Sunday Homily 9-4-11, 23rd Ordinary Time

Readings:  

Wisdom 1, 13-15; 2, 23-24, God formed people to be imperishable

Psalm 30, I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.

2 Corinthians 8, 7-9, 13-15, As you excel in every respect, may you also excel in the gracious act.

Mark 5, 21-43, Who has touched my clothes?  

Mass

Wisdom observations:

What:  There are 39 official books in the Old Testament.  In addition to them are 12 extra books.  Wisdom comes from these 12 extra books. 

Main message: God rewards those who are good.

Author: A Jewish man who lived in Alexandria, Egypt. He wrote in Greek.

Date: 50-100 years before Christ.

Our passage: observations on life & death.  The devil & death are connected. 

Sources: Good News Bible; New interpreter’s Study Bible, Catholic Encyclopedia on line.

Amanda, Richard, & Sheila

Heal a Bleeding Woman?  Are You Crazy!

There was an article early this week in The Dallas Morning News that was titled, Dallas-area Designers of Stylish Hijabs Bridge Culture Gap, empower Muslim Women.   Along with the article were two or three pictures of women with beautiful faces.  They were dressed from head to foot in, not black, but beautiful pastel colored hijabs and robes.  Jewels and perhaps diamonds decorated the hems of the robes. 

I had to laugh.  This is the classic example of the camel’s nose under the tent.  Next thing these Muslim women will not be wearing the hijab.  We have to laugh, too, because that women look beautiful was certainly not the intention of the religious men who put these dress laws in place. 

CC

Sometimes you even see the real deal in Dallas, a woman all in black from head to toe with a black net covering her face.  Some women wore this attire in Tanzania when I lived there. 

Zoe

I thought of this article with the pictures when I was putting together ideas about healing the two women. 

Do you realize how radical this was, especially with the woman bleeding?  Leviticus, the third book of the Bible, has a lot to say about women who bleed.  For instance, a woman giving birth to a boy is ritually unclean for 7 days; a girl baby, 14 days (chapter12).

Emma

In Lev. 15 it says that during menstruation, women were ritually unclean, which meant they were considered socially dead, not allowed in the temple, not allowed in the community, could not touch anyone and no one was allowed to touch them or their clothes or they, too, were ritually unclean.  So what does the lady in Mark do?   What does Jesus do?

Do you realize today how historic and universal this bias was against women?  Plato in The Republic says that Socrates asked, do you know of anything done by humans which is not done better by the male.

Joan's Card: invitation to sign

Hindus teach that a woman must immolate herself after her husband's death.  Buddhists consider it bad karma to be reincarnated as a woman.  Orthodox Jewish men are taught to pray, Blessed be God who has not created me a heathen, a slave, or a woman.  The first book of our Bible,  Genesis, blames a woman for the origin of evil in our world.  Can you see the presence of men putting this story together?

More recently, in 1873 in Illinois a case was decided against a woman.  She had passed the bar exam to be a lawyer, and the court would not grant her appeal to receive a law license.  A judge said that the place of a woman was in the home and that women did not have the fortitude to deal with such issues as the law.

Card signing

The church fathers, as they are called, had their own bias.  St. Jerome says that when a woman wishes to serve God more than the world, then she will cease to be a woman and will be called a man.  You do not want to know what St. Augustine thinks about women.  What about the way the Vatican made nuns dress and would still like to?

So why this historic and universal bias against women by men (& women)?  One reason, from my research, blood.  Another is the male nervousness & weakness around women, beginning in adolescence.

So here comes Jesus along.  The woman touches him.  He could have had her killed by the crowd.  What was she doing in the crowd anyway?   And what does he do?  He calls her "Daughter," and heals her.  This is shocking to the people.  This is scandalous in the eyes of the Jewish authorities.  He will die for it.  However, despite the danger, Jesus  moves from bias to inclusion & acceptance.

Kids signing Joan's Card

In Galatians (Chapter 3) it says there is no male or female.  Just folks.  We are being called to get rid of the bias.  Women do not deserve to have men tell them how they must live, or be stoned.

How is your bias barometer?  Any bias against women, men, a particular race, political party, a part of town, a school? 

