Could This Be You?
Long ago, biblical scholars saw two levels of the healing of the blind man in today’s Gospel. First, it describes the physical healing of a 39 year old man who was born blind. Yet, in the story, more than physical sight is given. The man born blind us brought to the illumination of faith by Jesus as he gradually comes to accept Jesus as the Son of Man, even more, the Lord.
The season of Lent has, as one of its origins, a 40 day period of intense preparation by catechumens (tyro-Christians) for the reception of the Sacraments of Initation, viz., Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist, during the Easter Vigil from Holy Saturday into Easter Sunday morning.
Some of the names by which Baptism was called in early Christianity was the “Sacrament of Illumination and Enlightenment.” The custom of lighting the small baptismal candle from the Paschal Candle is the vestige of this former sacramental name.
Notice the story of the man born blind. The healing takes place bear a pool and it involves a washing with water. While Jesus only appears twice in the story, He is ever the Subject of the story because of the controversy over the identity of the Healer. While Jesus speaks to the man directly twice, the man only sees Jesus once because he was still blind in the first encounter.
Something curious happens as the story unfolds. As more grief is heaped upon the man, he calls Jesus “that man”, then, a “prophet”, then, “from God”, then,”Son of Man”, then, “Lord”. Like the Samaritan woman last week, the blind man’s faith develops because of the influence of Jesus. The blind man is a symbol of what we are all called to be as disciples of Jesus.
In the latter portions of the fourth Gospel, we start to hear of the “beloved disciple”, one who is the model disciple, the one whom we are all called to be. Much conjecture has been made about the identity of the beloved disciple.
Traditionally, the Fourth Gospel has been attributed to the Apostle John (hence, its unofficial name.) However, all the Gospels are anonymous documents as we are not sure of the identity of any of the evangelists. As a result, some thought that the Apostle John was humbly remaining anonymous in his self-description.
Another opinion is that perhaps, Lazarus, the dead man raised to life in John 11 was the beloved disciple. (This last of Jesus’ 7 signs is the immediate trigger which results in the death and Resurrection of Jesus.)Neither Lazarus nor the beloved disciple had been mentioned earlier in the Gospel.
Still, another opinion is that, perhaps, it is our hero, the blind man, in today’s Gospel, who is the beloved disciple. He is favorable presented in the Gospel as a Jewish disciple who receives initial illumination and enlightenment from Jesus (Whom he cannot see) near a pool of water. As the pressure mounts, his faith in Jesus grows. Finally, in the closing scene today, he “sees” Jesus Who obviously loves him and Whom he obviously loves in return.
The question in the Gospel today is not, “Is the man born blind the beloved disciple?” Maybe yes or no.
Rather, the real question is “Am I the beloved disciple?” 031002 AD jfq
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Refelction 031002AD
Could This Be You?
Long ago, biblical scholars saw two levels of the healing of the blind man in today’s Gospel. First, it describes the physical healing of a 39 year old man who was born blind. Yet, in the story, more than physical sight is given. The man born blind us brought to the illumination of faith by Jesus as he gradually comes to accept Jesus as the Son of Man, even more, the Lord.
The season of Lent has, as one of its origins, a 40 day period of intense preparation by catechumens (tyro-Christians) for the reception of the Sacraments of Initation, viz., Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist, during the Easter Vigil from Holy Saturday into Easter Sunday morning.
Some of the names by which Baptism was called in early Christianity was the “Sacrament of Illumination and Enlightenment.” The custom of lighting the small baptismal candle from the Paschal Candle is the vestige of this former sacramental name.
Notice the story of the man born blind. The healing takes place bear a pool and it involves a washing with water. While Jesus only appears twice in the story, He is ever the Subject of the story because of the controversy over the identity of the Healer. While Jesus speaks to the man directly twice, the man only sees Jesus once because he was still blind in the first encounter.
Something curious happens as the story unfolds. As more grief is heaped upon the man, he calls Jesus “that man”, then, a “prophet”, then, “from God”, then,”Son of Man”, then, “Lord”. Like the Samaritan woman last week, the blind man’s faith develops because of the influence of Jesus. The blind man is a symbol of what we are all called to be as disciples of Jesus.
In the latter portions of the fourth Gospel, we start to hear of the “beloved disciple”, one who is the model disciple, the one whom we are all called to be. Much conjecture has been made about the identity of the beloved disciple.
Traditionally, the Fourth Gospel has been attributed to the Apostle John (hence, its unofficial name.) However, all the Gospels are anonymous documents as we are not sure of the identity of any of the evangelists. As a result, some thought that the Apostle John was humbly remaining anonymous in his self-description.
Another opinion is that perhaps, Lazarus, the dead man raised to life in John 11 was the bekoved disciple. (This last of Jesus’ 7 signs is the immediate trigger which results in the death and Resurrection of Jesus.)Neither Lazarus nor the beloved disciple had been mentioned earlier in the Gospel.
Still, another opinion is that, perhaps, it is our hero, the blind man, in today’s Gospel, who is the beloved disciple. He is favorable presented in the Gospel as a Jewish disciple who receives initial illumination and enlightenment from Jesus (Whom he cannot see) near a pool of water. As the pressure mounts, his faith in Jesus grows. Finally, in the closing scene today, he “sees” Jesus Who obviously loves him and Whom he obviously loves in return.
The question in the Gospel today is not, “Is the man born blind the beloved disciple?” Maybe yes or no.
Rather, the real question is “Am I the beloved disciple?” 031002 AD jfq
Long ago, biblical scholars saw two levels of the healing of the blind man in today’s Gospel. First, it describes the physical healing of a 39 year old man who was born blind. Yet, in the story, more than physical sight is given. The man born blind us brought to the illumination of faith by Jesus as he gradually comes to accept Jesus as the Son of Man, even more, the Lord.
The season of Lent has, as one of its origins, a 40 day period of intense preparation by catechumens (tyro-Christians) for the reception of the Sacraments of Initation, viz., Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist, during the Easter Vigil from Holy Saturday into Easter Sunday morning.
Some of the names by which Baptism was called in early Christianity was the “Sacrament of Illumination and Enlightenment.” The custom of lighting the small baptismal candle from the Paschal Candle is the vestige of this former sacramental name.
Notice the story of the man born blind. The healing takes place bear a pool and it involves a washing with water. While Jesus only appears twice in the story, He is ever the Subject of the story because of the controversy over the identity of the Healer. While Jesus speaks to the man directly twice, the man only sees Jesus once because he was still blind in the first encounter.
Something curious happens as the story unfolds. As more grief is heaped upon the man, he calls Jesus “that man”, then, a “prophet”, then, “from God”, then,”Son of Man”, then, “Lord”. Like the Samaritan woman last week, the blind man’s faith develops because of the influence of Jesus. The blind man is a symbol of what we are all called to be as disciples of Jesus.
In the latter portions of the fourth Gospel, we start to hear of the “beloved disciple”, one who is the model disciple, the one whom we are all called to be. Much conjecture has been made about the identity of the beloved disciple.
Traditionally, the Fourth Gospel has been attributed to the Apostle John (hence, its unofficial name.) However, all the Gospels are anonymous documents as we are not sure of the identity of any of the evangelists. As a result, some thought that the Apostle John was humbly remaining anonymous in his self-description.
Another opinion is that perhaps, Lazarus, the dead man raised to life in John 11 was the bekoved disciple. (This last of Jesus’ 7 signs is the immediate trigger which results in the death and Resurrection of Jesus.)Neither Lazarus nor the beloved disciple had been mentioned earlier in the Gospel.
Still, another opinion is that, perhaps, it is our hero, the blind man, in today’s Gospel, who is the beloved disciple. He is favorable presented in the Gospel as a Jewish disciple who receives initial illumination and enlightenment from Jesus (Whom he cannot see) near a pool of water. As the pressure mounts, his faith in Jesus grows. Finally, in the closing scene today, he “sees” Jesus Who obviously loves him and Whom he obviously loves in return.
The question in the Gospel today is not, “Is the man born blind the beloved disciple?” Maybe yes or no.
Rather, the real question is “Am I the beloved disciple?” 031002 AD jfq
Friday, December 24, 2010
Weekly Reflection -- Holy Family Sunday, 122610AD
A Dad (and Dads) for All Seasons
Scripture studies are discovering new insights about the role of St Joseph, the foster-father of the Christ Child. Usually, we imagine him as the “Strong Silent” Type, because he speaks no words. However, the adage had to be true then as it is now, “values are caught, not taught”. Though taciturn, St Jospeh did a great job with his young Ward!! What might St Joseph have taught Jesus?
First, of all, we know that St Joseph was an observant Jew. We know that the Holy Family went up to Jerusalem to celebrate annually the Passover. We know that Jesus was part of an extended family, because relatives traveled in the caravan. Since St Joseph went to the Temple, it is a safe presumption that he went to synagogue every Friday evening. He would have observed other big feast days as well, such as Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Sukkoth. The adult Jesus was very comfortable in synagogues, a religious locus. The young Jesus, in addition, knew lots about the Scriptures. Recall when he was with the teachers of the Law.
In addition, most of the people back then seem to have been tenant farmers, ‘people of the land” “Ame Haaretz” . (Some say that nearly 90% of the population addressed by Jesus were in this category.)
However, St Joseph had a trade and worked with his hands. The correct translation of the word used for his occupation in Greek is tektonos. It means craftsman. However, its usage is not limited to that alone. While it can present a picture of the Holy Family, comfy at home in Nazareth with a carpentry shop attached or nearby, there are alternative possibilities.
Some think that the word can also be translated as craftsman, artisan, even hardhat, viz., a construction worker. We know now that much building was done in the area near Nazareth. Within a few miles was the city of Sepphoris (not even mentioned in the Scriptures). Some speculate that if St Joseph were, indeed, a construction worker, he would have brought Jesus along as a tyro, a novice, a rookie to work on construction sites. Jesus and His foster father would have had a broader experience of the world than just Nazareth. Jesus saw a bigger picture.
In addition, St Joseph would have shared with Jesus what we call the Noble Truths of Human Life. 1) Life gets tough (in Nazareth and in all other places, even here and now, as the world sadly learned in the fall of 2008! ). Don’t expect the good life to maintain itself. 2) God would be acknowledged by Jesus (as by St Joseph) as the Central Point of Reference of Jesus’ universe. 3) Jesus’ Life was not about Him; He was about life (and death and Resurrection!!)
Probably, it was Mary and Joseph who taught Jesus the Third Way of Conflict Resolution, viz., try to create a Win-Win scenario rather than revert to reptilian brain, Fight or Flight.
As we celebrated Mary’s conception in the womb of her mother, St Anne, we realized by a special grace that Mary passed on no baggage or junk to her Child. (By extension, St Joseph could be saluted the same way, by God’s grace, as well.)
Obviously, the Foster Father of the Child Jesus was an extraordinary role model for his Young Charge. The first person called Abba (Dada) by Jesus would have been St Joseph. Jesus later teaches us (here and now) to address God Our Creator, Mainstay and Goal by the same term, Abba!!
Today, St Joseph would have taught Jesus to love and acknowledge God 24-7-365. He would have taught Jesus to be both righteous (knew His place in relational matrix, called the universe today). He taught Him the Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
Mary and Joseph would have not passed on any baggage to Jesus because He does not pass any on to us. With God’s Help, can all Dads (and all others) try to do the same in 2011AD? 122610AD jfq
Scripture studies are discovering new insights about the role of St Joseph, the foster-father of the Christ Child. Usually, we imagine him as the “Strong Silent” Type, because he speaks no words. However, the adage had to be true then as it is now, “values are caught, not taught”. Though taciturn, St Jospeh did a great job with his young Ward!! What might St Joseph have taught Jesus?
First, of all, we know that St Joseph was an observant Jew. We know that the Holy Family went up to Jerusalem to celebrate annually the Passover. We know that Jesus was part of an extended family, because relatives traveled in the caravan. Since St Joseph went to the Temple, it is a safe presumption that he went to synagogue every Friday evening. He would have observed other big feast days as well, such as Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Sukkoth. The adult Jesus was very comfortable in synagogues, a religious locus. The young Jesus, in addition, knew lots about the Scriptures. Recall when he was with the teachers of the Law.
In addition, most of the people back then seem to have been tenant farmers, ‘people of the land” “Ame Haaretz” . (Some say that nearly 90% of the population addressed by Jesus were in this category.)
However, St Joseph had a trade and worked with his hands. The correct translation of the word used for his occupation in Greek is tektonos. It means craftsman. However, its usage is not limited to that alone. While it can present a picture of the Holy Family, comfy at home in Nazareth with a carpentry shop attached or nearby, there are alternative possibilities.
Some think that the word can also be translated as craftsman, artisan, even hardhat, viz., a construction worker. We know now that much building was done in the area near Nazareth. Within a few miles was the city of Sepphoris (not even mentioned in the Scriptures). Some speculate that if St Joseph were, indeed, a construction worker, he would have brought Jesus along as a tyro, a novice, a rookie to work on construction sites. Jesus and His foster father would have had a broader experience of the world than just Nazareth. Jesus saw a bigger picture.
In addition, St Joseph would have shared with Jesus what we call the Noble Truths of Human Life. 1) Life gets tough (in Nazareth and in all other places, even here and now, as the world sadly learned in the fall of 2008! ). Don’t expect the good life to maintain itself. 2) God would be acknowledged by Jesus (as by St Joseph) as the Central Point of Reference of Jesus’ universe. 3) Jesus’ Life was not about Him; He was about life (and death and Resurrection!!)
Probably, it was Mary and Joseph who taught Jesus the Third Way of Conflict Resolution, viz., try to create a Win-Win scenario rather than revert to reptilian brain, Fight or Flight.
