Sunday Homily 3-29-09, 5th Lent

Readings:

Genesis 12, 7-9; 3, 1-7,  I will make of you a great nation   

 Psalm 33,  Lord, let your merciful love be upon us, as we  place our trust in you.

 2 Timothy 1, 8-10,   Bear your share of hardship for the gospel.

 Matthew 17, 1-9,    The Transfiguration.

 

 

 

Post Hurricane, Spring on Hilton Head Island.

 

On the Readings Genesis

Traditionally the first 5 books of the Jewish Scriptures (Christian Old Testament) were called the Torah and all five were attributed to Moses as their author. Modern Biblical scholars say definitely not.

In fact, Genesis and the other 4 books of the Torah (Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy) were most likely written in the 5th and 4th centuries before Christ, so during and after the Babylonian captivity (dated around 555 BC).

The Jewish people had been defeated, their temple destroyed, and they were in captivity in Babylon. They knew that the southern tribes of Israel, when they were defeated and taken captive, had basically disappeared, being absorbed by intermarriage with their captors.

To avoid a similar outcome, their oral tradition was written down to give the Jewish people a history and a strong identity. The emphasis was on a special covenant with God. This covenant included many laws and practices touching every aspect of their lives. They left no doubt as to what it meant to be an Israelite, a Jew.

Today’s Lenten readings have connected the words spoken to Abraham in Genesis “you are blessed”, with the words spoken in Matthew’s Transfiguration story “listen to him.”

 

 

 A riot of colors, red, white, and pink, everywhere.

 

 

Homily:  

To understand the context of the Transfiguration story we need to remember: Matthew wrote this Gospel for the early Jewish community, now Christian, living in Jerusalem. They would know well all the books of the law and the prophets, including the first, Genesis, and the last prophet, Malachi. 

In today’s reading Matthew is referencing that last named prophet in the OT. (Read Malachi. 4:4-6)

So, in the last paragraph of the last book of the OT—and the early Jewish Christians Matthew was addressing knew it well—Malachi reminds the Jewish people of Moses, the greatest leader of them all, who took them out of slavery in Egypt, led them to the promised land and gave them the law spoken by God, also on a mountain top.

And Malachi says, “I’m sending Elijah the prophet to clear the way for the Big Day of God.”

So, as Matthew set the scene, here’s the picture: On a mountain top—where else?—that’s where in Scripture all important meetings with God happened—Moses appears representing the law and Elijah appears representing the prophets, and Jesus is transfigured before Moses and Elijah and right in front of the 3 disciples, his face and clothes shining as white as sun light.

That event, in Matthew’s story, is Malachi’s Big Day of God—the proclamation of Jesus as the new Moses, the new Elijah, the long-awaited Messiah. The disciples are told Jesus is the one to listen to now.

 

 

 

Hilton Head is 90% cleaned up.  A long way from how it looked at Thanksgiving.

 

That’s our message too. (As it turned out there were actually four ‘Big Day of God’ events: Jesus’ Baptism, His Transfiguration, His Crucifixion/Resurrection, and His Ascension/ Pentecost.) An interesting difference in the Eastern and Western Christian churches: the Western Church was more influenced by the story of the Crucifixion/Resurrection. E.g., some Catholic saints displayed stigmata (e.g., Saint Francis, Padre Pio).

The Eastern Church was more influenced by the story of the Transfiguration; Eastern Orthodox saints never reported stigmata; they were often described as transfigured by the inner light of grace (e.g., Saints Seraphim and Silouan).

Remember how for several weeks Stack helped us reflect on the questions of who gives us light and to whom do we give light? Guess what? The Transfiguration story takes us right there again, showing Jesus all lit up, as something to see, as the one to listen to, the one to learn from.

How do we shine as people of the light? One challenge is living like Jesus: accepting life as it comes to us, with its joys and delights, its pain and grief.

Another is living like God of Psalm 103: being “merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in kindness.”

