23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, September 6, 2020

Readings:  Numbers 21, 4-9; Psalm 78; Philippians 2, 6-11; John 3, 13-17.

The Feast of the Cross, Significant dates:

• 310: Emperor Constantine takes over in Rome

• 313: His Edict of Milan, religious freedom & Christianity almost the state religion.

• 326: His mother, St. Helena, who had prayed for her son's conversion, found the remains of the cross in Jerusalem & the sight is preserved and a church is built, the present day Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

• Sept. 14, 335: the day the church was dedicated 9 years after the discovery.  Rumor had it that Helena found the cross on the same date.

• 330: Constantine converts an old city, Byzantium, into his Rome of the east.  Eventually it is called Constantinople and, finally, after it is conquered by the Islamic armies, Istanbul.

Numbers: 

• The Story: the 40 years of the Hebrews wandering in the Sinai Desert before they enter the land of the Canaanites and expell them.

• Position in the Bible: 4th book of the Torah, following Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, and before Deuteronomy.

• Significance of the Name: because of the census Moses took of the people twice in the desert.

• Today's Selection: The people are tired, frustrated with wandering in the desert, and they are complaining.  See what it gets them.

• For Today's Purposes: Consider the story a symbol of the journey of our life.  Stage one is life with less freedom, like when the Hebrews were enslaved in Egypt.  Stage two is the change or transition, like this story of the wandering in the desert.  Stage three is the time of new life, new freedom, symbolized by the people entering the promised land.

Today's Homily will be presented by Ed Lamberty and will exemplify the journey of life from less to greater freedom & maturity.  Please listen via the audio.

AUDIO:  http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2008-09-14.mp3

Readings:

Acts 1,  15—17, 20-26,  They proposed two, Judas, called Barsabbas, and Matthias.

Psalm 103,    The Lord has set his throne in heaven.

1 John 4, 11-16,   If God so loved us, we also must love one another.

 John 17, 11-19, So that they may be one.

Levi & Rich say, "Hi, Folks, Welcome in."

Acts: a review–

Author:  Luke, the author of The Acts & The Gospel

Date: ca. 50 years after the death of Jesus

Our Selection: Believe it or not, on this the last Sunday we read from Acts, we are now back to chapter 1 after getting as far as chapters 9 & 10.  What is going on is this.  The chapter opens with an introduction and then a description of the Ascension, Jesus going up in the sky.  Apparently the event took place about a half mile outside Jerusalem on the Mt. of Olives. 

Afterward, all the community come together in the room they had been hiding in. About 120 are present and Peter gets up to speak.  We read Peter's words. 

Victoria, also, says, "Come in, Folks."

John's letter: There is a great line in this selection.  See if you can spot it when you hear it.  I'll tell you after the reading, but a hint, it is the last line.

Sources: Good News Bible; The New Interpreter's Study Bible

And Annabelle says, "Guess where I came from, Everybody. I came from Seattle to see where my mommy grew up."

Our World, Good or Bad?

I like the line in 1 John which says that God is love.  This seems to go contrary to what our ancestors believed because they present a vision of a god who is certainly not into unconditional love.   I would like to believe God is loving.

However, there is another line in John’s gospel that I want to talk about this morning, the line that says we do not belong to this world.  Like, is the world bad?  What do you think?  Is the world bad or good and do we belong or not?

John, The Baby Whisperer, working his magic on Genevieve.

I propose that we do belong and that the world is good.  We make it better because we belong.  A story.

One morning recently I walked into the J (Jewish Community Center) at 5:30 to do my spin class.  As I walk in, another rider whom I like, Mike, comes in and we walk together down a long hallway to the room with the 25 stationary bikes. 

Somehow we get talking about his dad.  Mike is one of 12 kids and the family has done well.  The family came from Europe during the time of Hitler.  

When you live in Seattle, you know how to light candles, Annabelle & Oscar, Gloria and Eric.

At one point he tells me that during the holocaust his dad lost 70 to 80 first cousins.

I am stunned and shocked.  I have never known a person who has this experience in their family.  In fact, I have never known in my life so many Jewish people.  It is privilege and a pleasure. 

