Homilies

Readings:

Acts 10, 25-26, 34-35, 44-48, God shows no partiality;

Psalm 98, The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power;

1 John 4, 7-10, Let us love one another; 

John 15, 9-17, I have told you this so my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.

Cole lighting our Easter Candle with his dad, Chuck

An introduction to today’s readings.  We continue reading in Acts. It’s called Acts of the Apostles, but only Peter and Paul are given any space. John is mentioned only 3 times, and for James only his execution by the Emperor Herod is mentioned. So it is more properly Some Acts of Some Apostles.

As Stack said before, we’re pretty sure that Acts was written by Luke who is also the author of the third Gospel. Luke was a Gentile (non-Jewish) from Antioch in Syria, and was a companion of Paul in his travels around Asia Minor, from Antioch, around through Greece, and to Rome. We know Luke was with Paul in Rome when Paul was in prison. Acts was probably written around the time Paul was put to death during his second imprisonment under the Emperor Nero in 64 or perhaps 66 CE.

Our Joanie with Erin

The other readings are from the First Letter of John and the fourth Gospel. Traditionally 4 books of the New Testament were attributed to John the Apostle: the 4^th Gospel, 3 letters and the Book of Revelation. Scholars say that the vocabulary, grammar and style of writing make it unlikely that Book of Revelation was written by the same person responsible for the 4^th Gospel. Some modern Bible scholars raise the possibility that John the Apostle, John the Evangelist who wrote the Gospel and John of Patmos who wrote the Book of Revelation were 3 separate individuals. The First Letter of John reads like a summary of the 4^th Gospel teachings, and the time of writing is probably similar, in the latter part of first century, sometime between 80-100 CE. 

John Blessing all females

Homily

Today’s readings really speak for themselves.  That they happened to fall on Mother’s Day is serendipitous. In Acts we heard that the Good News is for everyone, without exception: “God shows no partiality.”

The Gospel told us what the Good News is: that God is love and is always with us, without exception. “Remain in my love”….”I tell you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy might be full”….“I call you friends.” 

Ryan & Jim sharing their blessings

And the Letter of John gave us the call to respond to the Good News: “Let us love one another…everyone who loves is of God…”  

On Mother’s Day we get to express love and gratitude in a special way for our mothers. Personally, I have never known a Mother who was not doing the very best she knew how. Not everyone, however, gets to have a Mother who consistently protects them, consistently nurtures and teaches them, and consistently loves them as they wish and deserve.  All mothers are somewhere on the continuum of consistency as mothers. All mothers I have known aspire to be good mothers, and good mothers aspire to be even better mothers. Some mothers were actually Aunts or Grandmothers or adoptive mothers. My mother’s mother died giving birth. So my mother’s mother was actually her Aunt Molly.

Torri, along with her mom & grandmom, being blessed

I think one of the reasons Mary, the Mother of Jesus, has received such honor and devotion from us down through the centuries is that, without knowing much about her life, we could easily project on to her an ideal of mothering for us to aspire to. I love it that we can do that today for all our mothers. Mothers aren’t perfect and don’t have to be perfect. We honor our mothers for protecting us, nurturing us, teaching us, and loving us as best they can or could.

My mother, a Methodist of Scotch-Irish descent, immigrated as a young woman from Mississippi to Louisiana in the 1920’s, to teach school in a very small town that was totally Cajun and Catholic. She left everything she knew and moved to live in a ‘foreign’ culture. There she met my father. They fell in love and married. My mother never felt fully accepted by all his family—remember this was 4 generations ago, when Catholics considered themselves the only true believers—everyone else was suspect. She of course had to promise that all her children would be raised Catholic. When my parents’ second child was born, a son, he died right after birth. My Mother was in a hospital in Abbeville where I later grew up, and my father was 10 miles away in the country, where they lived at that time on my grandparent’s plantation.

My father’s sisters apparently told him that my mother wouldn’t want anyone going to the hospital at this time; that she needed time alone before she came home. When I was about 21 my mother confided in me that story, and she finished telling it with the words, “I never forgot it, and I never forgave him.” I share this story, even though it carries her pain, because of what else it told me about her: that even though my mother and father did not have a close/intimate relationship and their married life was a struggle, she was totally dedicated to our family and to being the best mother she could be for us 5 children. And her life was a testament to that.

Jessica, daughter of John & Connie, brother, Kevin, & sister, Renee

We do not get to choose our mothers. But today we get to honor them. However consistent they have been in protecting, nurturing and loving us, we honor all mothers today. We honor them for their dedication, and for their struggles, and for their efforts at mothering us the very best way they know how (or knew how).

The questions I have for us are: whoever mothered us, do we know and appreciate how she was mothered? What was her joy, and what was her pain and her struggle? And how do we honor that in our own lives?

John escorting Bressica, Thompson, CT, near Boston

Sorry, no pictures, can't be loaded.

Readings:  

Acts 9, 26-31, The Church was at peace;

Psalm 22, I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people;

1 John 3, 18-24, Let us love not in word or speech, but in deed and truth;

John 15,1-8, I am the true vine and my Father is the vine grower.

Introductions by Mike Carrell:

Recall from last Sunday’s reading from Chapter 4 in the Acts, that Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit defended his actions before the Jewish leaders: priests, scribes and elders among them. What had Peter done? Recall how the John gospel ended? Christ’s words to the twelve, “As the Father has sent me, so now I send you.  Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven.”  In the name of Jesus Christ, Peter has forgiven a man of his sins.  The mission entrusted to the apostles has begun! 

