Sunday Homily 1-4-09, Epiphany, The Coming of the Wise Men

Readings:

Isaiah 60, 1-6,  Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem.  Your light has come.  (Nice reading)

 Psalm 72,    Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

Ephesians 3, 2-3, 5-6,  The Gentiles are coheirs & members of the same body.

Luke 1, 26-28,   When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, magi from the east arrived.

Georgie says, "Hi, Everybody, Welcome into the New Year."

Isaiah 60:  observations–

1.   Who:  Can you guess which Isaiah this is, 1, 2, or 3?  Yes, this is Isaiah III who seems to have lived after the Babylonian Captivity, that is, 555 Before Christ

2.  Today’s passage: chapter 60 is addressed to Jerusalem as a symbol, which is in total destruction.    Isaiah  is trying to lift the spirits of the people who are depressed at seeing the mess that is Jerusalem.   He is saying that your day is coming, Jerusalem, when you will return to being the most splendid city of all, and by extension, the tribe.

Isaiah 3 should get a commission from the Jerusalem chamber of commerce.  

Hannah, Zoe, and Emma, also, say, "Happy New Year."

The Epiphany, a Cornucopia of Symbols:

2 observations & 2 postscripts–

Where to begin, folks.  There is so much symbolism in this liturgy, in Matthew, for sure, and in the combination of Matthew with Isaiah and Psalm 72.  I'll touch 2 points, each with 3 subdivisions.. 

The Picture of Delight, Leo with a Cupcake of The Week.

1.  The Wise Men have a double & triple significance because they are

a. Gentiles

b. They come from the east, considered the source of wisdom in the world of that time.  Where does the sun rise?  Where do stars rise?  A new son has been born and like the sun in the east or a star he will bring new light. 

c. They are searchers & symbolize every person’s search for meaning in life.    Remember Matthew speaks to two audiences, his fellow Israelites, whom he is chastising for not searching, and the Gentiles. 

Jan with another Cupcake of The Week.

2.  The 3 gifts. 

 a.  Gold is given because it signifies royalty. 

 b.  Frankincense, or incense, signifies divinity. 

 c.  Myrra signifies medicine.  Myrra is for human health.  It comes from a bush like tree that has a yellow, sticky sap on its bark.  The sap was good for skin infections and acne, asthma, colds, and flu, and even herpes.  It is found in Saudi Arabia & Somalia.

 A post script.  People in Europe used to write an inscription over their doors, e.g. 20+C+M+B+10.  The numbers are our year.  The letters are Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar.   Christians made it say, “Christ Bless our house or Maison the year listed.

Richard and Carol, celebrating their 40th, receive two Power Bars of The Week, because they got more sense than to eat cupcakes and keep themselves in great shape.

Another post script.  In New Orleans Epiphany starts Carnival season, which leads up to Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.  The parades are starting, folks.

 Sources: Reginal Fuller, St. Louis U. Liturgy; Biblical & Theological Resources, the Voice Institute, on line; Wikipedia; and other sources.

And Tom, too, who receives a Power Bar of The Week for his birthday and because he is our official Marathon Maniac.

The Epiphanies around Us

A while back Rosemary & I went to the exposition of some paintings of about six or eight artists. Among the artists and the reason we were there was a childhood buddy, who after a career as a lawyer now does oil paintings.  And he sells them for mucho. 

 As we were wandering around we ran into another couple who are old friends.  We asked what brought them to this exposition.  They pointed across the room to a middle aged, middle class, blondish woman who was standing by some of her works.

Offertory with John & Karen, Judy and Dick.

 Here is the story the wife told me.

 The couple we know are both academics on the university level.  Some years ago the wife had been teaching and came to know one of her students.  The student was a mother with a son about 8 years old.  At some point in time the father had abandoned them and left them with nothing.  They were living in the mother’s car. 

 My friend says to me that this shocked her and she thought this cannot continue.  She described the situation to her husband and two sons who were about 10 & 12.  Guess what they did.

Communion (bread, wine in small cups, and grape juice) helpers.

 Yes.  They invited the mother & son to live with them until they got on their feet.  The two sons moved into one bedroom and the mother & her son took the other.  Here they lived for almost a year until the husband found the woman a job. 

