By Popular Demand, my Homily from last night, for those who may have missed it..
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I am sure that everyone gathered here today has heard of the website, Craigslist. It serves as a venue for almost everything imaginable, real estate sales, job opportunities, automobile sales, and just about everything else in between, including a ‘Personals’ section. Among the many selections of whose seeking what there is a “Missed Connections” section. So if in the busyness of your everyday life you encounter someone who you are attracted to, you can post it in this section. I used to always snicker at this page thinking, “why not just approach the person?”
There are so many reasons why people don’t act in that moment when they are attracted to someone. Sometimes it’s a lack of nerve, sometimes it’s a matter of the noise of our everyday lives that makes it inappropriate or impossible to act on that impulse.
In today’s Gospel Pilate has a bit of a Missed Connection. He has Jesus standing in front of him, and his total concern, being a politician, is Jesus’ title as “King of the Jews”. Jesus explains to Pilate with great clarity that His kingdom is not of this world. He tries to present to Pilate exactly who he is, and what’s going on, but Pilate cannot see past this “worldly title”, and his own ambition. So he fails to hear the call of Christ.
You see, Jesus calls to us each and everyday, at every moment. He is constantly calling , and inviting us to come closer, and have an individual experience of Him. This call goes beyond a matter of roles, and vocations. I’m not talking about a vocation to religious life, or the priesthood, or marriage. I am talking about how He calls you and I by name, He speaks to our very souls with an ardent and full desire to reach an intimate level relationship with Him, and for us to live that relationship in our daily lives. So why can’t we always hear it?
We can‘t hear it for the same reason as Pilate. Our everyday lives burden us down. We get so caught up in the day to day routine, our relationship with God often becomes the hour we give on Sundays. Being a bartender in many ways I am lucky, because the two things people love to talk about when they are drinking is religion and politics. Its amazing to watch people who sit at my bar, and talk about their lives, love, work, financial struggles, etc etc, who claim they aren’t religious…are often times the people who DO hear the call of the Lord, but they don’t realize that it is Him. They don’t realize that the reason they live the lives the way that they do, is because they have heard - and answered the call of Christ in their everyday lives.
How do we know that it’s Him calling? Jesus says in today’s Gospel, “I came to testify to the Truth, anyone who belongs to the Truth, hears my voice.” How do we live in the truth? It‘s not easy, because its not just the noise of our everyday lives that block the call of the Lord, it’s the rest of the world too. There are those of us who have been told by individuals along the way that our sexuality prevents us from answering that call, or that past choices and situations would make us unworthy. But we live in the TRUTH, and that truth is that we are members of this glorious Kingdom, and our King calls to us by name each and every moment of every day. How do we respond? By upholding the values we believe in when it is difficult. By being honest with our partners when it would be easier to dance around the facts. By challenging co workers on work matters when it would be easier to be complacent. But it all starts with acknowledging first and foremost…that Christ is our king, and our everyday lives are our testimony to that Kingdom.
Our liturgy is the example of perfect living in this kingdom. The sacrifice of the Mass, the Eucharist we share makes us a part of “the Christ Event”. It makes us present at the foot of the cross, when He laid down his life for us, for each and every one of us…personally. We then go out into the world, and carry His presence within us. He tells us at the last supper that His blood would be shed “for you and for all”. He says those words directly to you and I. He sheds his blood for us, and calls us by name - AS WE ARE.
As we receive from this altar today, and go back to the daily grind tomorrow, lets try to remember our membership in this Kingdom. Whatever our daily cycle is, let’s try to always live in the truth, weather it be at work, at a bar with a friend, or in our private lives with our partners, loved ones, and friends. We live in a very tangible world right now, but it’s HOW we live in this world that’s going to gain us entry into Christ our King’s tangible Kingdom in heaven. Let’s live in that truth - and not allow our daily lives, or the opinion of others to allow a “missed connection” between us and Christ our King. God Bless You.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
Isn't It Funny
As I sit here and write today's blog, I am looking at my suitcase packed and laying on my bed, ready to depart to Baltimore, where I will be Ordained a Deacon in the North American Old Catholic Church...the final step on my long and twisted road to the Priesthood. I cant help but let my mind wander and consider how I ended up here.
