PERFECT CHURCH
"Why look for a perfect church? We would feel out of place in it."
Anonymous
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
A CRY
CAN BE THE BEGINNING
OF REDEMPTION
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily is, “A Cry Can Be the Beginning of
Redemption.”
When was the last time I cried?
Ooops! I’ll be talking here about the cries of sadness - loneliness - aloneness - hurt - being trapped - feeling stuck - caught - rejected - in the need of redemption - in the need of being saved - in the need of being delivered from a horror or harm. A cry that is a scream for “Help!”
FIRST READINGS
Yesterday and today’s first reading from the Book of Exodus triggers these thoughts.
Yesterday we heard in the last sentence: “Pharaoh then commanded all his
subjects, ‘Throw into the river every boy that is born to the Hebrews, but you
may let all the girls live.’” [2:22]
Today we heard about Moses - 3 months old - no longer being
able to be hid - being put in a basket - made of papyrus and pitch and bitumen.
And Moses is put into the waters …. In Hebrew the word used for basket or
container is TEVA. It’s a box
- coated in clay.
Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg - a daughter of a Rabbi - a teacher
of the Torah - in her book, Reflections
on Exodus - says the basket is in the form of a clay brick - and pharaoh’s
daughter - sees the floating box, basket, ark, brick, and opens it. Inside is a
baby and the baby cries.
And the author of Exodus gives the profound message: “On
opening it, she looked, and lo, there was a baby boy, crying! She was moved
with pity for him …. “
The title of my homily is, “A Cry Can Be the Beginning of
Redemption.”
The baby’s cry got to her. She knew it was a Hebrew baby boy.
She knew the edict - let the kid die - but she was moved with pity for him -
and immediately set in motion a way to save Moses.
The rest is history.
EVERY PERSON
Every person is a box - a basket - a baby in a clay brick - floating
on the waters of life - and once opened
- we cry.
In fact, if we don’t scream for help, we are not going to be
saved.
How many times have we heard the Bible words, “The Lord
hears the cries of the poor”?
How many times have we heard Psalm 130, “Out of the depths I
cry to you, O Lord”?
De Profundis….
In that Psalm we Redemptorists have our motto and our reason
for being Redemptorists: “With him there is fullness of Redemption.” Our goal
is to hear the cries of the poor - the screams of the stuck.
Prayer is that scream.
Ministry is hearing that scream - listening to it - being
with the screamer.
Therapy is that scream. It is attempts to spell it out and spit it out.
Therapy is that scream. It is attempts to spell it out and spit it out.
The Human News: open up any person or every person - and
there is a scream. It’s in us - from the womb to the tomb. It’s the ultra
sound. It’s the Primal Scream in each of us.
What are your sounds - your deepest screams - your hurting
hurts?
When was the last time you cried/
A parent left us at 11. A teacher or a priest or someone
abused us at 7 or 13. A person whom we thought loved us - rejected us. Down
deep that scream, that cry, has many sounds and forms.
In the middle of the tears you often hear the word,
“unfair”. Or I thought things were going to go this way and they went that way.
The Pharaohs in our lives aborted us - hurt us - wanted us
to disappear.
There is a Spanish proverb: Quien bien te quiere te hara
llorar. [Whoever really loves you will make you cry.”
A cry can save us. A cry to God is prayer. A cry to another whom we trust can be what saves us.
MOSES
Moses had a horrible
scream - and as we continue with the book of Exodus we’ll find out that he had a
horrible voice and speech pattern - and yet God called him - and he knew it -
yet he knew how to scream - cry to God for help - but his words were hard to
grasp.
The beginning of
Redemption in any slavery - addiction,
drugs, alcohol, sex, pornography, gambling, anger, laziness is that first step:
the cry for help. It’s the beginning of redemption.
CONCLUSION
Tennyson in his
poem, In Memoriam [1850], writes,
I AM A CRY
“But what am I?
An infant crying in the night:
An infant crying in the night:
And with no language but a cry?”
Cry for help. Run
for help.
Jesus hears the
cries of the woman at the edge of the crowd who touches the edge of his
garment. Jesus hears the cries to
Pharisees whom he challenges. Jesus hears the cries of widow who lost her only
son. Jesus hears the cries of Lazarus in the graves.
We Redemptorists
like to stress Mary is a symbol of Perpetual Help - which pictures Jesus scared
and running to Mary - this same woman also called Our Lady of Mount Carmel -
today’s feast - also Our Lady of Mercy. We know her message in the Gospel of John.
Go to Jesus - the new Moses. Reach for Jesus floating on the waters to us as a
baby - open him up. Hear his cries. Voice your cries. Grow old with him - moving
from being a baby to becoming an adult. Amen.
Monday, July 15, 2013
FOOTPRINTS
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily is, “Footprints!”
