Sunday Homily 10-2-11, 27th Ordinary Time

Readings:  Ezekiel 33, 7-9; Psalm 95; Romans 13, 8-10; Matthew 18, 15-20.

Ezekiel:

• Place written: Jerusalem & Babylon

• Time written: 570's & 580's B.C.

• Audience: The Hebrews in exile in Babylon.

• Message: you are paying the price of your disobedience.  Reform and you will receive Yahweh's blessings again.

• Note: the Babylonians did not enslave the Hebrews like the Egyptians did.  Consequently, when they were given permission to return to Jerusalem, many remained in Babylon because they were peacefully settled.  They became the first of the Jewish Diaspora.

Our Marie Green

It was probably around the year 2000 when I first met Marie.  I was looking for someone with whom I could converse in Italian.  Jesuit was where I started searching and the teachers there put me in touch with the Italian Club in Dallas. I actually sat in on a few classes but wanted to move at a faster pace.  The teacher at the club gave me the numbers of a handful of people. 

As a result, one Sunday after celebrating the 10:30 at St. Marks I met two charming elderly ladies, Marie and Francesca.  We met in what used to be the old rectory across the parking lot and was then the house Rita used before she eventually moved into the house across Brentwood where she now lives.  We had an hour of fun conversation which was the beginningng of two delightful friendships for me.

A year or so later, Francesca had a stroke and returned to Padua, Italy, where her family lived.  From then on I visited with Marie at least once a week.  Every Thursday evening we had our hour to chat and often we met at socials & dinners.  She even became one of about a dozen of us who bought Dallas Summer Musical season tickets together.  She was always ready to go.

Let me talk about four things that I loved about her and that fascinated me.

1.  First, the story of her life.  It was marvelous. Marie was born in the north east of the U.S.  At an early age her father took the family back to Italy, in the region of Turin, the north western province of Italy, where they held the winter Olympics a few years back.  She grew up during the time of Mussolini, who came to power in 1922.

Her father, who worked with the railroad, became frightened by what he saw in Fascist Italy and moved the family back to the U.S. when Marie was about 16.  Marie did not speak English when she returned. 

Some years later, around 1950, a young man came into the place where Marie was working.  He was younger than Marie, Jewish, and had survived Hitler's death camps.  His name was Bart.  They married and had Stephen.  With Bart she lived in all sorts of places all around the world because of his work and language ability. Despite being younger than Marie, Bart died first. 

2.  Secondly, besides being fascinated by her history, I was touched by the courage she showed in life, especially in her relationship with Bart.  For example, imagine, she a Catholic married a Jewish man, and in fact, a man younger than herself by about a dozen years. 

Then, at a late age for having children in those days, Marie and Bart had the courage to conceive Stephen.  Catholics of that era were strongly discouraged from marrying those not Catholic.  In fact, the couple had to get all sorts of special permissions and make promises.

This did not deter Marie.  You know what the Catholic church demands even today of the partner who is not Catholic.  Kids, Catholic.  Marie seems to have been unintimidated by this demand and decided that for Bart & her it was better that Stephen be allowed to follow the Jewish tradition.  When I asked her how she could do this, she told me how they had talked it out together.  

3.  Thirdly, Carol Hogan, one of Marie's best & most faithful of friends, reminded me of another quality that I try to emulate.  Her generosity.  She coupled this with old world hospitality.  Never could I visit Marie that she did not want to share with me a glass of wine, usually some cookies.  Sometimes she would even want to give me something from the house. 

For me a special aspect of her generosity was her constant positive affirmation of my Italian.  I progress with positive strokes, and every time I talked Italian with Marie, I came away elated at how well I was doing, whether true or not.  With that elation I would return to my study with even more energy. 

4.  Finally, I would observe that Marie was always & justly proud of Stephen.  During our visits I always got the latest news of Stephen, whether he was in the U.S. or the three years spent in Korea. 

These are ways Marie blessed and enriched my life. 

How did Marie bless your life?

