FATHER JOE'S SUNDAY HOMILIES
June 12, 2011-“When the Doors Were Locked”
This week we celebrate Pentecost - the “birthday” of the Church – when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples and each disciple was blessed with integrity and strength to use his gifts for the upbuilding of the Kingdom of God. This took place over 19 centuries ago and the Church continues to be blessed by the Holy Spirit.
We also live in challenging times. We see the numbers of vocations to the priesthood and religious life declining. We are experiencing the effects from the sexual abuse crisis within our Church, and we are aware of the increasing sense of anti-institutionalism in general and anti-organized religion in particular.
I’d like to speak to you about a particular development which has been on the increase . . . that is, the closing of churches. Permit me to intensify the magnifying glass even further and take you to Wilkes-Barre, PA and Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish on North Main Street. This church is quite important in Slovak and Catholic history in the U.S., partly because of its founding pastor, Father Jozef Murgas. Father Murgas was truly a Renaissance man, gifted with many different interests and talents. First, he was a pioneer in the field of wireless transmission. He accomplished the world’s first radio land broadcast sent in Wilkes-Barre, PA and received in Scranton, PA on November 23, 1905. He had 17 patents in total, (including one for the first casting reel.) A group of Philadelphia financiers purchased the rights of ownership to form a syndicate under the name of “The Universal Aether Telegraph Company” for the purpose of placing the new transmission invention on the market. This company was the forerunner of AT&T.
He was also an artist having attended the Academy of Art in Munich, Germany for 4-1/2 years. In fact, among his works of art are the Sacred Heart of Jesus (on the main altar) and the Immaculate Conception (on the left-side altar) of this Sacred Heart Church. In 1944, the Liberty Ship “S.S. Rev. Joseph Murgas” was commissioned by the U.S. Navy. In 1948, King’s College’s (in Wilkes-Barre) Biology Department received a gift of Father’s Lepidoptra butterflies and moth’s collection. At one time, it included 9,000 different species. On October 27, 1974, King’s College dedicated the Murgas Audio-Visual Center. February 15, 1975 saw the establishment of the “Father Murgas” Presidential Scholarship at the University of Scranton and in 1976 the University of Scranton dedicated the “Father Murgas Communications Room.”
In the early part of the 20th Century he spear-headed an American War Bond Drive for Slovakia (which was then a part of Austria-Hungary) to the tune of over $3.8 million – remember, this was during the period when tens of thousands of Slovak immigrants were arriving in America - largely put to work in the coal mines and steel mills; their pay checks were not very high. In 1909 he was one of the founders of the Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius (which are still active). Sacred Heart School was the first school in which they ministered. He was an author in both Slovak and English. In 1925, President Calvin Coolidge appointed Father Murgas the first Chairman of the U.S. Radio Communications Commission.
Sacred Heart Church has been honored by a historical marker from the State of Pennsylvania, has fostered numerous vocations over its 115 year history, has rare Tyrolean Art Guild stained glass windows, and is the largest church building in the North and East end of Wilkes-Barre, which is out of the Flood Plain and is a highly visible edifice. It has safe and ample parking, is handicapped accessible and has an elevator. In the past 11 years almost $2.5 million of the parish has gone toward various diocesan assessments and subsidies.
The closing date is Sunday, June 19th.
If the Bishop still decides to go on with his decision, the Foundation (established by parishioners) will either purchase the Church from the diocese or at least purchase and preserve all of the contents.
Friends in Christ, this story is one of hundreds being narrated across the country. I ask for your prayers and thoughts for the people of Sacred Heart Parish and for the Bishop of Scranton, Joseph Bambera. I attended my maternal grandmother’s funeral and presided at my aunt’s funeral in Sacred Heart Church.
“When the Doors Were Locked” is part of our Gospel this week – indeed and in fact.
Seventh Sunday of Easter – June 4-5, 2011 -Father, the Hour Has Come. . . Both Then and Now.
Memory or the lack of it, has become a major theme in medicine and indeed in the social nature of our country. Forgetting where we left those pesky keys, not attending an event because we totally “put it out of our minds”, forgetting to send birthday anniversary or even Christmas cards because they weren’t on the list (which we forgot to amend last year!) Increasingly, Alzheimer’s Disease is a medical fact, especially with the aging of the baby boomers and the (coming) rise of the elderly in America. When we forget, it has become the norm to make light of it, especially with self-deprecating humor.
I am going to take great liberties with our scriptural quote: “Father, the hour has come” and after a brief explanation with its scriptural context, broaden out its meaning for contemporary life in the 21st century and conclude with our opening theme of memory. First, scripturally, Jesus is telling his disciples goodbye at the Last Supper and says this with two meanings: The first is to announce that the saving passion and death story of Jesus is about to unfold and that the disciples will be witnesses of these events. The time has come, says Jesus, when the authorities of this world will process and kill the Authority of Life. The clock of the world’s events draws all who would be participants in this drama, even as certain groups would eventually arrest Jesus directly after this final meal, with Jesus asking the mob ironically, “whom are you looking for?” The second meaning is to make the association between these events, which result in salvation by the blood of Jesus, and the final times in which Jesus will return: the murdered one now the victor as the Judge of the World.
Now permit me to draw this sentence in a different direction within a contemporary context: it is also the time when leaders are needed, in the political order as well as the religious world who do not have their own good as their primary goal. Father, the hour has come . . . for leaders of guts, bravery, strength, and compassion. Father, the hour has come . . . for men and women to show loyalty and trust in others and sensitivity to people and their needs. Father, the hour has come for an authority who is fully secure in, knowledgeable of, and supportive of “us” and also more than willing to reach out and to love “them”, by which act his or her security will be in God, their knowledge will lead to action and critical thought and their support will give hope to an ever-dejected, discouraged, and empty world.