Mike’s story gave me two thoughts.  First, I was reminded of how horrible a time it was during the reign of Hitler and the 3^rd Reich.  A person living then, especially a Jewish person, could easily see the world as bad.

When you swim and dance, you can do anything. Georgie is ready.

My second thought was that Mike was an amazement, not bitter, not seeking revenge, but a person who presents himself as peaceful, friendly, and accepting of the events that took place in his family.  You know me, I actually got choked up with him when we talked a bit more after the spin class.  Mike chooses to see the world as good. 

Despite all the evidence to the contrary, I propose that the world is good, is beautiful, because of three phenomena, people, nature, and events.

Cole, What are you doing up here this morning? Oh, yes, it is cupcake time for birthday boys.

Mike makes the world good, Romeos make the world good (sometimes, maybe), you people make the world good and beautiful.  The people I go camping with in Yosemite also make the world good and beautiful, at least some of them.

Nature?  I find the beauty of Yosemite so overwhelming I have to go back every year.  I can find a beautiful world sitting in a rocking chair on our back porch having a cup of coffee early in the morning, while I gaze at the grass & trees in our yard.

Cupcakes of The Week line-up, Lily & Scot, Cowboy Cole, Gloria, and Maureen.

Events?  What about the marvel of our Sunday get togethers?  I go crazy over the beauty of Ragbrai, that bike ride I make the end of July west to east across Iowa, along with 15 thousand other crazies.  Talk about a people event.

What do you think?  Bad or good?  If good, what is your data? 

The Special Community Blessing for Oscar and Annabelle and the family.

Readings: 1 Samuel 3, 3-10 & 19, Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening; Psalm 40, Here am I, Lord, I come to do Your Will; 1 Corinthians 6, 13-15 & 17-20, Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit; John 1, 35-42, We have found the Messiah.

1 Samuel: This is book one of two books.  The series is 1 & 2 Samuel and 1 & 2 Kings; the characters being Samuel, the last of the Judge leaders of Israel-Judah; Saul, the first king; and King David. 

Authors:  Traditionally it was thought that 3 people wrote the book, Samuel, Gad, & Nathan.  Samuel, chapters 1-25; Gad was King David's historian, & Nathan was an editor.  Contemporary biblical experts think this unlikely & say that the works were put together at least 50 years after the time of the events.

Time:  The events take place ca. 1100-1000 BCE.  The compilation & recording of the events takes place ca. 950 BCE. 

Today's Selection: Yahweh is calling Samuel in a dream.  This ties in with the Gospel where three future apostles are called.  Samuel's parents were Elkanah & Hannah, and Hannah is famous because of a touching story about how she came to have Samuel.  She had been barren for years and even Elkanah's other wife ridiculed her.  One day the prophet Eli heard her crying and praying in the temple.  At first he accused her of being drunk.  Then when he talked with her, he promised that she would have a son. 

Hannah had promised Yahweh that she would dedicate to the temple her son, if she got one.  Consequently, our selection finds Samuel residing in the temple with Eli the prophet.  He would be about 12 years old.

Be aware that while these marvelous stories are mythological, the writer is attempting to convey to a simple people lessons about trust in Yahweh.

Eli Who?

     When I was a young pup of a Jesuit I got to know an old blind Jesuit who was living in the old priests’ infirmary at Grand Coteau.  I can still remember a tall, skinny Fr. McLaughlin doing pull ups on a bar in back of the big, four story building we lived in.

     I got to know him especially well the first Christmas I spent at Grand Coteau, my first away from home.  I had acquired a really good case of poison ivy and could not do much.  I had gotten the poison ivy one recreation day when we were out in the Achafalaya swamp.  I used some Spanish moss after a pit stop in the woods. 

     Fr. McLaughlin received tons of Christmas cards and being blind he needed someone to write for him.  That was my job, which I did mostly standing that Christmas.

     In the Jesuits we had a strong custom of having spiritual directors.  Fr. McLaughlin was my first.  He was a great raconteur of stories, but also a kind listener.  He helped me through my homesickness.

