2^nd Sunday of Lent March 20, 2011

Jesus took Peter, James and John his brother and led them up on a high mountain by themselves.  This is the traditional place of an encounter with God himself.  And he was transfigured before them; his face shinning like the sun and his clothes became as white as light reflecting the image of Jesus in His glory and divinity.  It was an awesume sight to behold!  

Matthew was writing to a Jewish audience who wanted to remain faithful to Judaism and they wanted to know if becoming a disciple of Jesus was being faithful?  And behold, in this Transfiguration story Jesus is shown conversing with Moses and Elijah.  Jesus is both the fulfillment of the Law of Moses and the promised one of the Prophets as symbolized by Elijah.

 In this story Peter is beside himself and wants to capture this vision and stay in this moment.  In his customary exuberance Peter suggests he make three tents.  Before he could finish this thought, a bright cloud overshadowed them and from the cloud came a voice that said.  This is my beloved son, listen to him.

 Yep, this is Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the promised one who came to save us from ourselves!  Most of us know this beautiful story well.  So well in fact we might gloss over the story and not see images competing to displace the truth?   We might miss How did they get up the mountain?

 Young people, children did you listen to the story?  How does this story compete with the newest DVD, iPad, think pad, Hi Definition 3 D, hi tech video devices you have at home or you see on TV?

Has anyone watched the commercial where a young handsome man walks up to some kind of iPad HD hi tech video devise and upon grasping it, is transformed into a some kind of imaginative semi alive zoom vehicle with shinning eyes that floats and maneuvers above the surface.  Inside we see the man using interactive voice and touch slew screen communications to activate optional adventure voyages into the dream world of cyber space traveling far beyond the planet earth and moon.  Click, click, slew and zoom we are high on the imaginary mountain top!  Unrerality becomes sought after as real!       

 Is that how we image Jesus and his disciples got up that mountain? 

 Grand parents and old folks, whoever you are!  Now it’s your turn.  From the Book of Genesis we hear the Lord say to Abram.  Go forth from the land of your kinfolk to a land I will show you.  Trust me – come on trust me says the Lord! 

Do we realize Abram was 75 years old when the Lord told him to uproot himself and go.  Look around and see if you can find someone here who is 75 years old!  Old folks at 75 are you ready to be uprooted and make the most significant trip of your life?  At 75 Abram met God’s minimu age requierment to enter into the spiritual trust zone created by God for those willing to travel into forever.  

Listen – what are the rewards for actually doing what the Lord asks?  I will make you a great nation, I will bless you, make your name great, bless those who bless you, curse those who curse you and all shall find blessing in you!

All together — Bless me father for I am a sinner and yet I am ready for this trip into salvation forever land!

 Why would I draw these pictures for the young and the old?  Grand parents or parents do you have any ideas? 

 We are living in a world where our young are tempted daily to enter into the world of the unreal, the newest reality idol and latest cyber imagery cloud and in doing so we replace real flesh and blood people with non-living images.  Do not allow yourself or your children to be taken hostage by the image of that which can not live, love or respond and can lead one to an early spiritual death! 

 The transiguratyion story is about accepting a really real Jesus Christ as our savior by opneing ones soul and Listening to Him!

 Mom’s and dad’s teach your children to listen to him by showing them you take time to listen!  Turn off the radio, the TV, the computer, the cell phone and every other electronic device.   It is in the silence one can finnaly encountered the really real spirit of the one who created all things!

 We know the truth from scripture!  We are made of the earth brought to life by the breath of God.  It is through the flesh and blood journey, the valley of tears and the trip up the mountain that leads us to the encounter with the living breathing spirit of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only one who can save us. 

It is the encounter and the discovery of the beauty of God’s creation which wakes up our spirit.  It is the living who possess the real potential to return love according to the design of God.   

Trust in Jesus Christ the one who is always fully present and is speaking to us in our day and our time.  Take time to Listen to Him!

December 26, 2010

Can anyone tell me the Holy Families last name?  Some say it is the Christ, others insist it is the Nazorean.  Before Christmas several years ago I was out shopping for a manger.  I observed a little girl about five years old carefully checking out the baby Jesus in the crib of a manger.  I was taken back when I herd her refer to the baby Jesus as Jesus Christmas.

So I asked her why did you call baby Jesus, Jesus Christmas.  Because, she replied, Jesus last name is Christmas.  Well I had to ask!  “How do you know Christmas is Jesus last name?”  It has to be, she said, because his mothers name is Merry Christmas”.  We wish you a Merry Christmas.

Family – Communion of Persons:

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family.  The Catechism teaches the Christian family is a communion of persons, a sign and image of the communion of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The family is about the procreation and education of children reflects the Father’s work of creation.  The family is the original cell of social life and represents the smallest church.  It is the family that serves as the first teacher of the fundamentals of honor, relationships, freedom, security, fraternity and do not forget the birth pangs of your mother.

