Sunday Homily, May 25, 2014, 6th Easter, Cycle A

Readings:  Wisdom 9, 13-18; Psalm 90, In every age, O Lord, You have been Our Refuge; Philemon 9-10, 12-17 (expand, 4-22); Luke 14, 24-33

 

Philemon observations:

Author: Paul in prison in Rome.

Time: around 60 C.E.

 

Actors:

—Paul

—Philemon, a leader of the Christian community in Colossae ( in Turkey today), maybe a slave owner

—Onesimus, maybe a run away slave, maybe a brother to Philemon.  This letter was used for centuries by slave owners to justify slavery.  Right up to the Confederacy.

 

 

What is going on:  Paul is writing to Philemon to request a warm welcome to Onesimus, who, as slave or brother, has apparently run off with money or goods of Philemon.  When Onesimus ran away, he met Paul and they became close, with Onesimus helping Paul while he is imprisoned.

 

 

We’ll read verses 4-24 for a broader picture of the letter.

 

 

Wisdom observation:  a book of counsel on behavior.  Basically, be good thrive, bad burn alive.  Not written by Solomon.

 

 

Sources: Good News Bible; Christian Inconnect (on line); New Interpreter’s Study Bible, pp. 2147 & ff.

 

 

Hate My Parents?  Renounce My Possessions?

 

 

I would like to talk this morning about the Hotter 'N Hell Hundred bike ride in Wichita Falls last Saturday.

 

Approximately every ten miles of the HHH there is a rest station.  You can get water, gator aide, pickle juice, pickles, bananas, watermelon, and other specialties.  The pickle juice & bananas are for potassium to prevent muscle cramps, which I have to fight.

 

 

I stop at every rest station except the ten mile station.  Last Saturday I was at the 30 miles station, a favorite because the ladies there bake chocolate chip cookies.  Trouble is, I can only eat one.  Or I’ll throw up.

 

 

I had made a resolution to lie down at each stop for a few minutes.  So I lie down in the grass near my bike.  Almost immediately another rider says to me, “You okay?”  I was perfectly okay I told him.  Thanks.

 

 

This caring for one another really touches me and seems contagious throughout the event.  Other people have asked me how I’m doing (maybe they think the old geezer can’t make it) and I ask others. 

 

 

My buddy and mentor Hammond tells me another story of people helping people.  He goes by a girl with a flat tire.  He remembers her well because she was all in pink, pink jersey, pink pants & shoes, pink helmet & bike, long blond hair.  Bill said there were about 5 guys all helping her.  I asked him if shortly there was a sixth.

 

 

Bill said he was telling Greg Moldovan the story at the next rest stop.  A guy near them in the crowd said, “Hey, I was one of those guys and we were only three.”

 

 

I tell stories about caring for one another to broaden Luke's demanding  message today.  Hate my parents?  Maybe not so hard to do sometimes.  My brothers & sisters?  Renounce all my possessions?  Hey, I’ve done this, actually twice.  It ain’t the answer.  What is the healthy approach?

 

 

Three observations.

First, we have here the old Christian dynamic of infinite demand—coupled with infinite acceptance.  It is not meant literally, but symbolically.

 

Secondly, this infinite demand can be healthy & useful.  What about healthy detachment for a greater good?  High school & college football practice is in full throttle right now.  When I played a bit of high school football, in order to get in shape we did all sorts of conditioning exercises. We did pushups so often I hated them for the rest of my life.

 

 

To achieve a greater good I may have to detach from my parents & my possessions. 

 

Thirdly, I have 4 examples of the caring-for-others-way being a greater good.

a.  Paul’s care for Onesimus in the second reading.

b.  Luke’s very own story of the Good Samaritan.

c.  The guy asking me if I was okay.

d.  Greg Mortenson’s stunning book, Stones into Schools, about building girls’ schools in Afghanistan

 

Whom do you care for?

 

Picture 1:   Mass Begins

 

Picture 2:   Mass Ends

 

Picture 3:   Georgie & Zoe enjoy the celebration

 

Picture 4:   Normally the one taking the pictures, Jan is caught by the eye of the camera.

 

Pcture 5:   The Gang, Sandra, Mike, John, Chuck, & Geri

 

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

 

 

Readings:

 Exodus 16, 2-4, 12-15,   You had to lead us into this desert to make the whole community die of famine.

