Diamonds in the G-ruff6/30/2019 13th Sunday of the Year
There are certain Sundays of the year when a preacher may inwardly or outwardly groan at the thought of working with the scriptures of the day. The thirteenth Sunday, Year C is one of them. (I’m not superstitious but the thirteenth?) These are very rough readings at first glance. Jesus is particularly "gruff" in all his responses to the disciples’ questions. As they were proceeding on their journey someone said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus answered him, "Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head." And to another he said, "Follow me." But he replied, "Lord, let me go first and bury my father." But he answered him, "Let the dead bury their dead. But you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God." And another said, "I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home." To him Jesus said, "No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God." Whenever I would encounter Jesus gruff, I would look for something sparkling, a diamond in the “gruff,” so to speak. Nine years ago the search for the sparkle came relatively easily. It happened to be my mother’s 95th birthday and I began by relating how when she had been visiting for her 90th on this same weekend (with easier readings) she left a trail of sparkles wherever she went. (As was her wont, she bought her dress at a discount store and so the sparkles came off easily.) 13thSunday 2010 Can I ask you if you heard anything “sparkling” in our scriptures today? I would love to preach a homily that sparkles, that matches the twinkle in the eyes of the two infants who will be baptized in the sparkling water of new life following our liturgy. I would love to preach a homily that sparkles on this beautiful summer day but honestly you have to dig very deep, “mine” the scriptures to find anything sparkling. Did you hear anything sparkling? Twinkling? Luminescent? Let the dead bury their dead. And another said, “I will follow you, Lord,but first let me say farewell to my family at home.” To him Jesus said, “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God.” But if you go on biting and devouring one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another. These are all very hard sayings. They rub the wrong way. They make you question, “Is this what it means to be a follower of Jesus? Do we have to surrender our own interests and concerns, even ones as valuable as parental love and respect to follow Jesus? The scriptures seem to say that. But what are they really asking? Paul tells us that in Christ we are made for freedom. And what is that freedom about? It is about love of neighbor, not biting and consuming others. Freedom in Christ has to do with a complete liberation of our wants, needs, desires, passions that are selfish, that must be transformed under the pressure of God’s love for us so that we become Christ-like. “Serve one another through love,” Paul says. And the Gospel? This litany of very “hard sayings”? What it is it really asking? As followers of Jesus we are asked to surrender everything for the sake of the kingdom of God. As Jesus himself did. Remember the context of this passage. In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus is resolutely determined to go to Jerusalem where he knows he will be rejected and even put to death. Should it surprise us that the Jesus who is going to Jerusalem to give his life in sacrificial love asks those who choose to follow him to do the same? The more I mined these scriptures I began to see twinkling, then sparkling, then a diamond. Remember that the diamond, this beautiful, carrier of light is the hardest surface in the world. Nothing can scratch it except another diamond. The diamond is formed from carbon-bearing materials exposed to extreme pressure and found deep below the mantle of the earth I wonder if the call to discipleship, the invitation to leave everything behind and focus out attention on Jesus’ way of living and self –surrender, might be the diamond, the precious gem that sparkles with light and beauty. I know that my mother on her 95thbirthday is a precious gem as she has loved and served and followed Jesus in her own way. Sparkling! It should be obvious why I chose the photos I did today. They were taken on the steps of St Francis Xavier Church in NY as the guests waited with sparklers in hand for the newly married couple to appear.