And are you listening young people and teenagers?  As long as a child lives at home, the child should obey the parents in what they ask.

And parents least you forget your mission is to teach your children to pray and to discover their vocation as children of God.

Listen to the beauty in the first reading from Sirach.  God sets a father in honor over his children.  Whoever honors their father atones for sins.  In time of tribulation it will be recalled to your advantage, like warmth upon frost it will melt away your sins.

A mother’s authority he confirms over her sons and daughters.  When one prays, one is heard; one stores up riches who reveres their mother.

Getting ones sins forgiven can be simple.  Honor your father and mother while they live.

I miss my father and mother.  I wish today I could sit down with them to listen and learn from their experiences of the great depression and World War II to help me and my family negotiate the troubling waters of 2011.

The last year before I was ordained, I was assigned the second reading for the Feast of the Holy family.  Paul to the Colossians, women know the line well.  Wives, be subordinate to your husbands, as is proper in the Lord.

I practiced and practiced this reading.  You see I wanted to communicate the message of the author Paul, rather than communicate what the words might evoke from the women of our community in the 1990’s.  I failed.  When I returned to my seat, my wife glared at me and said that was the worst proclamation she had ever heard and don’t ever read like that again.

We must be reminded form time to time.  The scripture writers are interested only in communicating a spiritual message that revel the truth or an insight about our God.  We, as American’s pride ourselves on our independence and individuality and can create stumbling blocks for ourselves.  It is the pride of independence and individuality that can lead us into deep trouble and cause us to lose sight of the higher calling to the unity of the family, church and community that are under severe attack by those who want to divide us by driving Christ out of Christmas.  Let’s net let the world confuse us!

Listen carefully to Matthew!  Matthew was pouring out his soul in the words of today’s gospel.  Through the story of the Holy Families flight into the Egypt, Matthew was calling, imploring and shouting to his family, his Jewish brothers and sisters; see and hear the fulfillment of the old testament scripture in the Torah, the prophets Isaiah, Hosea and Judges all pointing to the promised Messiah Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ comes from the mouth of our very own prophets and scripture.

A number of years ago during the Christmas season, the first grade teacher at our parish asked the children to draw a picture of the Holy Families flight into Egypt.  One young lady drew a picture of an airplane with three people inside, all wearing halos and a fourth person in front without a halo.

“I understand that the three people in the plane with halos are the Holy Family,” said the teacher, “but who is the fourth person in front?”  The little girl replied, “Oh, that’s  Pontius, the pilot.”

The word parable means to use one situation to examine a second.

Oh Lord it’s hard to humble, when your perfect in every way
I can’t wait to look in the mirror; cause I get better looking each day.
To know me is to love me, I must be a heck of a man.
Oh Lord it’s hard to be humble, when you’re perfect in every way.

Can we see the irony in the lyric’s of Mac Davis’s hit song being played out in the Gospel today?  What is the lesson Jesus Christ is trying to teach?  Is it about humility?  Is it about honor?  Or is it about salvation?

Luke tells us, everyone there was watching everyone else, including Jesus closely.  Why were they were watching so closely?  They were trying to figure out the pecking order.  They were trying to figure, the highest place of honor they could claim, without running the risk of being embarrassed by being asked to move.

In the midst of this tension, while everyone was on alert, Jesus took advantage of this teachable moment.  Jesus came to save everyone!  Jesus knew the way one acquired honor was critical to passage through the narrow gate.

So how does our definition of honor measure up against Jesus standard?

Well what was that standard?  Did anyone catch it?

Jesus used the word “Rather” twice in the Gospel?  Rather is a transition word that contrasts for us what he noticed people doing versus what he calls us to do following the same principle found in the reading from Sirach.  My child conduct your affairs with humility and you will be loved more than a giver of gifts.

Go to the lowest place! That’s easy enough is that it?  Nope there is one more rather!  Invite the poor, the cripple, the lame, the blind, all who are unable to repay into our lives.

Let me share a some food for thought. When I was in basic training at Kessler AFB, Mississippi in 1964, I lived in a barracks full of men.  No real walls, just bunk beds and men.  There I encountered a roommate, who I soon realized was inviting every soldier in our barracks to join his group each time we were allowed to go to Biloxi.

He had an open charming manner and made everyone he invited feel like an old welcomed friend who was essential to the group.  What he did was infectious, and many joined in going around from bunk to bunk to make sure no one got left out without an invitation.   I am ashamed at admit I do not recall his name.  But I would bet, he would be seated at the place of honor where ever he might go.

In 1989, the Franciscan Order accepted an invitation from the Archbishop to take over the St. Philip Benizi Parish along with the St. Gabriel mission.  At the time, St. Philip Benizi Parish had just finished building a new church, during which the community had become divided and consequently was in a serious financial situation.  One of the first actions the Franciscans took was to hold town home meetings with parishioners.

