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Throughout our reading of St. John’s Gospel over the last three weeks – Jesus has said over and over again: I am the bread of life. . .
So what does Jesus mean when he says he is bread - and what does he mean when he says he is life? For those of you here last week, I took on the second question: what does Jesus mean when he says he is life — and promised you I would tackle the first question: what does Jesus mean when he says he is bread – today. So thanks for coming back. In the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, we read that on the night Jesus was betrayed, he desired to eat his last meal with his Apostles: it was the feast of Passover – and so it was a Passover meal which they shared. Now – there are specific foods to be used at a Passover Meal. . . There would have been parsley - symbolic of spring, when Passover occurs — which is dipped in salt water in remembrance of the tears shed by the Jews during their time of slavery in Egypt. There are bitter herbs to remind those at the meal that the Egyptians embittered the lives of the Jews. There is a hard-boiled egg - a reminder of the grief experienced by the Jews in Egypt – their rebirth as they passed through the waters of the Red Sea – and the new life God was offering them in the promised land. Much like the Easter eggs we use and little bunnies – to remind us of new life. . . There is what is called Horoseth - a mixture of chopped apples, cinnamon, nuts and wine – a reminder of the mortar used by the slave laborers in Egypt to build buildings. And there is wine, and lamb, and bread – and a few other things. The point I wish to make is that there are several foods at a Passover meal – and yet when Jesus chose something to represent himself, and the sign of the new covenant God was making with his people – Jesus did not pick up an egg, or a sprig of parsley, or a scoop of horoseth, or even a leg of lamb – he picked up bread, broke it and said: take this, all of you and eat of it - for this IS my body which will be given up for you. SO WHY BREAD: and not an egg or a bitter herb or a leg of lamb?? I think it is because the range in the taste of vegetables and meat or any other food – varies from culture to culture and from age to age. But there is one constant food item throughout time and across cultures – a “universal food” if you will – and that is bread. Bread has been part of human history for more than 30,000 years according to some scholars – beginning in Africa and the Middle East, bread has been on a journey all throughout the world. Bread has been an indispensable key to human survival - and without bread, ordered societies would not exist. Jesus knew the importance of bread for sustaining life – and of its universal nature – and so it was bread that he took, blessed, broke, and shared as the symbol of his life. For Jesus, himself, would be blessed, broken, and shared – for all people and for all times. As Catholics, we believe in what is called the REAL PRESENCE of Christ in the Eucharist – that is we take Jesus at his word when he says quite clearly in the Gospels – this IS my body, this IS my blood – and that once the words of consecration – the calling down the Holy Spirit upon our gifts of Bread and Wine, changing them into the very Body and Blood of Christ – Christ’s presence is there – and stays there – Which is the historical origins of Tabernacles – where consecrated hosts, the very presence of Christ — are kept for the use of taking them to the sick — –and is the historical origin of Adoration – because once Christ is in the host – he always remains in the host – and so we adore him on bended knee when we enter and leave a Church – and come to pray in his presence whether the host is in the Tabernacle or put into a Monstrance on the Altar. Now you have heard me say this before - but I don’t hesitate to say it again: WE BECOME WHAT WE EAT AND DRINK! So by receiving the Eucharist here – eating Christ’s body and drinking his blood – we become more like Christ - -so that when we leave here to go back out into the world – we become the real presence of Christ to others. And something we really need to work on - is recognizing the real presence of Christ in those around us – especially those Jesus mingled with: the poor, widows, orphans, the foreigner (which in Jesus days were the Samaritans - despised by the Jews but befriended by Jesus) – the broken, the downtrodden, the suffering and the sick – to name a few. 11:00 am ONLY: And so I say to you Jonathan – who will be receiving the very Body and Blood of Christ this morning for the first time – And to our second graders who will begin their preparation for their 1st Communions later this year – And to all of us – SO: This is important stuff we do here in this place – week after week. Where else can we go to get the nourishment we need to become more like Christ? And let’s keep this thought of Pope Francis in mind: The Eucharist is not a prize for the perfect – but a powerful medicine and nourishment for the weak. May we find nourishment at this table – today – and come here often to receive the medicine we need because we are weak – but can be made strong through the GRACE of God.
