Sunday Homily 6-21-09, 12th Ordinary Time

Readings: Jeremiah 317, 7-9; Psalm 126, The Lord has done Great Things for Us; we are filled with Joy; Hebrews 5, 1-6; Mark 10, 46-52.

Jeremiah.  One of the “great prophets”.  The book covers one of the most turbulent times for the Jewish people, a time we have been discussing with a number of our other prophets of recent weeks, namely “The Exile”.   Jeremiah witnessed the fall of a great empire, the Assyrian, and the rise of the Babylonian Empire!  His writings cover a period of about 40 years. 

The main issue he deals with is the People's turning away from Yahweh and towards worshiping idols.  Due to the nature of the period, the major political convulsions in the region, we find there were several prophets at this time.  Jeremiah stands out from this group in his ability to show God’s love for his people and the People’s duty to God through the covenant ties.

Our passage today is very interesting in that it shows God’s loving care of His people compared to that of a Father for his firstborn.

The Way  (Tony O'Donovan)

The very last sentence in today’s Gospel is what I want us to focus on this morning!  “Immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way”.  I want us to spend a little time on this “Way of Jesus”.  Remember two weeks ago we had the gospel story of the rich young man, who was quite anxious to do whatever to “inherit eternal life”.  Remember he had observed all the laws from his youth, but when Jesus challenged him to sell all and “follow me,”  he went away sad.  He was unable to follow Jesus.

I want to step back a bit and take a look at where we are in Mark’s Gospel.  Remember Mark wrote the first Gospel, it is the shortest of the Gospels.  If we look at how it is written we find that it neatly falls into two parts, the first beginning with the Baptism of Jesus at the Jordan by John, and ending with the famous confession of Peter to the question “Who do you say I am?”. 

The second part is the Journey to Jerusalem and the death of Jesus.  This “journey” begins with a miracle, the gradual healing of a blind man.  He declares that he can see shadows, and gradually his sight returns to him.  And then the one we have today, just as Jesus arrives in Jerusalem.  There is a strong suggestion that these “blind stories” are there as a comment on the apostles inability to see what Jesus was about.  Remember last weeks gospel had James and John asking Jesus if they could sit on his left right side in heaven!!

Now, back to the way of Jesus.  If we are familiar with the stories about Jesus from the Gospels, we will begin to discern very easily a pattern as to what was Jesus’ Way.  He went about trying to get people to understand what God wanted of us.  He summed up the commandments to two, “love God and love your neighbor.”  And he practiced that in his actions of healing the sick, and most especially showing that the society had become trapped by the rules.  He reached out to sinners, he dined with them and worst of all, in the eyes of the authorities, he forgave people their sins!!  This was Jesus’ Way.

We are here this morning because presumably we have accepted the invitation “come follow Me”.  How are we doing on the Way, on that journey we call life?  Human nature is interesting, particularly as I reflect on my own life.  I have had the best of intentions but the reality of my actions often fall way too short!  Thankfully I have a forgiving and loving God who is constantly inviting me to get back on “the Way,” and supporting me with the community I belong to, the Church and its sacraments. 

Picture 1:  Tony

Picture 2:  Our Man in the NY Marathon this Saturday, Tom Fleming receiving the blessing of The Community

Picture 3:  Sean & Cara with their parents, Ed & Christine

Picture 4:  Bill with Nancy & Helen

Readings:

Wisdom   2, 7-11,  I prayed and prudence was given to me.

Psalm 90,    Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy.

Hebrews  4, 12-13, The word of God is living and effective.

Mark 10, 17-30,  It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom.

"Hi, Everybody," says Genevieve, "Welcome to my baptism.  This is my mom, Mary, and my grandmom, Jill."

Wisdom:

Date of Composition: 100-200 BCE, which is why it is considered significant.  It provides a glimpse into the cultural & social milieu which prevailed just before & during the time of Christ.   We had Wisdom for our first reading 3 weeks ago.

Place of Composition: Alexandria, Egypt.