What do you want from your church:

They left their place of power and went into the homes of the lowest churches.  Almost the first question out their mouth at those meetings was to ask the people, what do you want from your church?  It was the first time in my catholic life to be asked what I needed from my church, as if I might know something.  It still served as a most refreshing moment and a renewal of Baptism in faith.  They turned things upside down.  They lowered themselves into the shoes of the people.  Almost over night, those Franciscan priests set that parish and mission on fire.  The financial troubles began to evaporate.

Today at a banquet, whom might a host invite to sit at the highest place and table of honor?  Would it be Mother Theresa who lived and worked in the streets of the slums or the local bishop who lives in a mansion?

Honor comes to the one who lowers themselve:

Honor comes to the one who lower themselves to serving those who can not repay.  Humility comes to those, who take the risk to get out of their comfort zone and step into the world of the hungry, the poor, the lame, the crippled and the blind.  It is while walking in their shoes we learn humility for every talent we have is pure gift from God.

Oh Lord helps us grow humble and poor in every way
We can’t stand to look in the mirror; cause we see our enemy there.
You know us, yet you love us; You must be an awesome God
Oh Lord helps us grow humble and poor in every way

June 27, 2010  (Note to Reader – This one brought me criticism)

Spiritual Courage:

Are you ready for your brain to begin to hurt?  It’s wake up time people – are we awake?  Is your brain awake?  How about your spirit?  This week our scripture readings give us food to cause our brains to hurt!  The real reason our brains will hurt is because as we digest today’s scriptures we will be called to get off our duff and do something that requires spiritual courage.

Highest Priority = God’s Blessing

The reward for waking up will be great.  Knowing God is a blessing and life’s highest priority.  But that blessing is not automatic; it must be consciously entered into by opening oneself to a risk and embracing discipleship.

Are we ready to stretch our brains with a spirit of courage?  Some may already be brain dead.  Some have been drinking the American cultural cool aid for so long, we have become the walking dead on the way to the local cemetery.

So what is it that will make your brain hurt?  God gives each of us Freedom so we will choose slavery?  The purpose of freedom is to become a slave.  Isn’t that is un-American!  Could be that even makes your teeth grind?

Who are we?  Who do we say we are?

Let me make your brain hurt some more.  We the people of the Catholic Church are behind the power curve and need to pay attention to the Tea Party movement taking place in our midst.  (ps this got me in trouble)  The Tea Party movement originated out of people waking up and asking the most fundamental questions about our nations founding principles and belief’s.  Who are we as a people/nation?  What was our founding vision and who have we become?

The Tea Party is a kind of an awakening of the conscience of people and is generating great debate.  It is a people looking back to discern who we have become.  In that regard the Tea Party movement is very healthy!  Yet the problem with the Tea Party movement is it avoids confrontation with the real causes of our nation’s illness and failures – it avoids the battle between the spirit and the flesh.  ( years later — how come this didn’t save me)

It avoids any discussion about the message of today’s scripture.  It avoids a dialogue about what are freedom and slavery and the purpose of each.  It avoids a discussion in regard to the flesh having desires against the spirit, the spirit against the flesh – the reality they are opposed to each other.

Jesus and Paul told us so long ago the purpose of freedom is to choose slavery.  Have you wrapped your arms around this concept yet?

The Heart of Every Crises –> Selfishness

What the Tea Party and the rest of our society avoid today is that selfishness is at the heart of every crises.  Paul warned the Galatians do not use freedom as an opportunity for the flesh.  There Selfishness leads to a crises of the spirit and a loss of freedom.  Selfishness leads one into isolation, division, biting, devouring and bondage from which one cannot escape alone.

As Catholics and Christian we must begin to acknowledge we tend to go to sleep and accept world views that Jesus Christ himself came to confront.

Jesus Christ came to fulfill the law.  The fulfillment of the Law is to love one another.  Jesus said let the dead bury the dead!  In other words he is speaking of the spiritually dead — wake up – spiritually wake up and look around

Do we as Catholic know what freedom is?  Do we catholic know what acceptable slavery is.  Who are we Catholic’s as a people of this nation? Are we among the silent majority who simply laid down and became the walking dead when prayer was removed from our schools and the war against the unborn began in the sanctuary of the mother.

Love One Another as I loved you:

Love one another as I have loved you – turn away from selfishness and sin.  Love is fulfillment of the law.  Love is to freely choose to become a slave that serves others.  One must be spiritually alive to make such a choice.  One must have their eyes on the real prize.

Lastly the sons of thunder wanted to nuke the people who rejected Jesus and His message.  “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?”

Jesus did not come to judge – he came to save – Let the dead bury the dead – but you and I – that includes everyone here – is gifted to contribute to the ministry of discipleship  – go proclaim the kingdom of God.

