Sunday Homily 2-21-10, Lent 1

 Readings:  

 Joshua, 24,1-2, 15-17,  We will serve the Lord, for he is our God.

 Psalm 34, Taste & See the Goodnesss of the Lord (3rd week)

Ephesians, 5, 21-32, Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord.  For the husband is head of his wife.

John, 6, 60-69, Master, to whom shall we go?

Ken and Cindy celebrating 50 years

Joshua:

Who is Joshua and what is this booklet about:  Joshua was Moses' assistant, his lieutenant when the the Israelites wandered in the desert.  The booklet is the story of the Israelite invasion of Canaan under Joshua's leadership. 

Author: somewhat amusingly, the fundamentalists say that Joshua wrote most of the booklet.  More scientific scholars say the work is a compilation of a number of sources.

The Beautiful Georgie

Date of composition: again fundamentalists state that the booklet was composed 1400-1370, i.e., while Joshua lived.  Scholars of a broader vision suggest that even if a Joshua existed the work was put together 800-700 BCE. 

The work combines a number of traditions about battles & destruction of cities to create a nationalistic narrative that justifies the Israelites' taking another peoples' land for their own.

Ethical Question: genocide.  This is a bloody book.  Yahweh commands that the Israelites exterminate every breathing thing, including women & children & livestock. 

Cara at 12 years

 The battle of Jericho is characteristic.  For 6 days the Israelites marched around the city, blowing horns and menacing the people.  On day 7 they marched around 7 times and the walls came tumbling down, as in the spiritual.  Then every person except one woman & her family were slaughtered.  Lots of debate and rationalization over these events.

Our Selection: The last chapter of the booklet.  Joshua, who is dying, calls the people together at a place called Sechem and puts it to them.  Stick with Yahweh who has done all these things for you (which are mentioned in the text but are long & tedious) or choose another path of your own.

Sources: Good News Bible, Got Questions.org, Wikipedia

Special pastries ready for Jim's birthday party

 Rosemary be Subservient to Me as to the Lord?

A crazy thing happened to me some time ago that I will never forget.  I was standing in a line.  Around me were families with kids.  At one point a nice looking family with two or three young kids got into a small disagreement over something involving the kids.  The wife wanted to do one thing, the husband another.

At a point the husband says to the wife, “you are to be subservient to me because the Bible says so.”

Harper

I almost dropped my teeth.  I could not believe what I was hearing.  I even think the wife let him get away with this justification.  Can you imagine me getting away with this with Rosemary?

I love this passage because it exemplifies the danger of taking the Bible literally.  The passage is so easy to explain in terms of contemporary psychology and the value of a human person, male or female. Here is how we see it today.

Blakely

Three models of family interaction.

1.   The patriarchal.  This model considers the male the superior, like in Paul’s instruction.  It is based on an old belief that females were  inferior.  This model certainly exists today. 

When I was in East Africa the men considered themselves the master of the household.  Muslim examples abound these days, even to horrible stories of disobedient women being beaten, starved, and locked in underground rooms.

The HHH team of crazies at dawn along with 15,000 other crazies, An old geezer, Rosemary, George, Dwayne, Tom, Greg, John

2.  The matriarchal.  In this example the wife or mother is considered the head of the household.  There are many amusing examples of families where the male thought he was the head, while everyone knew the household was ruled and organized by the wife.

3.   The equality model.  Both husband and wife are seen as equal and complimentary.  Today this model is more common in many societies, though not all.  Today both the husband and the wife have graduate degrees and professional careers.  The model is teamwork rather than dictatorship.

Sag Wagon, what you don't want to need, but are happy to see if you have a bike problem or are sick. Usually pretty busy the last 25 miles of the 100 mile distance.

Paul sounds pretty archaic and chauvenistic today, but actually at that time he was trying to elevate men’s treatment of women.  Treating a wife with respect was pretty radical for Paul’s time. 

Whatever the model chosen, it comes down to a choice by the couple.  Even this involves equality and mutual input.  Today equality is so taken for granted that a husband saying to his wife that she must obey him because the Bible says so sounds ridiculous. 

HHH riders passing through Shepherd A.F. Base. Touching, a lot of cheering.

Obviously the one couple I was watching took it literally.  I wonder where they are today.

Which of the three models do you choose?

Readings:

Numbers  21, 4-9,  Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in this desert.

 Psalm 78,   Do not forget the works of the Lord.

Philippians 2, 6-11,  God greatly exalted him.