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It’s probably all of Jesus’ talk about Bread on the weekends when we are reading from St. John’s Bread of Life discourse – that dislodged this childhood memory.
My brothers and sisters and I of course LOVED the summer. With woods and fields and ponds and haylofts on 86 acres of land – Mom would turn us loose in the morning and did not expect to see much of us throughout the day. So we played games, built forts, swung through trees on vines, made treehouses, fished, and generally had a good time getting down and dirty. My father arrived home from work like clockwork at 5:00 o’clock every evening, and we were expected to be at the dinner table shortly after that – CLEANED UP from our busy days. So, this usually meant a change to cleaner clothes of , certainly a hand and face wash, and hair combed. It was expected of us, and we complied without question. So what does this have to do with Mary – and our celebration of her Assumption today?? You probably know the basic teaching of this feast – that when Mary’s earthly life had ended, she was assumed – taken up to heaven – body and soul. Being sinless from the time of her Conception – the feast we celebrate on December the 8th – her wedding garment - -her soul – was without blemish – her soul was clean – ready to take her place at the heavenly banquet. And so she did. Now - we do not claim for Mary what we do not also claim for ourselves – we, too, are destined for the heavenly banquet – but, unlike Mary, we don’t have a direct route there body and soul. . . Like my brothers and sisters and I playing around on the farm — our wedding garment – given to us at the time of our Baptism – is not spotless – is NOT without blemish – our souls are not clean because they have been infected – and effected by — SIN. So, we need to get cleaned up before we sit down at the banquet table of heaven – and that cleaning up process for us is called - PURGATORY– when we are made aware of all those things we chose to do to separate ourselves from the love of God - and others – and are scrubbed clean by the loving, compassionate, merciful, and forgiving – embrace of God – who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Nobody has returned to tell us what that is like – so I am of the mind and heart that Purgatory is more of a process – rather than a place – because after our death we are freed from the constraints of time and space. . . The Catechism does not specify purgatory as a place – it says: “All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured their eternal salvation. But after death, they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.” At the end of her earthly life - because she was sinless – Mary was assumed body and soul into heaven. She was ready to sit at the banquet table of heaven because she was already pure and clean. We do not claim for Mary what we do not also claim for ourselves. Where Mary is – we hope to follow - we just need to clean up a bit. And Mary – humble, trusting, hopeful Mary – will be there waiting for us – waiting to welcome each of us to the table – as only a loving mother can. And so we ask, Mary: Queen of Heaven – to pray for us – NOW, and at the hour of our death. AMEN! Listen up as I am going to make a public confession – something that doesn’t happen very often.
It is something that started a long time ago and I have to admit to this day – I haven’t been able to shake it. It started around our dining room table at home – this proclivity of mine: As a child, no matter how full at dinner I got by eating my mom’s roast and potatoes, or my grandmother’s chicken and dumplings – even if I had already left the table – when the call came for dessert – somehow – I wasn’t quite as stuffed as I thought I was. That’s pretty much it in a nutshell. Today, no matter how sated my appetite gets – there is always room for cookies, or cake, or pie, or ice cream. My father used to say it was “filling in the cracks.” The prophet Elijah had a similar problem — in the First Book of Kings – we read of a very full and stuffed Elijah. . . He’s been on the run from Queen Jezebel, after tangling with some of her prophets. He’d been trying to do what God was asking of him – but things weren’t really going all that well. And he was full - stuffed - but by all the wrong things: He was full of exhaustion. Full of disappointment. Full of disillusionment. Full of despair. Full of fear and confusion and loneliness. And he had enough – he was at the end of his rope, no longer able to take any more bites of what life was offering. And so he plops down and prays for death. . . Can we relate? Each disappointment, each time of sorrow, each experience of futility, loneliness, or betrayal that we have – seems to squeeze just a little more of life out of us – seems