Ascension of the Lord
Final destiny after present mission.
This feast teaches us about our final destiny and our present mission. Our final destiny is union with the Risen Lord with his Father in the glory of heaven. Our present mission is to bear witness to the Word of God.
Jesus came into the world, was born, lived, suffered, died, rose from the dead and ascended into glory. In his glory with the Father he sent the Holy Spirit. We too have been born, live, suffer, will die, share in Christ’s resurrection and go to our glory too. For too many people birth, life, suffering and death are experiences apart from God.
St. Paul writing to the Christians of his time, prayed: “May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you a Spirit of wisdom and revelation resulting in knowledge of him. May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call, and what is the surpassing greatness of his power for us who believe…in this age but also in the one to come.”
For St. Paul life in the Spirit of Jesus Christ was special. Life with Jesus was like light, life without Jesus is like darkness. We are called to know this life with Jesus, we are called to know his light and life.
Jesus said in the first reading, “Wait for the fulfillment of my Father’s promise, of which you have heard me speak. John baptized with water, but within a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” The baptism of the Holy Spirit. If someone were to ask you if you have been baptized, you would say yes. Have you been baptized with the Holy Spirit? The Acts of the Apostles speak about baptism of the Holy Spirit several different times.
We know that heaven, glory, being with God is our final destiny. But sometimes we are like the apostles in the first reading of today. We sometimes “stand looking up at the skies.” The apostles are told, “This Jesus who has been taken from you will return, just as you saw him go up into the heavens.” Like the Apostles then we must be about our present mission. We should not be overly concerned about the time of the Second Coming of the Lord. We should be concerned about receiving “the power when the Holy Spirit comes down upon you; then you are to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, yes, even to the ends of the earth.” Isn’t that something? We who are gathered here have received this witness going all the way back to Jesus and the Apostles. We too are to be witnesses of Jesus in our own time and in our own city. We too are to know the power of the Holy Spirit.
Our final destiny is not yet. We are a pilgrim church, a people on the way. We will experience in our life, sufferings, disappointments, discouragement, mistrust, broken promises, frustrations, etc. All of this will continue to be part of our life. We are “not Yet” at our final destiny. We must look forward in hope to the time of glory when every tear will be wiped away and we will see you our God as you are. We realize that eye has not seen nor ear heard nor has it entered into our hearts the things God has prepared for those who love him. But we must not stand gazing heavenward to the detriment of carrying out our witness in the world today. Besides our final destiny, being a Christian means living in the here and now. We are to work for the building up of Christ’s body. We are to love one another. We are to receive the power of the Holy Spirit for this work. Let us ask God to help us to prepare for the Feast of Pentecost. Let us ask God to send the Holy Spirit into our lives. May we be strengthened for our present mission and look forward with hope to our final destiny.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Easter 6 A
Easter 6 A
A friend of mine began his homily for this Sunday (6 years ago) with these words: "For me, personally, Jesus never spoke more tender, affirming, and consoling words than the one's we hear in today's gospel when he addresses his disciples before his execution. Those words are now addressed to us, his disciples here and now: "I will not leave you orphans." He went on to point out "Parents are those who give us roots of security." He experienced this reality while working in Haiti at the clinic-hospice that he helped to establish for orphaned and abandoned children. This was before the recent earthquake death and devastation.
"I will not leave you orphans..." My friend continues: Jesus so understood the potential dynamic of being pre3sent to his disciples, his "little children", as he called them, with the mmanenc of is pending execution. It's a dynamic none of us should ever forget in our life Christ-followers, students of the Rabbi Jesus of Nazareth. There isn't a one of here that deserves to be abandoned at any time in our journey through life. It's the primary reason for the church, for us to be in relationship to one another, and not just Eucharistically. The Eucharist should remind us of our responsibity to one another and our need for each other while it pronounces the sacred text over and over in our hearts and heads, "I will not leave you orphaned..." It also provides us with the dictum to see to it that justice is accomplished in our world for the sake of those who are bereft of work, or health, or medication, or home, or food, or family, or friends....Revenge is the ugly American sin and our culture is steeped in violence. Note the movies and play station antics and cartoon magazines our young people are subject to.
