Sunday Homily, February 23, 2020, Ordinary Time

Readings:   Ezekiel, 34, 11-17,  I will look after and tend my sheep; Psalm 23, The Lord is my Shepherd, there is nothing I shall want; 1 Corinthians 15, 20-28, Christ has been raised from the dead; Matthew 25, 31-46, The last judgement, He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

Ezekiel:  I've mentioned how Ezekiel is one of the Big 3 Prophets, #3 after Isaiah & Jeremiah.  I also mentioned e how he lived smack dab in the middle of one of the two or three biggest tragedies of the Jewish people, the Babylonian captivity, from say 600 to 550 BCE.  He was there.

In American history we can look back and identify special presidential leaders, Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt.  They came forward in crisis times. 

Ezekiel was this type of leader in Jewish history.  He saw what had happened to other Jews of the the northern province of Israel (Jerusalem is in the southern province of Judah) after they had been carted off as slaves after a defeat by the Assyrians.  They intermarried and simply disappeared in the DNA of the middle east.

Ezekiel is in Babylon and is determined that his community would not lose its identity.  He did three things to help maintain the spirit of the community: he emphasized  1. observance of the Sabbath, 2. kosher diet, and 3. circumcision.

Eventually after ca. 50 years the community still was a cohesive unit and it returned to rebuild Jerusalem, at least most of them.  The Jews are one of the few peoples to be defeated and scattered, and still return to their original homeland.  They remained there until the Romans defeated them in 70 C.E., returning when?  1948, after the Holocaust.

Today's reading comes to us from an Ezekiel captive in Babylon, and has Ezekiel promising the people a return, a brighter day after the captivity.  He uses the figure of speach, I will.  But I is Yahweh. 

Giving Thanks & Giving Back

Occasionally we have a story that is so good it deserves to be repeated, like the Christmas story.  This event took place 2 or 3 years ago.  Some of you will remember it, but it is a lesson worth remembering.

It happened like this. 

The community had adopted a family for Advent, a mother with 3 little kids and a baby on the way.  Beth Robinson had coordinated our adoption of the family and we were collecting clothing, food, and money.  It was our response to Thanksgiving and Christmas, as well as our response to how blessed we are and have been this year.  

After the Mass everyone was standing around having coffee and pastries.  Beth was there when a young boy, 6 or 7 years old,  came up and said he would like to help the family.  All he had was a dollar and he would like to give it to the family.  Beth accepted it graciously.

The boy is one of ours.  You know who it is?  Dillon.  The son of Bobbi Whitley, and Tony & Jo’s grandson.  The brother of Hunter & Audrey.   He is not with us this morning because he is a Boy Scout on a weekend camping trip.  He will be back & he knows I am telling the story. 

Dillon is a model for me and he exemplifies the two themes I would like to touch this morning, what we have to be thankful for and how we respond to the Matthew story about feeding the hungry and giving drink to the thirsty.   

My belief is that the greatest prayer is gratitude.  I am grateful that living in our country we have this feast, my favorite.  It pulls me back over the past year and gets me questioning, ‘What is my greatest blessing or joy or gift?’  Rosemary & I even make a list.

Our response is easy, try to give back.  This is why we renovated Rita’s house a week ago.  It is why we have put together for the community a simple plan for Advent, call it A Gift a Sunday.  I will explain the idea at the end of Mass and welcome any helpful ideas.

Two observations about our gospel about the sheep & goats.  Actually, lefties like myself & goats don't do well here.

    1.  Beware of either/or spirituality.  We are both.  The temptation, of course: I am a goat & lost.  We are all goats.

    2.  Beware of letting fear enter your spirit and trying to do it all, feed, give drink, clothe, visit the imprisoned, and on & on.  Try moderation seasoned with gratitude.

What is your blessing of the year?  How are you giving back? 

Picture 1:    Mass begins

Picture 2:    John working out with Ray & Jon 

Picture 3:   Froebes, Richard & Morgan & Monica  

Picture 4:    Butterlies, Jim & Denise, Kara & James III   

Picture 5:    Buddy with his dad, Randolph 

Picture 6:    Brooklyn thanks everyone for welcoming her and accepts her baptism tree

Readings:

Isaiah 62, 1-5,  The Lord delights in you.

Psalm 96,  Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations.

1 Corinthians 12, 4-11, There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit.

John 2, 1-11, There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee.

The Team ready to begin our Mass.

 For those who don’t have a decent Bible or a book of the readings, here are two links that I use, The Bible at Your Fingertips (http://st-luke-church.org/bible-at-finger-tips.php) and USCCB, The New American Bible (http://www.usccb.org/).  

The difference?  The first is Protestant more or less, and the second is officially Catholic and has the 12 little books in between the O.T. & N.T., called Deuterocanonical or Apocrypha. 

Both are good translations.     

Zurchin Offertory, Matthew, Claire, Chloe, Denni, and Tom

 Homily for January 20

 One of the three summer canoe trips that I used to organize each year at St. Mark was for the 13 and 14 year old children.  It was a three-day trip where we put in the Brazos River just south of Cleburne off highway 67 below the Boy Scout camp.