AUDIO:  http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2008-09-07.mp3

Readings: Isaiah 55, 10-11; Psalm 65; Romans 8, 18-23; Matthew 13, 1-23

Isaiah: The Great One lived around 750 B.C.  He is one of the 3 Major Prophets along with Jeremiah & Ezekiel, mostly because their works are larger than the 12 Minor Prophets.  Like all prophets he  condemned the behavior of the people, promised punishment from Yahweh, and foretold that a better day was coming after the punishment.

Isaiah has some of the most beautiful passages, many of which are seen as foretelling the coming of the Savior.  His readings are used all through the Advent & Christmas readings, as well as in Lent. 

Note, however, that there is evidence from different writing styles and length of time that three authors at least make up the book of Isaiah.

Both the Isaiah reading and Psalm 65 are beautiful.

What Kind of Soil Am I? 

One day when I was a little kid, so little I was not in school yet, I was playing in the driveway beside our house.  We had a driveway that ran from the street, along side the left side or east side of the house, all the way to the back where the two car wooden garage was.  We had no fence along that side of our back yard and the neighbor’s house had no fence. 

At some point in my play the lady who worked for the neighbors came to the back door.  I did not like this lady.  Actually, she had a small apartment attached to their garage where she lived when she was not working in the house. 

I do not know what it was that got me off on her.  Certainly she was not friendly, nor warm & fuzzy with this little boy.  So, out of the blue, I say to her standing there in the doorway, “You are a big, fat elephant.” 

Maybe I ran.  I don’t know.  But, I give that lady credit.  She marched right over to our house and told my mother.  And my mother went ballistic.  I got a spanking. Which certainly did not make me more fond of that lady.

As a result of this event, plus numerous other little behaviors that were unacceptable, I entered adolescence with the thought that I was a pretty bad kid.  My soil was rocky and I was probably on the express train to hell.  Which definitely played a role in my decision to enter the Jesuits and become a priest.  Save my lost soul before it was too late. 

I talk about this because it connects me with the parable of the sower, one of the many so called agricultural parables found in Matthew.  In the parable, Jesus says we got four chances to get the message and with three of them we don’t get it.  Not good odds.  I go along with this and suggest that the path, the rocks, and the thorns symbolize three ways we sabotage our process of getting the message. 

• First, I suggest the path symbolized a lack of gratitude. We take for granted all the blessings and beauty that make up our life and, in fact, often feel entitled. Our time is so limited that we never reflect.
• Second, the rocks symbolize our middle class obsession with stuff, toys, things. We have to have the latest thing, the biggest, the best.
• Thirdly, the thorns may symbolize the fact that I hear the wrong message. I pick up that I am bad, like I learned when I was a little kid.

What is really devious about these three, is that they are reciprocal.  They interact among themselves. Here is what I mean.

Say, I have the self image that I am bad.  If I am already bad, why make an effort.  Certainly, I don’t incline toward gratitude.  I do incline, however, toward toys & stuff.  The toys are medication for my disappointment in myself.  If I have enough toys, I think that others will think I am hot stuff. 

I was into toys as a teen.  No doubt.  One of the best things that happened was when I joined the Jesuits, I let go of it all.  I had no possessions to impress others with.  None of us in my class had possessions.  We were just guys. 

The reason this is pathetic is that while I am ungrateful and obsessed with toys because of my lack of self acceptance, I never achieve The Peace, which is where the rich soil is that yields a hundred fold of peace.  I don’t get the message.  The message is I’m okay.

How do I break this cycle?  I think I can intervene anywhere along the process.  I can focus on gratitude, I can detach from stuff & toys, and I can work on self acceptance.  Maybe all at the same time.  That is getting the message.

The beauty about all this is that ultimately, wherever I am, I am okay.  I am accepted.  I am not riding the express train to hell.  Jesus presents us with ultimate demands, and ultimate acceptance.

What is the challenge to you?  How do you get The Message?

AUDIO:  http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2008-07-13.mp3

 

 

 

Readings:

Ezekiel   33, 7-9,  You duped me, Lord, and I let myself be duped.

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

Romans, 13, 8-10,  Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another.

Matthew 18, 15-20,   Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I.

                                                                 

Sorry, no homily today.

                                                                                         

 

                                                                                                                    

 

                                                           

            

                                                                                                             

 

 

   

                                                                                                                                                                               

                                                                                                                                          

 

 

 

"Welcome in, Everybody," says Cody with Olivia and Ben.