To me it is a sign of hope that over 70 theolgy teachers have sent a letter to John Boehner, speaker of the house of Representatives decrying his budget cut proposals as "Anti Life."
Each of us may be called this day to decide what we can do to make sure that the many orphans in our world are not left without supporive Christians who live out the commission we have received from Jesus.
Jesus tells his apostles and us: "Whoever has my commandments and observes them, is the one who loves me; and whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him."
Do you want Jesus to be revealed to you? He tells us how.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Easter 5 A
Easter 5 A
The reading from the Acts of the Apostles is one that captures something of our experience. Disciples are “complaining.” The King James Version says, “there arose a murmuring(” The Greek word is gogusmos. Listen to how that word sounds and you get a sense of what was going on. As human beings and disciples we are familiar with murmuring, complaining, muttering under our breath, making some strange sounds, hearing strange sounds at times.
We even categorize some people as brooding. I remember someone describing me that way once. Not knowing exactly what that meant I investigated the meaning of the word in Webster’s dictionary. Webster informed me: “1. to sit on or incubate (eggs) for the purpose of hatching them; hence to hatch. 2. to think anxiously or moodily upon,; to ponder(to dwell continuously or moodily on a subject.” With these definitions I found the negative connotations of the word to disappear and I found I was thinking of myself when brooding as working on hatching something, perhaps meditating or nurturing.
But we need to ask ourselves, “what is my usual reaction to complaining, murmuring or brooding?” So often I think we dismiss it.
And just what were those who “spoke Greek"complaining about the ones who spoke Aramaic?” It is interesting how different translations name the neglect: RSV “(because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.” NAB “were neglected in the daily distribution.” CEV “were not given their share when the food supplies were handed out each day.” Because of these differences I wondered if the neglect only had to do with food or if it went further. The Greek word that named the neglect was diakonia. The NT dictionary in the Greek New Testament gives this definition for diakonia: ministry, service; contribution, help, support; mission; perhaps office of deacon or authority.”
My brooding about these differences led me to recall my experience with another community that was suffering neglect. This was the community of homeless or poor that existed in Milwaukee. The first services provided were the creation of meal programs and distribution of food. The number of food programs began to grow. But there was a call for another food program on the South Side of Milwaukee. The St. Vincent de Paul societies took on this neglect and provided a meal program staffed by different parish Vincent de Paul societies. But before long the need for other services became obvious. Eventually this program grew into providing job counseling, housing information, addiction assistance, etc. A similar phenomenon has happened in Harlingen, Texas with a meal program that began as Loaves and Fishes.
I also recall that the Archbishop of Milwaukee heard complaining, murmuring, brooding about abortion. He did not dismiss it but instead chose to schedule a series of hearings. In the paper pictures appeared of some of these hearings. Hearing, attention, seriousness were captured in the pictures of the Archbishop and the women attending the hearings.
For me these readings raise other issues about abortion. Is it enough to be concerned so totally with stopping actual abortions, or must we not also be concerned with the structural sins which create conditions in which a woman feels that abortion is her preferred choice?
What are the other questions that people are complaining, murmuring, protesting, uttering under their breath about? What is my responsibility as a Catholic-Christian to those utterances? Am I able to get beyond the ostrich approach of taking my head and burying it in the sand? Am I able to stand up with both ears attentive to listen?
Can I hear not just the words (sometimes expressed with fierce harshness and volatility)? Am I attuned to the non-verbals that people use to express themselves? Do I find myself able to get by the harsh tones of voice? Am I able to listen to the person who whispers, or perhaps even whimpers? Do I hear only the people that express themselves just as I do? Do I hear only the people who express themselves differently?