to crowd out the best part of ourselves – taking away our hope and our peace and our joy. We try to keep all the balls of our lives juggled – but sometimes things become too much – and all that seems to remain are the things we never wanted in the first place – and we are full –..... by all the wrong things. . . But just as with Elijah, and just like me with my sweet tooth so, too, with all of us –– we can find that there is always more room. As the story of Elijah recounts, an angel of the Lord wakes Elijah up. And in front him, in the middle of nowhere – he sees some food and water. And he takes and eats, takes and drinks from what the Lord provided. . . A few minutes before – he was done with life. And now he is choosing life by choosing to accept what God is offering. And clearly it just wasn’t his body that was being nourished. His soul and his mind and his whole being was been nourished as well. As full as Elijah was – there was still room for THE most important thing he needed – God’s presence in his life. “I am the bread of life.” Jesus proclaims – in a phrase that confused some, and turned others off – because they did not have the perspective we do – of casting that phrase in terms of the Eucharist we share and consume. Without that perspective – it would be hard FOR US to wrap our minds and hearts around it – which is why in this section of St. John’s Gospel – Jesus says it over and over again: I am the bread of life. . . So what does Jesus mean when he says he is bread – and what does he mean when he says he is life? I will leave the first question until next week as we continue reading from John’s Gospel – and tackle the second today. . . What is this LIFE Jesus wants for us?? It’s a life in which hope takes the place of pessimism. It’s a life where joy takes the place of despair. Where generosity takes the place of selfishness. Compassion takes the place of judgment and condemnation. Kindness takes the place of cruelty and abuse. Forgiveness takes the place of vengeance. In short, it’s a life lived in love, as St. Paul tells us. In other words, it’s the only kind of life God wants for us and is constantly offering us. And it doesn’t matter whether we have had an easy life or a difficult one – whether or not we have escaped major disappointments or have had them come our way at every corner. Those things should not and cannot rob us of our hope and our peace and our joy. They should not and cannot squeeze out the best possibilities within us. And it’s all possible because there is always room for God. And God showers down blessings upon us — abundantly – Remember this whole passage of John, Chapter 5 — began with just two fish and 5 loaves — and there were 12 baskets left over. . . God is a God of abundance – and God is a God of generosity —- and there is always room for God, nobody how filled up we think we are with everything else life can throw at us. So our guest speaker, Douglas, reminded us last week that we are chosen by God to leave this place and to go out and do something special: to proclaim the Kingdom of God by our words and actions. How well did we do that this past week?
We were reminded in the Eucharistic prayer: that the kingdom, and therefore we – are a witness to truth and freedom, to peace and justice – that all people may be raised us to a new hope. How many people did we raise up in hope this past week? And at the end of Mass last week we were commissioned, just like the disciples – to go do something: to go in peace to proclaim the Good News of the Gospel. What report would we be giving Jesus this week of what we had done and taught in his name?? And if we did these things – if were true to our calling from the God who loves us – then we should be a bit tired – and ready for a rest: just like the disciples. And if we are not tired and weary by our work as disciples – then perhaps just weary and tired by our lives and its demands this past week. So if you have every found yourself thinking: I can use a bit of peace and quiet – then this story is for you. . . THE BOY WHO SEARCHED FOR SILENCE [By Andrew Newman] Once upon a time, there was a boy who went searching for silence. He had heard that: Silence is golden. Silence is peaceful. Silence is refreshing and renewing. Most of all, he had heard that in silence, he could hear the voice of God calling him by name - and telling him how much he was loved. He wanted nothing more. The boy struggled with the noise of everyday life. There were cars and buses, televisions and radios. Talking and shouting and sirens and horns. Everywhere he went, noise entered in. He found this very difficult – so he went on a search for golden, peaceful, and renewing silence. He walked to the bottom of the garden searching for silence, BUT the neighbor’s dog was barking. He walked to the park searching