Readings:  Wisdom 9, 13-18; Psalm 90, In every age, O Lord, You have been Our Refuge; Philemon 9-10, 12-17 (expand, 4-22); Luke 14, 24-33

Philemon observations:

Author: Paul in prison in Rome.

Time: around 60 C.E.

Actors:

—Paul

—Philemon, a leader of the Christian community in Colossae ( in Turkey today), maybe a slave owner

—Onesimus, maybe a run away slave, maybe a brother to Philemon.  This letter was used for centuries by slave owners to justify slavery.  Right up to the Confederacy.

What is going on:  Paul is writing to Philemon to request a warm welcome to Onesimus, who, as slave or brother, has apparently run off with money or goods of Philemon.  When Onesimus ran away, he met Paul and they became close, with Onesimus helping Paul while he is imprisoned.

We’ll read verses 4-24 for a broader picture of the letter.

Wisdom observation:  a book of counsel on behavior.  Basically, be good thrive, bad burn alive.  Not written by Solomon.

Sources: Good News Bible; Christian Inconnect (on line); New Interpreter’s Study Bible, pp. 2147 & ff.

Hate My Parents?  Renounce My Possessions?

I would like to talk this morning about the Hotter 'N Hell Hundred bike ride in Wichita Falls last Saturday.

Approximately every ten miles of the HHH there is a rest station.  You can get water, gator aide, pickle juice, pickles, bananas, watermelon, and other specialties.  The pickle juice & bananas are for potassium to prevent muscle cramps, which I have to fight.

I stop at every rest station except the ten mile station.  Last Saturday I was at the 30 miles station, a favorite because the ladies there bake chocolate chip cookies.  Trouble is, I can only eat one.  Or I’ll throw up.

I had made a resolution to lie down at each stop for a few minutes.  So I lie down in the grass near my bike.  Almost immediately another rider says to me, “You okay?”  I was perfectly okay I told him.  Thanks.

This caring for one another really touches me and seems contagious throughout the event.  Other people have asked me how I’m doing (maybe they think the old geezer can’t make it) and I ask others. 

My buddy and mentor Hammond tells me another story of people helping people.  He goes by a girl with a flat tire.  He remembers her well because she was all in pink, pink jersey, pink pants & shoes, pink helmet & bike, long blond hair.  Bill said there were about 5 guys all helping her.  I asked him if shortly there was a sixth.

Bill said he was telling Greg Moldovan the story at the next rest stop.  A guy near them in the crowd said, “Hey, I was one of those guys and we were only three.”

I tell stories about caring for one another to broaden Luke's demanding  message today.  Hate my parents?  Maybe not so hard to do sometimes.  My brothers & sisters?  Renounce all my possessions?  Hey, I’ve done this, actually twice.  It ain’t the answer.  What is the healthy approach?

Three observations.

First, we have here the old Christian dynamic of infinite demand—coupled with infinite acceptance.  It is not meant literally, but symbolically.

Secondly, this infinite demand can be healthy & useful.  What about healthy detachment for a greater good?  High school & college football practice is in full throttle right now.  When I played a bit of high school football, in order to get in shape we did all sorts of conditioning exercises. We did pushups so often I hated them for the rest of my life.

To achieve a greater good I may have to detach from my parents & my possessions. 

Thirdly, I have 4 examples of the caring-for-others-way being a greater good.

a.  Paul’s care for Onesimus in the second reading.

b.  Luke’s very own story of the Good Samaritan.

c.  The guy asking me if I was okay.

d.  Greg Mortenson’s stunning book, Stones into Schools, about building girls’ schools in Afghanistan

Whom do you care for?

Picture 1:   Mass Begins

Picture 2:   Mass Ends

Picture 3:   Georgie & Zoe enjoy the celebration

Picture 4:   Normally the one taking the pictures, Jan is caught by the eye of the camera.

Pcture 5:   The Gang, Sandra, Mike, John, Chuck, & Geri

Readings:  Sirach 3, 17-29; Psalm 68, God, in Your Goodness, You have made a Home for the Poor;  Hebrews 12, 18-24; Luke 14, 1-14

Introduction to the Readings

The first reading today is from the Book Sirach, which used to be better known as Ecclesiasticus.  It was written about the year 180 BCE by Jesus, son of Elcazar, son of Sira, and later translated by his grandson into Greek.

Sirach was a highly respected scribe and teacher, a person who traveled quite a bit, may even have been a diplomat to foreign courts.  Later in his life he started a school in Jerusalem where he tried to pass on to the young people the great love he had of the Scriptures combined with what he had learned from his own experiences about life. 