The Composer: a Jew who wrote educated Greek.

Unique Quality: Wisdom is one of a set of 12 (or 14) books written in Greek considered not part of the original 39 books of the Hebrew Bible, the O.T.  This blew up around 350 CE when St. Jerome, one of the Fathers of the Early Church, i.e., a church leader who influenced a lot of church dogma, said the books were not genuine.   He was opposed by St. Augustine.  It was the Council of Trent (ca. 1550), that declared the 12 books okay.  Another person doubting the validity of the books was Martin Luther. 

Rich, Ray's dad, and Jill and George, Mary's parents, with The Queen.

You probably won’t find these books in the Protestant Bibles.

Our Selection in Chapter 7: the book of Wisdom generally says that good guys get rewarded by God, bad guys don’t.  This selection personifies the virtue of wisdom, using the feminine pronoun she, and praises her as above all other values & pleasures.  I loved her even more than health or beauty, the composer declares.

 Sources: The Good News Bible, Got Bible Questions on line.

                         Genevieve's moment has arrived.

Mark, an observation

I do not want to talk about the Gospel this morning, but I would like to give you a head's up about one line, It being easier for a camel to pass through a needle’s eye than for the rich to enter the kingdom.

1.  I've been there and done what it says.   I am left with the belief that we don't have to be so hard on ourselves.  We are talking about infinite demand.  Balance that with infinite acceptance.

2.  Change the perspective.  Instead of the infinite demand focused on saving my soul for eternity, focus on the kingdom being present tense. Peace is the kingdom now.  Do we often push ourselves to achieve a goal in this life?  And with the goal do we experience peace?  I experienced peace in going to East Africa even though it tore my heart out to leave my mom and friends.

              "Robert, Ray, where have you seen God most recently?"

Don’t Judge that Book by the Cover

I did it again, Folks.  I judged the book by the cover.  In fact, I did not realize I was doing it.  The book, the German People living during the 3^rd Reich and the War.   

This is not saying that I had not met some marvelous Germans when I worked in Tanzania.  In fact, I even visited two German medical sisters in their homes on my various home visits.  One lived in Bonn, the former capital while Germany was divided.  The other lived in Cologne, which we visited this past trip on the Rhine. 

               "When I saw this perfect little girl this morning."

There was a series of insights into the German people on this journey, but in particular there was one Sunday afternoon in a little town called Speyer.  We had docked overnight, been toured around the town in the morning, and then the afternoon we were free.  Around 6:00 we would depart Speyer. 

Rosemary was pooped, so I told her I would just walk over to the plaza in front of the church and look around.  I had walked around for maybe an hour when I decided to simply sit on a park bench in the shade and watch the people.  It was a beautiful, contemplative afternoon for me.

                Today, even the gorilla gets a hug from Kevin.

In the park I was struck by the simple family enjoyment, parents with kids and people with dogs.  Europe is very dog friendly.  Rosemary & I saw three elderly ladies seated at an outdoor coffee shop, and the fourth seat, a little white poodle.  The dog was very well trained and polite.

The little town of Speyer was also neat and clean and people had red geraniums in almost every window sill.  I saw this in every German town and city.

It takes preparation, bread, wine, readers, and song books, and Jan coordinates is all.

On top of this, Germany is just drop dead beautiful, as Ron A. has told me repeatedly.  Green, hilly, forested, and dotted with these lovely towns. 

I have a bad habit of judging the book by the cover.  This is the first time I discovered that I have judged a whole people.  I had been shifting, I admit, because Rosemary has been feeding me these gripping novels about the conscientious German during the Reich. 

                                   Ray & Leo, dad & son.

How to survive if you disagreed with the program, when even a word overheard by a person could get you reported, visited in the night by the S.S., and then sent to a death camp.   There were a number of priests and Jesuits who encountered this.

                 Cupcake of the Week to Angela on her birthday.

I have come to see how I have been judging this book by its cover, the German people.

What is the book you are judging by its cover?

                        Not only does Jan coordinate everything.