Emma arrives.

On the third day all the adult team was aware of a stop we would make an hour or so before we would board the bus for home.  The young people would be tired and hot as they approached some water gently pouring over some limestone at probably 5 or 10 gallons a minute like a miniature waterfall. 

They got terribly excited when they were told that it was a natural spring, cold and drinkable. The kids would take turns standing under it with their mouths open. 

Queen Zoe and Georgie arriving.

2000 years ago a traveling Jesus and his disciples would have loved such water.  They would have used it drink and to dilute the wine that they had with them.  Travelers usually didn’t drink water unless it was living, flowing from a spring or recent rain.  They drank diluted wine.

The OT Stories were written around things like living waters, wine and vineyards.  Since the gospels fulfilled the expectation of the OT for the coming of the Messiah, within them these symbols took on a deeper spiritual meaning. The vine became the symbol of Christ, living waters the symbol for the good news.

Kara arriving.

Since the word, wine, is present in most, if not all, of the books in the OT, we should expect that the wine in today’s gospel would be a symbol for something terribly important…and it is.

In the Mark gospel we are presented with this metaphor.  You don’t pour new wine into an old wineskin.  Anyone who ever left a wet handball or golf glove in the sun knows why.  You would find it stiff and hardened.  If you tried to pour new wine into them, the cracks in the leather would become revealed.  The wine would be lost; the leather also would be of no value.

Buddy arriving.

Therefore, Place new wine into new wineskins!  In the Story where you find that metaphor, you are introduced to the hardened hearts of the Pharisees and scribes who had rejected the good news and therefore the Holy Spirit that flowed forth from those living waters.

Remember the Holy Spirit and the unclean spirits cannot coexist within a heart.  A new wineskin is the heart of someone who has repented and welcomed the new wine, the Holy Spirit.

Sisters, Brooklyn and Sienna

So, now you pretty much know the meaning of the parable about the wedding feast in Cana of Galilee.  The old wine gave out because God sent to us his only begotten Son with new wine. The empty jars used in the purification rite within Judaism that had been empty, barren, now would be fulfilled by living waters, to the brim…from which would pour forth the Holy Spirit. 

Cupcakes of The Week (2 of 5), Kevin (17) and Claire and Ray (42nd).

What one thing would I like for you to take away from the gospel today?  

The Greek word for the servants who assisted Jesus in today’s gospel is used for male or female, diakonia. We are to understand that they were manifesting the Holy Spirit to those at the wedding feast of Cana by their words and actions. 

Toy Land with Hannah and Beth, Zoe, Torri, and Emma.

You might have felt distanced by Nancy’s 2^nd reading if you were wondering who those people are in our assembly.  We are those people!   Those who proclaimed the Word; those who serve at the table, those who distribute from the table; those who wash and fill the cups; those who bake the bread; those who set the table with gifts; those who lead us in song; those who give and distribute our gifts to those in need; those who visit the sick; those who extend the sign of peace to one another.

We are his body, blessed and broken for each other.

Tom presenting 4th quarter financials.

Readings: Isaiah 8, 23-9, 3; Psalm 27; 1 Corinthians 1, 10-17; Matthew 4, 12-23.

Isaiah: This great book continues for one more beautiful week.  Today we are presented with another vision of a people walking in light with joy and rejoicing.  Just a reminder: the visions in the book come from ca. 800 years B.C.

To what are You Called?

I would like to talk this morning about The Call.  Has anyone heard about a guy named Franz Jagerstatter?  This man was beatified last October in the cathedral in Linz, Austria.   He was Austrian, born in 1907 to poor farming parents.  He toyed with the idea of joining a monastery when he was 27, but decided his mother needed him to stay and help her with the farm.

At 29 he married Franziska and later said he could never have imagined that being married would be so wonderful.  The year was 1936.  Two years later you know what happened?  What happened in Austria?  Nazi Germany unified as it were Austria, and it became basically a state in Germany.  Coincidentally, Adolf Hitler was born in a small Austrian town neighboring the small town Franz was born in. 

With the Nazi take-over of Austria the arrest and exportation of the Jews began immediately.  The majority of the Catholic Church gave full and complete support to the Nazi take over and unification.  The diocese of Linz was an exception, and it was near Linz that Franz & his family lived and listened to the debate.  He was torn.  Some priests even encouraged Franz to get along, don’t endanger his family and keep his head down.

While Franz was struggling with his conscience, Germany spectacularly continued its unification plans, taking over Poland in ’39, France, and the Netherlands.  And arresting Jews.  In February,1943, just two years before the end of the war in May,1945, Franz got his orders to report for military service. March 2 he reported to the military base and refused to serve.  He was arrested and spent the next five months in prison in Linz.  In July he was found guilty of impeding the war effort and condemned to death.   August 9, 1943, 4:00 P.M., he was beheaded.  He was 36 years old.

Franz Jagerstratter heard The Call, Folks.  I am humbled by his example.

Jesus is walking along the lake.  He sees these rough fishermen and calls them to come along.  They do. We get the same call.   I am tempted to think the call is for that guy, for Franz, or someone else.  Not me.  Wrong.  We each get The Call.