for silence, BUT the frisbee throwers were laughing. He walked into the forest searching for silence, BUT the hikers were talking. So he walked to the top of a hill. There he sighed – ahh - silence. I’ve found it. BUT, just as he had that thought - a noisy plane flew overhead, breaking the silence. OH NO! He exclaimed. There is no silence in the world! This was a false quest, he thought. People lied to me, he blamed. There is no such thing as golden, peaceful, renewing silence! So he raged with anger, stomping, and throwing rocks down the hill – adding his own noise to an already noisy world. . . With time his anger softened. I guess I will have to struggle with difficult noises all my life, he thought. What’s a person to do?? He cried out loud. He sat down, utterly helpless. He closed his eyes and wept. At first he wept short, breathless sobs, gasping for each new breath. Over time, his breathing softened and deepened, becoming deeper and deeper – in and out he breathed. In and out. The boy felt like he was falling – falling inward. He was too tired to be scared. So he fell. He was too helpless to think. So he fell. In and out he breathed. He was enjoying this new feeling – so he fell. He fell — right into silence. –pause for awhile Silence was like a dream to him. A whole world opened up. It was spacious. It was comforting. And it was oh so peaceful. A big smile spread across his face as he rested – in silence - feeling deeply nourished on the inside. AHH, he thought. Silence is not a thing to find – it is a place inside me. I can go there and visit whenever and wherever I want. From inside silence he could hear another plane flying overhead. He simply smiled From inside silence he could hear the hikers talking. He simply smiled. From inside silence he could hear the frisbee throwers laughing. And the boy simply smiled. When he walked down the hill, silence came with him. When he walked through the forest, silence came with him. When he crossed the park, silence came with him. Silence became his friend. That day, he fell head-over-heels in love with silence. He loved silence deeply, and silence loved him back. Each day after, he made sure to take a few special minutes to fall inwards into silence. And all the things he had heard turned out to be true. Silence is golden. Silence is peaceful. And silence is very refreshing and renewing. Most of all, he discovered that in silence he could hear the voice of God call him by name - and tell him how much he was loved. And this made him very, very happy. And Jesus said to them: “come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest for a while.” Why? Because we’re tired and weary. Why? So that we can know Christ better and serve Him more faithfully. Why? So that we can hear the voice of God calling us by name - and telling us how much we are loved. . . We have a “guest speaker” this morning and I will let him speak for himself. . .
Hey you. Yeah you - I’m talking to you. It’s me, Douglas. And in case you forgot what I look like – I’m the handsome one with the red hair! I’m here today to ask you: did you know you were chosen by God? Just like the disciples in the Gospel today: you were chosen by God. Let me start with a story. I kinda had a hard day at school on Friday. Because I got picked LAST for dodgeball. And I hardly ever get picked last – because I am pretty good at catching a ball. So they put me in the outfield when we are playing softball. Or I like being the goalie when we play soccer. And at dodgeball, when you catch the ball – the person who threw it is OUT! So I could really be an asset to the team. . . BUT, I do have kind of a weakness – and I think that’s what worked against me on Friday. Because I think everyone has figured it out – I’m good a catching A ball - but if there is more than one coming at me at the same time – I’m not good at both catching and dodging. So, when multiple balls are coming at me – I just kind of freeze– and then I usually get hit – so then I’m out – and of course that’s not good for the team. So now that people know they just have to throw more than one ball at me at the same time – THAT’S why I got picked last. . . And that felt really bad. I don’t like getting picked last – I don’t think anyone does! BUT. But, did you know you and I were chosen by God – Yeah. God chose us because we are God’s special possession. God’s favorite. All of us are. Now I know you’re thinking well, if everyone is God’s favorite – then no one is God’s favorite. I know it doesn’t make sense – but that’s not how it works with God. You are God’s favorite you. And I am God’s favorite me. And since we are all one of a kind – God can choose each of us as God’s favorite. We are chosen by God. Like the prophets. Like St. Paul. Like the Apostles – we are chosen to go out and do something special – to proclaim the kingdom of God by our words and actions. St. Paul tells us 2 times in his letter to the Ephesians today – that we are chosen: He says: God chose us before the foundation of the world. That’s a long time ago – that God had us in mind to be chosen. Because we are God’s favorite. And St. Paul says: God chose us in Christ – destined for the purpose of God who accomplishes all things through us – according to God’s will. WE ARE CHOSEN BY GOD! God picks us first every time – because God created us in the divine image and likeness. God picks us first every time – because God has placed the spark of the divine within us for us to nurture so we can become more and more like Christ. God picks us first – most of all because God loves us!! Can you just let that sink in for a bit: God loves you!!! And because God loves us – God chooses us. So – you and I may not be chosen 1st at dodgeball, or for that new position that opened up at work, or for other things in our lives. BUT, when t comes to God – and the Kingdom God wants to build – a kingdom of truth and freedom – a kingdom of peace and justice – so that all people may be raised up to a new hope – We can know that God will always choose me – and God will always choose you. Because Jesus loves us. Jesus gave his life to save us. And now Jesus is living within us everyday to enlighten, strengthen, and free us: That’s how much we are loved. And I think that is really, really, really amazing – So I hope you will understand deep down inside – that you are chosen, and valued, and loved. That’s what our faith teaches us. And all we need – is faith. So that’s it for today. I know I will come and see you again. Because we are on this journey of life together – a narrow path which will lead us all to heaven. And that’s really, really, really amazing too! Going back a few Sundays – we heard Jesus explaining what the Kingdom of God is like: a man scattering seed on the ground and it growing - all the while the farmer not knowing how. And like a mustard seed that grows into the largest of plants.
I think the question that hangs over our heads – and is expressed in different ways throughout the rest of our reading of St. Mark’s Gospel is – do we accept the kingdom, the plan God has for all of us and for the world – or do we reject it? Do we have faith in God, in ourselves, and others - that this kingdom can be made present in our midst – or do we lack that faith? So as we continued reading from Mark: we had a story of the disciples in the boat - frighten out of their wits – Jesus right there with them – and Jesus has to ask: why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith? Then two stories of healing - and those showing great faith in who Jesus is and what he is capable of doing. Now a story of Jesus in his native place, and the story ending with: “So Jesus was not able to perform any mighty deeds there, apart from curing a few sick people by laying hands on them. He was amazed at their LACK OF FAITH. SO the question - do we have faith? And place our trust in God – or do we place our hopes in other things. . . The residents of Nazareth did not really believe that Jesus was capable of greatness. After all, Jesus was the son of a carpenter and he lived among the Nazarenes for years. He did not seem extraordinary and certainly didn’t embody the traits of what they thought a Messiah should be: wearing royal garments or leading a strong army. How could they possibly believe their neighbor, Jesus, was capable of miracles – let alone that he was the Son of God? It made no sense! Like St. Paul saying when he is weak, then he is strong. Or Jesus saying the first will be last and the last first: It just doesn’t make sense! But that’s the thing about faith. It’s not always practical or sensible! Instead of providing Nazareth, and all of us – with a royal prince dressed in velvet robes surrounded by armed guards – God sent his Son to be humbly born in a stable surrounded by animals, and to grow up a simple laborer. The people of Nazareth had plenty of common sense. What they lacked was faith. And it is faith – not common sense – which allows one to take the steps necessary to be a disciple of Christ. Faith allows one to believe what doesn’t make sense – and what’s not practical. So do we have faith – or just an abundance of common sense - which, as my grandfather used to say – really isn’t that common. . . If we are to be true disciples of Jesus – we are called to recognize that all we have is a gift from God. Even faith itself – the spark of the divine that God places within each one of us is a gift – which we are called to nurture. Everything we have, is gift. We are NOT solely responsible for our unique gifts or talents, our wealth, our health, or our surroundings. Having just traveled outside of the country, and