Sunday Homily, January 19, 2014, 2nd Ordinary Time A

Readings:   (A couple of good readings today)

Genesis  18,  1-10,  I will return next year and Sarah will have a son.  She laughs.

Psalm 15,  He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.

Colossians 1, 24-28,     I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake.

Luke 10, 38-42,  The story of Martha & Mary.

Old buddies, John & Leo, say, "Welcome in, Everybody."

Genesis observations:

What :   This is the first book in the whole bible, a good read.  It begins with the 2 versions of creation, Adam & Eve, the apple, Cain & Abel, the Ark and the flood with Noah (see the picture of the huge ark somebody has built?), Abraham & the almost sacrifice of his son, and others. 

When put together:  Babylonian Captivity, ca. 555 before Christ.

Kevin, too, says, "Come on in, Folks."

Today’s story: An amusing little story, though you don't know it because the editor snipped off the end.   Abraham is hospitable to three travelers.  This results in the men, messengers from Yahweh,  saying that a year from now Sarah will have a son.  Sarah is 99 years old and never had a child.  She is behind a tent flap, hears the promise, and she laughs.  Amusingly Yahweh hears her laugh, asks her why, and she lies, saying she did not laugh.  

Offertory with Tom & Teresa & Sandra, and, of course, Leo.

Martha & Mary, who is better?

This morning I would like to talk about who is better, Martha or Mary?  Before I even begin I must acknowledge that Rosemary has a strong opinion on this subject.  You can guess it.  She thinks that Martha is getting a bad deal. 

It must be also admitted that Rosemary has a bit of the Martha complex.   She tells me often how she feels like Martha because she is so over worked. 

Want to see one happy kid today?  

So, being a good husband and trying to lessen the load, I will tell you what I do.  This is also my way of finding meaning to this either/or story.  Maybe it is not either/or? 

It happens on Tuesday evenings when the sun is going down and I am in the shade that I mow our lawn.  I not only mow, but I edge, trim the bushes, use the weed eater, and blow it all.  Just mowing the grass takes me 90 minutes.  I enjoy doing it.  It is like an art form.  I am imitating Rosemary, the artist.  Plus, it is good exercise.

The Wedding, Lisa Anderlick and Mark Cheek, Saturday evening, Suncreek United Methodist, Allen.

When I am mowing I get into a pretty swift rhythm.   I can push the lawn mower faster than the mower ordinarily goes.  My little 88 year old neighbor lady who lives across the street, Joyce,  says I look like I am running behind the lawn mower. 

One evening recently when I was zooming back & forth across our front yard, a neighbor couple, Barbra & Bud, and their white sort of poodle dog, all came walking by.   This happens occasionally in front of our house and in front of their house when we are walking Aviana.  The dogs have a relationship that consists of all of about a two minute mutual check out.  I love these people and they are the couple who introduced me to the “J,” the Jewish Community Center.

"I take you, Lisa, in Marriage.  I promise to be true to you in good times & bad, in sickness and in health.   I will love and cherish you all the days of my life."

So I see Bud & Barbra & Patty.  I wave but do not lessen my rhythm.  I keep chasing that lawn mower.  And then….I feel guilty. 

I have just again chosen Project over People, one of my most favorite activities.  I think to myself, ‘What if I just stopped and chatted for 5 minutes?’  ‘Would it make the slightest difference in when I finish?’

I have known Lisa Anderlick since the time she was a little girl.  Now she has not only grown up beautifully, but she is an MD.  In fact, she and two of her brides maids all became MD's together.  

5 minutes later here they come back the other way toward their house.  So, what do you think I did?  Yep, I kept right on chasing that lawn mower.  And they passed me by and went home.  I still cannot believe I did it.  I have yet to apologize to them.  As Rosemary is happy to observe, I get OCD about projects & work.  Obsessive, compulsive, that is. 

Sound familiar?  You got a similar obsession?  Maybe you don’t.  If so you are blessed. 

The first steps on the road to a New Life.

Maybe in our Martha-Mary story Martha gets obsessive, compulsive and needs to be more like Mary?   At least I do.  Mary, who knows?  Maybe she needs to be more sensitive to the job to be done?

For me, the story is a challenge to be both, focused on the work, and focused on the person.  In fact, I believe the person always takes priority despite my behavior.

How do you balance the Martha-Mary dynamic in your life? 

Long time and dear friends, Lisa's parents, Karen & John Anderlick.

You ready to read, Buddy?

Readings:  

 Jeremiah 31, 7-9,  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 the people.

 Mark 10, 46-52,   Bartimaeus, the blind man.

While Emma lights the candles, Buddy reads the Blessing of The Candles, a first time ever for Buddy.

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.

Our Belief.

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.

The Healing Touch

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

The Healing Touch for Emma.

