Homily for 2nd Sunday Ordinary Time

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time 2013

Miracles & Signs

Most of you have probably heard the old joke about the man stuck on his roof in rising flood waters who just keeps praying that God will deliver him to safety. The waters are rising at an extraordinary pace. The wind is howling. Everyone else in the neighborhood is either already out of danger. But this man clings to his roof shingles and keeps praying out loud: “God, save me from this danger.”

A neighbor floats up in his row boat and cries: “please jump in.” But the man says: “No, I’ll be okay; God will not let me down.” A few minutes later, a police boat drives up and begs him to grab the rope to safety. But again the man says: “No, I’ll be okay. God will not let me down.” Finally, a Coast Guard helicopter hovers overhead and its bull-horn urges the man to climb the ladder to safety. But again the man says: “No thanks! God will not let me down, I know it.” The waters rage, the wind howls, and the man is finally swept off his roof.

He arrives at the pearly gates where St. Peter says: “God’s been waiting for you.” The man approaches God and in his most perplexed voice says: “How could you let me down that way? Where were you?” God looks even more puzzled and says: “Give me a break! Who do you think sent you a rowboat, a police boat, and a helicopter?”

As we begin the season of Ordinary Time, that same question, “Where is God among us?” is just as relevant today. For weeks now, all throughout the Advent and Christmas seasons, we’ve been proclaiming Emmanuel, God is with us. But the ordinary question we return to today is: Exactly how is God with us? How and where do we find the presence of God in everyday life, in our lives? How does God act in the world these days? And just like in the story about the man on his roof waiting for something spectacular to happen, we find that God, in fact, comes in a variety of ways. He comes in ways that often surprise us not because they are always spectacular or stunning, but because they lie right under our noses.

John’s gospel this morning illustrates well that sometimes God’s manifestation still can be stunning. Wouldn’t it be nice if at every dinner party someone would

transform Augusta’s dreadful tap water into a fine red wine? Now, that’s just not going to happen, trust me. But remember, for John, Jesus’ miracles are not so much about defying the physical laws of nature. The miracles are for John signs, or pointers. He says in today’s gospel this “miracle” at Cana was the first of Jesus’ signs.

A sign usually leads us to something else. We presume it’s pointing beyond itself to another thing, person, or situation. In John’s gospel, the miracles are always pointing us to something deeper, something with profound theological insight.

 There are signs of God’s presence, signs of who this Jesus really is, signs of Jesus’ manifestation. This gospel story is really still a part of the Epiphany celebration. It proclaims that God’s signs are all around us.

          We live in the year 2013, a time when it seems that secularism is about to engulf us. Modern folks don’t place much stock in miracles anymore. They seem quaint, somehow primitive–especially when they are on the grand scale of violating nature’s rather predictable laws. But if you think with John, and think of miracle as a signpost, a pointer, then who has not experienced a miracle?

Some of you here work in education (perhaps right here at St Mary’s). If you teach anything at all, I’ sure you’ve had the experience of watching a young mind and heart explode with freshness and excitement at learning something new. It may not happen often, but when it does, haven’t you often felt (if not said): “My God, it’s a miracle!” At least it can be a sign / of freshness, of growth, of graciousness, of hope, a sign of God.

Or those of you who work in health services, how often have you experienced the totally unexpected, totally unexplained? How often have you experienced first-hand the difference between cures and healing? Sometimes you get strangely lucky and you get to experience what actually looks like old-fashioned miracles. But even more often, I suspect, if you are looking, you can see the unmistakable signs of healing, or of peace, or of tranquility even in the face of imminent death, for example. Simple inner peace is a remarkable gift for any of us at any time in life. Peace is in itself, a miracle, a sign of God’s promise.

Right here at St Mary’s, we’ve witnessed the experience of Brennan Simpkins, and his miraculous healing from cancer. He spent a long time at St Jude’s, and after repeated bone marrow transplants, he’s back at school now.

Strange things do happen. Miracles do happen. And signs are all

around us. That brings us to St. Paul’s instruction today. Are you still looking for how God’s presence manifests itself in human history? Do you still want to know how God acts in your own world? Paul says: look around! And listen to each other. Sometimes God speaks in wise people, and we’ve all probably known one or two people of wisdom in our lives. Sometimes in knowledgeable and learned people. Other times through persons of great faith. At times through healers. Sometimes in persons of great courage and integrity. These are the gifts of the Spirit, Paul tells us.