John 3, 13-17,  Nicodemus.

Kevin says, "Welcome in, Everybody.."

The Introduction is a brief summary of today’s readings

Before you hear the first reading from the Book of Numbers, I want you to realize that this is part of a parable.  The people were complaining against God and Moses in the desert because of lack of water and food; and because of this complaining we are told that God has punished them with poisonous serpents. ‘Moses, ask God to take away the serpents!’ 

Moses replies that the Lord wants them to make a bronze replica of the serpent and put it on the top of a pole.  If someone has been bitten and looks upon it [has faith in my words and quits complaining] they will live. 

When we look upon the cross that has been lifted up [which means exalted] we no longer think of it in terms of punishment; but rather one of triumph. It has become a sign of our Faith.

Mike sharing his thoughts on our readings.

Homily

To continue the theme of the past few weeks, I suggest to you that the Scripture verse, ‘My yoke is easy and my burden is light,’ encompasses, ‘Take up your cross and follow me.’  

John spoke to us two weeks ago about a mother who asked for his advice about one of her children, an overly active boy. Learning didn’t come easily for the boy.  The boy had his own, unique, cross to carry.  John didn’t carry the boy’s cross for him. Instead, he encouraged the boy to welcome his cross, to derive strength from it.

Who is that crawling around on the floor? Why, that's Cathy. What next?

Sometimes we encounter someone with a cross that would seem to be too heavy and too burdensome to be carried…and yet that person’s faith is so strong that they can say ‘thank you’ to it.  When that happens it should also bring us to our knees to say, Alleluia.

No matter what our cross, we are to give thanksgiving, and it will be given back pressed down and over flowing.

My dad never talked to my older brother or to me about college.  We had always worked in the summer, and each of us had saved some money.  We knew that when we left home we could be self sufficient.  After getting our class schedules my older brother got a job at a bar in Iowa City working a few hours every night to pay for his food during college. 

What next? Harper.

The yoke was easy, the burden light.  I followed the example he had given me a couple of years later, however the food that I ate was better and more plentiful. All through college I worked lunch and dinner at a sorority house a few blocks from the campus with three other guys. One of them was Tony Lazos—I realized after college that he had become my best friend. 

I lost touch with Tony after college. He did a couple of tours in Vietnam and afterwards he started a couple of small companies. When he found out that I was working in Dallas he called to visit on his way through.  Time passed and we lost touch with him again.  About a year ago Judy found a story about him on the internet that was three years old. 

Cupcakes of The week to Mike & Geri, Mary Jane, Rob & Beth, and Tom & Lynda, plus others.

He had eaten some tainted chicken and had caught a disease that left him a quadriplegic and on a respirator.   I tried to reach from the email location Judy had found; but three year had past and I received no reply from my emails. Four weeks ago I received an email the subject of which was Chi Omega Waiter.  It was from Tony.  He is still a quadriplegic; but he’s off the respirator.

 This is his testimony, ‘Faith in our Lord, Jesus Christ is my foundation, my strength.’ He had built his foundation on rock.  Some friends of his in California had gotten him a voice activated computer, and he had found me in Dallas a second time.  We have been conversing with one another by email 3 or 4 times a week this past month.  

Others, like Holly.

Sometimes I send him a photo; other times we share a remembrance. Tony remembers washing dishes this way, ‘Since we had to run across campus to make it to the Chi O house for the noon mean, we made darn sure that washing dishes was fun.’ 

I’d like to send him another picture this week, and I need your help. I’ve brought with me some cards to spell out, ‘We love you, Tony Lazos!’  And I was hoping that before we sing our final song this morning that you will join with me to hold up the letters that spell out this message to him.  Please, someone remember to take a picture and send it to my email address.

And others, like Dana.

Readings: Acts 2, 42-47; Psalm 118; 1 Peter 1, 3-9; John 20, 19-31.

Acts: This book basically tells the story of the early Christian community.  Biblical scholarship considers the book idealistic in great part.  It was what they hoped the community would look like rather than what it was.

Do Not be Unbelieving, But Believe 

It dawned upon me a day or so ago that 2008 is a 50 year anniversary for me.  August 15, 1958, I entered the Jesuits at Grand Coteau, LA.  This, coupled with meeting up with David Cardenas last week, another guy who entered the Jesuits, though a few years after me, all has had me reflecting on our lives as young Jesuits before Vatican II.  Three thoughts.

