Weekly Reflection 093007AD

Sunday, September 30, 2007AD

26^th Sunday in Greentime

Lazarus & JC & Alii

Years ago, in October, 1979, Pope John Paul made a visit to Ireland and the United States on the first anniversary of his Petrine Ministry. When he came to New York, he gave 3 important sermons: the United Nations General Assembly, the Evening Mass at Yankee Stadium and his meeting with young people at Madison Square Garden (hosted by former parishioner, Maureen Lindgren, a collegian at the time.)

The sermon at Yankee Stadium was promptly dubbed “The Sermon on the Mound.” In it, he addressed today’s Gospel. The importance of the parable of the Rich man and Lazarus was already apparent to JP2 when he made his first stop, in early 1979, on his many trips outside Italy, in Santo Domingo, on his way to Puebla, Mexico.

At Yankee Stadium, he transferred today’s parable to global proportions, viz., the First and (then,) Second World, (the West and the former USSR and its satellites) – the Developed Nations (the Rich man) and the Third World, -- the Undeveloped Nations (Lazarus). It was legitimate, he said, to critique the political, social and economic world in this significant parable. Critique, he did!

He stated that the rich man did not end up in hell because he was rich, but because he was willfully blind to the existence of the poor man at his gates. The Pope stated “Both the rich man and Lazarus were loved by God, but that the rich man was not responsive, as he should have been, to the needs of the poor man at the gate.

30 years later, we recall JP’s comment “Riches and freedom confer responsibilities and create obligations.” …“All of humanity must think of the parable of the rich man and the beggar. Humanity must translate it into contemporary terms, in terms of economy and politics, in terms of all , human rights, in terms of relations between the “First”, “Second” and “Third World”. We cannot stand idly by when thousands of human beings are dying of hunger. Nor can we remain indifferent when the rights of the human spirit are trampled upon, when violence is done to the human conscience in matters of truth, religion, and cultural creativity.

We cannot stand idly by, enjoying our own riches and freedom, if, in any place, the Lazarus of the twentieth century stands at our door.”

In their Pastoral Letter on the Economy, 1986, the USA Catholic bishops agreed. In speaking directly on the economy of a nation (any nation), the bishops said that a measure of the morality of an economy is its response to the people within the economic system that are in the lowest social and economic classes. We need to take responsibility for things that we create in its effects upon the neediest among us.

On Jan 1, 2003 AD, in his annual Day of Prayer for Peace Message, Pope John Paul reminded us that for individuals or groups, there are “no moral free-zones”. In other words, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the critique which disciples of Jesus should use in evaluating the morality or immorality of our actions. If plans or actions do not square with the Gospel of Jesus, adjustments need to be made.

Jesus and the prophets, from whom we hear today, viz., Amos of Tekoa, and Bishop John Paul of Rome and others urge us to reflect on this. How do we impress our kids with the message? 093007AD jfq

Weekly Reflection 092307AD

Sunday, September 23, 2007AD

25^th Sunday in Greentime

Hit the Road , Amos (! or ?)

People like to have their hometown praised by visitors. We like to hear how nice everything is. Our noses get out of joint, however, if visitors have criticism to offer.

Such were the people of Samaria, the capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, when a visitor from Judah came to town on business around 750 BC. Amos of Tekoa, the first of the writing prophets, had a lot to say.

Apparently, he had come to town for business. He was a shepherd and a farmer (Some shekels there!). He did not like what he saw. He started off all right. His message was initially directed against neighboring nations to Israel and Judah. He criticized them for their brutality in warfare, for their violation of women, for other crimes as well. After going after 5 or 6 pagan nations, he speaks against his own nation, the Kingdom of Judah, where people packed the Temple on Mount Zion, but did not live up to their obligations to their neighbors in the covenant with YHWH.

Then, Amos goes full blast against Israel and he pulls no punches. He commented again on attendance at liturgies and the lack of correspondence in behavior toward those less fortunate. The Hebrew tradition always spoke of the triad of the widow, the orphan and the alien. Amos saw packed shrines and temples, but he saw a widening gap between the rich and the poor. He saw this as a violation of their covenant responsibilities to YHWH.

What would Amos say today about a “Christian” nation where 50 million out of 300 million do not have adequate medical insurance?

Today, Catholics are reminded of the “preferential option for the poor”, a new term for an old Judaeo-Christian value, viz., ethical monotheism. God can be described as a loving grandmother. The grandmother loves all her grandchildren. She plays no favorites. However, if one of the grandchildren needs her special attention, she gives it, undividedly. In addition, she expects the other grandchildren to do the same.

Latin American theologians coined the term, “preferential option for the poor.” The prophets, Jesus Himself and the Catholic tradition always subscribed to ethical monotheism.

In our own time, Pope John Paul II stressed again and again that Catholics and all people of good will are called to promote a culture of life, in which we become the voice of the silent and the helpless. Some suggest, in contemporary America, that the widows are the single mother, orphans are children in single parent settings, aliens are homeless and undocumented. The first reaction of many in contemporary culture is that somehow, these people are responsible for their condition. Somehow it is their own fault that they have not made it.