Let us pray this week as we prepare for Pentecost that an awakening of self-sacrifice, of hope and of goodness will reign in the Spirit. And so, let us pray that the Memory of this Age will bring joy and peace to future denizens of this world and that not only Alzheimer’s will be cured but that political and religious Alzheimer’s, that is, the loss of memory of what happens when selfish leaders rule is totally and successfully eradicated.
The Ascension: You are Witnesses to These Things.
Today’s Gospel is the conclusion of the Gospel of Matthew; the last line is really the theme of the entire Gospel, “Know that I am with you always.”
The Gospel takes place on a mountain, actually more of a hill. The eleven disciples are there. Judas Isacariot had taken his own life. His replacement, Matthias had not yet been chosen. And Jesus. Jesus was there, but some still doubted.
Some of the disciples doubted. They were with Jesus when He told them He would suffer, die and rise again. They experienced His presence after the resurrection. Yet, some still doubted. I find that strangely comforting because if these people could doubt after all their experiences of the Lord, then there is nothing wrong with us when we have questions and doubts. We are only acting like human beings.
Every year on the Sunday after Easter, do we not have the Gospel of Doubting Thomas?
What do we do with our doubts?
Many people simply give up. In fact, we are all inclined to do that. We have doubts, and then we are confronted with a choice: do I just give up on God or the Church or do I use this as an occasion to delve deeper into my faith? Those people who use their doubts to plunge into the depths of the faith can grow in their faith. They read and study and learn.
Catholicism is a deep, yet practical faith. It is such a shame that so many people’s knowledge of their faith is that of the second grader making first Holy Communion, or even that of the high school freshman making Confirmation. We need to learn about our faith, and then take that knowledge to others.
“Men and women of Galilee, why are you looking up?” the angel said in the first reading. Don’t look in the sky. Let us stop contemplating our navels. No, get to work. Others need to know about the heights and depths of God’s working in our lives. We need to take God to the work places, to our families and to the world. The world has questions. Some of these questions are profound. But to understand Jesus means that we have to learn our faith and bring our knowledge to others.
“Know that I am with you always.” The Ascension is a call for us to tell the world that Jesus is still with us,. His presence can be found in the answers to our questions. We are called today to “Tell the World that Jesus Lives.” We accomplish this with our lives.
If You Love Me, You will Keep My Commandments - May 30, 2011
2. The Commandments
A. The relationship between loving God and observing the commandments is not about God controlling us.
B. Rather it is about:
1. Hesed (Love) in the Jewish Scriptures.
2. God’s initiation of a relationship with God’s people.
3. For a stable and balanced society, i.e., for our own good.
4. And for self-control, not God-control. – Remember we are the insecure folk who want to control – it has nothing to do with divine control – we have free will, no?
3. Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day – Memorial Day - The remembrance of those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Veteran’s Day - Thanksgiving for the Veteran’s alive and dead who have served our country.
If we dislike or have moral qualms with a particular decision by our government, we ought to contact our Representatives and Senators to share our concerns with them. Please do not take out our anger at our soldiers- they did not make the decision.
"The Way" to Ecumenism and Inter-Faith Relations - May 22, 2011
I.) From Jesus' farewell address
-In the preceding chapter (13), Jesus washed the disciples feet, gave the new commandment "love one another", spoke of Judas' betrayal and told Peter that he would deny him 3 times.
-Now in chapter 14, Jesus tells his disciples goodbye - this continues in chapters 15, 16, and 17; In chapter 18 Jesus is arrested.
- Other biblical goodbyes include Jacob in Genesis, Moses in Deuteronomy, and Paul in Acts. The difference here is, of course, Jesus is the Christ; He is the Divine One.
II.) Jesus tells us he is "the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
A.) Jesus is not merely a guide or a messenger but is the source:
He is both journey and destination; he is the way.
He is integrity, i.e., when what we say matches what we do; he is the truth.
He is total, joyful, delightful living with a purpose-the purpose to love; he is the life.
So what Jesus has said has implications for us not only in the future or eschatologically (concerning the end times), but also in the here and now - the way is to know truth and have life.
B.) So, can we link this saying of Jesus to interfaith understandings? I think so, in two ways with a conclusion.
1.) Both the Johannine community and by extension the early church were passionately in love with Jesus - his words and his works. So we must be. We must bring his Presence into the world, to anyone who is willing to listen. - We must speak tons of love and clarity of faith by our lives. We must be missionaries. Where is mission territory? The world; America; Connecticut; New York; Massachusetts; Lakeville/Salisbury; our homes and workplaces. We can share God with others but remember who is in the drivers seat - guess who? God! So then let us leave judgment, "who is saved and who is not?" to the Driver.
2.)And what do the Scriptures say to us about our Driver?
a.) "For thus says the Lord God: 'I myself will look after and tend my sheep. As a shepherd tends his flock when he finds himself among his scattered sheep, so will I tend my sheep. I will rescue them from everyplace where they were scattered when it was cloudy and dark. I will lead them out from among the peoples and gather them from the foreign lands. . . The lost I will seek out, the strayed I will bring back, the injured I will bind up, the sick I will heal." Ezekiel 34
b.) "Jesus sent out these twelve (disciples) after instructing them: 'Go (rather) to the lost sheep of the house of Israel'" Matthew 10
c.) "If a man has 100 sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the 99 in the hills and go in search of the stray?" -Matthew 18
d..) "And when he does find (the lost sheep) he sets it on his shoulders with great joy . . . in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous people who have no need of repentance." Luke 15
C.) Conclusion:
1.) Be Christians and by the force of purity of life in Christ, be missionaries and change the world.
2.) Let God be God! - "Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46
Easter, 2011
Yes, all of us this evening (this morning) come here from many different geographical locations, places of emotion, psychological realities, family histories, ethnic groupings, political beliefs, philosophical leanings, racial stories, sexualities, ages, gender, varying depths of passion about organizational religion in general and the Catholic Church in particular.
We may never be in the same place together again. So savor each precious moment of a people gathered to celebrate the hope of Christianity: the resurrection of Christ.