The book is part of the Wisdom literature and the reason for its older title, Ecclesiasticus is that in the past it was one of the most used and quoted books by the Church!   Our reading today fits well with the topic in the gospels, humility.

The second reading is from the Letter to the Hebrews.  The author is unknown, although for a long period of time it was assumed to be Paul.  But today most scholars agree that the style is too different and the Greek used is the best in the New Testament. 

The overall message of the letter is one of encouragement to hang in and not get too complacent with the faith.  Probably written late in the first century, the main theme is the priesthood and sacrifice of Jesus.  This is the letter where we come across the many references to Jesus as the High Priest. 

I sometimes wonder if this focus was due to the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem (ca. 70 C.E.) and the end of the priesthood as the Jewish people would have known it, and so to fill the void the author holds up Jesus and his sacrifice as the one true sacrifice. 

Another important theme is the pilgrimage of the people of God to the heavenly Jerusalem, and it is on this topic that our reading is taken from for today.

Homily

The theme of the readings today is humility.   From a careful reading of the gospel, I am left a little confused because it seems to me that the main point Jesus could be making is how to get more recognition by being humble.  That said, since I have nothing good to say about it, I want instead to take advantage of the fact that today we are going to be baptizing Emma and welcoming her into our community, and so would like to offer some thoughts about baptism. 

If we go right back to the earliest days of Christianity, we find baptism!  Early in Mark’s gospel Jesus is baptized by John in the Jordan.  In Matthew’s gospel the apostles are instructed by Jesus just before his ascension to “go teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of Father, Son and Holy Spirit”.   And through out the Acts of the Apostles it becomes clear that baptism was the way to join this community. 

It was the Rite of Entry!  And all of the people who were being baptized did so after hearing the message or the teaching as Matthew puts it.  If kids were baptized, it was only because the family was joining. 

It wasn’t until the fifth century when St. Augustine stated that only the baptized could get into heaven that the focus and practice shifted.  This of course created a huge pastoral problem for those who died before being baptized.  It was only in the 12^th century that Peter Abelard came up with the notion of Limbo, for those who had died unbaptized. 

One of the consequences of all of this was that religion was taught to kids, and not to adults!!  When was the last time any of you were at a formal class or session on your faith, outside of mass?  Think about it! 

The catholic faith as most of us have it was given at a kid level.  This might have been fine at a time when most adults were not educated beyond the 6^th grade, if even that, but today most adults have at least completed high school and a large number even college. 

Let me be clear, when I take about “faith” I am specifically referring to our personal response to God, our relationship with God.  Our acceptance of the invitation from God, to love God.  The information stuff, the doctrines, etc., are secondary.  When we were baptized as infants, someone else made that decision for us.  Today while Emma is being baptized, can we take a moment to reflect on the decision made for us, and make it for ourselves!  What does it mean in your life today, that you are baptized?

Picture 1:   Emma's welcome into the community baptism

Picture 2:   Emma's family, godparents Bobby & Tanya, parents Tom & Beth

Picture 3:   Sisters, Megan & Emely Kite.  Megan off to teach in Spain for a year.

Picture 4:  Chloe

Picture 5:  Jackie & Cathy accepting from Mike our monthly $2000 donation to the CCAC

Readings: Isaiah, 66, 18-21; Psalm 117, Go out to All the World and tell the Good News; Hebrews 12, 5-7, 11-13; Luke 13, 22-30.

Luke: 4 observations & an extra

Author:  Luke, a physician, a gentile, a Christian, a resident of Antioch (a big Christian center in the early church, Syria), wrote in Greek, and wrote The Acts of the Apostles, also.

Audience: Gentile Christians who are spread about, e.g., Antioch; more attention to women than other writers; special stories include the Good Samaritan & the Prodigal Son, which I think broadens the concept of our rather threatening Luke selection today.

Time: ca. 90 C.E.  Note this is after the defeat of the Jewish rebellion    and the destruction of the temple ca. 70 C.E., & the separation of the Jewish & Gentile Christians from the synagogue ca. 80 C.E.

Structure: follows & often copies Mark who builds his gospel around the Jewish liturgical calendar used in the synagogue.

A Significant Contemporary Shift taking Place Today?

–Ca. 450 C.E. the Council of Calcedon.  Big fight over nature of Jesus, one nature (all divine) or two natures (divine & human).  The two nature people won, not just with persuasion, but killing and bullying.

–Today the one nature position is returning, but not the divine nature position.  The human nature.

