Some people are rock; some people are water. Some just sit there in stone silence; some surround and soak us in every way. Some are always just there with us; some float away never to be seen again.
The title of my homily for this 3rd Tuesday in
Advent is, “Changing One’s Mind.”
When it comes to life - unless we’re blind - one of the things - we discover is that people
change their minds.
They switch jobs, spouses, houses, ideas - sometimes
right there - while ordering off the menu at McDonald's. “Wait! Switch that to a Big Mac.”
If we can say, “Yes” -
we can also say, “No!”
If we can marry - fall in love - be nice to each other -
the opposite can happen. When and while the Good is going on, great. When and
while the Bad and the Ugly are playing on our screen, ugh.
In fact, love and niceness and goodness - wouldn’t be
great unless the opposite could also be a choice.
Freedom - free will - choice - are down deep essential
ingredients for being a human being.
CHANGING AND
GROWING
The title of my homily is, “Changing One’s Mind.”
Heraclitus said, "There is nothing permanent except change."
So one of the secrets of life is
learning to deal with change - because it’s going to happen.
So if we are alive, we can grow - we can learn to know -
we can see that there were some things we were not seeing.
Why? Because that’s the way we are - changing our mind in
relationships, religion, politics, friendships, - in everything. How and what
we see at 10 is different than what we see at 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90.
Hopefully, we know much more about our mom and dad -
brothers and sisters - life - God - than we did 20 years ago.
If we don’t, we’re not talking to our family and each
other. If not, we’re not growing and learning. If not, we’re not thinking.
AN ARGUMENT:
NIGHT AND THE NEXT MORNING
I’ve discovered that we can’t remember everything - every
moment of our lives - but there are some moments that we never forget. Some are dramatic moments - some are so, so
moments. Strange - paradoxical to what I’ve just said, sometimes there is no
choice in what we remember and what we forget.
I remember one such small moment. I was at a meeting for
us Redemptorists. I was sitting at this dining room table for six one evening. In
reality I was a listener, because I never got into the argument that happened.
Looking back I don’t remember what the fight was about -
but I do remember that this one guy was
adamant with his opinion and three other guys argued against his position vehemently.
The next morning I just happen to be sitting with the same guy who was in
the argument the night before. Surprise the same argument came up - and this
time the guy had switched his opinion from the night before and was arguing
with the same arguments the others were using against him the evening before.
I was tempted to say something - but I didn’t - but I’ve
often thought about that reality. Maybe he couldn’t admit that he might be
wrong - the night before. Maybe he thought about it the whole night.
For some reason
that small human happening - has
often intrigued me. It surprised me.
In time I learned that’s one of the benefits for arguing.
It helps us clarify our truths. We might
not admit we’re wrong or what have you in the present moment - but in time we
change.
As Anonymous put it, “Change
is always happening. People don't always see it, understand it or accept it.”
As Maynard Ferguson put it, “Change is always happening.
That's one of the wonderful things about jazz music.”
That’s the beauty of music, food, life, religion,
philosophy, sports, politics - and what have you. Life is being given opportunities to learn,
to grown, to know different slants on life.
GOSPEL
Today’s
gospel - Matthew 21: 28-32 - triggered this topic of changing our minds. One
son said, “no” for starters, but in time he changed his mind and said “yes”
with his actions. The other son said, “Yes” with his mouth, but “No” with his
body.
Conversion, transformation, change, repentance are gospel hopes.
Change is the hope of every person - about their children, their
parents, their politicians.
Lao Tzu said, "If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading."
Things don’t have to stay the same. We’re not robots. Things are not
pre-determined, Stephen Hawking said, "I have noticed even people who claim everything is predestined, and we can do nothing to change it, look before they cross the road."
Life calls us to
change - wake up - get moving in new directions. I am challenged by the poetic message of
W.H. Auden,
Life calls us to change - wake up - get moving in new
directions. I am challenged by the poetic message of W.H. Auden,
We would rather be ruined than changed,
We would rather die in our dread
Than climb the cross of the moment
And let our illusions die."
CONCLUSION
Christmas is coming.
May Christmas this year be a change.
May you experience Christ, family, friends, gifts, cards as a whole new
experience this year. Amen.
The title of my homily for this 3rd Monday in
Advent is, “Oracles.”
An oracle - is not a word - that we use that often.
Without looking it up in a dictionary - we get a sense
about what it means.
It’s a speech - that’s more than a speech. In fact, when
someone gives a really important speech, it’s called an oration at times.
And that word “oration” comes close to the word “oracle”.
Notice both of them have as their first three letters
“ora” - the Latin word for prayer.
So an oracle is speech from on high - from God - special
- powerful - with authority.
TODAY’S
READINGS
I noticed that word “oracle” in today’s first reading.
Balaam, son of Beor, gives voice to an oracle. [It’s found 5 times in 24th
Chapter of Numbers 24: 3, 15, 20, 21, 23.]
Then Balaam adds that it’s the utterance of man whose eye
is true. It’s “the utterance of one who hears what God says, and knows what the
Most High knows.” It’s from “one who sees what the Almighty sees.”
Well if that is
true, we better listen.
Today’s gospel - Matthew 21: 23-27 - doesn’t use the word “oracle” - but we
have a scene where Jesus is questioned for his utterances - for his
proclamations - but especially for what he is doing - which he often says - he
heard from his Father - who is God.
WE CHRISTIANS
We Christians listen to this Jesus - we watch this Jesus
- we do a lot of things in memory of Jesus.
For example this Meal, this Mass, this moment, here in this church - is being
done in memory of Jesus.
OUR RESPONSE
Our first response should be prayer!
Today’s Psalm response is from Psalm 25: “Teach me your
ways, O Lord.”
That’s a great mantra - a great prayer. “Teach me your
ways, O Lord.”
Today’s Psalm has us praying, “Your ways, O Lord, make
known to me; teach me your paths. Guide me in truth and teach me, for you are
my God and my savior.”
THREE RESPONSES
TO PEOPLE WHO GIVE US ORACLES
In the history of the Church there have been lots of
people speaking oracles - as if they were speaking for God.
Many of these are so called, “Private Revelations.”
Often I keep my mouth shut when people ask me about these
so called, “Private Revelations.”
They often turn up and become very popular.
But if you ask me about them, I’d give these 3 responses.
First - Pray about them.
Secondly, ask questions about what is being said.
Don’t be scared to ask questions. Mary did?
Be like the Pharisees and ask questions about oracles,
“By what authority are you saying these things.”
And often the one giving the revelation says that what they are saying comes
from God.
There it is: they are giving us an oracle.
Give everything the litmus test. Does what a person is
saying lead us to love the Lord our God, with our whole heart, mind, soul and
strength - and love our neighbor as ourselves.
If someone is telling us this is God speaking and
something seems wrong - and you disagree - don’t be scared to disagree - you’re
not the first one.
There are lots of folks announcing this is God’s will -
and at times I just keep quiet or I for one think inwardly, “I disagree!” or
“I’m not that sure about what you are saying.”
The history of the church is a history of folks giving us
“private revelations” and people accept everything as gospel truth.
Thirdly, use the Gamaliel principle. It’s found in the Acts of the Apostles - 5: 35-39. He uses
it on this new revelation called, “Christianity.”
The Gamaliel Principle is this: Give an oracle time.
Stall. Hesitate. If this is from God, then why fight God. If this is baloney,
time will tell it’s baloney.
CONCLUSION
Oracles are tricky stuff. Listen carefully and say and
pray, “Teach me o Lord, your ways.” Then see what fruit comes from the oracle.
