Readings: Genesis 2, 7-9, 3, 1-7; Psalm 51, Be Merciful, O Lord, for We have sinned; Romans 5, 12-19; Matthew 4, 1-11.

First Sunday in Lent 2011– Intro to Readings

 Our first reading today comes from the Book of Genesis chapters two and three, and gives the second account of the creation of the world.  This is actually the older of the two versions. 

 The first chapter creation story was written around the 5^th century BCE and today’s one came from around the 8^th century BCE.  The story in today’s reading is primarily about the temptation by the serpent and the eviction from the garden.  There are just a few points I would like to draw your attention to about these creation stories. 

 This material must be understood for what it is and is not.  It is not accurate scientific information about the beginning of the world.  It is myth.  Now myth, properly understood, is not simply just make believe, but a style of writing which has a clear purpose. Myths are a society’s founding poetic narrative that provides the basic understanding of a society and its reason for being.  There are very similar stories found in other even earlier cultures.

 It is from St. Paul that we get the idea that this action by Adam and Eve of disobeying God was what we have come to know as Original Sin.  There is nowhere in the rest of the Old Testament that we have any suggestion that the people viewed the event as being “Original Sin”.  This idea was later taken up by St. Augustine and got its own legs from there.

 If we pay close attention to the story, there are several things worth noting.  The relationship between God and man, at the outset is perfect!  Everything has been made for man’s enjoyment.  Enter the serpent, and the temptation is “to be like God”.  The relationship was broken by the decision, and from that moment the relationship changed.  Remember that immediately after eating they hide from God.  The humans made the gap between the two.

 Our second reading takes up the same event, Paul to the Romans and this is where that idea of Original Sin is developed and then, as I mentioned above, greatly developed by Augustine and others.

First Sunday in Lent 2011 – Homily

 Welcome to Lent, a time traditionally to ask, so what are you giving up for Lent.  And my usual answer was something like, candy or homework!  Today I am not sure that I am giving up anything, I am going to try to take up something instead.  The original meaning of lent is Spring, and spring is a time of new beginnings. 

 Lent is also the time when those preparing for baptism and entry into the Church through the RCIA program begin their final steps, by signing the Book of the Elect.  I am pretty sure that just as an athlete will train for a competitive event, so too the Church sees lent as a time for us to prepare for Easter. 

Given that I have previously said just this past Easter that if you can understand the Resurrection you are probably committing some kind of heresy, then for me the easiest way to get my head around the whole death/resurrection event is to see it as some kind of sign of God’s unbelievable love for each one of us – and leave it at that.

 The gospel today gives us some ideas for lent.  It is the story of Jesus spending 40 days in the desert prior to beginning His public ministry.  Remember so much of Matthew’s gospel points back to the Old Testament, and we will then recall the 40 years of wandering in the desert. At the end of the 40 days we are told he is faced with three temptations.  The three temptations are best summarized as follows:

1. Change the rocks into bread.  It is a temptation to take the easy way out, there is no one else around, no one will see, no one will know.  We too can be tempted in this way.
2. Jump from the Temple, the place where surely God is most present.  He will save you.  How often do we tempt God?  In our heads how often do we see, if God doesn’t want this to happen, then it won’t.
3. Promise of power, if only Jesus will worship the devil.  The danger of abuse of power, it is such a tempting thing to have power over others.

 My plan for this lent is to focus on these three temptations, and reflect on my own life in terms of each of the temptations.  Perhaps Lent should be a time of reflection on this journey we call life, a time for a thorough examination of conscience.  Remember when NASA was sending rockets to the moon, there was a phrase used “a mid course correction”.  Maybe by taking time during lent, taking a closer look at our own lives, maybe we too could use a mid course correction.

Picture 1:   We begin

Picture 2:   Leo

Picture 3:   Emma

Picture 4:   The Pastry Shoppe

Picture 5:   Curtis & Mabel with Cindy 

Readings: Deuteronomy 11, 18-32; Psalm 31, Lord, be my Rock of Safety; 2 Corinthians 5, 20-6, 2; Matthew 6, 1-6, 16-18. 

Deuteronomy, some observations:

 What:

1.  5^th book of the Bible, last book of the Torah.

2.  A farewell discourse by Moses after 40 years in the desert. He will not, but the Jewish people are about to enter what they called their promised land, a place occupied by the Canaanites, who will be killed and displaced by the Jews.

 Author: not Moses.  Rather, some teachers and political leaders of the people already in Jerusalem.

 Dates: Some material seems to come from before the Assyrians destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel.  So about 750 years before Christ.  It seems to have other material and to have been stitched together as one piece after the Babylonian Captivity.  Therefore, around 550 before Christ.

 Subject: Yahweh has saved his special people and blessed them.  To continue this blessing, obey.  Otherwise, you know what.

 Today’s Subject: there is a blessing & a curse.  Obey the laws & be blessed; disobey & be cursed. 

