September 3, 2022 

Reflection

THE  CRY  FOR  OTHERS

At times it's nice to be alone.

But when we're alone and we don't want to be alone, then we wonder, "Where is everybody?:

When another is supposed to be there and he or she isn't, it's then we sometimes cry.

The baby does it in the crib.

The old do it in the nursing home.

The husband does it when his wife is dying of cancer in the  hospital room and he sees the whole empty future without her before him.

The teenage boy does it when he is dumped by his girl friend.

The cry for others is to respond - to wake up - to reach out - to grow up- to stop drinking too much - to stop overeating - and a hundred other cries.

Why tears?

What do tears produce?

A feel.... I feel like I'm doing something. I'm responding in some way.

I cry. Therefore I am.

I cry. Tears stop you for a moment and you know I'm here.

I cry and you know I exist.

I scream - and I stop traffic and the dance.

I cry and the other starts to think.

I cry. Therefore, you think. 

 September 3, 2022

Thought for Today

"The devil is an angel too."

Miguel de Unamuno [1864-1936]

Two Mothers

 September 2. 2022

Reflection

THE CRY  FOR  GOD

Everyone's prayer is, "De Profundis."

Out of  my depths - from my depths - especially when I feel an ocean of water - or doubts - or debts - or problems - are churning around me - and I have nothing or no one to grab onto.

De Profundis ....

Psalms 130 is everyone's prayer.

Is God in a helicopter hovering over a sinking ship - tossing down a rope or a basket to grab onto or get into.

Did the Jews have it right when they told the story of the baby Moses put in a basket - and sent out into the waters - and then that Moses is saved - and grows up - and then leads his people through the waters - to escape, to exit Egypt - for freedom.

Everyone screams out, "Oh my God!" - "OMG" - "Jesus Christ" - "Holy Moses" - "God, where are You" - or "Holy shit" - when disaster strikes.

The cries for God are many.

There are atheists in foxholes.

There are agnostics in foxholes.

There are people of faith in foxholes.

People scream.

People in foxholes scream.

Some for God.

The screams for God are shoutest loudest when the mud or the moment we are in - becomes what we don't expect and don't want.

Out of the depths I cry to you, O God.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  PSALM  130  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Out of the depths I cry to You, O God.

Lord. hear my cry.

Let Your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.

If You, Lord, kept an account of my sins, who, O Lord, could hold up one's head.

But in You is forgiveness - therefore You are revered.

I wait for the Lord with all my soul

My hope is the fulfillment of God's word.

My soul waits for the Lord more eagerly than watchmen wait for the morning.

Like those who watch for the morning, O Israel, look for the Lord.

The Lord is love unfailing; great is his power to set us free.

He alone will set Israel free from all their sins.

September 2, 2022

Thought for Today 

"Over all, rocks, wood, and water. brooded the spirit of repose, and the silent energy of nature stirred the soul to its inmost depths."

Thomas Cole [1801-1848

Essay on American Scenery [1835]

September 1.  2022

Reflection

THE  CRY  OF  GOD

Is God one loud cry, so loud, we can't here it; so long, we're deaf to it?

Babies cry when they need.

One moment they are okay.

The next moment they cry - anywhere, anytime.

They simply want what they want when they want it.

The prophets in the Hebrew Scriptures are God's cry - God's cry for fairness, God's cry for awareness, God's cry for an end to crazy prayer and meaningless worship.

To stand in the dark - in the dark outside - to look into the night sky - to see as far as I can see - to stand there and to listen - till we hear God speaking - God whispering - God shouting

God will speak. God will scream. God will whisper. God will cry.

Listen.

Sit. Lie down. Close one's eyes. Be alone. Listen to God within and without. Pulsating. Weeping. Screaming - streaming - the words: "You are your brother's keeper. You are your sister's keeper."

God still hears, when we hear.

God still is, when we are the word made flesh in the here and now.

Jesus still goes about doing good, when we go about doing good.

Jesus still heals, when he hear and heal and help.

Jesus still feeds, when we feed.

Jesus still changes water into wine, when we change water into wine.

Jesus still forgives, when we forgive.

Jesus still brings peace, when we are peacemakers.

Jesus is the Cry of God, when I am the Cry of God.

I am the Cry of God.

 

 September 1. 2022

Th0ught  for Today

"I would rather believe that God did not exist than believe he was indifferent."

George Sand

[Amandine Aurore Lucile Dupin,

Baronne Dudevant] 1804-1876

 

INFLUENCES:

HOW’D I GET TO BE

THE ME I GOT TO BE?

 

The title of my homily is for this 22 Wednesday in Ordinary Time is, “Influences: How’d I Get to Be the Me I Got to Be?”

To me that’s a great question. 

Hopefully, if we spend time and prayer – yes prayer – yes more pondering - we’ll come up with some good answers to that question.

The question came to me after reading today’s first reading – just a part of the 3^rd Chapter of 1^st Corinthians 3: 1-9.

Paul is talking about the building up of the Christian Church at Corinth.

It seems there is a fight or a struggle going on between those who liked Paul and those who liked Apollos. Some said, “I belong to Paul” and some said, “I belong to Apollos.” That indicates some kind of conflict.

If you read the 4 gospels – and the Acts of the Apostles – and the Letters of Paul and John, you’ll pick up hints and comments – that there were personal struggles going on between people – in the early church.

I like to ask people which of the 4 gospels do they like the most.

I like to ask people which of the 4 gospels influenced them the most.

Of course, we should step back a step and say what Paul would say, “It’s Christ! Have the mind of Christ as we heard in yesterday’s first reading.”

I like to ask people: “Whom did we get the gift of faith from?”

Mom? Dad? A grammar school nun? A priest? A parish? A community? A retreat? A book? An author? A tragedy? A death? St. Alphonsus?

We as priests should ponder whom we’re imitating?  Whose sounds are we making? Whose sermons are we echoing?

I was taking a long car ride trip once. I grabbed at the last minute some audio tapes from way back when. Surprise! I’m driving along, I’m listening to a tape on which John McCall the Jesuit tells a story.  It was a cassette tape I hadn’t listened to for 25 years. I laughed at myself because I’m listening to a story that I thought I had made it up. Nope. Not me. It was John’s story. So, thank you John for your story. Or was it yours?

Ooooooh!  Ooooops. We borrow from each other.

I always loved the words from Tennyson in his poem, “Ulysses!” iin which he says, “I am part of all that I have met.”

A couple of months ago, I watched a 55 minute tape of Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmylou Harris. They tried to do an album together  in 1976-77 and it just didn’t work. Then they did it again 10 years later – 1987 - and it was wonderful this second time.

On that tape, they talked about their roots, their stories, their development.  They talked about who influenced them. Joan Baez, Bob Dylan and Pete Seeger were part of Emmylou Harris career, She didn’t come from a singing family – but she had a great voice. She got  into Rock – then country – meeting and singing with lots of people.

Emmylou Harris met Gram Parsons – who found her – and taught her so much – till he died from an overdose of drugs. Parson’s dad committed suicide and his mom died early of alcohol poison. Those were profound moments and experiences in their lives.

Linda Ronstadt and Dolly Parton grew up with music in their growing up – Dolly in Tennessee and Linda in Arizona.

It got me thinking.  I couldn’t help but wonder about whose preaching  - whose writings – whose conversations – whose life formed my life.

Enough….

A conclusion for this homily: it would be gratitude, more pondering, more prayer, more reading, more conversations about my opening question and the title of this homily: “Influences: How’d I Get to Be the Me I Got to Be?”

Whoever you are: Thank you!