* For Easter Vigil
From one “Paschal” or Easter candle we have received light in our own hands reflected in our eyes, in our loved ones' eyes, in the eyes of those we do not know who are near us. I wish you could all be in the sanctuary looking out on a sea of light - one person at a time. To see each person sharing in the light of this festival of love - each person, regardless of history, reflecting the light of Christ; each individual loved by God uniquely, totally and constantly- this is the center of the Christian year.
*For Easter Sunday:
We see the light of the Paschal or Easter candle reflected in our eyes. Last night at the Easter Vigil, I had the privilege, as I do each year, of looking out on a sea of candlelight- one person at a time. To see each person sharing in the light of this festival of love - each person, regardless of history, reflecting the light of Christ; each individual loved by God uniquely, totally and constantly- this is the center of the Christian year.
There are many forces which divide humanity: economic, social, political, philosophical, racial, sexual; there is greed, selfishness, self-centeredness, pride, distrust, coercion, fear, and I dare say, religious divisions.
My religion is right, so you are wrong.
My path is the only way to God, so you are incorrect.
My interpretation of age-old texts is absolutely on board with what God desires, you are in error.
What we ought to do is rejoice on those holy days which bring people together - this, for Christian's, is the principal day of unity. As our Byzantine brothers and sisters share with one another: Christos Voskres! Voistenu Voskres! Christ is Risen! Truly, he is risen!
What we must do is to bring this Easter joy from this place to all places. We must share the Resurrection Gospel with all we come into contact with - at home, at work, at Yankees games (or even at Red Sox games), at leisure time and especially with our enemies. How? By being truthful, honest, moral, ethical, respectful, humble people of integrity - by being who God created us to be. In this fractured, disparate, unequal world - a world which looks at the failings and weaknesses of the institutional model of the Church, we are ever more the real ambassadors of the Christian faith. It all comes down to you and me. We are to manifest the goodness and optimism of a faith which teaches more than the here and now, more than objects and possessions; a faith which lives by love - we can be an Easter people.
Brother David Steindl-Rast, of the Benedictine Monastery of Mt Savior in NY wrote:
You, the one
From whom on different paths
all of us have come.
To whom on different paths
all of us are going.
Make strong in our hearts what unites us;
Build bridges across all that divides us;
United make us rejoice in our diversity. Amen. Alleluia!
-Brother David Steindl-Rast, OSB
Mt Savior Monastery, NY
Third Sunday in Lent - March 27, 2011- "Culture, Water & Worship"
I. Culture
-The Samaritans were descendents of intermarriage between the Israelites of the Northern Kingdom and Pagan colonists whom the Assyrian conquerors had settled there. The time line here is about six centuries before Jesus. Their religion was basically Mosaic but had Pagan additives. They accepted only the first five books of the Jewish Scriptures or the Torah: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. They rejected the prophets (the Neviim) and all of the prophetic attention on the Temple in Jerusalem. Because of all this, the Jews and Samaritans did not get along well at all, in fact, the Synoptic Gospels (Mark, Matthew, Luke) have no record of any interaction between Jesus and the Samaritans.
In the Mediterranean world, people are divided according to gender. Women could use the well area in the morning or evening, men in the afternoon. Why, then does she (we never know her name) come at noon? Due to her history (she has had five husbands and is now living with someone who is not her husband), she is shunned by the other women, so she comes at a time when all the other "proper" women are at home! She is, therefore, alone.
So, she probably thought this man would treat her with disdain and contempt because of the time of day since she is a woman and because she knows Jesus is Jewish. But Jesus does nothing of the sort - he treats her with respect and talks with her for quite a while.
II. Water
- "Living", running or spring water is quite important in Palestine. During the long rainless months people depend on cisterns (or large tanks) which store up the pervious winter's rains. This becomes flat and stale, whereas spring water is fresh and dynamic. This running water becomes a symbol of divine wisdom and teaching and indeed the early Church would understand this within the context of the living waters of baptism.
III. Worship:
- Jesus offers the Samaritan woman an opportunity to be the New Israel, worshipping not dependent on locality or whether one was ethnically pure or mixed but flowing from the Spirit to all. This invitation by God was to everyone, a universal call resulting in human inclusivity.
We are all called regardless of culture, gender or personal history to become the New Israel so that by the dynamic waters of baptism we might practice how and who we worship, evangelizing the world by the Good New of Jesus the Christ.
March 20, 2011 - Second Sunday in Lent - Transfiguration
And he was transfigured before them . . .
- From Webster's: 1. To change the form or appearance of
2. To transform so as to glorify
- This was a Christophany ( a manifestation of Jesus as the Messiah), not a Theophany (a manifestation of God).
- Jesus is presented not as a non-human, but as a transformed human who will show us how to share his heavenly existence.
- Question through suffering: the first prediction of his passion was just two paragraphs back - then he discussed the conditions of his discipleship:
"Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me."
-then, God speaks from the cloud:
"This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased; listen to him."
-exact same sentence as at the baptism of Jesus
-but the last three words are added: listen to him.
*prediction of the passion.
*What is a disciple?
*listen to a teacher, or rabbi, - Matthew: Jesus
*he will not only preach the Way, the Truth, and the Life but show us how to live fully in God on this earth.
-( "When the disciples) "Rise, and do not be afraid."
- the disciples showed their true selves, in a way they were transformed before Jesus.
- We in the West, especially New England, see ourselves as self- reliant, we are in control - but when we need help, when we are down, when we lose control, we are transformed before God to our true selves: fearful people.
Sunday evening brings Spring, which "transfigures" much of our part of the world - will this be the Spring of new life, or the truth of the Transfiguration or the winter of our discontent? We can change - we can rise and not be afraid. All is possible with God.
February 27, 2011- Eighth Ordinary Sunday -"Losers & Winners" (Isaiah 49:14-15)
Historical backdrop:
Nebuchadnezzar dies and soon after the Neo-Babylonian empire is gone.