As we celebrated Mary’s conception in the womb of her mother, St Anne, we realized by a special grace that Mary passed on no baggage or junk to her Child. (By extension, St Joseph could be saluted the same way, by God’s grace, as well.)
Obviously, the Foster Father of the Child Jesus was an extraordinary role model for his Young Charge. The first person called Abba (Dada) by Jesus would have been St Joseph. Jesus later teaches us (here and now) to address God Our Creator, Mainstay and Goal by the same term, Abba!!
Today, St Joseph would have taught Jesus to love and acknowledge God 24-7-365. He would have taught Jesus to be both righteous (knew His place in relational matrix, called the universe today). He taught Him the Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
Mary and Joseph would have not passed on any baggage to Jesus because He does not pass any on to us. With God’s Help, can all Dads (and all others) try to do the same in 2011AD? 122610AD jfq
Christmas, 2010AD
Why Do We Celebrate?
The Jesus Movement gathers this weekend, as we have gathered for 1800 years, to celebrate today the Birth of the Messiah. God became human when the Second Person of the Trinity took flesh and was born of the Virgin Mary. What is that all about?
Father Karl Rahner wrote, in the mid-twentieth century, that each person needed to realize that the Holy Mystery of Transcendent God is the answer to the human question. We discover who we truly are, when we realize God’s place as our Origin, our Sustainer and our final Goal. Everybody is oriented to Transcendence, to Mystery, to the Absolute. Everybody is created with a certain freedom, not an absolute freedom, but a freedom relativized by the freedom of everybody else. Everybody is, however, contingent. All that we are and have is a gift and/or the result of a gift to us, which none of us has a right to demand. Christ Jesus tells us that this is the human situation and that with His Help, we walk with and in and through Him each day.
Jesus teaches that everybody is a “work in progress”, a “text in travail”, a “mass of contradictions”. God is not finished refining us until we breathe our last breath in this life.
Into our human situation, compulsed and enmeshed in addictions that are too big for us to handle on our own, God has sent His Son to straighten out the chaos. We see in the Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ, God’s plan for all creation fulfilled for all of us. Christ Jesus is the Archetype, the Paradigm the Exemplar of what every human person is called to be. Through our association with Him in the Church, the Christ Quantum becomes a reality for all of us and, through us, for everyone with whom we have dealings.
First and foremost, Christ Jesus was born into the world to teach us to participate in the Paschal Mystery in, with and through Him. Death and resurrection is the reality of the universe, dictated by a God Who loves us. Through His death and Resurrection, Jesus teaches us not to fear but to live reality in a transformed way. We learn with and through Him to “surrender, let go and trust” the Divine Mystery at work in your life this very moment. We learn “to bear the pain” that is part and parcel of every human life at one time or another. We learn that, in the end, “less is better” because “more clutters” our orientation to Transcendence, to Mystery, to the Absolute.
Christ Jesus teaches us to learn from Him as we live our lives. He teaches and imparts humility to those who care for it. Humility is the ability to remember ultimately that we are dust and, until dust, we shall return. He teaches and imparts obedience. Obedience is when we respond to the call of the Transcendent built into us whether we know it or not. Christ Jesus teaches and imparts the ability to pour ourselves out for others as He did. First and foremost, this means our families and our friends, but, in the long run, all men and women are family.
Mohandas Gandhi taught that the world that we envision at its best should be should be replicated in the way we live our lives each day. We should be, first, the type of person that all should be. Then, the paradox of Jesus’ words take on a deeper meaning. Yes, we realize that the Kingdom will not come in all its fullness in our lifetime and so we pray, “Thy Kingdom come”. However, we will understand that, yes, the Kingdom of God is already in our midst.
We live in “in-between”, threshold time. On the one hand, Marantha! Come, Lord Jesus; on the other hand, Emmanuel! God is with us now. Celebrate the paradox!!!!
How much God loved us when the Word became flesh and dwelt among us! God gave the greatest gift of all to you and to me. No wonder Catholics celebrate! Let’s have a party! Merry Christmas. 122510AD jfq
The Jesus Movement gathers this weekend, as we have gathered for 1800 years, to celebrate today the Birth of the Messiah. God became human when the Second Person of the Trinity took flesh and was born of the Virgin Mary. What is that all about?
Father Karl Rahner wrote, in the mid-twentieth century, that each person needed to realize that the Holy Mystery of Transcendent God is the answer to the human question. We discover who we truly are, when we realize God’s place as our Origin, our Sustainer and our final Goal. Everybody is oriented to Transcendence, to Mystery, to the Absolute. Everybody is created with a certain freedom, not an absolute freedom, but a freedom relativized by the freedom of everybody else. Everybody is, however, contingent. All that we are and have is a gift and/or the result of a gift to us, which none of us has a right to demand. Christ Jesus tells us that this is the human situation and that with His Help, we walk with and in and through Him each day.
Jesus teaches that everybody is a “work in progress”, a “text in travail”, a “mass of contradictions”. God is not finished refining us until we breathe our last breath in this life.
Into our human situation, compulsed and enmeshed in addictions that are too big for us to handle on our own, God has sent His Son to straighten out the chaos. We see in the Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ, God’s plan for all creation fulfilled for all of us. Christ Jesus is the Archetype, the Paradigm the Exemplar of what every human person is called to be. Through our association with Him in the Church, the Christ Quantum becomes a reality for all of us and, through us, for everyone with whom we have dealings.
First and foremost, Christ Jesus was born into the world to teach us to participate in the Paschal Mystery in, with and through Him. Death and resurrection is the reality of the universe, dictated by a God Who loves us. Through His death and Resurrection, Jesus teaches us not to fear but to live reality in a transformed way. We learn with and through Him to “surrender, let go and trust” the Divine Mystery at work in your life this very moment. We learn “to bear the pain” that is part and parcel of every human life at one time or another. We learn that, in the end, “less is better” because “more clutters” our orientation to Transcendence, to Mystery, to the Absolute.
Christ Jesus teaches us to learn from Him as we live our lives. He teaches and imparts humility to those who care for it. Humility is the ability to remember ultimately that we are dust and, until dust, we shall return. He teaches and imparts obedience. Obedience is when we respond to the call of the Transcendent built into us whether we know it or not. Christ Jesus teaches and imparts the ability to pour ourselves out for others as He did. First and foremost, this means our families and our friends, but, in the long run, all men and women are family.
Mohandas Gandhi taught that the world that we envision at its best should be should be replicated in the way we live our lives each day. We should be, first, the type of person that all should be. Then, the paradox of Jesus’ words take on a deeper meaning. Yes, we realize that the Kingdom will not come in all its fullness in our lifetime and so we pray, “Thy Kingdom come”. However, we will understand that, yes, the Kingdom of God is already in our midst.
We live in “in-between”, threshold time. On the one hand, Marantha! Come, Lord Jesus; on the other hand, Emmanuel! God is with us now. Celebrate the paradox!!!!
How much God loved us when the Word became flesh and dwelt among us! God gave the greatest gift of all to you and to me. No wonder Catholics celebrate! Let’s have a party! Merry Christmas. 122510AD jfq
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Weekly Reflection, Dec 19, 2010AD
It’s Foster Father’s Day
Every Advent, we pause on reflect on the Fourth Sunday, just before Christmas, to reflect on the fulfillment of the Prophet Isaiah’s words in the Greek Old Testament, “The virgin shall conceive and give birth to a son. His name will be Emmanuel, viz., God with us.” However, this year’s Gospel is St Joseph’s reaction to the news of the Virgin Birth.
Joseph’s dilemma concerned his love for Mary and his righteousness as an observant Jew about Mary’s status as a putative outlaw of the Torah. His decision was to divorce Mary quietly, so that they both could get on with their lives.
However, in days of stricter Torah interpretation, Mary would have been in really big trouble. Theoretically, her violation could have brought public humiliation and execution. (Not Nice!!) (In the news today, we hear how women in some cultures are treated more punitively than men, when caught in an illicit liaison.)
St Joseph’s dilemma was his love for his bride and his commitment to Torah. St Matthew tells us that compassion was intended to triumph over Law because of his plan. However, the Annunciation to St Joseph in today’s Gospel obviates the problem. This was, indeed, a good man.
Child psychologists tell us that children’s earliest ages (from birth to 5) can be most formative in terms of self-imagery, God-imagery and one’s place in the world. There is no reason to think that such was not the case with St Joseph and his foster-child. The first person that Jesus would have addressed as Abba, Dada, was St Joseph, his foster father. Later, Jesus was so comfortable with the word that He teaches us still to address God as Abba. Jesus must have had a very positive self-image and God-image, somehow mediated through the love and care of his foster father.
Theologians tell us that the Doctrine of the Immaculate Conception of St Anne (dealing with Mary’s conception without original sin in the womb of her mother) is really an expression of the idea that Jesus turned out so well, that it had to be due to the positive environment in which He dwelt in Nazareth. One might add that the use of the word “righteous” by St Matthew in today’s Gospel is an inspired way to say the same about the positive influence of Jesus’ foster father. (The only other person called righteous in St Matthew’s Gospel is Jesus Himself when Mrs Pilate tells her husband to have nothing to do with that righteous man.
During His Youth, we can be certain that Jesus would have caught the values of Mary and Joseph big time.
Certainly, St Joseph had to have taught Jesus the Three Noble Truths. 1) Life was going to get tough for Jesus (as it does for everyone!) 2) Life did not revolve around Jesus in Nazareth. 3) Life is a process of ascent, descent and Transformation. ( We Christians call it the Paschal Mystery”). (He certainly did not teach Jesus the Religion of Nice.)
Many comment on the beating that fathers frequently take in conventional wisdom these days. Many feel that many traditional institutions, such as marriage, have undergone a scrutiny that would not have been imaginable before 1968, seen as a critical watershed year early on.
A few years ago, a book appeared, entitled Fatherless America, which theorized that the fading role of some Dads, for myriad reasons, was a germane problem to American culture because it ultimately was concerned with the traditional family, the cell of any society.
No doubt, the Holy Family was a-typical. No family could match the triad of Joseph, Mary and Jesus. However, it is appropriate that we see the husband of Mary, the foster father of the Son of God Incarnate, as an admirable example of spouse and head of household. St Joseph was righteous and compassionate, with compassion on the ascent. As most cultures know, the role of the father is formative of the child’s self-imagery, God-imagery, and one’s role in life. In the baptismal liturgy we all hear that the father, with his wife, will be the first teachers of the children in the ways of faith and hope. How important it is for parents who seriously want a religious formation for their children to realize that values are caught, not taught, particularly in the home, hopefully called the domestic church. Sad when parents drop kids off at religious education and then, drive off at dismissal time without any participation in the Sunday Eucharist. Even sadder are examples of when families attend Mass as a group, only when grandparents are visiting. Saddest of all is when families hint that religious life is a burden to be endured for the time being.
Values are caught, not taught. What happens when someone raised on the Religion of Nice, Catholic Style when the crises of life set in as they do in the life of every person?
St Joseph would tell us to listen to the seriousness of those words. He did the best he could in sharing His view of reality with the Young Jesus. He must have done a great job, because Jesus teaches us to call God Abba, the exact time that Jesus would have used for St Joseph. 121910AD jfq
Every Advent, we pause on reflect on the Fourth Sunday, just before Christmas, to reflect on the fulfillment of the Prophet Isaiah’s words in the Greek Old Testament, “The virgin shall conceive and give birth to a son. His name will be Emmanuel, viz., God with us.” However, this year’s Gospel is St Joseph’s reaction to the news of the Virgin Birth.
Joseph’s dilemma concerned his love for Mary and his righteousness as an observant Jew about Mary’s status as a putative outlaw of the Torah. His decision was to divorce Mary quietly, so that they both could get on with their lives.
However, in days of stricter Torah interpretation, Mary would have been in really big trouble. Theoretically, her violation could have brought public humiliation and execution. (Not Nice!!) (In the news today, we hear how women in some cultures are treated more punitively than men, when caught in an illicit liaison.)
St Joseph’s dilemma was his love for his bride and his commitment to Torah. St Matthew tells us that compassion was intended to triumph over Law because of his plan. However, the Annunciation to St Joseph in today’s Gospel obviates the problem. This was, indeed, a good man.
Child psychologists tell us that children’s earliest ages (from birth to 5) can be most formative in terms of self-imagery, God-imagery and one’s place in the world. There is no reason to think that such was not the case with St Joseph and his foster-child. The first person that Jesus would have addressed as Abba, Dada, was St Joseph, his foster father. Later, Jesus was so comfortable with the word that He teaches us still to address God as Abba. Jesus must have had a very positive self-image and God-image, somehow mediated through the love and care of his foster father.
Theologians tell us that the Doctrine of the Immaculate Conception of St Anne (dealing with Mary’s conception without original sin in the womb of her mother) is really an expression of the idea that Jesus turned out so well, that it had to be due to the positive environment in which He dwelt in Nazareth. One might add that the use of the word “righteous” by St Matthew in today’s Gospel is an inspired way to say the same about the positive influence of Jesus’ foster father. (The only other person called righteous in St Matthew’s Gospel is Jesus Himself when Mrs Pilate tells her husband to have nothing to do with that righteous man.
During His Youth, we can be certain that Jesus would have caught the values of Mary and Joseph big time.
Certainly, St Joseph had to have taught Jesus the Three Noble Truths. 1) Life was going to get tough for Jesus (as it does for everyone!) 2) Life did not revolve around Jesus in Nazareth. 3) Life is a process of ascent, descent and Transformation. ( We Christians call it the Paschal Mystery”). (He certainly did not teach Jesus the Religion of Nice.)
Many comment on the beating that fathers frequently take in conventional wisdom these days. Many feel that many traditional institutions, such as marriage, have undergone a scrutiny that would not have been imaginable before 1968, seen as a critical watershed year early on.
