Author: Rosemary

Readings: Leviticus 13, 1-2, 44-46; Psalm 32; 1 Corinthians 10, 31-11, 1; Mark 1, 40-45 

Leviticus: The book of the Levite tribe, the priestly tribe, one of the 12 tribes of Israel (from the 12 sons of Jacob–The Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob).

Author: a collection of many sources, but not Moses (impossible).

Date: some laws go back 1400 BCE., others from ca. 450 BCE.  

Note: an interesting example of how academics better understand these texts.  They noted that both Leviticus 11 & Deuteronomy 14 have similar lists of clean and unclean animals for eating.  Deuteronomy 14, however, has 11 additional critters which are not mentioned in Leviticus 11.  These 11 dwell only in the Arabian desert, not in Egypt or the land of Canaan (Holy Land).   From this it can be deduced that the person (s) writing the laws in Leviticus had not wandered the desert and was writing before the Exodus.  The writer (s) of Deuteronomy, however, had wandered the desert.  Source: The Book of Leviticus; Believe: Religious Information Source, Canon Tristam

Subject matter: laws for better living with Yahweh.  For instance in chapter 11, one may not eat pigs, camels, or rabbits, no animal with a divided hoof.  All winged insects are unclean, except those that hop.  In chapter 12, women are ritually unclean after giving birth, 7 days for boys, 14 days for girls.  Chapter 19, "love one another as one's self."  This morning's selection deals with how people with leprosy are to be treated.  Leprosy, of course, was considered a punishment for sin & disobedience.

Exclusion vs Inclusion

When I first lived in Kenya & Tanzania in the late 70's I spent time working on my Swahili in a Jesuit parish that was in a town called Tabora, Tanzania.  The town is in the middle of Tanzania with no paved roads leading to it.  Only a few roads in the town itself are paved.  The parish had about 3 Jesuit priests in those days, if I remember correctly, a French Canadian, an Irish, and an Indian.    Today the Jesuits have departed and handed it over to the diocese because of not enough Jesuit priests.

In those days the parish had 21 outstations, some of which even had other outstations further out.  These were located in small villages where little mud walled churches had been put up.  Occasionally I found a rather large cement block church left over from times when priests were more abundant.   Each Sunday we would all head out on motorcycles to the outstations. 

On the edge of Tabora there was a special community.  A community of men & women who had leprosy.  The exclusion of these lepers was similar to what we read in Leviticus, though they received better care.  Our parish used to help them a lot and I went to say Mass for them and spent time talking with them often individually, sometimes in a group.  Despite the effectiveness of modern medicine, many had significant scarring and were without hands or feet.  I remember being touched mostly by the quality of their spirits and sense of acceptance. 

I am reminded of this leper community when I read about the lepers in today's readings.  Leviticus lays down the directives, exclusion.  Mark has Jesus dealing with a leper, including him in the community.   I've already discussed Leviticus.  Let me mention 3 points relevant to Mark & his account.

First, Mark's aim.  Mark wants to convince Christians of Jewish & mostly Gentile background that Jesus is the Messiah.  This community probably lived in Galilee, that is, around the Sea of Galilee or in Syria.  How do today's students of the bible know this?  Because they analyzed the text and noted that Mark used Greek rather than Aramaic.  Moreover, Mark describes some Jewish customs.  Both points indicated that he talks to a community made up more of Gentile Christians than Jewish Christians.  They could not speak Aramaic and they did not know Jewish customs.  Also, it is thought that the community was dwellingng around Galilee because Mark describes the geography of those places rather than around Jerusalem. 

Secondly, Mark's means, how does he accomplish his end?  He uses two literary techniques, the somewhat famous Messianic Secret technique and miracle stories. 

When Mark has Jesus tell the leper, "See that you tell no one anything," Mark is using the Messianic Secret technique.  People were saying that they lived at the time of Jesus, but never saw or heard about any of these miracle events.  Mark is saying that they did not hear about them because Jesus tried to hide his powers.  The secret is only supposed to be revealed at the end, at the death & resurrection.  Nevertheless, as part of his technique Mark allows it to leak out by writing that the man "began to publicize the whole matter."

Thirdly, how Mark carefully crafts his writing.  It is noted that in this chapter 1, Mark has 8 points he is using to convince people.  For example, he built community by calling the apostles, he showed power by running off an unclean spirit, he gives life to Peter's mother, and so on.  The miracle he describes today is number 8 and aims at inclusion  of rejects in the community.

Instead of excluding the leper like Leviticus instructs, Jesus welcomes him.  In fact, he does something that broke the law and the people would be astounded.  He touched the leper.  This was after Mark has the leper break the law by approaching Jesus.  People around are saying, "Wow!", when they read this. 