Homily:

Readings:

Isaiah 55, 1-11,  All you who are thirsty, come to the water.

Psalm, Isaiah 12,    You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

1 John 5, 1-9,  Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God.

Mark 1, 7-11,   The baptism of Jesus.

Renee Elisabeth says, "Welcome in Everybody. I just got baptized."

Isaiah observations:

Who:  Can you guess, Isaiah 1, 2, or 3.  Actually, we have two selections from Isaiah, Isaiah 12 for the psalm and Isaiah 55.  Isaiah 12 is easy.  That is first Isaiah.  Isaiah 55 is in the middle of all the 66 chapters, and, yes, it is second Isaiah.  They write before and during the Babylonian Captivity.  Both passages are comfort passages.

Today’s passages: despite the different time each writer wrote, both are trying to encourage the people and let them know that their God is with them.  The first reading, Isaiah 55, is especially rich.  It contains beautiful images of food and drink, rain and snow on the earth.

Renee, the Packer Fan, also says, "Hi Folks, come in,' before returning to her witness protection area.

You are Beloved

Yesterday afternoon Rosemary and I had the privilege and the joy of baptizing a little 5 month old girl.  Her name is Renee Elisabeth.  She is the daughter & second child of Colleen and Carl Huval.  Colleen is the daughter of our John and Jean O’Donnell.  

I love baptisms and when I can and the little kid permits it, I love to carry her or him around and talk.  Renee Elisabeth was so peaceful and accepting.  At Saint Marks I used to pick these little kids up at the beginning of Mass and I would introduce them and have them welcome everyone. 

Zoe says, "Come in Everybody, where it is warm."

One Sunday I did this in the main church at the 9:00 Mass.  I had the little boy in my arms for maybe 10 minutes and gave him back to his momma.  After the Mass I am outside saying good-bye to everybody and I noticed I had a sour smell about me.  That little boy had barfed on my left shoulder and nobody told me.  I had to laugh and I really gave it to those people the next week for not telling me. 

When I did Renee Elisabeth’s baptism yesterday I did the two things I love to do.  First, I invite people to discuss when they last saw God and also where do they most find the presence and peace of God.  This brings in some really nice answers.  Of course, Renee Elisabeth was the place where many said they saw God.

"It's great here," says Megan.

After the baptism I like to talk with the little kids.  I told Renee Elisabeth that this baptism was her official welcome into the marvel of her new life.  And I told her that I had three things I wanted her to remember.

First, I want you to know, Renee, that you are like Mark says about Jesus, You are my Beloved.   In fact, you are beloved, you are beautiful, you are good, and you are perfect just as you are.

The pretty Georgie says, "That's my friend, Megan."

Secondly, you are being officially welcomed into a marvelous family that also thinks you are beautiful, good, perfect, and beloved.

Thirdly, you are being officially welcomed into a marvelous community (your numerous grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, at least), who also hold you dear, consider you beautiful and perfect.  She seemed to accept this.  

Emma learning to do yoga.

One of the reasons I love to have our kids present with us at Mass is that they may know that they are part of us, that we appreciate them, and that we and God loves them.

People have told me that their kids see me in the white robes and they think this creature is God.  When I was a little boy I probably thought the same thing, but that god figure did not like little boys, or at least me, and instilled in me a belief that I was bad.

Victoria says, "Cupcake time yet?"

This is why I will always welcome our kids.  I want them to know that God loves them, that they are good and beloved. 

Of course, I have tried to inform Rosemary that God does not do yard work and does not do dishes.  No luck with that.  In fact, God received for Christmas a new vacuum cleaner.  God had worn out the old one.  

How do you know that you are beloved?  Blessed?

Harper says, "I feel beloved."

 Readings:   Jeremiah 31, 31-34, I will place my law within them and write it upon their hearts; Psalm 51, Create a clean heart in me, O God; Hebrews 5, 7-9, He learned obedience from what he suffered; John 12, 20-33, Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground.  Whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life.

Jeremiah:  We have not seen Jeremiah for a long time, since before Thanksgiving.  Remember that he is one of the Big 3 Prophets (because of the size of the work, e.g. 62 chapters in Jeremiah), who are Isaiah, Jeremiah, & Ezekiel.   A review:

Lighting Today's 5 Candles, Sienna & Brian, Brooklyn & Erin

Author: most of the work is done by Jeremiah’s scribe Baruch.  Jeremiah is described as the broken hearted prophet because of his heart rending life spent warning the people & kings that their behavior was going to be punished.  And so it happened with The Babylonian Captivity.

Time:  ca. 600 BCE, as an easy date to remember.   The Captivity went from around 585-550 BCE.  Jeremiah may have died in Egypt during The Captivity in Babylon.