January 24, 2010

Occasionally I find myself in a situation where I must honor the sacrament of marriage I received, before the sacrament of ordination.  January 22 is Lynn’s and I‘s wedding anniversary – 44 years of shear bliss.  We have both finally learned to connect the dots when we speak to each other.  She says we need to feed the dog – it means if you love me feed the dog.  I have been directed by a higher authority than Fr. Neil to tell a joke.  There was this deacon I know who was in big trouble.  He had forgotten his wedding anniversary again.

His wife told him “Tomorrow there better be something in the driveway for me, that goes zero to 200 in 2 seconds flat.”  Well, the next morning the deacon’s wife found a small package in the driveway.  She opened it and found a brand new bathroom scale.

Funeral arrangements for the deacon have been set for next Saturday.

In preparation for this homily I ran across a fact I had forgotten.  We have 5 grand children.  Our second grand daughter is more like my wife’s sister than our grand child.  Her name is Taylor Kay.  They look alike and act alike.  Tay Tay is a treasure.  She will be ten years old in March.  About five months before Taylor Kay was born a routine test indicated she had Down Syndrome or Spinal Bifida.  Taylor’s mom chose life!

Abortions 3000-4000 per day!

3000 – 4000 abortions occur in our nation each day.  Each day more babies are aborted than the people who died on 9/11.  Abortion is a man made earth quake that destroys the spirit of life and numbs the spirit of the mother, the family and the nation.  In one year 10 times more babies are aborted in America, than Haitians who died in a natural disaster.  Most abortions are simply humans playing God.   Jesus taught the truth will set us free!

What the heck is Freedom?

Christ came to set us free so we might have life more abundantly.  Yet many question and do not recognize the treasure we are.  Abortion speaks to the soul of the young — life is no longer sacred.  I want us to reflect on the first reading from Nehemiah.  We proclaim scripture from the ambo (pulpit) but do we hear the spirit of the message and do we allow it to penetrate hearts?

Can we open our spiritual hears and hear again for the very first time.  Children are you listening?  Can we connect the dots?

Ezra read:

Ezra the priest brought the law before the people, men, women and children.  He read out of the book from daybreak to midday.  All the people listened.

Now ask yourself, how many here could listen attentively from daybreak to midday?  What kind of circumstances would it take to create the kind of motivation necessary to enable people to do achieve this kind of attention span?  They must have developed a thirst, a hunger, a longing and yearning so deep and so powerful that hearing the word of God was the only thing that could satisfy and quench the thirst and hunger of the soul of one who had been starved of spiritual nutrition for a very long time.

Are we going to have to be Up Rooted?

The people Israel had been uprooted and dragged into captivity during the Babylonian exile.  Families were torn asunder.  Children from parents, spouses and grand parents as well were separated.  Destroy the building block of the family and you destroy the people.  What could save them?

On this day, a new day, Ezra read plainly from the book of the law of God interpreting it so they could understand.  The people were weeping as they heard the words because they were connecting the dots.  The weeping came from the recollection of the sin and the worship of a false god that lead them into exile.  Simultaneously they weep for joy for they knew the only turning to the one true God could save them and set them free to reclaim the treasured of faith that would restore the family Israel.

Where Oh where is that Holy Place?

Such an event is Holy – the people Israel returned to the one true Lord and they regained their strength.  The day we return to the Lord, is a Holy day, a day of rejoicing, a day to eat rich foods and drink fine wines.

During the Babylonian exile the people of Nehemiah’s time learned the lesson Paul taught to the Corinthians.  All were given to drink from the same spirit.  No one is left out, slave or free of the love of God.  Every person has a purpose and a meaning.  Those who seem weaker are all the more necessary.  If one part suffers the whole body suffers.

Does our God Love us?

The question we are called to answer today is simple.  Do we believe the good Lord loves us exactly as we are today in our strength and in our weakness?  Are we willing to take the risk to let our God love us as we are?  And are we willing to open our spiritual ears to hear the truth when it is spoken so we can connect the dots and begin to following God’s call instead of our own?

Free Will –> Liberty or Captivity?

Jesus came to give liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind.   In America today, will we place ourselves in captivity and exile by worshiping a secular progressive god or be open to the words of abundant life.

Put a Lid on it:

What is it that you want from Jesus today?  What is the ache deep in your heart that needs healing this day?  Does anyone remember the description of a treasure box I used in the last couple of homilies I have given?  You know the treasure box of faith we keep Jesus in!  Today the church wants us to think about the lid we keep on that box and a crystal ball hidden in the box to help us find faith.