This might be today's lesson for us.  Inclusion.  Like it was for me in Tabora, Tanzania, it may be easier for us to think of including a leper, because we know the virus is not that contagious and can be effectively treated.  But HIV?  What about other races, colors, religions, students from other schools?

Whom do I have trouble including in my community?

References:

• Austin Cline, Audience of Mark's Gospel (on line), for the 11 extra critters

• Carmelite website, Homilies, for the 8 points Mark makes in chapter 1

AUDIO:  http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2009-02-15.mp3

Picture 1:  Mass with Sabrina helping

Picture 2:  Hunter & Dillon, Kim, Ken, & Cindy

Picture 3: at the Coffiee Island, Maureen, Greg, & Angelo

Picture 4:  Hunter

Readings: Job 7, 1-7; Psalm 147; 1 Corinthians 9, 16-23; Mark 1, 29-39

Job:

Author: Unknown.  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.

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

Structure: 3 poetic dialogs preceded by a prose introduction and ending with a prose conclusion.

Why do Bad Things Happen to Good People

The Book of Job is considered so profound because it gives one person's idea about why bad things happen to good people.  This also is told in the form of a fable and challenges us to figure out what we believe.  Let me tell the fable.

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. 

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."

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. 

Shorty after that, another messenger runs 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." 

So Yahweh wins his bet.  But when Yahweh and the devil meet up to settle their bet, the devil pushes him saying that he bets Job will curse Yahweh if the devil is allowed to hurt his body.  No 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, to curse Yahweh, and to confess.  Job proclaims his innocence.  But he is depressed and discouraged. 

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)

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)

After hearing all the numerous ways that Yahweh reminds him of how insignificant he is, Job apologizes to Yahweh and promises to be a good man from now on.  Yahweh restores his wealth and gives him 7 more sons and 3 more beautiful daughters.  He lives another 140 years as a prosperous and happy man.

So does this answer the question why bad things happen to good people?  What is the lesson for me?  Contemporary scripture scholars find evidence that the happy ending of Job's story was a late addition, that the story ended simply with Job apologizing.  Not always is the Job story a happy ending.

For example, I do not know if you heard or read this week the story of Timothy Cole.  He was a freshman at Tech in '85.  He was studying in his room in the apartment of his brother one evening.  There were other kids in the house.  Timothy was accused of attacking a coed that same night and he was convicted.  The girl mistakenly identified him from a picture.  He was given a 25 year sentence. 

This past Thursday Timothy was finally acquitted of the attack by a DNA match and the confession of another prisoner who did the attack.  The trouble was, Timothy died in 1999 in his cell of an asthma attack.  Found dead in his cell.

Ironically the girl attacked repeatedly noted that the attacker smoked non stop.  Timothy, because of his asthma, never smoked.  Moreover, when the guy who really did it tried to tell the local authorities in Lubbock, they did not even respond.  The guy had to write to the family of Timothy, who died before he could be exonerated.  The guy who attacked the girl said he heard Timothy crying in his cell and saying he never did it.

Timothy is a a Job without a happy ending, a good kid who had a really bad thing happen to him.  This happens every day, folks.

So, why do bad things happen to good people?

AUDIO:  http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2009-02-08.mp3

Picture 1:  Mass with Sierra & Noah

Picture 2:  The result of 69 years

Picture 3:  Paul, Rich & Carol, Bernadette, Mary Ellen, and Maureen

Picture 4:  Grandma Denni, Chloe, & Maggie

Best reference on Job: The Voice: Biblical & Theological Resources, Dennis Bratches (on line)

Readings: Deuteronomy 18, 15-20; Psalm 95; 1 Corinthians 7, 32-35; Mark 1, 21-28 

Deuteronomy:5th book of the Bible, the Torah, coming after Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, & Numbers.  The work is basically 3 lectures given supposedly by Moses to the Jewish people while they were still in the desert and preparing to enter the land of Canaan, where the Canaanite people lived. 

Author: For centuries people considered Moses to be the author, in fact, the author of the first 5 books of the Bible, the part called the Torah.  Today it is commonly held that Deuteronomy is a compilation by a number of authors.

Date: 7th Century BCE, with some parts coming from the period of the Babylonian Captivity, ca. 575.

Our selection: comes from the second lecture (chapters 5-26) which presents numerous dictates about how to behave in the new land.  For example, an every 7 years a jubilee year is prescribed when all debts are erased (chap. 15); if one's son is rebellious, take him to the city council, and stone him (chap. 21); and laws concerning slaves (chap. 23).  In our section from chap. 18 Moses is telling the people another prophet like himself will be raised up by Yahweh to lead them.  Guess why this prophet statement is chosen by the lectionary editor today?  Jesus is seen by people following Jesus' time as the prophet mentioned by Moses.

