IT TAKES TWO TO PRAY! 

*

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this Saturday in the Third Week of Lent is, “It Takes Two To Pray!” 

At least 2.

TODAY’S GOSPEL

If you want to grow in prayer one of the parables of Jesus to take into prayer is Luke 18:9-14 - the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. We just heard it read again today.

If we like to pray here or in the Eucharistic chapel, pray with Luke 18:9-14. Jesus will get into our mind and challenge us big time about prayer with this parable.  If we like to pray at home with the Bible, don’t forget the Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican.

For starters the Pharisee is not praying. He’s one person show. Jesus shocks people with that truth. The Pharisee is all I, I, I, I, I, I.  I do this. I do this. I do that. And I don’t do that, that, and that.

Then Jesus talks about a second person in the parable, but it’s not God. It’s the Sinner, the publican, the tax collector, he must have spotted in the back of the temple on his way up front to be seen.

Joachim Jeremias in his book on The Parables of Jesus tells of a first century prayer AD that was found in the Talmud. Just listen to how familiar it is with the prayer of the Pharisee.[page 142]

“I thank you, O Lord, my God,

that you have given me my lot

with those who sit in the seat of learning,

and not with those  who sit at the street-corners.

I am early to work and they are early to work;

I am early to work on the words of the Torah,

and they are early to work on things of no moment.
I weary myself, and they weary themselves.
I weary myself and profit as a result,

while they weary themselves to no profit.

I run and they run;

I run towards the life of the Age to Come,

and they run towards the pit of destruction.”

How do we pray? Are we all alone in the temple of our brain - inwardly complaining about others in church - or inwardly giving ourselves all the glory.

So today’s gospel is a key parable to pray with if we want to grow in our prayer life.

Jesus uses a parable and he uses comparison to get us thinking.

The title of my homily is, “It Takes Two To Pray!”

The man in the back, the sinner, the publican, is aware of God being present - and he has a profound humility of himself in comparison.

I don’t know about you, but when I’m saying Mass I have to catch myself - not babbling, not reciting, not parroting, not being in the presence of God - but only myself.

CONVERSATION

It takes two to pray. It takes two to have a conversation. We all have been in conversations when the other is not talking to us - but talking at us - building herself or himself up - complaining about others - and the obvious message is: I’m better than these people. We know the feeling.

It’s deadly when a priest in the pulpit looks at his watch. It seems he’s just reciting his words to an empty church. It’s the same in conversations - when someone peeks at their watch  - and we sense they giving speeches at us - or talking to themselves.

CONCLUSION

Jesus is saying: “Hello! This happens in prayer.” So when praying begin with a few moments of quiet - Realize we’re with another - God. Hear God’s “Hello” before we announce ours. Amen. 



* Painting on top: Le pharisien et le publican - the Pharisee and the Publican [1886-1891] by James Tissot [1836-1902] - Brooklyn Museum

WORMS AND WORRIES

Quote for Today - March 9, 2013

"Verem essen toilerhait un deiges lebedikerhait."

"Worms eat you up when dead and worries eat you up alive."

Yiddish Proverb - from 1001 Yiddish Proverbs, edited by Fred Kogos

Question: Name the 10 top worries you have - that are squirming around inside of you - eating up your life energies?

SERMONS

Quote for Today - March 8, 2013

"The half-baked sermon causes spiritual indigestion."  

Austin O'Malley

Comment: O my God, I am partly sorry....."

DO PEOPLE EVER CHANGE?

Quote for the Day - March 7, 2013

"Frenzy, heresy, and jealousy, seldom cured."

English Proverb

Question: Agree or disagree?

INDIGNATION

Quote for Today - March 6, 2013

"Moral indignation is jealousy with a halo."

H. G. Wells

Question: Do you agree with this statement?

Read Matthew 23 in light of this comment by H.G. Wells

A LIFE SKILL CALLED “FORGIVENESS”.

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this Tuesday in the Third Week of Lent is, “A Life Skill Called ‘Forgiveness.’”

BASKETBALL

In my early thirties I used to play basketball once a week with a group of thirty-year old priests in the Archdiocese of New York Seminary. We were taking a two year course - one morning a week - on Pastoral Counseling and Spirituality. It was great. Updating ourselves in the morning and basketball after lunch.

We’d play 5 on 5, 4 on 4, 3 on 3. One day this guy Neil Connelly is guarding me. I have the ball and I’m standing there dribbling trying to see if I should drive, shoot, or pass the ball. While dribbling I noticed that Neil is not standing directly in front of me as is usual - but off to my right. While dribbling I said to him, “Why are you guarding me like that?” He laughed and said, “Because you can’t drive to your left.” I said, “What?” He says, “Yeah that was one of the first things we were taught in basketball. Find out if the other guy can go to his right and to his left - and guard him accordingly.”

At the age of 33 or 34 or so I learned I could not drive to my left.

Well, let me tell you, I practiced that after that. Never got good at it, but I practiced it over and over again - trying to get that skill.

A SKILL CALLED “FORGIVENESS

The title of my homily is, “A Life Skill Called ‘Forgiveness.’”

If you got it, great. If you don’t have it,  work on it. Practice. Practice. Practice.

I met a Rabbi at a wedding once who asked me if I had read the Koran. I said, “No!”  He said, “You better.”

So I bought a Koran and read it - from cover to cover. I have to admit, I didn’t get it. I kept hoping there would be something in there that would grab me. I said to myself, “If this book is so important, there has to be something in here that’s enlightening.”

It didn’t happen to me.

Then I said, “Maybe it’s the translation. Maybe there is something great in here in Arabic - but I don’t have that skill.”

So nothing grabbed - except all the times it used the words “fire” and “burn”. I got a magic marker - an orange high lighter - and went through the whole Koran again and magic marked in orange the word “fire” or “burn” every time either appeared. Ugh too many times - too much violence.

Then I began to notice that there is a lot of destruction and violence in the Jewish and Christian scriptures as well. There is.

People get burned by people; people want to wipe people out. God is crushing armies and enemies. Ugh.

Then I began to notice how much in our scriptures there is to call for forgiveness - especially in families - in relationships - in both the Jewish and the Christian scriptures - brother with brother, father with son, but there is some sister stuff as well - but the document is heavily masculine and patriarchic. It’s up to us to translate it to deal with all our relationships especially  in our family.

If we listen to the scriptures and if we listen to people - every family needs the skill called “forgiveness” - not just 7 times, but 70 times and over and over again. We need this skill in dealing with others - with God - and in forgiving ourselves.

CONCLUSION

Today’s gospel - Matthew 18: 21-35 - is a powerful challenge to forgive and be forgiven - from the heart. That’s how Jesus put it in the last sentence in today’s gospel. Forgiveness includes brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, God and life - as well as ourselves - being able to go this way or that way with forgiveness - whatever it takes - difficult moves at times.  

Want to learn how to forgive and be forgiven - practice, practice, practice till the skill is our’s. Amen. Amen. Amen.

TROMBONE

Quote for Today  March 5, 2013

"Love your neighbor, even when she plays the trombone."

Jewish Proverb