Today - July 15th - is the feast of St. Bonaventure. I’ve
always liked his message about the footprints of God as a way to discover God.
So that’s what I would like to preach about today: footprints.
Last week I was at lunch with a group of priests and someone
mentioned St. Bonaventure’s feast was coming up next Monday. That’s today. This one guy mentioned that
what grabbed him most about St. Bonaventure was the “What if’s....” God knows the “what if’s of our life” - the things that didn’t happen. What if I married so
and so instead of so and so? What if so
and so didn’t die - and lived? What would have happened for the rest of
history because of that person - and on
and on and on? What if…..?
I didn’t remember hearing that when we were taught the
theology of St. Bonaventure. I've never really thought about that. So it will have to go into my future homework to
be done file.
FOOTPRINTS
What stands out for me about Bonaventure is his writings about footprints.
In his book, Journey
of the Mind to God, he has 3 ways one journeys to God. The first way is the
footprints. They tell us that someone was on the beach. Well creation is God's footprint! The second way is us human beings. We have a mind and we can reason. We are different from the animals. This can lead us to realize we are
created in the image and likeness of God - because we can reason and figure. The third way is abstract. It’s going beyond the physical - to
metaPHYSICAL - to the being of God.
I like #1. It’s the most obvious. I was never good in logic or metaphysics or the abstract. I’ve seen footprints.
If there are footprints in the snow or the sand, I know someone was
there.
If there is a heart carved into a tree with the initials J.L loves
B.K. then we know someone was there.
If there is graffiti on a highway overpass, someone with a spray paint
can was there.
It there is trouble, there are people around - as we heard
in today’s first reading from Exodus
1: 8-14, 22 - as well as in today’s gospel from Matthew
10: 34-11, 1, with the family anger in the lives of peoplel in the early church when people became
Christians - causing fights in the family.
So we see effects. They tell us that something caused them. St. Bonaventure says we are surrounded by the footprints of God.
So we see effects. They tell us that something caused them. St. Bonaventure says we are surrounded by the footprints of God.
To me, the two most famous footprint stories are that of Robinson
Crusoe and that of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landing on the moon.
So if anyone has doubts about God - or doesn’t believe in
God - point to the Moon or the stars and if they don’t believe in God as a creator
then don’t bother arguing or discussing this with them. It’s tough putting graffiti
on a highway overpass, but people do it. Who put the stars up there - as well
as a moon to land on?
What I like about the Robinson Crusoe story is that Daniel Defoe
points out how Robinson changed as a result of that footprint. First it was
fear - big time fear - making his castle stronger. He meditates on fear and hope, love and hate,
life. Then his life changes when he brings another person into his life - Friday - even though he treats him as an inferior.
CONCLUSION
To me people change when another - a spouse - a child - children - enters into one's life.
God’s fingerprints, footprints, markings are everywhere. We can bring this God into our story - into our life.
This could cause panic. Maybe people intuitively reject
allowing God into their way of seeing life, because they think He’s going to be
a downer when it comes to life. They are right in that God can bring change and
new life.
If you are into the babysitting world or caring for
children, tell them about God - and go by way of footprints - that God is here.
Talk to kids. Point out the beauty of sunsets, sunrises,
waves and lakes and rivers and monarch butterflies - eagles and owls - nests
and mountain caves - they all tell us of the wonder of God.
Pray: Open up our eyes O Lord - to see your footsteps everywhere.
Sunday, July 14, 2013
THE GREAT RIP OFF
It happened at the 12:30 and 5:30 Sunday Masses. People
opened up the Breaking Bread
Missalettes in the benches only to notice the readings for the 15th
Sunday in Ordinary Time were missing. Someone ripped out pages 193 to 196 -
actually 2 pages - print on both sides.
“That’s funny!” or “That’s strange!” or “What happened
here?” went through the different minds of the different people at the
different Masses in the different benches that Sunday.
“Well,” different people thought, “I might as well listen to
the readings since they’re not in the books.”
But as they did that, they noticed that different people
were looking around - especially at people next to them - or in front of them -
or even right behind them - because it seemed everyone was trying to figure out
what happened. By the end of the first reading, it was quite a distraction.
Some people just shrugged their shoulders. Some people
stiffened their shoulders. Some people cursed inwardly - like getting a library
book and one discovers someone ripped out a few pages - and the story was
really getting interesting - or someone marked up a book. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. Ugly.
And in Church mind you!
Well, as a result, sorry to say, some people found it
difficult to pray that Sunday Mass.
What happened? Who did this? What’s going on?
Engineers and logical types - carefully examined the
missalette they were holding - and if possible any other book still on a bench
or in the book holders below the benches - to see if other books were altered.
It was obviously a rip off or a rip out.
After Mass - on the way out, many people reported to the
priest who had the Mass, “Father someone ripped out the pages of today’s
readings from the Missalette.”
