THE BOOK OF ONE’S
LIFE: YOU NEVER KNOW HOW MANY MORE PAGES, HOW MANY MORE CHAPTERS, HOW MANY MORE TWISTS AND TURNS
Today - November 18 - is the feast of Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne. As I read about her life last night,it hit me,“Wow, what surprises, what twists and turns, great what’s next?” So, the title of my sermon is, “The Book of One’s Life:
You Never Know How Many More Pages, How Many More Chapters, How Many More
Twists and Turns.” 20 years ago, did you know you’d be in Asbury Park – in
2020 and dealing with a pandemic like the worldis dealing with this year? One of the great blessings of religious life – is the
variety of places we get assigned to – the people we meet – the stories that
wrap themselves around our lives. I’ve been writing e-mails a bit more lately to a
classmate in Curitiba, Brazil – population 1 million 900 thousand – and 3 ½
million if you include the surrounding area. My classmate Larry is telling me they are dealing with a horrible
draught – right now - no water.I joined
the Redemptorists to get to Brazil – never got assigned there. Larry ends up
spending his life there. Surprise. In today’s first reading from the Book of Revelation John
is called to go through an open door and walk up to a throne – that is all
jewels – emeralds – that would be beautiful green glittering emeralds and 24
elders sitting on other thrones – dressed in white and wearing gold crowns on
their heads – and then he hears flashes of lightning and rumblings of thunder.
And he sees and hears a lot more. He hears “Holy, Holy, Holy!” It’s some scene, some dream, some mysterious experience. Today’s gospel has the parable of the 10 servants and the
gold coins – and each of the ten servants has their life ahead of them – and
the question is – what am I going to do with my gold coins? What am I going to
do with my life. Surprise. Surprise. Surprise. I don’t like it in these stories when the king says “Slay
them!” The only way I can understand them – like the parable the
other day about the wasted talents – is for a person at the end of their life –
with their head in their hands – hiding from themselves - crying and grinding
their teeth – because of a wasted life. Life to give it all – to do it all – out of love of God,
neighbor and self. Wow the stories of our life that we are called to live to
the full. Today is the feast of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne.She was born in 1769 in Grenoble France.She died this day, November 18, 1842 in St.
Charles, Missouri. As a young girl she heard about missionary work in the
Americas – but entered a Visitation Convent when she was 18. Just before final vows her father yanked her out of the
convent because of oncoming French Revolution.Lots of priests and nuns were killed. At 23 she left the convent – and for 12 years she took
care of people – priests, nuns and kids. When the revolution slowed down, she tried to buy the old
convent and start it up again. It didn’t work. So, at 35 she joined the Society of the Sacred Heart of
Jesus founded Sophie Barat. She still had the dream of going to America. A bishop from Louisiana came and asked for volunteers
andat 49 she got the dream – Mother
Barat appointing her as superior of 4 other nuns. It was an 11-week trip across
the Atlantic. It was a struggle – but in 12 years they opened 6 schools
in Missouri and Louisiana – and had 64 sisters – 14 from Europe and 50 from the
Mississippi Valley. But instead of work with the Indians, they wee to fun a
school for girls of settlers. She still had her dream of work with
the Indians and finally at the age of 71 – with poor health she got it.They started a school- and churches with the Jesuits. All the time in America she had
trouble with English.Now it was trouble
with the language of the Potawatomi. She worked and she prayed and got
called by the Indians Quah-Kah-Ka-num- ad—‘Woman-who-prays-always.’” She got called back to Missouri in
1842 – and spent 10 years in St. Charles - where she started a first school there. She died this day Nov. 18, 1842 In 1988 Rose Philippine Duchesne was
canonized by Pope John Paul II. She is listed in Missouri as a first women in their Pioneer Roll of Fame. The inscription on the plaque
reads, “Some names must not wither.” Then it states that Quah-Kah-Ka-num-ad is one of those names - not to be forgotten - but to be remembered and revered.
Wednesday, November 18, 2020
November 18, 2020
NERVOUS?
Nervous? Scared? Hesitant? Rely on others. Take a chance. There are good people in your life. Others see what we don’t see. Hey you never know. Maybe you got the goods!
“Gossip
is like throwing mud on a wall – you can wipe it off – but it leaves a spot.”
Someone
Tuesday, November 17, 2020
November 17, 2020
BOXES
From time to time boxes are placed on our porch. Holding – containing – the memories of our lives. We miss them because we go in the side door. Or someone steals them – or we’re not listening to the reminders that surround us. Cars crash.
Relationships go another way. Life happens.
Death happens. We forget that not everyone
sees what we see the same way we see and
vice versa. But .... But.... But .... But from time
to time we hear a song in an elevator or a sermon in our church – or we drive by a cemetery – or the hearse has stopped in front of our house.
“A God who let us prove his existence would be an idol.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer,
No Rusty Swords
Monday, November 16, 2020
November 16, 2020
GOING TO HELL
He actually said to himself, “The hell with this, God. I'm going to hell.”And that afternoon those words, that feeling, was burning, burning him in his soul. That afternoon, God thought about what that guy said to Him. “Interesting!” It takes God, a bit of time – to let things play out, but not this time. God said to that guy deliberately, “Wanna bet? “