Sources: The Sins of Scripture, Bishop (Anglican) John Shelby Spong; Catholic Encyclopedia on line.

Readings:                          

Genesis  14,  18-20, Abraham gave Melchizadek a tenth of everything.

Psalm 110,  You are a priest forever, in the line of Melchizedek.

1 Corinthians 11, 23-26,    Do this in remembrance of me.

Luke 9, 11-17,  Give them some food yourselves.

Welcome Erin & Diane & Cole.  So good to see you all.

Spirit Feast

I would like to talk this morning about 2 things.   First, what was my most favorite moment or experience on the Viking cruise.  Secondly, let me say a word about Jesus feeding the people.

This little story in Luke about the feeding of the 5 thousand men is one of my favorites.  I have talked about the story a number of times over the years, because I’ve been there & done that.

Welcome back, Marlene.  It has been too long since the days we did the 9:00 Spanish Mass in the cafetorium at St. Marks. 

The point I like to make is that  these country people would hardly ever leave home for the day without some food hidden  away in their robes.  They would not be in to sharing it. 

By telling his apostles to share their 5 loaves and 2 fish, Jesus gets the people to share their food, too.  He creates a spirit of trust.  I would call this a unique spirit event, which leads me to the first point I mentioned,  what about our cruise was the best.

Welcome Home, Ellen.
 

 As much as I loved being guided through so many cities I had read about and heard of my whole life, this was not my favorite.

I loved watching the water and watching the captain park this enormous boat, but this was not my favorite.

My favorite: the meals!   Yes.  But not in the way you are thinking,  the food, which was excellent, but in the sense of spirit.  Let me give an example.

This is it, the Viking Sea sailing out of the Norwegian fiord of Flam.  Stupendous beauty.

There was a couple named June and Steve.  We actually met them in the Heathrow Airport, where we were all part of a group of about 12 who missed our connection to Bergen, Norway because we had only 50 minutes between arriving from Boston and departing for Bergen in another terminal.

A bunch of us spent the night at a Holiday Inn, including June & Steve.   We rode the shuttle with them and had breakfast together. 

Docked at the Norwegian village of Flam from the exterior tables of the so titled "World Cafe," probably because from this 7th floor stern deck you can see the world.

On board we continued to see them and ate with them.   On one occasion we had dinner with them in my most favorite eating location on the boat, the World Café, as they called it.  It was on one of the top floors of the 8-9 floor boat, in the stern area, had no waiters, just buffet, and from each of the numerous tables on the port, starboard, and rear,  I could see the ocean.   A fabulous place to eat and appreciate just being alive and in that setting. 

This particular evening we were finally settled in and the ship was moving.  We talked about all sorts of things and we had a common spirit on so much.  We actually sat at that table and talked for 3 hours.  June noticed it when we were beginning to break up.  I had never even thought of the time.

The marvelous World Cafe from the inside.

That 3 hour meal was my favorite moment.  It was a spirit feast.

It is difficult to have these spirit feasts.  We are so busy.  It takes time.  I don't get to do this often.  At Romeos we don't take 3 hours, but we can take two.  On our camping trips we can take 3 hours.   This is one reason why I tote in every evening a pint or more of Jack Daniels and a pound of cheese for hors d'oeuvres.  Camaraderie.

The World Cafe.

This is what we try to do here at Sigler each Sunday.  And I think we succeed.   Even now without wine.

It is the feast of Corpus Christi.  When is your next spirit feast?  What about tomorrow, Memorial Day?  

Who let that homeless man on board?

Readings: Isaiah 2, 1-5; Psalm 122; Romans 13, 11-14; Matthew 24, 37-44

Isaiah: One of the great O.T. prophets, Isaiah lived ca. 800 years B.C.  The work itself is composed by at least three contributors.  The writer of the first part talks about two dangers to the community, external attacks from enemies and, even more, internal corruption and infidelity.

Our section in chapter 2 talks about a happy day when all will be peaceful on Yahweh’s holy mountain, that is, Jerusalem.

