MARY MAGDALENE

Poem for Today - July 22, 2014

WOMAN

Not with traitorous kiss her Saviour stung,

Not she denied Him with unholy tongue;

She, while apostles shrank, could dangers brave,

Last at the cross and earliest at the grave.

© Eaton Stannard Barrett [1786-1820]

LOOKING FOR SIGNS

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 16^th Monday in Ordinary Time is, “Looking for Signs.”

Part of being a human being is to look for signs.

After I wrote that I said, “Wait a minute. Animals look for signs as well.”

Dogs want treats. Flies fly away when they see someone with a fly swatter – trying to get them. Birds and monkeys parrot human beings.

Let’s stick with humans.

SINEAGE

I learned a new word this year -  or was it last year? It’s the word “signage.”

I heard at a few meetings. “We’re working on better signage for St. Mary’s.

At first I didn’t know what it meant. Then I found out it’s simply putting up good signs to help people find their way into the various buildings and offices at St. Mary’s. Next time you go to St. Mary’s check it out – starting in the parking lot.

COMMUNICATION

When we don’t see signs,  we can ask folks, “Do you know where the Naval Academy or St. John’s College or St. John Neumann’s Church is?”

Or we can ask another, “Are you angry at me?”

And then we can ask, “Do you love me?”

In fact, we spend a lot of our energy on trying to pick up signs what another is thinking or feeling.

Words, gestures, facial expressions, are all signs.

And we want signs.

Good, better, best, communicate – let’s use sign language – because we’re all deaf.

GOD – SCREAMING FOR SIGNS

We humans want signs from God.

As I wrote that – I thought – that is definitely us – but what about animals. Do they have a sense of/for God. Can we absolutely say that there are no dogs and cats and birds in the hereafter?

Is there a God?

Prove it. Show me signs.

Who is this Jesus – who’s walking around – and saying and doing things?

When we read and listen to the gospels, we see this need for signs happening many times – like in today’s gospel – Matthew 12:38-42.

In today’s gospel, we heard about the Pharisees and the scribes, saying to Jesus, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.”

And Jesus replies, “An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign,
but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet.”

If you remember the story of Jonah the Prophet, if there was ever a person who wanted signs from God, it was Jonah.

Scripture commentators like to say that what Matthew is saying here is this: Just as Jonah disappeared for 3 days in the belly of  the whale and then reappeared on the shore in Nineveh, so too Jesus disappeared for 3 days in the belly of the earth, in the tomb, and then rose from the dead. 

Want a sign – of hope – of life after death? Discover Jesus who died and rose from the death?

Is that enough for you?

Today’s first reading from Micah begins with God telling us to stand before the mountains and cry out our petitions and pleas to God.

Then Micah says to become quiet and listen to God’s pleas and petitions screamed back to us.

God wants signs from us.

Self-centered us – often forget this side of the equation.

Then God tells us through Micah the prophet what kinds of signs He’s looking for from us.

It’s not the sacrificing of burnt lambs or year old calves – or thousands of fat lambs or lots of streams of oil – or even the sacrificing of one’s first born child.

Then Micah tells us the signs that God wants. We have memorized the words. As someone told me just this morning. They are the words of Michah you find on plaques in Gift Shops and are at the end of today’s first reading: “Only to do the right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.”

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily was, “Looking for Signs.”

We come to Mass - to church -  to the Lamb – who challenges us to die to self – and switch to God and to others – and their expectations of me.

So what signs of love are God and others expecting of me each day - today?

BECAUSE OF FRIENDSHIP 

Poem for Today - July 21, 2014

THE PLAN

My old friend, the owner
of a new boat, stops by
to ask me to fish with him,

and I say I will - both of us
knows that we may never
get around to it, it may be

years before we're both
idle again on the same day.
But we make a plan, anyhow,

in honor of friendship
and the fine spring weather
and the new boat

and our sudden thought
of the water shining
under the morning fog.

© Wendell Berry

page 22 in

Collected Poems

1957-1982

EXPECT  WEEDS

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 16^th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)  is, “Expect  Weeds.”