 

Readings:

Job 7, 1-4, 6-7,  Is not man’s life on earth a drudgery?

Psalm 147,  Praise the Lord who heals the broken hearted.

 Corinthians 9, 16-19. 22-23,   I have become all things to all.

Mark 1, 29-39, They brought to him all who were ill.

 

 

 

And, Welcome in to you, Judy.  So nice to see you.  You look beautiful.

 

 

Job 0bservations:

What: A comment on The Universe.  No book in the OT or NT has less known about it.  Called the most profound book of the OT.    It deals with the problem of evil, personal justification, and why bad things happen to good people.   Job himself could be historical, a literary creation, or a combination of the first two.

Author: Unknown. 

Date: It is guessed to be before the time of Moses and Egypt, i.e., earlier than 1300 before Christ.

Structure: 3 poetic dialogues preceded by a prose introduction and ending with a prose conclusion, an epilogue judged to have been added sometime later by another person or group of persons.

 

 

 

 

Emma, your smile makes my day.  Thanks to you and your little friend.   By the way, your other little friend that you loaned us still rides in our car above the mirror.

 

 

Psalm 147 observations:

 

The message is beautifully optimistic.   Is it naive?   We all die.  What about the Jews who entered Auschwitz?   My JCC friend from Poland?  85 members of his family liquidated.  

 

 

 

 

Want to go to communion?  See Jan, she will fix you up.

 

 

The Story of Job

I would like to tell you this morning the story of Job.

Once upon a time there was a good man named Job who lived in the land of Uz.  He had 7 sons and 3 daughters, a sign that he was especially blessed.  He not only had sons, but he had the special number of 7. 

One day Yahweh was walking around heaven talking with his buddies when he ran into the devil.  "What have you been doing?" he asked.  "I have been walking around here and there," the devil responded. 

"Have you noticed how good my man Job is?"  "Yes,' says the devil, "but I bet he will curse you to your face if you stop protecting him and take away all his goodies."  "It's a bet," says Yahweh, "Just don't hurt him."

 

 

 

 

Leo, our Candle Man of the Week, at work.

 

 

So a few days later while all of Job's 7 sons and 3 daughters where having a feast with their families, a storm blew up killed them all.  A messenger runs to tell Job of the horrible news. 

Another messenger had raced in and saying lightening has just killed all his sheep and the shepherds.   Other messengers likewise run in saying Job's livestock have been rustled by robbers who killed all the farm hands.

Job is devastated, of course, but responds with the famous statement: "I was born with nothing, and I will die with nothing.  The Lord gave, and now he has taken away.  May his name be praised." 

 

 

 

 

Jackie reading the Blessing of the Candles.

 

 

So Yahweh wins his bet.  But, when Yahweh and the devil meet up to settle their bet, the devil raises the stakes by saying that he bets Job will curse Yahweh if the devil is allowed to hurt his body.  Not death, just hurt.  "Bet," says Yahweh.

The next day Job comes down with sores all over his body, like leprosy, and he has to go outside of town where the lepers go.  He sits in the town dump.  His wife now comes and his friends.  They all grieve. They also encourage Job to see what he has done bad.  Has he cursed Yahweh?  Confess and repent.  Job proclaims his innocence.  But he is depressed and discouraged. 

Note the cosmic vision here: God punishes the evil and blesses the good.  So, Job, what bad thing is God punishing?

 

 

 

 

So sorry, Brent, not even a cupcake for you this week.

 

(In East Africa I used to celebrate Mass for a small community of lepers

Finally, while not cursing Yahweh, he cries out his anguish saying (chapter 3): 

"Oh, God, put a curse on the day I was born; put a curse on the night when I was conceived!  Turn that day into darkness, God." (verses  2-4) 

"I wish I had died in my mother's womb or died the moment I was born.  Why did my mother hold me on her knees?" (verses 11-12) 

"Why let men go on living in misery?  Why give light to men in grief?" (verse 20) 

"Everything I fear and dread comes true.  I have no peace, no rest, and my troubles never end." (verses 25-26)

 

 

 

The Offertory Team, Nina & Kerry, Judy & Mike.

