 - we bless ourselves and each other? It’s a nice morning and night prayer. It’s short and real. “God bless me or you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

THE MEANING OF BLESSINGS

The meaning of a blessing is self explanatory.

We are praying and wishing blessing - favor - health - happiness -  joy - redemption - salvation - holiness - the sacred - God - Mary - the Saints to come upon this other person or ourselves.

The English word “blessing” goes way back - some think to a Germanic custom and word. Some thing it’s a pre-Christian practice of marking another with blood - as a blessing.

The human custom of blessing another is found in all religions - wishing the best to come down upon  this other person.

TODAY’S READINGS

Today’s first reading gives us the so called, Aaronite Blessing - which some date back to 600 years before Christ if not earlier.

The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord let his face shine upon you,

and be gracious to you!

The Lord look upon you kindly

and give you peace!

I remember reading somewhere that they found a silver amulet in an archeological dig in Israel. The silver piece had a hole in for a string. It would go around a neck. This specific metal piece - was very delicate - wrap around metal - like you get a piece of wrap around ham as a hors d oeuvres. When the specialists flattened it out - they saw writing on it. It was the Aaronite Blessing.  I rechecked this out on line this afternoon. Sure enough - that’s the date - checked out by NASA scientists as well. It’s listed as one of our earliest Jewish scripture writings - dating it some 400 years before the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Today’s second reading from Galatians spells out that we have been blessed by being adopted as children of God. How many times in our have we been talking to someone who tells us the story of adopting a baby or being adopted themselves. What a blessing! Well, pause at St. Paul’s words here. We have been  adopted by God as children of God.  I hope we all see that as a great blessing. We can cry out that God is Our Father. We are in the will. As Paul tells us in today’s second reading, we are heirs. We’re in the will of God.

Today’s gospel tells us one of the Nativity stories - that the shepherds were the first to be blessed in seeing the new born baby in the manger in Bethlehem.

One of the blessings of Christmas for me has always been to see parents take their little one’s up the crib before or after Mass and have them experience what the shepherds experienced: witnessing the Gospel scene of Jesus as a baby in the manger as Luke describes the first Christmas in his Gospel.

CONCLUSION

Enough. The title of my homily is, “On Having a Blessed New Year.”

My message is to bless each other during this new year and to ask God to bless all of us so as to have a blessed new year - and then to work at making it a Happy New Year. Amen. 

GO DOWN TO THE DOCK 

ON NEW YEAR'S DAY

Hit square to get 

full screen.

Quote for Today - January 1st. 2013

"I saw three ships come sailing by,
Come sailing by, come sailing by,
I saw three ships come sailing by,
On New Year's Day in the morning."

Song: I Saw Three Ships, Anonymous


Sorry! The song on top doesn't mention New Year's Day - but the old song does!

Questions:

Spot the three ships. 

Go down to your dock and enter the first ship. It contains the key people in your life. Who are they by name? What's going on with you and that person? Any hopes for the New Year with them? Is there anything that needs to be said? Is there anything that needs forgiveness and reconciliation? Where is the laughter and where are the tears?

Then go onto the second ship. This one carries your stuff. What's important? Is there anything that needs to be dry docked, dumped, thrown overboard, removed?  Is there anything that you need for your  trips of this New Year - that you don't have yet?

Then go onto the third ship.  This one contains God. This one - if you're a Christian - contains Jesus. Is he asleep on a cushion and you need to awake him for this New Year of life?  [Cf. Mark 4: 38]