The Good News of the Reading from the Acts of the Apostles for me this Sunday is that the community was able to listen through the complaining to get at the real problem. They didn’t just deal with symptoms, the complaining. The real problem was that there was neglect within the community.
If we can’t get beyond the symptoms to the real problems we won’t experience the good news. Thank God for Jesus who knew what was in people’s hearts. Thank God that the Twelve called together the whole community of disciples and acknowledged “it is not right that we should neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables.” Therefore other ministers were chosen and appointed so that the word of God would not be neglected but neither would those who spoke Greek. Thank God for those in our midst that have the ability to get to the heart of the matter and come up with solutions.
The reading from the Acts of the Apostles is one that captures something of our experience. Disciples are “complaining.” The King James Version says, “there arose a murmuring(” The Greek word is gogusmos. Listen to how that word sounds and you get a sense of what was going on. As human beings and disciples we are familiar with murmuring, complaining, muttering under our breath, making some strange sounds, hearing strange sounds at times.
We even categorize some people as brooding. I remember someone describing me that way once. Not knowing exactly what that meant I investigated the meaning of the word in Webster’s dictionary. Webster informed me: “1. to sit on or incubate (eggs) for the purpose of hatching them; hence to hatch. 2. to think anxiously or moodily upon,; to ponder(to dwell continuously or moodily on a subject.” With these definitions I found the negative connotations of the word to disappear and I found I was thinking of myself when brooding as working on hatching something, perhaps meditating or nurturing.
But we need to ask ourselves, “what is my usual reaction to complaining, murmuring or brooding?” So often I think we dismiss it.
And just what were those who “spoke Greek"complaining about the ones who spoke Aramaic?” It is interesting how different translations name the neglect: RSV “(because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.” NAB “were neglected in the daily distribution.” CEV “were not given their share when the food supplies were handed out each day.” Because of these differences I wondered if the neglect only had to do with food or if it went further. The Greek word that named the neglect was diakonia. The NT dictionary in the Greek New Testament gives this definition for diakonia: ministry, service; contribution, help, support; mission; perhaps office of deacon or authority.”
My brooding about these differences led me to recall my experience with another community that was suffering neglect. This was the community of homeless or poor that existed in Milwaukee. The first services provided were the creation of meal programs and distribution of food. The number of food programs began to grow. But there was a call for another food program on the South Side of Milwaukee. The St. Vincent de Paul societies took on this neglect and provided a meal program staffed by different parish Vincent de Paul societies. But before long the need for other services became obvious. Eventually this program grew into providing job counseling, housing information, addiction assistance, etc. A similar phenomenon has happened in Harlingen, Texas with a meal program that began as Loaves and Fishes.
I also recall that the Archbishop of Milwaukee heard complaining, murmuring, brooding about abortion. He did not dismiss it but instead chose to schedule a series of hearings. In the paper pictures appeared of some of these hearings. Hearing, attention, seriousness were captured in the pictures of the Archbishop and the women attending the hearings.
For me these readings raise other issues about abortion. Is it enough to be concerned so totally with stopping actual abortions, or must we not also be concerned with the structural sins which create conditions in which a woman feels that abortion is her preferred choice?
What are the other questions that people are complaining, murmuring, protesting, uttering under their breath about? What is my responsibility as a Catholic-Christian to those utterances? Am I able to get beyond the ostrich approach of taking my head and burying it in the sand? Am I able to stand up with both ears attentive to listen?
Can I hear not just the words (sometimes expressed with fierce harshness and volatility)? Am I attuned to the non-verbals that people use to express themselves? Do I find myself able to get by the harsh tones of voice? Am I able to listen to the person who whispers, or perhaps even whimpers? Do I hear only the people that express themselves just as I do? Do I hear only the people who express themselves differently?
The Good News of the Reading from the Acts of the Apostles for me this Sunday is that the community was able to listen through the complaining to get at the real problem. They didn’t just deal with symptoms, the complaining. The real problem was that there was neglect within the community.