A few years ago, a book appeared, entitled Fatherless America, which theorized that the fading role of some Dads, for myriad reasons, was a germane problem to American culture because it ultimately was concerned with the traditional family, the cell of any society.
No doubt, the Holy Family was a-typical. No family could match the triad of Joseph, Mary and Jesus. However, it is appropriate that we see the husband of Mary, the foster father of the Son of God Incarnate, as an admirable example of spouse and head of household. St Joseph was righteous and compassionate, with compassion on the ascent. As most cultures know, the role of the father is formative of the child’s self-imagery, God-imagery, and one’s role in life. In the baptismal liturgy we all hear that the father, with his wife, will be the first teachers of the children in the ways of faith and hope. How important it is for parents who seriously want a religious formation for their children to realize that values are caught, not taught, particularly in the home, hopefully called the domestic church. Sad when parents drop kids off at religious education and then, drive off at dismissal time without any participation in the Sunday Eucharist. Even sadder are examples of when families attend Mass as a group, only when grandparents are visiting. Saddest of all is when families hint that religious life is a burden to be endured for the time being.
Values are caught, not taught. What happens when someone raised on the Religion of Nice, Catholic Style when the crises of life set in as they do in the life of every person?
St Joseph would tell us to listen to the seriousness of those words. He did the best he could in sharing His view of reality with the Young Jesus. He must have done a great job, because Jesus teaches us to call God Abba, the exact time that Jesus would have used for St Joseph. 121910AD jfq
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Weekend Reflection 121210AD
Jack the Dipper, Encore!
Once again, this weekend, as we near our celebration of the Birth of the Messiah, we hear from Jesus’ Warm-Up Act, St John the Baptist (aka Jack the Dipper). He warns people (then and now) that the System, as it is, is not exactly what God has in mind.
Apparently, many were, indeed, responding to John’s call to repent, viz., snap out of the trance, get a (new view of) life, smell God’s coffee. “The times, still they are a-changin’”.
Flavius Josephus, a Jewish-Roman historian, wrote an account of Jewish history in which both John the Baptist and Jesus of Nazareth were mentioned. Josephus wrote that while the famous story of Herodias’ wife and her daughter, Salome, was quite true, there was another reason why Herod imprisoned John. It was the very simple reason that people were listening to John’s message. The long lines of people who were baptized by John, indeed, did snap out of it. St Luke tells us that soldiers and tax gatherers were those who heard John and, apparently, did start to clean up their act and behaved in a human way in the dealings with one another. King Herod’s system was based on intimidation and injustice and some of his henchpeople were hearing what John said and acted upon it by cleaning up their act.
In today’s Gospel, John, in prison, tries to get the buzz on Jesus. Of course, John would have known that Jesus had been baptized by John himself. However, John’s message was fire and brimstone, with no guarantee that God will relent from settling the score. Things cannot go on thus.
Jesus’ message was much different. His Good News was, indeed, that God has forgiven the people. What we had to do is to step forward and subscribe to God’s Alternative Wisdom (subversive) to the System, known as God’s New World Order, a New Consciousness, God’s Kingdom, incarnate in Jesus Himself. It was not for nothing that Jesus was crucified. If people were listening to John’s tough message, how would they respond to Jesus’ easier message. “Something is happening. Don’t be afraid. God is with us. Try to behave as you took all of Jesus’ Message seriously.”
This week, the imprisoned Baptist sends two of his representatives to ask Jesus whether or not Jesus is the “One Who is to come.” Jesus gives a typical response by reminding John’s envoys what has been happening with Jesus’ arrival. In fulfillment of the vision of Isaiah in our first reading this weekend, “the blind see, the deaf hear, the lame walk”. However, Jesus adds two others. “The dead are raised and the poor hear the Gospel”. One would expect that the mightiest acts of all would be mentioned last. What is mightier than the dead being raised? Yet, there is, according to the young Jesus, “the poor hear the Gospel.”
Now, anthropologists help biblical scholars understand the world out of which the Scriptures, both Hebrew and Christian, emanated. In Jesus’ world, probably as high as 95% of the population were sharecroppers and/or tenant farmers. Most people lived from hand to mouth. They had less than warm feelings for any of those who controlled the situation, whether it was the Romans, their collaborators in Herod’s clique or their flunkies, who did the clique’s bidding.
Jesus’ outreach was to the 95% who lived a tough existence daily. (Their lot in life has been compared to the majority of people who live in Central America and many poor in affluent nations.) It was to such, then and now, that Jesus proclaimed the Gospel (Good News??) to them. Jesus teaches that in His arrival and establishment of God’s Kingdom, things could and would ultimately be different.
Things could be different already in one’s own mind and heart if one followed what Mohandas Gandhi said, “If you want the Kingdom even sooner, try to be the person who lives the Kingdom values daily.”
Apparently, John the Baptist developed a critical mass of change agents that King Herod found threatening. Apparently, Jesus did as well because the System read into the implications of the Kingdom of God, as opposed to the Empire of Caesar. Good Friday (and Easter Sunday) was the result. (cf. the inscription over His Head.)
Gandhi meant to be encouraging, but sadly, many would feel discouragement. One should be reminded that when we are young, we want to change the world. As we mature, then, we hope to change ourselves. What John, Jesus and Gandhi tell us, try it and see! Rev. Jim Wallis would probably agree. What would Glenn Beck say? 121210AD jfq
Once again, this weekend, as we near our celebration of the Birth of the Messiah, we hear from Jesus’ Warm-Up Act, St John the Baptist (aka Jack the Dipper). He warns people (then and now) that the System, as it is, is not exactly what God has in mind.
Apparently, many were, indeed, responding to John’s call to repent, viz., snap out of the trance, get a (new view of) life, smell God’s coffee. “The times, still they are a-changin’”.
Flavius Josephus, a Jewish-Roman historian, wrote an account of Jewish history in which both John the Baptist and Jesus of Nazareth were mentioned. Josephus wrote that while the famous story of Herodias’ wife and her daughter, Salome, was quite true, there was another reason why Herod imprisoned John. It was the very simple reason that people were listening to John’s message. The long lines of people who were baptized by John, indeed, did snap out of it. St Luke tells us that soldiers and tax gatherers were those who heard John and, apparently, did start to clean up their act and behaved in a human way in the dealings with one another. King Herod’s system was based on intimidation and injustice and some of his henchpeople were hearing what John said and acted upon it by cleaning up their act.
In today’s Gospel, John, in prison, tries to get the buzz on Jesus. Of course, John would have known that Jesus had been baptized by John himself. However, John’s message was fire and brimstone, with no guarantee that God will relent from settling the score. Things cannot go on thus.
Jesus’ message was much different. His Good News was, indeed, that God has forgiven the people. What we had to do is to step forward and subscribe to God’s Alternative Wisdom (subversive) to the System, known as God’s New World Order, a New Consciousness, God’s Kingdom, incarnate in Jesus Himself. It was not for nothing that Jesus was crucified. If people were listening to John’s tough message, how would they respond to Jesus’ easier message. “Something is happening. Don’t be afraid. God is with us. Try to behave as you took all of Jesus’ Message seriously.”
This week, the imprisoned Baptist sends two of his representatives to ask Jesus whether or not Jesus is the “One Who is to come.” Jesus gives a typical response by reminding John’s envoys what has been happening with Jesus’ arrival. In fulfillment of the vision of Isaiah in our first reading this weekend, “the blind see, the deaf hear, the lame walk”. However, Jesus adds two others. “The dead are raised and the poor hear the Gospel”. One would expect that the mightiest acts of all would be mentioned last. What is mightier than the dead being raised? Yet, there is, according to the young Jesus, “the poor hear the Gospel.”
Now, anthropologists help biblical scholars understand the world out of which the Scriptures, both Hebrew and Christian, emanated. In Jesus’ world, probably as high as 95% of the population were sharecroppers and/or tenant farmers. Most people lived from hand to mouth. They had less than warm feelings for any of those who controlled the situation, whether it was the Romans, their collaborators in Herod’s clique or their flunkies, who did the clique’s bidding.
Jesus’ outreach was to the 95% who lived a tough existence daily. (Their lot in life has been compared to the majority of people who live in Central America and many poor in affluent nations.) It was to such, then and now, that Jesus proclaimed the Gospel (Good News??) to them. Jesus teaches that in His arrival and establishment of God’s Kingdom, things could and would ultimately be different.
Things could be different already in one’s own mind and heart if one followed what Mohandas Gandhi said, “If you want the Kingdom even sooner, try to be the person who lives the Kingdom values daily.”
Apparently, John the Baptist developed a critical mass of change agents that King Herod found threatening. Apparently, Jesus did as well because the System read into the implications of the Kingdom of God, as opposed to the Empire of Caesar. Good Friday (and Easter Sunday) was the result. (cf. the inscription over His Head.)
Gandhi meant to be encouraging, but sadly, many would feel discouragement. One should be reminded that when we are young, we want to change the world. As we mature, then, we hope to change ourselves. What John, Jesus and Gandhi tell us, try it and see! Rev. Jim Wallis would probably agree. What would Glenn Beck say? 121210AD jfq
Friday, December 3, 2010
Weekly Reflection 120510AD
Just Before The Main Attraction
John the Baptist is the Messiah’s warm-up act, He challenges us to realize that we need to snap out of it if God is not recognized as the Center Point of Reference of our existence. The Messiah will show us how to do so and enable us at the same time to recognize reality as it really is.
John, one of our familiar Advent companions, makes his annual appearance in our Liturgy of the Word today. We do not hear from Jesus in our Gospel today, but His warm-up man is on the scene, setting the stage. St John the Baptist is back to remind us that complacency is a pax perniciosa, viz., a dangerous peace, an evaporation of faith, a comfortable faith, a middle class faith, what has devolved today into “The Religion of Nice, viz., Therapeutic, Moralistic Deism.
Not so long ago, someone said that when Jesus spoke His parable of the guests invited to the wedding banquet, all the excuses that were offered by those declining the invite were perfectly normal and typical. One man bought a field, another, some oxen, another was on his honeymoon. Yet, the Host of the banquet was annoyed because sometimes, legitimate excuses can get in the way of what one needs to do. It is a temptation to which many of us succumb. Our lives become self-absorbed and we lose sight of what is ultimately most important. Our lives become so goal-oriented (legitimate goals) that we lose a sense of priorities. Sometimes, we indulge a senseless sense of urgency that we lose sight of what is truly important.
Our culture is rapidly changing in the Third Millennium. Yet, most people are so busy and occupied with the frenetic pace of life. (This season of Advent has deteriorated into the Christmas Rush, as usual. Is this December that different for most of us than Decembers past, except maybe for bigger sales?)
Good people get caught up in the “pax perniciosa”. We are moving with such momentum that we do not even know it. We even have great excuses because of the fast pace of our lives. Still, the Baptist challenges us with the need to get our acts together; Jesus provides the Energy and the Agenda for what we need to do. In his recent encyclical, Spe Salvi (Saved by Hope), the Pope rues the fact that religion has become so individual and lost our communal ramifications. What happens with the roof falls in and one has to take a walk in the woods, as he or she experiences the left hand of God (aka the Paschal Mystery)? Perhaps, St John’s blasting and Pope Benedict’s lament can turn us on to the Gospel of Jesus (maybe for the first time).
John Lennon, whose murder occurred thirty years ago this week in NYC said wisely, Life is what happens while you are making your plans!” We all learn the meaning of those words if we don’t know them already. God has a different sense of reality than we have and, more importantly, a different sense of priorities. What we see as absolutely irrefutable and undeniable might be seen by God in a different light. We cannot expect God to fulfill all our expectations; if we try to do so, we might very well end up angry, bewildered, cynical, depressed, ambushed. Sound familiar?
Recently, a theologian spoke on the value of ancient myths in understanding the human psyche. We described God as human imagery. What else could we do? The one who reversed that was the God of Moses. When Moses experienced God’s Presence in the burning bush, atop Mt Sinai, he apparently had an awesome awakening to God’s Presence. Consciousness of this Presence, Moses was told to remove his sandals for he was standing on holy ground. Then God related how God had heard the Hebrew cries of suffering, saw what they experiencing in an unjust social and economic setting and knew what they were experiencing. (We all recall that the biblical sense of “knowing” was not just intellectual, but rather an intimate awareness.) God meant to deliver them from their plight. When Moses asked God’s Name, God replied YHWH, translated in various ways, including both God of Existence and/or God Who cannot be named. We can never crack the Divine Mystery. We can try but don’t expect success!
This sums up the message of John the Baptist today. Someone is doing something in the universe and we don’t know what. Personalizing it, Someone is doing something with me and I am not sure what. Whatever it is is not trivial and unimportant. The stakes are high.
“I have to get ready for Christmas”, a sad response such as stepping up one’s efforts to shop until you drop, rather than slow down and feel the Presence even now, but not yet. During Advent, we are all called to fervent, expectant, patient and longing for what that Someone is doing with me. We need John the Baptist today, more than ever. Hence, his appearance, this weekend and next.120510AD
John the Baptist is the Messiah’s warm-up act, He challenges us to realize that we need to snap out of it if God is not recognized as the Center Point of Reference of our existence. The Messiah will show us how to do so and enable us at the same time to recognize reality as it really is.
John, one of our familiar Advent companions, makes his annual appearance in our Liturgy of the Word today. We do not hear from Jesus in our Gospel today, but His warm-up man is on the scene, setting the stage. St John the Baptist is back to remind us that complacency is a pax perniciosa, viz., a dangerous peace, an evaporation of faith, a comfortable faith, a middle class faith, what has devolved today into “The Religion of Nice, viz., Therapeutic, Moralistic Deism.