     I talk about Fr. Mac because he was an Eli figure for me.  Fr. Mac & the priest Eli were both spiritual directors.  I would like to talk about spiritual direction and directors.  Two observations.

     First, I highly recommend this old Jesuit custom.  Get a spiritual director. 

     I have one.  Most of you know him, David McKeon, a married priest from the Rochester, NY diocese, a spiritual man and a licensed psychotherapist. 

     I usually visit him every other month, usually just recounting to him the many blessings of life with Rosemary, the life of our community, and my insights.

     Spiritual directors come in professional and semi-professional sizes.  Some are counselors.  Characteristics include:

          1.  The person is a good listener

          2.  They are affirmative

          3.  Like Eli, they reflect back what they are hearing. 

          4.  They do not tell a person what to do.  No “You shoulds,” a really difficult thing for lots of adults to refrain from.  Actually, teachers are trained to do this—with students.

         Secondly, besides recommending that you get a spiritual director, I would suggest that you all are spiritual directors, the semi-professional size.  For years I was a spiritual director for nuns, priests, young Jesuits, and people from various areas of life. 

     Spiritual directors helped me all through the Jesuits and David McKeon still does.  I invite you to consider yourselves spiritual directors.  It happens at meals, coffees, at Tom Thumb, at receptions.  Follow the four characteristics I mentioned, listen, affirm, reflect back, and don’t tell adults what they should do. 

 Furthermore, I invite you to get a spiritual director or counselor. 

 Who is the Eli in your life?

Picture 1:    Georgie & Elizabeth

Picture 2:    Ashley, Jean & Cliff's granddaughter       

Picture 3:    The Kerns, Ben, Candy, Michael, & Mike

Picture 4:    Cole

Picture 5:    Buddy with his granddad, Gilberto

Picture 6:    Leo comfortable in Jean's arms

Readings: Exodus 16, 2-15; Psalm 78, The Lord gave them bread from heaven; Ephesians 4, 17-24; John 6, 24-35

Exodus

Over the past several weeks John, (Stack) has been telling us about the real starting point of the history of the Jewish people.  Starting with the death of Solomon the kingdom is divided, and then follows invasion after invasion.  First the northern kingdom, Israel, is wiped out by the Assyrians, and never recovers, around the year 732.  Then the southern kingdom of Judah falls to the Babylonians, and the people are taken away into captivity, the city and more importantly the temple is destroyed!  We find the beginnings of the written Old Testament at this time.  The story of the Exodus, when the people were enslaved, rang true for the people, had a big impact.  This offered them hope in Babylon. 

The book of Exodus has three main sections.  One – the stubbornness of the Pharaoh is overcome when Yahweh hears the cry of the slaves.  Two – the Sinai event, the covenant and finally, Three – the coming into the Promised Land.  This all took 40 years, and so we need to have stories in-between.  Today’s is one of these, showing Yahweh feeding his people, who are into some serious grumbling!

Ephesians

An interesting letter, attributed to Paul, but we know better.  Probably written after Paul’s death in Rome .  Not too clear that in fact it was written for the folk in Ephesus or was more a letter, which could have gone to anyone.  There are no issues, which are being addressed going on in a local community.  But there are some interesting items in this letter.  This is the letter where we are told that wives need to be submissive to their husbands, children obey their parent, and slaves be obedient to their masters.  Parts of this letter could easily be parts of very early liturgies.

Homily for Sunday August 2, 2009

I think the topic for consideration today has to be connected with food— or by extension nourishment!  We are in John’s Gospel.  Last week we had the feeding of the 5,000 or if you prefer, the feeding of John Stack on a stopped train somewhere in the middle of nowhere in Africa.  Food figures very frequently in the stories we have about Jesus, culminating with the Last Supper.  Jesus uses meals to really get people thinking again about their lives.  He dines with sinners, eats on the Sabbath, feeds the multitudes a couple of times, goes to wedding feasts and probably gets everyone drunk!  And finally adds a whole new layer of meaning to the Passover Meal.