Cyrus, a Persian king, defeats Median and Babylonia and becomes monarch as far as West Asia Minor. A prophet appears who transforms all of this from political history to the theology of redemption. this prophet's writing is found in Isaiah 40-66, known as Deuteronomy-Isaiah or Second Isaiah. The prophet's name is unknown.
These are some of the most comforting words in all of scripture as the God of victory shows another side. The warrior God who wins in and through his people Israel, now says Israel is not "forsaken" nor "forgotten" for I, the Lord, love you as "tenderly" as a mother lover her child; even if a mother should forget her child, should leave her child, I, the Lord, will "never" do this to you.
"I am like mother, but I am not a mother.
I am like a loving parent, but I am not a loving parent.
I am like a general in battle, but I am not a general in battle.
I am like a victorious monarch, but I am not a victorious monarch.
I am much more, I am Yahweh. I am who am." (Exodus 3:14)
These words are about finding comfort, consolation, and hope in suffering, but also about finding meaning and purpose in suffering:
Isaiah 49:4: "Though I thought I had toiled in vain, and for nothing, uselessly, spend my strength, yet my reward is with the Lord.
My recompense is with my God."
Why and How?
Isaiah 49:5: "For now the Lord has spoken who formed me as his servant from the womb, that Jacob may be brought back to Him and Israel gather to him:
and I am made glorious in the sight of the Lord, and my God is now my strength."
God acts through the return of the people Israel because of their faithfulness and His grace.
The books of Joshua, Judges, First and Second Samuel, First and Second Kings, First and Second Chronicles, and First and Second Maccabees contain what I call post-battle theology, i.e., god is with us; therefore we will win - our victory is assured with the Lord.
(FYI- Ezra and Nehemiah cover the same period as Second Isaiah.)
"We live in a modern world in which individual responsibility, achievement, and winning are prized. We are often tempted to think of ourselves as on our own, not superstitious, not depending on religion. We like to think that we do for ourselves." - A guide to the Our Father Today- Leo Gafney. p. 106
Perhaps not much has changed since ancient Israel, since "if God be for us, who can be against us?" . . . God must love winners, right?
Not anymore than losers.
Most of the "victorious Lord" theology was written after a battle. It is much easier to apply this view when we have won, isn't it? But true victory in God is equal to our loyalty not to our victories.
God, in and through Jesus, has transformed the supreme symbol of loss, the cross, into a sign of victory. The cross was seen in Jesus' time as shameful, embarrassing and humiliating - indeed, "The Folly of the Cross."
But our Lord has transformed this cultural symbol and tool of death into a sign of Life. So it is not important that God is with us only in our victories, but also that the Divine is here with us when we lose. God's grace along with our faithfulness can then change loss into victory.
We are at our most human when we are in conflict:
"In me there is darkness,
But with you there is light;
I am lonely, but you do not leave me:
I am feeble in heart, but with you there is help;
I am restless, but with you there is peace." - This was written by Dietrich Bonheoffer, a Lutheran pacifist, as he was awaiting execution in a Nazi war camp.
And this prayer, created by Thomas Merton, a Catholic contemplative and Trappist Monk:
"O, Lord God,
I have no idea where I am going,
I do not see the road ahead of me,
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself,
And the fact that I think I am following your will
Does not mean that I am actually doing so.
. . . I will trust you always
Though I may seem to be lost
I will not fear-
You will never leave me
To make this journey alone.”
So, our knowledge in faith tells us that God will not forsake nor forget us-
Will we do the same with God?
February 20, 2011 - Seventh Ordinary Sunday - An Eye for an Eye
I.) An eye for an eye.
The law is found in:
-Exodus 21:22-25:
"When men have a fight and hurt a pregnant woman, so that she suffers a miscarriage, but no further injury, the guilty one shall be fined as much as the woman's husband demands of him, and he shall pay in the presence of the judges.
But if injury ensues, you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe."
- Lev. 24:17-22:
"Whoever takes the life of any human being shall be put to death. A life for a life!. Anyone who inflicts an injury on his neighbor shall receive the same in return. Limb for limb, eye for eye, tooth for tooth! The same injury that a man gives another shall be inflicted on him in return. You shall have but one rule, for alien and native alike. I, the Lord, am your God."
- Deuteronomy 19:21:
"If a witness testified untruthfully about this neighbor and had therefore made false accusations,
"Do not look on such a man with pity. Life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot!"
Though harsh-sounding in today's culture, originally it was introduced to limit revenge (only one eye for one eye, not more); it offered increased fairness and was seen as a great progressive improvement. By Jesus' time, Jewish leaders began to see this law as too extreme and changed the penalties from physical to fines, however, the principle of like restitution remained in the legal world.
II.) Offer no resistance to one who is evil.
Must be understood practically, i.e., the avoidance of physical violence and potential damage.
- Romans 12:19-21:
"Beloved, do not look for revenge but leave room for the wrath; for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay says the Lord.'"
- Prov. 25:21-22:
"Rather, 'if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink: for by doing so you will heap burning coals upon his head.' Do not be conquered by evil (but conquer evil with good."
So Jesus wants to win against evil, he does not desire doing nothing, i.e., passive/aggressive behavior . Jesus wants to transform the heart of the opponent.
But you must know your enemy. . . sometimes all of this does not work, so:
III.) When someone strike you on your cheek, turn the other one as well.
Striking the right cheek with the back of the hand was considered especially dishonorable, as was an open-handed slap from a left-handed individual. The left hand was reserved for toilet functions in the Middle East and it is insulting to have it on the table, in eating, or extending it to others.
So, Jesus tells us that Love = Action and the Christian response is to be abnormal: to the negative act we must respond with a positive act.
For, if you love those who love you, you increase in their love.
If you love those who hate you, you increase in God's love.
Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time – February 13, 2011
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.”
My first pastor, Fr. Thomas J. Lynch, was at one time the chancellor of the Archdiocese and a prominent canon lawyer. One of his sayings was “unless canon law serves the people of God (the Church) it is useless.”