Not so long ago, someone said that when Jesus spoke His parable of the guests invited to the wedding banquet, all the excuses that were offered by those declining the invite were perfectly normal and typical. One man bought a field, another, some oxen, another was on his honeymoon. Yet, the Host of the banquet was annoyed because sometimes, legitimate excuses can get in the way of what one needs to do. It is a temptation to which many of us succumb. Our lives become self-absorbed and we lose sight of what is ultimately most important. Our lives become so goal-oriented (legitimate goals) that we lose a sense of priorities. Sometimes, we indulge a senseless sense of urgency that we lose sight of what is truly important.
Our culture is rapidly changing in the Third Millennium. Yet, most people are so busy and occupied with the frenetic pace of life. (This season of Advent has deteriorated into the Christmas Rush, as usual. Is this December that different for most of us than Decembers past, except maybe for bigger sales?)
Good people get caught up in the “pax perniciosa”. We are moving with such momentum that we do not even know it. We even have great excuses because of the fast pace of our lives. Still, the Baptist challenges us with the need to get our acts together; Jesus provides the Energy and the Agenda for what we need to do. In his recent encyclical, Spe Salvi (Saved by Hope), the Pope rues the fact that religion has become so individual and lost our communal ramifications. What happens with the roof falls in and one has to take a walk in the woods, as he or she experiences the left hand of God (aka the Paschal Mystery)? Perhaps, St John’s blasting and Pope Benedict’s lament can turn us on to the Gospel of Jesus (maybe for the first time).
John Lennon, whose murder occurred thirty years ago this week in NYC said wisely, Life is what happens while you are making your plans!” We all learn the meaning of those words if we don’t know them already. God has a different sense of reality than we have and, more importantly, a different sense of priorities. What we see as absolutely irrefutable and undeniable might be seen by God in a different light. We cannot expect God to fulfill all our expectations; if we try to do so, we might very well end up angry, bewildered, cynical, depressed, ambushed. Sound familiar?
Recently, a theologian spoke on the value of ancient myths in understanding the human psyche. We described God as human imagery. What else could we do? The one who reversed that was the God of Moses. When Moses experienced God’s Presence in the burning bush, atop Mt Sinai, he apparently had an awesome awakening to God’s Presence. Consciousness of this Presence, Moses was told to remove his sandals for he was standing on holy ground. Then God related how God had heard the Hebrew cries of suffering, saw what they experiencing in an unjust social and economic setting and knew what they were experiencing. (We all recall that the biblical sense of “knowing” was not just intellectual, but rather an intimate awareness.) God meant to deliver them from their plight. When Moses asked God’s Name, God replied YHWH, translated in various ways, including both God of Existence and/or God Who cannot be named. We can never crack the Divine Mystery. We can try but don’t expect success!
This sums up the message of John the Baptist today. Someone is doing something in the universe and we don’t know what. Personalizing it, Someone is doing something with me and I am not sure what. Whatever it is is not trivial and unimportant. The stakes are high.
“I have to get ready for Christmas”, a sad response such as stepping up one’s efforts to shop until you drop, rather than slow down and feel the Presence even now, but not yet. During Advent, we are all called to fervent, expectant, patient and longing for what that Someone is doing with me. We need John the Baptist today, more than ever. Hence, his appearance, this weekend and next.120510AD
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Weekly Reflection 112810AD
The Writing on the Wall
There is a small park across from the UN, named after Ralph Bunche, one of the earliest parts of the USA delegation. (The park is used for demonstrations against unpopular leaders visiting the UN.) The edge of the park is a wall on which are inscribed words from our second reading today. “They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. One nation shall no longer lift the sword against another, nor shall their young men will no longer learn war.”
Almost 20 years ago, graffiti was smeared over the inscription. What should be done? Should the graffiti be sandblasted? Or, should the graffiti remain on the inscription because this is what people and most governments have done to the inspired, visionary words of Isaiah? Recall the folksong, “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?”
The inscription was sandblasted. The vision of Isaiah still proclaims the hopes of so many. As we enter a new Church year, it is curious that the Isaiah vision is the very first reading we hear in the beginning of a three-year cycle of Sunday readings. We need to hear of the vision now more than ever. As the prophet Habbucuc wrote “If the vision delays, wait for it, it will surely come.”
As a nation at war, where 55% of American Catholics polled said that it was more important to them to be American than to be Catholic, the vision of Isaiah speaks again. What do American Catholics think of the words? Once again, in whom do we trust?
As we begin the season of Advent (known to some as the Christmas Rush), ads appear now for video games based on real war situations. There is a video game entitled “Vietnam”. Other video games in which zapping and nuking are ways of besting one’s opponents are clearly out of place when we celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace. (You can’t make this up!!)
While we continue to pray for the swift and safe return of American military personnel from overseas and for those not so lucky to come home alive or post traumatic stressed out, we are proud of the efforts of most to do a good job. During the Christmas Season, it is inappropriate to buy military and/or camouflage clothing for children, even if they want it.(Some get their own, free of charge, because they are too poor to do anything else.)
When St Paul wrote the excerpt from our second reading today, he felt that the Spirit of Jesus in these 15 or so tiny Roman house churches, maybe 25 people each, in time, would be enough to transform the world. His timing was off because he thought it was going to happen sooner rather than later. We await the Great Convergence. He wrote to the then capital of the world words that resound here, the present capital of the world, “Let us throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light…put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh”, viz., indulging compulsive and addictive behavior (something that we cannot not do, think about it.) Cultures can get addicted too.
Catholics tend to see these Advent Sundays as a New Year of Grace, associating Resolutions with the New Year. 1) Try to make sure that we attend Mass every Sunday. In addition, do yourself a favor and come and sit in the church for about 20 minutes each week in down time. The custom is to visit Santa in the malls. Come, visit the “Reason for the Season” on His home turf.2) Try to be on time for Mass. Sadly, too many consistently come late to Mass and frequently miss most of the readings (the Liturgy of the Word). It is almost as if one is saying by such consistent behavior that one does not need to hear this. I know it already. However, it could also be construed as a disregard for the Word or a disregard for others who are there on time to hear the Word. (Young parents with children, we are not talking about you here!!) 3) Make every effort to receive Holy Communion weekly. 4) Get to confession during the Advent season. (Surprisingly, many younger folks have not been to confession in 20 or 25 years sometimes, although they are regular Churchgoers. (Don’t be afraid!) We offer opportunities for penance throughout Advent. Parents, bring your kids! Kids, bring your parents! The Sacrament of Penance here is “user friendly”.
Our human family is still a long way from the fulfillment of the vision in our first reading today from Isaiah. Remember we can’t change the entire world; with God’s Help, we can change ourselves.
Jesus speaks, “Stay awake, for you do not know the day nor the hour.” The way things are not necessarily the way that God wants them to be. (Trust Isaiah and Paul and Jesus on that one 112810AD jfq
There is a small park across from the UN, named after Ralph Bunche, one of the earliest parts of the USA delegation. (The park is used for demonstrations against unpopular leaders visiting the UN.) The edge of the park is a wall on which are inscribed words from our second reading today. “They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. One nation shall no longer lift the sword against another, nor shall their young men will no longer learn war.”
Almost 20 years ago, graffiti was smeared over the inscription. What should be done? Should the graffiti be sandblasted? Or, should the graffiti remain on the inscription because this is what people and most governments have done to the inspired, visionary words of Isaiah? Recall the folksong, “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?”
The inscription was sandblasted. The vision of Isaiah still proclaims the hopes of so many. As we enter a new Church year, it is curious that the Isaiah vision is the very first reading we hear in the beginning of a three-year cycle of Sunday readings. We need to hear of the vision now more than ever. As the prophet Habbucuc wrote “If the vision delays, wait for it, it will surely come.”
As a nation at war, where 55% of American Catholics polled said that it was more important to them to be American than to be Catholic, the vision of Isaiah speaks again. What do American Catholics think of the words? Once again, in whom do we trust?
As we begin the season of Advent (known to some as the Christmas Rush), ads appear now for video games based on real war situations. There is a video game entitled “Vietnam”. Other video games in which zapping and nuking are ways of besting one’s opponents are clearly out of place when we celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace. (You can’t make this up!!)
While we continue to pray for the swift and safe return of American military personnel from overseas and for those not so lucky to come home alive or post traumatic stressed out, we are proud of the efforts of most to do a good job. During the Christmas Season, it is inappropriate to buy military and/or camouflage clothing for children, even if they want it.(Some get their own, free of charge, because they are too poor to do anything else.)
When St Paul wrote the excerpt from our second reading today, he felt that the Spirit of Jesus in these 15 or so tiny Roman house churches, maybe 25 people each, in time, would be enough to transform the world. His timing was off because he thought it was going to happen sooner rather than later. We await the Great Convergence. He wrote to the then capital of the world words that resound here, the present capital of the world, “Let us throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light…put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh”, viz., indulging compulsive and addictive behavior (something that we cannot not do, think about it.) Cultures can get addicted too.
Catholics tend to see these Advent Sundays as a New Year of Grace, associating Resolutions with the New Year. 1) Try to make sure that we attend Mass every Sunday. In addition, do yourself a favor and come and sit in the church for about 20 minutes each week in down time. The custom is to visit Santa in the malls. Come, visit the “Reason for the Season” on His home turf.2) Try to be on time for Mass. Sadly, too many consistently come late to Mass and frequently miss most of the readings (the Liturgy of the Word). It is almost as if one is saying by such consistent behavior that one does not need to hear this. I know it already. However, it could also be construed as a disregard for the Word or a disregard for others who are there on time to hear the Word. (Young parents with children, we are not talking about you here!!) 3) Make every effort to receive Holy Communion weekly. 4) Get to confession during the Advent season. (Surprisingly, many younger folks have not been to confession in 20 or 25 years sometimes, although they are regular Churchgoers. (Don’t be afraid!) We offer opportunities for penance throughout Advent. Parents, bring your kids! Kids, bring your parents! The Sacrament of Penance here is “user friendly”.
Our human family is still a long way from the fulfillment of the vision in our first reading today from Isaiah. Remember we can’t change the entire world; with God’s Help, we can change ourselves.
Jesus speaks, “Stay awake, for you do not know the day nor the hour.” The way things are not necessarily the way that God wants them to be. (Trust Isaiah and Paul and Jesus on that one 112810AD jfq
Reflection 112110AD
Whom Do We Trust?
This is a strange Gospel for us to hear on Christ the King Sunday. The last (triple) temptation of Christ to save Himself and His response as a faithful Jew in quoting Psalm 31, “Into Your Hands, I commend My Spirit” hardly seem to fit. To an American Catholic, living in a milieu of Therapeutic, Moralistic, Deism (if God is that lucky...) however, this Gospel is most appropriate and necessary.
Canadian Catholic theologian, Ron Rolheiser, wrote that Western culture is addicted to 1)narcissism (self-love); 2) pragmatism (good if it works); 3) restlessness (never happy, running after more stuff). Such addictions occur both for individuals and groups.
Astro-physicists tell us these days that the universe iis made up of the basic elements of the periodic table, all by products of the collapsing of stars. The analogy is made between the letters of the alphabet and atoms.Just as the Library of Congress is composed of books that are a variation of the 26 letters of the alphabet, so also the universe is comprised of various configurations of atom. This is true way out there and way in here. It is true with you and me as well. As both scientists and theologians say now, “something is afoot in the universe.” Something is afoot in you too.
In traditional societies, many people expected initation rites to introduce their teens (particularly the boys) to life in the real world. There seem to be 3 basic realities that the young were taught in these rites. 1) Life can be tough, no matter what they tell you (cf Scott Peck). Enjoy while you can, but someday, know that sickness, accident, old age, disappointment and betrayal come your way. 2) No matter what anyone tells you, you are not the center of the universe. 3) Deal with it. Your life is not about you. You are about the Pattern of life and death and life restored, a universal, cosmic Pattern.
At the start of His public ministry, Jesus was tempted by the Devil three times to change God’s plan for Him (if Jesus were truly the Son of God.) Jesus maintained His faith in God’s plan for Him because it was God’s way of showing us (who had messed up since the days of Adam and Eve who “wanted to be like God”) how to live human life. St Luke tells us that Satan departed for an opportune time.
Satan attacked with the final triple temptation in the mockery to “Save yourself”. Jesus’ response at the end of His life was the same as at its start. “God’s will be done.”
These days, many comment on the fact that Christianity has undergone such a revival in born-again movements. What exactly does this mean? Many (politicians and churchpeople alike) frequently proclaim, “Jesus is Lord”, and then, go about their business as if what Jesus’ Gospel meant little or nothing. What about one’s attitude to the death penalty? To immigration? To economic justice? Are one’s opinions influenced by Jesus or by talk show hosts with a penchant for controversy, (even when they call for 40 days of prayer for the world.) (Whose world?)
In the first days of Christianity, St Paul told the Phillipians that “our true citizenship was in heaven”, not here. St Peter and St Clement (whose feast we celebrate this week) described the Church in Rome in the first century as “resident aliens in a world” that seemed to be religious.
When it was apparent that our nation was destined for war in Iraq, the Roman Catholic Church (both Pope John Paul II and the then, Cardinal Ratzinger, urged other ways beside unilateralism to solve problems. Interestingly, 55% of polled US Catholics said that it was more important to them to be American than it was to be Catholic. Sts Peter, Paul and Clement might legitimately ask them to comment on their putative “resident alien” status in this world. Passports are more important than baptismals to these folks.
Jeroboam was the King of Israel after the days of King Solomon. He came up with the “Jeroboam principle”, viz., say that you worship God once in a while and then, go ahead and to do whatever you want, also called “practical atheism”, viz., say that you believe in God, then, do whatever.) The Jews learned the hard way that this can backfire when, in 586 BC and 70 AD, they presumed that God would take care of them, no matter what stunts they pulled.