 The woman now is successful and is developing as an artist, selling her works for significant sums.  The son graduated from Jesuit, graduated from college, and now is married with a couple of his own kids. 

The Delgado Corner missing most of the gang.

 Obvious from the fact that they were at the art exposition, my friends are still quite close with the mother & her son. 

 I would propose that this is what epiphany is, a pointing to a presence among us and in us.  The presence is acceptance and care for others.  It points to something beautiful, a wow experience.  I received a wow experience just from meeting that woman and hearing her story.

 Who is an epiphany for you?

 For whom are you an epiphany?

Elevation.

 Readings:  Isaiah 25, 6-10 (fun reading about the next life); Psalm 23, I shall live in the House of the Lord all the days of my life (Psalm of consolation); Philippians 4, 12-20; Matthew 22, 1-14, The king throws a wedding feast.

Isaiah:  This is Isaiah I, a great reading.

Psalm 23:

Number of Psalms: There are 150 psalms, which are religious songs.

Authorship: Jews, Muslims and Christians for centuries considered King David to be the author.  73 psalms use his name.  Today, however, scripture scholars know numerous authors composed the psalms and they were passed down ca. 500 years in an oral, sung form before they began to be written down ca. 600 B.C.E.  King David lived ca. 1000 B.C.E.

Life is a Banquet

I had a Jesuit friend named Tom Barbarito who was in the class behind me.  Italian.  About 5 feet 5, like 5 by 5. Quite rotund in his early years.  No way athletic.  In fact would shudder at the prospect of exercise or physical work.  Intelligent and very amusing mostly at his own expense.  He was pastor of St. Rita for many years. 

Our selection from Isaiah 1 about the banquet was his favorite reading of all time.  He loved to eat.  We used to have what were called first class feasts in the early years of my Jesuit life.  These were special meals on Christmas, Easter, and church holidays.  The meals were excellent Cajun cuisine put together by our cajun cooks from southwest LA, Opelousas & Lafayette.  And Tom was from New Orleans, as were many in the classes those days.  We got to talk in the refectory on the occasion of these meals, all 150 of us.

I can still picture Tom squaring off for one of these meals, his white cloth napkin tucked into the collar of his cassock European style, getting elbow room, and proclaiming that he was ready.  He used to declare that he could not wait for the heavenly banquet referred to here in Isaiah.  Today Tom is enjoying that banquet because he died maybe ten years ago with a brain tumor.  And he died skinny, so he now may eat all his favorite foods without guilt. 

I think of Tom whenever this reading comes up.  Our readings today are so Tom Barbarito, eating, feasting, enjoying the cup running over.  Besides that,  we got the king throwing a wedding banquet and getting mad because the invited did not come.  Then one guy gets kicked out for not having a wedding garment on.  What is going on?   Three observations.

First, remember for whom Matthew is writing.  He has an agenda when he puts parables into his work.  Initially he writes to warn the Jewish people about how they are losing it in not recognizing Jesus.  But equally he is addressing the Gentiles, letting them know that Jesus welcomes them also.

As in all parables, check out the symbolism of the gospel.  Obviously the king is Yahweh.  Who else?  Who are the invited to the wedding feast?  The Jews?  Who are the good & bad street people? 

Second observation, we are invited.   There is a banquet out there, a feast on a mountain top, a feast of rich food and choice wine.  Tex Mex & Blue Bell?  We are invited, despite the fact that we are the street people.  In fact, I would propose that we are all street people, bad and good, Gentile and Jew. 

The third observation is that the banquet on the mountain top, the marriage feast is taking place today.  I can be tempted to think the feast takes place in the next life.  In fact, I think a lot of poor people and slaves were fed this nonsense so they would not try to fight back against oppression.  Everyday is a banquet.

A final post script: what about the poor guy without the wedding garment?  He gets treated pretty harshly, especially so after the king invites all the street people in, both good and bad. 