Spiritual Eyes – a Gift – to see beyond the current moment:

The symbol of the crystal ball is the Catechism.  One who looks into it with spiritual eyes will begin to see with the vision of faith.  Catechism Theme — The Characteristics of Faith (CCC 153-158) Bartimaeus could see with his spirit that Jesus could cure his eyes. The ability to see beyond the present is wisdom. Wisdom is a gift of seeing beyond the possible with faith, a grace from God.  The Spirit of God empowers us with spiritual intuition and insight.  But we cannot arrive at faith all by ourselves.

Will we choose to accept a Gift?

God never forces faith upon us.  Faith is a truly human action, for it requires free will – human choice.  God offers us his gift.  We are free to choose it or reject it.  When we choose faith, we choose cooperation. We become partners with the divine in our salvation and the salvation of the world.

The Sound of the Spirit:

How did Bartimaeus know Jesus was there?  He was sitting on the ground begging.  The sounds of Jesus with a sizeable crowd walking and talking must have surrounded him.  Bartimaeus was able to detect Jesus of Nazareth was passing by from this keen sense of hearing!  He knew about Jesus and began to shout out loudly, Jesus don’t pass me by, here I am!

The people accompanying Jesus rebuked him – be silent you beggar!  But Bartimaeus shouted all the louder.  Jesus son of David, have pity on me.

Jesus heard him and said.  “Tell him to come.”  Note Jesus did not approach or address Bartimaeus directly, but through an intermediary.  Are you looking into your crystal ball?

Do we hear, will we get up, will we go?

Bartimaeus must freely choose to get out of his box and go to Jesus.  Doesn’t it seem rather demeaning to force this blind beggar crying out to get up off the ground and come to him?

Take off that stinky Pride:

When Jesus called him, Bartimaeus threw aside his cloak, a garment that was concealing him.  This cloak is a symbol of human pride he had to take off.  Like the lid we put on our treasure box.  We too must approach Jesus spiritually naked.   Take off whatever mask we are wearing!

Jesus asks: “What do you want me to do for you?” “I want to see again.”   Jesus does not touch Bartimaeus – he simply tells him to go on his way for his faith has made him well.

Seeing “who Jesus is” is the goal of faith, and it leads to discipleship.  This is both a healing and a call story because Bartimaeus makes a decision to follows Jesus.  How many times I have heard adults tell me, I want to believe again like I did when I was a child.  This is a clear statement they are in need of being able to see again just like Bartimaeus.

Are your spiritual eyes on yet?  What corners of the church, of society need serious reformation in this 21st century?  Where are our blind spots?  Will a reformer arise from among us?  Should one arise, what will we do to him or her?   Will we silence them?  What are we allowing to go unchallenged today that will one day cause our children and grandchildren to shake their heads at how blind we were to the gospel of life?

A Cloak that covers us –> Stinky Pride:

What is the cloak we are hiding behind?  How does our cloak prevent us from growing and expanding?  All of us are people who children look to for leadership.  Has our cloak absorbed our sweat that causes us to stink — it’s called stinky pride – stubbornness – limited thinking, unable to take the lid off the box, taming the gospel.  What is it that prevents us from seeing and doing what is right in our time?

Contrast what disciples asked for and what Bartimaeus asked for!  The disciples asked for the cloak of power and authority – which caused a stink within Jesus followers.  Bartimaeus conversely threw off his cloak and asked for a more simple gift of sight!  The ability to see beyond oneself, for true leadership skill, the ability to see and define a vision of the future, an ability to create and follow a road map created by Jesus.  We are told Bartimaeus, once he could see followed Jesus to Jerusalem – he picked up his cross and followed Jesus.  One can not lead others when they stuck in their power and authority.

Take off the Lid, Throw off the Cloak, Stand Naked:

One must throw off their cloak – bare their heart and soul to Jesus, stand naked before God and ask for sight even when one has perfectly healthy eyes so they can see beyond themselves and lead others to salvation.

26^th Sunday Ordinary Time — September 26, 2009

Treasure Box:

In today’s gospel Jesus is confronting human natures ability to create a captivity and control box, a jail.  When we are young our human capacity to understand God is limited yet we automatically try and wrap our arms around this God of ours.  In doing so, we unknowingly create a treasure box for God and others.  Unfortunately some are locked in and some locked out.  Later in life this treasure box can to limit our spiritual growth to the size of the box we chose.

Did you know we all have such a treasure box?  Some have a little bitty box and some of have a bigger box.  Let me assure you each of us has their own box.  At some point in our life, we settled on, who we think God is, how he operates and we then put God in our box and lock some folks out.  Then we tend to keep him there because we are comfortable with who we decided he was.  But eventually in life the good Lord will place us in a situation where we he makes us uncomfortable because God wants us to understand he cannot be contained within our limited understanding or box.

Get out of my Box:

From the book of Numbers we hear the Lord came in a cloud, took some of the spirit of Moses and bestowed it on the seventy elders.  Joshua, Moses longtime closest aide was one of them.  We hear Joshua, one of the chosen ones complain.   Eldad and Medad, two who were outside the gathering had prophesied in the camp – stop them!  Please Moses get them out of our box!