Many feel that St Luke’s Gospel and Acts of the Apostles might be the most beautiful book ever written. He portrays the Universal Savior as forgiving, other oriented, trusting in God alone. He lived and died that way. In Christ Jesus, we can as well. Do we want to try? In His life, death and Resurrection (transformed life) Whom (or what) do we really, really trust? 112110AD jfq
This is a strange Gospel for us to hear on Christ the King Sunday. The last (triple) temptation of Christ to save Himself and His response as a faithful Jew in quoting Psalm 31, “Into Your Hands, I commend My Spirit” hardly seem to fit. To an American Catholic, living in a milieu of Therapeutic, Moralistic, Deism (if God is that lucky...) however, this Gospel is most appropriate and necessary.
Canadian Catholic theologian, Ron Rolheiser, wrote that Western culture is addicted to 1)narcissism (self-love); 2) pragmatism (good if it works); 3) restlessness (never happy, running after more stuff). Such addictions occur both for individuals and groups.
Astro-physicists tell us these days that the universe iis made up of the basic elements of the periodic table, all by products of the collapsing of stars. The analogy is made between the letters of the alphabet and atoms.Just as the Library of Congress is composed of books that are a variation of the 26 letters of the alphabet, so also the universe is comprised of various configurations of atom. This is true way out there and way in here. It is true with you and me as well. As both scientists and theologians say now, “something is afoot in the universe.” Something is afoot in you too.
In traditional societies, many people expected initation rites to introduce their teens (particularly the boys) to life in the real world. There seem to be 3 basic realities that the young were taught in these rites. 1) Life can be tough, no matter what they tell you (cf Scott Peck). Enjoy while you can, but someday, know that sickness, accident, old age, disappointment and betrayal come your way. 2) No matter what anyone tells you, you are not the center of the universe. 3) Deal with it. Your life is not about you. You are about the Pattern of life and death and life restored, a universal, cosmic Pattern.
At the start of His public ministry, Jesus was tempted by the Devil three times to change God’s plan for Him (if Jesus were truly the Son of God.) Jesus maintained His faith in God’s plan for Him because it was God’s way of showing us (who had messed up since the days of Adam and Eve who “wanted to be like God”) how to live human life. St Luke tells us that Satan departed for an opportune time.
Satan attacked with the final triple temptation in the mockery to “Save yourself”. Jesus’ response at the end of His life was the same as at its start. “God’s will be done.”
These days, many comment on the fact that Christianity has undergone such a revival in born-again movements. What exactly does this mean? Many (politicians and churchpeople alike) frequently proclaim, “Jesus is Lord”, and then, go about their business as if what Jesus’ Gospel meant little or nothing. What about one’s attitude to the death penalty? To immigration? To economic justice? Are one’s opinions influenced by Jesus or by talk show hosts with a penchant for controversy, (even when they call for 40 days of prayer for the world.) (Whose world?)
In the first days of Christianity, St Paul told the Phillipians that “our true citizenship was in heaven”, not here. St Peter and St Clement (whose feast we celebrate this week) described the Church in Rome in the first century as “resident aliens in a world” that seemed to be religious.
When it was apparent that our nation was destined for war in Iraq, the Roman Catholic Church (both Pope John Paul II and the then, Cardinal Ratzinger, urged other ways beside unilateralism to solve problems. Interestingly, 55% of polled US Catholics said that it was more important to them to be American than it was to be Catholic. Sts Peter, Paul and Clement might legitimately ask them to comment on their putative “resident alien” status in this world. Passports are more important than baptismals to these folks.
Jeroboam was the King of Israel after the days of King Solomon. He came up with the “Jeroboam principle”, viz., say that you worship God once in a while and then, go ahead and to do whatever you want, also called “practical atheism”, viz., say that you believe in God, then, do whatever.) The Jews learned the hard way that this can backfire when, in 586 BC and 70 AD, they presumed that God would take care of them, no matter what stunts they pulled.
Many feel that St Luke’s Gospel and Acts of the Apostles might be the most beautiful book ever written. He portrays the Universal Savior as forgiving, other oriented, trusting in God alone. He lived and died that way. In Christ Jesus, we can as well. Do we want to try? In His life, death and Resurrection (transformed life) Whom (or what) do we really, really trust? 112110AD jfq
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Reflection 111410AD
Why Is This Happening?
During the 1960’s, sociologist Will Herberg published an unexpected best seller, Protestant, Catholic, Jew. He said that the three principal religions in the US at the time were really three expressions of the same thing, viz., the American Dream. (How would Islam fit into that paradigm, according to talking heads who name reality?)
For different reasons, each of the three religions strive to show how American they were. Mainline Protestants, he said, gloried in the USA mainline culture (white & Anglo), based on the Puritan Ethic. Diligence brought success for all in God’s plan. For different reasons, Catholics and Jews saw commitment to the American Dream. This was to show how much like mainline American culture our religions make us. We are not that different from you; please like us; so, we stress similarities in sharing the vision that diligence brings success for all in God’s plan. Rather than challenging Herberg, they praised him for naming reality.
In the last fifty years, the religion of the American Dream has morphed into a new version of the same. It is called “Therapeutic Moralistic Deism”. It is therapeutic because religion exists to make me feel good about my life. If the religion does not do so, I am out of here (and guess whose fault it is.) It is moralistic because the American Dream has morphed into diligence brings success to all and in striving to achieve success, by being nice to one another. (The question remains what does “nice” mean?) Finally, it is deistic. It says that God exists, but God only has to be acknowledged on major holidays, when your family arrives at a notable event (usually joyful). All you have to do is to be like everyone else and use God’s Name when convenient and/or expedient. Does this sound familiar?
For the first three hundred years of the Jesus Movement, the Jesus Movement offered a different view of reality, the Kingdom of God. Some of our Christian ancestors were willing to die for that vision.
Then, on October 28, 312, reality changed. For whatever reason, the Emperor Constantine legalized the Jesus Movement in the Edict of Milan. Now it was licit to be a Christian. (By 395, the Emperor Theodosius that it was mandatory for be a Christian.)
The Jesus Movement came from the catacombs to the basilicas. It naturally brought a change in Christian point of view. Before, we were on the fringes; now we are mainstream. The Vision of the Kingdom of God became the conventional imperial wisdom, viz., diligence brings success for all who try. If your life is miserable now, it is God’s plan for you. Usually, the ones who said this did not find their own lives miserable.
One things that does not in this paradigm is the Buddhist principle of impermanence. Everything changes. The Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, stated the principle, “Everything changes.” You cannot stand in the same river twice. Scientists call it the “conservation of energy and/ or matter.” Nothing is wasted in the universe.
Christians call it the Paschal Mystery. “Nothing is impossible with God.” Every human suffering can be transformed. Look at what happened to God’s Son made human on Good Friday. Was God in that? Believers say yes. God transformed the worst thing in the world, the death of God’s Son, into the best thing, the transformation of all reality in the death and Resurrection of Christ Jesus.
Suffering does not fit into the paradigm of Therapeutic, Moralistic Deism. Many are finding that out big time in the financial crisis triggered by world economic views that started to collapse in the autumn of 2008. Why has this happen to me? Why me? This is not in the gameplan.
Biblical prophets, including Isaiah and Jeremiah and Jesus Himself, challenged listeners to keep their religion honest and authentic. Don’t expect God to be flattered by church attendance (when you can fit in your busy Sunday schedule) and then, disregard God’s promptings when you return to the reality of the world that you have made for yourself. I tried to be nice; why me?
People throughout the years frequently lull themselves into thinking that since God is good, we are God’s people, that we are good. Therefore, others who see life differently are bad. God was not on their side!
However, God’s ways are not our ways. As the Scripture asks, “Who knows the Mind of God?” Who can predict how God acts?
Jesus proclaims that God runs reality, not us. The human drive based on unresolved childhood needs for security, esteem and control, tries to run reality. Sooner or later, we find out that doesn’t work. Without Jesus’ view of reality, Therapeutic Moralistic Deism collapses. This can’t happen to me. What next?
Jesus saw the temple today in the Gospel today. He knew the principle of impermanence, the Greek truth everything changes, the scientific theory of conservation of matter and/or energy, the Paschal Mystery (God can even raise the dead!). Our Father, not we, name reality.
The fact that this does not fit into the post-Christian religion of Therapeutic Moralistic Deism only bothers people when they are affected by it. Otherwise, feel good about yourself, be nice, tip you hat to God when you can fit God in. That is what culture (and many parents) share with posterity. A problem?
The kingdom of gold means running one’s own show ultimately by trying to obtain security, esteem and control for oneself. Try it and see (but, obey God’s game plan in the process.) However, the walk in the woods (the reality check) comes to each person. Why is this happening to me? The Jesus Movement responds by saying that everything in life rises and/or falls with the Cross of Jesus Christ. Put another way, our ultimate security is the God who raised Jesus Christ from the dead. 111410AD jfq
During the 1960’s, sociologist Will Herberg published an unexpected best seller, Protestant, Catholic, Jew. He said that the three principal religions in the US at the time were really three expressions of the same thing, viz., the American Dream. (How would Islam fit into that paradigm, according to talking heads who name reality?)
For different reasons, each of the three religions strive to show how American they were. Mainline Protestants, he said, gloried in the USA mainline culture (white & Anglo), based on the Puritan Ethic. Diligence brought success for all in God’s plan. For different reasons, Catholics and Jews saw commitment to the American Dream. This was to show how much like mainline American culture our religions make us. We are not that different from you; please like us; so, we stress similarities in sharing the vision that diligence brings success for all in God’s plan. Rather than challenging Herberg, they praised him for naming reality.
In the last fifty years, the religion of the American Dream has morphed into a new version of the same. It is called “Therapeutic Moralistic Deism”. It is therapeutic because religion exists to make me feel good about my life. If the religion does not do so, I am out of here (and guess whose fault it is.) It is moralistic because the American Dream has morphed into diligence brings success to all and in striving to achieve success, by being nice to one another. (The question remains what does “nice” mean?) Finally, it is deistic. It says that God exists, but God only has to be acknowledged on major holidays, when your family arrives at a notable event (usually joyful). All you have to do is to be like everyone else and use God’s Name when convenient and/or expedient. Does this sound familiar?
For the first three hundred years of the Jesus Movement, the Jesus Movement offered a different view of reality, the Kingdom of God. Some of our Christian ancestors were willing to die for that vision.
Then, on October 28, 312, reality changed. For whatever reason, the Emperor Constantine legalized the Jesus Movement in the Edict of Milan. Now it was licit to be a Christian. (By 395, the Emperor Theodosius that it was mandatory for be a Christian.)
The Jesus Movement came from the catacombs to the basilicas. It naturally brought a change in Christian point of view. Before, we were on the fringes; now we are mainstream. The Vision of the Kingdom of God became the conventional imperial wisdom, viz., diligence brings success for all who try. If your life is miserable now, it is God’s plan for you. Usually, the ones who said this did not find their own lives miserable.
One things that does not in this paradigm is the Buddhist principle of impermanence. Everything changes. The Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, stated the principle, “Everything changes.” You cannot stand in the same river twice. Scientists call it the “conservation of energy and/ or matter.” Nothing is wasted in the universe.
Christians call it the Paschal Mystery. “Nothing is impossible with God.” Every human suffering can be transformed. Look at what happened to God’s Son made human on Good Friday. Was God in that? Believers say yes. God transformed the worst thing in the world, the death of God’s Son, into the best thing, the transformation of all reality in the death and Resurrection of Christ Jesus.
Suffering does not fit into the paradigm of Therapeutic, Moralistic Deism. Many are finding that out big time in the financial crisis triggered by world economic views that started to collapse in the autumn of 2008. Why has this happen to me? Why me? This is not in the gameplan.
Biblical prophets, including Isaiah and Jeremiah and Jesus Himself, challenged listeners to keep their religion honest and authentic. Don’t expect God to be flattered by church attendance (when you can fit in your busy Sunday schedule) and then, disregard God’s promptings when you return to the reality of the world that you have made for yourself. I tried to be nice; why me?
People throughout the years frequently lull themselves into thinking that since God is good, we are God’s people, that we are good. Therefore, others who see life differently are bad. God was not on their side!
However, God’s ways are not our ways. As the Scripture asks, “Who knows the Mind of God?” Who can predict how God acts?
Jesus proclaims that God runs reality, not us. The human drive based on unresolved childhood needs for security, esteem and control, tries to run reality. Sooner or later, we find out that doesn’t work. Without Jesus’ view of reality, Therapeutic Moralistic Deism collapses. This can’t happen to me. What next?
Jesus saw the temple today in the Gospel today. He knew the principle of impermanence, the Greek truth everything changes, the scientific theory of conservation of matter and/or energy, the Paschal Mystery (God can even raise the dead!). Our Father, not we, name reality.
The fact that this does not fit into the post-Christian religion of Therapeutic Moralistic Deism only bothers people when they are affected by it. Otherwise, feel good about yourself, be nice, tip you hat to God when you can fit God in. That is what culture (and many parents) share with posterity. A problem?
The kingdom of gold means running one’s own show ultimately by trying to obtain security, esteem and control for oneself. Try it and see (but, obey God’s game plan in the process.) However, the walk in the woods (the reality check) comes to each person. Why is this happening to me? The Jesus Movement responds by saying that everything in life rises and/or falls with the Cross of Jesus Christ. Put another way, our ultimate security is the God who raised Jesus Christ from the dead. 111410AD jfq
Saturday, November 6, 2010
weekly reflection 110710
Henry VIII – NOT!!
Many years ago, there was a popular song, “I’m Henry the Eighth, I Am”, during the “1960’s British Invasion” spearheaded by the Beatles. Many people remember the song but it was a take-off on today’s Gospel reading.