Another is living like the people of this community do: Look around you: Name how these people shine for you? Name the ways they give light in your life. Look at yourself: how do you give light to others around you?

Another is being more like the little children: accepting ourselves–even our innocence, being bold, living in the present, chilling, receiving and sharing with such ease.

Can we do this? What do you say?

 

Readings:

2 Kings, 5, 14-17,    Naaman went down and plunged into the Jordan 7 times  (amusing what has been left out leading up to this passage).

Psalm 85,  The Lord has revealed to the Nations his saving power.

2 Timothy  2, 8-13 ,  If we persevere, we shall also reign with him.

 Luke 17, 11–19,   Of ten lepers healed only one returned to give thanks.

 

 

You may wake up now, Georgie, he is finished talking.  

 

2 Kings observations:

Time of the events: 900 B.C.

Time when written: 555 B.C., during the Babylonian captivity.

Subject of 1 Kings: This book continues the history of the kings taking up with the death of King David and continuing through the story of David & Bathsheba's son Solomon.  He builds the famous Temple of Solomon.  After his death the nation divides into the northern & southern states, Israel in the north, Judah in the south (including Jerusalem; remember by the "J's").

 

 

I cannot believe you, too, My Dearest Genevieve, are asleep. 

 

Subject of 2 Kings: This book continues the history of the decline of the two states until Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon defeats the people, 555 before Christ. 

Subject of our chapter 5: one of the generals of the Syrian-Babylonian army goes to visit the prophet of the day, Elisha.  Naaman, the general, has leprosy.  Note the twist of the story at the end.  Thanks is a theme of this selection and it sets the stage for Luke's story about gratitude. Three characters: Naaman, his little slave girl, and Elisha.  Read the story before this to understand the meaning of what is taking place.  I will summarize it at Mass.

 

 

I think, My Dearest Tori, that you are looking to scare me.

 

Mike Miller and Thanks

This morning I would like to talk about how giving thanks is a learned behavior and one I learned from my mother when I got ordained.

First, however, I would like to talk about Mike Miller.  Yesterday morning we had a delightful memorial for Mike at Dickey’s Funeral Home here in Plano.  As you can imagine, I took an hour to get through this memorial.  I spent a lot of time just trying to get a few words out. 

 

 

Denise and Kara, mom & daughter, say, "Welcome in, Everybody."

 

 

I talked about 3 memories. 

First, when I really got to know Mike.  Guess where.  The Collin County Adult Clinic, which our community supported financially for some years.  Mike was the head of the pharmacy department at the clinic.  I would visit him now and then because the pharmacy was a quiet oasis in a crazy busy clinic.  It was often triage time and enormous numbers of people would receive treatment in about 3-4 hours every Thursday evening.

Secondly, remember when Rosemary & I would have our annual anniversary party in May?  Not only would we renew our vows, but we invited people who were celebrating special anniversaries, like 25 or 40 or 65 years, even 1 year.

One year Mike and Dee renewed their vows.  Dee said to Mike that after all these years, when Mike walked into the room she was just thrilled like the first time.  That so touched me.  It touched even more a friend of mine named Julie.  She was in tears and still talks about it.

 

 

It surely must be my turn to play this guitar.  

 

 

Finally, a third thing.  Do you people realize that Mike and Dee almost always were holding hands during our Masses?   I ask Rosemary to do the same thing, and you know what she says. 

I give thanks for Mike in my life and in our community life. 

 

 

Mike Miller's memorial, Saturday, Michael, his son, sharing beautiful memories. 

 

Now, giving thanks.  A learned behavior.

When I got ordained in June of 1971 at St. Rita’s in Dallas, I received a number of gifts.   I remember wondering how I was going to thank all these people and I remember my mother being adamant. “You send them a note.”  That seemed pretty daunting to me because this was pre-email, maybe even pre-electricity.  I had to send by mail all these thank you notes.  My mom: “You always thank people.” 