If we can’t get beyond the symptoms to the real problems we won’t experience the good news. Thank God for Jesus who knew what was in people’s hearts. Thank God that the Twelve called together the whole community of disciples and acknowledged “it is not right that we should neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables.” Therefore other ministers were chosen and appointed so that the word of God would not be neglected but neither would those who spoke Greek. Thank God for those in our midst that have the ability to get to the heart of the matter and come up with solutions.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Easter 4 A
Easter 4 A
Good Shepherd Sunday
On an early morning in Israel I sat atop a little hill reading the scriptures and pondering some of the new meanings coming from actually walking the land that Jesus walked. A slight movement on the gentle slope across the valley from the hill where I was caught my attention. I only caught it out of the corner of my eye, my peripheral vision. But when I looked up from the bible to catch sight of what had moved I didn’t notice anything. Then as I returned to my reading, it happened again. This time I gave a longer look and I became aware of some slight movement on the far distant slope. I watched more intently. Gradually it became clear to me that a flock of sheep were slowly moving up the hill. I would notice a scurried movement at the front of the flock and then something similar at the back of the flock. My watching became a studied observation. I gradually discerned that in the midst of the flock was a shepherd. I noticed his arm move in one direction and then another. Finally I deciphered that he was throwing little pebbles, to the front of the sheep that were leading the flock to make sure they did not get too far ahead. As he cast a stone up ahead of them, they would slow and then stop. Then he would cast a pebble to the back of the sheep, bringing up the rear, to speed them up a little. Gradually and consistently the flock progressed together up the hill.
“I am the Good Shepherd.” The words sounded in my ears. I reflected that in a way the Good Shepherd has dealt with me in this gentle and loving way. I also thought it was significant that the shepherd was leading from the midst of the flock. On top of these thoughts I also remembered an experience of Ghandi’s that I had read about. While on march with some of his followers Ghandi had stopped to talk with some people at the side of the road. But then looking ahead he saw that the people journeying with him had moved on ahead of him. He said: “There go my people I must hurry and catch up for I am their leader.”
Sometimes this Sunday falls on the same day as Mother’s Day. We have a popular church song, which says, “Like a shepherd he feeds his flock and gathers the lambs in his arms, holding them carefully close to his heart, leading them home.” A friend of mine who works in the mountains of Peru told me that most of the shepherds there are women. The song almost works better with these words, “Like a shepherd she feeds her flock and gathers the lambs in her arms, holding them carefully close to her heart, leading them home.” Good shepherding is done for us by Jesus and by his followers. We are called to be Good Shepherds to one another.
We must also be conscious that some people masquerade as good shepherds but are really thieves and robbers. Sadly we are experiencing this of some priests in the United States. We must pray for the victims and work to Protect God’s children. We must also pray for these priests. We must pray for our Church that we deal better with these thieves and robbers.
This Sunday let us reflect on how the Good Shepherd has dealt with us. When has he had to slow us down, when has he tried to speed us up? Who have been the people that have exercised the Shepherding role for me? How do I exercise my call to Shepherd others?
Good Shepherd Sunday
On an early morning in Israel I sat atop a little hill reading the scriptures and pondering some of the new meanings coming from actually walking the land that Jesus walked. A slight movement on the gentle slope across the valley from the hill where I was caught my attention. I only caught it out of the corner of my eye, my peripheral vision. But when I looked up from the bible to catch sight of what had moved I didn’t notice anything. Then as I returned to my reading, it happened again. This time I gave a longer look and I became aware of some slight movement on the far distant slope. I watched more intently. Gradually it became clear to me that a flock of sheep were slowly moving up the hill. I would notice a scurried movement at the front of the flock and then something similar at the back of the flock. My watching became a studied observation. I gradually discerned that in the midst of the flock was a shepherd. I noticed his arm move in one direction and then another. Finally I deciphered that he was throwing little pebbles, to the front of the sheep that were leading the flock to make sure they did not get too far ahead. As he cast a stone up ahead of them, they would slow and then stop. Then he would cast a pebble to the back of the sheep, bringing up the rear, to speed them up a little. Gradually and consistently the flock progressed together up the hill.
