I think the biggest lesson in life that I have learned is that we always have to “read the fine print”. How often we go to a store to make a return or an exchange, or call the bank over an unexpected charge, or get rejected when trying to make use of a warranty on an item we purchased that has since malfunctioned, and we are slapped in the face with “terms and conditions” that were expressed in the small print at the bottom of a form. It is shocking however when “Terms and Conditions” are placed on helping another human being.
Homeless Voices for Justice, is a statewide advocacy group in Maine that is led by people who have been homeless. It works on issues that affect the homeless, such as supporting affordable housing and preventing violence against the homeless. Portland-based Preble Street, which runs a dozen programs to provide housing and other services for the poor and the homeless, provides staff support for Homeless Voices for Justice.
The Diocese of Portland’s Campaign for Human Development had previously provided grant funding for this program. Proposition 1 on the ballot last fall in Maine was to overturn the new law legalizing gay marriage. The Preble Street Resource Center backed the effort to vote “no” on this question, inspiring the Diocese to not only stop funding the program, but also demanded the return of unspent monies from the grant in question.
On the list of qualifications for receiving a grant from the Diocese the applicant had to respond to various questions asking what various issues the organization supports and doesn’t support. One of these was Gay Marriage. The organization said no, and by their support of this issue in the election they broke the terms of agreement in their Grant arrangement and hence lost funding.
http://media.kjonline.com/documents/eligibility_CCHD.pdf
Technically speaking, this is a cut and dry issue. The Diocese has every right to revoke the monies due to the clear breaking of the original grant agreement, however one can’t help but wonder how the Bishop can sleep at night.
How can we put terms and conditions on something as simple as helping the poor and homeless? In the very same agreement the Diocese clearly says that the top 5 unquestionable things that the recipient of funding must agree with are;
1. The sanctity of human life
2. The rights of the poor and vulnerable
3. Human Rights
4. The Common Good
5. And building and promoting a civilization of love, dedicated to working towards peace.
In the section talking about the Poor and Vulnerable, it says explicitly, “Poor and vulnerable people have a special place in catholic social teaching. A basic moral test of a society is how its most vulnerable members are faring. Our tradition calls us to put the needs of the poor and vulnerable first.” That tells me that the details of the terms and conditions that follow such as Abortion, Gay Marriage, Birth Control, etc are just that – terms and conditions. The Diocese needs to remember that it is ministering to a world that may not necessarily agree with everything they stand for.
Thank the Lord above, that when Jesus died on the Cross for us, He did so without terms and conditions. Thank God that when the angel Gabriel came from God to invite Mary to be the Mother of His Son she said “yes” without any terms or conditions. Her words, which we celebrate today on the Solemnity of the Annunciation, were clear, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to your word.” The next line in the Gospel reads, “Then the angel departed from her.” It was her response, driven by blind faith and love of the Lord and His people that made the Angel feel it was time to leave. It was Mary’s “no terms attached yes” that satisfied the Angel.
I can understand that the Roman Church has certain values that they have to uphold, and I can even accept that Gay Marriage is something that they do not agree with. However, even from the Roman Catholic standpoint it doesn’t make sense to penalize the poor and vulnerable in this situation. When Jesus feeds the multitude with the multiplication of the loaves and fish, He does not ask first if any in the crowd are gay, or have had an abortion, or were in favor of the death penalty. When He heals the 10 Lepers, He does not first ask where they stand on political issues. If the five stipulations that the Diocese of Portland maps out in the first page of their agreement with potential grant recipients are in fact the deal breakers, then the details on page two should be considered in light of how they relate to the primacy of those values.
Even on the second page of the agreement, where the Diocese gets down to the “terms and agreements” it says;
“Preferential Option for the Poor: all economic life should be shaped by moral principles. A fundamental moral measure of any economy is how the poor and vulnerable are faring. The Catholic Church’s position is that the needs of the poor and vulnerable in society should be addressed first, before any others. Is your organization hindering or harming meeting the needs of the poor or vulnerable in society?”
If in fact the needs of the poor and vulnerable are to be addressed first, before any other, then doesn’t that say in the Diocese own words, that Gay Marriage should be at the very least second to feeding the poor, and housing the homeless?
The details of what “legal organization” backed what and which “board of directors” supported what should not matter, as the Diocese should not have made such a withdrawal due to this topic. The directors at the Preble Street Resourace Center responded to both the Bishop and the Campaign for Human Development by saying;
“Last night 51 women crammed into our 30-bed temporary Women’s Shelter. This morning over 300 people lined up in the cold waiting for a hot breakfast at our Soup Kitchen. And today over 40 runaway and homeless children came to our Teen Center for services and sanctuary.”