Today’s reading is five chapters later in Acts.  One of the Jewish leaders, Saul, who we later know as the Apostle Paul, has experienced a conversion of heart.  Here’s what he encounters in Jerusalem:

               First reading: Acts 9:26-31

Our second reading continues the teaching that we received in 1 John: When we follow Christ’s commands He is alive within us through the power of the Spirit.

               Second reading: 1 John 3: 18-24

Homily

The relational skills that we learn within our families as we grew or are growing up are very important to who we are, and who we will be toward others.

Stephen Glenn, author of Developing Capable People and Developing Capable Young People, wrote about principles that are universal in building human relationships. He shared actual stories that contained these principles. One such story was about a famous, creative, research scientist who answered a reporter during an interview on why he thought that he was more creative than the average person.

The scientist answered that it began from an experience that he had as a very young child.  He was trying to remove a bottle of milk from a refrigerator when he lost his grip on the slippery container and it fell dumping most of its contents onto the kitchen floor. 

When his mother came into the kitchen, instead of yelling at him, giving him a lecture or punishing him, she said to me, ‘Robert, what a great and wonderful mess you have made.  I have rarely, if ever, seen such a puddle of milk. Since the damage has already been done, would you like to get down and play in it before we clean it up?’  And, he did just that.

After a few minutes his mother said, ‘Robert, whenever you make a mess like this eventually you have to clean it up and restore everything to its original order.  We could use a sponge, a towel or a mop. Which would you prefer to use?’ He chose the sponge, and together they cleaned it up. 

Then his mother said, ‘You know, what we have here is a failed experiment on how to carry a big container of milk with two amall hands. Let’s take the empty container out in the back yard and fill it with water and see if you can discover a way to carry it without dropping it.’  The scientist said that at that moment he began not to be afraid to make mistakes.  Mistakes from then on were just opportunities for learning something new.

You might recall Trever in the Movie, Pay it Forward. His Social Studies teacher in middle school has given them an assignment to show how they might address the problems in society and then write a paper on it.  Trever decides that change must begin in him first. He does goods deeds to those in need around him, and when they want to do something for him, he replies, ‘Pay it Forward.’ The change proposed by Trever that must begin within the one who desires change in others has of course been proposed by many of the great philosophers.

In the context of our theological teaching in today’s gospel, Christ’s words, ‘Love one another as I have loved you,’ is how we put into practice being God-like:  ‘for as the Father has loved his Son, so his Son has loved us.’

This gives specific meaning to the sign within the context of today’s teaching where the Father is the vinegrower, Christ in the vine, and we are the branches, for we are joined together by the same Spirit!  Christ is alive to us as we plant the seed of his words.  This means that each of us becomes part of the Father’s plan of salvation…and that the fruit that comes forth from every seed around has become a sign that all of creation reflects God’s plan of salvation in Christ, Jesus.

 Readings:  

Acts 4, 8-12, In his name this man stands before you healed;

Psalm 118, The stone rejected by the builders has become the corner stone;

1 John 3, 1-2, See what love the Father has bestowed on us;

John 10, 11-18, I am the good shepherd.

Ryan lighting the Easter Candle

 Acts:  A review–

Date: ca. 70-100 A.D.

Author: Luke, who wrote both the Gospel and Acts

Setting:  Just like the last 2 Sundays, Peter & John have just healed a lame man outside of the temple gate.  The people rush to question them.  They say it happened because of God's power and that Jesus was raised from the dead.  The high priests hear about this and have them arrested.  After telling them to stop saying Jesus was raised from the dead, the two are released.

Our Selection: last week we read Peter's discourse to the local believers in a room.  The week before we read about the quality of life of the local believers, communal.  Today's account is Peter talking to the high priests and elders of the high court.  They are on trial.

Leo with John

John:

Date of Gospel: A.D. 85-95

Author: scholars have doubts that the Apostle John is the writer of the 3 works attributed to John, the Gospel, 3 letters, & Revelation.  Doubts exist even that one writer composed all the works.

CC with her sister & grandmother

Who is my Shepherd?

This morning I want to talk with you about being a shepherd.  In some ways this is easy to talk about.  I have numerous shepherds who guided me through life.  On the other hand, who was most significant, whom do I leave out?  I have four little vignettes. 

First, Charles Colson.   I do not know this man personally.  He died at 80 a week ago Saturday.  I read about him in an editorial in the Dallas Morning News, Tuesday, April 24. 

CC's sister Kayla

Colson had two lives.  His fame comes from his first life.  He was Nixon’s top political consultant and he was convicted and sent to prison for his role in the Watergate scandal, around ’72-’74, the year Nixon resigned.  In this life he was a win at all cost political advisor.  He once said that he would walk over his grandmother to get Nixon elected. 

It was in his second life of 35 years that Colson became a shepherd.  After his conviction he apparently experienced a conversion.  He went to prison, spent almost a year there, became attached to his fellow prisoners, and never left them.   

Bethany & Ray

In ’76 he founded Prison Fellowship.  The Fellowship set up in prison job training, provided support for prisoners & their families, helped rehabilitate prisoners coming out, and tried to change laws that treated violent & non-violent offenders with the same severity. 

Every Easter Colson spent with inmates in prison, which he called the darkest place in American life.  Colson became a shepherd for prisoners & their families.

Anniversary Party Scene

Which leads me to my second shepherd.  You know him.  My friend & companion since grade school at Christ the King, Eddie.  He has talked here twice about AA.  A week ago Friday evening we were having our usual get together, the 5 of us guys from high school, plus wives.