“I am the Good Shepherd.” The words sounded in my ears. I reflected that in a way the Good Shepherd has dealt with me in this gentle and loving way. I also thought it was significant that the shepherd was leading from the midst of the flock. On top of these thoughts I also remembered an experience of Ghandi’s that I had read about. While on march with some of his followers Ghandi had stopped to talk with some people at the side of the road. But then looking ahead he saw that the people journeying with him had moved on ahead of him. He said: “There go my people I must hurry and catch up for I am their leader.”
Sometimes this Sunday falls on the same day as Mother’s Day. We have a popular church song, which says, “Like a shepherd he feeds his flock and gathers the lambs in his arms, holding them carefully close to his heart, leading them home.” A friend of mine who works in the mountains of Peru told me that most of the shepherds there are women. The song almost works better with these words, “Like a shepherd she feeds her flock and gathers the lambs in her arms, holding them carefully close to her heart, leading them home.” Good shepherding is done for us by Jesus and by his followers. We are called to be Good Shepherds to one another.
We must also be conscious that some people masquerade as good shepherds but are really thieves and robbers. Sadly we are experiencing this of some priests in the United States. We must pray for the victims and work to Protect God’s children. We must also pray for these priests. We must pray for our Church that we deal better with these thieves and robbers.
This Sunday let us reflect on how the Good Shepherd has dealt with us. When has he had to slow us down, when has he tried to speed us up? Who have been the people that have exercised the Shepherding role for me? How do I exercise my call to Shepherd others?
Easter 3 A
Easter 3 A
Burning Hearts on the road.
In this Sunday’s Gospel the city of Jerusalem is important and the journey motif is also important.
We must remember that Luke began his Gospel in Jerusalem, in the Temple. We have the story of Zacharias. Jesus for the major part of this Gospel is “on the way,” on a journey to Jerusalem. “I must go up to Jerusalem.”
Luke also has Jesus born on a journey. Mary and Joseph must journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Jesus’ entire life is a journey. He is born on a journey, for a journey.
The Emmaus story is a journey within the Jesus Journey.
The two disciples are not going “up to Jerusalem” as Jesus did. They are going away from Jerusalem. There are two disciples, one of whom is named Cleopas. Because of the noted examples of women in Luke’s Gospel, some have speculated that the other disciple was woman, maybe the spouse of Cleopas.
At the beginning of the journey their eyes are closed. The death of Jesus had been for them a terrible trauma. Jesus is simply a stranger. But he “went with them.” He enters their emptiness, their meaninglessness, their feeling of divine abandonment.
Their conversation reflects the various “ups” and “downs” of their recent life. UP, “Jesus of Nazareth a prophet mighty in word and deed before God and man.”
DOWN, “(our chief priests and rulers both handed him over to a sentence of death and crucified him.”
UP, “But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel (the Spanish translation says they were hoping he was “the liberator”)
DOWN, “(some women from our group, (were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body.”
UP, “(they reported that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who announced that he was alive.”
DOWN, “Then some of those with us went to the tomb and found things just as the women had described, but him they did not see.”
As the Journey progresses Jesus explains things to them and teaches them. They come to a point and welcome the stranger to stay with them. They recognize Jesus in the breaking of the bread (UP) but then he vanishes (DOWN).
Jesus wishes to walk not just with these two disciples but also with us as his disciples. He enters into our experiences of lost, disillusionment, discouragement. But he also wishes to be our companion in our experiences of joy and happiness and celebration.
As people who know the companionship of Jesus we are to be his presence to one another. As Jesus entered into the experiences of the two disciples, so we must enter into the experiences of one another with the qualities of Jesus. Pope John Paul II conveyed the attitude of Jesus, not just in his words, “John Paul II loves you,” but also in his manner of receiving children and dignitaries.