celebrating our Independence this week – I think most of us take the gift of our country for granted – even with all of its rough edges. But how blessed we are to live here. We are recipients of gifts bestowed upon us by our most generous God – and we are called to nurture all of them. Wouldn’t it make more sense to think we are great at something because we worked hard at it, and were born with some natural ability?? Of course it would. But who gave us that natural ability? Who surrounded us with the resources, or gave us the family and friends to help develop our natural talents and use them in the world? The answer is of course – God. Ultimately, having a steward’s heart – recognizing that all we have is a gift from God and being ever thankful for those gifts – is more valuable than common sense any day. And having a steward’s heart – allows the spark of the divine within us to grow – just like that mustard seed – that started small – but springs up and becomes the largest of plants. Good stewards have the faith to know – that God is in charge, and we are not. As we continue to read St. Mark’s Gospel for the next 21 weeks – with a little of St. John’s Gospel thrown in along the way – let’s continue to reflect on the questions – do we accept the kingdom, the plan God has for all of us and for the world – or do we reject it? Do we have faith in God, in ourselves, and others – that this kingdom can be made present in our midst – or do we lack that faith. . . And to know – we just need to have faith. It is good to be back. I love to travel and visiting Ireland and Scotland was great –
But I do have to admit there a little Dorothy Gail in me in thinking – there no place like home. And so it’s good to back and to be with all of you again. . . I find the contrast of today’s Gospel with last Sunday’s Gospel a little humorous. Recall last week the disciples were in a storm-tossed boat with Jesus– scared out of their wits that they were all going down with the ship. So Jesus calmed the waters – then asked: do you not yet have faith? Now these were guys who had been with Jesus for awhile. They had already seen him -cure a man possessed by a demon as well as Peter’s mother-in-law. -had seen Jesus cleanse a leper and heal a paralytic and a man with a withered hand. -had hear Jesus tell a few of his parables – and yet Jesus has to ask: Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith? And the answer is: obviously not. . . The humor, I think, comes in by the people in today’s Gospel. These are folks who, unlike the disciples, have NOT been with Jesus - they have only heard about him. And Jesus says to one: Daughter, your FAITH has cured you. And to the other: Do not be afraid - just have FAITH - and he must have – for his daughter is raised from the dead. FAITH: the ability to trust God and God’s love for us. FAITH: knowing that God is in charge and we are not. FAITH: the spark of the divine that God places within each of us with the hope that we will nurture it. . . When I read today’s Gospel, it made me think how the people who followed Jesus at that time were blessed to see him in the flesh. And I wonder about their ability to place their faith in Jesus. . . I fear that even if I saw Jesus perform miracles and say amazing things – I still might have been more like Thomas of another Gospel — and doubted. But the bleeding woman and the father of the girl thought to be dead – even without seeing or hearing Jesus prior to their encounter with him – believed. We just need to have faith. We just have to let go of our doubts, our fears, our need to control – and believe in the power of the divine But that letting go can be both scary and freeing. While we might not have witnessed Jesus performing a miracle – we can still have faith that God can make us and our world whole again. We can have faith that though there is evil in the world, that justice is undying. We can have faith when we see good in others, when we see people working to improve the lives of others who may feel forgotten. In these times and places, we can have faith that God is in charge, and we are not. In a world beset with tragedy and sometimes senseless acts of violence – it can be hard to have faith. But we have to remember that miracles though they be small – do happen all around us – if only we would pay attention to them. Our faith should help us not only to believe – but also act: with kind words and compassionate actions. We need to let our faith shine. Let God in. Believe that justice is undying, that by doing what we can, where we are, with what we have – we can make a difference in the world. We just need to have faith . . . We had a few glitches in our computer system the other week. And once the company came in to fix the problems - I developed a new problem with my printing capabilities.