So then due to politics, 51 women will go without shelter, 300 people will go without food, and 40 children will wander the streets with no place to rest. The organization “Catholics for Marriage Equality” has launched a campaign to try to assist with raising some money to make up for what they will loose from Diocesan funding. It is ironic, isn’t it? The Diocese has decided that they are going to put a legal matter regarding Gay rights before helping the poor (which they had previously stated was of greatest importance), and now that same Gay community that they view as so broken, is picking up their slack, and answering the call of the Lord to feed the hungry and cloth the naked.
The words of Matthew 25:34-45 come to mind;
“Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.'
Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'
Then He will also say to those on His left, Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.'
Then they themselves also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?' Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'”
Thank God that the Gay community in Maine is ready to answer the call of the Lord to feed, clothe, and shelter their brothers and sisters. What a demonstration of true Christian charity.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Friday, March 19, 2010
A Spirituality of Silence
Today is the Solemnity of Saint Joseph. When I was in Seminary, we would pray that March 19 would fall on a Friday in Lent, so that we could skirt around the Lenten Fast for one day. This year I am sure that "meat starving" Seminarians across the world are rejoicing!
Saint Joseph is one of the most fascinating characters in Scripture, to me anyways. We don't know very much about him. We know what town he is from, tradition holds that he was a carpenter, he was Husband to Mary, present at the early events of Jesus' life, and then he disappears from the face of history.
His spirituality however is one worth looking at. I like to call it a Spirituality of silence. Joseph himself never speaks in Scripture, not even once. He has no powerful lines, or thoughtful expressions that we can quote or meditate on. What we do know is, he is a man of action, and certainly a deep faith.
He discovers that his wife is pregnant, supposedly with a Divine child. He considers a divorce; as for him to marry a pregnant woman would bring nothing but scandal and gossip upon he and his family. He plans to do so quietly, so as to retain Mary’s dignity, however, an angel advises him not to. She fills Joseph in on the Divine plan of God, and Joseph, without question or debate, takes Mary into his home.
After the birth of Jesus he is guided by a dream to take the newborn Jesus and Mary and flee to Egypt, as Herod is unleashing a mass laughter of all the newborn males in Bethlehem. Again without question or debate, he follows these instructions, and returns to Nazareth after an angel informs him again that it is safe to do so.
He maintains silence throughout the entire story. Even when Jesus is lost in the temple, it is Mary who verbally rebukes Jesus for wandering away from the family on their journey home from Jerusalem. “Your father and I have been looking for you.” Joseph says nothing, and his opinion is not even noted.
He disappears with an equal silence. We know nothing of his death. There are various traditions and tales. There are stained glass windows that show Jesus as a teenager holding His dying father in His arms. There are paintings of Joseph fashioning tables and chairs in his carpentry shop, but the reality of it is we have no idea.
That’s the point of Joseph’s spirituality that we can draw from Scripture. Or I should say, that’s the spirituality that can be molded from Joseph’s story. We should follow the calling of the Lord in silent faith and trust. We know he was an ordinary man, who was obedient to his faith and the law. It was in obedience to the law that he went to Bethlehem to begin with, that he presented the child Jesus in the temple at the proper age, and that they went on the prescribed journey to the temple in Jerusalem.
He lives his day-to-day life as a faithful, law abiding, gentleman. When the time came for him to make the difficult decisions, he made choices that were in consideration of others, but listened to the voice of the Lord when he needed to adjust his plans. By living this simple and silent life, he has ended up the Patron Saint of the Universal Church, and nearly every culture holds him in high regard. There are churches throughout the world that bear his name, and his Feast day in the Church is among the few regarded as a “Solemnity”. All this esteem is regarded to a man who never spoke a word worth history recording, and who is depicted as a gray haired old man, in a purple and brown robe, holding a walking staff.
Sound familiar? We may never speak a word worth history’s acknowledgement either. We go through our day-to-day lives trying our best to follow the laws of the land, our faith, and our conscious. The next step, is to listen for the voice of the Lord when we least expect it; even in those times when we think we already are making the right choice.
Saint Joseph is one of the most fascinating characters in Scripture, to me anyways. We don't know very much about him. We know what town he is from, tradition holds that he was a carpenter, he was Husband to Mary, present at the early events of Jesus' life, and then he disappears from the face of history.
His spirituality however is one worth looking at. I like to call it a Spirituality of silence. Joseph himself never speaks in Scripture, not even once. He has no powerful lines, or thoughtful expressions that we can quote or meditate on. What we do know is, he is a man of action, and certainly a deep faith.
He discovers that his wife is pregnant, supposedly with a Divine child. He considers a divorce; as for him to marry a pregnant woman would bring nothing but scandal and gossip upon he and his family. He plans to do so quietly, so as to retain Mary’s dignity, however, an angel advises him not to. She fills Joseph in on the Divine plan of God, and Joseph, without question or debate, takes Mary into his home.