Any Judeo-Christian law is based on the Decalogue (or the Ten Commandments) and The Great Commandment: Deuteronomy 6:4-5 Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone! Shema, Yisrael! Adonai eloheinu, Adonai echad! (“You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength”), which is echoed and added onto in Luke 10:25-28: “There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test him and said “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him “What is written in the law? How do you read it?” He said in reply “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and your mind, and with your neighbor as yourself.” He replied to him, “You have answered correctly: do this and you will live.”
We have in Jesus the law-giver, the living Law, and the most pure and true follower of the Law all in one. He is the law-giver because he is God. He is the living law because he knows what is central to the law – love. He is the follower of the law par excellence because he has shown us in the Scriptures how to live fully.
How can we follow Jesus in today’s world? Let us go to Luke 18:18-23:
“An official asked him this question, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus answered him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery; you shall not kill; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; honor your father and your mother.’” “And he replied, ‘All of these I have observed from my youth.’ When Jesus heard this he said to him, ‘there is still one thing left for you: sell all that you have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have a treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’ But when he heard this he became quite sad, for he was very rich.”
Sell all you have – ie: our possessions. Like What? Houses, cars, boats? Perhaps- but – and here is the key point:
Selfishness – self-centeredness
Ego
Pride
Fear
Anxiety - That which possesses us.
Let us “sell” or transform that which possesses us because that is what keeps us from God – the One who will bring us to true riches – spiritual riches.
February 6, 2011 Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Salt and Light
I. Salt
* "You" (last week "persecuted for my sake")
Corporate, i.e., the Church
*Impure salt = A Church that has become just another worldly institution: is tasteless, flat, banal and uninteresting.
* You are the "spice" for the whole earth.
* Not status related, e.g.,: "You are the world's ethical elite” but function-related, e.g.,: "You must add real living based on Christ to the life of the world."
* In the world but not of the world: potential-possiblity of the Church.
II. Light
* In the religion of ancient Israel God was not only the source of light for daily life but Light itself.
* Ps 119:105 : "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path"
*Ps 36:10 : "For with you is the fountain of life and in your light we see light"
*Torah was seen as the primary mediation of God's light by rabbinic Judaism and Christians gave this role to Jesus.
"I am the light of the world" John 8:12
*How can the Church be described as the "light of the world?" Symbolically: It is not the light but the window through which the light is seen.
*Eye: Look at light and close the eye - one sees the image or imprint of the former light.
The Church must die to itself and let the light be seen through and in our lives and actions.
*Because Isaiah reminds us in 49:6 :
"I will make you a light to the nations
that my salvation may reach to the
ends of the earth" - means servanthood.
*"Set on a hill" not about the grandeur of the Church but speaks to the disciple's mission in the world - And Our Mission.
*"Father" - "Abba" - "Daddy"
- Matthew sees God as not an impersonal force but as a loving parent.
- This is not about masculinity but of personal love since God is neither male nor female but has what we would name “masculine and feminine traits.”
January 30, 2011 - Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
I. Honor is the central value of the Mediterranean world - in Jesus' time and now.
- Honor is a public claim to worth.
- A public acknowledgement by others of that claim.
- Drives all behavior.
II. The Beatitudes
- Poetry (scholars disagree about what literary form this is) that presents, encourages, and praises honorable behavior.
- "Happy", "fortunate", "blessed" should be translated to "truly honorable" or "highly esteemed".
A. We find in Deuteronomy 33:29:
- (Blessed) "Truly honorable are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord, the shield of your help and the sword of your triumph! Your enemies shall come fawning to you, and you shall tread on their backs."
Public confirmation of claims to honor:
- Salvation by the Lord
- Public service from conquered enemies
B. Jesus uses honorable behavior within the Beatitudes since he was a person of his culture.
In Luke 11:27-28:
"While he was still speaking, a woman from the crowd called out and said to him, 'Blessed (truly honorable) is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed.' He replied, 'Rather, blessed (highly esteemed) are those who hear the Word of God and observe it."
III. "The Poor"
- Has nothing to do with the economy.
- Rather is about a person losing and regaining honorable status (while never going beyond the original- which was against the culture).
- Therefore, the poor is concerned with a changing group of people, e.g. widows and orphans were not stuck forever. Widows could remarry and orphans could join an extended family. Everyone had an obligation to put themselves back where they were.
- "Poor" are related to the kingdom of heaven; therefore all honor, esteem, status, respect should be given to them as well.
*All are equal in God's eyes even before a person is restored to cultural honor.
January 23, 2011 - Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
* "When he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee."
1. Taking up his ministry : In the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus does not begin his ministry until John the Baptist completes his ministry.
2. A move to greater safety:
- Galilee was
* 1/2 Gentile
* 1/2 Pagan
* Bilingual (Greek and Aramean)
* "He left Nazareth." - Too centrally located for safety as it was close to the governmental center of Sepphoris.
* "Went to live in Capernaum." - The verb used implies the acquiring of a house in Capernaum.
* "In the region of Zebulon and Naphtali . . . light has arisen." - Isaiah's promise of their liberation Matthew sees fulfilled by Jesus' arrival.
* "From that time on . . . " - The solemn beginning of Jesus' ministry.
* "As he was walking . . ."
* Comments about fishing in Jesus' time:
1. Peter and the other fisherman were not poor nor simple.
2. Fishing had developed into a major and prosperous industry, exporting its products a considerable distance.
3. Large, extended families formed partnerships to engage in this business:
a. Simon (Peter) and his brother Andrew.
b. Zebedee (the father) and his sons James and John.
c. Each of these families might also have joined a larger family or conglomerate.
* The calling of the Disciples.
Some scholars:
1. A common event in the middle east.
2. A person with a grievance invites others to join him the resolution of the grievance.
3. We don't know what Jesus' grievance was, but the disciples surely did:
this is why they dropped everything to follow him.