Twelve years ago when we began this community and you people began to generously support the program.  I was stunned.  And I heard my mom, “Always thank people.”  This is why every Sunday afternoon I aim to get you a thank you note for your generosity.  My Momma told me. 

 

 

Brandon, our Candle Lighter of The Week, does the magic.

 

Giving thanks is a learned behavior. 

How are you like the one leper who returned to give thanks?

 

Sez James, "I'm innocent," if you believe that!

 

 

Readings: Jeremiah 1, 4-19; Psalm 71; 1 Corinthians 12, 31 -13, 1-13; Luke 4, 21-30

Jeremiah – The Prophet Jeremiah lived before and during the great Babylonian captivity.  He loved the people, but warned them that they faced catastrophe for their unfaithful ways.

Today’s selection has Jeremiah talking at the beginning of his call by Yahweh to speak to the people.

1 Corinthians, 13 – Here it is: Paul’s famous treatise on what love is.

Love is Patient, Love is Kind

Last night I had the privilege to be part of one of those magic weddings.  There are magic and super magic weddings.  This was super magic. 

A while back I performed a wedding out of Dallas.  Because the couple was not too clerical and I had the opportunity to stay for the reception, which I can seldom do here in Dallas, I wore a black shirt with a silver tie.  Not a clerical shirt.

When I went into the sacristy before the wedding the woman who took care of arrangements was waiting for the priest.  When she saw me in a tie, it was like, “You are the priest!”

For the rest of the time I was in that church her approach to me was disdainful, like I was repellent.  I was getting judged for not having a collar on, like a good priest is supposed to have on.  I was not a terrorist, I was a fellow Catholic, a priest at that time in good standing.  I just did not have that little plastic tab on.  Love is patient. 

How sad we can be, even when we are in the midst of helping to perform a marvelous event like a wedding.  The wedding was magic, but I have felt sad for the woman.  Love is kind. 

She & I are called to the same kind of love in two ways.  We are called to be patient & kind with everyone we meet, even if the person is not a Catholic, or a Plano resident, or a criminal

We are also challenged to be patient and kind with ourselves when we fail.  This may even be harder to do sometimes than being patient and kind with someone else.

Last night’s wedding was blessed from beginning to end.  No one seemed critical of the ceremony or what we did.  Why can’t all of our life be similar?

With whom do you struggle to be patient & kind?  How patient and kind are you when you fail?

Download the mp3 of the homily here.

Sez our dear Harper "Welcome in, Everybody."

 

Isaiah, a review

Here is another of those passages which make me love Isaiah so much.  I have mentioned this before.  He is my favorite.  

Today we have Isaiah III talking to the Jews who have returned to Jerusalem from the Babylonian Captivity, about 555 years before Christ.  It helps to picture the mood of these people. 

 

 

Away we go!

 

Are you a Cowboy Fan?  How do you feel about this year?  Multiply this by 10 and you have how the Jewish people felt after 50 years of slavery and  their town destroyed like New Orleans or parts of Preston Hollow. 

When he says Jerusalem or Zion, he is talking to these beaten down people.  Later centuries church leaders began to make these words have two meanings, the city and we Christians.  Jerusalem, then, applies to us.

Sources: Good News Bible, The New Interpreter’s Bible

 

 

Takes Zoe to really light a candle.

 

 

Readings:

Isaiah 60, 1-6,  The glory of the Lord shines upon you. (nice)

Psalm 72,  Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

Ephesians 3, 2-3, 5-6, God's grace was given to me.

Matthew 2, 1-12,  Where is the newborn king of the Jew?.

 

 

And to really get  it lit, it takes Victoria.

 

The Epiphany, a Cornucopia of Symbols:

2 observations–

Where to begin, folks.  There is so much symbolism in this liturgy, in Matthew, for sure, and in the combination of Matthew with Isaiah and Psalm 72.  Matthew carefully crafted this story to appeal to both his fellow Jews and the Gentile population.   I'll touch 2 points, each with 3 subdivisions..         

 

 

And to really get it all right, it takes Buddy to read the Blessing of the Candles.