After the birth of Jesus he is guided by a dream to take the newborn Jesus and Mary and flee to Egypt, as Herod is unleashing a mass laughter of all the newborn males in Bethlehem. Again without question or debate, he follows these instructions, and returns to Nazareth after an angel informs him again that it is safe to do so.
He maintains silence throughout the entire story. Even when Jesus is lost in the temple, it is Mary who verbally rebukes Jesus for wandering away from the family on their journey home from Jerusalem. “Your father and I have been looking for you.” Joseph says nothing, and his opinion is not even noted.
He disappears with an equal silence. We know nothing of his death. There are various traditions and tales. There are stained glass windows that show Jesus as a teenager holding His dying father in His arms. There are paintings of Joseph fashioning tables and chairs in his carpentry shop, but the reality of it is we have no idea.
That’s the point of Joseph’s spirituality that we can draw from Scripture. Or I should say, that’s the spirituality that can be molded from Joseph’s story. We should follow the calling of the Lord in silent faith and trust. We know he was an ordinary man, who was obedient to his faith and the law. It was in obedience to the law that he went to Bethlehem to begin with, that he presented the child Jesus in the temple at the proper age, and that they went on the prescribed journey to the temple in Jerusalem.
He lives his day-to-day life as a faithful, law abiding, gentleman. When the time came for him to make the difficult decisions, he made choices that were in consideration of others, but listened to the voice of the Lord when he needed to adjust his plans. By living this simple and silent life, he has ended up the Patron Saint of the Universal Church, and nearly every culture holds him in high regard. There are churches throughout the world that bear his name, and his Feast day in the Church is among the few regarded as a “Solemnity”. All this esteem is regarded to a man who never spoke a word worth history recording, and who is depicted as a gray haired old man, in a purple and brown robe, holding a walking staff.
Sound familiar? We may never speak a word worth history’s acknowledgement either. We go through our day-to-day lives trying our best to follow the laws of the land, our faith, and our conscious. The next step, is to listen for the voice of the Lord when we least expect it; even in those times when we think we already are making the right choice.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Chair of Peter 2010
Today is the Feast of the Chair of Peter, which celebrates the great Saint who cast everything aside in favor of following Jesus. The First Reading of today’s Mass is a letter from Saint Peter, providing advice to his fellow clergy. His words are not extensive, but quite concise;
"I exhort the presbyters among you, as a fellow presbyter and witness to the sufferings of Christ and one who has a share in the glory to be revealed. Tend the flock of God in your midst, overseeing not by constraint but willingly, as God would have it, not for shameful profit but eagerly. Do not lord it over those assigned to you, but be examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd is revealed, you will receive the unfading crown of glory"
His words break down quite simply:
Tend to your flock, not out of duty but rather out of an eager love.
Do not do it for profit.
Do not rub that role in people's faces, but rather lead by example.
It is quite a task St. Peter holds us to. To lead by example is no small order, and one that is so easy to miss the mark on. To think that the way I live my life will be the model that others will follow is a tall order.
Peter was a simple man. He was a fisherman, who made his living by the work of his hands. Jesus called Peter (previously called Simon) to lead His flock, and be the first leader of the Church. In my Seminary days, today was my favorite Feast in the Church. It held Peter up as the first Pope, and that tradition was handed down from age to age. However, as the Second Reading from today's Office by Pope Saint Leo the Great clearly says, "The authority vested in this power passed also to the other apostles, and the institution established by this decree has been continued in all the leaders of the Church."
In other words, the Church is bigger then the one that is based in Rome. Jesus tells Peter that his name means, "rock", and it is on this rock that he will build his Church. Here we are in 2010, and that Church now has many incarnations. The continuation of the laying on of hands from the first Apostles, to us today, assures that indeed that Church will continue to flourish in all its many manifestations.
In the First Reading I spoke of earlier, Peter advises his fellow clergy to lead by example. Perhaps the best example we as clergy, be it Roman or otherwise is to live the mission Peter began. To continue to cast aside everything else to lead the flock back to the "Chief Shepherd." At the end of the day, when we stand before Him in heaven, he will not care what Jurisdiction we were a part of, or which expression of the Church we followed; rather, He will care about how we lived our lives, and those of us who are clergy, He will care how we impacted the lives of those we encountered on a daily basis.
If we as clergy are called to lead by example, then the lesson that people learned from that example, and how they implemented it in their own lives, will also fall upon us. Today's Feast is about the responsibility that we carry, as a part of His clergy, to show people the eternal Love of God.
Sometimes I think perhaps I am not doing my job as Clergy properly, as it is my flock that so often teaches me by their example. I am supposed to be the spiritual leader, and yet just by listening to the stories my parishioners tell, and watching them live their daily lives, I am inspired. By virtue of our Baptism we all share in a way, in the priesthood of Jesus Christ. He was Priest, Prophet, and King, and if we are baptized into Him, then logically we have a share in those three roles. In my opinion, it is the laity who so often demonstrates to the clergy how to live the role of Priesthood.