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Passionflower/ Passionfruit6/29/2019 Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul
I’m continuing the theme of fruits and flowers that have been part of my daily reflections. I’m always searching for a visual to accompany my words and fruits and flowers always work. The photo above contains a passion flower and passion fruit. I don't know how Peter and Paul would feel be associated with a fruit and a flower but certainly they would be comfortable with the word, Passion. What unites the two is their Passion, suffering for the sake of the Gospel and their passionate love of Jesus Christ. (Now that I think of it, there is a coconut candy covered with chocolate whose name is "Peter Paul's Almond Joy! I use to have "Mounds" of them when I was young.) The passion fruit was named by missionaries in Brazil around1700 “flower of the five wounds.” When opened, they saw an image of Christ’s passion and his wounds. The flower, as you can see, is an exquisite exemplar of God’s passionate love given expression in the beauty of creation. On this feast of Saints Peter and Paul, inspired by the passionflower and fruit, I’d like to share with you choreographic work that embodies this passionate love for Jesus Christ. I discovered the musical settings of Benjamin Britten to poems by Gerard Manley Hopkins on retreat at Eastern Point a number of years ago. I was planning to do some new choreography for a presentation at Boston College entitled: "Two Jesuit Choreographers: East Meets West." The program would contrast the choreographies of Indian Jesuit, Fr. Saju George as well as my own. When I discovered the Britten piece, O Deus, Ego Te Amo, I knew that this was the music and text that I would use. (Years later I found it “interesting” that the Hopkins poem was based on a prayer attributed to St Francis Xavier.) O God, I love thee, I love thee — Not out of hope of heaven for me Nor fearing not to love and be In the everlasting burning. Thou, thou, my Jesus, after me Didst reach thine arms out dying, For my sake sufferedst nails and lance,┬░ Mocked and marred countenance, Sorrows passing number, Sweat and care and cumber, Yea and death, and this for me, And thou couldst see me sinning: Then I, why should not I love thee, Jesu so much in love with me? Not for heaven's sake; not to be Out of hell by loving thee; Not for any gains I see; But just the way that thou didst me I do love and I will love thee: What must I love thee, Lord, for then? — For being my king and God. Amen Here is the link to “O Deus, Ego Te Amo,” beautifully danced by Darren Devaney. I hope it embodies for you some of the Passion expressed in the poem. I hope you can see the “fruit” of his labor and the beautiful “flower” of a movement prayer. https://vimeo.com/344685605 Rose-Mary in Time6/28/2019 Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus I chose a photo of a Rose for today’s reflection. I was searching for one of Rosemary, the herbal kind but was so moved by the beauty of this single rose that I wanted to share it with you. Why Rosemary? I’ve told you the story of Joel Peterson who danced with our company for many years. His mom, Rosemary died last month and Joel’s sister Ellie, sent me this photo of Joel at his mother’s bedside. Seeing this image of mother and son on this feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, this passage from the Gospel of Matthew comes to mind.
“Come to me all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am meek and gentle of heart. And you shall find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matt. 11:28-30) The “yoke” of love between Joel and his mom, Rosemary was always so strong. Rosemary gave her life in love for Len, her husband and all her children but there was a special bond between her and her son, Joel. All of us who were graced to experience Joel’s meek and gentle heart know that Rosemary was his source of comfort and tenderness. Look at the smile on Joel's face and see that comfort and tenderness returned. In the liturgical calendar for most years, the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary would be celebrated the day after the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Since tomorrow is the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, Mary’s is moved, even though she must have the primacy of place in Jesus’ heart. As I contemplate the special “yoke” of love between Joel and Rosemary, I cannot help but think of the bond between Jesus and Mary, mother and son. And so my choice of two Roses so close to each other that you can imagine they are of one mind and one heart. I chose the title Rose-Mary in Time for this reflection thinking about the difference this one “Rose” and the one “Mary” made in the life of the sons to whom they gave birth, nurtured and held close to their hearts. Rocky Shur6/27/2019 Thursday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time
When I read the scriptures for today, I wondered what in the world I would make of them. The “road to Shur” was the first to catch my attention. The LORD's messenger found her by a spring in the wilderness, the spring on the road to Shur, and he asked, "Hagar, maid of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?" I thought how wonderful it would be on the road to “Sure,” having complete trust and confidence that you were on the right road that would lead to a “sure thing.” The story of Hagar, however, is rife with turmoil and confusion. She is on a rocky road, lost and alone. There is nothing “sure” on the road to Shur for Hagar. (Like so many of the biblical stores that have to do with the ancestral faith of Israel and with Hagar and Ishmael, the Muslim faith, one is not really sure of what to make of them!) When I read the Gospel, however, what came to mind was the photo of a “house built on rock” that I had stayed in seven years ago. Now that’s a house built on a rock! And, for sure, there’s a story behind my staying there. A friend and I had decided to take a trip up the coast of Maine to see its “rocky shores.” A search for places to stay led to the Samoset. After a harrowing trip of rain, wind and winding roads, we finally arrived only to be told that our reservations were not until the next day and they were totally booked! Fortunately for me, I showed them the reservation confirmation, which, in fact, was for the day we arrived. After some fussing and fidgeting on their part, the manager told me that since it was their fault, they would give us the only place they had available for the price we were supposed to pay for simple accommodations. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the “Flume Cottage,” the house built on a rock that you see above. Whenever I hear Jesus speaking of a “sure thing” with the image of the house built on rock and not on sand, I think of how blessed I was to be gifted with a few days in this special place after a rocky start along the rocky shore. Before leaving the scriptures, we’re left to reflect on the question that the Lord’s messenger poses to Hagar. “Where have you come from and where are you going?” It’s good to know that these essential questions of life were being asked almost 4000 years ago. Wherever we’ve come from, no matter how rocky the road has been, I hope we are all on the road to God’s “Sure!” Cheery or Lemon Tree?6/26/2019 Wednesday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time
I didn’t have a photo of a cherry or a lemon tree so instead I’ve created a photo of a “bowl of cherries” with a few lemons thrown in. After all, we know that life is not a “bowl of cherries.” Everything in life is not sweet and succulent, not always “cheery.” And if cherries are cheery, lemons are sour and as the song goes “impossible to eat.” “Lemon Tree very pretty and the lemon flower is sweet but the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat” “By their fruits you will know them.” These words of Jesus from today’s gospel made me start thinking about fruit trees and what kind of fruit tree I would want to be. The cherry tree came to mind since I think of cherries as “cheery.” One of the reasons I try to be as playful and positive in these reflections is that there are so many reasons for sad and sour faces in our world. If I can bring some cheer, a smile or even a laugh it makes the effort worthwhile. As the song “Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries” goes, “Don’t take it serious. It’s too mysterious.” Then the lemon tree came to mind. Lemons may get a bad rap especially since their wraps, or rinds provide zest. Think of all those recipes that call for the juice of a lemon. Lemon meringue, Limoncello, lemon squares. lemonade. Maybe being a lemon tree wouldn’t be so bad after all! Could I be a source of zest and sparkle, even at the risk of being so often sour? My dear friend, Lyn Brakeman whose blog and book is entitled “Spiritual Lemons” As she says in spirituallemons.blogspot.com Spiritual Lemons: Zest for Souls Challenged and Courageous “Even the most sour of life’s “lemons” are spiritual, add zest to life.” Most of us are a hybrid of cherry and lemon, sweet and sour but that’s life! Life can be a bowl of cherries but don’t lose the lemons! A Lot-a-leaving6/25/2019 Tuesday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time
I’ve never paid much attention to the story of Lot and Abraham going their separate ways but with Lot’s leaving and taking a different path, it made me think of the Road Not Taken, by Robert Frost. Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same, And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back. I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-- I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. The choices that Lot and Abraham made, the directions they chose to follow made all the difference. Lot’s lot in life was one misfortune after another. Abraham’s lot was quite the opposite, blessing upon blessing. How much was due to the paths they chose to take? Was Abraham more attentive to God’s initiative? Was Lot choosing his own way rather than listening to God’s promptings? The power of Frost’s poem is its reminder that the path we choose to take precludes others. “Knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back.” There is a certain melancholy as he wonders what would have been if he had taken the other path, gone in a different direction. And what about ourselves? I, for one, wonder what my life would have been had I made different choices along the way, when “two road diverged.” When like Lot, the direction we have moved in, has lead to misfortune and even tragedy, it’s easy to say that we wish we had chosen the other path. As I was writing this, I remembered when my father was in the nursing home suffering for about 5 years from a series of strokes that impaired his communication and recognition of any of his family. I never expected that his lot in life would include final years that would rob him of his mind and memory. On this one day, however, when I was visiting him, babbling away assuming that my words were just words, my father spoke for the first time in years. His words were, “Yes, it is.” They came from his powerful and resonant voice that I had not heard for so long. It was his “amen” to life with all its joys and pains, its choices and challenges. We have all taken the road less travelled because that road is uniquely who we are. No one else has ever travelled that same road, even when there have been companions on the way. I realize this is “a lot” to ask, but can you say “Amen” to all the joys and pains, the choices and challenges of your life? Well, Well6/24/2019 Feast of the Nativity of John the Baptist
If you're wondering why I chose the photo of Montserrat for this reflection entitled, "Well, Well" you'll have to read to the end! The church celebrates the feast of the Nativity of John the Baptist on this day, 6 months before the celebration of the birth of Jesus. The two births are beautifully intertwined in the infancy narratives of Luke’s Gospel. And since it’s only 6 months and a day until Christmas, my reflection is related to pieces that I choreographed for A Dancer’s Christmas. In 1994 I created a new opening for Act 1, TRIPTYCH. This version begins with a celebration of the betrothal of Mary and Joseph, “before they lived together.” I have woven together with this “marriage celebration,” the story of the Angel’s announcement to Zechariah that his wife, Elizabeth, who is childless, will give birth to a son, who will be named, John. I have set these scenes against the backdrop of a flowing stream since there is a tradition of the Annunciation happening at the Well in Nazareth. In the Orthodox Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth this tradition is honored with mosaics that tell the story of the encounter of Mary with the Angel Gabriel at the Well. There exists today in the city a modern public fountain built over a well that has been in use since ancient times. It is fed by Mary's spring which flows under the altar of the church nearby. If you would like to see this piece, you can go to this link: https://vimeo.com/344070335 The music is “Israeli Melodies” and the composer is Julius Chajes. Althoug the video is not the best quality, I hope you get a sense of the joyful celebration of the betrothal and the excitement of the unexpected birth of John, the feast we celebrate today. You can also see on this video the Visitation scene that I described in an earlier reflection. This takes place 16 minutes into the video. It is a beautiful moment of encounter between Mary and Elizabeth. I titled this reflection "Well, Well." not only because of the central symbol of the Well that is part of the tradition of the Annunciation, but also because of the expression, "Well, well," it's another way of saying “Isn’t that interesting?” The photo above is from Montserrat in Spain where there is a wonderful tradition on this day of people dancing in the plaza in front of the church. I happened to be there on this feast a number of years ago and was elated to see the celebration and even “try” to join in the Sardana, a traditional dance for all ages performed in a circle. And since it is the feast of the birth of John the Baptizer, I have to include a picture of the beautiful baptismal font at St Ignatius church. Nicole Huggins is the dancer who is getting ready to "draw water from the springs of salvation." All I can say is, Well, Well! Crust Enough6/23/2019 6-23 Crust Enough As I was walking through Union Square yesterday, knowing that I would be reflecting this morning on the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, the quotation by Robert Browning advertising the wares of Bread Alone Bakerystopped me in my tracks. “This sounds like the Eucharist to me,” I thought. Ordinarily we receive just a little bit of bread, usually the size of a piece of the crust, and that is somehow enough and more than enough. So much is held in such a little bit of creation. This morning as I was reading homilies for Corpus Christi I found one that I delivered 15 years ago. It connects beautifully with Browning’s quote. Corpus Christi 2004 “Last Sunday, Trinity Sunday, when you were celebrating Eucharist here in Boston, I was walking through an enchanting (perhaps enchanted) forest/garden in Kenmare, County Kerry Ireland. It was a typical day in Ireland with bright blue sky and puffy white clouds. The forest/garden was filled with wild rhododendrons of all colors, tropical plants and flora of all kind. The sun was shining (Did I mention the sun was shining?) through the trees highlighting the many shades of green. I was simply enchanted by the beauty of creation. As I entered part of the forest with majestic pines, the sun shining, I was moved to prayer and two words escaped my lips, “OH God.” Just as I said those words I glanced down and there encircling one of the pines was a bed of shamrocks. The luck of the Irish! Here on Trinity Sunday I had found my way to ST. Patrick’s symbol of one and three. This little bit of creationled me into a contemplation of the Trinitarian mystery of God as I imagine it did for Patrick. As I looked around I noticed that I was in a field of shamrocks. For me it was the multiplication of the shamrocks! Yes, I know Trinity Sunday was last week and Corpus Christi, the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ is today. We just heard about the multiplication of loaves and fishes and so I should be preaching about food and drink and not walks in the woods and multiplication of shamrocks. Some of my most creative homilies have been cooked up on this feast. There is the one about my preference for devil’s food over angel food. And there is one that gave me the nickname, Father Watermelon. I asked the question, “What food is large enough to feed a crowd and quench their thirst at the same time?” Yes, a watermelon! After 10 days in Ireland my answer to the same question is Guiness! Food and drink, the bread of life and the cup of salvation. That is what we are invited to contemplate today. And as that shamrock, the little bit of creation, opened St Patrick up to the contemplation of the great mystery of the trinity, can we let a little bit of creation, a piece of bread and a sip of wine, open us up to the extraordinary mystery of the Eucharist? This bread is my body. This wine is my blood. Both are given to you. For you. I have always thought that the creation of the Eucharist, Jesus’s last supper was a stroke of genius. For the Jewish people, bread and wine were already the staff and stuff of life that bound them together as God’s chosen people as they gathered for each ritual meal and especially the Passover. And here Jesus was saying, “In me, this food and drink is my life for you. Remember me this way.” This little bit of creationleads us into the awesome mystery of Christ’s sharing his life with us. Although my words this morning have focused on the elements of bread and wine, the Eucharistic food and drink we receive, it is important that we remember that we come to this Eucharist every Sunday not only to receive the body and blood of Christ but to be reminded that we are the body and blood of Christ in the world. And that means that we have the awesome responsilibilty of being the little bit of creationthat invites others into the mystery of God’s love for them. When the disciples want to dismiss the crowds. Jesus says, You give them something to eat. But we have so little they respond. It is amazing how far a little can go when God’s spirit has something to do with it!” On another panel of the Bread Alone Bakery tent, there was a quote from Miguel Cervantes, which also captured my imagination. “All sorrows are less with bread.” How true! Over the past five days, I’ve experienced the “multiplication of meals” in a variety of restaurants, breaking bread with wonderful friends who have lifted so many of my sorrows through their love, support and kindness. If a simple or gourmet meal with friends can do that, how much more can God do for us in the Eucharistic meal when we share “crust enough.”