Readings:                          

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

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

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

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

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

Spirit Feast

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

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

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

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

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

Welcome Home, Ellen.
 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The marvelous World Cafe from the inside.

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

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

The World Cafe.

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

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

Who let that homeless man on board?

Readings: Wisdom 7, 7-11; Psalm 90, Fill Us with your Love, O Lord, and We will Sing for Joy;  Hebrews 4, 12-13; Mark 10, 17-30

Wisdom:

Date of Composition: 100-200 BCE, which is why it is considered significant.  It provides a glimpse into the cultural & social milieu which prevailed just before & during the time of Christ..

Place of Composition: Alexandria, Egypt.

The Composer: a Jew who wrote educated Greek.

Unique Quality: Wisdom is one of a set of 12 (or 14) books written in Greek considered not part of the original 39 books of the Hebrew Bible, the O.T.  This blew up around 350 CE when St. Jerome, one of the Fathers of the Early Church, i.e., a church leader who influenced a lot of church dogma, said the books were not genuine.   He was opposed by St. Augustine.  It was the Council of Trent (ca. 1550), that declared the 12 books okay.  Another person doubting the validity of the books was Martin Luther. 

You will hear these books called Apocrypha and deuterocanonical vs protocanonical (meaning declared canonical or okay after rather than before).  A bit complicated. 

Our Selection in Chapter 7: the book of Wisdom generally says that good guys get rewarded by God, bad guys don’t.  This selection personifies the virtue of wisdom, using the feminine pronoun she, and praises her as above all other values & pleasures.  I loved her even more than health or beauty, the composer declares.

Sources: The Good News Bible, Got Bible Questions on line.

To LIVE

Just about a century ago, in 1910, a little baby was born who was named Agnes.  Born into a comfortable, middle class family, Agnes was the last of 5 children.  They lived in what is today called Macedonia, just north of Greece, a country that used to be part of Yugoslovia. 

Agnes was an ordinary little girl and at the age of 18 she decided to leave home and join the Sisters of Loretto of Dublin.  She went to Dublin for her formation, had to learn to speak the English in the Irish brogue, and actually never saw her mother again.  In those days it was customary that religious did not come home for visits. 

After her training of about 3 years, Agnes was sent to teach at St. Mary's High School in Calcutta, India.  There she taught for a good 15 or more years.  She was considered a good, not exceptional teacher. 

While she worked in the school with the girls, who were mostly from the upper classes, Agnes looked out her windows.  There she saw another kind of child, a street child, dirty, undernourished, and neglected.  You can picture her watching these kids and reflecting upon what she was doing, which was good in itself.

At the age of 38 in 1948, Agnes decided to leave the Loretto Sisters and to go out into the streets.  Initially she did what she knew.  She taught the kids in the open air, using the dirt as a black board.  She had no funds, rented out a delapidated shack, and began to care for the sick people who were all around her.  She even went to school to learn nursing. 

Despite the fact that she started out with little idea of where she was going, it was like she had uncorked a cold drink or a bottle of champagne.  People in Calcutta heard about her, probably at least through St. Mary's High School, and aid & help began to pour forth.  People came to help her, food began to be donated. 

After two years of working the streets, Agnes decided she needed to organize a community, the Sisters of Charity.  The community focused on two things, personal spirituality and care for the most needy, the street people, the AIDS victims, the addicts, and the abandoned.  This little community has now grown enormously and has houses in Africa, where I knew them, Asia, Latin America, and Dallas, specifically South Dallas.  We used to take our food drives to them until the pastor of the parish said he did not want our food.  

In 1997, after winning numerous international prizes, including, coincidentally, the Nobel Peace Prize, Mother Teresa died.   In 2003 John Paul II beatified her.  This means she is one step (i.e., one miracle) short of being declared a saint.

I talk about Mother Teresa because, despite some criticism she & eventually her sisters received, she tried to live what we are talking about today.  In order to live, give it up and serve the disadvantaged.  

Two thoughts.