A note on Paul's comments in 1 Corinthians: jokesters like to say that maybe Paul was not happy in his marriage.  This is why he puts marriage in second place behind non-marriage.  It could, also, be because he was influenced by the dualistic philosophy of his time, flesh-spirit.   Spirit was good, flesh less good.  For the spirit to thrive the flesh needed disciplining.

Judging the Book by the Cover Again

There was a kid who was working as a stocker at a Home Depot.  One afternoon he heard a new female voice over the store intercom asking for help with packing at the check out.  Sort of reluctantly he stops his break and goes to help.  As he searches for the person asking for help he sees a beautiful woman who stuns him.  He had never seen her before.  He helps her out, then hangs around the time clock to see what her name is when she checks out. 

When she checks out, he watches where her card goes and takes a look at the name.  Brenda.  Then, as he walks to his car he sees her walking up the street toward home he guesses.  The next day he waits around just right and as she departs he asks if she would like a ride.  She accepts, figuring he can't be too bad since he works where she does.

He does the same thing another day and as she is leaving the car he asks if she would like to have dinner the next Saturday night.  She says she can't.  He continues to invite her and she admits that she cannot come because she has two little kids and cannot afford the baby sitter.   He offers to pay for the sitter and asks her to think about it.  Finally, another day she accepts, despite the fact that he is 22 and she is 26.

When he arrives at the door that evening, she says again she cannot go.   The sitter canceled.  He says, "So, let's take the kids."  She says it would be very difficult.  So, he asks to meet the kids and she grudgingly lets him in.  First to come in is a daughter about 8 who he thinks is cute as can be.  Then Brenda goes to the back and returns pushing  a wheel chair with a young boy.  A little child born a paraplegic with Down Syndrome.

"This is why I cannot go out," She explains.  "No problem," he says, "We can still take them with us."  Now it is Brenda's turn to be astounded.  Most men she knew would not come near her just because of having two children.  But one that is a paraplegic with Down Syndrome.  Adios!  But she accepts, they all go to eat, and then to a movie. 

When the kids need anything the guy is ready to help, even helping when the little boy needs to go to the potty.  Brenda continues to be astounded at the guy's helpfulness and consideration.

If you have not heard this story already, the guy's name is Kurt and you can see him on TV this evening playing quarterback for the Cardinals at age 37.  The story has a marvelous ending, because about a year later they married and have had at least two more kids.  Be fun to see Brenda on TV.

I talk about Kurt Warner because before I read this story I have not liked him for a little while.  He plays for a team whose owner I do not like.  But also, the maybe one time I have ever seen him on TV was when he played the last game against Carolina, he never seemed to be excited or animated, never congratulated anybody, or cheered on his team mates.  At least that was what I saw.  Then I get this story from Larry Thompson and think, "There I go, did it again."  Judged a book by the cover.  In fact, judged negatively.

I would like to apply this lesson to the Mark story about the man with the unclean spirit.  Traditionally when people were considered to have an unclean spirit they were considered possessed by a devil.  Do you believe in devils?  In this tradition we have all the melodrama connected with exorcisms.  Want to read about how this can go wako?  Read Heretic's Daughter  by a Dallas author, Kent. It talks about the Salem, MA witch hunts around 1690.

Today, with our much deeper psychological understanding of people's behaviors, their thinking and feeling, we would consider the man with the unclean spirit to most likely have a mental disorder or sickness.  It could even be an addiction.  You only have to visit psych wards in hospitals to run into what could be called people with unclean spirits.  You meet a homeless person on the street and you might be tempted to think that person is demonic. 

What did Jesus do?  I propose he first of all was not scared away by the man.  Secondly, he accepted him peacefully. 

The lesson for us?  Maybe two.

First, regarding the Bible, what is your belief system?  Believe in devils, in evil spirits, in demonic possession, in exorcisms?

Secondly, how many times a week do you judge the book by the cover? 

AUDIO:  sorry, missed connection

Picture 1:  Mass with T.J., Lorynne, & Lacee

Picture 2:  Birthday of John & Geri

Picture 3:  Jim & Dorothy

Picture 4:  Birthday of Gilberto

References:

• The Carmelite web site

• Christ in the Desert web site

• St. Raymond Catholic Parish, Dublin, CA web site

• Bishop John Shelby Spong, various works and articles in Mirabile Dictu, edited by David          Gawlik

Readings: Jonah 3, 1-5 & 10; Psalm 25; 1 Corinthians 7, 29-31; Mark 1, 14-20  

Jonah: This little book of 4 chapters is a gem and tells a delightful short story. 