Eddie mentioned in passing that for 19 years every Wednesday evening he has run an AA program for prisoners in one of the downtown jails.  With fondness he talked about how good & intelligent these men were.

The Pole Barn or Party Barn

Which leads to my third shepherd.  Tomorrow morning I have been invited to Jesuit to help host a fellow classmate from our ’58 graduating class, Charlie Edmond.  Charlie was the first black student to enter a white high school in Dallas.  The year, 1955, the year after the Supreme Court decision.  In my sophomore class Charlie sat in the seat right in front of me. 

The shepherds were the Jesuits. 

Finally, I cannot close without mentioning the parents I had the privilege to meet at the Love for Kids picnic the last Saturday of March.  The care & tenderness showed by these parents to their handicapped children humbled me and touched me to tears. 

Two individuals, some teachers, and some parents, all different types of good shepherds.

Joan & Jerry, Our Trophy Couple at 55 Years

Who were, who are the Shepherds in your life?

For whom are you a shepherd?

Source: Dallas Morning News, April 24, 2012

Video: Jan & Sir Charles renew vows at 50 years. (1 min.)

 Readings:   Acts 3, 13-19, I know that you acted out of ignorance; Psalm 4, Lord, let your face shine on us; 1 John 2, 1-5, Whoever keeps his word, the love of God is truly perfected in him; Luke 24, 35-48, Peace be with you.

Acts: A review–

Author:  Luke, the author of both The Gospel and Acts.  Today we get Luke twice, in the first reading with Acts and in the last reading, today's Gospel. 

While we are on the subject, Luke's gospel story today is a compliment to last week's gospel story by John.  Both John & Luke find the apostles in a locked room, Jesus appears, and he says, "Peace."  Both focus on the physical, last week on Thomas demanding to see the wounds, this week Jesus eating.  What does he eat?   Why so much focus on the physical? 

Candle Lighting, Georgie doing the honors

Date:  written about 40-60 years after Jesus death, i.e., ca. 70-100 A.D.

Subject: Two parts.  Part one covers chapters 1-8, which focus on the resurrection, ascension, and Pentecost, plus their effect on the community.  The rest of the book, i.e., chapters 9-28, the focus is on Paul, his conversion & travels.  

Today's Selection:  

The scene is this, just like last week.   Peter & John have just healed a lame man at the door of the temple.  The people come rushing to see.  Peter & John say, "Hey, we did not do it."  In fact, Jesus did it and he has been raised from the dead.  This caught the attention of the priests and authorities who had the two arrested and put before the council.  They are released the next day after a warning not to talk about this Jesus.  Then they return to the local community of believers. 

 Today we go back to the time just after the healing of the lame man.  The people have rushed to see the phenomenon and ask Peter & John to explain.  Today's reading is their explanation.

Where is The Lord Here?

This morning I want to talk about something that has been tearing up my spirit.  Anybody heard of a little dog named Justice? 

He was a street dog, a puppy.  He died mercifully a week ago Friday.  Justice was apparently a peaceful, affectionate little puppy running around the streets of Pleasant Grove. 

One day he had the misfortune to be noticed by some teen boys who were loafing around looking for some amusement.  They decided to amuse themselves with little Justice.  So, as happens occasionally in a group of boys, they began to pester him. 

Offertory with Marsha, Connie & John

Things got bad.  One kid put a rope around Justice’s neck and tried to hang him from a fence.  When that did not satisfy them, another boy doused the puppy with charcoal lighter fluid and set him on fire.  He ran around frantically.

At this point some woman in a nearby apartment ran out with water & an old T shirt to aid Justice.  Someone else called the police and they found Justice shivering & hiding behind an air conditioning compressor. 

They called an animal shelter who called DFW Rescue Me, because Justice needed intensive care.  A big rig truck driver from Denton got involved and actually shuttled Justice around from his daytime treatment to his nighttime treatment.   To the very end, even when his blood pressure was so low, Justice continued to wag in appreciation his little white tipped tail.

What would you like to do to those boys?  There is a $5000 reward.

Leo arrives

Luke’s message today describes how the Lord appeared among them two times and said, “Peace be with you.”  Is he present in this event?  I   would like to propose that yes, God is in this event, even as ugly as it is.  I see three possibilities. 

First, I see God in the woman who had the courage to come out of her apartment and rescue Justice.  She did not know what would happen.  Those boys could have turned on her.  It happens.

Secondly, I see God in the truck driver who shepherded Justice between his day & night treatment centers.  His name was Wenger.  He is from Denton.  This happened in Pleasant Grove, opposites in the Metroplex.  Wenger showed great kindness to the little street puppy. 

Emma, What happened to the Easter Eggs?

Finally, the boys. Yes, God is in the boys.  They acted out of their shadow sides, but they are still works of God.  I have worked with kids and adults like this.  Two speculations coming from my experiences.

First, I bet you when these boys were puppies they, too, were treated badly.  Maybe not set on fire, but hurt & hurt repeatedly to a point where they are responding to the world with anger.  Hurt breeds anger, anger breeds violence.  I want to hurt others because I hurt.

Secondly, I bet that because of feedback that they are bad, they think they are bad.  And act it out.  The kid has nothing to lose.  He is already a loser.  I thought I was bad when I was a kid and I wasn’t. 

So, where do you see The Lord in all this?