We all grow together on this road of life. All its bumps and detours make for a pretty messy journey. Thank God however none of us are in it alone. We have one another, regardless of our rank in the Church, to be an example to each other. Jesus praised Peter so highly in today's Gospel because of his deep faith. Jesus asks his followers, "Who do people say that I am." He receives a myriad of responses, and then presses further, "who do you say that I am." It is Peter who steps up first, and answers without hesitation, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus says that Peter is blessed because it was not a human that told him this; it was God Himself who made this revelation to him. Peter was blessed because he understood the call of the Lord.
If we as clergy are to lead by example, and Peter is the example that we are to look to, then naturally the example we are called to live is that statement Peter makes in the Gospel. We need to live that sentence, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. The implications that go along with that are extensive, because to believe that and to live it, requires that we die to self, and live for one another. Perhaps we as clergy should pay more attention to the example that our parishioners demonstrate for us, as it is often that they demonstrate the loving role of the Priesthood far better then we do.
Let us always be an example to one another of life in the Kingdom. The one thing I have learned this week is that we never know when this life will end, and we may not have the chance to do tomorrow what we could have done today. Therefore starting now, let's be examples to one another, and whatever our role in the function of life is, let's live it to it's fullest...as examples to one another.
"I exhort the presbyters among you, as a fellow presbyter and witness to the sufferings of Christ and one who has a share in the glory to be revealed. Tend the flock of God in your midst, overseeing not by constraint but willingly, as God would have it, not for shameful profit but eagerly. Do not lord it over those assigned to you, but be examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd is revealed, you will receive the unfading crown of glory"
His words break down quite simply:
Tend to your flock, not out of duty but rather out of an eager love.
Do not do it for profit.
Do not rub that role in people's faces, but rather lead by example.
It is quite a task St. Peter holds us to. To lead by example is no small order, and one that is so easy to miss the mark on. To think that the way I live my life will be the model that others will follow is a tall order.
Peter was a simple man. He was a fisherman, who made his living by the work of his hands. Jesus called Peter (previously called Simon) to lead His flock, and be the first leader of the Church. In my Seminary days, today was my favorite Feast in the Church. It held Peter up as the first Pope, and that tradition was handed down from age to age. However, as the Second Reading from today's Office by Pope Saint Leo the Great clearly says, "The authority vested in this power passed also to the other apostles, and the institution established by this decree has been continued in all the leaders of the Church."
In other words, the Church is bigger then the one that is based in Rome. Jesus tells Peter that his name means, "rock", and it is on this rock that he will build his Church. Here we are in 2010, and that Church now has many incarnations. The continuation of the laying on of hands from the first Apostles, to us today, assures that indeed that Church will continue to flourish in all its many manifestations.
In the First Reading I spoke of earlier, Peter advises his fellow clergy to lead by example. Perhaps the best example we as clergy, be it Roman or otherwise is to live the mission Peter began. To continue to cast aside everything else to lead the flock back to the "Chief Shepherd." At the end of the day, when we stand before Him in heaven, he will not care what Jurisdiction we were a part of, or which expression of the Church we followed; rather, He will care about how we lived our lives, and those of us who are clergy, He will care how we impacted the lives of those we encountered on a daily basis.
If we as clergy are called to lead by example, then the lesson that people learned from that example, and how they implemented it in their own lives, will also fall upon us. Today's Feast is about the responsibility that we carry, as a part of His clergy, to show people the eternal Love of God.
Sometimes I think perhaps I am not doing my job as Clergy properly, as it is my flock that so often teaches me by their example. I am supposed to be the spiritual leader, and yet just by listening to the stories my parishioners tell, and watching them live their daily lives, I am inspired. By virtue of our Baptism we all share in a way, in the priesthood of Jesus Christ. He was Priest, Prophet, and King, and if we are baptized into Him, then logically we have a share in those three roles. In my opinion, it is the laity who so often demonstrates to the clergy how to live the role of Priesthood.
We all grow together on this road of life. All its bumps and detours make for a pretty messy journey. Thank God however none of us are in it alone. We have one another, regardless of our rank in the Church, to be an example to each other. Jesus praised Peter so highly in today's Gospel because of his deep faith. Jesus asks his followers, "Who do people say that I am." He receives a myriad of responses, and then presses further, "who do you say that I am." It is Peter who steps up first, and answers without hesitation, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus says that Peter is blessed because it was not a human that told him this; it was God Himself who made this revelation to him. Peter was blessed because he understood the call of the Lord.