To attempt an understanding, I think we go back to the symbolism which is the currency of parables.  What could he symbolize?  What is the wedding garment symbolizing?  Gratitude?  Or cynicism?   Maybe he was not grateful, but was critical and cynical, thinking he was entitled to all this, the attitude that seems to be so prevalent in our contemporary culture.  Consequently, the man was not thrown out.  His ingratitude never allows him in.  We can be the man without the wedding garment.

My friend Tom Barberito I am sure is enjoying his wedding banquet in the next life.  We are invited to enjoy the banquet today with gratitude.

 On the 1 to 10 scale, where is your gratitude, where is your cynicism?

Picture 1:    Mass begins

Picture 2:    Lorynne & Lacee with their grandmother, Marilyn

Picture 3:    Sienna

Picture 4:    Robyn & Erin

Picture 5:    Wendy

Picture 6:    Jean & Jack, Wendy's parents  

Readings: Isaiah 60, 1-6; Psalm 72, Lord, Every Nation on Earth will Adore You; Ephesians 3, 2-6; Matthew 2, 1-12

 Isaiah 60: 3 observations–

1.  This is Isaiah III who seems to have lived around the time of the Babylonian Captivity, i.e., 575 BCE., not at the time of Isaiah I (chapters 1-39) who lived ca. 800.   (& Is. II, chapters 40-50)

2.  Our passage from chapter 60 is addressed to Jerusalem as a symbol, which is in total destruction.          

3.  Isaiah is saying that your day is coming, Jerusalem, when you will return to being the most splendid city of all.

Epiphany, The Coming of the Wise Men on January 6: 3 observations–

1.  The word means an enlightenment, a WOW moment.

2.  Celebrated since ca. 300 & Constantine on January 6, 12 days from the birth, the 12 Days of Christmas.  Note 12^th Night.

3.  Considered a second Christmas, to the Gentiles.

The Epiphany, a Cornucopia of Symbols: 2 observations–

Where to begin, folks.  There is so much symbolism in this liturgy, in Matthew, for sure, and in the combination of Matthew with Isaiah and Psalm 72.  I'll touch 2 symbols, each with 3 subdivisions..         

1.  The Wise Men have a double & triple significance because they are

a. Gentiles

b.  They come from the east, considered the source of wisdom in the world of that time.  Where does the sun rise?  Where do stars rise?  A new son has been born and like the sun in the east or a star he will bring new light. 

c.  They also symbolize every man’s search for meaning in life.    Remember Matthew speaks to two audiences, his fellow Israelites, whom he is chastising for not searching, and the Gentiles. 

2.  The 3 gifts. 

 a.  Gold is given because it signifies royalty. 

 b.  Frankincense, or incense, signifies divinity. 

 c.  Myrra signifies medicine.  Myrra is for the human.  It comes from a bush like tree that has a yellow, sticky sap on its bark.  The sap was good for skin infections and acne, asthma, colds, and flu, and even herpes.  It is found in Saudi Arabia & Somalia.

A post script.  People in Europe used to write an inscription over their doors, e.g. 20+C+M+B+10.  The numbers are our year.  The letters are Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar.   Christians made it say, “Christ Bless our house or Maison the year listed.  

 Another post script.  In New Orleans Epiphany starts Carnival season, which leads up to Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.  The parades will be starting, folks.

 Sources: Reginal Fuller, St. Louis U. Liturgy; Biblical & Theological Resources, the Voice Institute, on line; Wikipedia; and other sources.

The Epiphanies around Us

 Recently Rosemary & I went to the exposition of some paintings of about six or eight artists. Among the artists and the reason we were there was my childhood buddy Ed Lamberty, who gave the homily here a year or so ago on alcoholism & AA. 

 As we were wandering around we ran into another couple who are old friends.  We ask what brought them to this exposition.  They pointed across the room to a middle aged,  middle class, blondish woman who was standing by some of her works.

 Here is the story the wife told me.

 The couple we know are both academics on the university level.  Some years ago the wife had been teaching and came to know one of her students.  The student was a mother with a son about 8 years old.  At some point in time the father had abandoned them and left them with nothing.  They were living in the mother’s car. 

 My friend says to me that this shocked her and she thought this cannot continue.  She described the situation to her husband and two sons who were about 10 & 12.  Guess what they did.

