Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day and it was established to honor those fallen in battle during our nation’s Civil War. Being first observed in 1868.
No one spoke more eloquent words honoring those dead – as did President Abraham Lincoln who: 160 years ago – 161 years in November: stood in a cemetery in rural Pennsylvania and offered his famous Gettysburg Address – supposedly written on an envelop as he traveled there by train. If you were like me: you had to memorize this 272 word address at some point in your education - and so may recall these words of Lincoln’s remarks: “We have come to dedicate a portion of this battlefield as a final resting place for those who here– gave their lives – that our nation might live. It is altogether fitting – and proper – that we should do this. But in a larger sense we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here – have consecrated it.” Bishop John Cody on Memorial Day in 1960 – 64 years ago – dedicated this final resting place for our loved ones: those who fought in the battlefields of war – and those who fought in the battlefields of life. We can only echo Lincoln words - we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow these grounds. For those who have gone before us have already consecrated it with their blood, their sweat, and their tears – shed for our nation, shed for our church, shed for our values, shed for each and every one of us. This is not a holy mountain – but a place where we do recall that death is destroyed for ever through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. So let us be glad that he has saved us. It is a place where we come to remember those who have fought the good fight, who have finished the race, who have kept the faith – who are now wearing their crown of righteousness. And all we can do for those who have gone before us – those friends of the risen Lord // is to pause and remember: their lives, their service, their dedication, their sacrifice, and their love. And all we can do // is to be thankful - and pray to God for the grace we need to be able to lay down our lives for one another – as we continue to enjoy the freedoms we have been given. And so I invite each one of us to call to mind those we love who are laid to rest here – and who are laid to rest in other places of hallowed ground. We pause. We remember. And we give thanks.
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Having completed the Easter season once again: recalling the death and resurrection of Jesus, his ascension, and celebrating the feast of Pentecost –
The Church now asks us to think about and celebrated the God in which we believe. Throughout the ages, saints and theologians have tried to give us ways of understanding God. We all know of our patron - St. Patrick - who described God’s nature by using a shamrock – just as there are three distinct leaves of a shamrock and yet it is just one leaf – So there are three distinct persons in God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – and yet only on God. Probably less familiar to us – is St. John Damascene, a priest who lived in Jerusalem in the 7th century - who tried to explain the nature of God by using a plant. He suggested that we think of God the Father as the root of the plant - the foundation from which the rest of the plant grows. The part of the plant that gives the rest of the plant – life. St. John then said we should think of Jesus as the branches of the plant - the part which supports the leaves which sustains the life for the rest of the plant. And of course if you cut the leaves off of the branch - they wither and die. Jesus, himself, told us a few weeks back: I am the vine, and you are the branches – and apart from me - you can do nothing. So if we cut ourselves off from Christ – we cut ourselves off from the source of our strength. And then finally, St. John tells us that we could think of the Holy Spirit as the fruit of the plant – that which gives life to others - but also contains new seeds - that will continue the cycle of life to the next generation. The plant has three distinct parts that have their own specific function - and yet it is one plant. Just as God has three distinct person, each one having their own specific function – and yet we have but one God. Perhaps as we go about planting seeds and nurturing plants this summer – we can keep this teaching of St. John Damascene in mind. And we can remember what a more recent theologian has said of God. The late Karl Rahner: a German, Jesuit, priest – who was influential in the teachings of the Second Vatican Council – referred to God as: “that mystery which we call God” because he thought that no matter how we talk about God or try to explain God – it will always fall short. Because in the end, we have to admit that we are talking about a mystery. And it is more important to EXPERIENCE the mystery, than to try to understand it. So as we leave here today, we don’t have to leave thinking: now I understand completely all there is no know about God. Nor do we have to leave frustrated because we have to admit that God is a mystery - and there is little that we can fully understand about God. But we should be leaving here with the desire to open ourselves and EXPERIENCE -the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. -the love of God. -and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Because after all, it is more important to experience the mystery of God - -then to try to understand God. Today, our waiting is over – as we celebrate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. But this isn’t the first time the Spirit of God appears in the Scriptures.