Sometimes God’s signs come through churches, other times the signs have nothing to do with churches. At times God’s signs bring peace and tranquility; sometimes God’s signs bring discord and great confusion. This baby Jesus we  celebrated at Christmas, this adult Jesus at Cana, “has come for the rise–and fall–of many.”

But, Paul says, there is only one Spirit behind all the signs, one Spirit who is clothed in flesh, now only in us. That Spirit speaks now only through us. It’s not just polite to listen to each other on occasion; it’s the only way to hear the signs of God’s presence, to experience the miracles of today’s world. They are in us–quite literally–waiting to be heard. Look around in this church. Isn’t that a scary thought? Right next to you–or in front or behind you–may be today’s miracle waiting to happen. St. Paul was not kidding. Neither am I.

Now if you are still feeling cynicism about all this miracle-talk, at least take a cue from the headwaiter in today’s gospel. I imagine him somewhat perplexed, feeling a touch angry perhaps, at the very least curious, when he says to the bridegroom: “Hey, what’s up? You’ve saved the best stuff for last; this crowd has been drinking all day, I doubt they can appreciate this wine. But, it sure is good wine.”

The waiter at least has the openness to appreciate the graciousness and gift of what sits under his nose. “Ah, and a lovely bouquet it is indeed.” God’s graciousness and gift to us all. And it is here! So, my brothers and sisters, miracles still do happen. Signs of God’s presence, and peace, and promise are waiting to be discovered and celebrated. So please make sure the next time your very own personal flood waters are raging, and you are grasping onto the roof for dear life, don’t miss the rope, or the ladder, or the helicopter. None of us, I’m sure, really wants to hear God say to us at the pearly gate: “Give me a break! Look at all the signs I sent you; look at all the people I gave you. And you let them all float by.”

Welcome back to so-called Ordinary Time; maybe we won’t find it quite so ordinary after all.

Homily for Sunday- Feeding of 5000

God Provides           Ord 17B July 2012

One of the early church heresies was led by a man named Marcion. Marcion could not see the value of the Old Testament in our Scriptures, and thought it should be discarded. Rightfully, Marcion was excommunicated from the church. But after thinking about today’s Old Testament reading, and its connection to the gospel, I’m convinced that if I could sit with Marcion for a few hours, I could convince him that the Hebrew Scriptures are an integral, valued part of our canon.

The connection of first reading today with the gospel is instantly apparent. When the prophet Elisha ensures there is enough food for the crowd, he fulfills not only the role of prophet, but also that of King of Israel, whose first responsibility it was to attend to the welfare of his people; especially to the widow, the stranger and the poor. Elisha’s deeds parallel that of Jesus in today’s gospel… the people ate and were more than satisfied with the simple bread from heaven.

I think it is quite interesting that in both these miracle stories about Elisha and Jesus, the miraculous provisions of food for the multitudes did not come from the wealthy folks, or even from the prophet, but rather it came from God’s work through the poor. It came from a farmer who could offer only 20 loaves of bread, and a child who only had 5 barley loaves and some fish. It was through the poor that God provided for the people.

The story of the loaves and the fishes is one of the most well-known gospel stories. Today’s passage presents us with a sign that is misunderstood by both the disciples and the crowds who witness it. This is the first of 5 consecutive weeks where we hear from John’s Bread of Life discourse. 5 weeks of Eucharistic theology.

Today we are immersed in a scene where people are following Jesus because they have seen the signs and healings he has performed, even though there is little indication that they understood them. In fact, at the end of this discourse, some disciples will find Jesus’ mission so hard to bear that they will leave him.

Jesus’ first concern for the crowd gathered that day had to do with their nourishment—both physical and spiritual. He asks Phillip where they could find food for the crowd. We can almost picture Phillip’s exasperated state of mind when he says that it would take a year’s wages to provide enough food for all these folks. Then Andrew comes up with an absurd solution to use a child’s 5 barley loaves and some fish.