Three weeks to Prepare Myself for Christmas

Last Tuesday Rosemary, Naomi, & I were all flying back from Hilton Head to Dallas on a small, two engine Delta special.  The terminal at Hilton Head accommodates all of two planes at the same time.  We went through the single line for security and walked out on the runway to get on the plane, dropping Naomi on a patch of grass for one last trip to the potty before boarding.

When we climbed the steps into the tail of the plane a flight attendant greeted us with enthusiasm & warmth.  Along with so many other people in the 3 airports we visited, she was all excited about the puppy Naomi on board, the puppy who was celebrating her 15th birthday.

We walked up the aisle toward our seats in the third row and prepared to get settled.  Another flight attendant was standing at the top of the aisle just watching people come on board, saying really nothing.  When she saw us with Naomi in her little carrier with her head sticking out, she barked, "The dog has to go all the way in the box."

Hospitality.

Want to know a good way to prepare for the coming of Christmas?  Try hospitality.  What a difference between the welcome of these two flight attendants.  And what a difference it makes to those who experience the hospitality.  You can practice this not just when someone comes to visit you or phone you.  You can do it in Tom Thumb, in the parking lot, with the check out person.  You can do it on the streets in traffic.  Your hospitality can help create an atmosphere of peace.

I would propose another healthy way to prepare for the coming of Christmas.  No fear.  Matthew’s story about the thief coming in the night is not God’s way.  So, if you have it, get rid of your fear of God this Christmas. 

The idea of the story can be seen as an invitation to watch, not watch out.  I watch for those visits of God that transform my life.  Perhaps moments of hospitality. 

While you are at getting rid of fear of God and practicing hospitality, try one other thing.  Compliment someone one time a day.  A compliment can be affirmation, encouragement, even asking someone how they are, not in the more superficial way we do when greeting people.  But in a the more significant way, the way that says, "I am listening."

I knew I had been hit by some special insight when the two flight attendants welcomed us in such contrary manners.  I personally can attest to how much better I felt about the first girl’s hospitality.  Maybe as Christmas comes closer we can all be more hospitable like she was.

What are you doing to prepare yourself for Christmas?

AUDIO: http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2007-12-02.mp3

Readings: Acts of the Apostles 6, 1-7; Psalm 33, Lord, let your Mercy be upon Us, as we place our Trust in You; 1 Peter 2, 4-9; John 14, 1-12 

Sixth Sunday of Easter – Intro to the Reading

 Because we have been reading from Acts and Peter’s First Letter for the past several weeks I thought today I would focus on John’s Gospel.  It is very different from Matthew, Mark and Luke, better known as the Synoptic Gospels.  They were written earlier than John, and their style is more story or history.  Both Matthew and Luke start their gospels with an account of the birth of Jesus, Mark begins when John the Baptist baptizes Jesus as an adult at the Jordan.  St. John begins his gospel with the cryptic phrase “ in the beginning was the word and the word was God and the word was with God”.  John’s community was a group that had been evicted from the Jewish faith.  Thus in this gospel there is a great deal of animosity between Jesus and “the Jews”.  A few weeks ago I mentioned that one of the features of John’s gospel was to show that each of the major Jewish feasts have been reinterpreted by Jesus.  There is another way to look at the gospel.  The first part can be described as the Book of Signs, where Jesus does a whole lot of miracles.  The second half is the Book of Glory.  It is from Chapter 13 to the end.  But chapters 13 to 17 are the Last Supper and there are long monologues from Jesus to his disciples.  Incidentally John does not refer to them as apostles but always as disciples.  Four chapters are dedicated to the Last Supper.  Our reading today is taken from this section of the gospel.  And some of these chapters are repetitions. It suggests that the gospel has been reworked and added to by later writers, because the theme of not abandoning the disciples in today’s reading comes up again, almost word for word, two chapters later.  If there is anything, which becomes clear in the discussion during the last supper, it is that the disciples just do not understand Jesus’ mission. 