Last Wednesday evening, our ninth grade candidates and their parents heard the orientation meeting for our new confirmation preparatory program in apostolic works. The families (and we do sacramental preparation here, family style) recalled the scriptural basis of their program. Afterwards, a plethora of opportunities were suggested, such as Teen Life (with its concern for India and the AIDS epidemic in Africa), Habitat for Humanity, our Coats for Hope Program, the Cottages Program in P-ville. Many of the families suggested programs that youngsters were already involved. Thanx to all who presented.

Catholic tradition stresses that authenticity in worship of YHWH is measured by commitment to all God’s children. Jesus, Amos and John Paul strongly agree. Do we agree? 092307AD jfq

Weekly Reflection 091607AD

SUNDAY, September 16, 2007AD

24^th Sunday in Greentime

The Dysfunctional Family???

As many people know, after twenty centuries, we are still at a loss about the proper title of the greatest of Jesus parables that we hear today. Is the parable about the younger son, the elder son, the father or the entire family? Nobody can be certain.

Some scholars have said that St Luke’s Gospel and its follow-up, the Acts of the Apostles might be the most beautiful literature that was ever written. Also, some have said that the parable might contain the essence of much of Jesus’ message in its beautiful words.

One of the many things that stand out from the Parable is the point that Jesus makes by the turn of events in the parable. One son who does it wrong (by squandering his father’s “stuff”) then gets it right by the Father’s offer of reconciliation. The other son who does it right (by staying home and working) then gets it wrong by his refusal (at first, we hope) to welcome his brother home.

Another interesting thing to note is that not only in the Great Parable, but in the two warm-up parables as well (the lost sheep and the lost coin), something has to be lost and then be found to appreciate how important it is in the first place. Whether it is the lost sheep, the lost coin, or the lost son, the recovery merits a celebration to which other are invited.

A further interesting ramification of the party thrown by the Father of the Returning Son is the Fatted Calf. Hearers of Jesus’ Parable would have understood in days preceding refrigeration that if a fatted calf were to be slaughtered for the occasion, there had to be a large group of people to share in the feast. The implication is that when the father ordered the party, it was not just a family gathering. Rather, the neighbors and the acquaintances had also to be included because the fatted calf had to be eaten or else. A big party was on. The size of the gathering only amplifies the dilemma of the older brother. Once again, the father chose to leave the house and speak in a loving way with the resentful son. However, the choice that the older son had to be make was complicated by the possibility of alienating his community and acquaintances by refusing to share in the meal of the fatted calf. If he refused, he was snubbing his network and added to his isolation. The older brother has to decide. Let us all hope that he entered.

As most Catholics know, Jesus was the Prophet-Martyr who used the technique of table fellowship as a privileged way to show His outreach to people. Jesus would dine with anyone and he used His meals as a symbol of solidarity between God and the diners.

Again, Jesus confronts us with the dilemma. God acts insanely by human standards in our three parables today. Father Andrew Greeley, many years ago, called today’s first two parables, the Parable of the Crazy Shepherd and the Parable of the Crazy Homemaker. Who would care for one sheep or one coin so much that a feast would be celebrated when the recovery occurred. However, the interpersonal dimensions of the dysfunctional family (what else can you call them?) show how poignantly Jesus understood His outreach to others written off.

Someone said that 2/3 of Jesus’ parables are about interpersonal relationships and reconciliation. The point that Jesus drives home again and again is that God never writes anyone off. Catholics claim to be God’s children and Jesus’ siblings. Where do we fit into the family dynamics? What would we do? 091607AD jfq

Weekly Reflection 090907AD

Sunday, September 9, 2007AD

23^rd Sunday in Greentime

Philemon’s New World Order

In his New Year’s Message for Peace on January 1, 2003AD, Pope John Paul reminded individuals and nations that there were “no moral free zones”, viz., actions of individuals, groups and nations stand under the critique of the Gospel. Pope John Paul addressed himself to the deterioration in world events and the sad increment in violence. In our second reading today, Philemon, a Christian who sponsored a household church at his home was in a moral quandary, posed by a real economic and social crisis. St Paul did not force him to action, but in the shortest of St Paul’s letters, the Apostle put Philemon, in a situation in which Philemon came to see (the hard way) that there were no moral free zones.

Chances are that when Philemon was baptized, the Church sang the hymn, “You have been baptized into Christ Jesus. There no longer exists among you Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female. All are one in Christ Jesus.” (Gal 3.28)

Philemon had a dilemma. He had a runaway slave, named Onesimus, who “took it on the lam” to St Paul, apparently under some type of house arrest. While with the Apostle, Onesimus was baptized and now was a member of the Jesus Movement himself!

Then, St Paul wrote to Philemon in a letter that was clearly meant to be read to the entire house church which might have consisted of 30 people about what has been called Philemon’s Problem.

According to the social and economic non-negotiables of the time, slavery was a given in the Roman Empire. Despite the sophistication of the Greco-Roman Empire, most of the people saw no moral problem with chattel slavery. “That’s the system. It’s always been that way. Who would ever think of change?” No dreamer, St Paul certainly did not call for an end of the abomination that only was banned in the (Christian) British Empire in 1833 and in the (Christian) USA in 1865.