First, there was a neat spirit among the 25 or so guys I entered with, as well as in the whole Jesuit identity.  There were a couple of odd clerical guys, but I was impressed with how typical my classmates were. 

Secondly, we lived a rigorous monastic life.  Silence, formal prayer times, work, study, and three recreation afternoons, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays.  We wore a black cassock & cincture or we wore long sleeved shirts and long pants, even to play touch football & baseball in 100 degree heat & Gulf Coast humidity.

The two hardest physical labors I ever experienced: riding a tractor on a cold day and harvesting corn silage in August heat.  There were three silage jobs, picking up the cut corn stalks, shoving it into the grinder, or walking around inside the silo while the silage rained down on you from the hole in the roof. 

The third thing I remember which amuses and embarrasses me is the penitential practices we were expected to use, especially in Lent & Advent.  There were a variety of practices, but two stand out.  One was the scourge.  We had these little light rope whips which we used on ourselves before going to bed like on Friday nights.  Since we lived in large dorms in cubicles it was amusing, of course, to hear just before lights out at 10:00 the scourges being used. 

Secondly, we were given little wire chains with the wire ends poking out on one side.  You put that around your thigh with the ends poking in.  You put it on when you woke up and wore it until after breakfast.  I’ll tell you, it was amusing to see your buddies discomfort, all in silence. 

The rationale for the penance was based on the old philosophy of dualism: flesh bad, spirit good.  In order the keep the flesh from bringing down the spirit, discipline it, make it hurt.  Then the spirit will grow and strengthen.  What got me through was the light spirit of amusement of my classmates, the fantastic 3 hot  meals every day, and because I believed.

The overall training made me grow up quickly.  I look back now, however, am somewhat embarrassed, and ask myself how could I believe in some of those practices.  And I know.  It was believe, believe in the process, in the company, in those who have gone through this before me, and look at them, how successful they are.

Doubting Thomas, the subject of our Gospel today, is a hero of mine.  I think I would like to have been more like Thomas in those early years.  Which would have been impossible at the time, I know.  In fact, I think the training itself ultimately gave me the self-confidence and intellectual curiosity to enable me to have doubts & questions.  For example, I have doubts about the emphasis on penance, to say nothing about the philosophy behind the penance.

The danger with the "do not be unbelieving, but believe" statement is that it may be a "do not think" statement.  I become a sheep following the footsteps of whoever is in front of me with a feeling of security.  Doubts can be scary, questions confusing.  However, they are normal and healthy.  Without them I am less than healthy.  Thomas can be a model for us.  "Show me the evidence."

Like Thomas what are your doubts & questions?  And how do you feel about them?

AUDIO:  http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2008-03-30.mp3

Readings:

Wisdom 9, 13-18, 28-29,  Who can know God’s counsel?

Psalm 90,  In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

Philemon 1, 9-10, 12-17,  I, Paul, an old man…

Luke 14, 25-33, If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother.

Sorry no Homily today. 

We had a Communion Service and discussion of the readings today.  Thanks to all who attended and contributed to our discussion.

Sorry for the delay.  We thought we had sent this out. 

Welcome Home Special Sunday for Mary Ellen

Readings:

Acts 9,  26-31,  The Church was at peace.

Psalm 22,    I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people.

1 John 3, 18-24,   Let us love not in word or speech, but in deed and truth.

 John  15, 1-8,  I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.  A metaphor, the vine and the branches.

                           Brooklyn says, "Hi, Everybody, Welcome in."

Acts reminders:

Author: Luke, the same who wrote the gospel.  He was an educated, urbane Jew.

Date: the years 75-80 

Subject: This is a travel log, detailing the spread of Christianity from Jerusalem to Rome and the Mediterranean in between.

Today: Paul is the subject of this week's selection.  It describes how the community in Jerusalem was initially scared of Paul.

            Genevieve says, "Hello, Everybody, Nice to see you again.  I gained 1                             pound since last Sunday, now 7 pounds."

Love not in word or speech?

The line in today’s readings that caught my attention was in the letter from John.  Let us love not in word or speech, but in deed and truth.  I have no problem with showing love in deed.  But I have a problem with discounting the impact of words of appreciation and love. 

An example.

It was probably 1988-89.  My mom was still living in the house on Tulip Lane, where Rosemary & I now live.  My sister had not yet moved in to be with my mom.  I was just back from East Africa for about a year and a half.  I was living at Jesuit & working on Lemmon Avenue at the Pastoral Counseling Center.   My mom would die in 2-3 years.  

