Author: Rosemary

Readings: 1 Samuel 26, 2-23; Psalm 103; 1 Corinthians 15, 45-49; Luke6, 27-38.

Samuel – This book of Samuel is a transition book describing how the Israelites went from being governed by judges to kings. Samuel was the last judge, Saul the first king.

A third dramatic person enters the book, King David. He is the one who killed Goliath with his sling and was King Saul’s favorite for a while.

However, when Saul noticed that the girls liked David more than he, Saul got jealous and tried to kill him on a number of occasions.

Our chapter 27 is one of these occasions. Watch what happens. The theme centers around compassion & mercy.

1 Corinthians 15 – We continue Corinthians 15 with a rather convoluted contrast between Adam, the first human being, & Jesus.

Turn the Other Cheek?

When Rosemary & I are in Mexico at Christmas we always spend the evenings in the village centers because they are enchanting. One evening in Cuernavaca this year I was standing in a one person line in front of a little kiosk selling fruit juice drinks. The kiosk was one of about six that circle the bottom of the bright gazebo. I always get an orange juice with papaya, banana, and strawberry.

As I wait in line behind a woman another woman walks by me, goes straight to the chest high counter, and asks for what she wants. I am a little indignant. I learned in East Africa, where this happens all the time, to simply say something. So I say in Spanish, "Is there no line here?"

At least the woman appeared rather abashed, even though she tried to ignore me. Ultimately, I got my fruit drink, and I was happy that I had not just wimped out, saying nothing because I hate creating scenes and this caught people’s attention.

Is this an example of offering the other cheek?

What about the example of the Amish whose children were recently killed by some deranged man? They did not just tell their kids that they would do well to forgive, but they brought aid and food to the man’s widow and his family.

I find this teaching of Christ just confounding. Half of the time I can’t do it; the other half I don’t want to. A couple of observations.

One, this is another example of the Christian program of infinite demand. The other half is infinite acceptance. We have humbling examples of people who have lived out this infinite demand: the Amish, Martin Luther King & the Freedom Riders, Dorothy Day, Maryknoller Roy Bourgeois, and even outside the Christian tradition, Ghandi in India.

Secondly, our Christian heritage clearly states that the better way is always compassion and mercy instead of hitting back and violence. David was compassionate and merciful to crazy old King Saul. Theologically we have developed a theory that says self defense is acceptable. Acceptable but not the better.

When that little lady jumped the line in front of me, I could have gotten all angry and really made a scene. I could have said nothing, which for me would have been wimping out. What I decided to do some years ago was to simply comment. Was I turning the other cheek?

What have you done when someone strikes you on the cheek, even metaphorically? What do you want to do in light of this reading?

Download the homily as an mp3.

Readings: Jeremiah 17, 5-8; Psalm 1; 1 Corinthians 15, 12-20; Luke 6, 17-26.

Jeremiah – Picture this: all the students & faculty are assembled.  You go before them and tell them that they are all lazy, selfish, egotistical, and fat.  Change or you will fail in life. They boo you.  The principal, too, gets up and says the same.  You and the principal love these people.

After school you pass through the parking lot & the kids curse you, trash you, throw rocks at your car, and spit on you.  Same with the principal.  The atmosphere in the school and attitude of the students goes down. 

This is where we find Jeremiah and Yahweh.  They have warned the people and the people have rebelled.  Both Jeremiah and Yahweh are downhearted.  What we read is Yahweh’s response while he is in this depressed mood, in the eyes of the writer.

Corinthians – Paul continues to address the people of Corinth, this time about the resurrection.

Trust No One?

When I first came home from East Africa, I spent the winter at the Jesuit church in downtown Houston until I could get a program in Dallas.  One early evening after visiting my mom here in Dallas, I was returning to Houston.  I had my airline ticket and went to Love Field.  I stood in that Houston line, got to the counter, gave the attendant my ticket, and she says to me, “You are at the wrong airport.” 

Talk about feeling like a fool.  I had an A.A. ticket instead of Southwest.  To compound my feelings, when the girl asked if I would like to buy a ticket, I realized I had about $20 in change, no more.  No credit or debit card yet.  I was just back from Africa.  Plus, now I was alone, because my mom had gone back home.  No cell phone naturally. 