Curtis with Marlene, Meredith, & Brent

Reference: Dallas Morning, News, Jacquielynn Floyd, Metro section, April 18, 2012

 Video:  Candle Lighting (2 Min.)

Readings:   Acts 4, 32-35, They had everything in common; Psalm 118, Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, his love is everlasting; 1 John 5, 1-6, Everyone who loves the Father loves the one begotten by him; John 20, 19-31, Jesus came and stood in their midst.

Mike reading John

Homily for the Second Sunday of Easter, Mike Carrell

In the Smithsonian Magazine that I was reading in my doctor’s office recently, there was a photograph entitled Tricycle and Memphis, 1970.  It was a color photograph presented in the first showing of color photography as an art medium at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City in 1972.  It was a colorful picture of an old but sturdy tricycle with a blue seat with red rubber grips on a curved handlebar. It had some white spots of paint that had somehow been splattered on the seat, frame and wheels. 

I could tell that the camera had been held at a very low angle to indeed give the tricycle the look of elegance, like a chariot it encompassed almost the whole picture.  In the diminished background you could see a couple of one story flat roofed houses, one with a carport.  One art critic found it perfect, another perfectly awful. 

Brooklyn lights our Easter candle with help from her mom, Erin

The critic who found it perfect understood the context within which it had been placed—the diminished background, the fading away of the old Memphis was the result of a blossoming Southern culture that had begun in the Memphis of 1970, with bold new music, art, and literature.  The paint splatter an indication that the blossoming was a work in progress.

Today we are told of the importance of signs within the gospels.  However, if we want to understand the signs, we too must understand them in the context of the gospel teachings in which we find them!

Success, light & warmth

Some of you will remember being taught by question and answer.  First we were given the question, ‘What is a sacrament?’  Then we were given the answer to memorize: ‘A sacrament is an outward sign instituted by Christ to give grace.’    If one were to translate that word sign into Greek, the Greek word chosen would be the word used for sign in our reading today. 

Remember a couple of months ago when the leper came and knelt before Jesus saying, ‘If you choose, you can make me clean,’ There is a sign being given when Jesus says, ‘I do choose. Be made clean.’  We can come to understand the sign because of the context of the teaching in which it was placed.  At the end of that teaching Jesus was proclaiming the good news to those who crowded around him. 

Offertory, Judy, Jerry, & Joan

This good news, ‘In the Father’s plan of salvation the Messiah had come to us as the Lamb of God,’ fulfills what came before it in the teaching that stated that the Mosaic Law required the offering of an unblemished lamb for the leper’s sins.  So we know that these words of Christ has brought forgiveness to the man—the meaning of the sign.

I presented you a sign from the Luke gospel during a Christmas season homily. I told you that of the Christ child in a manger dressed in swaddling clothes was a sign of the Church.  The manger was a feeding trough; the child wrapped in the shroud of the linen strips was the Lamb of God from which were come to be fed the Word and the Bread of Life.    We come to understand this from the context of the teaching because the shepherds watching over the flock by night are the twelve watching over their lambs, that’s us, who desire for us to be fed with Christ’s words and the Loaves blessed and broken to become the bread blessed and broken for others. 

The Catholic catechism teaches that, ‘The Church draws its life from the Word and the Body of Christ, and so she becomes Christ’s body.’ 

The Kless family, Cara, Christine, Sean, & Ed

Today’s gospel reading just happens to be an entire teaching from the initial ending of the John gospel.  To paraphrase, we are told the signs of the gospels were written so that we might believe that the Messiah has come to us as the Christ, the Lamb of God, to bring forgiveness to our sins and union with the Father through him. 

This is why, like Thomas, we are to place our hand into the pierced side of the body of Christ, because Christ’s body symbolizes the Church, the body of Christ alive in the world through the power of the Holy Spirit.  This wisdom must give specific meaning to the story within the context of this last teaching: ‘For as the Father has sent me, so I send you, in the peace that comes from being forgiven and with the power and authority of the Spirit breathed upon us to be the bread blessed and broken to the ends of the earth.

Over time, I will help you come to understand that all of the resurrection teachings of the Gospels are about the Church! 

Cole

Now, let me give you a brief insight as to why the inspired writers added another ending to the John gospel that consists of two additional teachings.  Both the Mark gospel and the Matthew gospel have a second teaching about the loaves and fishes.  The loaves, fishes and leftovers are signs, when understood correctly, that describe the mission Christ gives to his disciples, and us, to take the good news to the ends of the earth. The 5 loaves and the 7 loaves are the twelve disciples who have been called to become the Bread they eat.  We are the leftovers! From us are to come other leftovers!  

The gospel of Luke was not written with this second teaching because its writers wrote a whole book, called the Acts of the Apostles, to describe the mission to the ends of the earth; one of its teachings is about the 7.  Since the inspired writers of the John gospel placed an obvious ending to their gospel, they must have envisioned another book to complement Luke’s Acts of the Apostles.  Later, after a decision was made not to do this, two inspired teachings were added to the original John gospel—one a teaching about the 7. 

The first would present how all the stories of the four gospels were used in the mission to the ends of the earth.  Since Luke’s Acts continuously describe the persecution of the Apostle Paul, not one of the twelve, the last teaching in the John gospel was written to incorporate the persecution of the Apostle Peter.   Recall that I suggested to you to read the Sermon of the Mount from the Matthew gospel during Lent.  The beatitudes end with, “Blessed are you when you are persecuted for the sake of the Christ, ‘Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.”

