Sunday Homily 2-1-09, 4th Ordinary Time
Readings: Deuteronomy 18, 15-20; Psalm 95; 1 Corinthians 7, 32-35; Mark 1, 21-28
Deuteronomy:5th book of the Bible, the Torah, coming after Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, & Numbers. The work is basically 3 lectures given supposedly by Moses to the Jewish people while they were still in the desert and preparing to enter the land of Canaan, where the Canaanite people lived.
Author: For centuries people considered Moses to be the author, in fact, the author of the first 5 books of the Bible, the part called the Torah. Today it is commonly held that Deuteronomy is a compilation by a number of authors.
Date: 7th Century BCE, with some parts coming from the period of the Babylonian Captivity, ca. 575.
Our selection: comes from the second lecture (chapters 5-26) which presents numerous dictates about how to behave in the new land. For example, an every 7 years a jubilee year is prescribed when all debts are erased (chap. 15); if one's son is rebellious, take him to the city council, and stone him (chap. 21); and laws concerning slaves (chap. 23). In our section from chap. 18 Moses is telling the people another prophet like himself will be raised up by Yahweh to lead them. Guess why this prophet statement is chosen by the lectionary editor today? Jesus is seen by people following Jesus' time as the prophet mentioned by Moses.
A note on Paul's comments in 1 Corinthians: jokesters like to say that maybe Paul was not happy in his marriage. This is why he puts marriage in second place behind non-marriage. It could, also, be because he was influenced by the dualistic philosophy of his time, flesh-spirit. Spirit was good, flesh less good. For the spirit to thrive the flesh needed disciplining.
Judging the Book by the Cover Again
There was a kid who was working as a stocker at a Home Depot. One afternoon he heard a new female voice over the store intercom asking for help with packing at the check out. Sort of reluctantly he stops his break and goes to help. As he searches for the person asking for help he sees a beautiful woman who stuns him. He had never seen her before. He helps her out, then hangs around the time clock to see what her name is when she checks out.
When she checks out, he watches where her card goes and takes a look at the name. Brenda. Then, as he walks to his car he sees her walking up the street toward home he guesses. The next day he waits around just right and as she departs he asks if she would like a ride. She accepts, figuring he can't be too bad since he works where she does.
He does the same thing another day and as she is leaving the car he asks if she would like to have dinner the next Saturday night. She says she can't. He continues to invite her and she admits that she cannot come because she has two little kids and cannot afford the baby sitter. He offers to pay for the sitter and asks her to think about it. Finally, another day she accepts, despite the fact that he is 22 and she is 26.
When he arrives at the door that evening, she says again she cannot go. The sitter canceled. He says, "So, let's take the kids." She says it would be very difficult. So, he asks to meet the kids and she grudgingly lets him in. First to come in is a daughter about 8 who he thinks is cute as can be. Then Brenda goes to the back and returns pushing a wheel chair with a young boy. A little child born a paraplegic with Down Syndrome.
"This is why I cannot go out," She explains. "No problem," he says, "We can still take them with us." Now it is Brenda's turn to be astounded. Most men she knew would not come near her just because of having two children. But one that is a paraplegic with Down Syndrome. Adios! But she accepts, they all go to eat, and then to a movie.
When the kids need anything the guy is ready to help, even helping when the little boy needs to go to the potty. Brenda continues to be astounded at the guy's helpfulness and consideration.
If you have not heard this story already, the guy's name is Kurt and you can see him on TV this evening playing quarterback for the Cardinals at age 37. The story has a marvelous ending, because about a year later they married and have had at least two more kids. Be fun to see Brenda on TV.
I talk about Kurt Warner because before I read this story I have not liked him for a little while. He plays for a team whose owner I do not like. But also, the maybe one time I have ever seen him on TV was when he played the last game against Carolina, he never seemed to be excited or animated, never congratulated anybody, or cheered on his team mates. At least that was what I saw. Then I get this story from Larry Thompson and think, "There I go, did it again." Judged a book by the cover. In fact, judged negatively.
I would like to apply this lesson to the Mark story about the man with the unclean spirit. Traditionally when people were considered to have an unclean spirit they were considered possessed by a devil. Do you believe in devils? In this tradition we have all the melodrama connected with exorcisms. Want to read about how this can go wako? Read Heretic's Daughter by a Dallas author, Kent. It talks about the Salem, MA witch hunts around 1690.
Today, with our much deeper psychological understanding of people's behaviors, their thinking and feeling, we would consider the man with the unclean spirit to most likely have a mental disorder or sickness. It could even be an addiction. You only have to visit psych wards in hospitals to run into what could be called people with unclean spirits. You meet a homeless person on the street and you might be tempted to think that person is demonic.
What did Jesus do? I propose he first of all was not scared away by the man. Secondly, he accepted him peacefully.
The lesson for us? Maybe two.
First, regarding the Bible, what is your belief system? Believe in devils, in evil spirits, in demonic possession, in exorcisms?
Secondly, how many times a week do you judge the book by the cover?
AUDIO: sorry, missed connection
Picture 1: Mass with T.J., Lorynne, & Lacee
Picture 2: Birthday of John & Geri
Picture 3: Jim & Dorothy
Picture 4: Birthday of Gilberto
References:
-
The Carmelite web site
-
Christ in the Desert web site
-
St. Raymond Catholic Parish, Dublin, CA web site
-
Bishop John Shelby Spong, various works and articles in Mirabile Dictu, edited by David Gawlik