Background: Jonah has been asked by Yahweh to go to Nineveh in Assyria to tell the people & leaders that they are evil and will be punished shortly by Yahweh.  Trouble is, Nineveh is the enemy, like me going to Houston or Philadelphia.  So he runs away, catches a boat headed for Spain, is blamed by the sailors for causing a big storm on the sea, and is dumped overboard.  The whale swallows him and for three days Jonah is constrained to reflect on what he is doing.  When, after 3 days, the whale dumps him on shore, Jonah is more willing to listen.  We arrive at this point and I will have all of chapter 3 read.

Author: For centuries, while people took this story as factual, Jonah was considered author of his own story.  Once seen as a fable or allegory, the story obviously has some unknown ancient as the author.

Date of composition: no one really knows, but educated guesses put it ca. 800 BCE.

The Call, again

 You hear the story about the young boy returning home one afternoon?  He lived in a rural area and was taking a short cut through a field he knew of.  Suddenly a coyote started following him.  He ran.  The coyote ran faster.  The boy knew the coyote was going to catch him before he got home and was going to eat him.

So he stopped.  He turned to face the coyote, and said, "I know you will catch me and eat me.  But before you do so, please sing me a song in your beautiful voice."  The coyote agreed and began to howl his song to the boy.

At home the boy's beloved dog heard the coyote's howl, knew his master was in danger, raced to the sound, and scared away the coyote.  Moral of the story: in times of danger, use your head. 

Ever hear this story?  It is one of Aesop's fables. 

I tell this story about the boy and the coyote to exemplify what the story of Jonah & the whale is.  A fable.  It has a moral.  What is it?

Before answering, let me highlight something.  Jonah & the whale has humor all through it.  Even after the episode we read today, Jonah's behavior continues to be amusing.  Jonah goes to Nineveh to tell them to repent or the Lord would punish them.  Lo and behold, they repent, and quickly.  Is Jonah delighted and congratulating them?   On the contrary, he throws a snit and in a huff goes outside of the town and sits under a small tree.  He and Yahweh converse.  Yahweh asks Jonah what right has Jonah to be mad at Yahweh for showing mercy to the people of Nineveh.

The moral of the story: listen to God's call in your heart if you want to be happy, despite the amusing ending. 

For contemporary example, here's a story that relates to Tuesday's marvelous event.  I have a friend who went to U.T. in the early 60's.  He came up from Plainview.  This was in the middle of the civil rights activity and he and his buddy decided to join the campus NAACP, an organization I, too, worked with from '65-'68, even living one summer with a hero black lady friend of mine in south Dallas.  Dead now unfortunately, her name was Wanita Kraft.

The goal of the university chapter of the NAACP that year was the integration of the Texas and the University theaters on "The Drag," Guadalupe Street across from the University.  The university chapter was fairly large and they had volunteers who would parade in circles in front of each theater every evening.  My friend and his buddy would get assigned about once a week.  Before they went they changed into old clothes that they would not miss if they got torn up or bloody. 

Torn up and bloody they did.  People would come by not just to yell and curse them.  They would not just throw trash, tomatoes, eggs, and beer bottles.  They would come out of their cars and trucks, come up to them, and flail away.  The policy of the group was non-violence, following the example of Martin Luther King who followed Ghandi among others.  So what do you think they did?  Punch them out?  Knock them down?  They would drop to the ground and cover their heads.  My friend says that was the hardest thing.  To accept getting kicked, punched, spit on, and trashed while not responding.

Eventually the punchers would tire and drive away.  Then a rescue team of some girls would emerge to help them up, clean their wounds, and take to the hospital those hurt more seriously. 

Wonder what happened?  One year of nightly demonstrations and the theaters integrated.  My friend remembers the night they lined up to buy tickets, one white, one black.  Like I did, my friend had a lot of tears watching the inauguration Tuesday morning.

Jonah had the call, the four had the call, my friend had the call.

What is your call?

AUDIO:  http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2009-01-25.mp3

Some of my references:

• Aesop's Fables: The Boy & the Wolf

• The Carmelite web site

• The Dominican web site (Spanish only)

• St. Raymond Catholic Parish, Dublin, CA web site

• Bishop John Shelby Spong, various works and articles in Mirabile Dictu, edited by David          Gawlik

Picture 1:  Mass with Sabrina & Anthony

Picture 2:  Communion distributors–Gerri, Ron, Jan, Patricia, John, Beth & Rob

Picture 3:  Communion–Ron & Marilyn Ackerman, Nina Waldron, Jerry Weiss

Picture 4:  Carl reading Jonah