The context of each of our personal stories is not complete.  How will others remember us as leftovers blessed and broken for others? 

Leo with John

Readings:   Acts 10, 34, 37-43, This man God raised; Psalm 118, This day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad; 1 Corinthians 5, 6-8, A little yeast leavens all the dough; John 20, 1-9, Mary of Magdal came to the tomb early.

Leo lighting the Easter Candle with his mom, Shonda

Acts: 

Author: Most likely Luke, who wrote the Gospel with his name and who followed and copied some of Mark's material. 

Date: ca. 70-100 A.D., therefore ca. 40 years after the death of Jesus. 

Subject: the ministry of Paul & the 12 Apostles after the death of Jesus.

        Chapters 1-8 deal with the Resurrection, Ascension, & Pentecost (Holy Spirit)

        Chapters 8- 28 deal with Paul's conversion & ministry.

The DeGenovas, Alison, Sabrina, & John

Today's selection: Two visions/dreams have just occurred:

        1. Cornelius, a captain in the Roman army and a Gentile, has a vision in which he is instructed to go to a town called Joppa and talk with a man named Peter.

        2.  Peter has a vision in which a sheet held by its 4 corners comes down and is full of all kinds of animals.  A voice says, "Eat."  Peter refuses because of the law of ritual impurity, i.e., some animals are ritually impure and it is prohibited to eat them.  But the voice insists.  At this point three of Cornelius' people arrive and invite him to come to Cornelius' house.  This vision symbolizes that even Gentiles who are ritually impure are invited to the new Christian community.

Becky & Lily

Our selection takes up just after Peter arrives at Cornelius' house, finds a group of Cornelius' friends, is invited to speak to them, and he begins.  The following is what he says to the group of Gentiles gathered in Cornelius' house.

Meaning of the Word Easter: the origin of the use of Easter seems lost in history.  Probably not from Latin, which uses pasqua.  Probably not coming from a German goddess of spring, which some have suggested.  May have emerged from early Celtic converts (British Isles), who wanted to use their own words for Christian feasts, rather than Latin words.

The Quads are growing!

The Resurection Today

Last Satuday there was a picnic.  This was not your ordinary picnic.  It took place in Flower Mound on the west side of town, the Circle R Ranch.  It went from about 10:30 to 2:30 on one of our recent beautiful days.

The picnic was for kids handicapped in some way. 

Love for the Kids Picnic

There was another picnic before Christmas, this one for underprivileged kids.  3,000 younger kids poured in and ran all over the place for about 5 hours. 

This past picnic the kids were not running around.  Many of them came in wheel chairs or prams.  They were often physically misshapen.  They frequently could not speak.  But they could smile and they did.

I volunteered to work at the photo area.  This was really well run by two black guys with their camera, lap top, and printer, as well as another guy who arranged the families, and two girls who provided decoration.  The families could choose their decorations or get ups from 4 themes represented in pictures, like Easter, cowboy, fireman, and so forth.   They hardly needed me for crowd control like the December picnic I worked. 

Love for the Kids Picnic, Photo Shop

What I did mostly was watch and touch, and be touched.  I was close to tears with so many of these kids and with their families.  I shared this with some of the team and they, too, said they were likewise moved.  I wanted to hug the kids and hug the parents.

Because I was not greatly needed I moved to the welcome post.  Here I was touched again.  People were trickling in, so I began talking with a lady who was also welcoming kids and families.  It was her first time to volunteer.  Eventually she talked about her son, about 40 years old and slightly handicapped.   He had been shot a month or so ago at the downtown Dart train stop. 

Emmit Cronin, 2 weeks old

I did not know what to say.  She was in tears and I too, especially because of her attitude.  She was grateful.  She was thankful for the long life her impaired son had had. 

I talk about these simple events because for me they are Easter events, Resurrection events.  The characteristics of this type of an event: more life, more peace, and gratitude. 

The kids were not so unusual.  The talk with the lady, Terry, was pretty routine in the beginning.  Similar things happen all the time.  I went to touch these people.  But I was touched.   I came away with more life, more peace, and so much more gratitude for so much. 

The Cronins, Amanda, Ben, & Emmit, an Easter Event

What is the Easter event in your life today?

Readings:   John 12, 12-16 (Story of Jesus entry into Jerusalem); Isaiah 50, 4-7, I gave my back to those who beat me; Psalm 22, My God, My God, why have you abandoned me?; Philippians 2, 6-11, He emptied himself, taking the form of a slave; Mark 14, 15, 1-39, The Passion.

The community processes out of the cafetorium into the hall where the singing begins and Mike & Ryan lead the procession back into the main celebration area

Because of the extraordinary amount of reading in this celebration, there is no homily.

The reenactment of the Entry into Jerusalem with palms

Special Note: Holy Thursday & Good Friday Services, the home of Curtis & Mabel, 7:00 P.M.

As each person enters into the cafetorium they and their palms are blessed and cleansed with water

Emma with the help of her mother, Beth, lights the 6 candles of Lent

 Readings:   Jeremiah 31, 31-34, I will place my law within them and write it upon their hearts; Psalm 51, Create a clean heart in me, O God; Hebrews 5, 7-9, He learned obedience from what he suffered; John 12, 20-33, Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground.  Whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life.