 

 

The Wise Men have a double & triple significance because they are

1. Gentiles
2. They come from the east, considered the source of wisdom in the world of that time.  Where does the sun rise?  Where do stars rise?  A new son has been born and like the sun in the east or a star he will bring new light. 
3. They are searchers & symbolize every man’s search for meaning in life.    Remember Matthew speaks to two audiences, his fellow Israelites, whom he is chastising for not searching, and the Gentiles. 

 

 

And then backing it all up is Leo singing.

 

2. The 3 gifts. 
3. Gold is given because it signifies royalty. 
4. Frankincense, or incense, signifies divinity. 
5. Myrra signifies medicine.  Myrra is for the human.  It comes from a bush like tree that has a yellow, sticky sap on its bark.  The sap was good for skin infections and acne, asthma, colds, and flu, and even herpes.  It is found in Saudi Arabia & Somalia.

 

 

Bringing the gifts Bernadette, her daughter Michelle, and Grace.

 

 A post script.  People in Europe used to write an inscription over their doors, e.g. 20+C+M+B+17.  The numbers are our year.  The letters are Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar, supposedly the kings' names.   Christians made it say, “Christ & you 3 kings bless our house or Maison the year listed."

 

 

And trouble with Richard, Cody, & Ben.

 

 

 Another post script.  In New Orleans Epiphany starts Carnival season, which leads up to Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.  The parades start, folks.  Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler.

 Sources: Reginal Fuller, St. Louis U. Liturgy; Biblical & Theological Resources, the Voice Institute, on line; Wikipedia; and other sources.

 

 

The communion team with Patricia, Claire, Geri, Grace, & Denni.   Thanks, You All.

 

An Epiphany Story

Rosemary & I once went to the exposition of some paintings of about six or eight artists. Among the artists and the reason we were there was my childhood buddy, Ed Lamberty, who gave the homily here on alcoholism & AA some years ago.  He was presenting some of his works.

 As we were wandering around we ran into another couple who are old friends.  We ask what brought them to this exposition.  They pointed across the room to a middle aged, middle class, blondish woman who was standing by some of her works.

 

 

Hi, Marlene, Mabel, & Cindy.  So good to see you.

 

 Here is the story the wife told me.

The couple we know are both academics on the university level.  Some years ago the wife had been teaching and came to know one of her students.  The student was a mother with a son about 8 years old.  At some point in time the father had abandoned them and left them with nothing.  They were living in the mother’s car.

 

 

Thanks, Rick, for all the good pictures.

 

My friend says to me that this so shocked her and she thought this cannot continue.  An Epiphany moment.  She described the situation to her husband and two sons who were about 10 & 12.  Guess what they did.

They invited the mother & son to live with them until they got on their feet.  The two sons moved into one bedroom and the mother & her son took the other.  Here they lived for almost a year until the husband found the woman a job. 

 

 

Peace, Everybody.

 

The woman now is successful and is developing as an artist, selling her works for big sums.  The son graduated from Jesuit, graduated from college, and now is married with a couple of his own kids. 

 Obvious from the fact that they were at the art exposition, my friends are still quite close with the mother & her son. 

 

Peace for 2020.

 

I would propose that this is what epiphany is, a light shines on a presence.  The presence is a challenge and, perhaps, involves care for others.   The presence may be the example of another person.

 Who is an epiphany for you?

 For whom are you an epiphany?

 

 

 Readings:  –  from Thanksgiving Day 

 Sirach  50, 22-24,   May he grant you joy of heart.

Psalm 113,   Blessed be the Name of the Lord forever.

1 Corinthians 1, 3-9,   You were enriched in every way.

Luke 17, 11-19,  Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks? 

 Thanksgiving History: Everyone knows about the first Thanksgiving in 1602 with the Pilgrims and the Indians eating together, the Mayflower, and Plymouth Rock.   Here are 5 facts that people do not hear about usually.