A recent spin on this encounter, which most biblical scholars see as a view of what really happened that day, was the fact that in His rebuttal to the question, today, Jesus makes an early statement for the Christian relationship of husband and wife. The question of playing the wife off as the object passed from husband to husband is shot down when Jesus answers the question. Truly, our life with God in the future “for all the children of the Resurrection” (obviously including the wife in the story) cannot be described in human categories.
This is one of the few Gospel stories in which Jesus’ ultimate nemesis, the Saduccees, the Jerusalem aristocratic establishment, makes an appearance. These were the affluent families who had connections with the temple and who had a working relationship with the Roman oppressors. (One theologian said that when Jesus met His fate on Good Friday, it might have been a deal made between the Saduccees and Pilate that anybody causing problems during Passover was cooked.
As a group, the Saduccees tended to follow only the Torah, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible. There was no reference to immortality and/or an after life in this old stratum of the Bible. Therefore, the Saduccees did not believe in these things. Hence, their question to Jesus was meant to ridicule whatever response Jesus make.
Never One not to confront a challenge, Jesus cleverly used the reference made by God where YHWH self-referred as the God of Abraham and Isaac, who were both dead, yet somehow, remained alive as far as God was concerned. Theologians say that this was a first in Hebrew thought where immortality was assumed by Jesus to have been in the ancient writings all along!
The mindset with which the Saduccees worked was that human intelligence is the final arbiter for what is or is not reality. In a sense, it was an advance notice of Western European Enlightenment theory in the 17th century, which said that human reason was the ultimate arbiter.
One German theologian, in the twentieth century, taught that while we can know things in the middle of reality, viz., the seasons, the length of a day, etc., the ultimate rim of reality as well as the innermost core of reality ultimately is mystery, “infinitely knowable”, in the sense that we will never stop learning things about reality. (One can never arrive at the edge of the universe; one can never break down an atom completely into its basic elements.)
The biblical question proposed throughout both the Hebrew and the Christian Scriptures is basically, “Who knows the Mind of God?” It is the humble and honest admission that we (or our brains) are not the center of reality. Transcendence and Holy Mystery are the core of all things and the humble, honest person bows one’s head in adoration. Hence, the need for faith.
One of the pivotal scriptures in Judaeo-Christianity (aka Yahwism) is the same Self-identification that Jesus used today in the Gospel reading. YHWH, the God of Abraham and Isaac, is God of Life, God beyond words, God of the Eternal Now. (All are legitimate translations of YHWH!)
The Christian Scriptures refine the definition through the ongoing effect of the Christ Quantum. Now, we know as well that YHWH is Love and those who abide in Love abide in YHWH and YHWH in them.
God’s job description is to create life and to bring it together in Christ Jesus. In God’s Reality, matter and energy and space and time that only matter to us, not to God’s ultimate purpose for reality. Space and time exist for us, not for God.
Jesus adds a great twist in His rebuttal of his antagonists. If, indeed, we are all children of God, then, we become as well “children of the resurrection” God does not have to make plans that are logical to Saduccees then and/or now. God’s categories do not have to jump through the hoops raised by the human intellect.
One Swiss writer said that Catholics profess our belief that we are Children of the Resurrection when we pray the Nicene Creed every Sunday at Mass. He said that the first article of faith in the Creed, “I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth” is simply re-stated in the fourteenth article of faith, “I believe in the Resurrection of the Body and Life in the world to come.” If God is almighty God of Life and of Love, then what is the problem with the almighty God of the Resurrection? Whose wife is she anyway in the Gospel today? Give Jesus a break!!! Next question, please! 110710AD jfq
Many years ago, there was a popular song, “I’m Henry the Eighth, I Am”, during the “1960’s British Invasion” spearheaded by the Beatles. Many people remember the song but it was a take-off on today’s Gospel reading.
A recent spin on this encounter, which most biblical scholars see as a view of what really happened that day, was the fact that in His rebuttal to the question, today, Jesus makes an early statement for the Christian relationship of husband and wife. The question of playing the wife off as the object passed from husband to husband is shot down when Jesus answers the question. Truly, our life with God in the future “for all the children of the Resurrection” (obviously including the wife in the story) cannot be described in human categories.
This is one of the few Gospel stories in which Jesus’ ultimate nemesis, the Saduccees, the Jerusalem aristocratic establishment, makes an appearance. These were the affluent families who had connections with the temple and who had a working relationship with the Roman oppressors. (One theologian said that when Jesus met His fate on Good Friday, it might have been a deal made between the Saduccees and Pilate that anybody causing problems during Passover was cooked.
As a group, the Saduccees tended to follow only the Torah, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible. There was no reference to immortality and/or an after life in this old stratum of the Bible. Therefore, the Saduccees did not believe in these things. Hence, their question to Jesus was meant to ridicule whatever response Jesus make.
Never One not to confront a challenge, Jesus cleverly used the reference made by God where YHWH self-referred as the God of Abraham and Isaac, who were both dead, yet somehow, remained alive as far as God was concerned. Theologians say that this was a first in Hebrew thought where immortality was assumed by Jesus to have been in the ancient writings all along!
The mindset with which the Saduccees worked was that human intelligence is the final arbiter for what is or is not reality. In a sense, it was an advance notice of Western European Enlightenment theory in the 17th century, which said that human reason was the ultimate arbiter.
One German theologian, in the twentieth century, taught that while we can know things in the middle of reality, viz., the seasons, the length of a day, etc., the ultimate rim of reality as well as the innermost core of reality ultimately is mystery, “infinitely knowable”, in the sense that we will never stop learning things about reality. (One can never arrive at the edge of the universe; one can never break down an atom completely into its basic elements.)
The biblical question proposed throughout both the Hebrew and the Christian Scriptures is basically, “Who knows the Mind of God?” It is the humble and honest admission that we (or our brains) are not the center of reality. Transcendence and Holy Mystery are the core of all things and the humble, honest person bows one’s head in adoration. Hence, the need for faith.
One of the pivotal scriptures in Judaeo-Christianity (aka Yahwism) is the same Self-identification that Jesus used today in the Gospel reading. YHWH, the God of Abraham and Isaac, is God of Life, God beyond words, God of the Eternal Now. (All are legitimate translations of YHWH!)
The Christian Scriptures refine the definition through the ongoing effect of the Christ Quantum. Now, we know as well that YHWH is Love and those who abide in Love abide in YHWH and YHWH in them.
God’s job description is to create life and to bring it together in Christ Jesus. In God’s Reality, matter and energy and space and time that only matter to us, not to God’s ultimate purpose for reality. Space and time exist for us, not for God.
Jesus adds a great twist in His rebuttal of his antagonists. If, indeed, we are all children of God, then, we become as well “children of the resurrection” God does not have to make plans that are logical to Saduccees then and/or now. God’s categories do not have to jump through the hoops raised by the human intellect.
One Swiss writer said that Catholics profess our belief that we are Children of the Resurrection when we pray the Nicene Creed every Sunday at Mass. He said that the first article of faith in the Creed, “I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth” is simply re-stated in the fourteenth article of faith, “I believe in the Resurrection of the Body and Life in the world to come.” If God is almighty God of Life and of Love, then what is the problem with the almighty God of the Resurrection? Whose wife is she anyway in the Gospel today? Give Jesus a break!!! Next question, please! 110710AD jfq
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Weekly Reflection 103110AD
St Zacchaeus and His Companions
The figure of Zacchaeus, the Danny DeVito of the New Testament, is one of the most appealing in the scriptures. The vivid description of the little guy, the type of tree that he climbed, the venue of the encounter – all speak of the veracity of the scenario.
This story has been compared frequently with the story of rich, young man. Recall the rich young man had lived the letter of the Law and still HADN’T FOUND WHAT HE WAS LOOKING FOR. (a la Bono in 1985). Not everyone is, but the rich, young man was addicted to his possessions. When Jesus struck that chord, he went away sad. Thusfar, Jesus, but don’t go any farther. The rich young man has many descendents in our world today. Many share his attitude to what religion really means.
Zacchaeus was a lot different. He was a much hated (he worked for the Romans) and despised (because of his job and his wealth). Yet, Jesus invited Himself to Zacchaeus’ house for dinner. (Recall what sharing a meal meant in the Meditterean world, viz, one ate only with one’s family or most intimate friends. What was Jesus implying by His Self-invitation?)
There is more to the story actually. St Luke uses the Greek word, zeteo, when he talks of Zacchaeus’ “seeking” to see Jesus, which was why he climbed the sycamore tree. Jesus uses the same word again at the conclusion of today’s Gospel, “The Son of Man has come to seek and save what was lost.”
In addition, Zacchaeus was the chief tax collection in the city of Jericho, which is the lowest point on earth where civilization has survived. Even the venue of the encounter of the two “seekers” is archetypically charged. Zacchaeus could not go any lower. He could only come up; Jesus showed him the way and Zacchaeus followed it.
A honest Catholic would come to realize that the boundaries of God’s church are not necessarily the boundaries which we establish ourselves. As St Augustine said 1600 years ago, “The Church has many that God has not; God has many that the Church has not.”
What happened to Zacchaeus after the encounter with JC? Was he one of the 120 in the earliest Jesus’ Movement that was assembled on Easter Sunday? (Recall this story takes place just before Jesus’ fateful week in the Holy City.)What was the reaction of his wife and children when they heard of the restitution that he had resolved to make after Jesus dined with him? Financially, things might have changed a bit. We do not hear about anymore by name.
He probably is one of the anonymous saints that we salute in November, the Month of Remember (the month of All Saints and All Souls). Many more fill their ranks in their effort “to do the right, to love the good and to walk humbly with their God each day.” (Micah 6.8) Many of those whom we have known and loved are included in their holy ranks. We salute them all this day.
Tomorrow’s celebration of All Saints reminds of many people give witness (martyrdom ) to their faith in different ways. Red martyrs are those who die shedding the blood for the sake of Jesus. White martyrs are those who make a radical life change for the sake of the Gospel and do so with God’s Help cheerfully. Green martyrs are what most of us are called to be. That is simply living the everyday routine of our lives for the sake of God and those with whom we share relationship. This means that they try to live “religious” lives, as the cards are dealt to them. (Recall that the word “religion” is based on the Latin, the action of tying together (in a coherent unity.)) Green martyrs do the best they can with God’s Help.
You have known and loved scores of them. Please God, this is the vocation that you are trying to live at this very hour. God has different plans and programmatic for each person. As Vatican II teaches, those who live their lives in accord with the dictates of their conscience within different religion systems are included somehow in the Church by the Mercy of God.
Finally, Jesus makes the statement, “Today salvation has come to this house.” The operative word here is semeron (today) which can be understood today as well by the word “NOW”. As one of our Eucharistic prayers puts it, “Now is the time for Your people to turn back to You. Now is the time to be renewed in Christ Jesus, Your Son, Now is a time of Grace and Reconciliation.”
(St??) Zacchaeus is included in the ranks of All Saints & All Souls. He was among the vanguard of countless others who are in their ranks as well. They were (and are) people who loved the right, did the good and walked humbly with their God each day (each now). Let the saints keeping marchin’ in.
The figure of Zacchaeus, the Danny DeVito of the New Testament, is one of the most appealing in the scriptures. The vivid description of the little guy, the type of tree that he climbed, the venue of the encounter – all speak of the veracity of the scenario.
This story has been compared frequently with the story of rich, young man. Recall the rich young man had lived the letter of the Law and still HADN’T FOUND WHAT HE WAS LOOKING FOR. (a la Bono in 1985). Not everyone is, but the rich, young man was addicted to his possessions. When Jesus struck that chord, he went away sad. Thusfar, Jesus, but don’t go any farther. The rich young man has many descendents in our world today. Many share his attitude to what religion really means.
Zacchaeus was a lot different. He was a much hated (he worked for the Romans) and despised (because of his job and his wealth). Yet, Jesus invited Himself to Zacchaeus’ house for dinner. (Recall what sharing a meal meant in the Meditterean world, viz, one ate only with one’s family or most intimate friends. What was Jesus implying by His Self-invitation?)
There is more to the story actually. St Luke uses the Greek word, zeteo, when he talks of Zacchaeus’ “seeking” to see Jesus, which was why he climbed the sycamore tree. Jesus uses the same word again at the conclusion of today’s Gospel, “The Son of Man has come to seek and save what was lost.”
In addition, Zacchaeus was the chief tax collection in the city of Jericho, which is the lowest point on earth where civilization has survived. Even the venue of the encounter of the two “seekers” is archetypically charged. Zacchaeus could not go any lower. He could only come up; Jesus showed him the way and Zacchaeus followed it.
A honest Catholic would come to realize that the boundaries of God’s church are not necessarily the boundaries which we establish ourselves. As St Augustine said 1600 years ago, “The Church has many that God has not; God has many that the Church has not.”
What happened to Zacchaeus after the encounter with JC? Was he one of the 120 in the earliest Jesus’ Movement that was assembled on Easter Sunday? (Recall this story takes place just before Jesus’ fateful week in the Holy City.)What was the reaction of his wife and children when they heard of the restitution that he had resolved to make after Jesus dined with him? Financially, things might have changed a bit. We do not hear about anymore by name.
He probably is one of the anonymous saints that we salute in November, the Month of Remember (the month of All Saints and All Souls). Many more fill their ranks in their effort “to do the right, to love the good and to walk humbly with their God each day.” (Micah 6.8) Many of those whom we have known and loved are included in their holy ranks. We salute them all this day.