Jeremiah:  We have not seen Jeremiah for a long time, since before Thanksgiving.  Remember that he is one of the Big 3 Prophets (because of the size of the work, e.g. 62 chapters in Jeremiah), who are Isaiah, Jeremiah, & Ezekiel.   A review:

Lighting Today's 5 Candles, Sienna & Brian, Brooklyn & Erin

Author: most of the work is done by Jeremiah’s scribe Baruch.  Jeremiah is described as the broken hearted prophet because of his heart rending life spent warning the people & kings that their behavior was going to be punished.  And so it happened with The Babylonian Captivity.

Time:  ca. 600 BCE, as an easy date to remember.   The Captivity went from around 585-550 BCE.  Jeremiah may have died in Egypt during The Captivity in Babylon.

The Scene:  Remember that the Holy Land had a north & a south, Israel & Judah.  First, the northern kingdom, Israel, was defeated by the Assyrians, 622 BCE.  These Hebrew tribes vanish into the DNA of the region, “The Lost Tribes of Israel.”  Next, the Babylonians & Nebuchadnezzar defeat the Assyrians and threaten the southern kingdom, Judah with the capital Jerusalem.  Jeremiah is watching this and seeing it as Yahweh's punishment.  In 596, more or less, the Babylonians do destroy Jerusalem and cart the Hebrews into slavery.

Today's selection, chapter 31.  Yahweh is promising to make a new covenant or agreement with all the people, and to forgive them, after having shown the people who is master.  Here is the covenant idea mentioned again.  It is a pact or a deal.

Sources: Fr. Reginald Fuller, St. Louis U., Wikipedia; Answers.com; Encyclopedia of Judaism

Brooklyn Walks!

Hate My Life?

I have a story this morning which I have told twice, once at St. Mark's, over 8 years ago and here about 4 years ago.  Pardon me if you've heard it. Some of our best stories we tell over & over, they are so poignant.  The story speaks to my point today.  I had permission for the story.

It happened many years ago when I was working full time as a psychotherapist out of an office at Jesuit.  I think it was the first Monday morning of May.   I know it was a beautiful morning like today.  A boy came to see me who had been in my office on and off for about six years.  He had just graduated from high school and enlisted in the Air Force.  He had struggled since grade school with bouts of depression, and that morning seemed to be in great shape.  We did not even spend more than 30 minutes together, his mood was so up beat and care free.

The Girls, Robyn, Erin & Brooklyn, & Sandra

He left.  Maybe two or three hours later a call came in.  The boy had left Jesuit, crossed Inwood to the Lincoln Center complex at LBJ, drove up to the top of the four floor garage, parked his car, headed to the edge of the garage, and walked over the side.  He landed on the cement street four floors below, face down flat.

A passerby saw it, called 911, and in a second the paramedics from just around the corner were on the scene.  He was in Parkland in a flash.  He lived.

It was not for about 3 weeks until I got to visit him.  He apologized.  I admit I was mad.  I loved this kid.  He fooled me.  He said that he had been in a zone, happy because he knew he was out of there, meaning he was ready to go to the other side.  He wanted to escape the pain of life and go to heaven.  He said he had  no fear in walking off that fourth floor, none of the hesitation you feel before you jump off the high diving board the first time. 

Emma & her mom, Beth

You may guess why I tell this story.  It exemplifies what happens when you take literally "whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life."  This little piece of advice, taken the wrong way, can be so dangerous. This boy hated his life.

 I would suggest there is a negative and a positive way to hate my life. 

The negative is exemplified by this kid's story.  This is often what is happening when you hear of someone cutting on themselves.  If I hate my life and hate myself, I will want to punish myself.  So I cut myself.  Or I may think that I am such a loser that no one will pay me any attention if I do not do something dramatic like spill my blood. 

So who's crazier, Sir Charlie or La Reina Patricia

Even without such dramatic examples, I do not want to encourage someone who hates their body, hates their job, hates their family, hates their school, hates.  Just thinking about this I recoil.   There may be reason for the hatred.  However, "There is a better way," I want to say and I would say it.   I believe in talk therapy.   Feelings are all okay.  I just don’t want some feelings to stay around. 

On the positive side, I would suggest two things.

First, the word hate can be considered as hyperbolic, a big word meaning exaggeration.  It is like Rosemary telling me, "You get me up at 5:00 tomorrow morning for spin class & it is divorce!”   Think she is exaggerating?  I hope. 

Rich & Mary

Secondly, I would suggest that this all has to do with being more alive now, in this life. The grain of wheat falling to the ground and dying fits in with this.  For example: look at March Madness.  Many of these player have died to themselves to achieve & to be better players.  How many hours in the gym have they spent practicing free throws?  When they could be hanging out, sleeping in, text messaging?  And they love their lives.  I’ve seen boys do this at Jesuit. 

Goofy, but I hate my life to love my life.  I don't want to get up early.  I could sleep in to 11:00.  However, I, we, Rosemary & I get up and head over to the Jewish Community Center, 6:00 A.M. spin class.  The result even Rosemary loves  life.  And so do I.

The boy who jumped is now okay, amazingly.  It took him years of physical recovery.  Two things did not happen that blessed him.  He did not damage his brain and did not damage his spine.  Every other bone, plus his teeth, were broken.  Once he got strong enough he went to medical technical school, got his certificates, and now has good jobs in various hospitals in the city.  I don't think he hates his life anymore.  In fact, he loves it. 

Maureen & Marilyn looking over the enormous food drive

How do you love your life?

Sources:  The Center for Liturgy, St. Louis U.; St. Raymond Catholic Church, Dublin, CA; Carmelite Order Web; Homilias Domincales.