Before the fix - I would hit print – and immediately the document started printing. After the fix - I now hit print – and there is about a ten second delay before the document begins to print. 10 seconds isn’t much – but when you’re in a hurry, 10 seconds can seem like 10 minutes. And aren’t we always in a hurry? I need this document to print so I can move on to the next one. . . We need to get through this line we are waiting in so we can move on to the next task we have. We are always in a hurry - to get the gas pumped, the clothes washed, to get the yard work done– and to get through that pesky long light: which we all have SOMEWHERE in our daily travels. . . It’s easy to get in rush and get extremely IMPATIENT with ourselves, with the kids, the neighbors and that person who is on their phone not paying attention to the light – so sits there when it turns green. . . It’s even easy to get impatient with God - especially in our spiritual growth to become more like Christ. We want to be more compassionate now (or at least I hope we do). We want to be more forgiving - now. We want to be more generous - now. We want to be less judgmental - now. All these crazy things that Jesus wants us to be in order to be more like him – we want them NOW – if not in ourselves – certainly in those around us. But when listening to the parables Jesus tells of the Kingdom today – one thing we should take away is that God is always doing the building, and the growing and the molding and theshaping – not us. Even in the natural world, God takes the tiny, insignificant mustard see and OVER TIME God turns it into a plant that becomes a home for the birds of the sky. . . SO God does the planting, God controls the growth - God is in charge we are not – BUT [and this is a big BUT] we are not excused from giving that mustard seed of the divine planted within us the most ideal growing conditions we can – we are responsible for NURTURING the seed of faith we have been given. And so we need to come here - or quietly in our prayer and home - to show our gratitude to God for all God has blessed us with. This allows the seed of faith to grow. And we need to come here and elsewhere to experience the support of other like-minded people to be more bold in our witness of Christ. Who we hang out with – – determines how quickly God can produce the good fruit of the kingdom in our lives. And sometimes we just need a break from the chaos and hectic nature of our lives – needing a little quiet and calm and rest – so that we can listen to where the voice of God wants to lead us. So we come here - or in the quiet of our backyard, or walking in the wonders of nature. But always: we need to come here to be nourished at this table - to allow the seed of the divine to be nurtured and grow – so that we are able to face the challenge of following after Jesus Giving the mustard seed of faith, the spark of the divine nature placed within each one of us – the ideal growing conditions is what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. AND [and this is a BIG AND] It means always putting forth our best efforts - sometimes in very small, seemingly insignificant ways: A kind word A compassionate action Generous giving. To at least pray for the grace we need to forgive someone - when we can’t yet bring ourselves to forgive. And always asking ourselves: are we doing better at being Christ-like than we were yesterday? Last month? Or Last year? Then always asking for the grace we need to do even better. So PATIENCE - we must never look at the world, or at the Church, or at our neighbor, or at ourselves - and lose hope. God is in charge we are not. And just as God always has, God will use the most unlikely-seeming, the most insignificant- appearing means to build the kingdom. Jesus took 12 insignificant, often fearful, and doubting men – from insignificant backwater towns of the Roman empire – and built a Church that has now spread throughout the world. And God takes a splash of water over a head, a smudge of oil on a forehead, a bit of bread and a sip of wine, a kind word, or a whispered prayer – and turns us into instruments of holiness and peace. God will use small mustard seeds – like me and you - to continue building the kingdom of God. And that kingdom, which has small, insignificant starts in small insignificant ways everyday – will continue to grow and flourish – and give shade to all those who seek it. When Jesus went home to Nazareth, and the crowds gathered around him - his relatives set out to seize him and they said: He is out of his mind.