The priests for those two Sunday Masses at St. Mary’s at
first were confused. “What?”
People repeated themselves, “Someone ripped out the pages
for today’s readings in the missalettes .”
By the twentieth person the priest said, “Call the pastor!”
- one of whom was the Pastor. He’s smart.
Different people called the pastor, but being Sunday - they
only got the parish answering machine - which led to more frustration. Some
found his e-mail address on line - and reported, “The Great Rip Off.”
Word got around the parish by Tuesday - even though it was
summertime - what had happened.
Now for the rest of the story….
The priest - an old guy in his 70’s - who had the 10:30 Mass
said that if you grasp the 3 readings for today - you have it all.
He pointed out that the first reading from Deuteronomy 30: 10 to 14 said that Moses
said, “It’s not that complicated. God’s command is not mysterious or
remote. It’s not something you have to
go up into the clouds or across the sea to discover. It’s right here - already
in your hearts and minds - you just have to do it.” “Just do it!”
He pointed out that the second reading from Paul to the Colossians said that God is invisible,
but Christ is the image of the invisible God - and you’ll find everything in
him. He holds everything together. Get Christ and get him big.”
He pointed out that the scholar of the Law in today’s gospel
from Luke wanted to know the secret of inheriting
eternal life. Don’t we all? So Jesus
threw a question back to him. “What’s written in the Law? How do you
read it?”
And the scholar answered, “You shall love the Lord, your
God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with
all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”
And Jesus told him, “You have answered correctly; do this
and you will live.”
The old priest then said, “Well, the scholar knew Jesus was
correct - but he also knew how difficult Part B was - loving one’s neighbor as we love ourselves -
so he hit Jesus with a what if - as if to say, “Do you have any idea who my
neighbor is - and what he or she is like? In other words, he tried to justify
himself - and get out the Part B obligation - loving one’s neighbor.”
“Thank God the scholar in the story did that,” the old priest said, “because as a result the world got the great Good Samaritan Parable.”
“How many people,” the old priest said, “have been helped
down through the ages - thanks to the scholar of the Law asking Jesus, “Well,
who is my neighbor?”
“How many people down through the ages changed their plans,
opened their wallets, stopped their carts or cars, to help a person who was
stuck?”
The old priest also told a funny example. He said, “You’re
not going to believe this - but last Monday I was up in New Jersey for a picnic at our retreat house
there. Well, there was also a group of young priests - mainly diocesan priests
- making a workshop there at the same time.”
He continued, “Well on the dinner line the night before, I
found himself next to a priest who looked familiar. I introduced myself to him
saying, ‘I met you somewhere.’ And the young priest, ‘Yes, you look familiar.
Maybe it was here. I was here two years ago for another workshop.’”
The old priest said, “The next day, Tuesday, I was on the
lunch line this time and I heard this same priest talking to someone about a
trip he took to the Holy Land in the year
2000.”
The old priest continued, “Ten minutes later I realized
that’s where I met this guy. I was on that same trip with him. It was a Priest
Retreat - run by Father Steven Doyle - a Franciscan - and the young priest was
with me on the bus. I think he was from the mid-west.”
“Now, here’s where it really gets interesting,” the old
priest said. “We were in the bus on that
same road from Jerusalem
to Jericho . It
was the opposite way from today’s
gospel. We were going from Jericho to Jerusalem . Well the young
guy said to me that he was stuck for money - buying too many souvenirs for the
folks back home. Would it be possible to lend me some money and I’ll pay you
back when I get back to the states?’ So
I gave him a hundred dollars.”
And the old priest laughed. He said, “God, you have a great
sense of humor and a great sense of timing.
It’s the story of the Good Samaritan again - who gave the Inn Keeper two
silver coins and told him - if it’s costs more - I’ll will cover your costs the
next time I come this way.”
“Obviously, as to the young priest, I let it slide about the
money. That was a long time ago, and not wanting to embarrass him, I didn’t go
over to the young guy to tell him where I remembered him from.
Then the old priest concluded, “These 3 readings contain it
all. If we had these 3 readings in our wallets and read them from time to time
- what a difference our lives would be.”
Well, evidently, many people discreetly ripped those 2 pages
out of the missalette at that 10:30 Mass - thinking nobody would notice The
Great Rip Off.
* Painting on top: Vincent Van Gogh, 1899, The Good Samaritan after Delacroix [1849] painting - below.
* Painting on top: Vincent Van Gogh, 1899, The Good Samaritan after Delacroix [1849] painting - below.
WELCOME
Quote for Today - July 14, 2013
"If we want the perfect host to take us into his eternal home when we come to knock at his door, he has told us himself what we have to do: we must be ready to open our own door to the earthly guests who come our way."
Jean Danielou, The Lord of History, [1958]
Comment: Read this quote in the context of today's gospel from Luke 10:25-37 - especially the opening question from the scholar of the law: "Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
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