Tomorrow’s celebration of All Saints reminds of many people give witness (martyrdom ) to their faith in different ways. Red martyrs are those who die shedding the blood for the sake of Jesus. White martyrs are those who make a radical life change for the sake of the Gospel and do so with God’s Help cheerfully. Green martyrs are what most of us are called to be. That is simply living the everyday routine of our lives for the sake of God and those with whom we share relationship. This means that they try to live “religious” lives, as the cards are dealt to them. (Recall that the word “religion” is based on the Latin, the action of tying together (in a coherent unity.)) Green martyrs do the best they can with God’s Help.
You have known and loved scores of them. Please God, this is the vocation that you are trying to live at this very hour. God has different plans and programmatic for each person. As Vatican II teaches, those who live their lives in accord with the dictates of their conscience within different religion systems are included somehow in the Church by the Mercy of God.
Finally, Jesus makes the statement, “Today salvation has come to this house.” The operative word here is semeron (today) which can be understood today as well by the word “NOW”. As one of our Eucharistic prayers puts it, “Now is the time for Your people to turn back to You. Now is the time to be renewed in Christ Jesus, Your Son, Now is a time of Grace and Reconciliation.”
(St??) Zacchaeus is included in the ranks of All Saints & All Souls. He was among the vanguard of countless others who are in their ranks as well. They were (and are) people who loved the right, did the good and walked humbly with their God each day (each now). Let the saints keeping marchin’ in.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Weekly Reflection 102410AD
TaxCollector and/or Pharisee?
Jesus’ parables demonstrate that His right brain was highly developed. His creative way with words and imagery made for such memorable stories that people, after 2000 years, can still catch His drift.
On one hand, we have to be careful because, as often as we hear the parables, their “punch” might be lessened on us. Still, we change as people just as the parable does not.
The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector is familiar to us for several reasons. First, before the liturgical readings were changed after Vatican II, in 1970, this parable was proclaimed every year on a summer Sunday. Second, the bragging of the Pharisee is so outrageous that he is obviously setting himself up, while the humility of the sinful tax collector is touching. Third, Jesus had a knack for setting up two characters in many of His parables. (Recall the older brother and the younger brother in the Prodigal Son, the Rich man and Lazarus, the Good Samaritan and the priest-Levite, the unrighteous judge and the annoying widow.) Fourth, Jesus’ moral, based on a quotation from Ezekiel, teaches us that God sees things differently than we do. How does God see reality?
Another insight in the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector is that everyone is really in the position of the tax collector seeking God’s mercy (even though some pious types don’t think about themselves). All of us need forgiveness for something in our lives whether we care to admit it to ourselves or not.
The doctrine of original sin, according to Father Andrew Greeley, is the only absolutely verifiable doctrine of Christianity. (He said you can see proof of it every night when you watch the news or news commentaries.) Other terms for original sin might include the following: original rubbish (cf. St Paul) and/or original baggage and/ or original woundedness and/or original dysfunction. The doctrine speaks of the world we inherited at birth without our consultation. None of us is perfect and, without grace, we all contribute to this baggage (or something more startling than the word “rubbish”, as St Paul might have said) of the world. Whether we acknowledge it or not, all of us need God’s forgiveness.
One of the reasons we celebrate the Immaculate Conception of Mary has to do with the fact that Jesus was so extraordinary that He had to have an extraordinary Mom. She did not pass on any junk to her Son. With God’s Grace, all of us can see a gift in realizing that we need to beg God for the mercy.
This may be one reason why the prayer of the tax collector has resonated down through the centuries since Jesus first spoke the parable, “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.” (In fact, it is quite an acceptable mini Act of Contrition, according to the revised ritual of sacrament of penance and reconciliation in 1974.)
There is even a mini-version of the mini-version, the four syllable, two word mantra “Jesus, mercy.” According to stories of saints, this prayer was a liberating technique for people who were able to internalize the prayer through frequent recitation so much so that it became a natural part of their everyday lives! One anonymous Russian peasant, known simply as “the Pilgrim”, walked through Russia-Siberia in the nineteenth century saying the pray as he continued his journey.
A theologian recently said that humility equals truth. When we realize that everything in life is either a gift or predicated on a gift, then we realize the need to say thanks to S(s)omeone. Meister Eckhardt said hundreds of years ago, that if the only prayer we ever humbly said was “Thanx”, that would make God’s Day. Does anyone ever say thanks enough to our Creator and our Liberator and our Ultimate Goal?
Several years ago, Woody Allen said, “90% of life involves just showing up”. The same is true for prayer, “90% of prayer involves just showing up.” How often do we show up?
In addition, does anyone not miss the mark as well by honestly admitting some basic self-descriptions? Our lives are a mass of contradictions. Our lives can be described as works in progress. Our lives are books that are still being written, sometimes with inappropriate chapters. Our lives can be aptly described as a “process of three steps forward, two steps backwards.”
We don’t have to walk from coast to coast, from JFK to SFO. Yet, the internalization and recitation of the “Jesus Prayer” reminds us both of the need for forgiveness in our own lives as well as make us more tolerant of those who need our forgiveness. You can say the Jesus Prayer anywhere. Try it and see. 102410 AD jfq
Jesus’ parables demonstrate that His right brain was highly developed. His creative way with words and imagery made for such memorable stories that people, after 2000 years, can still catch His drift.
On one hand, we have to be careful because, as often as we hear the parables, their “punch” might be lessened on us. Still, we change as people just as the parable does not.
The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector is familiar to us for several reasons. First, before the liturgical readings were changed after Vatican II, in 1970, this parable was proclaimed every year on a summer Sunday. Second, the bragging of the Pharisee is so outrageous that he is obviously setting himself up, while the humility of the sinful tax collector is touching. Third, Jesus had a knack for setting up two characters in many of His parables. (Recall the older brother and the younger brother in the Prodigal Son, the Rich man and Lazarus, the Good Samaritan and the priest-Levite, the unrighteous judge and the annoying widow.) Fourth, Jesus’ moral, based on a quotation from Ezekiel, teaches us that God sees things differently than we do. How does God see reality?
Another insight in the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector is that everyone is really in the position of the tax collector seeking God’s mercy (even though some pious types don’t think about themselves). All of us need forgiveness for something in our lives whether we care to admit it to ourselves or not.
The doctrine of original sin, according to Father Andrew Greeley, is the only absolutely verifiable doctrine of Christianity. (He said you can see proof of it every night when you watch the news or news commentaries.) Other terms for original sin might include the following: original rubbish (cf. St Paul) and/or original baggage and/ or original woundedness and/or original dysfunction. The doctrine speaks of the world we inherited at birth without our consultation. None of us is perfect and, without grace, we all contribute to this baggage (or something more startling than the word “rubbish”, as St Paul might have said) of the world. Whether we acknowledge it or not, all of us need God’s forgiveness.
One of the reasons we celebrate the Immaculate Conception of Mary has to do with the fact that Jesus was so extraordinary that He had to have an extraordinary Mom. She did not pass on any junk to her Son. With God’s Grace, all of us can see a gift in realizing that we need to beg God for the mercy.
This may be one reason why the prayer of the tax collector has resonated down through the centuries since Jesus first spoke the parable, “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.” (In fact, it is quite an acceptable mini Act of Contrition, according to the revised ritual of sacrament of penance and reconciliation in 1974.)
There is even a mini-version of the mini-version, the four syllable, two word mantra “Jesus, mercy.” According to stories of saints, this prayer was a liberating technique for people who were able to internalize the prayer through frequent recitation so much so that it became a natural part of their everyday lives! One anonymous Russian peasant, known simply as “the Pilgrim”, walked through Russia-Siberia in the nineteenth century saying the pray as he continued his journey.
A theologian recently said that humility equals truth. When we realize that everything in life is either a gift or predicated on a gift, then we realize the need to say thanks to S(s)omeone. Meister Eckhardt said hundreds of years ago, that if the only prayer we ever humbly said was “Thanx”, that would make God’s Day. Does anyone ever say thanks enough to our Creator and our Liberator and our Ultimate Goal?
Several years ago, Woody Allen said, “90% of life involves just showing up”. The same is true for prayer, “90% of prayer involves just showing up.” How often do we show up?
In addition, does anyone not miss the mark as well by honestly admitting some basic self-descriptions? Our lives are a mass of contradictions. Our lives can be described as works in progress. Our lives are books that are still being written, sometimes with inappropriate chapters. Our lives can be aptly described as a “process of three steps forward, two steps backwards.”
We don’t have to walk from coast to coast, from JFK to SFO. Yet, the internalization and recitation of the “Jesus Prayer” reminds us both of the need for forgiveness in our own lives as well as make us more tolerant of those who need our forgiveness. You can say the Jesus Prayer anywhere. Try it and see. 102410 AD jfq
Monday, October 18, 2010
weekly reflection 10172010
No Ice Pack Needed
Karl Rahner, perhaps the greatest Catholic theologian in the twentieth century, said that in the 21st century, Catholics would have to come to a deep personal search for Transcendence (aka God) in our lives. He spoke of the “Supernatural Existential” in each person, viz., the Call of Immanent Transcendence, Which God has programmed into our personalities. Catholics call it “the desire to happiness and fulfillment”.
Unfortunately, for many, the Call of Immanent Transcendence gets morphed into the desire to transcend ourselves (AND OTHERS) through security, esteem and control. As a result, the God’s Call gets trivialized in a culture that claims that we can have it all here now. (Read between the lines on ads on TV!) Thus, we discovered sadly recently that the “Supernatural Existential” of many USA Catholics is lacking desire, depth and substance. Many do not acknowledge that God has hardwired us for Something beyond ourselves and yet within ourselves.
God’s New World Order (aka the Kingdom of God) is not the System, not the American Dream, not Western Civilization, not the City of Man (a la St Augustine). This is because our culture became less focused and committed to acknowledge that God even is! Still, occasionally, prominent people pay lip service to God, but for many, a “practical atheism” kicks in. Throw in a “God bless America” every once in a while and then, do what you want. So, American Catholics have to be especially careful. In the past, Catholics were seen to be different, that we subscribed to a different moral code. (Remember Billy Joel’s Only the Good Die Young (still played regularly on WFAS – FM?)) In today’s world, the song makes no sense.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks to His disciples of “the necessity of praying always and never losing heart.” In the post
-World Trade Center world, we heed Jesus’ Words in a radical way. Our world has changed, not ended. Yet, Jesus Christ is the Same, yesterday, today and tomorrow. He urges us to pray always without losing heart, and His Words are strangely encouraging.The widow, in ancient Israel, had a special place in the social and economic system. This was because unless there was a son or a brother or father to provide security, a widow was on her own. In the early church, there was an order of older women, whose vocation was, after the death of their spouses, would agree to pray and to serve the needs of the Christian community. In gratitude, the community would support them in their needs. This order of widows was an ancestor of the orders of religious women in the Church.
A crooked judge was a strange image for Jesus to employ to describe God. Jesus probably had tongue in cheek when He told this story because he tells us that the judge was afraid that she might, literally, “give him a black eye” if he did not acquiesce to her demands. The point is that if a crooked judge will ultimately respond to a legitimate petition, will not a loving God respond even more quickly?
In addition, Catholics are to respond to the call of the Infinite in our lives as a group when we gather for our family gathering at our Domus Ecclesiae (29 Cox Ave) each weekend. We accept the invitation to gather, to share the story about Jesus, to share His Meal and then, to return to the new week fortified by mutual support and Nourishment.
Sadly, we have children in our religious education programs who have not learned the Sign of the Cross by the time they come here. Don’t blame the Church for that. Recall the prayer for the Dad in the Baptismal liturgy: “He and his wife will be the first of teachers in faith and hope. May they always be the best of teachers bearing witness by what they say in Christ Jesus.” Sadly, we have parents who bring their children to church when their own parents (the grandparents are visiting and they make it a point to greet the Presider of the Mass.)
Jesus urges us to pray persistently (not 24
-7-365 obviously) on a regular basis. We need to turn periodically to God. Islamic men do so five times a day. Catholics can emulate their example by praying five days a day as well, viz., in the morning and evening and before three meals.More and more, people are realizing that the drive to Transcendence is a “Holy Longing”. Some go to ashrams or pagodas to practice Zen or other Eastern techniques (for a fee, of course!!) Julia Roberts could have saved a lot of money. If she wanted, she would found all three in Italy (Eat, Pray and Love). If she stayed a little longer.
Our Catholic tradition is summed up in the watchwords from Vatican II, “the Universal Call to Holiness.” Our children teach their own parents the technique of Centering Prayer. The children are called to silence, to solitude and to slow down for a fixed period of time. (The ideal is 20 minutes twice a day, preferable in the morning and the evening.) When the “monkey mind” wanders, (as it always does), then the children call to mind a simple word which is a reminder of their commitment to give God time and space in their busy lives. It could be as simple as the word “God” or “Peace” or “Love”. One theologian said recently that when some are in silence and solitude even for a brief time, they have to face themselves and the ways and wherefores of their lives. If some are in silence and solitude with oneself, then they have to turn to the place of Transcendent and Immanent God. Who needs it?
In the process, slowly and imperceptibly, silence does not threaten us. Silence leads to a sense of being alone with oneself. A sense of being alone with oneself leads to a sense of the Divine Presence (both beyond us and with us) at the same time.
Sadly, we have children in our religious education programs who have not learned the Sign of the Cross by the time they come here. Don’t blame the Church for that. Recall the prayer for the Dad in the Baptismal liturgy: “He and his wife will be the first of teachers in faith and hope. May they always be the best of teachers bearing witness by what they say in Christ Jesus.”
Rahner’s warning that individual Catholics needed to get more in touch with the Sacred in our lives is strangely on the money after September 11th. We live in a culture that does not feel that it needs the Father of Jesus Christ. With such absurd evil confronting us in our own nation and our world, so many felt that the only place to turn was to a good God, Who Alone brings consolation. Churches were packed the Sunday or two after 911 and then, business returned to usual. What was up with that? God does not mind when people turn to God in times of need, but what attitude is transmitted by folks who only do so when all else has failed. As Jesus says, “Which father of you would give your son a stone if the child asked for bread? How much more will God give the Holy Spirit to those who asked God?”
jfq 101710AD
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Weekly Bulletin -- Oct 10, 2010
Everything Old Is New Again!