If we as clergy are to lead by example, and Peter is the example that we are to look to, then naturally the example we are called to live is that statement Peter makes in the Gospel. We need to live that sentence, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. The implications that go along with that are extensive, because to believe that and to live it, requires that we die to self, and live for one another. Perhaps we as clergy should pay more attention to the example that our parishioners demonstrate for us, as it is often that they demonstrate the loving role of the Priesthood far better then we do.
Let us always be an example to one another of life in the Kingdom. The one thing I have learned this week is that we never know when this life will end, and we may not have the chance to do tomorrow what we could have done today. Therefore starting now, let's be examples to one another, and whatever our role in the function of life is, let's live it to it's fullest...as examples to one another.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Ash Wednesday 2010
As I write my blog this evening, I do so with a full tummy, as our Parish gathered tonight to celebrate Mardis Gras! Certainly not the with the same festiveness as was celebrated in New Orleans, but we had a wonderful time. In New Orleans every year, the world famous celebrations of Burbon Street carries on into the late hours of the night, but at midnight, the city stops, as Lent has begun.
The 40 days of preperation for Easter that we have now begun, are days that the church encourages us to increaase our prayer, to fast, and to give. That giving is expressed usually in alms, or monetary donations, but maybe there are other ways to give.
We can give of ourselves in so many different areas. Get involved in a community improvement organization. We can give more fully in our relationships. Lent is about change. Change in our hearts, and the change that Christ calls us to be a part of within our world.
This is my first Lent as an Ordained Person, and I realize that the key part of the life of a Clergyman is his parish. They are my first priority, and if anything I have learned so far in my ministry, that while it is my job to function as the leader in public worship, it is our job, as a community to grow together in our walk in the love of the Lord. We all do our part individually, and that effects a change in the bigger picture. If we all do our own part, we will see at Easter that an entire community has transformed itself to be closer to Christ, and more aware of His love.
As we all enter this season of Lent let's do so with an open heart, eager to see what direction the Lord will call us in.
The 40 days of preperation for Easter that we have now begun, are days that the church encourages us to increaase our prayer, to fast, and to give. That giving is expressed usually in alms, or monetary donations, but maybe there are other ways to give.
We can give of ourselves in so many different areas. Get involved in a community improvement organization. We can give more fully in our relationships. Lent is about change. Change in our hearts, and the change that Christ calls us to be a part of within our world.
This is my first Lent as an Ordained Person, and I realize that the key part of the life of a Clergyman is his parish. They are my first priority, and if anything I have learned so far in my ministry, that while it is my job to function as the leader in public worship, it is our job, as a community to grow together in our walk in the love of the Lord. We all do our part individually, and that effects a change in the bigger picture. If we all do our own part, we will see at Easter that an entire community has transformed itself to be closer to Christ, and more aware of His love.
As we all enter this season of Lent let's do so with an open heart, eager to see what direction the Lord will call us in.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Valentines Day 2010
Below is my Valentine's Day Sermon:
The origin of St. Valentine, and how many St. Valentines there were, remains a mystery. One opinion is that he was a Roman martyred for refusing to give up his Christian faith. Other historians hold that St. Valentine was a temple priest jailed for defiance during the reign of Claudius. Whoever he was, Valentine really existed because archaeologists have unearthed a Roman catacomb and an ancient church dedicated to Saint Valentine. In 496 AD Pope Gelasius marked February 14th as a celebration in honor of his martyrdom.
Saints are not supposed to rest in peace; they're expected to keep busy: to perform miracles, to intercede. Being in jail or dead is no excuse for non-performance of the supernatural. One legend says, while awaiting his execution, Valentine restored the sight of his jailer's blind daughter. Another legend says, on the eve of his death, he penned a farewell note to the jailer's daughter, signing it, "From your Valentine."
Valentine’s day is not necessarily a day for lovers, or a day for those who are partnered, it is a day for all of us. Valentine himself was a celibate man, who never had a partner. When Pope Gelasius I, established the feast of Saint Valentine, of the Saint he said “he was among those whose names are justly reverenced among men, but whose acts are known only to God."
How appropriate. Isn't that a good way to define love? There are those people in our lives who we "name" as people we "love". Weather they be friends, lovers, partners, family, or whatever role they play. But citing them as people we love doesn't cut it, it's the ACTS that make it love, and often it's those acts that are known only to God. The sacrifices that we make for them, the hidden actions that the loved one will never know are what establish the covenant of love.
The love of God for us is reflected in our love for one another, which is an ontological reality that transcends race or creed, gay or straight, religion, or anything else. It's a reality that we all share weather we are partnered or single. Valentine's day is everyone's day because it's not about candy and flowers, or hallmark cards, or fancy dinners. It's about the sacrifice of a man in the name of God's love, which he shared with others.
Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross is perfect expression of love, and His torture and passion he endured for us, is pointed to in today’s Gospel. We hear the words of the Beatitudes. Jesus tells us that blessed are poor, the weak, the hungry, and the persecuted…and woe to those who enjoy popularity, who are full, and who laugh. Pope Gelasius in his words about Valentine is expressing the same concept as the Beatitudes. Essentially earthly designations, success, and praise means nothing, but what matters is our standing with God. What matters is those private acts, those expressions poverty, weakness, and hunger. Jesus’ expression of love on the cross was perhaps the epitome of being poor, weak, hungry, and persecuted. The crucifixion then is the greatest proof of this definition of love.
We are judged, like Valentine, on those “acts that are known only by God.” A true act of love requires no reward. They require no praise. The harsh words of the Prophet Jeremiah in the First Reading ring so true, “Cursed is the one who trusts in human beings, who seeks his strength in flesh”. Our strength cannot be drawn from the human experience, but rather from our experience of Christ and His love, and we see that love expressed in our relationships with one another. In the second reading, Saint Paul tells us that things are different now. Christ has been raised from the dead, and by virtue of His Resurrection the definition of love has changed. Jesus said, “Love one another as I have loved you.” How did He love us? He died for us. So there is our answer, we must die. We must die to self, so that we can live for others. That is the perfect expression of love. And 99 percent of the time, we can die to self by virtue of those acts that are, as Pope Gelasius said, “known only to God.”
The origin of St. Valentine, and how many St. Valentines there were, remains a mystery. One opinion is that he was a Roman martyred for refusing to give up his Christian faith. Other historians hold that St. Valentine was a temple priest jailed for defiance during the reign of Claudius. Whoever he was, Valentine really existed because archaeologists have unearthed a Roman catacomb and an ancient church dedicated to Saint Valentine. In 496 AD Pope Gelasius marked February 14th as a celebration in honor of his martyrdom.
Saints are not supposed to rest in peace; they're expected to keep busy: to perform miracles, to intercede. Being in jail or dead is no excuse for non-performance of the supernatural. One legend says, while awaiting his execution, Valentine restored the sight of his jailer's blind daughter. Another legend says, on the eve of his death, he penned a farewell note to the jailer's daughter, signing it, "From your Valentine."
Valentine’s day is not necessarily a day for lovers, or a day for those who are partnered, it is a day for all of us. Valentine himself was a celibate man, who never had a partner. When Pope Gelasius I, established the feast of Saint Valentine, of the Saint he said “he was among those whose names are justly reverenced among men, but whose acts are known only to God."
How appropriate. Isn't that a good way to define love? There are those people in our lives who we "name" as people we "love". Weather they be friends, lovers, partners, family, or whatever role they play. But citing them as people we love doesn't cut it, it's the ACTS that make it love, and often it's those acts that are known only to God. The sacrifices that we make for them, the hidden actions that the loved one will never know are what establish the covenant of love.
The love of God for us is reflected in our love for one another, which is an ontological reality that transcends race or creed, gay or straight, religion, or anything else. It's a reality that we all share weather we are partnered or single. Valentine's day is everyone's day because it's not about candy and flowers, or hallmark cards, or fancy dinners. It's about the sacrifice of a man in the name of God's love, which he shared with others.
Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross is perfect expression of love, and His torture and passion he endured for us, is pointed to in today’s Gospel. We hear the words of the Beatitudes. Jesus tells us that blessed are poor, the weak, the hungry, and the persecuted…and woe to those who enjoy popularity, who are full, and who laugh. Pope Gelasius in his words about Valentine is expressing the same concept as the Beatitudes. Essentially earthly designations, success, and praise means nothing, but what matters is our standing with God. What matters is those private acts, those expressions poverty, weakness, and hunger. Jesus’ expression of love on the cross was perhaps the epitome of being poor, weak, hungry, and persecuted. The crucifixion then is the greatest proof of this definition of love.
We are judged, like Valentine, on those “acts that are known only by God.” A true act of love requires no reward. They require no praise. The harsh words of the Prophet Jeremiah in the First Reading ring so true, “Cursed is the one who trusts in human beings, who seeks his strength in flesh”. Our strength cannot be drawn from the human experience, but rather from our experience of Christ and His love, and we see that love expressed in our relationships with one another. In the second reading, Saint Paul tells us that things are different now. Christ has been raised from the dead, and by virtue of His Resurrection the definition of love has changed. Jesus said, “Love one another as I have loved you.” How did He love us? He died for us. So there is our answer, we must die. We must die to self, so that we can live for others. That is the perfect expression of love. And 99 percent of the time, we can die to self by virtue of those acts that are, as Pope Gelasius said, “known only to God.”