Psalm 78,    The Lord gave them bread from heaven.

Ephesians 4, 17-24,   You must no longer live as the Gentiles do.

John 6, 24-35 I am the bread of life. 

 

Georgie says, "Welcome in, Everybody.  Beware, The Old Geezer is back." 

 

Exodus observations:

What:

 Exodus is a fun book and a good read.  It comes after Genesis & it has three main sections.

 One – the struggle between stubborn old Pharoah vs Moses & Yahweh.  Pharoah loses.  You can imagine the Passover had a significant impact. 

Two – the time of wandering in the Sinai desert and the covenant, that is, the 10 Commandments

Three – the coming into the Promised Land. 

This all took around 40 years, and so we have stories in-between.  Today’s is one of these, showing Yahweh feeding his grumbling people.

 

Welcome Home, Celeste.  Celeste, who has played in our music section, has just come in from a year teaching in Hungary, and is departing to spend a year teaching in Albania.  Does the girl love adventure?  

 

When written:

Toward the end of the Babylonian Captivity, around 550 before Christ

Who wrote it:

Not Moses, but people who lived centuries after this mythical character.  How much of this is historical is a question.  The story greatly encouraged the Jewish people enslaved in Babylon.

 

 

And welcome home to you, Sabrina.  You did everything for us for years.   Sabrina is returning to the Illinois Institute of Technology for her junior & senior years.

 

 

Our selection:

An amusing account of the Jewish people grumbling against Moses.  They say they would prefer to be back in Egypt than in this infernal desert where they are wandering in the heat & sand.  We can sympathize with them in these days of 100’s.  They did not have a/c.   So Yahweh feeds them.  See how.

 

                             Hi, Morgan, Welcome to you, too.

 

Kilimanjaro Events and Ragbrai

This morning I would like to talk about Kilimanjaro events in our lives. Kilimanjaro events give life in ways similar to what John is talking about in the gospel, spirit life.  They are peak events. 

I choose the word Kilimanjaro because I had the privilege of climbing that mountain in Tanzania 5 times when I lived there.  Each was literally and figuratively a peak event. 

 

   Genevieve says, "I bet you I don't weigh 6 pounds anymore."

 

A week ago I had another Kilimanjaro event, the week long, 500 mile bike ride across Iowa from the Missouri River to the Mississippi River, with about 15 thousand others.  Iowa or Ragbrai was such a peak experience, full of spiritual life moments.  Let me talk about 3 of them.

One of my most favorite places to eat dinner in the evening and to get coffee and 4 bananas in the morning was a supermarket called Hy-Vee, the Iowa equivalent to Central Market or Whole Foods.  They had  carbo dinners for Ragbrai.

 

 

And Welcome to You, too, Mr. Peighton.  Delightful to have you with us.

 

When I would ride up to one of these markets, you would not believe what I would see.  Not just hundreds of bikes.  But hundreds of bikes with absolutely no locks or security.  Bikes everywhere, even inside the entrance ways.   The majority of these bikes would start at a $1000 and go up as high as $10,000.  Lots of beauties.

Trust, folks, this was trust.  I don’t think anybody was afraid of being robbed anywhere, all along the ride and in the villages and towns.    I found this atmosphere of trust so moving.

 

Mr. Peighton, obviously a quick learner, says, "Wake me up when that Old Geezer stops yakking.  Thank you."

 

 

Secondly, I was moved by the spirit of congeniality among everyone, for example.

I have a favorite concession where I would stop every afternoon on the road.  Concessions were all along the road, which was dedicated to us.  The concession I love and the only one I regularly stopp at is the Amish homemade pie and ice cream stop, always on the right shoulder of the road and always on the second half of the day’s journey.

 

This is way below Sabrina's talent level.  But in honor of all the years she did everything around here, today she gets to light the candles.

 

On Wednesday I rode up and asked for credit from Henry, the Amish kid who collected the $3 for pie and the $2 for ice cream.  I had forgotten my money that morning.  I knew the only place I needed $5 on the road was the Amish.