1.  We have here more of what Mark has offered us the past 2-3 weeks, an ideal, a challenge, an infinite demand.  Check out Scott Burns' column in this morning's Dallas Morning News.

2.  Remember the infinite acceptance.  How can I give it up and serve the disadvantaged in my state?  Parents, teachers, nurses, doctors, almost all are already engaged in helping.  CCAC is our avenue to help the disadvantaged.  As well as food drives, blood drives.  This may only nibble away at the need, but enough nibbling can make a difference.

How are you giving it up & serving the disadvantaged–to LIVE?

Sources: on-line biographies of Mother Teresa, The Good News Bible, Got Bible Questions?

Picture 1:  Mass with Sabrina, Georgie, & Richard

Picture 2:  Sabrina

Picture 3:  Birthdays, Angela, Georgie, Richard, Lacee & her mom, Lisa

Picture 4:  Communion, Hunter & Kailee

Readings:

Leviticus  19, 1-2, 17-18,   You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Psalm 103,  One of the best lines in the Bible, 3^rd stanza, The Lord is gracious and merciful, never gets angry and is abounding in love.

1 Corinthians 2,  6-10,  The spirit of God dwells in you.

Matthew  5, 38-48, When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one as well.

Cowboy Cole says, "Hi, Folks, Welcome in."

Observations on Leviticus

What :  the 3rd book of the Bible and one of the 5 books of the Torah.

Who:  a compilation of sayings accumulated over centuries, not Moses, as was thought for some years.

Date: sometime after the Exile in Babylon, ca. 555 before Christ.

Subject:  rules about how to live, how to worship, and the penalties for transgressing.  This is based upon 2 beliefs:

1. The world has been created good, but is vulnerable to sin.
2. Enactment of proper ritual makes God present and ignoring proper ritual compromises the harmony between God & people.

Celeste, too, says, "Welcome in."

Some unique rules:

1. Cursing, death.   24.14
2. Unkempt hair, God will smite you.  10.1
3. Tatoos.  19.28
4. Trimming your beard.  19.27
5. Cutting the hair on the sides of your head.  19.27

Today’s Subject:  the best line in the whole work, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”   19.18

Sources:  Good News Bible, Wikipedia

Emma says, "Don't look yet."

I want to help people.  That’s what I’m for.

Ever hear of a guy named Clarence Griffith?  I read about him in the Dallas Morning News this past week.  Three things are unique about him.

1. He was born in 1913.  Know anybody that old?  101 years.
2. When he was 94 he received triple heart bypass at Baylor, Dallas.
3. Ever since his recuperation he regularly goes to console and help people in the Baylor cardiac waiting room.  He gets them coffee, food, and offers them support, praying with them or just letting them talk.  He says,  “That’s what I’m for.  I want to help people.”

Georgie is ready.

For me, Clarence Griffith has accepted that, “The Lord is gracious and merciful, never gets angry and is abounding in love.”  Moreover, he is making himself live that image.

Last week we looked at infinite demand that was followed up with promises of hell.  A fear based program.

Zoe looking for that crazy cowboy.

This week we look at a different infinite demand equally challenging.  The demand is to get rid of fear in our relationship with God using that description, and to help others to do so.

This is one of the biggest reasons I have been and am a priest, and even a psychotherapist, to help others get rid of fear in our relationship with God.

Which leads me to three demands presented by Matthew.  If you reflect upon it, these three are a result of knowing that our God is gracious and merciful, never gets angry and is abounding in love.

Who is this Cool Character? Why I think that is Buddy!

First, Matthew says, using his favorite little figure of speech, ‘You have heard it said, but I say to you…’, when someone hits the left side of your face, offer the right and don’t resist the person who is evil. 

Is this insanity or what?  Has it ever been tried?  Yes, you say, by dead people.   Impossible.  This is the message of the pacifist, a person mostly ridiculed by the rest of us.  Know any?  Sure, John Dear, once a Jesuit, Roy Bourgeois, once a Maryknoll. 

Tori and her puppy friend.