 

 

After some time in this situation, Yahweh comes along and speaks with him:

"Who are you to question my wisdom with your ignorant, empty words?  Stand up now like a man and answer the questions I ask you.  Were you there when I made the world?" (verses 2-3)

"Job, have you ever in all you life commanded a day to dawn?" (verse 12)

"Have you been to the springs in the depths of the sea?  Have you walked on the floor of the ocean? "(verse 16)

"Have you been to the place where the sun comes up or the place where the east wind blows?" (verse 24)

 

 

 

Communion Team ready to begin.

 

 

After hearing all the numerous ways Yahweh reminds him of how insignificant he is, Job apologizes to Yahweh and promises to be a good boy and not complain from now on. 

In an epilogue, which is considered a late addition, Yahweh restores his wealth and gives him 7 more sons and 3 more beautiful daughters.  He lives another 140 years a prosperous and happy man.

Ever feel like Job?  How do you handle the feeling?

 

 

 

 

Lynda & Tom getting ready to run Hilton Head next week end and Jan is blessing them on their way.   I am envious.

Readings: Genesis 1, 9-31;  Responsorial Psalm 136, Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. Acts 2, 42-47.  Matthew 18, 1-4.  Special for Reconciliation Service.

 

The Third Sunday in Lent.

 Today’s liturgy will be a bit different from our normal Sunday Liturgy.  I had mentioned several weeks ago, when we were discussing the Sacrament of Penance or Confession that I wanted to have us do a Communal Penance Service during Lent.  The more I thought about it and planned it the less sense it made to me.  And so today’s liturgy.

 
 

I want to begin with an acknowledgement that each one of us has our own personal relationship with God, and I want to respect that as much as possible. So the ideas, which I am sharing with you today, take them or leave them, they certainly are not “official teaching” but they are the result of much thought and prayer on my part.

 There is an interesting story about the substitute teacher who was called to fill in for most of the year for one of the teachers who would be out for an extended time.  On her first day in class the substitute was given a list of the pupils in her class.  She worked hard with the class all year and at year end with the exam results came out the principal was amazed with results.  When she told the substitute of her surprise, the substitute was surprised.  But they were a very bright class with high IQ.  I saw that the first day on the class roster you gave me, she responded.  That class was our worst class in the school, she was told, and those numbers were their locker numbers!!

 

There is a whole lot of truth for me in that story and I want to build on that in today’s Liturgy.  Traditionally we have been told that we are a sinful people.  Born with original sin, and we have hardly stopped sinning since.  Most of our prayers reconfirm this approach..  I would like our Liturgy today to be one where we try to reconcile ourselves to a different point of view.  And it is going to feel perhaps strange at first, but I would ask that we give it a try.

 So instead of a Penitential Rite where normally we reflect on our sins, I would like to invite you to reflect on maybe occasions over the past week when we missed opportunities to do good for someone.

 
 

Opening Prayer:

 I arise today

In the name of Silence, Womb of the Word,

In the name of Stillness, home of Belonging,

In the name of Solitude, of the Soul and the Earth

 

I arise today

Blessed by all things, wings of breath,

Delight of eyes, wonder of whisper,

Intimacy of touch, Eternity of Soul,

Urgency of thought,

Miracle of health, Embrace of God.

 

May we live this day

Compassionate of heart

Clear in word, Gracious in awareness,

Courageous in thought, Generous in love.

 

                                      To Bless the Space Between Us

                                                John O’Donohue

 

 Intro to the Readings.

 The readings today I have chosen because they give us reason to pause, at this time in Lent, and reflect on our goodness, our innocence and not on our sinfulness.

Homily

 I mostly want you to spend a little quiet time reflecting in a way on whether we are better off being told we are good, or whether we are better off being told we are not good, namely sinful.  For most of us, we grew up being told we were born with Original Sin, and that we from about the age of seven needed to go to confession all the time, because we were sinful.  Like the kids in the school, if someone believes we are smart, we will be smart, likewise if we can believe we are good, then goodness will follow.  I would like us to recapture our childhood innocence. How else are we to become like little children? 