The Scene:  Remember that the Holy Land had a north & a south, Israel & Judah.  First, the northern kingdom, Israel, was defeated by the Assyrians, 622 BCE.  These Hebrew tribes vanish into the DNA of the region, “The Lost Tribes of Israel.”  Next, the Babylonians & Nebuchadnezzar defeat the Assyrians and threaten the southern kingdom, Judah with the capital Jerusalem.  Jeremiah is watching this and seeing it as Yahweh's punishment.  In 596, more or less, the Babylonians do destroy Jerusalem and cart the Hebrews into slavery.

Today's selection, chapter 31.  Yahweh is promising to make a new covenant or agreement with all the people, and to forgive them, after having shown the people who is master.  Here is the covenant idea mentioned again.  It is a pact or a deal.

Sources: Fr. Reginald Fuller, St. Louis U., Wikipedia; Answers.com; Encyclopedia of Judaism

Brooklyn Walks!

Hate My Life?

I have a story this morning which I have told twice, once at St. Mark's, over 8 years ago and here about 4 years ago.  Pardon me if you've heard it. Some of our best stories we tell over & over, they are so poignant.  The story speaks to my point today.  I had permission for the story.

It happened many years ago when I was working full time as a psychotherapist out of an office at Jesuit.  I think it was the first Monday morning of May.   I know it was a beautiful morning like today.  A boy came to see me who had been in my office on and off for about six years.  He had just graduated from high school and enlisted in the Air Force.  He had struggled since grade school with bouts of depression, and that morning seemed to be in great shape.  We did not even spend more than 30 minutes together, his mood was so up beat and care free.

The Girls, Robyn, Erin & Brooklyn, & Sandra

He left.  Maybe two or three hours later a call came in.  The boy had left Jesuit, crossed Inwood to the Lincoln Center complex at LBJ, drove up to the top of the four floor garage, parked his car, headed to the edge of the garage, and walked over the side.  He landed on the cement street four floors below, face down flat.

A passerby saw it, called 911, and in a second the paramedics from just around the corner were on the scene.  He was in Parkland in a flash.  He lived.

It was not for about 3 weeks until I got to visit him.  He apologized.  I admit I was mad.  I loved this kid.  He fooled me.  He said that he had been in a zone, happy because he knew he was out of there, meaning he was ready to go to the other side.  He wanted to escape the pain of life and go to heaven.  He said he had  no fear in walking off that fourth floor, none of the hesitation you feel before you jump off the high diving board the first time. 

Emma & her mom, Beth

You may guess why I tell this story.  It exemplifies what happens when you take literally "whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life."  This little piece of advice, taken the wrong way, can be so dangerous. This boy hated his life.

 I would suggest there is a negative and a positive way to hate my life. 

The negative is exemplified by this kid's story.  This is often what is happening when you hear of someone cutting on themselves.  If I hate my life and hate myself, I will want to punish myself.  So I cut myself.  Or I may think that I am such a loser that no one will pay me any attention if I do not do something dramatic like spill my blood. 

So who's crazier, Sir Charlie or La Reina Patricia

Even without such dramatic examples, I do not want to encourage someone who hates their body, hates their job, hates their family, hates their school, hates.  Just thinking about this I recoil.   There may be reason for the hatred.  However, "There is a better way," I want to say and I would say it.   I believe in talk therapy.   Feelings are all okay.  I just don’t want some feelings to stay around. 

On the positive side, I would suggest two things.

First, the word hate can be considered as hyperbolic, a big word meaning exaggeration.  It is like Rosemary telling me, "You get me up at 5:00 tomorrow morning for spin class & it is divorce!”   Think she is exaggerating?  I hope. 

Rich & Mary

Secondly, I would suggest that this all has to do with being more alive now, in this life. The grain of wheat falling to the ground and dying fits in with this.  For example: look at March Madness.  Many of these player have died to themselves to achieve & to be better players.  How many hours in the gym have they spent practicing free throws?  When they could be hanging out, sleeping in, text messaging?  And they love their lives.  I’ve seen boys do this at Jesuit. 

Goofy, but I hate my life to love my life.  I don't want to get up early.  I could sleep in to 11:00.  However, I, we, Rosemary & I get up and head over to the Jewish Community Center, 6:00 A.M. spin class.  The result even Rosemary loves  life.  And so do I.

The boy who jumped is now okay, amazingly.  It took him years of physical recovery.  Two things did not happen that blessed him.  He did not damage his brain and did not damage his spine.  Every other bone, plus his teeth, were broken.  Once he got strong enough he went to medical technical school, got his certificates, and now has good jobs in various hospitals in the city.  I don't think he hates his life anymore.  In fact, he loves it. 

Maureen & Marilyn looking over the enormous food drive

How do you love your life?

Sources:  The Center for Liturgy, St. Louis U.; St. Raymond Catholic Church, Dublin, CA; Carmelite Order Web; Homilias Domincales.