I can't help but think of the many people who have wandered in and out of my life, that effected my journey to this point. I think naturally of Father Bert, who first inspired me to pursue a Vocation to the Priesthood, and answer the call I felt in my heart. I think of the many priests in charge of my formation in Seminary...my Spiritual Director who has stood by my side, and heard countless confessions from me in the last 10 years. Naturally I can't help but think of those tough times in Seminary too. The days when I considered ditching the whole thing, because I couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel anymore.
Upon leaving I entered the world of the Bartender, a total and complete contrast to the life I had formally lived. I have served countless drinks to countless people. Some of whom brought out the priest in me, some became dear friends, come became lovers, and some were just nameless faces who I will never see again. In the years since I left, life started to become confusing, and seemingly empty, until when the time was right, things finally came together.
Thanksgiving is coming up and everybody starts to take stock. We all begin to evaluate our lives, and naturally begin to think about the many blessings we have in our lives. We acknowledge the wonderful gifts we sometimes take for granted. I think above all I have to be honest that the things I am most thankful for is my friends. It is my friends who have always forced me to be honest with myself, true to my values, and supportive of all the crazy ideas and pursuits I have come up with through the years.
In a few hours I will leave for Baltimore and on Sunday I will return a clergyman. All I can think of right now, is "isn't it funny", because when I got OFF the plane at TF Green five years ago, I never would have dreamed that I would someday see my dream become a reality. The events of the next few days are going to be the most significant in my life to date, only to be topped by when I am made a Priest, which will happen here in Providence, in full view of family and friends. I guess today all I can do is thank God, and my friends for the roles they have played...together...in bringing me to this day. Isn't it funny indeed....
I can't help but think of the many people who have wandered in and out of my life, that effected my journey to this point. I think naturally of Father Bert, who first inspired me to pursue a Vocation to the Priesthood, and answer the call I felt in my heart. I think of the many priests in charge of my formation in Seminary...my Spiritual Director who has stood by my side, and heard countless confessions from me in the last 10 years. Naturally I can't help but think of those tough times in Seminary too. The days when I considered ditching the whole thing, because I couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel anymore.
Upon leaving I entered the world of the Bartender, a total and complete contrast to the life I had formally lived. I have served countless drinks to countless people. Some of whom brought out the priest in me, some became dear friends, come became lovers, and some were just nameless faces who I will never see again. In the years since I left, life started to become confusing, and seemingly empty, until when the time was right, things finally came together.
Thanksgiving is coming up and everybody starts to take stock. We all begin to evaluate our lives, and naturally begin to think about the many blessings we have in our lives. We acknowledge the wonderful gifts we sometimes take for granted. I think above all I have to be honest that the things I am most thankful for is my friends. It is my friends who have always forced me to be honest with myself, true to my values, and supportive of all the crazy ideas and pursuits I have come up with through the years.
In a few hours I will leave for Baltimore and on Sunday I will return a clergyman. All I can think of right now, is "isn't it funny", because when I got OFF the plane at TF Green five years ago, I never would have dreamed that I would someday see my dream become a reality. The events of the next few days are going to be the most significant in my life to date, only to be topped by when I am made a Priest, which will happen here in Providence, in full view of family and friends. I guess today all I can do is thank God, and my friends for the roles they have played...together...in bringing me to this day. Isn't it funny indeed....
Monday, November 2, 2009
Looking Past the Chairs
In the episode of Desperate Housewives I watched today, they were showing how the Scavo family was attempting to open a Pizza place. Due to an ordering mix up, instead of dinning room chairs, 300 High Chairs arrived. The Scavos then spend the day hunting down donated chairs from various places. When Tom arrives for the grand opening he is furious about the random, unorganized chair situation. After the event is a huge success, Tom give his thank you speech which included the lines, "When I walked in and saw all the chairs I was upset because this project had been a failure. Now I see a room full of good friends, and people having fun...now I dont even see the chairs."