Then Jesus simply gives thanks and distributes food to everyone, and the disciples gather up the leftovers. The crowd was fed, and they saw what Jesus was doing, but they did not understand the importance of the event. They saw it as another remarkable event. They didn’t see it as a sign of God revealing himself to his people. They might have judged it a miracle of sorts... a suspension of nature’s laws, or some sort of magic. But to John, a sign is something different. Rather than providing proof of something, a sign demands our judgment and our understanding. It belongs to the realm of revelation and faith, rather than science. A sign is a truth that does not deny the reality of the event. But, more importantly, it recognizes it as a gift of God rather than a violation of any physical law of nature.

The people did understand something in Jesus’ action that day. They recognized him as a prophet. They began to see that the real miracle that day was not the one that changed loaves and fishes, but the one that began to change the hearts of men and women and children.

But their response to this was to try to carry him off as their king, their political leader and provider—a prospect Jesus would flee by withdrawing alone up in the mountains. In the gospels over the next 5 weeks, Jesus will attempt to teach the people the significance of their experience: that he himself is the bread that has come from heaven; that he is not the magic provider of everything they want, but rather the genuine source of all that they need.

          Part of the lesson that we can take from these stories of signs in today’s readings becomes a commentary on the Paschal Mystery—the mystery of who Jesus is. When we give all that we have, as the people on the hillside did that day, God can provide all that is needed for everyone. The other teaching we take away from these miraculous events is that they are signs of God’s love working through simple human beings, not suspensions of nature or a manifestation of the power of a chosen prophet.

          If we go away today thinking that this is another cool thing that Jesus did, we miss the point. We miss the purpose of the story. The similarity of Jesus giving Thanks, and the words he used became the words of the consecration. Jesus doesn’t just hand us bread, he is the bread of life for us. He is nourishment. We miss all that if we receive communion like a mechanical robot, with our minds on something else. What will happen on this altar this evening is just as miraculous as the multiplication of the loaves.

My friends, as we prepare to receive the Eucharist today, let’s remember to pray for ourselves and our loved ones, with open minds, and open hearts. Let us pray that, we, despite our fears and failures, we will grow ever so gradually into what the Word of God promises we already are: The Body of Christ in the World.

Why don't Catholics evangelize?

Homily for Feast of Ascension May 20, 2012

Before He ascends into heaven, Jesus tells his apostles, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.” Now one might study this statement and wonder how it could apply to one’s own personal life, asking “What is this passage saying to me?”

          This passage, my friends, should speak directly to your heart. It’s telling all of us, every one of us, to be evangelizers of the Word. Now I’m willing to bet that no one gathered here today considers themselves excellent evangelizers. It’s rare that one would step forward and say, “Here I am, ready and willing to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ.” I mean, after all, we have our own lives to live, important tasks to perform to care for and maintain the well-being of our families. We just don’t picture ourselves as evangelizers. We don’t feel called to go around telling people about all the wonderful things relating to the Catholic faith.

          A few weeks ago, two people from one of the religions well-known for knocking on doors, rang my doorbell. They asked for a few minutes of time to listen to a spiel on why I should convert to their religion. I listened for a while and was astounded at their lack of knowledge of what we would consider the basics of our faith—The Trinity—3 persons in one God; the two natures of Jesus Christ, true God and true man, and other beliefs we state ever so clearly when we profess the Nicene Creed at every weekend Mass.

          After an extended period of my refuting their very literal interpretations of random Bible quotes, I tried to wrap it up by noting, how much I admired them for having the fortitude to go out and knock on doors in the name of their beliefs. One of the 2, quiet up until that point said, "When one is as passionate as we are about our faith, we can’t help but get out & knock on doors."

          That caused me think for a while. I wonder how many Catholics today are so energized by their faith that they would tell everyone they met about it? Probably very few. I mean, we have missionaries, like The Glenmarys, the Maryknolls, and others who belong to religious orders whose mission is to do precisely just that. But as far as the average Catholic in America, likely no.

           

But this is precisely what today’s gospel calls us to do! And also in the first reading, we hear, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Jesus asks his followers to proclaim the gospel to everyone. Yet few people do it. Why? Seems we as Catholics are kind of tepid when it comes spreading the good news of our faith. We may not feel comfortable doing so. We may not feel empowered to do so. We may be unsure of some aspects of Catholic doctrine. We may feel insecure if someone asks us to explain Purgatory, or our devotion to Mary, or praying to the saints to intercede for us.