Jeremiah  33, 14-16, The days are coming.

 Psalm 25,    To you, Oh Lord, I lift up my soul

Pope Francis Letter “Laudato si”  (“Praise to you”)  –  “There is an inseparable bond between concern for nature, justice for the poor, commitment to society, and interior peace.”

Luke  21,  25-28, 34-36,,  There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars.

Luke: Ch 21 –  “Up on your feet.  Help is on the way!”

Author: The gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles make up a two-volume work which scholars call Luke–Acts.  According to an early Church tradition, the author was the Luke named as a companion of Paul in three of Paul’s letters, but Scripture scholars say there is a problem with this. Though the author of Luke-Acts admired Paul, his theology was significantly different from Paul’s; there are countless contradictions between Acts and Paul’s letters. Bottom line: we don’t know who author of Luke-Acts is.

When written: The most probable date is around 80-100 AD, and there is evidence that it was still being revised well into the 2nd century.  The author takes as sources the Gospel of Mark, written around 70 AD, the sayings collection called the Q source, and a collection of material called the L source (L for Luke).

Audience: Luke was written to be read aloud to a group of Jesus’ followers gathered in a house to share the Lord's supper. The author assumes an educated Greek-speaking audience, but attends mainly to specifically Christian concerns rather than to the Greco-Roman world at large.

Today’s passage: A commonly held belief of the early Christian community was the return of Jesus; many thought this would happen within one generation. So it’s not surprising to read prophecies of that event attributed to Jesus in the Gospel writings.

Homily by John

  As a kid I attended school and church regularly.  I really liked the beginning of a new school year and the season of Advent at church.  Both of these were like a chance to start over again.  Another chance to start fresh and without judgment.  During my school years, we had summer fun times for 3 months and, remarkably, I was often ‘summered out’ and looking forward to a new school year with my classmates and most of my teachers.

We started over with new subjects, new books, new teachers – happy time for me.   At church we had finished that long ‘ordinary time’ without much happening, and had the scary sermons just before Advent about the ‘end of times’ and the ‘sheep and goats’ and judgment and punishment. 

Advent for the most part aimed us toward Christmas and the baby Jesus and the lights and happy thoughts and times.  I remember gathering a bunch of green fern moss to be the grass for the village I helped build around the manger scene.  Advent – happy time.

This week I’ve been thinking how happy it is for me to not actually ever hear hell and brimstone and judgment when we gather here; rather, acceptance and encouragement and challenge. 

I have so much to be thankful for.  I have a loving family who care for me in so many ways.  I have loving friends who show care and acceptance, including you guys.  I have a Pope with whom I feel a togetherness in thought and aspiration, and permission to express my thoughts, even my doubts, without judgment.  I have a Pope who encourages and challenges me to love and care for the world, for the environment, for my neighborhood, for my neighbors, for myself.  And I am grateful. 

My question is: What are you grateful for at this start of the new church year?  Or for the entire last year?  

Readings:   Isaiah 55, 10-11; Psalm 65, The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest; Romans 8, 18-23; Matthew 13, 1-23. 

Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time – Intro to the Readings

 Our readings today are from very familiar sources, Isaiah, Paul to the Romans and Matthew, and since we will not be having a homily, due to the baptisms, I wanted to take this time to say a few words about the readings and how they apply to our lives, especially because we are going to celebrate the baptisms in this liturgy.

A common theme in both Isaiah and Matthew is the notion of God’s Word being like a seed.  Today, the three kids who will be baptized will have that Word, that seed, watered by the waters of Baptism.  Now if we continue with the notion of the seed as being God’s word in our lives, or as being our faith response to God’s Word, then like any seed we plant, it needs care and attention if it is to grow and thrive.  This care and attention we do by coming here each week and listening to God’s word and by our participation in the liturgy.  But as a community we are there to help each other.  Our relationship with God is one in community. 

God, for whatever reason, seems to want relationship with us thru community.  That is the clear message, which comes throughout the Old Testament: I will be your God and you will be my people. This idea continues with the Christian community as they celebrated their identity by coming together for the “breaking of the bread”.  So many folks feel that sitting at home just reading their bible and accepting Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior is what God wants.  There is nowhere in any of the scriptures this notion of a “personal God”.  God relates with us in community. 

So today, as we welcome Tori, Buddy and Zoe into our community, reflect on what it means to be part of a community.  With all of the wonderful advances brought about by technology, there are also fearful risks of isolation with that same technology. 

Picture 1:   Mass begins

Picture 2:   Some of the Delgados, Georgie, Hannah & David, Bernadette

Picture 3:   Leo with his grandmother, Ruth

Picture 4:   Dillon with his grandmother, Jo

Picture 5:   Sienna