 Sources: Good News Bible; The New Interpreter’s Study Bible; Wikipedia, St. Louis U. Liturgies.

Is My House Built on Sand?

 Because of Leo’s baptism I want to say just a word about Matthew’s main lesson. 

 Do you own a house in the Dallas area?  Is your house built on rock?  No!  It is built on black clay soil, about as solid as sand.

 Some years ago my mom & I had a couple of foundation companies give us an estimation on fixing our 1950 pier & beam foundation.  One company said they would not touch the place. 

 If I put a pen on a certain angle on my computer desk, it will roll right off.  The tile on the outer wall of my bathroom is squishing because the wall is sinking faster than the bathroom.

 I would suggest that we are all built on black clay soil or sand.  Sorry Matthew.  Specifically, we all fail, we have our obsessions & addictions, we have our fears.  We are still accepted!

 If this is not the point of God’s acceptance of us, I do not know what is. 

 This reminds me of Jimmy Johnson’s boast about the Cowboys, “They don’t just talk the talk; they walk the walk.”  This is cute macho talk when you win.  Were the Cowboys this past year just losers?  No, not really. 

 The positive side of the lesson is that we are challenged to be what we used to get drummed into us as young Jesuits, Renaissance Men (or Women).  In other words, I try to be fully alive, physically, intellectually, and psychologically/spiritually healthy & active.  A person of self discipline & moderation.

 Good old Lent arrives Wednesday.  Where is your foundation weak? 

 Picture 1:   Leo welcoming everyone to his baptism

 Picture 2:   Baptism, Teresa & John, Ray & Shonda, and Leo

 Picture 3:   The baptism

 Picture 4:    Old Geezers, Myron Hubble & Bill Poncik

 Picture 5:    Justin & Ashley with the grandparents, Jean & Cliff      

Readings: Isaiah 49, 14-15; Psalm 62, Rest in God alone, my Soul; 1 Corinthians 4, 1-5; Matthew 6, 24-34.

Isaiah reminders—

 Author: This is Isaiah #2, the composer of chapters 40-55.  January 6 we had a first reading from this same chapter 49, verses 4-5, talking about Yahweh’s people being a servant and light to the nations.  I talked about the taxi driver whose son had been killed for his pickup truck in Cuernavaca.

 Date:  Ca. 575 before Christ.  The Jewish people of Jerusalem are defeated, crushed, & in the Babylonian Captivity.  Isaiah #3, chapters 56-66, is writing after the Babylonian Captivity.

 Today’s Message: Even though life is bad, Yahweh says he will never forget his people, somewhat similar to the reading from January 6.

Sources: Good News Bible

Don’ Worry About Tomorrow? 

 Yesterday afternoon I did a funeral celebration for a lady named Rebecca Sides.  It took place at Turrentine Funeral Home on Ridgeview.  She died of cancer at 58. 

 I did not ever know Rebecca personally.   I knew her through Jean Atwood’s son Sean, who married one of Rebecca’s three daughters, Terra.  Rebecca was the payroll supervisor for the city of Plano, so there were numerous Plano City people there, including her supervisor and an assistance police chief, both of whom gave excellent talks. 

 Of all the things I heard about Rebecca the quality that struck me the most was the way she had her priorities in order.  Her number one priority was her family.  She seemed like the family matriarch, a magnetic force that brought members together, especially her 4 grand kids. 

 I talk about her because she exemplified what Matthew’s two lessons are trying to teach us today and what he has been trying to teach us all during this sermon on the mount.  Namely, getting our priorities in order.

 I want to say a word about each of Matthew’s points, serving two masters and not worrying about tomorrow.  One preliminary reminder.

 Matthew is again using exaggeration, hyperbole, and infinite demand to convey his message.  Do you not want to say, ‘Are you nuts, are you crazy?’  There is another half, infinite acceptance, like the line, “The Lord is gracious and merciful, never gets angry, and is abounding in love.”  Psalm 103 & other places. 

 First, ‘Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, your body, what you will wear.  All these things will be given to you.’  Everyone can see this is like crazy.  And this is the negative aspect.  So it all gets dismissed. 

 The positive is the word  ‘worry’ repeated four times and the reference to the birds and flowers.  We can have our priorities and goals without worry.  We can emulate the birds and flowers to a point.  Worry leads to anxiety, to high blood pressure, and to strokes. 

 Secondly, the idea that we cannot serve two masters.  The negative part of this lesson is that it is either/or, black or white, God or mammon.  More exaggeration. 

 More positively, do we not serve a number of masters in our life?  God may be an ultimate master.  Do we not have numerous sub-masters?  Could it be possible I am my own master?  I wonder.

 All these lessons seem to be telling us to get our priorities in order.  From what I heard, Rebecca had hers in order.

 What are your 3 biggest priorities in life?

 Picture 1:   Leo with his baby sitter, Lynda  

 Picture 2:   Marlene & Cindy

 Picture 3:   Penny

 Picture 4:   Zoe