But I want to suggest another form of nourishment, which we find frequent reference to, and that is ”spiritual nourishment”.  We have many, many examples of Jesus going off by himself into the hills to pray.   In this country we are more than blessed with the physical nourishment, we are “super-sized”, and unfortunately life seems so busy that the “Spiritual Nourishment” can too easily be forgotten.  I find that my prayers are the same ones I learned as a child, and I now try to find new ways to pray.  Part of the challenge is that I needed to update my images of God too.  The childish ones have had to go.  There is no tall bearded man up in the sky!  I am challenged to replace this god, my creation, with one more in keeping with our better understanding of the universe.  Plus, recall, the minute I have God figured out, I am probably in heresy!!!!

Our community, getting together each week is a huge help.  I have a chance to sit and listen to the Scriptures, reflect on their meanings as they apply to my life.  I have a chance to interact with others in a different way than I do with people I meet thru work.  Sometimes prayer is just sitting and listening to God, and sometimes it is God listening to me.  Then there can be other times when we can both just sit and be!  The silence, which happens when two people are very comfortable together.

Picture 1: Mass with Tony, Kevin and T.J.

Picture 2: Wendy, Shonda and Ray

Picture 3: Charley Keszler, Diamond (Gayle & Tony's niece), Gayle and Tony

Picture 4: Jane and Paul Drake

Readings: Isaiah 35, 1-6, 10 (again beautiful); Psalm 146; James 5, 7-10; Matthew 11, 2-11

Isaiah: Again today’s selection from this marvelous book put together some 8 hundred years before Christ presents a dream and a vision of a day of peace and happiness.  To emphasize the beauty we will split the reading again, the first part read by Margarita; the second by her daughter Ashley.

How to Give Sight, Give Life

In Utah there is a ranch which specializes in equine therapy for young people.  Equine therapy uses horses to help people & kids find themselves and level out. 

A family who are really good friends of mine visited the ranch some years ago to check out if it might be a good place for one of their children to get settled in life.  One afternoon some staff people took them down to the barn to look at the horses.  Now the wife in her childhood had done some riding and was pretty confident around horses, which the staff apparently picked up.

Consequently, one of the women staff members offered her a bridle and asked her if she thought she could bridle a wild mustang they had just brought in.  "Sure," she said, and off she went to bridle the mustang.  Three staff members climbed up and sat on the fence to watch her.  Inside she was saying to herself that she would be firm and brave, remembering that she had once broken her arm with a horse. 

Using all her skill, determination, and bravery she tried and tried to bridle that mustang, for probably over an hour.  It was even beginning to get dark.  But she was determined she would prove she could do it all by herself.  Finally, with darkness setting in she took the bridle, handed it back to the staff, and feeling defeated said she could think of no other way to bridle that mustang.

The staff asked, "Are you sure you have tried every possibility?"  "Yes," she replied, "Everything. "I think there may be still another possibility," the staff said.  "What?" my friend asked.  "You could have asked for help."

Isaiah says this morning that some day the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf be cleared.  That evening in that coral in Utah, my friend saw and heard in a new way.

There are two pieces to this dynamic.  One, am I aware that I am blind and deaf, and need the help of community?  We are all blind and deaf.  Secondly, am I aware that I have to help others see and hear better?  Or I am less a person? 

One of the hardest things for me to do is to ask for help.  It is partly pride, but also good Jesuit training.  I’ve been trained to think and act independently.  I can almost learn Spanish or Italian without asking for help.  However, ever try to learn to work a computer without asking for help?  I have had to ask Rosemary a million times how to do things.  Humbling.  And eye opening.

The staff members sitting on that fence were helping my friend to see and hear.  It is even their profession, a privilege and a call really.  Teachers are helping others to see, parents do it.   Like I mentioned the first Sunday of Advent, flight attendants do it with their hospitality, like happened to Rosemary & me coming out of Hilton Head. 

A paradox in all this is that when I help another to see or hear better, I receive the same gift.

My friends never did work with the ranch in Utah, and their child grew up and leveled out.