I knew a couple who had a perfect front lawn – not a blade of grass was out of place. It could have been a great green for the 18^th Hole at Augusta.

Their house was perfect – inside and out.

Once inside, everything was just right, neat, and always clean. There wasn’t a nick in any piece of furniture – nor a speck of dust on any knickknack.

Then they had children: 4 boys to be exact.

I noticed early on they had one of those folding fences – at the entrance to their living room. That wooden squeezing fence was a reminder to their boys that this room was out of bounds territory.

Then one day that wall was left open. 

Mom and dad had calmed down. 

They had learned to relax about nicks in the furniture as well as footballs and water guns left next to the legs of a chair in a living room. In fact, that room, finally became what it was called to be: "A living room"- a room lived in by all the family.

If you get that story, you get this homily.

TODAY’S GOSPEL - MATTHEW 13: 24-43

Today’s gospel tells the story of the wheat and the weeds.

Do you get this story?

Being a slob – I love this gospel.

Being a priest – and being myself – I know everyone has weeds, mistakes, sins in their story.

Expect weeds.

Let him or her without weeds or dust, cut or mess, cast the first sneer. [Cf. John 8:7]

So as the parable goes: "A man sowed wheat seed in his field.” 

That was during the day.  

Then at night while everyone was sleeping, as Jesus tells the story, an enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat.

I never thought of weeds having seeds.  I just thought weeds happened - sneaking into the picture in the night.

If you can't picture that, can you picture  hackers out there in the middle of the night planting viruses in computers – just for the heck of it – as a game -  just to prove they can do it – or to gain money or information or they are nosy or what have you?  How many people have turned on their computers in the morning and said, “Oh no!” and felt just like the guy in the gospel and said, "An enemy has done this."

Seeing both wheat and weeds growing together in the field his servants ran to tell the farmer to tell him what happened. 

Then they asked him if they should pluck out the weeds.

"Nope," said the farmer – "you might uproot the wheat as well. Let them both grow till harvest time – and then I’ll say to the harvesters, 'First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into my barns.'” 

As I read that I said to myself, "Easy for him to say that…."

The gospel also talks about leaven and about the mustard plants – but today let me concentrate on the wheat and the weeds.

Last week I preached on the human reality that we are part of all that we have met.  This week I want to continue on that theme – and say that all of us are like a field that has both wheat and weeds.

I’ve heard that even the neatest person there is – always has some bottom drawer, some closet, some spot that is quite messy – a place they don’t want anyone to know about.

I love to say: show me the trunk of your car and I’ll tell you who you are.

Some people are neater than others. Some people have less weeds than others. Some people have more.

You’ve heard this gospel. You know it’s message.

HOMEWORK: RELEASE YOUR INNER ARTIST

For homework, even though it’s summer time, get out a piece of paper and a box of crayons and draw yourself as a front lawn, or a garden, or a field.

What do you look like? What do you want growing in your garden or field? What does it look like now? Do you admit to any weeds? Do you picture yourself as the perfect garden? Do you have any weeds growing up next to your white picket fence? Are there any weeds growing in the cracks of the sidewalk leading up to your front door?

Draw a picture of your soul?  What do you see in yourself? Have you ever made a mistake?  What does your inner room look like – that real self Jesus tells us to enter into every once in a while. It’s that place where only you see? Is it ever opened? Is it neat or messy? Is the furniture filled with dust? [Cf. Matthew 6:6]

Wheat or weeds? Which is more me? Or am I both? What are the percentages: 75-25? 50-50? 63-33?

A Servant in Shakespeare’s King Richard the Second, Act 3, Scene 3, line 44, says,

“our sea-walled garden, the whole land

Is full of weeds; her fairest flowers choked up,

Her fruit-trees all unpruned, her hedges ruin’d,
Her knots disorder’d, and her wholesome herbs

Swarming with caterpillars.”

Now if you drew that scene with your crayons – would that be the real you?

Ooooooh…. Oooooh. What would it feel like if the garden or field or front lawn of your soul was full of weeds – with unpruned trees, hedges ruined, and crawly, crawly caterpillars crawling and eating away at your best herbs?