          But in spite of that I think there is much that each of us can do to be evangelizers. We live in an area that is only 5% Catholic. So we all know that Catholic myths are abundant. We come into contact with many people in the course of our daily lives: relatives, friends, co workers, neighbors, and even strangers who we might strike up a conversation with. A heavy handed monologue about how great your religion is never a welcomed conversation. But when the opportunity presents itself, consider a simple affirmation of what it means to be a Catholic. Consider offering a clarification of one of the many myths about Catholicism. This can work wonders to clear up ambiguities folks may have about our faith and its practice.

          We all are well aware of the well-known quote attributed to St Francis “Spread the gospel at all times; use words if necessary .” Now this is very sound advice as a guide to living the moral life. But someone who abides by the commandments and practices the Beatitudes may not necessarily be a Catholic.

I know a Catholic friend who keeps a Bible and a copy of the Catechism in his office at work. If he ever runs into a question or someone asks about his faith, he responds in a soft voice, with clarity about what his Catholic faith means to him. That’s all it takes to be an evangelizer.

Enough can’t be said for good Catholic books and periodicals to be a part of every household. Copies of the leading publications are available in the Narthex. Pick one up and stay apprised of current events in the church as well as brushing up on Catholic beliefs.

In our first reading, from Acts, the apostles were challenged to begin the task at hand. As they watched Jesus disappear into the clouds, two men ask them: “Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky?”

The apostles were not supposed to spend their time staring nostalgically at the stars. There was work to be done. So they left the mountain, went into the city, and prepared for the phenomenal mission that was about to start – the spreading of the gospel to every corner of the world.

It is tempting on this feast of the Ascension to experience it the way the apostles did, to gaze into the heavens and to ponder the clouds and to pray over the miracle of this great moment.

But Christ’s words to his apostles are words to us all. “Go.” He wants us to go on a mission. The world will not be converted on a mountaintop. The message will not be spread in the clouds. It will happen in workplaces and the schools, in public places and private homes, and in media of all kinds. We are summoned to confide in others what it means to live out our faith as Catholics. Invite someone to Mass, ask inactive Catholics why they have fallen away. Tell them what they’re missing in the Eucharist, the very Body & Blood of our Lord Jesus.

And that is what the disciples did. They prayed. They read. And then got up and set out into the city, to make disciples of all nations.

This feast of the Ascension calls us to open our hearts and to begin spreading the Word of God. So, do not stare at the heavens too long. The Kingdom of God is waiting to be spread. Sooner or later, we all must turn our eyes from the heavens, and direct ourselves to the work on earth. Sooner or later, we have to go and make disciples of all nations.

There is no better time than now. As we gather at this Eucharistic table, let us be thankful that we live in the Spirit of the One who was raised from the dead, and ascended to the Father. Let us also be mindful of the task presented to us—to spread the Good news of our life in the risen Christ.

Why does Protestant Bible have 7 fewer books than the Catholic Bible?

Many folks are puzzled by the fact that the non-Catholic Bible has seven fewer books in its Old Testament than the Catholic Bible. For an extensive discussion on this topic, watch this video from Fr Martino:

Fr Martino on OT Canon

 The condensed version is:

In 2nd Century BC, Jewish scholars translated the  Hebrew Scriptures into Greek. Seven of the books were originally written in Greek, not Hebrew, but the 70 rabbis doing the project kept them anyway.

In 400 AD, St Jerome translated the Bible into Latin (called the Vulgate version). He opined that only those originally written in Hebrew should be part of the Canon, the other 7 should be tossed out. St Augustine weighed in, and said no, we should retain them all. The Council of Hippo in 393 confirmed that all 46 OT books shall remain in the Canon.

During the reformation, Martin Luther raised the issue again, and said the 7 Greek books should be dropped. A few years later, the Council of Trent reaffirmed the Church's Canon of 46 OT books. Luther & his followers decided to stick with only 39 books in their OT. So, today we have 2 separate versions of the OT.