Readings:   2 Chronicles 36, 14-23, Whoever among you who belongs to any part of his people, let him go up; Psalm 137, Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget You; John 3, 14-21, Jesus said to Nicodemus, “the light came into the world.”

Chronicles:

Author (s): Unknown

Date:  ca. 450-350 BCE, at least after The Babylonian Captivity.  You will see why. 

Ryan lighting The 4 Cancles

Subject:  a summary of the entire span of history to the time the people returned to Jerusalem, i.e., from Adam to the end of the Babylonian Captivity, 450 BCE.  Therefore, it begins with Adam & a genealogy up to King Saul and King David, through David's son Solomon & the building of the temple to the Babylonian Captivity with Nebuchadnezzar to Cyrus the leader of the Persians who defeated Nebuchadnezzar (what a fabulous name, 5 syllables)  and allowed the Hebrews to return to Jerusalem.  Note that Babylon was near Baghdad in Iraq, while Persia was Iran.

Our selection: this is the very last chapter of ca. 60 chapters, including Chronicles 1 & 2.  A bit of a summary chapter, it says that Yahweh was so mad he got Nebuchadnezzar to defeat the Hebrews and cart them off to captivity in Babylon.  Then some 50 years later he gets Cyrus to defeat Nebuchadnezzar and free the Hebrews to return to Jerusalem, which they do. 

Sources: Catholic Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

4 Candles representing Week 4 of Lent

The Nature of God

Anybody here know Bartholomew Granger?  Or who he is?  I’ll tell you.  He is from Beaumont and 41 years old.  Last Wednesday morning he was waiting outside the Beaumont courthouse where he was on trial for abusing a member of his family. 

At some point he reached into his pickup, pulled out his gun, and started shooting.  He killed a 79 year old lady just passing there.  He wounded three others including his daughter whom he also ran over with his pickup truck in an attempt to flee the scene.

Ryan with his dad, Jim

 Anybody hear about the 22 kids from Belgium on a spring break ski trip to Switzerland?  Killed in a bus that simply ran into a bridge returning to Belgium.  22 kids plus some adults.

Which, taking into account our readings today, leads me to ask you two questions.

First question, does God get angry and punish bad people?  The Bible certainly seems to say so. 

• For example, Chronicles says today that the "anger of the Lord was so inflamed that there was no remedy."  As a result he had the Hebrews killed, burned out, and carried away as slaves in Babylon.  For a symbolic 70 years, which seems to suggest that the Hebrews had neglected to rest on the Sabbath, 7 being a special number.
• For example, Yahweh got so mad at his earlier creation that he sent the great flood, killing everybody except Noah, his wife, and the animals.  
• For example, in John this morning you find out that you will be condemned if you do not believe in the name of Jesus. 
• For example, it is held that Jesus had to come and die on a cross and he did so to take away the Father's anger at us for our ancestors' sins.  Thus, the gates of heaven, closed up to that time, would be reopened.  True?

 Were the kids on the bus bad?  Is Granger bad?  The little 79 year old lady?   What about Sargeant Robert Bales, who allegedly massacred a handful of women & children this week in Afghanistan.  Are they all such sinners that they must be punished like happened to the Hebrews in Jerusalem?

So, what do you think, what do you believe?  Does God get angry and punish bad people as we see repeatedly mentioned in the Bible?  What we are dealing with here is what you think the nature of God is.  Which leads me to my next question:

John & Connie

Second question, who are the bad people?  Or who are the good? 

Obviously the man who killed the old lady and injured three including his daughter whom he ran over is bad.  He deserves what?  Sargeant Robert Bales?   Be condemned?  Forever? 

From my experience as a priest and as as psychotherapist, I have discovered two things. 

First, that nobody is bad, and nobody is good.  Everybody is both bad & good.  But what about Granger?  Bales   Are they not bad?  John says, "He who does wicked things hates the light."  They must really hate the light.

Robyn & Bryan at the Offertory

Secondly, I discovered that if I had grown up in the environment of many of these so called bad people and I had been forced to live in the horrible surroundings they saw daily, I probably would have done the same things.  I do not know how many times I have talked with people who have done similar things and discovered that they were horribly wounded people.  Inside they were deeply hurt.  Outside they vented their hurt through anger and, watch out, through violence.  

And look what we are finding out about Bales, on his 4th mission, 3 of them in Iraq.

Sandra & Denni 3-18-12

As a balance to this negativity and tragedy, let me remind you that we likewise see beauty in people.  I saw it in Ermy, the check in lady at the Jewish Community Center who greeted us cheerily Friday morning at 5:45 when we came for a spin class.  And the 20 or so friendly class mates.  I saw it in the courage of Michael Morwood yesterday who shared with us his own faith and understanding of the nature of God & Jesus. 

So, reconsidering Granger & Bales & the kids from Belgium and all the Bible stories about God being angry and punishing people, what do you think about the nature of God?

Georgie & Zoe with their dad, Randolph

Sources: The Center for Liturgy, St. Louis U.  Online Ministries, Creighton, U.  All on line.

Leo with his daddy, Ray

Readings:   Exodus 20, 1-17, God delivered all these commandments; Psalm 19, Lord, You have the words of everlasting life; 1 Corinthians 1, 22-25, The weakness of God is stronger than human strength; John 2, 13-25, He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple.

Exodus: 2nd book of the Bible & of the Torah, the first 5 books of the Bible.

Date of Composition: put together ca 450-400 BCE, though elements come from 1000 BCE at least.