I wonder what would happen if we really did this.  I confess I have not been able to get there. 

Secondly, give to the person who asks from you.  Another tough one.  How do you feel passing the men & women begging at stop lights?  I, for one, feel horrible, even though I know they have a number of shelters, like The Bridge and Austin St. Shelter.   I can work in those places and know that we as a community help them, but I still feel horrible passing those people on the corner.

The Girls, Tori, Emma, and Zoe.

Thirdly, love my enemy.  I really don’t have any serious enemies that I know of, even though I have come to know that some hate me for what I am doing with this community.  For that matter, some of these people hated me at St. Marks.   

Despite failure to live up to these demands, which are infinite, our God is still infinitely accepting, specifically gracious and merciful, never get angry and is abounding in love.   Moreover, relevant to our weakness, he says in the following line, “Not according to our sins does he deal with us.”

Mother and Daughter, Donna and Darbianna.

101 year old Clarence Griffith is showing people this image of God in the Baylor hospital waiting room.

Who shows this image to you?

To whom do you show the image?

Cupcake of The Week to Diane and her special helper, Cowboy Cole.

Readings: Isaiah 49, 3-6; Psalm 40, Here am I, Lord, I come to do your will; 1 Corinthians 1, 1-3; John 1, 29-34 (apologies for the wrong reading the past 2 blogs)

Isaiah reminders—

 Author: This is Isaiah #2, the composer of chapters 40-55.

 Date:  Ca. 575 before Christ.  The Jewish people of Jerusalem are in the Babylonian Captivity.

 Today’s Message: Hope and promise of a better time with emphasis on 1. being a Servant of the Lord, and 2. being a Light to the Nations.

A Servant of the Lord, a Light to the Nations.  Me?

 One day about a week ago Rosemary & I took a taxi to the bus station in Cuernavaca, Mexico.  Taxis cost about $2.00 normally, so many folks use the little white Nissan sedans roaming the city streets.

 As I always do with anyone I can question about anything in Spanish, I ask the driver how the new year is going for him.  He says it is going sadly, triste.  So, naturally, I ask him what is causing his new year to go so sadly. 

He tells me that 3 months ago his son who lived in Cuernavaca was shot for his pickup truck.  The son, who was in his 20’s, left behind his wife and two young kids, one only 9 months old. 

 I’m reminded of the same situation that happened with an acquaintance of Beth.  Also, some years ago I did a funeral for a recent graduate of A&M who had stopped by a convenience store on his way home from a Mavericks’ game.  He, too, was killed for his Mustang.  I did the boy’s funeral.

 Then, Rosemary & I read the news about Tuscon.

 I’m thinking, “What is going on?”

At the same time, Rosemary & I had been reading the selection from Isaiah II about being a light to people.  I am wondering how?  How can I make for a more peaceful environment?  How can I be like, say, Martin Luther King, whose holiday we celebrate tomorrow?  I am feeling overwhelmed. 

 We’ve come up with the following idea.  Any who has better ideas, please let us know.  I cannot expect to make a difference for greater peace in Tuscon or Cuernavaca.  I can expect to shine some light on my environment, Dallas, Plano, even our neighborhood. 

 And then I was struck by the insight that we as a community are a light to the nations.  The community supports CCAC which helps people who can’t get medical help anywhere.  You people help LifeNet, which provides housing for homeless.  The community supports our own members who cannot make it right now.  The community even supports a mother & daughter who had polio in Cuernavaca. 

This is only a short list.  Habitat, serving Thanksgiving dinner to the homeless.  There are others.  You people are bringing peace & light to a lot of people

 In a sad way the taxi driver in Cuernavaca was a light to me just by his sharing.  He certainly has me thinking. 

Who has been a light to you?

For whom are you a light? 

Picture 1:   Rosemary's Blessing 

Picture 2:   Christine & her mom, Diane  

Picture 3:   Zoe in her dad's arms and mom, Michelle  

Picture 4:   Georgie & Kate selling Girl Scout cookies

Picture 5:   Buddy & Torri