4. This was also the dry season.
a. Farmers simply waited for the harvest.
b. But fishing partners could leave the fishing to others for the time being.
c. Now was the time to be out and about to be seen and heard, to pursue group interests - there was a lull in work.
God works in and through all of this - nets could be seen as symbols of worldly entanglements.
* "He went around all of Galilee."
- The synagogue in Jesus' day was a gathering place, like a modern community center, where men could meet on every day of the week to study and pray.
- Here Jesus read and listened to the Torah, disputed and argued with others.
- Jesus did not attend Sabbath services for there were none at that time.
1. For the ordinary 1st century Jewish believer the Sabbath was not a day of worship, it was simply a day of rest.
2. Modern scholars believe that the Christian practice of gathering to celebrate the Lord's Supper on the 7th day stimulated the development of the Sabbath as a Jewish day of worship rather than the reverse, as is often thought.
- As for Jesus' ministry of healing, Jesus is clearly a folk healer and not a professional, i.e., Jesus actually attempts to heal people, not just talk about it.
January 16, 2011 - Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
John the Baptist: "I did not know him" and yet he witnesses and offers testimony on Jesus' identity. How can this be?
Trials in ancient Israel were decided by the leading men of the city or synagogue.
- They did not investigate facts
-But decided on the admission and competence of the witnesses who spoke either pro or con relative to the accused.
- The side mustering the most impressive array of witness usually won.
More detail:
- If the "judges" would ask a witness: "What did you see?"
- The answer would include:
-feelings
-desires
-imagination
-presumptions
Now Jesus' Gospel has a strong forensic character. The word forensic has two definitions:
1. Of or suitable for public debate.
2. The application of science, especially medical, knowledge to legal matters.
I would use definition # 1 because John the Baptist is one of the principle witnesses in Jesus' Gospel.
-Jesus speaks of the Baptist: "He was a burning and shining lamp and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his life." (John 5:35)
-John the Baptist speaks of Jesus many times and the Judeans sent officials to John the Baptist to question him.
John 1:19-27; 29b-34 - And this is the testimony of John. When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites [to him] to ask him, "Who are you?" he admitted and did not deny it, but admitted, "I am not the Messiah." So they asked him, "What are you then? Are you Elijah?" And he said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" He answered, "No." So they said to him, "Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us? What do you have to say for yourself?" He said: "I am 'the voice of one crying out in the desert, "Make straight the way of the Lord," ' as Isaiah the prophet said." Some Pharisees were also sent. They asked him, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet?" John answered them, "I baptize with water; but there is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie." "Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. 'A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.' I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel." "The one who sent me to baptize with water told me. Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God."
Our culture relishes eyewitness testimony and the truth proven by facts. Meditteranian culture (to this day) considers our investigative behavior and the "public's right to know" as rude and intrusive. At issue in both cultures is FAITH. What does FAITH mean to you?
January 9, 2011 - The Baptism of the Lord
I. Total Immersing
- Jesus comes to John the Baptist.
- Jesus wants to be immersed entirely in the human condition, both good and bad.
- "Allow it now."
II. Anointing
- "He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove coming upon him . . ."
- Jesus has been anointed as the Messiah.
- Power
- Wisdom
- Holiness
III. Suffering Servant
- "This is my beloved son with whom I am well pleased."
- Jesus is the son and Messiah. Only via his role as the Suffering Servant.
- This crystallizes and clarifies his mission, i.e., Jesus' unique intimate relationship with God.
- Total obedience
- Jesus as the one for others, not only humans but God.
- Scriptural references to the Suffering Servant of God are found predominantly in Isaiah.
Therefore, Jesus is our role model - as he died, we must die to selfishness, self-centeredness, pride, ego. As he was raised, we too will experience a resurrection of new life - every day.
Isaiah 42:1:
"Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased, Upon whom I have put my spirit; he shall bring forth justice to the nations, . . . "
Isaiah 49:1b, 3, 5a,6, 7b:
"The Lord called me from birth, from my mother's womb he gave me my name."
"You are my servant, he said to me, Israel, through whom I show my glory."
"For now the Lord has spoken who formed me as his servant from the womb, . . ."
"It is too little, he says for you to be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and restore the survivors of Israel; I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth."
"When kings see you, they shall stand up, and princes shall prostrate themselves.
Because of the Lord who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel who has chosen you."
Isaiah 50:5-7:
. . . "I have not rebelled, have not turned back. I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; My face I did not shield from buffets and spitting. The Lord God is my help, therefore I am not disgraced; I have set my face like flint, knowing that I shall not be put to shame."
Isaiah 52:13-14:
"See my servant shall prosper, he shall be raised high and greatly exalted. Even as many were amazed at him - so marred was his look beyond that of man, and his appearance beyond that of mortals - "
Isaiah 53:6b, 7b, 9, 11b, 12b:
"But the Lord laid upon him the guilt of us all."
"Like a lamb led to the slaughter or a sheep before the shearers he was silent and opened not his mouth."
"A grave was assigned him among the wicked and a burial place with evildoers,
Though he had done no wrong nor spoken any falsehood."
"Through his suffering, my servant shall justify many, and their guilt he shall bear."
"He surrendered himself to death and was counted among the wicked;
And he shall take away the sins of many, and win pardon for their offenses."
Christmas 2010
Luke: The Angel said to them,
Do not be afraid
for behold
I proclaim to you good news
of great joy
that will be for all the people
For today in the city of David
a saviour has been born
for you
who is Messiah and Lord.
Christmas can be every day IF:
We open our hearts
our minds
our souls
How? By controlling, identifying and going beyond our FEARS.
The key sentence . . . do not be afraid . . .
Two supporting suggestions for us:
1. Control - ourselves ONLY. We want to control family, friends, Wall Street, Washington, the world, etc.
2. Hope:
- positive expectations
- belief and faith that we have whatever we need at each moment.
This is not unrealistic hope such: as I can move a building 5' to the right by thinking that thought! Hope in ourselves - the Trinity resides therein.