Despite the desire I had to crawl in a hole and disappear, I figured I had to do something dramatic quickly.  So I turned around, faced the long line of afternoon commuters, addressed everyone, and asked if someone could loan me the fare, which was only about $35 those days. 

Guess what happened.  Yes, a lady from Victoria stepped up and loaned me the money.  What would I have done if everyone had just ignored me?   Wow, it scares me to imagine it.  She was very cordial and I sent her the money later from Houston. 

“Cursed is the one who trusts in human beings.”  Remember what I said about Yahweh being depressed and hurt by his people’s behavior.  The writer of Jeremiah is imagining what Yahweh’s response would have been.  The writer might have just been hurt by his best friend. 

Trouble is, the person who trusts not one single person, that person is poverty stricken, truly poor.  You hear occasionally of people whose attitude toward others is that everyone is out to get you.  Pretty pessimistic.  Probably a sentiment resulting from hurts earlier in life.   

Today with our gift of the New Testament, we might modify this.  I would suggest that we arrive at the Kingdom today by trusting in God and by trusting people.  We enter the Kingdom more easily with a community, like we enjoy here. 

If I did not trust people, I would not have asked the crowd for air fare.  If the lady from Victoria did not trust, I would not have received a gift.  As it was, we both arrived in the Kingdom—Houston Hobby.

When was the last time you were blessed by trusting?

Click here to download the homily as an mp3 file.

Readings: Isaiah 6, 1-8; Psalm 138 (a favorite); 1 Corinthians 15, 1-11; Luke 5, 1-11 (Call Themes). 

Isaiah – Last week we heard the story of the prophet Jeremiah’s call by Yahweh.  This week we have Isaiah’s call.  These are the two biggest O.T. prophets. 

1 Corinthians 15 – In last week’s Corinthians’ reading Paul described his vision of love.  Today he continues talking to the people of his church in Corinth, focusing on how he was called by God.

My Call

Today I have a story just for you kids.  Parents and old folks can take a nap.

Ever hear of the story of Miss Rumphius?  Miss Alice Rumphius? 

A long time ago in the age of sailing ships, little Alice Rumphius used to visit her grandfather at his cottage in a village near the sea.  He was an artist and a carver who created figures to place on the prows of the sailing ships.

Alice loved to visit her grandfather because she got to help him carve the figures, some of which she later saw in front of cigar shops in the village.  Also she loved to hear her grandfather tell of the many adventures he had experienced in lands all over the world. 

One evening, Alice told her grandfather that what she wanted when she grew up was to be like her grandfather, sailing to far off exotic lands and to have a home near the sea. 

Her grandfather congratulated her and told her he was flattered that she wanted to be like him.  There was one more thing important to him that she might consider if she truly wanted to follow him. 

“I’ve always tried to make the world more beautiful.”

Alice liked this principle and promised her grandfather she would truly make her world more beautiful.

Soon her Grandfather passed away, Alice grew up, and she began to travel.  She roamed the world experiencing marvelous adventures. 

At one place, Egypt, I think it was, Alice hurt her back and had to return to the house she had built near the sea.  She had accomplished her first two goals.  Her third goal, the call her grandfather held most important, she had really forgotten in her adventures.

Until one spring day when she was gazing out of her kitchen window.  There she saw some flowers.  Beautiful, she thought, realizing she had done nothing to make the world more beautiful. 

Consequently, she walked to the nursery, bought some seeds she was told would grow next spring if she planted them now, and returned scattering seeds along the way.  This she did all over the hills and roadsides of the region. 

The next spring Miss Rumphius’ village and its environs were a riot of colorful flowers.  All the people were delighted.  Miss Rumphius, too, was delighted.  She had responded finally to her third and most important call to be like her beloved grandfather.

How come we talk about this?

Today we are focused on personal calls.  Miss Rumphius got one, and so did Isaiah, Paul, and the apostles on the lake. There are calls to help make the world more beautiful and calls to help make people more beautiful. 

What is your call? (Please feel free to post your call.)

Click here to download the homily as an mp3.