1.  When did Thanksgiving begin?  Our ancestors have celebrated end of harvest feasts of gratitude for centuries.  Lincoln first focused on a national feast; FDR established the national holiday in 1941.

2.  The pilgrims did not know they were pilgrims.  They called themselves saints, and non-saints were called strangers.  The word pilgrim came along in the 18 hundreds, 2 centuries later.  They were not even Puritans, but separatists.  They split off from the Church of England, old Henry VIII's church, and the Puritans did not split off.

3.  The Separatists did not come to establish religious freedom.  They came for religious freedom for their religion and only their religion.  Like the Catholic Church, the Separatists demanded everyone belong to their program.  Failure to conform could result in execution, ala inquisition.

4.  The Mayflower returned to England, was torn apart, and its beams were used to build a barn in Buckinghamshire (just north of London & east of Oxford).

5.  How did the Indians & Separatists communicate?   The Indians were Algonquians & one of them, Squanto had actually lived in Briton some years.  He returned to his tribe and taught his friend Samoset English.  It was Samoset who communicated with the Separatists, & the Indians taught them to raise corn, to fish, and to hunt.  In the first winter half of the 100 Separatists died before the Indians taught them how to survive. 

 

Thanksgiving

It is Thanksgiving this week, Folks, my favorite feast and holiday.   I would like to talk about our blessings. 

It was over a year ago when Chris Dembney walked in here one Sunday and told me about a bike ride he had done for 7 days across Iowa, 500 miles.  He says, “Stack, you would love this trip.” 

I remember telling him, “Chris, you are crazy.  Why would I want to ride 500 miles across Iowa?”  Guess what I did this past July. 

Blessing #1 for me: my health. 

Not only have I been able to ride 500 miles and am ready to sign up for this July.  But I have been able to return to back packing in the mountains.   In 2009 in Matterhorn Canyon, Yosemite, I knew I could never hike again in the mountains with my old, factory issue hips.  2010, January & February, I got the new hips and that August I was back packing in CO with the usual degenerate group.  I still am amazed.

Blessing #2: our community

You people are a Work of Art.   Here is what I see and how you are a blessing.

The generosity.  This little community just this year has contributed  $25,000   to help numerous nonprofits and numerous individuals in financial straits.   This very weekend your generosity is helping in NYC and NJ through Professor Jim Mahar and Bona Responds.  $2000 of your aid was given directly to them last Sunday.  What a blessing.

The warmth.  I do not know how many times someone or a couple has come to me after visiting here.  They always mention the warmth and the hospitality.  What a blessing.

Your child friendly warmth.  Do you realize these kids are growing up in a sacred environment without fear?  What a privilege to watch and help them grow.   Thanks to you parents & grandparents who share your kids with us. What a blessing.

Blessing #3: Rosemary’s recuperation.

January 6 it was when she crashed her Christmas bike and busted her elbow so badly.  The past few weeks she has been riding the same bike around White Rock Lake.  The physical recuperation is remarkable enough.  The spiritual and psychological recuperation has been even more marvelous.

What are 2 or 3 of your biggest blessings this year?

 

 

 

Readings:  Isaiah 56, 1-7; Psalm 67; Romans 11, 13-15, 29-32; Matthew 15, 21-28.

Romans: For months we have been using as our second reading Paul's letter to the Romans.  I have not mentioned it or even included in the homilies for two reasons:

1. It is not related to the other two readings. The Gospel & the first reading attempt to follow a theme. The second reading continues the same book week after week and if it relates it is accidental.
2. It is dense. 7 letters are considered written by Paul who wrote this one probably around 55 A.D., while he was in Corinth, Greece, and in anticipation of a visit to Rome. It is the most complete statement of his understanding of the Christian faith. Some scholars consider it his masterpiece, but it is often difficult to understand.

The Assumption

This past Friday the Catholic Church celebrated one of its big feast days, the Assumption of Mary into heaven.  The meaning: Mary, after she finished her time on earth, was taken bodily into heaven.  Let me talk about this feast.  4 observations.