In John’s Gospel, chapter 20- which we just read - we are told that when Jesus first appears to his disciples following his resurrection - he breathes on them and they receive the Holy Spirit (John 20:22). And in the first chapter of Genesis, the creating Spirit of God sweeps over the waters (Genesis 1:2) and begins to bring forth life. So the story we tell today – the story of Pentecost and the birth of the Church is when the Spirit, already active in history inspires a group of people in a unique way. I want to invited each of us today, through what is called a guided meditation – to go back to that day in our minds. . . to imagine ourselves as the first followers of Jesus in that upper room. So to begin, I invite you to be as comfortable as you can in our somewhat uncomfortable chairs. Close your eyes and relax your shoulders and neck - where we carry a lot of tension. Place your open hands on your legs with the palms turned up in a position of receptivity to the gifts God offers us. And just try to clear your mind - so you can focus on the Lord, and God’s presence: because God is fond of each of us. Continue to relax by becoming aware of your breathing – breathing in and holding your breath for just a few seconds - before you exhale. Breathe in – relax – then breathe out. Trying to release all your distractions, tensions, and worries. Breathe in – relax - and breathe out. And then just invite the presence of the Holy Spirit to come to you. Just begin to think: come Holy Spirit, as you breathe in – relax and hold your breathe - and breathe out as you think: fill me with your gifts. Breathe in: thinking come Holy Spirit – relax - and breathe out: fill me your gifts. Breathe in. And out. And we pray as we continue to breath in and out: Come Holy Spirit - fill me with your gifts. Come Holy Spirit - fill me with your gifts. Breathing in – and out. Thinking: I invite you. //I need you. I desire you. // Come Holy Spirit. And suddenly, there came a noise, like a strong driving wind -and it filled the entire place where they were. Breathing in - thinking come Holy Spirit. And breathing out - fill me with your gifts. Invite the breath of God - that once breathed upon the waters and brought forth life on the earth – to fill your lungs — as the Spirit of God fills your soul and heart. Come Holy Spirit. Fill me with your gifts. [Wait for the wind sounds to end then begin playing softly: O Breathe on Me, O Breath of God. Continue to end of Homily] Come: Spirit of Wisdom: that we may turn from the things of this world and strive after the things that are eternal. Breathe on us O breath of God! Come: Spirit of Understanding: enlighten our minds with the light of divine truth. Breathe on us O breath of God! Come: Spirit of Counsel: that we may ever choose the surest way of pleasing God and strive to obtain the glory of heaven. Breath in – and Breath out. Come Holy Spirit - fill is with your gifts. Come: Spirit of Fortitude: that we may bear our crosses and overcome with courage all the obstacles we face that keep us from loving you and one another. Breathe on us O breath of God. Come: Spirit of Knowledge: that we may know God and ourselves and grow toward holiness and conforming ourselves to the image of Christ. Breathe on us O breath of God. Come: Spirit of Piety: that we may find joy in our worship and service of God. Breathe on us O breath of God. Come: Spirit of Awe: that we may be filled with loving reverence toward God and find beauty and wonder in all of God’s creation. Breathe on us O breath of God Mark us, O Lord, with the sign of true discipleship and animate us in all things with the help of your Spirit. Yes, breathe on us O beath of God – fill us with your gifts – and help us to use them for the building of your kingdom. And together we say: AMEN! And we open our eyes, and stand, and commit ourselves to being Christ’s Spirit-filled disciples. When I was growing up, my mom’s mother - so my maternal grandmother - lived with us.
Four of my mother’s brothers were still living, having survived their service during World War II - of course would come, with their families, to visit their mother from time to time. One uncle in particular we liked to see arrive. Because always before he left, he would call me and my siblings together – pull some coins out of his pocket – jingle them in his hand - and then proceed to offer each of us a coin. These weren’t just any coins, though – they were special coins – like: 1920 Silver Dollar / 1942 Quarter / 1909 Buffalo Nickel. All of which I still have. . . Just like my uncle before he would leave our house, Jesus wanted to make sure he offered his disciples something special before he left this earth. We have considered some of these special gifts throughout the Easter season: like - mercy: when, out of love, we DO NOT always give people what they deserve – when we are unfair in a good way: like loving others, forgiving them, or helping them - even when they don’t deserve it. During this Easter season, Jesus offers us the gift of peace: peace I leave you, my peace I give you. Peace, St. John Paul II once said: is not possible without justice. And justice is not possible without forgiveness. And forgiveness is not possible without mercy. In any kind of disagreement, we have the choice of escalating it – or diffusing it by being a peace-maker. Jesus offers us The gift of leadership through a good shepherd who gives us confidence and hope: allowing us to become the good sheep that Jesus wants us to be. Following after him, embracing the values of the Gospel – rather than chasing after the values this world offers us. Jesus before he leaves the earth, offers us the gift of Connection: with him and with each other in community. He is the vine, we are the branches and we must draw our spiritual strength from him – because without him, we can do nothing. Through Scripture, and prayer, and service, and Sacraments: we conform our values, our priorities, our expenditure of time, talent, and treasure to flow from our commitment to Christ. Throughout this Easter season – Christ also offers us the gift of – JOY. Because we know and truly believe that God is fond of us – we have, not the gift of happiness which is dependent on the outside circumstances of our life – but the gift of joy - which is deep within our hearts that regardless of the circumstances we find ourselves in – cannot be taken from us – And so someone like Nelson Mandela, though unjustly locked up in prison for years – still had joy in his hea rt – because he knew God was fond of him. Notice I said Jesus OFFERS us these gifts - we have to be open to receiving them – for like his love – Jesus does not force it upon us – we have to freely choose to love Jesus and then accept the gifts he offers to us. BUT the greatest gift of all that Jesus wants to offer us – is yet to come: “But in a few days, you will be Baptized with the Holy Spirit.” And thus began the first novena, nine days of prayer, when the disciples prepare themselves to receive the Holy Spirit - which offers another whole bunch of gifts to them. . . So like the disciples, we wait. We wait for the same Spirit which will make us as bold in our witness of Christ as the disciples were. Accepting the gift of the Holy Spirit will allow us to live in a manner worthy of the call WE have received – and allow us to go forth to preach everywhere, and the Lord will work in us and through us – –confirming the word of God through signs and wonders. We will be able to do all these things because of the GIFTS of the Holy Spirit – so be sure to come back next week – on the feast of Pentecost – when we celebrate these gifts God offers to lavish upon us. |
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