Are there any sadder words than, “We had hoped(.” Disillusionment, disappointment, sadness that come from hopes shattered. These disciples experienced this. We at times experience this in our lives.
Yet what words of joy. “Did not our hearts burn within us as he spoke to us on the way?” They only later realize that something was happening all along. Hopefully we all have had this kind of experience at some time and place in our lives, when our hearts burned within us, a moment that we look back on with great tenderness and joy.
Jesus is our companion on the journey. Many times our eyes are closed. We must recognize the face of Jesus in the strangers we meet along the way. Can I invite the stranger to stay? There are many kinds of strangers. People in the same family can be or become strangers to one another. If we are honest we have to admit that even our friends are part strangers to us. We are even part strangers to ourselves.
These disciples were changed and went in a different direction; they returned to Jerusalem. We too at times must be changed.
Burning Hearts on the road.
In this Sunday’s Gospel the city of Jerusalem is important and the journey motif is also important.
We must remember that Luke began his Gospel in Jerusalem, in the Temple. We have the story of Zacharias. Jesus for the major part of this Gospel is “on the way,” on a journey to Jerusalem. “I must go up to Jerusalem.”
Luke also has Jesus born on a journey. Mary and Joseph must journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Jesus’ entire life is a journey. He is born on a journey, for a journey.
The Emmaus story is a journey within the Jesus Journey.
The two disciples are not going “up to Jerusalem” as Jesus did. They are going away from Jerusalem. There are two disciples, one of whom is named Cleopas. Because of the noted examples of women in Luke’s Gospel, some have speculated that the other disciple was woman, maybe the spouse of Cleopas.
At the beginning of the journey their eyes are closed. The death of Jesus had been for them a terrible trauma. Jesus is simply a stranger. But he “went with them.” He enters their emptiness, their meaninglessness, their feeling of divine abandonment.
Their conversation reflects the various “ups” and “downs” of their recent life. UP, “Jesus of Nazareth a prophet mighty in word and deed before God and man.”
DOWN, “(our chief priests and rulers both handed him over to a sentence of death and crucified him.”
UP, “But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel (the Spanish translation says they were hoping he was “the liberator”)
DOWN, “(some women from our group, (were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body.”
UP, “(they reported that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who announced that he was alive.”
DOWN, “Then some of those with us went to the tomb and found things just as the women had described, but him they did not see.”
As the Journey progresses Jesus explains things to them and teaches them. They come to a point and welcome the stranger to stay with them. They recognize Jesus in the breaking of the bread (UP) but then he vanishes (DOWN).
Jesus wishes to walk not just with these two disciples but also with us as his disciples. He enters into our experiences of lost, disillusionment, discouragement. But he also wishes to be our companion in our experiences of joy and happiness and celebration.
As people who know the companionship of Jesus we are to be his presence to one another. As Jesus entered into the experiences of the two disciples, so we must enter into the experiences of one another with the qualities of Jesus. Pope John Paul II conveyed the attitude of Jesus, not just in his words, “John Paul II loves you,” but also in his manner of receiving children and dignitaries.
Are there any sadder words than, “We had hoped(.” Disillusionment, disappointment, sadness that come from hopes shattered. These disciples experienced this. We at times experience this in our lives.
Yet what words of joy. “Did not our hearts burn within us as he spoke to us on the way?” They only later realize that something was happening all along. Hopefully we all have had this kind of experience at some time and place in our lives, when our hearts burned within us, a moment that we look back on with great tenderness and joy.
Jesus is our companion on the journey. Many times our eyes are closed. We must recognize the face of Jesus in the strangers we meet along the way. Can I invite the stranger to stay? There are many kinds of strangers. People in the same family can be or become strangers to one another. If we are honest we have to admit that even our friends are part strangers to us. We are even part strangers to ourselves.
These disciples were changed and went in a different direction; they returned to Jerusalem. We too at times must be changed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