Often times in life we need to see past the chairs. We get so hung up on details. At Mass we always joke that if something doesn't go right, usually the ministers are the only ones who know. It was always the details that we would joke about amongst ourselves after the liturgy. Who stood at the wrong time, when the incense came out too early, etc etc. I was the worst of all often times. Every little roadblock that came up I would let slow me down more then I should have, because ultimately it wasn't that big of a deal.
I know I am the same way even now. We had a Halloween Costume Contest at work, and I got all stressed out about the small details of the event...Like where the contests were coming out from, and what song was playing etc etc, forgetting that I was dealing with a crowd of people who had been drinking all night, and odds are no detail would be appropriately met.
You see we do it all the time. When a tragedy strikes we can easily loose ourselves in the tragedy of the moment, and forget that we will get past it, and the next day is still going to come...with a whole new set of challenges. If we don't learn to "see past the chairs", we will drive ourselves insane. Life is far too short to handle it any other way.
Today is All Souls Day, a day when we remember all those in our lives who we have lost, especially in the last year. Those souls can certainly testify to the importance of "seeing past the chairs". If they could talk to us now, they would probably tell us that famous line we all have said, "If I knew then what I know now."
This year I watched a good friend of mine loose someone very close to him, and it made me start to think about how precious life is. We have to fully live every moment, without regret. We can't let the "chairs" slow us down...We certainly will trip on them, or stumble, but we pick ourselves up and learn from the mistake. We learn from those who have gone before us, and recognize that they held the role in our lives that they did for a reason. They sat in that particular chair for a reason.
And so today we remember our beloved dead. We acknowledge the lessons we learned from them and their lives. We resolve to "see past the chairs" in our own lives. Just consider, if we spent less time trying to control things that were beyond our control, how much easier, and happier life would be.
Rev. Bertrand N. Richman...Rest in Peace
Often times in life we need to see past the chairs. We get so hung up on details. At Mass we always joke that if something doesn't go right, usually the ministers are the only ones who know. It was always the details that we would joke about amongst ourselves after the liturgy. Who stood at the wrong time, when the incense came out too early, etc etc. I was the worst of all often times. Every little roadblock that came up I would let slow me down more then I should have, because ultimately it wasn't that big of a deal.
I know I am the same way even now. We had a Halloween Costume Contest at work, and I got all stressed out about the small details of the event...Like where the contests were coming out from, and what song was playing etc etc, forgetting that I was dealing with a crowd of people who had been drinking all night, and odds are no detail would be appropriately met.
You see we do it all the time. When a tragedy strikes we can easily loose ourselves in the tragedy of the moment, and forget that we will get past it, and the next day is still going to come...with a whole new set of challenges. If we don't learn to "see past the chairs", we will drive ourselves insane. Life is far too short to handle it any other way.
Today is All Souls Day, a day when we remember all those in our lives who we have lost, especially in the last year. Those souls can certainly testify to the importance of "seeing past the chairs". If they could talk to us now, they would probably tell us that famous line we all have said, "If I knew then what I know now."
This year I watched a good friend of mine loose someone very close to him, and it made me start to think about how precious life is. We have to fully live every moment, without regret. We can't let the "chairs" slow us down...We certainly will trip on them, or stumble, but we pick ourselves up and learn from the mistake. We learn from those who have gone before us, and recognize that they held the role in our lives that they did for a reason. They sat in that particular chair for a reason.
And so today we remember our beloved dead. We acknowledge the lessons we learned from them and their lives. We resolve to "see past the chairs" in our own lives. Just consider, if we spent less time trying to control things that were beyond our control, how much easier, and happier life would be.
Rev. Bertrand N. Richman...Rest in Peace
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