Homily

This past Sunday at Notre Dame College, during the graduation ceremonies, the Laetare Medal (“Truth is mighty, and it shall prevail.”) was presented to Sr. Mary Scullion and Joan McConnon for their work with Project H.O.M.E., which they both started some 30 years ago in Philadelphia.  During her acceptance speech, Sr. Mary made the following comment, which seemed to me to fit perfectly with what I wanted to talk about this morning.  She said, “our faith doesn’t give us answers, it gives us courage”. 

 Each of our readings today focus in one-way or another on the early Church.  We have just read from St. John’s Gospel Jesus trying to assure his disciples that even though He is going away, He isn’t going to be far away! 

 In the Acts of the Apostles we hear of early success as the community expands beyond Jerusalem to Samaria and Peter and John being sent to that little community to strengthen them with the Holy Spirit.

Finally in our reading from the Letter of Peter, Peter is writing to another little community, which needs encouragement.  They are surrounded by non-Christians and are feeling insecure in their faith.

 You would think that having been around for over 2,000 years these feelings of abandonment, weakness and the need for encouragement would be long gone – and yet I feel exactly as those early communities and those disciples felt, so long ago.

When Vatican II was held, there was a great sense of excitement.  It was said at the time that Pope John XXIII threw open the windows of the church and the Holy Spirit was able to get back in again.  There was a great sense of renewal and fresh new life in the church. 

 In recent times, with the huge exodus of Catholics from the church, that group who has left would make up the second largest church in America if they were together.  The decline of vocations to the priesthood, the shame and disgrace of the pedophile scandal, and with the current mighty efforts to undo much of what was done at the Second Vatican Council.  The church’s refusal to even consider discussing having women ordained priests, I feel that the Holy Spirit must have gone away again.

 This is why today’s readings are important for me.  I need to be reminded that in spite of all of this, the Holy Spirit is very much alive.  He is present in the hundreds of small faith communities such as ours, which are being formed all over the country.  In two weeks time in Detroit, over 40 of those communities will be gathering as the American Catholic Council to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of Vatican II.  These little communities are led by the Spirit. They are celebrating God’s presence in their midst.  They are doing what we do each week.  Come together, listen to God’s Word, break bread together and reach out to those in need, whether it is the CCAC, the Plano Homes, MyFriend's House, Habitat for Humanity or the people in Tuscaloosa, AL whom you heard about last week.

 It is all of these things, which convince me that we are not abandoned.  The Holy Spirit is very present here in our community and in all of those other communities today.  That presence of the Holy Spirit may not give us the answers, but does give us the courage to follow Jesus’ command to love.

 
Picture 1:   Mass begins

Picture 2:   Offertory with Charlotte & Geri

Picture 3:   Communion Helpers

Picture 4:   Communion  

Picture 5:   Leo with his buddy, Richard

Emma says, "Hi, Everybody, from my bunny, welcome."

 Readings:

Matthew 21, 1-11, Jesus enters Jerusalem

Isaiah 50, 4-7,   I gave my back to those who beat me.

Psalm 22,  My God, My God, why have you abandoned me?

Philippians  2, 6-11,  Because of this God greatly exalted him.

Matthew  27,, 11-54,  The passion & death.

Harper says, "Yes, welcome from me too. It is fun here and they have cupcakes."

Sorry, Everybody, because of the extraordinary length of so many readings, especially the Matthew Passion, we don't have a homily.  Tune in for a good one this Sunday, Easter.  Welcome, also.  You might find an Easter Bunny attending.

Tom.

And Lynda.

Readings:

Jeremiah 31, 7-9,   Shout for joy, the Lord has delivered his people.

Psalm 126,    The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.

Hebrews  5, 1-6, Every high priest is taken from among people.

Mark 10, 46-52,  Bartimaeus, a blind man, sat by the road begging.   

           Grace says, "Welcome in, Everybody, Good to see you."

Jeremiah observations:

Who:  one of the Big 3 Prophets, 52 chapters, the “broken hearted prophet,” because he hated being so unpopular and having to condemn so much. 

Baruch, Jeremiah’s scribe seems to be who put down the prophet’s message.   Jeremiah probably died in Egypt.

When: put together before & during the B.C., Babylonian Captivity, say 555 before Christ  (reminder, Babylon is near present day Bagdad, Iraq).

Remember, too, that time before Christ is counting downward or backwards.