Monday, February 1, 2010
Charity
Tomorrow the Church celebrates the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, the day that Mary and Joseph, in accordance with the law, brought the infant Jesus to the Temple to present Him to the Lord, and offer the ritual thanksgiving sacrifice of a pair of young pigeons. While they are there, an old priest named Simeon recognizes Jesus as the Savior promised for centuries, and he recites a prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord, and then turns to Mary and warns her that a sword shall pierce her heart. This bittersweet prayer is a foresight of the Crucifixion that Jesus would suffer, and the pain Mary would feel standing at the foot of His cross. On Good Friday, Mary would again offer sacrifice to the Lord, but it would be in the form of Her Son, who's death and suffering was the very reason for His coming into the world.
Mary's charity was sincere and honest. The motivations behind charity and generosity are often complicated and difficult to untangle. Often charity can be motivated by self interest. Or when a teacher rewards his/her students with some sort of treat, yet really he/she is only manipulating the children. Or how about at Christmas when we go to the mall thinking about who we "have to" buy for. "Joe" got me something last year and didn't get him anything, so I better be on top of that this year. If this year "Joe" doesn't get me anything, how likely is it that the gift I had purchased will end up in the hands of someone else. Very often the purity of a public act of charity or generosity have a deeper, and perhaps selfish intent behind them.
In a way the classic test of the legitimacy of the pureness of any charity or gift is when the recipient does not respond with any apparent payback, how does the giver react? The pigeons Mary offers at the Presentation, while simple gifts, are given with a pure heart, in total charity, and the response that she gets for this gift is a warning from the priest of her own impending suffering. When that suffering is endured in silence at the foot of the Cross when the ultimate sacrifice is offered, is a testimony to her dignity, and the purity of her gift.
How pure and true is our generosity when we offer it? The answer to that question is known by only us, and God alone. So when we give it is important to do so without counting the cost, or calculating the benefits. In Seminary we debated this topic extensively. Even an act of charity that is done with the hopes of "spiritual reward", or "good karma", in a sense are still not strictly speaking selfless. It's very difficult to do a truly and purely selfless act, but they do exist, and when they happen, they communicate God's selfless love to the recipient.
Mary's charity was sincere and honest. The motivations behind charity and generosity are often complicated and difficult to untangle. Often charity can be motivated by self interest. Or when a teacher rewards his/her students with some sort of treat, yet really he/she is only manipulating the children. Or how about at Christmas when we go to the mall thinking about who we "have to" buy for. "Joe" got me something last year and didn't get him anything, so I better be on top of that this year. If this year "Joe" doesn't get me anything, how likely is it that the gift I had purchased will end up in the hands of someone else. Very often the purity of a public act of charity or generosity have a deeper, and perhaps selfish intent behind them.
In a way the classic test of the legitimacy of the pureness of any charity or gift is when the recipient does not respond with any apparent payback, how does the giver react? The pigeons Mary offers at the Presentation, while simple gifts, are given with a pure heart, in total charity, and the response that she gets for this gift is a warning from the priest of her own impending suffering. When that suffering is endured in silence at the foot of the Cross when the ultimate sacrifice is offered, is a testimony to her dignity, and the purity of her gift.
How pure and true is our generosity when we offer it? The answer to that question is known by only us, and God alone. So when we give it is important to do so without counting the cost, or calculating the benefits. In Seminary we debated this topic extensively. Even an act of charity that is done with the hopes of "spiritual reward", or "good karma", in a sense are still not strictly speaking selfless. It's very difficult to do a truly and purely selfless act, but they do exist, and when they happen, they communicate God's selfless love to the recipient.
Patience
Last Night's Homily:
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When we read the Gospel today, from Saint Luke, we see this first strong rejection of Jesus. Last week Jesus read from the Prophet Isaiah and told his own people that he was the fulfillment of that prophecy. This week we see the response: total and complete rejection. They did speak highly of Jesus at first, but as they began to realize what He was saying, they simply could not accept His words.
This happens to lots of people even in our own time. We grow up as believers, but then as we get older, and life and it‘s ugly details take over, we forget a lot of it. In our own way we often reject those beliefs, but God in His goodness finds a way to bring us back. it’s a good thing that God has more patience then we do. St. Paul in our second reading today reminds us about the many qualities of God that we so often forget. We know that God is love, and among the many things that Paul says of love, he says how it is patient.
Patience is the key to understanding so many things in life. Jesus speaks of how a prophet is never welcome in his own land. He speaks of how Elijiah and Elisia, the great prophets of the Old Testament, seemingly failed in their ministry to others because they did not respond to such great needs. It was only to certain people that the love of the Lord seemed to fall. I think that is something that we can all relate to.
We have all had those moments where we ask ourselves, ‘where is God?’. The prayers that go unanswered, the tragedies that occur in the world that make us wonder where God was when that disaster struck. When terrorists attacked our nation, and took the lives of nearly 3,000 people on 9/11, where was God. When the earthquake struck Haiti a few weeks ago, and claimed the lives of 150,000 people, and left the country in total desolation, where was God. When the twenty something year old dies unexpectedly, when our partner cheats, when our friends and family get sick, or when all the many calamities of life occur, where is God. For a God who is all love, there is an awful lot of less then loving situations that we are forced to endure.