Stop them!

Again in the gospel of Mark, we hear John, the beloved disciple, tell Jesus. Teacher someone is driving out demons in your name.  We tried to stop him because he does not follow us, tell them to get out of our treasure box! 

Human Nature Versus the Holy Spirit:

In these readings we see human natures reaction to a confrontation with this treasure box, pettiness, arrogance and envy.  Times like these are teaching moments.  Jesus wants us to know those of good will who are not against us, are to be treated as being with us.  We are being called to tolerance and openness.  Jesus wants our limited human created box to be stretched.  One day we will find ourselves in a situation that will make us uncomfortable so we can see clearly the arbitrary human limitations we place on him.

Break open your box, set me free from your confounded self defined box which in truth is purely an illusion that exists only in our mind.

Road Blocks:

This week end, we are also holding our parish stewardship fair.  Guess what is true about Catholic stewardship?  Yes each of us also has a stewardship captivity box.  This box may have been defined long ago and over time some of us have added an iron reinforced concrete layer to protect our inner self from any penetration!  Some are putting up road blocks as I speak.

God Stretches Box’s:

The spirit of God cannot be contained.  Release God and he will open your spirit and stretch the size of your box beyond your wildest imagination to the degree we open our hearts!

I have a promising antidote, a box expanding opener.  It has the potential to spring God lose from our self limiting captivity box and begin to cut a hole in the concrete reinforced walls of our stewardship box!  Let’s call this a kind of spiritual box a cash for clunkers program.  We will be trading in the stubbornness of the human heart for joy now and salvation later.

Say Yes Lord: Stretch my Box:

Are you willing to take a risk and give this antidote a try?

I have some lyrics I will say the words first and then I want you to sing the refrain after me.  Are you ready for the antidote?

I’m trading my sorrow — I’m trading my shame — I’m laying it down for the joy of the Lord
I’m trading my sickness –I’m trading my pain — I’m laying it down for the joy of the Lord

Yes Lord, yes Lord, yes yes Lord.

There is a positive impact from saying a simple yes to the Lord.  As the Yes travels from the tips of the tongue down it startles and wakes up the spirit of the soul triggering a natural opening and stretching of the size of the box to handle the possibilities of the hazards of the risk just spoken.  As the reality of yes reaches the living, beating chambers of our heart it expands to transform our box into a spirit filled room of potential unending capacity.

No one gets bumped out as new travelers fill the room.

21st Sunday of Ordinary Time

Trap Question:  Who are we going to Serve:

I am going to set some traps for you today!  Let’s see if you get caught in them

We hear the nation of Israel had journeyed form slavery in Egypt and were now conquerors.  They had lost their land because of sinfulness.  The question of that day was, now that we are free what God will we serve?  The God of Moses that lead you out of slavery and bondage or Baal the pagan God of the Amorites.  Who will you serve  – the God of darkness or light?  It is this same stark question Jesus is asking in the Gospel of John.

Cultural Use of Words:  Ring any Bells?

How easily it is for us to get caught up in the cultural use of words and totally miss the central critical spiritual point of the message.

In the Gospel of John today, his community was immersed in tension and conflict.  If we are not careful, we can easily get caught up in the trap of emotions which crowd out and overwhelm our spiritual eyes and ears.  Have you noticed every issue is a crisis and we must act immediately?  A new language art form has immerged to create a self fulfilling understanding by the hearer, while the message delivered can have a meaning we may not detect.  We have politicians who claim to be roman Catholic’s speaking to us using the language of faith, freedom, choice and liberty while aggressively supporting abortion and proposing laws that can lead to euthanasia.

Image Corporation / Government Same Human Sin?

Are we awake America?  Let me ask what God do we want to serve?  Is there any tension and conflict in our nation today?  Oh my!!!  Fannie Mae, Freddie Mack, are social security and Medicare in trouble, do we have a banks, mortgage and housing crises, global warming cap and trade, single payer universal health care, bail out mania, increased taxes, tarp, deficit spending, illegal immigration, government motors, anger at CEO’s flying corporate planes while congress purchases 5 new private jets, abortion, death panels for euthanasia, cash for clunkers and the war in Iraq and Afghanistan have become side issues?  The greed and corruption of corporate America is condemned while government corruption is somehow better?

Who are we going to Serve?

Jesus words today are going to startle us.  It’s time to make a decision!  Now let’s see if I can get real personal.  How about today’s cultural upheaval of the roles and equality of men and women in the United States of America.  How did Paul’s letter to the Ephesians go over today?  How did we feel when we heard Paul’s words?  Wives be subordinate to your husbands.  The husband is the head of his wife.  Wives should be subordinate in everything!  Be totally submissive and give up your life.