                    Our Candle Lighters, Emma and Genevieve.

My mom and I are in the car. I am driving.  Mom has an appointment at Dedman Hospital, LBJ around Marsh on the north side.   I don’t know what for, but she was going to spend a night or two.

I am driving west on LBJ.  At some point, my mom pats me on the right leg and says to me, “I’m proud of you.” 

                                    Sisters, Sienna and Brooklyn

Folks, I am about 48, almost 50 years old.  I have spent 30 years in the Jesuits living all over the place.  I have even just spent 10 years in East Africa and survived quite well.  That spoken compliment from my mom really moved me.  I can see the scene and feel the emotion just as strongly today as ever. 

Spoken compliments, spoken words of thanks, spoken “I love you’s” are so powerful.  They give life and they give inner peace. 

        Anybody around here have a Kentucky Derby Bonnet?  Harper says,                                     "Check out my Grandmother."

When was the last time you thanked somebody, complimented them, or told them you love them?

                             The Team, Mom (Michelle), Georgie, and Buddy.

Readings: Amos 61-7; Psalm 146, Praise the Lord My Soul; 1 Timothy 6, 11-16; Luke 16, 19-31. 

Intro to Readings

I want to talk about our first reading in a bit more detail than normal.  The Book of the Prophet Amos is extremely interesting in so many ways, yet we only have readings from it this year today and last Sunday, and on only one Sunday last year and none next year!! 

The book falls into the grouping referred to as the minor prophets, not due to their importance but more to the length of the books.  There are twelve books in this grouping, contrasting with the major prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel.  The book was originally put together around the year 750 BCE and its main message is that the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah are in trouble because they have neglected the poor. 

Both Kingdoms are doing very well.  Both kingdoms have had peace and stable rule, but only some of the people are very wealthy.  Most are very poor.  One interesting aspect of the book is that it introduces the concept that all of the nations, not just the Jews, are under YHWH’s jurisdiction, and all will suffer because they have not followed God’s laws. 

Amos himself was a shepherd and his work is mainly a social commentary on the current injustices he sees in society.  He anticipates what we know will happen in 721, the invasion and destruction of the northern kingdom by the Assyrians.  Our reading today fits perfectly with the message in the gospel. 

Twenty sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time – Homily

I remember when the church changed the words of the “I confess” and added “and what I have failed to do”.  It added a new level to my understanding of sin.  It used to be that I sinned by doing something and now I was being told that I could also sin by NOT doing something! 

This is exactly what happens to the rich man in today’s gospel reading from Luke.  By all accounts he was a success- he did very well for himself by the world’s standards- he had very nice clothes and ate the finest foods every day!  There was only one problem – he didn’t do anything about the poor man parked outside his door.  Oh, he knew he was there, he even knew his nam.   He just failed to do anything about him.

The rich man saw himself as far superior to Lazarus.  Even in the afterlife he thought he could have Lazarus do his bidding.  He failed to see that all men are created equal and that we are all brothers and sisters in God’s eyes. 

It is worth noting that even though the rich man appears to have everything, he doesn’t have a name, whereas we do know the poor man’s name, Lazarus.  To further highlight the difference between the rich man and Lazarus, Luke gives us the detail about the dogs, which were considered unclean animals, licking Lazarus’ sores.

The story is aimed at the Pharisees, who thought of themselves as careful followers of the Law of Moses.  They were also wealthy.  Luke has two agendas running through the parable. 

One is the danger we fall into when we think we are doing things according to the law.  As Catholics our tradition could very easily lead us to fall into a similar trap.  If we obey all the rules, get all the boxes checked; so to speak, then we will end up in heaven.  It has a tendency to create a kind of mechanical process to our faith!  Plus we run the risk of then deciding that anyone who doesn’t follow those rules just won’t make it.  This was the whole problem, which so many of the Jews had with the whole message of Jesus.  They were scandalized by his behavior.  He ate with tax collectors and sinners!!

The second item on Luke’s agenda was the challenge of the resurrection!  The rich man thinks that if Lazarus would only reappear from the dead, then his brothers would change their behavior.  Belief in the resurrection isn’t as simple as seeing someone come back from the dead!

The message for us today:  make sure we are not mechanically just following a formula in our lives, and what does the resurrection mean to me today?

Picture 1:    Mass Beginning

Picture 2:   Communion

Picture 3:   Bobby handing over our check to CCAC

Picture 4:   Jackie receiving our $2000 monthly donation to the Collin County Adult Clinic