There was a line of people behind me waiting to pay Henry.  As he said yes, the lady behind me popped in and said, “Oh, I can pay for you.  No problem.”  I was most touched, but told her that I would probably never see her again, so I could not pay her back, while I would see Henry the next day.  And Henry chimes in, “Yes, he is here every day, so it is okay.”  The next day, Thursday, I chipped in about $10 as a token of gratitude. 

This lady touched me with her spirit.

 

2 cupcakes here this morning.  Cathy generously is standing in for her son, Brian, who is celebrating 10 years married.  Mike and Judy are celebrating 51 years married.  And they are from Kiokuk, Iowa.

 

 

During the homily I added this little memory, which, in fact, made me forget the final point of the homily.  I remembered and shared it after communion.

In the context of congeniality I talked about what was a group of maybe 20 Air Force bikers.  They not only rode, but they stopped whenever they saw someone down with a flat or a slipped chain.  At one point I rode up and along side of them.  I mentioned 2 things.  I was jealous of their beautiful blue & white bike wear with the white wings on the back & shoulders.  

I also told them how touched I was at seeing them helping people along the road.  They were super appreciative and called me "Sir" a dozen times.  (Chebino, do you belong to the A.F. Bike Unit?) 

 

 

 

                           Watch out, Folks, Dawson is 18 years old.

 

The third Kilimanjaro event.  Friday here in Dallas, on a routine visit to my dermatologist, she asked me what was the biggest event, the most special.  As usual, I even got a bit choked up in telling her. 

It was just the joy, the exhilaration I experienced in riding, riding with so many congenial people, riding over beautiful green farm lands, passing through achingly beautiful little villages, and all at age 75. 

What more can a kid look forward to in the summer than to get up, ride his bike all day, and then camp out in his tent at night with friends? 

 

 

         Watch out, Cole, Emma, and Zoe, TI is hiring Whiz Kids.

 

What is you latest Kilimajaro event? 

What is your next one? 

I can tell you my next 2, the Hotter N’ Hell Hundred the last Saturday of August and taking about 10 close friends to Yosemite the first week of September.  Summer is so good.

You people in this community are a Kilimajaro Event.

So, your next Kilimanjaro event?

 

Brent, you are a Kilimajaro Event, and we are privileged to be able to support the work you do with Souls Harbor. 

Readings:

Exodus 17, 3-7,   Why did you ever make us leave Egypt?

Psalm 95,  If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Romans   5, 1-8,  We have peace with God.

John  4, 5-42,  A woman of Samaria came to draw water.

Exodus observations :

What: After two weeks in the first book of the Bible, today we move to the second. The book basically tells the heroic struggle of Moses to get the Hebrew people out of Egypt, where they had gone because of the drought in their land some decades or centuries before. 

Author: The book is about Moses, but he is not the author, as was thought for centuries. Instead, it is a compilation.

 

 

When:  Take a guess.  Yes, during and after the Babylonian Captivity, 555 before Christ.  Why now?  To help the Jewish tribe stay together.  Biblical commentators will say this is the most important book in the Bible.  Why?  Cultural history gives identity, especially one that goes from tragedy to triumph.  Plus, the writers, the priests-Levites, emphasized that God considered this tribe to be The Tribe.

Today’ selection: an amusing story about how the Jewish people are bummed out with Moses for taking them out of the so called cushy slave life of Egypt into a desert with no water and no food.  

 

Water

This morning I would like to mention 3 comments about John’s gospel that contemporary Bible scholars make.  Then, proceeding from the general observations, I would like to look at today’s gospel and especially the play on water.  Is it a symbol maybe?

Observation 1: 3 writers can be identified as contributing to the gospel of John.  The 3 authors worked over a period of 25 to 30 years, up to around 90.

 

 

Secondly, the figures in the stories are literary creations, perhaps built around certain people.

Third, the words that Jesus uses are not just recordings, but words composed by the writers to convey a message or a symbol, like water. 

Which leads to our selection from John this morning, the Samaritan woman at the well.  She is talking about ordinary well water.  Jesus is talking about symbolic water, living water that gives life to the spirit. 

 

 

I would propose this living water takes all sorts of forms.  For example.

Remember the first time we had our penitential rite?  When Mike proposed the idea I confess I was a bit skeptical.  I was thinking, ‘Nobody is going to want to do this.  More focus on sin.’  This is why I don’t like Lent, the endless focus on sin.  What does the ordinary Mass always begin with?  Focus on me a sinner. 