 They invited the mother & son to live with them until they got on their feet.  The two sons moved into one bedroom and the mother & her son took the other.  Here they lived for almost a year until the husband found the woman a job. 

 The woman now is successful and is developing as an artist, selling her works for significant sums.  The son graduated from Jesuit, graduated from college, and now is married with a couple of his own kids. 

 Obvious from the fact that they were at the art exposition, my friends are still quite close with the mother & her son. 

 I would propose that this is what epiphany is, a pointing to a presence among us and in us.  The presence is acceptance and care for others.  It points to something beautiful.

 Who is an epiphany for you?

 For whom are you an epiphany?

 Picture 1:    Emma 

 Picture 2:    Diane on her birthday with Jenny & Melissa

 Picture 3:    The Dinsmore family, David & Donna & their kids, Dawson, Darbianna, & Dana

 Picture 4:    Emily & her mom, Julie at the Offertory  

Readings: Leviticus 13, 1-2, 44-46; Psalm 32; 1 Corinthians 10, 31-11, 1; Mark 1, 40-45 

Leviticus: The book of the Levite tribe, the priestly tribe, one of the 12 tribes of Israel (from the 12 sons of Jacob–The Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob).

Author: a collection of many sources, but not Moses (impossible).

Date: some laws go back 1400 BCE., others from ca. 450 BCE.  

Note: an interesting example of how academics better understand these texts.  They noted that both Leviticus 11 & Deuteronomy 14 have similar lists of clean and unclean animals for eating.  Deuteronomy 14, however, has 11 additional critters which are not mentioned in Leviticus 11.  These 11 dwell only in the Arabian desert, not in Egypt or the land of Canaan (Holy Land).   From this it can be deduced that the person (s) writing the laws in Leviticus had not wandered the desert and was writing before the Exodus.  The writer (s) of Deuteronomy, however, had wandered the desert.  Source: The Book of Leviticus; Believe: Religious Information Source, Canon Tristam

Subject matter: laws for better living with Yahweh.  For instance in chapter 11, one may not eat pigs, camels, or rabbits, no animal with a divided hoof.  All winged insects are unclean, except those that hop.  In chapter 12, women are ritually unclean after giving birth, 7 days for boys, 14 days for girls.  Chapter 19, "love one another as one's self."  This morning's selection deals with how people with leprosy are to be treated.  Leprosy, of course, was considered a punishment for sin & disobedience.

Exclusion vs Inclusion

When I first lived in Kenya & Tanzania in the late 70's I spent time working on my Swahili in a Jesuit parish that was in a town called Tabora, Tanzania.  The town is in the middle of Tanzania with no paved roads leading to it.  Only a few roads in the town itself are paved.  The parish had about 3 Jesuit priests in those days, if I remember correctly, a French Canadian, an Irish, and an Indian.    Today the Jesuits have departed and handed it over to the diocese because of not enough Jesuit priests.

In those days the parish had 21 outstations, some of which even had other outstations further out.  These were located in small villages where little mud walled churches had been put up.  Occasionally I found a rather large cement block church left over from times when priests were more abundant.   Each Sunday we would all head out on motorcycles to the outstations. 

On the edge of Tabora there was a special community.  A community of men & women who had leprosy.  The exclusion of these lepers was similar to what we read in Leviticus, though they received better care.  Our parish used to help them a lot and I went to say Mass for them and spent time talking with them often individually, sometimes in a group.  Despite the effectiveness of modern medicine, many had significant scarring and were without hands or feet.  I remember being touched mostly by the quality of their spirits and sense of acceptance. 

I am reminded of this leper community when I read about the lepers in today's readings.  Leviticus lays down the directives, exclusion.  Mark has Jesus dealing with a leper, including him in the community.   I've already discussed Leviticus.  Let me mention 3 points relevant to Mark & his account.

First, Mark's aim.  Mark wants to convince Christians of Jewish & mostly Gentile background that Jesus is the Messiah.  This community probably lived in Galilee, that is, around the Sea of Galilee or in Syria.  How do today's students of the bible know this?  Because they analyzed the text and noted that Mark used Greek rather than Aramaic.  Moreover, Mark describes some Jewish customs.  Both points indicated that he talks to a community made up more of Gentile Christians than Jewish Christians.  They could not speak Aramaic and they did not know Jewish customs.  Also, it is thought that the community was dwellingng around Galilee because Mark describes the geography of those places rather than around Jerusalem. 