Emotions Trap:

How’s Paul doing?  Did your emotions rise up and begin to walk yourself into a trap?   Is it possible some of us are falling into emotional traps and becoming powerless to hear the spirit of the word spoken preventing the truth from being grasped?

Take a deep breath.  Count to ten or maybe 100.  Are we still caught up in our emotions?  Let me suggest your freedom and more importantly our salvation are at stake – we need to be able to hear the truth – the word of God!

One Flesh Maybe?

Look at the balance of what Paul calls the wife and the husband to!  Both, two not one, two that become one.  It is important to begin to understand Paul is not speaking to us about each of us individually but jointly as people who are journeyers together.  Paul is doing his best to teach us about a beautiful relationship, full and complete, mutual unqualified love where two become as one.  Did Paul’s words of subordination conjure up those emotions?  Two individual people freely choosing to die to their individual selves so they can become one, act as one because they serve the one true God.  This is unconditional love.  Paul’s point  „ do not miss it!

Relationships that Unite:

It is the kind of relationship that Jesus is calling us to today!   We as the Church and Jesus as Joshua leading us to His Father.

Did you fall into any traps?  Let’s now examine Jesus Bread of Life words of truth in the Gospel.  Just yesterday his disciples were witnesses to his miracles of healing and feeding the 5000 and already we find them murmuring – this saying is hard.  They fell into the trap for though they saw with their own eyes they could not overcome the blindness of their spirit.  Unless you eat the flesh of the son of man and drink his blood you do not have life within you!  The words I have spoken are spirit and life!  But there are some who do not believe.

Are we going to turn away?

Many of the disciples who followed Jesus returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him.

Jesus wants to know folks what is our decision?  What is our decision today!  Are we going to be like those who saw his miracles, ate the food he blessed, begin to murmur and then leave.  Or are we going to recognize the spiritual truth and wisdom of Peter’s words.  Master to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  You are the Holy One of God.

What is the relationship between people within this room?

Lent Year A March 2009

Anyone one here feeling, anxious, fearful, uncertain, lost, abandoned or forsaken?  Anyone here ever felt like we are the odd one out or the black sheep of the family?  These are indeed stressful times in our nations history.  It’s like having a back cloud following us around every minute.  A black cloud that occupies our sub conscience and as such exists uncomfortably close to the surface.

Here’s Mud in your eye!

Anyone wants something to clear up the mess?  Well here it is!  Here’s mud in your eye.  Isn’t that what we need to hear — Strait from our Savior – Here’s mud in your eye.  We humans are made of clay.  Clay is made of earth and water.  Not just any water but the spit of divine essence.  Ever heard it said that way.  This God of ours will use anything to save us.  So here’s mud in your eye.

Water the Wellspring of All Life:

Water, clay and oil cannot heal the blind and yet we know the breath of God passing over the waters created all life.  Water can not heal, yet the water of baptism heals because blessed water contains the Holy Spirit.  Oil can not heal, yet the sacred oils of the Catechumens and Chrism heal because they too are blessed just prior to the Easter Triduum each year where they are filled with the Holy Spirit.

The Elect / 2nd Scrutiny – becoming a new creation:

Today’s scripture have some really good news for all of us, especially those who who have that black cloud surrounding them!  In fact within the 4th Sunday of lent we have a spiritual bonus, we celebrate the 2nd Scrutiny with the Elect who are journeying through the RCIA process on their way to entering into full communion with the Catholic Church.  We call them the  Elect.  It is a special church name used to identify those who are walking across the threshold of becoming a new creation.  Don’t we all yearn to be reborn again for the very first time with our slate washed clean?

Let’s see if we can open up scripture and let the light of Christ escape and shine into the darkness of the world we live in.  In the reading from 1 Samuel we hear the story of Samuel who was sent out to anoint the hoped for new King of the Jews.

Samuel fill your horn with oil and be on your way!  Woo wait a minute, could this message be directed at each one of us.  The Good Lord is making a clear statement.  Take action!  Be on your way!  Why we are hesitating?   Get on with it, you have been graced with a spirit of hope!  I have given you the tools you need for your journey!  Your horn is filled with the oil of your Baptism – be on your way!  God has something he wants you to do and only you can do it!  Step into the light, get over the anxiety, fear, lack of worthiness, uncertainty and the doubt.

Samuel is sent to the house of Jesse where Jesse presents seven sons.  Did anyone notice the Good Lord is playing a trick on us!  Seven, isn’t that the perfect number?  Surely God’s anointed is among one of these seven!  Oh but God does not see as we see.  God does not look at appearance but looks into the heart.  There is hope, especially for those who think it can’t be me!

It was the eighth son, the odd one out, who was out tending the sheep.  One who apparently didn’t command any consideration of his father Jesse.