 

 

Was I pleasantly surprised.  In fact, that penitential rite was pure water to my spirit.  I was humbled and most touched. 

So, events can be living water, people can be living water.  Put them together and my spirit is moved. 

Now we have another idea from Mike, our team idea man, and I have my usual skepticism, the rice and bean brunch after our celebration two Sundays from now.  I am saying to myself, ‘We are going to lay an egg, no one will like it, it will come off silly or pointless.’  All this while trying to stay open to new ideas.

 

 

Meanwhile, I am thinking of our little friend in Cuernavaca, Karina, and her mother Maria Theresa, before she died.  What do they eat every evening, rice and beans.   When I stayed with them in ’86 while I was learning Spanish, what did they eat?  Although to satisfy this gringo, they would pick up a roasted chicken or bread. 

In fact, Rosemary & I would always buy roasted chicken for them when we visited them over the years.  Karina told me it was the only time all year they ate chicken.  There are millions all over the world who subsist on rice and beans, if they can at least.

 

 

So who am I to say this rice and beans brunch will not bring us all living water and our spirits will be touched?

Sign Rosemary and me up.  And you? 

Sources:  Raymond Brown and John Shelby Spong

 

Readings:  Wisdom 6, 12-16, Resplendent and unfading is wisdom; Psalm 63, My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord My God; 1 Thessalonians 4, 13-18, Console one another; Matthew 25, 1-13, The 10 virgins at the wedding. 

  

    The first reading (Wisdom 6:12-16) informs us that when we lovingly yearn for and seek God’s wisdom we will not be disappointed. This reading is an expectation for the good news of Jesus Christ that we will receive today.

 

(prior to reading the gospel)

Picture the following plausible scenario: A father and mother determined two years earlier that their first son was in need of a wife, and they have been following closely the daughters that have come of age in their extended family when they gather in Jerusalem for the feasts each year.  Together they have chosen one.  The father sends a warm message to the girl’s father, who he knows relatively well, and asks the price he has in mind for his daughter.  They agree on one and set a date for the betrothal. 

    The father and his son arrive and are greeted warmly by her father. In front of the young couple, who have probably never had a conversation with each other, the fathers play their game of coming to the previously agree price—ten cows and a barrel of good wine, some of which the two fathers are now drinking. 

    Once the contract is signed they hand the groom a cup of wine taken specifically from the bottom of the wine the fathers have been drinking. It contains the particles that have settled…from the bitter skin of the grape.  The groom takes a drink from the top of the cup and hands the cup to the young woman. She has practiced what she now does. She downs the rest of the cup as a sign that she agrees to be his wife in good times and in bitter times. 

    The groom now returns to prepare a place for her.  Meanwhile the girl’s bridesmaids prepare her to be ready for his coming.  When they hear the cry that he is coming, they go out to meet him with the bride and her belongings and are led to his father’s house. 

 

(the gospel reading from Matthew 25:1-3)

Chapter 25 is formed from three parables.  This is the first. Their purpose is to give meaning to a teaching that ends Chapter 24 where Christ is teaching that his servants that he has put over other servants have the responsibility to remain wise (righteous) by always being alert to his words.  Each of the three parables gives a different facet of what this means. Since we are told again in this parable that Christ is the bridegroom. We are the bride, for which he paid a great price. His servants have the responsibility to prepare us for Christ’s coming by word and example.

    The dilemma of this parable is that only the wise have taken oil for their lamps.  The wisdom of the parable is that only those who are prepared for Christ’s coming have entered the wedding banquet.  Very briefly, why does the Lord say that he does not know the foolish (unrighteous) bridesmaids who have arrived to the wedding banquet after the door was closed?  In the third parable we are told that the Lord has divided humanity into two groups, the lambs and the goats, the foolish and the wise, those who have lived Christ’s words and those who haven’t. 

    The lambs (those who hear his words and follow them) are the wise who are prepared for his coming. He says to them, ‘I was hungry and thirsty, and you gave me food and drink. I was alone, sick and in prison and you came to visit me.’ And the wise will say, ‘When did we see you hungry and thirsty and fed you, or alone, sick and in prison and visited you.’ The Lord said to them, ‘Whenever you did this to the least among you, you did it to me.’       