What a way to say: Welcome Home! Why would his relatives say he is out of his mind? Sure, Jesus was probably saying things a bit differently than many other people they knew. . . but is that what made them think he was crazy? Sure, by that time they had probably heard about some things he had done that were hard to explain: like telling a paralyzed man to get up and walk – and restoring the use of a man’s hand that was withered. . . is this what caused them to think Jesus was out of his mind? Sure, he told some stories, parables, that had unexpected endings and which left his listeners a bit confused - is that what made them think he was crazy? And oh yes, he talked with a certain amount of authority and wisdom that did not seem to match his upbringing or social standing. Does this mean he had lost his mind? As modern hearers of this passage from St. Mark’s Gospel – we probably wonder: okay, people - what’s the big deal?? What was Jesus really guilty of: -pointing out injustices? -inspiring people with his words? -awing people with his actions? -forgiving people? -accepting people for who they were and not judging them? Is all of this what made them think he was out of his mind?? And yet, maybe they were on to something. Because even though we may never say it, we have probably thought it at one time or another: Jesus is asking the impossible of us – and therefore must be crazy. . . And if our reaction is to quickly disagree, let me provide you with a few examples. In faith, we believe that Jesus wants us to forgive everyone who has wronged us. And not just sort of forgive them – but really forgive them, completely. And not just for the small stuff. . . but for the really big stuff. Jesus even wants us to truly forgive our enemies! I don’t know about you, but that just sounds a little crazy to me. And Jesus wants us to turn the other cheek: that is never respond to violence with violence. He wants us to never react just by our human nature – to seek revenge, or to wrong people who have wronged us. Carry grudges? There is no place for them in the kingdom Jesus wants to build. Sounds just a bit crazy. . . And Jesus wants us to give generously from all the blessings God has bestowed upon us. That means we can’t simply give a little from our excess - but rather we’re called to dig down deep and give much from whatever we have - because we have been given much. Feeling that we never have enough is not an option in Jesus’ sheepfold. Is Jesus out of his mind or what? Doesn’t he realize there is a certain status we have to achieve and maintain in our society?? At the very least we have to be appear better off than the next door neighbors — so we can’t just be giving stuff away to the poor and needy – can we?? And Jesus wants us to be kind and merciful and compassionate and understanding and non-judgemental – talk about being crazy. . . Does Jesus realize who we have to work with and live with and interact with at Church and in the neighborhood?? He must be out of his mind to have such expectations for us. . . So maybe Jesus’ relatives were on to something. Maybe they had it right all along: Jesus is out of his mind!! One of the greatest challenges of Christianity – and perhaps the most challenging: is to completely buy into what Jesus is teaching. Because it is much easier to simply ignore a lot of what we hear Jesus saying. Or it’s much easier to simply think Jesus really could not mean what he said. Or it’s much easier to believe that Jesus is inviting us to live in a way that is completely unreasonable, ridiculous, or even impossible - and therefore we can just ignore him. To put it another way, it’s easier to simply think that Jesus really is out of his mind - at least when it comes to the challenges today in our day-to day lives — then to completely buy in to the demands of the kingdom he is trying to build. After all, we live in the “real world” we might think. Jesus lived somewhere - but definitely not in a world that has the same problems we face. But that’s the challenge – and we have to ask ourselves a truly important question: “well, then, what does it mean to be a follower of Jesus – a disciple - one who tries to model their lives after their teacher?? And this question should make us a bit uncomfortable – for it is at the heart of our faith in Jesus Christ. . . For why should we consider ourselves followers of Jesus if we don’t really have any intention to follow where he leads? Why should we read and listen to the Gospels if Jesus’ words are going to fall on our deaf ears? Why admire Jesus’ compassion and kindness and mercy if we have no desire to pour out these same things on others? And why would we bear witness to Jesus’ selflessly giving his life to others – if we know we really won’t do the same?? Do we think Jesus is crazy or is He just getting us to stretch the divine nature we carry within us - and do better than our mere humanity ? After all, throughout our lifetimes – we are called through the grace of God to become more and more like Christ. . . So sometimes we need to come to this place on Sunday to show our gratitude. And sometimes we need to come to experience the support of other like-minded people to be more bold in our witness of Christ. And sometimes we just need a break from the chaos and hectic nature of our lives – needing a little quiet and calm and rest. But always: we need to be nourished at this table - to be able to face the challenge of following after Jesus. And we need to leave here asking some pretty big questions: LIKE: what does it mean to be a disciple? OR What is Jesus really calling us do? And maybe the biggest question of all: just how committed are we to allow the mustard seed of faith planted within us to grow – so that we can follow Jesus with ALL our minds, ALL our hearts, and ALL of our souls? All questions we will deal with as we move through this long period of Ordinary Time. . . May God bless our journey! 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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November 2024
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