November 21, 2010 - Christ, Our King
Jesus Christ the King. We attempt to describe the majesty and glory of Christ but we are limited in language as the Divine is most difficult to explain. Even though Christ is indeed our King, how do these readings manifest this theme?
Our first reading from Samuel has a public declaration made to David that "it was you who led the Israelites out." And God then says, "You shall shepherd my people Israel." After this they (the elders) anoint David as King of Israel. Why is this important? Because the Messiah is expected to come through the Davidic line and indeed Joseph (Jesus' earthly father) is from that lineage.
The second reading is from Paul to the Colossians. This is a beautiful ode and hymn telling us about "the beloved Son." Only through this Son do we have redemption and forgiveness of sins - what earthly king can do this?
Jesus "is the image of the invisible God", that is, we can see God in and through Jesus - he who was present at the creation of the universe ("in him were created all things in heaven and on earth"). Christ was not created, he had no beginning - the Trinity creates all, It is not made by anyone else.
We are reminded that Jesus "is the head of the body, the church" and has reconciled all . . . making peace by the blood of his cross." Now what other royal can do this for us? Indeed!
Finally, our Gospel has the gentle Jesus telling the criminal "today you will be with me in Paradise." Jesus holds out this hope for us all and it is in this hopeful manner that we conclude the ecclesiastical year of 2010, with our King, Savior, and Redeemer - Jesus the Christ, the anointed Universal Monarch of the Ages!
Passing Through - Luke 19:1-10 - October 31, 2010
Zacchaeus was the chief tax collector for the area. As a tax collector, he was hated by the people because they looked at him as a traitor. Tax collectors were fellow Jews but since they collected the taxes from other Jews and gave it to their oppressors, the Romans, most everyone had a negative view of the local tax collectors. Zacchaeus was also introduced to us as the chief tax collector who managed the entire area and had other tax collectors under him. He is also wealthy which means he was in a very small percentage of the population at Jesus' time - the wealthy were few and far between.
Luke's next line (“Zacchaeus was seeking to see who Jesus was...") tells us that Zacchaeus did not merely want to see Jesus as the others did, that is, to catch a quick glimpse as he walked through the town, but to get to know Jesus. Zacchaeus was seeking God and was a spiritual man.
Zacchaeus did not let the crowd keep him from seeing Jesus. Zacchaeus ran to the nearest tree and climbed it just as Jesus was passing by. Jesus looks up at Zacchaeus and as always makes the first move by telling Zaccheaus that he would like to stay at his house. (Remember, Jesus originally "intended to pass through the town".)
Zacchaeus receives Jesus with joy and proceeds to tell Jesus that he will give much to the poor and will repay, if necessary, four times what he has extorted. Jesus' response would sound wonderful in our lives: "today salvation has come to this house..." Why? Because Zacchaeus recognized and acknowledged that a relationship with Jesus includes personal responsibility.
What "tree" do we need to climb to get closer to Jesus? What do we need to leave on the ground, or discard that might be keeping us from God? Neither the time nor the place is important for God is always passing though - we only have to see him, in ourselves and in others.
Humility - October 24, 2010
The difference between the Pharisee’s prayer and the tax collector's prayer is crystal clear. The Pharisee is totally involved in self and even how much better he is than others. He gives a short list of all that he is doing which, in his mind, makes him better than other humans, especially the tax collector.
The tax collector (not looked upon very kindly by his culture) prays to God directly, purely, and honestly. He is aware of his sinfulness and asks for forgiveness. He does not pray pridefully or tell God what he is doing - God already knows! What God desires from us is self-awareness and total honesty- that is why the tax collector was justified. We cannot play the same games with God we do with others - We ought to know better and God does know better. God knows us.
Prayer - October 16 & 17, 2010
Widow- An image of helplessness in Jesus' culture, easily victimized by the powerful.
Our prayer should be: Continual, persistent, throwing of our petitions against long periods of silence, asking, seeking, knocking, waiting, trusting, sometimes angry - oftentimes angry!
We read in Psalm 44:23-27:
"We are looked upon as sheep to be slaughtered.
Awake! Why are you asleep, O Lord?
Arise! Cast us not off forever!
Why do you hide your face, forgetting our woe and our oppression?
For our souls are bowed down to the dust,
our bodies are pressed to the earth.
Arise, help us!
Redeem us for your kindness' sake."
A preacher once said: "Until you have stood for years knocking at a locked door, your knuckles bleeding, you do not really know what prayer is."
Take a cue from Jesus. On the very night of his arrest:
"He was in such agony and he prayed so fervently that his sweat became like drops of blood falling on the ground." - Luke 22:44
Jesus returns to the disciples and finds them all asleep and Jesus' prayer, "take this cup away from me", was not granted. Sometimes, the answer is No.
The last line:
"When the son of man returns, will he find faith on earth?" seems to be disassociated from the rest of this gospel, but actually is not. At the time of Luke's composition of this gospel (80's-90's) there began questions and concerns if the imminent parousia (second coming of Christ) was not to be as soon as people expected, then how do we follow our leader, Jesus? What ought we to do in living our daily lives? The idea of church was not yet developed but these questions persisted, even to this day.
And so, if we are engaged in constant. continual, tenacious prayer, Jesus will find faith upon his return!
Personal Responsibility - October 9-10, 2010
A new survey of Americans' knowledge of religion found that atheists, agnostics, Jews and Mormons outperformed Protestants and Roman Catholics in answering questions about major religions, while many respondents could not correctly give the most basic tenets of their own faiths.
Forty-five percent of Roman Catholics who participated in the study didn't know that, according to church teaching, the bread and wine used in Holy Communion is not just a symbol, but becomes the body and blood of Christ.
More than half of Protestants could not identify Martin Luther as the person who inspired the Protestant Reformation. And about four in 10 Jews did not know that Maimonides, one of the greatest rabbis and intellectuals in history, was Jewish.
The survey was released by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. The U.S. is one of the most religious countries in the world, especially compared to largely secular Western Europe, but faith leaders and educators have long lamented that Americans still know relatively little about religion.