    Of course he says to the foolish, ‘Whenever you did not care for the least among you, you did not care for me.’ (Symbolically: ‘You don’t know me, so how can I know you?’) The oil possessed by the wise symbolizes the presence of the Spirit that enlightens the wise, ‘to love one another as Christ loves them.’

 

So today, appropriately, we will be anointing the child of Erin and Payton twice during the baptism ritual with the oils of the Church praying that the Spirit always abides with her.  And I now invite them to bring this child forward with Godparents and other family to stand before the community with their request.

 

            Mike:

 

Erin and Payton, what name have you given to this Child?  (Brooklyn)

 

What do you ask this community for Brooklyn?  (To have her baptized)

 

You have asked to have your child baptized. In doing so you are accepting the responsibility to bring her up by word and example to live the perfect commandment, ‘To love one another as Christ loves us.’ Therefore, will you accept the responsibility to be one of the wise bridesmaids in today’s gospel reading.  (Yes)

 

Likewise, (Godparents) __________ and __________, will you by word and example give witness to your faith in Christ?  (Yes)

 

Brooklyn, the Christian community welcomes you with great joy.  In its name I claim you for Christ our Lord by the sign of the cross. (+)  I now trace this cross on Brooklyn’s forehead and invite the parents and Godparents to do the same.

 

John:

Brooklyn, we anoint you with the oil of salvation in the name of Christ our Savior, may he strengthen you with his power, who lives and reigns for ever and ever. (+ with oil on the bare chest)

(+ bless the water) We ask you Father, with your Son, to send the Holy Spirit upon this water.  As you are buried with Christ in the death of baptism, rise also with him to newness of life.  We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

(address the community) Let us stand and join with the parents and Godparents in the profession of faith of the Apostles Creed on page 81 of the missal.)

Erin and Payton, is it your will that Brooklyn be baptized in the faith of the Church which we have professed with you?  (yes)

(baptize the child) Brooklyn, I baptize you….

            (Lead the community in applause)

Mike:  Have parents and Godparents return to their seats

 

After the Great Amen

Mike:   I want to invite the parents to bring the newly baptized Brooklyn before us before we say the Lord’s prayer together.

Brooklyn, you are now anointed with the chrism of salvation (+ crown of the head) to be priest, prophet and king.

(have a Godparent place the garment over her) You have clothed yourself in Christ. See in this white garment the sign of your Christian dignity.  With family, Godparents, and friends bring that dignity unstained to everlasting life.

(have a God parent light the candle from the candle lit on the altar) Brooklyn, receive the light of Christ.  Parents and Godparents, this candle is entrusted to you to keep burning brightly. See to it by word and example that she walks always as a child of the light.

 

John:   Invite them to join hands and join with the community in the Lord’s Prayer.

 Mike:   Send them back to their seats during the Sign of Peace

Picture 1:    Leo with his momma, Shonda, Bethany, & Ben

Picture 2:    Mike offering the homily

Picture 3:    Brooklyn

Picture 4:    Baptism of Brooklyn

Picture 5:    Baptism with Mike

Picture 6:    Sienna with Brian

 

Readings: Zephaniah 3, 14-18; Psalm, Isaiah 12, Cry out with Joy and Gladness for among You is the Great and Holy One of Israel; Philippians 4, 4-7; Luke 3, 10-18

 

Zephaniah: date, author, subject, & our selection

 

    Date: two possibilities–ca. 650 BCE, before Babylon & contemporary with Jeremiah.  Or ca. 200 BCE.

 

  

Author: probably not Zephaniah himself, but someone recording what he said.  He is one of the 12 minor prophets, simply because his work is small, only 3 chapters.

 

   Subject: like all prophets, Zephaniah predicts doom and destruction to Jerusalem because the people are not good.  His purpose: alter behavior, especially the religious behavior, of his fellow citizens of Jerusalem.  A rather jealous and punishing god is presented.

 

   Our selection: last lines of the last chapter, a song of joy and rejoicing.  This is the only positive note in the 3 chapters.  Consequently, scholars think it may have been added to the original work.  This is the only time in the 3 year cycle that we have a reading from Zephaniah.  Take a good look.