How are you helping the person next to you to see & hear better?

AUDIO: http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2007-12-16.mp3

Readings: 1 Samuel 16, 1-13; Psalm 23, The Lord is My Shepherd; there is nothing I shall want; Ephesians 5, 8-14; John 9, 1-41. 

Fourth Sunday of Lent – Intro to Readings

 Our three readings today have to do with seeing.  In the first reading we have the account of Samuel being sent by God to find a successor to King Saul.  At this time, the succession of the kings was not by direct descendant, but they were chosen by God..  Recall that Saul was their first king, a king they demanded from God so that they could be just like every other people around them.  God gave them Saul.  Saul did not quite work out, and today’s reading is the account of God’s selection of his successor, David.  The account focuses on the fact that God sees people differently than we do.  You might say he shines a light through the cover of the book to see into the person.

 Paul’s letter to the Ephesians continues this theme of God’s light and introduces us to the well-known phrase “Jesus is the Light of the World”.  The Letter to the Ephesians is one of those letters where Paul’s authorship is strongly questioned.  The letter contains no references to companions, addresses no particular questions or issues in a particular community, and very closely resembles the Letter to the Colossians.  There is much reference to Baptism in the letter and it seems that some of the passages in the letter are taken from early Christian liturgies, particularly Baptism. 

Our responsorial Psalm today is the very beautiful Psalm 23 “The Lord is my Shepherd” and has two ideas: God as Shepherd and God as Host.  The psalm was probably part of a thanksgiving liturgy.

 Our gospel today is from St. John and originally I had intended to read the shorter version, but all of the commentators I read were so full of praise for the entire chapter and how it is one of the masterpieces of Johannine story telling, well what could I do!

 Homily

 Last Monday after work, I caught the DART train home.  When I got into the front carriage, there was a young woman at the front of the carriage speaking to everyone.  I sat down and immediately realized I was in for a sermon!!  Not what I needed at that moment.  I wanted the train driver to come out of his cab and toss her off the train!  But as she talked I listened.  She was telling us about how Jesus had come into her life and saved her, and Jesus would save us too, if we would only accept him.  In fact we were already saved. 

 As I listened, I started to do what the Pharisees did in today’s Gospel.  I wondered so what now, what is the big difference in her life, I wanted to know the “so what”.  Then I began to ask myself would I be willing to get up in front of a carriage full of people and share my faith in Jesus.  She was a very good speaker, she spoke clearly and calmly.  Then she sat down after thanking us for listening.  The man in the row behind her leaned forward and said something to her, I didn’t hear, but I could see that she wiped a tear from her eye.  The train rolled on and after a few stops she rose, turned to us all and invited us to have a “Blessed day” and got off. 

 Onto the train got a young man, who sat in her seat, about her age, dressed all in black, a black shirt with the word “neurosis” written across the front, long hair and a tattoo on his arm.  He had leather straps on his wrists with metal spikes on them, and a metal belt and chains around his waist, and a ring in his nose!!   Oh boy, did I have fun with the contrast as I thought about today’s readings!  I had jumped to all sorts of conclusions about the young man.  I was judging the book by the cover. 

 If I go back to my questions about what the young woman was saying.  So what difference was Jesus’ presence in my life?  I need to constantly be aware of my own blindness when it comes to other people.  I need to make sure I don’t fall into the trap of having a closed mind, which is what the Pharisees had in the gospel.  They were completely blind to the miracle, and only saw that Jesus broke the Sabbath law.

The blind man’s sight of who Jesus was is something that happened over time.  At first he saw Jesus as “the man Jesus”, then “he is a prophet” then finally as “Lord”.  So too for us, our sight, our faith, is a journey and we grow in our understanding of who Jesus is and what our response to Him is, as we live and allow Him into our lives.

Picture 1:   Mass begins with Tony & Kevin  

Picture 2:   Tony congratulating Bob

Picture 3:   Beth & Rob, Beth being today's photographer

Picture 4:   Cara & Sean with mom & dad, Christine & Ed  

Picture 5:   Leo joins the choir