The photo below was taken in Kenmare the day of the multiplication of the shamrocks. A Pair of Ducks6/22/2019 Saturday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time
Yesterday I shared with you my summer soul-stice day and the memory of my crossing the threshold of the novitiate, now the CIA. Later that evening my walk down memory lane continued as I had dinner with three of my favorites Regis students whom I taught 45 years ago! As I prayed this morning, contemplating the words of St Paul, “for when I am weak, then I am strong,” another memory from 45 years ago came to me. I was teaching Sophomore English and the question on an exam was “What is a Paradox?” The clever Regis student drew a picture of two little ducks and wrote next to them “a pair of ducks.” (I can’t believe I actually found a photo of a pair of ducks in my albums! God is Good!) The paradox Paul speaks of is at the heart of our Christian faith. It is in weakness that we are strong. The model of love and service that Jesus gives us is reliance on God and not on our will power. When we own our weaknesses, when we acknowledge our faults and failings, God has someone to work with! Can we be God-reliant rather than self-reliant? This is what Jesus seems to be saying in today’s Gospel. Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith! Impractical? Yes. Paradoxical? Yes. Contemplate the Cross of Christ and see for yourself how weakness is strength, how suffering and death is Life. I believe the photo below, taken by Fr. JA Loftus in a cemetery in Ireland, captures this paradox. The Celtic Crosses in a field of lilies (Well, yes, they are daisies) is an invitation to let God be Good for us. "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness." Treasure Trove/ Soul-Stice6/21/2019 "Where you treasure is, there will your heart be” These words of today’s scripture are surely some of the most evocative in Matthew’s Gospel. They invite us to reflect on our lives and what we keep closest to our hearts. Can you ask yourself the questions, “Where is my treasure trove?” What are the memories that I cherish most? What are the relationships in my life that are most precious to me?”
Although today is the beginning of the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, yesterday was symbolically for me a day that encompassed 53 years of memory, a veritable treasure trove of experiences that remind me where my heart is. The photo above is of the doorway that I entered 53 years ago as an 18 year old to begin my life as a Jesuit. At the time it was St Andrew’s Novitiate. For almost 50 years now it has been the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) Although I have heard of this treasure trove of culinary expertise and education for many years, yesterday was my first visit back after 50 years. I am so grateful to friends, Kim and John Profaci, for facilitating this day that brought me back to the beginning of my “soul-stice” When Kim asked me how it felt to be back, seeing such a dramatic change after 50 years, I could only marvel at what this place had become. Where for decades, young Jesuits-to-be were spiritually nourished with the Spiritual Exercises, the Word of God, and the “bread of life” in the Eucharist, now countless numbers of people were being nourished with creative cuisine from all corners of the world. It felt to me as if God was continuing to feed and nourish albeit in a different way. The primary experience for me, however, was realizing that this was Holy Ground that I was walking on. It was here that I fell in love with God and began to know Jesus Christ as a real person in whom I could invest my life and love. Here is where I found my first treasure trove. Since that time, that treasure has been buried beneath the worries, cares and disappointments that are part of life. But the treasure is always there to be discovered. I am particularly grateful today for crossing the threshold and remembering where I first discovered how all-loving God was, is and will be. Today is also the feast of St Aloysius Gonzaga, the young Jesuit saint after whom the retreat house on Eastern Point in Gloucester is named. As you know from reading my reflections, Gonzaga, more than any place has been Holy Ground, that special place of encounter with God where you fall in love again and again. “Where your treasure is, there will you heart be.” On this soul-stice day I’ve been reminded of mine. In case you were wondering, “stice” means “stopped or stationary.” The sun might not stop on solstice day, but since it’s the longest day of the year, it is a good day to stop and reflect on you treasure! AuthorAs an ordained Catholic priest for 45 years and a member of the Jesuits for 57 years, I've had a great deal of "spiritual" experience! This is a place where I can continue to share my thoughts about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and what it means to live the "mystery of God." Categories |
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