Our Church is evolving. Everything alive evolves. We wonder about the Church of the Future. Father Karl Rahner, SJ, the premier Catholic theologian of the twentieth century, wrote several articles about the shape of the church to come. He notes traits that he anticipated for our future Church. The Church of the Future will certainly be recognizably a Church that has evolved in the Holy Spirit from our apostolic roots. There will always be an integral connection between what is basic “Jesus Movement.” It will be a church that gets back to basics. Father Rahner coined the expression, later adopted by Vatican Council II, that there is within the Church a “hierarchy of truths”. Three, Rahner listed as central and integral, viz., the Trinity, the Incarnation and Grace. Christians worship one God Who exists in relationship. Second, the Creator became united fully with Creation in the Incarnation of the Jesus Christ. Third, everything is a gift (a grace). Christians call the ultimate gift the Holy Spirit. Of the three, Rahner claimed that the primary truth is what our Christians ancestors proclaimed in their house churches and catacombs, “Iesous Kyrios”, “Jesus is Lord”. The Church of the future will be proclaim the basic Mystery of faith, Rahner wrote, wherever and whenever people proclaim the Lordship of Jesus Christ and try to conform their lives with that reality. Our parishioners are invited to a Sunday night Mass in Spanish at Assumption in Peekskill, where the majority of parishioners are from Guatemala or Ecuador. They tell us to expect a group of 1,000 parishioners for a Mass, not rushed, in which singing is expected and done by most. What is it that we are missing in more Anglo parishes that those in Hispanic parishes experience? We maintain our acquaintance with God the Father and Christ Jesus in the Holy Spirit.
Second, the church of the 21st will be a multilevel experience. Sunday participation obviously is a non-negotiable, a public acknowledgement that God is the Ground of our existence. Rahner foresees the establishment, already happening, of intentional communities, groups of Catholics and other Christians who gather for a common pursuit of a transcendent goal. Our traditional Lenten Ecumenical gatherings is a perennial gathering of an intentional community to observe Lent together with other Christians. Our Daily Mass congregants, our Religious Education Teams, our Divine Office groups, our Contemplative & Pax Christi groups are all intentional communities that augment their Sunday Mass participation. The list continues to grow. We are trying to be familiar with God in Christ Jesus.
Third, very importantly, Father Rahner spoke of the secularization of faith in the Western world. Others have called it the “evaporation of faith”. When things are going well, people have a tendency to forget about God. Then, when they “walk in the woods” in a crisis that they cannot fix, understand or control, Western people frequently become angry and/or pathetic. The crisis was not supposed to happen to me! Why am I deprived of happiness when others around me seem content. (Under another name, Catholic theologians refer to the Paschal Mystery (all things are in process of ascending, descending and transforming in Christ Jesus; ancient Greek philosophers, like Heraclitus, taught that everything flows, one cannot stand in the same river twice because the person is constantly changing and the river is as well; Buddhist thought calls it the principle of impermenance, “all Things will pass”. Physicists call it the conservation of matter or energy. Nothing is wasted in the universe. Rather, it experiences a transformation into something else. When good people get lulled into a sense that everything is bound to get better, they frequently become disappointed and/ or angry and/ or pathetic and/or depressed.
Fr Rahner died in 1984, but he sensed where the Western world was going. People in the West were afraid of silence, solitude and a slowing down in which we can get in touch with our core being in God. His opinion was bolstered by a Meditation guru who has described the 20 minutes of silence each day (optimum twice a day) as going to a transcendental gymnasium. We exercise our orientation to transcendence in a twenty minute contemplation session. (The meditation guru makes a lot more money than Fr Rahner!)
Our monastic ancestors recognized a reality called, Acecia. They called it the noon-time demon. It means that we cannot be bothered with a visit to the “transcendental gym” when things are going well enough. Why do I need to spend time “doing nothing”?
Fr Rahner says the in the future, if the Catholic of the 21st century does recognizes his or her transcendental orientation, we might as well call it a day. We need to be aware of the Divine Indwelling, the Deep Incarnation, the scandal of particularity, the Galilee principle (God shows up the strangest places). Recently the techniques of focus on the now, taught by Eckhardt Tolle, are now becoming emergency measures.
As one NY theologian said recently, the world was God’s Space. Then, it became Myspace (outdated apparently) tweeting, texting, Facebooking. All these things are good things, but what makes you think that anyone cares what you had for lunch? The same theologian wrote that when we make ourselves the arbiters or the centers of the universe, we worship the god EGO (easing God Out). God is not the central point of the reality (you are).
In today’s Gospel, we hear the story of the Cure of the Ten Lepers. (There is a scholarly debate over whether this Gospel represent an actual incident in the journey of Jesus up to Jerusalem or whether it was a parable that Jesus told along the way. Either scenario, the point is the same.) Jesus brings us healing to 10 lepers and then, tells them to go to the Jewish priests for a verification of their healing.
The twist that confronts the hearer is twofold. 1) The one who returned to Jesus was the outsider, the Samaritan, culturally despised, for being different (Do we ever change?) This is an example of what we call the Galilee Principle, the Deep Incarnation, the Scandal of Particularity, God shows up in the most unlikely places. 2) In addition to the hierarchy of the Jewish priests, the Samaritan knew that it was at the feet of Jesus that he was really to give praise to God. He, the outsider, did not have to go for a verification of his healing. He came to give thanks to God at the feet of Jesus. Where Jesus is is where we worship God.
We are can experience the Divine Presence (and do often without realizing that we do) in large settings, in informal settings, in moments of intimacy with the Lord. Catholics in the 21st century need to absorb that lesson. With God’s Help, we will do so. Beware of Acecia!! 101010AD jfq
Weekly Reflection -- Oct 3, 2010AD
If Today You Hear God’s Voice…
We celebrate the Feast of St Francis tomorrow. Some say that very few caught the Spirit of the Gospel as did the man from Assisi (1182-1225). His spin of the Gospel still speaks to the 21st century USA Catholics.
He was truly impacted with the Incarnation, that the Creator and the Creation were one in Jesus Christ. All reality (not just humanity) is effected by the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. As a result, St Francis was the originator of Christmas carols and Christmas crèches to use earthy images and sounds to celebrate what theologians call the Divine Indwelling. God lives in all things; all things live in God.
The implications of the Incarnation continue to unfold among us. 1) Humble man and women come to understand that it is arrogant to assume that our minds are the sole arbiters of what reality truly is. The intellect is not the only means to arrive at insight and understanding. Catholic theology understands that creation is an ongoing evolutionary process and that 21st century history is not the end-point of the process, but the landmark on God-driven road to fulfillment.
2) We are coming to know that we are not spectators of God’s evolutionary process in Christ. Rather, each of us is a participant in Christ in God’s unfolding universe. St Francis probably intuited it, but he could not verbalize it.
3) We are coming to realize that there are more than one ways of knowing. Not just intellectually, but also we can know things through our senses, emotions, awe at creation, awe at art. Blaise Pascal, the great Catholic mathematician-theologian of 16th century France, wrote ”The heart has reasons to love that the mind cannot understand.” Most (certainly St Francis of Assisi) would nod their heads in agreement. Life is bigger than we are.
In a very real way, St Francis must have been taken with our Responsorial Psalm, Psalm 95. (Most mornings, our parish sings Psalm 95,, known in the Latin as the “Venite, exultemus” viz., “come, let us adore”, the first two words of the Psalm in Latin.)
The entire psalm is a fusion of two distinct, yet related, ideas in Judaeo-Christian thought. First, the Psalmist proclaims that the universe belongs to God. God holds in His hands the depths of the earth and the highest mountains as well. He made the sea; it belongs to God, the dry land, too, for it was formed by His hands. (In primitive terms, Psalm 95 celebrates Divine Creation. Now, as we come to know the vastness of the universe through the Hubble Telescope and other deep space exploration, the universe still belongs to God. God made it; it belongs to God. (pace # 1 on the NY Times bestseller list Richard Dawkins, who merely co-opted recently the Judaeo-Christian concept of creatio ex nihilo, all creation came from nothing through God’s Word.)
First, his signature prayer, his Prayer for Peace, is a practical way for us to remember in Christ Jesus, the DNA and glue of the universe, to be instruments of God’s Peace in reality daily. Try to say the prayer five times a day. God will surely point out opportunities to you where you can, indeed, be such an instrument.
In addition, St Francis saw the “preferential option for the poor”, so vilified by talk-show hosts these days. God loves all God’s people. However, God has a special concern for the less fortunate in our midst. God expects us to have the same concern or solicitude for the less fortunate in our midst. (Who are they these days? They are everyone that you are glad that you are not, widows, orphans, aliens as well as those who are marginalized by the American Dream. (They are not marginalized in the Consciousness of the Kingdom of God.)
His celebration of the Incarnation is also demonstrated when he wrote what is considered the earliest example of Italian poetry, the Canticle of the Sun, in which St Francis celebrates the unity of creation. The modern hymn, “All Creatures of Our God and King” is an adaptation of St Francis’ poem. St Francis is the patron of the Catholic environmental movement.
The name of a new (though curiously old) sin is specieism. This means that human decisions are made about how we are to treat the earth. Does it exist only for us? Does the natural world have a right to life, as Pope John Paul II, asked many times? 800 years ago, St Francis would have seen that. That is why he referred to Brother Sun, Sister Moon, Brother Fire, Sister Water. They have rights as well. Sister Water is particularly speaking up for its rights these days, with oil spills and their aftermaths, with diminishing water supplies for expanding populations. Think of the blessing water is every time you turn on the faucets or visit the water cooler.
This weekend, St Paul reminds St Timothy (and St Francis and us), “Take as your norm the sound words that you heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard this rich trust with the Help of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us.”
The power of the Incarnation caught the mind and heart of St Francis effecting his attitude to reality. After 800 years, the man from Assisi still challenges us with St Paul to take as our norm the words we hear in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. He celebrated the Deep Incarnation with its implications for non-violent conflict resolution, for the preferential option for the poor, a concern for creation 800 years ahead of his time. New expressions of perennial faith still need to be verbalized and lived. 100310AD jfq
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Weekly Reflection -- 92610AD
September 26, 2010AD
25th Sunday in Greentime
A Guest Homilist
Pope John Paul II wrote several encyclicals during his Ministry as Successor of St Peter dealing with socio-economic questions. One of his earliest papal letter cites today’s Gospel, viz., the rich man and Lazarus.
In addition, over 100 times, Pope John Paul II made foreign pilgrimages to bring the Good News in particular settings and contexts throughout the world. The following are excerpts from his encyclical, Redemptor Hominis and from his Yankee Stadium Sermon on Oct 2, 1979. Although it is 30 years old now, his prophetic words address the question of ethical monotheism. If there is one God, every human person must be in direct relationship with God and with one another. As Pope John Paul said in one of his encyclicals, “We are all our brother’s and sister’s keepers.” Ponder what he means with regards to today’s Gospel, now more than ever.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Man’s situation in the world is certainly not uniform but marked with numerous differences…Indeed, everyone is familiar with the picture of the consumer civilization which consists in a certain surplus of goods necessary for man and for entire societies -- and we are dealing here with rich, highly developed societies -- at least broad sectors fo them – while the remaining societies are suffering from hunger with many people dying of starvation and malnutrition…This pattern represent, as it were, a gigantic development of the parable in the Bible of the rich man and Lazarus. So widespread is the phenomenon that it brings into question the financial, monetary, production and commercial mechanisms that, resting on various political pressures, support the world economy…These structures unceasingly make the areas of misery spread, accompanied by anguish, frustration, and bitterness.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
USA Catholics might pause to reflect on those words and the following excerpt when the Pope spoke when came to be called the “Sermon on the Mound.”
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Yankee Stadium Sermon: Oct 2, 1979
On various occasions, I have referred to the Gospel parable of the rich man and Lazarus…Both the rich man and the beggar died and judgment was rendered on their conduct. And the Scripture tells us that Lazarus found consolation, but that the rich man found torment. Was the rich man condemned because he had riches, because he abounded in possessions because “he dressed in purple and linen and feasted splendidly each day? No, I would say that it was not for this reason. The rich man was condemned because he did not pay attention to the other man. Because he failed to take notice of Lazarus, the person who sat at his door and who longed to eat the scraps from his table. Nowhere does Christ condemn the mere possession of earthly goods as such. Instead, He pronounces very harsh words against those who use their possessions in a selfish way, without paying attention to the needs of others. The Sermon on the Mount begins with the words, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.” At the end of the account of the Last Judgment, Jesus speaks those words that we know so well, “I was hungry and you gave Me no food,” etc.
The parable of the rich man and Lazarus must always be present in our memory; it must form our conscience. Christ demands openness to our sisters and brothers in need -- openness from the rich, the affluent, the economically advanced; openness to the poor, the underdeveloped and the disadvantaged. Christ demands an openness that is more than benign attention, more than token actions or half-hearted efforts that leave the poor as destitute as before or even more so.
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 doors. In the light of the parable of Christ, riches and freedom mean a special responsibility. Riches and freedom create a special obligation. And so, in the name of the solidarity that binds us all together in a common humanity, I again proclaim the dignity of every human person: the rich man and Lazarus are both human beings, both of them equally created in the image and likeness of God, both of them equally redeemed by Christ, at a great price, the price of “the precious blood of Christ” (1 Pt. 1:19). Care to comment, Glenn Beck?? 092610AD jfq
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)