To what are you called?

AUDIO:  http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2008-01-27.mp3

February 8, 2015, 5th Ordinary Time

Readings:

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

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

1 Corinthians 9, 16-25,   I have made myself a slave to all.

 Mark 1, 29-39,   They brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons.

Leo says, "Hi, Folks, welcome in, we got cupcakes."

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. 

Vivian says, "Hi, Folks, and thanks for the cupcake. Even though I am not quite here yet, I already love cupcakes." Ask her mom, Bethany.

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.

Happiness is… Poor Job should have had a cupcake of the week.

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.

John with Mary, Jean, and Jan.

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."

Cupcakes of The Week to Geri, Mike, and Randolf with some little mice suddenly appearing.

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. 

Shortly after that, another messenger races in and says lightening has just killed all his sheep and the shepherds.   Other messengers then 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." 

Even these characters get Cupcakes, John, Hue, Scott, and Tom.

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. 

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

Ye Olde Coffee Shoppe with Class, thanks to Mike and Geri. Poncik moving in.

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) 

Harper says, "If you love me, you will give me a Cupcake. Right?"

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

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)

"Yes, I love you, Harper. Happy Cupcake."

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

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 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?

Readings:

Deuteronomy  18, 15-20,  Moses spoke to all the people.

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

1 Corinthians 7, 32-35,   A married man is anxious about the things of the world.

Mark 1, 21-28,   In the synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit.

Introduction 

In our reading from the Book of Deuteronomy, Moses speaks to the Israelites about the coming of the Prophet, the Messiah, who is the Word of God. Our Responsorial Psalm states, ‘let us come into his presence to show our gratitude,’ for God will shepherd his people by feeding and guiding his flock. The expectation of these readings is realized in today’s reading from Mark.    

Our second reading is from Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians on another subject altogether.  It is a good example of why one should always seek first to understand the context in which the text has been placed.  

Homily with Mike:

 Today’s reading from Mark needs to be understood in the context of where it was placed in the gospel.  John the Baptist has just told the people that he is baptizing in water; but when the Messiah comes he will baptize you in living waters; his words that pour forth the Holy Spirit. 

So, Jesus comes to Galilee and these are his first words: ‘The time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe in the good news.’

‘The time is fulfilled,’ means that John the Baptist has fulfilled his purpose to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah who will baptize with the Spirit. ‘The kingdom of God is at hand;’ the Messiah, the light of the world, is in their very midst to enlighten those who are in darkness.

The word repent, metanoia, means to have a change of heart, a spiritual conversion. ‘Believe in the good news,’ is an invitation to welcome and live the good news that the Father has sent his Word to redeem us, his only begotten Son. So, Jesus enters the synagogue on the Sabbath.

Why did he do this?  He would teach how and why his good news would fulfill that day’s reading from the Law and/or Prophets.  As Jesus began to teach, the Holy Spirit flows forth from his words into the heart of a man who had been in darkness.  The man’s unclean spirit cries out, ‘I know who you are; the holy one of God.’ Jesus says, ‘Come out of him. Those present are amazed, ‘his words are spoken with authority not like those of the scribes.’ The man’s unclean spirit flees from the presence of the Holy Spirit, just as darkness always flees from the light.

Just before Christmas, Francis gave a spirited last minute Advent teaching to his Curia calling them to have a change of heart, a spiritual conversion from their complacency, petty squabbling, favoritism and gossiping.

To make his intention completely clear, he prefaced each teaching with a selection from the spoken Word of God.  The News releases informed us that a number of the higher ranking members of the Curia felt Francis was out of order for doing this.  The mere fact that some thought they were higher ranking members is reason enough for Francis to chastise them.

Christ taught his disciples to put themselves last and the people they were to serve first.  Don’t follow the hypocrisy of the Scribes who love their gold rings, the clothes they wear, the huge homes they live in, their praying in public places to seek attention, choosing the best seats at banquets…How did things get so out of order for the scribes?

Think about today’s reading from First Corinthians Chapter 7, Paul sets the stage by teaching what is from the Lord, the sacred bond of marriage.  He then says that what he is going to talk about, celibacy, is not from the Lord; it’s from his experience, saying that it was a gift to him; that everyone doesn’t have this gift; there are many gifts. 

However, the readings that we are given, like the one today, that come from Paul, not the Lord, have been understood by the Magisterium to be saying that celibacy is a higher spiritual gift than that of marriage. Not so!

But we have brought it hook, line and sinker.  When a priest celebrates Mass he recognizes himself as Christ.  We should celebrate that recognition!  What we have forgotten is this: in marriage when a husband and wife seek to have a child, they too are making Christ alive to one another and to the World. 

When they coach a child in some sport, or teach a child how to say grace before a meal, they too are being Christ to one another and to the world.  Don’t sell yourself short.  God has no favorites!  Recognize who you are called to be; the Body of Christ in the world during this week.  Being a celibate priest is not a higher spirit gift than being a husband or wife or—a child or a student—or whatever gift it is that you have been given to be.

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