–Interesting analogy with Rosa Parks, who sparked the civil rights movement, Dec. 1, 1955, when she refused to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, AL.  Though she never did much else, she is considered the Mother of the Civil Rights Movement.  Others picked up the program and moved it forward.

Did Christianity follow a similar path?  Jesus started something.  Is Rosa Parks an analogy of the Jesus event?  Was it not Jesus' followers, most of whom never knew him, who built the edifice?  Did he even know what was coming?  It is said that Jesus was first declared divine at the Council of Nicea, (Constantine's villa across from what became Constantinople/Istanbul) ca. 325 C.E.   

Sources: Bishop John Shelby Spong, Jesus for the Non-Religious; New Interpreter's Study Bible, pp. 1847-1849; Early Christian Writings on line; St. Louis U, Center for Liturgy; Wikipedia

Homily: The Master of the House has Arisen and Locked the Door?

Anybody know who Patrick Sharp is?  Anybody heard of him?

Yes, he is the guy who Tuesday shot up the McKinney police station after setting his ammunition loaded truck on fire in the parking lot. 

He is also the guy who an hour before that was messaging an adolescent girl in GA and maybe other young girls that he was going to do it.  He said, “I enjoy watching people drown.  I enjoy watching people beg for their life?

Then he killed himself. 

Is this guy in hell?  Has the master of the house shut the door on him?  You say, “Well, I hope so.”  And according to Luke’s selection, which has Jesus saying, “Depart from me all you evil doers,” it sounds like this guy is in a bad place right now. 

Maybe he was not warned adequately enough about this.  I certainly was as a kid.  Tony told me about the nun with the candle.  I’ll give you $10 if one of you boys can hold your finger in the flame for one minute.  Nobody?  Hell is this candle all over your body forever!

I probably was partly motivated by this when I decided I better enter the Jesuits and be a priest.

While not wanting to contradict this message, I would like to propose a broader picture and wonder, 'What if there is no hell?'  Two reasons: the nature of our God and the nature of us humans.

The nature of God.  Hold on to the story of the Prodigal Son.  The father, the symbol of God in the story, does not close the door on the son who has done all the most grievous things.  He not only leaves the door open.  He runs down the driveway to embrace the kid when the father sees him shuffling up the lane all filthy and beaten down.  

This is the best image of God.  Add to it the stars in the sky, the moon tonight, good people we know, teachers, parents, coaches.  

The nature of us humans.  As a priest and as a psychotherapist I have worked with and come to know intimately Patrick Sharps.  I might think the person pretty bad until I hear their story.  Maybe bullied by companions, physically abused by a parent, or worse.  Even this Patrick Sharp knew he was damaged goods.  Why?  I've been humbled so often when I judged the book by the cover. 

What if there is no hell for Patrick Sharp?

What do you need to do to let loose of any old fears that you are going to hell?

Picture 1:  Mass begins with Emma supervising

Picture 2:  Sisters, Brandy & Wendy

Picture 3:  Cousins, Georgie & Natalie

Picture 4:  Sienna & her grandmommy, Robyn

Readings:  Revelation 11, 19; 12, 1-6; Psalm 45, The Queen stands at your Right Hand, arrayed in Gold; 1Corinthians 15, 20-27; Luke 1, 39-56. 

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Intro to Readings

The Book of Revelation or the Apocalypse is one of those books of the Bible, which really needs careful study.  Written probably around the year 90 CE, its purpose was to offer encouragement to the early Christians who were undergoing brutal persecution under the Roman emperor Domitian. 

The style of writing is highly symbolic.  We find beasts representing evil and in this case the Roman Empire. 

In today’s reading we have a description of a woman, not Mary, giving birth to a child and the dragon is waiting to devour the child.  Our tendency is to immediately think the woman is Mary, but there were mythical stories from India to Rome about a goddess who would bring forth a savior-king, and this woman would be pursued by a horrible monster, a personification of evil. 

Our second reading is from Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians.  This is the longest of the letters in the New Testament, and in fact is one of the longest surviving letters in Greek from that period.  The letter addresses specific issues within the community, which we are told in Acts 18:4 Paul visited.  Today’s reading focuses on the contrast between Adam and Christ, and the fact that Christ’s mission is to return the kingdom to God the Father. 

Picture 1:   Mass begins with Kevin helping

Picture 2:   Wendy, Shonda, & Ray

Picture 3:   What happens when priests marry: granddaughter Eleanor with mom, Roshene, & grandparents, Gayle & Fr. Tony

Picture 4:   Sienna with her mom & dad, Erin & Payton