Author(s):  Moses, no.  At least 3 sources, maybe 4, e.g., the Yahweh (J) source, the Elohim (E) source, the Priestly (P) source, and even the Deuteronomy Source.

 Subject:  The 10 Commandments–observations:

Rosemary's Blessing

 Our Subject today: 10 Commandments–Observations

1. Academics see 3 maybe 4 versions of the 10 commandments, Exodus 34 (the oldest), Exodus 20 (our selection), Deuteronomy 5 (the last)
2. The versions come from the sources composing at different times, for example these 4

• The Yahweh Source, 10th Century BCE, therefore, Exodus 34    
• The Elohim Source, 9th Century BCE, therefore Exodus 20
•  The Deuteronomy Source, 7th Century BCE, therefore Deuteronomy 5    
• The Priestly Source, edited all the sources in 6th Century BCE (450-400 BCE, at the end of the Babylonian Captivity).  The 7 Day Creation Story comes from this source at this time.

Source:  Bishop (Episcopal) John Shelby Spong (Excellent Biblical Scholar)

Cole with his mom, Erin, lighting the three candles for the 3rd week of Lent

How to keep the Inner Peace

Some months ago Rosemary & I were flying back to Dallas from Toronto on the first Friday morning in October.  Canadians that morning were beginning the long weekend of Canadian Thanksgiving.  Everyone was taking off. 

Rosemary & I had gone to celebrate the event with Kay Reddick & her family the week just before Canadian Thanksgiving. 

Our plane was scheduled for sometime around 9:00, so we arrived very early, like 6:30.  We walked into the huge single room terminal and noticed a long line.  No problem, we had everything prepared.  We checked in and asked where we entered security, a one stop area like in Atlanta, everyone going through the same big security post.  The girl said the line was for security. 



Offertory, the Ekes, Marlene, Bobby, & Debbie

 Wow!  Gulp!  This line must have been more than 100 yards long, running from one end of the terminal to the other with numerous double backs.

Initially I thought the line was just volume.  Nope. Turns out security is staging a labor slow down.  We are in that line over 5 hours, folks.  Naturally, we missed our plane.  Everyone missed their plane.  In fact, I thought we might not even get out that day.  Clearing security was only half the problem.  Once inside everyone was mobbing the service desks to change their ticketing. 

One thing about the day that really struck me positively was that I never saw anyone lose it or have a hissy fit.  On the contrary, people were friendly, joking, lying on the floor while waiting.  There were Canadians in that line near us who were missing their flights to Hawaii.  We talked to them in the waiting line and we talked to them inside where they had booked a flight to San Francisco that afternoon. 

 If I had been in Lagos, Nigeria, I would expect that I would have witnessed a riot.  Not in Toronto that morning.  I’ve seen check-in riots for a lot less. 

Buddies, Bernadette & Loretta

 I mention this event because it comes to mind when I see the story of Jesus getting all steamed up at the vendors in the temple.   I have to laugh.  Lucky he never flew.  Our experience and his probably had some common elements, like chaos and crowds.  

What is he so hyped up about?  Was he having a bad mood day?  Can he have bad moods?   If you look at these scenes with detachment, you might want to laugh.

On the other hand, Jesus might have had some significant reasons, like:

    1.  he was angry because the vendors were supposed to remain in the outer courtyard and they were inching into the inner sanctum, the holy place.  The law.

    2.  he was angry because he was watching the vendors cheat.  Injustice.  Maybe his mom had been cheated by one of these guys some years ago and he still was angry about that.

    3.  he was angry because he saw the obsession of some of these people with money.  He was seeing the Bernie Madoffs, the Stanfords, and the Ken Lays of his day.

 But, note that

Leo in the choir

1. it was customary for animals to be sold at the temple.  These animals were destined to be bought by people, taken to the priestly cast inside the temple, and given as a sacrifice.  These people were heavy into sacrifice.  The idea: I sacrifice something to God, I get something from God.  Maybe it was gratitude for already getting something. 

  2.  it was customary that the temple was a center for all sorts of trade.  People went there for sacrifice, giving thanks, and socializing.  The market naturally set up near, in, and around the temple.  The markets I saw in Tanzania when I lived there were probably similar and were fascinating events. 

So why was Jesus so angry?  Maybe he was caught off guard.  He expected better.  That was what amazed me about the Toronto airport.  Everyone was caught off guard.  Everyone expected better.  Yet, no one got so mad they lost it. 

There is a little trick that helps with this craziness.  I would call it expectation adjustment.  The idea comes not from my head, but from a man named Albert Ellis (American Psychologist, developed RET, Rational-Emotive Therapy, d. 2007, 93). 

Bethany & Shonda

 The idea is that I have an expectation about how a person should behave & how things should be.  If the expectation is frustrated, then I can go off.  What do you think is the dynamic behind road rage? 

Want to fix it?  Adjust my expectation, change it.  Or look at it positively.  It is another way of accepting.  A trucker is in left lane.  So what.  Someone is in such a rush they are right on my rear bumper.  I have to wait so long in security that I miss my plane.  Expectations?  Yes.  Hey, it could be worse.  Rosemary & I made it out, after all.  Jesus seems to have done some expectation adjustment, because in his condemnation by the Pharisees at the end of his life he does not fight back.  The result: my inner peace.



Shonda & Ray

How do I react when I see someone going through the express check out with 18 items?   Or leaving the shopping cart in a parking place?  How do I react to road craziness? 

How do you respond to frustrated expectations?

 Sources:  Center for Liturgy, St. Louis U.; Alfred Ellis