1.  The history of the belief.  The idea that Mary was taken up bodily into heaven got going by at least the 5th century.  People thought that she was rewarded for her role in redemption by this action on God's part. 

2.  The history of the declaration.  In November, 1950, Pius XII declared this event to be a dogma of the Catholic Church, that is, you have to believe it if you are a Catholic.   It was the first and only doctrine declared under papal infallibility, a doctrine proclaimed by Pius IX in 1870.

The story behind both of these dates is quite interesting.  1870 is the date of Italian unification.  Up to this time there was no united peninsula, no Italy like today.  There were at least three big parts: north, south, and right in the middle the Papal States. 

The people wanted those states to be part of the whole.  Pius IX was adamantly against ceding an inch of his property.  When the people won the property deal , Pius withdrew into the Vatican, declared himself a prisoner of the Vatican, appealed to France who did not help him, and finally declared that what he said as pope on faith & morals was infallible, despite the advice of the majority of his consul tors.

In 1950 the Second World War was finished and the world was stunned into shock by the revelation of the Holocaust.  Pius XII himself was downcast by the Holocaust.  Moreover, he was getting some heat because he did not stand up more strenuously to Hitler.  He had been Vatican ambassador to Germany during the build up of the Third Reich, so he knew the atmosphere well.  On top of that, there was evidence that at least one senior vatican official was complicit in sending Jews to the death camps. 

Pius XII might have experienced some shame.  In the face of the brutality of the Holocaust, Pius decided to make a dramatic statement to show the sacredness of the human person, body included, by declaring the assumption of Mary's body into heaven a dogma. 

3.  The basis in Scripture for the doctrine.  There is none.  What is taking place here, is that Pius is articulating what has been considered a belief for centuries.  It has been believed for, say, 10-15 centuries.  Therefore, it took place.  There is a weakness here, of course.  What can be asserted a fact without evidence, can be discarded without evidence. 

 

4.  The Assumption in my life.  50 years ago Friday I walked into the Jesuit novitiate in Grand Coteau, LA.  30 of us entered more or less together.  Two of my classmates celebrated Friday in New Orleans or Mobile when the Jesuit Province gathered to celebrate anniversaries. 

On that day 50 years ago my life took a 180 degree turn from being a typical  bratty teen ager to a monk.  From days spent with friends, girls, music, cars, and radios, I entered a world of silence, meditation, physical work, and study.  Feast days were eagerly anticipated and the Assumption was one of the big ones.  I took vows twice on August 15 and the date is still big with Jesuits.  It comes at a convenient time at the end of the summer and before the school year. 

I still celebrate August 15, and in 2004 I did it in a special way.  You may have heard.  This is the story.  It was earlier that week that I returned from the annual Yosemite trip and was told unexpectedly that I had been suspended by the bishop because of an anonymous letter saying Stack wanted to get married.  Why then?  Who knows?  I had been saying this for years, ever since returning from East Africa.

August 15 that year was a Sunday.  Where was I always on Sunday mornings?  St. Marks.  10:30 that morning, when I would have been starting the cafetorium Mass, Rosemary & I were watering trees at Fretz Park, Belt Line & Hillcrest.  I had gotten out of the truck to repair a tree, got up, and went into a disassociation state that lasted until about 5:00 that evening.  I woke up looking out the bay window of the living room on Tulip Lane.  Rosemary & Libby had taken me to the emergency room, thinking I had a stroke.  I had been released when they found nothing.  It was stress induced.  I have run into this defense mechanism in people over the years as a priest & psychotherapist.  I never thought that I might try it, but you never know totally what your inner spirit is feeling.

The stress, of course, was over getting suspended, being turned away by St. Marks, and facing another 180 degree turn around in my life. 

Guess what: it was all worth it and I could not be happier.  Actually, both 180 degree turns in my life were special blessings. 

The Assumption was the feast Friday.  What do you think about it?  What do you believe?

AUDIO:  http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2008-08-17.mp3