                And, of course, Genevieve says, "Hi, Everybody."

Interesting Side Note: (another reminder) can you guess when the Genesis story of creation in 7 days was composed?  Biblical research reveals that the creation story was put together during the Captivity, this same time, i.e. ca. 555.

Why?  The priests & prophets (e.g., Ezekiel) of the Jews in captivity determined that the people would not be assimilated into the local gene pool as their cousins in the northern kingdom had done when made to live with the Assyrians.  They decided they would establish customs & religious practices that would make the Jews so different they would not intermarry.  Three special laws were established: 1.  male circumcision; 2. dietary laws and laws about not touching menstruating women; and 3. the Sabbath.

            There he is, our most proficient camera man, usually just                  inside the entrance, Rick.

The priests put together the 7 day creation story to suggest that Yahweh approved of their Sabbath law.  They had Yahweh rest on the 7th day to bolster their demand that all Jews take a day off every 7 days.  Before the Babylonian Captivity there was no legislated Sabbath and no myth of Yahweh creating the world in 7 days with the 7th being a day of rest.  So, now you know when the story was created & by whom, the priests, and why, to keep the Jews united vs the Babylonians.  It worked, even down to today.

Subject of the work: the usual prophet message—condemn, pay, peace.

Today's subject: Beautiful message of peace and consolation.  It is coming.

Sources: Bishop John Shelby Spong, The sins of Scripture; Wikipedia

     We caught you, Shonda, hugging our pet gorilla.  He loves it.
 

What, Shout for Joy ?

The consoling readings today are summed up in that first line from Jeremiah, ‘Shout for Joy.’  Unless you are blind as Brartamaeus or as I am so often, you can get behind this shouting pretty easily. 

Let me propose 4 reasons why I shout for joy today and see if you can spot some of your own. 

First, the rain.  We just endured 3 months or more of drought.  The ground was dust.  I was sitting on our back porch Thursday night when it started.  At first I thought we were really going to get missed, despite all the weather reports to the contrary.

          The Best, Shonda (doing Air Force today), Bethany, & Ray.

However, we got 3 ½ inches that night.  Then 3 more on Friday and 3 again on Friday night, total 9 ½.  

The only negative for Rosemary & me was that an old roof leak that comes into our kitchen showed up again, even with the work we put into fixing it in the May rains.  Nevertheless, I shout for joy over the rain.

Secondly, Romeos on Friday.  Actually, a week ago I had a most interesting lunch.  None of the bums showed up.  I was alone.  ‘Out of town,’ they all said.  However this past Friday, wow, Mike and Bill and Ray all showed up.  Don’t tell them, but I was shouting for joy.

         The Team says, "We miss you, Georgie (at a swim meet).

Thirdly, I see every Sunday a bunch of no fear kids.  I love it when Leo or Emma or Harper walk around up here.  Let these kids know they have a cupcake waiting up here for them, and they come running, or dancing, as in the case of Leo. 

Yes, I’ve been told that when I put on the white alb, the kids think I am God.  My hope is that because I will not get mad at them and will welcome them, they will know that God does not get mad at them and welcomes them.  This was not the message that I and many of you got when we were little kids going to church. 

I shout for joy that these kids are here with us.

                                 "Hi, Tori, Keeping busy?"

Finally, picking up on the message in Hebrews about the priest, I shout for joy that I have lived the majority of my life as a priest.  I have always felt called to this vocation and I love it.   For me it has not been prestige but opportunity, like to do what we do here with the kids. 

I shout doubly because just when I might have had to put the opportunity on the shelf, you people invited me to carry on, what we have done together now for 11 years this Thanksgiving.

                                 Ace candle lighter, Cole.

There is so much I love, like doing weddings.  For example, the big, fun Lebanese wedding last Saturday.  It is a privilege to visit people who are sick and to give some peace to people getting ready to move to the other side, like Joan & Rita, Chuck & Curtis, and Fred. 

For this I shout for joy.

                                Fall has arrived in Dallas.

And You?  If you are not shouting for joy, are you deaf, or blind like Bartamaeus or me? 

For what do you shout for joy?