However, St Paul was urging to receive Philemon back without punishment. The Apostle did not say that Philemon should give Onesimus his freedom, but certainly he hinted at it. He hinted that the perplexed slaveholder who hosted a house church of the Jesus Movement and who had probably heard the baptismal hymn from Galatians, was on the horns of a dilemma because “there are no moral freezones.” What did Philemon do?

Chances are that, certainly, he did not punish the slave. Chances are, also, that he probably liberated Onesimus. The reason why biblical scholars think so is that this is the only personal letter, one of many of which Paul would have sent in his lifetime, added to the Christian Bible. Onesimus was lucky in more ways than one.

However, Philemon might have been a different story. What would the neighbors think when this middle class (at least!) citizen violated conventional wisdom by not punishing the runaway and further, by giving him his freedom? What does Philemon think that he is doing by opposing the system by non-retaliation and liberation of a fugitive slave? What if Philemon had other slaves in his household? What if they got the same idea and took it “on the lam” as well and were snagged or not.

If Philemon lived in God’s World Order, his wallet and prestige would take a hit.

We will never know what actually happened. However, when twenty centuries later, Pope John Paul spoke to individuals and groups and nations about “no moral freezones”, that everything stands under the judgment of the Gospel, Philemon might have said, “Tell me about it! I found out the hard way, but I realized that in God’s New World Order, the system (the way rational people have always done things) was askew. I may be the odd person out, but Jesus is my Lord and I can live with that.” (Now and forever!!) 090907AD jfq

Weekly Reflection 090207AD

Sunday September 2, 2207AD

22^nd Sunday in Greentime

Liturgy 24 – 7 – 365

Most Sundays, our second reading at Mass is usually an excerpt from a letter of St Paul written to members of the Jesus Movement in a large urban community. Bible scholars say that Paul’s letters are usually divided into two sections. First, he teaches a truth about life in Christ; this is usually in indicative mood. Second, he teaches how Christians are to behave as a result of the truth of faith; this is in the imperative mood.

As we are about to begin a “Psychological New Year”, St Paul stresses how Christians (in Armonk) are to behave every moment of our life. Through the expression “in Christ Jesus”, which St Paul uses over 150 times in his letters, St Paul is expressing the Relationship that each of us and all of us have with God and with one another. Catholic quantum theology now speak of the “vibrational field, the force field, the energy field of the Incarnation of God in Christ Jesus. He asks us to respond “in Christ Jesus” to the free gift of salvation purchased for us through our sharing in baptism into Christ Jesus.

Important to remember that Paul wants each Christian (in Armonk) to offer his (or her) body as a living sacrifice, as a daily, existential liturgical offering. God knows that we have many opportunities to offer good moments as well as bad ones to God through a life in the Spirit energized to act in Christ Jesus in every situation. Let us ask for God’s Spirit to offer our lives as a daily liturgy.

We remember Jesus’ rebuttal of St. Peter’s (Rocky’s) (a biblical archetype of “Everyone”) suggestion that God’s Ways are not necessarily our ways. “You think not as God does, but as human beings do.” You and I have many opportunities to respond in our minds and hearts to Jesus’ challenging teachings to Peter and to all of us as well, which defy conventional wisdom, mob thinking, mass consciousness. 1) Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself (herself), take up the cross and follow Me. 2) Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 3) What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit one’s life? 4) What can one give in exchange for one’s life?

This week, our Church celebrates on Wednesday the new feast of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta. She was an image about what Jesus (and St Paul) teach. She taught anyone who would listen, “God speaks to us in the Silence of our minds and hearts. Our job is to slow down and listen to the Silent Voice of God and translate what we hear by the way we treat other people.” She taught us all to “do something beautiful for God” by trying to see the Face of God, even, in the most distressing of settings, and in responding in Christ Jesus thereto. She spoke to ordinary folks like you and me when she said those words. What potential she saw in us, no exceptions!

One of the only times that St Paul used the Greek word “leitergia” , “liturgy” was in the beginning of the teaching section of the Letter to the Romans. He spoke to his audience to offer their bodies as their daily liturgies to God. When St Paul wrote his letter, in the mid-50’s, the Roman Jesus Movement probably had not become hierarchically structured. Ergo, St Paul was speaking to all of them, (and all of us!!). He was not just talking about showing up Saturday evening for a run-through Eucharist. He was talking about life in Christ Jesus 24 – 7 – 365. The Saturday evening gathering in house churches was the summation of what the Christians of Rome had done the prior 6 ½ days of the week and prayers for the week ahead. How will Armonk Catholics respond in the psychological year ahead? How do we get our children to respond? Faith is caught, not taught. We need you as teachers, both in our classrooms, but most especially in your homes. May we all do so!

Let Armonk Catholics make a life-offering, a liturgy our every moment, 24-7-365 for the gifts given us by a faithful God in Christ Jesus. 090207 AD jfq