Sunday Homily 8-31-08, 22nd, Oridnary Time & Labor Day
Readings: Jeremiah 20, 7-9; Psalm 63; Romans 12, 1-2; Matthew 16, 21-27
Jeremiah: One of the 3 great prophets, called the "broken hearted prophet,' because he had a heart rending life predicting punishment of death and destruction for the Hebrews for their sinful ways.
He wrote from Jerusalem ca. 600 B.C. and his predictions came true when Nebuchadnezzar attacked Jerusalem in 588 B.C., defeated the Hebrews, and took them off to Babylon-Baghdad as prisoners. Jeremiah wore a wooden yoke as a visual aid to his message. He may have been ultimately killed by the Hebrews.
Deny Yourself, Take up Your Cross, and Follow Me
This simple little line from Matthew can be very tricky. It can be approached healthily or in a less than healthy way. I can witness to the latter in my own life. I have already described how as a young Jesuit I was expected to do penance and deny myself in various ways, like the practice of using little whips to scourge our backs and little chains with points to wear around our thighs. This was supposed to bring me closer to God.
I can laugh at this now, but I am humbled at how easily I can be programed. When I read this line and others like it in the Bible and remember my experiences with such spirituality, I pick up the scent of an ancient philosophy that still influences a lot of religious activity which is not spiritually so sane. The philosophy: dualism.
The idea is simple. Reality comes in pairs, hot & cold, rich & poor, order & chaos, and, in particular for this discussion, body & soul or flesh & spirit or mind & matter. So far so good.
The trouble enters with a judgment about the flesh & spirit. Specifically, flesh is bad, spirit is superior. Consequently, so that my spirit may reach an elevated plane of purity & perfection, and ultimately closer union with God, I attempt to control the flesh by disregarding the body's existence & appetites, ultimately aiming to live without it. How about that!
There is a healthy, in fact, a rich approach to the line. But first a couple of facts. Dualism is identified as far back as 1000 years B.C. and came out of Zoroastrianism, a religion that worshiped one god and believed in an afterlife. Did it come from Egypt as so much did at that time? No, from Persia, the area we call Iran today. Zoroastrianism was widespread until Muhammad arrived on the scene around 650 and established Islam. Through the ages lots of people picked up on dualism, for example, Plato, Augustine, Descartes.
I have two stories about people who healthily acted out self denial.
First, a girl I know who when she was 11 years old thought that she would like to join a swimming team here in Plano. She tried out, more than once, failing each time. Undaunted, she practiced. When she was 12 she not only got on the team, but she won the state championship in her age bracket.
She continued to swim through grade school and into high school, practicing 2 hours early in the morning before class and two hours after school. She even went to Providence College on a swim scholarship. This girl, Megan, whom I love tremendously could have slept in two more hours every morning when she was in high school, she could have come home after school and watched TV. It would have been easier. This is healthy self denial and because of it she is a girl more alive, more whole, more fully alive with a vibrant spirit. She is now the mother of Liam, who was our Baby Jesus in the Christmas drama, and the daughter of Rob & Beth.
Saturday we celebrated with a parade in Parker another girl like Megan, Nastia, home from the Olympics.
The second person is Thomas McGowan, 50 years old. You might have read about him in the paper a few weeks ago. He was just released from prison after spending half of his life there for a crime he did not commit. The Innocence Project obtained permission to run a DNA match & he was exonerated.
I came to know more about him through an old friend and classmate of mine, Tony Levatino, who in his retirement works at the Holy Trinity Center, the outreach arm of Holy Trinity Parish, just like ours. Tony got familiar with him because his sister works at Holy Trinity and happened to talk with her. Turns out he could not find a job. Tony had a connection with the Anatole Hotel and got him hired.
Besides being moved by what Tony was able to accomplish, I was also moved whenTony said Thomas was an excellent man, cheerful, without anger, not wanting to blame anyone. He accepted his fate while hoping for exoneration. He was peaceful. Thomas was a man who denied himself and took up a cross.
These two people have both denied themselves. Megan strove to achieve, Thomas accepted.
How & why do you deny yourself?
AUDIO: http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2008-08-31.mp3