Secondly, Mark's means, how does he accomplish his end?  He uses two literary techniques, the somewhat famous Messianic Secret technique and miracle stories. 

When Mark has Jesus tell the leper, "See that you tell no one anything," Mark is using the Messianic Secret technique.  People were saying that they lived at the time of Jesus, but never saw or heard about any of these miracle events.  Mark is saying that they did not hear about them because Jesus tried to hide his powers.  The secret is only supposed to be revealed at the end, at the death & resurrection.  Nevertheless, as part of his technique Mark allows it to leak out by writing that the man "began to publicize the whole matter."

Thirdly, how Mark carefully crafts his writing.  It is noted that in this chapter 1, Mark has 8 points he is using to convince people.  For example, he built community by calling the apostles, he showed power by running off an unclean spirit, he gives life to Peter's mother, and so on.  The miracle he describes today is number 8 and aims at inclusion  of rejects in the community.

Instead of excluding the leper like Leviticus instructs, Jesus welcomes him.  In fact, he does something that broke the law and the people would be astounded.  He touched the leper.  This was after Mark has the leper break the law by approaching Jesus.  People around are saying, "Wow!", when they read this. 

This might be today's lesson for us.  Inclusion.  Like it was for me in Tabora, Tanzania, it may be easier for us to think of including a leper, because we know the virus is not that contagious and can be effectively treated.  But HIV?  What about other races, colors, religions, students from other schools?

Whom do I have trouble including in my community?

References:

• Austin Cline, Audience of Mark's Gospel (on line), for the 11 extra critters

• Carmelite website, Homilies, for the 8 points Mark makes in chapter 1

AUDIO:  http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2009-02-15.mp3

Picture 1:  Mass with Sabrina helping

Picture 2:  Hunter & Dillon, Kim, Ken, & Cindy

Picture 3: at the Coffiee Island, Maureen, Greg, & Angelo

Picture 4:  Hunter

Readings: Special All Saints Mass of Remembrance using Sunday’s first reading & Luke’s Gospel with 2 poems as the middle readings.  Therefore: Wisdom 11, 22-12, 2; poems see links below; Luke 19, 1-10 (Zacheus).

The Mass begins with a poem read by Jackie Ritter: Download poem_1.doc

How was I blessed by These People?

I have known a Zacheus.  Zacheus is Everyone, a limited person.  We are all limited people.  This Zacheus gifted me in a variety of special ways. 

First, like Zacheus, she shared her friendship with me.  I did not really get to know her until she had her last bout with cancer some years ago.  But every Thursday evening for the past few years we have talked and shared about so many things.  I looked forward to our Thursdays.  Through her friendship I came to know and love her, her husband and kids and even grandkids.  Two of her grandkids were in our Christmas drama last Christmas eve, the twin girls in the angel dresses.

Also like Zacheus, she was not very tall but full of energy and simple hospitality.  Zacheus’ height is symbolic of the shortness we all have.  My friend, too, was petite, but so full of vitality and cheer.  She was a joy to talk with for an hour. 

Especially, however, I was touched by her because she was a brat.  One night when I went to see her with Rosemary, I told her I had been learning how to do the salsa.  I showed her my classy steps.  Her response was, "Man, you dance like a gringo.  You don’t move your hips."

Another evening when it looked like she was getting ready to cross the threshold perhaps a year ago, I told her that when she met The Man she should tell him hello for me.  In fact, I told her if she ran into any trouble, just to say that Stack sent her.  Her response was, "Maybe I might be better off if I don’t tell him I know you."   She knew how to play.

My good friend Ofelia Lopez crossed the threshold this morning about 3:00 A.M..

She and all these people pictured on the stage have touched and gifted us into new life.

How?  What is The Gift you received?

AUDIO: http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2007-11-04.mp3

After Communion a poem is read by Joanne Languell: Download poem_2.doc

.