Atheists and agnostics scored highest, with an average of 21 correct answers while Jews and Mormons followed with about 20 accurate responses. Protestants overall averaged 16 correct answers, while Catholics followed with a score of about 15.
The level of education was the best predictor of religious knowledge.
The study also found that many Americans don't understand constitutional restrictions on religion in public schools. While a majority know that public school teachers cannot lead classes in prayer, less than a quarter know that the U.S. Supreme Court has clearly stated that teachers can read from the Bible as an example of literature. - Taken from Survey: Americans don't know much about religion by AP Religion Writer Rachel Zoll.
Take a class- read a book: there are thousands of books written about Catholic topics. If we learn about our faith, we will live the faith in a clearer manner. Good luck!
Booklist: Last week’s homily on personal responsibility brought requests for a list of books that I would recommend. Here is a good starter’s list. If any would like additional recommendations, please call or email me. Thank you for listening and happy reading! -Fr. Joe
Faith - October 3, 2010
What the disciples on the way need more than anything else is a deepening faith in God.
-"Faith" can be translated as "loyalty" or "reliability". You see, at Jesus' time factions and leaders were widespread. A leader made demands upon members/followers. Jesus as the founder of a faction, dedicated to the renewal of Israel; demands loyalty to himself and his works. Remember, Jesus expected that, faced with a choice, a disciple should prefer him to one's family of origin.
- "Till the field"
- "Bury my father"
Were, perhaps, excuses made by those who wanted to follow Jesus, but not right now.
Mulberry tree - A relatively large tree with an extensive root system. It would be difficult not only to uproot this tree, but also to grow it in deep water and so, genuine faith can bring about quite unexpected things.
-Always beneficial, benevolent, and positive.
Servant: In Jesus' world, every family, even poor ones had at least one servant. The poorest families gave some of their children to other families to ensure that they would be fed. Good servants do what they are told- a master never has to thank a servant for doing what was expected. The point is not that the disciples are not worth anything in themselves or in their work for the Lord; that the disciples have performed their duty does not empower them to make a claim upon Jesus, that they are worthy of Jesus' grace. That grace is and always will be pure gift. -This is the reverse of the argument (which is resolved) about faith and good works. That is, that we can save ourselves, which of course is not our teaching- Jesus saves. But since Jesus saves, Jesus makes a claim upon us, not the reverse.
The Rich Man and Lazarus - September 26, 2010
Luke 16:19-31
This week we have an "example story" from Luke. I will make some comments on our reading and include scriptural passages.
v. 20 "his door"...apparently remains closed- the rich man does not share and does not "open" himself to the fulfillment of his cultural and religious obligations.
v.20 "and lying at his door was a poor man names Lazarus..." Lazarus does not beg. Why? Because the rich man's cultural and religious obligation (which were one and the same in Jesus' time) was to give alms; any surplus wealth or financial windfall was to be immediately distributed. This is why Luke goes on to say "...Lazarus... would gladly have eaten his full of the scraps that fall from the rich man's table." (v.21)
Luke 12:16-21 (The Parable of the Rich Fool)
"There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest. 'This is what I shall do: I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones. There I shall store all my grain and other goods.' But God said to him, 'You fool! This night your life will be demanded of you; and the things that you have prepared, to whom will they belong?' Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters to God."
To retain surplus wealth for oneself is to be greedy- we can, in fact, substitute "greedy" for "rich" in both the Jewish and Christian scriptures. This is not demoralizing wealth or the wealthy. It is rather asking the question: What do we do with what we have? This then transcends financial wealth and goes to our gifts- What are we holding on to greedily that we should be sharing with others? How can we shape our world by personal generosity of spirit? It is by giving of the self that the Beatitudes will be fulfilled:
"Blessed are you who are poor,
for the kingdom of God is yours.
Blessed are you who are now hungry,
for you will be satisfied.
But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
But woe to you who are filled now,
for you will be hungry." Luke 6:20b-21;24-25
After death, in the next world, the rich man addresses Abraham as "father" (v.24) in an attempt to trade on ancestral spiritual privilege- it doesn't work.
"Therefore, be no longer stiff-necked. For the Lord, your God, is the God of gods, the Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome who has no favorites, accepts no bribes; who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and befriends the alien." -Dent. 10:16-18a
Notice also that the rich man still views Lazarus as his inferior: "Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue..." (v.24) The rich man still does not get it!
The door of the rich man's earthly estate has now been transformed into "a great chasm" (v.26) and the rich man asks Abraham: "Send Lazarus to my father's house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment." (vv. 27-28) "But Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.'" (v.29):
"You shall not wrong any widow or orphan. If ever you wrong them and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry. My wrath will flare up, and I will kill you with the sword; then you own wives will be widows, and your children orphans." Ex. 22:24-26
"If you lend money to one of your poor neighbors among my people, you shall not act like an extortioner toward him by demanding interest from him. If you take your neighbor's cloak as a pledge, you shall return it to him before sunset; for this cloak of his is the only covering he has for his body. What else has he to sleep in? If he cries out to me, I will hear him; for I am compassionate." Ex. 22:24-26
"They sell the just man for silver, and the poor man for a pair of sandals.
They trample the heads of the weak into the dust of the earth,
and force the lowly out of the way.
Upon garments taken in pledge
they recline beside any altar;
And the wine of those who have been fined
they drink in the house of their God." Amos 2:6b-8
"For there are among my people criminals;
like fowlers they set traps,
but it is men they catch.
Their houses are as full of treachery
as a bird-cage is of birds;
Therefore they grow powerful and rich, fat and sleek.
They go their wicked way;
justice they do not defend
By advancing the claim of the fatherless
or judging the cause of the poor.
Shall I not punish those things? says the Lord;
on a nation such as this shall I not take vengeance?" Jeremiah 5:26-29
We have the Law, the Prophets, and our Faith. We are the church- the Living Body of Christ. Let us change the world.