On the topic of love Jesus said many things, but His life and Passion the Cross expressed 3 important things. He demonstrates an example of love, and invitation to love, and a revelation about love. The example of love is His passion, as He says “greater love has no man then this, to lay down his life for his friends.” Which is exactly what He did. Second He invites us to love as He did, with His words, “love one another as I have loved you.” He loved us by suffering and dying on the Cross, so logically we can determine, that the revelation about Love that He brings is that Love involves suffering.
No relationship is easy. Any one of us here I this room can attest to that. Relationships take work, involve pain, and take time to flourish. Our relationship with God is no different. He is patient, and kind, never jealous. As St. Paul said in our Second Reading, It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.
Just like God is patient with us, as he waits for us to return to Him when we look away, so we must be patient with Him. Any loving relationship requires that both parties maintain those qualities that Paul describes for us tonight. So just as we expect God to never turn away from us, and to always be there, and to be patient and kind, and forgiving…we have to do the same. We have to be patient with God, and know that He will bring all things to where He wants them to be.
Jesus essentially is warning us in today’s Gospel that life is not a bed of roses, and there will be those times where we can’t see the love of the Lord in our lives, or in the world around us. The people in the story we heard tonight don’t like that very much, and drive Him out of town, and even consider trying to kill Him. Let’s not make the same mistake, because it is exactly in those moments where we think God isn’t there, He is usually right there, we just cant see Him, because we become impatient, and fail to let God be God, and let His love be revealed in His time.
________________________________________________
When we read the Gospel today, from Saint Luke, we see this first strong rejection of Jesus. Last week Jesus read from the Prophet Isaiah and told his own people that he was the fulfillment of that prophecy. This week we see the response: total and complete rejection. They did speak highly of Jesus at first, but as they began to realize what He was saying, they simply could not accept His words.
This happens to lots of people even in our own time. We grow up as believers, but then as we get older, and life and it‘s ugly details take over, we forget a lot of it. In our own way we often reject those beliefs, but God in His goodness finds a way to bring us back. it’s a good thing that God has more patience then we do. St. Paul in our second reading today reminds us about the many qualities of God that we so often forget. We know that God is love, and among the many things that Paul says of love, he says how it is patient.
Patience is the key to understanding so many things in life. Jesus speaks of how a prophet is never welcome in his own land. He speaks of how Elijiah and Elisia, the great prophets of the Old Testament, seemingly failed in their ministry to others because they did not respond to such great needs. It was only to certain people that the love of the Lord seemed to fall. I think that is something that we can all relate to.
We have all had those moments where we ask ourselves, ‘where is God?’. The prayers that go unanswered, the tragedies that occur in the world that make us wonder where God was when that disaster struck. When terrorists attacked our nation, and took the lives of nearly 3,000 people on 9/11, where was God. When the earthquake struck Haiti a few weeks ago, and claimed the lives of 150,000 people, and left the country in total desolation, where was God. When the twenty something year old dies unexpectedly, when our partner cheats, when our friends and family get sick, or when all the many calamities of life occur, where is God. For a God who is all love, there is an awful lot of less then loving situations that we are forced to endure.
On the topic of love Jesus said many things, but His life and Passion the Cross expressed 3 important things. He demonstrates an example of love, and invitation to love, and a revelation about love. The example of love is His passion, as He says “greater love has no man then this, to lay down his life for his friends.” Which is exactly what He did. Second He invites us to love as He did, with His words, “love one another as I have loved you.” He loved us by suffering and dying on the Cross, so logically we can determine, that the revelation about Love that He brings is that Love involves suffering.
No relationship is easy. Any one of us here I this room can attest to that. Relationships take work, involve pain, and take time to flourish. Our relationship with God is no different. He is patient, and kind, never jealous. As St. Paul said in our Second Reading, It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.
Just like God is patient with us, as he waits for us to return to Him when we look away, so we must be patient with Him. Any loving relationship requires that both parties maintain those qualities that Paul describes for us tonight. So just as we expect God to never turn away from us, and to always be there, and to be patient and kind, and forgiving…we have to do the same. We have to be patient with God, and know that He will bring all things to where He wants them to be.
Jesus essentially is warning us in today’s Gospel that life is not a bed of roses, and there will be those times where we can’t see the love of the Lord in our lives, or in the world around us. The people in the story we heard tonight don’t like that very much, and drive Him out of town, and even consider trying to kill Him. Let’s not make the same mistake, because it is exactly in those moments where we think God isn’t there, He is usually right there, we just cant see Him, because we become impatient, and fail to let God be God, and let His love be revealed in His time.
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