 

Candle liturgy

Tony: We have lit the first two candles, one for hope and one for peace. Today we light the third candle, the candle of joy. This should be the easy one, because joy is all around us—in the children, the lights, the music, the gathering together. But how often do we let our preparations—or our memories—push joy to the side? Joy is like an underground spring that wells up within us, but joy is also a choice, an attitude. Like a muscle, it needs to be exercised. So today we open ourselves to joy, trusting that God has already planted it in us. All we need to do is give it care and offer it to share.

Three candles are lit

 All Sing

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.
Refrain:
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

All: Loving God, we open ourselves to you,
trusting that this is how you made us:
you created us for joy-filled hearts and lives.
Show us the creative power of hope.
Teach us the peace that comes from justice.
Fill us with the kind of joy that cannot be contained, but must be shared.
Prepare our hearts to be transformed by you,
That we may walk in the light of Christ. Amen.

Tony: Rejoice in God always, and again I say, rejoice
For God has created you with the capacity for joy.

All: We will find what makes us joyful,
And make that our gift to the world.

Tony:  Trust in God’s good will for all of creation
and open yourself to God’s gentle, transforming love. 

All:  We will welcome new possibilities in our lives.
We will offer ourselves to God’s goodness.
We will go forth in hope, and peace, and joy.

 

 

 

A Christmas Story 

 

I have a Christmas story for you this morning.  It took place the first Christmas I was in Africa, 1977. 

 

The African continent is shaped vaguely like a heart.  I spent most of my time on the east side, Tanzania, Kenya, & Uganda.  But my first Christmas I spent on the left side of the continent, the west.  The country I spent Christmas in was called Zaire in those days for ca. 30 years, now called the Republic of Congo, since ca. 2000.

 

The ruler at the time was a guy named Mobuto Seseseko and he was corrupt.  He took for himself all the money gained by selling off the country's considerable natural wealth. 

 

The capitol of the country is called Kinshasa and I was in a town near there called Kimwenza.  I had been giving seminars & retreats in Nigeria and ended up in Zaire at Christmas, how, I do not remember.

 

Three special memories remain with me from that Christmas.

 

First, I remember a midnight Mass.  It took place in a big but simple church on the edge of town.  There was probably a thousand black Zaire folks there and one white guy sitting up front on the left side with his eyes bugging out.

 

My eyes were bugging out because of at least two things.  First, the priest, a local young black Zaire man, he spent a lot of time dancing with a tall, cone shaped hat.  He danced marching in with the drums and the shakers going at it, he danced during the ceremony, and he danced on the way out.  In fact, he did not walk during the ceremony, he danced. 

 

The other thing memorable was when he finally danced out.  It was probably more than 3 hours since he had danced in.  And nobody was leaving early.  In fact, I discovered that Africans want to celebrate for at least a couple of hours when they come to Mass.  Consequently, a lot of music. 

 

The second memory I have is the incongruity I felt celebrating Christmas in a tropical environment, like celebrating Christmas in the summer.  Kinshasa has tons of flowers and they bloom all year because it is summer all year.  The bougainvillea, the frangipanni, and the jacaranda with their purple flowers making like snow on the ground, all were flowering along with their cousins.

 

 

Thirdly, I remember that Mobutu was mad at the Catholic church for some reason and he decreed that Christmas could not be celebrated on Christmas day.  It was a week day and businesses and schools were all open.  He did not ban the Masses, but people had to pretend to be working and going to school.  I remember walking around the town Christmas day thinking how odd the whole experience was, summer time and the government banning the celebration of Christmas day. 

 

Fortunately, the government did not get nasty about the celebrating that took place, many of the city folks were Catholic.  In a goofy twist, Seseseko's own sons even went to the Jesuit college in Kimwenza.   Oddly I appreciated more the freedom I had to celebrate that Christmas Mass, and the people seemed to celebrate with even more zest. 

 

This year here in Dallas we have the freedom to make Christmas a spiritual festival.  

 

How are you doing it? 

 

Picture 1:  Mass begins

 

Picture 2:  Andy Vrabel, one of our own comes home

 

Picture 3:  Tony with Margie

 

Picture 4:  Tony with David Hoover