Walk around St. Mary’s Gardens – right outside our church – and compare it to yourself – your soul – your inner you.

Pause………. What am I preaching about today?

THREE BOTTOM LINES

Three bottom lines: I’m asking myself and all of us three questions today:

First of all: what am I really like? Come on. Be honest. We have at least one weed in our cracks.

Secondly: Do I accept myself as having weeds – along with my wheat?

Thirdly: how much?

Jesus is talking about end times – like the final judgment – like at death.

I’m thinking it’s a good idea to do some doodling on what I’m really like – like today – like this weekend – like right now.

The obvious goal is to be more wheat than weeds – to move towards becoming bread, Eucharist, food for others.

Of course for the Christian - the goal of life to say to the world every day: “This is my body, this is my blood, I’m giving my life to you.”

Take me – eat me up – benefit from me.

However, if I’m honest, I have my weeds. I might have even inhaled it – gone to pot – but please Lord, I’m trying – weeds and all – to be a nice lawn, field, meal for others.

CONCLUSION

I don't know how to end this homily, so let me turn today’s three readings into three short prayers:

First reading: 
                     Lord, I’m not you. 
                     You are you.
                     You are my Redeemer. 
                     Don’t condemn me. 
                     Forgive me. 
                     Attend to me –
                     so I can do your good deeds today.

Second reading: 
                     Lord, send your Spirit into me. 
                     You search hearts. 
                     You know me. 
                     You know I don’t know 
                     how to put all this into words – 
                     but please understand 
                     and interpret my groanings
                     and my grumblings.
                     Realize these are 
                     my messy attempts at prayer.

Gospel reading: 
                    Lord, to be honest,
                    I’m a field of wheat and weeds. 
                    Help me to grow 
                    more wheat than weeds. 
                    Then, when I am ready,
                    leaven this mass of
                    wheat dough - the better me.
                    Help me to become 
                    a great loaf of bread so
                    I can share myself and be
                    in communion with others.
                    And Lord, please, 
                    don't forget to provide me 
                    with good mustard. 
                    Hot dog! Amen. O Lord. Amen.

TWO  WOMEN 

Poem for Today - Sunday July 20, 2014

IN  MIND

There's in my mind a woman

of innocence, unadorned but

fair-featured and smelling of
apples or grass. She wears

a utopian smock or shift, her hair
is light brown and smooth, and she

is kind and very clean without
ostentation--

but she has
no imagination

And there's a
turbulent moon-ridden girl

or old woman, or both,
dressed in opals and rags, feathers

and torn taffeta,
who knows strange songs

but she is not kind.

© Denise Levertov

MARRIAGE 

WITH  A  SMILE  

Poem for Today - July 19, 2014

SCAFFOLDING

Masons, when they start upon a building,

Are careful to test out the scaffolding;

Make sure that planks won’t slip at busy points,

Secure all ladders, tighten bolted joints.

And yet all this comes down when the job’s done

Showing off walls of sure and solid stone.

So if, my dear, there sometimes seem to be

Old bridges breaking between you and me

Never fear. We may let the scaffolds fall,

Confident that we have built our wall.

© Seamus Heaney

WHAT  WILL  YOU  SAY  AND  SEE 

ABOUT YOUR LIFE 

AT  THE  MOMENT  OF  YOUR  DEATH?

Poem for Today - July 18, 2014

ON THE DEATH OF THE BELOVED

Though we need to weep your loss,

You dwell in that safe place in our hearts,

 Where no storm or night or pain can reach you.

Your love was like the dawn

Brightening over our lives,

Awakening beneath the dark

A further adventure of colour.

The sound of your voice

Found for us

A new music

That brightened everything.

Whatever you enfolded in your gaze

Quickened in the joy of its being,

You placed smiles like flowers

On the altar of the heart.

Your mind always sparkled

With wonder at things.

Though your days here were brief,

Your spirit was alive, awake, complete.

We look towards each other no longer

From the old distance of our names;

Now you dwell inside the rhythm of breath,

As close to us as we are to ourselves.

© John O’Donohue

page 184 in Benedictus,

A Book of Blessings,

Bantam Press, 2007