No one is left out of this calling!  And our Baptism is indeed the seal of eternal life.  We the baptized have become “living stones” being “built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood.”   Paul tells us we were once darkness but now we are light in the Lord.  Awake oh sleeper, arise form the dead, Christ will give you light in the middle of the worst nightmare.

By Baptism we share in the priesthood of Christ, in his prophetic and royal mission.  Get it — We are chosen, a royal priesthood and a holy nation, We are God’s own people, that we may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light.”  We “Reborn as sons of God, [the baptized] must profess before men the faith they have received from God through the Church” and participate in the apostolic and missionary activity of the People of God.

Now if we are still in doubt, the Gospel of John give us new spiritual sight in the midst of darkness.  Jesus saw one who was blind from birth.

Jesus disciples question him about the cause of the mans blindness!  And they get an unexpected answer.  No one is guilty – the purpose of the blindness is to serve as a trigger for God works to occur through his blindness!  So we have problems and fears — Go!

Jesus made mud to teach us – we too are called to be sent

Jesus spit upon the ground, took the earth and made clay which he smeared on the blind mans eyes.  Blind and mud smeared all over his eyes, Jesus then had the nerve to commanded the blind man to go wash in the pool of Siloam (which means sent).  The blind man went and washed.  What are we waiting for – we too are sent and our horn of oil is full.  We are already ready for the journey we face today, tomorrow and every day to come even when we do not know what we are ready for!

Whatever comes, no matter the gravity or muddiness of the situation we are ready.  Stand up and go.  Do not be afraid, do not be fearful, for the darkness will be shattered by the light of Christ who proceeds us.  We are not a cowardly people.

Music to our ears – Our Name – to hear the Spirit Speeking in a Dream:

Does anyone here, hear the Lord Calling you by name, while you are awake or in your dreams?  Can anyone see the light of truth in our nation’s crises?  Does anyone have an answer to the mess?  Be faithful to Jesus’ message of repentance and believe in the good news.

Martin Luther Kind:  I have a Dream:

I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.”

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.  I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.

Fulfillment of a Dream of Hope:

The inauguration of Barack Obama, as President of the USA, marks the fulfillment of hope of Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream.  While our heads are high up on the mountain top with the clouds of promise we find our feet standing deep in the valley of turmoil.  This great nation is in the midst of a great economic crises, caused by human greed in almost every sector of our society and a lust for power that blinds the spirit.  These sins have built up a mountain of anxiety and made us vulnerable to American quick fix we see on TV.  Do we recognize the evil that has creep into our nation and it’s vulnerability to corruption?  The FOCA is upon us.  Will we lose our way, will we lose our freedom of conscience?

A War / Rebellion against God’s Plan:

Today we hear of the conversion of Saul. Paul’s persecution of the Christians did not sit well with the Lord.    Resistance and rebelling against God doesn’t work.  What’s it going to take for each one of us to begin to cooperate with God’s plan?

Saul was blinded by a great light and thrown to the ground.  A blinded Paul made an about face, he turned around, he made a 180 degree turn as if he hit geese in mid air and needed to make an immediate emergency landing to get his feet back on solid ground.  Paul made a radical decision that broke with the past.  We need to stand up to change our nations’ course!

Are our Eyes Open and Do our ears work?

Are our spiritual eyes open as we depart on the new road we are traveling to our destination?  Are we ready for a ride we have never experienced before in our history?  Our hope rests on embracing the blinding light of the spirit and the message of the Lord as we work to regain our footing as we embark on this new journey.

The message of scripture today is clear.  As we and our nation embark upon this new journey do no ignore God.  Jesus promised us abundant life!  Abundant life is not about waiting for the current storm to pass, it’s about learning the proper spiritual dance in the midst of the lightning, thunder and the driving rain!

Do not be deceived by the Lures, Eloguence and Image:

Live in the spirit of Paul’s message to the Corinthians.  Can you hear the Lord calling?  We are called to act like Christ’s second coming is imminent.  One must literally run away from the lures of the world.  One must begin to filter through the eloquence of words to discern the truth through observance of the action of the deliverer.  Oh Lord open our ears to your words from 1 Corinthians.  One with a wife must act as not having a wife, those weeping as not weeping, those rejoicing as not rejoicing, those buying as not owning.  Paul’s word today for us is wisdom.  Do we get it?  Do not be deceived by the lures, the eloquence and the images the world provides.  Instead, be faithful to Jesus message of repentance, believe in the good news and courageously engage and fill the world with abundant life.

Have Courage Brothers and Sisters – Use His Name:

In the Gospel of Mark we have a powerful promise.  Do we have the courage to live it?  Do we have the courage to even consider trying it?  Those who believe and are baptized will be saved.  These signs will accompany them by using my name.  They will cast out demons, they will speak in foreign tongues, they pick up snakes, and if they drink any deadly thing it will not hurt them, if they lay hands on the sick they will recover.

We have the promise.  The question is will we but try!