 
 

Prayer after Communion

 Humble God, risen with us now in the fragile miracles of human life.  We glimpse your glory now, in the love, laughter and beauty we share with one another, in the depth of humanity, as we respond to the needs and sufferings of our world.

 Final Blessing.

Picture 1:   Tony Beginning Mass

Picture 2:   Sacrament of the sick

Picture 3:   Offertory with Cliff & John

Picture 4:   Communion helpers Margie, Jackie, Denni, Nancy, Sandra, Rob, Patricia, & John

Picture 5:   Nina

 

 

 

Readings:

Ecclesiastes 1, 2; 21-23,  All things are vanity.

Psalm 90,  If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Colossians 3, 1-5, 9-11  Seek what is above.

Luke 12, 13-21, You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you.

 

 

Ecclesiastes Observations: 

Author:  unknown.   A belief was that it was Solomon

Date: 
 250-150 years before Christ.

Subject: 
the work is a putting together of a lot of folk sayings and life
observations which represent wisdom sometimes, sometimes not.  For instance, today’s selection. 

Today: 
pretty pessimistic.  It says that
everything is vanity. 

 

Colossians
observations:  We are done with this work for now,
fortunately.

Best line of
the Day: check the Psalm, the 4^th stanza, “Fill us at daybreak with
your kindness, that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.”  This has been my experience the past week in
Iowa.  More in the homily.

 

Fill us at daybreak with
your kindness

Fill me
at daybreak with your kindness, that I may shout for joy and gladness. 
This was Iowa, folks. 

If you
don’t know what this is all about it is this. 
Sunday, July 21^st, Chris and I set out on our bikes with an
estimated crowd at times of 35,000 riders. 
We departed the west side if Iowa at the Missouri River and finished at
the east side and the Mississippi River 7 days later, Saturday. 

The
whole experience really touched my spirit, but let me single out three special
events, hospitality, trust, and beauty.

First, hospitalty.  Most of
the nights on the ride my team, Spokes of Hope, a cancer support team from
Indianapolis, found homes at which we could set up tents in the yard.  This was a little more private.

 

One
family in Oskaloosa, the next to the last night, knocked me out.  They had a nice big 5-9 acre lot with two
houses for the family.  They hosted about
80 people, Spokes of Hope and Livestrong, Lance Armstrong’s former cancer
program. 

When we
arrived they had spread out on their deck chips and dip and drinks.  At 5:00 they themselves served us all an
enormous dinner.  The next morning they
sent us on our way with a great breakfast. 
All gratis, no charge.   Hospitality.

In Des
Moines a widow of about 6 months invited our 14 member team into her nice
house.  She is a doctor and teaches at
the local medical school.

She,
also, fixed us all a big dinner and a big breakfast.  She sent us on our way with a few dozen
chocolate chip cookies and brownies.  The
Indianapolis folks are probably still eating those cookies.   All
gratis, no charge.  Hospitality.

Next, trust.  Never did I fear my bike would be
stolen.  In the small towns where it was
impossible to ride because of the mass of people, bikes were dropped
everywhere.  In fact, the problem was
remembering, “Wow, where is my bike?”

One
afternoon I rode up to a Tom Thumb type grocery store that had an $8 all you
can eat pasta & dessert sale.  This
was in the last overnight town on the road, Fairfield.  I remember hesitating at first.  My bike. 
Lots of people around.  Plus lots
of bikes.  I left my bike with my helmet & gloves hanging from the handlebar.  An hour
later it was right there along with all the other bikes & bikers.  The trust, everywhere.

Finally,
the beauty.   Don’t believe the idea that Iowa is flat.  It is not mountainous, okay.  It is hilly. 
This trip had lots of hills and lots of scenic vistas, plus beautiful little towns.  Once
I must confess at the end of a day 110 miles long I had to walk a hill, my
thigh muscles saying they just might like to cramp.   I learned prudence from Rosemary.

There
were a number of occasions when the hospitality, the trust, and the beauty, to
not even mention my gratitude at being able to do this, just touched me to
tears as I rode peacefully along.  Which
made me say to myself, “Watch out, man, you can’t see and you will crash.”

This is
the psalm line exemplified, “Fill us at daybreak with your kindness, that we
may shout for joy and gladness all our days.”

How is
it for you?